EevIsVain♡

Shu Uemura Fresh Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil Review

2014-02-28T16:58:00.001+11:00

Price: AU$ 36/150ml, AU$ 96/450ml
Availability: Shu Uemura counters in selected David Jones
Skintype: Combination/oily
Pros: Great makeup remover/cleanser even for long lasting waterproof mascara, has pore-clarifying /refining benefits
Cons: Can't think of any!

I have been using this cleansing oil for a while and in fact, I'm on my second bottle now so I figured it is about time it gets a review!

Hello hello, long time no beauty blog. I have no excuse for this really, lack of motivation is all I can say. But let's not go into that and jump straight into this review, shall we?

Prior to this I was using the DHC Cleansing Oil and a few others which I won't mention since I haven't reviewed any of those. In comparison to the DHC, the consistency of Shu is much thinner which I think might be a winner for most people who don't really enjoy the feeling of oil on their face. I'm generally happy with either, thick or thin as long as it does the job in taking off my makeup. Which Shu does excellently I would say.

I love my Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof mascara and it's infamous for how difficult it is to remove them off your lashes. This removes it effectively which I was really impressed with. Of course, it does cause cloudy vision for a bit but as long as it doesn't sting, I can deal with it.

It leaves the skin fresh and balanced, no tightness or oiliness which is what I really like. Ever since I started using this, my pores are noticeably more refined too. I believe it is due to the presence of Capryloyl Salicylic Acid - a lipid (oil) soluble, exfoliating agent which is able to penetrate into the pores and unclog oily build-ups.

The base of the bottle has a concave dent, I believe it's so that every last bit of the cleansing oil is drawn out making sure there's no wastage? I'm not sure but I thought I'd mentioned this little feature since there's not many cleansing oils in the market which does this.

The plastic bottle also features a good quality twist-to-lock pump which I do appreciate. After all, the price has to reflect on not just the product but the packaging as well. This feature is really convenient for travelling - maybe with the smaller size (150ml) and not the 450ml bottle hahah.

It smells mildly floral, which I find to be quite pleasant.

One of the reasons I repurchase this apart from its great performance, is for the 450ml size. For me, I find it quite annoying to have to constantly replenish my skincare. This bottle lasted me about 9 months with almost everyday use, 2-3 pumps each time.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel Review

2012-11-09T00:37:00.001+11:00

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel (AUD 53 for 250ml) Recommended for all skin conditions. A soap-free, foaming gel designed to thoroughly remove excess oils and impurities without drying the skin. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.

The product is a runny, clear gel which lathers into a light foam when worked with some water. Only a pea size/5 cents size amount is sufficient. I've used my 50ml bottle (1x daily) for 2 months now and I'm only halfway through. I'm not good with scents, but I'd say it smells mildly of essential oil, lavender oil to be exact, which I find very pleasant.

Important thing to note about this cleanser is that it requires quite some effort to lather up. I know there are people who can't be bothered spending the extra time but just like with any foaming cleanser, when you don't lather it enough, it will NOT cleanse properly. The cleanser has to look 'white' (LOTS of tiny bubbles) before you slap it on your face. But who doesn't like lathering anyway? I find it really fun, it's like trying to whip egg whites into the meringue stage, a process I find quite magical! Right.. ? Ok never mind.

The packaging is a plastic bottle with a press top cap, a light squeeze is required to dispense the product. The 500ml bottle comes with a pump.

It performs well and I like it. This is not the type of cleanser that leaves your skin feeling 'squeaky clean'. Often when a foaming cleanser leaves that 'squeaky clean' feeling (like washing your hands with soap), it leaves behind tightness, which is a sign that the cleanser may have 'stripped' the skin off its natural protective barrier. Our skin needs that barrier to prevent moisture loss and bacteria from thriving. With this cleanser, it leaves my skin feeling clean, refreshed and supple.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Hexylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

My thoughts:

I watched my bf (like a hawk just to make sure he uses it right) use this cleanser once and I was rolling my eyes and shaking my head all at once. All he did was wet his hands and face, squeeze some cleanser, rub his hands together, slap both hands on face and start cleansing. Where's the foam?! So I guess this would be the only negative about this cleanser; it takes a while to lather. I don't mind it, but I guess for people who can't be bothered with lathering, this could be too much work.

From a few other reviews I've read, many people seem to find this cleanser expensive. For a professional skincare brand, if compared to the many cleansers selling in departmental stores, honestly I don't find the Special Cleansing Gel to be expensive. 250ml is just about enough to last me one year, which is not steep at all.

If you're looking for a cleanser that HAS to do more than just cleansing, look further. If you like a basic cleanser that cleanses well without stripping, and like me you enjoy lathering (please tell me I'm not alone in this...), definitely give this a try!

Pros: Cleanses well, doesn't strip skin
Cons: Doesn't lather easily

Price & Availability:
AUD 53 at Dermalogica counters or Dermalogica website.

Spring is here! (3 Ways to wear MAC Morange Lipstick)

2012-11-03T14:01:00.001+11:00

Here's a makeup look I put together featuring 3 ways of wearing MAC Morange, a bright orange lipstick. I have a strange obsession with orange lips. I think orange is a less glamorous version of red, it appeals to me more because it looks more playful and... energetic? I don't know. I just love it but sometimes it takes me LOTS of guts to wear this bad boy out.

My favourite is the 'stained lips' effect. To achieve it, I dab the lipstick on the centre, inner part of my bare lips, then press them together, and blend with finger if needed. It's an easier and much more wearable method of wearing such a loud colour. The result looks like I've just had an orange popsicle.

