New Goodies & OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

I am utterly amazed by how time has been passing this year. While I am still dwelling in my own suspended time warp, Christmas has came and passed and now 2012 is snooping around the corner. I guess it's appropriate now to start compiling a list of new year resolutions, or what I like to call, my 'procrastination list'.

Anyway here are some of the stuff I have accumulated over the past month.

I caved in to many fellow beauty addicts' advice on NARS blush in Luster. I must admit that it is a gorgeous color and as usual, reviews and swatches will be up soon. Even though my ultimate goal is to collect all NARS blushes, I also finally came to the terms that not all the colors are suitable for me. And Yup, good for me on that! =)

Aside for shopping and travelling over the past month, my newest acquired addiction is visiting nail salons. For Christmas, I decided to go with the beautiful OPI Licoln Park After Dark and it is amazing!  

I hope everyone had a blast over Christmas. 

xx

Swatches: Essie Very Structured

Hello my lovelies, hope November has been going great for everyone so far. Sorry for not posting for quite some time as I was pretty busy at work etc. Oh well! 

Anyway I'm here to share a small haul as well as my nail of the week. 

First off, the swatch of Essie Very Structured. I love love love this color. I wanted to get Mink Muff initially as it is said to be a dupe to Chanel's Particuliere, but the place I went to was out of Mink Muff and this color caught my attention instead. 

My parcel from ELF came in as well. =) I bought a few blushes (ever since I saw some new colors launched on their site, exciting stuff!) and brushes. If you are looking for some affordable brushes. I totally would recommend ELF's Studio Line. They're really awesome!

Hopefully I will be doing the swatches for the blushes soon. 

Happy Weekend!

xx

Review: Biotherm Aquasource Starter Kit

It was around the beginning of this year that I bought a set of Biotherm Aquasource starter kit for travel purposes. Since then, I've always wanted to share the review here but as time passes by, it just kinda slipped my mind.

So the other day, while I was going through and reading some comments, I came across one which requested a review on this set of product. I kept a firm mental note on it this time round and so, here it is!

This set retails at RM 100 in Malaysia. I believe that selected Biotherm counters may still carry them now but u gotta check out popular counters like the ones in One Utama, Pavilion etc. I have already finished using the Aquasource gel and I absolutely adore it. I love the hydration and how it controls the size of my pores, making them visibly smaller. Really awesome product.

As for the cleanser and the toner, I still have about half of it left. Honestly, I don't find myself reaching for this 2 products and I'm certainly not a huge fan of it. Out of the 3 products in this trial set, the only one which I will repurchase is the Aquasource gel (aka moisturizer). I did not enjoy the squeaky kinda feeling the cleanser gives me. It really did clean my face very well, but I just am not a fan of how my skin feels right after.

As for the toner, I find that it might be just my preference of skin care that causes me to shy away from it. I prefer toners that soften the texture of my skin and I just don't feel that this toner did so. 

Overall, I would still recommend this trial kit if you can find it since it is really very convenient for travel. As for which product I will purchase in full size, I'd say I'm sticking to the Aquasource gel. 

Hope this review helps.

XX

I love Empties #1: It took me ages, but I'm Done with Them!

It took me ages, some probably a whole year, BUT, I'm finally done using these products!

Then again, project 10 pan (if I were to stick strictly to the original definitions) was still a major failure since most of the products I've used up are either hair care or skincare. Makeup wise, sad to say, besides the two mascaras, I have yet to finish any other products.

Hair Care

1. Tsubaki Damage Care Shampoo

Though I think this is a fairly decent shampoo, it just did not work out as well for me. Maybe because I had really high expectation for it after reading many good reviews on it, or maybe because my hair is just weird; this product just acted as an average shampoo for me. I will not be purchasing this product again. 

2. Asience Shine Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner

I absolutely love this shampoo! Will it be on my holy grail list? Not too sure yet, since I'm currently trying out a few other brands as well. But I definitely recommend this brand and will be repurchasing it again. I love the smell, love how it makes my hair soft and smooth, love how my hair is less frizzy and more manageable after using it! And best of all, it is very affordable! 

