LilMint

Clinique Chubby Stick Swatches

2011-04-17T20:45:00.003+10:00

For those of you who like Clinique products, I think most of you would have heard they recently brought out a new lip balm range called the Chubby Sticks. I certainly did and stopped by the Clinique counter the other day to check out and got some swatches as well. Please excuse me about the photo quality, I took it with my phone. :P Anyway, the swatches are below and briefly my first impression of the product. ^^

The new Clinique Chubby Stick moisturizing lip colour balm comes in a thick crayon like plastic packaging and you twist the bottle silver cap to bring the lip balm up. The package's very cute and compacted. Very convenient to have a lip balm and lip tint in 1 so I won't need to carry to products out. haha =D

It has 8 colours to choose from in:
1. Richer Raisin
2. Whole Lotta Honey
3. Fuller Fig
4. Mega Melon
5. Chunky Cherry
6. Woppin' Watermelon
7. Super Strawberry
8. Graped-Up

The lip balm felt soft and smooth to apply, some colours were sheerer and looked uneven when I first swatched it. But the colour darkened and even out once it has set. There's a low sheen to it although it does seem to rub off easily. Since I hasn't tried it on my lips, am not sure what it'll be like on the lips though

Most of the shades looks like a browner nude shade besides No. 5 in Chunky Cherry
No. 6 Woppin' Watermelon and No. 7 Super Strawberry. I personally love the colour of Whole Lotta Honey and Woppin' Watermelon. According to the Clinique's website, this lip balm has mango and shea butters with a subtle sheen.

I'm still tossing up whether I should get one myself or not.
Has anyone tried this yet? What do you think of it?

DHC Hair Cosmetic Series Hair Lotion Morning

2011-04-02T20:10:00.010+11:00

Sorry I know I said I’ll write a review of this a while back but I just never got around to it. :P Short but finally its up now so I hope it helps anyone’s who’s interested.

DHC Hair Cosmetic Series Hair Lotion Morning

Description: DHC Hair Cosmetic Series Hair Lotion Morning contains Silk Protein, Ceramide and the extract of concentrated olive oil, leaving your hair silky smooth and straight.

Directions: Hold the spray 5－10cm away from the hair, spray a fine mist across the surface.

Ingredients: Water, Alcohol, PEG/PPG-22/22 Butyl Ether Dimethicone, Steartrimonium Chloride, Amp-isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Silk, Ceramide 3, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract

Caution: If any irritation occurs, stop using and consult a doctor. Do not spray to wounds, inflamed area. If product gets into eyes, rinse out with clean water. Store in a cool and dry place. Keep away from children.

DHC Hair Lotion Morning comes in a 250mL transparent hot pink plastic spray bottle which helpful to see how much content is left. :P Personally I love the spray design rather than pumps because they’re a lot easier to spray handle. Especially when reaching at the back of the head and takes the pressure off my index finger. Haha. The spray also dispenses a light fine and even mist. I use to use the Missha PROVINCE Conditioning Hair Mist but I found the pump hard to press and the product comes out with a good force if you know what I mean :P. DHC Hair Cosmetic Series Hair Lotion Morning also smells a lot better too.

The product itself smells amazing! Unfortunately the smell isn’t very long lasting and disappears fairly quickly once it drys. It also keeps my hair feeling refreshed and smooth throughout the day. It doesn’t however take out the bents in your hair from sleeping. I didn’t know it straighten my hair from using it but it does help but I guess the effects are minimal.

Overall, I love how it refreshes my hair and smells divine when using it. :D I also use this in conjunction with the PREXCEED Tsubaki Hair Moisturizing Essence by Yanagiya. And it keeps my hair looking smooth, soft and tangle free. I've used 1/3 of the bottle now and I'm planning to repurchase another one when I run out.

So what do you think?
What other hair mist do you think is worth trying?

Hada Labo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream

2011-03-16T21:38:00.001+11:00

Wrote a review on Hada Labo Gokujyun Moisturizing Cream over the weekend. Been so preoccupied with many things... work, online games, reading work related books, Japan and before that New Zealand, Aus... Praying for all those in Japan. Anyhow excuse me for being MIA from blogging and reading blogs. Hope you’ll find this review helpful~

Hada Labo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream (50g)

Description: Hadalabo is a newly mutually-developed brands operated by Rohto (Japan) and Mentholatum (USA), with the concept of 'Perfect & Simple’. They bring you a series of skincare products with the highest purity of ingredients under strict quality control.

Hada Labo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream is infused with super hyaluronic acid which deeply penetrates into skin. It keeps on moisturizing and replenishing skin, meanwhile enhancing skin’s water-binding ability, leaving skin supple, smooth and radiant. The gel texture helps to further nourish skin. Weak acid, no fragrance, no colorant, no oil and is alcohol-free.

How to use it: After cleansing and toning, apply an appropriate amount on the entire face.

Hada Labo was first launched in 2004, being jointly developed by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd (Japan) and Mentholatum. Their skincare range are fragrance free, colorant free, mineral oil free and alcohol (ethanol) free making it suitable for sensitive skin.

The Hada Labo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream comes in a very simple white jar making it easy to reach every drop of its product. :) On the down side, it does feel unhygienic to consistently be dipping a finger into the jar. Especially when you’re used a good amount and it starts getting into your nails. But this is easily overcome by using a small spatula or a cotton bud/Q-tip. The word "Gokujyun" means Super Hydration because it contains super hyaluronic acid (also called Hyaluronan or hyaluronate). Apparently 1 gram of hyaluronic acid can hold 6 litres of liquid, so this moisturize is meant to have double the moisture retention power to help make your the skin look moisturised, soft and supple.

The cream itself comes out as a white watery cream in a light lotion consistency. It does not have any scent and feels very moist to touch. The product just melts under your fingers to a watery texture and spreads very easily on the skin. Although it can leave a film of lotion on the skin making it feel a little sticky to touch until it’s all absorbed; especially if too much is used because this cream does take some time to absorb. I like to use a small amount and spread it on my fingers before patting it on my face. I find this way I don’t end up putting too much on, leaving it feeling sticky. Once it has fully absorbed, your skin looking and feeling soft, moisturised and hydrated. Personally I haven’t experienced any breakouts or bad reactions from using this product.

Another thing I like about this Hada Labo Gokujyun Moisturizing Cream is because of its watery consistency, it leaves a low cooling sensation on the skin when applied. Overall I really like this cream! This is definitely something that I would buy again but was mainly put off by the jar packaging. I love the simpleness but if it had come with a pump or bottle then it would be perfect. If you don’t like sticking your fingers in creams and lotions then this is not for you. If you’re interested, Cythia from Slowbro’s Dream also did a review of this product last year. I’ve had the same experience with this cream as Cythia.

What do you think of this cream and hyaluronic acid?
What was your experience of them cream and HadaLabo?

