Valen’s Vanity Square

Wuahahaha! Who said KL was out of stock on Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex? I have one sitting right in front of me now!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I went to MidValley this morning and found out both MetroJaya and Jaya Jusco EL’s counters ran out of this item. Later in the afternoon, I had an appointment with a client and after the meeting, my client offered a lift since she was heading somewhere using the LDP highway. Well, I can’t ask my client to send me home, can I? Then I got an idea; I asked my client to drop me at One Utama.

See, I just wanted to try my luck, and to check if the salesgirl at the counter told the truth, hehe. Went to Jaya Jusco EL’s counter, and voila! There they are!

However, the promotion package is different from what MetroJaya had. I remember there were two packages below RM300 at MetroJaya MV, meaning the ANR was packed together with another 2-3 products and sold at a price much lower than the individual products combined. At One Utama’s JJ, there are 3 or 4 of such promotion package, but the accompanying products are different from those in MetroJaya MV, and they cost around RM400.

So, I decided to get it solo, 30 ml at RM210. I did add on with the MagnaScopic Maximum Volume Mascara and Pure Color Gloss. Wanted to buy the Projectionist High-Definition mascara because I tried it before and like it. Unfortunately, it was sold out and will never be produced again.

After I have got hold of what I want, I felt like I have accomplished a very important mission, haha!

I was in a very good mood such that I, errr, continued my shopping spree and spent more than what I initially planned.

What a bummer!

Woke up this morning filled with excitement because I wanted to buy the new Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex serum today. Went to MidValley MetroJaya and was told that all Estee Lauder counters have run out of stock for this product! Sooooo disappointed!

I thought I could get hold of this super skin potion and had them do a quick touch up on my face using their 2009 Blockbuster Color Collection, which is currently on promotion.

I ended up empty handed, and had no mood for the touch-up session as well. I left my name and contact number so that they could contact me as soon as their new stock arrives.

What a bummer!

I am spending a couple of nights at my mom’s while hubby is up at the Genting Highlands for a conference.

One year ago, I would have brought along with me an extra small bag just to carry all my precious skincare products, even if it’s just a two-night stay. Nowadays, I stuff just the basics in one toiletry bag and the cosmetics into a 8×5 inch pouch. And both go into my suitcase. No more large bottles and cans from Kose or Shu Uemura or Estee Lauder, just small canisters from L’Oreal, Simple, L’Oreal and Simple. Okay, may be there’s Elianto, the Ginseng Essence facial mask. That’s all. Really leading a simple life right now. Hahaha!

But l don’t want life to be simple. I want to get my hands on the New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex from Estee Lauder. I’m using their Advanced Night Repair Concentrate currently. I didn’t buy it, it was a gift when I bought their other products more than a year ago. Haha! But I didn’t start to use it diligently until few months ago. Now, I use it every night, of course not for these few days because I didn’t take it with me.

I only discovered recently that the Advanced Night Repair Concentrate is doing my skin some good. It helps to lock in moisture better than just applying moisturizer alone. I suppose it has helped my skin to recover faster after the white head extraction process during my facial. I think my sometimes lackluster complexion has also improved, I personally feel that I look more radiant these days, haha! Even my beautician from NYSS told me that my face looked very much better when I saw her last week. Hehe… (So, is it the facial or the product doing me good? )

That’s why I figured that I should get hold of the New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex, formula of which is now enhanced to further optimize night-time repair of the skin. I have not made any enquiry about this product at the Estee Lauder counter, but my guess is that it will cost more than RM200. So, I’m now taking in writing projects non-stop so that I can have extra money to pamper myself to this new bottle of beauty potion soon.

My bottle of Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher is going to be empty soon. Although the pores on my skin do look slightly smaller than they used to be 4 or 5 months ago, but frankly, the product didn’t work wonders on me. So there won’t be a second bottle of this cream on my dressing table.

May be my expectation is too high. I shouldn’t expect my skin to revert to its youngest days when one would need a magnifying glass to see clearly the pores on my face, haha! The fact is, once pores are stretched, there is no way to permanently shrink them back to their original size. However, we can do a few things to help minimize the appearance of pores and prevent them from becoming even larger.

Below are some suggestions from skin experts:

• First and foremost, practice good skincare habits. Wash make-up AND sunscreen before go to bed at night. My personal opinion: Some people tend to use moisturizers with SPF at night. That’s a no-no! If you want to use whitening products, use whitening moisturizer designed for night use.

• Do not pop or prick pimples as this will stretch the pores further, as well as lead to scarring. (May be I’ve done this too much when I was younger! )

• Use skincare products that increase levels collagen and elastin (e.g. products with vitamin C and retinol because they increase collage production) to prevent the pores from stretching.

• Use products with alpha-hydroxy acids that will help exfoliate skin, keeping it clear of oil and dead skin cells, which are culprits for enlarged pores.

• Pores look more obvious when they are clogged with oil or sebum. For oily or acne-prone skin type, experts suggest using products with salicylic acid to clear out oil in the pores.

• When the skin around the pores swells slightly, the pores will appear smaller. Experts believe facial serums containing vitamin C can do the trick. I rely on facial masks - feed my skin with water, it will ‘pump’ up and soft to the touch.

So, looks like I still have a long road to go when it comes to pores matter, huh?

Finally I got my hands on some Estee Lauder products. I bought only two items from them, but I’ve got some trial size products free as well. Cool!

Let’s see what are the new Estee Lauder stuffs I’ve got on my dressing table now.

I bought:

• Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (30 ml, RM190) - have read good reviews about this fast-acting, pore-reducing serum; use it AM and PM before moisturizer.
• Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Lotion, SPF15 (50 ml, RM285) - the reviews on this product are fairly good as well. Use as day moisturizer.

Free stuffs (for purchase above RM450):

• Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser (30 ml)
• Perfectly Clean Fresh Balancing Lotion (30 ml)
• Hydra Complete Multi-level Moisture Creme (7 ml) - mainly for dry skin; I can use it if staying in air-conditioned room for long hours.
• Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex (15 ml) - will try to use this 2-3 times a week first to see if it’s over nourishing for my skin.
• Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex (5 ml) - same, will keep it at 2-3 times weekly and see how it goes
• Pure Color Crystal lipstick (color: Berry Truffle)
• Pure Color gloss (color: Rosebud) - I have this on my lips now. So moisturizing-ly sweet. Love it!
• Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara (2.8 ml) - I have a feeling I will love this too.
• A make-up pouch - for me to put in all the free stuffs!

The size of these items really make them good for traveling purpose.

I think I can only review these products after I’ve tried them out for at least a couple of weeks. Remember to check back at this site!