Lost In Drugstoreland

Rimmel London Glam'eyes Mascara - Black

2012-07-15T21:08:00.000+07:00

Mascara is one beauty product that I'm reluctant to use. I have weird droopy-eyelid, huge eyebags, and long but straight lashes. A cursed combination which made any mascara ended up smudging all over my lower eye area, even waterproof types. So I prefer using false eyelashes for cleaner result, but you can't wear them to grocery store or your chidren school, can you? That's why I prefer cheap drugstore mascara, but haven't found the perfect one.

Rimmel London is an UK cosmetic brand and has many great review for their mascara. I bought Glam'eyes Mascara from ASOS for £7.19. The packaging design is unique but feels cheap. I bought the color black and it's not waterproof.

The bristles are firm, it can separate your lashes nicely. However, the size is too big for my eyes so it's hard to reach my inner eyelashes and impossible to apply it on my lower lashes. Also, when I first use it, the formula were nice, I can apply up to three coats of mascara without getting clumpy eyelashes. But after several uses, I noticed that it got drier and harder to apply. Not to mention it smudged after a few hours. So I don't think I would be getting Rimmel mascara anymore, maybe I'll try Cover Girl next. The good side is this mascara has a 12M life span sign, when the usual mascara is only 6M

This is how it looks after I applied two coats of mascara:

Skin Food Salmon Brightening Eye Cream

2012-07-10T16:35:00.001+07:00

The only thing that I love about Korean is their food. I don't really get the K-Pop culture invasion. But I think it's a clever marketing gimmick though, to use porcelain-faced dancing teens as a country promoting tools (way to go Lee Myung-Bak!)

Anyway, when my brother had a quick trip to South Korea, I couldn't resist to try the so-called Korean skin care brand named Skin Food. This brand is very famous in Indonesia, and it has many die-hard fans around here. So I thought, eh why not... Actually Skin Food has opened many stores in Indonesia but the products price is cheaper in Korea, and I mean 50% cheaper (what a rip off).. So I decided to get some of their best-seller items.

Since I'm still looking for a powerful eye cream to vanish my extremely dark circle, I wanted to try their famous Salmon Brightening Eye Cream. It's packed with omega 3 and arbutin to help reduce dark area under your eyes.

Too bad all of the description are written in Korean, so I couldn't understand a single thing. I couldn't find any further information on their website either.

I've been using this cream for more than a month now, from a.m to p.m. I lightly dab this cream under my eyes and also on my eyelid, because the darkness has sneak to all of the area around my eyes.

The eye cream feels refreshing and hydrating. It's like it gives all the nutrition needed into my eyes skin. Too bad it stings my eyes if I applied too much, and it'll look greasy too. So less is more with this one.

Sadly I haven't noticed any improvement on my dark circle, but the skin area around my eyes feels smoother and looks healthier - only dark.. This cream is very huge (30g), so I think I'm stuck with this one for a while before I go off hunting a new eye cream. For it's price I think it's a decent product (my brother bought it for 17.000 korean won). If you don't have a heavy-case of dark circle like I do, maybe it'll work for you

The other good side of this brand? They gave me plenty of free samples to try on, yaay!

Nubian Heritage - Black African Soap

2012-06-15T20:24:00.002+07:00

Since Burt's Bee had brutally discontinued my beloved Garden Tomato Soap, I was forced to find another natural facial wash to control my acne.

Introducing Black African Soap (note: there's nothing racist about the name).
Black soap is traditionally made in west Africa, typically Ghana, from secret recipes, and has long been used to heal problem skin including acnes. It usually made from the ash of locally harvested plants and barks such a plantain, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, and shea tree bark.

I particularly choose this brand because it's available locally from an online sellee for 70.000 idr (US$8), and it has good review on the web. It's also available on iHerb and the websute ship internationally. I've been using this soap for almost a month now, so it's about time to write a fair review.

The soap is black. It's the first time that i see a black soap. The size is huge for a soap bar (5oz), so it can be used as a facial wash and last forever. Or you can also use it for a body wash if you have a body/back acne. I personally stick to my main purpose, cut it into tiny pieces and use it only on my face, twice a day.

The scent is nice, a fruity candy smell. It can be too overwhelming though, as I used it on my face, near my nose. But if I rub it on my palms with water first, and then applied it on my wet face, the strong smell can be reduce. It lathers well, and produce white foam (I thought the foam will be black too LOL).

Overall, I love this soap. It's an good subtitute fot the Garden Tomato Soap. Didn't break me out so far, or dried my skin (maybe because of the shea butter). It didn't prevent acne from appearing, but I notice that my active acne heals faster than usual, and I don't even need to put anything on my blemishes. The only downside is that it sometimes leave a greasy film on my face, so I usually wash my face twice. If I finished this soap (and only GOD knows when), I think I'll try another facial wash.

RIP my dear fellow. Your greatness shall be remembered..

Sleek Blush - Flamingo

2012-06-08T20:14:00.000+07:00

I'm a big fan of Sleek eyeshadow palette as you can see in my previous posts. But somehow I wasn't very interested with Sleek's blush, although I knew they've been raved by many blushaholic everywhere (I think I just made a new vocabulary LOL). But I finally decided to try one of the most famous blush color, Flamingo, only to satisfy my curiosity.

