Review: Essence All About Roses Eyeshadow Palette

I mulled over this purchase for the longest time as I wasn't sure if the colors would be pigmented enough to show on my skin.  I finally gave in and purchased it when I was in Watsons in Mid Valley a few months ago. I figured that it is the ideal size of eyeshadow palette to have in my tiny makeup bag when I'm on the move.

I'm happy to say that I'm glad that I made this purchase. The colors are neutral on my skin. I find the texture soft and easy to blend. I tend to use the matte colors more since I wear these eyeshadows to work. I apply these eyeshadows over the Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base and have no problem with the lasting power of these eyeshadows.

This palette also didn't break the bank. This is a good buy. Love!

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Essence All About Roses Eyeshadow Palette
0.33 oz / 9.5 g

Made in Italy

Normal Retail Price:  RM21.90
Available from; Watsons

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Review: Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder

The Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder is one product that has had many rave reviews. So, on my trip to the UK in 2015, I just had to purchase it.

This product comes in translucent as well as several other skin toned shades. I purchased mine in shade 005 Silky Beige from Boots. I had not gotten around to using it until recently after I finished using my Revlon Naked compact powder.

To be quite honest, I have no idea what the rave over this product is really about. I found the Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder to be no different from the other compact powders that I have used before (only that some of the other compact powders that I have used in the past, do not claim to be shine control). It does nothing in terms of shine control on my super oily skin.

Since I already have bought it, I would carry on using it but would I buy this product again? No. This is a meh product in my opinion. I'd prefer to give other products out there a try.

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Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in 005 Silky Beige
14g

Made in England

Normal Retail Price:  £3.99 (I got mine while it was on the 3 for 2 promo)
Available from: Boots UK

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Review: Essence Lip Liners

Essence Lip Liners in 07 Cutie Pink, 08 Red Blush & 15 Honey Berry

These are not new on the market. I've read many reviews about the Essence Lip Liners and only recently got around to purchasing some. I started out purchasing three shades and went back to purchase two other colours --- yes, that is how much I like them!

Essence Lip Liners in 11 In the Nude & 14 Femme Fatale

These are the new formulas and they are harder than the old formulas (I know this as some of the testers at the stores are the old formula. FYI the old formula has a grey coloured cap unlike the new formula that has a similar coloured cap).

I colour my lips with these lip liners and apply my Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick 3D Volume Lip Shine over it. They go well together. 

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Essence Lip Liners
1g

Made in Germany

Normal Retail Price:  RM5.90 (Yes, it is that cheap!)
Available from: Selected Guardian and Watsons 

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Empties | November 2016

These are the products that I finished in November, 2016:

1.  Cetaphil | 500 ml | Made in Canada
This is a staple in my daily routine (which explains the 500 pump bottle size). It's non-drying and doesn't irritate skin. This was purchased in a pack of 3 so I still have two more to go!

2. Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 4 in 1 Wash Off Deep Cleansing Milk | 350 ml | Made in the UK 

I use this product sometimes when I feel that the baby wipes are not removing my face products well enough (which explains why this product has lasted me so long). Soap & Glory products cost a fraction of the price that they are sold for in Sephora in Malaysia and since wising up to this fact, I have purchased two bottles of this product in the UK as backups.

I love the smell though I do feel that it can be a tad too strong of a product and dry out my skin if I use it too often,

3. Oral B Floss | Made in Ireland
This is a default item in my handbag.

Finding Beauty

Beauty is found in the most unlikely places. There is beauty all around us. Have you looked around you lately or have you been going about your daily life on autopilot?

Recent Purchase: J.Cats Beauty Love Struck Glam Glow Powder in 111 Kitten Kisses

I saw this in Watsons in Bangkok recently and I immediately fell in love with it. Now, how cute is this, right?

J. Cats is an American drugstore brand that is not available in KL. It doesn't come with a drugstore price tag in Bangkok, in fact, it costs quite a bit in Bangkok. Still, I had to have it.