Next method is to apply a really thin layer of lipstick, by lightly dabbing all over, and then using a finger to spread them out. The result is a less intense colour payoff and a matte finish. It's still pretty intense I'd say because MAC Morange is just that pigmented. A gloss can be added but I'm not much of a lipgloss fan.

The third way is to wear the lipstick straight off the bullet. I didn't have a matching lipliner so I didn't use any, but I did use a concealer to clean up the edges. Well, the picture itself is pretty self-explanatory. The colour gives so much of 'energy' to the entire face.

Because this orange is so strong, I find that keeping everything else simple (but not bare) is important. There's still lots of makeup involved! Strong orange lips tend to make pale/fair skin look sallow so definitely use some bronzer and warm blush. People with medium to deeper skintone can go with soft smokey eyes but since I'm on the fairer side, I think it'll look like I have too much going on. So I decided to play it light and focus more on definition. Lastly, make sure your chompers are as white as they can be before you smile because orange brings out the yellow in them!

Face:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Shiseido Concealer Stick in No. 2

Lavshuca Loose Powder

Cheeks:

MAC Powder Blush in Harmony (contour)

MAC Surf Baby Cheek Powder in My Paradise

Banila Co The Secret Highlighter in Moon

Eyes:

Kate Undereyes Covering Concealer

MAC Eyeshadows in Wedge and Charcoal Brown (brows)

Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel in Light Brown

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Pigment in Melon (lid) and Vanilla (inner corners, tear duct)

Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio Eyeshadow in Nude (2 darker shades for outer corners and lower lashline)

Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Liner
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in Pure White (waterline)

Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof in Black

Photography Makeup

2012-08-04T11:14:00.000+10:00

Omg it's been a while!

School has been occupying me for most of the time but good news is I'm almost done with the course now. What's next? A holiday back at home in Malaysia of course! I'm so looking forward to it.

Today I just wanna share something I did in school. It was an elective unit I decided to do instead of Spa. I joined the makeup students for a while for Photography Makeup :)

So at the end of this unit obviously we need to do makeup for a photoshoot and we get to keep the pictures and use it in our portfolios. We had to produce a look each for colour and B&W photography, and we had absolute freedom of whatever we wanted to do. I had lots of inspiration in my mind but due to a couple of problems I had to face, I decided to go with 60's/Twiggy look for my colour shoot, and 50's/Marilyn Monroe look for the B&W.

Did I mention we had to take care of the hair and wardrobe as well? Boohoo! Reason being the pictures will be our portfolio, obviously nobody wants a model with fantastic makeup but sloppy hair/style.

Besides braiding, I have never styled another person's hair before! I have a terribly boring fashion sense, and I have absolutely no idea about styling.

Which was one of the reasons why I decided to recreate iconic looks because then I wouldn't have to worry about trying hard to create something and have a terrible looking result. All I have to do is copy the look.

Ok enough with the boring words, pictures time.

These were my face charts of the looks I was going for. I love doing face charts mainly because I really love painting. I love painting with anything; pastels, colour pencils, watercolour... colours make me happy! I love the idea of filling these lifeless, boring, 2D face charts with beautiful colours. We're also required to draw the hair as how we would style it on our models.

Excuse the coffee stain =.= My coffee spilled in my bag, that's why.

For 1960's/Twiggy here's the picture I kinda took inspiration from.

The reason I chose Twiggy is because I thought the look was easy to recreate. Besides a really strong socket line and massive lower lashes, everything else was pretty simple; natural skin and lips, droopy eyes, warm cheeks. Another main reason was I have this shift dress with peter pan collar which I thought will match this 60's look really well. Hair was all tied back, to immitate Twiggy's pixie cut. It looks sleek from the front but you don't want to see the back. It's a complete mess! Lol.

I actually bought lower lashes at the very last minute because I totally forgot -.- I thought Twiggy wore false lashes but upon close inspection, I realised it was her real lashes with some drawn in! I ended up not using them anyway because they didn't look like what I wanted. Instead, I coated her lower lashes with loads of mascara, and I drew some in.

I was even tempted to draw in some fake freckles but I was kinda afraid, didn't know how well it'll turn out in pictures so didn't do it in the end.

For my B&W photography I chose 1950's/Marilyn Monroe because I knew my model was blonde and I knew she loved Marilyn and that's a really important factor because in the pictures she'll have to pose and whatever, if she doesn't even know or like the character it makes it even harder to get good pictures. Case in point, Twiggy. She didn't know her and during the shoot she felt a little lost as to what she should do :/

Anyway here's the picture I got my inspiration from.

I wasn't worried about the makeup, my main issue was definitely the hair. As I said I've never done hair before besides braiding! After Twiggy, this would be the 2nd time I did someone else's hair. I looked up tonnes of youtube tutorials on Marilyn's hair but I only got to 'practice' it, or maybe the right word is 'execute' it on the day of the shoot itself, on my model! When I did her hair for the Twiggy look it was supposedly easy but I was so lost already. And for Marilyn's I had to do pin curls.

As I was doing it I struggled to get the curls really tight and even and we both thought it wasn't going to work but I was really happy with the result! It definitely didn't look like Marilyn's but for my first time doing it I was REALLY happy already. I also accidentally burnt my model's forehead with the curling tong >.<

Excuse the lips, I know it's not perfect but I had only 5 minutes to do it cos we were taking our time during lunch and we weren't aware we're next for the shoot >.< oops hahah.

After the shoot we were fooling around taking pictures with our phones. I added the beauty spot for one last picture (because she didn't want it in the shoot) and told her to do a Marilyn pose :D

She really liked the look, and I was pretty pleased myself :)

Please ignore my greasy looking hair >.< Was really stressed out that morning and didn't have time to wash it.

