Review: Tsubasa DollyWink Eyeliner in Black and Liquid

Have you found an eyeliner that

A) does not smudge badly or fade all day

B) Does not stain your skin

C) Removes easily and gently

D) Looks tres tres mignon in your make up bag

???????????????????

I've found mine and I cannot get enough of it! So much so that I think I've reviewed it twice, cos sometimes you really like a product the first time round but then still go and try some other brand, only to realise that you had it right the last time round -_-

Pics~

Making the most of EVERY milimetre ^___^ <3

Review: Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse

OK. For the first time in my life, I wear foundation almost everyday now, just on the centre of my face - nose, cheeks, between the brows and chin.

Why?

Because I have found the perfect bargain high quality product that cuts it for me.

I hate feeling like I'm wearing makeup; worst - I hate seeing that I am wearing foundation, and my skin looks dry and powdery - not nice for Adelaide's dry climate.

This foundation promised baby smooth skin. And it was under $25 so I thought, why not? I think I'm at an age where foundation will do me good, great skincare regime or not, and I've tried many many many drugstore brands over the years, none of which satisfy my quota: light, TRULY NATURAL, and under $30.

And I have FINALLY found it!

Second best to this is ZA, but it is more suited to a night out, matte look. For everyday wear I still want a slightly dewy base, cos lets face it, if it looks close to perfect it is natural and hence - 'maybe she's born with it'!

Of course, don't neglect your cleanse, tone, moisturise and SPF 30+ beforehand ^__^

Here are some pics to prove it~

one layer, how real is this???!!!



From a slight distance it looks like NATURAL SKIN!





Even my beau agrees xxx



 

Review: Dove foaming makeup remover

Clean and healthy skin is Happy skin that glows, as featured in ViVi January 2011 magazine.

I cannot stress the importance of a good skincare regime to remove all makeup and impurities after a long day or night. And a facial cleanser itself is NEVER enough.

You have to use a good eye makeup remover that also removes waterproof mascara but at the same time does not irritate your eyes or your skin, a secondary makeup remover for the entire face and finally a facial cleanser suited to your skin type.

My skin is normal in the warmer months and combination in the cooler months and I adjust my products accordingly.

Right now, I am loving L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise Gentle Lip & Eye makeup remover, it is a no fail for smudge proof eyeliner and waterproof eye makeup. Always remove eyemakeup with gentle wipes (love Johnson & Johnson pads as they don't lint) and DO NOT pull on the delicate skin around the eyes. Hold a remover drenched pad over each eye for 5 SECONDS and gently wipe off. Next use a cotton bud soaked with remover to remove bits that still require cleaning.

Secondly, use 3 pumps of the Dove Foaming Makeup Remover on DRY HAND AND DRY SKIN. Move in small outward circles over every area and every nook and cranny of your face and neck. Rinse off with tepid water (never hot or cold).

Finally, using a small amount of face cleanser, repeat the above step and rinse off.

Gently dab skin dry with a soft towel.

Pat on your toner (Nivea Young and apply a good quality moisturiser (I'm currently using Jurlique Herbal Recovery and Jurlique Balancing Day Cream).

Are you doing this currently? I finally started to do so and my skin is actually more radiant and my pores smoother than before (they were hideous prior and I couldn't understand why face srcubs did nothing)

Try it and let me know the results after a week >_^ xxx

Product review - Olay Total Effects with a Touch of foundation

Wow is all i can say about this product.

I've been using the normal Olay Total Effects for a month or two and have been quite happy with the results. Its not too oily and I dont need a drawer full of eyecreams night creams day creams etc. So, when they recently came out with a touch of foundation, I was only too keen to update!

The basics of the product remains the same, good quality moisturiser and treatment in one with SPF 15 for sun damage protection. I was only worried that the foundation would look weird with my Asian skin tone. To my suprise, the foundation tone blended with my natural tone just as it said is would (products that keep their promises are SO romantic!!) and wemt on only a smige heavier than a tinted moisturiser and the result was almost flawless for average skin without any major blemishes or scars.

