Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum is one hell of a raved foundation. I admit I was so stoked upon setting my hands upon it. I believe it was slightly more than SGD$30 for this foundation which is not cheap at all.

First things first, the foundation comes in a very nice lightweight glass bottle with a pump. Points for packaging and being sanitary. And...that is pretty much all the points I can give for this foundation.

I absolutely hate it.

First, THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING SMELL. My god. I'm okay with fragrance, but this, this is way over the top. It is actually quite a nice fruity, floral fragrance, but because there's just so much of it, it veers towards grandma's makeup's scent in a bad way. 

Singapore only seems to stock 4 colours, from 51 through 54. All of them seem like a nice neutral colour that would suit all skin tones. No. 53 suits my nc30 skin very well though it might seem a little too fair at first. My guess is partially because it's has next to no coverage. This would probably be a good foundation for those with already perfect skin who just want to even out skin tone, but for people like me who have plenty to cover, this is not for us.

Upon application, the healthy mix gel goes on very very smoothly, it almost feels like the MUFE HD foundation in terms of application. But that's about where the comparison ends. For me, this foundation sits on top of my face and never truly sets. It emphasizes any dry skin that I think I have properly moisturized. It doesn't do much for large pores either though I wouldn't say it emphasized them. It just didn't do anything. Also, at first, it seem like it does a decent job with lines, but by the time I'm done with my make up, the layer of healthy mix gel has creased at all my laugh lines! Major aggravated hate!!!!

When I apply more of the foundation, all it does is sink into lines faster and cakes up. If i scrunch my face while doing my make up, all the scrunch lines appear in the make up. It's just terrible, I really don't understand why it refuses to sink into my skin.

I've tried every way I can think of to put this foundation on. With a brush, a sponge, my fingers. Setting it doesn't seem to help either. I am never satisfied enough with this foundation to even wear it out of the house. Thus I can't say how long this foundation will last, though my opinion is, not long at all.

On the flip side, I guess the point of this foundation is to have it look like you're not wearing foundation at all. That is indeed true. The finish of this foundation looks like bare, well moisturized skin.

I'm not one with perfect skin, so this fails me on all counts, especially on coverage. I'm so disappointed that I feel almost cheated by all the rave reviews. But never give up hope! I will still be trying to find ways to use this, and the day that I have perfect skin, will be the day I'll use this. (cross fingers)


Summary:

Pros:

• great packaging
• finish looks like real skin

Cons:

• sits on top of my skin
• never sets
• has no coverage
• emphasizes dry skin that was previously moisturized
• doesn't not do anything for pores
• creases almost immediately

H&M Lipbalm

I love Sweden. By that theory, I also love H&M. Well, not exactly, but I did shop almost exclusively at H&M and thrift stores in my time there. What can I say, I'm a cheapo, kinda. I brought over lip balm from Singapore, anticipating the cold and dry weather there, but of course, I have a serious memory problem and went on a little self excursion one day without my lipbalm - this self excursion being from Lund to Stockholm for a week. My lips were so sore they were literally crying for help, so I set out to look for the cheapest lip balm I could find. And what do you know, it was at H&M!

If I'm not wrong, it was 20SEK. That translates to about 4SGD. It has 17.6g of product in this beautiful metal tin. Just a quick comparison, a normal Nivea twist up balm has only 4.8g. That is nearly 4 times the amount of balm.

To be honest, I just picked it up because it smelt decent, was cheap, and looked cute and retro. I actually really do not like tin balms because imho, why dirty my fingers when applying balm? I don't even care that i'm dirtying the balm in the tin, it's really my fingers that are important.

Also, despite the tin being really cute, it is notoriously difficult to open. But the tin really is cute. A quick google search shows me many many more cute designs that are hard to resist.

This balm, when stored at room temperature (i.e. the 30 odd degrees that is Singapore's weather), melts into a really nice creamy waxy balm. It smells deliciously of mint, and is so thick that when applied to lips, actually can cover the lips up in an opaque white. Just be sure not to apply too much or it might end up sticky like a lip gloss.

I apply this before I start doing my makeup, and 15 mins later, my lips have absorbed the product (if lips can actually do that), and have less lines and looks smoother. If applied in the night before bed, it also stays on the entire night.

I didn't think that H&M could produce decent makeup products, but this lipbalm is what I find myself reaching for in the morning because it really is so moisturizing.


Summary:

Pros:

• Super moisturizing and plumps up lips almost instantly
• Has decent staying power
• Nice minty fragrance and no taste
• Really really cute tin!

Cons:

• Comes in a tin
• Tin is tough to open

too faced papa don't preach and collection 2000 shimmer shades review

I like to sleep. I really do. I think this weekend alone I might've slept more than 24 hours in total. That also probably explains why I don't really have time to choose a different blush colour every morning before heading off to work. I can't explain it but when in doubt, this is my most reached for blush colour. It is also the blush that I dump into my bag when I'm heading somewhere at night and I need to touch up my blush. It's the Too Faced Papa Don't Peach Blush.

