Hanny's Random Ramblings

FOTD: The Easiest, Most Wearable Neutral Look EVER!

2013-05-20T16:35:00.001+08:00

It’s funny where one receives the inspiration for FOTDs, but this is not the first time that I’ve done one based on a character from a TVB palace drama.

This time, I took a leaf out of Sheren Tang’s character in Beauty at War (or rather, War and Beauty 2 - 金枝欲孽贰) – Yue Fei (Concubine Yue).

(Image source here)

I loved her character in War and Beauty, where she was conniving and cunning, fighting for her survival in the Forbidden Palace. She’s more docile in the second season, and her character’s makeup is changed a little to reflect that .

(Image source here)

As you can see on the picture above, Yue Fei’s makeup is beautifully simple. It is pretty neutral with coral lips and cheeks. Inspired, I decided to come up with an FOTD which I will show you… now ^.^

Step 1: Apply a black eyeshadow onto the upper lashline.

Step 2: Pat your favorite brown eyeshadow onto the entire eyelid area.

Step 3: Highlight the area above your crease/socket-line. If you want to give the brown a little sheen, you can go over that area with the highlight color as well.

Step 4: Apply mascara to the upper lashline and lower lashline, remembering to line the upper lashline if you want a more concrete line. I kept the waterline and lower lashline clean to stay true to Yue Fei’s look. Define the brows.

[OOPS, I didn’t realize that I used the same picture for Steps 3 and 4, SORRY!]

Step 5: I mixed a pink blush with a peach one for the cheeks and used the only coral colored lipstick in my arsenal.

There, the look is complete! It’s a really simple look, but a very wearable one as well. It works for the office, dinner parties, family lunches/dinners etc. heh heh. Do tell me if it worked for you!

Products Used:

Eyes -

Inglot 322 Matte (Black) – Upper lashline
Inglot 363 Matte (Brown) – Eyelid
Inglot 395 Pearl (Highlight) – Area above crease/socket-line, mixed with Inglot 363 Matte.
In2It Felt tip liquid liner – Black
Maybelline Volum’Express the Magnum Cat Eyes mascara

Lips -

Dior Addict Extreme in Riviera.

Face -

Nars Sheer Glow in Barcelona
MAC Something Special Blushcreme
MAC Peaches Sheertone Blush

PandaMay’s Day in the MUSA Office!

2013-05-18T00:48:00.001+08:00

Heh heh heh I’m BAAACK!

Today my Owner decided to bring me to her Uni! As the Panda Ambassador from China, my duties include visiting foreign universities and giving their students a talk about myself and my homeland as well as how those pathetic humans can help with our plight with something called conservation. Didn’t know how that worked, but my Owner thought that it would be good of me to earn my keep once in awhile so I decided to do what she said… for once.

My Owner let me sit at the dashboard of her car, next to this funny little thing that dances in the sun. But… this morning was raining so it didn’t dance at all.

Here I am, in my Owner’s office while she sorted out my workstation. I wonder how many people would come to hear me speak?

Ah, as you can see, I was going to talk about China’s bamboo trade. I think Malaysia should import more Chinese bamboo – I’ve had the Malaysian stuff and it tastes horrible. My Owner is poor, so she couldn’t do anything but to give me the bad stuff. So, today I shall tell the future leaders of this nation to bring more tasty bamboo from my homeland so that all Panda Ambassadors in Malaysia won’t have to be tortured with inferior-quality food!

Wait… are those foxes making out?

(Oh, and I forgot, this Panda is so “badass” that she uses a computer with TWO SCREENS!)

OH NO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, WOMAN! UNHAND ME! I DEMAND YOU PUT ME DOWN AT ONCE! I HAVE A PRESENTATION TO FINISH!

WAIT! I AM AN AMBASSADOR! DO NOT PUT ME ON TOP OF YOUR HEAD AS IF I’M YOUR PLAYTHING! I WILL REPORT THIS TO THE GLOBAL DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY! CHINA WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!

Whew, after that horrendous ordeal, I managed to complete my presentation and rush to the 4th MUSC Meeting. Thank the heavens my Owner even managed to get me a bamboo-flavored frappe from Starbucks to calm my nerves!

It was a nervous experience chairing a meeting, those people out there are a tough crowd to please!

After my presentation, the meeting continued, talking about mundane issues that did not concern a Panda Ambassador at all. It was heart-wrenching to see that they did not care much about me at all, apart from the fact that I’m so heart-meltingly adorable.

So, I decided to hang on my owner’s laptop screen and watch the proceedings of the meeting after my section. My Owner told me that they were only students and could only voice out to higher authorities about their problems. It was all nonsense to me, of course, but I am a little glad that the kind MUSA President hinted that he would allocate a small amount of the budget for a small Chinese bamboo garden so that Panda Ambassadors that come to their university campus would not need to starve!

All in all, this was a rather good day. Alright, to the two ladies who I said was manhandling me, I’m sorry. I only said those mean things to uphold my… er… tough Panda Ambassador image. You can put me on top of your heads all you want!

Hah hah, I hope you all liked PandaMay’s adventures! She really had a full day filled with adoring new fans and friends, as well as a very enlightening day on how I suffer on a day to day basis!

However, I would have to say that as she is just a Panda cub, she doesn’t really know how the world really works and whatever she said here just happened in her head. If you are a student from my Uni, and want to know what really happened during MUSC meetings, please check out the minutes here.

(As if you didn’t know that whatever I wrote before the line break was just for a bit of a laugh, HAH HAH!)

Is It Really Perfect? Quick Review: Shiseido Senka Perfect Watery Oil

2013-05-17T15:14:00.001+08:00

Shiseido’s drugstore line is finally here in Malaysia, yay!

I got this the very moment my copious amounts of Perfect Liquid finished, and I’ve been using this for a while now.

As a cleansing oil, I would say that it is a little more runny than the Perfect Liquid, which is very viscous. You will definitely need to use more product to clean off a full face of makeup than the former. I usually uses at least three pumps of the stuff for my everyday makeup – just because my mascara is waterproff, heh heh ^.^

Saying that, I would have to say that the Perfect Watery Oil does not leave a slightly greasy film on the face after cleaning off the makeup with this one. It leaves the skin feeling clean. Of course, one must always follow up with one’s normal cleanser to get EVERYTHING off, but if you’re in a pinch, it’s alright to skip the cleanser.

So, is this better than the Perfect Liquid? I would say it rolls down to preference. This comes in a bigger volume than its cousin, but said cousin requires less product to clean off the same amount of makeup.

This retails at RM 48ish in Watsons in Malaysia.

Pros: Non-greasy, affordable,

Cons: More product is needed to clean the face than the Perfect Liquid.

FOTD: Bronzy and Beachy!

2013-05-15T01:10:00.001+08:00

Ah, soon summer will be upon us, and all around us the cosmetics companies have been churning out summer collections faster than we can breathe. It seems though, year after year, these companies will definitely bring something bronze. It can be a bronzer, and eyeshadow… just something that is shiny and brown mixed with a little gold.

Well, my job today is to replicate this look, but as per HRR fashion, I’ll do it the other way. YEP. I’m so serious about it that I used italics hah hah. What do I mean, you ask? Here is my answer:

I shall be doing a FOTD that is bronzy on the lips and beachy on the eyes! ^.^

Step 1: Start out with a light layer of lipgloss sticky enough to hold some powder. Apply it liberally all around your lips.