It looks soooo pretty. Now, think I'll ever use it?

Review: Catrice Nude Illusion Make Up

This is my current daily wear foundation now that I have finished my Catrice Photo Finish Foundation and my Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation. 

I purchased this foundation somewhere last year but have held off using it on a daily basis as I wanted to finish my other foundations first. 

This foundation is packaged in a frosted glass bottle that comes with a pump that allows for more hygienic dispenses of the product rather than having to pour the product out of the bottle.

The consistency of the Catrice Nude Illusion is runnier than the Catrice Photo Finish Foundation and it feels a tad thinner too. Wearing it feels like I have nothing on my skin, a feeling that I like. 

It is easy to apply, dries quickly and looks nice when applied on my skin. I like it that it costs a fraction of what other foundations out there cost as it made the decision to purchase it in order to try it out much easier as I wasn't breaking the bank!

The one drawback about this foundation line is that there are only three shades available. Thankfully, I matched the darkest share which is 030 Nude Beige.

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Catrice | Nude Illusion Make Up
30 ml

Made in Italy

Normal Retail Price:  RM36.90 (I got mine for RM20.85 as it was on 30% discount and I had an addition RM5 Guardian voucher)

Available in selected Guardians
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Soap & Glory Crazy Sexy Kohl Review

I saw this on the Boots website after Xmas while I was in London and seeing that it was on sale at half off, I just had to have it! So off I went to the nearest Boots outlet the very next morning and was thankful to have been able to snag one of the last few tins of the Crazy Sexy Kohl left on the shelf (and boy, were they going fast!!!).

Soap & Glory's Crazy Sexy Kohl is a set of 5 different colored kohl pencils (black, brown, blue, purple and green) packaged in an eyeliner pencil box, or to be more accurate, tin. 

I wanted to try the Smoulder Kohl before this but the normal retail price of £5 each too much to pay for a product that I wasn't sure if it was going to work out for me given my oily skin condition. However, at the half off price of £7 for the entire tin, each pencil costs around RM10, making the kit a steal, if you ask me. 

As it normally goes with me, I use my eyeliners up one by one and I have only tried using one of the Smoulder Kohls which is the Superblack one. I have read great reviews about this product and was interested in finding out how it would perform on my super oily skin in a super humid climate.

It goes on well and have been often compared to Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners by other reviewers in the blogosphere. It is super creamy and smooth and goes on without any tugging or pulling. The color payoff is also great.

When I first applied it on my lids, the color smudged and transfered onto my crease by the end of the day. I had to touch up at about lunch time as I didn't want it to look seriously like smoky eyes.

When applied on my waterline, the color lasted for about an hour and a half before travelling down to the skin beneath my lower lashes. Hmmm....I really wanted this product to work for me....

Determined to make it work, I later tried applying this eyeliner to my lids and then smudging it out with an eyeliner brush and it worked! This method makes the product last on my super oily eyelids for the entire day. Yay!

I love this product.

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Soap & Glory |Crazy Sexy Kohl
Made in the UK

£14.00 (Normal Retail Price), I got mine for £7.00 (Half Price After Xmas Sale at Boots, London)

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Getting to the Annoying Last Drops of My Foundation

I'm coming to the end of my foundation and it's driving me insane knowing that there is still a fair bit more amount of product left in the pump bottle. I'm so going to try to get to every last bit that I can (yup, I'm like that!)

Earth Care | Feet for a Queen Rosemary Avocado Healing Foot Balm

I purchased that Earth Care Feet for a Queen Foot Balm the same time that I purchased the Earth Care Orange Tea Lip Balm (read about it here). I simply love the lemon grass scent of this balm. 

I have to be honest though that the texture of the balm of the tester that I tried is much different than the texture of balm that I purchased. The tester balm was super soft while the balm that I purchased is kinda hard. Hmmmm........

Getting the product out of the tin can get to be a tad of a challenge. I have now resorted to scraping a tiny bit of the balm off with my finger nail and applying it to where I want it on my feet. 

