US Makeup Haul

If you know anything about the price of makeup in Australia, you would know that is it an absolute rip-off and is something I've ranted about on numerous occasions on my blog. So it really should surprise you that I bought a good amount of makeup while I was there.

I had so much fun checking out all the drugstores and I also visited the e.l.f Studio on Broadway which was awesome. And of course my trip wouldn't have been complete without going to Sephora. I absolutely loved it. Only downside was my holiday was during the weeks leading up to Christmas so the stores were always packed and super crowded. Definitely didn't help that I tended to visit the busier stores i.e. Times Square and the one near Macy's on 34th. Anyway, who doesn't love a makeup haul, so here we go!

• Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ for Face
• Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow - Barely Branded
• NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder - Sunny
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats Lipstick - 202 Rose Crazy
• Essie Nail Polish - Fiji
• Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
• L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes (Waterproof)
• Make Up For Ever HD Primer
• Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Liner - Clear
• Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer - 7 Sand
• MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation - C4
• MAC Eyeshadow - All That Glitters
• L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara (Waterproof)
• MAC Sheertone Blush - Gingerly
• Inglot 20 pan palette (empty)
• Inglot Eyeshadows x 3 (most of the shadows I already owned)

• e.l.f Eyelid Primer
• e.l.f Studio Complexion Brush
• e.l.f Studio Powder Brush
• e.l.f Studio Small Stipple Brush
• e.l.f Studio Flawless Concealer Brush
• e.l.f Studio Concealer Brush
• e.l.f Studio Contour Brush
• e.l.f Studio Small Smudge Brush
• e.l.f Daily Brush Cleaner

Hope you enjoyed having a peak at my new stuff.  I will have reviews for some of these items up in the future.  I'm contemplating whether or not to post a haul for all the clothing/accessories I bought.  Anyway I'll see how I go.  Have a good weekend!

Moisturiser Intervention - Update 2 - Clinique & Olay

I've finished some more products from my Moisturiser Intervention. (Click here for the original blog post).

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Moisturizer

I used this as a morning pre-makeup moisturiser.  It's very light and absorbs really quickly.  I do enjoy light moisturisers in the morning especially since my skin is oily, but I think this moisturiser may be a bit too light and not moisturising enough, particularly in winter.  It would probably be better for me in the summer.

As for clearing my skin, I didn't really feel like it reduced my pimples or anything.  That being said, I only had a sample size so I didn't get to use it for long.

Overall I like it, unsure if I will purchase a full size since it is a bit pricey but I am curious to see if it helps with my blemishes.

Olay Moisturizing Cream for Sensitive Skin

I really liked this moisturiser.  I felt like it was a happy medium between the light moisturisers I like using in the morning and richer moisturisers I use after I shower.  I especially liked it during the summer when it was just way to hot to slather a really rich moisturiser on after showering or before bed.

Nothing else to really say other than I like it and would consider repurchasing.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Moisturiser Intervention - Update 1 - Avene Rich Compensating Cream

About 2 weeks ago I finished my first product from my Moisturiser Intervention (Click here for the original blog post), the Avene Rich Compensating Cream.

I used this product as my post-shower moisturiser in the afternoon/evening. I usually try to use a richer moisturiser after my shower. This product did serve this purpose well, it was very moisturising and easy to spread onto the skin. For a richer cream, it didn't take too long to absorb.

I enjoyed using this product since it left my skin feeling nice and soft. It didn't do anything miraculous for me, but how many products do? lol. I wasn't expecting to like it since it is designed for dry to very dry skin and I have oily skin. I thought it was going to be overly greasy and way too moisturising for me, but it wasn't. Which makes me wonder if it would be enough for a person with dry to very dry skin.

This cream was given to me as a gift. I won't be buying myself another jar since it is expensive, priced at $59.99 at Priceline. Still a good product but I'm sure I can find a product that works just as well at a cheaper price.

Priceline Skincare Haul

If you are in tune with Priceline promos and catalogues, you would have known that they had 40% off all skincare brands on 30-31 July.

