Review: The Multiple Uses of Sudocrem

I think each country has some sort of medicine that EVERY household always has. In Japan it's probably this medicine called Muhi to ease the itching in mosquito bites, or this little heatpack that you shake to make it warm in the winter.

Sudocrem probably has this status in the UK, but as someone that started living there in late 2008 - I've been clueless about it for quite some time. That was until I heard about its amazing qualities of curing spots here in the blogosphere, and a few days after thinking of purchasing one, Hayden offered these cute little tubes to try out - couldn't say no could I :P

Now I did some brief research on this and there were a few things that I was quite confused about:

1) There's not many examples besides baby rash on how to use it.
2) It says it acts as a barrier but what does it mean? Why wouldn't I just use a bandaid?
3) It says it's good for away from home.. but it's such a thick cream that hardly ever goes transparent - I wouldn't want to walk around in public with white patches on my skin!

And lastly I didn't think the formula is suited for the packaging - yes it's cute and very handy, but sometimes it is just SO difficult to get some product out. That being said, it's probably a lot less messy than the tub, so while I wouldn't use it "on the go" for reason 3), I can see myself getting this over the tub if I repurchase!

Now as you can see I got 3 tubes. I distributed it to a few people - myself shared with my mom, my boyfriend's sister, and my boyfriend's mom. I gathered a few things that it works for, between the four of us:

*1) Mosquito bites - relieves the itching really really well!

2) Blemish treatments

3) Itchy, dry patches on the body

*4) To soften slightly calloused skin (good for before sanding heels/elbows down!)

5) Sunburn

The stars represent what worked for me - the rest are things the others told me. However, I have used A LOT for my mosquito bites which has made dealing with them a whole lot easier, and it was pretty okay in softening my heels which have been quite calloused due to continuously wearing flip flops :)

Would I repurchase?

Maybe, if one day I have a strange skin problem that I'm not sure how to tackle - to me, Sudocrem comes across as a very universal product that has the potential to solve many problems, and is gentle enough to always give it a shot for whatever skin problem. I reckon it's handy to have in the house for when an unknown skin problem pops up! However, as there are no mosquitos in the UK, and there are loads of other body butters that work well for my calloused skin, I can't really say I'll be running out to get another tube instantly after I run out of this one!

But like I said earlier, if I were to get another one, I'd definitely choose the tube over the tub despite it being hard to come out - it's a lot more sanitary and less messy than a tub!

The biggest flaw I think, however, is marketing this as good for "home and away". No one wants a white patch on their face or on their body when they are away!

Bagology Facebook App

Hayden asked me to take a look at Sudocrem Tube's Bagology app that can be found on Facebook, here. I gave it a shot, and chose the Hobo (it was somewhere between that and the shoulder bag :P):

"You (like your bag) have an appetite for lots of stuff! You'll have many interests and are very much a 'cup half full' kind o' gal.

You can't easily let go of your hobo - she's an every day, every occasion kind of must have. You know you'll need to keep a firm grip of your hobo bag and your ideas to stay focussed on making things happen.

You and your bag are no nonsense partners but may suffer from a little too much self criticism as you strive for perfection!"

Aww shucks ;P It's quite fun, give it a shot here! :)

What is your favourite way to use Sudocrem? :)

<3yu

My Skincare Hunt & First Impressions of Clinique 3 Step System

I realise that while I've written about some skincare products, I haven't really been clear about where I stand in my "skincare hunt" for a perfect routine :) I've sorted it all out in my head, so I thought I'd put it down on paper (screen) - it's a bit rambly but I hope you enjoy!

To start off, I have combination/normal skin - I get oily in the t-zone in the warmer months, and normal on my cheeks. Since I've gotten rid of my teenage acne last year, it's been a bit difficult assessing whether something is good, because I'm now after the luxury of perfect skin as opposed to just getting rid of things that shouldn't be there - if that makes sense?

I have a few bits and bobs of my skincare that I can say, "Yes, I love these products and I will rebuy them" but I'm still on the lookout for that perfect combination of products for a perfect routine. Anyway, here's the present standings:

* Face Wash

- Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser

- The Body Shop Seaweed Face Wash

* Toner

- MUJI Light Toning Water (works well with Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser)

- The Body Shop Seaweed Toner (only works well with the face wash)

* Moisturizer

- Day: Liz Earle Skin Repair for Combo/Oily Skin

- Night: Boots Botanics Night Shift Cream

As you can see, a bit complicated, and a lot of ties! So the other day while I was roaming around the cosmetics section, I stumbled by Clinique which I heard lots about from Steph, and the kind lady at the counter explained a lot about how the system works, and gave me a 3-day sample kit to try.. (needless to say it's lasted me about 4 days already)..

Left: Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 (toner)

Centre: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Right: Clinique Facial Soap for Oily Skin

Used together, this set has ticked all of the boxes. Firstly, the soap leaves my face squeaky clean, and my face always appears brighter or maybe even whiter than it started off with. I'm guessing this is what the lady meant when she said it lifts the dead skin cells, to prepare for the next step.

The clarifying lotion, which is like a toner, then exfoliates and removes the dead skin cells. I genuinely feel this works, but god the smell is horrendous! I feel like I'm putting nail polish remover on my face, it's unbearable to smell and the lady told me strictly that I can't use it near my eyes or mouth - I wouldn't want to! That being said, at the end I feel refreshed and I feel it does its job.