One last picture of the day, with me in action ;)

I look like I have man arms =.=

I'll be getting the professional pictures in about a month's time, the photographer will pick some of the best shots and I will post it up when I get them. It was a great experience and I enjoyed it! In class and during the shoot we learned a little about lighting during a photoshoot. Also what not to do and what we should do more when doing makeup for a photoshoot.

It's my first time doing someone else's makeup and hair and I really did learn lots from it. Doing someone else's hair is really NOT as simple as it looks. Doing someone else's makeup was alright, especially applying false lashes. So much easier than applying it on myself lol.

The only struggle I initially had was looking for a model. Nobody was free to model for me at the beginning and I was so stressed out. And then I had to do the Marilyn hair and I was thinking, "Why am I doing this to myself, choosing to do this hair" when I could have just straighten it or do something easier lol. I'm glad I persevered.

So that's one thing crossed off my bucket list; being a makeup artist! Kinda :P Although only 2 days, I was satisfied. Did it make me even more interested in doing makeup? Sure did :)

3 FOTDs: Green, Taupe, Blue

2012-04-23T08:00:00.000+10:00

For the first look, I used a green eyeshadow from Inglot, Pearl 414. It is a dark teal-ish green, a very straight forward colour but beautiful still.

I did a subtle smokey eye look. Only used the green (414), a black, a brown to blend and define my socket, and a frosty champagne colour to highlight.

No blush, only contoured my cheeks. No lip products too, because my lips were in terribly chapped condition at that point. Urgh.

2nd look is a revisit. I was trying to remember how I did this look, intending to do a tutorial of it because I actually did promise to do a tutorial but never got around to doing it. Not very happy with the outcome. Not happy with the blending, and the amount of fall out I had is not even funny. My cheeks were like 2 disco balls.

I love women who can pull off middle parting (hair), it just looks so sexy and feminine. I unfortunately, look horrible with middle parting period. By the way, the lipstick is MAC Siss.

3rd look, navy smokey eye using some eyeshadows from the Sleek original palette, and the Wet & Wild Pride palette. This smokey eye is a lot more intense than the first one, in my opinion, which I very much prefer. I was going out for fancy dinner with some friends so I decided to add some false lashes. Yes, I do wear falsies now! I used to hate it because I suck at applying (still suck at it) but I'm getting the hang of it. It's the finished look that kept me going on with false lashes... it just pulls everything together.

This is not the way I usually do my base makeup, it's a lot heavier but I'm addicted to the flawless looking skin!

Nothing on the cheeks, lots of contouring shade, lips are MAC Creme de Nude.

That's it for this time. Have a good day and thanks for reading! x

Random Eye Makeup Looks

2012-04-21T16:57:00.002+10:00

Lately I'm back in the mood to play around with eyeshadows again. By playing around, I mean testing out different eyeshadows (mostly bright/bold colours), sometimes creating soft looks, sometimes dramatic... depending on what I feel like. Its just a way to practice application and blending and see what works because I absolutely hate screwing up my eye makeup when I'm 10 minutes to heading out! True story...

Also, it's a great way to draw inspiration from the experiments. The look may or may not work out beautifully, either way I still learn from it.

Anyway, since it's only me playing around, it's not an actual finished or perfected look. Some may not even have eyeliner/mascara because I usually do this before I clean my face for bedtime.

Wet & Wild Greed

I've been trying to figure out how to make full use of the Wet & Wild Greed palette, using most of the shadows in one look. It has a lovely lavenderish silver with gold specks, which I really wanted it to stand out.

Arabic Inspired

Strong brows and strong eyes. Pretty self-explanatory. By the way if anyone's wondering, that's not a stye (or whatever eye disorder) in my lower lashline. It's a nevus, or a mole that I was born with. I'm sorry if it looks a little disturbing. It does bother me sometimes which explains why I usually don't do close-up shots on this eye but this time, I had to because the other eye had another makeup look which you'll see below.

Grass Green

Bold eyeshadows excite me, period. Especially matte ones like this green.

Ivory and Sea Blue

Sorry for the blurry picture. This look reminds me of a scene which I shall leave it to another post. Full look/tutorial, hopefully :)

Till then, thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend! x

Salon Melbourne 2012 and updates

2012-04-01T23:20:00.000+10:00

Visited Salon Melbourne - Victoria's hair and beauty event for salon professionals. Mainly traders promoting different brands and products used in the industry. It was my first time being in a beauty exhibition like this and I have to say it was quite a great experience and exposure. I did not know what to expect so did not haul much. Mainly because it's the end of the month, I'm not working so I was quite broke to be hauling! Lol. Anyhow I did not plan on getting anything huge because like I've said, I did not know what to expect.

There's a really big booth with NYX products but it was a shame that there were not many available testers. And to make it worse, some of the NEW products were not sealed properly. Almost every new product was 'used'. You could see that it's tested by somebody. Imagine lipsticks...

There was a counter, Media Makeup selling Make Up For Ever and they have the 12 Flash Color Case that I've been wanting for ages. It was selling at $95 at the expo, still way over my budget. Oh well, that can wait. But it's good to know there is a stockist here in Australia.

Lots of nail booths but I am not huge on nails. Maybe when I start my own business I'll look into it. Lots of hair, obviously. My friend got some hair extensions for $40 which I thought was a good deal. Quite a bit of tanning, health & fitness, spa & wellness booths. There were only 3 waxing companies with huge booths - Mancine, Caron and Lycon. Others were quite insignificant. Only a couple of companies doing beauty furnitures, equipments and tools.