I really didn't need anything...but I couldn't pass up 40% off.  So I bought a bunch of stuff as spares for when I finish my current stuff.  I went a bit crazy at first chucking so many items into my basket but then I came to my senses and gradually cut back to the essentials.


I bought:

• Olay Foaming Face Wash - Sensitive
• Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - Ultra
• Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner
• Sukin Facial Moisturiser
• Garnier Intensive 7 Days SOS Repairing Hand Balm
• Swisspers Aloe Soothing Eye Cream
• Nivea Lip Butter - Vanilla & Macadamia (forgot to include in photo)

The Garnier hand balm and the Biore pore strips are the only products I have used before.  So it'll be exciting to try all the others.  But I'm definitely trying to stick to my "don't open anything before I finish something" policy lol.

HG makeup remover: Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Make-Up Remover

This is my absolute favourite makeup remover and I can't imagine finding anything better particularly at such an awesome price.  I'm on my fourth or fifth bottle now (I've lost count) and I have two backups stored away. 

This makeup remover is the kind you have to shake up to combine the 2 layers.  It removes all my makeup really easily including waterproof mascara.  (I only ever by waterproof formulas.)  It doesn't feel oily or leave a gross residue.  It's really gentle and doesn't sting my eyes or skin at all.

I've tried Neutrogena, Nivea, Inglot and Bioderma, none of those match up to this in quality or value.

Priceline sells it for $9.99 for 200ml.  That itself to me is amazing value but they always have promotions like 30% off or buy-2-get-1-free which is when I stock up.

If you've never tried it, you have to. That's all I have to say lol.

Review: Lush Mint Julips lip scrub

I'd been eying the Mint Julips lip scrub for ages but was reluctant to buy it.  Eventually I gave in when I was in one of my spending moods.

Since most DIY lip scrubs are made with honey or olive oil, I was under the impression that this scrub would be all sticky and inconvenient because most of the time when I feel the need to exfoliate my lips, it's just before I apply my makeup, so I would not be bothered to have to wash all the oily residue off.  Call me lazy, but that was one of the reasons why I was reluctant to buy the scrub.

My impressions were totally wrong.  It is not goopy at all.  It's actually quite dry and so easy to just wipe off when you're done.  If some of the scrub falls in your mouth, it tastes so good!  Chocolatey minty goodness.  The scrub is really gentle and doesn't irritate my lips.



It costs $9.95 for a small tub.  It will probably last me ages since I don't use it everyday and you really don't use much each time.

Thumbs up for Mint Julips lip scrub from me.

May & June 2013 Beauty Haul

Good afternoon!

Just a short post today sharing a bunch of things I've bought over the last couple of months.


Nivea Pure & Natural Milk & Honey lip balm
A friend of mine who is a lipbalm fanatic recommended this to me as one of the best cheap lip balms she's tried.

Lush Mint Julips lip scrub
I seem to be developing a habit of buying lush products when I'm in a crappy mood lol. 

Daiso nail dotting tool

Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night CreamYes, I know I'm on my 'Moisturiser Intervention' but the moisturiser I've been using for night time is almost finished, so I bought this to replace that.  Don't worry, I won't open it until I've finished the other one =P

Lancome Tonique Pure Focus toner
There was this random pop-up sale on Bridge Rd so I picked up this toner.

Moosehead Grubby Putty
I recently got a haircut and the hairdresser styled my hair all messy and I loved it.  But I didn't really want to buy the product he used on me since it was a pretty big tub and was fairly expensive, and knowing me, I won't be styling my hair everyday.  So I found this little tub and Priceline and thought I'd give it a try.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - Ultra
I always have these on hand.  No miracle workers but i still like them. (Click here for review)

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Waterproof mascara

MAC Rebel lipstick
I've been wanting this forever!  So I thought finishing exams was a good enough excuse to reward myself.

Quick update:
I've been a bit M.I.A. recently because I was busy with exams and I was just starting to enjoy my holidays when I was struck down with a cold.  Woohoo... So I'm writing this post from the couch under 100 layers of blankets lol.

Enjoy your week!  And if you're in Melbourne, rug up! brrrrrr.