I bought this from a local online seller for 90.000 idr (US$10), but you can get it from their official website for £4.30 and they ship internationally. The price is nice, but you only get a tiny amount of blush. I must admit I'm quite shock when I saw how small this blush is.

Flamingo is a warm hot pink blush, but the color is very hard to described. It's fuchsia without any blue-undertone, if you know what I mean (which I'm sure you don't). Actually the color reminded me of the tacky plastic flamingo garden statue.

Not the real animal, which has more coral color on their feathers.

Anyway, I have to say I'm really impress with the pigmentation. One swipe is enough to put a pink healthy flush on your cheeks, and the color is very pretty too. I think it will suit most skin tones, as long as you apply this very light handed.

But, I don't think that I will purchase another Sleek blush. Because it's powdery and takes forever to blend to achieve a natural look. Also you must use a soft fluffy blush brush, otherwise you'll get a streaky finish. It's a terrible blush option for people who must do their makeup and changing diapers (and eat breakfast) at the same time. But if you have all the time in the world (I'm looking at you single ladies!), feel free to get all of Sleek blush collection.

Swatches (left: heavy - right: blended)

Ingredients:Mica (CI 77019), Talc, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Pentaerythrityl Teraisostearate, Nylon- 12, Magnesium Stearate, Jojoba esters, Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Phenoxyethanol, ChloroxylenolMAY CONTAIN:Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), D&C Red 7 (CI 15850), Red 27 AL Lake (CI 45410), D&C Red 30 (CI 73360), FD&C Yellow 5 (CI 19140), FD&C Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499)

Sleek I Divine Eyeshadow Palette - Oh So Special

2012-05-24T20:27:00.000+07:00

Ok, I think every ~~one~~ girl should own at least one Sleek eyeshadow palette in their life, whether she's a makeup junkie or not. They have high quality products, affordable, and have so many different palette theme that will suit any girl personality.

Introducing Sleek Oh So Special. An eyeshadow palette dedicated to all woman who want to feel errr special. The colors selection are wearable, soft, feminine, yet elegant. You can use this one for almost any occasion - to school, work, a romantic date, even for a sleepless girls night-out to the club.

Every color has their own name. I think those names are associated with celebrating something. Although some are clearly out of the theme, like Noir. Also I'm not sure why they came up with "The Mail" and "Pamper", instead of a more obvious celebrating word like Confetti or Bouquet (I should apply to be their creative director LOL).

This palette has a pretty good balance of shimmer and matte color. The matte ones are: Bow, Ribbon, Pamper, The Mail, Box, Wrapped Up, and Noir. The rest are shimmery. All the color are heavily pigmented, even the mattes one - although they are a little bit chalky. The shimmer colors are buttery and easier to blend than the mattes. But sadly the color "The Mail" and "Pamper" are too light to show up on my medium skin, but I think they would be pretty on fair skin people (jealous!).

All the colors are Oh So Gorgeus!

1st Row Swatches (natural lighting - no eye base):

2nd Row Swatches (natural lighting - no eye base):

Ingredients:
Mica, Talc, Paraffinum liquidum, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Propylparaben, Methylparaben

Wet n Wild Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer - Sunkissed

2012-04-23T12:48:00.003+07:00

I don't know why, I but love to pull out a tan-sunkissed look lately. And I accidentally found the perfect partner in crime.

Meet Wet n Wild Sheer Tinted Moisturizer. At first I was curious about tinted moisturizer. Like all mommies out there, I must do everything in a blink of an eye, while multi-tasking. So applying - buffing - stippling a foundation on my face everytime I go out, with a baby clinging in my arms, is not such a good idea. I guess a tinted moisturizer can reduce the amount of frustation in my makeup ritual.

I was glad when I found out about Wet n Wild Tinted Moisturized, the price is super affordable, the reviews are great. But I didn't do my research well about the shades. I ordered this from drugstore.com which has only 2 shades: Natural and Sunkissed. I impulsively choosen Sunkissed without looking for any further information whether it will suit my skintone or not. And yes it's too dark for me, but in a good way, which is great. As I was saying before, I could get an instant tan effect using this. Although I also thinking to get Natural too because I love this tinted moisturizer.

The coverage is sheer at first but can be built to medium, it even out my skin tone nicely but can't cover my acne scars and dark circle. It gives me a dewy healthy finish and make my skin glow. I'm so happy that it includes SPF 15 in it, so when I was in hurry, I could just slap this into my face without any moisturizer/sunblock addition (note: I have a dry/combination skin). But I think you need to set it with a face powder to make it more last through the day.

The original price tag is $3.99 in drugstore.com, but I have to pay 60.000 idr (US$5.5) to get it here. The ingredients does not contain any silicone, so it won't clog my pores (another big yeaay). But it includes mineral oil, so be careful if you're allergic to it.

