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!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Essence All About Roses Eyeshadow Palette
0.33 oz / 9.5 g

Made in Italy

Normal Retail Price:  RM21.90
Available from; Watsons

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review: Catrice Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti-Shine Base

The Catrice Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti-Shine Base is supposed to be a primer designed for oily skin.

This product, unfortunately, did not work on my super oily skin ;/

It goes on feeling like a moisturiser. It doesn't take long before my face gets super oily.

Certainly NOT a recommended product :(

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catrice Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti-Shine Base
30 ml/ 1 .01 fl oz

Made in Italy

Normal Retail Price:  RM24.90
Available from; Guardian

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Essence Lip Liners
1g

Made in Germany

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Empties | October 2016

These are the products that I finished using in October 2016:

1. Boots Zingy Berries & Cream Shower Gel | 250 ml | Made in Bulgaria
This was purchased on my recent holiday to Bangkok. I simply love the scent and texture of this shower gel. Good thing that I have backups!

2. Adidas Women Deodorant Pure Lightness Perfumed Deo | 150 ml | Made in EU
The scent of this deodorant is not as strong as Nivea and I prefer this to Nivea.

3. Catrice Nude Illusion Make Up | 30 ml | Made in Italy
I had a love hate relationship with this product but I persevered and used it all up! It goes on nicely but it tends to separate on my face and I just couldn't figure out if it was my primer that it was reacting to! I am now working on my the next foundation to finish on my list.

4. Citrus Hotel Guest Bar Soap
I like to use things up instead of wasting them. This was from my Bangkok trip.

5. Biore Perfect Cleansing Water| 90 ml | Made in Vietnam 
I didn't buy this product. I got it free in an exchange program where I exchanged an empty bottle of makeup remover with a new bottle of the product. This is supposed to be a makeup remover for face, eyes and lips but I used it as an eye makeup remover. It was an okay product.

6. NYX HD
This eyeshadow primer lasted me ages. It was okay, I guess but I have since moved on to another product which I like more so it's quite unlikely that I'll be repurchasing this product.

Review: OXY Oil Control Moisturizer

Confession: I've not been using moisturiser for the longest time. The reason behind this is simple --- I've oily skin and every moisturiser that I've tried before this has made my already very oily skin an oily mess (not sexy, trust me!).

Last week, though, I fell asleep with my Freeman's Black Sugar Charcoal Mask on my face (it was only to be used for 7 minutes before being rinsed off). I rinsed it off after I woke up (which was hours later) and the skin on my chin was dry and itchy and that was when I actively looked for a moisturiser in hope that it would offer my skin some much needed relief.

I wanted a moisturiser that wouldn't cost a lot of moolah since I've got a record of ditching my moisturiser half way through if I found that it made me more oily than before I started using it. My research at the local drugstore brought to light many possible moisturisers all claiming to be suitable for oily skin but my online research of the products revealed that many didn't work well on oily skin such as my own. There was, however, one product that seemed to be loved by many online reviewers.

Enter the OXY Oil Control Moisturizer which thankfully is a drugstore brand and doesn't cost a bomb (phew!). It is, I need to mention, not easy to come by in the drugstores. I purchased mine at the Guardian in One Utama Shopping Centre with my existing credit on my OneCard, so, it really cost me nothing.

The OXY Oil Control Moisturizer comes packaged in a pump bottle which is a plus in my books. The bottle itself, however, is an opaque white plastic bottle which I'm not really a fan of as I won't be able to see how much more product is left in the bottle over time.

The product itself is a white colored gel that smells a tad mediciney but the smell doesn't linger for long. I only use a tiny amount and I expect this bottle to last me a looonnggg time. It dries fairly quickly too, which is another plus in my books. So far, it has not made my skin more oily than before, so I'm quite happy in that department. 

Now, all I've got to figure out is how to get my primer and my foundation to work in sync. My foundation tends to literally slide in the midday. I think it could be due to my primer, but I'm not too sure about that. That's something that I've got to explore more.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OXY Oil Control Moisturizer
 45g

Made in China

Normal Retail Price:  RM15.85 (I got mine for RM13.45 as it was on sale)
Available from: Selected Guardian and Watsons 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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?

Empties | April 2016

These are the products that I finished using in April 2016:

1. Tesco Everyday Value | Facial Cotton Pads | 100 pieces | Made in Malaysia

This is one of my everyday staples. It's good, doesn't cost an arm and a leg and does what it's supposed to do.  :)

2. Tesco Loves Baby | Moisturising Baby Wipes | 30 Sheets | Made in Korea

Another of my everyday staples that I use as makeup remover wipes. I don't wear a lot of makeup and this does a good job in removing my makeup before I wash my face with a facial cleanser. 

This product is alcohol an paraben free.

3. Stila Color Convertible | Magnolia | 0.75 oz / 4.25 g | Made in U.S.A.

This product lasts a long time even with daily use for work. I got this is part of a Christmas set that I purchased in Sephora around two years ago. I've been wearing this to work for over a year (about 16 months, to be exact). 