SKIN79 Absolute Total BB Cream SPF37 PA+++

2011-02-27T15:46:00.001+11:00

Over time I’ve been reading many beauty bloggers rave about how wonderful SKIN79 BB creams are which got me very interested in their BB creams. When I set my eyes on SKIN79’s Absolute Total BB Cream from the Diamond Collection, I fell in love with the packaging design. So I had to try this BB cream out. I’ve been using it for months now so I’ve written up a review on it. Hope it helps any interested in this BB cream to get an idea of what it’s like~

Here are all the descriptions from the packaging, so excuse me if some of the sentences are hard to read :P Am typing it straight as it is written on there.

SKIN79 DIAMOND COLLECTION Absolute Total BB Cream SPF37 PA+++ (40 g)
KFDA 3 Function Certification; Wrinkle Improvement / Whitening ? UV Interception SPF37 PA+++

The BB Cream SPF37 PA+++ has triple functions of whitening, anti-wrinkles and more intensively protects exposed skin by blocking UV ray A and B by keeping skin beautiful and healthy through offering brilliance of diamond and vitality of just blossomed floral.

Diamond Powder and Blooming Jewel Complex consisting of 5 jewels including Amethyst and Ruby makes skin more radiant and skinning like jewelry with Floral Bouquet Complex extract making skin vital and glossy by keeping skin healthy from harmful environment and sensitive stimulus.

Directions: After using basic products, grab the top of the pump and rotate it clockwise to unlock the pump. Gently push the middle of pump at the top and put proper amount on the entire face, then spread it evenly for absorption.

DIAMOND COLLECTION Jewel Story:

Diamond: The jewel implies dazzling light of cherished torchlight or shine of candlelight brightening the night of ladies from long time ago, meaning lightening and eternal gloss in India.
Amethyst: The precious colour, purple means god and human, symbolizing the Royal families of Egypst and the United Kingdom. Keeps skin clean and healthy with astringent and soothing effect.
Pearl: Symbolizing wealth and fame in ancient China and Rome and regarded as the gratest and the most valuable bijou or jewelry presented from heaven. Keeps dull skin tone transparent and clean.
Tourmaline: The name is a Sri Lanka word meaning mixed jewel and has passed by raindow during a long journey from the core of the earth. Keeps skin healthy and resilient by promoting blood circulation in skin.
Coral: Means sea water made by coral reef and thought to cure physical pain of people in the Middle Age and maintain their youth. Keeps skin sleek and moisturized by controlling balance of water and oil of skin.
Ruby: It has the most similar color with that of sun symbolizing emblem of crown and the Royal family in European countries during the Middle Age. It keeps rough skin sleep by offering elasticity to skin.

The SKIN79 Diamond Collection Absolute Total BB Cream with SPF37 PA+++ comes in a sleek square bottle with a twist the pump dispenser. In terms of packaging I love the hot pink gradient on top of the silver backing; it’s a perfect size to sit comfortable in one hand to pump the bb cream out. The pump with the nozzle facing the text is in its locked position, to unlock it you simply have to turn the top silver part 90 degree clockwise then pump away. haha The pump is also quite easy to press so you don’t need to place a lot of pressure on it. According to the SKIN79 US website, the pump's an airtight pump. Pretty cool huh :P they've got their official website SKIN79.com but its in Korean. The bottle also feels very sturdy and has a nice weight to it as well. I think the pump design is very handy for travelling because you there’s no extra cap to damage and there won’t be any accidentally pumps in the bag.

In terms of the product, the SKIN79 Absolute Total BB Cream is not a bad bb cream; personally I would give it a miss because of its grey undertone and sticky feeling to the touch. I rarely wear this BB cream alone, usually as a base because it makes my skin look very pale. To me I find it looks unnatural and unfortunately like many BB creams, this product only comes in 1 tone so it won’t be suitable for those of you who have tan or dark skin tones.

For that reason, I use this BB cream as a smoothing base under foundation and for SPF protection. I find the best way of apply this is to warm up the bb cream between your fingers first before smoothing a small amount over your face, blending it well. It has a low coverage and I usually use it to cover any redness or trouble areas before applying a light liquid or mineral foundation over the top. On the good side, I haven’t experienced any break outs from using this SKIN79 Absolute Total BB Cream and it does have a low dewy effect. Personally I prefer matter look because my skin gets oily during the day, but this can be fixed with some finishing powder on top.

In terms of improving wrinkles and whitening the skin, it seems to reduce the appearance of the fine lines (not sure about deeper wrinkles) but it’s hard to tell whether it has had any permanent improvement. Also, even with daily use I didn’t really see the whitening results either.

Overall, this isn’t a BB cream I would repurchase. Mainly because of its grey undertone so I don’t feel it matches my complexion very well.

I know many of you have tried the baby pink Skin 79 diamond collection bb cream. What did you think of that?
What do you think of Skin 79’s other BB creams?

Beauty Maker Q10 Firming Liquid Foundation

2011-02-21T00:20:00.000+11:00

I quite like this foundation. I rarely finish a foundation till its last drop but I did finish the whole bottle of this Beauty Maker Q10 liquid foundation. So I’ve written a review on it, hope you like it. Enjoy~

Beauty Maker Q10 Firming Liquid Foundation – 02 Natural (30mL)

Description: Beauty Maker Q10 Firming Liquid Foundation provides flawless lasting full coverage, lustrous finish. It promotes elasticity to give your skin a firm lifted look. The firming foundation is soft and light in texture, provides excellent coverage to skin imperfections and gives your skin a natural and glowing finish that lasts for long hours. It contains Q10, ginseng, shea butter and amino acid for maximise moisturizing, anti-oxidant and anti-aging benefits.

How to use: Apply using a light sweeping movement beginning at the center of the face blending outward with a sponge or fingertips.

Ingredients: Ubiquinone, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Seaweed Extract, Chamomilla Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract.

The Beauty Maker Q10 Firming Liquid Foundation comes in a 30mL pump bottle with a frosted transparent section where the product is. It’s a very light foundation with a low coverage, so for those who like or need a fuller coverage, this might not be one for you. I usually use this foundation on-top of my bb cream because I like a bit more coverage and this foundation doesn’t make my skin feel heavy. : ) I’ve bought the shade in 02 – natural, it has a yellow undertone and it matches my Asian skin tone very well. Which I love often I find it hard to find a foundation that matches my skin tone. Even though I use this over bb cream it doesn't cake up and gives me a nice glow.

Because of its light texture it doesn’t give me breakouts but I find that it can get streaky when I spread it in a swiping motion with my finders or a foundation brush. I recommend apply this Beauty Maker Q10 foundation in patting motion with a sponge. Or use it by lightly patting with the fingers which also works too.

