Sweater Weather TAG!

Sweater Weather is HERE! FINALLY in Hong Kong! Yayyyy!

So, I was not tagged by anyone, but I just really want to do this tag, so here it goes!

1. Favorite candle scent?
    Noel By Crabtree and Evelyn
     I don't really burn cnadles in my house but I have this scent in the C&E scented teddy bears, it is just the BEST cold weather scent EVER!.

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
   Hot Chocolate all the way!
   But the occasional coffee is great for bleary mornings and tea is awesome for IKEA ginger biscuits.

3. What's the best fall memory you have?
    The time I spent Term breaks at home all snuggled up with a cup of hot chocolate. =]


4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner? 
   ooooooh can I say both? 
     But for everyday, I think winged liner is easier to rock

5. Best fragrance for fall?
    Body by Burberry

6. Favorite Thanksgiving food?
    Although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in HK, I love Turkey and gravy.

7. What is autumn weather like where you live?
    Hot Hot Hot until mid November. =[

8. Most worn sweater?
    Uniqlo Emerald Cardigan

9. Must-have nail polish this fall?
    A dark purple/burgundy color. Mine is bourjois's 1 seconde nail polish in 12 Rouge obscur.

10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?
   I wish there are leaf piles for me to jump in here in HK.
   Would really want to try to watch an American Football game though.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?
   Can I opt for the hybrid?
   I love my Uniqlo legging pants. They are the best invention ever.

12. Combat boots or Uggs?
     Combat boots all the way.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
     We don't have it here T-T. I would love love love love love to try it.

14. Favorite fall TV show?
       2 Broke girls and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?
     lately, it's Royal by Lorde




So that's it Folks!
What are your sweater weather favourites?

NOTD: Revlon chroma chameleon in Amethyst

Amethyst

I have to say that is the BEST fall/winter nail polish in my collection yet
 The effect is so pretty and the formula is amazing. It is quite runny and watery, but it doesn't gloop together like essie nail polishes when you accidentally put too much on.
One coat will give you a mostly green transparent coat, two coats and its already opaque but with a slightly hazier transformation from green to purple. Three coats and it is futuristic heaven.
Amethyst shines a dark green when you put in in direct lighting and is a georgeous shimmery purple when "under the shade".
Although I have to say it looks prettier in the bottle than on nails, since in the bottle it really shows the two holographic colors, which on the nails the contrast is not as prominent.

But still, it's pretty as hell.

Repurchases

So I've finally finished up my Reve de Miel lip balm and got a new one (lasted me for 7 months!!!) and decided that I should make a post about my repurchases.

NUXE reve de Miel (2nd pot)

The BEST lip balm I've ever had, it's not sticky nor does it taste disgusting; lasts a long time; and protects your lips better than anything. Full review here. (shameless, shameless plug in, I know)

KATE designing eyebrow N in EX-5 (2nd palette)

This is the multi-tasker of the multi-taskers. This works great as an eyeshadow if you are willing to put in the effort to really layer the color (because since it's an eyebrow powder it's not as pigmented as an actual eyeshadow, duh). The darkest color is great as a crease color on top on cream eyeshadows (works wonders on top of Maybelline color tattoo in Bad to the Bronze) or mix the middle and darkest color for a natural bottom liner that smokes out beautifully. Use a big fluffy brush and mix all the colors together and you'll get a face contour that is almost impossible to overdo and looks incredibly natural (because the colors are very cool toned, it really mimics natural shadow well)

SOFINA jenne Day Protector I SPF24 PA+++ 

(2nd tube of this SPF, have used SPF 50 one for more than 3 bottles)

Simply because it's an awesome non oily SPF moisturizer. It's so hard to find SPF moisturizer for oily skin with SPF higher than 15. In Hong Kong, SPF 15 cannot protect you from anything. It's also non greasy, doesn't make you oily and really moisturizes your face. It's also available in a thicker formula for drier skin and in SPF 50 PA+++ (which also gives you a more matte finish)

LA ROCHE POSAY Effaclar Duo (3rd tube)

