Hyaluronic Acid Ampoules

One of my favourite items to use in my skincare is Hyaluronic Acid, a substance that retains tons of moisture to your skin.

What happens when you retain moisture? Well, anti-aging occurs. For the main part, your skin doesn't dry out, hence preventing wrinkles or even helps with wrinkles that were caused by dryness over a long period of time. 

I seldom receive products to try out simply because I'm usually rather picky with what I want to put on my face. But when I was asked to try these Hyaluronic Acid ampoules out, I jumped on it. 

I've never tried ampoules before and when it contains one of my favourite ingredients in skincare, I couldn't resist. Read my results after the photos. 

Each box comes with 5 ampoules, one box priced at RM138. 
You can buy it direct from their website.
Contact Ms Lim for purchase 0192062386
It's the last day to get promo price of RM88 per box, you can call her to get the price. 

Ingredients: 
Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid or HA)
Arbutin
Aloe Vera
Ginseng
Collagen
Aqua (water)

Each bottle of ampoule can last you one day after opening, so you can split it into two usage, morning and evening application.
One box can last you for 5 days. And I was told to try it out for 5 days to see results.

Application: 
I was also told that I didn't need to apply moisture as the ampoule solution was sufficient to act as both serum and moisturiser in my skincare routine. I had my doubt because the website said otherwise. After two applications, I decided it wasn't enough as I had dry combination so I decided to apply moisturiser after my ampoule.

The ampoules contain a very liquidly solution that felt like I was applying toner onto my face, and to finish half an ampoule in one application can be a challenge. So what I was asked to do was to repeatedly apply it onto my skin until you use up half the ampoule.


My process: 
Now I was getting this 'meh' feeling after 3 continuous days of application. I didn't feel it was doing anything, in fact, skipping my high end serum made my face felt bare, almost dry-isa; but since I was asked to try it for 5 straight days, I persevered.

After the 4th day, I began to notice some result. My skin tone was surprisingly looking brighter, turned out the ampoules have evened out my skin tone. My make up looked seamless on my face, like it had a special glow to it and I didn't use a new foundation so I knew it had something to do with my skin. Being sceptical, I tried switching to my Hyaluronic serum (bought from Hong Kong) which has a higher HA consistency in replace of my ampoules and instantly the result looked different. It's hydrating but didn't seem to absorb well into my skin.

My HA serum had a gel like substance due to a high HA consistency whereas the ampoules had a water consistency. Since it comes in ampoules, I had no choice but to use the amount that was given in the product, and the active ingredients stay 'fresh' (as fresh as bottled skincare goes) since you do not open it until you want to use it, thus eliminating contamination and oxidation; which I feel is important in skincare products (why SK-II still sell their products in tubs and pour-out bottles is a mystery to me). The DocLab ampoule solution isn't sticky (unlike my HA serum), and easily absorbed, stickiness in general doesn't bother me but it does make the product easier to enjoy.

Verdict: 
It's a product that works.
My skin looked great. It's very light on my skin, no smell, easily absorbed and it's not sticky. I'm surprised and loving it.
My skin feel hydrated (even when it didn't feel like it the first few days) and my skin tone evened out.
It's not a massive or immediate change, but you will see it after a week.
It's a bit on pricey side if you were to use it on a daily basis for the rest of your life, you're looking at RM800 a month,
But if you have the means to or intend to 'invest' into your skincare, it's worth considering. It's similar to using a daily high end mask.

Clinique Cheek Pop Review | First Impression

Wanted a pink blush, so I went out and bought this Clinique Cheek Pop blusher in Plum Pop shade.
Here's my review of it.

Dear Ex

Dear Ex,

How have you been? It's been a long time since we last spoke. I can't remember the place and time we crossed eyes, the exact details were vague. Perhaps the sense of nostalgia that encapsulated me in your presence blurred the details.

Remember you told me I'd be fine when we ended? You lied.
Or so I thought for the first five years.

Life has been good to me of late. It has not been kind all the while, but I got by. Time and space heal. And tragedies became nightmares with time, hardships moulded me, I'm not the same person I once was when you last knew me.

Do I miss you? Yes and no. I thought less and less of you with each passing year. For a long time I never believed it was possible, but it happened. Each grand event that occurred in my life with your absence melted the pain away, gradually, but eventually.

Am I happy with who I have become over the years? Did coming out of hardships made me a better person? I'm not sure. I miss the youth and innocence I once had with you, loving with an intense ferocity, carelessness, and naivety was bliss I could never possess again. But it wasn't you who caused that, no. If not by you, then by someone else surely. Life has a way to teach you to grow up regardless of time and place and people; it can happen when you are 20, 40, or 80. So don't worry, I don't blame you, not anymore.

The good times will stay with me. It'll always be a token in my heart, like a love letter in a box I kept underneath the bed which I would stumbled across on an uneventful day. Something for me to reminisce once in a blue moon, a reminder that I was once deeply loved and loved deeply.

I won't thank you for the love we once had. Just as I won't hate you for the pain you've caused. I am, however, grateful that it has happened. Some people never for once experience the kind of fearless, irrational, unconditional, wrenching love in their life; for that I will always treasure.

I don't need to know how you are, what you have done lately, or if you are well. I hope you are well, for your sake if nothing else. And if life has been difficult, I send my blessings. Nothing more.

Goodbye for now. I'll see you again, perhaps in my next stumble on the box underneath the bed.

regards,
Just A Stranger

Ritz Carlton Afternoon Tea with Diamonds

Diamonds and afternoon teas. Sounds like the perfect love affair to me.





When I was invited to have afternoon teas at the Ritz to look at diamonds, I couldn't refuse.

It was an afternoon learning looking at the trademark 81-facet cut diamonds by SK Jewellery, called the ALLOVE diamond. While traditional diamonds usually go by 57-facet cut, the ALLOVE diamond gains more reflective advantages, thus resulting in a brighter, shinier diamond. Under the loupe, you see 10 symmetrical hearts and arrows at the top and bottom of the diamonds respectively.

After having my fill of camomile tea and scones with cream and jams, I waltzed over to the diamonds (naturally) to stare at the gorgeous display of diamond rings and necklaces. Now I'm not a person who wears fine jewellery, but I do enjoy looking at them, simply because, and this was unknown to most of my peers, I used to work in the jewellery industry. I remember the days of walking through jewellery conventions in Bangkok and Hong Kong, staring at diamonds, gems and gold day in day out. Something about these stones fascinated me endlessly.

There was a statement necklace which was not available for our viewing that day, called The Light of Life necklace, boasting over 6000 diamonds and cost more than RM3 million. Here's a image of it I sourced from the net.

The Light of Life necklace by Allove worth RM3 million

My two sheets of 0.2g gold that I got to bring home with me.