Step 2: Gently pat a black eyeshadow over the lipgloss, making sure to get into all those little nooks and crannies of your lips. However, there WILL be areas where the eyeshadow will just slide off like the innermost parts of my lips as you can see – that can’t be helped . Clean up the lines with a small, precise brush after your lips are totally black.

Step 3: Dab a yellowish orange eyeshadow onto the center of your lips. Due to the fact that the black I used had a little blue in it, the orange in the center turned a little green – giving it a little bronze effect going on. This will also give your lips a little more dimension.

Step 4: Apply a light peachy-beige color all over your eyelids.

Step 5: Apply a little sandy color at the outer 2/3 of the eye.

Step 6: Blend a shimmering orange halfway between the crease and your eye socket.

Step 7: Deepen the crease/socket-line area by blending in a burgundy color without using more black.

Step 8: Line your eyes haphazardly, smudging it if necessary.

Steps 9 and 10: Define your brows – I mixed a grey, brown and black to get this color so that my brows don’t get too washed up from all the black on the lips. Also, put on your favorite pair of eyelashes!

Step 11: I lightly bronzed the perimeter of my face and brushed any remaining bronzer onto my cheekbones for that “sun-kissed glow” and the FOTD is done!

So, what do you think? I kinda like this look, actually, heh heh. No, I will not wear it out to the beach soon, but it is a nice twist to what we’re normally used to, heh heh!

Products Used:

Eyes -

Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No 5 (Peachy-beige) – All over eyelid
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No 10 (Sandy color) – Outer 2/3 of eyelid
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No 15 (Shimmery orange) – Upper crease/socket-line near socket.
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No 2 (Burgundy) – Crease/socket-line
Cyber Colors Gel Liner in Black (smudged)
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadows No 20, 26, 30 (grey, brown, black – all matte) – Brows
Lash Bar TS 063 lashes

Lips -

Etude House Kissful Tint Chou
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No 30 (Black)
Shiro Cosmetics Charmander (Yellowish orange)

Face -

MAC Refined Golden Bronzer

FOTD: Something Soft and Cool For The Daytime!

2013-05-13T12:45:00.001+08:00

(AKA: Makeup-practicing for Oldest Cousin Daforcena’s Wedding Attempt 1!)

At this point of time, I’m actually looking forward to an event that my family’s been planning for about a year now – Oldest Cousin Daforcena is GETTING HITCHED! WOOHOO!

Of course, this means a hella lot of planning and organizing, but that’s for the adults to stress over. I have a job that special day, heh heh, but it’s a teeny tiny one compared to what Mi Madre and Mi Padre has to go through though.

So… what this vain little Daforcena did here is to think of a makeup look that’s kinda suitable for a garden wedding in the heart of KL. HMMM. I’d be wearing a white dress that day, so I thought that something on the light-ish side should be fine, no?

Thus, I decided to turn a complete 180 and do something with pinks, a little beige and some purple, so here we go!

Step 1: Apply a cream/shimmery beige color onto the inner corner of your eyelids to highlight that area and make your eyes “pop”.

Step 2: Blend a pink color of your choice onto the outer 2/3 of the eye. It does not have to be precise, but there must not be a line of separation between the pink and the cream/shimmery beige.

Step 3: Using circular motions, sweep a reddish purple onto your crease/socket-line. If you want this look to be a tad more dramatic, you can blend it a little higher so you can see the color peeping out when you open your eyes.

Step 4: Line your upper lashline with a liquid eyeliner, ending with a kitten flick (mini cat-eye) and go over the waterline with a mix of a shimmering blue eyeliner and some purple cream eyeshadow.

Steps 5-6: Apply mascara and define your eyebrows. Make sure to include mascara to the lower lashes to make your eyes look larger!

Steps 7: You won’t go wrong with a pop of pink on your cheeks and a slightly nude lip with a gold sheen.

There, the look is complete! I wore this to Uni last Friday, and I’m pleased to say that I received a few compliments on the colors heh heh. If this was subtle, yet interesting enough for Uni, why not an intimate, formal morning affair with family?

Do tell me if you liked it! See ya!

Products Used:

Eyes -

Inglot 395 Pearl (Cream/Shimmery beige) – Inner corner of eyelid
Inglot 362 Matte (Pink) – Outer 2/3 of eyelid
Inglot 375 Matte (Purple) – Crease/socket-line
In2it Felt Tip Liquid Liner
Maybelline Volum’Express The Magnum Cat Eyes Mascara
Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner in Aqua (Waterline)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Painted Purple (Waterline)
MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep, Dark Brunette (Brows)

Lips -

Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in Organdi Rose

Face -

Hanny’s DIY Tinted Moisturizer
MAC Mineralized Concealer NW 30
Red Earth Eco Color Complexion Compact
Nars Blush in Desire

2013 Sem 1 Post Assignment Skincare Collective Haul!

2013-05-11T18:13:00.001+08:00

Ah, the feeling after you’ve finished all the assignments of the semester. It’s utterly… riveting!

Thus, to celebrate, I decided to spoil myself a little by replenishing the necessities, and this time, I’m proud to announce that I’ve moved to other brands for certain skincare as well!

This is a different version of the Shiseido Perfect Liquid that I loved – I showed you this earlier, but the photo wasn’t that clear so here it is again!

This is an oldie in the market. Madre Daforcena bought this for me when we were in Bukit Bintang, doing a little shopping after a visit to the derm at Jalan Imbi. We came across a cosmetics and fragrances clearance sale at Lot 10’s Isetan and I snapped this Kanebo sunscreen up at RM 25. ^.^

Last, but not least, I have a new box of masks to replace my Shills peel off mask. I actually thought to repurchase it, but I just grabbed the nearest box that said “black mask” without knowing that this box actually contained sheet masks! Oh well, at least I have something new to try, no?

So there you have it, my little skincare haul. Apart from the sunscreen, I would say that they’re a little mid-range, that is to say, a little too expensive for the drugstore, but still does not cost as much as what you can find in the departmental store. However, don’t let price stop you from trying new things! ^.^

Oh, and before I forget, Happy Mother’s Day to all the lovely mothers in the world! How are you celebrating this lovely day with your mothers?

Is It Really A Heartbreaker? Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 016 Heartbreaker

2013-05-10T14:54:00.001+08:00

Let me tell you, I’ve suffered my share of heartbreak these few months. It’s a tiny little case of someone being a douche, but I guess time heals all wounds. ^.^

Enter Rimmel’s Heartbreaker, purchased when Rimmel was pulling out of Watsons in Malaysia at a steal, and no, my own heartbreak didn’t end so easily (I wish it did), but I guess I’ve found something rather magical. ^.^

Like it’s sister, this lippie is creamy and pigmented. But unlike cutting edge, it is actually darker than what the color shows on the bullet.

What you get is a pinky-red, or rather, a raspberry color. It packs a punch, and it has just enough of slip, being a creamy-ish product. I would not say that this is an opaque and glossy lipstick like NYX Ruby, but it is smooth enough to sit on my lips quite comfortably.

This is how it looks like on my face under flash photography. Due to the fact that my lips are slightly reddish, the lippie turns into something like a semi-matte fuchsia.

However, it turns into this slightly pink berry shade in natural light. Strange, no? It’s a curious kinda strange, but I like it.

To make this lippie even more magical, put a thin layer on your lips, blot over with a powdered highlighter, and apply another thin layer. You will have the semi-matte finish but with a hint of shine that will make your lips appear slightly more voluptuous, if that’s your thing, hee~

I like to wear this on days when I have that little kitten flick eyeliner, like the pictures above. Wait, that’s two little kitten flicks, but you get the idea. ^.^ If you prefer a lighter touch, just dab it all over your lips, you’ll get a lovely raspberry stain!

