Positively Nice

NP Set Lip Gloss in Acapulco Pink - My Best Kept Secret and Sad News

2013-06-18T02:20:00.001+08:00

This is what I have been reaching for in the last two years - something really small, and can be quite insignificant, considering the fact that it came to me free (when I bought the Australian Women's Weekly magazine), it is the NP Set Lip Gloss in Acapulco Pink!

Unfortunately, I have kept this secret for so long that this product is simply not in production anymore. The feeling is just weird.

*silence*

But I am still going to go ahead and talk about it, because I really love it, and I want to buy it again. Now I really do regret not stocking up on it back then. It is the first time that I am feeling the heartbreak when something gets discontinued.

NP Set Lip Gloss in Acapulco Pink

NP Set Lip Gloss in Acapulco Pink.

Available: Not available anymore, but I suspect this has become the NP Set Lip Stain and Plumper, that costs AUD 22 on the website. Or maybe, the current lip glosses are in the same formula as this?

Volume: 10 ml.

Star Properties: Lip plumping look. With Vitamin E.

What's on the back of the tube.

Packaging

I love it. It looks so clean and simple. And I like the fact that it comes in a tube, with a hard dispenser tip, and not a brush. I just find that it is easier to use when it comes in this format.

The dispenser opening is just the right size too.

Product Look and Feel

It is the nondescript clear gloss with a slightest, slightest pink tinge.

It slides along very well, and is totally not oily or sticky. A little goes a long way. About half a rice grain (Thai white) size can fill both my upper and lower lips.

And the best thing about it is that it truly makes my lips pop!

Swatch On The Lips

This is my lips with a matte lipstick.

And this is what I get after putting on the NP Set Lip Gloss.

It's reflective enough for me to almost see my camera reflected in it!

Until now, I have not come across another clear gloss that is this popping and plumping. I don't feel the plumping sting from this, but somehow, it makes my lips look extra plump without half trying.

Price

I think the price is kind of steep for a clear gloss though. Guess it is true that makeup in Australia is just, expensive.

In all, I wish NP Set would make this again.

It's a 5/5!

I want to repurchase (because mine is starting to smell a little weird after two years).

PS: I guess one of the reasons I am putting this post out even though the product doesn't exists anymore, is because I am secretly hoping that someone out there would read it. And if this someone is in Australia, can get NP Set or already own a number of NP Set products, I hope this someone can get back to me, and tell me that the current lip glosses and lip plumper is the same as the old one (in this post), so that I can somehow try to purchase it online.

I don't know. It's just really sad when a favourite product of yours gets discontinued.

Have you ever had this feeling before? What is that product that you wish can be reproduced?

Quick Reply to Comment on UD Naked Foundation

2013-06-17T21:08:00.001+08:00

This is a reply to a comment from a reader, Victoria, that goes,

Hi Jyoan. Thank you for your very detailed review. I have been mulling whether to get this foundation or the tinted moituriser or liquid foundation from Laura Mercier. I am NC 42 and I think 7.0 was my best match. Was just wondering about two things: 1. Sephora just provided you the sample when you asked them for it? I am not sure if the Malaysian Sephora would actually do this but it would be great if they do since I only tested the colour on part of my face. 2. Your statement "Point to note: You want to make sure that your setting powder is a HD one too, otherwise you will waste the HD effect of the UD Naked foundation" Do you think that this is really necessary? I mean I have asked another blogger about this and she told me it is alright to use any loose powder with this foundation. I think she used Guerlain Meteorites with this foundation. Thanks in advance :-) Victoria on Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation in 4.0 - Good for the heat in Singapore!

I am replying here because while I can read the comment in my blogger dashboard, I can't see the reply box on my blog page itself, so I can't reply there.

Also, I think these are good questions, so it's worth a post.

1. Yes, Sephora Ion Orchard readily gave me the sample.

However, I am not sure if they still have such pre-packed samples. I got right after it launched. I think even if someone goes to the Singapore branch now, they may not hand out these samples, simply because there is no stock.

What you can do is to buy your own mini container, and bring it to the store. Sephora is quite a free-will concept type of store, so you could take the bottles and pump some out into your container on your own. For courtesy purpose, you can ask the sales assistant for permission, or ask them to help you. If the container is small enough, I don't think they will reject.

A little really goes a long way, so you don't need much.

Personally, I do have a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer with me all the time. So I use the sanitizer to clean the opening of those dirty foundation bottles before I squeeze.

About the Laura Mercier... ... haha, I know I have promised to review that as well, but I haven't. If you are not in a big hurry, I could put that on my to-test priority list, and quickly review.

2. I guess what you use to set foundation really depends on your preference.

Personally, the Guerlain Meteorites are at best an all-over pick-me-up type of glow-lighter on my face. It is not even a highlighter. I don't use Meteorites on my cheekbones, or my nose bridge, or cupid's bow, etc, because I find that it does nothing for me in terms of sculpting. For highlighting, I use a proper highlighter, like Lorac Spotlit or theBalm Mary-Loumanizer. I love my Guerlain, but I really only use it right at the end of everything, all over my face.

Guerlain Meteorites definitely does not set BB cream or foundations for me. I have tried using the meteorites alone as setting powder, and it simply did not work on my face, even though I have dry skin. Perhaps, it is the heat and humidity in Singapore. Nowadays, I feel like I am melting as long as there is no air-con. Sweat just drips down my forehead even in the shade of my house.

About other powders, I can try whatever I have, for you. So far, I know that the SkinFood Orange Sun BB Compact Powder does not work. It is good as a midday mattifier, for touch-up, but no good at all for initial setting.

I think if you do buy the UD Naked, you could always stick to your current loose setting powder, and observe the outcome. If yours work, then congratulations! No need to waste money on another product. =) For my face, the MUFE HD works very well, so I just keep using it, with no intention to change.

That's all for now. I hope it helps.

Cheers,

Jyoan

Tom Ford Lip Colour in 09 True Coral - Is TF really worth the hype?

2013-06-16T02:39:00.001+08:00

This is a love-hate relationship.

As promised half a year ago (old post here), when Tom Ford first set foot in Singapore, I am (finally) reviewing one of the Tom Ford products that I bought.

Tom Ford Lip Colour in 09 True Coral

Tom Ford Lipstick - The Bullet.

Available: Tom Ford sole counter at Tangs Orchard. IIRC, this bullet crosses $50 (one NARS blush is also $50). Generally at TF, you will rack up $100 on a single item. So, do go with a generous heart, and a large mind. =)

Volume: 3 g. It is a bit small. Guerlain Shine Automatique and Dior Addict Extreme are both 3.5 g.

Star Properties: Amazing colour. Simply amazing.

Ingredients: As in photos below.
To have castor oil as the first ingredient, it is supposed to be quite moisturising.

Ingredients Part 1.

Ingredients Part 2.

I am actually still quite shocked that this lipsticks has such a long list of ingredients. Normally, it is only one-side-of-the-box long.

But I didn't buy this for the moisturising properties. Bought more for the colour.

Packaging
A picture says a thousand words. Tom Ford packaging is undeniably gorgeous, with the gold and deep sophisticated brown for a lipstick case.

Lipstick box.

The joy of opening the top, seeing the gold, and proceeding to camwhore the lipstick.

Unboxing the lipstick.

Camwhoring the lipstick bullet.

The case looks like black, but it is actually a very deep brown that reminds me of the tinted sunglasses of businessmen in the Wild West.

It holds well in the hand, and has a beautiful, beautiful click. The Tom Ford Click is addictive, let me tell you first. The click from this could rival Chanel Rouge Allure (rumoured to have undergone hundreds of prototyping before the designer finally chose this Chanel Click that you are buying).

I actually keep this lipstick by my laptop, so that I can reach for it and start clicking open, and clicking close, when I am reading material on the internet, or am really just bored.

Colour
My colour is 09 True Coral.

The bottom of the case.

My warm medium skin generally goes well with rose pinks and orange corals. This is one of them.

I couldn't help taking one more picture.

There were so many Tom Ford lipsticks to choose from that I pretty much made my choice by name, and by how much the colour strikes me.

True Coral is one of those bright ones that stood out.

At that point in time, I didn't test this on my lips, so I was making quite a huge bet that this colour would work with my skin.

You will see that True Coral sometimes look pink, and sometimes look orangey red.

Tom Ford Lip Colour in 09 True Coral.

Lipstick Swatch and FOTD #1

We will start with just one swipe of the lipstick on my hand.

You can see that it is pigmented. I didn't use strength to do the swatch, just glided it across.

First time I tried it on my lips, I use the lipstick straight from the bullet, and it came off as vermillion/ bright orange red.

I really love the colour because it instantly brightens up my face. If you are warm medium, this colour may do the same for you too. It is one of those magical pop colours.

This seems to make my teeth look whiter!

It is in that moment that you catch what you're paying for, and you understand why ladies the world over would spend on lipsticks, and why they say more lipsticks are sold in an economic depression.

Lipstick Swatch and FOTD #2
And at other times, I realise that True Coral can look more pink. If you compare this with the photo of the lipstick in the tube, you will find that this is much, much closer to that. It now looks more like what you imagine is a coral colour, a pinkish red.

It is what the name says it is! I mean, can you believe it? For once, there is a company who actually makes a true coral lipstick. I have seen many other lipsticks that are named coral, but are really either too orange, or too pink. But with Tom Ford, 09 True Coral is both - it is both very orange AND very bright pink, at the same time (depending on camera angle and lighting).

Sorry for wet hair. Apparently, this is right before I went out. =D

In both cases, I just find that this colour lifts my entire face up so much, that as you can see, I only need a mascara, and a light touch of blush to seal the look.

Texture
This glides on like a dream. With the first ingredient as castor oil, it definitely feels like a lip butter.

Quality
It is very pigmented, and very buildable. I can actually get this to look like a pale orchid pink if I use a lip brush and do it mini layer by mini layer.

Performance On The Lips
Unfortunately, this actually gets rather drying as the hours run by. Castor oil is not exactly a moisturising ingredient in my books. I much prefer sunflower oil in a lip balm.

Probably also due to the castor oil, this lipstick does not last long on the lips too. I have to touch up in about 3 hours. And if you eat, you can be quite sure this will run. It will stain cups too, because it is very transferable.

I wore this to a friend's wedding, and I had to wipe my glass, and in the end, I decided to wipe it all off my lips and eat. I only went to the washroom to touch up, right before the bride and groom came to my table for photo-taking.

I would say that it is a little bit of a disappointment in that I expect this to be something like NARS and Laura Mercier, and be pretty long-lasting. But over the years, I have somewhat given up my search for the perfect lipstick, and have already begin to believe that no lipstick can be both incredibly long-lasting, and incredibly nourishing, at the same time. There has to be some sort of trade-off somewhere, and manufacturers need to decide where they want to draw the line.

(NARS and Laura Mercier, while are more long-lasting, are also drier than this. Hence I say there is trade-off.)

Conclusion
3.5/5.
I had a hard time deciding the score for this. So I will put out the pros and cons for you to have a look on your own.
What I really do like, and give 5/5 for:
- Unparalleled colour,
- Highly pigmented,
- Buildable,
- Packaging that is probably only rivalled by the likes of Guerlain,
- I really do enjoy putting it on every time.
To me, these reasons are enough for me to own one Tom Ford lipstick. Just one. I am not going to repurchase or buy another.

What I think you may not like:
- Price (do save up, your eyes will pop out, and heart will jump to your throat if you hear the price),
- Not long-lasting, high maintenance (need to touch up), will stick on cup,
- Can be drying after a few hours,
- Only 3 g. I can see my lipstick going shorter and shorter, I swear. I like this a lot, and I have been wearing it often enough over the last half year, and I need to tell you that the castor oil nature of this, means that the stick gets polishes off quickly before you know it. I am so afraid that this will run out and I need to buy another one (because it is not cheap), that I have started using it with a lip brush only.

A lip brush helps pick up as little product as you possibly can, and yet can still pack on a tonne of colour on your lips. It is a great way to save product, as compared to using the product straight off the tube.

If you're really just going for the colour and willing to ignore everything else, like me, this is a definite 5/5. If you are looking to buy a lipstick for very practical reasons, then skip Tom Ford altogether.

If you find a dupe for such a colour, do let me know. I give my heartfelt thanks in advance!

Closing Note
Tom Ford is brand that is marketed at a level where you have to go beyond practical reasons, and buying the product for the function of the product alone. A Tom Ford lipstick, is, not, a, lipstick. It is in other words, a through-and-through luxury brand. And when it comes to luxury, the price is worth the uniqueness, the rarity, and the exquisite make. It is the feeling that you are buying, the knowing that you're wearing a Tom Ford that makes the difference.

