Does Your Face Have Expensive Taste?

Halo good sunday everyone! Buying makeup is slightly addictive isn't it? Until you check your bank balance at the end of the month and realize you're dead broke. I've seen the 'how much does your face cost' tag going around, and decided to find out how much my 'face' actually costs. I'm rather apprehensive because the items I like tend to veer to the more expensive range! Damn you face, why do you need so many products!

This is my everyday look, actually it's slightly more than what I wear to school but if I were to head to work or have a presentation this is what I would wear. There's no budget here for a more extravagant evening look!

Products used!

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (SGD$62) to cover dark acne marks, can also double up as a tinted moisturizer when mixed in with moisturizer though I tend not to like doing that.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Peach (SGD$43) for my tedious dark circles.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (SGD$42) to add coverage for my tedious dark circles and for blemishes on brighter areas of my face. Also used to brighten up my cheeks and nose.

Everyday Minerals Concealer in Pearl Pick Me Up (~SGD$16) as a highlighting powder for under my eyes and cheeks. Seems to have been discontinued, but this seems like the replacement.

Collection2000 ShimmerShades in Blushalicious (~SGD$8) as... blush.

MAC Paintpot in Nubile (SGD$10) to brighten up my lids and undereyes. I pretty much slap it on all round my eyes. SGD$10 because I got it in a sale! If not... I probably would use something else or not use anything at all. I'm cheap like that.

Jealousness Waterproof Eyeliner (SGD$15) most days to line the ends of my eyes, interchangeable with mascara or liquid liner. I'm not particular with what type of eyeliner I use as long as it stays on. Imma pro with all! I kid. Also, when I line my eyes, I'm too lazy to use mascara because it can't be seen anyway.

The Faceshop Faceit Designing Cake Eyebrow (SGD$12) is the only powder I've ever used for my brows and is not running out any time soon. Though with bangs, I feel like I can get away without doing them.

Revlon Lip Butter (SGD13) is a brilliant formula and I heart-eyes it. The usual price is SGD$15.90 which is a rip off and the drugstores have 20% or more sales pretty much all the time so only get it on sale.

Total Cost: SGD$221

Well, that's cheaper than I thought my face would be. Granted, I did not include a foundation, or setting powder, or setting spray (cheating) which would make the total cost nearer $300. If my $300 worth of make up lasted a year, each face would cost me $0.85! I could get a damn good kopi (coffee) from my uni's canteen for that price. Really makes you think doesn't it?

I think that what's more important though is whether my 85c face looks like it's worth 85c (haha, it better look worth more than that!). How much does your face cost and does it have expensive taste? Let me know!

P.S. All links provided in this post are for your clicking convenience only. I am not linked or affiliated to any of the stores.

October 2013 Favourites

Hello! It's November!!! I really can't believe how fast time is passing now. It seems just a moment ago I was lamenting the start of my final school year and now the end is actually in sight! Anyway, I'm here for a very parred down October 2013 favourites because I've been extremely nit picky about what has been going on my skin this month. Also, no thanks to my skin being uber sensitive this month, it pretty much reacted to everything that was going on it, even products that it previously did not react to. Sucks to be me! 

Well, let's start with my current obsession with small bags. I currently have 26 small bags dumped into my cart on an online shopping website. That's how obsessed I've been for the past month (or more hehe). I wandered into Topshop the other day, and found this little Topshop Box Chain Suede Bag on sale for half off! Navy blue + rose gold... No way I was giving it up. The crossbody strap is currently too long for me so anyone with ideas on how to shorten it please lemme know! Unfortunately, the not-so-little obsession has not been curbed...

Skincare wise, the star product of the month has to be the Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule. It heals new scars at a phenomenal rate, and provides just enough moisture for my dehydrated yet sensitive skin. I would put this on 5 times a day if I could!

L-R: Majolica Majorca Blush in OR211, Silkygirl Eyeshadow Duo in Mocha Latte, Everyday Minerals Concealer in Pearl Pick me Up, 3CE Full Cover Concealer in 02

I've been watching one too many korean youtube make up videos, which is probably why I'm favouring dewy skin and orange cheeks. The korean dewy skin look is just rather too dewy for my liking, so I make do with the Majolica Majorca Blush in OR211 which is a matte orange blush that isn't too pigmented, and the Everyday Minerals Concealer in Pearl Pick Me Up as a highlighter. Pearl Pick Me Up really isn't a concealer, rather it's a pearly pink powder that works beautifully to brighten up any dull areas of the face and I find using it on the cheeks, nose and inner eye works wonders.

For the eyes, I've been favouring the Silkygirl Duo Eyeshadow in Mocha Latte for its neutral colours. The pinky colour is an almost dupe for Mac's Naked Lunch, and the brown colour can be used to smoke things out for a more intense look. The pigmentation is really good considering that Silkygirl is one of the cheapest lines in the drugstore. 

Undereye concealer can be a pain to find sometimes, with most concealers being too drying for the undereye area. The 3CE Full Cover Concealer in 02 isn't the highest coverage concealer out there, but is very moist (for lack of a better word) for the undereye area and though it doesn't cover everything, it does brighten. It is the most comfortable undereye concealer I've ever used. Used in conjunction with a corrector, the finished look is somewhat glowy and nice. Mine is a sample, but if I had a chance to purchase the full size I would. 

So there are my very few favourites of a month - not a very good month for me in terms of skincare and makeup finds. What are your favourites?

Retrolicious Sticker Sheet Halloween Costume

Being ridiculously stressed out over school really pushes my creativity in other ways. After months of brainstorming with my girls over what to wear for halloween, nobody could really think of anything cool or fun, so we decided to abandon ship and have a dinner instead of party. Well, in our defense, we are kinda old. I was quite inspired watching videos on youtube, namely this video (sidetrack: I cannot help but think her boobs look incredible. I want boobs like that!) and decided to come up with my own ensemble. Since I'm not celebrating, I thought I'd just share it cos I really like the getup!

