Wednesday, December 30, 2015

SUMMER LOOKBOOK

Summer clothing are my favourite, with a range of Tees and sleeveless tops there's always so much to chose from. I recently went a little crazy and renewed half my summer wardrobe... so I thought I'd turn it into a lookbook.


Uniqlo Collection

Uniqlo has quickly developed to be one of my favourite places to shop for comfortable, quality and affordable clothing. They offer a range of casual to office wear, the colour scheme will blow your socks off with almost every shade of the rainbow. Uniqlo also provide a fantastic range of ever-changing printed t-shirts with online exclusive offers saving up to 50%.

Below I picked up a Hello Kitty x My Melody tee, it is incredibly comfortable. Hello Kitty was a massive part of my childhood, during my early teenage years I was often teased for liking Sanrio characters. As an adult, I've re-connected and renewed my love for Sanrio and Hello Kitty. Age really doesn't matter!

I've also picked up a couple of cropped ankle leggings, they are ridiculously comfortable and nicely fitted.. you can wear those for work or play. As for the casual peeps, the linen shorts will sort you out this summer.




Paper Scissors Collection
Paper Scissors has mad sales, I got everything at 40% off, 5 tops (and a pair of tights not included below) for $49, you really can't beat that!
I am really loving the rounded halter neck styled top this Summer.








 Dangerfield

I always have a look at Dangerfield when I'm at Myer, they have some really nice quirky and vintage tops/dresses. I picked this up a little while ago, too cute to pass!


Websites:
http://www.uniqlo.com/au/
www.paperscissors.com.au/
http://shop.dangerfield.com.au/
 Do you have a favourite?


Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Empties: November and December 2015


I can't believe we are fast approaching the end of 2015! It's been a busy but good oned! I didn't end up finishing a lot of products in the past two months but here we go anyway..


La Mav Gel Cleanser*
This was a lovely gel cleanser, I did use it to clean make up off my face and it worked surprisingly well. Even though my pump stopped working towards the end of the product, I've been utterly impressed with all the La Mav's products so far.

Repurchase? Possibly, but after trying Rosehip Plus' Cream Cleanser, I think I prefer a cream formula.

Premium Spa face and Body Mask*
I did not like this product as a facial clay mask, it stung my face a little. It wasn't too bad as a full body mask, however, I would not recommend using this during winter unless you are in a heated room. The clay is quite cool, so it's fantastic during grotty hot summer days.

Repurchase? I have a spare! Although I probably wouldn't repurchase after I finish up the spare.


V10Plus Hyaluronic Acid Serum
I absolutely love this fast absorbing serum, my skin always feel well hydrated after application. I have only tried a couple of V10Plus products, both left very good impressions. (See full review here)

Repurchase? Possibly, but I'm on a budget (as always) and I'll have to think about it due to it's price tag

Mary Kay Make-Up Remover
I've used up one of this before, it's a gem at removing waterproof mascara, I'd say that it's as good as your more expensive Lancome make up removers.

Repurchase? Yes


BIN TME!


Model Co Lip Lacquer
I actually never liked this lip lacquer and had just been using it for the sake of it. Haven't had any luck with Model Co products and generally find their products to be tacky, irritating (for my skin) or of poor quality. Now that I have enough lippies to keep me occupied, this is going to the bin!

Repurchase? No

Cover Girl Smoothers Foundation
I dug this up from god knows where, this would've been one of the second foundations I've purchased so it must be at least 6-7 year old.

Discontinued

2Glo By natural Glamour
This was received from a previous beauty box, I used it once and really disliked it. The concealer applies as the medium shade but oxidises into a muddy looking colour.

Repurchase? No


And last but not least, some finished samples, nothing really stood out for me this round. Hopefully I'll have more empties to share next month!



*These products were provided for my consideration, all opinions are my own

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Review: Spot Medic Pimple Mask


Acne treatment has come a long way, in high school a classmate told me her trick was to pop the pimples before they come to maturity. Youtube recommended lemon juice, tooth paste and aspirin mask while my mum recommended milk... however, I reduced to popping.

Spot Medic is a New Zealand company that will keep your popping nature at bay. I came across a similar adhesive hydrocolloid masks by Nexcare in Hong Kong a few years ago and it was not available in Australia. I am so glad that this innovative invention is now available in selected Woolworth across the country.


