Weekly Favourites #16

My skin is extremely tiresome. I feel like ever since I visited my derm for my acne about a year ago (mixed results with that), the skin on my forehead has never quite been the same. By that I mean that I have scaly looking skin on my previously smooth forehead. No matter how much hydration and moisture/oil I've fed it, the skin has never been able to repair itself. So I've just about had it up to here and decided to ditch all products except to cleanse, exfoliate, mask and seal to see how it all goes.

The Dr. Morita Repair Essence Ultra Slim Facial Mask is the top dog of my routine right now. I've been using this daily at night and boy do I maximise my usage of each mask. Not exactly advisable to those of you with normal skin, but I actually leave this mask on until it's dried out and sticking to my skin. My skin loves it and drinks it all up. When I remove it, the skin of my previously scaly forehead is perfectly smooth, my face is brighter and more even toned. This is really one of those masks where results are visible. Though I can't say that the results are permanent, I do feel that prolonged usage would aid in making those results a permanent fixture. Oh and p.s. for those who have a squirmy stomache, this mask is not for you because it's based on snail essence.

Alpha H Liquid Gold is another instant results type of product. About an hour after the first time I used it, both my boyfriend and my dad commented my skin looked better. Though granted, my boyfriend could only see me through skype (which may or may not make it more impressive because of the poor resolution). I looked in the mirror and saw that my pores were gone. I find results best when used alone (as per the instructions) and don't be tempted to use it everyday because there really is diminishing returns. I use it more as a pick me up nowadays. Impressive, impressive. 

The konjac sponge is not an everyday fixture in my routine, but I have really been enjoying using it during my nightly cleanse/morning splash for an added bit of exfoliation. I love the spongey soft texture on my face, and don't be fooled by it's texture - it really gives an oomph in the exfoliation department. I also find my skin more moisturized after using this when I wash.

I recently picked up the Star Lash Gel Eyeliner in the pursuit of finding the perfect eyeliner. The packaging is not fancy, but if this eyeliner was just ever so slightly creamier, it would be my HG. But close enough, it's extremely black, extremely waterproof, extremely long lasting even in the waterline/tightline and barely smudges on me with my crazy oily lids. I only wish it tugged less going on like the Rimmel Scandaleyes (this one is sooooo creamy but also smudges like kerayzee on me). Also very pocket friendly at SGD14.90. Quite a winner!

Have a great weekend everyone! Do share with me if we have the same favourites or let me know your recommendations! 

CELEBRATORY HAUL!

Hello folks!!!! I would like to say that I am officially back! I have had my thesis presentation and fingers crossed I will be able to have my commencement in july! Since all went well, I wanted to come back with a celebratory haul :D

Ok this is not so much a celebratory haul as much as a collective stress haul. Y'know, stress shopping is the worst (or best). Anyway, I went a little base crazy as you can see but I'm so happy about it! As you can see, I have all my bases covered. heh heh.

Mini review time - do people like mini reviews?

Laneige BB Cushion in Brown Beige - I snapped this up as it seemed it would be a good match for my nc30-35 skin. It's still slightly too light, but it's been a refreshing change using the BB cushion as it has spf50 built in. The strange thing about this base is that though the coverage is not high, it seems to reflect light in such a way that imperfections disappear. I noticed that my imperfections reappeared when I powdered, it was the strangest thing. Also, very very very strong scent that does not dissipate.

Guerlain Meteorites in Teint Beige 02 - When the SA tried this on me in Sephora I literally got a shock. My face looked perfectly poreless and smooth and I fell for this hook, line and sinker. I can't seem to recreate that effect at home though. It's baffling. Any hints?

Canmake Glow Fleur Cheek in 04 - Perfect peachy blush with a glow, not glitter like most of the other Canmake blushes. Only niggling detail is that it's so beautiful I can't bear to swirl my brush in it and spoil the flower pattern.

Elf Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky - Looks very pretty in the pan, absolutely love the thin packaging though it can be tough to open. Not quite pigmented enough for my liking though.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Light-Medium Honey - This foundation has a peachy undertone which is not the exact undertone for me but close enough. Gives a really nice finish that leans more matte and very good coverage. I like to mix this in with a creamier foundation.

Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in 143 - My newest foundation purchase! Also, most expensive foundation I've ever owned. Haven't really played around much with this, so far, my only impression is that it's a very watery foundation that clings nicely to the skin. Leans more tinted moisturizer finish than foundation finish.

Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Fairly Light and Medium Beige - Was wrongly matched in sephora, so I purchased a smaller size in the correct shade. Haven't really worn this out much as my powder cravings come and go really quick. So far, the powder seems to give a reflective sheen almost like sunscreen.

Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light Medium - My most favourite purchase of the lot! This shade has peach undertones like the Bobbi Brown Peach Corrector and really cancels out my dark circles! Press this in with a dry sponge and it doesn't emphasize any flakiness, also is true to its name and does not crease on me! Perfection!

Clio Lipnicure in 7 Tension Red - I bought this to play with because I'm not the type that wears any lipstick/gloss at all. Partially because I hate lipstick fading. Anyway, aside from the absolutely terrible powder scent this has (and trust me it lingers and you won't want to taste powder in your mouth), the staying power blows.my.mind. Even with a cleansing oil it was tough to remove. I also had a swatch of this on my hand and it lasted something like 5 days. This is some powerful shit.

Essie Nail Polishes in Borrowed & Blue and Absolutely Shore -  I adore these colours. The blue goes on perfectly and is a 2 coater. The green is almost like a very muted lime and mint green mixed together. In some light it looks grey even and I LOVE IT. The only problem is this tends to go on streaky and is something like a 3 or even 4 coater. The best way to apply is to alternate it with layers of seche vite.


Let me know if you enjoyed my mini reviews and have a good tuesday! I definitely missed writing and it feels good to be back. xx

The Easiest DIY Magnetic Palette Ever!

I know I said I'd only post after graduation but.... This is too good not to share. This post is for any one who lives near a Daiso and wants to depot their make up. Total cost of this particular DIY Magnetic Palette: SGD$4 !!!!! Or $2 if you already own magnetic sheets or your makeup comes in aluminium (is that the magnetic metal?) tins.

credits to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/8069388206/sizes/l

Tools required: (everything in here can be found at Daiso, so go wild)

1. The magical 18 Color Pencil set (top left hand corner of picture). This case measures 15.5cm x 11.5cm x 1.3cm, the slimmest, most hardy case I could find in all of Daiso. Why is this case magic you ask? The magic lies in that this case is.... *drumroll* ... already magnetic! So you don't need to fiddle with cutting any large magnetic sheets to fit into your palette! I only realized this after i completed my palettes - silly me.

2. Magnetic tape/sheet (make sure sheet is sticky on one side) to stick onto the depotted make up.

3. Scissors/Penknife (to cut your magnetic tape/sheet)

4. Nail Polish and Cosmetic Wedges or Washi Tape for decoration.

5. Extra: If you're looking for smaller palettes with mirror, the business card holder section of Daiso should offer a decent selection. They're mostly made of plastic though, which would mean you would need to fit a magnetic sheet to the bottom of the case.

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Process:

Essentially, the only question here is whether you want to decorate your DIY palette or not. If you're not fussed on whether the palette looks good... then just begin depotting to your heart's content.

I chose nail polish over washi tape because washi tape is made of paper and is hard to clean. I did however, get slightly lazy and taped the depth of my tin with 0.5cm thick washi tape just to seal off the edges nicely.

Paint 3 coats of nail polish (or until opaque) over the entire cover of the tin to cover the print. The bottom half of the tin is entirely silver so you can leave that alone. It is advisable to do this in a well ventilated area because I believe you should not be inhaling too much nail polish fumes. When the 3 coats are fully dry, grab a cosmetic wedge and rip it into 2, pour another colour of nail polish onto a piece of foil, dab the ragged edge of the sponge into the nail polish and begin dabbing onto the tin. Repeat process with as many colours as you want!

P.S. mix and match different polish finishes for great effects! also, just a heads up, a poor quality cosmetic sponge will flake off when you dab the tin, but no worries, that just adds to the texture of the surface!

Now you can begin depotting and attaching the magnetic tape to the bottoms of the tins that aren't already magnetic, then just pop them into your beautiful new palette. Magic!

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Hope someone enjoys this barely a tutorial of a tutorial and saves some moolah because we all know that could be better spent on ... more cosmetics!