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Review: BH Cosmetics Take me to Brazil Palette

Recently I’ve been inspired by the different types of eye makeup I see on the internet. However, I realised my eyeshadow collection consisted mostly of neutral, brown shades. I particularly wanted to try out cut crease eye looks and the colourful sunset eye looks that have been popping all over social media. My goal then was to find a palette which contained a variety of popping colours that can help me achieve more colourful looks. I also wanted to purchase an affordable, but good quality eye shadow palette that wasn’t going to cost me an arm and a leg. So, I did some research over the internet and stumbled across BH cosmetic’s Take me to Brazil palette, and it was like love at first sight.

I added the product to my cart since there was a special promotion on the eyeshadows. This was my first time purchasing from BH cosmetics, and to be frank I didn’t have high expectations since the product was inexpensive (I think the palette was under $30).  Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.

Website Description:

Inspired by the illustriously memorable Brazilian parade, Carnival, the Take Me To Brazil from BH Cosmetics includes 30 eye-popping eye shadows in a rainbow of shimmery, satiny and matte colours. These wild and exotic reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, blues and purples are accompanied by a lustrous white and matte black that will help you add a spark of mystery to your look. These colours are formulated to endure even the most humid conditions so you will look beautiful and be flake free all day and evening long.

Unfortunately, this particular eyeshadow palette isn’t available on their website anymore, and shortly after I purchased the palette a new version came out with more colours. I was a bit bummed out, however the old palette is still cheaper and the eyeshadows weren’t reformulated so this review will still be relevant!

The product arrived in under three weeks, which isn’t too bad considering that its shipped from the US. What surprised me about this palette was the packaging is a lot better quality than it appears on the website and it is a bit smaller than I expected.

If I purchase affordable cosmetics I’m not too fussed about the packaging if its functional, I remember when I showed my boyfriend this palette he thought it looked like children’s makeup. However, to my surprise the cardboard palette is sturdy and closes securely with a magnetic clasp. There’s also a good size mirror in the palette which is a big plus.

This palette contains mattes, shimmers and satin shadows.

Swatches:

I will comment on the colours from left to right, and then grade the overall quality of the eyeshadows at the end. Note that the shadows were swatched using an eyelid primer for added vibrancy.

 Matte yellow: a bit of kickback but overall the colour is pigmented and can be layered.

Shimmery red: very pigmented but a lot of fallout.

Matte red: swatches like a beautiful brick red shade. Quite smooth.

Satin pink: Swatches well and is a beautiful hot pink colour.

Matte pink: One of the least pigmented shadows in the palette, requires a bit of layering. 

Matte yellow: decent pigmentation, will require layering for a more intense colour.

Shimmery gold: beautiful colour, a bit of fall out but swatches nicely.

Matte orange: good pigmentation

Shimmery orange: very pigmented

 Matte lime green: very difficult to swatch, not very pigmented

Shimmery yellow: not as pigmented as the other shimmery shades in the shadows

Satin orange: good pigmentation

Fluro green: not very pigmented, hard to swatch

Shimmery teal: gorgeous colour, swatches beautifully and contains golden specks.

Matte sky blue: not very pigmented, a bit patchy.

Dark green matte: more pigmented amongst the matte shades.

Satin sky blue: swatches well.

Matte blue: swatches well

Satin blue:  More pigmentation compared to matte shades and better texture

Shimmery dark blue: darker blue shade with golden reflects; swatches well.

Shimmery blue: Swatches decently; contains silver reflects.

 Matte Lilac purple: decent colour, okay pigmentation

Satin purple: good pigmentation, a bit patchy

Blue/purple satin: good pigmentation

Pink/burgundy satin: great pigmentation, smooth texture.

Matte black: Pigmented but a bit patchy

Matte white: pigmented but a bit patchy.

Overall: 

I think the shimmery shades performed the best, it was the most pigmented shadow and it had a nice buttery texture. The only downside to the shimmery shadows in this palette is that there is a bit of fall out. Some matte shades were a hit and miss. They were not as smooth as I would have liked, but in saying that it isn’t too hard to work with. I think you just should be patient and layer the colour a few times. I think the satin shades had nice pigmentation and were overall a better texture to work with than the matte shadows.

Eye Looks

Here are some looks I’ve created using this shadows. Note that my makeup skills are still lacking so it won’t be the best eye looks you’ve seen but I’ve tried!

Sunset look I created on my beautiful friend. 

Pink, half-cut crease my friend did for me.

PROS:

Ø  Affordable

Ø  Good quality for the price

Ø  Functional packaging

Ø  Wide range of colours

Ø  Not difficult to work with

CONS:

Ø  Some shadows have quite a bit of fall out and some need building up

Ø  Pans are small so its hard to fit my finger in there if I decide to apply my eyeshadows with my fingers.

I rate this a: Four out of Five 

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Etude House Dear Darling Tint

I remember one of my first ever Korean cosmetic product was a lip tint. A lip tint pretty much completes your Korean make up look, remember when Korean lip tints were a trend? I use to always do a Korean gradient lip look a few years back, but now I’ve been obsessed with liquid lipsticks. However, Etude House is coming back with a new version of its ‘dear darling tint’, and I think I am going to jump back on the lip-tint bandwagon.