Mild chemical exfoliator for the face, helps keeps the pimples at bay and for milia to clear up faster. Full review here

COVERGIRL lash blast length water resistant 

(3rd tube, if you count Max factor's dupe then at least 5)

Great natural looking long fluttery lashes, DOES NOT SMUDGE (With my oily skin and Hong Kong's heat and humidity, the most waterproof mascara smudges on me and I cannot swipe it off, hideous sight). Cheap and awesome, what more could a girl ask for? Full review here

BASTISTE Dry Shampoo (3rd-4th bottle)

Great affordable dry shampoo that cleans out greasiness, does not leave white residue and curiously looks even better when you have put it on day old hair, and went to dance class to sweat again. Also gives amazingly natural volume to your hair.

UGB Crystal BB cream (3rd tube)

Although awefully pink and grey when you first apply it, give it some time and it will adjust (slightly) to a more natural color. VERY natural coverage, does not cake, quite long lasting AND high SPF and PA protection. On lazy and not so sunny days, I just slap this on and pretend I took care of my skin. 

KOJI eye talk eyelid/eyelash glue (2nd bottle)

This is supposed to be eyelid glue so you can fake double eye lids naturally (No mean comments please, I am not trying to look white, and am tired of ignorant people saying Asians desire double eye lids to look white, some of them do, but not all of them, certainly not me. Double eyelids occur in oriental asians naturally, not all Asians are born with monolids) But this also works amazingly as eyelash adhesive, I found the "long lasting" eyelash adhesives to be too sticky and difficult to clean off after using, this does not give me the problem and gives you great control of where the glue is going.

July favorites 2013

So yeah, monthly favourites.

My skin not been so great this month, so I've been focusing more on using the correct skin care (as in not just slapping on the effaclar duo and call it a day).

I've been loving the Kiehl's Ultra Facial oil-free toner sample that I got a few months ago, although it's not alcohol free, it does not feel drying. I'd say that this is a hydrating toner, it leaves the skin feeling moisturized but really fresh at the same time.

So I've been having breakouts that my tea tree oil won't even really speed up the healing with. I got the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Spot Wand when my friend got it (I think it was buy two and get discount or something). It turns out to be really good. There's a night side and a day side, the night side is the milky side, that heal without drying and the day side is clear and is a tad more dry. It encourages the white pus and impurities in my pimples to surface and therefore heal faster. It also serves as a substitute to my constant picking of the pimples, whenever I want to pick them, I whip this out and apply on to areas where needed.

I've also been skipping out on foundation a lot this month and only sticking to concealer, highlighter, bronzer and powder. It sounds like it's more than what I normally wear but although I've increased the products I used I have decreased the area that has been covered up by makeup, so less melting of the face (Hong Kong is trés hot during this time of the year). So I usually just conceal my blemishes and undereye with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light (I am finally tan enough for this not to show up as a dark pink on my skin) then highlight the cheekbones with the Lancome teint miracle in #01  and lightly contour with my Topshop Bronzer in Mohawk.  

June Favourites 2013

Summer Summer Summer!
It would've been a good thing if HK wasn't so damn hot and humid.

Since I've skipped May favourites (because for the life of me I CANNNOT remember what I used during that month.) I decided to do a fuller more action-packed!June Favourites =D

So For June, I have been LOVING these products:

For the first half of june, I've been using the UGB BB cream because it has very high SPF on cloudy or lazy days I'll just whip this one with out sunscreen underneath and hope for the best (of course on extra sunny days I ALWAYS layer my sun protection ;) ). The BB cream is actually quite pale and has quite a pink undertone and everything I have is either too pale or a little too orange for my skin now, so I FINALLY went to pick up another powder foundation (it's summer, everyone's entitled to be lazy). So I picked up the Shiseido Maquillage Tulle Powdery UV Foundation in OC20 which is a perfect balance between my darker T-zone area and paler cheeks, and I have been applying it with my trusty Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I also got the Shiseido Maquillage Concealer Stick EX in number 2 to go with the foundation. This concealer is creamy enough to go on the undereyes and sets enough to cover blemishes and blends into skin easily with fingertips.

