Staycay Skincare

Cutes and I went for a staycay last weekend, just for one night. He reminded me to pack light because I always overpack and get grumpy when I have to lug my heavy bag around. So I stared at my arsenal of skincare and debated what to bring for over a week.

I took along:

• Eye and lip makeup remover: Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Facial Sheets
• First cleanser: Etude House Real Art Moisture Cleansing Oil (foil sample)
• Second cleanser: Belif Creamy Cleansing Foam (30ml mini)
• Hydrating toner: Kikumasamune High Moist Lotion (in Daiso travel bottle)
• Moisturiser: Muji Sensitive Moisturising Milk High Moisture (50ml)
• Lip occlusive: Vaseline Lip Therapy Crème Brulee

I thought everything worked great, but I just wanted to highlight the major dud here, which was the EH Cleansing Oil. I got this in the AB meetup swap last month, and I thought it would be a great alternative to try, since DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is sooo mahal. Also, I didn’t feel like carrying around the full-sized DHC one for a one-night getaway, so the fact that this came in a foil packet was quite appealing to me. I was shocked by the strong unpleasant, fake citrus smell. It also didn’t feel as thick and luxurious and slippery on my face as the DHC. So, even though I had like 2 more uses left of the oil, I left it in the hotel room because I am never using that again. The smell was such an insult to my senses, and it also lingered sadistically for the next couple hours or so. I just read Fiddy Snails’ blog post on this, and she hates it too, for similar reasons and more.

I also wanted to comment that the Biore sheets are pretty handy for eye makeup removal. I always do a pre-cleanse of my eye and lip makeup with the bi-phase makeup remover from L’oreal or Maybelline, but I didn’t wanna bring a bottle of that along, so the Biore sheets are nice and portable and do the job just as well. Of course, the Biore sheets are pricier per use than the makeup remover, so I’d use the sheets for short periods of travel, and the makeup remover for home.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the small volume of supplies I brought along for the staycay, and my skin seemed happy enough, even in the really hot weather outside and the really dry weather inside. I think I could build on this minimal travel routine for next month’s two-week trip to Perth. I figure I’ll skip the hyaluronic acid (because low humidity), buy a more airtight travel bottle for my Kiku decant, and bring lots of gels and creams and stuff.

October 2017 Empties

I had a really impressive amount of empties in October, so I split them up into three categories so I won't feel too overwhelmed. I'm trying to do this whole buy new only when you empty the current one, so it's important that I don't buy any duds.

From left: The Ordinary "Buffet", Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream Moisturiser, Bioderma Sebium Micellar Water, Phasilab Ice Cream, Murad Acne Body Wash, Belif Aqua Bomb, Clinique All About Eyes Rich, Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream, white soft paraffin, DHC Suncut Q10 Ex Gel

Love = would totally repurchase 

Murad Acne Body Wash 
I got this when Gothamista recommended it for, well, body acne, duh. It’s expensive, as all Murad products are, at $80ish for 250ml of product. However, I only use it on my back, chest and butt, so I managed to make it last from March, which is an impressive 7 months. I think that’s a nice comfortable stretch, no? Also, it really does work. I used to get painful cystic acne on my back and other smaller pimples on my chest, and they went away after a week of using this on alternate days. I bought this one at the Sephora 20% off sale earlier this year, and I just repurchased its replacement during last month’s Sephora 20% off sale. If I do happen to use it up more quickly, it goes for about $5-$10 cheaper on Lazada, so there’s that.

DHC Suncut Q10 Ex Gel 
This was the first new sunscreen I bought after I got into skincare this year. Prior to that, I’d been using the SK-II one, which I wrote about in my September Empties post. At first, I was slightly unhappy with this sunscreen, because I thought it left my skin feeling a little greasy, so I went and bought lots of Biore mattifying sunscreens after that. But then, my skin decided to turn from oily to dry, and now I love this sunscreen for its moisturising properties. It also spreads well, which is more than I can say for the SK-II version. It doesn’t leave a white cast, and I noticed that this is a physical sunscreen (can’t pick out the chemical ones from the ingredient list), so that’s amazing. I just repurchased one last Friday, because I can’t bear to use my mattifying sunscreens on my dry cheeks.

Belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb (Deluxe Sample) 
I already finished a full size of this in September. It’s still a great light moisturiser. The only problem is that it’s Belif, so it’s like $1/ml, which – whutt. Since my skin transformed from oily to dry about six months ago, I mostly used this in the day, or just on my forehead and neck. I’ve totally run out of the Aqua Bomb now, but I’m testing the new Water Bomb in its place. So far, the Water Bomb is more, well, watery, but it doesn’t seem to absorb into my skin as quickly. It’s also cheaper, because it’s $58 for 75ml. Once I decide which I prefer, I’ll repurchase that.

Bioderma Sebium Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution (Micellar Water) 
I bought this after watching Stephanie Nicole’s skincare video around April this year. It’s amazing how this feels gentle on the skin, but somehow manages to remove heavy foundation and eye makeup (well, maybe not Heroine Make mascara, but whatevs). However, I think it’s pretty pricey compared to other brands’ versions. Also, I now prefer oil cleansing over micellar water for my first cleanse, so I was just using this for cleaning my neck at night, HAHA. Anyway, I have like 40% of a large bottle of Garnier micellar water to use up, so I’ll repurchase this once I’m completely out, then. I heard the Hydrabio and Sensibio ones are good too, so I might try one of those instead.

White soft paraffin 
I got this from my doctor when I went in for my extremely dry and chapped lips. It really helped ease the pain and it’s a good occlusive layer that doesn’t murder my lips like lanolin does. I have no idea where to get a replacement – I’m sure there’s a markup if I repurchase this at the clinic – but in the meantime, I’m using a Vaseline Lip Therapy over my existing Vichy Aqualia Thermal lip balm, which does the job.


Meh = won’t repurchase, but I’d use it again if someone gifted it to me 

The Ordinary “Buffet” 
This was in my Twelve Pans of Christmas for r/MakeupRehab, so I was pleased to finish it. I didn’t really see any effects with this serum, and it also smarted slightly if my skin was especially sensitive that day. I do like the texture, though, because it’s a viscous clear liquid that is slightly sticky when I finish patting it in. I know, I’m crazy for enjoying sticky toners and serums, but I just feel that they are more substantial than watery toners, and they give my face a nice chok chok effect. I’m currently testing Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream in place of this.

Phasilab Ice Cream 
I’ve been using this for the last, oh I dunno, five years? Ever since I started getting Brazilian waxes at Strip, basically. I do like the slightly runny, creamy texture, and the cooling sensation it leaves. It definitely soothes my skin down under, and also the more public parts of my skin like the inside of my elbows, whenever I get a heat rash or whatever. However, I’ve realised that over $50 for 50ml of product is too expensive. The product doesn’t keep well for longer than 6 months, especially in my non-air-conditioned room, and I don’t use it up that quickly. So I’m just gonna skip this. I’ve replaced it with Kiku and there hasn’t been any adverse effects so far.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich 
I got this in the Rich version because I felt that my eyes were dry and crepey whenever I put on undereye concealer (NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer). It hasn’t shown any actual effects, and I still have milia, and it looks like I have even more milia now, so… Not repurchasing, and I’m idly shopping around for a new eye cream that is not grossly overpriced. At the moment I just use my Belif Water Bomb and I don’t bother with concealer anymore, so it’s great.


Nope = won’t repurchase, won’t use it on my face even if you paid me 

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturiser 
I wrote about this in my last Empties post, because I’d bought two of these on Stephanie Nicole’s recc. I managed to finish this by using it on my chest and butt. It works well there, but I’m not spending $30 for 50ml of chest-and-butt moisturiser.

Mizon Multi Function Formula All In One Snail Repair Cream 
I expected to love this, but I was wrong. It was actually rave reviews for the Snail Recovery Gel Cream that I’d been reading, not this one. It looked creamy, but was very watery, and it absorbed quickly with no trace, i.e. my skin was just as dry once I’d put it on. Also it would smart slightly if my skin was sensitive so it was altogether an unpleasant experience. I finished this on my body, too.


Aaand that's it for October! I'm proud of myself for managing to use up these things, even the less pleasant ones. I can't wait to get rid of more of the stuff I currently dislike, so I can try to find new ones that I'll love.

FOTW: Pinky and purple

Last week, I got some extra makeup time because I decided to skip foundation. So on Friday, I decided to go with light eyes and dark red lips.

