Review: Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid - Original





Description/Claims (taken from the packaging):
Provides your skin with an immediate surge of active moisture to soothe dryness without a greasy feel. Leaves skin softer, smoother, and more supple. Diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I'm not sure how well their line-soothing and wrinkle-repairing properties are because I do not have these skin conditions yet. But as for softer, smoother and more supple skin...I think it did that well for me.

Places to Purchase:
In the US, any drugstore will probably have this.
I'm not sure about other countries though. Sorry! :| If anyone sees this post here and I'll add it to the list!
I've also seen these in two different sizes, the one I bought and used is the smaller of the two. There is also a cream version that is in a jar rather than the tube.

Packaging:
It is a squeeze bottle. After you open the cap, there is a hole where the product can come out which makes it very easy to control how much product you want to use. However, I find that it is difficult to get every last drop. As I got to the last bits of the product, I had to keep the bottle upside down so I wouldn't have to stand and shake the bottle like a crazy person so the product would come out... Although for the price, I guess I can't complain too much?


Ingredients:



Directions:
✻ (From packaging) Smooth onto your face and neck every day to help restore softer, smoother skin. Avoid contact with the eye.
✻ (What I did) I put a generous amount on my hands, rub my hands together slightly, lightly "smooth" the product onto my face, and then pat the product into my skin.

I like doing it this way because I found that when I directly rubbed the product onto my face it would leave patches/lines (like pictured below). The product is pretty thick so it takes a while to fully rub the product in. Sometimes I do not notice the patches until after I wear my glasses because it doesn't feel patchy at all, so it's a hassle to have to take my glasses off to make sure all the product is applied well.




Positives:
✻ Very affordable
✻ Easy to get
✻ Very moisturizing and made my skin feel pretty smooth
✻ Didn't break me out
✻ No parabens ... for those who are conscious of that ingredient

Negatives:
✻ Has fragrance. It's a very...powdery scent? I can't place my finger on what exactly it is but there is a scent to it. However, I got used to it after a while and it didn't bother me as much afterward.
✻ Has mineral oil & petrolatum & silicones ... could be potentially pore-clogging even though they say it won't.
✻ Has color ... if anyone is sensitive to that.

Repurchase?
Yes! Despite the bad ingredients, this moisturizer really did help my skin during the winter time. Also, I bought this because Lil Lady's Life recommended it to me after I mentioned how the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo was giving me terrible dry patches when I initially used it. This worked wonders to help the patches subside. Remember a few posts ago I mentioned how my skin felt very soft and I didn't know if it was my moisturizer, Genie in a Bottle serum, or Josie Maran sunscreen? After this item was finished and I only had the latter 2 products left in my regime...I knew the answer. It was the Olay Beauty Fluid. I hate it when something works so well but could potentially be bad for my skin. But if it comes to it and my skin needs it, I will get it! However, before my skin gets to that state I will be diligently looking for a better alternative :] This will be my backup/last resort...emergency moisturizer!

Recommend?
Depends. If your skin isn't too bothered my mineral oil/petrolatum/silicones/fragrances/color and is in need of something pretty moisturizing, give it a try!! But if your skin is rather sensitive...I'd stay away just to be safe.

Rating:
4.5

Disclaimer: These are just the results I had while using the product. Remember, everyone else's skin is different!! What may have worked for me, may not work for you. Try with your own risk! But since most drugstores (at least in the US) have a good return policy if this doesn't work well for you. I bought this product with my own money and am in no way connected to the company. This is my honest opinion!

Where did winter go?

Spring is here, but I still miss the snowy winter that never came this year.


Sure the flowers are pretty and the weather is warmer.
The grass is greener and the trees have life again.
But all this means for an allergy sufferer like me is pain and lots of tissues...
It sounds gross, yet that is the reality of what goes on every March to sometimes even May.

Although I don't love the slushy black mess after a snow storm any more than I like allergies.
Right now, I feel anything would be better than this.

Plants and flowers...please bloom faster!