How to use:

1. Clean and dry the affected area(s) - best to use this at night, before bed
2. Place a piece of the adhesive mask over the top of the pimple (effective on pus-filled pimples only)
3. Sleep and you'll notice the patch turn white overnight, drawing out all the pus!
4. Gently peel the mask off then cleanse and dry the area.

Price: $14.95
Quantity: 36 gel plaster per sheet, 1 sheet per pack




My Verdict
  • The process is similar to Nexcare, although I find the texture of Spot Medic to be a little bit firmer, whereas Nexcare was more rubbery. Nonetheless, Spot Medic is still very easy to apply.
  • I applied this on a small pus-filled pimple over night and everything was sucked right out the next morning. I applied an adhesive to a massive pus-filled pimple residing on my partner's chin, most of the adhesive turned white (pus absorbtion). However, the adhesive did not absorb all pus and we had to use a second adhesive. Which was fine for him. If it were me, I would probably get impatient and just pop the darn thing - which would result to another enlarged pore. I personally feel that the absorbtion power is not as strong as Nexcare, but it is still a decent product!
  • I did not experience any irritations with this product and feel that it would be ideal for all skin types and of all sexes/ages.
  • If you are a pimple popper and would to put an end to it, this is the product for you. Spot Medic is also great to keep around the house, just in case you wake up with a pus-filled pimple!

As always, here are some application photos on my partner.




Shop here:

http://thespotmedic.myshopify.com/products/spot-medic
    Do you pop your pimples?
 *This product was provided for my consideration, all opinions are my own

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Christmas Party Look 2015 @ The Ivy

Hope everyone had a joyous Chirstmas yesterday!!!

I thought I'd share my Christmas Party look since my make up was non-existant during the Christmas feed yesterday. Earlier this month had our work Christmas party at the Ivy, twice per year work goes all out and throw a great party, unlimited alcohol, dessert bar, DJ, canapes, suckling pig and all.




Base:

I covered my blemishes with Shiseido's Creamy Concealer then applied a geneous layer of Rimmel's lasting finish powder as an all over foundation. I always conceal prior to using a powder foundation. Throughout the night, I'd touch up with Bobbi Brown's Finishing Powder.

Eyes:

I LOVE my Rimmel's Scandaleyes Shadow Stick, it's a creamy eye shadow that is super easy to apply and lasts all day. Curled my lashes with Shsieido's Lash Curler (my HG curler - I personally feel this suits my eye shape more than Shu Uemura's lash curler). Then topped off with a couple coats of Factorie's Mascara (This mascara has really grown on me, it's similar to a tube mascara, but holds the curls).

Brows, Cheeks and Lips

Rimmel's Brow This Way takes care of my brows on the go, however since my hair is black I only use the wax formula (a very deep brown).

Cheeks and contouring were easy with Thin Lizzy's 6 in 1, another product that's really growing on me. This product is highly versatile and excellent for your purse.

As for lips, I decided to use Klara Cosmetics' Kiss Proof Lipstick, the formula is long lasting, however drying and requires touch ups if you are eating and drinking throughout the night. My sample is tiny and very portable so I kept it in my back pocket the whole night.


 I regret not taking a selfie, although I probably had one too many drinks to be capable of a selfie. So here are some pictures my colleague took. Klara Cosmetics' Kiss Proof Lipstick is fairly visible in top and bottom pic... and keep scrolling for food pics.





Our view from the top





Did you have a Christmas Party this year?

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Review: Rimmel Fix & Protect Primer and Match Perfection Foundation


For me, a nice flawless canvass beats any fancy make-up. If I have awful foundation on my skin, my face will look and feel bad no matter how much eye, cheek or lip make up I apply. I'd rather a blemish free and even complexion with neutral eye and lip make up than dipping my face in my entire make up collection. I love the minimalist approach.

Rimmel had recently launched a base duo and I was super excited to try it out!