Moisturiser Intervention

I'm sure everyone has this issue. Using something, having that itch to buy something new, buying a new item and abandoning the other. I've been having this issue with my moisturisers (amongst other things, but let's just ignore that lol).

Since I keep buying and using new ones, I've ended up accumulating a few that have a little bit of product left in them, but I've just never gotten around to finishing them. My skin type has changed a bit lately so I really want to try some new stuff, but I'm forcing myself to use these up before opening any new ones that I've already bought or going and buying some more. I figured posting this would make it more official and hence make me keep my word.

Here's the line-up:

• Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Combination Skin
• Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion
• Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Moisturizer (sample)
• Avene Rich Compensating Cream
• Olay Moisturizing Cream for Sensitive Skin
• Olay Eye Gel

I'll probably write a short review for each as I finish them.

Colgate Max White One Ice > Review

I saw heaps of ads about this product. It claims that if you brushed with it 3 times a day, you would end up with whiter teeth after 7 days. I used the product twice a day (since that's more convenient for me) for about 3 weeks.

I don't think it made my teeth any whiter. It may have a tiny bit but not significant enough for me to really notice. The weirdest thing was that it reacted with the inside of my mouth and made it peel. Yes...peeled the inside of my mouth! It wasn't painful at all, it was just weird. Like an hour after brushing my teeth I would notice...I guess you could say it was like residue on the inside of my lip, which I realised was a layer of the inside of my mouth because when I went to wipe it off, it was still attached to my mouth. It's really hard to explain. But like I said, it wasn't painful at all, so I did continue to use the toothpaste for 3 weeks before stopping.

The only good thing I can say about this toothpaste is that it leaves a very strong minty sensation (I used the "Ice" flavour) and makes your teeth feel really clean.

Definitely not a product for me.

The Body Shop Facial Brush > OUCH!

With all the craze going on about the Clarisonic, I bought this facial brush thinking it would be a cheap alternative plus my skin has been going through a bad patch. It was only $4.95 so couldn't hurt to give it a shot.  I was wrong it DID hurt, literally!

This thing is so small and cute but it is deceiving.  I don't have sensitive skin and I am happy to try the roughest of exfoliaters, but this thing scratches like crazy!  I tried it a few times to make sure I wasn't being a wuss and to see if there were any noticeable results from using it.  I did notice that my skin was a bit smoother but not enough to justify going through the pain.  Definitely a disappointing purchase.

I think it might be good as a body brush or at the very most it could be used on the less sensitive areas of your face like your nose or chin.

Haul: Gmarket Korean Skincare

Recently I decided to give my skin a bit more attention. I had been using pretty much the same products for a while and not seeing many results. So it was time to change things up. I have never really gotten into Asian cosmetics or skincare. But my friend is an absolute Asian product junkie (yes, you know who you are lol). So she convinced me to give it a try, plus it was all pretty cheap.

Anyway, so we bought a bunch of stuff off Gmarket. It's a site that sells all kinds of Korean products including makeup, skincare, clothes, shoes, food, etc. From what I understand, Gmarket is a site that makes all different brands available to consumers in the one place. So when you order things from say Brand A and Brand B, those companies will ship your products to Gmarket, which will then put everything together in one box and ship it out to you.

I purchased 5 skincare items and threw in a couple of makeup items. I also received a few samples but forgot to take photos of those.

• Tony Moly Dear Me Balancing Lotion
• Tony Moly Dear Me Balancing Skin (toner)
• Tony Moly Floria Pore - Tightening Toner
• Tony Moly Floria Pore - Tightening Emulsion (moisturiser)
• It's Skin Power 10 Formula VB Effector (serum)
• Etude House Apricot Stick #3
• Etude House Wonder Volume Lashes

I've started using the two products from the Dear Me line, the It's Skin serum and the Etude House Apricot Stick. I'll do separate posts on what I think about the products further down the track.
Shipping time wasn't too bad. Don't quite remember how long it took, I think it was around 2-3 weeks. The packaging was definitely a bit excessive. The box it came in was massive, so was only like a third full (it was not fun carrying that on the bus, believe me lol). There were heaps of little boxes (from all different brands) inside and a ridiculous amount of bubble wrap lol. But at least that meant everything arrived safely.