Unfortunately the light coverage of the foundation also means that it doesn't last as long, especially on oilier skin. With my combination skin which tends to be oilier around the t-zone, I find if I am to use this foundation on its own it would only lasts a few hours. That’s another reason why I like to apply this on top of BB creams as it will last much longer and tends not to slide as much. In terms of promoting elasticity and giving my skin a firmer lifted look, I haven’t noticed my skin becoming more elastic from using this foundation alone or firmer.

The main disappointing issue I had with this foundation was the pump dispenser. I’m not sure whether I got a damaged pump or it was just poorly made. Each time when I pumped the bottle, the foundation continues flowing out even if I press very lightly to get a smaller amount. Which meant I always end up with more product than I need and could not control how much I want to use at all. I guess this is probably because of the pressure inside and I would wait for it to stop quirting out before I can put the lid back on without getting it all dirtied inside.

Did anyone have a problem with pumps like these?
Have any of you tried any Beauty Maker foundations?

Dolly Wink Cream Eye Shadow

2011-02-12T15:45:00.002+11:00

I've done swatches of the new Dolly Wink eye shadow palettes and of course it wouldn't be complete without the swatches of the cream shadows as well. Yea, I went back to the shop to get swatches of these cream shadows for you all :P the photos didn't turn out properly when I swatched them with the palettes, but am happy with these new ones ^^. Hope the swatches helps!

Now a bit about what I thought of these two Dolly Wink Cream Shadows. I'm surprised only 2 colours were released with this collection and while they're both pretty colours. It would have made much more sense to have both gold and silver released around Christmas, since for me it's a very festive colour and would've been perfect for all those Christmas/new year parties. Right? :P

In terms of packaging, personally i think these two cream shadows lack a bit of punch when compared to the palettes. While they are nice, compact and very convenient with the large pan rather than tiny jars. xD It doesn't seem as "cute" as some of the other Dolly Wink goodies.

The shadow itself, both cream shadows are extremely shimmery and shiny! So for those of you who prefer shadows that aren't as shimmery, these probably aren’t for u.

In my opinion, these cream shadows were also slightly sticky to touch. But when applied the shadows glide on the skin very evenly and does not feel sticky at all. I was told by the sales assistant that these shadows have great lasting power, and it makes sense with its light sticky texture. Am sure it adheres to the skin much better than more creamy shadows.

Dolly Wink Cream Eye Shadow - No 1. Gold

Dolly Wink's Gold cream shadow is very pigmented, buildable and gives you a sheer pale gold glow when blended out.

Dolly Wink Cream Eye Shadow - No2. Crystal

Dolly Wink's Crystal cream shadow is very sheer with silver shimmers/glitter. Personally I felt the shimmer in Gold is much finer than that in Crystal. Crystal gives more of a dazzling sparkle effect.

Personally I prefer Majolica Majorca's frozen eye splash's smooth soft texture and subtle fine shimmer, Dolly wink's on the other hand seems more pigmented with an amazing glow. I hope they bring out more colours too, hopefully a pigmented silver too. :)

What do you think of these cream shadows compared to the palettes?
Do you think they're worth it?

Apothica Giftcard Giveaway winner

2011-02-10T00:15:00.000+11:00

Thank you so much for all of you who entered my Apothica.com Giftcard Giveaway hosted here :)

I've had randomized the entries with random.org then selected a random number as the winner.

And the winning number is 45!

Congratulations to Ezzy! ^0^

I have sent you an email, please check your email and get back to me with your contact details soon.

Dolly Wink Eye Shadow Palette Swatches

2011-02-05T22:30:00.000+11:00

The Dolly Wink eye shadow palette comes in a black round plastic palette with a clear heart at the top so you can see the shadow colours. It also comes with a short double ended sponge tip applicator. These eye shadow palettes are smooth to apply, pigmented and true to colour, besides the last darkest shade. Most of the colours are matte besides the highlighting shade, which is surprising since most of the eye shadows I've seen from Japan tend to be on the shiny glittery side.

Here are the swatches of each eye shadow palette below.

No. 01 Brown for Dolly Eyes

It comes in a orange brown, pale yellow, matte brown and a matte dark brown.

To achieve the Dolly eye look:Sweep the first golden brown all over your lid

1. Sweep the first golden brown all over your lid
2. Blend the brown from your lash line up to your crease and apply it to the outer half of your lower lash line
3. Apply the dark brown on the lash line and the outer half of your lower lash line
4. Apply the pale yellow to the inner half lower lash line and corner of your eye

No. 02 Gray Pink for Cool Cat Eyes

The 02 Gray Pink palette has a hot pink complementing with 3 grey shades which I would describe as a pale silver, grey and a navy black.

To achieve the Cool Cat Eyes look:

1. Sweep the silver all over your lid and inner corners of the eyes
2. Blend the Grey from your lash line up to the crease
3. Apply the black on the upper lash line
4. Apply the hot pink to the outer half of your lower lash line

No. 03 Blue Orange for Vivid Native Eyes

Their 03 orange blue palette, it has a white, bright orange, sky blue and it’s meant to be a navy blue but it came out more like a grey black when I swatched it.

To achieve the Vivid Native Eyes look:

1. Sweep the bright blue all over your lid
2. Apply the shimmery white to the inner corner and inner half of your lower lash line
3. Apply the bright orange to the outer half of your lower lash line
4. Blend the black on your upper lash line

No. 04 Green Pink for Colorful Candy Eyes

The Green Pink palette has a sheer cream white, aqua, hot pink and a matte grey black. For some reason the aqua green came out less pigmented. It’s still a very pretty aqua, I quite like the subtle look it gives, I think it makes this palette much more wearable but still give you that pop.

To achieve the Colorful Candy Eyes look:

1. Sweep the turquoise all over your lid
2. Apply the shimmery white to the inner corner and inner half of your lower lash line
3. Apply the hot pink to the outer half of your lower lash line
4. Apply the black on your upper lash line

What do you think? :D Which palette would you choose?

Dolly Style, Dolly Wink make up items scans

2011-02-02T13:45:00.002+11:00

Yay to the new Dolly Wink makeup releases! :D After the nail polish range, Tsubasa Masuwaka’s Dolly Wink range has released 2 mascaras, 2 cream shadows and 4 eyeshadow palettes to its collection! I saw these at the Asian cosmetic store in the city (Sydney) on Sunday so I picked up their new product guide and got the new Dolly Wink eye shadow palettes swatches for everyone to see :) They are really cute and pretty. I haven’t purchased any yet since I know prices at those stores is going to cost me twice as much as I would from getting them online... It’s so hard to choose too, I feel like I’ll be crazy getting all of the 4 eye shadow palettes. But each seems to have it’s own personality. No 1 Brown’s probably the most simple out of them all, but neutrals are nice.

Here are the scans of Dolly Wink products booklet.

For the 2 mascaras, the first one in pink with a purple cap is the Long Mascara for lengthening your lashes while the purple with the blue cap one is the Volume Mascara for volumizing to get fuller lashes.