3. Clairol Herbal Essences Hair Serum

This is a product which I really enjoyed using. I really like the fruity scent and how soft my hair feel right after application. But one thing that I absolutely hate is the packaging. I have the habit of bringing hair serums in my bag but because the cap of this product is really loosely fitted, sometimes when I'm not careful, the cap would detach and serum would spill all over. However, I think I will repurchase this if I can't find an equivalently cheap and better serum.

Skin Care

1. Avene Thermal Spring Water

This is definitely my Holy Grail for on the go face spritzer. I always bring of this in my bag to replenish my skin's moisture throughout the day. Sometimes when I'm too lazy to bring toner out on travel trips, I even use this as a toner. I can't remember exactly but this is definitely my Nth bottle. As compared to MAC Fix +, this is definitely more affordable and easier to bring out. The function of both is about the same but I do felt that Fix + is better when it comes to makeup setting while this is more of a skin softening product. I have already repurchased a new bottle! =)

2. Ole Henriksen Truth Revealed Super Creme SPF 15

I bought the Truth Revealed Kit on one of my shopping trips in the beginning of the year. Sadly, I have already tossed out the Truth Serum bottle while I was in Paris and can't show it here. I think both Truth Revealed products are very decent in terms of keeping my skin moisturized and smooth. However, between both, I prefer the truth serum a lot more than the moisturizing cream mainly because the latter is not moisturizing enough for me. I would not purchase the creme but as for the serum, I think I might when I've finish trying out other brands.

3. Biotherm Aquasource Gel

My favorite product among the all the Aquasource range. I love how this moisturizer hydrates my skin and keep my pores really small. I'm currently in a hydration kinda phase because this is actually the fundamental to preventing fine lines, enlarged pores and many other skin problems. I will be repurchasing this after I'm done with my Laneige Water Bank moisturizer. 

4. Biotherm White D-Tox Spot Corrector

This was my Holy Grail spot corrector. I went through like 3 or 4 of these before switching to the Estee Lauder spot corrector. I find that this is one of the most effective in reducing/removing any pimple scar and it also helped lighten my pigmentation spots. Sadly, Biotherm has since launched a new concentrate and phased this out. I'm planning to try out Lancome's Blanc Expert after finishing my current spot corrector. If you have tried that out, do let me know what u think bout it. 

5. Hada Labo Skin Care Range

This is definitely a brand that you should check out if you are on the lookout for affordable yet good quality products. I really enjoyed all of the products and you can find the reviews here and here. I will not be repurchasing them solely because I always like to try out different brands of products when it comes to skincare. However, one thing I do need to warn you is that, if you are looking for products which gives fast results, this might not be for you as it really only offers the most basic moisturization and skin brightening effects.

Makeup

1. Revlon Lash Fantasy & Maybelline Volume Express

Finally I'm done with them! OMG...it was so hard to even use them up cos I haven't been wearing much eye makeup since the beginning of the year. The review for them can be found here. I will not be repurchasing them because I really wanna try out other brands of mascaras.

Perfume

1. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Exotic Perfume

The Elizabeth Arden green tea range perfumes is my all time favorite everyday perfume. I love the fresh scent it gives and it is also very wearable for work. The scent is really long lasting as well. I can't say enough good things about it. Definitely gonna repurchase it!

2. Zara White Eau De Toilette

I bought this while I was in London. This is another scent which I absolutely adore. It is a musky scent and I always wear it if I'm going out at night or even the day. The best thing about this product is that it only cost 6.50 pounds. Freaking affordable! This is another perfume which I will be repurchasing. 

That's all for products I've finished using over the past few months. Am crossing my fingers that I can use up more in time to come. 

Happy Weekend!

xx

I suck at Project 10 Pan!

Some of my recent skincare purchases.  

I’ve been really into Naruko's skincare ever since trying out their night gelly. I think the products are really affordable and effective which explains my uncontrollable urge to purchase the below items when I came across them in my local drugstore.

Am planning to buy more Naruko stuff at the end of the month since I've finished using my makeup/skincare budget for Oct. Crazy right? It's only the start of the month and I've managed to used up my funds. =(  Blame the evil online shopping. BTW, Ulta is having awesome 40% off Maybelline, Physicians Formula, Neutrogena and Revlon!

