Review: Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Smooth Lip Color - Princess, Peach, Sweet Pink

Hello hello I'm back from Taiwan! I took a 10-day trip there with family. It was fun. :) I went to Taipei and Sun Moon Lake (Taichung). Anyway, I took the opportunity to haul items from Payeasy and I'll be doing a mini-review of the Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Smooth Lip Color in 3 colors. They were having a summer sale - they cost only NT199 each!

From left: Princess (千金裸唇), Peach (晶亮珊瑚), Sweet Pink (甜蜜粉紅)

With flash

Princess (千金裸唇) is a lovely warm nude that doesn't make me look like a corpse. In Chinese, it translates into something like 'rich girl nude lips'. So I guess it's a really nice, classy looking nude that all the rich girls wear. I like it the best out of all the shades! It isn't too pale for my tanned skin (MAC NC30 as of now) and I still look healthy when I wear it (unlike other corpse-nude colours). Subtle but you can still tell that it's on. A very wearable everyday colour.

Peach (晶亮珊瑚) is similar to Princess, but brighter and more vivid, with a coral hue. In Chinese, it translates into 'bright coral', which is a good shade description.

Sweet Pink (甜蜜粉紅) looks like a seriously bright bubble-gum pink in the tube! It really scared me at first, but because the formula of these lipsticks are sheer like a balm, it is really wearable. I like it too! It is blue-based, but not so blue-based that it doesn't work for yellower Asian skintones, so I like it! It is a nice blue-based pink that works for Asians. Good shade description.

From left: Princess (千金裸唇), Peach (晶亮珊瑚), Sweet Pink (甜蜜粉紅)

The formula of these lipsticks is very creamy and they have a dewy finish. They glide on very easily, like a lipstick-lipbalm hybrid. They contain Sodium Hyaluronate for moisture, and Vitamin E. They settle into liplines a teensy bit, but it's not noticeable because they're sheer. They're not too sheer - they hit a good balance between sheerness and good pigmentation. However, while they feel moisturizing, my lips still feel a little dry after wearing them, so you do need a good lipbalm under it. Plus, they wear off pretty quickly within a couple of hours, which is common for such creamy lipsticks.

The regular price of these lipsticks is NT300 for 3.5g, which is pretty reasonable. The lipstick tube is a little rubbery-plasticky, like NARS packaging, pretty classy for a drugstore brand.

Rating: 8/10

Review: NP Set Pasarella Foundation, Acmedica Medicated Acne Clear Pact

I couldn't compose a new post this week because Blogger was giving me an error. I finally figured out it was some HTML from my previous post that was preventing me from posting. -_-U Anyway, I was totally de-cluttering last week and here's some stuff I threw out which I thought I might do mini-reviews on.



From left: NP Set Pasarella Foundation, Acmedica Powder Foundations

NP Set Pasarella Foundation
I bought this at Target for US$30, which is pretty damn expensive for something from a drugstore. (Well ok, I guess Napoleon Perdis is expensive but NP Set is supposed to be the more affordable line!) I got it in Set 3, which I think is more suitable for MAC NC30-35. It was slightly too warm and orange on me. It also gives a powdery look and the coverage is very light. The good thing is, it controls oil pretty well!

I like that it has shea butter to moisturize, but the finish is too powdery for my liking. While it smoothes pores, it also has a flat matte finish which is a no-no for me. And I doubt I would repurchase, because as far as I know, they don't come with refills, and US$30 is too much to pay for a matte-finish foundation. (I have paid more and am willing to pay more for powder foundations with fantastic, real-skin finish, like Lancome Macqui Miracle Compact.) Plus, it doesn't have SPF.

Rating: 8/10

Acmedica Powder Foundation - Medicated Acne Clear Pact
I bought this ages ago - it comes in 2 shades, Light Beige and Natural Beige. They're pretty affordable, about S$18 each. What attracted me was that they are made for acne-prone skin, so they contain acne-fighting ingredients like sulphur. (Indeed, I can smell the sulphur in the powder.)

However, I felt it wasn't fantastic at controlling oil. It gives a flat, matte finish too. I originally purchased it as I thought it could be a dupe for the other powder foundation I use for acne-prone skin (the Ettusais Powder Foundation which is 3 times the price of Acmedica), but it isn't.