The 4 eyeshadow palettes, comes in No. 1 Brown, No. 2 Gray Pink, No.3 Blue Orange and No. 4 Green Pink. The products booklet also tells you how and where to apply the eye shadows to achieve that Dolly look.

The cream shadows comes in 2 colours, No. 01 Gold which is a sheer shimmery pale gold for a glamourous nude look. No. 2 Crystal is a sheer silver colour that comes out quite transparent with shimmers. These Dolly Wink cream shadows come in a round transparent plastic palette, they’re quite soft and creamy to the touch. Both of these cream shadows you apply on both your eye lid and lower lash line.

What do you think of them so far?

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Hauls and Packages

2011-01-31T13:30:00.011+11:00

It sucks not to have internet at home =/ and with limited internet access after work, it’s a pain to upload my posts. T-T nuff said, I want it back soon. Anyway, I haven't done a haul post for awhile and nope I haven't stopped hauling. haha there's endless things to try and the list just keeps growing.

As 2010 came to an end, I made my first haul from Sigma! :) yay~ It's probably one of the best investment I've made for 2010. I bought their Sigma Complete Kit since it pretty much has everything I need. It's got 5 face brushes and 7 brushes for the eyes! So yes it's pretty complete and they're affordable too :D No more having to buy each brush individually now which will cost me more in the long run. Plus the quality's pretty good. I'll do a more detail post on it later, I don't know when though. haha they actually shipped it very quickly and it came carefully wrapped with a pretty sash pouch. Plus there's a free gift if you purchase over $30.

Then my love package from Cynthia (http://slowbro-gal.blogspot.com) came in with a sweet note and I love it! The lollies were yummy, love asian lollies :D and I can't wait to try the mask and HadaLabo Hydrating Makeup Remover. I've actually been looking for a new one so this is perfect timing ^^ I'm loving their HadaLabo Tamagohada cleanser and Gokujyun moisturiser which Cynthia also reviewed about on her blog. So I have up hopes for HadaLabo. The bobbi brown eyeshadow's a beautiful shimmery sheer golden colour too, nothing intense so it'll be perfect for natural/nude looks~

Then to start off 2011, another haul from Sasa to replenished my supplies. Can you spot the 2 new HadaLabo wash ;D there's a bit of everything I guess. The EOS and ESPIE lip balm, Cyber Color lip liners, the Heroine Make liquid liner. I heard they're just as good as or even better than Dolly Wink's so couldn't resist trying it. :P and more face washes. Wakilala armpit wash <-- LOL xD the tube was smaller than I expected, if I haven't know, I would confuse it with a face wash. I've been using Kose salon style heat protector daily and it's really good. So I'm going to try their moisture essence mist now. :)

And my first and most recent haul, woot my Apothica haul arrived! :DD What I liked about it is that the order list came with a return sticker label and their Return Policy written at the back. That's pretty convenient if anything goes wrong. There's like free shipping for the US if you buy over $49. Discounted shipping it says for internationals so yea I still had to paid for my shipping.

I am so excited. I've finally got my hands on Too Face's Shadow Insurance! And an extra one for my sister. I've been reading a lot about it for months now. Some people say Urban Decay's primer is better, others like Too Faced's more. I haven't tried either, unfortunately it's not easy getting UD products here. I mean yea I can go ebay but I'm not very fond of shipping cost and all. I mean last time I bought something off ebay it took 4 weeks to ship and I really needed it :( And have you seen how much some people are charging for the UD Naked Palette! ... Well enough of my ebay whine, back to my haul :D So I'm going to give the shadow insurance a go.

I'm not sure if any of you have tried CARGO makeup. I haven't but this one set sounded awesome. ^^ It's a complete makeup set with supposably with everything you need for a complete look with their 7 items in 7 minutes. Thus the 7 in 7 name. It's got a base, eyeliner, mascara, a neutral eye shadow palette, blush, lip liner and a lip gloss. xD last but not lease my first Paul & Joe product. LOL it's another lip liner.

I hope no one is thinking I'm "showing off", I think haul posts are interesting, I take it more like a quick glance and what kind of products on the market. And maybe like what kind of reviews to expect in the future on this blog :P I like reading other's haul posts too.

Hopefully I get my internet back soon, I've got scans for the new Dolly Wink make up items coming up.

Don't forget to join my giveaway :D !

Apothica.com Giftcard Giveaway

2011-01-17T00:06:00.000+11:00

Hey hey, I have great news! I've been contacted by Apothica.com who's offered to let me host a giveaway for my readers. So one lucky reader is going to get a chance to win an awesome gift card! This gift card to be used on SkinCareRx.com, Apothica.com, and SkinBotanica.com. yay!! :D

Apothica's a online beauty store that offers a range of makeup brands like Bobbi brown, Estee Lauder, Paul & Joe, Smashbox, Stila, Yves Saint Laurent, Too Faced ^^, and more! They also do skin care, hair care, bath and body, fragrances, candles, home & laundry. =0 well! It’s not often you see a beauty store with home and laundry items, well at least I think so. :P

When I was browsing their site, I noticed they they've got the Too Faced Pixie Pin-Ups set which I think it really cute x3 Doesn't it look like you're really a story book from the pop ups. lol

Image from Apothica.com

The set's got 6 eye shadows in Leading Lady, I Know What Boys Want, Lucky Charms, Heaven, Like a Virgin, and Erotica. The smaller tube of their Shadow Insurance eye primer, Lava Gloss Super Black eyeliner and the Lash Injection Pinpoint mascara in black. I think it'll make a great gift! I’ve read many reviews about how well Too Face’s Shadow Insurance works so I’ve been thinking about trying it out for a long time. Of course there were also reviews where some beauty bloggers have preferred urban decay’s primer potion but packaging wise, I like Too Faced’s more. Mainly because I think it’s much more convenient for it to be in a tube rather than a bottle with a wand.

Well anyway, I guess most of you are probably more interested about this giveaway so I'll get on with it. This contest is open internationally. There are 3 options to enter but you are only required to do at least 1 and leave the details of which one in the comments below. :)

How to enter:
Step 1: You must be a follower of this blog, if you aren't one already, just hit the "Follow" button and make sure you select to follow publicly.
Step 2: Please do at least one of the entry options listed below and leave a comment of which option/s you've done, including any link/s below in the comment's box. Only 1 comment outlining the options you've done is enough. It'll make it much easier for me to go through. Don't forget to leave your email address.

Apothica Giveaway Entry Options:
Option 1: Facebook

Visit Apothica.com
Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica
Bonus Entry: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter

Option 2: Twitter

Visit Apothica.com
Tweet about Apothica on your Twitter Account
Bonus Entry: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway

Option 3: Blog

Visit Apothica.com
Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica
Bonus Entry: Write about the brand I highlighted and link it to Apothica

Additional Entries:

Blog about this giveaway with a link to this blog post, it doesn’t need to be a full post. (Please no blogs specifically made for giveaways)
Post about this giveaway on your blog’s sidebar. You can use the image provided at the top.