I've also been trying to get into the habit of filling in my brows lately, I have quite full brows to begin with but they are always a tiny bit less full at the end and I also want to elongate them a bit, so I have been using the TOPSHOP Brow pencil in Spike to fill in the ends of my eyebrows. And as the weather is becoming hotter, mascara is becoming easier to smudge. On me in this kind of unforgiving weather, waterproof mascaras are even worse, not only do they smudge, but because they are waterproof, the smudges are impossible to wipe off. I find that the lash blast length in the water resistant formula (though definitely not waterproof and therefore not pool/beach proof) hold up even better than waterproof mascara as it is less likely to be broken down my my oily lids. 

And since Summer = lazy (at least in my book), I've been just using pH reactive lip products, on more natural days, I use the Maybelline baby lips glow lip balm (sorry, I forgot to include it in the pictures) for naturally tinted lips and on days I want a brighter pop of color I go for the TOPSHOP lip tint. 

I've been looking for a mud mask for a while now, am my curiosity spiked when I saw Fleur De Force's review on Borghese's Fango Mud Mask. Then fate intervenes and I spotted a bargain at Colormix for the 200ml size for just HKD$99. I HAD to get it!!! And it does work wonderfully, it draws out the small sacs of impurities in my skin that makes up the comedomes and pull them to the surface enough to be squeezed out (grotesque imagery I know), My skin has been so much better since using it.
Lucky me for FINALLY getting my hands on a travel sized Shu uemura cleasning oil, I've been ACHING to try it but is very hesitant in buying the gigantic bottle. The fresh cleansing oil is a god send for oily skin, light and does not leave a balmy finish on the skin, but dissolves every inch of your makeup. I don't even need a separate eye makeup remover anymore for waterproof mascara or eyeliner (usually I need to use a cotton bud/cotton wipe for between the lashes) it just dissolves everything, even gunk between your lashes that takes forever to take off. I also got a travel size of MUJI's mild cleansing oil, just to compare and contrast with the Shu Uemura one, I found the MUJI oil is a bit thicker and takes more time with splashing to emulsify and take off than the Shu Uemura one.


MUSIC FAVOURITES:
Me and Mrs. Jones --- Michael Buble
Please Don't Say You Love Me --- Gabrielle Aplin
Cry Me A River --- Julie London
Fly Me to the Moon --- Lisa Ono
Can't Help Falling in Love --- Ingrid Michaelson
Star Spangled Man --- (soulful rendition of the Captain America soundtrack) Sanura
https://soundcloud.com/megbodoun/star-spangled-man
Mannequin --- Trish
Populaire Soundtrack

MOVIE FAVOURITE
Populaire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6upoz9I7eg

Bare Minerals Foundation trial kit -- TRY. BELIEVE. LOVE

The BareMinerals foundation line has long been popular and very very hyped up. They also put out some very big claims out there. "Makeup so pure you can sleep in it", I definitely cannot.

Although it claims to be a makeup product that is supposed to be gentle to the skin, the original formula and the concealer contains bismuth oxychloride, an irritant to the skin (maybe not for some of you, if you are lucky) which my skin is not able to tolerate.

I have been wanting to try the foundations for a long time now and have heard a lot of good things about their foundations and how a lot of people with acne prone skin swear by this foundation. So I was looking at the Sephora website and stumbled upon this kit, it costs USD 20. I figured this will be a nice way to get introduced to the brand and see if it is really that gentle to the skin. (it's not for me =[ )

You can purchase the set in different shades, I have this in the shade light. I am really surprised that I am already in the "light" shade range, considering that the foundation color turned out to be just in time for summer (I do not think I can pull it off in the colder months). The set comes with mini sizes of the original and matte formula of the foundations in Light (described by BM as "for light skin with golden undertones"), the concealer in summer bisque, the mineral veil (setting powder) and two miniature brushes (full flawless face brush and the concealer brush)

Clockwise from top left: SPF20 concealer in summer bisque, Original SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder

Left: Mini Full Flawless Face Brush
Right: Mini Concealer Brush

Swatches Clockwise from top left: SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque, Original SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder

The miniature brush is REALLY small, very compact, great for travelling

It is very unfortunate that this once again proves that my skin does not bode well with mineral foundations, especially those infused with bismuth oxychloride. These are my opinions on each of the products contained in the kit.