I used Autobalm again - pink on the lid, brown on the crease, black on the lower lashline. With the extra time, I used the Fenty Beauty Eyeliner in Later, Crater. I really like the effect of it, and it looks so normal and natural when you don't rub it to show off the glitter, so I'm really loving it. Except for the irritating wonky brush. On my lips I used NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Madrid, which I'd just bought last Thursday. When I swatched it, I thought it was dark red, but when I put it on my lips, I realised it was more pink than I thought. It's kind of like a darker KVD Bachelorette. Anyway, I found that Madrid is kind of less-opaque than I'd expected, so I have to keep reapplying it every time I eat or drink, so that's leceh, but I guess I don't mind for the comfort. 

On Saturday, it was really hot, and I was sleepy-ish, so I continued with the no-foundation routine. I used Nubian II's Jezebel on the lid because I was counting on its staining effect to counter the high amount of sweating I expected to do. And I put Leyla in the outer corner, to continue the whole purple thing, and sort of blended out the two shades with my Benefit blusher (whatever it's called). I know, such crappy blending, I'm sorry, I was in a rush. I smudged Leyla along my lower lashline, which actually looked pretty good, I thought. On the lips I had Dose of Colors in Berry Me, but then I made the mistake of putting NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Black Cherry Tart over it. I thought it would look fine just in the middle, but it was way too dark, so it didn't really harmonise and I had to slather it all over my lips. I ended up with full-on popsicle lips, sigh. Also I felt like glowing that day, so I used my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (the liquid one) in Opal on my cheeks and temple. I then took a really rushed photo, so here you are:

Yeah, the overall look ended up way darker than I'd originally aimed for, but it actually stayed on all night, and it looked pretty good once I'd stopped sweating. Also Cutes said I looked nice, so yay!

Face of Diwali

I haven't been posting in a couple of weeks because I've been too busy, tired or lazy. So today I'll be posting my Diwali look, yay!

It was just Madagascar and Kenya in the crease, with Yaa all over the lid. I really owe everything to my NYX Glitter Primer; I feel like I've been more using my shimmer and glitter shadows more frequently since I got the glitter glue, so yay! I also used my Avon eyeliner in my lower waterline, and smoked it out with the liner shade from my theBalm Autobalm. The smoky lashline thing was inspired by Kaushal, whom I adore. Then I used the highlight shade from the Autobalm on my brow bone. I skipped foundation and used my Laneige BB cushion instead, because my breakouts are really kurang ajar right now. And I ended it with NYX SMLC in Berlin. I really want to get more shades of this - maybe I should throw out some of my underperforming lipsticks so I can make room for more NYX lip stuff.

Anyway, I had an amazing weekend. Cutes and I ended up spending five consecutive days together, which was nice. Halloween Horrors Nights 7 was fun, because we didn't have to queue for ages for the haunted houses, and it was fun to watch people's reactions. Then on Saturday we went for Diwali drinks, and we watched a bit of this crazy Romeo & Juliet movie with Deepika Padukone in it. I thought the movie was crazy because the guys in the movie were wearing odd peasant/gypsy-type tops, while the girls were wearing normal Indian tops. Also, they were kissing mouth-to-mouth, which I thought wasn't allowed?

And yesterday was Mizi's comp, where he placed fifth. Yesterday was great because I met Cutes for breakfast first, and then later we took the train back together. I also attended a Reddit meetup at Bugis, so that was a new, scary, and ultimately rewarding experience.

Here's to more!

Sephora Private Sale Haul

I don't have a FOTW this week, but I've been using the Through the Looking Glass palette again this week, and it's been fun to know I'm actively trying to pan stuff. I think I'm happy to change my focus this coming week though - let's do the Juvia's Place Nubian II palette this week. Yay!

So anyway, Sephora finally had their private sale from 6 Oct to 8 Oct. It's definitely a couple of weeks later than last year's one, and Hanom says it was to throw us off. But I thought it over, and maybe they were waiting for more Fenty stock to get in before having the sale. The crowd around the Fenty display was constant, and I was happy to spot the Sephora staff restocking the foundations in the middle of the fray.

I was supposed to meet Hanom and sister/cousins on Friday after work so we could shop together. But I was so kiasu and nervous that they would sell out of the Becca Light Chaser in the shade I wanted, that I just went in anyway when I got to Ion at about 5.50pm.

