And it’s summer and I’ve got to wear my bikini on a few beach holidays I’ve got lined up!

I totally enjoyed her Post Pregnancy Workout so I quickly bought her Dance Cardio DVD because she said that if you do both daily five-six times a week, you would see your arms shrink and abs tighten. She doesn’t promise that it would deliver quick results but she claims it would work.

It’s probably me, but I can’t do both workouts daily for six days a week. Each workout is about 45 minutes long and they are really hard. I’m usually sweating buckets by the end of each routine and I feel pretty sore later in the day and the day after. My level of fitness is moderate and I’m not the toughest of people, so for me, this has to be an every other day thing.

For the past two months, I run on one day, the next day I’ll do the Post Pregnancy Workout, then rest for a day or do light exercise like hooping or stretches, run the next day, then whip out the Dance Cardio, rest the next day and then repeat. That’s roughly my exercise regime and I spend about an hour on each session.

The big question is, is it working? To date, I’ve not lost any weight, but that’s not my primary reason for trying out The Tracy Anderson Method. I want toned arms, legs, abs, and butt which I think I would get if I keep at it. Right now, I feel stronger in the sense that I don’t feel the workouts are killing me — they are still extremely challenging but I’m slowly seeing my fitness level rise and the recovery period is much shorter.

The Dance Cardio DVD is totally fun, I must say. There’s good music and the routines are cool and funky, and you sweat loads from twirling and jumping around. It took me about four to five sessions to get the gist of the eight basic routines that make up the entire 45-minute workout. I think some people feel that the routines are too difficult to follow and I agree with them to a certain degree.

If you want a straight up bootcamp style aerobics workout, then you shouldn’t be doing this. It’s easy to imitate classic exercise routines (push ups, crunches, jumping jacks etc) but it’s not overly fun in the long term, in my opinion.

With the Dance Cardio, I feel like a girl and even though my coordination sucks, I feel like I’m dancing like crazy in the privacy of my own home. It literally feels like you’re dancing your heart out – wheeeeeee!

So if you are impatient, maybe Insanity might suit you better, but I would highly recommend The Tracy Anderson Method if you are looking for a more feminine style of working out.

Another bonus in the DVD is an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow who confessed that she was absolutely terrible at the Dance Cardio routine but after a year she felt that she could do it properly. I liked hearing that because there’s no magic formula that is a secret only celebrities know — you just have to keep at it and you’ll get there eventually.

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To remedy that, I decided to make an effort with my nails. I think of it as “accessorizing” without baubles.

I tend to frequent Seven Eleven convenient stores quite a bit — to buy magazines, or use their bathroom, or buy stationary, or an onigiri.

And like most multi-purpose chain conbinis, it also has a beauty section. Seven Eleven carries the budget Sekkisei range and DHC products, plus Parado nail polish.

I love the French nail polish because of its flat brush tip — great for creating designs on your nails. I’m far from being expert so I settled on a simple leaf design.

What also caught my eye was the mini nail polish remover.

Just stick your finger into the bottle, twist, and voila, your nails are clean.

This is what it looks on the inside — there is a grey flannel-like cloth that peeks out of an opening, which is soaked with remover.

I found that it worked well, except for leaving a few stubborn sparkles behind. I thought it was a bit tedious to keep twisting my fingers one by one, so I cleaned my other hand with regular nail polish remover just to compare.

And you know what I found? Regular nail polish remover (I used Sally Hansen) just couldn’t effectively remove such heavy sparkled polish, so in the end, I preferred the Parado one. The size is also perfect for when you are travelling as it’s so small and compact.

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There’s a lovely natural beauty products store, Cosme Kitchen, just outside Daikanyama station. They carry a big range of products that use natural and/or organic ingredients which you know appeals very much to moi.

As the weather is turning colder and drier, I felt like getting something to pamper my skin and my gaze fell on Burt’s Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion. The scent and texture were divine so I paid for it and made my way home.

If you ask me, I don’t think this concoction smells like milk or honey, but coconut with a bit of lemon and baby powder. The lotion is very liquidy and light but moisturizes well. Even my PJs smell gorgeous the following night after I slather this magical lotion all over.

I’m quite a scrouge when it comes to buying makeup but I definitely spend good money on body products. After a hard day’s work, there is nothing sweeter than engulfing myself in a cocoon of lush fragrance.

By the way, it’s also a recommendation by experts as a way to cut down on binge-eating. If you think that hoovering ice-cream, chocolate, or chips is a way to indulge yourself, why not splurge on yourself in a non-food way?

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Basically, there is a skin-loving essence (toner-like or can double up as a toner) you soak your mask in and place on your face for 10 – 20 minutes as a face treatment. Some paper masks come packaged with their own lotion, or you can buy plain ones that you can play around with different lotions.

It’s a bit confusing as what can be used to soak a facial paper mask if you were to go solo. I understand that Japanese beauty brands tend to have toners which you apply directly to your face without a cotton pad. In which case, your skin absorbs the nourishment the lotion has, as opposed to a traditional toner where you use it to wipe off excess residue.

