Mish-mash

Here's some things that I've purchased recently/or gotten :)

Firstly, finally Essie nail polish has made it to Myer stores! There's been so much hype about Essie that I had to just try it out!
I think the range of colours is really nice. Mostly matte rather than sparkly and focused on Spring colours (as it's Spring time in Australia now).
I picked up three shades -
1. Jazz - a taupe brown colour
2. Fondola Gondola - a mauve pink colour
3. Lilacism - a pretty pale purple.
I also managed to pick up a top coat which was a free gift.

So what do I think? Firstly, that for $18.95 is a completely ridiculous price for them. If you can find it somewhere else online I would highly recommend it. But I didn't want to wait around so I needed to pick up my Essie-fix quickly.
Secondly, they are pretty rubbish when it comes to how fast they dry.
In fact, it takes so long! And you need to do double coats. So I wish they would dry so much faster.
However, they are really long lasting and don't chip much. Which is something I can't say about Revlon nail polish (which are really fast drying, still expensive around $12 and chip really easily).
Will I repurchase more Essie nail polishes? Probably, but definitely online only.
I feel the colours in the bottle do come out well on the nails and am loving how amazing Jazz looks!

Ok next up is Benefit Coralista. I requested it from a friend who was going overseas with a Sephora (why, oh why don't you come to Australia Sephora!). It's quite hyped up to be a great shade for everyone, best coral coloured blush around etc. As you can see I'm all about the hype!
It comes in a cute box (such a good idea) with a very rectangular skinny blush brush.
First impressions - so cute! The packaging is great. Product is very pretty with a touch of shimmer and it smells amazing! Almost tropical ^^
I used it with the blush brush today. Thoughts about the brush, if you're not careful it will make harsh lines on your face so you need to dust it in circular motions on the cheeks. Otherwise you get sort of a rectangular look haha!

The product is so pretty though! I love it. Something I have quite similar would be the Nars 'O' (hate the name). However I find the Benefit version more true to a coral colour, where as the Nars is more of a coral-pink base. The effect is slightly different on the cheek as well. I love that the Benefit Coralista is quite soft in texture and I can feel that it's going to be my new favourite! It's also very pigmented as well. It's described as giving you a sort of sun kissed "Rio" look which I like >.<
I love blush and think that people need to have at least three types - pink based (for that dolly look), coral based (very natural) and red based.

Ok and the very last thing that I'm quite into at the moment is this lipstick and lip gloss duo by Silvanna. My Aunt picked it up for me over in Malaysia so I have no idea where she got it from. I basically chose the red based lipgloss as opposed to the pink based one. Have to say the lip gloss is amazing. And I'm not a lip gloss fan.
Not too sticky, gives the lips a really nice red colour and moisturising! The lip stick however it utterly rubbish and too shimmery and the texture is so wrong. So here's a picture of the duo! I haven't tried the lipstick with lip gloss over the top yet, so maybe I should. But the lip gloss is great, you don't need to apply anything under it :)

Quick Jurlique Review

So I've been using Jurlique's 4-steps to naturally beautiful skin (rebalance sensitivity) for about a month now and here's my thoughts -
* Soothing Foaming Cleanser : amazing. I love it so much. It smells so natural and feels amazing on the skin. My skin feels really clean and soft and bright everytime I've used it! The small 30mL bottle has lasted me about a month so you don't need a lot of product and it goes a long long way.
* Chamomile Soothing Mist : probably the most disappointing out of the 4 products. I'm always paranoid about residue makeup even after cleansing so toner for me is a must. After spritzing the mist on I can't say that it would have taken off any residue makeup. It did soothe any redness or irritation though.
* Soothing Herbal Recovery gel + Soothing Day Care Lotion : really nice products. It makes your skin so soft and smooth.

The only thing I would say is that I only have been using the cleanser at the moment. That's because I feel that if you have acne prone skin than these products aren't really going to stop it. My skin was super soft but it didn't stop my breakouts. So I can't say I would only use Jurlique at the moment. If you don't have acne-prone skin, I'm sure that these products would be great. I usually use these products when my skin is in good condition and boy it makes it super soft. Add some exfoliation and the skin is amazing!
Btw - I'm so glad I didn't buy the big bottles and used the trial *phew*.

I can't get enough of how pretty everything is though. The smells, the packaging and the textures of the products are all great.

NYX mega shine lips

Ok, I am official in love!
With NYX's mega shine lip gloss of course :)
People on Youtube rave (and I mean literally ravveeee) about this product.
But like everything, just because a bunch of people say it's the holy grail of makeup products doesn't mean it's TRUE. I have to remember that everytime someone says how amazing a product is and I stop my urge to buy it. Man I'm such a typical consumer.