Anyway, remember these stickers? They were a great part of my childhood - for some reason I was given a huge box of stickers and these sheets of mixed neon coloured circles were in them and I stuck them everywhere. Fast forward 20 years of my life, these stickers were an integral part of my first year of education - we used them to stick underneath our rulers to minimize surface contact so our drawings would not smudge when we moved our rulers over the drawings. Of course, these stickers are way chic now, coming in colours such as silver and pastel colours. 

So here's my...photoshopped attempt at a sticker sheet costume complete with jelly everything! These would be ridiculously easy to make, just grab some adhesive neon sheets from Popular (bookstore) and cut them circles out. Even easier, get one of the circular postit pads that I'm pretty sure come in neon shades and use craft glue to glue them onto a white shirt/tank. Be sure to slide a cardboard inside the shirt if you're using craft glue! 

Pair with jelly wedges to be a more feminine sticker sheet or get some glitter jelly jujus for some retro lovin'! Pretty sure Rubi has something similar for cheap. I love me some silicon sling bags - the silicon is just heaven to touch! And of course, in ode to the spring coil straps (no idea what they were called but check them out here) we had as kids to clip our wallets to ourselves, some spring coil hair ties as accessories. 

For some over the top played-with-yo-momma's-makeup makeup look without breaking the bank, search your stash for anything remotely bright. This was quite tough for a neutral girl like me, so I ended up with mostly lipsticks to play with.

Eyes: I primed my eyes, then used NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick to dab on and create a cat eye with the bright red colour. Slowly dab on to add to the intensity, powdering the eye with translucent powder in between layers. Try to go as bright as possible because this look is all about being bright. Then I used Essence Liquid Eyeliner Waterproof to draw on an obvious cat eye. If your lid space allows for it, the thicker, the more retro but be careful not to cover the red. Then line your lower waterline with a white eyeliner or nude eyeliner to make the eyes look larger.

Cheeks: I used the brightest pink shade in the Coastal Scents 10 Blush Palette. Build the neon pink shade up in a circle on your cheeks. I wasn't very precise so mine wasn't as circular as I wanted it, but a circle shaped blush ups the cute-sy factor.

Lips: I tried to find a matte neon orange for the lips, but Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti was the best I got. So I concealed my lips to lighten their natural colour and put Tutti Frutti on building the intensity up in the center of the lip. Try not to cover the entire lips for a rounder, cuter pout.

Here is my circular face complete with circular makeup. Hot mess indeed! This is rather over the top, even for me, but what better time to be over the top than Halloween? Yay or nay? Let me know!

Highlighter Rundown

Good Sunday folks! I was rummaging through my stash the other day in an attempt to re-organize and I realized that I have managed to accumulate quite a few highlighters... and I just recently bought a set of 4. Shhhh. I'm still resisting opening that set. Anyway, I've really been about the subtle highlights for quite a while so I thought I'd break down the deets on what I have. Sharing is caring, yeah?

L-R: MeMeMe Beat the Blues in Sunbeam, Innisfree Rose Marbling Blusher and Brightener, Sleek Face Form in Light, NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlighter, Collection2000 Shimmershades in Blushalicious, ELF All Over Color Stick in Glow  

 As you can see, my highlighters can all be considered drugstore, I'm a budget kinda gal. All the highlighters with the exception of MeMeMe Sunbeam and Elf Glow are powders, which is my favoured type of highlighter to work with due to ease of application. I do however feel like liquid highlighters work the best as the glitter stays put. For my NC30 colouring, the highlighter shades don't seem to have much of a colour difference but if you're fairer they might matter more.

L-R: MeMeMe Beat the Blues in Sunbeam, Innisfree Rose Marbling Blusher and Brightener, Sleek Face Form in Light, NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlighter, Collection2000 Shimmershades in Blushalicious, ELF All Over Color Stick in Glow

MeMeMe Sunbeam is obviously a golden highlighter, use for darker skin tones or if you want a more bronzey look. 

Innisfree Marbling Blusher and Brightener is almost a pure white but goes on the skin translucent. 

Sleek Face Form in Light's highlighter shade is a champagne colour which would work beautifully on all skin tones. 

NYX Mosaic Highlighter is a strange one depending on how you mix the colour. On paper it comes out almost a grey-beige, but it appears mostly pearl white on the skin. 

Collection2000 Shimmershades lightest pink is not very pigmented - took me about 5 swatches to get the colour to show so even though the base colour is pink, it goes on the skin pretty much translucent. 

The ELF Color Stick in Glow also comes out rather dirty looking on paper, but I assure you it's more white-beige than dirty on the skin. 

MeMeMe Beat the Blues in Sunbeam is my favourite highlighter at the moment especially when mixed in with a tinted moisturizer/foundation/BB cream for a very subtle look. It's pearly golden formula also means that there's no obvious glitters on the face. It also works well on top of liquid/cream foundations for an even more glowy finish. Works best blended in with fingers and on slightly tanned complexions. 

Innisfree Rose Marbling Blusher and Brightener has the most obvious glitters out of my collection. This reminds me of the MAC MSF's from my limited knowledge of them but with less obvious glitter. When brushed on the cheeks, this leaves a brightening effect and it is extremely glowy. The powder goes on pretty much translucent and I've had comments of having super glowy skin when I've had this on. Win!

Sleek's Face Form in Light's highlighter has a champagne tinge to it and extremely tiny glitters that catch the light. This would be the most versatile highlighter for all skin tones as well as in terms of being able to use it on all parts of the face. I tend to double it up as an inner eye highlight and eyeshadow as well. Lovely pigmented, soft and buttery texture - best kit for travelling too! 

Pardon the used appearance of my NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlighter. I have after all, used this compact quite a bit. This was a favourite highlighter of mine for the longest time because it has no obvious glitter particles in it. It goes on the face more like a white powder and blends away perfectly for a barely there highlight. I also like that it has different coloured powders to counteract different imperfections (well not so much a targeted approach but more of a overall brightening). I like to use the purple or pink toned powder for inner eye highlight, yellow toned as an eyeshadow, and all brushed together to highlight my cheeks. This really is a beautiful compact for the most subtle highlights of all.