By entering this giveaway you:
Must be over 18 or have your parent’s permission.
Agree to provide Apothica with your contact information for verification so you can claim your gift card. You may want to save SkinCareRx as a contact in your email so that when they contact you about your prize, it won't go to your spam/junk mail.
Please note that the contest is open internationally, but please note that Apothica does not ship to all countries.

This giveaway will run from today 17th Jan 2011 and end on 5th Feb 2011 at midnight Sydney time (GMT +11 hours). I will be announcing the winner on my Twitter account @mintfusion first. So follow me on twitter if you want. Good luck! You might even be able to pick up something for Valentines~

Innisfree Cosmetics

2011-01-10T20:54:00.001+11:00

In my preview post I did a review on the Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack which is sort of like a cream mask that dries into a peef off film mask. I thought I’ll do a short post, briefly about this brand since I don’t think many of us overseas have heard of it. I’m very new to this brand myself and I wasn’t sure what it was or what it had to offer. Especially, since I’ve never seen this brand in Sydney. So here we go...

Innisfree is another Korean Brand that was first launched in 2000. Its named is inspired from the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats who was an Irish poet and dramatist. The name Innisfree itself is an acronym for Island (innis) and 'free.' Their emphasis on offering natural and environmentally friendly products which uses botanical nutrients and essence extracted from organic plants and herbs. Apparently Innisfree is quite a popular brand in Korean and is under the Amore Pacific Corporation (South Korea's largest cosmetic company which includes Laneige, Iope, Mamonde, Hera, Sulwhasoo and more)

Innisfree's brand description from Sasa.com "The brand name originated from the William B. Yeats poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." As the name itself implies, INNISFREE pursues beauty in its most natural form. Using select botanical extracts formulated to suit diverse skin types, INNISFREE provides rich botanical energy to your skin to keep it healthy."

YoonA a member of the korean girl group Girl's Generation (SNSD) is currently the model for Innisfree cosmetics. She's pretty cute isn't she! :) YoonA's also released a short MV where she sang the song "Innisfree Day".

SNSD Yoona - Innisfree Day Official MV

Here's the Innisfree official website: http://innisfree.co.kr/index.jsp (It's a Korean site btw)

Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack

2011-01-08T22:45:00.005+11:00

My long overdue review on Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack. :P I bought this from Sasa.com back in July 2010.

Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack (100ml), Weekly Care Peel-off Type.
Description: Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack is especially formulated for the skin worried by excess sebum secretion or visible pores. It enables clear, translucent and poreless skin.
It contains organic ingredients such as mint, lemongrass and chamomile. They help control sebum secretion and tighten visible pores for more radiant and healthy-looking complexion.
The peel-off mask removes the sebum and impurities to unclog pores. The refreshing fragrance of mint energizes your skin and your soul.
Suitable for all skin type / combination skin
How to use it: Apply a thin layer to cleansed and toned face, avoiding lips and eye contour.
Leave on for 15-20 minutes, until the mask is thoroughly dry.
Peel off starting from chin. Peel towards forehead. Use once per week.

I’ve been using this Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack now and then and it’s not too bad. It comes in a simple tube packaging with a flip cap. The cap’s slightly transparent and you can see how much you’ve got left in the tube if you hold it up against the light because the tube’s translucent. Most of the time I prefer these sort of lotion-ish masks instead of sheet masks because I get more uses out of it and they don’t dry up on me because I tend to forget or get too lazy to uses masks :P. So I end up storing it for quite some time.

This Innisfree mask comes out in a white sticky running paste, so you do need to be careful that you don’t leave the cap open or have the tube facing downwards open because the mask will run out. Next you simply spread the mask on your pre-cleansed face. Make sure you spread it evenly so you cover all the skin, avoiding the sensitive eyes and lip area. Personally I find that it works best when the layer is even and thick enough to cover your skin yet not too thick.

Then you’ll feel a cooling sensation on your skin white you wait for it to complete dry on your face. As it because to dry, it can feel tight and it becomes a white film that you peel off. Then all you have to do is peel from the edge, if the mask hasn’t completely dried it won’t peel properly.

As for smell, it’s got a strange sort of smell to it but I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not unpleasant or too strong but it’s not like fragranced if you know what I mean... :P

In terms of effective, it removes any oily residue on the skin leaving it matt and still leaves the skin soft. Personally I find it more effective at pulling out very fine facial hair than blackheads/whiteheads. Of course this isn’t a blackhead removing mask, it’s more for cleaning the pores so it didn’t do too much to removing the blackheads on my skin. It does remove less stubborn blackheads that are sitting closer to the surface. This reminds me of the Bioré Original Deep Cleansing Pore Strips but I find those strips to be too strong and can tear at my skin. While this Innisfree Mint Pore Clean & Up Pack does tug at your skin, it hurts mainly because it tugging at the fine facial hair. I know that sounds kinda strange and hairy. xD hahaha. But I think this will be too harsh on sensitive skin so I wouldn’t recommend using it if you’ve got inflamed or sensitive skin. And don’t use it more than twice weekly, it’s recommended to use once a week I think.

Overall, I find my skin feels cleaner and more radiant from using this because it’s removed all the dead skin and some impurities from the pores. I don’t know about controlling sebum secretion, I haven’t notice it doing that or tightening the pores. Unfortunately it doesn’t work as well for deeper blackheads because that’s my main concern.

What do you think of Innisfree products? Tried it?
Can anyone recommend me an effective blackhead removing product for stubborn blackheads?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T17:36:00.001+11:00

Hi hi!! :D
Just a quick message to wish everyone a Very Very Merry Christmas!!! I can't believe a year's gone by so quickly~ Hope everyone has a joyous time with your family and friends. A wonderful and safe break for the rest of the year :) and a even better new year to come!

<3 mint.

SANA Soya Milk Q10 Toner

2010-12-22T13:40:00.001+11:00

Hm... so Where have I been... well, I was just busy with Christmas approaching and stuff; and I'm currently still sick. .-. really sucks with all the sneezing and coughing, I really don't want to be playing with makeup incase I sneeze on it. xD lol that'll been ewww. Plus I'm giving my skin a break from all the foundation, powders and BB creams I've been using daily. :P

Anyway, I think I've mentioned that I was using SANA's Soya Milk Q10 Toner (200ml) before. It's been a while now so I thought I'll write up a short piece on what I think of it.

From the description on sasa.com, the SANA Soya Milk Q10 Toner is meant to "help replenish water loss in the skin and enhance absorption of skin treatment. Capsulated Q10 and Soybean Isoflavone fluid enhance skin cells penetration which allows deep nourishing effect. Combined with vegetated-collagen which effectively improves skin elasticity. Skin will be look healthy, energetic and refreshed after use."