Anyways I picked two up in Canada (passed one off to my best friend) at a reasonable price (definitely under $10).
But it is amazing!
I am definitely NOT a lip gloss person.
I used to be perhaps in high school but of course gloss was all the craze.
But because my lips are rarely dry and really pigmented (they're really red) I don't see the need to put anything else on them. Plus I hate how lipgloss disappears after eating, talking, 15 minutes and sometimes the feel of it on your lips.

So with that in mind NYX's mega shine lip glosses are fabulous.
They stay on the lips really well and are not too sticky. The texture is really smooth and the colour is fantastic. Your lips definitely look smoother, poutier and shinier!

I picked up Candy Shop and gave my bestie French Kiss. They're pretty much similar in colour - pink with gold sparkles. I love the packaging, very simple and sleek but has a cute bow on the lid :D
I am definitely going to be repurchasing! For those in Australia google Crush Cosmetics to get your hands on this item through online shopping.

I'll be sure to pick up a coral coloured one, a nude one or a red one. Any suggestions?

Jurlique

Today I went into Myer (Australian department store) with a purpose of going to Jurlique!
I was intending to buy a face mask, that is all, and ended up with another purchase instead.
For those who don't know, Jurlique produces all natural skin care - no parabens, sodium laureth sulfates etc.
The masks sounded really good but were $95 for a tube. a bit too pricey. The lovely Jurlique lady trialed masks and different cleaners and lotions on my hand.

In general I want something that could help me combat oiliness, sensitivity and breakouts. The Jurlique lady (didn't get her name) recommended me to use the products meant for sensitive skin. Some of the normal products were making my hand really itchy. I ended up purchasing a trial or one month pack that contains - a soothing foaming cleanser, chamomile soothing mist toner, soothing herbal recovery gel and soothing day care lotion. My hand felt so smooth and nice after application, and a few hours later it still does!



I'm so excited and hope that the investment in all natural products is worth it. Recently I attended a seminar for youthful skin and the beautician emphasised on using all natural products. Hopefully it's effective and better for my skin in the long run. If that's the case, I'm willing to make the investment!!!

Btw, it smells so nice and natural. The herbal recovery gel is amazing and goes on the skin like water :):)
I would say
4.5/5 blushes for packaging
5/5 for smell
2/5 for affordability

All about HAIR!

I've had really long hair for a while and always talked about getting the chop. But never did. In fact, most of my close friends would say "you always say you're going to cut your hair short. but you never do. or never will."
WELL, turns out I managed to DO IT!
You might be thinking, big deal. But for me it is! I LOVE long hair, and I loved my hair very much. So much that it became sort of like my comfort level. I never wanted to give it up.
But a trip to Hong Kong changed that.
I knew my hair was super long and the ends were starting to dry out too much. So, I did it. It's now a slightly longer version of the Pob. And I'm LOVING it!!

I was looking at some of my favourite Youtube Guru's and it seems a few of them are going short too! But one thing to keep in mind about short hair is that it's fussy. It needs blow drying, straightening and styling. Things I'm not used to at all.
When I had long hair, I had it chemically and steam straightened. For those who are thinking about it, don't think. DO IT. Seriously, it makes hair so manageable and so smooth. And if you want your hair to be super long, the best way is to straighten it.
All I ever had to do is wash it and leave it to dry. I didn't even need to BRUSH it. So now, I've got to revamp my whole hair care routine.



Which brings me onto my new purchase. Schwarzkopf Hair Repair - Total repair Shampoo and Conditioner for Very dry, damaged hair. I don't have very dry or damaged hair anymore. In fact, my scalp is generally quite oily. But I had some of this shampoo as a trial product. After using it for two days (and finishing the trial sachet) I ran down to the shops today and bought the full size bottles.
This stuff is amazing! My hair is so super soft and smooth. My scalp doesn't feel oily at all and the smell is super sweet! The product itself feels very silky and looks super shiny and pearly :)
It claims to reduce hair breakage up to 90% and repairs deep within the hair cell to produce healthy shiny hair.

Unfortunately with many products, they start off well and then the effects die over time so I'll give a rating after I've used the shampoo/conditioner for an extended time.

James Brown London Haircare Intensive Moisture Mask

I have a weakness for blush, skincare, mascara and masks. I love masks. face, hair, body, I've tried ALOT. My latest find is the one I'll be reviewing today. I got a sample tube of the James Brown Intensive moisture mask when I purchased a magazine (forget which one).

James Brown is celebrity hairstylist whose most notable client (and best friend) is Kate Moss. They recently collaborated to promote his new haircare range, and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a bottle of this amazing mask.

The mask contains soy protein and white tea to soothe and calm the scalp, while shea butter hydrates the hair. James Brown likened it to a "facial for the hair and scalp."

I wash my fairly long hair almost everyday, and because of this I usually have the common problem of dry ends and a oily scalp. A lot of hair masks I found made my hair either too oily, or it wasn't moisturising enough.

