Indeed Labs: Eysilix Total Eye Rescuer

Eye creams have never been a part of my skincare regime. *gasp!*

Not because I have a personal vendetta against them, but mainly because I have never felt the need to use them. I'm still in my early twenties (marginally), and have no lines or wrinkles to speak of. At times I do feel a little bit of dryness around my eye area, but whenever I put my face cream on in my usual slap dash manner, my massage covers that orbital area so fast, it just feels like part of the process. It's one of those 'meh' products. But before you judge me and start pointing fingers- I'll plead my case as being guilty of taking a low-maintenance, man's man approach to eye care. I don't have any grave issues, so why bother? What's even worse I suppose, is that I work in the beauty industry. I should know better. 

*hangs head in shame*

However, in the last few months my attitude changed. Not to a cathartic degree, but more along the lines of I'm-turning-25-I-need-to-do-something. I do have a naughty sleep cycle. I do use a lot of under-eye concealer. I do wear my contacts for far too long. I do tire the hell out of my eyes staring at computers for long hours. The result? Puffiness, dehydration, and dark (semi-)circles. I'm not that bothered with lines because I know it'll come. I smile too much and it's just the law of nature. However, those three evils- all consequences of my actions, have to to be kept at bay moving forward. It's not a good look, and being that I am Asian, tired and puffy just makes my eyes look even smaller. All I wanted was a good, no-BS, detoxifying eye cream to begin with; one that would hydrate and most importantly, help with the puffiness- so I went over to the Indeed Labs shelf at Boots (makers of new cult favourites Nanoblur, Snoxin and Hydraluron) because I knew how good the products were in both quality and price point (£24.99! #BARGAIN) 

Months later, I've nearly finished my tube of Eysilix: Total Eye Rescuer, I can finally write something concrete! I firmly believe that you have to take the time to use a product before 'reviewing' it as such. So after over five months (give or take, six) of consistent AM and PM use, I must say, I'm very pleased with it. The tube dispenses just the right amount of product, it's not bulky and its easy to store. I don't mind the lack of prestige in the packaging, because the proof is in the pudding- a principle that Indeed Labs builds its brand around. The cream is enriched with 10 peptide-innovation which helps re-energize, detoxify and reduce the puffiness around the eye. It does also help target lines and wrinkles- but because I don't have many, I don't really see the difference. But maybe that's a good thing? The consistency is rich and hydrating but not overly balmy, and it gets absorbed by the skin easily. It doesn't give much slip, but it gives the same luxe feel of an expensive eye cream and you feel your skin nice and tacky to the touch. In fact, because of that consistency I can dab my concealer on right away without running the risk of it creasing after a while.

I have seen a difference since incorporating an eye cream in my regime. My under eye area is kept hydrated and dewy all day, and as a result, my make-up sits better. I don't look as tired even after just four hours of sleep, and the puffiness, though still there, is not as bad as it used to be. EVEN BETTER, it gives a nice jujj under the eye, particularly after a night on the town when you look like you need Jesus to look presentable. I'm aware of what the market has to offer, and though I also want to try a premium eye cream that boasts a whole lot of 'cutting-edge' anti-ageing technology, fortunately, that's not what I need for the time being. Another winner from Indeed Labs!

You can get Eysilix at your nearest Boots store, or HERE.

S5 Skincare: Nourish Cleanser

Whenever I'm reading up on new brands or cult favourites (definitely non-mainstream) I am filled with equal amounts of excitement, apprehension, curiosity and definitely a sense of gravitas. There's nothing wrong with jumping on bandwagons, especially when particular products are worth the hype, but there's something more satisfying and rewarding when experimenting with something new and unsung. A month ago I was searching the online boutiques for new cleansers and toners to vary up my roster, but mostly to try something new. There were a few repurchased items but those can wait to be used. I wanted something fresh. Then I saw S5 Skincare. 

