14 May 2013 / make-up, preferences, SKINCARE
- MY BEAUTY PREFERENCES -
- FACE -
I have combination oily skin so i tend to be very greasy around my T-zone but dry around the rest of my face which is such a hassle when picking the right products that works well. I prefer to use oil-free products and i prefer my moisturisers to be gel-like consistency or very lightweight as i hate the feeling of product residue on my face. Foundation wise, i prefer oil-free matte finish although i do try some more dewy finishes but have to work harder with the blotting and the powdering.
- EYES -
These days, i find myself wearing less eyeshadow than the past years because now i want the emphasis to be on my eyelashes or my eyeliner. When i do decide i want to go for eyeshadow for the day, i choose neutral shades and this is where my beloved UD NAKED palette comes in handy because it has all the colours that i tend to use. Primer is a must because my eyelids tend to get oily so it helps to prevent creasing. I must always curl my eyelashes before applying mascara and i have to always use waterproof mascaras just to hold the curl in place otherwise they will droop rapidly. Eyeliner, i use black on my upper waterline and brown/bronze on the bottom.
- LIPS -
I have an obsession with lipbalms and i have a hoard of them either in my drawers or my make-up bag. I am more of a sheer lipstick kind of girl, although i do like lipglosses but find that they expire relatively quickly and i always feel a little upset when i have to throw them away. My favourite kind of lipsticks have to be sheer, moisturizing and easy to apply. Yes, my kind of lipstick is like the Revlon Lipbutters or MAC lustre formulations where minimal effort is required for application. My favourite shades are either pinks or corals as i find that they compliment my skintones quite well and i tend to stay away from reds because i am not brave enough to wear them out.
- FRAGRANCE -
I enjoy mostly fresh or florally scents, although i do like a bit of the more sophisticate woody scents too. I apologize for not being able to describe perfumes properly but i will just tell you guys which perfumes i always tend to steer towards. During the day, my all time favourite perfumes are Chloe, Miss Dior Cherie and Daisy by Marc Jacobs because they are quite light (if you spray reasonably) and suitable for daytime use. If i felt like i wanted to smell a little more sophisticated for the day, i tend to go for more heavier stronger scents such as Gucci by Gucci, Gucci Guilty or premier as i find that these are a little bit more grown-up and mature.
- HAIR -
My hair is very fine and thin therefore most of my hair products must be either volumising or light-weight. I wash my hair everyday which i know is a bad thing but my hair tends to go greasy very quickly and i find styling just washed hair so much easier. On lazy days where i don't need to go anywhere, i use dry shampoo but i don't like the original ones that comes out white because they leave my hair quite ashy and grey looking. My holy grail dry shampoo is the Tresemme one for oily hair which is amazing and i have gone through so many cans already.
18 April 2013 / Laneige, mask, Product Hype, PRODUCT REVIEW, SKINCARE
PRODUCT HYPE || LANEIGE WATER SLEEPING PACK MASK
So the main idea of this sleeping mask is similar to the Origins drink up intensive which you may or may not have heard of. You simply pop this on instead of your usual moisturiser, leave it on your face until the next morning where you wash it off and get the results that you want. I purchased mine when it was on some kind of limited edition packaging thats why it looks fancy and nicely decorated where usually it's just a simple plain tub with minimal illustrations. It also comes with a little spatula also which is very considerate of them as its never hygienic to dip your fingers into the tub of product although I'm sure everyone does it anyway!
This mask is targeted for all skin types and i can confidently say that this is suitable for sensitive skin-types too as my Mum and myself have both tried this and hasn't aggravated the skin in any way. This product claims to give intensive hydration, vitality and brightening effect whilst restoring the skin due to it's special extracts within that has anti-oxidant effects. It has a very lightweight gel-like texture and it has a very fresh, clean scent which makes it such a pleasure to apply onto the skin not leaving it greasy or too heavy. I find that a little amount of this is enough because it spreads easily and also absorbs very quickly which i find is really good for a face product!
So the results...It's amazing, if you haven't guessed by the title of this post! The next morning when i wake up, my skin feels a lot softer and smoother. I think this product does wonders to skin that seems to be dull or just dry from the weather in general but i have to say that this is a holy grail product to me and i haven't found a hydrating mask that works so well yet. I have recently purchased the Origins drink up intensive so i should be doing a comparison post on that very soon. This Laneige water sleeping pack is not currently available in UK stores but i have managed to find quite a few on eBay so if you girlies have some money to spend on this great product, then i recommend you to give this a go and i know you won't regret it.
What is your favourite face-mask?
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13 April 2013 / Calvin Klein, candles, HAUL
Sold by packaging once again || Candles Haul
I am currently re-decorating my room because i feel that i want a more simplistic modern look to it now that i am getting older and my brightly coloured painted walls really didn't take my fancy anymore. I was shopping around at TkMaxx hoping to pick up some nice furnishings for my room as i am aware of the lovely items that the shop always had to offer. It wasn't the amazing cushions, photoframes nor the lovely shabby chic drawers that drew my attention, but it was the whole shelf full of candles and reed diffusers. I just couldn't help myself with the never ending jars and tins of candles that i could have spent the whole day going through just smelling them. I did fall for quite a few candles and the prices were really reasonable compared with the usual yankee candles that i always buy because i was familiar with the brand. I finally chose these 3 candles purely because they smell great and i adore the simplistic looking packaging which i know will look great as decor for my new room.