So actually, if you are going for the luxury, then there is no doubt that Tom Ford scores full marks on what they do.

I cannot answer the question in my title (whether TF is worth the hype), not based on one lipstick. I have not tested the other products yet.

Writing this post does make me question myself... ... if there really is a dupe for this colour, will I jump ship to that? I don't have the answer at this point in life.

Do you own any item(s) from Tom Ford? What is it? Will you recommend it? If you have tried the TF lipstick, do you find that it dries after a while too, and is not long-lasting?

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation in 4.0 - Good for the heat in Singapore!

2013-06-13T19:13:00.000+08:00

2 months into this tiny bottle, it is still not finished, and I love it!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation in 4.0

Available: Sephora.

Volume: 30 ml (full size).

Star Properties (as on back of brochure):
Weightless and virtually invisible. Oil-free, paraben-free, creating a flawless, demi-matte finish; light-diffusing spheres make you look professionally retouched. Ultimate in ultra definition.

Infused with Matrixyl 3000 (a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide), protective and brightening Litchiderm, and antioxidants Green Tea and Vitamin E.

Below are images of the brochure that came with my sample bottle.

The front.

The star properties.

This little bottle should last at least two weeks.

A little something for your record.

Colour range:
0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, so on and so forth, until 12.0.

My shade is 4.0, that would correspond to a Light Medium, NC25-NC30.

Ingredients (as from urbandecay.com):
Aqua (Water/Eau), Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tribehenin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol. All shades may contain: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides).

Packaging
I like it. I admit that I asked for a sample of this, partly because of the hype, partly because I couldn't resist the long row of transparent bottles, all capped with ultra cool black-tone silver cover, and running from light to dark.

I am not sure if the display is the same in Sephora all over the world, but if you are in Singapore, you would have seen it. Rows after rows of UD Naked. 24 bottles, all with the word NAKED printed on it. Now, how can that not be eye-catching and attractive?

Packaging for Sample
In case you are wondering, the packaging for the sample is amazing too. It is small enough to contain a tiny amount product, yet still contain enough product to last me 2 months, and running.

It has a great black screw cap that closes tight. I can bring this around without spilling.

The mouth of the bottle is just right to dispense enough for my face, and not allowing the highly milk product to overflow.

I think UD really put a lot of thought into this, including the sample.

Sample
If you haven't already seen from the photos before, this tiny bottle (slightly taller than a row of keys on your keyboard) comes with a sticker of your foundation shade on it, and inside a card on which you can paste that sticker. You can also take down the name of your sales assistant on that card, and read off those star properties from it.

I find that the whole affair very pleasant and thoughtful. Comparatively, NARS simply pumped foundation from their existing bottle in-store into a jar, and told me the name of the foundation shade. It was pretty hard to remember my foundation shade because you know how NARS doesn't have numbers, and the names are hardly in English.

UD has definitely scored points on this front.

Texture and consistency
True to claim, this is a milky foundation that feels ultra lightweight. It flows well and moves evenly over my face. I never shake this although UD says I need to. The consistency is very even, but this could be because the sample is such a tiny bottle and I use it everyday that the particles don't really settle at the bottom, so no shaking is required.

*UD has reminders to shake this before use printed on the bottle.

Before UD Naked, showing texture and consistency of UD Naked.

After UD Naked, showing coverage.

How I Use It
You can see the round indent on the front of my wrist in the above photos. That's how I use it. With this kind of wide-open hole, you need to press on it (with finger because this is a very small hole), overturn the bottle, and turn the bottle back up. Then you use whatever is on your finger.

That little bit that stays on my finger (in this case, the front of my wrist), is how much I need to cover one side of my face.

I apply that one dot as a stripe across one of my undereye area, like you would use a concealer, then I use my Shisedo flat top kabuki brush to pounce and stipple it out. This way, it is very concentrated on that triangular area under the eye, and then gradually goes thinner down the face (on my cheeks), and towards my ears.

I put another dot on my other under eye area. Do the same.

Another dot on my chin, and another dot from my forehead.

In this manner, I use 4 dots of this foundation to cover my whole face. So it is a really very, very thin application.

How I apply the UD Naked. On your left, I blended the foundation around my eyes. On your right, are those foundation stripes that I haven't blended. As you can see, the coverage for dark eye circles is actually pretty good!

Coverage
If you compare the before and after photos of the foundation on my wrist, you will notice that my veins are slightly less green in the after photo. I would say this is a low to medium coverage foundation.

It is enough to cover my undereye dark circles well enough. It is enough to cover redness around my nose, a little bit of discolouration here and there. And the best part? It actually fills up fine lines somewhat!

If you look closer at the before and after again, you will find that fine lines actually look a little bit smoother. Definitely doesn't look like much in a close-up, but it is enough to give that natural look on the face, because nobody would stand 8 cm away from your face and stare.

A normal acquaintance is at best some 30 - 60 cm away from you, the distance between your laptop monitor and your face. I'd say the UD Naked foundation is good enough for photo-taking.

Photo-taking, like that! =D

And like that! I love this shop. It's Singapore's S.E.A Aquarium souvenir shop.

Finish
This has been my choice of foundation for a number of photo-taking sessions that I have had in the last half year already. (I only started using this daily for testing purposes in the last 2 months, but I have had this sample ever since it launched in Singapore.)

It guarantees me a flawless, yet most naturally brightening finish.

Long-lasting?
If there is one point about UD Naked that is not on par with its other aspects, it is that the UD Naked does not lasts as long as I would like it to IF I do not set it properly. This could be due to the fact that it is so milky.

You really, really do need to set this foundation with a good powder, or it will slip off 3-4 hours into wear.

For me, I find the Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder a good enough one. It can extend the wear of UD Naked to up to 8 hours, in the sweltering heat of Singapore.

Point to note: You want to make sure that your setting powder is a HD one too, otherwise you will waste the HD effect of the UD Naked foundation.

Moisturising?
I find this really suitable for my dry and dehydrated skin. With foundations like Revlon and NARS, I see the layer of foundation crack at my laugh lines and undereye fine lines after 3-4 hours. However, with this, it is still as good as when I first applied after a whole day's work!

I wouldn't really call it moisturising as though it adds moisture to my skin, but I would definitely say that it maintains that level of moisture throughout the wear.

Brightening And Luminosity
I love the the UD Naked because it is not completely matte. I know some people prefer matte matte, but with my dry skin, I go for bases that restores that shine in my face, and UD Naked is a great one for this purpose!

I really like how it lifts my face and gives that *blink-*blink, crystal, see-through effect. You've got to use it to believe it.

Sensitive skin
So far so good for me. I didn't know that this is filled with truckloads of silicones until I checked the ingredients list on the website. But upon knowing, I am just glad that this formula, somehow, somehow, just doesn't irritates my skin! Maybe it is because there is enough good stuff in there.

I don't know. But I am one of those people allergic to M.A.C, and L'oreal. I think I am lucky if a popular mass market product goes well with my skin.

Range
Before I forget, I need to bring this up! UD Naked has a very extensive range of colours! From 0.5 to 12.0, with halves in between, that makes 24 different shades from the palest at 0.5, to the deepest at 12.0!

I am in the middle, so I am not sure if the 0.5 is really suitable for those NC/NW15 and below. I also don't know if the NC/NW45 would be able to wear 12.0. If you know, and you are one of them using the colours on both sides, please tell me! =)

Phew! This is a long review.

Summary
In all, I find that the UD Naked Foundation is,
- ultra lightweight
- incredibly natural
- cover my dark under eye circles and various blemishes well enough (low-medium coverage),
- moisturising/nourishing, does not sinks into and accentuate fine lines,
- brightening and luminous, giving that crystal-clear skin look,
- has a great range of shades,
- easy to use and blend,
- a little goes an unbelievably long way (this bottle is said to last two weeks, but it is two months, I wear it to work daily, and the bottle is still half full, you will need a lifetime to finish the full-size),
- value-for-money,

but does not lasts as long as I would like it too, just 3-4 hours if you do not set it with powder, or if you do not set it well.

Also, if you have oily skin, you may want to grab the sample first too because I am not sure how the nourishing properties will go with oily skin. This is not matte.

Will I Purchase The Full Size?
Cross my heart, yes! I will probably only keep a BB Cream (Dr. Jart Black Label), and this foundation once I stabilise my collection. But honestly, I cannot purchase now because I just have too many samples and BB creams to finish right now.

It's like, this is something I will recommend, I will grab for a birthday present, but for myself... that will have to wait.

So I give this a great 5/5!
It is my choice foundation for a photoshoot, no flashbacks. just that beautiful dewy glow (exactly what I want in a photo). It is actually long-lasting enough that I wore it for days I know I will have my photo taken, because I know it will hold through the humidity and unforgiving heat while I wait for my turn.

Sephora Express Nail Polish Remover - Something that changed my life!

2013-06-12T02:08:00.000+08:00

deja vu?

Just 4 months ago, I blogged about a Sephora Nail Polish Remover. And now, I am blogging about it again, but in the sponge form.

The Sephora Express Nail Polish Remover is basically the same thing as the Sephora Nail Polish Remover in liquid form. I just really want to talk about it because it has changed the way I go about doing nail polish! =D

Sephora Express Nail Polish Remover

Available: Sephora, $17.

Volume: 75 ml.

Star Properties: It's express! It is also acetone and paraben-free, as seen below.

Main ingredients include ethyl acetate, alcohol denatured, water, glycerin, as some more as seen below.

Packaging
It is pinkish red, really glaring, and that's good! I like it because I can identify where it is, the moment I open my cupboard.

I think the that size and the perfect cylindrical shape, also allows for my hand to hold it easily and firmly.

The cap screws tight well, and screws open easily.

Effectiveness
Needless to say, this is great. It really takes off even my most long-lasting nail polish, and those chunky glitter ones.

The sponge design is very good for soaking your finger nail inside. After soaking and rubbing around for 30 seconds to a minute, the chunky glitter and long-lasting nail polish will be all gone!

Of course, for the standard nail polish, just one dip, it is all gone. Two dips, will make sure everything, even the sides and the ridges of your nails are sparkling clean.

That's why I love this. It is so time-saving. Essentially, you just have to dip in and out quickly 10 times, and you're done!

Long-lasting
I have been reaching for this rather than my liquid Sephora nail polish remover for 4 months now, and it is still going strong. No signs of drying up at all. This is just great!

Nowadays, I only use the liquid one when I am removing paint from my toenails. Otherwise, I reach for this.

LOVE IT! 6/5.
If you haven't already tried this kind of sponge nail polish remover, try this! If you have, but they are just no good, why not pick up the Sephora one! It is cheap and definitely works. You will love yourself for this.

MUJI Whitening Moisturising Milk

2013-06-09T23:05:00.001+08:00

I feel really sad blogging about this because it is something I bought with high hopes, but am now disappointed with.

MUJI Whitening Moisturising Milk

Available: All MUJI stores, $9.90.

Volume: I think this is 100 ml.

Star Properties: Portable.

Ingredients:
Vitamin, glucoside, tocopheryl acetate, water, glycerine, anthem gum, alcohol, sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, fatty acid, and more, and more.

It is very difficult to read from here because the camera can't capture the rounded surface. I typed out the main ingredients above.

Packaging
I must admit that I bought this partly because I like the packaging. I was originally attracted to it because it is white, and it is small and cute.

I also really like the dispense, as it matches well with the consistency of the product - flows well like thickened milk.

The cap closes well, no leakages.

All of these makes it great for travels. I have packed this with me for 3-4 trips now, and all these times, it has proven hardy and convenient.

Texture and consistency
It is as milk as milk can be - white, and runny enough.

It also absorbs really well.

Effectiveness
This is where I begin to find the product disappointing.

Just didn't work for me. It is neither whitening or moisturising as it claims. It even seems to deepen my laugh lines, perhaps because it is rather drying (due to the alcohol).

Smell
It reeks of alcohol. And to my horror, I realise that the ingredients list has stated very clearly that this has alcohol! I must have been dreaming when I checked the ingredients before buying! I remember seeing all the good ingredients, and that convinced me to buy. But when I smelled the nail-polish-remover-smell, and checked again, I saw "tocopheryl acetate". I just put nail polish remover on my face. =(

I know tocopheryl acetate isn't exactly alcohol, but the smell and drying effects on me are similar enough.

Sensitive skin
I think this really is on the borderline. At times I find my skin feeling a bit irritated, but I have so far been mostly fine. I am one-quarter through the bottle now.

Price Point
It is rather expensive for this small a bottle.

Conclusion
In all, I really only bought it because I was looking for a good quality moisturiser for travel, that would act well as a sort of makeup primer/base. I was also looking for something that would work on everybody - dry/sensitive to normal/oily skin. And I genuinely thought that this was it.