I normally apply this balm on my feet just before bed. I like the feel of the balm on my feet but is it making my feet smoother or improving the texture of my feet? Hmmmm.... I can't really say, to be honest.

I treat this more as a feet pampering product. Results? None that I can see nor feel the difference after using it almost daily for almost four weeks now.

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Earth Care Soaps | Feet for a Queen Foot Balm

30g

RM18.00

Purchased in the Christmas Stall in The Curve

Made locally with organic products

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D.I.Y. Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub

I often come across vendors who sell D.I.Y. organic scrubs in the shopping malls but as much as I love smelling them, I just can't justify paying RM30+ for what seems like just a cup of homemade scrub. 

So I decided to save some bucks and learn to make my own sugar scrub and after much research online (where I found loads of homemade beauty recipes) I decided to dive right in and make my own body scrub. 

These are the ingredients and cost of each item:

Coconut Oil                                RM16

Kaffir Lime Essential Oil            RM17.90

Coarse Sugar (1 kg)                  RM2.85

I only made 3/4 cups of scrub as I wanted to keep it fresh. I packed my homemade scrub into a recycled cranberry jar (I knew that all those jars that I have been saving would come in handy some day!) 

The smell of my Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub was simply lovely and the scrub left my skin feeling silky smooth. 

I still lots have of ingredients left to try out other scrub recipes :) Love!

Rimmel London | Kate Matte Lipstick Review

I purchased this lippie while I was in London. It was part of my three for two purchase of Rimmel London products from Boots. I picked colour 170, a berry red shade, a colour that I don't already have and besides, it seems fitting to be seen in a berry red lipstick when I'm dressed in black on most days against the grey London sky.

Rimmel London is no longer a brand that is available in Malaysia. They used to be sold here a number of years ago but that is sadly no longer the case.

This is a matte lipstick that isn't as drying as I was expecting it to be which is a surprise to me. It lasts well throughout the day and is something that I really like about it since I'm really rubbish when it comes to touching up my face.

I simply love the berry red colour. I think of it as a so London color, don't ask me why, but that is what I think of it. This is my current favourite lipstick colour which I've been wearing almost every day ever since I got it. So yeah, this is another purchase that I'm pleased with.

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Rimmel London | Kate Matte Lipstick in 107
4g

Made in England

Normal Retail Price: £5.50 (I got mine as part of the three for two offer at Boots)
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Claire Organics | Kurokami Soap

Okay, so here I go again... yet ANOTHER beauty purchase!

I was browsing the Christmas stores in One Utama when I came across a stall by Claire Organics. Curious, I took a look at some of their products. I didn't buy anything then but made a mental note to research them online.

My research revealed that they had a product that was of interest to me --- the Kurokami soap for hair! According to the Claire Organics Facebook page Kurokami is supposed to be good for hair growth, darkening hair color and has anti-dandruff properties. The soap smells organically yummy (no other way to describe it!).

Hmmm..... so today, I went down to One Utama with only one thing in mind: to purchase the soap.

Ah, there is just something about browsing the Christmas Stalls that makes my just want to buy stuff....

Update:

The first time I used this soap somewhere in December 2015, my hair turned out stringy, limp and flat. Sheesh..... I stayed away from using this product for about a month before I decided to give it another go. I discovered that using a bar soap as a shampoo needs some work as it is not as easy to get a lather going.

The most recent attempt was on Jan 24, 2016 and made sure to use a lot of lather on my hair and I washed it a few times as I had an hair oil serum which I applied overnight. The result was not ideal but a lot better than my first try (Thank God!). 

Just thought that it might be helpful for you to know that in order to prolong the life of my soap, I cut it into smaller pieces and not use the entire bar. I also put the smaller pieces in a D.I.Y. mesh shower pouch which helps me in sudsing up the soap. I can hang it up to dry on the towel rack after my shower so that the soap can air dry and not melt away if left moist and damp in a soap dish.

