Sephora's SUPREME Cleansing Foam - Darling or Dud?

In earlier post, I talked about my trip to Sephora and how much I enjoyed it. Here is another product I purchased and this is from the in-house brand. Having been on a mission to find a good cleanser, (I may have found a HG cleanser (diferent brand)!! More in a future post) I bought this one because I liked the fact that it was a foam cleanser.

On the bottle you can see that it is called the 'Supreme' Cleansing Foam and claims to be an all in one cleanser which is able to remove even waterproof make-up and tones at the same time. Quite lofty claims aren't they?

The first thing that hit me when I pumped this product on to my fingers is the smell. It smelt very strongly of chemicals and was quite off putting. Now, I am usually quite tolerant of smells seeing it as an integral part of the whole aesthetics of the product but smell is something quite arbitrary because something that smells good to one person may have an opposite effect on another. This one was a clear no-no to me. Not at all pleasant.

The first time I used it, I did not use a make-up remover prior to washing with this foam. As expected my make up was not removed as thoroughly as I thought it would. When I came out of the shower and looked at my face in the mirror, I was amazed that my eye make up (shadow in the inner corner, waterproof liner and under eye concealer) were still hanging on for dear life. Well, I persisted, thinking it was not fair of me to put the cleanser through such a stringent test! I tried the next day after work and this time removed most of my makeup with a remover, then used the cleanser. I checked my face in the mirror. This time my face looked clean, but did not 'feel' very clean. I then used a little bit of toner on a cotton pad and to my horror, there was still bits of foundation around the hairline and around my nose.

I have tried using this product with every make-up combination possible, no primers, light mascara, just foundation and some lipstick and eye make-up (I don't use a make-up remover prior to cleansing when I don't have primers on) and the results are still the same. There is still plenty of residual make-up left after cleansing with this foam.

Even though this cleanser claims to remove waterproof make-up, things like liners and mascara also are not removed well. I will go as far as to say that my waterproof mascara hardly came off with this cleanser and as a result I needed to use a little bit of cleansing oil on a cotton round to remove this AFTER I had cleansed! I hate how heavy waterproof mascara feels if it is not thoroughly removed after washing.....

As for it's claims to tone skin, I did not at all feel this and I noticed no difference in my face as evidence of this. To be fair, I only used one bottle and this could not have been enough to produce the toning effect perhaps. I could not wait to finish all 150ml's of this product and was really happy the day I threw the empty bottle out! This will not be a repurchase for me and I will be quite cautious when I pick out the cleansers in the Sephora line of products.

If you have tried this, I hope you had a better experience that I did.......

Soap & Glory "CLEAN ON ME" Clarifying Shower Gel

In an earlier post I spoke about my trip to Sephora and I came away with some goodies that day which I will be sharing with you. One of these is this jumbo jewel from Soap and Glory. I love the brand for their retro styled packaging and 50's vibe.

I had purchased a few items from this brand when I was at a Boots drugstore in Bangkok some time back and was excited to see them again at Sephora! So, in a nostalgic mood, I picked this up - oh the drama my dear readers!! I literally swooned and needed to hold on to something when I opened a bottle and got a whiff of this. I am indeed a sucker for sweet smells. That alone sold me on the product! Not a very conscientious shopper at all that day,I know... But the fragrance was so lovely and works like a little pick me up during shower time. This shower gel contains extracts of mandarin peel and I belive that this is the ingredient that provided that fresh factor. The smell reminds me of perfumes from Annick Goutal and I belive the notes do have some layers of similar scents - very feminine indeed. I like that the scent lingers for a very long time - I do not put on any other perfume when I shower with this gel in the mornings. 

The price was the next thing I looked at and I must say that it was affordable seeing that I paid  a fair price of RM29.90 for a 500ml bottle - this will probably last me at least 4 to 5 months, I am sure. Also, the shower gel comes jam packed with body lotion which leaves you without the need to add another step of moisturizing to your bath routine. For this reason, my skin does not feel parched and in need of additional moisturizing when I step out of the shower. The body lotion in this does not leave a greasy film on the body which is great and nothing beats soft skin after a good shower.

Bath time also becomes so much fun when you read the quirky quotes on the side of the bottle....this one says "Cleanliness is Essential when Godliness is Improbable"! So very cute, is it not? The addition of 50's style photo's is very cool, and adds to the retro-ness of the packaging. Its a straightforward,  big bottle with a pump which dispenses enough with a few pumps. You can either pump this on to your palms and work up a lather or go for it straight on to your sponge and work from there. There is no spillage or wastage and fiddling with covers in the morning, which is quite essential for the girl on the go.

  

For me, the only downside to this bottle of delight is the stuff that goes into the making of it. It does contain parabens, so for the purists and those who have gone totally natural and organic, please turn your eyes now coz its gonna get nastay!

So, dear readers, have you been for a quick look see at Sephora yet? Their second outlet at KLCC has recently opened too, and if you are in the area, why not pop by?

My First Sephora Visit!

Friends, I made it to Sephora!

I loved the layout of the place and got really excited at some of the stuff there. I also came away with a few things and cannot wait for more brands to make their way here.

First of all, I must say that the SA's were not too sticky....i.e they did not shadow me around but gave me some space and were near enough for me to call when I needed assistance. One in particular, Eunice who manned the MUFE counter was very professional and spoke very good English. Best of all, she allowed me to help myself to some of the application wands and spoolies on the counter for customers to use while testing products. I took a dual tipped sponge applicator, a brush, a spoolie and a lip gloss applicator. These are so useful for when you travel as the size is just right and she had no qualms about me taking one of each.....so sweet! I also spoke with another SA, Isaac and he was great too, explaining everything to me and taking me round the shop to show me all the goodies. There were two more which I could not get the name of, who were just as patient and helpful.

At the chekout, as I was paying for my products, I got two samples - one was Urban Decays Eyeshadow Primer in Eden and a day cream by Ole Henriksen.

Have you been to Sephora yet folks? If you do go, feast your eyes on the Sephora brand of goodies and most of the stuff on the right of the shop is stuff that we did not previously get in Malaysia.....hope you see something you like there! Happy shopping.

By the way, Sephora OFFICIALLY opened yesterday (4th May 2011).

***NEWSFLASH***

Peeps, Sephora Malaysia officially opened its doors at 12:30pm this afternoon!!!!!! Of course, even though my office is just round the corner, I could not make it for the opening....bleh!

Makeup junkies, arise and make your way to Starhill Gallery a.s.a.p!

Remember you heard it first here!!!!!