Swatch (left: heavy, right: blended)

Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (w/w 5.6%), Octinoxate (w/w 3%), Avobenzone (w/w 1%)

Inactive Ingredients: Water (Aqua/Eau), Talc, Butylene Glycol, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Stearic Acid, Mica, Glyceryl Stearate, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Sodium Laureth 4 Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid)

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette (Giveaway Prize)

2012-04-11T12:13:00.002+07:00

Sometimes I can't believe my luck... I have a beautiful baby boy, a great husband, living in a nice house, and recently won an Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette..

Yes, I am the lucky winner of Stephanie Tsang blog giveaway. You should really check her blog... She posts awesome nail art and gorgeus beauty and fashion looks. I'm soooo excited when the mail man arrived today and brought me this:

And, inside I found the most beautiful palette I've ever seen (no kidding). It's beautifully crafted, and you know, I'm a sucker for cute packaging...

The packaging is sleek and elegant. I really love the UD's logo on top of the box, it's made from an embossed translucent purple acrylic and looks very luxurious.

This palette was launched in 2011 to celebrate their 15th anniversary (obviously). It's limited edition with 15 exclusives new shades.

The eyeshadow are all shimmery except the matte black one named Blackout which you can find in Naked2 palette. I'll post the swatches later because now I'm too excited to do a proper swatch LOL!

Well, this just like a dream come true. Now I know, miracle does exist... Thanks again Steph!

Max Factor Bronzing Powder - Golden

2012-04-09T11:01:00.000+07:00

I know that I have a medium skin tone and live in a tropical climate, but I've always wanted to have a healthy tan skin like J.Lo or Jessica Alba. Sunbathing is not a good idea because it made me look like one of the homeless people around the traffic light (if you have been to Indonesia, you'll know what I'm talking about), instead of looking like this:

So make up is a good idea, and of course to achieve a sleek sunkissed look, bronzer is a must. And when I was looking for an good, inexpensive bronzer, I found the review about this Max Factor Bronzing Powder. Never heard this brand before but it seems to have great review about the foundation and mascara.

Fortunately, there's a Max Factor counter nearby (so tired to shop everyting online), so I get to try it and see if it suits me. Turns out that I loooooveee it. The colour suits my skin tone perfectly. Not too light/dark, and it's pure bronze, not orange (some bronzer I've tried in the past turns orange on me). The best part it only costs me 50.000 idr (US$5.5) and it's huge! It's also made in Ireland (not China haha)

The bronzer is shimmery but not too much. It's also pigmented so you'd better apply it light-handed. And since you get a generous size, I think you can also use it as a body bronzer.

Swatch:

Sleek i Divine Eyeshadow Palette, PPQ (Limited Edition)

2012-04-07T10:24:00.000+07:00

You know, I'm a sucker for colorful eyeshadow palette. So when I saw this Limited Edition Sleek Eyeshadow Palette, I knew that I must have it!

It's a collaboration between Sleek and PPQ brand for London Fashion Week. This palette has all the color you need to create an edgy runway look.

Like all Sleek Eyeshadow, the pigmentation is amazing, the texture is buttery and very easy to blend. Since I have dry lids, I can get away wearing this without an eye primer.

This palette includes some basic everyday colors and some head turning ones. But I think most of the colors are cool-toned. So for warmer toned girls like me, it requires an extra effort to blend some color together in order to match my skin-tone. So I reserved this palette for days when I'm in an artsy fartsy mood LOL.

Swatches:

Top row L-R Barry White, Black Box, Salt ‘N’ Peppermint, Simply Red, Pink Beret, Primal Green.
Bottom Row L-R: Fade To Grey, Blue Monday, Supernova, Chris De Burgundy, Lilac Allen, Golden Silvers.

The only downside for me is that the eyeshadows are made in China. Well, it explained the cheap price tag. But, I think I could deal with it for a while.

Ingredients:
Mica, Talc, Paraffinum liquidum, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Propylparaben, Methylparaben

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream - Skin Tone

2012-04-01T09:11:00.005+07:00

Sometimes I wonder why do I love this brand so much. Now I know, it's because they keep making a high quality product with an affordable price.

This is my latest NYX obsession, the Xtreme Lip Cream. I never wear any lip product like this before. The texture is like a liquid lipstick, very moisturizing and has a lip gloss feels. The color is highly pigmented, very opaque, and covers my pigmented mauve lips perfectly. It last pretty long, and the color is still visible on my lips after I had dinner.

It comes in 11 gorgeus shades. I choose the Skin Tone shade which is a warm brown, and it looks great on my warm medium skin tone. This shade is perfect for a neutral/nude look and can be wear with bold smokey eyes. If you couldn't pull out a nude lips because it'll wash you out, you can try this one. Although I'm not sure if it'll look nice for people with fair/cool skin.

I got this for 60.000 idr (US$ 6.5) from my local online seller. So you can purchase a few shade without breaking you wallet (I'm thinking of getting another one, just can' decide what shade). The only downside is that it smell weird and plasticky like most of NYX lip products. But thankfully it dissapeared after a while.