Got some lashes from Lash Republic which apparently, all of their lashes are handmade. Not sure how true it is but the lashes do look like they're of good quality. They retail for $25 but in the expo they were $6 each, or 10 for $50. My friends and I shared and I picked 3.

Then I spotted Crown Brushes. They're now in Australia and unfortunately they only have an online store. I regretted not getting more brushes while they're there when I get to actually see, touch, and feel the brushes in person because shopping online for brushes can be quite tricky. I picked up a crease brush, 2 mini chisels - a smudger and a detailer. They're soooo tiny, which I love. I've been looking for tiny detail brushes for the longest time. They're really precise and most importantly, not scratchy. I've tried the crease brush and I really like it too! Perfect size, density and softness.

I've heard of Crown Brushes for a while now but never got around to looking into it. I think the quality is pretty decent for the price. Very affordable, perfect for anyone starting out with makeup.

That's about it for Salon Melbourne. I can't wait for next year, I think I'll make better use of it once I finish my studies and be qualified. Then all the products, equipments and tools might be something I need.

School has been quite hectic now that I'm always down in the salon. I come home feeling completely exhausted almost everyday. But good news is I've passed my manicure, pedicure, basic facial and body massage units in school. Technically, I'm a semi-qualified therapist in all that! :) I still have many more to go but I am quite determined to get everything done ASAP. I can't wait to finish and get out and earn some moolah.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

2012-03-19T18:14:00.001+11:00

I got this foundation one day when Priceline (local chemist) was having a promotion of 50% off the entire Bourjois range. Haven't really heard about it but when I tested the foundation, it felt quite decent which was why I decided to give it a go. Also, Bourjois is not cheap here in Australia (as with all other beauty products) I must say so with 50% off, it was definitely a good time to try some of their products. Being a random pick, I would have never guessed that it could turn out to be a holy grail foundation for me =)

Claims:

A radiance-boosting, fruit therapy foundation: a flawless complexion for up to 16hrs!
Apricot - Radiance
Melon - Hydration
Apple - Anti-oxidant
Ginger - Energy

Its exquisite and melting formula blends onto the skin for a flawless yet natural finish.
- 8Hrs moisture, maintains essential skin hydration
- Semi-matte finish.
- Oil-free, non occlusive formula
- High tolerance, dermatologically tested

Product:

The texture of the foundation is light but not too runny, really smooth and easy to blend. Its fruity scent is quite significant but I like it. It comes in a transparent plastic bottle with a good pump, the amount you want is controllable. Plastic may look cheap but if you ever drop it, you don't have to worry about heart attacks or the pain of cleaning up - speaking from experience. The colour I have is 53 Beige Clair/Light Beige which is neutral with a slightly yellowish undertone. It is a teeny, weeny bit darker than my skintone but I'm just being really picky because in person, nobody could tell.

1. A blob of the product. 2. An unblended swatch. 3. Product blended into the skin.

Here's a list of ingredients:

Performance:

What better way than to show a foundation's coverage than pictures, eh?

For a full face, 1 pump for me is plenty. I usually refuse to dirty my fingers so I like to use a buffing brush but otherwise fingers work well with this foundation too.

In my opinion, this foundation provides a light to medium coverage. It evens out my skintone nicely, and quite decently hides any redness and pigmentation I have. Finish wise, this picture doesn't really show but it finishes semi-matte with a hint of healthy looking radiance on the skin. (For full face, refer to this post)

I don't know if it is able to last up to 16 hours but it does last for at least 8 hours, only if I powder my face. Without powder, the foundation does get a little bit blotchy on specific areas when my skin's excess sebum starts to come through - usually around the mouth. But powdering to me is no biggie anyway because I do put on concealer and it needs powder to set it in place. And besides, if you don't get oily you can probably can get away without powdering.

What I absolutely love is how natural, and skin-like it looks because of the radiance without compromising the coverage. If anything, I would call this the 'my skin but better' foundation. I can use this without a primer and it doesn't accentuate my pores, sink into lines or oxidise.

Suitability:

I'd say it's suitable for any skin types but people with normal, or combination of normal and slightly oily or dry skin will love it. If you like foundation that feels light and looks natural, you'll love this. It does have artificial fragrance and the scent is quite strong so people who are sensitive to that, you might want to stay away.

Pros: Natural-looking finish, does not emphasize pores or lines, long-wearing, light-weight, affordable if you can source it at the right price.
Cons: Pricey in Australia, only 5-6 shades available

Note:

For most of the time I wear this foundation, I get people telling me my makeup looks good, my skin looks healthy and it's a perfect colour match. Even the boyfriend likes it and he doesn't usually like me with makeup. How can this not be a holy grail already?

Price & Availability:

It retails for AUD 32 but you can sometimes find them on sale. Available in Priceline and Target nationwide. Sometimes you can also find it on Asos or StrawberryNet with a much cheaper price (almost 50%) than retail but at the time of me writing this, unfortunately it's not available.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

2012-03-12T19:15:00.001+11:00

The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is actually the very first cleansing oil I've tried after a recommendation from a friend. I've only started using it... or using cleansing oil in general, at the beginning of 2012 when I was looking for a proper makeup remover and an Asian store in the city happened to have this at half price so I grabbed one without hesitating. At the very beginning I only use it as a face makeup remover. Now, I use it as pre-cleanse, or 1st cleanse before going on with a regular face cleanser for my 2nd cleanse. As you can see, I'm running out soon and yes, I would repurchase this.