Any others suffering from Spring allergies as well?

How do you handle/fix the dry and hard skin around your nose after going through so many tissues? Help!

Recent Love Package

I recently received this package all the way from Singapore for the giveaway I won at Atelier Beauty. I wasn't expecting to win, as usual, but here it is! :P


Although I remember entering a different item for the giveaway, I was sent something else. But I'm not really complaining since it's free and she didn't have to have a giveaway if she didn't want to. I guess other winners got the other prizes before I did.





I'll have to play around with this to see how I like it. I've tried the Black liquid liner from L'Oreal before and wasn't too happy with the results...

Swatch: OPI Lucerne-taintly Look Marvelous

I found that I really love how dark glittery polishes look on my nails. Something about how it creates shadows/depth that makes my very wide nails look so thin and pretty in shape! This isn't to say I don't love pastels of course! Also I find that microglitter is a way easier to remove than chunkier glitter polishes.

I actually got to try this particular polish shade when bestfriend bought it about a year or so ago. I loved it then but could never find it at the nail supply store myself. She said they were there but I could never spot it. Luckily we all went a few days ago and with her help I finally have one to call my own!

To what I can see...this is a metallic black with fine purple green and silver microglitters. However don't quote me on this since I'm not very versed in the nailpolish vocabulary department.


With one light layer.
It doesn't look this bad in person, really! I think the flash made a bit more extreme.

If you really want, I think you could wear one layer. I probably would if I didn't have the time to sit and wait for many layers to dry. I don't think that under normal circumstances, you'd be able to see the nails this much. It'll probably look like how the ring finger looks...or a little darker.

After this point, the swatches are with 2 layers of the polish and a base and top coat.


Indoor lighting + Flash

Forgot if this was natural or artificial lighting...but this definitely had flash

Natural Lighting + Flash

Natural Lighting + No Flash

What are some of your favorite polish shades?

Feeling Accomplished & New UGG Boots

I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again...I'm a huge drama junkie! Probably too much for my own good, especially when it's school time. I have curbed my habits a lot the past few months but during winter break...I was fulfilling my drama lemmings.

One, in particular, was Park Min Young's Man of Honor or Glorious Jane. I became a fan of Park Min Young after watching her in City Hunter and couldn't wait for her new drama. It didn't disappoint. Definitely wasn't as good as City Hunter and was a bit on the traditional k-drama side but was still interesting enough where I wanted to watch until the end.

However, throughout the whole drama, I was very distracted by her shoes. Of course, I liked her character's style, as I do for almost all Korean celebrities' styles, but for some reason, her boots stood out to me most. Maybe because I could see myself wearing it? hehe

I was obsessed...almost, maybe a lot lol...I really wanted to find out what the brand was. I knew in my mind that it will be probably really expensive. But I still wanted to know. I searched through google and some k-pop fashion blogs, yet had no luck. School started again and studies took priority.


Then a few weeks ago, I thought...why not try Naver? (Naver is a Korean search engine.) I know some Korean...maybe I could navigate my way through?

When I FINALLY found what I was looking for I was soo excited! Typing my search wasn't too hard. (박민영 영광의 재인 신발 ...translates to Park Min Young Man of Honor/Glorious Jane shoes...was what did the trick!) Clicking through the searches is just like any other search engine. The real problem was reading through the Korean websites...I can type, read, write, speak a little bit...but can't comprehend xD Luckily my limited knowledge of Korea was enough because I was able to find what I wanted. Thank goodness for Koreans and their love of celebrity fashion & of course photos! :D




I was very shocked to find out that it was actually an UGG boot, UGG Sophia to be exact. I guess UGG stepped outside their normal boot realm and made heeled boots. Unfortunately, this was very hard to locate because I think this was an older release/limited release item.