About Fix and Protect Primer
  • Acts as an invisble shield, shelters skin from pollution, dehydration and filtres harmful UV rays
  • Light weight and moisturising formula
  • Light diffusing properties, instantly blurs blemishes and smooth out complexion
  • Skin will feel plump and remain mattified for up to 7 hours
  • Prolongs the life of foundations
  • Wear along or under foundations
  • SPF 25
Price: $13.95 available at Priceline, Kmart, Big W and selected chemists

About Match Perfect Foundation
  • Creates a refined even complexion
  • Moisturising complex leaving skin feeling hydrated for up to 24 hours
  • Assists with controlling dark circles, enlarged pores and discolourations
  • Contains light reflecting and soft focus powders to blur imperfections
  • Contains Vitamin E
  • Weightless texture
  • Available in 8 shades
  • SPF20
Price: $18.95 available at Priceline, Kmart, Big W and selected chemists





My Verdict on Rimmel's Fix and Protect Primer

- This primer is very different to Benefit's POREfessional, it reminds me of Korean/Japanese primers. For those who have tried Shiseido's primer - it's fairly similar.
- The texture is quite watery and easily blendable. Texture wise, I prefer this to Benefit's POREfessional, as the excess content of Benefit's primer would roller off my face.
- The shade is suitable for all skin-tones, however I envision a slight white-overcaste on darker skin tones. This primer will not hide your pores or blur lines, however it does have light reflective properties and provides a really nice sheen (See wrist photo above, see how there's a slight glow around my veins?)
- My dry skin loves this, it does dry matte, but it moisturises better than some of the other primers I've used and it's non-greasy.
- I did notice some extension to the life of my foundation when I use this primer. If you are looking for a nice glow and some luminosity, try this primer.



 My Verdict on Rimme's Match Perfection Foundation

- I really like this foundation, it provided a very nice medium coverage. It's light weight and sits nicely on my skin. The foundation covered most of my freckles and blemishes, I just had to go back in with a concealer for my awful under eyes and darker blemishes.
- The scent of this foundation is extra pleasant, it has a slight floral scent which I love.
- Shade wise, I picked out two shades 103 True Ivory (light olive) for winter and 200 Soft Biege (Biege undertone but it's not pink, it's more of a tanned shade and suitable for olive skin during summer). For all the other months, I just mix the two shades together.
- In terms of texture. it's a little thicker than expected and easy to blend with a flat top brush. I haven't used the old formula and have heard that long term users of the previous formula did not perfer this. I personally like it, it's highly moisturising and may appear to be greasy but mattifies after application. I can see how this may or may not work on oily skin, but I have dry skin and I love it!
- Apply the content with a flat top brush for a flawless finish!
- The foundation lasts for most of the day, it does slide off a little during summer and under air conditioning.

Have you tried any foundations from Rimmel?


 *This product was kindly provided for my consideration, all opinions are my own.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

5 Tips for a Budget Holiday


Photo Credit: womanandhomemagazine

1. Travel off-season. If you are on a budget like me but still like to travel, avoid peak season. I was researching flight fares to Singapore and there was a drastic difference between the on/off peak seasons, ranging from $500 one way to $250 one way. The best and most reliable place I go to find my flights is on Webjet, they will provide a line up of all traveling airlines on your selected date, it's easy to find a bargain. I avoid Flight Centre like the plague, they always seem to have the most expensive deals. My travel guru friend recommended for me to travel any time outside of school holidays, fly mid week and if I'm really keen to save, book a flight for the crack of dawn.

Photo Credit: wahlnetwork

2. Disaster Travels. By disaster I mean travel to which ever country that's going through economy decline or any countries that had a recent natural or man made disaster - i.e., Malaysia plane incident, Greek economy issue and current Paris attack. I'm a little hesitant about this tip, but I've met adament travellers who swears by it. Those travellers had had saved thousands of dollars by traveling to countries when others prefer not to. When we see riot and anarchy in the news, they thinks travel opportunity.


3. Avoid ATMS. The amount of fees we had to pay to take our money out overseas was absolutely ridiculous. I'd keep a keen eye on the conversion rates and exchange a little over my estimated budget.

Photo Credit: onemileatatime.boardingarea.com

4. Fly budget airlines. I'd highly recommend budget airlines when traveling within Australia or when flying to one country only. Tiger airline was on time and fantastic all round during my trip from Sydney to Port Douglas. There are often significant monetary disparities between budget and non-budget airlines ($199 VS $350), even with an additional $40 for your meals, it still works out better. However, I wouldn't recommend budget airlines for connecting flights due to apparent delays.


5. Travel light. If you are traveling for 1-1.5 weeks, within Australia.. try to pack the bare essentials. I usually travel with my back pack and it's fantastic, I don't have to wait for my luggage or pay extra for unnecessary clothing. Since there's no liquid/gel/aerosol restrictions within Australia you can take all your creams and cleansers.