Anyway I should stop procrastinating. This mid-semester break went by WAY too fast.

My Mecca Maxima Makeover!!

Hey guys!! This is going to be a MASSIVE post, so brace yourselves!

I had this AWESOME experience 2 weeks ago. Mecca Maxima in Melbourne Central is holding a series of free events on a number of dates where basically you can rock up and learn some tips and tricks and receive some free samples.

So the day I went, they had the "Show Stoppers" event where you would get a mini session with a makeup artist who'd show you some tips and ideas when getting ready for a party. I thought I may as well just drop by after uni and see what I learn. A makeup artist named Amy took care of me, she was SO sweet, helpful and honest. Not only did she give me some tips but she gave me a full face makeover!! Everything from skincare to makeup. I was SO excited because I have never gotten my makeup professionally done and I was able to pick the brain of a really experienced makeup artist. She did a really god job with my makeup, the way she did things was different to how I usually do my makeup which was great as a learnt new ideas and some things that I thought I wouldn't be able to pull off actually worked and looked good.

I thought I'd share some photos of the makeover. Excuse the average hair and all that, I rocked up to Mecca after uni and it was a pretty warm day, so by the time I got home to take the photos, my face was getting oily and hair getting messy. I tried to capature the makeup as best I can in the photos, but it was a bit difficult. I will also go through all the products Amy used, how she used them and if I like them.





SKINCARE 

After removing my makeup, she gave me a skin peel using Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare - Alpha Beta Daily Skin Peel. I was really nervous because I had never gotten a skin peel before and frankly "skin peel" sounds scary lol. But I had nothing to worry about at all. There are 2 steps to this product. You wipe the first cotton pad, which is already soaked in a solution, all over your face. So this is basically the chemical exfoliator. Then you go in with the second step, do the same thing but this time the cotton pad is soaked in a neutralising solution which stops the first solution from working and lets your skin go back to normal. I LOVE THIS STUFF! It made my skin feel so soft and smooth and it looked so radiant. Flakeyness was removed and some pores were cleared. It is absolutely amazing. Makeup looked so much better on my skin after using this. However the product is rather pricey, $130 for 30 uses, which includes both steps. But I did manage to find it on Strawberrynet for about $77. I have never forked that much for skincare...but I may have to in the future because I can't stop thinking about this product lol.

Next Amy moisturised my skin using Murad - Skin Perfecting Lotion ($50). She told me it was a moisturiser but also had some treatment qualities. It would help balance out my skin since I have very oily skin and also improve the texture and general look of my skin. This lotion is actually quite thick which I was concerned about due to my oily skin. It feels a bit much when you first put it on, but if you let it settle a little, it feels light and really moisturising and my skin felt healthy. I ended up purchasing this (that is the most I have ever spent on skincare), I've been using it more as a night treatment as opposed to a daily moisturiser. Still love the light but super moisturising feeling. As for the treatment side, I haven't noticed any changes to my skin but I haven't been using it that long. So at this stage, I like the product but I'm not to sure that it's worth the $50. 

FACE

Amy decided that her aim was to focus on my skin and make it look amazing since it seemed to be my primary concern. So after prepping it with those awesome skin care products, she spent a lot of time working on face makeup. 

Primer : Smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light
I already owned this product. Still love it, makes your skin looks smoother and keeps your foundation matte and fresh for longer. But she used much more product than what I would usually use. She stressed the importance of using enough since it's the barrier protecting your skin. 

Highlighter : Nars - Multiple - Luxor
She applied this on my cheek bones and up to my temples before applying foundation which I thought was interesting. I had heard of people doing this, but I always thought what's the point since your foundation is just going to cover it all up. To my surprise the glow came through, it was a nice and subtle inner glow. You can see it in the close-up picture.

Foundation : Nars - Sheer Glow Foundation - Punjab
I was definately apprehensive about her using this foundation. I knew that many people love this foundation. But if there is anything I avoid when buying liquid foundation is "glow." Glowy/dewy foundations just get oily too quickly on me. I was very impressed at the way the foundation could be built up. She showed me how it looked with s sheer application and then she built it up. The general appearance of the foundation was also very natural, it looked like real skin. Definitely purchasing this in the future. 