Altogether, it came to just under £30 which i was quite happy about seeing that one of the candles was a slightly larger one which can be burned for a long period of time. I have become a massive candle hoarder and my collection is gradually growing! So the first two candles that i picked up were because of their lovely packaging with the postcodes and locations of London. There were other ones from the range with different places but i settled for these two because they smelt the nicest out of the bunch. Firstly, i picked up the 'W1A Piccadilly' which is described as having a 'Currant, Verbena & Lemon Thyme' scent and i adore it because it smells so fresh and clean, perfect for spring. The candle that i picked up was 'SW7 Knightsbridge' which is described as having a 'Pomegranate, Cassis and Mandarin' scent, which once again smells nice and fresh which always tickles my fancy when it comes to candles. Both these candles were £7.99 and are sold as 'soy candles' which i can imagine being better for you as you burn it because i have heard many things about Yankee candles being harmful for you body.
Next, onto the Calvin Klein one. I didn't even know that they did candles, but once again the simplicity of the packaging drawn me to it and it was a candle with 3 wicks which i've never really had because i have always contemplated on buying one of the NEOM ones, but it's too expensive. So the candle that i chose is 'water' out of the collection which i believe are all inspired by nature because i saw that there was 'leaf' and 'earth' but the water was the one i preferred. This was £12.99 which was a bargain considering the size and the beautiful clean scent it had even without having to burn it. If you guys haven't checked out TkMaxx yet, i highly recommend you to if you are obsessed with scented candles! Unfortunately, i am not sure on where else you can purchase these candles that i have picked up.
Have a lovely day everybody and what is your favourite candle?
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9 April 2013 / models own, NAIL, PRODUCT REVIEW
Product Fail || Models Own: Jade Stone
This is such a gorgeous nail polish colour. I love pastel colours and my favourite colour is green, therefore mint green colours always win my heart over. This colour caught my eyes on the shelves because it looks so perfect and definitely a colour that i would enjoy wearing! However, if you guys have been reading my blog for long enough, you should know that i dislike Models own formulations and i have an issue with their strong paint smell that it gives off everytime i use it, therefore i took a risk when i purchased this bottle.
The colour is really pretty indeed, but the formulation is very thick and gloopy making it very difficult to apply nicely. I used two layers to get an acceptable opaque layer as it was very streaky and hard to get a smooth finish all over. The nail polish took absolutely ages to dry and i am so annoyed with it because i really liked the colour of it. So, when it had finally dried, i have noticed that it had a lot of bubbles and the polish looked a bit bumpy which i wasn't happy about at all. I have had the nail polish on for several days and even without a topcoat, it hasn't chipped yet which is a positive point about this nail polish. I don't even know why Model's own polishes are so popular~? I admit that their shade range is pretty amazing and they always have the latest trends available, but the formulations are just awful. I'm never going to purchase another bottle no matter how pretty it may look in the bottle! Disappointing product.
Have you tried and Models own nail polishes?
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2 April 2013 / bourjois, foundation, healthy mix, MAKE UP, Product Hype, PRODUCT REVIEW
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation || Review
Having heard so much about this foundation, this was really an impulse buy for me when i was shopping around boots for some essential toiletries as i didn't really need another foundation. I was impressed by the formulation and how easy it was to blend into the skin when i tried the product on the back of my hand in the store so i decided it was worth picking up. So after around 20 minutes swatching and finding my perfect shade, i opted for number 51 light vanilla.
I was really excited to use this product and i used the Real Techniques buffing brush to apply it onto my face. The foundation is very lightweight yet provide adequate light to medium coverage. It blended in effortlessly and i really liked the finish it gave to my skin. I am used to matte finish foundations so this really was a big change for me to have a slightly more dewy finish. The foundation matched my skintone very well and gave a very even coverage easily and i find that i did't even need a concealer to correct some of my blemishes. The smell is not too overpowering and one pump is a good indication of how much product that is needed for the whole face, although you can easily dispense less or more if you prefer.
I was really excited to use this product and i used the Real Techniques buffing brush to apply it onto my face. The foundation is very lightweight yet provide adequate light to medium coverage. It blended in effortlessly and i really liked the finish it gave to my skin. I am used to matte finish foundations so this really was a big change for me to have a slightly more dewy finish. The foundation matched my skintone very well and gave a very even coverage easily and i find that i did't even need a concealer to correct some of my blemishes. The smell is not too overpowering and one pump is a good indication of how much product that is needed for the whole face, although you can easily dispense less or more if you prefer.
Overall, i am defnitely very happy with this foundation and i have found that i have been reaching for this alot more than my other foundations or BB creams that i have. I like how this foundation gave a nice natural finish that is dewy and not too matte looking, provided a healthy glow yet not too greasy. I have combination oily skin therefore i have to put a powder on top to control my sebum levels but i find that this foundation controls my oil relatively well compared with other dewy finish products. I definitely recommend this to people who likes the semi-matte finish and lightweight foundations that doesn't look or feel too cakey. Perfect for the perfect spring! Finally seeing some sunshine <3
What is your favourite foundation?