But it is not. It does not do what it claims it will, that is, whiten and moisturise. So it's a nay for me.
Rating: 2/5.

I think it may suit people with oily skin though because I do realise that many of those moisturisers meant for oily skin, especially male moisturisers, have alcohol. And as far as my mum and husband goes, they like such products!

I intend to throw this away... ... But it is so expensive and so wasteful that I think I will pass it to my husband to try.

NOTD: Dior Vernis in 257 Incognito - The Great Work Colour!

2013-06-08T18:54:00.001+08:00

I got this one quite a while ago, and I must say, it is a really good colour to use for work!

257 Incognito is that My-Nails-But-Better colour - a pinkish light mauve. It is a very subtle way of saying my nails are there, they are nice, pretty, and well-groomed, but they are not glaring in your face.

Like all other Dior nail polishes that I own, the brush and paint consistency of this is excellent. It is very quick-dry. So if you're looking for a work-colour that can't go wrong and out of fashion, this is the one!

If you haven't already try a Dior nail polish, this is a great one to start with, something that you can use year-after-year, something that someone else in your family probably wouldn't mind sharing as well.

Love it! 5/5.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser

2013-05-26T20:24:00.000+08:00

I am finally ready to review one of the many Philosophy items that I bought one year ago in a Sephora haul, when Philosophy was first launched.

This little 90 ml bottle I have here was free with the big purchase, and I am two-thirds the way through it. The full-size bottle is 240 ml and costs $34.

Throughout this one year, I have seen both good and bad reviews about this much-hyped facial cleanser. So will my review be another bad one? Or a good one? Read on!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser

Available: Sephora, $34.

Volume: 240 ml.

Star properties: 3-in-1 cleanser for face and eyes. Gentle, and able remove makeup!

Ingredients: As in photo below.
It starts off with chemical (soap), and includes a great number of moisturising, nourishing ingredients from the second line onwards, such as glycerin, rosewood oil, bulnesia sarmientoi wood oil, and all that good stuff.

What it feels and looks like:
It is honestly easily the gentlest mainstream (can be easily bought off shelves) facial cleanser that I have ever come across.

It looks like milk, and pours like milk.

I can understand why Philosophy named it the Purity cleanser.

Milk. Oh my gosh! Affordable luxury.

A little goes a long way:
If your face is completely clean, say you just woke up from a good night's sleep, all you need is a pea size (slightly more than that in the photo below), and it will spread all over your face, and cleanse the entire face well.

I do use a twenty-cents coin big amount of this cleanser when I am using it after a day's work, to remove my makeup.

Cleansing power:
Definitely lives up to its claim! When I bought this, the sales assistant daringly claimed that this would remove makeup, and I doubted her. But now that I have gone through two-thirds of my free bottle, and spent at least two months with this, I daresay, this Purity Cleanser does removes my normal day makeup*.

*I currently wear the Urban Decay Naked Foundation, a layer of Make Up Forever HD Powder, and NARS blush daily. It's considered light-normal makeup.

I have tried using this for when I do pretty heavy eye makeup, involving those coloured gel bases all over the lids, and mascara, and yes, this works!

I do double-cleanser by using this Purity cleanser again after I wash off the cleanser (with makeup) from the first round. However, I do this out of habit because I am used to using oil makeup remover. My face actually feels clean but not dry after the first round.

Fragrance:
I love some sort of light fragrance in my facial/body products, and so yes, I enjoy this Purity cleanser a lot because it smells awesome!! (Remember, I bought the Purity perfume... hahaha, I do love this scent.)

Using this is like giving yourself a face spa everyday and every night!!! <3 p="">
Sensitive skin okay?
It is so far so good for my sensitive skin! Although this uses some sort of soap (sodium lauroamphoacetate, or SLAA for short, not sodium laureth sulfate), it just completely does not irritates my skin.

Upon some light googling, I have found that SLAA has a different chemical nature from SLS, and is a pretty new chemical used in facial cleansers, because it allows foaming, but does not irritates skin the way traditional soap, that is SLS, does.

I am not allergic to fragrances, as far as I know. So just a point to note, if you are. =)

Costs
The full size is 240ml and costs $34. This one is 90 ml, and I've used some 60ml of it in the last two months. So if every 30 ml can last a month with daily use, then 240 ml full size bottle would last 8 months. That would make $34 for 8 months, about slightly more than $4 per month.

This is pretty reasonable for such a luxury milk-like fragrant cleanser that contains no irritating and drying SLS.

It definitely is far more expensive than a Biore foam cleanser from the drugstore.

Would I recommend?
Yes, of course! I love everything about this! I think if you prefer a little bit of daily luxury and have the budget, it is nice to buy the Philosophy Purity cleanser.

Will I repurchase?
Currently, no. This is because I have two more bottles of the 90 ml free samples, and the full size 240 ml is still in my cupboard. But I am sure I will finish everything, and I think this is good enough to be a gift for a good friend or family members on Christmas or birthdays.

Overall rating: 5/5!

PS: In case you're wondering what happened to my 6-year long love relationship with my DeCosmet Gel Cleanser, I still love it, and still have a bottle of it sitting in my shower. I do use it on some days, depending on my mood.

I think the biggest difference between Purity and my gel cleanser is that my gel cleanser completely does not wash off makeup, BUT my gel cleanser is much, much gentler, and equally fragrant. My gel cleanser is slightly more expensive too.

I still love it! I love both, I would say.

Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Kabuki Multipurpose Brush - Brief Comparison with Shisedo

2013-05-04T23:12:00.000+08:00

This Sonia Kashuk brush is one that I have secretly enjoyed for months without breathing a word to all of you. =P It was very popular on Youtube many months ago, so I rushed to grab it off eBay.

If you'd like to know exactly how this lives up to the hype, read on!

Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Kabuki Multipurpose Brush

Available: Drugstores in USA. I got mine off eBay. Not sure how much it sells for in-store, but pretty sure it is very affordable.

Volume: 1 brush per case.

Star Properties: Synthetic, flat top, dense but soft.

Packaging
This Synthetic Flat Top Kabuki Multipurpose Brush is from the black-curvy series that Sonia Kashuk runs, and so, it comes in a transparent-top plastic case like all the other brushes in this series.

I think this series is the slightly higher end one. Sonia Kashuk also has those white handle brushes, like the Small Crease Brush, that are cheaper. And they come out with many limited edition brush sets with very fancy handles, that also very affordable.

I really enjoy that this brush has a dedicated case because that means I have something good to store my brush in if I want to pack it for an overseas trip.

I also really appreciate the transparent top. Although I think the transparent top is meant for market/display purposes, and is not really done because they wish to cater to people who love transparent casing just because it is pretty - like myself.

Bristles
The bristles on the Sonia Kashuk brush don't look like much. They look fairly dense, and feel fairly soft. But looks are deceiving! The bristles are actually uber soft on the face, and goes so gently over my under eye area.

I now use this brush for all sorts of BB creams/foundations, and it never fails to make the finish so flawless.

However, if you want to talk about absolute softness, I have to admit that the much more expensive Shisedo Flat Top Kabuki is perhaps some ten times softer, and definitely more dense than Sonia Kashuk's.

The Shisedo is cut quite a lot shorter too.

But the point I really want to bring across is that the Sonia Kashuk performs very well, and is actually more value-for-money than Shisedo. Quite literally, Sonia Kashuk Flat Top Kabuki is cheap and good.

Handle
Sonia Kashuk's hourglass-fashioned marble-like black handle is undeniably ergonomic and genuine great to hold in your hand.

Comparatively, the Shisedo handle is much shorter, and is just straight, like a normal brush.

I do prefer the Sonia Kashuk handle, simply because those curves guide me on where and how I should hold the brush for optimal performance.

Finish
I find that this brush allows me to be very precise, going around my lips, into the sides of my nose, right under my eye, etc, so that the coverage can be perfect. The density and softness of the bristles also makes the finish skin-like and simply stunning.

I feel that the Sonia Kashuk does perform that teeny weeny bit better than the Sephora Professional Mineral Powder 45 Brush, because the Sonia Kashuk is flat top, and so can reach into the crevices of the face.

I also feel that the Sonia Kashuk does better than the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki, because it is smaller and less dense, does not use so much product, thus giving me a much less heavy coverage (I don't like heavy coverage).

In fact, I even feel that this Sonia Kashuk makes my BB cream more skin-like than my finger can. I do go back to using fingers every now and then when I am in a big rush, because with fingers, I can use two hands and be faster. I only have one brush.

Rating: 5/5.
I think this is very value for money, and if you're looking for a good brush to apply liquid bases, just go for this! Forget Sephora and Sigma. In fact, I have half a mind to buy a second brush for back up, or maybe, to use in my other hand, one left hand, one right hand. =P Then I can do up my face faster.

PS: I just realise that I do not have tag for Sonia Kashuk!!! How could I? I do own a number of their other brushes that are so good! Time to blog more about Sonia Kashuk.

The Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadows Singles

2013-05-01T15:48:00.000+08:00

I hate to say that I like something from The Body Shop (TBS), but yes, I do like these new Colour Crush Eyeshadow Singles by them.

I like them enough to pick up three the first time I touched them, and then go back again to pick another seven.

The Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadows Singles

Available: The Body Shop outlets, $19.90. I got mine at Buy 2 Get 1 Free.

Volume: 1.5 g.

Star Properties: Juicy colours.

Packaging
There are pros and cons to the packaging. The pros are that the packaging is completely transparent, very compact, and has the details (name and ingredients) pasted on the back. I am madly in love with the transparency of this as it means I don't have to open them up to see what colours they are, unlike those black colours Chanel and Lancome ones that I own.

The con is that this comes individually, and are not meant to be dug out. In other words, you can't combine these eyeshadows onto a single empty palette of your own. This frustrates me a lot because I find it very hard to store single eyeshadows as they are so small and fly all over the place, and also because I prefer seeing what colours I have all at one go.

Currently, I feel that the best way to go about storing and using these are to leave them on my dressing table. They make my dressing table look very messy, but that is the only way I get to see the colours, and also get to use them without having to look for tiny round cases!

What the package looks like on the back. These are my first three colours. Subsequently, I bought seven more.

If you look closely at the labels in the photo above, you will find that they specified the nuances of the eyeshadows, you actually know exactly what tones the shadows are in.

Ingredients list below:

Ingredients. Pretty standard, with Talc and Mica being the top two.

And this is what they look like when opened up. I like that the cover goes all the way up, so it's easy to hold onto the eyeshadow by holding the cover.

Colours and Swatches

It's going to be colours galore next. So grab your drink and scroll down! =D

First up, Be My Clementine! I love this name because it is so creative. This one caught my eye the most because it is a true salmon eyeshadow. On the eyelid, it compliments my warm medium skin perfectly.

115 Be My Clementine. Tone: Coral coquin.

Second, this is Berry Cute. As the name goes, this shade of pink is one that gives that cute Japanese teenage girl look.

305 Berry Cute. Tone: Rose timide.

Third, this is Berry Cheeky. I find that Berry Cute and Berry Cheeky are very cliche names. Nothing special. I was so attracted to Berry Cheeky because it is that hot fuchsia that reminds me of one of NARS blushes and Tom Ford's Narcissa. This could be a close enough dupe. I bought it because I want to use it as a cheek colour, not eyeshadow.

310 Berry Cheeky. Tone: Fuchsia declaration.

I picked the rest of the colours because I thought I just might use it one of these days. They are pretty standard colours to have in one's kit.

Fourth that I own, is Sugar Gaze. This is my least favourite colour of date because it is way, way too cool toned for me. I strongly discourage anyone with warm skin to choose this, as it will look flat and highly frosted.

001 Sugar Gaze. Tone: Sucre Blanc.

Fifth, Golden Girl. Ooo, I just love the name. My favourite of the pack thus far, I like it even more than Be My Clementine. This is the perfect shade for highlighting brow bone and all over the lids daily if you have warm skin.

Compared to theBalm Mary-Loumanizer, this is much better for everyday use because it is less gold, more subtle, whereas Mary-Loumanizer is all out gold, super pigmented, and makes me look like I am going to a night party everyday. Both are good though, just that each has its own purpose.

101 Golden Girl. Tone: Coeur d'or <-- ask="" don="" french.="" i="" know="" me="" means.="" t="" t_t.="" td="" this="" what="">

Sixth one, Sand By Me. I like the name of this, but I almost never pick up this colour. I think I just find no use for matte mid-tone colours. I know matte mid-tone colours can be essential for some people, to blend out the harsh colour on the mobile lids, but I just don't find a need for these.