Just how adorable is the packaging, no matter my age I am always going to have a sweet spot for Etude house’s packaging, and probably Korean products in general. I think this range has a good amount of colours which are perfect for creating any Korean gradient lip look. A colour I think is different from your usual lip tints is the light, frosty pink shade which almost looks like a glittery gloss.

I’m in love with the shade ‘PK004′ and will probably be picking that one up soon. What do you think about this collection?

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Disclaimer: all images belong to their respective owners

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Review: Canmake Cream Cheek

This is a long overdue review, however I wanted to shed light on how I felt about the popular Canmake Cream Cheek Blush. Normally, I am not the biggest fan of cream blushers and I tend to avoid purchasing them because I personally find that they are harder to use than a powder blush. But since there is a lot of rage about how great this product is, I just had to try it for myself. The colour I purchased is 14 - Apple Cream Red. I just read the description of this colour, and Canmake claims that this particular shade will- ‘create the cheeks of a baby with this red.’ That’s hilarious.

So let’s start with the packaging of this product. This product is a 580 yen product, so really you can’t expect much from the packaging. The blush is housed in a thin, quite flimsy packaging. The whole product is quite small in comparison to other blushes, probably half the size of a Mac blush. I do appreciate the little cute detail of the plastic bow, I thought that was a cute touch.You honestly can’t expect much packaging wise from a product that is that cheap, so I really can’t complain.

The formula on this blush is lovely, it’s very smooth, creamy and can easily be blended just by using your fingers. It is also very buildable, however I like to only use a tiny amount and spread it on my cheeks to give a very natural blush. Obviously from a blush you don’t want it to be too pigmented because that can make it quite difficult to work with. I like this blush since it goes on with just the right amount of pigmentation to my cheeks.

The shade I purchased is  a beautiful red colour with a slightly cool undertone, so I think this colour would look gorgeous on girls with lighter and cooler skintones.

Overall I like this product even though I do not typically use cream blushes. This is a great product I always bring when I have a night out and can’t be bothered to take a powder brush and a powder blush with me. This is so convenient, small and easy to carry around, and the quality is spectacular with the little amount you pay!

Pros

Good pigmentation

Buildable

Easy to blend, great texture

Affordable

Wide range of colours to choose from

Cute packaging

Convenient to use

Cons 

Nothing!

I rate this a: 4 1/2 out of 5!

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FESTIVAL EDIT ☮

Hi guys, I hope you all had a fabulous start to the New Year. Mine was spent at Field Day, which is a music festival held in Sydney and it was such an awesome time despite the gloomy weather. I thought it would be a fun idea to share with you guys some of the products I used to my first ever music festival.

First of a nude lipgloss (pictured is Kylie Jenner gloss in ‘Like’ and Nars gloss in a Christmas collection) was a must for my look since I wanted to draw attention to my eyes and the gems I stuck on my forehead. Next is Mac’s blush in petal power which is one of my favourite blushes for its lasting power and gold shimmer. Next featured are some cute nail polish strips which I thought were cute to use. A must bring to a music festival is a setting spray, I used Urban Decay’s All nighter setting spray, this product is absolutely amazing! It holds your make up in place despite the weather. An eye primer is also a must have for an extra pop and extra lasting power for any eyeshadows (pictured is Etude House’s Proof 10 Eye Primer). For my eyes I wanted a shadow that was very, very glittery, so I decided to use Urban Decay Moondust in Cosmic. 

I relied on Hourglass’s mineral veil primer as a base to increasing the lasting power of my make-up. Also something cool about this primer is that if water hits your face your make up won’t slide off. I also bronzed up my face with my favourite bronzer by Nars called Laguna. Festivals are one of the times where you can put crystals and temporary face tattoos on, so I used a Festival tattoos pack I bought from Collete. One depressing thing that occured during the festival was that before I even got in my Mecca Sunbrella got confiscated since it was a liquid.  I was so devastated, the only reason I bought the product was because I could put it on top of make up without ruining it. I can’t believe I forgot this product but a highlighter is also a must for any festival! The cheeks need to pop! Finally, for my lashes on top of using some falsies, I coated them with Too Faced Better than sex mascara. 

Here’s my eye look I attempted for the day using Too Faced Chocolate bar palette and Urban Decay moondust eyeshadow.

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Review:Eco Tan Organic Invisible Tan

Summer is only a few days away, and what’s nicer than having that healthy summer, bronze golden skin without having to sun bake in the scorching Australian summer sun. As much as I love the warmth, the sun isn’t always too good for the skin. To be honest, I have never tried a self-tanner before, so when Bronze, an Australian store contacted me and asked if I would like to try out a self-tanner by Eco-tan I was eager to try it out. You guys also know how I love using  organic skincare products, and Eco-tan Invisible Tan is exactly that, so I was not worried about the product being harmful for my skin. 

I received the package from Bronze in a couple days, so shipping is extremely fast. Bronze’s offers a variety of tanning products so you are spoilt for choice, there is free delivery over $50 and you can pay with Paypal, which makes the online shopping experience so much easier and convenient. 