Thankfully, this time they did not try to control the crowd entering the store. Of course, they did crowd control for the cashier, but at the time I was there, I was done by 6.30pm. :D

Clockwise from left: Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek brush, Murad Acne Body Wash, Too Faced Hangover Primer, Becca Light Chaser Highlighter, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick, Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball

1. Becca Light Chaser Highlighter for Face & Eye in Topaz Flashes Gilt (6.5g, UP $54)

I've been wanting this for about two months. At first, I wanted the Champagne Dream Flashes Bellini shade, but I went swatching with Cutes sometime last month, and he picked this colour instead. I protested that it was too green, but he blended it out on my cheekbone and I decided I liked the look after all. This was definitely on my list walking into the sale.

2. Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Cobblestone (1.64g, UP $49)

This was the second thing on my Wants list after the Light Chaser. I've been wanting to try a cream eyeshadow, maybe for quick eye looks when I'm in a hurry or wanna appear effortless, LOL. I did try the Covergirl Smoky Shadowblast years ago after watching ANTM, but they creased like crazy on me. This time, I wanted to try something premium and see whether it makes any difference. Also, I chose not to get a shimmer colour, because shimmers always crease on me.

So far, I've used this twice - yesterday at the beach, and today on a quick run out to Tampines. Not gonna lie, it definitely creases in my, er, crease, but it stays put on the rest of my eye, and is really quick and easy to put on, so I'm still happy with it. I also like the colour because it really looks like my eyelids but better. :D

3. Zoeva 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek / Blush & Contour Brush (UP $25)

My Manicare blush brush has been dying for ages - it's no longer fluffy, it's really scratchy and clumpy, especially after I wash it. I can finally throw it out now I have a proper blush brush, yay!

Now, most of the Zoeva line is actually on Sephora mobile, instead of in the physical stores, but I don't like waiting for stuff, so I wandered the Sephora Pro section for options first. Unfortunately, the Sephora Pro brushes are twice the price of the Zoeva ones, and I just can't get with that. So I went back to the Zoeva display and grabbed this one. I wanted a highlight brush too, but they'd sold out of that, so it's back to my fingers for now.

4. Murad Acne Body Wash (250ml, UP $79)

I bought this in the Sephora sale in the first half of this year, on Gothamista's recommendation. It amazingly worked on my back and chest blemishes, but then I decided it was too expensive for daily use, so I just use it on alternate days now. I still have about 5% of the previous one left, but I thought hey, why not just get a backup now because I'll definitely need it, and I don't have alternatives.

Well, actually it's $69 on Lazada, but as I said, instant gratification, and of course, at 20% off, it was cheaper during the sale.

5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Berlin (8ml, UP $14) [Whoops, not in picture!]

I love my other NYX lip products, and the SMLCs have gotten good reviews all round from my friends (well, just Baba, but good enough) and on Reddit as well, so I thought I'd try one out. I've recently come to the conclusion that liquid lipsticks generally don't work for me. I do have the two nude favourites from J*, and I love my Dose of Colors, of course, but with my lips being all sensitive and dry these few months, it just makes more sense to stick to glosses, cremes, and traditional bullets. So let's see how this formula works for me!

Also please remind me not to try out any more new liquid lipsticks. Thanks.

6. Daisy Marc Jacobs Eau de Toilette Rollerball (10ml, UP $35)

I feel like I've been getting smellier lately. Like, my perfumes and deodorant just don't seem to last all day anymore, so I've been looking into some kind of portable deodorant/smelly-no-more product that I could use for post-zumba or particularly sweaty days. Please don't recommend me those gross Victoria's Secret sprays because the smell annoys the shit outta me.

Anyway, Baba kirimed a Sephora rollerball, so while I was hunting for that, I thought, hey, why not a rollerball for myself too, right? And I decided to try this one because the smell doesn't annoy me. Also I've been getting into flowery scents lately.

I used this yesterday at the beach, and unfortunately, it doesn't radiate the smell out, unlike my favourite Dior Addict, but it'll do for now.

7. Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer (20ml, UP $22)

I grabbed this at the impulse fixture area because I've been wanting to try a hydrating primer since I heard dry-skin people raving about this on YouTube and Reddit. Actually, I thought this was sold out, because that's what it said when I checked the Sephora app on Wednesday, so I didn't even bother looking for it at the Too Faced display. So I was happy to see a couple displays of this at the impulse buy section. I know it's kinda pricey, but it's better than getting a full size, so we can see whether this one works or not.

