Beauty Loves

Review! Cellnique Body Plush Emulsion Wash

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Ignore my curtain please.

Six months ago, I jumped onto the environmental movement wagon of using natural ingredients for bath products. I started using Lush soaps as the do not use any additional packaging, use mostly naturally occurring ingredients, and have cute descriptions. Yes, a sucker, I know.

Fast forward to the present, I can honestly say that in this 6 months, I have rarely touched my shower gels/wash, until this. This product is scheduled to be launched this month of October, so you can't find it on their website yet. I have been using this everyday for the past week so I guess I am well able to give my honest opinion.

The verdict? I kinda like it.

Cellnique says:

An invigorating burst of fragrant sumptuousness; and a gentle caress of velvety opulence. Formulated with a bouquet of rich, moisturizing ingredients, the silky cream coats the skin like a layer of gossamer. Perfumed with the finest essence of Orange, the cream's spellbinding scent envelopes you in a sweet-smelling cocoon, and intoxicates you with its aroma-therapeutic fragrance. In spite of its lavish thickness, the cream rinses off easily, while leaving the skin feeling deliciously soft and sinfully smooth. The gorgeous scent of citrus - though not overpowering - lingers lightly on the skin long after you step out of the shower.

Yeah, I typed the whole thing out!

Phew, I hope you actually read it. I had to type it word for word from the press release as I am using Adobe Reader, not Acrobat. (Long after I finished typing this, I realized that there IS a word select tool in Reader. Dang.) There is a whole bunch of other words in the next 2 pages in the press release, but I won't bore you with the details.

Why I like it:

It is moisturizing. I don't have dry skin but my hands do get papery when I am in the office. Can't say I feel that now, even though the temperature and humidity hasn't changed in my work environment. (They say it is the Olive Oil in it.) By the way, I don't use lotion at all.
It lathers really well. BUT. Take note that I have been using soap all these while, which kinda suck in lathering up.
I am a floral girl, who shun sweetness and fruitiness in skin product. The citrus smell however, I really, really likey. Enough so that I am going to change my current shower flavour soon.

Why you might not like it:

The citrus smell might be too overpowering. Don't believe the 'Cellnique says'. The citrusy smell is really strong.
You won't get the squeaky clean feeling after washing up.
It is RM 59.00 for a mere 250ml.

The last point does not bother me as much as it should. By comparison, a Lush shower gel with the same 250 ml has a price tag from £6 to £9. Add in the shipping, multiply by 5, and it's about the same or even higher in RM.

So should you try it? Well, if you have some spare change lying around the sofa, dig it up, buy one and try it. I am totally in love with the citrus smell.

Kahani from So Loverly has a review on this too!

Price: RM 59.00
Net Weight: 250ml
Available at: www.cellnique.com

The ingredient list:

Can you read it?

*This product was provided by Cellnique for a product review.

Bought! Once A Week Weekly Deodorant

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:35:00 +0000

I have to confess, I have low willpower. This morning I just took a walk around Watson and Guardian and my wish list just doubled. I saw and tested these amazing Hyaluronic Acid products from Aquajuju Aquamoist range and already I am falling in love, especially with the 100% Hyaluronic Acid Essence.

The one I want!

Wallet, please grow to be bottomless. I need RM 90, in spare change or otherwise.

Kimoko (from Singapore?) has a great review on a lot of the stuff from this range, in which she compares them to Hado Labo. You may also take a gander around the official Juju Cosmetic website but mind you, it's in mandarin.

Anyway, digressing.

The REAL deodorant

As in title, I just bought the Once A Week deodorant that promises to be the REAL deodorant. Sweat proof, bath proof and zero ordour. For a week. Hard to believe? Yep. Hard to swallow? Extremely. However Xin from PrettyBeautiful has a review on it and she swears that it works. To be honest, I was tempted to try it therefore I made a conscious effort to look for it at Guardian. It retails at RM 8.90.

I'll try it out and let you know next week yeah?

Beauty Swatch: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Ivy Shimmer Ink

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:20:00 +0000

Click on images to enlarge. Ivy Shimmer Ink

The full review for Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner is here.

Just an update on one of the colours I own. This Ivy Shimmer Ink is a deep Christmassy green with shimmer that doesn't go on quite smoothly as my matte Black Ink or Chocolate Shimmer Ink. Very very weird and un-endearing.

Unevenness. Yuck.

In fact I utterly hate it :(

I'm going to buy Forest Shimmer Ink next and throw this pot in some deep dark crevice.

On a side note, I think Bobbi Brown reformulated this gel liner. The newer ones are now in clear glass pots (please refer to first picture lower right) and are extremely creamy and moister.

Price: RM 70

Beauty Loves and swatch: NYX Single Eyeshadow

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:32:00 +0000

Click on images to enlarge. I'd forgotten Velvet Blue, it's not in the picture or swatch

These little babies are cheap, chic, and most are extremely good and useful. As evident from the swatches below, a lot of them are very pigmented while some goes on quite sheer unless a base is used.