110 Sand By Me. Tone: Chou a la creme.

Seventh: Bronze Bliss. LOVE this! One of my favourites colours in my ten. I like to use this for the outer 1/3 of my mobile lids, and I also like to pat a bit of this along the crease to blend out any colour. This matches so well with any of the other 10 that I own. It even matches the green and turquoise! T'is a very versatile colour to have.

210 Bronze Bliss. Tone: Bronze Paradis.

Eighth, Coconuts About You. hahaha, this is a hilarious name. This is another matte mid-tone colour that again, is just not my favourite, simple because I have no use for matte mid-tone colours. Still, I bought it because you really never know when such matte colours will come in useful.

215 Coconuts About You. Tone: Cafe caprice. I guess that means this is a coffee colour.

Ninth, Something Blue. Argh, what a lack of creativity in the name. But anyhow, this is one of those highly fashionable colour nowadays. Nice for adding a pop of colour yet still look natural, fun, and almost sun-kissed. Turquoise and teals are one of my very favourites in the whole colour wheel.

510 Something Blue. Tone: Turquoise Sirene.

Tenth, but not least, is Sweet Pea. The name is so cute! It definitely looks more like an olive colour to me. This is a pretty colour for warm skin people. And it matches dark brown eyes very well, great for Asians.

605 Sweet Pea. Tone: Tilleul precieux. Another one that I don't understand.

Now for the swatches!

From left to right: 115 Be My Clementine, 305 Berry Cute, 310 Berry Cheeky.

From left to right: 605 Sweet Pea, 510 Something Blue, 215 Coconuts About You, 210 Bronze Bliss, 110 Sand By Me, 101 Golden Girl, and 001 Sugar Gaze.

Enlarged version.

From left to right: 605 Sweet Pea, 10 Something Blue, 215 Coconuts About You, 210 Bronze Bliss.

From left to right: 110 Sand By Me, 101 Golden Girl, and 001 Sugar Gaze.

Wearing it on my eyes:
I had Golden Girl (pale yellow gold) all over my mobile lids and on my lower lash line. The I placed Be My Clementine (salmon colour) on the center of my mobile lids, pushing it slightly into the crease (my socket line that is, because I have hooded eyes). Then I used Berry Cute (pale pink) all over my outer-V, pulling it ever so slightly beyond the outer 1/3 of my eye, so that I can blend it into the salmon colour. This part looks clearer in the second photo. Lastly, I used a dab, just a dab of Berry Cheeky (hot fuchsia) in my outer-V, and blend that into the pale pink, to create that depth.

I love this combination! It's sweet yet pale enough for everyday work with a pop of colour!

Next up is my second favourite combination.

It does not looks like much at all when my eyes are opened. haha, because nowadays, I tend to tone down, and refrain from pulling colours all the way up, unlike what I do 3 years ago.

For the first photo, you see Sugar Gaze on the inner half of my lower lash line. That cool frosted white does have a slight pink-purple tone to it. I also have a bit of Golden Girl on the center of my lower lash line, followed by Sweet Pea (olive green) on the outermost of my lower lash line.

I don't normally put so many colours on the lower lash line. This was done just because I wanted to experiment with the colours. My main focus is actually the upper lid --> That's the combination I like.

On the upper lid, I first put Golden Girl all over my mobile lid, and pulled it well into my socket line, blending it out slightly above my socket line. Golden Girl is the colour you still see when my eyes are open. Then I put Sweet Pea on the outer 1/3 of the mobile lids and blend. I top up Sweet Pea with Something Blue (turquoise), and confined that colour to only the outermost corner of my mobile lids. I blended out these dark colours with a tiny bit of Sand By Me (matte creme), and tadaa, am done!

Alrighty! Enough about the colours. Time for some review of the quality!

Texture
I love the texture. What can I say? I took the plunge and bought because all of them felt so nice to me. They are soft and glide on easily on my finger, and also on my eyelids.

Pigmentation
The pigmentation is just not as good as Urban Decay or Inglot. I find them pigmented enough for everyday wear because I don't like my work-makeup to be that strong, but I don't find them worth the $20 full price. At the most, I am only willing to pay about $10 - $15 for these. And $15 is pushing it already because the overall quality is only slightly better than drugstore, in my opinion. This explains why I bought during the Buy 2 Get 1 Free.

I will say that there are pros and cons to less pigmented shadows, because in all earnest, I will not wear Wet 'n' Wild or non-neutral Urban Decay to work. I find the Naked Palette also slightly too pigmented for work. But well, I guess that really depends on what work you are in! =P

Staying Power
Not impressive. They stay for only about 3-4 hours. After that, the colours just slowly fade off. After some 8 hours, you can only see the remnants of the colours.

Hassle
This means that you will need a very good eyeshadow primer to only hold these eyeshadows throughout the work day, but also to help the colours pop.

My all-time favourite eyeshadow primer is still Urban Decay Primer Potion in original, but I find that the UDPP doesn't creates an even coloured canvas as well as some other products because it dries transparent. So currently, I love using M.A.C paintpot in Soft Ochre to create that evenly colour skin colour base. The paintpot helps the eyeshadows to not crease, and to stay as well!

Overall Colours
What I do enjoy about these Colour Crush Eyeshadows is that they have just the right amount of sparkle and glitter. The glitter is so fine that you don't see those large chunks, yet your eyes still look lifted. Unlike the Mary-Loumanizer, these eyeshadows don't sparkle so strongly that makes you look like going to a night party.

I also enjoy the colour range of this Colour Crush collection. I think the range is wide enough and the colours in general of soft, gentle, yet juicy, playful, young and fun!

The colour range is not considered big, but they do include the essentials, and are great for working adults.

Rating: 3.5/5.
I like them. But I don't find them worth $19.90. I think you can pick up a couple of colours if you run into their Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale. But I absolutely refuse to recommend these at the full price. Straight no. I have said before that Inglot eyeshadows are much more worthwhile, and I maintain that stand.

I will give a 4/5 if they lower the usual selling price to $15. And I will up it to 4.5/5 if they can improve the staying power up to 8 hours.

Have you bought any TBS Colour Crush Eyeshadow Singles? Which is your favourite colour? What is your opinion of them?

NARS Orgasm and Angelika Blush Duo

2013-04-21T15:58:00.000+08:00

This is a surprisingly good combination, and such a delight to use!

NARS Orgasm and Angelika Blush Duo

Left: Orgasm, Right: Angelika.

Available: I bought this off eBay.

Volume: 10 g.

Star properties: 2 gorgeous shades that work so well together in 1.

Packaging
This comes in the standard rubbery matte black palette with the NARS word printed in large on top.

While I am now used to packaging, I still wish that NARS can stop using this rubbery material, as it degrades faster than you know, such that you can't keep the palette after the blushes have hit pan.

As usual, they have stuck the label on the underside of the palette.

And if you look at the next photo, you will understand why I would like to keep this palette so much.

This is a big one, and has a really big mirror, yet just small enough to fit into handbags. If only it wasn't rubbery... ...

Colour, Swatches, and Texture
Orgasm, is like what everyone else say it is, a slightly rosy but very coral blush with loads of gold specks.

Angelika, is a near matte magenta, with a very, very lovely purple hue.

Top: Orgasm, Bottom: Angelika.

Orgasm has a poorer payoff than Angelika.

Both are kind of rough, and not as butter-soft as new-age formula like the Estee Lauder Gelee.

How I Use Them + Swatches On Face
I normally alternate my brush between both blushes about 2-3 times, then brush whatever is there on my cheeks, due to laziness in the mornings.

If I were to go one blush at a time, I prefer starting with Orgasm, and using only very little of Orgasm (1 tap). This is because when Angelika is placed on top, it adds that beautiful purple hue that complements warm skin perfectly!

I have tried many different combinations, such as the following:
- 3 - 4 taps of Orgasm underneath followed by 1-2 taps of Angelika over,
- 3 - 4 taps of Angelika underneath followed by 1-2 taps of Orgasm over,
- 1 - 2 taps of Angelika underneath followed by 1 - 2 taps of Orgasm over.

But nothing beats just having 1 - 2 taps of Orgasm underneath followed by 2-3 taps of Angelika over, for me.

Angelika blush.

You will notice that with Angelika alone, it is a wee bit too pink for my warm medium skin.

Orgasm blush.

And with Orgasm only, the crazy amount of gold specks makes me so yellow.

And that is precisely the reason Angelika can work so well with Orgasm! The purple matte Angelika tones down gold coral Orgasm quite a lot, and brings out the bit of coolness I have in my warm skin, thus balancing the face better.

Staying Power
For some reason, not all NARS blushes are made the same, and I actually find that this Orgasm-Angelika duo does not last as long as Deep Throat.

NARS Blushes So Far
I prefer Deep Throat over Orgasm because it is bit more mauve, has that bit less gold specks (just the right amount I would say, I do love gold specks), is that bit more pigmented (better payoff), is that bit more long-lasting, and fits my skin tone more in a way that it comes across as natural and subtle (for my NC25-30/Urban Decay Naked 4.0 skin).

I do love, love wearing Orgasm with Angelika, but I would not wear either one alone.

For the record, I am now alternating between Deep Throat, Orgasm-Angelika Duo, and Estee Lauder Gelee Blush in Tease. I still reach for my Laura Geller Vanilla-Peach-Cobbler, and Illamasqua Lover and Hussy Duo once a while.

My upcoming mission is to go through and test my handful of other NARS Blushes, like Gilda, Gina, Douceur, etc. So stay tuned!

Back to topic!
Overall rating: 5/5
I am rating it from the point of view that this is a duo, and I am truly impressed with how NARS paired them off. No complains.

I think Angelika deserves a 5/5 in terms of texture, pigmentation/payoff, but not Orgasm. Also, both are not colours I personally would buy/wear alone.

I do however, recommend checking out Angelika IF you are searching for purple hue blushes.

Do you like Orgasm, Angelika, or both? Are you into combining blushes and playing around with colours? If so, what is your best combination?

KATE Powderless Liquid Foundation in OC-C (Sample size)

2013-04-13T20:03:00.000+08:00

Inspired by the little jar of NARS sample I got, I decided to buy a jar (from MUJI), and pump some KATE Powderless Liquid Foundation for myself from Watsons. Honestly, I was a little scared when I did it, as nobody knows who has touched the bottle before. I only took the plunge because this KATE Foundation comes in a pump bottle, so I sterilised the mouth, and pump some into my jar.

The other reason why I finally decided I should get a sample, was because I like the feel of this foundation very much! I have tested it 101 times on the back of my hand before, and was on the verge of buying it.

So if you would like to find out the outcome of my sampling, read on!

KATE Powderless Liquid Foundation in OC-C (Sample size)

Available: All major Watsons outlet, and Sasa outlets.

Economical
A little does go a long way. You only need a rice grain size of foundation to cover the whole face. This amount of sample would probably last a couple of months. I didn't know until I started using my sample for about 3 weeks, and I still have this much left.

Texture
As seen below, this is a liquid turn powder foundation, it definitely has the powder finish, but starts off as a liquid similar to the Urban Decay Naked Foundation.

I think they call it "powderless" because it really is powderless, because if you compare this to UD Naked Foundation, the Naked actually separates out after standing for some time. The powder in the Naked Foundation would sink to the bottom, leaving the liquid on top, and you do need to shake the UD Naked to get a good even cover foundation. But this KATE one does not separates.

OC-C completely does not match my hand because I am sunburnt in this photo. My hand is at least two shades darker than my face, and 3 shades darker than my neck and chest area.

Again, a picture speaks a thousand words, and here is the KATE Powderless Liquid Foundation in OC-C on the right half of my face.

KATE foundation on your right half. I had NARS Sheer Glow on your left half.

You can see quite a big difference between NARS Sheer Glow on the left half of my face, and the KATE foundation on the right half.

Finish
NARS Sheer Glow does seem comparatively glowing and dewy, as compare to the liquid-to-powder KATE foundation. The powder finish of the KATE foundation actually makes my already dry skin look even drier.

Coverage
KATE Powderless Liquid Foundation has a fairly good coverage, about medium. It does not cover my dark eye circles completely, like the NARS Sheer Glow does. But it will do for the state of my skin in other areas. In fact, I think it's good, as what you see in the side view photo below.

What I Do Not Like
- While this foundation is in my shade (this sample is OC-C, OC-D is too dark), it still makes me look grey. They have shades for fair/pink skin, which I know will not suit me at all. The OC series is for yellow skin, but it still looks wrong. Perhaps this is the bad thing about Japanese/Korean makeup - Japanese/Koreans tend to be really fair, and pinker than Southeast Asians (who generally live in hot sun all year round), so their makeup just don't exactly suit Southeast Asians, although we are all Asians.