The good thing is, it is very suitable for acne-prone skin because my acne improved after using it! So the anti-inflammatory ingredients work. Some people might not like the sulphur smell though.

Also, it only comes in 2 shades - Light Beige and Natural Beige. Natural Beige will suit skintones of up to MAC NC25, so the shades are only for fair skintones. However, it does offer SPF15 protection. I think it's a good budget option for acne-prone people! Here's the picture of the packaging - you can find it at SASA.

Rating: 8/10

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I'm super busy right now, I'm trying to finish tidying my stuff because I'll be holidaying in Taiwan next week! I haven't started packing. Looking forward to it! :)

Organising: Magnetic sheets from Daiso

Hello~ I'm on a week-long leave (well-deserved, mm-hmm) and so I've started organising all my stuff in my room to make it more functional, so that I can save time on my daily routines and not waste time doing so much stuff! One project I completed recently was a magnetic 'To-do' board. Super simple, just took me S$10 and half an hour!

This project came about because I realized that every weekend, I have about the same type of chores (except maybe I swim instead of jog, and I wash different things), and I waste time and paper by scribbling down my chores on a post-it. Plus, the post-it is tiny and post-its just make me feel annoyed because they look messy and are very 'fly-away' - they're always dropping off somewhere.

So I got the whiteboard and these magnetic sheets from Daiso - they're only S$2 each! I got them in different colours for different items:

- Blue for 'me-time': Blogging, swimming, jogging, writing music etc

- White for regular weekly chores: Washing my make-up brushes, combs, laundry, disinfecting my keyboard and other items

- Red for chores that aren't so regular: Washing the curtains, wiping the fan, wiping my piano, conditioning leather bags

(If you're sharp you'll notice that in the photo, jogging and swimming are in white but I've since amended that, oops.)

They are really easy to use - you can use permanent marker or ballpoint to write on them, and they're eraseable and reusable! (Yes, even permanent marker.) It's really simple, just measure and cut into little rectangles - they cut like butter.

I keep the rest of the little magnetic rectangles in my Rilakkuma pencil case when they're not in use.

I imagine the magnetic sheets would be useful for tutors or teachers (music, ballet, whatever) working from a fixed location (won't work if you're the kind who drives to your students' houses). You could print a big paper schedule and write your students' names on the magnetic rectangles. When your student calls to change the timing, it's easy to see when you're free and you can just switch the placement of the magnets on the schedule, instead of cancelling and penning it down on your agenda. (I hate cancelling stuff on my agenda cos sometimes there's not enough space for me to write stuff once you cancel something out.)

I hope this is helpful! I'm really loving Daiso, I see so many amazing organizational tools there. Anyway, let me share some other cute stuff I found over the weekend-

To motivate myself to organize and revamp my space, I bought this Rilakkuma tape measure, to measure my spaces more precisely so that when I look at containers/organizing stuff, I can measure them and buy the exact amount of items with correct dimensions. (I used to just buy and try... which is a bad example!)

Rilakkuma name stickers! Too cute.

I found these notebooks with black covers and neon paper at Popular. So pretty!!!!! They're like my favourite black Muji notebooks, except with neon paper! I haven't found a use for them yet but they are too cute, I had to have them. And when you're really tired at work or in school, just a look at the neon pages are enough to wake you up. ;)

I've been clearing out my stuff. In order to throw some my sentimental stuff away, I take photos of them. (I only take photos of the really nice ones, or of stuff that suits me and of which I want to repurchase the same style again, so I'm not crazy or a hoarder haha.) I like this notebook cos I designed the cover myself and was really my style. I like the sticker of the pencil sharpener, so cute! He's sharpening a pencil and going "You can do it, go go go!". Lol! And I was really into drawing cute clouds. The writing there goes:

with my head in the clouds
almost anything is allowed
reach for the skies and
happiness is there!

I got it from an Hermes catalogue, I think. :P

And another birthday cake! I bought this from Chocolate Origin for my dad, it looks really pretty. It's a cake with more chocolate than cake though! I really liked the chocolate coating, it was not too sweet but really good. I would, however, still prefer a cake with more cake! (Awfully Chocolate's good, and Choc-a-bloc even better!)