Product Description:

“Invisible Tan is an organic self tan and moisturiser that nourishes your skin without any synthetics or toxic ingredients. The product goes on clear and turns into a gorgeous honey tan for rich colour in just one application. It is recommended for light-medium to deep olive skin tones. The colour in the tan is derived from cacao (chocolate) so it does not contain green or orange tones. Beautiful colour, moisturised skin and, you will even smell divine, since it has a lovely soft note of Roseflower. Suitable for face and body. Eco Tan are a healthy alternative to self tanning with no hidden nasties. Eco Tan are the first and only tanning company to be certified organic by the Organic Food Chain, under the Australian Government’s organic and biodynamic standards. Eco Tan products also do not contain synthetic ingredients or GMO’s. 100% Vegan.” – Eco Tan  

I love the ‘invisible formula’ from this product, if you’ve used a self-tanner before you may realise that the residue may stain your clothes and your sheets. However, with the Eco Tan product you can even apply it right before bed and not worry about it staining your sheets! I thought that was pretty amazing.

This lotion is a white, light texture that doesn’t take long at all to apply onto the skin. Once applied it leaves a nice golden tint to the skin’s surface, which of course develops into a darker shade over the eight recommended hours.

After I took a shower and made sure my skin was clean I rubbed the tanner generously over my legs. It dried like a moisturizer would and I left it on for eight hours before showering. I noticed the immediate difference in one application, good bye white legs! As you can see from the before and after picture  it looks as though I have gotten 2 shades tanner/darker. Of course, if you don’t want a lighter tan you can mix moisturiser with the tanner.

Overall this product was so easy to use and had no terrible scent. I think its a fabulous product for the summer to get a beautiful sun-kissed glow without having to tan in the sun!

Pros

Organic and made with all natural ingredients

No off-putting scent

Invisible formula which doesn’t stain sheets

Immediate results after one application

Produces a pretty, natural looking tan 

Cons

Nothing!

I rate this a: 5 out of 5

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disclaimer: although this product was sent to me for review purposes any opinion stated in this post is 100% my own.

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Review: Griffin + Row Enrich Night Cream

I’ve always been interested in trying out a night cream, most times I only use a cleanser, toner and a daily moisturiser which works but sometimes I feel like I still need a better boost of moisture. However, night creams are known to target anti-ageing and provide deep moisture that tend to be more nourishing and hydrating than your usual daily moisturiser. So recently I’ve been trying out a night cream from Griffin+Row, an Australian skin care brand that uses quality and natural ingredients in its skincare and puts a lot of emphasis on sustainability. The fact that all the products in Griffin+Row’s product line is free from harmful chemicals, artificial ingredients and is suitable for all skin types (including sensitive skin!) made me a lot more comfortable trying out their skincare. Maybe it’s just me, but I am sometimes hesitant to try new types of skincare unless I know it will be gentle on my skin. 

The Griffin+Row product I am reviewing is today is called the ‘Enrich – Antioxidant night cream’ which retails for $42 Aud (75 mls). I think this is a reasonable and rather affordable price, given that night creams are generally more expensive than daily moisturisers as they have more benefits. I received the product in a cute little box, all wrapped up with the night cream inside. I also appreciated the instruction and information pamphlet which came in the box.

Description:

‘ A luxurious antioxidant night cream enriched with a higher concentrate of centess+complex used to boost the efficiency of Nourish daily natural moisturiser. Apply regularly to your face and neck to reduce the visible signs of ageing. Use nightly and whenever your skin needs extra nourishment to rebalance dryness and regain natural radiance.’

The packaging for this product is simplistic and of high quality.  A lot of night creams I’ve seen comes in jars, although that may look more luxurious I actually prefer tubes as it’s more hygienic. If you bring your skincare around with you a lot due to travel or whatever reasons, this is very convenient to carry around, since it is lightweight and sturdy.

The night cream itself contains ‘centess complex’ and natural botanical ingredients, I will give you guys a brief comment about the benefits of some of these ingredients:

Macadamia oil: softens skin, reduces inflammation and also itchiness.

Almond sweet oil

Soyabean oil

Aloe vera leaf juice: Soothes and moisturises skin.

Avocado oil: nourishes skin and has anti-ageing properties. Contains vitamins A, B1, D, E and beta carotene.

Jojoba oil: moisturises skin and also has anti-inflammatory properties. It contains vitamins E and B.

Rosemary extract

Natural vitamin E

Shea nut butter: Soothes skin and nourishes dry skin.

Rosehip oil

Lavender oil

Pink grapefruit oil

Bergamot oil

Rose oil

Seed extract

What’s great about their ingredients is you actually can tell they are not chemicals and it is all natural.

The scent of this night cream smells like a mix of lavender and rose to me, overall a very floral scent that’s not too overwhelming. To be honest, it smells like most organic skincares to me (a very earthy scent). The cream is quite thick but when you start rubbing it in it becomes a thin consistency that’s almost watery. It feels lightweight and extremely nourishing. I haven’t experienced any negative side effects using this and no break out whatsoever, the only thing I have found is my skin feels a lot more hydrated and moisturised after I use this skincare. It also absorbs into the skin’s surface quite fast and doesn’t leave a greasy film. You might think 75 ml of product for this night cream is not a lot, but a little goes a long way with this product!                                                                                                                                                                                      

Overall I am happy with this product and have loved adding it to my daily routine! The natural and beneficial ingredients contained in this product gives me confidence that I’m treating my skin right and slowing down any signs of potential ageing.