Swatch:

Ingredients
Ricinus Communs Seed Oil, Polybutene, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Synthetic Bees Wax, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHA, Fragrance. May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), FD&C Yellow No.5 Al Lake (CI 19140), FD&C Blue No.1 Al Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxide Red (CI 77491), Iron Oxide Yellow (CI 77492), Iron Oxide Black (CI 77499), D&C Red No.6 (CI 15850), D&C Red No.7 (CI 15850), D&C Red No.7 Ca Lake (CI 15850), D&C Red No.28 Al Lake (CI 45410).

Sleek i Divine Eyeshadow Palette

2012-03-15T11:47:00.002+07:00

Ok, I know I said to splurge on eyeshadow instead of buying drugstore ones, but I'll make an exception for this brand.

Introducing... *drumroll* ...Sleek! An affordable high street makeup brand from UK (I guess high street means drugstore in british, fancy!). I first heard about this brand because they have a dupe for OCC Lip Tar call Pout Paint. At first I was like, meh...what's with the name? It reminds me of my baby's laundry detergent.

Then I accidentally read that their eyeshadow were raving everywhere, some also said it's the best drugstore eyeshadow in the market. So I decided to try one of Sleek eyeshadow palette, and ended up having 3 of them in the next 2 months LOL.

Left-Right: Original, PPQ Me, Myself & Eye, Oh So Special

The eyeshadow are highly pigmented with bold colors without primer underneath (although I still recommend to use an eye primer if you're planning to wear this all day). The texture is smooth, buttery, not powdery at all (even for the matte color), and very easy to blend. I also didn't experience any fallout. The colors choice are pretty, and they often make a limited edition palette

The price is only $10 on Sleek's website, and they ship internationally. But I got these for 150.000 idr ($16) each from ebay/local online seller. You'll get 12 eyeshadow, a black elegant packaging, and a wide mirror which I could actually use. The only downside is, it's made in China sigh (now you know why it's cheap). If you're looking for an inexpensive eyeshadow palette for your collection, try this. You won't regret it.

Sleek i Divine Original Eyeshadow Palette (permanent collection)

Sleek i Divine PPQ Me, Myself & Eye Eyeshadow Palette (limited edition)

Sleek i Divine Oh So Special Eyeshadow Palette (permanent collection)

Caboodles Makeup Organizer

2012-03-09T19:41:00.002+07:00

OMG I want these so badly!!

I was browsing around target.com (we don't have a Target chain store here), when I my eyes caught this uber cute thing:

No, it's not a purple retro screwdriver toolbox, it's a TRAINCASE with an auto-open tray! It even has a small mirror inside. The price? Only US$13.99 (!!!!)

Just when I think that I'll die of excitement, I saw this too..

A lacey makeup traincase? What more can a girl ask... And it's only US$19.

And it also available in this sexy pink.

But these are available in the US only. I found some sellers on ebay, but the shipping cost is outrageus! I think I'm going to apply for a green card.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

2012-03-07T19:45:00.002+07:00

I know what you are thinking when you see this post: "Another Naked Palette review???? Again..???!!"
No need to close your browser window, I won't bored you with a long-detailed post. I'll just write what I need to say and show you the swatches on my south-east asian medium skin (just in case you can related yourself to me).

Well, if you're new to makeup, or afraid of wearing colors and looking for a neutral palette, then GET THIS! It cost $50 in the US but you can get it here for 500-600k idr from a local online seller. Yes I know it's damn expensive and yes there are many cheaper dupes out there, but trust me I've been down the road. At first I was thinking the same thing (Half a million rupiah for a neutral eyeshadow palette? What on earth?). So I satisfied myself with a $5 eyeshadow palette, and quickly get dissapointed with the poor quality. Next, I tried the $10 eyeshadow pallete, which has better pigmentation but still powdery. And then before I know it, I got myself this holy Naked Palette and shout to myself, where the hell have I been??

Trust me, you won't get any better quality with the price for these 12 top notch neutral colors eyeshadow. The eyeshadow in as big as their single one (1.3g each), so this palette will last you a long long time even if you use it everyday. The color range is perfect for any occasion, from a lazy grocery shopping day, to a glamorous party night. Plus you'll get a double ended high quality brush and a mini -the legendary- Eye Primer Potion (I'll review the Primer Potion on another post). And it's made in USA yeaayy (some people are very picky about this, including me). I won't explained you how great the quality is because you have to try it yourself, then you'll see what people have been raving about.

So do yourself a favor, avoid unecessary spending, save $15 a month and in the 4th month you'll get this baby home. The best thing about this thing, if you bored with it, you can still sell it online with a high price! Consider it as an investment, like when you bought a high-end bag.. There's a good reason you know, why thousands of Naked Palette sold out within hours when they were first launched.

Swatches:

Left - Right: Virgin, Sin, Naked (matte), Sidecar, Buck(matte), Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Bottom - Up: Virgin, Sin, Naked (matte), Sidecar, Buck(matte), Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Oh, another thing.. Beware of the fake ones. Like branded high-end bags, there's always unresponsible people who make a living from selling counterfeit items. Always buy from an Urban Decay official counter (if there's one near you) or from a reputable seller..