As for the wear, I’d say I get a good 3-4 hours from one application. It WILL go off if you eat, but that’s not a big problem for me, heh heh.

I would have to say, being my fourth lipstick from Rimmel, I do enjoy the texture that these products provide, and of course, their affordability.

I bought this at RM 7.50, but Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks usually retail around the RM 20-RM 25ish mark in Guardian outlets in Malaysia.

Pros: Color changes in different lighting subtly (due to its hue), smooth and pigmented.

Cons: Can’t find any.

What A Stressful Week It’s Been! Also, How I Survived The Tightest Deadlines Of My Life.

2013-05-09T18:59:00.001+08:00

On the surface, taking a double degree course is not difficult. I basically do 4 units (subjects) per 12 week semester just like the other students taking the single degree course. BUT… the very root of the problem lies in the fact that when one takes units from two different faculties, one’s assignment deadlines are, in an utter lack for better words, totally screwed up.

Let’s just say for Week 9 (this week) of this semester, this little Daforcena has 3 essays due and as well as a mid-term. Yep, stuff for all 4 subjects. In ONE week. I’ve been preparing for this for weeks now but still, it was HELL to go through~ (Rant: It did not help that two of these essays have 40% and 50% weightage respectively)

How did I pull through? I do have a few tips that I’ve discovered after being in Uni for 3 years (I have one more year left) and this is my way of tackling them deadlines, while making sure that I don’t kill myself with too much stress. I didn’t think that I could do it last year, but I’d like to say that things aren’t as easy as I expect, but yeah, it’s pretty good so far ^.^

So this post is all about how I cope with daily Uni life! I hope it is not too mundane for you though. Oh and please be reminded that I’m FAR FAR away from the Dean’s List so don’t come and kill me when something… untoward happens to you should you decide to do what I do. It just works for me so I thought I’d share. ^.^

At the start of a new period, record ALL the deadlines. This can be done at the start of the week, or the start of a month… Due to the fact that I already know my deadlines once I get my Unit Guides, I do it at the start of every semester.
Once you know what kind of trouble you’re in for the time period. Plan accordingly. I usually take a week to finish any assignment – 3 days of writing and about 3 days of research (procrastinating most of the time). The extra day is an “emergency” day there has been no progress since day 5.

I also tend to edit my work AS I’m doing it. I know of people who will do the editing after they’ve completed it. I like to end my work when I END it so… by the time I’m done, I’ll just hand it up. No more second thoughts.

Know how you work. I remember being sooo frustrated that I couldn’t write one of my first 40% essays because I couldn’t find that one line of text that came from my reader (a collection of academic writing that acts as my textbook for my arts units). This went on for three days until I found that one line. After I found it, the inspiration immediately came and I was able to finish the essay in time. That episode made me realize that it was important for me to grasp and understand the concept of the question/problem/task before I am able to actually head out and do it. Knowing your working style allows you to easier plan around your deadlines, so you don’t get too caught up with one project, trying to perfect it and neglect another.

It’s also a great tip to know the speed of which you work when you have no more alternatives. I realized that mine was 15 hours to finish a 2300 word essay, complete with data analyses. So now I know that when forced, I can easily carry off 15 hours of non-stop work. ^.^

If it gets too much for you, move away. If you can’t write it, you can’t write it. There’s no point flipping through all your sources and essay guides if you can’t continue. So… if you’re stuck, MOVE AWAY FROM THAT PROBLEM. Take a walk, have a snack…

Actually, this has become how I fit my gym time around my crazy Uni life as I’m always doing work in the mornings and afternoons between classes. So between 6 and 11 PM, I won’t do anything because that’s the time I go home from Uni, take a shower, have dinner, go to the gym at 9, bathe again when I get home…. You get the picture. I’d continue my work from after I’ve settled myself down after gym and work until about 2AM – I can stay up so late because most of my classes are in the afternoon ^.^
I for one think that dressing up in the morning calms me down somewhat. Wearing what I feel like wearing gives me a sense of liberation, it seems, and gives that extra spring in my step that takes me through the day.

Never, EVER ask for a second opinion from your peers if the task carries an open response. Different people have different ways of looking at things. If you’ve done your research right, and you KNOW what you’re supposed to solve. Get. The. Eff. Away. From. Other. People. If they were right all the while, they would have scored the lottery in their first ticket, if you know what I mean. When in doubt, always consult a higher authority.
Know what you like when you work. If you prefer utter quietness, don’t work in areas where there are a lot of people (or, get them fancy noise-canceling earphones). If you prefer to have a hot drink next to you, get it.

I like to listen to stuff when I work. It could be music, it could be an old, favorite TV episode… Just stuff, really ^.^

To conclude (OH MY I SOUND LIKE I’M WRITING AN ASSIGNMENT), I’d say that knowing thyself is the most important thing while doing any work that has deadlines. I don’t like to renegotiate deadlines, because it will just eat into the time that I’ll need for other stuff so I try not to do that.

So yeah, regular postings will resume tomorrow onwards! ^.^ As always, I hope you enjoyed this post!

Cat-Eyes? Really? Review: Maybelline Volum’Express the Magnum Cat Eyes

2013-05-03T12:56:00.001+08:00

When normal people say the phrase “cat eyes”, they imagine this:

(Image source here)

But when someone like me sees the phrase “cat eyes” what I see/think and do is this:

(Image source here)

*Sighs* Ah… to have Dita von Teese’s features… Porcelain skin… blood red lips, those big, doe-like eyes.

Welp, no matter, it seems that Maybelline has come up with something that would help us jealous women in this department!

So, having tried countless mascaras from the Volum’Express line, how does this one fare? Let’s find out, shall we?

Let’s talk about the wand. You can see that it curves somewhat like a katana and has short bristles. Short bristles usually work better for short lashes like mine because they are able to clutch onto every one of my little lashes, coating them with product. The curvature of the brush, on the other hand, provides a nice lift to the lashes, thus, curling them.

The upper side looks like a frown while the lower side looks like an inverted one, no?

So, here are my eyes prior to mascara application. My lashes are short, but they’re somewhat curly, heh heh.

With one coat of the mascara, you can instantly see that my lashes are now slightly thicker and curlier.

By adding another coat, I have greater definition and lift.

See, even the lower lashes benefit from two coats of the mascara! Oh, on the lower lashes, please be reminded to use the side of the wand where the curve looks like a frown. Conversely, use the right-sided frown for the upper lashes!

With a little bit of tightlining, the mascara will make your eyes stand out easily and make them look bigger and more awake. What a way to emphasize your eyes without any additional products!

This mascara is waterproof, so do remember to use a cleansing oil to get it off when the day is done! ^.^ I swear that you’ll get little balls of fiber while cleaning it off your lashes, it’s pretty fun!

Retails at RM 28ish at drugstores/pharmacies in Malaysia.

Pros: Lifting, volumizing

Cons: Not so much lengthening, a little difficult to remove.

Oh, I’m Utterly Blushing With Desire! Review: Nars Desire Blush

2013-05-01T02:45:00.001+08:00

See what I did there? You don’t? Oh, never mind.

Let’s see, remember when I told you that I got the Nars Sheer Glow, my aunt also got me something else from Nars as well? Here it is!

This is just lovely, a matte bubblegum pink in a pan! I never had a truly pink blush before, and this makes for a lovely start.