So, all in all, I think it was a good haul. I didn't buy anything I didn't need, or that wasn't on my list, except for the NYX SMLC, but I forgive myself, because I do have a lipstick obsession. :P

Now I can finally put away this stuff and start using them. Yay! Till next time!

September 2017 Empties

I managed to empty out five skincare items last month! Yay me! Here's a rundown of what I used up, in descending order of like:

1. Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Lotion Moist, 170ml
I finally finished one bottle of the Hada Labo since I bought it about 4 months ago! Isn't that amazing? I've been using it for everything, and in 3 - 5 layers each time. Yet, it somehow managed to last me all that time. I'm quite impressed.

Besides the longevity of this product, I also love how it doesn't irritate my skin at all. I've used just the Hada Labo on nights when I'm too tired and annoyed at my skin for being extra itchy that day. The next day, my skin would be happy again. It's a cheap miracle worker, and I love it.


2. Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash, 150ml
I've been using this for about three years. I love a gel facial wash, and it always feels fresh and gentle and doesn't leave my skin tight. I haven't bought a replacement yet, though, because I'm trying to finish up a Belif facial wash deluxe sample (which I love also, but of course, $$$).


3. SK-II WS Dermdefinition UV Lotion, 30g
This has been my daily staple for the past four years, since the time I suddenly decided that I needed to protect my face from constant exposure to the sun while riding. I asked Sharmely for a recommendation, and she recommended this! I bought it, no questions asked. It's a cool $80 or something, which, like whuuut? I definitely wanted to smack myself when I realised this year that Biore Watery Essence is a thing.

I will have to say that this sunscreen is pretty good. There's no white cast and I've definitely not gotten any PIH in all the time I've been using it. I also think it helped protect my skin from the road pollution. However, due to the thick creamy texture and the high price point, I used minuscule amounts instead of a quarter-teaspoon or whatever the standard is. So I have a small collection of like five other sunscreens now, and I finally finished this one. Yay!


4. Belif the True Cream - Aqua Bomb, 50ml
I enjoyed using this as a daytime moisturiser. I also used it at night on just my neck (while the rest of my face gets the Moisturizing Bomb), which reacts badly to heavy creams. I have not bought a backup because I have a 10ml sample of it which I bought in a sample kit, and am slowly using up now. Also, Belif released a third True Cream - the Water Bomb - about a month ago. I got a foil sample of it and I didn't react badly to it, so I really want to try the full size and see if it works any better than Aqua Bomb. Based on the foil sample, Water Bomb did not cool down my skin unlike it claims to, but I think I'd like to confirm it with a full size.


5. Belif Hungarian Water Essence - Moisture Binder, 75ml
This ended up being really meh for me. I know it's purportedly one of their bestsellers, but I didn't see it binding moisture like it's supposed to do. The only good thing about it is that it smells great, like all the other Belif products. I'm happy to finally have used it up, and I will not be repurchasing.

Clockwise from left: Hada Labo, Belif Aqua Bomb, Simple Refreshing Facial Wash, Belif Hungarian Water Essence, SK-II UV Lotion

Back next time with more empties, I hope! See ya!

FOTW: More Alice Through the Looking Glass

Like I said in my last post, I wanted to shop my stash and get more use out of the Urban Decay: Alice Through the Looking Glass palette.

I think I did pretty well, using up the shades I hardly use from the palette.

On Friday, I did a simple dark smokey look. I just put some Chessboard up in my crease/transition, with some Chronosphere on the outer 2/3 of my lid, and Mirror on the inner third of my lid.

My lips were J* Pumpkin Pie, which I thought I should be wearing more often, especially since it's "fall" now. I added a little clear gloss on top because I'm bored with matte lips these days. Anyway, it held up pretty well for a night out with Hanom after, so yay!

On Saturday, I had a bit of a bad makeup day. I think it was combination of bad makeup choices and uncooperative weather.

Before:

I thought I did pretty well on the eyes, I actually tried to carve out my eyebrows with my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for the first time. I thought it would look crazy and cakey, but it actually looks pretty okay, right?

Anyway, on the eyes, I used a combination of Reflection, Chessboard and TheBalm's brown crease shade from the California Driving Licence on my crease/transition. I brought Chessboard down to my outer corner, and then I went in with the NYX Glitter Primer ($10, just got it on Friday!) on the rest of my lid. I patted Lily and Duchess on my lid. First I used a brush, but it didn't look hebat, so I just used my finger instead, and that went a lot better. I will say that the NYX kinda made my eyes sting and water a little bit. But it was fine after, so what the hell. Also, I decided to emphasise my eye shape by extending my inner corner with Lily. On my lower lashline is Lily on the inside, and Gone Mad on the outside.