- This foundation, being a liquid-to-powder type one, will definitely sink into fine lines. I do not recommend this for people with dry skin at all, as it will make fine lines more pronounced. I think the NARS Sheer Glow and my Dr. Jart BB Cream are much more suitable for fine lines.

However, if you have oily/normal skin, I think you will not face this problem.

Rating: 3/5.
I will not purchase the full-size, as I think the coverage is too poor for my dark eye circles, plus, it also sinks into my undereye fine lines quite a bit, and makes me look greyish. However, it may work if your skin is more pink, and you don't have fine lines. Not a bad one, just not suitable for me.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Stromboli

2013-04-02T19:06:00.001+08:00

This is a review based on 2-3 weeks use of a sample that I requested from NARS.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Stromboli

My sample of Stromboli.

Characteristics (conclusion after using for 2-3 weeks)

- Incredibly light-weight.

- Matte, but still needs to be set with a little powder.

- Heavy coverage, enough to conceal my dark circles.

- Evens out skin well, to give almost flawless look.
- Moisture-rich enough such that it does not sinks into fine lines, although it does not covers fine lines.

- Still manages to give the fresh, slightly dewy look.

A picture says a thousand words.
3 pictures says three thousand words. =P

Application.

As seen, Stromboli is some kind of too yellow, even for a yellow warm skin person like myself. But the coverage and formulation is just wonderful!

Left-half - NARS Sheer Glow in Stromboli. Right-half - Bare skin.

See the difference? The coverage and finish is the best I have experience so far.

To buy or not to buy?

Stromboli is a tad too dark for me when I am not tanned. These photos were taken after I came back from Batam, sunburnt. The shade is just right when tanned, but the yellow is just way too much.

The strange thing about NARS is that their Sheer Glow Foundation skips one shade, in that Stromboli is yellow, one shade lighter is pink, and then two shades lighter is yellow again. Essentially, this means that one shade lighter, which would be my shade, is a pink tone foundation that will never fit. And the next yellow shade downwards, is two whole shades lighter!

The only way I would get my shade is to buy two, Stromboli, and the one two shades lighter, then mix it and get the in between. And in my personal opinion, there is just no way I am going to do that. Firstly, I am not that into foundations, still a very much BB Cream person. Secondly, mixing is too troublesome for me. Thirdly, it is going to cost way too much and I would use way too little such that my foundation will spoil before I can finish two bottles, hence it does not makes economical sense to me.

Conclusion
In a nutshell, I must say that the NARS Sheer Glow has completely lived up to its hype on Youtube, and the only reason I am not repurchasing is because NARS Sheer Glow does not come in my exact shade. If you can find your shade in NARS Sheer Glow, lucky you! Go for it! =D
5/5.

Do you already own NARS Sheer Glow? If no, have you tried it? Have you tried any of the other NARS foundations? Do you think they live up to the hype?

The Great Inglot Haul!!! - From Singapore to Johor.

2013-03-31T13:23:00.000+08:00

It has been a long time since I hauled in such enormity.

But I figured I am not going back to Johor just for Inglot in the near future, so there goes.

Inglot Lip Duo in 20, RM56.

Inglot Lip Duo Ingredients.

Inglot Duraline - touted as the saviour for dried up gel liners.

Duraline Ingredients, RM38.

Inglot Lipstick in 145 and 239, RM50.

Lipstick Ingredients.

Inglot Lipsticks in 40, 42, 57.

Inglot Lipgels, RM56.

Lipgel Ingredients.

Inglot Nail Polishes in 932 and 304, RM 44.

Nail Polish Ingredients List.

These gel liners below are superb!

Inglot Eyeliner Gel in 76 (white) and 82 (purple blue), RM 52.

Eyeliner Gel Ingredients List.

And last but not least, the oh-so-famous Freedom Systems Palettes.

All that I got.

This is the single palette for blush.

Freedom System Palette Blush [1], RM18.

And the eyeshadow one.

Freedom System Palette Eyeshadows [10], RM45.

The smaller one.

Freedom System Palette Eyeshadows [4], RM28.

All my gorgeous colours!!!

Colours, colours, colours.

They say Inglot is cheap, but that's if you count the total cost, these, cost a bomb! =P

Each pan is RM28, and it looks like that:

This is so torn and tattered because the plastic refused to budge, and I tried bending and scrapping off the plastic from all 4 sides before I finally reach home in Singapore and used a scissor cut it!! Couldn't find any scissor in my hotel.

Basically, you bend one of the edges that they've marked out, and the soft plastic will peel off from the hard plastic pan, then you just unseal it all the way, and pop the eyeshadow pan out.

I felt like I was dealing with a bag of medicinal pills when I went through 24 of them at one go, because I chose to unpack and arrange on my own. The sales assistant will gladly help you to open and put everything in if you don't mind missing out on the fun of doing this in your own sweet time. =D

My Colours Pan: (from left to right, top row first) 46 (off-white), 612 (sand), 15 (orange), 399 (mauve lavender), 452 (burgundy), 606 (bronze), 20 (bubble gum blue), 17 (turtle green), 482 (midnight blue), 63 (black).

To be fair, these aren't expensive at all if you compare to M.A.C and any other counter brands. Even the latest single shadow from The Body Shop is a cut-throat two times more, at $20.

Quick heads-up on TBS eyeshadows, just in case I get too busy to post again, is that, while the quality of most of the colours are good and comparable with Inglot, there are some colours that don't make the cut. Those are more chalky and have much less colour payoff.

Even for those that make the cut, the dimension in the shadows are just a whole lot poorer than NARS and Inglot. Many colours are high dupe-able, and if you own the Urban Decay Naked series of eyeshadows, you probably have most of the neutrals of TBS already. The colourful TBS shadows are way too common, so if you've got a solid stash already, you may find repeats from your collection.

So I'd say, it will pay off well if you make a trip up to JB and get whatever you think you want at Inglot before doing cosmetic shopping in Singapore. Inglot has the quality and dimension of NARS and Urban Decay, but has a price in between that of counter and drugstore.

My Neutrals: (from left to right, top row first) 311 (matte pale mauve), 312 (matte peach coral), 313 (matte beige sand), 314 (matte orangey peach), 419 (forest green), 420 (purple undertone grey), 434 (midnight black), 445 (dull purple), 502 (sparkly grey).

If you haven't already noticed, I didn't choose any normal and familiar colours, like sapphire blue or emerald green, because many of the colours are extremely similar to what I have in my collection, especially if you own palettes after palettes of Urban Decay. My aim was to pick out as many colours that are unique to me, that I confirm I don't have in my stash. And I spent some 2 hours just swatching eyeshadows alone. =P

The matte peach coral and orangey peach eyeshadows are actually picked to be blush colours. They are gorgeous!

My Funky Colours: 154 (Brown), 13 (Pale sky blue), 477 (Electric green), 39 (Sparkly Maroon Fuchsia).

The blushes also came in similar plastic vacuum sealed packaging, and you could pop that out the plastic and let it get magnetised into the palettes.

That's RM38 per blush.

One of them is 68, the other, I threw the packet and forgot to take down the number!

Don't underestimate these colours as they look very dull in the photos. I swear, these are fantastic when I swatched them.

The reason why these colours are rather odd and off the beaten track is because the rest are too similar to my NARS. I saw something that I thought looks like Deep Throat. And also, the rest were too sparkly for my liking. These two are rather matte, and reminds me more of Burberry.

Whoo! That was a long post!

Have you visited Inglot JB if you live in Singapore? No matter where you're located, what are some of your favourites from them?

FOTD: Estee Lauder Spring Collection 2013

2013-03-24T15:25:00.000+08:00

If you're into Spring Collections, I hope you've waited for Estee Lauder!

I skipped Dior, Lancome, and even my favourite Guerlain this year, just so I wouldn't bust the wallet when Estee Lauder comes out, this late.

Here are the two gorgeous items I couldn't resist!

This post is going to be about what the makeup looks like on me, so I will not review much. For full review and swatches, do check out Dustyohunter in the video below.

You can spot many other items in Dusty's video, such as the lipsticks, gel eyeliners, and nail polishes. I didn't see the gel eyeliners on display at my local departmental store, so I am really not sure if those are truly good or not.

However, I skipped the lipsticks and nail polishes because those just aren't good enough to render that kind of price that Estee Lauder charges.

The nail polishes were very sheer when I painted them on my bare nails directly. They dry fast though.

I am extremely impressed with the Pretty Naughty 5 Colours Eyeshadow because I have used many pastel shadows that just don't show on my skin at all. Pastel shadows to me have always been a no-no because they tend to be chalky and sheer. But Estee Lauder has got this right with the ultra staying power and great pigmentation.

Here, I used the light blue all over the inner 2/3 of my mobile lids, and the purplish-blue on the outer corner. I used the pink to blend off the edges into my crease, and also on the tear duct area and my brow bone. The pink is a crazy gorgeous highlight colour for brow bone!!!

I then used a stiff flat eyeshadow brush to push the brown colour onto my lower lashline, which you don't see much off in this photo.

Next, I have the Tease blush on my cheeks. I was a bit disappointed that it isn't as pigmented as reviewed by dustyohunter. In this photo, I actually applied NARS Deep Throat over the Tease blush, to give my cheeks a greater pop of colour.

I used the Tease blush to highlight my forehead, nose bridge, and chin too, which is not caught on camera.

Last but not least, the final FOTD!

This was complete with Sasatinnie Mascara, and Dior Ultra Gloss, no lipstick was used under because Dior is just that gorgeous!

I wore this look to a friend's wedding yesterday, and I like how the pastel eyeshadows are so gentle on the face, and never seem to look overwhelming no matter how much I pack on. Great for people like me who have the tendency to just keep piling eyeshadows like there is no tomorrow.

I also like how this pastel blue by Estee Lauder is so kind on many skin tones. I hardly wear blue eyeshadows because blue on my warm medium skin is zombie-like, ashy, and just never stays. My skin goes well with teal, turquoise, and jewel/midnight blue, but never any other blues. I thought I wouldn't be able to wear this because pastel is just not meant for warm skin, much less warm medium skin.

That's all! Enjoy the remaining of the weekend!

Have you checked out Estee Lauder Spring 2013 Collection? Did you get anything from them?

Empties [2013 1st Quarter]

2013-03-17T16:05:00.002+08:00

Hi Everyone!

Oh, it has been such the longest time since I last posted. I really miss all of you and this blog. Life is fully packed with work, and I often reach home too exhausted to come online. Even my weekends are packed with events. I apologise for having to take leave off blogging, but be assured that I have not given up on this baby. =)

With that, I am jumping straight into my First Quarter Empties! Have been wanting to post this for the longest time, but I was waiting for a couple of items to truly empty, like the Garnier BB Cream, and Biore Cleansing Gel. Those took me forever!

All my empties are shown in the photo below. Not a lot at all. For some reason, I am just not one who can finish products like running water. I always seem to use lesser product than my other family members.

All my empties.

I will do the quick review, yay/nay, picture by picture.

In this photo, you see the SPA Foaming Facial Scrub, Johnson's Top-to-toe Baby Wash, Avene Thermal Water Spray, Esmeria Wrinkle Repair Eye Serum, and a sponge.

1. Jericho SPA Foaming Facial Scrub - Nay. I was fighting to empty this. It does work as a very normal facial scrub, the beads ain't too big, actually quite gentle on the skin. But I just don't like the dry feel after using it, because of the amount of SLS, and perhaps I am that bit biased against physical scrubs. I do prefer chemical exfoliators a lot more.

2. Esmeria Wrinkle Repair Eye Serum - Yay. If you read my review of this, you will find that I have started using it since 2 years ago. Yes, I know, eons ago. But a little really goes a long way for this. Only con is that this is organic, so it is supposed to last only 6 months although it is vacuum-sealed. I use it for 2 years, but I find that towards the end, it doesn't really work anymore. So if you buy it, you may want to share it with your family members so as not to waste it. It is very cheap, and truly effective for me.

3. Johnson's Baby Top-to-toe Foaming Wash - Yay. I am keeping the empty bottle for when I buy the large bottle of refill. I really love this, think it works for body, face, and hair. It's just so gentle, so mild, luxurious feel even for adults, despite it being a relatively cheap item. This bottle lasted me some 5 months. Unfortunately, I am trying to finish up my mountain load of soap bars before I finally go back to this.

4. Avene Thermal Water - Yay. I gave this a normal review a long, long time ago. But I am officially changing my mind about this because there are many more thermal water spray these days as compared to only Evian and Avene 4 years' ago, and so I have experience more thermal water, such that I now know Avene is really still the best. The water droplets sprayed out from the Avene nozzle is so gentle and well-spread out, unlike Bio-Essence or Evian.

I will talk about the sponge at the end.

