Review: Bare Minerals Foundation

One thing that was on my last-minute to-pack list for Hong Kong was to find some mineral foundation, so that my face can survive the hot and humid weather without my pores being clogged up. In the past, I've always used the Skin79 Hot pink BB Cream, but seeing as it just melted off my face whenever I get super sweaty and hot, it leaves my skin looking majorly oily-- not particularly attractive..

One thing that I do know about mineral foundation is that it is supposedly good for the skin, and it contains elements in the powder that doesn't make your skin look as oily when its humid outside. And this is the sole reason why I opted to try out Bare Escentuals' mineral foundation.

So I wore it for a few days in England, and my skin was fine. But I found that I had to put a lot to cover my blemishes (because it also acts as a concealer) which looked heavy on the skin and slightly off my skin-tone the more you apply.

However, once I touched down Hong Kong, my skin did not look too great after 2 days of use. My face became incredibly dry and bumps and dry patches on my skin appeared. The more I sweat, the more my face burned and became itchy! Needless to say, I had an allergic reaction to the mineral foundation.

I googled searched the stuff and found that Bare Escentuals mineral foundation actually contains a chemical called Bismuth Oxychloride which is the culprit for causing my face to burn and itch so intensely! It is used to help the product blend more smoothly on the skin and some of its by-products contain metals of lead and copper nature which enhances acne growth. -_____- ughh. This also explains why I've been breaking out so much too!

I am not one to usually have such sensitive skin, but I would definitely not recommend this to anyone who does!! This product has seriously damaged my skin and I'm still having a hard time trying to fully recover from the scaring and bouts of breakouts that I'm having.

Despite my unfavoured reaction to the product, it is possibly not to say that I should never try mineral foundation again, but in the future, it is noteworthy to look at the ingredients beforehand and watch out for the deadly Bismuth.

Glossy Box UK - May, 1st Birthday Edition 2012

This month's glossybox arrived incredibly on time, I mean so quick that I got a confirmation email saying that it has been dispatched in the early hours of Wednesday morning and then just a couple of hours later it was sitting outside my bedroom door! Whoop for speed and efficiency! xP

Following on my slight disappointment with my last glossybox, I was hoping that this box would be more promising, and boy am I happy with what I got! Since its the birthday edition, a pink balloon and a compact mirror was also thrown in for good measure!

Despite all the negative comments I read about this box on their facebook page, I think all the products that I received are decent and would be things that I would try out. I know I said I'm not a big fan of sample sized shampoo/shower gel, but the one that I got smells absolutely divineee! My favourite so far is the Berber hair oil which has made my hair amazingly silky smooth.

I probably got lucky with the set of eyelashes, as I've seen some not-so-great ones which people got. I'm also looking forward to try the masks and the only thing I'm not so keen on are the sample perfumes which aren't really to my taste.

Glossybox can either be a hit or a miss, and I'm glad this month's one has given me some great products for me to try. Sadly I'm not able to continue using this service in the UK, since I'm moving to Australia for a year! But I'm most likely to try Glossybox Australian edition just to see what products they have to offer!

Overall, I'd give this box a ☆☆☆☆/★★★★★, 

For more info on the May Glossybox, click here.

GLOSSY BOX UK - April Organic Edition 2012

Glossy Box has become a renowned company within the Beauty blogasphere for the past year in which for a monthly subscription of £10 (+ £2.95 for p&p) you receive a box filled with 5 luxury skincare/make-up/hair products varying in sample to full size for beauty junkies to test out. I've always been interested in subscribing to one, but I've always been put off to try it out due to the varying products and opinions that I've read or seen from other beauty bloggers. I gathered its a rather hit or miss for some, and especially for people like me who aren't so keen on getting body cream or skincare products which you generally find you get given to for a thoughtless christmas present, it usually gets pushed to one corner gathering dust.

In all honesty, I was much more excited in trying out the alternative make-up products which glossy box has to offer. Skincare on the one hand can be tricky to distribute to the mass as everyone has different skin conditions. Therefore, after seeing previous monthly Glossy boxes, I thought they looked pretty promising so I decided to give it a try.

April was an organic edition and in my box I received an organic eye liner, organic lip balm, body cream (oh dear), serum, and straightening baum to contain frizzy hair.

I liked the fact they went for an organic edition to the products as I'm not particularly aware of organic beauty items that are on the market right now. But to be honest, I was a little disappointed with what I got.. my least favourite has got to be the body cream, followed by the straightening baum. The straightening serum for frizzy hair is definitely not a product suited for me, just because I don't really straighten my hair and my hair is already dead straight anyway let alone the fact I need it to prevent frizzyness. And the body cream...... -___- need I say more?

I have however, tried out the organic lip balm which is a reasonable product. It has a nice peppermint taste to it but I found it didn't hydrate my lips as much as my other lips balms that I own.
My thoughts on the serum is neither good nor bad, I've tested it out for the past week, it has definitely hydrated my skin a little, but for the time being, I have not noticed anything drastic that has changed in my skin. I probably have to use it for a longer period of time to see any changes, if at all.