Ingredients:
• Gunmetal Ingredients:
Talc,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Zinc Stearate,Polyethylene Terephthalate,Methylparaben,Acrylates Copolymer,Propylparaben
• Sidecar Ingredients:
Polyethylene Terephthalate,Talc,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Zinc Stearate,Acrylates Copolymer,Methylparaben,Propylparaben
• Half Baked Ingredients:
Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Talc,Zinc Stearate,Methylparaben,Propylparaben
• Sin, Smog, Toasted Ingredients:
Talc,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Zinc Stearate,Methylparaben,Propylparaben
• Darkhorse, Hustle, Virgin Ingredients:
Talc,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Zinc Stearate,Phenoxyethanol,Sodium Dehyroacetate,Sorbic Acid
• Buck Ingredients:
Talc,Zinc Stearate,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Phenoxyethanol,Sodium Dehyroacetate,Sorbic Acid
• Naked Ingredients:
Zinc Stearate,Dimethicone,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Magnesium Carbonate,Phenoxyethanol,Sodium Dehyroacetate,Sorbic Acid
• Creep Ingredients:
Talc,Ethylhexyl Palmitate,Zinc Stearate, Phenoxyethanol,Sodium Dehyroacetate,Sorbic Acid,Tin Oxide
• All shades may contain:
CI 77019 (Mica), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77000 (Aluminum Powder), CI 77400 (Bronze Powder), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 lake), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake)
Cyclopentasiloxane,C11-12 Isoparaffin,Paraffin,Polybutene,Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil,Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil,Ceresin,Ozokerite,Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax),Phenoxyethanol,Tocopherol ,Ascorbyl Palmitate,CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides),CI 77019 (Mica)
CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyandie)

Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint - Indecent

2012-03-07T13:42:00.001+07:00

Wow, I think this post has the longest title so far.. Anyway, as promised I'll post a review about an item in my last Urban Decay haul.

I think I stated before that I don't really like wearing blushes. Most of them give me an artificial cheek color. But I think, I've found my blush mate.

Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint (wheeeww... whatta name!) is a sheer cheek tint that's very easy to blend. I never wear a cheek tint before. It feels lighter than a cream blush, and heavier comparing to a cheek stain.

The name Afterglow comes from the idea of a natural glowing cheek when you wake up in the morning.. I didn't know that you could have a morning glow, except when I woke up in a cold winter and my room heater broke (kidding, we don't have any winter here). Well, you can read the rest of UD's babbling on the back of the box (wouldn't it make a perfect bathroom reading).

The packaging is cute, very edgy. The snake reminds me of the Slytherin symbol from Harry Potter (geek alert LOL). The case feels sturdy, and has a nice quality mirror inside.

I choose Indicent which is a sheer peach color, because I wanted a nude color blush. I don't like to wear an obvious coloured blush, but I don't want to go out with a bare cheeks. I was thinking of getting either this or the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed. But I guess this one could help give me a dewy look in my dry face skin.

The texture feels very nice on my skin, very light almost like a gel. Of course it glides easily too like all UD's glide-on products. I haven't got any problem blending it, unlike other cream blushes I've tried. The only cons is that the price tag is a little bit high, around US$24 (while Tarte blush is US$25). But I don't mind because this is something that I could use everyday. It's also can be wear under any powder blush as a blush primer.

Swatch (left: heavy swatch, right: blended swatch)

I found that's it's better to use a Q-tip to get the product, and apply it on my cheeks. After that, I blend it with my fingers. I think it's the best way to minimize bacteria contamination, so the product could last longer.

Ingredients:

Caprylyl Methicone, Polyethylene, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isohexadecane, Propanediol Dicaprylate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate,l Silica, Propylene Carbonate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocophyeryl Acetate, Tin Oxide, Retinol, BHT.

Urban Decay Mini Haul

2012-03-07T08:58:00.002+07:00

Sooo excited. A package arrived yesterday, brought me some items from Urban Decay yeaaayyy... Will review the items separately (I said that too many times, and yet I haven't got the chance to do any of them, sigh...)

Top left: Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint in Indescent.
Top right: Urban Decay Afterglow Cheektint sample in Quickie.
Bottom: Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette.

Burt's Bee - Baby Bee

2012-03-05T10:10:00.012+07:00

Ok, this is a good example of how obnoxious I am. I really hate the idea of exposing my baby son to all those potentially harmful chemicals. So I try to raise him as organic as possible, including organic foods and toiletries. Some chemicals is fine once in a while, but not on regular basis. We're living in a dangerous dangerous world nowadays, aren't we...

Left-Right: Baby Bee Buttermilk Lotion 4oz, Tear Free Shampoo & Wash 12oz, Diaper Ointment 3oz, All Better Balm

The main reason I choose this particular brand is only because it's affordable enough for me, and there's a local online seller who would provide me these straight from the US. But honestly, since this company is bought by Clorox, I started to have my own doubt. And also for whatever reason, they discountinued some of their best selling product like the Baby Bee Buttermilk Lotion and All Better Balm above.

Will review the individual items later.