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Claire Organics |Kurokami Bar Soap Shampoo
100 g

Made in Malaysia

RM22 

Available from: Xmas Kiosk in 1-Utama (this is where I purchased it), Opika and Tangs in 1-Utama

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I Dropped My Compact Powder!!!

Arrrggghhhhh....... I dropped my makeup pouch one morning when I just about to get out of the front door for work. The whole makeup pouch just kind of dropped from my bag onto the floor. And yes... my almost finished NYX Stay Matte Not Flat compact powder foundation broke to bits :(

Oh well, on the brighter side, there's just a little bit more product to use up before I move onto my Naked powder by Revlon.

In case you're wondering, I still carry the NYX powder foundation with me in my bag as the lid is pretty tight and I don't have any problem of having the powder spill out. I intend on using up every last bit of it!

Tesco Loves Baby 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes

I'm not a brand snob and am always game to giving house brands a try. Hey, if I can save some bucks for similar quality products at lower prices, why not?

This is my budget friendly solution to makeup removal wipes. It's gentle and it doesn't irritate my skin. On top of that, it is not super wet like some other baby wipes and it smells refreshing (and no, it doesn't smell like baby). It removes my makeup well and is also super affordable. Love!

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Tesco Loves Baby 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes
RM3.49 (I purchased it when Tesco had a promotion going on for two at RM3.49)
Made in Korea
Available in Tesco
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Empties August 2015

These are my empties for August 2015:

1. Tesco Loves Baby Gentle Baby Wipes (80 Sheets)
This is what I use as makeup wipes. It smells nice, it's gentle and, most importantly, doesn't cost an arm and a leg --- Score! I've since repurchased this product.

2. Tesco Everyday Value Facial Cotton Pads (100 pieces)
I actually prefer these to the covered cotton pads. I find these nice and soft on my skin. I use these to remove my eye and face makeup at the end of the day.

These were sold in twin packs and I'm on my second pack now.

3. Guardian Facial Blotter (100 Sheets)
This is one of the products that I regret buying. The paper is thick and not very absorbent. To make things worse, I bought not only one but TWO of these when Guardian had a promotion going on in their stores.

As I am not one to waste products, I am plan to go through the second pack. Definitely not a product that I would repurchase.

4. Essence Long Lasting Eyeliner in Berry Merry
Hmmm... This was a product that I purchased out of curiosity. Read the review about it here.

Despite the many rave reviews about this line of products, this is not something that I would repurchase as I think that it is quite pricey for the amount of product and wear that you get out of it. The color doesn't really last that long and I think there are better quality products out there.

Not going to repurchase this one.


Well, like everything else out there, not everything purchased on a budget is going to be great. But then again, you could purchase high end products and still not be pleased with the quality that you get. I digress..... Still, there are many good products out there that you don't have to break the bank to purchase.

I love my little experiment purchases and I especially love it when I am pleasantly surprised when I discover a gem :)

Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask Review

I've been considering buying face sheet masks for quite a while now but most of my online research have found them to be not at all effective. My own experience of sheet masks in the past years ago have not been so memorable either.

Then, there was also the budget factor as sheet masks costs a lot more per use and I didn't want to buy something that did nothing much for my skin.

So, I decided to look at the conventional types of masks which was when I discovered the Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask. It comes in a tube and I figured that I was getting more for my money per use compared to sheet masks.

I purchased this product a couple of weeks back as I felt that my face was grimy from all the makeup that I've been wearing day in and day out and my skin needed a good scrub. I have since used this product three times so far.

The Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask is not like  the other masks out there. In fact, it's more of a scrub than a mask. It contains no parabens which is something that I like about this product.

I get a warm sensation when I first apply it on my face. It is grainy in texture due to the sugar in it and it is not a product that you can smooth on as a normal face mask. With this product, I kind of have to pat in onto my skin. It also has a nice citrusy scent but the scent doesn't last long after I've washed it off.