This is definitely one of those things invented by the Japanese that took the world by storm. Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating it a little, but I know that this is huge in Asia. I’m not sure how mainstream this is in other parts of the planet — it’s probably not because I don’t really see this being talked about in blogs from the Western world.

Some examples of lotions would be Sekkisei Lotion and SKII’s Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. Does anyone have any recommendations for similar “tonic” type lotions?

I wish I could call this my idea but I got this from The Daily Beauty Buzz. I’m not one to splurge on expensive skincare products, so her suggestion to use DHC’s humble but power-packed Acerola Lotion just seemed too appealing not to try.

Step 1: Place lotion mask tablet into the tiny plastic tub that came in the packet.

Step 2: Pour the lotion onto the lotion mask tablet and soak it thoroughly. You will be surprised how much this baby can absorb.

Step 3: Carefully unfold the mask and place it on your face for 10 to 20 minutes. The tablet will naturally expand so it’s actually super easy, even though it looks quite delicate.

Verdict:

Love it! My skin felt so hydrated and was the perfect finish to a facial scrub. The DHC Acerola Lotion certainly delivers — it contains no alcohol and is full of anti-oxidant power from acerola berries. The next day, my skin felt plump, like it was all juiced up, as opposed to dull and sallow (you know how it gets if you go on too long without any beauty-lovin’).

On the official US DHC site, it says, “Made from Caribbean acerola berries which can have up to four times more vitamin C than an orange, this enlivening formula can help your skin ward off the free radical damage that can cause uneven skin tone and wrinkles.”

You know, it’s such an affordable solution (500JPY for a 40ml bottle) that can do quite a bit of good for your skin. Beware that one lotion mask tablet can take out quite a bit from your bottle. I tried this twice and there’s 75 per cent left.

Note: I’m not selling this product in my shop! Just love sharing what’s tried, tested, and true.

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After two months of using the shampoo and conditioner, I’m pleased with it. I think it takes that long to figure out if a shampoo works for you or not. The first few weeks could be great but the residue build up could turn it into an ordinary product.

Pantene Clinicare certainly delivers but I must warn you that it still cannot compare to the luxurious effects of Kerastase, L’Oreal Professional, and Redken.

The Hair Time Renewal One Wash Treatment is this range’s great selling point. I recently got three tubes in a shampoo and conditioner set on sale, so I had to grab it and see for myself.

I was surprised that the texture wasn’t thicker but this treatment conditioner made my hair feel fluffy and soft, more so than their regular conditioner.

Overall, I would recommend this as a solution to those who are tired of poor quality budget hair care but don’t want to spend a bomb on premium brands. It costs twice as much as a cheap shampoo but is still a third of the price of an expensive one.

Update: The next day my hair felt really silky and although I washed and conditioned it again with my regular hair care products, my hair still retained the same softness. Amazing! I will definitely buy this again.

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When I bought a large bottle of Kose’s Junkisui Emulsion, my skin was very tight from the dry, wintry air. I normally use Dove’s Essential Nutrients Day Cream SPF15 and when my face felt like it was being pulled backwards into my hairline, I slathered on two layers but it was still uncomfortably dry.

I have oily/combination skin so it bewildered me that I needed something heavier. So I thought, “I just need a hydrating serum!”

I stumbled around at my local Tomod’s and found this:

I wasn’t sure what emulsion meant and the tester seemed like a very watery milky lotion. There was a 20 per cent discount on all Junkisui products so I got this bottle at a mere 2,250JPY. It was the cheapest among all the medium budget ranges (where serums and moisturizers could go as high as 7,000JPY and these are pharmacy brands!) and it seemed like it had a good reputation.

After two weeks of using this, I’m pretty happy with it except that it’s a bit greasy. When I put makeup on, it gives my face a less powdery effect, which is more natural looking in my opinion. But I must say, it’s not a very sexy bedtime look because of the extra shine.

I googled the product and I was surprised to find very negative reviews at Makeup Alley. The general consensus is that it’s supposed to be a moisturizer for acne-prone skin but the skin doesn’t absorb it well so it feels overly greasy. Also, you have to shake the bottle hard (there’s no pump) and dab your fingers on the opening, so some women find this unhygienic.

I also found a list of ingredients that looked very mysterious to me: Chinese Lovage Water, Moutan Bark Extract, Peony Root Extract, Fennel Extract. It all sounds very exotic but their magic must’ve been lost in translation despite the fact that Japanese brands do try to explain what’s in their products.

It’s ironic that this lightweight moisturizer is actually quite heavy so my conclusion is it’s for really cold weather where the air literally sucks your skin dry. I probably wouldn’t use this in summer or would reserve it for freezing hotel rooms or airplanes where you need all the moisture you can get.

Another plus point is it smells lovely and you have a whopping 120ml to last you for a long time. Would I buy this again? I’m not sure I will because of the greasiness but it doesn’t make me break out and it does the job.

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If I did buy hand cream in the past, it was because it was an excuse to have one more sweet-smelling product for myself.

I indulged in a bottle of L’Occitane Lavender Hand Lotion a couple of years ago (I still have loads left so you can tell how often I use it). It smells absolutely gorgeous and I smear it on before bed just to feel relaxed and ready to drift off into slumberland.