The Collection2000 Shimmershades should not need introducing. I have afterall, mentioned it quite a fair bit in my previous posts. The lightest shade in this compact is not in the least bit pigmented, at least it doesn't show up obviously on my NC30 skin tone. It does however impart the tiniest bit of glitter and glow when used. The pink tinge is barely there. My favourite way of using it is on the cheek area under the eyes to fake a healthy pink tinged complexion ala english rose types or the super fair asian skin tones. Grass is always greener (or in this case pinker) on the other side!

The last highlighter I own is a dud. The ELF All Over Color Stick in Glow is a cream type highlighter in a stick form for I guess ease of application. Do not ever stick this straight on your face, it will wipe off all your hard work to form that perfect base in an instant. This cream highlighter does actually go on quite nicely, but it doesn't ever fully set so if you're into that then you're in for a treat. I only ever use it on my nose because that's what it best accentuates, and even then it just fades into my oily nose a few hours later. It's probably best used under a powder highlighter, but in all honesty, who needs that much highlighter on the face on a normal basis?

To sum it all up, I think my perfect highlighter would be a mix between a cream and liquid type, maybe almost a thick mousse that has no glitters, just a balm type pearly glow. Do you know of any products like that? What are your favourite highlighters? I would love to know! Have a great glowing sunday ☼☼☼

Weekly Favourites #15

Hiya folks! How's the week been? TGIF eh? I actually woke up this morning thinking it was a thursday... and missed my classes because of that. Oops? On the bright side, it gave me time for this post. I haven't really been experimenting too much because my skin's been on the frizz. What I have found to be super duper useful is the Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule.

Yes, it sounds like terrible. I'm putting snail...bodily fluids on my face. Urks! But in all honesty, the Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule just feels like a normal serum despite being...80% snail secretion. That word really wants to make be gag. Anyway, I'm quite psyched about this new purchase because I've literally seen my scars really fade in the last 3 days of owning this product. I'm pretty sure this is physical improvement and not imagined because I've definitely been using less concealer. Also, my dehydrated forehead, something that nothing I used could alleviate, is showing signs of returning back to normal again. I cannot emphasize just how excited I am over the improvements in my skin! Thanks snails, I promise to try my best never to accidentally step on you again!

This week has been a pretty heavy week because of an important presentation I had on wedenesday. That means minimal sleep from last weekend till wednesday and my skin was showing signs of fatigue obviously. Not young anymore! Because of that I've been rather reliant on MeMeMe's Beat the Blues Highlighter in Sunbeam for a glowing complexion. The gold toned highlighter works wonders under foundation for the most subtle sheen on the skin. Fast and easy to use!

I also think I've finally hit the age where I appreciate my  mom's advice of not wearing eyeliner. Boy I am getting old... or maybe I've just hit the age where I feel that eyeliner just makes me look older. Whichever it is, This sample Clinique Eyeshadow Duo in Buttered Bronze has been getting quite some lovin' from me. I do rather like using the brown shade as a wash all over the lid and the white to highlight wherever. Or just the white as a wash to brighten my eyes. Versatile and simple, perfect for eyeshadow resisters like me.

Here are the eyeshadow and highlighter at work, what do you think? What are your favourites? I would love to know!

OPI Cuckoo For This Color - Matte Version

In Singapore, we don't have 4 seasons (though I wish it did) but since I'm heading halfway around the world in December (tickets bought yay!) I thought I might as well get myself into the mood. Since my nails have been polish free for quite a while I decided to dig through my bigger-than-it-should-be-considering-I-seldom-paint-my-nails stash and found OPI's Cuckoo For This Colour. While I'm more of a creme type of girl with the impression that all metallics and polishes with tiny glitters come from my mom's generation, I do like a good teal and I don't have a creme teal colour. Note to self - invest in a creme teal. Cuckoo For This Colour is a gorgeous deep emerald teal (if that makes sense) and had a metallic tinge with tiny teal glitters in it. It is such a gorgeous teal colour that I currently have 2 bottles of it in my stash, reason being my sister thought it was also a gorgeous colour and purchased it only to leave it with me when she left for the UK. Right, the colour on its own is rather dated or more...halloween themed if you wanna go as a mermaid so I grabbed my trusty Essie's Matte About You and VOILA! Matte teal with a slight metallic tinge, it even looks quite ombre because only the highest point of the nail catches light and the rest remains dark. Perfect for autumn and winter me thinks. I know navy is in and all, but stand out, get a matte teal, it will rock your world.

The end result actually reminds me of Orly's Iron Butterfly, except in a different colour and with much less glitter. Here's a swatch in which I'm cheating and just linking from alllaqueredup.

Will you be wearing a matte teal nail this autumn and winter? Let me know!

Weekly Favourites #14

Hiya folks! Sorry I've been slightly MIA, I've been busy with school and my cousin's wedding. Stressful! It was a rather simple and sweet affair, maybe that's why I've been favouring the pinks and nudes this week.

I've been looking out for a simple primer that didn't break the bank, and had an incredibly hard time trying to decide between the matte or hydrating base for the Bourjois Happy Light Base Serum. I'm quite happy I chose the matte version as it's been keeping my skin. The oil control on this is not powerful but it's exactly what I need since my skin tends to get dehydrated so it lets through just enough oil.

With the primer, I've found that I need even less powder and I'm really liking the E.L.F stippling brush to apply powder. Any stippling brush should do the job, but elf's rendition is cheap and doesn't have too many bristles to pick up too much powder. This is the little bear's just right brush.

The Collection2000 Shimmershades in Blushalicious is so awesome I don't even know how I managed to tuck it away. Pretty sure anyone can find their perfect shade in this. I can go pink, or coral, or just highlight even with this nifty little quad. Staying power is pretty darn impressive too.