I leave it on my skin for about 7 minutes (as per the directions on the tube) and then massage it for a bit before rinsing it off.

I love using this product when I feel like I need some me time and pampering :)

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Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask
RM20.00 (I got mine for RM15 as I had a RM5 store voucher)
Made in USA
175ml
Available in most drugstores
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Of Hitting Pan

Okay, these are the makeup products that I've hit pan on:

1. Stila Color Convertible in Magnolia
I just love this cream blusher. I got this in the Stila Glow and Behold Gift Set that I purchased around Christmas last year. When I first got it, I did't think that the colour was all that exciting but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it on my cheeks. It gives my cheeks a natural flush. I wear this to work everyday.

2. NYX Stay Matte Not Flat Powder Foundation
This was purchased around this time last year. I use this as my setting powder. It's an okay product, nothing brilliant.

I'm looking forward to finishing this product so that I can move on to other products.

3. Catrice All Round Concealer Palette
This was purchased early this year and as you can see, I have only used the middle three colors.

I like that this product is not so thick as I find thick concealers tend to look cakey on my under eye area. In fact, all three of the colors that I use are creamy and easy to blend.

I use the salmon color to hide my dark under eye circles and then apply the darkest skin tone shade on top of it. I then use the lighter skin tone color as a highlight in my inner eyes to give me the bright eyed and awake look. This is another one of the staple products that I wear to work everyday.

I may have hit pan on these products but I bet that I still have at least another three months to go on the Catrice All Round Concealer Palette and at least another six months to go (if not more) on the Stila Color Convertible and NYX Powder Foundation.

Empties July 2015

These are the  product empties for July 2015:

1. FA Deodorant Purple Passion
I purchased this in a pack of three on one of my trips to Dubai. It keeps me smelling divine :)

2. Benefit Maybe Baby Body Lotion 200 ml
This is the second tube which was purchased on ebay years ago and which I rediscovered in my closet recently. I really love this product and am so sad that it's been discontinued :(

3. Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser
I used this as a makeup remover.

4. The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream 15 ml
This is another product that I discovered sitting in my closet. This was a freebie that came with the purchase of other products from the Body Shop. This is another product that I used as a makeup remover as I don't use moisturisers and I hate to see a product go to waste.

5. Daiso Silk Facial Oil Blotter
This is one product that I keep repurchasing over and over again.

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Berry Merry Review

Okay, I've used the Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 18 Merry Berry for a week now and I'm ready to do a review on it.

I purchased this eye liner after reading numerous positive reviews about it online. Unfortunately, my experience with this product isn't as positive :(

This is an automatic eye liner which doesn't come with much product to begin with. Although this is a soft eye liner, I have to apply quite a bit of this product before it shows on my skin. So far, it looks like I've used quite a bit of the product and it's only been a week! I'm not expecting this eye pencil to last very long, by the looks of it.

Considering how much product needs to be applied per wear, it's really not a cheap product for the price paid.

The colour, a beautiful satiny plum color when first applied, doesn't seem to look the same by the end of the work day. It fades and loses its intensity :( It loses its satiny plum color and looks more brown at the end of the day --- go figure! I find this a let down.

The Good

• It's soft
• The color looks beautiful when first applied
• It's an automatic eye liner and is convenient as no sharpening is required
• The packaging color is reflective of the color of the pencil inside which makes it easy to identify the color that I want quickly among my other eye pencils

The Bad

• Not much product to begin with
• The color fades throughout the day
• I need to apply a lot of product before it shows on my skin
• Looks like it won't last me a long time
• The price is not as cheap as it may appear to be in the beginning when you factor in the price per wear

It is unlikely that I'll repurchase this product.

Update August 29, 2015
I've finished using this product. It only lasted me for seven weeks. A little bit of this eyeliner broke on me when I was applying it one morning. 

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Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 18 Berry Merry
RM12.60 (Available at selected Watson's outlets)
0.28g / 0.01oz
Made in Germany
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