1st row L-R: Cedar Wood, Ocean, Exotic Green
2nd row L-R: Golden, Marrakesh, Navy, Sensual
3rd row L-R: Snow Cone, Red Bean, Alaska

Texture wise, they are all soft, velvety and goes on skin smoothly with the exception of the matte eyeshadows. Those needs a teeny bit more effort to blend in and a base otherwise it seems to get into your pores and you'll see little odd spots on your eyelid. Check out Navy below.

There are a multitude of colours available however I noticed that some older shades seems to have disappear from the NYX main sites. The shades come in metallic (mm, my fav), sheer, matte, shimmer, glitter, and frosty. Like all NYX products, I always find the colour swatches on the website a bull.

Snow Cone (frosty white)

Velvet Blue (shimmer purplish blue)

Navy (matte navy, eek the spots!)

Ocean (frosty blue green)

Red Bean (shimmer light purple)

Alaska (frosty grey)

Golden (metallic gold, yum!)

Marrakesh (shimmer light forest green)

Cedar Wood (shimmer light brown)

Exotic Green (black base with fine green glitters)

For the price, they are way cheaper than a lot of eyeshadows out there and pretty worth it Would I buy this again? Like I said earlier, I'm moving on towards mineral eyeshadows so nope, I won't get this again. But not because they are crappy I assure you.

Price: USD 5, but often goes on sale
Net Weight: 0.11 oz/ 3 g
Suitable for: Beginners and above
Dependency: Brush, sponge, fingers
Available at: nyxcosmetics.com, Cherry Culture, NonPareil Boutique

Beauty Test: Cellnique Vital Cellular Repair Emulsion

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Click on images to enlarge. Expiry date on the bottom of tub, safety seal on the side.

When I first received this tub of moisturizer, I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. When I was asked about my skin's condition, I had admitted that I have combination-oily skin with all the clogged pores problem: blackhead, whitehead, you name it. I was expecting some miracle thingaMagic that will zap all those away and what I got in the mail was this. A tub of creamy-looking moisturizer, the bane of my combination-oily existence.

Hmm.

Nevertheless, I pored through the pamphlet that came in as well and found out that this emulsion IS a thingaMagic after all, albeit a different kind. Cellnique recommends this moisturizer for skin with dehydration problem (my cheeks are dry), open pores problem (I have craters), scars problem (I have those from acne and itchy fingers), and sensitivity problem (I have redness and broken capillaries around the nose).

Vital Cellular Repair Emulsion is touted to be suitable for all skin conditions and for day and night use. It:

has reparatory ingredients to repair damaged cells and promote healing
has ceramides which provides visible skin replenishing and reparation benefits
has Super Oxide Dismutase, an antioxidant that acts as a free radical scavenger to help reduce tissue scaring and damage from exposure to sun

Intriguing.

Plastic cover provided for 'oops'-ness days. Creamy gel.

First on, I have to admit that this emulsion is great as a moisturizer. It may look creamy but it feels more like gel and it is ultra absorbent. When I use it at night, I wake up in the morning with little or no oiliness. Even with the air-conditioner on, there wasn't any dryness either. A moisturizer that self-adjusts? And maybe, just maybe, the healing ingredients in it hasten the 'ripening' process of pimples. The before picture below was taken in the morning after I first used this, and a gigantic ripe pimple already appeared on my chin.

It has a slight scent to it that I can't describe, but once you smooth it on there is no smell left. Like I mentioned the texture is more like a gel so you don't have to work it into your skin like some cream I have tried *cough*L'occitane*cough*. It is absorbent like one too. A little goes a long way, as demonstrated in the picture I am only a quarter into the tub after 3 weeks of 2 times usage.
Packaging wise, some may dislike it as it comes in a tub with no spatula but honestly, it makes no difference to me. As someone who picks at an acne with hands that have touched something elsewhere (I have forgotten it ok?) I don't have hygienic issues with it. And please don't let me tell you I may have intentionally kept mascaras for more than 3 months.

Oops.

Anyhow, I have tested this out for 3 weeks with no other new skincare introduced and all other regime maintained. So did it work it's magic? Let me dissect it one by one.

Before on left, after on right.

Dehydration - As I mention above, it is a great moisturizer Plus +
Open pores - If you open the enlarged images of the before and after, you will notice there is no difference. Minus -
Scars - If you ignore the fact that I have new acne in the after pic, this does help in lightening some of my old acne scars, especially in the chin and forehead area. However, it is not working as fast as I like. Minus -
Sensitivity - This is the extraordinary one. I have less redness around the side of my nose! As evident in the profile shot below. Plus +

Before on left, after on right.

I will continue to use this as my night moisturizer as I want to get back to my trusty Lancome whitening day milk (I love it to bits) . Will I buy a new one when this runs out? Maybe, if continuos usage can zap off my old scars and close up those pesky pores. Meanwhile it would seem that I have to look elsewhere for my congestion problem...

*sniggers* I have something else from Cellnique as well which I hope can combat this problem, check back in another week or so after I've run it through the usual trial run.

Price: RM 229.00
Net Weight: 1 fl oz/ 30 g
Suitable for: All skin types
Dependency: None
Available at: www.cellnique.com

Beauty Loves and swatch: NYX Round Lipstick

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:15:00 +0000

Click on images to enlarge

In Paris, Hebe, Snow White and Bruised.