Check out Griffin+Row’s products at their website: https://www.griffinandrow.com/

Pros

Affordable

Simple, sturdy and hygienic packaging

Speedy shipping (came in two days)

Nourishing and hydrating night cream

Good consistency cream that doesn’t leave a greasy film

Domestic and international shipping available

No breakouts

Locally made!

Cons

Not too much of a fan of the scent (I prefer fresh, zesty scents)

I rate this a: 4 out of 5 

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disclaimer: although this product was sent to me for review purposes any opinion stated in this post is 100% my own.

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Review: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

I'm excited to release this review for one of my all-time favourite product, in fact this is my second bottle, so I can safely say that I am adamant about my positive opinion about this product. The product I'm going to rave about is Etude House's Proof 10 Eye primer, my saviour for hot, sunny days and the reason for the longevity of my eye make-up.

Description: Proof 10 Eye primer supplies coverage to eyelids and around the eyes to enhance eyeshadow colour and integrity lasting.

The eye primer is housed in a cute, iconic Etude house shaped packaging with a doe foot applicator which I absolutely love as it makes it easy to control how much I apply.

The texture of this product is thin and a bit watery. I love how effortlessly and evenly it spreads across my eyelids when I use my fingers to blend it out  and how it is almost a translucent colour.

Of course, I had to test this out and see if the primer does make my eyeshadows appear more pigmented, I will be using my eyeshadows from my Sleek palette. As you can see from the photos the eyeshadows are much more intense. So for those who think an eye primer is just an extra step in your eye make-up routine, think again! I've notice that this primer makes my eye shadow last for the whole day and prevents smudging, its especially great on hot days.

With the price of $7.50 I don’t think I'm going to try out another brand for eye primers, this one is super affordable and works amazingly well!

Pros:

Affordable

Cute packaging

Makes eye shadow more pigmented and last longer

Smudge and crease proof 

Easy to work with texture

Cons

None!

I rate this a: 5 out of 5

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Day 1: Tokyo Disneysea

Almost a year later and I’m finally coming around to posting my travel blog post on my trip to Japan, but you know what they say, better late than never right? I thought it would be a good time to start writing things about my trip now, I’m quite shocked its almost been a year since my trip to Japan. Hopefully, although I’m quite late on this (I’m a terrible blogger, I know), I hope this post would be somewhat interesting or insightful for you guys if you want to know a little bit about Japan or your planning to visit there one day.

Just a little insight about me as a traveller, I love food and I think food is a good place to start if you want to experience not only authentic cuisine, but a country’s culture. So of course right when I landed in Japan and after me and my sister checked into our cosy hotel in the city of Shibuya we went to grab a meal. I had tonkatsu-don and it was so good. I love the wooden spoons you get in Japan too and all their bento meals!

The first, official day in Japan I went to Disney Sea and this was to celebrate my 18th birthday. Yes, quite ironic I know, instead of going for drinks (legal drinking age in Japan was 21 anyways) I went to a children’s theme park. The Disney Sea staff gave me a sticker for my birthday, and basically all day any staff that saw me would tell me ‘happy birthday’, I’ve never got so many birthday messages in a day.

I went to Disney Sea on a weekday, yet I was surprised how long the lines were and how many people were there. I felt like Disney Sea were more for the Japanese locals than tourist. But the first ride I went on was the ‘Tower of terror’, that moment I found out that I was a true scaredy cat. To be honest, it’s not even an extreme ride but I managed to break my glasses somehow on there so…. That sucked since that meant everything was going to be a blur for the rest of my trip…

I loved all the different ‘lands’ in Disney Sea and I definitely felt like I was transported into some of my favourite Disney movies. Honestly spending my birthday at Disney Sea was like a good time for me to reminisce my childhood, say goodbye to it and say hello to adulthood and responsibilities. I still have fun now nonetheless, just less carefree.

Of course, a highlight of any trip to a Disney theme park is to eat all the cute themed food! Pictured above and below is this steamed meat bun and a sea shell shaped ice cream. So adorable!

I’d say the world that represented Aladdin was probably my favourite, everything looked so beautiful and grand.

I thought the European village was also pretty nice, now I don’t have to go to Europe. Jokes!

For dinner, I had The Little Mermaid inspired meal. Did I mention how cool all the fake food are at Japan, they look so realistic! The meal overall was mediocre, its more instagram worthy than anything.

They had some fireworks and a Disney parade on the water. Since I went close to Christmas time, a lot of merchandise and events were Christmas themed.

The Toy Story ride was the most popular ride at Disney Sea, so I didn’t manage to go until 10 pm at night, but it was well worth the wait!

I hope you guys enjoy this post, I didn’t blabber on to much because lets be honest, pictures are more entertaining than what I have got to say. I still have a few more Japan trip posts lined up, so stay tuned if you liked this one! 