It was so difficult to find a place that sold these shoes. I actually spotted a physical store that sold heeled UGG boots, but they were the knee-high versions =.= Luckily, I came across them on zappos.com and their sister site 6pm.com. 6pm had it almost for 50% off! Whereas Zappos had it for ~40% off. However, by the time I finally decided to buy the shoes...both ran out of my size. I've never ordered from either before. So I did some review searching and found Zappos' to be way better than 6pm's. Since I decided to risk it and order half a size up from my normal size I went with Zappos (the more expensive one) for the better return/exchange/customer service.



The shoes came very fast! I forgot the actual number of days because bestie helped me order and I got them from her a few days after it arrived, but it was definitely under a week. Very fast! Especially since it's free shipping. I wish I found these a bit earlier so I could actually wear them in the colder weather. Spring just started to really show in NYC and the warmer weather is here :[ I've tried them around the house and having it half a size up isn't too big of a problem. In fact, if I choose to wear thicker socks it would probably fit just fine!




The whole time I was searching through English shoe sites I thought the heels were stacked heels but it is actually a rubber material. Not complaining, just wasn't expecting it. Now I have to satisfy my stacked-heel lemming!








Like I said, I was so obsessed with finding the shoes. I noted everything about the shoes while watching the drama and Googled as many photos of her wearing them as I could.

They looked suede...which these are.
They had metal rings around the shoelace holes...check.
I thought they were stacked style...I observed wrong but that's okay.
I noticed some fur in certain promo pictures...check!


However, I wasn't expecting fur on the bottom of the shoe as well! A great plus for winters. My feet get cold soo easily. One of the reasons why I love my normal UGGs (I know they're not a very pretty style but they're warm!). Now...the best of both worlds? Warm and stylish :P

Has anyone also had moments like this? Seeing someone wear something you really like/love and want and then finally find it after what seems like an endless search?

Giveaway Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered!
Although you didn't win this time, hopefully, I'll be able to have more giveaways in the future! ^___^
Thank you also for the lovely comments and suggestions! I'll make sure I try to incorporate what everyone mentioned for the future.







The lucky winner is...Beauty to Love!!

I will be contacting you through email. But if you don't reply within 3 days, I'll have to choose another winner :[

In case my e-mail somehow doesn't get to you, please e-mail me at mhuang36[at]gmail[dot]com by April 11, 2012!

A much needed update

Bye Droid!
You've served your purpose and was very fun to play with you, my first encounter with a smartphone.
I hated how you broke and could only work on speakerphone; which was very embarrassing when I was on the train or at the library, you know!




You were great while you lasted.
But now I have something better.

Hello iPhone 4s!
I'll take very good care of you, especially since you're so expensive!
Hopefully, you'll live up to all the praises everyone made of you.




After 2 years of the Droid and almost a year of only being able to make/take calls through the speaker function, I could not be more happy to finally upgrade my phone.

The only bad thing is the high prices I (technically my parents) have to pay for such a luxury...family plan, iPhone warranty/insurance (which apparently is much higher than normal smartphones), and 3G services. My head hurts already =.=

But the good news is, I can finally experience all the hype of the iPhone. I'm slowly trying to get the hang of a new phone system but once I'm accustomed, I'll try and start using Instagram too. If anyone has one share your username with me!

------------------------------

There are still a few more days left in my giveaway! If you would like to enter, click HERE

Current Skincare Routine: Day & Night

After blogging for a few years now and posting some reviews here and there, I realized that I haven't shared my skincare routine yet. Keep in mind, I do not usually use the same products again because I have a curious nature and like to try as many products as I can get my hands on. However, if I were to find something that is HG...I will probably hold myself back and repurchase the HG item (but that is a hurdle I'll overcome when I reach it!).

Ever since my beauty nerve was struck, I cannot stop my itch to find my own HG's. So far I've come across many that I like/love or has a possibility of becoming an HG (still thinking!), but no dice...

I have to say, my biggest motivation for "perfect skin" are Korean celebrities. My gosh does their skin look great! I know a lot of it is photoshop and makeup...but when you can see their untampered skin, most will blow you away and look in shame at your own skin. I know I'm always very jealous! I don't have the same money and resources as they do to devote to the same brands nor do I have the same motivation to not be lazy about my skincare routine, but I'm trying in my own ways =]


When I use the products individually, I didn't even realize how many steps I actually had. This current routine is probably the most items I have ever used at one time.