I have to admit, I really am not a lip person. The only lip product I used most are lip balms and Benefit's Benetint. I dislike using lipstick as the colour will fade over time and I gotta reapply often. I dislike using gloss too as my hair will get stuck to my lips in an unflattering way when the air whips up a healty breeze. Imagine getting hay stuck to your lips, it's the same situation.

Most of all I hate my lips. Ugly little puckers :( But when I saw swatches of this everywhere, an irritating small voice grew at the back of my head.

"It's cheap! It's pigmented!! It's beautiful!!!", nasty little bugger keeps saying.

And so I caved in.

NYX Round lipsticks comes in a variety of colours, so much so that I had a hard time choosing what I wanted. It did not help that the swatches on the main NYX site are horribly useless and unhelpful (I read too that they are inaccurate). Thanks to the many bloggers out there who provided beautiful swatches, I chose 4 of the most commonly bought shades.

Paris is a cool pink shade that looks really sweet. It is of matte finish and it actually leaves your lips looking moisturized as appose to some matte lipstick that makes your lips look drier than Sahara. I have a warm undertone so to make this shade work I gotta warm up my eyes, otherwise I'll look like I belong in North Pole with Rudolph.

Hebe is a shimmery reddish pink. In actual it has a slight duo chrome ability that makes it an interesting shade. It is soft enough for everyday red lips use.

Snow White is a true warm red (I think). Before this I had a MAC Russian Red which was described as a blue tone red shade and it looked too cool for me, so I had to hunt for another red. This is the perfect shade for me, and makes me look vampy and ripe (hehe). And like Paris, it didn't make my lips look dry.

And Bruised. Ah I know you are questioning my sanity now. Who the heck needs a dark purple that looks almost black? Am I a secret gothic? Am I a rockstar at night? Do I admire Marilyn Manson? No answer to all the above questions, as I do not know them myself.

Bruised is also matte, and the texture is a bit bad compared to the other 2 matte I have. It goes on streaky if I use a lip brush, but if I dont use one I'll draw out of line and look like I just put on lipstick in a tuk-tuk in Bangkok. It is really hard to work with, and more so if your lips are dry and patchy. Most probably this will just sit in my drawer till Kingdom comes, and even then it might probably still stay there.

I tried putting on a brigther gloss on top of it, and it helps slightly by evening out the colour plus put a little more brightness and shininess into the dark shade. Probably a lipliner would have helped too.

All the lipstick have a slight rosy scent to it that I coulnd't stop sniffing. They smell soooooo good but that's just me. The tube has a nice and tight cap which clicks shut properly and the shade name is printed on top of the tube. None of those fancy smanchy number system only.

Would I recommend them? "Definitely."
Would I buy some more? "Where's my credit card?"

Price: USD 3.50, but frequently goes on sale
Net Weight: 0.14 oz / 4g
Suitable for: Everyone
Dependency: Brush, None
Available at: NYX.com, CherryCulture.com, NPB.com

Beauty Loves and swatch: NYX Trio Eyeshadow

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:39:00 +0000

TS16 on top, TS19 on bottom. Click on images to enlarge

In TS16 and TS 19.

A few months back, I got me a couple of NYX Trio Eyeshadow Palettes to try out. They are inexpensive and the colour selections are amazing. We don't have NYX here, so I had to order them from overseas through a third party, which in turns incurs shipping charges, surcharges, fee charges and what not charges.

Ah, the things we do for love (of makeup).

L-R TS16: Opal, Platinum Silver, Luster

The eyeshadows are housed in a slim black plastic casing. Very utilitarian. It feels sort of flimsy, like it would break if you accidentally sat on it (no, I did not!) but for it's price it is fairly justifiable. There is a small mirror which works good for my small eyes, but if yours are as huge as Lake Matheson you gotta use your own. A double-ended sponge applicator is also provided, which feels like it should work properly as the sponge feels nice and spongy (I only use brushes).

L-R TS19: Barely There, Champagne, Root Beer

All in all, a very good compact to travel with.

For the colours, most of the series runs from light (highlight), mid (crease), and dark (outer crease) however some of the palettes seems to have oddly paired shades. These are good for collections while the others are good for us lazy bums who thinks sometimes it's too much trouble to sort through a set of singles to complete an eye look. Hallelujah ladies.

Texture wise, the shadows are soft and powdery and have medium pigmentation, which shows up more using a base. The swatches below are all applied on clean lids only with absolutely no prep. Mine are either shimmery or frosty, but NYX shadows comes in a variety of mattes, shimmers, frosties, sheers or glitters. With a base, the colours last from sunup till sundown, but due to my oily lids, I have never tried them on without a base.

Opal

Platinum Silver

Luster

Oh and I forgot to mention that the eyeshadow pans are the same size as MAC, so you can probably depot them and stick them into your MAC palettes.