In the next photo, there is the Biore Cleansing Gel, Ole Henriksen Cleansing Lotion, and my Bausch and Lomb Renu contact lens lotion.

5. Biore Makeup Remover Cleansing Gel - Nay and Yay. I like this as a cheap daily mild cleansing gel. I think it removes light makeup fairly well, and I like using this on my lazy days when I know I only have BB cream and loose powder on, nothing heavy. However, I don't think this is reliable enough if you're looking for a makeup remover. This will not remove those hardcore tough mascara, eyeliners, and eyeshadow gels, and it does not really removes hardcore sunscreens too.

6. Ole Henriksen Dry/Sensitive Skin Apricot Cleansing Lotion - Nay. Think the cleansing power is almost non-existent. Expensive, yet not value for money.

7. Bausch & Lomb Renu Fresh Contact Lens Lotion - Yay. I am a B&L fan. Like the cleansing power of this lotion. It is very mild too.

In the next photo, I have that sponge, cocoons, and Garnier Light BB Cream.

8. Kenassy Hair Removal Puff (with Collagen) - Nay. I have been wanting to blog about this for the longest time, but just couldn't bring myself to. Basically, I think this is just too rough for the skin even if it is meant for exfoliating arm and leg hair. I bought thinking that it is a normal face sponge though.

9. Cocoons - Nay. These are real cocoons from silkworms. This is part of the process in silk manufacturing. And some people have came up with the idea of putting these on your fingers and massaging your face while cleansing the face. I bought it thinking it may be a good idea, but in the end, the idea just didn't go down right with me, so I think I am clearing this out. Will never buy such things again.

10. Garnier Light B.B. Cream - Yay. I have been raving about this the whole of 2012, and I have finally emptied this right down to the last drop after 10 months. It is a very light and brightening base that evens out my skin nicely. It is also extremely cheap considering it was only about $16 and lasted me 10 months. That's $1.60 a month!

That's it! 10 emptied products for this year! I just love empties posts, don't you?

Illamasqua Powder Blush Duo in Lover and Hussy.

2013-02-15T21:39:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I miss all of you, readers, and I hope you have been doing well in this new year of 2013!

In this post, I come to you with a review of the Illamasqua Powder Blush Duo that I have been diligently testing for the past couple of months. This is another rave post that I have wanting to share for a long while, but could not find the time off work to do so. But today, I am wearing this blush for Chinese New Year visiting, so I decided to quickly take the photos and post it, while I still have my holidays.

Enjoy!

Illamasqua Powder Blush Duo in Lover and Hussy

Available: Illamasqua.com, 26 pounds.

Volume: 2 x 2g.

Star Properties: Featuring two beautiful matt Powder Blusher shades, Lover (Soft apricot) and Hussy (Candy Pink), the new Powder Blusher Duo, a first for Illamasqua, comes in a gorgeous compact with a mirror. Illamasqua Powder Blushers are highly pigmented, use them to shade, brighten, enhance and contour. Be bold; be daring and most importantly be the center of attention this party season. (Illamasqua website, 2013).

Packaging
The Illamasqua Blush Duo comes in a square black cardboard box that look almost identical to the one that holds their eyeshadow quad.

The ingredients list is printed on the back of the box. Those allergic to talc and mica may like to take note, and test this blush on the neck first.

In the past, some blushes with high mica content have irritated my skin before, but this Illamasqua blush is so far so good on me.

The actual compact is black and glossy, exactly like the eye quad, with the Illamasqua logo embossed on top, Illamasqua word printed on the opening cache. It also comes in the signature indented diamond shape that Illamasqua boasts. In my honest opinion, I think this black plastic is very cheap feeling, although it looks good.

The names of the colours are printed on the back of the compact, for easy reference.

Colour

So the peach colour on top is Lover, and the pink below is Hussy.

Swatches
I have first swatched Lover and Hussy only.

From left, Hussy blended, Hussy, Lover, Lover blended.

Next, I swatched both Lover and Hussy, and I compared them both with a few other blushes that I currently use in rotation.

From left: Illamasqua Lover, NARS Gina, Chanel Spring Collection 2013 No. 17 Candy blush, NARS Deep Throat, and Illamasqua Hussy.

Illamasqua Lover is definitely far more apricot than my other blushes. I don't have anything like that in my stash.

Whereas, NARS Gina leans more to the russet type of colour, apricot tones, but with that brownish tinge.

No. 17 Candy from Chanel Spring Collection 2013 is the paler and more sparse version of NARS Deep Throat, although it leans just that teeny beeny bit apricot, as compared to Deep Throat that is more pink.

NARS Deep Throat looks like a straight up carnation pink here, when compared to blushes that are more apricot. Normally, Deep Throat gives me more peachy feelings than pink, and I have always considered Deep Throat to be a mainly peach blush.

Last but not least, Illamasqua Hussy is just pink. Undoubtedly pink.

The photo below is exactly the same as that above, except that the swatch all the way on the left is what you see when you mix equal proportions of Lover and Hussy. The result is a rosy pink with apricot undertones, that is extremely flattering on my face, in my humble opinion. =P

Texture

You can be assured that Illamasqua lives up to its name of quality, because the blushes are incredibly soft, smooth, and fine, and not dry at all.

Finish

Both Lover and Hussy are extremely matte, in my opinion. And I am slightly uncomfortable with using it because I am very used to, and very fond of blushes with a sheen, satin matte finish, and even with super light glitter. I am much more comfortable applying that sparkly Chanel No. 17 Candy, and NARS Deep Throat, than matte blushes.

In the photo below, you can see the finish of this blush on my cheek.

I am so stunned and in love with this!

The first time I ever used this blush, I was so impressed that it can give that there-but-not-there look on my face, as though all the red just barely seeped through my skin, onto the face.

At that time, I forgot about my blush rotation routine, and kept on using this compact for 3 weeks straight.

Match

What makes me more glad that ever is that this blush fits my warm undertone! I don't expect blushes to fit warm undertones well because most of the pinks just don't fit yellow skin from my experience, and I personally don't like brownish blushes.

So yes, I am overjoyed to have trusted, took the plunge, and found Illamasqua!

I am going to give this a big fat 5/5!

The only con is that this is matte. But it's such a small and tiny thing that it doesn't matters to me, because it just looks that great, be it matte, or with shine.

Definitely not a must. But if you do order from the Illamasqua website, because they provide free shipping sometimes, feel free to get Love and Hussy, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack and Sleeping Pack Ex

2013-02-02T19:42:00.001+08:00

How is it that I've never blogged about the famous Laneige Water Sleeping Pack?

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack

This is the old packaging.

Available: All Laneige counters.

Volume: 80 ml.

Star Properties: Water Science Skin Care with the Water Pump System.

Packaging
I love the packaging because it fits really well in my hand, looks simple and clean, barring the fact that such a dip-in tub is not very sanitary.

I love this tub because it is big, sleek, simple, and clean-looking. So I washed it and now I am not sure what to use it for.

Product
I have run out of the original, so the one you see here is from a sample sachet.

On the left, the blue gel is Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, and on the right, the pink gel is Nature Republic Over-Night Deep Sleeping Mask, that I have previously blogged about.

The Laneige Water Sleeping Pack is watery, rubs clear, and absorbs like a dream. Whereas the Nature Republic Overnight Sleeping Mask is thicker, feels more silicone-ny, and doesn't absorbs as fast.

Absorbs Very Well
What I really love about this Water Sleeping Pack is that it absorbs really well. I normally slap on two twenty-cents coin amount of product onto my face after a good scrub, twice a week.

Effect
I don't think this is any miracle worker, but I do feel very comfortable after putting this on my face overnight. I think this is more of a maintenance cum indulgence kind of product, something that I use faithfully because it has become a habit.

Fragrance
There is a mild fragrance that can only be detected if you bring your hand right up to your nose. I do not object to fragrances in my skincare/cosmetics, in fact, I like it. So I actually enjoy this light scent when I put on the mask at night.

Sensitive skin?
It did not irritate my sensitive skin. The Laneige Water Sleeping Pack Ex seems to have alcohol-smell in it, but it didn't irritate me either. Weird, but true.

Irreplaceable
I have read up online about replacements or dupes for the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, but I haven't come across any product reviews that sound good enough to match this.

Value-for-money
Laneige items are always considered cheap enough in my opinion, kind of like Clinique. You wouldn't break the bank buying this.

I like! 4.3/5.
Not a must-have for everybody, because I don't see miraculous improvement on my skin. But it is something that I feel I can't live without because it is so comforting, and I just keep using it, and using it.

I highly recommend it to anyone who just wants a comfortable overnight sleeping mask, suitable for dehydrated/sensitive skin to oily/combination skin. I don't think it will do much for dry to very dry skin though, because this is water-based, and very light.

PS: This was actually recommended to me by my beautician of 6 years. I have been on the Water Sleeping Pack ever since. I have not tried the Water Bank range though because I guess, I just trust the Sleeping Pack more.

Unfortunately, I have not repurchased, because I have to use up many brand new night creams/masks bought over the years.

Have you tried the oh-so-famous Laneige Water Sleeping Pack or Pack_EX? If no, have you tried other Laneige skincare, such as the Water Bank range? If you have tried Water Bank range, would you recommend that to me?

Ole Henriksen Dry/Sensitive Skin Insulator with SPF 15

2013-01-20T18:04:00.000+08:00

I have been on Ole Henriksen skincare for close to half a year now, and I finally feel like I know exactly what to say about these products. It was quite a struggle at first, trying to decide if these should get a good review or not. But now, I am sure what I think of them, and why. So I guess, you will see a sort of Ole Henriksen spree going on at my blog. Hope you enjoy this series!

Ole Henriksen Dry/Sensitive Skin Insulator with SPF 15

Available: Sephora.

Volume: This trial size is weighs 28 g.

Star Properties: Moisturizer with SPF.

Ingredients: Ole Henriksen does not publish the full ingredients list with this trial kit, but this moisturizer has the active ingredients for SPF printed on the back.

You get 7.5% Octinoxate, 4.0% Oxybenzone, and 1.0% Titanium Dioxide.

I would say this is a mixture of chemical and physical sunscreen.

SPF 15
Let's start of with SPF this time since we're already on the ingredients list. In my very honest opinion, SPF 15 is just not enough, especially if you live in sunny Singapore. So I think this SPF 15 is more for a peace of mind, but you may still want to wear an SPF 50 proper sunscreen over it, especially if you find that you get tan while wearing this alone.

Also, to make that SPF work, I need to put about 1/3 teaspoon of this moisturiser, but often, I don't because of the thicker and drier texture. This further forces me to apply a proper sunscreen over it.

I think this would be great in the country that Ole Henriksen is born in, as you will find out through the review, that this product is not half bad!

Packaging
The trial size comes in a very high quality jar that I probably will wash clean and keep after I've emptied the product. It lives up to the price and image of the Ole Henriksen brand. No complains here.

Texture and Spread
As seen, the product is clean white cream that feels thick, and dry, but trust me, it spreads surprisingly well over the skin! A little goes a very long way, which is why I've only finished half the jar after close to 6 months. Recall that I've emptied the Cucumber Toner in some 3 months? Well, this moisturiser will likely last me pass June this year, which will make it 12 full months.

I am not sure if I make any sense to you, but although this cream feels thick in the jar, it is actually thin because you can spread it out real well, and when you only put a bit over the whole face, it does not feels thick at all!

It spreads clear, so no worries that you will looks strange or reflective after applying this. So far, I can detect no flashback when I take photos, probably because the SPF is still really low, and the metal oxide (titanium dioxide) is only 1%.

Note that lighting has changed because of the angle I placed my arm when I took these photos. No, this moisturiser does not makes me look paler, fairer, or whiter.

Moisturising Properties
This is my major gripe about the product because while it claims to be a moisturiser, my skin always still feels the same before and after.

If I am not wrong (making a huge guess here), this is probably one of those moisturisers that contains ingredients which lock your skin up, so that moisture don't escape from your skin throughout the day. But this does not contain moisture-grabbing ingredients that will pull moisture from the environment to your skin. As such the overall effect that I feel is that while this moisturiser is not as moisturising as the kind I always use, such as Hada Labo.

However, the thing to note is that it does maintain the moisture in my skin. At the very least, I do not feel drier, and I do not feel that my fine lines show after a whole day, and this is proof (to me) that this moisturiser does it jobs to lock moisture in.

But it is purely my personal preference that a moisturiser should not just maintain, but should draw in moisture, so that my skin looks plumper and better, instead of just normal. This is the reason why I look out for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, and glycerin. Hence I have a gripe against this moisturiser. Do keep in mind that this preference comes from the point of view of someone with dry-dehydrated skin (me). For some reason, I think this will suit people with normal/combination skin very well, although the label says dry/sensitive!

