I love blogging. I think blogging is awesome. Not only do I get to do something that I like, sometimes other people get me to do stuff that I like as well! Tell me, how awesome can it get?? 
So when Ms Jean from Estēe Lauder offered me and FA the opportunity to review their latest skincare line, did you think we would really say no? 
(Acceptance of products for review does not equal prejudice and bias. If I didn’t like the product, I wouldn’t write about it)
Enough with the preamble. Let’s see what we have here…
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Like I told Jean, I am possibly one of the bestest candidate to try out the skincare. Up till when I was 13 years old, my skincare regime consisted of good ‘ol soap. Then the pimples duly arrived and mom got me a Nivea facial cleanser, which was one of the hottest things at that time. After that it was a series of RM 10 - RM 15 facial cleaners that I still use today.
In conclusion, I can honestly tell you the difference between a RM 10 cleanser and a RM 90 cleanser.
My few favourite cleansers that I still use
(Actually my mom got me a RM 60 facial cleanser before as well. But I didn’t use it more than 10 times (that’s like, 3 days) — didn’t like it as I felt my face was not clean enough after using it. Must be a psychological thing. Gave it back to mom.)
EstÄ“e Lauder’s Nutritious Skincare Collection
From the press release:
Estēe Lauder brings you the Nutritious Skincare Collection - to help bring balance and a radiant, healthy look back to your skin. Specially developed for the skincare needs of young women in Asia, Estēe Lauder’s New! Nutritious Skincare Collection delivers a unique regimen that incorporates three key actions; neutralize, detoxify and infuse. This trio enables skin to recover natural equilibrium and regain a natural radiant healthy look to reveal a new clarity and glowing vibrancy. The Nutritious formula is inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and the philosophy that the key to beautiful skin lies in healthy well-balanced skin.
Jean gave us the foam cleanser, the essence (which I didn’t understand what it was, until FA told me it’s a stronger version of a moisturiser), the day moisturiser and the night cream. She ran out of toners, too bad.
1. Nutritious Purifying 2-in-1 Foam Cleanser - Retail price RM 90 (125ml)
A rich foaming cleanser that can be used in the morning for skin that is radiant, clean and soft to touch; and at night to neutralize irritants and draw out impurities, leaving skin sparkling clean.
The first thing I noticed/like is the smell. Apparently the Nutritious skincare line is rich with pomegranate (buah delima) oil, extracted via an EstÄ“e Lauder ground-breaking cold-press method. I used to eat the fruit all the time because a neighbour had one in front of his house, and I don’t remember it smelling as nice. It also contains palmetto fruit, licorice and rice extracts.
So what is the difference between a RM 10 and a RM 90 facial cleanser? PLENTY! I am unfortunately cursed with oily skin, and one of the two reasons I like RM 10 cleansers is that they make my face feel ‘tight’ (the other reason is the price). As RM 10 cleaners go, they leave you feeling refreshed for a while — maybe a couple of hours then the effect is gone.
When I used the Nutritious cleanser, the ‘oily effect’ took a while to return, maybe half a day. My face didn’t feel as ‘tight’ but rather soft, and feels cleaner too. After two weeks of using this cleanser, I switched back to the RM 10 cleansers for comparison purposes. Same effect as before — the oil came back quicker etc.
You can use this as a normal foaming cleanser, and at night you can leave it on for 5 minutes to act as a facial mask. Brilliant.
I am seriously thinking of purchasing a Nutritious facial cleanser after I am done with my current tube.
2. Nutritious Vita-Mineral Radiance Essence - Retail price RM 175 (30ml)
This luminous translucent essence bursting with vitamins, minerals and potent fruit extracts, absorbs into the skin working to renew the skin’s natural glow and energy, restore clarity and rejuvenate the skin’s natural support system leaving skin looking radiant and feeling silky smooth.
This one also smells good. It’s a clear lotion, and apparently it’s a stronger version of the mosturiser. Or at least I think it is — I don’t really understand how these things work. It contains pomegranate oil, apple, Japanese apricot, green tea and passion fruit extracts and also Centella Asiatica. And wheat and soy protein. That’s a lot of stuff in a tiny bottle.
I like it for its non-stickyness, and the feeling of silky smoothness after. I hate any sticky stuff on my body, which explains why I don’t like using any forms of mousterisers (even though I really should because my skin is peeling) — it’s just something that gets to me. Same reason why I don’t like wearing rings. It just feels like something that shouldn’t be there.
I used this twice a day (morning and night) for a week, then FA told me to use it only at night because it’s quite precious. Okay.
From left: night cream, essence, morning mosturiser and facial cleanser
3. Nutritious Vita-Mineral Moisture Milk - Retail price RM 165 (50ml)
Working to enhance skin’s overall healthy look, replenish skin moisture and restore skin luminosity … Featuring a lightweight, non-sticky, non-greasy formula developed specifically for oilier skins and humid climates, Vita-Mineral Moisture Milk’s milky white lotion delivers the perfect amount of deep hydration.