Barely There

Champagne

Root Beer

Would I recommend them? Why yes I do, seeing as they are affordable and variable. Would I buy some more? Honestly, no but this is due to the fact that I am moving on to mineral eyeshadows. So do not let my choice stop you from getting these :)

Price: USD 8, but frequently goes on sale
Net Weight: 0.138 oz / 3.9g
Suitable for: Everyone
Dependency: Brush, Sponge Applicators, Fingers
Available at: NYX.com, CherryCulture.com, NPB.com
Would I buy this again: As above

I. Am. Back.

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:56:00 +0000

Hopefully. It has been exactly a year (and slightly more) since my last post and I am super glad that this blog still generates some hits. I am well satisfied with myself as I know that some of my reviews have helped out the ladies out there. My primary goal when starting this blog was for in-depth review of some of my favourite makeup and what-nots which touches on usability, textures, scents and most importantly, colour.

More often than not, when I search for reviews of a particular product that I am lemming, I'll always get stock images from the respective company. No swatches to show the beautiful shades on skin while overtaxing my imagination on trying to imagine the colours on myself. Sorry sister, that helped me 'zilch-ly'.

However, there are some wonderful blogs out there now that are doing the reviews exactly how I wanted it 2 years back (bear in mind that during that era, makeup blogs have little merit in the blogging world). And I hope to join those ranks again. Check my sidebar for the blogs I religiously follow everyday.

There are many things to relearn: my style of posting, my style of review, how to post images(!!!), HTML tags, but I guess I'll just have to go through all my old posts to do that. Oh, and to get a better camera. iPhone 3G camera sucks big time.

To all the babes who have read me before, I hope you will eventually find your way back to me. And to all the potential new babes, welcome.

Now, please give some applause :)

Current fav brand: Everyday Minerals, you'll see a lot of this in the future postings.
Current obsession: Red lips. I have said before that I hate to review lip products as my lips are ugly. Now I simply don'... erm... won't care.

Beauty Scouts: Pearlnecklacecenter.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:17:00 +0000

Akoya pearl necklace. I heart this. Click on image to enlarge.

Even though my birthstone is pearl (people! Take note! My birthday's in June!), I have never really fancy wearing pearls. Somehow and I have no idea from where this feeling stems from, pearls remind me of grandmothers and old lace.

But then the vintage wave seems to have taken the Malaysian fashion world by storm, and the best accessories are none other than pearls. Pair a vintage black dress with blood red lips and a strand of snow white pearls and you would be magically transform into Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn. Who can forget Breakfast At Tiffany's?

At a dilemma on where to get your own pearls? Do not worry as I have a website for you. Pearlnecklacecenter.com offers you a wide selection of freshwater pearl necklaces, and you can even choose different colours for your pearls. Fancy something classic? Go for the white ones. Want to be sweet and girlish? Choose the pinks or lavenders. Or go mysterious and exotic with the greys and blacks.

My pearl bracelet

Each necklace has a 14k gold clasp to complement the whole look. The pearls are all uniform in size and has few visible flaws. I should know this as I have a pearl bracelet from them. And if you have luxurious in mind, you can always try their Akoya Pearl Necklaces, saltwater pearls gathered straight from Japan.

If you feel that a freshwater pearl necklace might be a little too ostentatious for you, you could always start small and try out their pearl bracelets first, like what I had did. You have a choice of either triple-, double- or single- strand in either gold or silver depending on your budget. You can also make a great gift for your girl friends with the beautiful and elegant single pearl earrings. Made up of triple A grade pearls, the earrings exude class and elegance and should be a hit with your girls.

A close up

Each item bought from them comes in their own cases and shipping is also free, no matter where you are. You can also check out their "Under $100" section for a selection of pearl necklaces, bracelets and earrings that are under 100 USD.

Did I mention free shipping? Did I mention affordable? Did I mention one year warranty? Payment is also easy breezy as they accept Visa, Master, American Express and even Paypal. So when you have the time, go to the website and browse around. Maybe something might catch your fancy.

Or maybe my elegant hand might.

Comparision: NARS Orgasm and Super Orgasm

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 09:50:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge.

Honestly speaking, I don't find much difference between them. One may be a bit peachier and the other pinker. As for the glitters in Super Orgasm, you can't really get them on your face since brushes do not pick up the glitters well. Unless you use your fingers. Which I may well do.

Peachier. Pinker. Please do click on the images to fully appreciate the minute difference.

DO NOT COMMENT ON MY PORES!! *&%W@#!@*&!!

One thing I do not like about Super Orgasm is that it is too loosely pressed. Each time I open it there are shards flying everywhere, what a waste. But I would still choose SO over O as I like SUPER. And cause it's newer :)

Beauty Loves and Swatch: NARS Blush in Super Orgasm and Dolce Vita

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:55:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge. Super Orgasm with golden glitters and shards. See the loose particles on top left

Yes, playing hooky again. Don't have much time on hands, cause most of it is spent on sleeping and napping and dozing.

I have not been using this 2 blush much, but since I've already reviewed NARS blush before, I'll just give you and update of the colours.

Super Orgasm on top, Orgasm at bottom

To me, Super Orgasm is a pinker version of Orgasm. It is also actually a matte peach pink as base with multitudes of golden glitters and shards, instead of the shimmers contained in Orgasm which turned it into a iridescent peachy pink. Therefore, Super Orgasm is much more loosely pressed, a little like Angelika, seeing as they both have the same weight and Angelika has silver glitters. Again like Angelika, you have to pat your brush on the surface of the blush, not swipe it back and forth. You'll likely get a shower of powders if you do the latter due to it being loosely pressed.