U must be wondering what budget I'm talking about? Well, it is actually my newly adopted method to control my addiction in buying skincare & makeup. I've tried project 10 pan many times before this but I totally failed every single time. So I figured instead of forcing myself to finish stuff before my next purchases, I would start a monthly budget for skincare & makeup. And so far, I'm proud to say that it's been working great! 

Weekend's finally here!!! Hope u're having an awesome one! 

XX

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Overview Review: Current Powder Collection

Since I've been wanting to blog about my thoughts on MAC MSFN vs. Maybelline Dream Matte powder. I thought why not just share an overview of the all face powders that I currently own.

I've never been much of a powder person and frankly speaking, I never really bother to touch up my makeup as well for the longest time. However, I've been really into achieving long lasting makeup ever since I've started working. Blame the extensive walking, humid weather and long hours; I always need to double/triple check my makeup in the office throughout the day to make sure I won't look like crap by lunch.

So, this obsession with long lasting makeup eventually transformed into an obsession with powders.

I own 4 powders with 3 coming from MAC and 1 from Maybelline. I'm sure if anyone of you have read this post, you would know that my least favorite is the MAC Blot Powder. Again, I know there are many who swear by this powder but to much dismay, it just did not work for me.

Left to Right: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Maybelline Dream Matte Powder, MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder, MAC Blot Powder

1. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light

One of the Cult Favorite powder from MAC and my personal favorite as well. On MAC's website, this powder is describe as

"Provides dimensional yet natural-matte finish. It is also said to provides the perfect low coverage"

 I must say among these 4 powders, MAC MSFN is the one that provides the most coverage. The finishing of the powder is somewhat matte yet also gives a soft natural glow. If look closely, you would notice some extremely small specks of shimmers and I believe that it is due to the ingredients in it. Mica, I believe is the ingredient that gives that subtle shimmer. Well, I hope my chemistry did not fail me.   In terms of texture, it is very soft and goes on the skin easily since the powders are finely milled. The lasting power of this powder is rather decent and would usually last me through an 8 hour work day. However, I think in terms of oil control, this is the worst among the 4 as I would usually notice shine by lunch.  

How I wear  my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural:

Due to the coverage, I always pair this up with tinted moisturizer, lesser coverage foundation or even just wearing it alone with some concealers under it. I wouldn't recommend to pair this with any foundation that has bad oil control properties or none long lasting, such as the Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid, unless you want to look like a shiny disco ball by the end of the day. As for pairing it with medium to full coverage foundation, it still works however u need to apply it light handedly to prevent a chalky looking finish.

2. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Cream

This is actually my second favorite among all four powders I own, mainly due to the matte finish it gives off that offers versatility in my collection. Ever since I bought this, I've always wondered why many compared it to the MAC MSFN since both really compete on a different ground. I would say this is more comparable to MAC Blot Powder rather than the former since both powder gives off matte finish.

Coverage wise, this product provides very sheer coverage. Albeit slightly more compared to MAC Blot Powder which has zero coverage. I feel that texture wise, this product is on the losing end compared to all others as the powder is not as finely milled. Oil control wise, it does a decent job and is comparable to the MAC Blot Powder. As for the lasting power, I personally feel that this fares the best among all.

How I wear my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder:

I usually wear this with my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation or MAC Studio Fix foundation. Due to the sheer coverage, this powder can never be worn alone but it does work well when paired with medium to full coverage foundation as a finishing powder to set the foundation, giving a longer wear and natural matte looking skin. Somehow or rather, I get always get many compliments of a flawless skin when I wear this with the Estee Lauder foundation.  

3. MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light Plus

I gotta admit that I bought this outta sheer impulse while I was at the airport. Like its claim, this powder has the best texture amongst 4 and it really feels moisturizing, soft and smooth upon application. I would say that the finishing of this powder is similar to MSFN, slightly dewy. The lasting power and oil control are very similar to MSFN but slightly better. And for coverage wise, it fared pretty well and come in second after MSFN.

However, one thing I really dislike is that because this powder is so finely milled, yes extremely finely milled, so much that it actually sits into my pores on days when my skin is like crap. And the result? My pores look way bigger than they really are. Really not pretty! 

How I wear my MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder:

Up to now, I've always paired this up with the medium coverage kinda foundation. It actually works pretty well so far with my Studio Fix Fluid and it is great when applied light handedly with the more drying foundation like the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundaion. However, I would only wear this when I have better skin.