I've been using this routine for about close to a month and it is working pretty well! Other than an occasional pimple, my skin looks rather clear. I still have occasional & random pimples that popped up (it doesn't seem to always correspond with that time of the month though). My cheeks also suffer from redness and overall I still have a problem with clogged and open pores. Far from perfect but much better than it had once been.

My skin type/issues are all over the place. Once the weather starts warming up, I become more and more oily. Sometimes when I'm oily, I'll also get flakey patches. However, as the weather gets colder, my skin is either combination (oily in the T-zone, mostly the nose area) or normal...sometimes leaning on the drier side.

This makes it a difficult because I feel like I want to purchase different products to target different things when the season changes...but most of the time I would still have products remaining and do not want to just let it sit there and be neglected. Unlike with makeup, I tend to stick to the same skincare products until I finish using them.

I've had acne since I hit puberty...in the 4th or 5th grade? Which seemed normal at the time since many of my friends then also went through it around the same time. I had very bad acne, pretty much everywhere. The worst was my forehead. Over the years, as I started to take care of my skin more they seemed have gravitated to the lower parts of my face (was cheeks, now mainly chin and the area between nose and lips).

After experimenting with many products, I can't say really that a specific one really did the trick. But just routinely cleansing and taking care of it helped keep the pimples at bay.


The current cleansers that are in rotation.

After finishing the Hada Labo Cleansers that I recently reviewed, these were up next. Particularly the Etude House cleanser first. Since both target acne troubles, I do not have to really designate any 1 in particular for morning/evening use.

Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser
This is only a travel size of the cleanser that I received when I bought the AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot (which I assume is similar to the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion many people raved about). The cleanser has a really strong tea tree smell that I eventually got used to. It lathers really well and a little goes a long way. In terms of controlling my acne, I think it is alright. I still experience breakouts and the acne that does surface doesn't go away any faster than it normally would (without using a topical treatment). However, I do like that it doesn't dry my face out after using it. My face feels clean without feeling like it's being stripped of moisture. I probably wouldn't repurchase because of all the trouble I have to go through with ordering it online. If I were to ever take a trip to Korea (where it is the cheapest) or find it in a store for a reasonable price...I might buy the full size.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser
I bought this at the very end of December and used it on and off throughout January. Surprisingly, this cleanser also did not strip my skin out after using it! Usually salicylic acid would dry my skin out immediately but this felt surprisingly gentle for a 2% salicylic acid product. It also seems to help with my acne a little bit but is not a miracle "end-all-be-all" acne-fighting cleanser. For the price and easy accessibility, I am thinking about repurchasing it...


Morning Routine

1. Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Moisturizing Dew
As a moisturizing toner, it works well. I would say after using this for a little while in the winter and now with slight allergies, I'd say this would be better for use in the Spring. Possibly even throughout the summer for someone who doesn't have much of an oily skin problem. The dew left my skin soft and feeling supple but just wasn't enough on dry patches. It does help remove any excess dirt that wasn't cleaned off during cleansing which is always a plus.

2. Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Moisturizing Day Protector
Similar to the dew I feel this would be better for the Spring. With that being said, this was an interesting product. It has a cooling effect after I swipe it onto my face. There is also titanium dioxide in there, hence the protector (but it doesn't say any SPF so I'm guessing there isn't too much of it in there). I was a little weary on using a second toner, but this could be a lotion (if used enough).

I haven't really used enough of both these Naruko items to have a full opinion but so far my first impressions of both are pretty good!

3. Origins GinZing
I don't look much for from eye creams other than moisturizing. I originally came across this product because of its brightening properties. It does have a pearly/shimmery effect but I don't really see it help my dark circles much after I put it under my eyes. Also, I didn't see much depuffing like it says it would help with...The only good thing is the little jar lasted a very long time. But now I just can't wait for it to be done with.

4. Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum
This is the 3rd bottle of the product that I'm using. I really love it! It keeps my skin nice and plump & gives it the bouncy effect. Very similar to the Hada Labo products but sans the sticky feeling that a lot of people weren't too fond of (I didn't mind it). Genie in a Bottle costs much less. I may upgrade this to HG soon...but I have to consider it a little more :X HG has to be superb and I haven't really tried enough serums to say this is the best of the best.

5. BeautyMate Hydro Power Collagen Cream
The cream sinks into my skin very well and quickly. It moisturizes and keeps my skin supple. Throughout the day my skin doesn't feel or look dry. Sasa says it also brightens but I didn't really see much of that. Overall, it worked well for most of what it is meant to do for a very low price (from Sasa).

6. Josie Maran Protect Daily Sun Protection Argan Oil Infused SPF40+
Liquidy in texture. Very different than the sunscreens that I've tried before. But I like this just as much. Since it's runny, I find it easy to apply and spread so I don't have to tug at my face too much. The argan oil gives a dewy finish so if I don't feel like wearing makeup I can just walk out with just skincare and sunscreen. However, it might be too much for oily skin in the summer. I find that when I just put powder on top to set the sunscreen, the powder doesn't hold very well...definitely need to wear a primer to give a barrier/hold for the powder.


Mid-Day (usually around 5-6PM)...Makeup Removing

1. H20+ Dual Action Eye Makeup Remover OR Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup remover
I don't wear eye makeup that often. When I do, it is light enough that it'll come off using a face makeup remover/cleansing oil. I really only got specific eye-makeup removers for prom when I was playing around with mascara.

Between the two, I like the H20+'s over Neutrogena's. Both remover eye-makeup well. However, for some reason after using the Neutrogena remover, it would sort of dry out the eye area and leave this strange whiteness around my eye area. This wouldn't be a problem if I did my whole skincare routine right after I removed my makeup...but I usually take my makeup off right after I get home and do my night routine after I brush my teeth (10PM-1AM). It seems weird but it makes sense to me?

2. Biore Makeup Remover Gel
I've always used cleansing oils to remove makeup because my makeup frenzy started with BB Creams and many people recommended cleansing oils. I loved how well they took off makeup but hated how they would start drying out my face after I used it. Sure I felt clean but I had to always apply moisturizing afterward or spray my face to give some moisture back. This hasn't steered me away from using cleansing oils any longer but I just wanted to experiment with other options.

I am sort of on the fence about whether I like this product or not. It isn't as drying as a cleansing oil, but sometimes my face doesn't feel clean enough. Maybe I'm just too used to the squeaky clean feeling I get from cleansing oils? Although this product was very inexpensive, I'm not going to repurchase it because I used this up pretty fast (only 1.5-2 pumps each time). Only been a month or so and I'm very close to finishing it...

3. BeautyMate Hydro Power Collagen Cream


Night Routine

1. BeautyMate Anti-Blemish Repairing Nano Toner
I really do not care for a toner in a pump bottle. It was so hard to control and I need to pump so much out to even have enough to use. Aside from that, I cannot say I like or hate this toner. Nothing about its performance stands out to me. It works well, can remove the excess dirt that I couldn't pick up when cleaning with my hands...but it didn't do well against blemish. I guess I was expecting a little too much from the toner?

2. Naruko Marjoram and Lavender Brightening Eye Cream
I like how light this eye cream was and it was moisturizing. But I didn't see any brightening. The product itself doesn't have the pearly look so it doesn't brighten/highlight physically. Overall...it may look to this again because it doesn't have parabens/preservatives/added color etc. and can be used morning and night versus GinZing which I'd feel comfortable only using it in the morning because of the pearly effect.

3. Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum

4. Skinfood Omija Whitening Serum
I haven't used this enough to see its whitening effects but I like how light this serum. I'm currently only using this on my neck because my face is much lighter in color than my neck is. Will report back soon!