Orgasm on left, Super Orgasm on right

I do not have a "on-face" shot as I can't seem to quite capture the difference of the 2. However when swiped on hand side by side, it is easy to see. Look at the glitters and reflects!

Dancing Queen, young and sweeeeeet~

Ahem, sorry.

As for Dolce Vita, NARS describe it as a dusty rose and I have to agree. It is a very dark shade of rose, very warm, very Fall-ish. It is also quite matte and mature looking and I actually like it very much (I usually love shimmers with my blush).

Bobbi Brown Mauve on top, Dolce Vita at bottom

Mauve on left, Dolce Vita on right

The only colour that I own that comes close to a match to Dolce Vita is the Mauve blush in the Bobbi Brown Mauve Face Palette. When I say close, I mean 60% close. Mauve blush is lighter and with shimmers. Dolce Vita is darker and matte. Both give you slightly tanned rosy cheeks, like below.

I'll probably keep both of them, but my next acquisition will probably either lean towards coral and tangerine or golden and bronzed. Keep on guessing!

Oh, Happy Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:54:00 +0000

Sephora Day that is.

No points for guessing what's in the bag, as I only collect one true love(s).

Bet some of you ladies are salivating huh? These are the newest additions!! I was happy that I could pick up these 2 (previously when I wanted to get Orgasm it was sold out in Sephora store in Boulder, Colorado. My Orgasm was 'induced' by Beetrice.) Don't ask me why I need Super Orgasm when I have Orgasm or I shall puke at you, intentionally.

On the left is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Light if you can't see clearly and Benetint is for my sister.

I love shopping, even if it is someone else who's picking it up for me.

Beauty Loves: Shimmering Nudes Palette

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:35:00 +0000

I have no idea how those working bloggers actually juggle work and blog. By the time I get home from work, all I want to do is to sit and relax. Can't take any pictures too as daylight is getting on to moonlight. It is slowly dawning on me that I have to work extra hard on weekends and get everything ready to be released on weekdays :(

Anyway, I talked about this palette earlier and mentioned that I might or might not be getting it. Sad to say, when I check it out on the counter, willpower lost. It is so sleek and pretty and the colours gorgeously pigmented though neutral.

Click on images to enlarge

I have always loved neutral as it looks good on everyone. Granted it photographs horribly as it is usually washed out compared to vibrant colours but in real life, you can achieve warmth and natural with a neutral eye makeup. And it is good for work too.

Texture wise, each eye shadow is smooth and fine. It goes on without a hitch and like I said before, quite pigmented. I especially love the metallic eye shadows as it imparts a gorgeous sheen, very metallic like. Only 2 are matte and unlike those matte eyeshadow from my previous Bobbi Brown face palettes, it is not chalky and horrible. Me love all!

Nude Glow Metallic inner, Nude Spice Metallic crease, Naked highlight

You might think that some colours look like doubles of each other but there are actually slight difference in colours and also finishes.

The palette is made of metal and not plastic and it closes with an audible click. The mirror is as wide as the palette and I think it is a great addition. The brush included is a double-ended brush with eyeshadow at one end and an eyeliner at the other. When I compared it with a full sized short handle, there are only a little difference in terms of size and fullness. The brush bristles are still as soft as the original.

Full size on left, palette brush on right

To tell you the truth, I don't really need this palette (come on, how many can one actually use?) but I justified me buying it as I foresee I will mostly go nude for work. Looking presentable during work is important, right? Work is important, right? Therefore nude palette is important too, right?

RIGHT????

Price: RM 190
Net Weight: 1.1 gramme each for eye shadow
Suitable for: Everyone
Dependency: Brush, Sponge Applicators, Fingers
Available at: Bobbi Brown counters
Would I buy this again: Maybe next year's Nude collection! :)

Beauty Swatch: ELF Candy Shop Lip Tins in Berry Pop

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:37:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge

And so while I just like this product, I'm starting to fall in love with the colour Cherry Bomb (full review). Thinking there was another darker coloured tin left I haven't tried and I wanted to gift my sister with Cherry Bomb, I snatched them both up.

Tiny glitters, if you look closely enough

While I am a little disappointed that the colour was a bit on the sheer side, I can't stop sniffing it as it smells like berries. Definitely an improvement from Cherry Bomb, which smells like mocha instead of cherry.

Berry Pop

Once applied, the colour looks like my lips but better and deeper and it also adds shine and slickness.

My fav Cherry Bomb

I use Cherry Bomb when I want chili redness but dare not rock full red lips.

Beauty's Future: Bobbi Brown Holiday 2008 Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:07:00 +0000

You might know now that I simply adore Bobbi Brown. Somehow her stuff just gets to me, though they are mostly neutrals and her packaging is simply sleek black. Other brands may be rich and opulent but either their price tag scares me away or their price tag scares me away. :D

Bobbi Brown's Holiday collection should be on counters starting November and yes, some things just caught my eye. Mostly probably I won't even get half of what I want (pity the money bag) but perhaps someone may wanna surprise me with some Christmas goodies.