It’s a light hand cream that doesn’t feel sticky but it doesn’t hold up well in Tokyo’s current dry conditions. I had to re-apply it after a short while and my skin still peeled.

For a small travel-sized hand cream, I got Neutrogena’s fragrance-free Norwegian formula just before my Nepal trip in late 2007. I thought it could double up as a spare moisturizer if I ran out, but I hardly used it. OMG, the air in Tokyo is drier than Kathmandu’s. Ugh.

Anyway, it’s “functional”, as in it does the job but has a sticky feel to it which fades only after a long while but I can tell that there’s something on my skin. Also, a big blob takes a long while for it to be absorbed and I had to keep rubbing what felt like a paste on my hands.

After dropping off Beauty Box packages at the post office, I swung by the kusuriya with a mission to save my hands from further discomfort — BB Hanskin. I got the Moisture Natural Rich Hand Cream (814JPY) and not Water Drop because I need all the hydration I can get!

I read quite a few rave reviews about this Korean brand’s Super Magic BB Cream and I guess it makes sense to have some of that special touch on my parched hands. The label reads, “The cream contains glycerin and sodium hyaluronate…” so I thought, “That sounds pretty moisturizing to me!”

Verdict: There is still a very thin film of lotion I can feel, but it’s not unpleasant and it doesn’t get in the way of typing on my Mac. The scent is wonderfully light and reminds me of Crabtree & Evelyn’s Goat’s Milk range. The fragrance fades fairly quickly so it never overwhelms my nose while I’m going about my day. It’s more affordable than Avene’s famed Cold Cream Hand Cream at 1,250JPY and feels more luxurious to the touch than cheaper, less absorbent moisturizers.

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Japanese service is awesome. The cashier at the Kokumin pharmacy near my apartment made an error by overcharging my credit card for my purchase. After correcting the transaction and many apologies later, they also gave me two samples as a token gift.

The boyfriend’s mum actually loves Shiseido Elixir beauty products and asks me to help her stock up whenever I visit Sydney or if she is in Tokyo. Their skin care products smell lovely and the kangaroo’s mum swears they are perfect for dry skin.

This shade suited me very well and it gave moderate to heavy coverage. I was going out to dinner that night and was in the mood to dress up a little bit more, so this foundation helped me achieve a more finished look, as opposed to the sheer Clinique Super Balanced liquid foundation I usually use.

I do understand that this Shiseido range is targeted at mature women but I’m not so concerned about brand image as long as it caters to my needs. My skin is probably classified as oily/combination but this foundation didn’t feel too cakey and had good staying power.

It’s priced over 3,500JPY for a compact, which is reasonable. Would I buy this again? Yes, if I’m not traveling through any duty-free shops in airports.

And how was the Pond’s cleansing oil? Not good, as it doesn’t take off all traces of makeup. After I swiped my face with a cotton pad soaked with toner, the cotton pad removed quite a bit of foundation left on my skin.

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I wasn’t going to go crazy and haul back a bunch to Tokyo — limited luggage space. So I allowed myself one treat: The Body Collection Australia Mango & Shea Butter Body Exfoliating Polish.

It’s a creamy, fluid scrub with real bits of apricot shells that is not as gentle as plastic beads but not overly harsh.

The overall experience is a comforting shower regime that leaves skin a little smoother.

I think if you want something that has a more dramatic effect, you would need to reach for something like The Body Shop’s African Spa Salt Scrub.

I probably may not buy this tube again but it’s not because I don’t like it but I won’t be able to find it in Tokyo.

And there are way too many brands Down Under to try! Seriously, the huge chemists (or pharmacies) stock an incredible range of domestic brands that all look and sound like they could be good beauty companions for a beach holiday.

PS: I couldn’t spot any of the products in my Allure write-up. I think Australia probably gets new products quite a while after they are launched in the US. Boo. Oh and Sydney has rainy weather now so no beaching in bikinis till the sun comes out.

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The White Washing Cream is pretty foamy, which is something I love in a facial wash, and it smells divinely comforting — the sort of feeling you should have before you climb under the sheets.

The Pure Whitening Lotion is refreshing on the skin so it has that wake-up effect and perfect for sleepy mornings.

The only complaint I have is there is ethanol in these two products, which explains the squeaky clean feeling you get. I think alcohol is sort of unavoidable in budget products in Japan so I would only recommend this for summer. My skin felt a bit tight as it’s winter now, but there was nothing a rich night cream couldn’t fix. The most important thing was I didn’t break out despite the ethanol.

Lastly, the Cleansing Oil totally rocks. It’s not very oily (feels more like a thick toner) and exudes a powdery fragrance, and the best part is, it takes off all my makeup, including waterproof mascara, with only four or five shakes from the bottle. After swiping my skin with the Pure Whitening Lotion, I didn’t see much residue at all.

A 100ml bottle costs only 940JPY (and comes with a pump), so it’s very affordable for such a good product. My skin is sensitive but it seems to behave with fragrance so I would give this one top marks for sensory and utility factors. Would I buy this again? YES. And I’m taking this set with me to Sydney, ‘cos it’s SUMMER TIME!

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