Here is the back. As you can see, Nars packaging is entirely difficult to keep clean in any case due to its rubbery texture. It looks beautiful when opened from the box, of course, but when it comes home and you use it from time to time… powder gets into the little pores of the packaging, it gets scratched…

However, that does not mean that I’m not into more Nars products, though!

As you can see from the picture above, the swatch on the left has been blended out and the one on the right is just a swipe straight from the pan. Yes, it is THAT pigmented. If you’re very fair, do be careful when you’re using this blush. If you usually swirl 3 circles with your brush when using other blushes, just swirl your brush once with this, if you want a more quantitative comparison.

If you think that the afternoon soon will wash this out… you’re dreadfully wrong. The swatch is as potent under sunlight as using a camera’s flash.

How does it wear on the face, though?

Here you can see me wearing this blush with glossy lips on the pink side. See that it’s only a hint of color? Well, I just tapped my MAC 109-ish brush once on the surface of the blush and blended it onto my cheekbones. If you feel that the color is still too much, what you can do is to blend over the blush with a CLEAN face brush that is larger than your blush brush back and forth in a diagonal direction.

Oh yes, you can wear this blush with blood red lips as well, no problems!

However, I think the magic of this blush lies in its longevity. I wore this blush for 11 hours and look, it’s still there! It’s not as bright as before, but it’s not moved a single bit. Wow… Just… wow.

Usually, my blushes just disappear somewhere after lunchtime, at around maybe 3PM. It might be the fact that I am now housed in a cushy air-conditioned office most of my time in Uni or… it’s that this blush is absolutely awesome. (Pssst: Reminds you of a very familiar song, no?)

Actually, this is the only blush for me that actually shows up. Sometimes you want to see makeup as makeup, and not the no makeup makeup look, no? It gives a little healthy flush which is a look I’m starting to enjoy now, actually.

Since my aunt bought this for me at the airport in Bangkok, I have no way to tell you the retail price, sorry!

Pros: Ultra-pigmented, long-wearing

Cons: Application can be a little tricky.

Something Different For Once! FOTD: Monochrome Green II

2013-04-28T21:36:00.001+08:00

This other attempt on the monochrome FOTD series sees me adding a step that I don’t usually add, which somehow creates a slightly different look. IDK, but it made me look a little… girly than usual. HMMM. Does really adding highlighter below the brows

The main color today is chartreuse, which is a mixture of lime green and yellow to my eyes – I have it in the form of Nars Rated R I eyeshadow from my New Wave Palette.

Step 1: Apply a chartreuse eyeshadow all over the lid. The placement need not be precise, but make sure that the color is opaque.

Step 2: Blend a deep forest green all over the crease/socket-line. You can go as high as you want.

Step 3: Mix a white highlighting eyeshadow with a tiny bit of matte green (Tap into the white 4 times with your brush and the green 1 time only) and apply this onto the negative space below the eyebrow to just above the forest green.

Step 4: If you prefer a more pronounced crease, darken that area with the forest green again. Line your eyes – I did a double wing and applied a white eyeliner between the lines.

Step 5: Define the brows. Mix the forest green and the matte green onto the lower lashline. Too make this look a little smokier, just go lower than you usually would. Line the waterline with some black liner.

Step 6: Apply false lashes.

Step 7: This look is heavy on the eyes – so I decided to go plain on the cheeks with just some minor contouring. The lips are kept natural and glossy with a mix of beige and pink lipgloss.

Heh heh, so… this is what you get when you actually tried to play by the rules for once. ^.^ Or is it just me?

Products Used:

Eyes -

Nars Rated R I Eyeshadow (Chartreuse) – Eyelid
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No. 6 (Forest Green) – Crease/Socket-line and Lower lashline
Inglot 496 DS (White) – Highlight
Inglot 384 Matte (Green) – Lower lashline and highlight.
Canmake Creamy Eye Pencil in Black – Waterline
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black/Silver

Face -

DIY Tinted Moisturizer
MAC Refined Golden Bronzer

Lips -

Essence Stay With Me Lipgloss in Trendsetter
Lancome Color Fever Lipgloss in 306

Hello Color! FOTD: Cotton Candy Mattes

2013-04-26T11:28:00.001+08:00

I have a midterm at 2.00 PM today. But I’m so stressed out now I can’t study, hah hah. Don’t worry I’ve already finished my revision last night. ^.^

So to de-stress, let me show you a FOTD that I did last weekend, because I love to play with mattes and color.

Step 1: Apply a yellow eyeshadow all over your lid, ensuring that you DO NOT go up to the crease/socket-line . You don’t have to be neat at this stage.

Step 2: Blend a soft pink over the yellow, and make sure that it doesn’t take too much of space in the crease/socket-line. To be more precise, blend it slightly over the yellow, but slightly below the crease/socket-line. If the pink takes up too much of the yellow’s space, just apply more yellow RIGHT BENEATH the crease/socket-line.

[Note: A yellow-toned pink would be better suited for this look, you’ll see why in Step 3.]

Step 3: Directly apply a matte purple into the crease/socket-line. So now can you see the slight gradation from the purple, to the pink and then to the yellow?

Step 4: Blend the harsh lines of the purple out with a little bright, matte royal blue. If you want a more dramatic look, you can use black ^.^

Step 5: Line your eyes with liquid eyeliner. It looks more shiny that way and brings a different texture to the look as opposed to the soft matte of a gel liner.

Step 6: Line your waterline with a creamy blue eyeliner. Add mascara and define your brows.

Step 7: Going along with the cheerful, colorful theme, I used pink on the cheeks that has a slight sheen. The lips echo the pink eyeshadow I used – a yellow pink but this too has a little sheen to it.

Happy weekend! I’m spending my Saturday going to the derm and shopping in KL (hopefully) and studying at home on Sunday ^.^

Products Used:

Eyes -

Inglot 323 Matte (Yellow) – Eyelid (Below Crease/socket-line)
Inglot 362 Matte (Pink) – Slightly below crease/socket-line and slightly above eyelid
Nars Daphne (Matte Purple) – Directly onto crease/socket-line.
Nars Outremer (Matte bright navy) – To blend out Nars Daphne
Eyeko Eyeshadow/Liner Pencil in Popstar (Blue end) – Eyeliner
In2it Felt tip Liquid eyeliner in Black
Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara

Lips

MAC Bombshell Lipstick (Frost)

Face

Hanny’s DIY Tinted Moisturizer
Nars Deep Throat Blush

Colored Tattoos, Oh My! Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Painted Purple

2013-04-23T18:00:00.001+08:00

What do you imagine when you combine the words “color” and “tattoo”?

(Image source here)

Sadly, this is not the one I’m talking about. Although I’d really love one, I think my father will kill me if I got one, heh heh!

Ah, this is the one I’m talking about, the new Maybelline Color Tattoo!

The hype that surrounded this product was tremendous. Reviews were flying here and there from the very moment they were released in January 2012 in the US and the UK.

When it reached here in Malaysia in the end of March 2013, I was ecstatic. When PB so graciously posted about these, I jumped at the chance and headed to the nearest drugstore to get it! ^.^

The one I chose was called Painted Purple. I would not call this a purple. I’d call this a violet. The blue is not dark enough to be called a violet to me. Heh heh. Nevertheless, it is a pretty color!

This is a cream product, and it applies rather smoothly, but sheerly. The intensity of the color can be built – I assure you, but make sure it dries between each new layer, or else the color will streak.