Concealer : Nars - Conealer - Ginger
A full coverage concealer in stick form. Not really much to say about it lol She used it just like any other concealer and I thought it did a good job covering these 2 HUMUNGOUS zits I had on my face. 

Setting Powder : I don't remember

Bronzer : Stila - Sun Shade SPF 15 - Shade 2
I don't use bronzer much. When I do, I've been using more cool/neutral toned bronzers for contouring and I don't usually use it for all over. This product is more bronzey...kinda more orangey toned...but NOT in a horrible fake way. It added a nice glowy and alive look. She dusted it all over my face. I think she may have added a bit too much for my liking. I will definitely look into getting a bronzer with more of this tone.
 
Blush : Nars - Blush - Desire
I requested to use this blush since it's on my wishlist and I just wanted to confirm whether I wanted it or not lol. Still love it, still REALLY want it. She did a really light dusting to show me its versatility. She also pointed out that another makeup artist was wearing it, she had a totally different complexion to me and it looked totally different on her but still amazing. 

EYES

I was pretty happy with the eye makeup. Many makeup artists tend to struggle on Asian eyes or just make us look all kinds of weird lol. Amy did a great job. Unfortunately I had a hard time capturing it in the photos. 

Primer : Too Faced - Shadow Insurance
A classic product. I already owned this. Makes your shadow appear more vibrant and fresh for longer. Reduces creasing. 

Eyeshadows : 
Stila - Baked Eye Shadow Trio - Gold Glow
She used the gold from this trio on the inner half of the lid and the brown on the outter half. Very pigmented and metallicy.   
Nars - Eyeshadow - Fez 
A medium-deep shimmery brown shade with I think a red undertone. She used this to deepen up the outter corner a bit.
Nars - Soft Touch Shadow Pencil - Aigle Noir
This was applied along my bottom lashline and smudged out to look really smokey and sultry. This black pencil actually had some gold in it which was really pretty. When I normally apply eyeshadow under my eyes and smudge it out, I keep it very close to the lash line. I always thought that smudging it too far down would make me look tired. So it surprised me when it didn't lol. I thought it looked really sexy and sultry. Definitely going to experiment with this more myself.

Eyeliner : Bobbi Brown - Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner - Violet Ink
I loved this! I am pretty conventional when it comes to eyeliners, I pretty much only use black and brown. But this purple looked wow. I'm so annoyed the camera didn't pick it up. She used it along my upper lid and also on my bottom waterline. I used to like applying eyeliner to my waterline. But for some reason stopped. So I hadn't done that in a while. When she applied some of this to my waterline, it brought back memories lol. Again I was surprised that the purple looked SO good! and lining my waterline added drama n definition as well as adding to the sexy sultry eye look.

LIPS

Stila - Lip Glaze - Amaretto
I'm more of a lipstick girl than a gloss girl. And definitely more into pinks than nudes. Amy decided to go with a nude lip, just to do something that I normally wouldn't do. I actually really liked the look. The lip glaze was pretty pigmented, shimmer free which I like, pretty long lasting and super moisturising. I really liked the colour. It allowed my natural lip colour to peak through a bit which I thought was really nice.



I think that was everything lol. I was really happy with the look. The highlight product for me was the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare - Alpha Beta Daily Skin Peel, love it, will have to save some money and build the confidence to spend that much money on a skin care product lol. I felt that Amy definitely achieved her goal of making my skin the stand out feature. My skin isn't the best in the world but she made it look and feel the best I've ever seen it. Hope you aren't too bored after reading that massive post.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture - Combination Skin (facial moisturiser)

NEUTROGENA® Oil-Free Moisture for combination skin is clinically proven to normalise combination skin by moisturising dry areas while controlling shine in oily areas for softer, smoother skin.
Clinically proven oil-absorbing MICROSPONGE® system controls oil and shine in the T-zone, or wherever skin is oily for a natural, matte finish all day. Oil-free formula absorbs quickly and won't clog pores, which can cause breakouts.