Some pictures to feast on:

Lip and Eye palette. Look at the gorgeous metallic colours, just perfect for the holiday season. I want!

Lip gloss trio

Velvet plum eye palette

Tube tints set

Moon rock long-wear eye palette. Consist of 2 cream shadows and 2 long-wear gel liner. I want!

Night sky long-wear eye palette. Consist of 2 cream shadows and 2 long-wear gel liner. I want!

Copper diamond cosmetic bag with brushes. I want!

Copper diamond beauty kit. Cosmetics sold separately.

Copper diamond small beauty trunk. Cosmetics sold separately.

I got all these from bobbibrowncosmetics.com so I'm not really sure whether everything will be available here in Malaysia. Hopefully those I want will be here :D

Beauty Test: GNC Women's Ultra Nourish-Hair Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:58:00 +0000

That was really a long break. First it was stress (hence blue nails) and then it was the flu (drowsy during the day and night). But I'm feeling better now so hopefully updates will be more regular (but I'm starting work next week?).

This lil test update might have been 2 weeks late but better late than never right? So test result at week 8 is as follows:

Hair: Yup, there are definitely more fuzz at the crown of my hair. It looks irritating as it is short and messy but I guess I should be thankful that new hair is growing out. According to Dar, my hair looks fuller now than before, and I think I have to agree with him. I still have that sparse top which is obvious under direct sun or light but it otherwise looks ok during normal circumstances. Hair length is growing at normal speed, shame to say.

Annoying fuzzy wuzzy

Skin: As usual.

Nails: I am so happy with this result. My nails are stronger than ever and I can tell because only 1 finger splintered in the course of 2 months and it was only 2 times. A total of 2 times in 8 weeks! That's like a major personal record as before, my nails were breaking like nobody's business even in doing little stuff like fighting stubborn zippers.

Eyelashes: They are much fuller than before and definitely longer. I am also trying out Bioglo's Eyelash & Eyebrow Enhancer so I hope the double boost will pack a whammer soon!

On a side note, I think my armpit hair is growing twice as fast now. Ew!!!!!

Part 1 with list of ingredients
Part 2 at Week 3

Beauty Swatch: Elianto Nail Colour in 28 Novy

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:08:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge.

No updates. Feeling so blue, and not just on Monday. Nails blue, to match blue mood.

Found out what caused my bubbles though. Applied base and colour thinly and evenly but put on too thick a top coat to avoid smearing colour and staining brush tip. Bad move.

Less is more and in this case, less top coat = shiny nails.

Beauty Loves: Elianto Nail Colour

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:35:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge. My polish army. Get it? Polish?! Oh never mind.

I seldom paint my nails, and when I do, only on my toes. My theory is that since my feet are so far away from ground level, people won't notice even if I did a bad job. Finger nails however are a different case; we may unconsciously wave them around people's faces.

I love using dark colours on my toe nails, again, they help in disguising any bad work and somehow they are such a pretty contrast to my pale feet. A narcissist should never lose out on any chance to be narcissistic, I say.

There! I always get bubbles! I think it's time to chuck my top coat.

Since I only keep them on for a week or so, I do not think it is necessary to buy expensive nail colours that almost cost their weight in gold. Why should I pay RM50 or more for high-end branded nail colours? It's not as if they have crushed diamonds mix into the rainbow liquids or that they are less harmful to our nails.

Elianto's nail colours have different textures. Some are matte and creamy, some are shimmery and sheer, while some are glittery and in-your-face. Some colours require 2 or more coats for the colours to be vibrant while some only require 1 coat. They do not dry out easily in the bottle and a bottle last you a long time. Up to date I have never finished a bottle, and I only threw some away because I got bored with the colour and they refuse to finish up by themselves.

The colours do chip easily if used on their own however that can be remedied by using a better base and top coat like Sally Hansen's or Lord forbid, O.P.I.

I always love visiting the Elianto's counter because it seems like I see different, new colours every time I go there. If I am not mistaken, Elianto actually has a wide range of colours and they routinely swap them in and out at different times. Each time is a surprise and a pain (sometimes) when you don't see what you want but you know they have it. So near yet so far...

And before I forget, if you really love MAC's Cult of Cherry's Illegal Purple nail colour and don't wanna cough too much up, I found a perfect dupe. It is the same colour I have on in this post, a blackened eggplant/cherry. Code number 39 and code name Dark Purple.

Price: RM 5
Net Weight: 14ml
Suitable for: Everyone
Dependency: Good base and top coat
Available at: Elianto counters
Would I buy this again: YES

Beauty Loves: MAC Cult of Cherry Tempting Eye Quad

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:53:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge

I have never really been that into MAC stuff, maybe because their bright colours truly scare the bejeebers out of me. However their Cult of Cherry collection has some really lovely fall colours that are interesting and still everyday.

At first I wanted to get the Spiced Chocolate quad, but then I saw this Tempting Eye quad that has a delightful chartreuse. However I am still a-wanting the Sweet Chestnut shade in the SC quad so if anyone has depotted theirs and would like to get rid of it, you know where to throw it to ya? (I will pay for it la :)) MAC has a few eyeshadow finishes but since I don't really own a lot of them, I will just review those eyeshadow in these quads.