Again, I love the non-sticky, non-greasy bit. I apply it before I put on my make-up for work (yes, I do use some…) and even after a whole day it didn’t feel any more oily (as you would expect from any mosturiser). It contains pomegranate oil, olive fruit, melon and avocado extracts, with creatine and hyaluronic acid. Smells awesome.
4. Nutritious Restorative Night Creme - Retail price RM 175 (50ml)
A rich nourishing creme that provides instant and deep moisturization throughout the night - regenerating natural skin function, replenishing moisture and stimulating natural skin hydration for skin that appears rested and refreshed.
Again, the wonderful natural smell rules. I find this one a tad more oily than the morning counterpart, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter since I don’t go anywhere else after applying it (unless you are a hot dude — I’ll be entering your dream world). I apply this after the essence. It contains lemon peel, pomegranate oil, rosemary, olive fruit, melon fruit and avocado extracts, and also creatine and hyaluronic acid.
Conclusion
I liked the products. The part about them being free to me is great, but I also discovered the benefits of taking care of my skin.
A little background to this: I hate complicated stuff and procedures. I hate skincare regimes because they take up at least 10 minutes of my time, which could have gone to doing other more useful stuff, such as sleeping. I have a couple of facial masks from three years ago; that in itself explains quite a lot 
When Jean handed the products to us, I promised her that I would faithfully use them for at least 1 week. It would only be fair if I actually experience the effects of the products prior to writing about them
So the extra 5 - 10 minutes of applying the mosturisers to my face every day and night, massaging them onto my skin to make sure the creme penetrates deep (ahem), was quite worth it. It didn’t fix my occasional pimple/ blackheads problem, but my face feels softer and nicer to touch. Yes I touch my own face quite a lot, thanks.
I also used to have a lot of problems with dry skin on my face, particularly dry skin flakes on my nose. I kept having to peel them off because they look damn unsightly. After using the Nutritious line for a few days, the problem went away. Very nice.
In comparison, I’d nicked a couple sample bottles of La Mer mosturiser from my sister (the real expensive stuff), and I didn’t like it as much because of the oily/grease factor. Yes I will return them to you.
Admittedly, the course of using the products was not easy. At least not for me. The first night I used it, I was almost panicking as I didn’t know which to use first. Erm.. wtf is this white bottle for.. it says milk mosturiser… hmmm do I apply the essence before or after the mosturiser?!? WTF they are ALL essentially mosturisers so why the bloody name difference?!? bla bla bla
For some reason beyond me now, I sought Paul Tan’s advice on MSN. This came from his chatlog:
Suanie: This stuff is bloody confusing. Do you wash out ‘essense’, or leave it on, or what?!?!?!!
Paul: How I know? I use Dettol ftw
Suanie: Sigh I don’t make a very good female.
Paul: Why not?
Suanie: Where got females don’t know these things one…
Paul: But you are a Suan. Aren’t you proud of your Suanness? LOL
/end conversation
If you want to get the Nutritious skincare line, just go to any EstÄ“e Lauder counters in various malls. Or if you pass by a counter, make sure you ask them for a free sniff. I’m telling you, the fragrance from the extracts is just refreshingly awesome…! Then imagine being able to smell it every day and night… you’d died and gone to EstÄ“e Lauder heaven…
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The EstÄ“e Lauder peps think Suanie.net readers are awesome as well, and they have given me a brand new perfume — the new Beyond Paradise Blue worth RM230 to give away to one of my awesome readers!
Let the effervescent and cool tropical scent of beyond paradise blue surround you with hints of sparkling citrus, lush florals and crisp, ocean breezes. The fragrance floats in an alluring, tear-shaped bottle designed with layered shades of transparent blue that mirror the vibrant colors of water and sky.
Notes include jabuticaba, grapefruit, tangerine, bergamot, Eden’s Mist water flowers, Belle de Nuit flower, orange, jasmine, frangipani, orange flower templar, vanilla sands, vanilla absolute, melaleuca bark, sandalwood, and sun-kissed skin (a blend of Ylang Ylang, neroli and lavender).
I don’t really know half the notes used, but to me it smells a bit masculine and vanilla-ish, then there’s the floral bits. Quite refreshing. (Yes my vocabulary for describing perfume smells is limited).
Win an EstÄ“e Lauder’s “Beyond Paradise Blue” Perfume for Women worth RM230!!!
Here’s how:
Tell me why you would date Suanie, and where you would take Suanie to on a first date.
Please be VERY creative. For example: “I would date Suanie because she is a half-arsed crazy bitch (in a nice way;) ) and I would take her to the moon to see mutated pock-marked donkeys dressed in spacesuits eating caramelised bananas.” Stuff like that.
Rules and stuff (you gotta have some):
1. There’s no right or wrong answer. The winning entry is the one that I like the most.
2. This is a creativity contest. So even if you are a girl or a transsexual, you can still weld your imagination
3. If you are on my ‘Instant Orgasm’ list or hang out with me most of the time, you are not eligible to enter 
4. You can be a Timbuktuan for all I care — just make sure you are currently living in East or West Malaysia.
5. You can enter as many entries as you like. Send them to my e-mail or contact form. Please make sure that you enter a valid e-mail address.
6. Closing date for entries: 18th March 2007
Have fun