Then I put KVD Bachelorette on my lips, just because I realised it's been a while since I've worn it, but I hated the overall look! So I rubbed it off and put on J* Leo, which definitely looked more cohesive and daytime to me. (And fall. Heh #fallvibes.)

Then, I realised that my foundation was breaking up around my nose and looking really cakey on my chin. I'd used a 50:50 mixture of KVD Lock-It and L'oreal 24HR Matte, and I knew it was the KVD doing it, so I painstakingly removed the lower half of my foundation with Garnier Micellar Water. Then I had to go in with my skincare all over again, wait for it to sink in, put on sunscreen, wait for that to sink it, before I could buff the L'oreal in again. I also changed my blusher from The Body Shop bronzer to TheBalm blush shade.

I'm pretty pleased with the finished look! I think that I should stay away from the KVD foundation, as much as I'm trying to pan it. Or maybe just use the tinest amount in combination with my other foundations.

We had a lovely time watching the matinee of West Side Story at MBS, followed by lunch at The Bird.

I was testing how the Glitter Primer helped my shimmer shadows not-crease, and I was quite surprised that it worked pretty well in preventing crazy creasing within the first four hours. By the time I got home, there was just minimal creasing, so I'm happy and can't wait to use it again. Also, I did not touch up my lipstick and I cannot believe it still looked good and not flaky or crumbly, even after my fried chicken and biscuits lunch.

So yay! I think I will continue with Alice for the rest of this week, because it's been doing well this past week. Catch you next time!

Faces of last week and today: Alice Through the Looking Glass

Last Friday, I had an audit at Pioneer first thing in the morning, so I decided to keep my eyeshadows matte and go with my full-strength KVD Lock-It foundation.

I used the purples from Viseart Dark Mattes, because they've never not worked for me. And I didn't want to have a high-maintenance lip, so I used my KVD ELL in Lolita II with NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu on top. (After lunch I just slathered the Tiramisu all over, I ain't got time to bother on Fridays.)

On Saturday, we had a dance class (Argentine Tango!), but instead of wanting to go with sweatproof, matte eyes, I somehow worked a lot of Time from the Urban Decay Alice Through the Looking Glass into my outer corner. I also brought out my Dose of Colors in Brick, just because I missed a dark red lip.

Yeah, I ended up looking way vampier than I'd planned, but it was fun, anyway. I adore Brick, by the way. It lasts pretty well through meals - I mean, it wears off in the middle, but not noticeably, I guess it's that pigmented? I don't know, but I love it. I only reapplied once after lunch, but even after supper and a rainy ride home, my lipstick was intact. So. Great.

Anyway, I felt that I've been underutilising my Alice palette, just because it's so bulky. Which is a waste, because the colours are so bright and beautiful, and that was the whole reason I bought it in the first place. In fact, I actually bought it because of Salazen Grum - the copper-red shimmer. So I decided to do a one-shadow look with Salazen Grum today!

I paired it with NYX IBLG in Toasted Marshmallow, because my lips were acting up again and needed some moisture. I thought it would look crazy, but I liked the bright eyes and sorta-dark lips, overall. The eye colour also looks really nice behind glasses, so remind me not to neglect Salazen Grum again. 

I got to thinking that there are a lot of shades in the Alice palette that I haven't really given a chance, so for the rest of this week, I'll make sure to focus on the Alice palette for my looks. Yay!

JB Haul!

We went for a JB day trip last Saturday, and I bought.. way too many things. The above photo sorta shows what I got, off S$150! (Plus 30 ringgit borrowed from Cutes.)

Clothes

Flow, at Metrojaya department store
We were walking around the department store, just for kicks, when we stumbled on this plus-size label. By the way, the department store is so posh, it's almost snooty. There were maybe 15 customers on the entire floor, and the security guards would tell you to refrain from eating or drinking. It was just an odd experience for me, because I'm used to more bustling department stores, even our Robinsons or whatever other atas stores.

Anyway, I ended up getting three kinda-luxe tops - a datiny batwingish black one, a sopan navy blue crepe, and a heavy green one with a beaded neckline and a tie back (which I initially thought was a tie-front, ha!).