On the eyes, you can see the metallic sheen, but also the sheerness of the color. If the pigmentation is not enough for you – you can use it as a base for your favorite purple eyeshadow as I have done here:

I also like to use this to line my eyes. It is very, very refreshing, having a little pop of purple on the waterline with black on the upper lashline!

Oh, the wear time is PHENOMENAL! Without a primer it lasts on the lids for about 6 hours. It will just stay there without much creasing if you used a primer. ^.^

This, my dear lovelies, is the best cream shadow one can get at the affordable price range at RM 19.90 a pop, you can surely afford to grab a few more!

Retails at RM 19.90 at all drugstores/pharmacies in Malaysia

Pros: Long-wearing, bright and metallic color.

Cons: Streaky if you pile too many layers of colors together.

DIY! Make Your Own Tinted Moisturizer!

2013-04-19T23:30:00.001+08:00

What is tinted moisturizer but moisturizer with a bit of skin-like color? Slightly broke from all the rich food that I stuffed myself with this past week, I had this sudden (really, is that the best word I used?) hankering to get a tinted moisturizer and/or BB Cream. Undaunted, I decided to wing it and make my own one!

Thus, one fine Tuesday morning, I decided to hunt down for a little sample jar, clean it and work my magic!

Wanna see what I did? Read on to find out more!

Step 1: Add a few globs of your favorite foundation. I was a little greedy and used all 3 of my foundations currently in rotation. They are the MAC Pro Longwear, the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and the Nars Sheer Glow. All of them provide a sheer to medium coverage, but the Chanel one has a little cooling feel to it and has more slip than its sisters.

Step 2: Now, add a little moisturizer. I used two long pumps of my 10-year staple, the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This will sheer the foundation out and make it feel lighter.

Step 3: For added protection, throw in a glob of sunscreen as well! I used a Neutrogena one that is on its last legs and I’ve totally forgotten to review it… WOOPS.

There you have it, your very own tinted moisturizer! ^.^ If in any case you think that the mixture is too light, just add a little more foundation. If it’s too thick, add a little more moisturizer. If you feel that it’s too dark, add a little foundation that’s a bit lighter. You get the picture, no?

Now, I shall prove its efficacy to you!

This is me pre-tinted moisturizer. Yes, my forehead is darker than the rest of my face due to a past event that I’ve attended under the sun. ^.^ No worries it’ll be fine in no time!

Ah! Evened skin tone without the weight of foundation! Yay! There is a warning though, don’t expect any long-wear from this mixture due to the fact that it was an amateur’s attempt and not a proper product. I suspect that there is an element of silicone in these things that will ensure its longevity because silicone holds out against oil. But… I’m not a pro on that matter so don’t take my word for it. In any case, if you feel that the coverage is breaking, blot off the oil on your face with blotting papers and then use your favorite powder to retouch! ^.^ If you need more coverage, just use your concealer!

So there you have it, a tinted moisturizer that has been customized to your exact preference! Weee! Will you try this out? Do tell me if you do!

Wah! 150 000 Hits O! Thankiu Ah! (Wow, Thanks For The 150 000 Hits!)

2013-04-19T14:59:00.001+08:00

OMG you know ah, I was sooo happy when I saw my hit counter yesterday morning! 150k ++ hits leh, see also happy until jump here jump there leh!

(OMG did you know how happy I was when I saw my hit counter yesterday morning. Can you imagine, 150 000 hits and more for me! YAY! I was so happy that I jumped everywhere! ^.^)

(Image source here)

Aiyoh, without all of you readers hor, I really don’t know how I’m going to continue to do this blog lo. Poor never mind lo, no idea to write then die lo. Thankiu for tolerating all those writers block moments la, broke periods la… *haih* You all are the best readers anyone can have weh ^.^

(*Aiyoh denotes exasperation/exhaustion* Without you, I really don’t know how I can keep trudging on with this blog. It’s all right that I’m poor, there were times when I can’t even write ~~shi…~~ heck. Thanks for tolerating the writers block, the times when I was too broke to buy stuff to review… *Sighs* You lovelies are the best readers anyone can have, yay! ^.^)

Without you all ah, I think kaput early early on d lo. How many years I start this blog, only inject capital, never earn a single sen of revenue. Got la… Google Ads I earn USD 2.30 so far. Last time ah, I cannot qualify for Google Ads also leh! So sanfu you know?

(Without you all, I think I would have given up already very early on. It’s been several years since I’ve started this blog, only to inject capital without earning a single cent of revenue. Wait… I did earn something, but it’s only USD 2.30 so far on Google Ads. I couldn’t even qualify for Google Ads in the past, can you imagine! Those days were bad… fraught with suffering. *Sanfu = 辛苦 in Cantonese, which means suffering*)

But then again, 天下无难事只怕有心人. Besides, the wise wise Anakin Skywalker said before:

Ok lah, I’m not a Jedi but you get the idea. ^.^

(But then again, there is nothing that is too hard to achieve, you only need to fear those who have greater determination than you to do it. Besides, the infinitely wise Anakin Skywalker said before: No one can kill a Jedi… Ok, I’m not a Jedi but you get the idea.)

So thankiu veli much ah! Without you here I think I become space dust d loh. ^.^ See you soon!

(So, thanks very much! Without you all, I think I’d become a pile of space dust already. See you soon! ^.^)

I hope that you all liked the Manglish (Malaysian English) and the little bit of Chinese that I put in. This is how I usually speak even to my foreign friends. I was thinking of injecting a little bit of myself into this post, heh heh, more than I ever showed you guys, so why not how I speak on a daily basis? What do you think?

I’ve Lusted After It, I Have It. I Love It! Review: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona

2013-04-17T01:37:00.001+08:00

Ah, Nars. The cult-status brand that we mere mortals in Malaysia cannot have unless we buy online or we have lovely friends/relatives to buy it for us from countries that have it in stock.

Enter the lovely Ee Ee Daforcena who got me a WHOLE BOTTLE when I only asked her to nudge the SAs at the Survanabhumi Airport in BKK for a sample of the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation (and also to get a blush in Desire if they demanded a purchase, which she bought for me as well, but I’ll tell you about that later, heehee)

So… here it is!

It’s a real beauty in a lovely glass bottle, no? There is a great amount of heft to this product, which I think is wonderful because it commands such a strong presence. It’s like it’s saying “Oh, would you be so kind as to move a little to the left darling? I need to stand here, at the limelight!”

Here is a swatch of the foundation on my arm. It looks dark here, because my face is darker than my body. Yes, my aunt bought this foundation for me without me trying it on, so how did I know my color?

Well according to the Foundation Matrix on Temptalia.com, with my color as a medium skintone with a warm undertone (NC 30 in MAC standards), I would either be a Santa Fe (Medium 2), Punjab (Medium 1) or Barcelona (Medium 4). I chose Barcelona because it was the darkest in the lot and the undertone suited me a little better.

(It does make you think that the people from the Punjab region are actually fairer than people from Barcelona, no? HMMM)

Let’s see if the color matches me or not, shall we?

Here I am, with my face zoomed in as much as possible. Here you can see that I have slightly enlarged pores here and there, a little redness and a tiny bit of acne scarring.

Here is the after-shot. The skin has somewhat been evened, and the dark stops that denote acne scars and discolorations are all GONE! Also, the color clearly matches my skin very well indeed! My cheeks are the same color as my ears are! YAY!

Oh and you can still see that there’s still a little bit of redness and the pores were not completely covered by the foundation – shows how much a 20 sen (as the word “cent” is spelled in the Malaysian financial system) –sized dollop of product can cover.