Milani Powder Blush - Luminous & Temptation

2012-02-29T09:33:00.003+07:00

I never heard about this brand until I read somewhere that one of their blusher is a great dupe for NARS Orgasm. Not that I'm planning to get that. I could never justified myself to spend $30 for a single blush, I'm not one of those blush addicts (yet, LOL).

It turns out that there are so many great review about Milani, including their blushes, eyeshadows, and eyeliners. So I decided to try the famous Luminous blush, which is the NARS Orgasm dupe; and Temptation blush, a dupe for NARS Sin.

Temptation (left) and Luminous (right)

Temptation is a beautiful true plum color, and it's my favourite blush so far. It matches my medium skin tone perfectly, and give me an elegant mature look. It look matte but actually has subtle gold shimmer.Yes, it looks ugly on the pan but turns gorgeus on my cheeks. I think it's perfect for a formal occasion or a night-out. I could wear it everyday though but with a neutral eye and lip color, or it would be too much. I don't know how it would look on people with fairer skin than me, but for a medium to dark skin, this is a perfect must have color.

Luminous is a beautiful peach color with gold shimmer that looks amazing, both on the pan and cheeks. I think it will suit most skintones, but I'm not sure if this would show up on people with dark skin. It gives me a nice healthy glow, and it helps brighten up my face. The shimmer is very visible and produce a duochrome color.

Both of the blushes were nicely pigmented, and not powdery at all. But sadly these blushes don't last pretty long on my cheeks, 3 hours tops even with a face primer. But it will last longer if you use cream blush as a base. The price tag is only $3.99 each at beautyjoint. It think this line has been discontinued and replaced with the mineral line, which is more expensive. So, better grab these while they last.

Swatch: Temptation, heavy (left) - blended (right)

Swatch: Luminous, heavy (left) - blended (right)

Ingredients:
• Luminous:
Talc, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polymethylmethacrylate, Zinc Stearate, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Diethyl Phthalate, Red 7 Lake, May Contain (+/-): Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Red 30 Lake, Red 6, Ultramarines, Bismuth Oxychloride, Red 21 Lake, Carmine

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter - Lollipop

2012-02-24T10:09:00.007+07:00

Perhaps Revlon is the most famous drugstore makeup brand in the world. Even when I had no idea what makeup is, except for lipstick, I've heard about Revlon. But unfortunately, this brand rarely catch my attention with their products. I know there are some rave products from them like the Colorstay liquid eyeliner, or the liquid foundation, but I was always hesitate to try them. I had a bad experience with their blush and eyeshadow once, the pigmentation was terrible and won't show up on my skin at all.

Well enough rambling. When all the hype about their latest product, Colorburst Lip Butter, was all over the web, I couldn't help myself to join in. I'm allergic to most lip color product but since it's a lip butter, not a lipstick, I think my lips should be okay.

Fortunately my feelings was right. This product is very much like a lipstick, but very moisturizing. But in the other hand, the color is a little sheer, not as bold as the Colorburst lipstick. Some color won't even show up in my pigmented lips at all. That's why I decided to get the Lollipop shade, an opaque bright fuschia pink with silver glitters (don't worry, the glitters won't show up on your lips). It is very pretty but can easily get over the top in my medium skin tone. I usually dab it carefully on my lips instead of rubbing it to avoid looking like a 3 years old playing with her mom's lipstick. I think it would look very hip on people with fair skin.

Swatch:

I purchased this for 75.000 idr (US$8) on my local Revlon counter. Although the price is affordable but you only get a small amount of product. See the picture below? The lip butter is only 1.5cm long (2.55g). So this one won't last you very long. It would be a great addition to your lip color stash though, they have 20 different shades (!).

Ingredients:
Polybutene, Bis Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate 2, Tridecyl Trimelitate, Octyldodecanol, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Neopentyl Glycol Dithylhexanoate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polyethylene, Ozokerite, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl 4 Isostearate, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Zinc Ricinoleate, Squalane, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Synthetic Wax, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone/Bis Isobutyl PPG 20 Crosspolymer, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Fragrance, BHT, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2 Hexanediol, May Contain (+/-):, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Carmine (CI 75470), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850)

NYX Stick Blush - Tulip

2012-02-23T10:35:00.005+07:00

I'm not really into blush, I'm more of an eyeshadow person type. So a couple days ago I just realised that I don't have a pink blush! My favourite drugstore makeup brand -NYX- has recently launched a new line of blush, the Stick Blush. So I figured, eh why not.

The price itself is a bargain, as usual. I got this for 70.000 idr (around $8) from a local online seller. They have 8 selection of colors, mostly pink-toned, so it was a tough call. I finally landed my choice on Tulip, which turns out to be a cool bright pink color (I was hoping for a warmer color actually, maybe I should've chosen Pink Poppy)

The packaging looks like a fat chapstick. It's small and only contain 6.2 g of product. It's ok because creamy product usually have shorter shelf life (this one says 12M on the packaging though). The texture is very creamy and glide on easily. It's very easy to blend too, so you'll get a natural flush color on your cheeks. I use my fingers at first, but I guess it will be more hygienic to use a brush instead. It's super pigmented, and last quite long, at least for 5 hours on me ( I have a dry combination skin). Unlike the NYX powder blush which immediately dissapear after I left the house.