With late nights galore, I like to pop on MAC's paintpot in Nubile on the lids just to brighten the lids. I find that it makes all the difference in looking that bit more alert. That and a nude liner on the waterline works wonders!

To top everything off, the Etude House Lucidarling Fantastic Rouge Gloss in #6 has been working a treat for a MLBB gloss that hides dry lips for a fantastic pout! A long wearing formula that lasts through small snacks, it's one of the better glosses that I've tried.

What have been your favourites this week? Let me know! 

5 Product Face

Seeing as how I've raved so much about the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, I thought this would be the perfect time to show how I do my face now. 5 products in under 10 mins (under 5mins if you don't have as much to conceal as I do), to look alive (that's just in my case) and glowing.

First I tackle the darkness under my eyes with the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Light to Medium Peach because that just makes concealing a whole lot less painful. The great thing about the Tinted Eye Brightener as compared to the Bobbi Brown Corrector is that the Eye Brightener is a very thin liquid which is perfect for layering.

Then I attack my undereye circles with a swipe of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, dot all my blemishes and scars and go in with a flat top powder brush to stipple and blend. Under my eyes I use my finger because this concealer just blends better with fingers. I then go over any remnant visible scarring with another layer of concealer and blend those with my fingers.

Following my mom's example of never leaving the house without eyebrows (good advice from her), I do my brows with my trusty The Faceshop Eyebrow Kit (can't remember the name it completely rubbed off) which has the most perfect ashy brown-grey and with the same angled brush I add some of that darker shade to the outer edge of my eyes to add some definition.

A sweep (or many) of the Collection2000 Shimmershades in Blushalicious (I tend to avoid the darkest pink) on the cheeks, and an additional swipe of the lightest shade of pink for highlights on the cheeks and I look healthy again instead of just alive. If I feel like it I also use the same highlight shade on my eyes.

Curl lashes (or not, if I don't have time) and a single coat of Majolica Majorca's Lash King gives the most natural but still long lashes and I grab my bag and am out the door! If I know it's gonna be a long day then I'll set my make up with the Urban Decay Chill Setting Spray.

Here's the finished look! It takes me about 10 minutes or less. What do you think? Do you have a 5 product face and what are your 5 products? I would love to know!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Hello everybutty! How was your weekend? I always have a late night on Sunday because of the work due on monday (my abysmal time management) , and this is my solution for a sleepless night. This also comes in handy when I'm in an uber rushed panic because I rushed my work till the last minute possible. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is a godsend. It's not the easiest to get your hands on in Singapore (in the shade Custard at least there's a wait list) and it's also not the cheapest concealer at SGD$42, but I'm telling you, you want this. 

The super chic but fingerprint attracting casing is simple enough with a doe foot applicator and twists close to lock in place without misalignment. That is my favourite part. I absolutely cannot stand it when the container does not align - I would rather have it less air tight than aligned if possible (square bottled nail polishes are one of the culprits). Not a lot of product is drawn out each time which is great if you don't have many blemishes. If you're like me and like to conceal your entire face at one go, then you're outta luck. 

L-R: MAC Studio Fix NC30, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard

The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard is a yellow based concealer and even though I'm an NC25-30 and it seems much paler, it matches my skin tone very well. The consistency of the concealer is surprisingly thicker than I expected, thicker than most liquid concealers. It's quite creamy (hence the name?) and really adheres to the skin. Because it adheres so well to the skin, it doesn't shift even without a setting powder. 

My dark eye circles are so bad most times I have to wear a corrector but with the Nars concealer I'm able to get away without the corrector. The pigmentation is quite intense, even when blended out which is what I always look for in a concealer. Though it isn't what I would call full coverage, it seems to blur out the imperfections and brighten darkness which just makes everything look better.

It doesn't cling to dry patches nor sinks into fine lines - it just doesn't accentuate any imperfections. This is the only concealer that I am able to wear on my undereyes and on my blemishes without any problems. It is an all rounder indeed. Consider me extremely impressed. I have found that the best way to apply this concealer is with a finger or to blend out with a blush brush. It's interesting because most concealers get rubbed away when blended with a finger but this does not. The blush brush (soft brush) also works better than a stippling brush or flat top powder brush for some reason.

Wear time is something I haven't tested fully, but I would say it'll last a good 7 hours. I don't set it with powder, but when set with Urban Decay's setting sprays this looks perfect on me for 10 hours and up. Are you having a hallelujah moment yet? I had the first time I used this concealer.

That feel the first time.

I am so blown away by the Nars concealer that I prefer to perfect my entire face with just this concealer alone. Mind you, that is no easy feat since I have a serious case of acne scarring. It is quite heart wrending considering the price of the concealer and me having to use it rather liberally but the end result is entirely worth it. This is definitely one hype to believe and buy into.


Summary:

Pros:

• Superb pigmentation
• Creamy and non drying
• Does not sink into fine lines or accentuate dry patches
• Blurs imperfections and brightens darkness
• Does not shift / does not need to be set with powder
• Lasts all day
• Works both on undereye and on blemishes - all rounder
• Doesn't break me out

Cons:

• Expensive

Conclusion: This is my holy grail concealer. Confirm + chop + double confirm. A+++ with furry stickers (furry stickers were cooler than gold star stickers in my time, damn I'm old). This is a brilliant concealer that will solve all your problems. 

Weekly Favourites #13

Hello friends! It's the weekend! -does a squiggly jiggle- You know those times when you think all is good and then WHAM! you walk into a glass door? Well, just when I thought my skin was being a darling and clearing up, it turned into a rebellious teenage ahlian (singaporean female gangster) and broke out in a major kind of way again. Such is life. I think it was telling me that I've strayed from my derm-prescribed routine just a teensy bit to far and to get my ass back there. So for fear of more retaliation, I've headed back to the derm's routine and my favourite product is the DRX Max-C. Yes, my derm is the very well advertised DRX clinic, and no, this is not an advertisement for them. I paid a bomb for my treatments. Back to Max-C, this vitamin C serum seems to calm my skin down, reduce the scarring and sinks in just about immediately and I use it religiously. I also find that this is the only product that my skin doesn't seem to have build up a slight resistance to. Heng ah (singaporean for phew).