Please refer to the pictures in my last couple of posts for the results.

Product Review - Dolly Wink eyeliner in Black & maxi BONBON Lip Concealer in nude pink

Now, all of you who know of Tsubasa Masuwaka whose famous for her Popteen modelling days and also being the most famous Hime Gyaru would also know that she launched her makeup line under the wing of Koji cosmetics. Being a sucker for cute packaging and also trusting the Japanese to come up with makeup that works I could not resist grabbing her DollyWink black eyeliner to try out. Not only was the price reasonable (AUD$22.00) but the result was amazing compared to other similarly priced drugstore brands and even bigger brands that cost $30+ a pop!

The packaging is sublime. The liner goes on BLACK as charcoal, thick in pigment and precise. The pencil is ALWAYS soft despite it being freezing cold here. The product does NOT smudge all over my lids and the best bit - it comes off with a single swipe of a cotton pad with eyemakeup remover.

What else would you want from a eyeliner, I ask of you???

Apparently lip liner is not heard of in Japan; rather, they use lip concealers to really REALLY get the nude lip look.

Curious as ever, I got myself the maxi BONBON lip concealer from Kawaii on Gouger St. to see what this lip concealer thing is all about.

Here are some pics on both products:

Love the little pout on the cover. Nail lacquer from Sportsgirl $7.95...

...nude azz...

...great packaging for a greater product...

...single line (bottom) and layered line...

...eyeliner only and clean lips before maxi BONBON...

...complete with maxi BONBON and a touch of ModelCo semi clear gloss to finish!

(All pics taken in natural lighting)

Ok,the lips look great, but after a Cibocino it yells out to be reapplied. The only other option I've got so far is to go back to using the Bodyshop lipliner in Salmon and ModelCo semi clear gloss on top, whereby only the gloss needs to be reapplied. I dont want to resort to stay-on lippie as yet but am definitely scouting for alternatives once these items have been used up!

Product review: CANMAKE Loose Cheek #01

Canmake blushers are a must for that peek-a-boo cheeky and they come in two forms - cream and loose powder.

After much contemplation I decided to try out the loose powder first, purely because I've never really used cream blush before and am not sure about rubbing cream into my already sensitive skin!

Anyhow, I am so into this Japanese brand blusher right now, even if the ingredient list is in a language I can only read a few characters of! The effect is so subtle but effective! The color goes on EXACTLY the same as you see in the cutest ever container, and the most irrisistable part is the adorable puff that comes with a pink little bow, tres girly yet tres tres sexy at the same time!

I tried to demonstrate the color on my wrist but it doesnt seem to show as well. but works perfect on the face.

Skin Care product review - L'OCCITANE Amande et Pomme series

Rajita took me to the Burnside shopping mall yesterday to do some groceries.

Burnside is now the Yuppie of Yuppies place to be; the carparks actually have red or green lights above each parking space for quick identification of an available parking spot; rumour has it that Tiffany & Co opening up a store there, the only Mecca Cosmetica is there, and the place is full of rich housewives and their SUVs (hence the carpark indicators I suppose, you cant really see much pass this car size) with their Baby Bjorn prams and LV day bags scuttering around the shopping 'Village'.

I found out later that RayOfSunshineJita's ulterior motive for bringing me there is to get me a present from L'Occitane!!  

^_^ !!! Do you feel the love???

The product is an Almond and Apple face exfoliant which I tried out this morning (despite being sick as a dog).

The exfoliant is made from crushed almond shells; The base contains apple extract to refine skin's texture, and apple cider vinegar to tighten pores. It also contains almond oil which left my skin soft and supple (like it said it would).

Now here's a product that actually does what it says it would, no more no less: Arent we all sick of spending hundreds only to pay for un-environmental packaging and marketing costs to make up fancy lies?

Looks like Apple Sauce, no?  ^_^ !!!

Love you Raj xox!!!