Photo Credit: Swide

Please leave your travel tips, I'd love to hear it as I am planning my trip for next year!

Friday, December 18, 2015

Review: ASAP Super B Complex



Until I started working in the beauty industry I had no idea what serums were. My idea of a skincare routine as a teen consists of washing my face with water and only moisturising my skin when it's chapped. I remember going to Coles with my parents to get my first facial moisturiser, I had an awful windburn and we only had vaseline used for cracked soles in the house. How crazy is that!

These days, I can't go to bed without applying an active serum, it makes a big difference, you may not notice the change immediately but it's visible over time. I was estatic to be given the opportunity to trial ASAP's Super B complex, read on to see if it made a difference!



About ASAP Super B Complex

  • Contains Hyaluronic acid, vitamins B5/B9 and high concentration of Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) to boost collagen production and reduce pigmentation.
  • Assists with improving skin tone and visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
  • Helps regulate sebum production and reduce appearance of redness including acne type skin

Price: $89 (currently on sale at Ry.com.au for $65.86)
Size: 30ml



My Verdict
  • I've been using this for about 3 weeks now, as a serum and in conjunction to my Trilogy products. My face feels a little heavy if I apply my moisturiser over the serum without a few hours gap.  
  • The texture and consistency reminds me of V10Plus' Hyaluronic acid, however this product contains other vitamins to boost your skin.
  • I use one pump for my whole face, it dries up relatively quickly so you need to work fast. I like to focus on my nose and forehead, occasionally I'd dab some products around my under eye area.
  • Once applied my skin feels radiant and plump, I personally like to cleanse, apply Super B Complex and leave it on my skin for a few hours before lathering my night cream on. Super B Complex hydrates my skin really well and it's quite light weight. In fact, some times I would go to bed without my night cream because I feel that a layer of Super B Complex is enough.
  • I have noticed some improvements to the state of my skin in the past 3 weeks, my skin does feel more radiant and hydrated with slight reductions of the fine lines on my forehead. I don't have a lot of reddness, and I've succumbed to the fact that no skincare will ever rid my freckles.
  • Once the content dries the product sits nicely on the surface of my skin, however, I always need to wash my hands after application because the residual content is a little bit tacky once it's dried. I don't mind it on my face, becuase it doesn't get touched much and once I let it sit and dry it absorbs a little more. That's the only thing I dislike about this product.
  • Scent wise, it's relatively subtle and smells like mashmallows - I have no idea why all beauty products smell like some sort of food to me.
  • A part from that residual tackiness (did anyone else experience this or is it just me!? I'm trying to figure out whether it's the formulation or the serum reacting to my skin!) I think this is a worthy serum and was able to see more results from this compared to some of my other serums.
Shop here:
http://www.ry.com.au/asap-skincare-super-b-complex-30ml.html

*This product was provided for my consideration, all opinions are my own.
    Have you tried anything from ASAP?

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Brand Focus: Trilogy Skincare



Trilogy is a brand that I have seen, heard and know, dying to try but never had the opportunity to trial their products until recently. Trilogy is a trend-setter, they launched the world's first Rosehip Oil range in 2002, their underlying message is that we don't have to sacrifice performance when using natural and/or organic products. I tried my first natural/organic product as a teen and didn't feel the texture was up to standards compared to my synthetic and chemical filled skincare.

I have been trialing Trilogy's entire skincare range for a good month now - and I made sure I did to experience the full effect... but was it as good as my expensive, synthetic, "high performance" skincare? Read on!


Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm (80ml) - $36.90

About the product

- Melts away make up, leaving skin feeling wonderful
- Removes foundation, mascara, lipsticks and waterproof mascara
- Rich blend of pure plant oils
- Melts on contact with warm skin
- Contains Mango Seed Butter, Coconut oil, Certified Organic Rosehip Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil
- Natural fragrance: Ylang Ylang and Cedarwood

My Verdict

The first time I tried this was on a late Friday night, I decided to use the product without reading the "How to use" section - big mistake. I lathered the product all over my face and couldn't wash it off.

