Shea butter, especially the L'OCCITANE range have been bestsellers worldwide, as men and women love the luxurious feel of the skin upon application. It's one of the things I'd have each time I'm traveling in a country with cold and dry weather. It helps keep my skin supple and healthy and as I have pretty dry skin, I can't leave home and travel without shea butter. This international success for L'OCCITANE are also being shared by several thousand Burkinabé women who are committed to developing a sustainable, fair-trade shea butter supply chain. 

The harvesting of shea nuts and selling shea butter have always been done by women and it is key to their economic emnacipation. As many as 17, 000 women are now invovled in the production of high-quality shea butter, working in five regional cooperatives and it is not surprising as a tube of shea butter hand cream is sold somewhere in the world every three seconds!

As L'OCCITANE celebrates the women of Burkina Faso for their 40th anniversary, they have launched a limited-edition collection inspired by the contemporary design of African wax prints. These traditional fabrics, often work for celebrations feature motifs and colors - means of communication to tell the pattern of women's lives. Check out the two limited edition motifs available from L'OCCITANE below:

Extraction Salicylic Acid 5% + Mask (RM100)

It is a procedure done on most acne patients, helps to get rid of those cysts. Salicylic acid helps in killing bacteria and keeping acne production under control. The mask is applied as a last step to help soothe patient's skin which might be red and swollen after extracton.

Dual Yellow Light Laser (RM300)

It is a non-invasive laser which uses literally yellow light projected on patient's skin. Helps reduce acne production and redness. It has different settings available and can help rejuvenate skin as well. Key point is it is not painful at all and with no downtime! Result can be seen immediately after laser session.

Nd:YAG Laser (RM300)

Non-invasive laser with minimal pain. It can help to brighten up skin complexion. Low downtime duration. 

Fractional Co2 Laser (RM600)

Minimally invasive laser. Helps with acne scarring and results are mostly visible after 2-3 sessions. It has a downtime of 5-7 days and numb cream application is required prior to laser treatment. 

They are offering free consultation to students aged 13-17 years old (present your IC or Passport to qualify) and those who are 18 onwards will have to present their student ID. 

Due to my scarring from my teen acne breakout, I had my Fractional CO2 laser done a while back and it did help me diminish some of the scars and applying makeup was so much easier. The only downside was that I didn't get to go out under the sun nor put makeup during the downtime (healing) process which took almost one week. I was not able to afford facials as a student and my parents didn't think it was necessary for someone so young but I truly believe that it's best to treat your skin and have regular facials to maintain and have it professionally cleaned and treated. At the same time, if you're having acne issues it is best to consult a dermatologist to figure out the underlying issue with you skin. 

This time around as I only needed to maintain the skin and improve a little (and I couldn't afford the downtime with all the events I had to go to) I opted to try out the Dual Yellow Light Laser. It didn't take too long, numbing cream was not even needed and the pain level on the scale was a mere 2/10 (do note that I am used to painful procedures done on my skin and it includes monthly waxing). So this one hardly felt like anything at all to me. 

My skin was instantly brighter, my pores shrunk a little and makeup application was much easier. Of course non-invasive lasers acts to maintain the skin and improve it a little so regular treatments are needed over time. If you're a student and would like to try to improve your skin condition, do check out Ko Skin Specialists' Student Lepak Time promo before it ends on these links:

Website | Facebook

In conjunction with the whole student acne program, Ko Skin Specialist is currently having a Facebook app game called Zap The Acne! 

It is a competitive game whereby participants zap as many acne as they can within 60 seconds which will contribute to their final score. Each acne zapped will earn 10 points. They can also invite their friends to the game and for each successful friend referred, participant will earn 100 points. 

3 top scorers will be selected each week to win 1x session of RM800 worth of laser. 

This game will run from 16th January 2017 - 28th February 2017. Click HERE to participate and play the game. 

Sasa is pretty much a well-known store as the one-stop shop to get your beauty needs in Malaysia. There’s always so much to see in their stores and most of the time, a waiting significant other holds you back from actually spending time browsing for their products. However, one can’t deny that Sasa stores can be a treasure trove for interesting products that you might not know you would actually need! I swear at one time I found a product that could make your nipples pinker (who would’ve thought that it’d be part of a beauty product need?).