Face Primer
This is my favourite part of this product, and the reason why I have a love-hate relationship with this. Surprisingly, the Ole Henriksen Skin Insulator is a perfect face primer!

I swear that this helps keep my makeup on the whole 12-13 hours I am out of house. In fact, with this, my makeup seem to last till as long as 16 hours.

Before I started using Ole Henriksen Skin Insulator, and still using Hada Labo, my Garnier BB Cream sort of separates out on my face, and I could see patches, like eraser lead, on days that I sweat a bit more. And I also find that the MUFE HD powder seem to magically disappear after some 4 hours. But after using the Skin Insulator, nothing of that sort happens! Every single trace of makeup stays put.

The same happens when I use the Benefit That Gal primer over my Hada Labo to prevent BB cream separation, so my conclusion is that the Ole Henriksen works in the same way as Benefit That Gal.

That said, this moisturiser probably contains silicones like Benefit That Gal. But I don't know because I've never checked the label on the full size product before, and Ole Henriksen doesn't print anything much on trial size products. I just thank heavens I didn't break out from this.

Sensitive Skin
I must commend Ole Henriksen on its range of sensitive skin products because it's so far so good for me! No irritation with all the products I've used thus far.

Price
Expensive. haha, I probably wouldn't repurchase this Skin Insulator in full size even though it is such a good primer, because this product does not moisturise my skin the way I want it to. Moreover, if I really want my makeup to stay, the cheaper Benefit That Gal is a very good one already!

I say, 4/5.
Pretty good product because it maintains the moisture in my skin well, and doubles up as a superb primer, yet does not irritates my skin the way many primers do. I love how thin it spreads, and feels like nothing on my face. I am neutral about the low SPF. If you're working in shielded indoor areas, and not with strong lights, I think SPF 15 is fine. But if your work area still has sunlight shining in all the time, you may want to consider putting a separate high SPF sunscreen on, because as long as there is sunlight, there is UVA and UVB. I am not so particular about SPF in moisturiser because I normally use another proper sunscreen.

My only major concern is that this is not the kind of moisturiser that pulls in moisture and improves the look of my skin, unlike Hada Labo-type, with the Super Hyaluronic Acid. If you are not into liquid-y moisturisers, then this is not a problem at all. And I would say, go ahead and buy if you have the budget for it.

If you prefer liquid-y/gel/water-based moisturisers, then you'd probably not like this as well.

I am aware that this is a product I do not like because of my preference, yet it would be a great product if you do not share my preference at all. So to be fair, it gets a 4/5. I would give it just a 3/5 otherwise.

Ole Henriksen Dry/Sensitive Skin Apricot Cleansing Lotion

2013-01-13T17:25:00.000+08:00

A while ago, I finished up the Ole Henriksen Balancing Cucumber Face Tonic for Dry/Sensitive Skin and reviewed it. The toner is a 5/5 for me, and I harboured high hopes for the other products, however, I am quite disappointed with the cleansing lotion.

Ole Henriksen Dry/Sensitive Skin Apricot Cleansing Lotion

Available: Sephora.

Volume: Trial size - 56 g.

Star Properties: Lotion suitable for dry/sensitive skin.

Packaging
The trial bottle comes in the same transparent bottle with the click and squeeze dispenser. I think this method of dispense works for the Cucumber Toner, but not for this lotion, because this lotion is rather chunky, and you really need to squeeze the bottle hard every time you want to dispense it, even when it is still full.

Nevertheless, this is a trial bottle, so I just live with it.

Lotion
You can see a chunk of the lotion on the back of my hand below.

The lotion rubs much like a daily moisturiser, which is probably why it is meant for dry/sensitive skin.

It is indeed extremely mild, and perhaps, a little too mild for me. I do have sensitive skin, but my case is not extreme, so I thought that this lotion may be more for eczema skin.

Cleansing Effectiveness
Honestly, I don't think this cleanses at all!

Often, I go back to using my Jericho SPA Foaming Facial Scrub just because that one cleanses better and I desperately want to empty that, even though that makes my face a little drier than I like.

Still, I managed to use the Ole Henriksen down to the last one-fifth. Too expensive to waste.

Cost
Ole Henriksen is premium skincare, and for the price point, I will not repurchase this Apricot Cleansing Lotion because I feel it is too mild and ineffective for me.

However, if you have very dry, and very sensitive skin, and you are in the market for something even milder than what you already have, perhaps, you could pick up the Ole Henriksen Trial Kit.

I think it is okay. 2.5/5.
Ineffective at cleansing for me, although they claim it is for cleansing. But I guess it does lives up to its claim of being more of a lotion to hydrate dry skin, and also being mild for sensitive skin.

Chanel Spring Collection 2013

2013-01-11T19:50:00.000+08:00

Time passes fast. Last year, I was still happily admiring the Blush Horizon by Chanel for Spring collection, and now, I have in my hands the most (arguably) coveted Spring item across all brands, the Chanel Illuminating Powder for Spring 2013!

Chanel Spring Collection 2013

I will do a pictorial showcase. =)

Illuminating Powder.

Open Illuminating Powder.

Illuminating Powder.

Swatch of Illuminating Powder.

76 Frivole Powder Blush.

The quality of this blush is surprisingly good! Ultra pigmented. I swiped my brush twice on the blush, and I feel that I overused it.

Frivole is a coral blush on my warm medium skin tone.

Raffinement 4 Colours Eyeshadow Palette.

Swatch of Raffinement palette. Deliberately faded out at the sides to show you what it looks like when concentrated and sheered out.

Used Raffinement on my eye.

The quality is much better than Spring 2012, definitely A grade as reviewed on Temptalia.com. But perhaps the colour is not exactly suitable for warm medium skin. I love that bottom left shade for one-colour eyelid shading though. And the highlight is great.

Eyes closed.

119 Captivate Rouge Allure.

This is my favourite product of all, actually. Highly recommended if you're looking for a mid-tone work-friendly colour.

Top: 119 Captivate Rouge Allure. Bottom: Wet 'n' Wild Icon Blush in Berry Shimmer. They are exactly the same!! Only that one is powder blush, one is lipstick.

119 Captivate Rouge Allure on my lips. Sorry for the peeling lips. It's not because of Rouge Allure, my lips were just dry when I tested it.

Chanel Retractable Eye Pencils in OR ROSE and BERYL.

Top: OR ROSE. Bottom: BERYL.

Top: OR Rose, it is a champagne tone gold. Bottom: BERYL, it is a purple tone white.

I love Chanel eye pencils. But these two seems to be less pigmented than my previous buys. I think you probably can skip these.

That's all! I hope this helps.

Have you purchased anything from Chanel Spring 2013? How do you find it? If not, are you interested in any of the items from this collection?

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipsticks - Big Review!

2013-01-05T21:57:00.002+08:00

Better late than never to blog about this! Those of you who have followed Positively Nice way back, or flipped my archives, would know that I first got hold of Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipsticks almost a year ago in February 2012.

I raved about finding a suitable nude that doesn't make me look like an ashy zombie, in the form of the Colour Sensational in Crazy for Coffee.

Two months later in April 2012, I got hold of Revival Red, and featured it in a LOTD that was inspired by a Cleo advertisement. It was the first time I really wore red. Ever.

Now that I've got six Maybelline Colour Sensational, it feels imperative that I must blog about this, especially since Maybelline has recently upgraded their Colour Sensational collection to include glosses, which have not yet reached my country.

Nevertheless, here are my six lipsticks!

Some kind of awesome when you have enough to line them up.

Opened!

Don't ask me why the first one is taller. Lol. I turned all of them out right up till their plastic holder.

Names, everyone!

See the reflection in my parquet? I didn't know my flooring is so glossy.

And swatches. All colours seen are with one swipe, and zero computer retouches, except cropping.

From left to right: 215 Totally Toffee, 275 Crazy for Coffee, 405 Yummy Plummy, 065 Hooked on Pink, 645 Red Revival, RP41 Red Porcelain.

Packaging
I crazy love the packaging. I've said before that I prefer this translucent sleek cut design to Revlon Lip Butter quilted almost opaque cases. I just think this looks slight more high class, because it reminds of diamonds.

In fact at one point in time, Maybelline rebranded the Colour Sensational line into Dazzling Diamond collection just to attract people into buying. With so few raves about this, it is no wonder the Colour Sensational line is losing to rivals' lip products.

Love how they colour code by changing the colour of the cases, brown for nude, purple for plums, pink for pinks, and red for reds.

Ingredients

Surprisingly wonderful for a drugstore lipstick. I was expecting lots of standard chemicals, but no. This has more oils.

Quality
I stand by my review in from Crazy for Coffee in February 2012. All six Maybelline Colour Sensational lipsticks that I've got are creamy, glide like a dream, and moisturising. They are long-lasting, very pigmented. And this line offers colours that are bold and rich.

Colours
I highly recommend checking out the nude and red ones if you are warm medium like me, because the colours are very well made. Even if you're not warm medium, I am quite sure the nude and red collection will have a perfect colour for everyone, whether you're fair or tanned, with pink or yellow undertones, or are neutral.

I am not so sure about the purple and pink though because it so happens that the Yummy Plummy I chose is a miss for me. It is just that kind of purple that turns me ashy. However, I know all along that I can't wear purple eyeshadows. I bought Yummy Plummy as a cheap way to experiment with purple lips. For all I know, I may just find a suitable purple, but I didn't. Better than buying a high-end purple only to find out I can't wear purple lips.

Hooked On Pink is a raved shade of pink, but it didn't flatter me well either, the way I see it on myself.

And the much awaited wear on lips!

215 Totally Toffee. Gosh, it reminds me of my YSL Rouge Volupte #26.

275 Crazy for Coffee. An brown that I've never expected will flatter me, but it does.

405 Yummy Plummy. I chose the lightest of purples because I am quite afraid of purples on my face. Still think it looks ashy and not as flattering as all the other colours I own, though this photo shows it as more of a pastel dusty rose pink.

065 Hooked on Pink. The one that people on the internet seem to like best. I guess it is because this is a neutral sort of pink.

645 Red Revival. Incredibly flattering red for me even though it is blue-toned. This is my idea of straight up red red.

RP41 Red Porcelain. Newest, may be Limited Edition. I'd say, GRAB THIS!! Classic porcelain doll red. A steal to find doll-red in the drugstore.

I honestly think the two reds look similar. Can't quite tell which is which. So I wiped off half of Red Porcelain and wore back Red Revival, in a bid to show you that they are different enough.

On your left half is Red Revival, and on your right half is Red Porcelain.

See the difference?

Think it is more obvious in the one-swipe-swatch photo. Red Revival is comparative more berry, darker in layman's terms. Red Porcelain is brighter, definitely more orange.

PS: Lips tearing and cracking after wiping off so many times. haha, I failed to do this post the first time because I didn't clean properly, and left colour stains on my lips, as all the lipsticks (even the brown one) left stain. This is my second attempt to demonstrate the products on lips, and I am so glad I think it's a success. I really rubbed hard to get everything off. Didn't want to photograph on different days as I want to keep lighting the same. I was careful to line up the colours from light to dark. haha, or else I might have gone crazy trying to remove those reds.

Verdict on the Collection

I really think Maybelline has done a great job on the Colour Sensational line, and I wish more people would check it out and rave about it. The range is complete, with equal number of browns/nudes, pinks, purples, and reds, and the variety of tones in each colour section is comprehensive, from light tone to dark tone.

The colours seem to be generally neutral as well, although Yummy Plummy is one that I think is too cool for warm skin people. I am very glad that the browns/nudes are not cool to the point that I can't wear, because browns/nudes have a great tendency to fall on cool tone.

Quality, really is undeniably good. Maybelline has come a long way perfecting the moisturising/nourishing lipstick YET still maintain the creamy, rich, and long-wear properties. I can safely say so because I have a lot of those blue tube moisturising lipsticks, and also the old Colour Sensational Moisture Extreme Lipcolour line. You can tell that I couldn't be bothered to buy more than two of the old Moisture Extreme one because it really wasn't that good (I rated 3.8/5).

If you are looking for comparison between Maybelline Colour Sensational and Revlon Super Lustrous, I'd say the Colour Sensational is slightly more moisturising, while Super Lustrous tends to be creamier, heavier, more opaque. Both are equally pigmented and buildable. Colour Sensational probably loses (in the eyes of many people) because the range is basic, whereas Super Lustrous is more advanced with colours. In my opinion, the two lines are made for slightly different markets, with Colour Sensational for true and pure beginners who just step into makeup. It is made with the intent of letting people try, and dare to fail. Super Lustrous is for a more mature makeup crowd who knows what they like already, and want to dive into what they like big time but at low cost.