I just did some checking and it appears that Flow is a Malaysian brand which caters to sizes US10 to US18. Isn't that amazing? I can't name a single Singapore-based plus-size brand, which is mildly upsetting. But whatever. I definitely plan to check out Flow again next time I head over there.


H&M
Now, we have a H&M here too, obviously, but what we don't have is H&M+. It's crazy, unbelievable and annoying how JB has a plus-size line and we don't. I would think that since females do less manual labour here, we have a greater chance of being fat, and therefore needing plus-size clothes. So I always end up grabbing at least one piece when I'm in the City Square H&M.

Unfortunately, by this time, I'd already spent most of my money, so I had to borrow RM30 from Cutes so I could get that adorable denim skirt.

Also, how and when did denim miniskirts die out? This is the first time I was able to buy one in a shop since 7 years ago, in Perth. I hope this means they're coming back. :D


FOS or inB4 or whatever it's called
Cutes likes to shop here because stuff is really cheap, at an average of RM25 apiece. I normally don't bother, because the ladies' pickings is always pretty slim. But this time, I managed to find a nice cotton top and a cotton dress for baju rumah. Heh. What, it was like S$10 in the end, don't judge.


Makeup/Skincare

Sasa Selectiv
I found quite an extensive range of Peripera there, including the Powerpuff Girls range! Unfortunately, the stuff with Bubbles on it was either sold out or not the right shade for me. So I skipped that and got a Peri's Ink Moist in #5. I also found an entire range of Wet n Wild omggg. Why don't we have it in Singapore?! So I got a Liquid Catsuit (liquid lipstick), because I've heard good things about them.

I've actually tried both those items, and the Peri's Ink Moist is truly moist! I had a Zinger for lunch that day, and all I did was blot the colour off before biting into my burger. And voila, no chin transfer! It reapplies pretty nicely too. And I had to reapply, because it was looking kinda blotchy after my burger. Heh.

The Liquid Catsuit in Nice to Fuschia performs almost exactly like the KVD liquid lipsticks. It dries down nice and thinly. The downside, and difference, is that it pills up a little in the centre of my lips, and transfers if I rub or even touch my lips with my finger. Or maybe it's just this colour, I don't know. I don't plan to repurchase - I'm happier with my J* or KVD.


Chamelon
This is just loosely related to skincare because I use them for my PM skincare routine. Heh. I bought two fluffy hairbands for about RM10 each. They're so cute, and so far I've tried the blue one with the eyes, which works a little better than the Etude House Etti Cat Ears, which is pretty wow.


So that's what I got! Really happy with all my purchases, and I'm looking forward to hitting up these shops again on my next JB trip.

FOTW: JB trip

This past week has been really busy for me. The only day I managed to go home straight from work was on Friday, by which time I was smashed from 4 consecutive nights out. 

This weekend, Cutes and I went into Johor Bahru for our usual food and shopping. And today, I had a Fanababain meetup, so I was conking out majorly in the bus(es) home just now. 

So, on Friday:

I used mainly my Viseart Dark Mattes on my eyes. I put the two orangey shades in my crease and outer corner, and laid the blush shade from theBalm Driving License on my lid. The browbone highlight is from theBalm mini-palette, too.

Face was just my usual L'oreal Infallible with MAC Prom Princess as my blush. And for lips, I went with Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Maple (love this) with Essence XXXL Shine Lip Gloss in.. Fabulous Fuschia, I think it is? I like the gloss - it gives everything a purply-pink sheen, the shine is blinding, and it smells really yummy in a fruity way. I just wish the packaging was a little more convenient because right now, I have to kinda jam the wand back into the tube, as if it didn't fit properly or something.

I thought this look wore well, especially the lips, because I had pasta for lunch and I was slurping it up crazily, but I only had to touch up the centre of my lips when I was done, so yay!


Saturday:

There was a thunderstorm in the morning around subuh, but by the time I fully woke up at 10am, the sun was out in full force. So I decided I'd go with a light base - my usual Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion, over my NARS Soft Matte Concealer.

Eyes are still Viseart Dark Mattes - this time I used the greens, with the crease colour from theBalm mini-palette on my lids.

I skipped blush, and for my lips I used Urban Decay Vice in Epigram, with CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine over the top. I think the lip shine really helped my lips not dry out as much.