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Review: ESJ Lady Gorgeous Skincare

Growing up I had sensitive and acne-prone skin, so after that phase past me the only skincare I used were those that were organic and suitable for sensitive skin since they seemed to work best for me. Besides from organic products being good for your skin and free from conventional beauty ingredients that can at times be harmful for you, it’s also better for the environment. I recently finished my organic skincare moisturiser and cleanser so I was on a look out to try a different product. Luckily ESJ, an Australian skincare company that produces organic skincare, contacted me and asked if I wanted to try their product ‘Lady Gorgeous’, of course I agreed since I love organic skincare products. 

ESJ delivers their products using express postage and it is free no matter how much you spend. To be honest I never tried express postage because most online shops don’t offer it free so I was pleasantly surprised how quick this product arrived to my door (it only took two days!).

According to ESJ their product ‘Lady gorgeous’ is suitable for every skin type and is perfect for sensitive skin. They also claim that their two step skincare product “delivers an effective wholesome approach to naturally preserving the integrity and life of your skin”. So far it sounds like everything I want in a skincare product. To be honest I like how it’s just two step, I think any skincare routine which consists of more than three products is tedious, and since I’m still quite young I don’t think I need that much products and I enjoy having a simple skincare routine.

Description

Cleanse

Perfect for sensitive skin our gentle cleanser is rich in antioxidants and Bio-Actives to effectively replenish and hydrate whilst removing impurities from your skin

Moisturise

Hydrate, repair and nourish your skin on a cellular level with our remarkable vitamin C and Bio-Active rich face and body moisturiser

Before I get into the product itself I want to talk about how gorgeous and luxurious the packaging is. The products are packed in a sturdy, luxurious pink box which contains pretty rose petals in it (which makes the box smell amazing). Opening the box made it feel like I was at a luxury spa or resort, it was great! I love the feeling of using nice stuff so I love how well thought out the packaging is. It definitely makes a great gift for yourself or a family or friend since its suitable for any skin type. You can’t go wrong!

The product itself is packaged inside a study, plastic bottle that is shaped into a woman’s silhouette. It really looks like a perfume bottle! The cap is clearly labelled and the dispenser is good quality and disperses an appropriate amount of product.

Cleanser

The cleanser has a sweet scent with orange notes. It’s very creamy and allows me to massage my face using it since it doesn’t absorb. I think it makes a great everyday cleanser since its very gentle and my skin doesn’t feel stripped when I wash it off, instead it feels smoother and moisturised. I’ve gotten no negative reaction from it (so it really works for sensitive skin!). Most of the organic products I use has this really  raw scent which isn’t always pleasant so I really like how these products have a sweet, fresh scent that isn’t overpowering and makes the product more pleasant to use. I also find that this cleanser does a good job at cleansing my skin, since when I wipe my face with a cotton pad after cleansing there’s no dirt or residue on it.

Moisturiser

The moisturiser has a similar scent but smells fresher and lighter. What I love about this moisturiser is how light it feels and how easily it absorbs into my skin. It’s non-sticky, lightweight and makes my skin feels smooth and radiant after I use it.

In addition to being organic this product is also Australian made and owned and vegan!  

You can find this product and their other products (they also have skincare that caters for men) on their website here:  https://www.esj.com.au/. The product I am reviewing today retails for $89 for the pair of product that is 200 ml each. I think it’s worth the money, honestly when it comes to skincare I can spend a bit extra because I personally think its important that only good quality, natural products are used on my face so I can achieve healthier looking skin.

Pros

Vegan & Organic

Australian made and owned

Quality, luxurious packaging

Suitable for any skin type, especially sensitive skin!

Lightweight moisturiser formula

Calming and sweet scent

Cons

Nothing!

I rate this: 5 out of 5

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disclaimer: although this product was sent to me for review purposes any opinion stated in this post is 100% my own.

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Thefaceshop x Disney

The Face Shop has recently released a new make up collection in collaboration with Disney featuring some of my favourite Disney characters I grew up with such as Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and Mike from Monster Inc. Click on ‘keep reading’ to check out the adorable collection!

The Face Shop CC and BB cushion pact 

20 000 KRW

The Face Shop Eyeshadow palette

20 000 KRW

The Face Shop  eyeshadow pencil 

6000 KRW

The Face Shop  eyeliner 

7000 KRW

The Face Shop  all-proof mascara 

14 000 KRW

The Face Shop ink gel stick 

13 000 KRW

The Face Shop  watery tint

4500 KRW

The Face Shop tinted lip balm

7000 KRW

The Face Shop  hand cream and hand wash

6000 KRW

The Face Shop nail polish 

3500 KRW

Which product are you interested in? 

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Tune in: July

This month has flown by fast, mostly  because I’ve been on a break from Uni, but I still can’t believe we’re more than half way through the year. I thought I’d keep up with my monthly tune in post, especially since there have a few songs that I have been listening to on repeat this month. Enjoy! 

Ta-ku & Wafia - Love Somebody

If you guys haven’t heard of Ta-ku and Wafia, they are both Australian artists and I love all their songs individually. I love their new song ‘Love Somebody’ for its atmospheric vibe, the vocals of course and also the lyrics.

Snakehips ft. Zayn - Cruel 

I’m pretty addicted to this song and its a great song to sing along to.