Anyway, to cut things short I received a huge box of items from Sasa Malaysia recently to try out and here are some of the items you should check out on your next visit to Sasa stores nationwide. Watch the video to see my first impressions while unboxing the gift below:

I have to declare my love for deep pore clay masks right here and this is currently one of my top favorites. Neogence Deep Pore Cleansing Mask combines natural clay and charcoal powder that absorbs sebum, cleanses pores deeply for a cleaner, fresher skin. It is pretty straightforward to use, spreads easily and evenly over my face and dries off in no time! Look at the amount of oil absorbed by the mask on my nose! 

I personally like theBalm Cosmetic products for its quirky packaging but honestly, this is the first time I actually swatched their products. I’ve heard rave reviews of their Matte Me lipsticks so I was hoping to not be disappointed with their eyeshadow palette. The colors are not hyper-pigmented but the color pay-off is enough and transfers well to my skin. This palette is not vivid, in fact it is very neutral and I could imagine how easy it is for beginners to use this in their daily lives – you’re able to create day to night eye looks with this palette. This would make a great gift for someone who loves a neutral look. The eye shadow stick was like a surprise bonus as I truly did not expect the color to be highly pigmented and it glides like butter. However, if you have oily lids I would recommend sticking to the powder eye shadows rather than the stick as it might crease from the oil production. These two products are easily blendable and buildable. Check out the swatch below!

Cloud 9’s whitening cream is the answer to create the perfect base for the Korean-inspired makeup look. It’s a double functional cosmetics and skincare – creating an even white-ish base as well as improves the appearance of wrinkles on your skin. The texture was amazing! It comes in a chunky pudding-like texture and it felt like I was scooping out a dollop of dessert with the spatula. It instantly made my skin whiter and brighter – great for those who wants that milky skin look to complement the Korean makeup style. 

Avance is a well-known brand in Asia as it is widely sold in drugstores across Japan. It’s a medical hair-grower, specifically targeting the eyelash growth and production as well as preventing it from dropping out. These serums comes in non-mascara and mascara version contains active ingredient – d-panthenol (which promote emergence of lashes)​ and moisturizing agents carrot extract.chitin liquid to moisten the tips of the eyelashes to ensure a longer and thicker lashes. If you’re into curling your lashes or constantly doing eyelash extensions, you might want to try the serum as they will help lashes to become longer, stronger and prevent excessive dropping.

Daeng Gi Meo Ri is a Korean brand that focuses on hair care and I received four items for four steps to vitalize my hair – shampoo, treatment, and nutrition hair pack and hair essence. Each of these products are packed with herbs (each has different herbs and functions) to vitalize your hair. They nourish the hair and scalp; some even supply moisture to dry hair and protecting it from UV damage. It helps prevent frizz in dry hair by creating a moisture film over the hair for a healthier and more beautiful hair. 

This Italian made product was not as expensive as I thought it would be, retailing at RM189, it is an affordable product – a new frontier at dermo cosmetic research that fights against cellulite blemishes. Collistar is known to be at the cutting-edge of cosmetic research and this product is a treatment that combines two most effective anti-cellulite ingredients in a single dose capsule. The fat burning properties of caffeine and the draining capacity of Escin works together to prevent and work to reduce the look of cellulites on the skin. They are in their purest form which means there’s no water, preservatives, fragrance, alcohol or colouring in it. I don’t really have cellulites but I would definitely be trying this product to reduce some of the stretch marks I have the inner corner of my thighs. 

As I’m turning 30 this year, I’m finally seeing the sign of sun damage on my skin and I would definitely recommend those who are still much younger to start using sun care products to prevent your skin from sun exposure. This product not only protects your skin from harmful rays, it also evens out your skin tone and controls sebum productions sans the stickiness. It feels like on the skin, spread evenly without any residue and it also helps maintain your makeup and creates a smoother finish. Use this a base before applying makeup and to create a more radiant look while making sure your skin protection game is on point. 