• Allergy tested
• Fragrance-free
• Alcohol-free ( contains no drying alcohol)

I've been using this moisturiser as my morning moisturiser for about a year now and I've been liking it. The bottle contains 118ml and costs just under $15 from memory.

The consistency of the moisturiser is a very light white cream. Not runny like a lotion nor as thick as a cream. This is perfect to use prior to applying makeup. It's very light, doesn't feel oily at all, absorbs into the skin very quickly so there's no waiting around when you're in a morning rush and doesn't leave any kind of film on the surface of your skin.

However this is definitely not a very moisturising moisturiser, so if you have dry skin or are looking for a richer moisturiser, this is probably not for you. But for me, I like using a very light moisturiser before applying makeup and as I have very oily skin, I don't need the extra moisture in the morning.

To address the claims of controling shine/oil and keeping you matte all day, for me it doesn't. But like I said I have very oily skin and I've never been able to find any skin care product or makeup product that has been able to combat that completely. I'm not too sure about the 'normalising your skin' part. I haven't noticed much of a change there. I do agree that it doesn't cause break outs or irritations.

I will probably continue to use this moisturiser for a while because I do like it and I haven't had any bad experiences with it but I am always curious to try different moisturisers to see if I can find something bigger and better.

Mini Update

Thought I'd throw this in lol. Like I said in an earlier post I've been on holidays after finishing exams. Sorry I haven't been posting as much as I would like. It's ironic how even when uni's off or whatever I still can't find the time to blog lol. Anyway, results for exams came out early last week and I passed all my units which is AMAZING. So I really want to reward myself by buying something, possibly a bag or coat...or maybe a high end makeup product... Any suggestions?

Well this is my last week of holidays before 2nd semester begins *cries.* Got so many things to do this week argh so I need to make the most of it, starting with getting my ass off this couch =P

Garnier Nutritionist Regenerating Daily Moisturiser Review

Happy (Late) Lunar New Year!

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while. I've just been really busy. I've been getting a good amount of hours at work, a lot of family new year dinners, my boyfriend just got back after 5 months overseas, my sister just returned from a holiday overseas, my best friend just started uni, only a couple of weeks of holidays left for me before uni begins this year...arghhh...too much lol


Anyway, back to the point of this post. I waited until I had used up the whole container of this moisturiser before doing a review. When I went to purchase a moisturiser, my plan was to find one that wasn't greasy because I have extremely oily skin, but I wanted it to have a good amount of moisture because I wanted to use it after my shower in the afternoons or before bed.

This turned out to be a very 'meh' moisturiser for me. When I first used it, it felt quite stingy especially around my eyes which surprised me because I do not consider myself to have sensitive skin nor sensitive eyes, so this was the first time this has ever happened to me. Over time the stinging decreased and disappeared.

One of its claims is that it is mattifying and I totally agree with that. It didn't take long to absorb into the skin, it's a pretty light formula and left your skin matte and not greasy at all. However it wasn't very moisturising, so I tried using it more as a daily moisturiser. Although I then encountered another problem. As I applied my concealer with my fingers over the moisturiser, I noticed that the moisturiser didn't totally absorb into the skin. The matte finish that it left was in fact kind of like a matte layer on top of the skin. So as I was applying makeup, kind of little rolls/bits of the moisturiser was coming off. It's kind of hard to explain.

Overall, this isn't a horrible moisturiser by any means. It didn't worsen my skin but it also didn't improve it. It just maintained it. If you have sensitive skin, I wouldn't recommend trying this due to the stinging.

I will not repurchase and I will be on the lookout for another moisturiser.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
Hope you are all having an amazing day with your family and friends and received many many pressies lol.

I'm having a very lazy Christmas as usual. I had a bit of a sleep in, then opened all my presents with my family and I've been watching movies and eating all day. I'll probably go to bed early tonight to prepare myself for Boxing Day shopping!! and I'm also working, so it's going to be a killer day tomorrow.

Anyway thought I would share my Christmas pressies I received today.

I got Kylie Minogue - Couture eau de toilette from my aunty.


My sister gave me a Conair light-up makeup mirror. I've been wanting a makeup mirror for ages!