Heavy swatch:

Blended Swatch:

INGREDIENTS:
White Mineral Oil, 2-Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polybutene, Squalane, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Vitamin E, Beeswax, Ozokerite, Candelilla Wax, Carnauba Wax, Paraffin Wax/ Microcrystalline Wax, Phenoxyethanol/ Methylparaben/ N-Butylparaben/ Ethylparaben/ Propylparaben/ Isobutylparaben, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate. MAY CONTAIN: D&C Red No.6 Sodium Salt (CI 15850), D&C Red No.28 Al. Lake (CI 45410), FD&C Yellow No.5 Aluminum Lake (CI 19140:1), D&C Red No.7 Calcium Lake (CI 15850:1), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Mica (CI 77019)

Makeup Artist's Choice - Vit. K Eye Cream

2012-02-17T15:04:00.010+07:00

Ok, I dedicated this post for all the mommies out there who craved for some good night sleep. Not that I can give you what you wanted you must ask that to your adorable little creatures that keeps you awake at night (or her father). I could suggest you an answer to the dark shadows that hanging around your eyes.

I've been searching for an effective dark circle eraser eye cream for ages, and have found none. Thankfully that's a thing called concealer, but there's days that I wish I could go to the mall with my bare skin and still look fabulous.. Anyway, I was googling some article for dark circle treatment and found that Vit. K can help to correct the skin discoloration (beside lacking of sleep and anemia). There's some eye creams on the market containing Vit. K, but I found out that Makeup Artist's Choice - famous for their home peeling - sell sample sizes of their eye cream. I'm quite skeptical on this one, so I don't want to order the full size jar yet.

I bought this for 55.000 idr (US$6) for 3 gr of sample cream. The full size one is around 260.000 idr (US$29) for 1.5oz of product.

Well, since I didn't expect much, I'm quite surprise at the result. After 2 weeks using this, day and nightime, I noticed a slight reduction on my dark circle. It was a good thing right? I've read that you can't rid of dark circle unless with heavy medical kind of treatment, such as surgery. But this eye cream can definitely help you to reduce it, and make you one step less from being a panda-mom (I'm talking bout the black eye circle of course, not the fat).

Wonder how it works? Here's a brief explanation from their website:

Dark undereye circles are caused by weakened and/or swollen vessels and capillaries which accumulates, causing the dark areas.
Vitamin K will help the body to reabsorb the blood into the skin and reduce those dark, difficult-to-resolove areas.

Ingredients:
Purified water, glyceral stearate, vegetable oil, vitamin k, stearyl stearate, lactic acid, cetyl alcohol, lime flower extract, allantoin, cetearyl alcohol, microcrystaline cellulose, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, citric acid.

Yes To Carrots Lip Butter - Melon

2012-02-14T12:39:00.007+07:00

As you may already know, I'm an organic lip balm maniac. Just keeping myself logical, lip balm is a stuff you put in your lips (and quickly transferred to your mouth, stomach, blood circulation, etc) a zillion time a day. I found myself reapplying my lip balm every 15 minutes, how much toxic will I gain if I use a chemical lip balm (you do the math!)

Anyway, I usually use the famous Burt's Bee lip balm in Acai Berry (hate the original beeswax), but recently read somewhere that Yes to Carrot is more moisturizing. Bought it for £3 at ASOS. They have differents flavour such as carrot, mint, citrus, berry, and melon. I was hesitant between the berry and melon ones, and decided to try melon first (who want a carrot flavor for their lipbalm? Yuck)

It turns one that I like Burts Bee Acai Berry more than this one. This one is more moisturizing but didn't last very long, and won't give me a healthy lips look like the acai berry. It has a softer texture though, and a nice smell. So if you have a very dry dehydrated lips like me, I think Burt's Bee gives you better result (just stay away from the Beeswax one).

Ingredients:
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Beeswax, Flavor, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract*, Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis (Melon) Seed Extract*, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract*, Limonene, Linalool, Citral.

Koji Eyelash Curler no 73

2012-02-07T11:35:00.004+07:00

I was tired of cheap eyelash curler that constantly hurt my eyes, and finally decided to buy the famous Shu Uemura curler. But, I was so glad when I found a review about this Koji Eyelash Curler instead.

It's a brand from Japan, and I read that this was made for asian eyes, while most of the eyelash curler out there were made for caucasians eyes. They are available in many sizes, no 71, 72, 73, etc. I decided to purchase number 73, because it's the wide one. I have big prominent eyes, so most curler pinch my eyes (ouch!)

Bought this for 80.000 idr (US$9) from a local online seller, almost 1/3 price of the Shu Uemura, ha! It has one rubber replacement, and a wide opening. It feels sturdy and looks elegant.

The result was UNBELIEVABLE. I tried this eyelash curler at home at 6pm (for no reason, just looking for something to do before sleep in a bored afternoon). My eyelash were beautifully curved, without any weird edges on them like when I wore my cheap curler. And when I woke up the next morning, my eyelash still lookes the same! Yes the same beautifully curved as the last evening (note: I awake at least 7am every mornings, like all mothers do). Talking about beauty sleep eh.