The eyeliner is possibly one of the better aspects in the box, but I actually swapped this with my housemate who also ordered the April box for the INKA lip liner that she got. I'm not a big fan of blue eyeliner, but I wanted to try out the lip liner so she was happy to exchange. =) I haven't used it yet.. so I can't comment on how its like.

Overall, I'd give this box a ☆☆/★★★★★, 
I'm hopeful the next box will be better as it's the birthday box for Glossy Box's one year anniversary.

For more info on other products of the April glossy box go here.

- Photos credit to Zoe Lee 

De 10 a 60 Ans

One of my favourite shoots of all time has got to be Vogue Paris' editorial with Hungarian model Eniko Mihalik for 'De 10 à 60 Ans'. These 6 photos show her age from one decade to another and I find it absolutely amazing how physically possible this all is, if you have the right lighting, pose, hair, make-up and photography angles, you can completely transition yourself from a 10 year old to a 60 year old. 

Although have to say, she looks a bit too good for a 60 year old! xP 

Photographer: Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Model: Eniko Mihalik

Stylist: Carine Rotifeld

Make-up: Lisa Butler  

Vogue Paris, November 2008

Skin 79 Oriental Gold BB Cream vs. Skin79 Super BB Triple Function Cream

So today's post is a review between two different BB Creams from the same company, Skin79. 

One is the Super BB Triple Function (in Hot Pink!) which I've been using religiously for the past 8 months and the other is the Oriental Gold BB Cream which I only just got a week ago. =))

So, I'm going to start with the hot pink one, which is my favourite BB Cream that I've ever tried. The main reason why I like this so much is the fact it doesn't feel heavy on my skin, it blends in well with my skin tone and it keeps it hydrated. For me, it gives me a nice dewy glow complexion, it doesn't clog up my pores and in turn brightens some areas of my face. 

However, the downside is to this cream, is that it only comes in one shade. But generally, how a BB cream works is that it usually oxidises when exposed to air so it matches your skin tone. (clever eh? xP) Although having an easy pump, it's not that hygienic-- so be careful of that. 

In comparison, the Oriental Gold BB cream feels a bit thicker in texture and has better coverage than the hot pink one. Despite being a thicker cream, it doesn't feel as heavy. It is easy to apply, and once applied, it hydrates your skin. For me, it is a bit light and it takes a while for it to oxidise.

And with this BB cream, it comes with its own cream blush and mirror which is amazing! =)) 

The downside of this cream, is that the pump is bit odd. Instead of being at the side, its located in the middle which makes it a bit awkward to get the desired amount of cream. 

Comparisons

As you can see, the Super BB cream has more of a grey undertone compared to the Oriental Gold where it has more of a pink undertone. 

Please excuse the condition of my skin.. it's been so bad lately (mainly due to the stress of schoolwork >_<;;) 

So on my face, the Oriental Gold shows a fairly good coverage with the exception of that random spot on my cheek. 

As for the Super BB Triple Function, it does not have as good coverage as the Oriental Gold, but it provides a nice dewy glow to my skin. This is also not as light as the other BB cream, but I personally think this shade suits me better. 

At the moment due to the condition of my skin, I would choose to use the Oriental Gold more, as it provides more coverage, but normally, when my skin is alright, I would definitely go back to the hot pink one, especially in the summer when the heat is burning you alive! haha 

Overall, both creams are equally as good. I guess it depends what your preferences are as a person and what skin type you have. For me, I have oily skin, so I would prefer to have something lightweight on my skin so it doesn't clog up my pores. In terms of texture, the Oriental Gold is heavy, but in comparison to other BB creams in the market and to foundations, it is definitely light in weight! 

Both of these products were purchased in HK, and the Oriental Gold was more expensive than the Super BB cream -- probably because of the additional blush and mirror? But in my opinion, both products are definitely worth it! 

Hope this will help  those that are considering of converting to BB creams or are starting out/research about them! =)) 

I fell asleep in Starbucks.

DAY 2 

So today was yet another very hectic dayy.. I was meant to renew my HK ID and China visa card but that didn't happen. The booking was full at the HK ID place and this consequently led to the failure attempt in renewing my China visa card (because my HK ID wasn't updated) despite having waited 2 and a half hours in the queue!!

oh ma gaad!

But it all got better after that, because I got to spend the rest of the day eating sushi and shopping at Sha Tin shopping Plaza. =))

Look at all this sushi! HEAVEENN!

During shopping, I was specifically on a hunt for Dollywink products! I always seen them around on the internet, but never in their actual form, so I got really excited when I saw a STASH of them sitting nicely on a promotion shelf in a Japanese department store. =))

I got the liquid eyeliner, pencil eyeliner, eyelash case and eyelashes in 'Natural Girly' No.3. I'll be doing a separate post on this once I've had a test on everything. =))

Other stuff I got included a Majolica Majorca Blush, a trio of Skinfood masks, a KATE green eyeshadow palette and a Japanese ViVi Magazine with Kana Nishino on the cover. =))

You know how I said in my last post that I wasn't suffering too much from jetlag? Well.. I take that back. haha. I was SO tired yesterday.. SO tired that I had to sleep for an hour in Starbucks. How embarassing.. ! But obviously my trip to Starbucks couldn't be without a Green Tea Frapp (first picture). Oh how I wish we had this back in England.