While the colour Magnolia may not look bright in the container, it gives my cheeks a nice natural looking healthy glow when applied on my cheeks. Unfortunately, this colour has been discontinued. 

I love Stila's Color Convertibles and I have the other colours in deluxe sizes which I purchased as a set of three. 

4. Guardian Facial Oil Blotters | 100 sheets

Do not buy these. I painstackingly finished this pack of oil blotters which I purchased a long time ago. They don't absorb oil very oil. No!

Empties | March 2016

These are the products that I finished using in March:
1. Catrice Photo Finish 18 Hour Liquid Foundation | Shade 030 
Made in Germany
This was my staple foundation which I used daily to work. You can read my review on it here. Sadly, this product has been discontinued :(

2. Tesco Loves Baby | 30 Moisturising Baby Wipes 
Made in Korea
I use this product as makeup remover wipes and it does the job. Better still, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg! You can read my review on this product here.

3. Daiso | Silk Oil Blotting Paper | 100 Sheets
My repeat buy to combat the oilies on my skin.

4. Skin Wisdom Moisture Care Soap | 100 g 
Made in China
This product is produced for Tesco UK in China. It is a pretty moisturising soap and costs a lot less if compared to body washes.

5. Bagno Doccia Shampoo | Milk & Peach Shampoo & Body Wash | 500ml
Made in Italy
I purchased this in the supermarket next door to where I live. It's an okay product that does what it's supposed to do.

6. Wilko Fruits Chocolate Orange Fragrance Explosion Body Butter | 100ml
Made in China
I purchased this on my recent trip to London. While I love scent (who can resist the scent chocolate oranges?), I certainly didn't like the texture. Finishing it was a pain. Read the full review here.

7. Bubble T Bath & Body | Summer Fruits Tea Body Spray | 100ml 
Made in the UK
This was purchased while I was in London last Christmas. I love this scent of berries. Too bad that I only purchased one bottle :(

8. Carrefour Dental Floss | 50m 
Made in EU
I bought this dental floss while I was in Dubai recently. It did the job.

Review: Valiram Friends & Family Sale 2016

Seeing that I was on the lookout for my next bottle of body mist I thought that I would see what I might find at the Valiram Friends & Family Sale today. The sale is being held in JW Marriot and runs from April 1-3, 2016.

The sale wasn't spectacular, really. I only purchased a Bath & Body Works body mist, a Victoria's Secret body lotion and five Victoria's Secret thongs.

A body mist, a body lotion and frilly things :)

The queue to pay was super long but since I was in no hurry, I patiently waited. I found it strange that the priority lane for platinum Maybank credit card holders was long as well (so much for priority, huh?). 

Anyway, I would most probably be giving this sale a miss in the future unless of course, I run out of my toiletries again.

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Empties | February 2016

... and these are my February 2016 empties.....

1. Bourjois | 123 Perfect Foundation in No. 55 | 30 ml | Made in France
This worked really well for me while I was in London recently when I found that my staple Catrice Photo Finish foundation was too dry for me in the winter. I was glad that I packed this foundation along for my trip.

I enjoyed using this foundation. The colour matched my skin well but unfortunately, the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation range seems to no longer be available in Malaysia :(

I tried looking up for this product on the Boots website but the darkest colour that they had was no. 54 :(

2. Fa Deodorant | Pink Passion | 150 ml | Made in Germany
I love the scent. I purchased this in Dubai as part of a set of three. It claims to protect for 24 hours.

What I love most about it is that it doesn't leave any mark on my clothes.

Fa used to be sold here but sadly, this brand is no longer available here... :(

3. TRESemme Shampoo | Luxurious Moisture for Dry or Dull Hair | 500 ml | Made in EU
This shampoo worked well for me. It didn't dry out nor make my super sensitive scalp itch. The only reason I have not repurchased this shampoo is because I had been eyeing the Timotei shampoo for quite awhile now and wanted to try it out.

4. Nivea Anti-Perspirant | Extra Whitening | 60 ml | Made in Thailand
I got this as a freebie when I purchased a full sized Nivea anti-perspirant. It is the perfect travel size and I took this one on my London trip. It claims to work for 48 hours.

My one issue with all Nivea anti-perspirants is that they all leave a white stain on my tops :(

5. Dr Fresh Velocity Dental Floss | Waxed | 130 yards | Made in China
This was something that I picked out from Village Grocer out of curiosity. It did what it was supposed to do. If I remember correctly, it was cheap for the length of floss in the package.

6. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser | 250 ml | Made in Canada
This is a super gentle cleanser that doesn't leave my skin feeling tight like most other cleansers do (you can read my review on this product here). I loved this cleanser and have since purchased the 500 ml pump bottle. Love!

Review: Biore UV Perfect Face Milk

I've been going around sans sunscreen for years (I know, I know, it's not a good thing) basically because I hate the icky feeling that most face sunscreens leave on my super oily skin.