The only addition to the regime is the Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Essence, which I have included in my September favourites. I only use this under my eyes because it really seems to be helping with the one single deep crease that I have under my eyes. Don't freak out at the 'resurfacing' name, or the thought of putting AHA's near the eye because this is a really gentle product.

Freaking out skin = coverage and breathability in my foundation. Mostly because I would hate to scar people by giving them the full blast of my scarred face. For that I've returned to a mix of the Topshop BB Cream and the MUFE HD Foundation which are a dream team. Great coverage with an extremely thin and lightweight layer and SPF. Could not ask for more.

My last weekly favourite has got to be the Osim Umist Baby Humidifier. The boy got me this for christmas last year. Question: which girl really wants a humidifier for christmas? But turns out he knew me better than I knew myself and Umist Baby (cutest name evaaaaaa~~~~) has been a constant companion (for the year) and a lifesaver for the past week. Having a humidifier in Singapore may sound like the stupidest idea ever, given that our humidity is somewhere in the 70-80% region but I do quite like (that's a lie, I Really like) to use the air-conditioning and that makes my environment really dry which in turn is really hostile to sensitive skin. The Umist Baby lasts for about 6 hours which is kinda short but good enough for me!

What are your weekly favourites? And would you like a humidifier?

Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser

I have myself a cleansing addiction. I cannot stop myself from trying out different kinds of make up cleansers. When I read about balm cleansers, I just had to get myself an equivalent. Just slightly psychotic, right? Unfortunately, I did not really complete my homework on this cream, so read on to find out.

The Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser is a big un'. Just look at the size of that tub! All that cream (269g) for SGD$7!!! I could throw this tub at you and seriously injure wind you, no kidding. This cream is literally how its name sounds, it's cold and it's a cream. And it removes all the dirt and make up that you need removed.

Witness the creamy delight within. It's almost like a heavy whipped cream, but then you get a whiff of the heavy, heavy rose scent and know it's not for eats. Upon contact with the heat of the skin and some massaging in, the cold cream breaks down into an oil. I love the way it feels on the skin, it goes on super cooling and that's just wonderful!

It's also rather incredible at taking off makeup. On my hand I have swatched the K-palette 24HR Real Lasting Eyeliner, Jealousness Gel Pencil Eyeliner and MUFE Full Cover Concealer. I then dumped a small amount (you could use a quarter that and achieve the same effect), swiped it across the 3 swatches, rubbed 3 times and tissued off the cream. Only the Jealousness Gel Liner remained because that's one stubborn bitch of an eyeliner and I love it for that. When I massaged the cold cream in longer, you can see that all the swatches dissolved and was completely removed. I have used this on waterproof mascara, and it removed all that too! The only annoying thing was that I got oily blurry vision, though it didn't sting my eyes. Also, if you work at the massage long enough, blackheads/sebum plugs do work themselves loose and you can feel the little plugs when you massage the cream into your face. That's really nice because even normal face wash doesn't do that. This is one heck of an effective cleanser and makeup remover but...

This is where I didn't do my homework. It does not dissolve in water!!!!! Damn you, cream! The way to use this cleanser is to "Apply gently to skin, wipe with wet washcloth, and rinse if desired." This does not in any way, come off with water. So what do you do with the face full of oily make up? Tissue it off of course! Or use a cleansing wipe if you have. Then you can wipe with the wet washcloth for some extra exfoliation and to get more residue off. You can stop there and let the oils in the cold cream moisturize your face (that is if you're fine with mineral oil because that's the main ingredient) or thoroughly wash it off with a soap cleanser. I do mean thoroughly because any shoddy handiwork here will still leave you with a film on your face.

I don't like to leave the oil on my face because I find that it doesn't fully absorb and just sits on top of the skin. Worse still, the skin is dry beneath the oily film. That's probably because my skin doesn't really seem to like mineral oils as I've had the same problem with Bio-oil and Innoxa. But I've read many reviews that say that the oily film does the work of moisturizer and no additional skincare is required. There are also many wonder stories of grandmas having really great skin because of this product. That's up to you to believe, but for me, as great as this cold cream is at removing my makeup, I'm sticking to my fuss free water-soluble oil cleansers, thank you very much.

What do you think? Would you use the Pond's cold cream and even take the step to use it as moisturizer?

Estee Lauder CyberWhite Brilliant Cells Extra Intensive BB Creme

The Estee Lauder CyberWhite Brilliant Cells Extra Intensive BB Creme is my very first American brand BB cream and was gifted to me by a friend, so I don't know how much it is though I don't doubt it's expensive. It's a BB cream that's been with me for about a year (?) now and it's high time it deserved a review. It's interesting to see that the Estee Lauder BB cream comes in a 50ml tube, much more than the usual 30ml of other BB creams. It's very sleek, almost clinical, with a metallic baby blue twist off cap. I have professed my love for squeezy tubes, and this is no different. The hole from where the product emerges is really small, much smaller than normal (about 2mm diameter?) so yay to no leakages! 

L-R: MAC Studio Fix NC30, Estee Lauder CyberWhite BB Cream

In addition, the product itself is rather thick so it won't just drip out of the tube. As you can see, the Estee Lauder BB cream is very, and I mean very, pale and pink toned. If you're not a fair skinned gal like me, don't fret! The product has next to no coverage and does blend out to almost nothing. Though I still would suggest using a skin toned powder on top of it. There's a slight sunscreen scent to the BB cream, but nothing too offensive. 