Like most of SANA's skincare products, there packaing is in a simple bottle with its distintive paper label at the front. (This is the one with the pale peachy pink bottle and the pale gold cap.) I do like it's simpleness though, it's in a very good size and rather comfortable and convinence to use.

The toner is a thin translucaent white, watery liquid that leaves it feeling soft and moisturised. It does on the to the hand leave a slightly sticky residue until its fully absored. It's incrediably also gentle on the skin and there's a very low fragance so I think it'll be good for those with very sensitive skin.

On the down side, I personally don't think it's done much for my skin. I agree, it does make my skin look healthy, energetic and refreshed straight after using it. But it's hard to tell if it's from the toner alone or whether it's just because I've just cleansed my skin. LOL

I dunno about helping with skin elasticity, especially because I never use toner alone, I can safely say 99% of us would apply at least another a moisturer after a toner anyway. :P On the bright side, I didn't get any bad reactions from using it but this isn't something I would rave but a nice product to try your skin's getting sensitive, and want to use something that won't irritant it more.

Anyone know which of SANA's products are good?

Eclipse Nail Polishes

2010-11-28T23:40:00.001+11:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, just been busy lately. Anyway, I saw these nail polishes on Friday night and couldn’t resist buying some :D, they’re from Morning Glory in China Town, Sydney. For those of you who don’t know, Morning Glory is a cute Korean store that sells a lot of cute things like stationary to Korean cosmetics, gifts and home ware depending on each store.

These nail polishes’ are from a Korean brand called Eclipse, Nailwear Enamel; the colours are very pretty ^^ although I’ve never heard of this brand before. Have any of you heard of that brand? It’s quite a good size nail polish with 15mL (0.5fl.oz) and a beautiful translucent glow. Like a lot of the Asian cosmetics, the colours are differentiated by numbers, I’ve bought 5 bottles of Eclipse nail polish in 138 (pearly peachy red), 216 (pale pink with a purple pink glow), 220 (pearly deep lilac) and 233 (pearly pale nude peach) and 329 (pale bronze).

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Tosylamide-Expoxy Resin, Stearalkonuim Hectorite, Silica, Camphor, Dimethicone, Citric Acid

These nail polish is very running and glides on the nail smoothly, although it does have a strong alcohol nail polish scent. It drys quite quickly, which I really love before I always end up smudging it as it drying :P The first coat goes on very translucent and with 2 coats the colour’s quite true to the bottle yet translucent enough that you can still see through the nail.

Here’s the swatches of each nail polish below:

What do you think of them? I'm curious, has any of you tried this brand?

Integrate Rainbow Grade Eyes BR606

2010-11-09T23:40:00.006+11:00

Here's a short post on what I thought about Integrate's Rainbow Grade Eyes eyeshadow palette in BR606 and a short reference/comparison with Majolica Majorca Majolook Trick On palette. Click to enlarge the images.

This palette comes from the Integrate Fall 2010 Rainbow Grade Eyes Collection, in shade BR606 (3.5g). Starting with the packaging, it comes in a plastic rectangular palette with a mirror reflective lid, with a transparent center. So you can clearly see the colours in the palette and comes with a good quality double ended sponge applicator. Nice simple packaging :), but because of the shape of the packaging, the lid on Ingrate’s palette feels slightly flimsy, as in when you put up the palette from the two sides, you can feel the lid shifts from side to side.

In terms of packaging, it’s most similar to Majolica Majorca’s palettes, from both the packaging to the sponge tip applicator, only Intergrate’s Rainbow Grade Eyes packaging are more ridged, while Majolica’s are more curved. Personally I’m not surprised since both brands are the children’s of Shiseido.

Here’s the swatches of the BR 606 palette, as you can see it comes with 5 colours, a powdery base (pale pearl pink), 1 highlight shimmer down the bottom with large glitters, and 3 powder eyeshadow colours in the heart shape.

I found this palette to be on the sheer side, you really have to pack it on the get the colour. Mainly because I found that once I start blending it, the colours just disappear. Unless it’s just the colours in this palette? I’m also not a huge fan of very large glitters in eyeshadows, the shimmers didn’t come out on the photo swatches but you’ll see it under the light in real life. If you look at the photo with the flash, you kinda can tell there’s a sparkle to it.

Personally I don't regret purchasing it, I just prefer and think the quality of majolica’s majolook trick on palette was better, the shimmers were fine and gave a pretty velvet metallic shine. A lot like the pearly base in this Rainbow Grade Eyes palette, whereas the shadows in this Integrate palette were more glittery. I’ve read other good reviews on this though. Guess it depends on personal preference.

What do you think of it?
Do you like the Integrate Rainbow Grade Eyes palette range?

AdamBeauty.com Haul

2010-10-31T22:38:00.003+11:00

Yay my first ever parcel from AdamBeauty.com arrived. I'm pretty happy with it even though I find the website itself not very user-friendly. Compared to say Sasa.com which I think is much more successful with their attractive and user-friendly layout... Other than the poor layout and the shopping cart doesn't save, it wasn't too bad.

Ah... one more thing that really annoyed me was the pricing on the website. *rants* Because the display price is in HKD but overseas customers pay in USD. And you only get to see the actual USD cost of each item when you view the shopping cart. =/ Personally I prefer to know how much each item is without having to add it to cart, especially because their US price and HK price doesn't seem to follow the currency exchange rates. Not sure how it's calculated, because the prices look static on the webpage.

On the good side AdamBeauty was relatively quick and the items were also well protected with bubble warps. The only thing I found strange was that my parcel came in a brown document bag rather than a box o.O ... So one of my Palty hair dye box cos damaged in the mail, luckily I didn't get any broken shadow palettes or I would've been very upset. The palettes did get their own layer of bubble warp though.

In terms of beauty items, there's a box of Palty hair dye in Bitter Cappuccino and Juicy Peach for my sister. Some lipsticks and glosses, eye shadow palettes and a brow palette.

Anyway, here's a photo of my delightful haul :)

The item I am most intrigued about are the tablet masks by Kanebo and Shiseido. They're very cool if you ask me :P the first time I saw this type of masks was on ning star's tablet/compressed mask blog post, and I thought "lol that's so fasinatingly weird but awesome! I have to try out too". xD Have any of you used them too?
I've never seen them in Aus but at the same time, sheet masks doesn't seem to be very popular over here compared to Asia. Now I just need to decide what essence/lotion/toner to soak these masks in to use.

I've also finally got my hands on maquilage's palette in #11, I've been lemming for this for so long! It's also the main reason for this order. Its only the refill though, I'm not going to bother with the brush and compact. lol xD That's concludes my AdamBeauty haul. :)

BTW, Happy Halloween Everyone!!

Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strenght Concealer Review

2010-10-23T23:57:00.012+11:00

When I wrote up my review on Kevin BeautyMaker’s Aqua Eye Concealer, I mentioned before I used Benefit's boi-ing concealer for a while before swapping over to it. So I thought it’ll be a good idea to write up a review for Benefit’s also. Here's the BeautyMaker Aqua Eye Concealer review if you're interested. This review is based on the Boi-ing Industrial Strenght Concealer in 02-medium, when it was in the palette packaging with the mirror though. Now onto Benefit's Boi-ing concealer with a quick comparison between the two concealers.

Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strenght Concealer (3g Net wt 0.1oz)

Benefit boi-ing industrial strength concealer comes in a very portable small round compact with a hook type bit at the front to keep it securely closed like most palettes. I really like how simple, compact and practical the packaging is, in comparison with BeautyMaker's Aqua eye concealer they are both about the same size, Boi-ing is about 5cm in diameter while the Aqua eye concealer is 4.5cm in diameter. Although Beautymaker sounds smaller, the plastic on Benefit's feel much more sturdy and isn't as flimsy in design. Both these concealers contain 3g.

In terms of the product, Benefit's Boi-ing gives you great coverage. When I purchased this a long time ago, they only had 02 - medium which looked a little too dark for my skin tone but surprising once you smooth it out, it's blends quite well with the natural skin tone.

Anyway, it's come out with a new packaging and 3 shades now, 01 light, 02 medium and 03 Deep. So the new packaging's for the see-through screw cap jar.

Here are the swatches of the 3 Boi-ing concealer shades.

On the downside, for me; I found it a bit drying on my skin, because of this sometimes it seems to accentuate fine lines. In terms of it being crease proof... it was pretty okay.

While the Aqua eye concealer has a lower coverage, overall it's thinner, moister and very comfortable on the skin. Boi-ing feels creamy yet it still feels quite dense and doesn't blend as easily as Beautymaker's. Beautymaker's seems to melt under the finger and spreads easily; mainly because of how moist it is.

Benefit's Boi-ing concealer was also not cakey and still feels quite light on the skin which i was quite surprised. Seeing it had such a great coverage. I haven't found any concealers that has both the concealer and comfort as Boi-ing, and I find myself going back to this regularly when I really need to conceal any dark circles :P .

Overall I'm still pretty happy with Benefit's Boi-ing, it's very hard to just say Beautymaker's was better because of how great the coverage is with Boi-ing. But Beautymaker's Aqua Eye concealer is a better option when you just want a natural light coverage, and go for Benefit's Boi-ing for you need it's coverage strength.

One thing to note is that Benefit’s Boi-ing concealer is an overall face concealer, while BeautyMaker’s is an eye concealer. So no doubt it’s much better when used for concealing blemishes. But I still used it mainly under my eyes, which’s why I’m comparing the two. Anyway with the new shades, the 02-medium looks different now. Not sure if it's because my skin tone has changed, but the new medium shade is too dark on me, while the 01-light is too light. LOL

Do you girls think it’s better to get a specially made eye concealer for the eyes?
Or an all in one for the whole face concealer, is better?

I mean it’s practical to just have 1 item that covers all, yay to taking up less table space. Haha! Yet then again which is more important when weighting up convenience or one that is made/meant to be more suitable for the delicate eye area.

Madison Mag Freebie + Love Package

2010-10-13T23:05:00.029+11:00

Quick post before I disappear off for bed ^0^ zzzz
For those of you who don't stop by the newsagencies (Aus) very often, Madison is giving away a Napolean Perdis Mascara and Lip Duo with their Nov 2010 magazine issue. Yay to magazine freebies ^^. It doesn't say which mascara or lipgloss colour it is though... I would describe it as a light hot pink with a pearl finish, eh.. fine sparkles. lol Alot like Estee Lauder's passion fruit lip gloss but in a cooler pink.

I also want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Yasumi from Worship at the House of Blues for sending me a love package from her giveaway. Even after it had bounced in the mail =0 and went back to her. Ah Dx the pain of postal and post offices. I don't know about you, but I find post offices annoying and the atmosphere strange...

Thank you so much! I absolutely love it < 33 Thank you! Especially the card x3 it's so cute. Look at the cut out key at the corner. lol! For those of you who don't current read her blog, she's a sweet talented lady and her blog's full of great photographs and interesting stuff~

I've also been considering removing the cbox from this blog. It seems to be attracting more spam lately =/ maybe it's on someone "spam this" list or something. It's not used very often, and thank you for those of you who do use it. :D

What do you think? Do you reckon there's any point leaving it on there? =o

Estée Lauder Pure Color Eye Shadow Palette Swatches: Blue Dahlia & Surreal Violet

2010-10-06T23:17:00.004+11:00

I got some swatches for your girls of Estée Lauder’s new Pure Color Five Color EyeShadow Palette in Blue Dahlia and Surreal Violet. I completely forgot about it and never posted it up :P sorry. In general, the colours are pretty nice ^^.

I quite like how the Estée Lauder symbol is embossed into the center colour, nice packaging :) .

However, when I was swatching it at their counter. I noticed some colours are more pigmented than others. For example, it was harder to swatch the 3^rd lilac colour in Surreal Violet and the 1^st highlight colour in Blue Dahlia. The shadows have a nice shimmer to it, particularly the 4^th shade in Blue Dahlia which is like a metallic taupe colour. But the photo really doesn’t do it great justice. Yea... didn’t have a proper digital camera on me, just the one on my phone. In my opinion, these shadows seem a bit on the powdery side, I think I prefer the smooth creamy Japanese shadows like Majorica Majorca’s.

Estée Lauder - Pure Color Five Color EyeShadow Palette Blue Dahlia and Surreal Violet:

The deep sky blue is so gorgeous! I really like the Blue Dahlia palette ^^ , Surreal Violet is nice but I think the Blues have better impact :D

Which one do you prefer?

SANA Soya Milk Arbutin Milk Lotion and Toner Review

2010-09-26T23:30:00.000+10:00

Just a short review for Sana’s Soya Milk Arbutin Lotion and Toner. I forgot to get more photos and post it up so it’s slightly overdue now, :P but yea... I’ve used both these products together so I won’t write a separate review for each because it’ll be hard to separate the two.

Here’s the product description from Sasa.com below:
Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Toner (200ml)
Description: Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Toner contains Soya Isoflavone which can hydrate skin and help to assimilate skincare applying afterwards. Also, active whitening ingredient Arbutin is also contained; it helps to control the formation of melanin effectively so as to prevent the occurrence of dark spots.
After applying Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Toner, your skin will be lightened, moisturized and more elastic. Coloring and mineral oil free.

Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Milk Lotion (150ml)
Description: Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Milk Lotion contains Soya Isoflavone and the active whitening ingredient, Arbutin. It moisturizes skin without greasy feeling and lightens your skin tone.
After applying Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Milk Lotion, your skin will be brightened, moisturized and more elastic. Coloring and mineral oil-free.