I'll probably be posting a lot more this week because I'll be enjoying myself on leave. :)

Review: Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam

I noticed my Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam running low recently, so I decided to review it before it's completely gone! It's a relatively more expensive drugstore cleanser (SASA has it for ~US$11), but I bought it at a sale. I haven't tried Biore's Marshmallow Whip facial foam, but I think they are similar, because they're both liquid cleansers which pump out airy foam, like so:

The foam is nice and light, and I think it would suit absolutely any skin type. It contains hyaluronic acid, so it leaves my skin feeling moisturized, yet the feeling is so light, and it cleanses really well. It rinses off cleanly and never leaves a drying feeling. While I use it only as a morning cleanser, the cleansing power is definitely good enough to use for evening cleansing too. Plus, Biore Marshmallow Whip doesn't contain hyaluronic acid, but this does!

Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam comes in a 150g bottle. The thing is, as compared to a regular cleansing gel or facial foam at the same weight, you're paying for a larger volume of water weight, because the water is what creates the foam. (With a regular cleansing gel, you're paying for the concentrated ingredients, because you add water yourself to foam it up manually.) That's why I find that I go through such liquid-type cleansing foams more quickly than regular gel-type or paste-type facial foams.

I really like this cleanser though - what makes it different from other moisturizing cleansers, is that it is suitable for oily/acne-prone skin. Other moisturizing cleansers usually feel more heavy and take time to rinse off cleanly, and might not be good at cleansing, but this Juju Aquamoist cleansing foam is everything and more - moisturizing yet light, cleanses well while retaining moisture and rinses off easily. And it's a really soothing cleanser for skin that has acne flare-ups - it cleanses well without aggravating acne and leaves your skin protected because it doesn't dry your skin out. Plus, just pump and go!

Other observations - the fragrance is light and clean-smelling, a universally likeable scent. While I think this cleansing foam is slightly expensive for a drugstore cleanser, it is an outstanding performer. As such:

Rating: 10/10

I'm thoroughly impressed! I can't wait to repurchase it (after I've finished my remaining stash of 98237689 cleansers). ^^

Review: Travalo Travel Perfume Atomiser

Well hello! I missed a post last week because I've been tired out from work - it's The Return of The Late Nights... (Not like they ever went away really.)The good thing is, I'll be stuck at this particular client's place for 3 months (so far a month has passed) and it's in town, smack in the middle of a bunch of huge shopping malls, so it isn't too depressing, I feel quite happy really being surrounded by shopping awesomeness! :) There's a huge Guardian pharmacy there, where I picked up the Travalo travel-sized perfume atomiser, after seeing it advertised in lots of magazines.

There's a huge "Travalo" print at the back - a little offputting, but ok, it looks pretty cute in cursive. It comes in lots of colors - pink, silver, black, red... but my friend was with me and was like 'I bet you'll choose pink' and so to prove that I don't choose pink all the time, I chose gold! It's nice and classic and I like gold better than silver. :) It's a matte brushed-metal finish.

There's a hole at the bottom of the atomiser, for you to attach to your perfume nozzle (after removing the cap) and refill. Refilling is easy, just attach and pump! I have used it for 2 weeks and I've come up with a list of pros and cons:

Pro:
The shatterproof glass window allows you to keep track of usage. It's approved for use in airplanes and it's completely leak-proof (I used to carry my body spray in a tiny plastic spray bottle but it would invariable leak; my bag smelt wonderful though).

Con:
The capacity is only 4ml; this is good for perfumes since you won't use too much, but bad for body sprays since you need to spray more and it won't last. I tried refilling it with my body spray and it lasted me barely a week. Plus, while the method of refilling via the hole at the bottom is very convenient, the presence of the hole means your precious fragrance will evaporate with time. I wanted to get the Travalo to store my body spray for travel (so that I'll have more space in my luggage), but it seems like it won't work for me, because it won't last for trips longer than 7 days.

It's also difficult to 'wash' the Travalo if you want to fill it with a different fragrance - you need to fill a spray pump with water, refill the Travalo with water in the same way as you refill your fragrance, and spray it away. Lastly, it's pretty pricey - I paid S$15 for it.

Conclusion: I'm in 2 minds about it... I absolutely love the fact that it is so reliably leak-proof (my plastic spray bottles always leak in my bag!), but there are so many other cons. I've also seen metal atomisers at Muji (I don't think they refill in the same way as the Travalo; I think they refill in the 'traditional' pump way) that are similarly priced, however I don't know how leakproof they are, but of course they will be easier to wash. Plus the Muji ones are prettier because they don't have the glass window, and they don't have the brand printed on them.