I recently watched a BBC documentary on skin aging and after watching it, I thought that I might give sunscreens another go. My online research led me to Biore's UV Face Milk which has received good reviews on the net.

The product is packaged in a plastic bottle that comes with a ball bearing in the bottle that allows you to mix the product before you dispense it. The bottle has a tapered opening which makes it possible for you to dispense the product by the drop.

The Biore UV Face Milk is very thin and runny in texture. It dries almost instantly upon application thanks to its alcohol content. It dries to a matte finish and makes my skin feel silicone smooth. It is so thin in texture that I can't even feel it on my skin!

It also works as a makeup base and believe it or not, it actually controls my super oily skin, something that I absolutely love!

My only gripe about this product is that it leaves a white cast on my olive toned skin if I use too much :( I have, however, found that if I use the product sparingly and make sure to spread the product evenly, the white cast isn't so obvious.

Applying my foundation on top of this product is easily done and my foundation simply glides over it.

I've never used any silicon based product on my skin before this and so far, I haven't experienced any problems with my skin reacting to it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biore | UV Perfect Face Milk
30 ml

Made in Japan

Normal Retail Price:  RM32.90

Available in Guardian & Watsons
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Empties | January 2016

These are my January empties:

1. Tesco Loves Baby | 30 Gentle Baby Wipes 

I use these as makeup remover wipes.

2. St Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash | 400 ml

Love the smell and it's paraben free!

3. Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover | 125 ml

I've had this for years. It's an okay product, not really great at removing waterproof eye makeup though.

4. Daiso Silk Facial Oil Blotters

A must have in my handbag (especially in this hot and humid weather).

5. Tesco Everyday Value | Facial Cotton Pads | 100 pieces

Does the job, love the price.

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!)

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!

Revlon Color Burst in Berry Smoothie Review

Okay, I admit, I'm probably the last person on the planet to get on the Revlon Lip Butter rave wagon but hey, better late than never, no?

Where I live, Revlon products seem to be on the steeper end of drugstore makeup products. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was in Tesco's last week and they were having a 75% off discount on Revlon Color Burst Lip Butters and since I had heard many good things about it on the Internet, I decided to purchase one and find out what they hype was all about. 

I only purchased one as I wasn't sure about the color payoff and there were no testers available :/

I picked what seemed to be a safe neutral colour --- Berry Smoothie.

I now get what the hype around this product is all about. The formula of this product is fantastic. It's really moisturising and not drying at all, something that I really love about it. 

I like how the cover of the lipstick reflects the color of the lipstick inside. This would be of tremendous help especially when looking through my stash of lippies!

The colour payoff of Berry Smoothie is not much on my lips. It takes a few swipes of the product for it to show up on my pigmented lips. It looks natural on me and I like it. Now I wish I had picked up more! Definitely a love!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter | Berry Smoothie
2.55 g

Made in U.S.A.

Normal Retail Price: 34.80 (I got mine for RM8.70, 75% Off at Tesco)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wilko Fruits Chocolate Orange Fragrance Explosion Body Butter Review

I purchased this product out of curiosity while I was in London. This is a Xmas limited edition product. It smells wonderful, just like chocolate orange, which I absolutely love. It was on Christmas clearance and was dirt cheap --- just 50p!

So, what is it like? Well, not great, I'm afraid. This body butter is not like the soft whipped butter consistency that I am so used to but instead is more like hard butter just out of the fridge. The texture is hard and you really need to dig in hard to get any product and when you do get some out, it is crumbly and can actually fall off your fingers :(

It takes some serious rubbing to work the product onto the skin. I guess, this is one case where you get what you pay for. 

I'm so glad that I stuck by my buy one first rule and purchased only one tub to try out the product first before deciding on buying more.

The smell, however, is simply wonderful. I will, however, persevere and finish up this product as I hate to see it go to waste.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wilko | Fruits Chocolate Orange Fragrance Explosion Body Butter
100 ml

Made in China

Normal Retail Price:  £1.00 (I got mine for just 50p as it was on 50% off)

Available in Wilko, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catrice Better than False Lashes Mascara Review

I purchased the Catrice Better than False Lashes mascara a few days ago. The tube is gold in colour and there is a picture of the mascara wand on the tube which is helpful in assisting you when purchasing the product should there be no testers available. 

The wand is the brush type and is big. This mascara is of the drier formulation and I found that I needed at least two coats of this mascara for it to look like I had anything on my lashes. 

The outcome is natural but voluminous looking lashes. My lashes are separated and not clumpy with product. It also didn't sting my eyes, which is good. 

I wore it to work and found that it didn't smudge throughout the day. It's also easy to remove. 

And oh, did I mention that it is a super affordable mascara? 

 It's perfect for work.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catrice | Better than False Lashes
12 ml

Made in Italy

Normal Retail Price: 24.90 (I got mine for RM17.45, 30% Off)
Available  at selected Guardian outlets

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------