She also got me this train case from Inglot, with a bunch of goodies inside.



+ Inglot black eyelash curler
+ Inglot travel brush kit
+ Inglot Long and Curly Mascara
+ Inglot Milk and Tonic Make-up Remover Wipes
+ Inglot Eyeshadow Palette with 6 shadows


Enjoy the rest of Christmas everyone!

Makeup Removers - Nivea v Inglot v Neutrogena

I am so backed up on posting and over the last week I was feeling really motivated to blog but my dad borrowed my camera since some of my relatives have come down to Australia. So I had to think of a post that didn't require photos.

Anyway, so I will be reviewing and comparing these 3 makeup removers on how they perform as waterproof eye makeup removers (mainly wp mascara). All of these are waterproof makeup removers.

Nivea Visage - 3 in 1 Waterproof Make-Up Remover

Price approx. $9
Size 125ml
Consistency cream
Claims Gently removes make up, eye make-up and long-lasting lipstick

This remover is absolutely hopeless and I very rarely hate a product. It does not remove a thing. After applying some of the product onto a cotton pad, holding it over my eye and then lightly rubbing, the pad was completely clean. Not even the slightest black smudge. When you start scrubbing at your eye, your waterproof mascara will just begin to come off. So really, the product does not do anything, it is the fact that you are scrubbing away that is removing the product. This remover leaves your face a bit oily.
I do not recommend this product at all.

Neutrogena - Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Price approx. $11
Size 112ml
Consistency liquidy
Claims Effective & gentle, removes even waterproof mascara, no oily residue

This is the most recent remover I've bought and I am very happy with it. It feels very light and removes wp mascara well. Of course you need to rub at your eye a bit but no dramas. I definitely agree that it feels gentle (but then again I don't really have sensitive eyes). Like it claims, it does not leave an oily residue. Maybe if you're being super critical, there is a tiny bit of residue.
Overall I highly recommend this, it is very effective and very affordable.

Inglot - Makeup Remover for Waterproof Makeup

Price approx. $15-20 (I don't quite remember)
Size 100ml
Consistency bit oilier than the Neutrogena remover
Claims (Nothing written on the bottle)

I really like this remover. It removes a bit better than the Neutrogena and feels a bit smoother when you rub your eye. However it leaves a really oily residue. I know a lot of people don't like this but I always wash my face with a cleanser after removing makeup anyway so it's no problem for me.

Overall I recommend both the Neutrogena and Inglot makeup removers. They both remove makeup effectively but the Inglot is slightly better. However the Neutrogena is much more affordable, accessible and doesn't leave an oily residue.

If you guys have any makeup remover recommendations I would love to hear them. I still want to find the ultimate wp mascara remover lol.

Anyway hope this post helps!

Biore - ULTRA Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Review

You know that typical scene in chick flicks...girl is just lazing around the house, when she gets an unexpected visit from the boy of her dreams. She opens the door forgetting that she still has a pore strip across her nose and is totally embarrassed when he points it out. Well that was what started my curiosity about these strips lol.

I have many many many blackheads/clogged pores (or whatever you want to call them) on my nose. So the idea that a product could just rip it all out in a single go was very appealing. So I decided to give the Biore - Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips a try. My friend raved about them so I had pretty high expectations.

I've used these strips 3 times now. The 1st two times I tried them I was very disappointed. After pulling the strip off and inspecting it, I found that very very minimal dirt was removed. So before writing up a review on them, I decided to try them one more time. Surprisingly, this time was more successful. I'm not sure why...I may have applied it better? There was a fair bit of gunk stuck on the strip.

Overall I think these are just 'ok'. They aren't miracle workers, they don't remove all the dirt and all those big blackheads on your nose, just the smaller ones. But they also definitely aren't just a silly gimmick. I will probably continue to purchase.

Shopping for the ball

This is just going to be a really short post. Well next Thursday I am going to my first Law Ball which is pretty exciting =) So i went out yesterday and bought a few things and thought I'd share my purchases with you.

Here's what I bought:
- Silver heels/peeps - "Miffy" from Novo.
- Hollywood Tape - from Priceline
- Gel foot cushions - from Priceline