Here's evidence that it is too fair for me. I have used it in the centre of my face and up my cheeks as well as on my chin. The camera does not capture the yellow tone of my face anymore but instead captures the brightness of the BB cream. In real life, I don't find my face looking too pale but just slightly brighter and more lively. If you have dull complexion, this baby is calling for you! It has passed the boy test too - I wore it to work one day with just concealer and the boy said it matched my skin tone. Since the cream is quite thick, I do find it to even out the pores and disguise them. On days I wore this, the boy commented my skin looked really smooth. Could this BB cream really be the answer to my skin woes?

The only downer is that as the day wears on, the BB cream that once disguised the pores becomes pooled in the pores so you might wanna just touch up in the middle of the day!

When worn on its own, the Estee Lauder BB Cream feels nourishing on the skin and lightweight. I would not call it feeling like nothing on the skin - there's a feeling of something, but it's not heavy. It also works quite well as a priming base for powders and concealers and does not ball up, flake off or rub off. Foundation on top of the BB cream would definitely feel heavy. 

I've found this BB cream not really to have oil control, so blotting at lunch time is a must (I'm sure you do that anyway!). Since there isn't much coverage anyway, I honestly can't tell when it fades away, which I guess, is a good thing! 

If I had good skin, I would slap this BB cream off and go, but unfortunately I don't so the no coverage is definitely a downer for me. My favourite way of using this is in the centre of my face for brightening, especially when I'm feeling shitty about my dull skin. Then I work my way to a full coverage through concealing. 

Summary:

Pros:

• Brightens the skin
• Disguises pores
• Seems to adjust slightly to match skin tone
• Lightweight
• Can act as primer

Cons:

• Doesn't match my skin tone if I wear too much
• No oil control
• No coverage
• Pools in pores if worn for long and requires touching up

Conclusion: The BB cream gets a solid B from me. Works well for quick days with concealer for a presentable and bright face. Or if you've simply got great skin and want some sun protection. Also passed the boy test in my case because he would compliment me without fail every single time I used this BB cream. Try it for yourself!

Weekly Favourites #12

Does anyone else have the problem of blogger auto contrasting and sharpening their uploaded photos? Blogger seems to be doing that to me and I don't know how to stop it! -Tears hair out- I swear, my photos are much softer than seen on this blog ):

Anyway, TGIF friends! It's been a rather stressful week, and the Nip + Fab Pistachio Sundae Dry Skin Fix Body Butter (that's a mouthful) has been my sleep scent this week. This is such a wonderful, homely and comforting scent and really helps me to sleep happy. Some might find the scent extremely strong and artificial because no kidding, this is one heck of a strong overwhelming scent, but I find the scent to dry down to a yummy scent, and I take whiffs of it whenever I can. The consistency is not too heavy like the Bodyshop body butters and my dry legs thank this.

On my face, I've found myself rationing the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in shade 07 for just undereyes and have been reaching for the MUFE Full Cover Concealer for my spots and acne scarring instead. It's as the name says, full cover indeed. It's also quite tacky and dry, so it doesn't shift or fade too much through the day. If you know me, then you  know I'm always looking for ways to shorten the time I spend getting ready and this concealer covers fast.

I've also taken to using the Everyday Minerals Multi-Tasking Concealer to set my undereye concealer, to use as a eyeshadow to brighten up my eyelids, and as a highlighter for the bridge of my nose. Talk about multi-tasking, anyone? Really finely milled and subtly brightens.

Speaking of brightening, my go to blush (for when I'm not reaching for the bronzer trio) has been the NYX Blush in Angel and I use this right under my eyes for a flush of colour. This is light enough to almost not look like blush, and has a pearly sheen to it that adds to the brightening effect that I'm after. Slightly chalky to the touch in the pan, but brilliant on the cheeks!

And to round it all off, tweezing has never been so fun with those uber cute geisha tweezers that my mom picked up for me. I have no idea where she got them, but a quick Amazon search has found them here.

Do we share the same favourites? Let me know!

Disappointing Products

It's not often that I hoard products that I don't like. The hoarder's complex is just not forgiving on products I don't like and more often than not, they are thrown out of my stash. To be fair though, not all these products are bad, but I did have higher expectations from them because of the hype that surrounded them.

I love the NYX blush range but this his NYX Blush in Taupe is simply terrible! I don't know whether it's because I'm too dark, but Taupe simply does.not.show.up! It is the strangest thing ever because NYX blushes are known for their pigmentation. When I rub my finger over Taupe, I can actually see product collecting on my finger, but when I swipe said finger onto my hand, the result is like a subtle highlight. It is baffling, just baffling. There is literally next to no pigmentation on this blush, and will only work for extremely fair tones. I'm hoping I just got a dud because I really love the NYX blushers.

The next terrible product is also from NYX. It's the NYX Felt Tip Liner in Dark Brown and I bought this because I had heard Jen from Fromheadtotoe mention it in her videos and raving about it. IT SUCKS. I only got one good use on it and I was very impressed the first time I drew my line. It was a very deep brown, very well pigmented and went on smoothly with just enough ink. Then it went downhill from there. The moment I sprayed my fixing spray, this eyeliner started to dissolve. Like streaked down my eyes dissolve. The next time I attempted to use the eyeliner, it was almost as if someone had sprayed a sealant layer on top of the nib - no ink came out of the tip!!! This nib can't draw over anything other than an extremely clean eyelid or not only will no ink come out of the nib, it drags all other product off the lid as well. Don't even talk about going over the line for a darker line, it just takes the first line right off. The strangest thing is that it's only the tip of the nib that dies out, the middle/base of the nib has plenty of ink. This is really a fail of a product.

The ELF highlighter in Gotta Glow, raved about as a dupe for Nars Albatross was also disappointing. Just about any impact on this highlighter causes it to crumble and break. It is just so darn chalky and rough to the touch. When put on the cheeks, the nightmare begins. It is definitely golden in colour, so kudos to the pigmentation I guess. I don't mind a golden sheen, but that sheen is definitely coming from not-so-finely-milled golden glitter. Which gets into pores and exposes them. Which migrates all over the face. Which is all that's left after the powder fades away. Nightmare in a product.

