Herbacin Wuta Kamille Hand and Nail Balm

Love this Herbacin Wuta Kamille Hand and Nail Balm, even though I broke its dispenser tip (twisting the cap too hard) and had to leave it behind :( Picked these three 20mL travel sized hand creams  up at Taoyuan International Airport as I departed Taipei, knowing they're probably available here in the US (they are). Let's see, I wanted something to remember Taipei with (Herbacin is German...), had some leftover Taiwanese dollars to get rid of on impulse buys (while sweet hubby spent his last bucks buying me a jade charm, ha...), and I was bored out of my mind waiting for my flight and had to get lost inside an airport drugstore.

From left to right: Wuta Kamille and Glycerin Hand Creme (using now, will review soon), Wuta Kamille Soft Mild Hand Cream, and this Wuta Kamille (White Line) Hand and Nail Balm, 20mL each.

Shida Night Market Eats, Taipei, Part II (師大路夜市, Picture heavy!)

Really struggling to put up these last Taipei food posts here...

Lantern Soy Sauce Braised (燈籠滷味) is one of the more well known and popular stands at Shida Night Market.  We actually stumbled onto it prior to reading the CNN 40 Taiwanese Food article and went in head first, not knowing what to expect. There was always a giant crowd gathering around the stand, and given there were several similar food stands at Shida Night Market that were often deserted, our curiosity couldn't resist the consistent stream of business this particular stand got and so we got in line ourselves ^.^

Basically, this is a Taiwanese version of the Japanese oden. Mind you, this is not to say "who came first". I honestly don't know and I don't give a rat's ass. I just know I love oden, and when I saw this I must have it, because I miss oden very much T.T Of course it's not identical to oden, but it's very similar in terms of ingredients: eggs (quail, versus chicken in oden), a wide variety of fish cakes, konnyaku, tofu,  mochi, a variety of vegetables (daikon, shiitake, enoki, green leafy greens, etc.), with added extras of noodles (cellophane noodles 冬粉, ramen, etc.), even meats, seafood, and intestines (a Taiwanese favorite!). 

Cle de Peau Beaute Gentle Protective Emulsion SPF25 PA++

I am a bit confused whether this Cle de Peau Beaute Gentle Protective Emulsion SPF25 PA++ is a moisturizing emulsion with dubious sun protection, or a wimpy sunscreen with an added benefit of a moisturizer. Either way, for the past week I've been stuck at home working, so I put aside my disdain for skincare with added SPF (I think they're useless...) and started using this 5mL tube that came with Cle de Peau Beaute Glow Fall 2012 Mook as an "indoor" sun protection ^.^ Please note despite this use, I still do not consider it a proper sunscreen (it's really not!) and therefore labeled it with "moisturizers" instead of "sun protection."

By the way, according to both the US as well as the Japanese official websites, you're supposed to apply this emulsion with a cotton pad like you would a toner O.o Yeah, my reaction exactly, especially when neither websites care to explain why. Nordstrom is just a tad better, saying using a cotton pad would provide "ideal application and absorption," but still no explanation as to what is it about this emulsion that requires cotton pad application. At least with a toner, a cotton pad provides the extra physical exfoliation in addition to making it much easier to apply a runny/watery liquid (unless you prefer to splash it directly onto your skin like I do with SK-II Facial Treatment Essence). Even if they say it's for the physical exfoliation, what to make of the two Balancing Lotions in the step before then, both of which also require cotton pad application? Double exfoliation, every single day? Is this luxury really to pamper or torture my skin?

Cle de Peau Beaute Cleansing Cream

This 9g sample tube of Cle de Peau Beaute Cleansing Cream was a part of the freebies from the Cle de Peau Beaute Glow Fall 2012 Mook. It was also the very first Cle de Peau item for me so I was totally excited to try it out, having read great things about the entire line.

Don't be fooled by the name of this product like I was. This was actually not a cleansing cream but instead a cream-to-oil cleanser, which really threw me in for a loop. Good thing the first time I used it I started with dry face and hands, not because I read the usage instructions like I should (Julia's lesson has yet to sink in, after all -.-'), but because I was too lazy to wet my face and I knew most cream cleansers work with dry face anyway. Ha. 

Cle de Peau Beaute Glow Fall 2012 Mook I picked up in Taipei.

Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream

Two weeks ago, along with Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream I also incorporated this mini 0.05fl oz/1.5mL sample tube of Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream into my nightly routine. The Sana Hadanomy Collagen line plus Steam Cream (will review both soon) as sealant moisturizer just didn't cut it anymore and is relegated to day use only now.

Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream

After Lancome Absolue Eye Premium BX turned out to be too light a night treatment for my eyes, I turned to this mini 0.03fl oz./1mL sample tube of Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream for relief.

This eye cream pretty much unscented to me. If it does have a fragrance, I don't notice it. It is just a tad thicker than Lancome Absolue Eye, with an almost mousse-like texture akin to the Pulpe Vitaminee Eye and Lip Cream but is similar to Lancome in terms of being light weight. It goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly, sometimes too quick and I would have to apply some more ^.^  

Cle de Peau Beaute Glow Fall 2012 Mook

I drooled all over the thought of this Cle de Peau Beaute Glow Fall 2012 Mook. However, it was released in mid September, a good few weeks after I had left Japan, and was also promptly sold out within days of release on Amazon JP. I thought about trying online, but some E(vil)bay seller listed it for an absurd USD80, which was crazy and there was no way I'd bite that bullet. Just when I thought all hopes were lost, I remembered I was heading to Taiwan, and there was a small chance, itty bitty chance, that I might still be able to find it there. 

Well, with great stroke of luck I stumbled upon the very last copy at Eslite Bookstore (誠品書店) in Ximending! The moment I saw it, I gasped, grabbed, and didn't let go of it for the rest of the night. I swear my friends thought I was nuts xD But hey, I kept looking at other Eslite branches after that night and nope, the copy I got was the very very last one - how crazy lucky is that?!! Best of all, I paid NT$686 - 10% membership discount = NT$617.40 ~ USD20, roughly the same Japanese retail price of 1,500yen! Thank you Taipei and your Eslite stores!!!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Cream TW

During my time in Taipei, I purposely stayed away from Taiwanese magazines because they too have freebies, skincare freebies. See how dangerous that road would have been?

...But I caved, just once, for this Meizhuang (美妝, Beauty) issue of FashionGuide Magazine TW, Fall 2012 Vol. 25. It came with a 50mL deluxe sample bottle of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Cream TW among others.

Please note this particular product is made for and sold in the Taiwanese market, hence marked with TW. I'm not sure if the formula or ingredients are any similar to its US counterpart, but I checked Palmer's US website for the Cocoa Butter range and was confronted with a dizzying array of variety, none of which looks quite like this bottle pictured here. What the hell, Palmer's? Are you trying to confuse your consumers? Seriously, what's the difference between, just to name a few from the 24(!) products in the "Daily" section, Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion, versus Jar, versus Concentrated Cream, versus Daily Calming Lotion, versus Body Butter, versus Lotion for Dry Ashy Skin? Aren't they all for dry skin? If not, why should I bother putting them on my dry skin? And isn't dry skin somewhat ashy anyway, or is there an option for Dry-but-not-Ashy Skin too? 

The problem with growing success is the company will start spreading itself too thin and stretching its product too far. What's wrong with sticking to a few things and do a really good job with them? Honestly, I have tried generous samples of all 3 Cocoa Butter, Olive Butter, and Shea Butter Formulas. The Olive and Shea are hands down way better, especially the Shea, and guess what, both have only a handful of products, which is exactly how it should be. Not sure why only the Cocoa Butter range totally spun out of control. My way of coping? Ignore damn range. Mmkay. Rant over.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Cream TW

Jersey Cow Shave Gel and Daily Moisturizer

Super short post here since it's technically not a review - hubby uses these products and not me ^.^

Bought this pair of Jersey Cow Shave Gel and Daily Moisturizer for him during a 20% UK brands sale on Beauty Habit last year. He got bored of Jack Black, Anthony Logistics, Art of Shaving, Lab Series, Clinique, The Body Shop, etc., and was happy to get something new to try. Like his dad, he used to be totally indifferent to skincare, but I guess my obsession somewhat rubbed off on him LOL!

Skincare Stocking Stuffers (Picture heavy!)

In 2012, hubby and I moved out of Japan in late August, then to Taiwan for 3 months until mid December. Going to different countries means lots of shopping and while I tried to exercise control, I don't have much self restraint. As a result, everyone in my family got at least a few skincare related stocking stuffers this past holiday season ^.^ Anyways, with permission from the recipients I took pictures of the products prior to wrapping them. 

This Naive Rich & Deep Moist Cleansing Foam Gift Set came with the full size Cleansing Foam Rose Extract in the yellow tube, which went to my mum, and a travel sized Cleansing Foam Madonna Lily Extract in the blue tube, which I kept for myself.