Review-Compare /Skincare: Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O + MAC Cleanse Off Oil

Today's review is on cleansing oil.....

 

Item Name: Shu Uemura - Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O Advanced Formula
Size: 150 ml
Price: Not Available
Available At: Metro Paragon and all good dept stores
Picture Source: Shu Uemura USA

Product Description from Manufacturer:

cleansing beauty oil premium a/o is the #1 selling shu uemura cleansing oil in the world. the new advanced formula is empowered with Green Tea and specially selected Gingko Leaf Extract contains flavonoids, recognized in Japan for strong anti-oxidant and micro circulation properties that help to promote transparency and radiance to fatigued skin. the removal of oxidized sebum, which accelerates the aging process, is the first step in anti-aging skincare. the innovative Natural Origin HPO system has a superb cleansing ability which removes sebum and dramatically increases the removability of waterproof mascara and long-lasting makeup. the advanced formula leaves the skin soft, and refined for a youthful appearance.

Item Name: M.A.C - Cleanse Off Oil
Size: 150 ml
Price: Not Available
Available At: Tangs Orchard and all good dept stores
Picture Source: M.A.C Cosmetics

Product Description from Manufacturer:

An industry-strength oil-based makeup remover that's gentle on the skin. Botanically formulated with oils of olive fruit, evening primrose and jojoba seed and absolutely 100 percent mineral-oil free. Massages onto the skin to loosen all makeup, including waterproof mascara. Emulsifies into a lotion-type liquid with water: rinses off easily, no tissues required - and no residue! Protects with vitamin E. Skin softening and conditioning. Good for all skin types.

Why I bought them:
The M.A.C Cleansing oil actually belongs to my little sister. As for the Shu Uemura, I bought it to replace the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm when it ran out.

Packaging:
Both products comes in clear plastic bottles with a fuss-free pump.


Texture:

Both are oils. However, I noticed that the M.A.C cleansing oil was lighter in texture and there is a nice scent to the M.A.C Cleansing oil.

Price:
I have no idea how much my sister paid for the M.A.C Cleanse Off oil but based on the USA RRP, it is definitely cheaper than the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil.

As for Shu Uemura, since I got this product at a pretty low price compared to the RRP, I would say I'm alright with the price. But I think the RRP is around SGD60.00. A little dear for a cleasing oil.

Road Test:
The Shu Uemura cleasing has a thicker texture as compared with M.A.C, which didn't sit well with me. It was a little too heavy for my taste.

M.A.C on the other hand was something that I really like. The scent is nice and the texture is light.

In terms of cleansing power, I didn't notice any significant difference between the two products. In fact, the Shu Uemura cleansing oil left a sticky after taste which I didn't like at all. This is probably due to anti-aging properties. In fact, it actually broke me out!

Verdict:
The Shu Uemura would be more suitable for very matured or very dry skins because of the anti-aging properties.

For me, I would prefer the M.A.C Cleanse Off Oil given the similar performance and much lower price.

Of course, I still have the Shu Uemura White Recovery EX+ that I haven't tried yet. I hope this product would be able to perform better as compared to it cousin in the same line. Anyway, have a great week ahead.

Haul: NARS, Smashbox, Urban Decay and Dior

The christmas season is round the corner and with that, comes the flood of Christmas sales! Last week was pure retail extravagence for me.. To the point that I'm feeling a little guilty now for spending so much. But oh well, it's not as if I don't need the items.

In addition, I've been a real good girl this year. So, it doesn't hurt if I materialize a little of my lemmings, I rationalize.. Yes yes, my feeble attempt to justify my purchases. Anyway, the next few posts would be entries on the things I bought and received last week.

This post is a closer look at the items that I bought from Beauty.com and Sephora@Amazon. There was a lot of other things that came with the parcels but those don't belong to me. So, I'll just cover the stuff that belongs to me.

First up is the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville (~SGD47; inclusive shipping). I'm a foundation junkie and I'm always on the look out to try new foundations. After reading through all the online reviews, I was really intrigued by this foundation. However, since it's not available in Singapore, I could only stash away my lemmings.

The opportunity came when Beauty.com was offering a 20% FF sale. I took the plunge and purchased. I did an extensive research online by using Diorskin Nude 020 as reference and finally decided on Deauville. I was really apprehensive but to my relief, the tone matched, although it was still a little yellow for me but it was no major concern.

I received the NARS Cleansing Oil sample for the foundation purhase.

Next up is the NARS Powder Blush in Deep Throat (~SGD30; inclusive shipping). I was deciding between NARS or Cargo blush. But decided to get the NARS blush because of it's cult status. I had originally wanted to get Orgasm but decided that Deep Throat may be more suitable for me after looking the swatches and reviews online. It was a little peachy for my liking but I love it still the same!!

Next one is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer on the Go (~SGD18.00; inclusive shipping). This is actually the smaller sized 15ml. I've heard raves about this product and so, when I saw that they have the smaller trial version, I decided to purchase it to try it out.

Next, is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Yeyo. This is actually a white eye liner glittery eyeliner and I'm thinking of using it to line my inner eye corners for the pop effect.

Lastly, is the Dior Mascara Duo Set (~SGD28.00). I usually don't like to spend on mascaras, as I don't see the need to spend a bomb on something that covers only a small portion of the face. But ever since I've read raves about Dior's mascaras and their performance, I've been wanting to try it. So, when I saw this set on Sephora@Amazon, I didn't hesitate since this was the perfect chance to try out the mascara without commiting too much money on it.

My thoughts: This purchase was really a rushed and unprepared one, and was kind of haphazard. But I was really glad that my first attempt in an online spree turned out well.Next time, I would defnitely be more prepared.

Haul: Duty-Free and Fancl

These items were bought way back in early August but they were stashed in a corner of my room and I had almost forgotten about them until I ran out of my Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, and I have to open a new bottle of makeup remover.

I've decided to switch to Shu Uemura after reading the raves and recommendations from skincare gurus such as 牛爾... I ended up buying additional items on top of the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil.

For the uninitiated, please note that compared to Duty Free, a lot of items are actually cheaper when bought during the Metro 20% sales. Not to forget the additional Metro dollars that can be converted to shopper cheques.

However, due to kindness of my friends, I get very good prices from Duty Free. Of course, I don't usually like to trouble them unless I need to get really expensive stuff, or things that are not available at regular retail counters, such as traveler exclusives.

Being the fickle me, I decided to get 2 types in smaller bottles to try out, and to see whether they live up to the hype and raves.

The purplish version for Whitening purposes:

The green version with supposedly anti-aging properties.

The next item is what got me so excited, it's the Dior Carnage Collection. It's a palette of 8 eye shadows and is a Krisflyer traveler's exclusive. So it's only available on SQ flights and Duty Free. For swatches and more pictures, please visit Ling's blog. She was the one who sparked my lemming for this.

The palette in it's pristine plastic packaging

 

Next up is my Fancl haul that I got along with my sister's birthday present.

The Summer 2010 Eyeshadow Palette.

I got 2 of the above. 1 for my sister, the other is meant as Christmas present for a good friend.

Fancl HTC Collagen in Powder form

This is meant for myself. I believe this is a new product. I've tried the drink and pills but not the powder form. Will try out and review after this.