Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector (Oil-free) Review

I had heard about the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector from one of our local bloggers early last year (I enjoy the occasional reading of our local bloggers just because it makes me feel connected to home when I feel homesick!). I must admit that I was pretty taken by the BB cream especially since it wasn't that expensive. However, I didn't want to jump in and buy the product immediately as I had always been a dry compact powder kinda person. 

However, sometime last year, I managed to get my hands on a couple of sachet samples from the EKKA and must admit that I totall loved it. The BB cream wasn't gluggy and thick like the asian ones I had tried before despite being able to give pretty decent coverage. It also didn't turn me into a fail geisha, which most of them do especially when I'm a bit browner than those silky Gong-li girls on korean/japanese ads. 

Being a fan of sample advertising (and to encourage Garnier to keep giving out samples to people like me, hurhur) I went to buy a tube of it.

The fatter tube is the original one I bought

I didn't realise that there were actual different versions of this product, and was pretty happy with the original fat tube I got. However, soon after I had bought that tube, I received a rather surprising e-mail from Garnier:

 

Now the last time I remembered ever winning any competition or lucky draw thing was when I was in primary school and Maccas had some lucky draw with every meal purchased (I won a bag or something). Most times, I'm not that lucky. Although I do tend to pick up money on the floor quite often (haha, my mum always finds it funny that I still find money on the floor even at this age!)

I was such a happy chappy when it came into my mailbox! (Aiyo look at that horrible shiny oily skin!)









Now, I have pretty crappy skin, depending on the time of the day/month/year/life cycle. Thankfully, I don't own a good enough camera to show you all the imperfections. So I found the biggest zit I could on my face and decided to do a cover-up test:

Giant pomple (what my sister calls it when it's big and juicy)

I'm no pro at doing these pretty picture things. I do what's the basic necessity of before/after shots. So don't mind the lack of photogenicity (if that is even a word).

After covering it up with the BB cream! TA DAH

And now my face looks slightly less shinier thank goodness.

There was actually quite a significant difference between the oil-free version and the oiled-up version. Although both gave me pretty much the same coverage, I did prefer the oil-free version as it was, well, less oily. Plus, for it's price (I think Coles/Woolies sometimes sells if for under $10 for sale), I think it's a great basic foundation to use when you're on the go! My housemate then still uses it! (I spied three tubes in her room that day, haha, and I myself still have the two tubes, one of which I always carry around in my handbag for the days I forget and leave the house without makeup).

It's been a life-saver for me, especially when I hadn't had a proper house to live in when I first started work, the Garnier BB cream was something I could blindly smear all over my face without a mirror and without any worry of it being uneven or cakey. It spreads like a moisturiser and feels pretty much like one. I must say that garnier has improved a lot on the range and quality of their products recently! (Either that or now I can actually bother/afford them, hurhur)

Wishtrend Review!

I rarely write reviews about my purchases, online or not, namely because I always feel so guilty after any shopping splurge, I try and bury it and hide it within the depths of my memory as soon as I get the goods. But this time, I cannot bear to let something that works so well for me go unpublicised! 

Wishtrend is a korean online shop that specialises in bringing korean skin/hair/face products to the world. Although their website isn't the most appealing, and they do appear rather dodgy at first, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience with them. My closer friends will know that I stinge when it comes to buying stuff online (unless I know for sure it's something that I want and cannot get it in a physical store). Most of my online purchases occur on ebay, where I always indulge in $1-2 necklaces shipped from Hong Kong or China (I really really love ebay Australia, you can get so many more things as opposed to ebay.sg!)

Anyways, Wishtrend was something my sister and I came across when we got our July Bellaboxes when she was in Singapore (I had been sharing my bimbo experiences with her regarding product reviews and such from our local bloggers Xiaxue and Kaykay). Our boxes contained this AMAZING product called the 'Skinmiso Pore Pack'. Basically, it's an elaborate pore pack product (haha alliteration) that removes your black heads and refines your pores in 3 steps, as opposed to the 'quick and easy' one step Biore Porepack we all know.

It sounded unbelievable and dodge at first, but since I had the sample, I tried it, and

HOLY COW MY NOSE BECAME SO BLACKHEAD-LESS!!

I would love to post up tat-glam close up photos of my before and after strawberry nose, but decided against it because (1) no camera (2) don't wish to make you choke and gag in case you are eating. 

My lucky sister hasn't had the trouble bane of blackheads since her pregnancies (foetuses give you AMAZING hair, skin and nails apparently. They are the ultimate hair, skin and face product). So despite me raving about the product, she didn't have much reason to try it. I went to Wishtrend, determined to buy the product, but realised that it would cost about $30 for a set once you included shipping, and immediately retreated to my corner of stingy-ness. 

I soon pushed wishtrend into the deep recesses of my memory, feeling that the prices weren't great, and that they were out to sell a cheap korean product to me for much much more. It wasn't until 3 months later, that I had a HUGE urge to splurge (refer to post: Quarter Life Crisis) not too long ago. I revisited the numerous beauty product sites, which is something I normally do to 'window shop' (just look, no buy). AND THEN...

I found this awesome blogger/youtuber who provided a 'free shipping' discount code for Wishtrend (which amounts to $10). How could I resist right?? So after a lot a lot a lot of procrastination, debates with myself, getting approval from the boyfriend, I went for it and bought myself I bunch of stuff!

It all arrived individually bubble wrapped in the box, which made opening the box WAY WAY funner.

They also threw in heaps of free samples! I received two face masks and 2 sets of Klair's face product sachets (which I haven't been too impressed with, to be honest)






You can still see my scissors in the background which I used to rip the carton box open.

Retail therapy... Ahhhhh...


I seem to be getting more and more addicted to it the closer I get to graduating. It must be that anticipation that I will actually start getting a salary, which isn't too healthy for my pocket actually!

 

One of the products that has actually won me over is this: Skin & Lab Triple Action Essence.  You must be thinking: Skin & Lab?? Seriously? how grammatically wrong can that get?? IT makes NO SENSE. 

But seriously, the stuff smells awesome, and makes me think it works. (psychological effect is still an effect right? haha). As opposed to the Klair's face mist that seemed to give me a slight rash on my face.

So after that, I shared my experience with my sister to see if she would join me in indulging in online shopping (anyways, the free shipping code was to expire at the end of the month). Being a expecting mum and all, she hardly gets time to do frivolous things (conversations would probably mostly be around diapers, potty training, milestones and the works). So she decided she wouldn't buy anything at that point of time. Since she was due (is due) today (ETA: 15 Oct 2012), I decided to get her a little pre-new-baby present (to hide the dark circles that often come with receiving a new baby.

When finalising my purchase with wishtrend, I hit this unexpectedly annoying road block: 

PayPal does not allow Australian residents to ship purchases to Switzerland. 

WTH seriously!??? (This was around 12am in the library and I had spent about an hour deciding which combination of products were best for her) Eh I do research when I buy gifts ok. I e-mailed them and asked if Wishtrend could do anythign about it, and within an hour, this nice Korean person (in his slightly broken English) provided me with a solution and offered to arrange the appropriate shipping with my order despite the restrictions placed by PayPal! What a dear!

She received her products within the stipulated time (sometime last week) with of course, HEAPS OF SAMPLES. (Unfair, she got more samples than me!)

Obvious bias on my part as to which brand I recommend (The Klair's mask was a free gift)










And her free samples = many many many. ( I thought I got a bargain already!)











So brings my long wordy post on Wishtrend to an end! HAHA iPOET