It comes in a very retro, very cute cardboard magnetic case, which I have to say, is very hardy considering how much I throw it around. This photo was taken after about a year of usage (and mind, it was the only blush I used for 5 months abroad because it was all I brought and didn't have a choice), and the cardboard is still quite dog-eared free though how the powder looks might not fare well with some people (for that I apologize). It is not that compact but compact enough, sitting nicely/squarely in my palm. Also comes with a mirror, which I've never used, but again, might be useful for some. No brush, but brushes that come with blushes usually are quite terrible, so no complaints there.

I paid SGD$20 for it from smoochiezz.com, though it's not available anymore through there, + that site is quick becoming very overpriced. I think it's much more expensive when bought in store (google tells me USD$20) but I'm going to tell you why it's worth it.

It comes with 6.69grams of product, more than the 6grams that you get with the mac powder blushes (though I don't know how this compares on $/g) and practically lasts forever. As mentioned, I've used it for a year and there is not even a dent in my compact. 

. 

The colour is a wonderful wonderful peachy coral colour that has fine golden and silver shimmer. I say both colours because the sheen that arises from the shimmer seems to lean warm when I'm wearing warm clothes and cool when I'm wearing cool clothes. It truly is amazing. And also, on close inspection it does look like there's both shimmers involved. Fear not, there is no chunky glitter in this, only healthy glow! The colour doesn't apply too intense, but can be built up in just 2 coats, so really just anybody can wear this. It will suit you pale, tanned, warm, cool, everyone!

It is a super duper fine powder that applies so creamily and silkily on the skin. If I may say, this melts into the face and you can't see the powder at all.

credits: http://bunbunmakeuptips.com/too-faced-papa-don%E2%80%99t-peach-blush-review-for-beautiful-warm-peachy-cheeks/#more-3412

It is mentioned on some blogs for being a dupe of Nars Orgasm. I do not own Nars Orgasm, but I think the above review mentions some wonderful things with a great photo. Well, imo, not at all close on the swatch, but, the funny thing about Papa Don't Peach is that it turns pinker the darker it is swatched. See my swatch below.

It's plenty pink and less peach right? I did a much darker swatch because I'm ... obviously more tanned. If you compare my swatch and the swatch above, I would say, pretty damn similar. Well then again, wouldn't know unless I had the Orgasm, which I don't see the point in buying because I love this. 

I did also find a cheap dupe for Papa Don't Peach. People in the UK, you are so lucky. Collection2000 shimmer shades in Blushalicious is a palette that I love. 

For those who don't know how it looks like, here's a picture. The middle swatch is the bottom right peachy shade, and the last swatch is the bottom 2 shades layered together to try to achieve a more intense colour. The reason why the colours don't look as intense as Papa Don't Peach in the swatch is because they were more shimmery and hence the shimmer showed up more than the colour when the photo was taken. But trust me on this, they are pretty damn close in real life. 

So, using basic logic, Papa Don't Peach = Nars Orgasm. Collection2000 Shimmer Shades = Papa Don't Peach. Collection2000 Shimmer Shades = Nars Orgasm! For cheapos like me THAT IS PERFECT. 

Unfortunately for me, my own Collection2000 Shimmer Shades HAS SHATTERED AND SO HAS MY HEART. Kidding I'm not that dramatic, but really, I was quite sad when I took it out of my handbag one day and found it in pink dust. Luckily for me, the Boy is in London right now so I will definitely be asking a little favour of him. (:  I will do a proper review on the Shimmer Shades when I get a new one because I can't really take photos of a shattered one. If you can't wait then I thoroughly recommend it as awesome bang for buck!

Here's my face with Shimmer Shades on the right (left cheek) and Papa Don't Peach on the left (right cheek). Lasting power is crazy. I don't have oily cheeks, but this IS Singapore after all. Temperatures are a daily 36 degree celsius and I SWEAT. I sweat from every pore of my body. (That sounds disgusting, especially for a girl, but oh well). There are days where I get dragged to the construction site in afternoon scorching sun(yeah, balls for that part of being an architecture intern) and I literally wipe off the makeup on my face because sweat is just pouring down my face. But whaddaya know when I check my face in the mirror after I get home, my cheeks are still pink! Collection2000 definitely doesn't compare to this in terms of staying power though it's not too bad itself. 

This is hands down, the best blush that I have owned.

Summary:

Pros:

• Beautiful colour that will suit everybody
• No glitter, just gives a healthy glow
• Super fine powder that melts into skin
• Nars Orgasm Dupe (if you're into that sort of thing)
• Stays PUT

Cons:

• Cardboard packaging may feel a tad cheap
• Does not come with brush