Next to Nothing is just like it's name, looks like nothing at all. You mainly use this as a highlight because it is a frosty vanilla shade. No surprise, it's finish is Frost.

Sharp is a lovely chartreuse or yellow lime. It's a wonderful, 'popping' colour that will suit most people. The texture is really smooth with low shimmers. It's finish is Satin.

Tempting is a cool bronze that goes well with Sharp. I find it a little more gritty than the others because it has larger shimmers. It's finish is Lustre.

Dark Edge is a cool chocolate grey that goes on quite matte and smooth. To me, it is best as a liner shade. It's finish is Satin.

I use these shadows with a base and I haven't road tested them dry so I have no idea on their lasting power. No fragrance at all, and their packaging is just a simple black plastic back with a transparent top cover. Nothing inspiring or luxurious or beautiful, just plain practical.

All in all, this quad is a lovely collection of colours that compliments each other and also suitable to go with any other shades in your collection. I loves it lots, not to mention that it is so bloody cheap. Keep in mind that each eyeshadow pan is as big as a MAC single! Now it makes me want to buy the Spiced Chocolate quad because I want 2 of its colours and its cheap and therefore justifiable! Stop me!

Price: RM 138
Net Weight: 0.20 oz / 6g
Suitable for: Everyone
Dependency: Brush, Sponge Applicators, Fingers
Available at: MAC counters, online
Would I buy this again: Will try some other quads

Beauty Experiment: Pressing Pigments

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:48:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge

Here I go again, another experiment over and done with successfully. This time around you'll need:

Isopropyl Alcohol 70% (Dar got this for me at a pharmacy, the pharmacist decanted some into a smaller bottle and charged him RM 2. Oh well. )
Mixing spatula
Metal pans
Pigments (I used MAC, you can try others as well, like those from mineral makeups)
Syringe
Coins (not in picture)
Cloth (not in picture)

Step 1: Using a spatula, scoop up some pigment and fill up the metal pan. Stop before it overflows.

Step 2: Fill up the syringe will the alcohol and inject some onto the metal pan (not your pets please) until the pigments are fully saturated.

Step 3: Using the spatula, swirl the wet pigments around until they form a muddy paste. Refer to image

Step 4: Refil the metal pan with more dry pigments and repeat step 2, 3 and 4 until the metal pan is almost full.

Step 5: Lightly drop the metal pan from a height of 5cm onto a flat surface. Repeat a couple of times or until the wet pigment's surface is as smooth as possible. Let dry in room temperature for a few hours (this is my way, you can nuke it or blow dry it) until alcohol smell has dissipated. Take note the pigment will have sunken a bit, don't attempt to refill it ya.

Step 6: Cover the metal pan with a textured cloth and put a coin on top of it while ensuring the coin is fully inserted into pan. Drop your heaviest book on it and leave for a few hours. (Is this step necessary? I think it is better to compact it more as well as leave a textured surface to the pressed pigment for aesthetic reasons)

Step 7: Enjoy! Now it is no longer in danger of being spilled or blown away while the quality and texture is not sacrificed.

It's almost all filled up! That was quick! Again, metal pan palette is from CoastalScents because sadly, Malaysia seems to not have these things. If you own lots of MAC eyeshadows and you wanna depot them into pans, you can get this palette too as it is the same pan size as MAC's (not sure if you notice it, but one of the pan is MAC Neutral Pink from the N Collection). I'll show you how to depot MAC eyeshadow next time, as soon as I get some new ones :)

Beauty Experiment: Remixing Dry Lip Colours

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:47:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge

Don't know if you remembered, but I did mentioned before that the lip colours in Bobbi Brown's palettes are dry and crappy. So I did a little experiment today that thankfully went very well.

Some tools that you will need:

Mixing spatulas
Metal spoon
Favourite (or least favourite) lip balm, mine is from MyLipStuff.com
Metal pan or sample jar (my metal pans are from CoastalScents, they come in a palette, as you shall see in the last picture)
Lighter or candle

Step 1: Scrap off the lip colour from the palette with a spatula. You can also do it to your lipstick tubes.

Step 2: Deposit all the lip colour onto the metal spoon.

Step 3: Scrap off some lip balm.

Step 4: Deposit the balm onto the metal spoon.

Step 5: Apply heat to the metal spoon using a lighter or candle flame about 3cm away from the bottom of the spoon.

All melted.

Step 6: Pour your concoction onto the metal pan or sample jar immediately.

Step 7: Enjoy!

Now my Bobbi Brown lip colours are all soft as butter and they smell slightly like cinnamon. As you can see, I still have so many empty metal pans which I intend to fill up with pressed pigments. So excited! :D

Haul: Loreal Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:21:00 +0000

Click on images to enlarge

Just a lil somethings I bought last week.