The size is perfect for my eyes, didn't pinch my eyelid, and long enough to curved all my eyelashes. If you have small/hooded eyes you might want to try the number 71/72, as this one would be too big for you.

Benefit Feelin Cheeky (limited edition)

2012-01-25T12:31:00.005+07:00

I love when makeup brands made a value mini set. It's a perfect opportunity to try some of their products, especially when the full sizes cost you your child education saving (joking!)

I saw this when I online window shopped at sephora (we don't have sephora here, boo!). I always wanted to try the famous benefit tints and highlighters. It's called Feelin Cheeky, a perfect set to get gorgeus cheek.

This set consists of Benetint - a rose coloured cheek and lip tint, Posietint - a barbie pink sister of benetint, and High Beam - the famous highlighter with subtle pink shimmer. They came in 4 ml each. They were sold for US$15 at sephora.com, but I got this from an online local seller for 200idr (US$22). I still think that this is a good value though. Wil review the individual item later!

Everyday Minerals base - Beige Neutral

2012-01-25T09:44:00.006+07:00

If lately you've heard so much about products labeled "organic skin care", then meet its sibling: "mineral makeup". Basically, mineral makeup is a type of makeup made from naturals minerals harvested from earth like zinc oxide, mica, silica, etc. Usually they are free of preservatives or other harmful/allergenic chemical ingredients, so they are a good choice for sensitive/acne prone skin.

The first mineral makeup brand I tried is Everyday Minerals because:
a. They have good reviews for being gentle on all skin type (few break out reported), and proven true on me!
b. Affordable price comparing to the expensive Bare Minerals (bought this from a singapore-based website for S$21 included the shipping cost for 1.7oz of product)
c. Huge selection of colours and finish type
d. No bismuth ingredients

They're available in 4 different formula:
Original Glo, Semi-Matte, Matte, and Intensive. Since I have a dry - combination skin, I tried the original glo first to achieve a dewy look. Well, it did made my face dewy like JLo, but it also oxidized very fast. My face turn orange in 30 minutes (note: I always wear face primer before makeup). So, no to orangey face. After that orange experience, I tried the semi-matte formula and it was perfect. It has more coverage that the ori glo formula, and still have a little shine which brighten up my dull dry skin (but emphasized my oily nose, sigh), and didn't oxidized at all.

As for the huge choice of shade, I finally found that Beige Neutral matches my medium south-east asian skin. I've tried light olive (too light), medium olive (too dark), golden medium (too ashy), and buttery tan (too yellow).

It comes in a white plastic packaging, which I hate because it looks cheap. And it has a shifter jar, which is useless because it won't close and keep re-open by itself, so everytime I open the jar, the product fall all over the cap. I hope they'll work on a better packaging in the future

Swatch:
(note: after blending it, the powder completetly dissapered into my natural skin tone)

Ingredients:
Mica (CI 77019), Lauroyl Lysine. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ultramarines (CI 77007).

Mica: Is a naturally occurring mineral noted for its transparent sparkly luster.
Lauroyl Lysine: An all-natural amino acid derived from coconut fatty acid, contributing to the products silk like creamy texture and spreadability qualities.
Titanium Dioxide: An inert white mineral that is used as a color adjuster.
Zinc Oxide: An inorganic white powder that is used as a color adjuster.
Iron Oxides: Cosmetic pigments used to add depths of color.
Ultramarines: An inorganic vibrant pigment used to add color.

Kose Softymo white cleansing oil

2012-01-19T08:52:00.002+07:00

I freakin love the japanese. Can you imagine our life without them? No video games, no affordable city car, no sushi (gosh!).

So this is one of their contribution to the worldwide make up world: cleansing oil. This cleansing method has been used a long time ago by geishas to take off their heavy makeup. So before this was made available in drugstore, my makeup cleansing method was: eye makeup remover with cotton ball-cleansing milk with cotton ball-toner with cotton ball-cleanser-water. Now it's just cleansing oil-cleanser-water, no cotton ball needed (actually you can skip the cleanser part, but I always double cleanse my face, old habit die hard)

Anyway, the current cleansing oil that I use is from Kose: White Cleansing Oil. I love this, it's cheap (bought it for 90k idr/US $10 for 250ml), easy to use, clean effectively, doesn't dry my skin (I have a combination skin).

This cleansing oil was supposed to help whiten your face. But I have no single idea why, the bottle was written in japanese doh! They also have the speedy and deep cleansing oil variant. I'll try them later if this one runs out.

If you've never tried cleansing oil, the texture is like baby oil but less greasy. It also contain mineral oil, so if you're allergic, stay away from this. It does a very fab job putting my waterproof sunscreen/makeup away, including my mascara. It's also gentle on my eyes.

Here's the using instructions from sasa.com
How to use: Take a proper amount of cleansing oil with dry hands. Massage over dry face for about 1 minutes. Add a little lukewarm water and go on massaging to emulsify the cleansing oil. After the oil has been totally emulsified, rinse with a lot of water.