For those who are just starting out makeup, I would personally recommend powder form of contouring – this creates a more natural look and you can build on the layers if needed. This limited Most Wanted Contouring palette contains 6 shades to contours, highlight, strobe and blush. There are three contouring shades so you can use it whenever your skin tone changes i.e tanned from a holiday. The texture is very nice – the powders are finely milled and soft which makes blending easier and it creates a natural, healthy glow on any complexion.

This unique brow tinted gel is formulated to match all hair colours without fading, which means you could be having any hair color from blonde to black and the eyebrow gel would still be applicable to tame and lock hairs into place. The brush wand is well designed as includes a brush and sponge tip – one to brush on the eyebrow hair and one to fill in the sparse areas of your eyebrow. It is waterproof and set to last the entire day without smudging. Also check out their pen liner for a travel friendly daily eyeliner.

I’ve also noticed the rise of anti-ageing primer in the market lately and one contender is this Prima Age Remover that works to reduce the appearance of dark circles, and facial wrinkles. It also targets to tighen the under eye area with continuous usage. This product comes in a clickable pen form that dispenses a type of liquid that acts like a cement putty. It fills up the cracks in your skin and creates a smoother base for your makeup. The liquid is also orange in color and it cancels out the blue undertones of dark circles which makes it great as a color corrector. Try this out as a base to remove fine lines around the eye area before applying makeup.

If you’re not into using razor to remove body hair like me, you’d like this Slinky Touch Hair Remover Cream. It is simple to use, the texture is light and it is gentle on the skin. It keeps skin smoother than using razor and the white rose scent is gentle on the nose compared to other products in the market that has a strong chemical scent. One the hair is removed, spread on the smoothing body milk after shower and as a daily body moisturizer. 

Are there any products from here that you would try? I hope this blogpost was useful to highlight some of the products that are available in Sa Sa Malaysia stores and leave a comment as I’d love to know what you think about these items.

View these and more items on the links below:

Website | Instagram | #SasaMalaysia

It's not often that you find a good body care brand that are organic, vegan and cruelty-free. Heck, I can't even name any except for HANDMADE HEROES, founded on the values of an all-natural lifestyle. They have a collection of face masks, body scrubs, lip scrubs, balm and lip tints to dry shampoo and it'll even give LUSH a run for their money. Fans of cruelty-free and organic stuff would love their products as they're made only using natural ingredients - no preservatives, synthetic chemicals and animal product. They're even PETA-certified! Their packaging are carefully sourced and are even BPA-free so it's safe yet affordable. Here are some of the products you should check out from HANDMADE HEROES.

These face masks are crafted with unique blends of plant-based ingredients and herbs to remove impurities and rejuvenate dull skin with a dose of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They're also a face exfoliator so you just simply add a few drops of water (Rose water would be amazing) or herbal tea, as suggested by them and apply it all over your face and leave it for a while before scrubbing your face in circular motion for a micro exfoliation. There are three varieties to choose from - French Green Clay Mask, Hibiscus Vitamin C Boost and Black Charcoal Rice Mask. 

These retails at RM 69.90 each. 

HANDMADE HEROES' dry shampoo sure do have a cult following that it's even been featured on Buzzfeed! It gives volume to oily limp hair roots by absorbing the excess oils and odour. There's a hint of peppermint for scent and freshness while the lavender and eucalyptus soothes the scalp. It's pretty handy to keep in your handbag especially for travelling! It's great for brunettes and it blends with dark roots (no more white residues on hair!). It uses activated charcoal hence you'd get rid of the oily odour and deodorises the scalp while it absorps toxins and impurities.

Okay, I for one, am a fan of their lip tint. I've tried it and have worn it daily ever since I got it. It's not oily or sticky yet it makes sure my lips are not chapped while leaving a very beautiful tint that I'd wear this over my nude lipsticks on a daily basis. It uses organic sweet almond oil and extra virgin coconut oil and made with food grade ingredients without any petroleum or alcohol. There are two shades available - English Rose, a soft natural pink and French Rose, my favorite, a warm rosy red for a pop of color similar to nude lipsticks (it made my lips look fuller too!).

Coco-friggin’ Fantastic Lip Balms are selling for RM 16.90 and Coco-friggin’ Fantastic Lip Tints are RM 19.90 each.    