If you’re worried that this foundation is too dark for me – do not fret. By the looks of this photo – it matches my skin fine. I need to use the flash because of the poor lighting in my house, so… yeah. A picture with this kind of result usually means a good color match under natural light.

Strangely, despite being touted as being a foundation with a “glow” there wasn’t anything too visible on me. The skin just looked like skin, you know. It did not look too matte and powdery, but just right, something that you would actually touch although you know it’s foundation.

After 6 hours, this is what you get – the coverage is still there, but there is a subtle shine to it. I certainly felt a little “oily” but I was fairly surprised that the foundation did not break down as badly as I had expected.

It’s nothing that cannot be fixed with a little pressed/translucent powder, don’t worry! With this touch up, I think it will surely last you through the day.

See, after powdering, you can see that the foundation still looks good, even though the concealer’s disappeared, teehee!

I was not at all surprised to see that the Sheer Glow (SG) was actually in the same color as my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation in B30 (Chanel) and my MAC Pro Longwear in NC 30 (NC 30).

At the end of the day, I would have to say that I LOVE this! It is a perfect balance between lasting power and finish. I remember having foundations break down on me at the end of the day into nothingness due to Malaysian humidity and this one still stays there. Sure, it needed to be powdered at hour 6 but, heck, it’s worth it if you’re wearing a full day’s war paint!

You can find Nars Sheer Glow at these following websites:

Kissandmakeupny

Strawberrynet.com

I can’t actually tell you the Thai price of this baby but do check it out at the airport if you’re travelling – it should be duty free there and thus, slightly cheaper.

Pros: Sturdy bottle, balanced coverage, good staying power

Cons: Glow? What glow?

[Pssst: I remembered wondering whether to get the Sheer Matte instead of this one on ParisB’s post from long, long ago. I’m happy that I have the Sheer Glow instead!]

It’s The Color That Can’t Be Rhymed With… FOTD: Monochromatic Orange

2013-04-15T06:07:00.001+08:00

Well… technically you can’t rhyme any other word with orange, but according to this badass article, you, er… can somewhat do it with a flourish.

As you all know, the color orange has a special significance to me, and it will soon become my favorite color after black, pink and red if this goes one, heh heh. The funny thing is, I never used to like bright colors. I found them too “happy” and passed them for dark ones like black and jewel-tones. Orange was different, somehow. It just sits there, looking bright, but still, you don’t feel how “happy” it really is.

Let’s get on with the FOTD before I rant too much, shall we?

Step 1: Apply a medium orange at the outer and inner corners of the eye, leaving the center of the eyelids bare.

Step 2: Connect the outer and inner corners of the eye at the crease/socket-line with the same color.

Step 3: Fill in the negative space with a lighter orange. It’s all right to go over the areas that have the medium orange at this point – it will only help with blending.

Step 4: Go over the parts covered by the lighter orange in the outer and inner corner with the medium orange again. Repeat until desired intensity has been achieved.

Step 5: Mix a shimmery orange eyeshadow with a matte black one (tap into the shimmery orange three times with your brush and the black, two times) and apply it into the crease/socket-line. Make sure to blend this line out.

Step 6: I went for a double-winged look this time, just to open up the eyes a bit more and used the same color for the crease/socket-line on the lower lashline. Define your brows, add lashes and you’re done for the eyes! ^.^

Step 7: I used a peach blush for the cheeks to keep with the theme, and the lips are a slight burnt-orange color achieved by layering the lighter orange eyeshadow onto a coat of dark red lipstick on the center of the lips. I used the medium orange on the outer edges.

So, there you have it, an orange look for all occasions! ^.^

Products Used:

Eyes -

Inglot 51 AMC – Medium orange (Inner & outer corner of the eye, crease/socket-line, outer edges of lips)
Shiro Cosmetics Charmander – Lighter orange (Center of eyelid and lips)
Tarte the Jewelry Box Eyeshadow No. 14 – Shimmery orange & No. 30 – Matte black (Crease/socket-line and lower lashline)
MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette
Rimmel Day to Night Mascara
Cyber Colors black gel liner
Lash Bar Q1101 lashes

Lips -

Shiro Cosmetics Three Wolf Moon – Blood/Dark red.
Shiro Cosmetics Charmander
Inglot 51 AMC

Face –

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC 30
MAC Peaches Sheertone Blush (Peach)

Hmm…Looks Like The Big Man Seems To Be Hearing Me Out! Quick Review: MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette

2013-04-13T16:26:00.001+08:00

Remember when I told you that I’ve since resorted to using my Bobbi Brown Sepia Ink gel liner to define my brows? Well, the product dried up after a year of use, which is of course, its expected length of service, and I was soon on the market for a reliable brow product.

At pretty much the same time, MAC released a new product – Fluidlines for brows! Wow! This was what got into my head when I knew about them:

Enter MAC’s Fluidline for brows! It’s called the Fluidline Brow Gelcreme and I got this in Deep Dark Brunette.

This is the bottom of the pot. ^.^

Here is how the brow Fluidline looks like. It’s a sort of reddish brown, but somehow, has a green tinge to it – perfect for my dark, but sparse brows!

Oh please excuse the non-symmetrical brows, mine are utterly IMPOSSIBLE to work with. My right brow is shorter and thicker than my left brow is, and until I can get them trimmed, defining them will be a pain in the posterior.

The texture of this product is much unlike that of a common gel liner. It is creamy, but has a lot of slip in it, so you have quite some time to work with it to spread the color out. The pigment is definitely excellent and let me tell you – this baby wears as long as any gel liner on the brows, even without a light layer of eye primer!

Sadly, this is a limited edition product, having launch a few months earlier. I was VERY LUCKY that the MAC store near me (heh heh, three guesses where) still had it in stock. So much for MAC having answered my prayers…

Oh, before I forget, you can also use this product as a brown gel liner for your lashlines – it works just the same!

Retailed at RM 75 at MAC stores in Malaysia

Pros: Multi-use, color suits me, very pliable.

Cons: Limited Edition (BOO!)

Hmm: Same Same… But Different? FOTD: Black & Gold – A Simpler Way Of Doing The Cut Crease Look!

2013-04-10T17:06:00.001+08:00

Last weekend, Jiu Mu Daforcena realized that most of my FOTDs are the same – only the colors are changed. Lighter colors on the lid, darker colors on the crease, the same eyeliner…

Yes, I am utterly uncreative. I have absolutely NO objection to that. However, when you do change the colors, and tweak it a little here and there, you WILL get a whole different look. I kid you not.

Just because I am utterly shameless, I WILL show you a simpler way of doing the cut crease look, which I utterly love and have tried AGAIN and AGAIN. I know that I have the technique somewhat down pat but here’s a rather simple way to do it.

Oh, and I have Nic from Pixiwoo to teach you how to do it too!

Step 1: Take a orange-gold eyeshadow and apply it all over the eyelid.

Step 2: Layer a yellowish-gold eyeshadow over the orange to make the color lean a little more yellow.

Step 3: Using a fine brush, apply a dark black eyeshadow onto the upper lashline. Then, draw a fine line into the crease/socket-line, stopping halfway into the upper inner corner of the eye.

Step 4: Blend out the line. Repeat if necessary. Also, trace the black eyeshadow onto the lower lashline.

[Note: The more times you draw the black line into the crease/socket-line and blend it out, the more defined that area will be]

Step 5: Line the waterline with a cream-colored eyeliner.