Sophia Black - Ovr Again

I stumbled across Sophia Black on Spotify and I love her new album, a favourite song of mine being ‘ovr again’. The lyrics are also great and they’re basically about parting with someone you love and closing the door of opportunity to continue their romance.

Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez - We don’t call anymore

I’m sure most people have heard of this song, I’ve literally been listening to it after I first heard it. 

DVSN - Sept 5th 

DVSN is an R & B artist signed to Drake’s music label, and oh my his voice is heavenly. To me he sounds a bit like The Wknd but better. This is my favourite song in his album, take a listen!

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Review: Etude House Dear my Blooming Lips-talk

I bought these Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips (chiffon) awhile ago since I found some nice nude toned colours which I thought would be perfect for the Autumn and Winter season. Also, Lily May Mac collaborated with Etude House to come up with this beautiful nude lipstick which I had to have since it looked so beautiful on her. 

Description: Gently cozy chiffon texture & light weight thin chiffon glow.The lipstick makes the lips look attractive with vivid color and sensuous texture.Chiffon texture? Soft moist cream and vivid color, long-lasting matte best of both types, chiffon.Chiffon textures fills the wrinkles of lips nad lasts for a long time.

I bought the two shade: BE109 and BE110  hoping that in reality the two would look pretty different from one an other since I didn’t want two lipsticks of very similar colours. I think it’s great to see nude lip colours becoming more popular in Korea.

The packaging is very cute, as expected with any Etude House product. I think the light pink package and its scallop detail is very pretty and I prefer it over their older packaging since it looks a lot more sleek and a bit more mature. The only thing that I’m not a fan of is that the lipstick feels a bit flimsy when I use it, and I don’t think the lipstick is screwed on very securely to its base. 

 I have to admit that sometimes buying nude colours is difficult, I’ve had experiences where I thought a nude lip colour would suit me but it has turned out to be too light, which made me look sick. So I was a bit skeptical when I bought these lipsticks. Luckily, they complement my skin well, but out of the two I have to say I like the BE109 more. 

I think BE109 (the colour that Lilymaymac endorses) is a beautiful nude shade with slight hints of coral, which adds a bit of warmth to the shade. Since it is not cool-toned I think this colour will complement different skin types. I’m not very pale or light-skinned and this colour seems to suit my skin well.

On the other hand BE110 is almost reddish colour with coral undertones. I was pretty disappointed by how the colour turned out since it looked nothing like the model where the colour appeared more of a nude/mauve.

The texture of these lipsticks remind me of MAC cremesheen lipsticks, however the finish is slightly glossy. It feels very lightweight and moisturising and rarely accentuates imperfections unless my lips are very dry that day.

The pigmentation is decent however I tend to use 2 layers to achieve a more solid colour. I’m not bothered by it since the product itself is very buildable.

In terms of lasting power it’s pretty good. I had coffee and the colour didn’t budge. I’d say overall these lipsticks last around 4-6 hours.

SWATCHES

Overall I enjoyed using these products and I think it would be suitable for people wanting to see how nude suits them, since the nude colours in this line is subtle and not intense. I think this is a colour I will reach for a lot during the winter season. 

Pros

Moisturising

Good lasting power

Easy to apply

Creamy and lightweight

Buildable

Cons

Packaging is a tad flimsy

I rate this a : 4 out of 5 

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Colourpop Haul + Mini Reviews

Lately I’ve been purchasing quite a lot of lip products and I think I should be banned from buying any more.  Since I’ve been getting into matte lippies, mauves and nude colours I decided to turn to Colourpop to find these types of products I don’t currently own. Of course, this lead to the inevitable haul and now I have enough lip products to last me for life. Since this post contains quite a lot of products I will try my best to give you guys concise and short reviews on each product I bought, and hopefully you find it useful since Colourpop products are not available at a physical store so you can’t test them out.

Lippie Stixs

So first off, I bought lippie stixs in ‘Cami’ and ‘Lumiere’, both of these shades are matte (Cami is a matte X formula). I’d describe cami as a pinkish, warm nude tone which really suits my yellow undertone skin. Lumiere on the other hand is described as a dusty mauve pink and this has got to be my favourite out of the two and I wear it constantly. The texture on these lippie stixs are awesome, they glide effortlessly on my lips and does not accentuate any dryness, therefore they feel really comfortable. The pigmentation is also excellent and it lasts on my lips for a solid 4-6 hours’ even if I eat or drink. I’d definitely recommend this product for its high quality yet low price.

I rate these: 5 out of 5

Ultra Satin and Ultra Matte Lip

My second purchase are the Ultra-satin and Ultra-matte lips. I have ‘Dopey’ in the ultra-satin which is described as a ‘dusty mauve’. I love how this product glides on my lip, the texture is smooth and soft and feels really light when its worn. The lasting power is also pretty great, lasting 6+ hours. It’s a must that your lips are well moisturised before you apply this product or else it may feel a little dry.