Caffeine is known as an anti-cellulite agent so this body scrub is tough on the cellulite but kind on the skin with their ground organic coffee and cinnamon oil. Give your skin some tough love on those areas with this body scrub for only RM 55.90.

With the rise of cosmetic entrepreneurs in Malaysia, I can't help but to notice (and got a hold of) a few brands that have made it into my favorites list. One of them is So.lek, the brainchild of Dahlia Nadirah that produces matte liquid lipsticks. I am personally a fan of the shades - they're wearable, not drying and suits most Asian skintones. As they're pretty new in the market, they've only been selling by setting up booths as well as via their instagram so I had a quick 'interview' with the founder to find out more about the story behind the brand, it's name and why they she decided to venture into cosmetics.

Why did you decide to start your cosmetic line, and why liquid lipsticks?

It all started about a year (or so) ago as I was in America between December 2015 to January 2016 and went crazy at their drugstores - their cosmetics are good and they're very affordable. At the same time, Kylie Jenner also just released her line of matte liquid lipsticks (which became a huge phenomenon) and I thought at the moment, "Why not?!". I had just left my previous job as a corporate Digital Brand Manager and was looking into exploring other territories. I collect lipsticks and felt like it is the right product to start off with. At the time there were only one or two local brands that has liquid lipsticks unlike now!

Why the name So.lek?

The people that knows me well knows that I love classic Bahasa Melayu - it is beautiful and perfect to me. I told myself that if I were to start anything, I'd make sure I use our national language as the product name and brand. 'Solek' is literally translated to makeup in English so it's only apt for me to use this. Plus, my brother and I always use the phrase "So? Lek Lek la" (Chill out or relax in English) whenever we get into an argument or gets annoyed (laughs). Plus, our target market are the masses so using Bahasa Malaysia is much easier.

What were your inspirations behind the name of each lipsticks?

My daughter's name is Anggerik (Orchids) and while I've seen other brands using cool, urban names I figured that I'd choose floral-based names in Bahasa Malaysia for each lipsticks as they also represent beauty and elegance. I chose Anggerik and Dahlia based on the two colors I love most and would wear almost daily. Chempaka I have a daughter and her name is Anggerik. I've seen other brands using really cool and urban english names and I told myself why not I use Bahasa and choose Flower-based name for each lipstick as flowers represent beauty and elegance. Chempaka is my mom's favorite flower and the shade reminds me of her too. Mawar (rose) is pink and Seroja (lotus) is a mysterious and dark to me so I chose the darkest shade for it. 

What's the plan in the near future for So.lek.

We will be releasing (it is released by now) our one limited Holiday colors together with our eyeliner called Celak soon! There would be four to five more new shades coming along after together with another new product so I am excited and nervous at the same time!

Places So.lek is being sold and prices.

We are currently selling via instagram and taking orders through Whatsapp and e-mails. Our website is going to be ready in the near future so hopefully we get to launch it soon. We will also be announcing our stockists and dropshipping agents as well. The liquid lipsticks are currently being sold at RM39 each but we do have sales and promotions via our instagram so do follow us!

Instagram link here

Malaysia is never short of food options and as we all know, there's food available 24/7 at almost every corner in the city. As Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot of cultures, there are also a plethora of choices when it comes to cuisines but healthy food diners are still a niche market. However, over the years KL-ites have seen a rise in the number of dining places that offers healthy options (sometimes vegan or paleo) and The Good Company in Bangsar is one that's worth checking out. I had the pleasure of trying out their canapes over a launch party sometime late last year and I dare say that I spent most of my time trying out each and one of them. Ok, maybe trying out is an understatement. I had a lunch amount of canapes as I could cause they were just oh-so tasty!

The Good Co. advocates healthy living and nourishes with healthy ingredients and detox from meat overload so their food is as organic as it can be with no preservatives, artificial coloring, refined sugar, fresh and meatless. The food are prepared fresh daily and are also pre-packed to go. You may also opt to order their food online which includes salad pots, oats jar, smoothie bowls, soups, artisan sandwiches, desserts, cold pressed juices and even coffee. If you're in Bangsar or around the area, don't forget to grab a pack of organic nasi lemak or salads for a healthier meal option.

Website | Instagram

184, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar 59100 Kuala Lumpur 

+60322026535