Step 6: Now, go over the cream eyeliner with the yellow-gold eyeshadow. This will make your eyes seem larger than they are. Feel free to add gel liner onto the upper lashline if you want – I did – and remember to apply lots of mascara to make your eyes oh-so va va voom! Oh and do remember to define your brows. I already did so before I did this FOTD so… yeah~

Step 7: I kept the rest of the face rather simple. The cheeks are a sweet strawberry-coral color, while I lightly applied my favorite fuchsia lippie onto my lips. ^.^

So here it is, an even SIMPLER way of doing a cut crease look. The best thing? You can use whatever colors you please, yay!

Products Used:

Eyes -

Shiro Cosmetics Charmander Eyeshadow (Orange-gold) – Eyelid
Inglot 403 Eyeshadow (Yellow-gold) – Eyelid, waterline
Inglot 63 AMC (Black) – Lashlines, crease/socket-line (blended)
MAC Bare Study Paint Pot (Shimmery nude) – Waterline
Cyber Colors Gel Liner in Black
Rimmel Day to Night Mascara

Lips -

MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick

Face -

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona (WOOHOO! I finally got it! I’ll review this soon!)
Everyday Minerals Blush in Bollywood

It’s Bold, It’s Purple! FOTD: Monochrome Purple II

2013-04-06T10:16:00.001+08:00

Hello lovelies! It’s been such a long, long time since I have done a decent, fairly dramatic look, and I’ve been kinda silent these days because I accidentally gave my laptop a bath with a cup of water. Luckily am now blogging from my new toy/workhorse, but the problem is, I’ve lost all my files because the hard drive from the old one is fried. >.< So do bear with me if in the future you see pictures of products that have already been used – I would most probably have needed to retake them!

Anyways, back to business. I did this look to test out the “purple-ness” of this new cream eyeshadow I’ve bought, heh heh heh, and incorporates some of my favorite purples that I have in my stash.

Step 1: Layer a white eyeshadow over a creamy purple base to make a lavender shade. Apply it all over the eyelid beneath the crease/socket-line.

Step 2: Blend a medium purple color at the outer 2/3 of the eyelid and slightly into the lavender color.

Step 3: Apply a darker matte purple into the crease/socket-line and also at the outer V area.

Step 4: Using the most precise brush you have, trace the crease/socket-line with a deep black eyeshadow. You can clean up the lines after to make a sharper, cut crease look.

Step 5: Go over the outer lines of the black eyeshadow with a bit of the medium purple used in Step 2 to blend them out and make the black line less harsh.

Step 6: Line your upper lashline with a charcoal black to black eyeliner. You can go fairly thick with the line if you want.

Step 7: Line the waterline, and trace the darker matte purple used in Step 3 onto the lower lashline. Complete the eye makeup by defining the brow and lots of mascara!

Step 8: I kept the rest of the face REALLY simple, placing an emphasis on the skin by using a tiny bit more foundation that you usually would. I also contoured the face a little to give it a definition, and did a nude lip by layering a thin layer of concealer with a pink liptint.

So that’s all I have for now – I’ll definitely try to come up with more FOTDs next week, heh heh!

Products Used:

Eyes -

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Painted Purple (Purple Base) [To be reviewed soon]
Inglot 496 DS (White) – Eyelid
Inglot 375 Matte (Medium purple) – Outer 2/3 of eyelid & to blend out Nars Pandora II
Nars Daphne (Dark matte purple) – Crease/socket-line & Outer V, lower lashline.
Nars Pandora II (Matte Black) – Crease/socket-line.
Maybelline Gel Liner in Black/Silver
Rimmel Day to Night Mascara
MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette [To be reviewed soon]

Lips -

MAC Mineralized Concealer in NW30
Etude House Kissfull Tint Chou (Psst: I STILL HATE THE NAME!)

Face -

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC 30
Sleek Contour Kit in Medium

Hanny’s Weight Loss Update–Week 36!

2013-04-02T10:34:00.001+08:00

So… today is the start of week 37 for my weight loss program. I know that I don’t really like to update stuff like this often, but I feel like doing so today because I really felt a sense of… accomplishment looking at myself at the gym yesterday, teehee!

Here’s a look on my progress from week 24 onwards, right to week 36!

Week 24:

Week 26:

Week 32:

Week 36:

As a whole, my legs have become more toned, as are my lower arms – all that remains are my little pot belly, which has been receding quite slowly and my upper arms.

Also, I look better in that little Zumba Bra Top that I wore in Week 32 now, true story.

However, I have not lost a great deal of weight these past months, in fact, they’ve been going up and going down a few kilos at a time. I’m still an L size, although I don’t have to squeeze into many things, and the lovely orange blazer I got from Cotton On now is too big for me! (It’s a size L too)

In addition to that, I have also discovered that I am able to sweat more than I used to, and that my stamina has improved somewhat. I am now able to do a full routine without coughing or slight wheezing, a thing that personally, I’m quite proud of. I also want to say that I am more lithe than I used to be on the dance floor, HAH HAH HAH. My Zumba instructuor, Tammy, has since pulled me up to the stage to do some routines quite a few times now. ^.^

I still am doing the same classes I told you about, and eat pretty much the same things. Also, I have realized that carbohydrates like rice fill me up better than protein does, despite whatever the health gurus say, and I have since started to eat rice for lunch. It keeps me full for a longer time so I won’t go around foraging for food when I feel hungry in Uni. But apart from that I’m not very much fussed about what I eat, so long as it is not processed or fast food. I don’t like sugary drinks anyways so I’m fine in that department. My weakness is, however, cold water. I used to only drink cold water and heh heh, it’s bad for my asthma as it’s “cooling”. ^.^

So yeah, this is my report for the duration of 4 months since my last post. I’ll have to say that I was kinda frustrated that the weight didn’t go down much, and I’ve gained some during the course of Chinese New Year which took WEEKS to get down, but I rather do this slowly to take the weight loss more… permanent. I’ve set myself a target of 5 more kilos to go, so I expect to lose it in about.. 6 more months?

I know that I’m no expert, so this only what I know from experimenting and trial and error. This routine currently works best for me and there are definitely other things that would make it BETTER. Do tell me if you have any suggestions, because I love to hear them!

(Pssst: for my progress from weeks 1 to 20, click here!)

Remember–Never Judge A Lipstick By It’s Color… Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Cutting Edge 120

2013-03-31T12:22:00.001+08:00

Remember when I told you that the Watsons near me was selling Rimmel products at a great discount? Well, according to their FB wall, they are “focusing” on Guardian stores. So yeah, they’re moving out of Watsons. ^.^

Anyways, when I saw the Lasting Finish lipsticks going out at RM 7.50 I JUMPED at the chance and got two. I’ll show you the first one today, and let me tell you, it’s not for the mildly faint hearted!

Look at this berry beauty! I’ll have to say that it’s my first berry lipstick, and I thought that it would wear like a blackened pink, but… I guess I’m just color-blind.

When swatched, what you get is a cross between a pink with lots of purple in it. It looked so dark on my hand when I swatched it in the store and I got happier and happier just THINKING about it.

HOWEVER, on my lips, it’s a different case. For some reason, I’ve lost the darkness of the color by a little the moment I wear it on my lips. It was an instant bummer, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t love this color!

I would say that it’s due to the pigmentation of my lips that causes the darkness to disappear and the red and slightly purple tones to remain. What I got as a result was a cool-toned berry color that still has amount of darkness. It’s not that bad though – this means that if I played my cards right, I could wear it during the daytime, and wear it I did!