4. MAC Blot Powder in Medium Plus

This is definitely my least favorite powder among all mainly because it has no coverage at all which is, a big problem for me. The best part of this is that it gives complete matte finish and the oil control properties are the best among all four powders. The main reason I dislike is that it always look blotchy and cakey on me when I use it for touch up, which defeats the purpose of getting it since I've wanted it to be my touch up powder through the work day. 

How I wear my MAC Blot Powder

Seriously, I don't find myself reaching for this powder at all since I have yet to own any full coverage yet dewy liquid foundation.

Swatches

Here's a recap of the review above (from best to worst):

Coverage: MAC MSFN -> MAC Studio Careblend -> Maybelline Dream Matte Powder -> MAC Blot Powder

Texture: MAC Studio Careblend -> MAC MSFN -> MAC Blot Powder -> Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

Finishing (Dewy to Matte): MAC MSFN -> MAC Studio Careblend -> Maybelline Dream Matte Powder -> MAC Blot Powder

Oil Control: MAC Blot Powder -> Maybelline Dream Matte Powder ->  MAC Studio Careblend -> MAC MSFN

Hope this detailed overview helps!

Have a good weekend.

XX

Swatches: The Cult Favorite NARS blushes.

Top from left: NARS Orgasm, NARS Deep Throat, NARS Sex Appeal

NARS Orgasm

NARS Deep Throat

NARS Sex Appeal

Swatches: (top from left) NARS Orgasm, NARS Deep Throat, NARS Sex Appeal

Swatches: (top from left) NARS Orgasm, NARS Deep Throat, NARS Sex Appeal

I've finally bought the NARS blushes after months and months of contemplation. After all, I still consider spending US$27 on a blush a huge indulgence for myself. 

I've always wondered why they're so hyped among many bloggers and now I finally understood the reasons behind all the love for these blushes.

Each blush is packed in a sleek black packaging and comes with 4.8g of product. The blushes are highly pigmented with very little fall outs and they show up really nicely on the skin. I also like how each color is unique in its way. I'm still not sure whether they can make it into my holy grail list though but I'll definitely keep u guys updated on this. 

I'm really glad that I finally bought them. In fact, I'm slowly falling in love with them and am planning to get more in due time.

Do let me know in the comments which are your favorite blushes from NARS? I would appreciate some suggestions to help me expand my collection. =)

Happy Wednesday!

xx

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express Agecare & Bright Up Cleansing Lotions.

If you are looking for an effective, fast and convenient makeup remover, you are at the right place.

The Mandom Cleansing Express is one of my new found love which I've discovered in the aisle of Watson's (my local drugstore). Retailing between SG$ 16.90 - SG$18.90, this product is 100% oil free, water-based and comes with moisture retaining benefit while providing effective and fast cleansing action that is comparable to an oil cleanser. Whilst the traditional oil cleansers usually require an extra step of rinsing the residues off, this water based product kicks that step outta the picture. Amazing right? 

Frankly speaking, I was pretty skeptical about the product's many claims initially. Make up remover that is oil free, preservative free, alcohol free, colorant free, fragrant free and best of all water based? Sounds too good to be true to me! However, after using one bottle of it, I was completely sold.  So impressed that I ran out and purchased my second bottle immediately.

The product comes in 4 different types, Moist, Sebum, Agecare and Bright Up. I have tried Bright Up & Agecare which I must say I am very impressed with both results. I do personally prefers Bright Up due to the brightening benefits but Agecare leaves my skin soft and moisturized.

Both bottles were able to completely remove my daily makeup and the rinsing part is completely optional, but due to my personal habit, I tend to rinse off with water just to prevent any remaining residues. Like what the product claims, I love how moisturized my skin feels after each use. The direction to use is also really simple, no rocket science at all:

How to Use:

1. Pump 2 pumps onto a cotton

2. Gently wipe the wet cotton all over the face until no traces of makeup is found on cotton

3. Voila! U're done!

With the many benefits aside, this product is perfectly design for people with hectic work hours. I gotta confess that there were many times when I got home really late from work, I would just remove my makeup with this product and jump into bed straight without even washing my face nor applying any skin care products. I know its a bad habit but the amazing bit is that my skin still looks OK the second day.