The Ultra-matte lips I have are in ‘lumiere 2’ and ‘beeper’. Unlike the lumiere lippie stix, lumiere 2 is a lot more purple, it’s a super pigmented and intense colour. On the other hand, beeper is a ‘mid-tone taupe’ colour which is said to be a dupe for Kylie Lip Kit in Dolce K. If you’re not into dark lip colours or you find them hard to apply, I wouldn’t recommend this. It is also super important your lips are exfoliated and well-moisturised because the ultra-matte lips will definitely cling to any dry spots. The product itself applies smoothly and dries within 1-2 minutes’ matte. Just be careful when you apply it because it’s easy to make a mistake and you will find it super difficult to remove. I tried removing it with an oil-based make up remover and it was still difficult. I found beeper to be more brown than I anticipated, I will attach a photo of myself before using it with the lippie pencil ‘bff 2’.  All in all, I don’t think this is an everyday lip colour and it takes a lot of time and patience to apply.

BFF 2 x Beeper. Don’t mind the snapchat filter

I rate the Ultra Satin lip: 4 out of 5

I rate the Ultra Matte lip: 3 out of 5

Lippie Pencil

I purchased three lippie pencils in lumiere, dopey and bff 2. I love these lippie pencils, they are so buttery and easy to apply. The pigmentation and lasting power is great and I love how Colourpop makes lippie pencils that can be paired with their other lip products.

I rate this: 5 out of 5

Sculpting Stix

Last but not least I purchased a non-lip product which is Jaime King x Colourpop Sculpting stick. I was a bit annoyed that after buying this product which came in one shade, multiple new shades came out. The colour of the contour in New Renaissance was a lot darker than I anticipated, however the colour actually came out very subtle yet it was pigmented enough to chisel my cheekbones. It was quite easy to blend given that I blended it quickly. Overall I like the creamy texture of this product, however this is my first time using a cream contour so I have to play around with it more often before I decide how I truly feel about it.

I rate this: 4 out of 5

That’s it for my review guys, I hope you enjoyed the post and its somewhat helpful. Overall I think Colourpop products are affordable (I wish their shipping rates were cheaper though) and very good quality. It goes to show that you don’t necessarily have to splurge on expensive lip products.

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[hiddengemx3]

Gudetama x Holika Holika

The release of Holika Holika’s new collection with Japanese Sanrio character ‘Gudetama’ definitely gave me memories from when I was in Japan, where you practically could find some sort of Gudetama themed product in any store. Well, Gudetama is basically an egg character that everyone seems to be in love with, I think it’s pretty cute and weird. Holika Holika’s new collection features a wide range of Gudetama products from skincare to nail products and of course makeup. Keep reading to find out more!~ 

Holika Holika x Gudetama Jelly Blusher 

8,900 KRW 

These blushes are adorable and come in a dolly pink, and light peach shade. It’s more of a cream/jelly texture blush, which I find usually gives off a very natural flush to your cheeks. 

Holika Holika x Gudetama Face 2 Change Photo ready cushion

22,900 KRW 

How cute is the packaging! If I would buy these cushions I would have a difficult time selecting which packaging to choose since they all are so cute.

Holika Holika x Gudetama Melting Lip Button

10,900 KRW

I’m surprised at how vibrant these colours look, I imagined them being more like a sheer balm. I can’t get over how cute the cap looks!

Holika Holika x Gudetama Cushion puff

8,000 KRW

This is freaking adorable, I love the little detail of the bacon strapped across Gudetama. Seriously I would buy myself one of these if it wasn’t so expensive online.

Holika Holika x Gudetama Character Mask Sheet

2,000 KRW 

Holika Holika x Gudetama All Kill Cleanser Oil to Foam 

12,000 KRW

Holika Holika x Gudetama Smooth egg peeling gel

7,900 KRW 

This packaging is so weird and cute, I love it. Actually probably out of all the products in this collection, I’m the most interested in trying this product out.

Holika Holika x Gudetama All in one Master

23,000 KRW

Holika Holika x Gudetama  Cleansing tissue & All-in-one Mask sheet

2,500 KRW

Holika Holika x Gudetama Dry Shampoo 

10,000 KRW 

Holika Holika x Gudetama Nail Kit

5,900 KRW 

The nail egg stickers are just too adorable.

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Tune in - May

I’ve been absolutely bogged down by uni work and other stuff which has been stressful, but I thought I should blog about something since it’s something I enjoy doing and kinda take my mind off things. I realized I haven’t done a ‘tune in’ post in a while, so I thought today was a good chance since it’s almost the end of May. We’re almost halfway through the year and it’s absolutely crazy how time has flown. Anyways, I’ve gathered my top five favourite songs of this month, hope you guys take a liking to them too! (click on the title of the song to take a listen to it!)

Honne ft Izzy Bizu: Someone that loves you

If you guys have read my other ‘tune in’ posts you may recognise that Honne are one of my favourite artists. The song is always catchy and the lyrics are always nicely thought out and are actually meaningful and relateable. Someone that love you features female artist Izzy Bizu and is basically about the guy whom this girl loves but he can’t seem to choose between her or another girl. The song ends up being like a dialogue between the girl and guy speaker about their conflicting emotions. Sounds deep I know, but the song itself is quite upbeat compared to Honne’s usual tracks.