This is how I wore it to Uni – one layer of Cutting Edge, one layer of MAC Blot and another layer of Cutting Edge above it. The color stays well like this and also gives it more pigmentation, so that the color is a little more true to form.

I have to say – it sort of matches the pink areas of my dress! ^.^ Oh do excuse the tan lines – I had a lovely day under the sun with the freshies this semester.

This lipstick lasts quite some time on its own – about 3 hours with even fading. It DOES NOT transfer onto your cup/bottle when you drink. That’s a major plus for me, heh heh!

Of course, this color is not what one wears during the Spring/Summer, but who cares? I live in Malaysia at any case and it’s forever Spring/Summer here so yeah. I say go hell with these “rules” and wear whatever you want ^.^

Retails at around RM 20 to RM 25 at Guardian Pharmacies in Malaysia.

Pros: Relatively long-lasting color, good pigmentation, affordable.

Cons: The darkness of the berry color is a little lost on me.

A Lacquered Red Indeed! Review: NYX Black Label Lipstick in Ruby

2013-03-26T19:31:00.001+08:00

Ah, there was a time when I was totally afraid of wearing red lips, and now, red is the only color that I buy apart from pink. I definitely need to learn how to branch out from my lippie rut, HAH HAH.

Enter this beautiful baby, from another of my favorite brands – NYX. I bought this last year when I hauled NYX for the second time.

It is a bright blue-red, a red that I never really had before. I have a brown-red, a coral-red, and two slightly blackened reds, but not a blue red.

Here is a swatch of the lipstick, on the lower part of the picture – along with it’s sisters and cousins from NYX. As you can see, on my skin, the color is pretty much true to the color on the tube.

On the lips, it applies so, so beautifully. I was quite surprised that the finish is actually quite glossy – giving the impression of red lacquer. I know from this post that ParisB enjoys this kind of texture, and well, thanks to this lipstick, I guess I’m sold as well!

The NYX website touts the Black Label line to be rich and emollient, and I gotta say, they’re pretty much spot on with this! When you apply this lipstick, your lips will feel wet – not dripping wet, but you CAN feel the weight of the lipstick, but it is a comfortable sort of weight.

The color lasts if you’re not eating or drinking anything heavy – this lasted through two bottles of plain (cold) water and a can of Pringles for lunch. It WILL disappear after something like a rice dish with heavy sauce. One application lasted about… 3-4 hours for me.

What I like to do to make this lipstick last is to apply a thin layer of lipstick, powder the lips a little with some translucent powder and top everything off with yet another layer of lipstick. If you prefer a matte look, just go a little more crazy on the powder and omit the second layer of lipstick.

Another thing about this baby that I utterly enjoy is the purity of the color. It is a straight-up no nonsense red blue without any other noticeable undertones. You lovelies know that I absolutely LOVE colors like that, no?

NYX Black Label lipsticks retail at RM 28ish at Sephora Malaysia stores – I don’t know if they carry this color, though, sorry!

Pros: Lovely color, glossy yet emollient texture, affordable.

Cons: Hmm, there is none but do be careful about the lipstick bullet, you might just smudge it to the sides of the walls of the tube.

Quickie FOTD: Poisonous Spring!

2013-03-22T06:03:00.001+08:00

Heh heh hello there lovelies! ^.^ How are you today? I’m here to bring you a really pretty, but relatively easy to do FOTD featuring my favorite colors: blue, purple and green!

Step 1: Apply a matte green eyeshadow all over the eyelid, staying beneath the crease/socket-line. Make sure to cover the lashline as well!

Step 2: Open your eyes and blend a deep, true purple color RIGHT into your crease/socket-line. You could go higher up with the color if you wanted to, but I stuck with just the crease/socket-line to give the area more depth.

Step 3: LIne the waterline with a blue eyeliner and top the lower lashline with a navy eyeshadow.

Step 4: Line the upper lashline and define the brows.

Step 5: I decided to mix a peach blush with a little bit of pink for this look! Hmmm. Oh, and the lips were a wine color, used as a stain.

Ah, that was fast, was it not? Did you guys enjoy this FOTD?

Double Rimmel Review! Glam’Eyes Day 2 Night and Exaggerate Eye Definer in Aqua (Warning: Picture heavy!)

2013-03-20T01:30:00.001+08:00

For some reason, the drugstore closest to me has been shelling out Rimmel products at absolutely cheap prices, at about 1/2 their retail price, while the displays have gotten smaller. Something seems rather fishy to me. HMMM.

I’ll show to the mascara first ^.^

Here it is, the Rimmel Glam’Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara. The label on it says that it has a 2-in-1 “magic cap” and I was like….

But what did it mean anyways? Heh heh. It’s actually not rocket science, believe me!

This is the mascara wand when you take it out with the pink “volume” top on. As you can see, the brush is a little on the larger side, to facilitate thicker lashes, hence, its intended use for the night-time.

This, on the other hand, is the mascara wand with only the “length” top on. Can you see that somehow, it’s gotten a little thinner, but more bristlier? With this, you’ll get a cleaner look, thus, better suited for subtler, day-appropriate looks.

The “magic”, dear lovelies, resides in the “volume” cap.

As you can see from this actually quite gross-looking, and slightly overexposed photo (sorry, it’s the best one I’ve got!) the thickness that comes at the “volume” side is actually the mascara itself. This means that tube at this side is actually HOLLOW.

So when we take the wand out from the “length” side, what you get is less product on the brush! It’s just like wiping the mascara wand on the opening to use less product on the lashes, really!

But then again, it’s an INGENIUS gimmick. I’m really, really IMPRESSED.

On my right eye (er, the one on the left of the picture) you can see one layer of the mascara applied on the “length” side. Not too much lengthening there, no?

Ah, the second coat made it all better.

Here, I applied a coat with the “volume” side. That’s 3 coats of mascara and no spider-lash effect. I like.

When used on both eyes, you can see that this mascara really opened my eyes up, making them look slightly bigger without any extra effort – I didn’t even curl my lashes!

Oh, before I forget – I used a coat of it on the “length” side on my lower lashes. It makes their existence a little more concrete.

Onto the eyeliner, the Exaggerate Eye Definer in Aqua 240!

This little thing is so pretty! It’s BLUE! I think I’ve said this before, but I don’t really enjoy blue in clothes, unless it’s the kind of blue like Nars Outremer, but I like all kinds of blue in makeup ^.^

It comes in a little twist-up format, which is convenient, so you don’t have to sharpen it. Wait, you can actually sharpen this if you want, just use the sharpener at the back ^.^

Here’s a swatch of the eye liner. Ain’t it pretty! OMG it’s a mix between a sky blue, electric blue and a teal!

I wore it on the upper lashline and the waterline to test the wear, along with the Day 2 Night mascara. It goes on very, very true to color on my skin, and I really like this look for this time of year. Granted, Malaysia’s climate is summer all year round, but you get the idea.

I also wore this without a primer, because I forgot to. Hmmm. T’was a little gamble, that day.

BUT… rather surprisingly, NOTHING happened save for a little migration from the waterline to the lashline after 11 hours.

As you can see from the picture, my foundation’s already started to break down and still the eyeliner is going strong. Wow. Just… wow.

So there you have it, a double review on two separate Rimmel products that rocked my socks! Use them together or separately, I think you’d most definitely find a winner in these.

Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara is sold at Malaysian drugstores at around RM 26ish, while the Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Definers are sold at RM14ish.