Rating: 7/10 (It's leakproof which is a huge pro which helps offset all the other cons)

Maybe I'll get the Muji atomiser to try someday... but not too soon, it makes me feel guilty when I buy similar things all at the same time. :P

Oh and here's a photo of my Mum's birthday cake I got her, I love birthday cakes!

It's strawberry and blueberry vanilla cream from Rive Gauche, airy and light. Yum~ 

Review: L'oreal Mythic Oil and Earrings Organizer!

Well hello! I just dyed my hair again a couple of weeks ago and purchased a bottle of L'oreal Mythic Oil at the hair salon, cos the hairdresser applied this to my hair after treatment and it felt so silky soft! (Plus I read about it in magazines and had huge lemmings to buy it already, so I was ready to whip out my wallet when the hairdresser promoted it to me, oops. Terrible.)

I paid S$42 for a 125ml bottle which is expensive for cheap little me, but I think it'll last me more than a year. I've used it daily for 2 weeks, it's like I haven't used it at all. I have really thick hair that just touches my shoulders, I use just half a pump and it's enough to smooth out my hair. It smells a little bit like Johnson's Baby Shampoo, a little floral and very nice.

Usually I apply it to my freshly washed, towel-dried hair before blowdrying. I don't like applying to dry hair, I find it distributes and absorbs better in damp hair. However, while regular hair oils/ hair serums make my hair look a little greasy and clumpy when applied to dry hair, Mythic Oil applies well to dry hair too, so if you haven't washed your hair but still wanna smooth it out, you could rub a few drops sparingly through the hair-ends and still look good.

Ingredients:

Before using Mythic Oil, my hair was really dry and damaged because I dye it frequently and use a blowdryer every night, without heat protectant or anything! Ok, I still don't use heat protectant, but now I apply Mythic Oil before blowdrying and my hair is so much better. (Pardon the flyaways, I didn't smooth them out ^^; but before using Mythic Oil my hair was so. Much. Worse.)

I'm giving it 9/10 cos I think you can find hair oils of similar quality but lower price at the drugstore. The good thing about Mythic Oil is that it's not greasy, doesn't make your hair look greasy even when you apply a lot, and smells wonderful!

Rating: 9/10

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Anyway, I'd just like to share a little something I made yesterday - an organizer for earrings!

Isn't it pretty? I made it using a photoframe, a Marc Jacobs cardboard cut-out from an old mook, and BBQ net. Notice the pink feather earrings - I bought them from H&M cos they're so bimbotically me, then I went home and tried them on and started laughing because they tickle me, and I'm super ticklish! So I haven't worn them out yet. :P

So this is one of my closet doors! I neatened it up a lot. One of my resolutions this year is to organize, purge and de-clutter my place! It really gives me more peace of mind. I hope to make more progress and will take more photos as things develop - seriously I feel so happy when stuff is organized and neat. It takes so much stress away!

The thing about this earring organizer though, is that it only works for hook earrings, and not earrings with posts. I'm hoping to go to Art Friend one weekend to grab canvas mesh and make a version for my post earrings. :) Till next time~

Happy daze

I'm taking a break from reviewing all my beauty stuff this week! I'm suffering indigestion from all that feasting this weekend, heh. A very 'recharging' weekend!

I had a lovely brunch at PS Cafe at Paragon, and had the PS Breakfast Stack (first photo) - the tomato coddled egg is delish!!! And the huge portobello mushroom, yumyum. And the toast is super yummy, it isn't like toast at all - it's thick and tastes delicious (olive oil I think) and the texture is like cake. Very filling. And the truffle fries - portion is huge! It remains yummy and crispy even after a while, unlike regular fries that go soggy and gross.

I had yummy chestnut okowa set at the Takashimaya basement. The rice is like glutinous rice, chewy like mochi and super yummy! A very healthy kind of meal which still tastes delish.

I had a manicure done, in China Glaze For Audrey - it's not as Tiffany Blue as I hoped it would be, but it's pretty!

I bought a Rilakkuma train pass case at a flea market - so cute! The shop is called Faburikku and you can customise the colour combinations, I quite like it.

And here's just another addition (a while ago) to my Rilakkuma family :)

I hope there'll be more lovely days to come...