Matt Corby - Knife Edge

I was hooked on this song for the longest time, and although Matt’s Corby new album ‘Telluric’ was great as a whole, I found Knife Edge to be one of the best songs. Similar to Honne, Matt Corby songs always have deep and meaningful lyrics.The chorus and its lyrics is the best part of this song and really the lyrics is an analogy of a knife edge. The speaker is on a knife edge with someone he loves, although they’re great times in their relationship he can’t help but feel down about it. Basically in summary the song is about the high and low points in a relationship. 

Lana Del Rey - Video games

This isn’t necessarily a new song, but its still great. Typically I’m not into Lana Del Rey much (besides her song young and beautiful), but I was recently introduced to Video Games and its a beautiful song. The way I see it, this song is Lana reminiscing about her past relationships. 

Weston Road Flows - Drake (unfortunately this song isn’t available on Youtube so I can’t link it)

I’m loving Drake’s new album, and I feel like a lot of his songs remind me of his song in his earlier days (I’m thinking trust issues era and stuff). Nothing much to say about this song lyric wise since its more about him, but its a great song to listen to. 

Too Good- Drake feat. Rhianna 

Sorry, I can’t help it but I’m putting in another Drake song as my favourite this month. This song is a pretty chill and catchy song in my opinion. No surprise, this song is about relationships, specifically a couple who think they put a lot of effort into the relationship without anything being reciprocated. Also, having their expectations set high but not feeling like it is satisfied, thus leaving them feeling like they’re too good for one another. 

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instagram // facebook

[hiddengemx3]

Why have red roses when you can have rainbow? Can't stop staring at how cool and gorgeous they look ❤ #thegroundsofalexandria #alexandria #cool #rainbow #roses #flowers #gorgeous #floral (at The Grounds of Alexandria)

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Review: Sckinny Maninny Juice & Soup Cleanse

I hate to admit it, but sometimes when I’m too busy I have little time to prep healthy meals and actively be conscious of what I’m putting in my body. I feel like that’ll would be the case for most people with busy lifestyles. So when I was offered an opportunity to try out a detox program where your meals are essentially prepped for you for the length of the program I was keen to give it a go.

At Sckinny Maninny there are seven detox programs to choose from, but each detox program will suit different needs. Choosing the type of detox program was not a huge issue, although I had heaps of choices. On their website the description of each detox program was very clear in communicating what type of lifestyle would suit a specific program and more useful information. I ended up going with the ‘ACTIVE Juice & Soup cleanse’ which is suitable for people who:

have recently started a new exercise regime and still need a few extra calories

have a very active lifestyle and feel you might need to keep your energy up

generally eat more than your wife/partner and want the cleanse with most calories

Once you choose a detox program and the length of time you want to do the program for and when you want to commence the program, the juices will be delivered fresh on a daily basis if you live within 20 km of Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney.  

I think having the juices and/or soup delivered on a daily basis is a great idea since you know that you’ll only be drinking the freshest juices/soups with no preservatives (cause they’re bad for you). 

When the juices arrived at my door it came in the cutest little Esky with a small card inside which explains some do’s and don’ts  and how your body may respond to the juices/soups. Along with a card message which is both inspiring and informational. On top of that, I received an email on a daily basis which also gives you some tips and more advice and information on the detox program itself. I think that’s what I like about the program, your not alone when you do it and there’s always information available if you are unsure. 

Along with the juices and soups they also gave me some tubs of seeds (one per day) to have something to chew on, a bath soak that draws out body toxins, psyllium husk in the case I lack fiber and some detox tea bags!

The ACTIVE Juice and Soup Cleanse detox program I chose to go on contained 13 types of juices/soups over the three days I was on it, so it never got boring. Now one of the most important things for me is that the juices/soups should taste good or I would have such a difficult time drinking it. Some were okay, some were quite nice, but I had my favourites that I thought tasted really good and unique. My top two were definitely ‘Schkinny rocket orange show’ which contains orange, rockmelon, mint, cucumber and apple and I also enjoyed ‘Schkinny Water frog’, which contains  watermelon, orange, spinach, kiwi, parsley. 

My Experience: 

Most of the drink/juices tasted good and in particular the juices felt refreshing. I have to admit that going on this detox was quite a challenge for me since I was on it on days I went to Uni, so sometimes I didn’t have much of a break to drink all the juices/soups. So if your interested on going on the detox, I recommend you to set some time aside so you can follow the program properly. 

I love how the juices can be freshly delivered to your door, I think its this kind of personalised service that makes the experience more easy and the emails they send out makes sure your on the right track. Since I was only on three days, there was not much change too my body on the outside, but definitely internally I felt more energised and healthy. I have to add that on the second day it didn’t feel too great, but I think that’s just  my body adjusting to the detox juices/soups. However, by the end of it I felt better, lighter and healthier.

I definitely recommend you to try this if you need that quick detox, need to shred those extra weight, or maybe your too busy sometimes to cook something healthy, because at Schkinny Maninny everything is done for you and delivered right at your doorstep.

These detox programs start from $59, but the price really just depends on the length you want to be on the program. To find more information about Schkinny Maninny visit their website here: http://www.schkinnymaninny.com.au/collections/juice-detox-programs/products/just-the-juice-cleanse?variant=210107823 

disclaimer: although this product was sent to me for review purposes any opinion stated in this review is 100% my own