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24 March 2013 / apple pore range, emulsion, moisturiser, serum, SKINCARE, Skinfood, toner
SKINFOOD Fresh Apple Pore Range || REVIEW
For me, Asian skincare products have never failed to impress me. I somehow think that they just work so well on my skin and leaves really good results. The brands that i love to buy every time i go back to Hong Kong are Shu uemura, Laneige, skinfood and Shiseido which are sometimes hard to get hold of when i am back in the UK. Although Shu Uemura is available here, their prices are escalated quite a bit so i tend to prefer to buy when i am on holiday.
Firstly, Asia takes their skincare quite seriously and a lot of the skincare sales assistants would be really good at assessing your skin and give good recommendations (and force you to buy their products). Unlike the conventional 3 step Cleanse, Tone and moisturize, i was amazed by how many 'extra' steps there are in a full cleansing routine! I personally haven't tried any products from SkinFood before so i was interested in trying out some products from them this time round on my holiday which was last year by the way but i have only got round to using these products now.
I went to an actual Skinfood store in my local shopping centre and the lady removed all my make-up and actually tried out the full skincare range on me. I was so suprised by how it made my skin feel in the end. It felt alot smoother, soft to touch and it was suprising how dry and fresh my skin was despite putting so many layers of products on.
I can say that this range is very refreshing and i enjoy using it everyday as my skincare routine. The products smell very mildly of apples and i really adore the fresh fruity fragrance. I personally didn't purchase the cleanser as i think that i already have alot of cleansers to use up and i thought that the main skincare routine after the cleansing was the essential parts that made the difference. These products absorbs so quickly and it is very easy to apply onto the skin too without the feel of greasiness which i hate as i have oily skin. I find also that these products work great under make-up since i have mentioned that it leaves a nice dry finish to the skin even after moisturizing, therefore it allows me to apply a primer too before my foundation.
The only downside that i have to say about this range is the fact that they are all in glass bottles which was such a hassle for me to pack in my luggage for my flight and it nearly caused me to go over the limit! It is also a real nuisance for me because it is impossible to take these for travelling and some of the lids are not even un-screwable for me to dispense the product in a more travel friendly container. All in all, i am currently really enjoying and impressed by these and i have seen sound improvements in the size and appearance of my pores with the regular usage. Big thumbs up to SkinFood and i am planning to search on eBay for other products by this brand to try out! <3
Fresh apple sparking pore (Toner) (Emulsion) (Serum) (Cream)
Have you tried any Asian skincare products?
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18 March 2013 / E.L.F, MAKE UP, PRODUCT REVIEW
E.L.F Brush-Care Products || REVIEW
E.L.F Daily brush cleanser
My brushes has been regularly washed by my MAC brush cleanser for the past year or so and i have been through a few bottles of the MAC brush cleanser already. However, i thought that it was time for me to try and find a cheaper alternative and i thought that E.L.F was the answer when i saw this product on their website. To be honest, i kind of didnt expect the product to be so small, because on the website i imagined the product to be slightly bigger, but i only have myself to blame for not checking the product description before hitting the buy button.
So first impressions wasn't great then, and on first spray, the smell was awful and very artificial. It smelt really strongly of alcohol, so strong that i felt that it would not be that gentle for the bristles of my brushes at all. The product also leaked alot around the nozzle and i found my hand to be covered with the poor smelling product. However, the spray is very powerful at dispensing product out. I adopted the same standard procedure of washing my brushes but it was not suprising that the product performed very poorly in cleaning my brushes. I used a brown eyeshadow on my brush for the day and usually with the MAC brush cleanser, the brush gets cleaned almost instantly and the colour residue disappears effortlessly, but it really isn't the case for this E.L.F one. I am so glad i got this when E.L.F did their 40% offer because otherwise it wouldn't have been worth it at all. The product gets used up way too quickly because of it's ineffectiveness and the smell is just awful like i said before. Thumbs down to E.L.F cosmetics for this rubbish product.
E.L.F Brush Shampoo
Once again, this product smells really artificial and the smell is quite strong. However, i would say that it is quite effective at cleaning the brushes and it lathers up very nicely to remove the make-up product residues on the brushes. A little amount is needed to clean each brush so the bottle actually last quite a long time. I usually use johnsons baby shampoo to wash my brushes because they are much more gentle and i know wouldn't be too harsh on the bristles of my brush. I would like to stress that the strong artificial smell does remain on the brush itself and it does annoy me a little bit. I really do not think that this is worth it at all and i regret purchasing this as the baby shampoo which is alot cheaper does the same job and more gentle on my brushes.
How do you wash your brushes?
I'm sure that you guys know now that there will no longer be GFC which is such a shame as i use this to read and follow my favourite blogs. However, i guess the answer to this problem is Bloglovin' which i have slowly tried to get used to it now and so far it's not too bad. I would appreciate it if you can follow me via BlogLovin' so you can keep up to date with all my upcoming posts <3
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