Au revoir straighteners, Bonjour curling iron!

vMy purple Babyliss straighteners were recently removed from (a 6 year) storage as I need it to curl my fringe out of my eyes. After much practice (and youtube-ing) I still do not like the effect it gives, theres just something about straighteners that I am not 100% content with.

So following the instructions from a Popteen mag scan, I ventured to Kmart (times are hard on the wallet) and got myself an el cheapo AUD39.00 Remington Professional series Curls Curls Curls curling iron. Note that this review link shows a product with 3 curling barrels, the one I got only comes with 2.

The result is a much more softer style, a fringe that I can style at night and wake up and go, and if I wish , make gorgeous spiral or tumbling curls as the product comes with 2 barrels, one 19mm and the other 32mm and brush sleeve attachments, and the lot as noted in the review link.

The straightener is now stored in the Remington box and put in storage, whilst the curling iron now rests (it will need it!) in my bathroon Ikea woven basket!

The results can be compared using the pictures from the previous post as that one was done with the straighteners. Any questions just ask and I will endeavour to answer your queries!

Instructions...

...tumbling curls...

...here Ive used the larger barrel on my fringe, the mag scan uses a smaller one, hence the difference.

Final verdict - I think the curling iron works better for Asian hair as our hair has a very very strong structure, and has a lot more shine due to the flat surfaces of our hair shaft whereas the caucasian hair shaft is rounded.

So shine factor already in-built, all we need is softness and thats what this baby gives us! It feels much much less damaging too as you dont drag your hair through the thong, bust just hold it in place with the clip:

Less Friction = Less Breakage.

Barenecessities - face

There are many things a girl cannot live without...actually too many to name in one posting! Lets just do everyday face in this post, no?

I'm not into the nudie look - it somehow makes me look ill unless I wear foundation and powder with it (and I HATE wearing foundation...will hold off as long as my age allows me to!); But I do love the au naturel/fresh look -

• bitten lips
• blushed cheeks
• fresh eyes
• groomed brows and
• simple released-from-bun hair for my everyday identity.

Barenecessities face...

-Blistex Strawberry lip balm to give my man that yummy sweet strawberry taste after a smooch *wink*

-Natio (I strongly support their concept) 'Love Me' tinted lip balm for that full lipped, matt glossy and slightly bitten look.

-Loreal Beauty Tubes - If it weren't for LBT, I would never have bothered to wear mascara daily, ever. All other products, no matter how much I have been willing to risk paying, have managed to smudge, and worst of all are yucky to remove.

-Revlon ColorStay brow enhancer in Blackened brown - comes complete with a highlighter you can dab on you inner eye corners and lower lid to give you that I-just-woke-up-from-10hrs-sleep look!

-Maybelline Line Stylist in Black Sparkle - now this, I have gone through a whopping 3 of (I have never finished any makeup product other than two ColorStay black eyeliners). I replaced the first one with a slate waterproof liner from MAC and (gasp!) MAC loss PANTS DOWN to this little sexy baby! Line Stylist does not smudge, is not waterproof (washes off very easily), does not need sharpening, and has a nice sparkle through it that actually brings out the sparkle in my eyes (as if?)! ***And most importantly, DOES NOT STAIN THE EYE AREA (darling, you'd be surprised where your dark eye circles come from esp. if you wear eye makeup often)***    hint-warm up pencil before use

-Natio blusher in Rouge Glow - this is similar to my carry around Bourjois Rose de Jaspe blusher, but with more of a reddish-pink tone (great for Asian coloring) than apricot-rose tone.

-Nivea Q10 anti-wrinkle day cream SPF15 - not pictured -(this wins hands down over a Jurlique and Olay moisturiser I've tried; but is on par with the Dior Hydraction cream). I tend to have drier skin in winter and much prefer the slightly glowy look than the matt sandpaper look that's kinda in fashion now (we're talking about style here, not tendance my dears, remember?!! refer to my first posting )

So now, I can at least pull my stuck stiletto heel out of the pavement without worrying about looking drab at the 5pm public transport run!

typical before......and........

...after pics!