5. BeautyMate Hydro Power Collagen Cream

6. Naruko Narcissus Total Defense Night Eye Gelly
Of the Naruko products I've opened and used...this left the biggest mark in my books. LOVE LOVE LOVE how well it moisturizes without being too heavy. After using this, I found that concealer applied to my under eye very smoothly. I will definitely be repurchasing this one and trying out the other eye and face gellies. The only thing I didn't really see was the firming and brightening aspects that the site says the product will also help with. But then again I don't need much firming yet...

7. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
At first, I wasn't too sure I liked this product but I've got to say of the acne treatments I've tried so far this was the most effective. Salicylic acid just doesn't seem to work with my pimples...I also like how this one doesn't dry and leave a strange film on my face like salicylic acid treatments do. I noticed that helped with the bumps on my chin and the clogged pores on my nose. This is also a very close HG product, on the consideration list!


Skinfood Facial Water Vita-C (Mist) & Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray
I don't see much difference when using mists because it evaporates pretty quickly. But over makeup, it gives a similar effect to Fix+, not as dewy but still softens the base makeup so it looks a bit more natural. Nonetheless, I'd still purchase a mist to use after applying makeup over skincare properties. Packaging-wise I like the Skinfood one over Genie in a Bottle. The former gives a much finer mist. However, be careful not to suck in any of the mist...it tastes really bad =.=


This step is the one that I usually get lazy with, ironically exfoliating is an important step.
I haven't found one that I liked yet so it makes it even harder to [remember to] use it.

My aunt bought these two for me when The Face Shop in Koreatown opened a couple of years ago(?)...See how bad I am at exfoliating? haha

The Face Shop Peeling Day - Honey Black Sugar
I thought that this would work similar to the Skinfood version that so many people RAVED about. I'm not sure how that one is but I did not like this one at all...The sugar particles are humongous and pretty sharp. It hurt to really rub them around my face, I could only gently move them around...which I don't think really exfoliates anything. The honey factor makes this product really thick, gooey, and sticky to use. I also didn't see a big difference in blackhead reduction like it says it would help with, but then again I do not think I used it correctly because I tried to be as gently as I could.

The Face Shop Peeling Day - White Jewel
I was looking forward to wearing this because I thought it would be similar to the highly talked about Cure Aqua Gel. I don't really know how that one is but this version isn't too good. When I rub this around, there are clumps that show up...but it seems like it's more of the product itself is clumping together rather than my dead skin. I still like this exfoliating concept. Just this version wasn't the one, in my opinion.

How many products are in your skincare routines? Does anyone inspire you to achieve perfect skin?

If anyone is interested, enter my giveaway! Press HERE

Bits and Pieces of My Life...Quarters Collection

My poor piggie was emptied a little while ago.
I've had this piggie for as long as I can remember, and then some.
Luckily it isn't the kind that I have to smash open to get the coins out...or else I'd never want to save any coins in there!


I haven't counted my coins for maybe...10+ years?
The most coins that I have are quarters.
In the US, many quarters have special faces imprinted on the tails side for each State.


I have the habit of never using any "new" quarters because I never sorted which States' quarters I actually owned. Now that I know which ones I have, I don't have to stand in a store for a good 2-3 minutes searching for an "old" quarter (ones with just the eagle).


After this, I discovered that they released 5 special faced quarters every year for 10 years. Which makes sense since there are 50 states in total. I wish I discovered this earlier so I would have more quarters to use. But I guess this is a good thing, now I have more money saved up.

Although I have all 50 states, I'm still missing a lot of the 2009-2011 quarters...

2009: District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana

2010: Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Mount Hood

2011: Gettysburg, Glacier, Olympic, Vicksburg, Chickasaw

When I get to travel, I'm going to start a foreign coin collection!
Does anyone else collect quarters or am I just strange? :X
Do other countries also have these special coins?

***If you're interested, join my 1st giveaway! ^__^
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