S5 (Source5) Skincare was created to serve reactive skin and as the first organic cosmeceutical skincare range. Their studies and research showed that certain plants thrive and survive under extreme and volatile conditions, and therefore decided to harness this power into their skincare. Sourced from five extreme ecosystems (Marine, Alpine, Arctic, Rainforest and the Desert), S5's bioactive ingredients are clinically proven to improve and nourish the skin, 100% natural, and are biodegradable and sustainable. Click HERE for more information. 

Ideally, I start with cleansers and toners whenever I look at new brands. They good gateway products into brands because they are easy to use and mid-range in terms of price. I do have a kind of criteria when dealing with cleansers however, so that I do know that it will do what I want. Does it melt make-up? Does it cleanse thoroughly? Does it strip the skin? Is it gentle? These are the questions I ask along with texture preference. These days I favour oils and balms to cleanse my skin, and S5's Nourish Cleanser read like a dream. 

Some of the key active ingredients include (taken from their website!) :

Arctic sea buckthorn oil rich in rare omega 7 and omega 3. In clinical trials, it is proven to improve skin elasticity by 32.3%. Hydrates and reduces the appearances of redness.

Desert pomegranate oil rich in omega 5 and punicic acid, one of the most potent anti oxidants known to man reduces inflammation, supports hormone function and accelerates cellular regeneration.

High altitude rosehip oil rich in omega 6 and retinoic acid. Used for its vitamin a (retinol) and vitamin c content, as well as its antioxidant properties. Promotes epidermal regeneration. Clinically proven to speed up healing Desert argan oil rich in omega 6, 9 and tocopherol. Helps to restore the skin barrier and defend against free radicals.

Desert argan oil rich in omega 6, 9 and tocopherol. Helps to restore the skin barrier and defend against free radicals.

Full Ingredients list as seen on Beauty Bay.

The Nourish Cleanser is an oil-based balm that gently cleanses the skin of impurities without stripping it of its natural oils. Though designed for normal to dry combinations, I don't see any reason why an oily combination shouldn't be able to. In fact, if you're the oily/dehydrated type, this cleanser seems a great choice. The texture is a cross between a cleansing oil and a balm- almost like honey in thickness but less so once its massaged onto the skin. You get a good amount of massage time with it, which makes it perfect for a second cleanse and it smells like candy corn! Yum. When rinsed, the oil turns into a milk, which is very much the nature of oil-based cleansers. I use a hot flannel, but when I tried to just rinse with water on its own, the emulsified milk didn't leave much residue at all, which is normally the case with something like Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil or Una Brennan's. 

I love the feel of this product. It's not that great at removing make-up, especially if you use longwearing products and tons of mascara. However, I prefer to use this as a second cleanse in the evening. As a morning cleanser though, it's fine on its own. It comes in a 250ml bottle for £32, which is relatively affordable for an organic range in the premium end of the spectrum. It is a definite joy to use, and for the technology, the ingredients and the benefits you get, I think it's fair. I think branching out within this brand is a definite in the near future.   

Sochi 2014: Opining on the Ladies Event- The Good, The Bad, and Mao Asada

What an emotionally draining two weeks this has been! I don't know about you, but the Sochi Winter Games has taken me to all different emotional highs and lows- especially the last 48 hours. Let's just get to it okay? There's so much to talk about and I'm on an Asada-induced nirvana that I just want to plough through this crap. And believe me, there is a ton and a half of bullshit to get through, and this is going to be a LONG post.

Let's begin with, OBVIOUSLY, the ultimate Champion of the Games (yes, with a capital C)- Japan's Mao Asada. On Wednesday night, Mao Asada went into the short program as a major gold medal contender. However, the next two and a half minutes were to be the worst  of her skating career. She fell on a downgraded triple axel, underrotated a triple flip, and nulled a planned triple loop combination. It was just *BAM*. Silence fell, not only in the Iceberg Palace, but also in the Ventura household. Four years after losing to Kim, Asada found herself in 16th place. 

