Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil is one of my all-time favourites. The kohl is soft and glides easily without pulling the skin. It's so easy to use I only need one stroke to apply!

The rich pigment stays on for hours. It works well for eyelining and tight-lining, on it's own or smudged to give a softer effect.

Currently I have:

- 031 Jungle Green: dark green with slight metallic effect. It's my favourite as it makes my brown eyes really stands out.

- 024 Cool Blue: trendy electric blue. Sometimes I apply it underneath kit cosmetics Mineral Bronzer to tone down the colour for when I'm not feeling so bright.

- 071 Pure White: I don't like this one. The colour just doesn't look right on my eyes, I looked as if I had tip-ex on. Somehow the quality isn't as good as the rest in the range.

Sharpening the pencils could be a messy affair due to the softness of the kohls. I was so frustrated when I had to spend a long time cleaning my sharpeners when that happened. Fortunately popping them in the freezer before sharpening solved this problem.

Verdict: an affordable good quality eye pencil. Avoid the Pure White though...

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I've been using Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream on and off in the past year. Sometimes I forget to use it and only run to it when my cuticles starting to look "thirsty". This non-greasy cream works wonders for my cuticles, it even softens and moisturises the thick and dry cuticles on my feet!

The cute tin is handy, perfect for handbag or on the (already crowded) bedside table. The instruction says to "massage into and around nails nightly". Personally I use it anytime I like, doesn't have to be before bed time.

I love the strong lemon scent, the moisturising property, and the fact that Burt's Bees products state how many percent of the ingredients are naturally derived. It's also Natural Products Association Certified. Needless to say I included a tin of this cuticle cream in a gift parcel I sent to my sister on her last birthday.

The only thing I don't love: the cream makes my toes itched whenever I use too much of it. To avoid this problem, I find that the key is to use it sparingly. If I just run my index finger over the balm, this amount is enough to cover 5 fingers (or 5 toes) in a go.

Verdict: a trusty cuticle cream.

Ingredients: Sweet almond oil, beeswax, lemon oil, cocoa butter, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), candelilla wax, sunflower oil, rosemary leaf extract, tocopherol (vitamin E), beta carotene, vegetable oil.

* I'm not sure why the ingredients list on my tin is different from the one on their webpage here.

Barry M Nail Paints

The first two Barry M Nail Paints I bought are:

Turquoise and the newest Block Orange.

After using them a couple of times, I'm not surprised that this brand been voted as Best Inexpensive Nail Polish in InStyle's Best Beauty Buys for 2009.

Firstly, the number of colours on sale are mind-boggling. I counted there are 64 different shades sold on their website: "Covering the whole colour spectrum-from pure white to decadent red. There are metallic pearls, mattes and shimmering finishes to suit every mood and taste. All Nail Paints are in a quick-drying base suitable for natural or acrylic nails."

Secondly, the vibrant colours lasted more than a week without chipping.

Thirdly, the colour comes out as vivid as the colour you see in the bottle, one or two thin layers are all I need. I've used more expensive brands that weren't as good as I had to pile on the polish to get the colour I wanted.

Verdict: I'm buying more colours from the collection soon!! :)

Ingredients: click here for the full list.

Nivea Happy Time Body Lotion

I received a 4ml sample sachet of Nivea Happy Time Body Lotion. The package says that it contains "natural Bamboo Extract and Milk Proteins" "with a beautiful mild scent of orange flower" - sounds really good on paper.

So I tried it last night. The lotion has the right consistency that isn't sticky and disappears quickly on my skin. The subtle Orange Flower scent was quite pleasant.

Unfortunately my skin didn't like it. Something in it gave me stinging sensations not long after I applied it, felt like as if I had applied low grade glycolic acid on my skin. It wasn't that bad though, the stinging sensations disappeared after some time. Nevertheless, it puts me off buying the full-size bottle.

Verdict: though it sounds good on paper, my sensitive skin doesn't like it.

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristyl Myristate, Alcohol Denat., Glyceryl Stearate Ctirate, Blyceryl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract, Propylene Blycol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Limonene, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Parfum.

Badger Balm Sore Muscle Rub

It must have been an inspired moment when I bought Badger Balm Sore Muscle Rub (Original Blend) before I contracted Swine Flu.

I've never used this particular muscle rub before, so I was a little disappointed when I didn't feel a strong heat on my skin right after I apply it. The warmth came out slower as a comforting heat that doesn't give stinging sensations on my skin. Despite my initial reservations, I'm happy to say that it has been working well to soothe my sore muscles.

I love the exotic scent of this balm, reminds me of my travels in the Far East. I have to confess that the particular smell of cardamom and lemongrass made me feel a bit hungry at times. :)

I love the fact it's USDA Certified Organic. The cute graphic on the tin makes me love it even more.

Verdict: it's definitely a keeper.

Ingredients: Olea Europaea (Extra Virgin Olive) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor Oil), Cera Alba (Beeswax), Capsicum Frutescens (Cayenne) Extract, Essential Oils of Zingiber Officinale (Ginger), Elettaria Cardamomum (Cardamom), Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass), Rosmarinus Officanalis (Rosemary), Thymus Mustichina (Wild Marjoram), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) and CO2 Extracts of Zingiber officinale (Ginger) & Rosa Canina (Rosehip).