Lancome Uv Expert DNA Shield SPF 30 PA++ (this is for mom)
Lancome Blanc Expert NeuroWhite X3 Ultimate Whitening Purifying Foam (I have been using this since forever, together with Lancome Blanc Expert NeuroWhite X3 Ultimate Brightening Hydrating Emulsion
Shu Uemura Eye Correcting Pro Concealer in Mauve (I don't have much dark circles, so I just brighten the under eye area. Since my Dior Skinflash has finished and I haven't bought a new one yet, just thought of trying this)
Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow N in P Spring Breeze (2007 Spring)
Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow N in IR Earth Brown (2007 Spring, I got the Harmonious Orange Blush by the way)
Shu Uemura Shimer Eye Liner in 01 Black (now this I gotta try, I think this is fairly new, manufacturing date is Jan 2008)

And so, that's all.

Beauty's Future: Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:28:00 +0000

I was devastated when I've couldn't get my grubby hands on the LE Stonewashed Nudes Palette. Thank the lucky stars that Ms Brown heard my prayers.

I am so definitely getting this. I will die getting this. I WILL die if I don't get this.

But,I don't know, judging from the image, it looks like there aren't as much variety in terms of shade as the previous palette (I loved the look of the gray one last time). But I love that there are metallic and shimmer washes included. Guess I'll just have to test it out at the counter first.

Shimmering Nudes Palette (RM190)

Nude Beach Metallic
Nude Mist Shimmer Wash
Naked
Nude Glow Metallic
Mica Shimmer Wash
Nude Spice Metallic
Espresso

According to the booklet, this palette will come out mid-September in Malaysia. Prepare a date then with your nearest Bobbi Brown counter. For more information please check out the shades of the Shimmering Nudes Palette.

Madness: Loreal Luxury Products Division Warehouse Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:24:00 +0000

This is the second luxury products warehouse sale of the year organized by Loreal, and I have to say there is definitely a major improvement from the April sales in terms of crowd control. BUT! Some of the price has increased! What is this? If it keeps increasing each sales, in the future it seems we would have to pay full retail price at a warehouse sales!

It started at 10am today, but I have already reached there by 9am for fear of waiting 2, 3 hours under the hot sun like on April. I need not have worried because it seems like there are less people this time around, and they have 4 lines instead of 1, and there is no way that latecomers can cut queue because the space allocated for each queue were just only enough. Each batch is given 30 mins to shop before they shoo you out. I got in at 10am and was out by 10.30. I have to say this was the easiest time I have being in a warehouse sales.

Cashiers were efficient and quick, staff were pleasantly cordial (of course it could be due to the fact that it was still early and so they were still in a good mood), and I didn't even have much trouble at Shu Uemura corner. In fact, I zoomed straightaway to Shu's table as soon as I got in to avoid the crowd that was sure to assemble when the people have figured out where it was (right at the end of the room actually).

Now to the pricing. I browsed through Lancome's stuff and some product prices have went up by RM 5 - 10 while others maintained their prices from previous sales. Shu's went up by a lot. Previously both eyeshadow singles and blush were going for RM 50 for 2 but this time around, it increased to RM60 and RM70 respectively. A bit of a disappointment actually. Most of the blush were matte and since I was collecting NARS, I didn't bother getting it. There were quite a lot of shades for eyeshadow and I even got my eye correcting concealer (been wanting to get this for so long).

Most of the ladies were very polite and did not shove around but due to the fact that the aisles were not very wide, a bit of accidental 'touch touch' is still expected. When I got out at 10.30am, the outside queue was surprisingly still short. It had not even reached the outer limits of the corridor. Has the people come to their senses and decided to tighten their purse strings?

Would I come again next year? If my stocks are low, why not. If you want to save a bit and shave money of the retail price, a warehouse sales is the place to go. Provided if you don't mind waiting in line. And if you check the manufacturing date properly. And if you don't mind being in a crowded place. And waking up early.

Beauty Test: GNC Women's Ultra Nourish-Hair Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jessie) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:39:00 +0000

Today marks the last day of Week 3. Up until now, I have only forgotten to take the pill 2 times (counting this afternoon!) out of 21 days times 2, not a bad record if I do say so. I did not expect much changes to my body after only a few weeks of consumption, indeed reviews said it had taken the ladies months to realize some positive change.

Hair: I don't see any indication of hair growth in terms of new hair growing out. I did notice some short fuzz around the forehead hairline which was not so prominent last time (or are my eyes playing tricks?). It will be much easier to judge hair growth in terms of length now since I'd chopped off a few inches last week. Positive change: My hair sheds less now!!! I no longer sprout gigantic hair balls in the shower! Only mini ones.

Skin: No changes either. However my skin has always been alright without any overt outbreaks.

Nails: Now this is better. I'm experiencing less breakage though not the growth spurt the others are reporting. Previously my nails were very fond of chipping or splintering by themselves.

Eyelashes: I *think* they are a bit longer than they used to be, though still sparse.

Armpit and Leg Hair:You must be groaning now. However, nope! No changes, thank goodness.

My sister checked out a GNC outlet here in Malaysia and found out Ultra Nourish-Hair is not available here, though there is something named Crowning Glory. I do not think they are the same, mainly because hers are green while mine is white. Ingredients list are different too, while only the smell and size is the same (smelly for the former, huge for the latter).

Check back again at Week 6.

Part 1 with list of ingredients
Part 3 (Week 8)