If you are new to this product make sure you apply the content to your dry face and massage to all areas, I was able to remove my waterproof mascara with this balm after 30 seconds of gentle massaging to each eye. I didn't not experience any irritations. I used the cotton cloth included (you can use cotton pads as a substitute) run it under lukewarm water to wipe the balm and make up away. Repeat as necessary.

This product is gentle with subtle pleasant scents and excellent for those with dry skin, my skin is extremely dehydrated and it has never felt so hydrated after a cleanse. I personally like to rinse my face under water again after all excess balm has been wiped off due to my fear of clogged pores. And if you are wondering, the balm did not clog my pores.  

I love the way this product removes my make up, however due to the added steps in the procedure I probably would avoid using this after a late night and a few excess glasses of champers ;)

Trilogy Ultra Hydrating Face Cream (75ml) - $37.95

About the product

- Hydrates and protects dry/dehydrated skin
- Easily absorbed
- Contains rosehip oil-based antioxidant complex, primrose, coconut, avocado oils, and manuka honey
- Provides lasting comfort for dry and tight skin

My Verdict

This product is hydrating to the max, the formula was a lot thicker than expected. Most natural/organic products I've tried previously had always been quite thin and watery - never enough for my dry skin. However, due the thickness of the cream I felt that it is not as easily absorbed. The scent is slightly floral and smells a smiliar to one of my facial clay masks, tricking my sensory system!

My skin doesn't feel tacky or greasy after application, however it's not velvet smooth either, you can feel a layer of the cream sitting on your face (mostly absorbed after 15-20 minutes). However for us dry skinned girls - this is much required especially during winter. I love using this on my forehead day and night - this cream is excellent for awfully dehydrated, sun-damaged and unnaturally wrinkly skin. Make sure you apply a thin layer that's spread evenly across your face. Overall, as someone who requires ultra hydrating creams during summer, this cream is for me. I love that it doesn't have SPF so I can use it day or night.


Trilogy Eye Contour Cream (20ml) - $44.95

About the product

- Light gel-cream formulation
- Suitable for all skin types
- Assists with minimising the appearance of lines and wrinkles
- Contains Rosapene, Aloe Vera, Carrot oil and Vitamin E

My Verdict

This eye cream is a clear winner and my favoruite product out of everything trialled from Trilogy so far. When I was in my early 20s, I was using watery gel eye creams only, now that I'm in my mid 20s I need something that's a little bit more heavy duty and this is it.

It's a fine balance between gel and cream, it hydrates much better than gel but doesn't drag my under eyes down like cream. It also sits nicely on the surface of my under eye for the extra layer of moisture that I need during sleep. I personally feel that this cream is perfect for me, the fine lines under my eyes have been attempting to slowly seep out, but this eye cream is doing a great job keeping them at bay.

I have previously used a $225 eye cream, let me tell you this is equally good, if not better.  Before you think about forking out for a $60 - $80 eye cream, give this a shot and you won't be disappointed. It won't undo the ageing but it will prevent and minimise.


Trilogy Rosapene Night Cream (60ml) - $44.95 


About the product

- Contains Rosapene, Certified Rosehip oil and Super Antioxidants (i.e., extracts from tomato and acai berry, goji berry, avocado oil and manuka honey)
- Silky smooth texture
- fast absorbing
- Signature frankincense, rose and geranium scent

My Verdict

This night cream is relatively light weight and absorb fairly quickly, however you will still be able to feel a very thin layer of cream sitting on your skin, but it will not roll off your face. When it comes to night creams I prefer that thin layer of cream on my face anyway, it makes me feel like the moisturisation and protection is longer lasting. When the cream instantly absorbs and disappears from the surface of my skin, I automatically feel the need to lather on another layer. The texture of this night cream is similar to Boots Laboratories which I loved.

The scent is extremely pleasing, I've grown accustom to a lavender scented night creams before bed, but frankincense, rose and geranium is just as relaxing.

The product comes with a spatula, I've used it once and ceased usage only because my finger touches the spatula anyway, yet I'm too lazy to get out of bed to wash/dry it.

---Final Thoughts---

Overall, I was very pleased with the quality and performance of Trilogy products, it worked as good as the positive reviews I've read online. I think the whole range is worth investing in, especially if you are looking to convert to natural/organic skincare - every product is jam packed with natural goodies I want to eat. My top pick would be the eye cream, hands down!


Have you tried anything from Trilogy?


*These products were provided for my consideration, all opinions are my own 

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