L.A. Girl Pro. Conceal is a product touted as a dupe for the MUFE Full Cover. I have the MUFE and this is in no way a dupe. For one, the finish is completely different. L.A. Girl is quite dewy, and MUFE is quite drying. This concealer actually swatches really nicely on my arm and looks just like skin but better. On my face, it exposes any dry patches and sits very awkwardly on the skin. I think it's because of the fine hairs on my face that causes this. I also don't find the coverage to be as great as raved, neither is the lasting power. Though I would still use this when I don't have too much to cover and when my face is threaded. Moral of the story: you need decent, smooth hairless skin to be able to like this concealer.

I am in a rant funk aren't I. The L'oreal Shine Caresse is actually a gloss that I really like. I like the finish, I like the way it feels on the lips and how long it lasts. My bone to pick with it is that the colour visible in the tube, is never the colour it is on the lips. When this gloss sets, it's always many shades darker than the shade in the tube! The shade I have is Venus, which is already one of the lighter colours in the collection. Venus dries down to quite a dark pink which is not a colour I'm too fond of. Also the scent. It's like grandmothers having a party spritzing their perfume in their mouth. You know when you accidentally get soap in your mouth and taste it? Having this gloss on is exactly like that, just worse because yknow, grandmothers perfume.

That's enough negativity for the day, I hope I've managed to save you guys some $! What products do you guys not like or have not lived up to their hype? Let me know!

September 2013 Favourites

Gosh, the months of this year are really flying away! It's so hard to believe it's October already, seemed like just yesterday it was July and we were so proud of ourselves for planning in advance for Halloween! It's really been a busy month, and I've seen myself using these products religiously!

Skincare wise, my skin has been absolutely loving the Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque. I haven't had that oily skin for quite a while now, but this mask has not dried my skin out one bit. I love the refreshing feeling of slapping this mask on, and it really does the job in clearing out the excess sebum and gunk from the skin. My skin feels so soft when I wash this off too. In terms of performance over monetary value, this is definitely holy grail material.

I've also been mentioning the Kitoko Kalani  Super Aqua Gel to no end this month, so it's no surprise it's ended up in my monthly favourites. If you haven't read my past posts, this gel comes out a.. gel (wow big surprise) but upon spreading out on the skin, it turns into water droplets which are then absorbed by the skin. It's super moisturizing despite feeling like water (not even a serum!) and dries down to a nice matte finish. Skin is also smooth after because it does have a tiny amount of silicon in it (not obvious to feel though) and I find that it does calm skin down. I also like to use it on itchy areas of my body.

When I purchased the Kitoko Kalani Gel, the SA also recommended the Tsaio Herb Too Double Scrub Cleanser. I'm not the kind to stick religiously to any single cleanser because I haven't found the one yet, but I might've just found it in this cleanser. The scent is heavenly. It's probably just perfume, but I'm so addicted to the smell I actually look forward to using my cleanser day and night and after taking off my makeup. I've never smelt any other scent like this so I can't pinpoint what it smells like, but it's clean and herby and slightly citrusy. This cleanser is creamy with little pink spheres in it that gently scrub the skin. It's definitely a very gentle scrub and suitable for use everyday. After massaging it into the skin, upon adding more water, this cleanser foams up into micro-bubbles and washes off to leave the skin feeling ever so soft, yet not squeaky nor dry and taut. I can also vouch for its cleansing ability because my industrial strength toner doesn't remove any remnants after using this cleanser.

The Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Essence is something I don't use nightly as the name suggest, but I like to smother my face in this once in a while as a mask. It's not very strong, but I do find skin to feel substantially smoother and look brighter after washing it off.

My last skincare item is not really skincare, but it's this rather unique Chrisyl hairband that can be found only in Takashimaya. It's by no means cheap at SGD$10, but it's just about the most comfortable and secure hairband that I've ever used. When I use this hair band on my bangs, my bangs get a curl that is usually only achievable with tongs or blow drying with a round brush! Super useful for a lazy person like me. The Boy also liked this so much that he purchased one for himself because the teeth of the hairband leave a really nice effect on the hair when worn.

L-R: MAC Wonder-Woman Mineralize Skinfinish in Golden Lariat, MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Tea Ceremony, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, K-Palette 24Hr Real Lasting Eyeliner in Black

Make up wise, my routine has been simplifying itself as I just don't feel like too much makeup is appropriate for a school look. The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard hasn't been with me for a whole month, but it's definitely sticking around. I've been using this in place of any base and it's the best all rounder concealer I've had. It's got high coverage, is not too dry for the undereyes (MUFE Full Cover I'm looking at cha') yet not too hydrating to slip off blemishes. Major heart eyes for this concealer.

I used to think that the MAC Wonder-Woman Mineralize Skinfinish broke me out, but I recently pulled it out of hiding to give it another shot and my skin has not reacted. I think it's because I've gotten slightly fairer that this trio is working so well with my skin. I've been wearing the bronzer mixed with the blush on my cheeks everyday and absolutely loving how it's working with my skin tone now! I also use the highlighter and blush as an eyeshadow when I feel like getting a little more dressy.

Another surprise for me was that I'd been reaching for the MAC Sheen Supreme lipstick in Tea Ceremony as an everyday lipstick. This lipstick is a pinky brown colour and actually almost exactly the same colour as my lips. In fact, it has a little more brown in it than my lips. It doesn't sound great but it photographs quite a peachy brown and just pulls off any look with a bit more polish without being over the top. The vanilla scent of the MAC lipsticks is also irresistible!

I'm definitely an eyeliner girl, and I've ditched eyeliner in favour of mascaras but ever since getting my fringe cut, I've felt like my eyes needed more definition. I had thought that the K-Palette 24Hr Real Lasting Eyeliner I had was running out of ink, but after not using it for a month the ink seems to have come back in full force! This is the easiest eyeliner to work with, having a flexible brush tip. It's also very long lasting and my 2 sisters and I all can profess our love for this eyeliner. To complement the eyeliner with natural lashes, I've been opting for Majolica Majorca Lash King. My formula has dried since I first had it, but it's less clumpy than ever and adds so much length to my lashes that I cannot resist using it. No smudging or flaking and super long lashes, I couldn't ask for anything more!