This mask was perfect for my hair. It made my hair feel so soft, shiny, silky and MOISTURISED. My scalp felt comfortable too. And the most surprising thing is, it lasts. Seriously. I did this mask on Sunday, today is Wednesday and my hair still feels silky and soft.

LOVE <3

The only small problem I would have with it is that it's smell is not the most appealing- it's not a bad smell, but it kinda reminds me of men's cologne!

Ratings:

Consistency: 4/5 it feels like a thick body lotion and stays on the hair well.
Smell: 1/5 It might appeal to some but for the results I'll endure it.
Results: 4/5 I seriously love this mask, but point off for the man smell.

New Favourite Moisturisers

I am in LOVE with these two moisturisers from Bath and Body Works!
My mum and I received these moisturisers from an Aunty we stayed with in Edmonton, Canada recently.
They smell sooooooo amazing!!!



The first one is called "Sweet Pea Forever" and smells like a blend of citrus and floral with a tad of sweetness. The second one is called "p.s. I love you spring fling" and smells exactly like the name. A blend of florals and spring scents. THEY SMELL SO GOOD!!!

The moisturisers contain conditioning milk proteins, hydrating rice bran oil and acai berry extract claiming to provide 24 hour moisturiser to soften even the most driest skin.

I personally have dry and extremely sensitive body skin and am loving these moisturisers. The test is thought whether they will irritate my skin but so far I am loving them. They're non-greasy and make my skin really soft and it just smells so yummy! I absolutely hate moisturiser that feels greasy on the skin and worse, your hands after application but both these don't.

It retails for about $12.50 Canadian (Roughly $14 AUD). Unfortunately the website doesn't ship internationally :'( But if you're in the USA or Canada look out for a store. It sells other amazing delicious smelling products as well ^.^

For now, I'm going to have to check if it really does last 24 hours. But I can't tell which one smells better!!!

BB Creams

For those out there who are looking for an alternative to foundation, BB cream is a great option.
It's a product that has swept all over Asia - in particular Japan and Korea.
What is BB cream? It's basically a makeup cream (similar to a heavier tinted moisturiser) that promises skin coverage, a high sun protection factor (spf), lightens skin, heals blemishes and prevents skin aging.

Differences between foundation and BB cream?
- Coverage: BB creams tend to be more of a light - moderate coverage. It won't hide all heavy blemishes.
- Shades: Foundations come in a variety of different shades to meet different skin colours. BB creams usually come in either one or two colours and mostly aimed at fair to medium skin types.
- Effect on the skin: from my experience, foundations tend to either do nothing to the skin or break it out into blemishes/clog pores etc. BB creams assist the skin and blemishes.























After being a long time foundation user, I switched to BB cream recently. I have skin that is very sensitive and breaks out easily and knew my foundation wasn't helping my skin at all, yet I needed to use it to hide those blemishes!
I'm finding that BB cream is helping my skin so much more. Even though I give up on medium to full coverage, overall my skin is looking so much better and is clearing up over time.

I chose Missha M Perfect Cover B.B. Cream namely because it is one of the more famous brands. Overall I'm enjoying it a lot. I also sampled BB Cream from The Face Shop which I thought was really good as well.
It's not meant for everyone but if you're sick of using foundation and your skin breaks out easily it might be good to give it a try!
Here's a swatch: I tend to swatch on the wrist. Sorry about the shocking lighting and weird angle!

Lancome's Pop N' Cheeks!

So I was on my way home on a transit flight from Singapore to Australia yesterday when a delay caused me to do something I rarely do. That is, start flicking through the bunch of magazines that are located in the back pocket on the seat in front of me. As soon as I picked up the duty free shopping brochure and took a look inside, I instantly knew. Bad, bad idea.

And there it was: Spring 2010, Pop N' Cheeks by Lancome. Limited edition. So sparkly. I love sparkly. I knew I had to get it.
But here it is! A coral-pink geometric rose shaped blush with gold shimmer. Supposedly a very natural blush look.

Hopefully the blush is as good to use as it looks.
But even if it's not, it's so pretty you can just have it as a collector's item.





But for now here are my ratings:
Price - 2/5 blushes. (I paid about $59 Singapore Dollars for it...did not get a chance to research the price. But anyways, for blush I would say that it is quite pricey.)
Packaging - 4/5 blushes. (Isn't that the reason I bought it? It looks so nice! Only downfall is the actual compact it comes in. The type that is plastic and shiny that leaves fingermark residue on it which is typical of Lancome.)



A mini review to come when I've actually used it.
Not sure if it's still available unless you search really hard but if you want something similar or just as pretty, then look at LA ROSE DÉCO. I would, but I better not...

Blush and Stuff

Two best friends with a intense obsession with blush and stuff.

Keep updated for reviews on beauty products and shopping hauls!