Product:

The bottle I got is actually a travel size so it only contains 70ml of product whereas a full size bottle will have 200ml. It comes with a pump which dispenses effectively (no oil 'flying' out or leaking) and it comes with a cap, perfect for traveling with. The product looks, smells and feels exactly like extra virgin olive oil - runny but has a slightly thick consistency.

Here's a list of its ingredients:

olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, pentylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil

Performance:

For a full face, I need 2 pumps to give enough slip. On days with heavier makeup, I would do 2-3 pumps. To demonstrate it's performance, here, I have some of my most long-wearing makeup products swatched at the back of my hand. The most stubborn being the waterproof mascara, which is Cover Girl's Lash Blast.

Using dry fingers, I massaged the oil as how I normally would on my face (dry too).

I then wet my hands (or fingers in this case) slightly with some water and continue massaging. Water will emulsify the oil and you will see the oil turning cloudy. On the face, it usually turns milky white but because I used a lot of dark colours here, that explains why it's turning grey-ish. The more cloudy, the better. You might need to repeat this step (a little water at a time, not full splash) because you want to make sure all the oil is emulsified otherwise it will not be rinsed off effectively - that's when you would get the oily film/residue after rinsing.

Rinse well and pat dry.

Notice how there's residue left on my skin from the mascara? This is just a demonstration, I could have rubbed harder to make sure the mascara comes off but that's not what I normally do to my eyes. The point is this cleansing oil does not effectively remove waterproof mascara. Other than that, it does an amazing job at cleansing other products, leaving my skin soft and refreshed, no tightness or oily residue left on the skin. Also when I do get it in my eyes, it makes my vision cloudy but it does not sting, which is a huge relief. And most importantly, doesn't clog pores.

Suitability:

In my opinion, this is suitable for almost everyone and any skin type, particularly oily skin due to it being an oil based product. Even if you don't wear makeup, using this for pre-cleansing is great. If you wear makeup, it's 2-in-1 step, pre-cleanse and makeup removal. You just have to make sure you rinse the product as thorougly as you would emulsify it.

Pros: Removes makeup effectively, effective as pre-cleanse, free of artificial fragrance and mineral oil, perfect size and packaging for traveling (only applies to the 70ml bottle).
Cons: Does not effectively remove waterproof mascara, difficult to find, can be quite pricey.

Note:

That being said, I'm actually not too bugged by its ineffectiveness in removing waterproof mascara. I am well aware that the Cover Girl Lash Blast is notorious for its difficulty to get rid of. I also like to line the insides of my eyes and I certainly do not expect the cleansing oil to effectively remove that, so before cleansing the face, I would usually remove my eye makeup with an eye makeup remover to make life easier for me. I hate the feeling of cloudy vision anyway.

Price & Availability:

Try Asian cosmetic/skincare stores. Online sources such as Ebay, Yesstyle, Cosme-de and Sasa do carry it but prices vary ranging from AUD17- AUD20/70ml, and AUD28 - AUD38 for 200ml.

Daytime Shimmer

2012-03-10T13:59:00.001+11:00

Finally a video!

Face:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Shiseido Concealer Stick in No. 2

Lavshuca Loose Powder

Cheeks:

MAC Surf Baby Cheek Powder in My Paradise

Eyes:

Kate Undereyes Covering Concealer

MAC Eyeshadows in Print, Charcoal Brown and Showstopper (brows)

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

Urban Decay Naked Palette (Sidecar, Smog, Darkhorse, Sin)

Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black Ink

Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

Lips:

Revlon Nude Attitude

YSL Rouge Volupte in No. 13

L'oreal Burning Black

2012-02-01T22:48:00.000+11:00

L'oreal's Infallible Eyeshadow in Burning Black is described as "a burning, incandescent black". Does not tell much about the colour but it is a dark burgundy with specks of red glitter.

L'oreal claim the Infallible Eyeshadows to be "Ultra-intense colour, up to 24 hour long-lasting hold and velvety soft feel.", "a hybrid powder texture, a luxuriously creamy eye shadow. Intense colour in just a stroke. The formula is both water resistant and smudge resistant and does not run into fine lines around the eyes."

Fortunately, this is a product which lives up to its claims... for the most part. Not too sure about it being water resistant and I am pretty sure it's not smudge resistant. It has a very interesting texture - a loosely pressed eyeshadow (not as loose as pigment), feels really creamy and smooth. It adheres well, very pigmented and easy to blend. It comes with a stopper/conserver which helps to prevent the eyeshadow from breaking loose and getting messy.

Here's a heavy swatch:

Not sure about it being able to last as long as 24 hours but it does last more than at least 8 hours, without creasing or fading. The pictures below show my makeup after a long day out. My camera ran out of battery so I couldn't take a picture when I did the makeup in the beginning. I took pictures of it only when I got home that night. My blusher and lipstick were already gone by then but the eye makeup stayed put.

MAC Melon Pigment

2012-01-06T22:44:00.000+11:00

MAC's Melon Pigment is described as a 'soft bright golden peach' colour. Great as a wash of colour all over the lids, also great as a highlight colour (on eyes and cheeks). It kinda has that duochrome quality of yellow and peachy gold.

Eyes: Melon + Brown on outer corners
Lips: Missha Creamy Matte Lip Rouge in PK01 + MAC Superglass in Disco Blend

Two other looks I have done using this pigment:

- Sky at Dusk
- Chinese New Year Inspired

MAC Old Gold

2011-11-07T22:36:00.000+11:00

L: MAC Old Gold on skin. R: MAC Old Gold on top of black eyeshadow.