As for L'oreal Colour Riche, it is hanging in between the sophisticated mature market and the beginner. You can tell that L'oreal is trying to "educate" girls on what colour is for what, but you never spot Revlon teaching people what to wear and how to wear it. Colour Riche's texture is more for experienced makeup people though, imo. No offence with the word "mature", it refers to makeup years, not actual age.

I love all of them!! haha. Trust me, I just haven't blogged about Colour Riche and Super Lustrous yet. I find no need to blog on Super Lustrous actually. Everybody knows how good it is. It's just Colour Riche and Colour Sensational that are kind of underrated.

Increased rating to 4.8/5!

Deducted points because I have taken into consideration how people may think the range is so kiddy and way too basic. Yet, this in itself is a pro because it allows people like myself who know what is best (rose colours) to venture into areas I traditionally hate (reds, purples, and browns), without busting the bank. I found successes in the reds and browns, so that increases the rating.

L'oreal Youth Code Pre-Essence

2013-01-02T08:30:00.000+08:00

The new year is here, and that means I will grow another year older, and that means I will need more anti-aging products if I don't want to age the natural way. Well, I do want to age naturally and gracefully, but if a tube of L'oreal Youth Code sample drops into my hands, how can I not try it? So try, I did, and disappointed I am.

L'oreal Youth Code Pre-Essence

Available: All major pharmacies and supermarket.

Volume: This is a 5 ml sample.

Star Properties: Visible rejuvenating effect.

Packaging
I can't comment on this although I know that the full size comes in a dropper bottle. The dropper concept seem to have become quite popular with skincare companies recently, given that Bio-essence Snail Serum, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (ANR) Serum, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (MRC), and Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation all come in dropper bottles.

My sample comes in a tube which is good enough.

Product
The essence is a transparent liquid that flows readily, as seen in the photo below.

When rubbed into the skin, it first feels very slightly of silicone, but is absorbed within 15 seconds into complete nothing-ness. My skin feel somewhat dry after that, but it's that kind of dry that you get after the skin just absorbs water. In other words, towards the end of the rubbing, this product feels like water.

Give your skin another 15 seconds, and it will feel slightly smoother, but not softer, than before.

Economy
A little product really goes an incredibly long, long way here. It's almost like Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, where I only need 2 drops to cover my whole face, 3 drops on a day with drier skin.

Comparatively, I need a good 10 drops of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum to cover my face, and leave that light veil over my face to defend against the air-conditioning overnight.

As such, this 5 ml actually lasts me a good two weeks, when I use in my daily night routine (only). I was thinking this could be a drugstore replacement for the Estee Lauder ANR and Kiehl's MRC, if it works. I used both the ANR and MRC only at night.

Results
I am disappointed with the L'oreal Youth Code, because nothing happened in the two weeks. I guess you could say that if nothing happens, it means the product did help to maintain my skin. But when talking about results, I always look out for improvements rather than just maintenance, so yes, I would consider that the Youth Code is ineffective and cannot deliver. At least, not within two weeks.

However, it's not fair to kill a product just based on one person. So here's a Top 12 of 2012 video by Vanessa of vanewpc, a young lady from Chicago whom I've been following on Youtube since about 3 years ago.

Vanessa has this Youth Code in her Top 12 list. It is not a review video, but I guess if you have any queries about long term usage, you could ask in her comments box. I must admit that I am on the fence after watching her video because I trust what she says enough.

Nevertheless, based on my two weeks, I am still going to say that this does not effect any improvements in my skin.

Sensitive Skin
Very happy to announce that this did not irritate me at all!

This good news definitely means that I can go back to test the full-size product if I want to. Although, really, I am not exactly interested in this. Really am just using it because I was given a sample by a L'oreal promoter at the roadside.

Pass. 2.5/5.
It will pass as something to put on your face for a peace of mind, but I can't see any improvement. Great that it didn't irritate my skin.

Real Techniques Blush Brush by Samantha Chapman

2013-01-01T08:30:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year!

It feels like a mad rush to blog about everything in my Top 12 of 2012 list. Many of times, when I find something that's so enjoyable, and I just happily continue using it without thinking too much. And if it's a fast-moving product, like a Lush body wash, I would finish it without knowing, and end up showing you the empty bottle. =P

I apologise for that because I think most people enjoy looking at brand new things. Me too! But when it comes to beauty reviews, I like seeing progress, and I like knowing that the beauty blogger has genuinely been using something, and truly loves it till it's emptied. Or in the case of a brush, used till it's torn and tattered.

No, my Real Techniques Blush Brush isn't torn and tattered. But it has been 3 months long since I started using it.

This is it!

Real Techniques Blush Brush

Available: Shins stores in Singapore (I know of one at Tampines Mall Level 2, and another at Changi City Point, Level 1, opposite BreadTalk.) Also online at love-makeup.co.uk which ships internationally. And for more places, please check the realtechniques website.

Volume: 1 brush.

Star Properties: Hand-cut to contour and define cheeks for flawlessly blended HD results, so that you look pixel perfect even in harsh light. Made with Ultra plush Taklon bristles.

Star properties.

Quick comments: As usual, I was skeptical, and didn't want to love this because it would mean buying the whole set, and these are by no means cheap. haha. But they look good enough and there are way too many other Beauty Youtubers using it. It is more than a self-promotion by Samantha Chapman. And when it gets to this stage, you know that it is good.

Packaging

Unlike M.A.C brushes, Tom Ford or Estee Lauder, etc, the Real Techniques brushes come displayed nicely in clear and well-shaped plastic boxes, with details printed on, and that little hold on top for hooking. It is made to be sold separately in beauty shops, because Samantha Chapman does not have a full cosmetics counter like M.A.C does. In the US, it's Ulta, and in UK, you can get it at Boots.

Other than that the plastic will go to waste, packaging is flawless and beautiful.

Handle

The handle is incredibly well-thought and therefore well-shaped. It's very ergonomic, with that slender middle body and wider base and top.

The bases are all wrapped round with a rubbery material, that reminds me of NARS packaging. It may not look like much, but it really works to keep your hand on the brush, and not drop it!

And I do appreciate and like that they print the brush name on the handle itself. Every brush has the Samantha Chapman printed on too.

Not to mention, I am in love with the almost-hot-pink colour of this brush. Samantha Chapman has her brushes all coded in colours, pink for cheeks, bronzy gold for face/foundation/base, and lavender for eyes!

Shape

The Real Techniques brushes are very modern, meant for HD and liquid makeup, and even the shape is a new-age shape. This blush brush comes in a perfectly cut egg shape, to give that pointed tip, yet not lose the ability to blend.

This shape allows the brush to be dense, yet incredibly fluffy.

From the top, it's just rounded. You can see that it's medium dense.

Bristles

These are Taklon bristles, new-age synthetic material that allows you to use this brush with cream/jelly blushes. Yet they still perform like a dream with the traditional powder blushes.

They are so plush, as Samantha Chapman claims, that I couldn't stop running my fingers through them.

Here, you can see how tapered the brush is.

Results

I always manage to put blush on the exact point I want because of the pointed head of the egg. The highly tapered egg shape also allow the peripheral bristles to blend my blush naturally into the skin. I love using the side of the egg to roll blush up my cheeks for a more natural effect.

I have been using this for 3 months now, so many of my FOTDs would have featured blushes made by this Real Techniques Blush Brush, such as the Grey Eye Look one below.

Cost

I think the one off cost can be slightly costly, but is still affordable. Considering this is a brush that you will want to use everyday and forever, the initial investment is worthwhile.

Highly recommended! 6/5!

A brush like no other. I feel like if you have this, you really only need one blush brush, and wouldn't think of anything else.

Lessons Learned from the Nature Republic Overnight Deep Sleeping Mask

2012-12-31T20:00:00.000+08:00

I bought this because I thought it may be a dupe for the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack because I was about to finish my Sleeping Pack, I love it, but this is cheaper.

How wrong I was.

**I learned a couple of lessons from this purchase, so am blogging about it. But basically, you can't find this in Singapore anymore, and I don't think it's a good product, so don't bother searching for it.

Nature Republic Overnight Deep Sleeping Mask

Available: Not in Singapore anymore.

Volume: 95 ml.

Star Properties: Formulated with MD201 water.

The back of the packaging. Lots of Korean.

Ingredients list:

Lesson #1 - Do not buy based on packaging
I know, this is such a common sense lesson right. But more often than not, human beings seem to lose their sense of logic when standing before a gorgeous-looking product.

I love the packaging. If you look at it, it's a sophisticated moonlight blue cylinder that fits right into my hand. It is made of smooth plastic with a pearly sheen. Simply outstanding. It's prettier than the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack. Agree?

Lesson #2 - Heed your guard instincts and CHECK!
Now look at the product below, oooh, so mushy like marshmallows. Totally feel like eating it up. Yes, it is one of those skincare product that looks and feel so good on your hand, you wish it were edible.

Guess what my guard instincts told me?

It reeks of alcohol. DON'T BUY IT! DON'T BUY IT! My internal alarm bells were ringing.

It feels smooth like silicone. DON'T BUY IT! DON'T BUY IT! My internal alarm bells were ringing.

You probably guessed that I ignored all those warnings. And you're right.

I didn't even bother to check the ingredients list, because if I had, it would bring out the logic in me and stopped me from buying. You see, I have sensitive skin. And I have dry sensitive skin. What I need IS water alright, which is why I love Laneige Water Sleeping Pack. But what I surely don't need is first alcohol, and next silicone! Madness. I am allergic to both. Alcohol always causes immediate, if not same day, breakouts.

So the story turns out that I used a little bit of it (quite obvious in the photo), and had to stop using. I let it sit there. And I recently took it out again. Nah, still broke out.

Lesson #3 - Don't test facial skincare on the hand!
Most of you would know that body skin is somehow not as sensitive as face skin, and it is as such for me. I tested this mask on my hands, and it felt like a dream (because of the silicones), it still does. I have it all over my body right now, and my skin feels soft and smooth. But the thing is, I forgotten that my body can tolerate silicones and alcohol, but my face can't!

The best way to test skincare and foundations/primers, etc, is really to get a sample of it. Korean shops are known for always having samples, so I really should have asked for it.

Otherwise, it would have been much wiser of me if I went back a second time, armed with an empty jar, and ask the sales assistant to fill it for me.

I have since learned my lesson, and am so proud of myself that I got a NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in a sample jar. =D (Foundations are the other thing that have the tendency to irritate my skin, so I treat it the way I treat skincare.)

Lesson #4 - Don't listen too much to the sales assistant
This is really hard because ignoring them or even letting them know you'd like to browse on your own, can sound rude. Especially since Nature Republic was always quite empty, and I was the only one... ... Not nice to reject her assistance.

Lesson #5 - Deep Sleeping Mask is not the same as Water Sleeping Pack

How incredibly silly of me to think that the products can be the same just because both have the word "sleeping" in them.

Be cautious of the naming because it's part of clever marketing. It's a bit like how some BB Creams really feels more like tinted moisturisers at the most, or to say it worse, diluted foundations.

The big alarm bell should have rung when the word "water" isn't present in Nature Republic's Deep Sleeping Mask. I should have known. They do feel similar enough on the skin, but you will know they are different. The Laneige Water Sleeping Pack smells fresh, and quite literally behaves more like water.

Conclusion

I've learned to be more vigilant when buying skincare. I really am quite the paranoid customer this past year. If the ingredients list is not pasted on the product itself, which is very often for such boutique brands, I will thick-skinnedly ask the sales assistant to show me the product cardboard box so that I can assess the ingredients.

I remember almost buying the Hourglass No.28 Primer but stopped when I saw the silicones. The SA was actually happy to show me the box, and seemed to understand that people nowadays are getting more ingredients-conscious. She was not surprised at all.

Being this diligent with the ingredients list does save me quite a bit of money, because I wouldn't go around buying everything in the name of testing.

Last but not least, it has saved my skin a lot of agony in the past year, and so far, I have been using a lot of comforting products such as the Hada Labo and Ole Henriksen skincare, Johnson & Johnsons Baby Bath, and Lush. I like everything that I chose to buy because it was a deliberate and calculated choice to buy based on logic.

Epilogue
I now use this mask on my body as moisturiser because it's really too wasteful to just throw away. On hindsight, given how nice it feels on the body, people with normal to oily skin may actually love, love, love this on their faces!

I have seen a lot of people raving about those alcohol/silicone/mineral oil products before (I mean, people are swearing by Vaseline and Oilatum, but all of which I cannot use), so really, why not this?

Have you learned any lessons from buying the wrong products before? Or do you simply bin it or bring to return/exchange? Share your beauty wisdom!