So there's my lengthy monthly round up - what are your monthly favourites? I'm looking for a chemical exfoliant other than the Paula's Choice ones, any recommendations?

L'oreal Lucent Magique Light-Infusing Foundation

On days when I want to skip putting on sunscreen, I tend to use foundations with SPF as a replacement. It's a rather bad habit because it's actually easier to use sunscreen, then concealer rather then work with a foundation. However, I'm really not one to say no to extra coverage and my recent foundation of choice has been the L'oreal Lucent Magique Light-Infusing Foundation with SPF24. I bought this as a replacement for the L'oreal True Match (which I misplaced or gave away, can't for the life of me remember) and also because I read that it was water-based. There are so many shades to choose from as with the True Match range and the shade G4 matches my NC30 skin pretty well. 

The packaging is quite sophisticated, the foundation being housed in a glass bottle with rose gold accents and a pump. Not good for travelling but nice for looking pretty on the table. There's 30ml of product, and the pump! Oh the pump, it has a nice little dent that fits the finger ever so perfectly, and it's so easy to control the amount that comes out. The nozzle area is also flat so that when you wipe it off on your hand, all the product comes off and does not collect! This is the best pump design that I've come across yet. I apologize for the rave, I'm a design student at heart. 

L-R: MAC Studio Fix NC30, L'oreal Lucent Magique in G4

The product itself is quite thin and really blendable. The shades come in 3 groups - Golden, Neutral and Rose (I think) and the golden range has really strong yellow undertones which are slightly too strong for me. My colour match might actually lie within the neutral group. 

The coverage of the L'oreal Lucent Maqiue can be considered medium-full, however I find that the best way to use this foundation is to buff a thin layer all over the face just to even out the skin tone. Using it in a thin layer makes this foundation almost undetectable. If you have smooth skin, then the foundation layers well with no cakiness. If you have fine lines, then layering is a no no as this foundation does migrate into those lines (for me it's under eye crease and laugh lines) which is also why I strongly recommend a single thin layer. That being said, I find that this foundation doesn't feel like anything on the skin! Skin also still looks like skin with this on. That's mostly why I like it quite a bit.

The finish is very glowy as the name suggest - light infusing. Unlike it's True Match counterpart where I found (to my horror) GLITTER, this light-infusing foundation does not rely on glitter for the finish. Thank God. Powder with this foundation is a necessity, because boy does this foundation transfer like a mother-. This is not particularly long wearing, I'd give it around 5-6 hours without a primer, setting spray or powder. I have oily skin and I do like this, but oil control is zilch - hence the powder. Dry skin types will really like this foundation as it doesn't dry the skin out and doesn't cling to dry patches either.

 My favourite way of using this is to pop concealer on before buffing a very thin layer of this on and sealing that with powder and a setting spray for some serious glowy goodness!


Summary:

Pros:

• Medium - full coverage
• Extremely lightweight on the skin
• Dewy finish without glitter
• Can be layered without caking
• Does not dry skin out
• Brightens up the face
• Doesn't cling to dry patches

Cons:

• Transfers Transfers Transfers!
• Doesn't last very long
• Tends to gather in fine lines 
• Layering this foundation tends to exacerbate the above problems

Conclusion: This foundation has great coverage even when used in a very thin layer, which is the ideal way to use it. If you have oily skin and need a ton of coverage, then this is not the foundation for you! L'oreal Lucent Magique gets a B+ from me - only when used the way it should be used. 

Weekly Favourites #11

How's the weekend going for everyone? Mine is taking a chill pill right before stress sets in, yknow, like the calm before the storm. What I've been finding extremely calming to use is the Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser. This cream is really serious cleansing business, I like to put it on quite thick and massage it into the skin for about 5 minutes, then take it off. Though it does get on my nerves because it does not emulsify with water and leaves an oily film on my face (I deal with that by using an extra gentle cleanser), it really does miracles at getting rid of blackheads and sebum plugs. My nose, an incurable sea of sebum plugs that resurface the moment I get rid of them, is almost poreless after using this. My face feels incredibly bump free after cleansing with the cold cream. I also like to use that 5mins as sort of a mind-clearing 5mins when I just have the massage on my mind. Am I crazy?

The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard is probably one of the harder to find concealers in Singapore, plus it was sold out for the longest time and I finally got my hands on it after being on the wait list. Yeah baby! This baby has a tacky consistency when applied but works beautifully with high coverage when stippled out and lasts and lasts. My face loves this and I'm down to a spot conceal and powder routine! My concealer and I are definitely in a serious relationship here.

The powder of choice to pull things together is the Palgantong Make-up Theatrical Powder in Original Beige. Now that my skin is properly hydrated, powder goes on just that bit nicer and the Theatrical powder is a extremely fine powder that subtly brightens up the face without making me a cake face (this just reminds me of Steve Aoki throwing cake into the audience during his F1 set haha).

Now, no look is ever complete without the right nail polish and fickle-minded me is always in a cyclical matte or glossy bind. Essie's Matte About You gives me a choice to have any matte colour I want and I can't ever see myself ever being without Seche Vite's Dry Fast Top Coat and have no idea how I ever lived without it before. A matte burgundy/oxblood nail is going to be my next polish pick.

Of course, to bring attention to your nails you gotta have arm candy and this right here, is the best DIY of the moment (though I may be a little slow with fashion trends). I actually made my bolt bracelet quite a long while ago (it only cost me $4 and I have leftover bolts to make something else) but have only been putting it on recently. This bracelet is serious street cred imo, and don't DIYs just make you so proud of your handiwork? The white cord tends to get grubby fast though, so I recommend a darker string.

Lastly... I cannot stop listening to The Fox, but this parody here makes me laugh just about everyday now.