MAC Old Gold is a very interesting pigment. It looks like tarnished gold in the jar, warm gold/warm brown (like duochrome) with olive/green reflects on skin. When applied on a dark base, the green is pushed forward. The darker the base, the green-er it shows.

Eyes: MAC Old Gold Pigment on top of black eyeshadow + Brown in crease

Lips: MAC Peachstock Lipstick + MAC Resort Life Lipgelee

MAC Morange

2011-11-04T18:58:00.000+11:00

MAC Morange is an Amplified Creme finish lipstick, described as a "loudmouth orange" by MAC. It applies smoothly and very opaque. In my opinion there's no other word that best describes this than INTENSE.

I was not entirely sure of this lipstick because I've never worn something so bold but after wearing it yesterday, I'm glad I got it. I absolutely love it.

With flash

Natural light

I got this together with Ruby Woo through Back2MAC. I can't wait to try that. A few important issues I realise after wearing orange lipstick:

- Contrary to red lipstick, orange lips make your teeth look yellow. Which explains why there aren't any teeth-baring pictures here. Make sure your teeth don't have the slightest stain. If all fails, just smile with your mouth closed.

- It can make you look pale. Make sure to have some bronzer or flush of warm-toned blush on your cheeks.

- The key is subtlety in the rest of the face - it gives a more youthful and fresh look. I barely have anything in my eyes (Only frosty eyeshadow to highlight) but I think it would look great too with a hint of eye makeup. Instead of liquid foundation, I only did a light dusting of mineral powder. If you have the skin for it, I'd say flaunt it and don't mask it.

Golden Gaze

2011-10-28T00:34:00.000+11:00

Eyes: MAC Golden Gaze Mineralize Eyeshadow (Semi Precious 2011)
Lips: MAC Creme de Nude
Cheeks: MAC Tan Tint Skinsheen Bronzer Stick (Surf Baby 2011)
Orange bit on my nose... too much bronzer on the brush >.< sorry!

How To: Audrey Hepburn Inspired Makeup

2011-08-08T22:00:00.000+10:00

Before I begin, I would like to give credits to the amazing Lisa Eldridge for putting up such a fantastic makeup tutorial inspired by Audrey Hepburn's makeup in Breakfast at Tiffany.

I am quite embarassed to say that I am not familiar with Audrey Hepburn (heard of the name but if you were to show me picture of her I wouldn't know it's her) and I have never watched Breakfast at Tiffany. Having absolutely no clue, I was fascinated by the tutorial Lisa Eldridge put up. I really, really liked the look. It looks clean, sophisticated and not overdone.

So here's an Audrey Hepburn Inspired Makeup, inspired by Lisa Eldridge.

Unfortunately, I don't like how my brows and lips turned out. When I was done with the look, I googled Audrey Hepburn. The brows should be much darker and the lips not as light. I will most likely revisit. Sue Lynn suggested completing the look with an updo when I revisit. Hrmm I'm not good with hair but it might be fun trying :)

Face
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (I think...)
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
Lavshuca Loose Powder

MAC Powder Blush in Harmony (contour)

Cheeks
MAC Powder Blush in Her Blooming Cheeks

Eyes
Kate Undereyes Covering Concealer
MAC Eyeshadows in Print and Charcoal Brown (brows)
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Wet & Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust
MAC Eyeshadows in Wedge, Charcoal Brown, Showstopper and Print
Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Liner
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in Pure White (waterline), Wet & Wild Color Icon Palette in Greed to set
Bourjois Volumizer Mascara
Ardelle False Lashes

Lips
MAC Lipstick in Creme de Nude

How To: Matte Purple Eyes with Wet & Wild Lust Palette

2011-08-02T00:03:00.000+10:00

You don't need lots of brushes to create a look. In this look, I only used 2 brushes for the eye makeup. If I wanted to I could have gotten away with just 1. The key is to apply a little at a time. Keep the colours light and soft to minimize any mess, so that there is no need to clean up that much. Of course, it also helps a lot by using good eyeshadow.

I also did not use the lid + crease + outer V technique. It's more of just a gradient of colours from light to dark. Nothing wrong with either techniques, I just think sometimes with my eyes, I would rather not do any 'crease work' when I don't have much (crease) to begin with. Sometimes I think it makes the eye makeup too dramatic looking to my preference especially when purple can be quite a strong colour.

I hope the video helps.

Products used:

Face
Chanel Prolumiere Foundation
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
Lavshuca Loose Powder

Cheeks
MAC Skinsheen Bronzer Stick in Tan-Tint
MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom

Eyes
Kate Undereyes Covering Concealer
Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Ash Blond
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Wet & Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust
Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Black
Bourjois Volumizer Mascara

Lips
MAC Lipstick in Angel
Lancome Juicy Tubes in Violette

Look: Baroque

2011-07-29T23:52:00.000+10:00

- Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio Eyeshadow in Baroque

- Revlon false lashes

- MAC Creme de Nude lipstick

- MAC Superglass lipgloss

Review: Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion (Black Brown)

2011-05-31T23:09:00.000+10:00

When Priceline was having a 50% off entire Cover Girl line promotion, I quickly snagged a couple of their mascaras because without the promotion they are kinda expensive.

I typically go for the classic black and waterproof formula when purchasing mascaras but this time I decided to go different and went with this non-waterproof mascara and picked up the black brown instead. No special reasons, just curious.

The claim:

The pros:

I love how it separates and lengthens really nicely. I did not curl my lashes prior to applying the mascara just to see how it fairs in terms of lifting the lashes and it actually curls them pretty decently. It gives my lashes some definition, making them more visible but not looking like I have 10 coats of mascara on. Another thing I really like is I can never go overboard with it. Usually at the 3rd coat of mascara, my lashes will start to look a little 'spider-y' and sometimes clumpy. Not with this mascara. And even with 3 coats my lashes still feel light and not crunchy.