The moisturizer feels like somewhere between a typical gel and a silica skin primer - it has that smoothing-over effect, but it's also quite wet. I think it does a decent job of sinking into my skin, but I also feel like I've felt others do a better job. That being said, the thing I like about this is that when I wake up, I'm not half as oily as I am when I use other moisturizers, and I have no qualms about using this for both day and night - which in the long run may save some dosh!

All in all, the bits of bumpiness and redness on my face has been seriously reducing - sounds perfect, right? But I'm still not 100% sure what I should be looking for, as I don't have any blatant problems anymore! Should I be aiming to have 'normal' skin as opposed to combination? Should I aim to have baby skin? Idk! (any help appreciated :P)

So my plan is on the 26th of August, to head over to the counter again and take full advantage of a campaign where for a few extra hundred yen (lol) added to the cost of a full-sized Clarifying Lotion, you get loads of 1 month sized products, like the face wash, the moisturizer and other things. AMAZING. I'm not sure if this offer is only in Japan though..

After that I hope to figure out if the full Clinique's 3 Step System would really work for me, or if I need to cut and paste from the previous list mentioned above. I personally don't really want to give up the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish nor her moisturizer, nor the MUJI Toner (it's paraben, alcohol, fragrance free!) - but I've got to admit, they're all running for their money with these 3 Clinique bad boys in town :)

Does anyone have 2 skincare routines, is that even possible? :P

Have you found your perfect skincare routine?

What do you look for when deciding whether a product stays in your routine? :)

<3yu

Favourite Products of 2010!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my Hiatus post. I've been having a great time with my family, but today we're having a chill night so I thought I'd take the time and figure out what my favourite products of 2010 are :)

This is honestly my first year being truly into make up and I think I started around March/April-ish, and it completely sky-rocketed after the creation of my YouTube channel in May. So you'll find that a lot of the things I put in here are things that I bought in the last half a year so.. excuse me if it's not ALL of 2010 :P

Enough babbling I think! :)

The Runners Up - in no particular order are..

(Top L clockwise: MaxFactor False Lash Effect; MAC Satin Taupe e/s; Duo-Fibre Stippling Brush; ELF Eyeshadow Brush; Sleek Storm Palette)

MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara I think it just a great all-around mascara, that helps to enhance rather than make me look unnatural. Love it.

MAC Satin Taupe deserves all the raving it gets - it's a brilliant colour, hard to dupe, and has been one of my go-to autumn/winter colour!

The Duo-Fibre Brush is something that changed how I see foundation - it's so much more fun and stress-free because of this brush :)

The ELF Eyeshadow Brush is the best e/s brush I had for a while in terms of quality and price, and is something I wouldn't throw away even if I have the MAC 239 now.

The Sleek Storm Palette probably leading the way as it is one of my first palettes, incredibly useful, and just so well-rounded.

Tied for 4th Place are..

 (L: Rimmel London's Nude Delight No. 700 & R: Coastal Scents 28 Neutral Palette)

Rimmel London's Nude Delight Lipstick No. 700 is my perfect nude that I have been searching so long for. I've never looked back on the day I got this and it was my go-to lipstick over the summer! It's hybernating atm and replaced by MAC's The Faerie Glen, as Nude Delight is very much a summer nude, but it will come back in a couple of months I'm sure :)

Coastal Scents' 28 Neutral Palette - you've heard me rave about this in the review. Go check it out here! :) In short, extremely usable, value for money, alternative while I grow my MAC collection, allows for new looks with matte colours, and everything else wonderful :)

3rd Place is also a tie with..

(LOL I'm such a cheat!)

 (L: MAC Blush in Style & R: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus)

MAC Blush in Style is my one and only MAC blush, and it has been that way for so long because it's my go-to blush, I love it, I know it looks good on me, and.. well, I love it.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish is like the stock room people in stores that you always forget exists but would be hopeless without! :P Something I reach for everyday, and something that is just so beautifully subtle and unnoticeable. It's light, it's barely there but has very good coverage.. I'm not sure what to say, I think other lovers out there know what I mean lol I forget its existence but does its job.. this is making me confused! LOL!

2nd Place goes to..

The Bodyshop Seaweed Series

This changed my skin. I'm sure the meds from the dermatologist did too, but this just cleanses my skin and maintains it so well. It just washes it to the right level - not too harsh, not too useless. It does the perfect middle ground for me, I feel like I'm just washing my face with water but.. better lol. God I really am confusing myself here..

& Favourite Product of the Year goes to..

MAC Studio Finish Concealer with SPF 15 in NC35

Alongside the Bodyshop Seaweed series, this concealer helped repair my teenage-acne prone skin both physically and emotionally (too deep Yu, too deep). Whenever I used other concealers and saw that they didn't cover my scars, I was very conscious of it and felt like my scars were too big to be covered, and therefore I required more coverage than everyone else cuz everyone else didn't seem to have scars. Guess they were using MAC Studio Finish Concealer :P

So there ya go! :) My lovely best friends of my make-up bag & sink (haha) - hope you guys enjoyed!

If you have any questions about the products, do feel free to ask :) & don't forget to link me to your yearly favourites! :)

<3yu

P.S. Keep an eye out for a video on this :)