Original SPF 15 Foundation
This really gives a very 'lumnious' finish, I find it too dewy for my liking for a powder foundation. It did not really feel better than my other powder foundations, to be honest, I think these mineral foundations make my skin feel dry and slightly taut. Plus because it contains bismuth oxychloride, my face is kind of itchy just twenty minutes into wearing this foundation.

Matte SPF 15 Foundation
I had really great hopes for this foundation as it does not contain bismuth oxychloride, but it had still broke me out after wearing it three days in a row. I will probably just reach for this when I'm in a hurry. I have to say that the finish isn't really completely matte, but rather just less dewy than the original formula. But I have to say that it really looks very much like real skin. Although it is a 'matte' formula, it has little to no oil control and you do need to powder with these foundations.

SPF 20 Concealer
I think it is very odd that they have about five times more foundation shades than they have concealer shades. The color matched with the foundations could not be more different, the concealer is really pinked toned and looks a lot lighter than the foundation. It is claimed to be 'creamy' and works for both blemishes and under the eyes, but if odd lighter patches on your skin and ghostly grey and DRY undereye area is your kind of thing then go ahead. Plus bismuth oxychloride equals unflattering and breakout.

Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder
Oddly enough, I think this is the only thing in the set that does not wreck havoc to my skin and actually feels kind of nice. It is a very silky smooth translucent powder (although it does look awfully pink in the jar). It feels very light on the skin and you cannot over powder with this as it does not mattify your skin completely (but that also means not very much of oil control).

Mini Full Flawless Face Brush
This brush is awfully small and cute (sorry, I have a thing for small things like babies shoes and miniature sized products). The hairs are pretty dense on the brush, but not very smooth, bristles can be quite hard and stabby if you push it too hard at your face (I tend to do that). But it is perfect for travelling and on the go

Mini Concealer brush
This is just a very typical fibre concealer brush, I don't really love these brushes since I don't think they really do anything other than placing product to where desired (unlike fluffy synthetic brushes that place AND blends flawlessly) but it is quite decent sized considering it is a miniature sized brush. I think this will be more useful for lining the eyes and blending out liner.


So, I tried and did not believe and love.
I hope you guys out there have better luck with these mineral products.

NOTD: another one coat polish and my quick dry products

So I decided to try out one of my new conquests from Topshop today and was DELIGHTED to find out I only need one coat of crystal clouds for full coverage. Another time saver! And the best thing is even with just one coat, it does not look uneven or look like its just one coat, the shimmer (near glitter) was applied evenly with one coat. The brush (thought not as thick as the Nicole by OPI ones) was great in distributing the polish an does not leave streaks like Essie brushes.

I've been meaning to talk about nail drying products for quite a while now. And everytine I do a nail post I forget to photograph my babies. Without them I won't even bother painting my nails because they will take AGES to dry.

I have discovered that KATE do a quick dry spray last summer, since then my life is completely changed. I explored more nail polishes because I know no matter how many coats I put on, just a quick spray, then everything is dry within 30 minutes tops. If I am only applying one coat of polish, then I can resume normal activities within 3 minutes of putting it on. It is a compressed gas bottle and it feels very icy upon application (cold helps nail polish dry faster). But a downside to this product is that you do need to let the nails dry for a minute or two before you spray, or the droplets from the mist will create dimples in your polish. But this spray is a complete steal, it is just under HKD 40 and I am already on to my second bottle if the stuff.

To avoid the aforementioned problem, I ventured out to try the more traditional drip dry oils. I have this one from Nicole by OPI, which is slightly pricer at HKD 80 a pop. But I find that this takes longer for nail polish to dry, or probably it's because the oil does not evaporate as quickly as the KATE spray. This will not affect the finish of your polish what so ever, an feels quite 'nourishing' (since it is an oil).