The cons:

Unfortunately it doesn't hold the curls of my lashes when I curl them. The mascara weighs it down slightly. Another issue I face is sometimes at the end of a long day, I see tiny flakes of the mascara around my eye area. The wand is HUGE, not exactly fun to use for the lower lashes. As far as the volume it claims to give, I've never really experienced it.

Good to know:

This is the first brown mascara I've tried and I didn't know what to expect but I can say I would definitely use this for everyday because it is perfect for it. This is a non-waterproof formula and it comes off easily with water which I absolutely love. At the end of the day, I just want to take off everything and go to bed and I don't like to need to spend too much time removing my mascara. Then again, I need to be really careful when it rains and I can't wear this to watch a sad movie. The consistency is quite dry but it is not difficult at all to apply.

The conclusion:
If there's an amazing promotion again, I will definitely stock up on this one. It's great for everyday use. Otherwise, the retail price here in Australia is too much for what I'm willing to pay for. Afterall, it only lasts for 3 months.

Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion retails for AUD 18.95 at pharmacies and supermarkets but it sometimes go on sale. Otherwise, try Ebay as you might score it cheaper.

Look: Sky at Dusk Inspired

2011-05-23T15:09:00.000+10:00

Picture taken here

I haven't done a colourful look in a while. I wanted to do something coral just to match the coral, sheer flowy top I was wearing that day, went with the flow and this was how it turned out:

This was not inspired by the picture above, I was thinking about the beautiful sky at dusk I once saw which had oranges and purples. I first did the corals and gold without knowing what to add at the outer corners, and I suddenly thought of the sky at dusk and decided to go with purple. I googled "sky at dusk" and the above picture had the best resemblance of what I had in my mind.

Face:
Banila Co Prime Primer Matte
Nars Sheer Glow in Fiji
Lavshuca Loose Powder in Lucent
YSL Touche Eclat in No. 1

Brows:
Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Ash Blond
Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel in Brown

Eyes:
Kate Covering Concealer for Undereyes
MAC Paint Pot in Coral Crepe
Wet & Wild ColorIcon Palettes in Lust and Pride
MAC Pigment in Melon
Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Liner
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in Pure White
Maybelline The Falsies Volum'Express Mascara in Blackest Black

Cheeks:
MAC Powder Blush in Harmony
MAC Powder Blush in Prim & Proper

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Creme de Nude
YSL Rouge Volupte in No. 13

Review: Nivea Visage Refreshing Cleansing Wipes (for Normal & Combination Skin)

2011-05-03T13:32:00.000+10:00

I've never believed in using wipes solely to both remove makeup and cleanse the skin but I always have a pack around for lazy, headache-y or backache-y days when I cannot stand too long preparing my skin for sleep.

Also, I like to keep one in my bag. It's really handy during makeup shopping moments when I'll be swatching and testing like crazy in stores. Dry tissue doesn't take it all off sometimes.

I picked this one up without much thinking because the back of my hand was full of swatches, I ran out of cleansing wipes and I was already planning to get one anyway.

It claims to:

"Cleanse, tone and invigorate in one easy step. Removes make-up and waterproof mascara for a fresh skin feeling."

Here's my way of describing how I felt about this product when I first used it:

Takes a wipe out. "Hrm... tiny raised surface all over? Probably would take the make up off better."
Gently wipes my face. "So dry?"
Nevermind, continue wiping. Looks at it, nothing. Looks as clean as when it's pulled out from the package.
Rubs harder on the skin. "Ok.. now I see some colour but wth it feels rough on the skin."
Runs it across the lids. "Wth? Eyeshadow still there?"
Rubs harder. "Gosh it's so rough".

Of course, I haven't used it only once to come up with this review cos that would be unfair. I've used it twice. LOL I know, doesn't make any difference but honestly, I wouldn't wanna use it on my face again unless I'm REALLY tired.

Cons
I didn't like how the wipes aren't well soaked, they feel dry. And I assume because of that, it made me rub harder because I felt as though it didn't take off the makeup, hence the rough feeling on the skin. It felt even more uncomfortable on delicate areas like the eyes. I've never tried removing waterproof mascara but if they don't remove eyeshadows easily, I conclude it's not any easier to remove waterproof mascara. I've tried removing regular mascara though. It did the job but with quite some effort and rubbing.

Pros

The only good thing about this is it is supposedly packed with vitamins and natural lotus extract. Um.. I don't really know what's good about lotus extract but I'm just quoting what's on the packaging. Also, it's free of alcohol and the packaging seals securely. This product claims to be suitable for normal & combination skin. It was neither oily nor drying on the skin, which in my opinion is a good balance.

Good to know
Smells fresh, definitely scented. And if you don't cleanse your skin after using it, the scent does linger. Nivea at the moment makes 3 types of cleansing wipes for different skin needs: Normal and Combination Skin, Dry and Sensitive Skin, and Mature Skin. Here's a list of the ingredients for Normal & Combination Skin:

Aqua, Isopropyl Stearate, Nelumbium Speciosum Extract, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Methylisothiazolinone, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, *Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parmum

*A little confused, in the package it says "Alcohol free", so Benzyl Alcohol is not alcohol? Please enlighten me, thanks!

**After squinting so hard to look into the tiny words in the package and struggling to type out all these uncommon chemical names, I saw the list of ingredients on the website where I could have just copied and pasted it here. =.= Great.