All of the sudden, all that hard work- all the pain of relearning her jumps, losing her mother, the success since Vancouver- it all came to nothing. She held it all in at the Kiss and Cry, and when the night finished, Asada lost any hope of ever medalling at Sochi. 

Today however, was a different story. 

Skating to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto 2, Mao went into the free skate with no pressure, no tension, no nothing- and boy did it pay off. She landed EIGHT triples (and yes, ALL the triple jumps) including her signature triple axel and a triple flip-triple loop! She breezed through her programme with grace, maturity, and performed like the CHAMPION that she is. She got a couple of URs, but even so- she received a personal best of 142.71, and realised her dream of skating the perfect performance at the Olympics. The breakdown of emotion after her final element was just so moving, that nothing else mattered. We'll get to the scores in a minute, but for now- let's all pay our respects to the great Mao Asada, who performed with incredible grace under pressure and did her country proud, despite what any Japanese ex-PM thinks (shame on you Yoshiro Mori!.) There are moments in life when all the method, all the scores, the numbers, the politicking, the stakes, and all rationalisation go out the window- and this was one of those moments. Those four minutes will stand as a momentous event in the history of figure skating. 

Moving forward....here are my thoughts on the rest of the competition (I know... had to sit through two more groups!)

THE GOOD

CAROLINA KOSTER (ITA) finally medalled at an Olympic Games! Third time really was the charm for this statuesque Italian. She broke her unlucky streak by skating two clean programs, and just exuded so much artistry and grace- she really should have won the Gold medal. In fact, I am baffled at how the judges stomached giving her an 8.71 in Transitions? Yes, she is technically inferior to the rest of the field but if there was one thing she could rely on, it was her second mark, which remained in the mid- to low-9s! What the hell? In any case, apart from Mao- Carolina was the only other skater who skated like a star tonight- full of personality, gumption and pure joy. If she was to retire today, her performance at Sochi was nothing short of a spectacular swan song. 

Sochi 2014: Ladies Team Event- Long Program (Live)

Well, that was interesting. How the judges stomached rewarding that bizarre program by Plushenko I will never know. This calls for a shot of something hard and bitter! We'll be seeing the Olympic debuts of Kaetlyn Osmond, Gracie Gold and Valentina Marchei- how will they fare? Two have proven to be prone to meltdowns, so we shall see. 

Here's the starting order for the ladies!

1.) CAN Kaetlyn Osmond- 3F-2T, 2A-3T, 3Lz (fall), 3S, 2F, 3T-2T-2T, 2A. Not her best program. It's a pretty generic 'Cleopatra' routine, and not inspiring at all. She should go back to Carmen. Total= 110.73 (TES 54.53 PCS 57.20)

2.) USA Gracie Gold- 3Lz-3T (hangs on), 2A-3T, 3L, 3F, 3Lz, 3S-2T-2T, 2A. Toddler and Tiara Gracie showed up and showed out on the ice. Seven triples, and clean. Still not the best music fit, but she made it work and it paid off. Total= 129.38 (TES 67.49 PCS 61.89)

3.) JPN Akiko Suzuki- 3F-2T-2L, 2A-2T, 3Lz, 3F, 3L (UR? hangs on), 3S-2T, 3S. FANTASTIC. A little tense today, but still sublime. Total= 112.33 (TES 49.32 PCS 63.01)

4.) ITA Valentina Marchei- 2A-2T, 3Lz, 3F, 2A, 3S, 3Lz-2T, 3S-2T-2T. Vale had a moment, not just on camera but also at her first Olympics! And all that whilst skating like a full-grown woman. Shame about that triple toe, but good job! Should be a good tune up for the ladies event. Total= 112.51 (TES 54.00 PCS 58.51) 

5.) RUS Julia Lipnitskaya- 3Lz-3T (e), 2A-3T-2T, 3F, 2A, 3L, 3S, 3Lz-2T (e). Another clean skate from Julia. A few bobbles here and there, but nothing major. Total= 141.51 (TES 71.69 PCS 69.82)

Source: ESPN

Thoughts?