Later on in the day.. I met up with my family again. Brother and Sister both came back with really Hong-Kong haircuts. haha.

So another day awaits meee.. Still have so much to do! See you in my next post! =))

Panasonic Heated Curlers, Dolly Wink and the most amazing Straighteners.

I don't really shop on ebay, nor browse on it often, however I have recently managed to create an account on there despite my reluctance. The reason why I did so was because I finally found a reasonably priced Panasonic Heated Eyelash curler which I have been eyeing for months!

I don't know why they don't sell it in the UK, even if they do, they are so ridiculously expensive!! The ones I found on ebay are from the US, and it was only $9.95 (£6.64) + shipping $9.46 (£6.61) which came to a total of $19.41 (£13.25). Personally I think they are pretty reasonable considering on Amazon, they're like £20 excluding shipping! 

________________________

Some other stuff that I've been eyeing on

These products are mainly promoted by the gorgeous ex-Popteen model Tsubasa Masuwaka. 

The Dolly Wink line is produced by Tsubasa Masuwaka under the company Koji. It consists of a collection of false eyelashes and eyeliners which are all selling like hot cakes in Asia! 

I don't normally wear false lashes on a day-to-day basis, but I think some of these are mega cute and can come off as quite natural! 

Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner

This is the product I'm most keen to get. I've seen/heard a lot of great reviews for this liquid eyeliner so I'm intrigued to see whether it lives up to its expectation! 

Also in the line are brown/black pencil liners, eyelash fixer and a cute eyelash case! Although I'm not particularly interested in the eyelash case, they sure have won me over with their packaging! I'm a sucker for pretty things! xP 

Moving away from the Dolly Wink line, I have found the most amazing straighteners!
Tsuyagla Perfect which are wireless straighteners that comes in 3 different colours!! 

Straighteners that can be used outdoors as well as create the perfect curls/waves!? Su-goi! The Japanese sure does come up with the most amazing things! xP 

Since my pair of Remington straighteners snapped the other day.. it makes me want it more! T_T! haii

Check out the CF for these babies below! 

So I guess this concludes my wish-list! xD 

March Update!

Its been a while since I've properly blogged! I've had millions of exams going for the past 2 months which explains why there has been such inactivity!

Anyways! 

My mother recently came back from her 1 month trip to Hong Kong and sent back 4 mahoosive parcels containing stuff she'd bought. I felt a bit guilty that one of the boxes mainly contained my stuff that I'd asked for. (*≧▽≦)

Obviously I couldn't let this opportunity go! xP  

Most of the stuff I asked for were cosmetics from Sasa--gotta love that place! ^^~

I apologise for the photo quality.. I had to take it with my phone as I gave my mother my camera and itouch (so she could use wi-fi-- had to live without those for a month T_T). 

So in the picture above.. 

Palty Gel Liner

2 x "My Beauty Diary" masks in Cool and Apple

Fairy Drops Mascara

2 KATE eyeshadow pallets

2 x Lip Ice lip balm in Orange and Apple

Some other lip balm in a posh case. xP 

Other than cosmetics.. I also asked for these mix-style headphones which are popularly worn by various Korean artists! xD Although I asked for a black one with a pink star.. my mum couldn't find one, so she opted for this one instead. oh wells! I'm not to fussed! 

Although it looks fashionably cool.. I'm not too impressed with the quality of the sound it produces. I can't really complain as they were only HK$54!! Bless my mother for not knowing they were fake ones! xD Oh wells!  

Korean celebrities wearing them:  

Younha <3

Sohee from Wonder Girls 

Kim Bum sporting a pink pair! xD 

I also asked for some Japanese magazines particularly Popteen (which is incredibly popular in Japan) FEB and MARCH editions  and Scawaii. I'm amazed at their fashion styles and make-up!! If I'd lived there.. I would never be able to stop shopping! O_o. 

and what amazes me even more is the fact all the girls look flawless and so Hime/Gyaru and I've not seen one single person with black hair...! xD 

That concludes this post of my recent haul from Hong Kong. =)) 

I don't really know what kinda stuff I should post nowadays since this blog doesn't really contain a specific theme... 

I installed this traffic feed onto here about a month ago, and it seems like about 90% of my visitors come from google search on my ulzzang posts! haiii! >_<;;  Need to work harder! xP 

Circle Lens: EOS Adult Grey

This post is long overdue since I haven't had time recently to blog anything decent as I've had exams going on this month. >_<;; But back in the beginning of January, my pair of EOS Adult Grey circle lens arrived along with a very cute pink case. =))

As you can see.. they really aren't that grey at all. It looks more blue/purple-ish.

 

Here is a comparison I made with and without lens. The lens overall do not give too much of an enlarging effect, but it does give that crystal kind of look to your eyes which I like.=))

Its certainly lighter than I thought it was going to be. In natural lighting, they make your eyes look more blue/purple rather than grey.  But overall, I really like these lenses, they're comfortable and they don't make my eyes look too alien-ish and the colour shows up pretty well on dark irises.