Skincare-holic's 2010 Favourites List

2010 is coming to an end and I thought I'd do up a Favourites List like the one I did for 2009! I looked through the reviews I did in 2010 and rounded up the few I really liked.


Best 2010 Cleanser: Hada Labo AHA/BHA Tamagohada Exfoliating Face Wash Foam

This Hada Labo cleanser doesn't exfoliate well but it cleanses well enough. I like that it is self-foaming and convenient to use. It removes dirt and oil without making my skin feel dry or tight. I used to like Fancl Washing Powder a lot and this cleanser is a good competitor as it doesn't require a foaming ball nor do I have to worry about expiry dates.




Best 2010 Lotion: Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion

This lotion helped improve my skin texture. I could see that my dehydrated skin was more plumped up. It comes in a big bottle and each usage only requires a small amount, so it lasts a long time. 



Best 2010 Moisturizer: La Mer Creme de La Mer

This was the only cream I could use when I had patches of dermatitis on my face. It may be rich but if you control the amount you use it will not clog pores (I first press the creme into my cheek area before using the remaining on the t-zone). I like that it is quite soothing, even when my skin was sensitive and would react to most other products. I felt my skin become smoother with usage.


Best 2010 Hydrating Mask: Laneige Water Sleeping Pack

I used to like Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Relief but Clinique did not work well when my skin was very dehydrated and sensitive. It caused redness and stinging. Laneige, however, worked really well and helped restore my skin to normal. I don't experience any clogged pores even when I apply a thick layer. I wake up the next day with hydrated skin.

Best 2010 Clay Mask: BeautyDIY Dead Sea Mud Mask

I think this dead sea mud mask is cheap yet good. Its main purpose is to suck out dirt and excess oil from the pores so I don't need an expensive mask with wonderful ingredients and this mask does just that. As the mask dries, I can see spots of oil where pimple or blackheads are at, which shows it really works. It contains tea tree oil, which helps dry out and heal pimples. It is good to follow up with a hydrating mask to replenish moisture. 

Best 2010 Eye Mask: The Face Shop Raspberry Slim & Lift Collagen Eye Patch

I almost forgot that I really liked this eye mask until I looked through my 2010 reviews again. It is a bit pricey but it works nicely to hydrate and plump up my under eye area. After using this mask, the jelly-like mask becomes thinner, which shows the essence has been absorbed by the skin. I think I will be purchasing some more soon. 

Best 2010 Face Spray/Sensitive Skin Product: Avene Thermal Spring Water

I have been using this for a few years now and I always re-stock whenever there is the 2 for S$29.90 promotion. The Avene Thermal Spring Water soothes my sensitive skin really well and I even use it as an eye mask at times - by saturating a cotton pad with the spring water then tearing it into half and using it as a normal eye mask. It is cooling on the skin and reduces my redness effectively. It also helps when skincare products are too thick/sticky, I spray this over my face and try to massage the products in again. 

**This is all for my favourites list this year. It is too bad I didn't find a favourite sunscreen. I have been looking but haven't found one that I like yet. 

Do comment with recommendations of skincare products you like and find works well! I would like to try more skincare in 2011 =)

Review: The Face Shop Raspberry Slim & Lift Collagen Eye Patch

The Face Shop Raspberry Slim & Lift Collagen Eye Patch is the newer version of the Raspberry Roots Collagen Eye Patch that has a red packaging. As to whether the two versions are different, I cannot judge as I did not use the previous version so I have no basis for comparison. The sales assistant at The Face Shop said that they changed packaging but did not elaborate on whether it is the same contents.

The older version of the Collagen Eye Patch won a Cleo Beauty Award quite a long while ago and I had been wanting to try this eye patch but wasn't very willing to pay for the heavily jacked up prices of The Face Shop products here in Singapore. So when skincare-holic's mom was visiting Korea, I asked her to bring some back for me.

This Raspberry Slim & Lift Collagen Eye Patch is for moisturising and firming the eye area. The eye patch has a jelly like texture that is held in place by a netting. Because of this texture, the eye patch adheres very well to the skin below the eye area.

I like that this eye patch adheres well as other eye patches that are made from cotton material do not fit very nicely due to the contours of the eye areas due to eye bags. But one thing about The Face Shop eye patch is that it slides downwards while using it (I do not use this lying down as I tend to do things on the computer while masking). So I have to adjust the eye patch once in a while if it slides downwards.

Effects-wise, this eye patch is quite good as my fine lines were softened and slightly plumped up after using the mask for 30mins as the instructions stated. This is due to the moisturising factor of the mask. I like that it moisturised my eye area as the mask description claimed. However, the mask claimed to have lifting properties as well, but I did not see any lifting effects.

In addition, there is no sticky after-feel when I remove the eye patch and there is no need massage in any excess essence as with other masks/eye patch as everything has been absorbed by the skin already. 

Overall, this is a good eye patch and its performance exceeds most eye patches I have used before. I think that The face shop in Singapore sells this at $9.90 for 2 pairs (if I'm not wrong), which is a bit expensive. It would be nice if it wasn't so expensive here.

Rate: 4/5