Frank Caroll clearly has done it again, with Gracie skating superbly. Shame about Akiko's errors, but my God is Julia on a roll! However...the score (esp her PCS) a little too high? Also, if I don't see edge-calls in that protocol... Hmm.  

Somewhere out there, I hope that Kim is adding fuel to that engine, Mao landing those triple axels, and Carolina lighting a whole room full of candles to rival the Olympic flame. 

***

EDIT: 

Click HERE for the protocol! 

Just wanted to point out a few things:
-Julia got one 'e' call on her second lutz. Pretty sure there should be two, as the first lutz was also a flutz. Also, her 2a-2t-2t got +2s across the board, when Gracie Gold's only got +1 with a 2a with great height and distance. A tad generous there. 
-The judges gave Julia high 8s in components, including Interpretation, Choreography and Performance, while they gave Akiko and Valentina, who were superior in the said points, mid-7s. 

I have nothing more to say. The candles are lit. 

Sochi 2014: Men's Team Event- Long Program (Live Blogging)

Hello dear readers and figure skating fans! 

(Source: Cadillac News, Sochi)

I shall be blogging live this afternoon! Armed with a cozy fluffy robe, a cup of spiked coffee (I think it'll a necessity to have some booze especially with these *ahem* scores.) and my laptop- I shall be giving a play-by-play of the Men's Long Program. After a rather disappointing showing from Patrick Chan and a not-surprising meltdown from Jeremy Abbott, what will the Games have in store for us? Apart from Italy and Russia, all the remaining teams will be sending out different members for the free skate- which is obviously the wisest choice, so they don't burn out their star players for the individual event this week (except for Plushenko and Parkinson who are the lone men in their respective teams.)

The short program results:

1.) JPN Yuzuru Hanyu (97.98)

2.) RUS Evgeni Plushenko (91.39)

3.) CAN Patrick Chan (89.71)

4.) CHN Yan Han (85.52)

5.) FRA Florent Amodio (79.93)

...and in the starting order for the free program is... (the current team ranking goes RUS, CAN, USA, JPN, ITA respectively)

1.) ITA Paul Bonifacio Parkinson- 4S(fall), 3A-2T, 3A(Fall), 3Lz (unsteady)-2T, 2A-half loop-2S, 3F (solid), 3L, 2Lz. Not much choreography in this program. Total= 121.23 (TES 66.97 PCS 56.26)

2.) USA Jason Brown- 2A, 3A-3T (solid), 3A, shimmy step stequence (!), 3Lz-half loop-3S (two-foot,fall), 3F-2T, 2A, Tano 3Lz, 3L. Captivating. Total=  153.67 (TES 75.45 PCS 79.22)

3.) CAN Kevin Reynolds- 4S (easy), 4T-3T, 4T, 3A (turnout, hand- overcooked), 2A, 3F-2L, 3Lz, 3S-2T. Good choreography, loved the music, and detailed step sequence. Spins were a little on the slow side. Total= 167.92 (TES 89.00 PCS 78.92) 

4.) RUS Evgeni Plushenko- 4T, 3Lz, 3A (beauty), 3A-2T-2L (wonky landing), 3Lz-3T, 2S, 2L, 2A. Lost stamina halfway through, bizarre music cut, lots of cringe-worthy 'choreography'. This score should be interesting. Total= 168.20 (TES 81.48 PCS 86.72)

5.) JPN Tatsuki Machida- 4T (beauty!), 3T (two foot), 3A-2T, 3A, 3L, 3Lz, 3F-2T-1L, 3S. Not flawless, but my god was he one fierce bird! Beautiful arms, and great choreography. Total= 165.85 (TES 83.13 PCS 82.72)

Final standings: 
RUS
CAN
JPN
USA
ITA

Click HERE for the protocol.

Thoughts?