~OMG~

This product is definitely one of my Holy Grail at the moment. I totally totally recommend this product if you are looking for a quick and efficient makeup remover without burning a big hole in your pocket.

xx

P/S: On a side note, I gotta say that this product has been able to remove all my face makeup (even heavy foundation) and light eye makeup so far. If you are into very heavy eye makeup/or waterproof mascara, it might take longer to remove and may not work as well. 

Swatches: MAC Plum Foolery.

One of my current obsession.

Though the change of seasons do not exist in the tropical country that I live in, I would imagine that MAC Plum Foolery would be the perfect shade for Fall. Being a huge blush addict, I like switching up my blushes every few weeks. And my current go-to blush for work is this, as I think that the color brings out some sort of mature look from me.  

 

This blush is from the "sheertone shimmer" finish line. True enough, this berry color comes with small specks of gold shimmers. The pigmentation is great and unlike my other favorite blush - MAC Well Dressed, I reckon this blush will work on almost every skintone.

If you are searching for a berry blush or a blush in prep for Fall, this is definitely one that you can check it out! 

This blush retails at:

S$35 (Singapore)

RM75 (Malaysia)

Have a good day! 

xx

Swatches: Too Faced Leopard Love.

Another product which I bought quite some time ago but haven't had the chance to share the swatches here. 

The Too Faced Leopard Love.

The function & effect of each

Top from left: Peach Leopard, Candy Leopard, Pink Leopard

The main reason I was attracted to this palette was due to the really cute packaging. I thought it might be really handy for travel too. Since I'm always on the move traveling between Singapore & Malaysia. Though I'm not a big fan of shimmery bronzer, so far, I really like the blush and highlighter. Pigmentation wise, I think it is just average, not the best I have seen so far.

The palette retails for SG$ 46 at Sephora. Not a bad deal at all! Let me know in the comments if u would like more information on this palette.

Have a great weekend!

XOXO

Review: Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit.

I gotta admit that I'm slacking off from keeping up with posting reviews on this blog. Whilst I've made many efforts in the past few months in blogging, it's still kinda tough for me to get thru this transitional period from student to work life. So, I hope that for those who visits this blog often, please do bear with my lack of reviews and replies in comments.

Back to the main topic today before I start lamenting bout life. I bought this MUFE sculpting kit few months ago and had been wanting to share my thoughts on this for the longest time. I bought this from Sephora at SG$60, a pretty hefty price tag in my opinion.

First off, the packaging. I guess u would have noticed this is slightly different from the usual packaging, where the normal ones come with clear covers. I was pretty surprised at check out too but since this was the last one available probably an older stock?, I bought it anyway. However, I still wish I've gotten the clear cover ones since the black packaging tends to get dusts and powders stains really easily.

The sculpting kit is available in 4 different shades and like all of MUFE's products, they go by numbers instead of an actual name. The shade I'm in is #1. I like how the product comes with a shading powder and highlighting powder. Being a person who travels pretty often, this is a really handy kit to bring along. Not to mention that it's very compact; great to chuck in makeup bags while u're on the go.

The main reason I was attracted by this product is cos of the matte shading powder. I'm a huge advocate for contouring and highlighting, and the matte powder is just great for me to make my face more dimensional. Pigmentation wise, I would say that both shading and highlighting powder in the kit have really great color pay off. But one thing that I really dislike is that becos the powder is so finely milled, they tend to have a lot of fall outs. As for the highlighting side, I really don't care much about it since its kinda pink/porcelain shade, which in my opinion doesn't look too good on my skin tone.

L to R: ELF Bronzing Powder, Bourjois Delice De Poudre, MUFE bronzing powder, MUFE highlighting powder

To give a better idea of the shade, I decided to swatch it next to Bourjois and ELF bronzing powder. As you can see, the MUFE bronzing powder (described as tan on the website), has more reddish brown undertone to it. And, it is easily the most pigmented of the group.

Though I like the product and its concept, I wouldn't recommend it to everyone since the product is way too pricey for its worth. U basically get only 5.5g of each sides and with the amount of fall outs, I think this will be gone in no time. Also, I believe that there are plenty of cheaper options available in the market.

Bottom line: Would I repurchase?

Nope

xx

NOTW: China Glaze Senorita Bonita

XOXO