Sana Soya Milk Arbutin Milk Lotion is a light lotion that feels very smooth on the skin. A small amount spreads easily over a large area. One bottle lasts for many months, my estimate is around 9 months of daily use. It is quite hydrating and is a good lotion for summer as it is not heavy or greasy on the skin. But as it is very light, this lotion may not be suitable during very dry months like winter. The lotion is very natural since it is made of soya milk and feels comfortable on the skin. It is also colouring and mineral oil free, so I think it’ll be good for those with sensitive skin. Likewise, the Soya Milk Arbutin Toner is also made from Soya milk and is colouring and mineral oil free. It’s very easy to use and feels fresh on the skin.

Both products have a nice light fragance and are supposed to have whitening properties. However after months of daily use, the whitening effect wasn’t very obvious. After applying it, your skin does look brightened but effects doesn’t seem very long term. In terms of package, like most of SANA’s Soya milk range the packaging’s very simple, bottle design, which I like. : ) Even the labelling is almost the same.
Overall, it feels nice on the skin, very smooth and light. I think it’ll be nice for people sensitive skin or for summer when you need something that’s refreshing and non-clogging.

Anyway, on the sidenote I usually find that most Toners don’t delivery to what it claims to do... I have taken a liking to SANA’s skin product though. I like its simple and natural side, at the moment I’ve been using Sana’s SOYA MILK Q10 Toner.

Have you girls tried SANA’s skin product and what do you think of it?

Essie Nail Polish in Sydney!

2010-09-21T23:15:00.000+10:00

Guess what! I saw a stand of Essie Nail Polish at Paramatta Myer Sydney on Saturday! (Myer is a large department store for those outside Aus). My memory’s pretty vague now :P but I think there was a sign saying it’s a new brand they’re bring into Myer =0 I’m not sure whether all Myer stores in Sydney will have it or in the other states but it’s pretty cool~

Essie "Matte About You" Finisher

I’ve read and seem many swatches of their nail polishes and some are pretty nice! I really want to try the Essie “matte about you” finisher, the one that makes your nails matte and frosty looking. I love the look :D

I remember Myer’s retailing essie nail polishes at $18.95AUD each. When I saw that I was like... ok... *backs away* haha I don’t know about you but I’m not prepared to dish out nearly $20 for a nail polish... They are doing a promo when they’re giving away a bottle of Essie’s top coat for free with any essie nail polish purchase. But still I have a few bottles of top coats already .-. and I only want the Matte finisher which is also a top coat. xD” ... lol?

But yea... I’m still surprisely happy excited :D it seems Myer’s been bringing in a lot of different brands lately. LikeIllamasqua, Hour Glass and Guerlain.

Of course, I’ve only seen these available at the City Myer store. I have yet to see Urban Decay and Make Up For Ever, hopefully I’ll see sold here sometime too.

BTW there's a Giveaway at welovetoothfairy.com:

I’m not sure if any of you also read the notesfromthetoothfairy blog, but she’s back and her blog’s moved to www.welovetoothfairy.com. And she’s doing a nice giveaway for fun : ) very cute~ *waves to Toothfairy* check out the giveaway here, it closes on the 24th sorry for the late post, been busy :P
Tata~

French Coquettes: Lancome Fall 2010 Color Collection

2010-09-19T00:26:00.000+10:00

Picked up this booklet of Lancome’s new Fall 2010 Collection by Aaron De Mey, the other day. (Scans below). This collection is mean to capture the spirit of Parisienne women with the colours of deeps plums, charcoals and nudes.

It’s actually a large range of items for this Lancome Fall collection but I think their shadows really stand out. There’s the ultra sparkling eye shadows that’s suppose to be extremely long wearing and crease resistant, comes in 3 colours: Black Macadam, Urban Silver and Cherry Chérie. And their Limited Edition Eye Shadow Quad in French Touch. The colours look beautiful, looks like theres’ a light nude colour, two plumy pinks and a violet colour. It’s a beautiful combination :D The pinks in the new powder blush looks adorable!

As for the lips, there’s 4 new colours to their lipshine range and 3 new colours for the lipsticks. I’m mostly interested in their new Sweet Nude colour. I passed by their counter the other day and got the swatches of these new lip shine colours. They pretty pigmented and there’s some very fine sparkles. It looks amazing in the sunlight!

Unfortunately I didn’t see the new eyeshadows, or else I would’ve swatched them too.
Has anyone laid their hands on this collection yet? :D

Here’s a quick link to their entire French Coquettes Collection if you want to see the range.

SCINIC Green Soft Lip & Eye Remover Review

2010-09-14T00:05:00.014+10:00

SCINIC Green soft Lip & Eye Remover (150mL)
The right self-clinic gives your skin safe & ultimate effect.

Along with oil of piant ingredients such as olive oil and Macadamia Nuts Oil and the cleansing for the lip & eye that are dry and sensitive equipped with mild water cleansing ingredients, the lip & eye remover cleanses the dark point make-up simply and cleanly and it adds the moisture.

Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Benzalkonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Potassium Phosphate, Trehalose, FD&C Yellow No.5, FD&C Blue No.1, Fragrance.

--

SCINIC is another korean brand, here's their official site, unfortunately it's all in Korean... so I can't comment much about it. oh and its a flash site btw for those who don't like long load time.

(image from sasa.com)

Scinic’s Green soft Lip & Eye Remover comes in a green pump bottle, where the nozzle is at the top of the dispenser. Unlike most other makeup removers, the liquid is dispensed by pressing down on the pump with the cotton pad on top to catch the liquid while it squirts up.

Another issue with this type of bottle is the fact that it’s hard to control how much you pump out. You also need to be careful when you’re trying to wet a cotton tip/Q-tip, because if you cover and press the nozzle, or obscure it in any way, it can make the liquid go everywhere. The easiest way is to lighting pump the liquid onto the pan and soak it up with the cotton tip/Q-tip.

This Scinic Green soft Lip & Eye Remover is in two phrases, so you do need to shake and mix the two liquids together before use. A major annoyance I found was if you shake it too hard, the makeup remover will leak from the pump dispensing part. Of course you can go around that by rolling the bottle on your palms, it’s best not to tip the bottle upside down or shake it up and down too hard to mix the two phrases.

In terms of removing makeup, it’s not too bad. While it has a pleasant light fragrance and is quite gently on the skin, it does leave a slight residue behind. On testing this Scinic makeup remover with my Majolica Majorca mascara, it also takes more rubbing and effort to remove compared to my Shiseido instant eye and lip makeup remover. It’s also a little drying on the skin, of course it's a good cheap alternative and does work in removing makeup.

Overall, I prefer the Shiseido instant eye and lip makeup remover over this Scinic Green soft Lip & Eye Remover; because it’s not drying, does not leave an oily residue and takes less working at, to remove waterproof makeup. Other than that, this bottle design is a leaking hazard. Very annoying when it leaks all over my hands, I’m staying away from these types of bottles from now on..

Have you used products with this type of pump bottles before? I've seen the Missha nail polish remover has it too.