Conclusion
It does remove makeup but it takes quite some effort to do so. Uncomfortably. And I will not recommend using it alone to take off makeup without cleansing with a cleanser afterwards. ~~I've never tried cos I'm a chicken.~~ Tried it, BROKE ME OUT :( It left my skin in a balanced condition - neither oily nor dry - which is great but I wished the wipes could be made more moist, that would have made the product more likeable.

I will still use this but not on my face, it'll only be used to remove makeup I test at the back of my arm or wherever the swatch can be. I don't remember how much I paid for it, most probably around AUD 6-8 for 25 wipes, which I think is not worth the price at all. Definitely won't repurchase.

If after reading this anyone is still interested to try, I got this at Big W and this should be readily available in any supermarkets and leading pharmacies like Priceline.

Anybody has any cleansing wipes to recommend? I've only tried MAC and Biore and I really like both! The Biore one is definitely not available in Australia but MAC's pricing here is kinda steep.

Look: Sunnydazed

2011-04-27T22:45:00.000+10:00

I feel... crippled without my camera T_T Still waiting for my charger to arrive. Here's a look I did one fine day. On my lids is MAC Sunnydaze pigment which I got from one of those sets of mini pigments MAC releases every end of the year. I'm pretty sure its limited edition. Its a metallic soft, cool taupe with silver pearls. Sometimes it appears silver-ish.

Face:
Banila Co Prime Primer Matte
Nars Sheer Glow in Fiji
Lavshuca Loose Powder in Lucent
MAC Harmony Matte Powder Blush
MAC By Candlelight Mineralize Skin Finish
Can't remember what blusher I used sorry!

Eyes:
Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Ash Blond
Kate Covering Concealer for Undereyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Sunnydaze pigment (used wet)
MAC Wedge, Charcoal Brown, Smoking and Brulee Eye Shadow
Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Liner
Maybelline The Falsies Volum'Express Mascara in Blackest Black

Lips:
Nothing!

It's pretty windy here in Melbourne and hair stuck on my lips' gloss drives me craaaaaazy.

Current favourite products

2011-04-13T01:14:00.000+10:00

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom EDP

I'm not good at describing scents so my best way of putting it is this perfume smells very floral, subtle and sophisticated. When I first saw this, I admit, I had the urge to smell it only because it was pink. In my opinion this has the same subtle, floral quality with a slight citrus accent to it, (even the same pink colour!) as Dior Addict 2 so if you're a fan of that (I am!) you might just like Fresh Blossom.

Wet & Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes
I finally understood why these palettes have been getting so much of attention. Honestly, until today I've never seen any drugstore/cheap eyeshadow comparable to these. For the price, most of the shadows are spectacular. Not all, but most of it. A few are gritty and lacking in pigmentation, some are very chalky. Nonetheless, these are considerably cheap for its overall eyeshadow quality.

MAC Wedge Eyeshadow (Matte)
I've been using this almost every single time I do my eye makeup. It's a light, neutral brown and I use this to soften the edges of eyeshadows on my eye socket area, also as a transition colour between the crease and brow bone highlight. It's a great colour for all that purposes on my fair skintone.

Kate Covering Concealer for Under Eyes
This concealer only comes in one shade unfortunately but if you're fair, this concealer does an amazing job in brightening the under eye area and in my case since my under eye dark circles are not too serious, it does a great job in concealing too.

Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencils
Eventhough it's called 'metallic eyeliner pencils', none of the pencils I own (black and brown) gives a metallic finish. I like how incredibly soft these pencils are and they glide on effortlessly. They are richly pigmented and pretty long lasting too and most importantly, they're cheap.

MAC 138 Tapered Face Brush
This sucker which looks like a huge Chinese caligraphy brush is so expensive but I just can't resist it. I like how it's huge enough to be used all over the face, and the pointed end is small enough to get into tight corners and smaller areas in the face. The bristles are so soft it's as though I'm brushing a feather on my face. There are so many other ways to use this brush and I cannot get enough of it.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
Was a favourite, still a favourite. Now that I'm living in a colder and dryer area this foundation has been holding up pretty well which makes me adore it even more. Read my review here.

MAC By Candlelight Mineralize Skin Finish
Ever since I bought this I have never stopped using it. It basically is a powder highlighter but I know some people use it as a blush too. I use it only to highlight especially on my cheek bones and it makes my skin 'glow' like a manequin or a doll's face!

Sebamed Clear Face Teenage Apt Gel
Ok I know it says Anti-Pimple Gel in the picture but mine says Teenage Apt Gel. I think they're the same. No pimple treatments I have tried can compare to how effective Sebamed works on my skin. Again, the best part is it's cheap!

***

I really wanna properly blog again but I don't have my camera at the moment. Smart me... I left my camera's charger back at home so I'll have to wait till someone posts it to me before I can post makeup looks or reviews. Meanwhile, hello again readers! If there's still any left... haha.

Pewter Smoky Eyes

2011-04-06T11:14:00.000+10:00

How's this for a comeback?

I've missed blogging!

Taking a break

2011-02-14T01:57:00.000+11:00

Sad to say that this blog will be put on a hiatus. I don't know how much time I need to get things settled but I hope I will have time to manage this page again, someday. Some of you may know what I'm up to. To those who do not know, let's just say I'm making a huge 'move'.

I have so many things to juggle at this moment I don't think updating a beauty blog is practical anymore. But if you really wanna know, you can drop by my personal blog as I'll probably be more consistent with updating there. For me, posting beauty-related posts isn't as easy as talking about random stuffs in my like such as what I'm feeling, what I ate, what happened to me etc.

So long, beautiful readers. I'll be back some day.