At the end of the pretty sweaty night, my eye makeup was still pretty much intact, but the parts of my face where I'd put concealer were looking really sad and red, because the concealer had broken up. So I guess no concealer is a match for the persistence of my sweat. :(

I was planning to also write about my JB haul, but I think I'll just put it in a separate post. Goodnight!

End - Summer Lovin' Goals

Sorry, I missed the end date of the Summer Lovin' Goals by just over a week, but I wanted to wait for payday so I could get the last $350 savings into my MKK fund. Here we go!

First post for reference here.

Goal #1: Winnow through my closet

I've done about 3 rounds of this so far, so I think I've done pretty well. It also went along with a major clean-out of my room, so that was amazing. That led to making room for my little makeshift vanity space, so it's been great.


Goal #2: Finish up one foundation

I'm sorry to report that I haven't finished up any yet. I'm still satisfied with my current status, though, because I'm using foundation twice a week for work and once a week for dates, so that's pretty consistent.

• KVD Lock-It in 62 (45% to 30% left)
• Hourglass Vanish Stick in Golden Tan (60% to 55%) - I still love the finish on this, but doesn't wear too well after one morning at the office. It sort of settles into my pores. Sad!
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Mineral Powder (no idea, you can't see through the container!) - tossed! 
• Maybelline Fit Me stick (98%) - haven't touched this. I guess I don't like it after all. 
• Nude by Nature BB Cream (90% to 80%) - I've mentioned in earlier posts that this has started to pill up on me, ugh. I left it at the office for "emergencies". Possibly, I'll toss it in a couple of weeks or months. 
• L'oreal Infallible 24-HR Matte (80% to maybe 60%) - I love this most out of all my foundations. I've been reaching for it like, 9 out of 10 times when I'm wearing foundation. It just goes on so evenly and quickly with a brush, and it kind of stays on all day, even through excessive sweating. I'll be sad to finish this because they still don't have it in Singapore, but I'll make sure to pick up some more during my December holiday in Perth. 
• L'oreal Mineral Powder (75%?) - tossed! Woohoo!

Also I got a Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion because I'd been wanting it for forever, and I'd basically given up on the Nude by Nature BB cream. I'm happy with it! I love the colour, application is a breeze, my skin doesn't seem to hate it, and it smells amazing. No regrets!


Goal #3: Low buy

Well, it's pretty obvious that I haven't really kept to the restricted list of items to buy, in the last few months. Among the other prohibited stuff I bought are:

• Mizon snail line (AIO, Gel Cream, Ampoule) - Got mini sizes of these in a bundle because my skin was feeling really itchy and overheated at the time, and I was hoping this line would calm it down. So far, I've only used the AIO, which hasn't worked. My skin has since calmed down, so I'm just gonna phase in the rest when I've finished my current serum (TO "Buffet"). 
• NYX Butter Gloss and IBLG - No regrets! These have really saved my chapped lips from looking sad and boring. 
• NYX pencil sharpener - Super useful, I used this for my MUFE lipliner, yay! 
• NYX eyeshadow single in some shimmer bronze shade - This is a real workhorse and perfect for a single shadow look for the office. I think it was ten bucks, but it's fine with me because I'll use this quite frequently. Yes, I'm really starting to become a NYX fangirl. 
• A couple of Zoeva brushes - I find that they're cheaper than the Sephora pro ones, so even though they've shedded a little on me, I'm gonna stick to these. I may get a face set soon. 
• And of course, I had a little ASOS spree to the tune of $120 or thereabouts. But I'm quite happy with the stuff I got, so yay! 

Goal #4: Ride out once a week

It was really hard to stick to this. Once, I left Ferb alone for three weeks. Nasib baik nothing happened. So I've reduced the stipulated frequency to twice a week, I hope it's workable!

Goal 5: Fun lip colour once a fortnight

This is really easy to do, especially since my lips have gotten better in the last month or so. That said, I do wanna try and work in KVD Echo someday soon. 

Goal 6: One blog post a week

I think I dropped the ball in the first month, but I've been posting FOTWs every Sunday/Monday, so I've mainly stuck to the schedule. It's been a challenge, but it's fun to be writing again. I'll try and work on my camera skills now, because I'm still dissatisfied with the quality of my FOTD photos. 

Goal #7: $1k to MKK fund

This has been amazing. I've managed to put aside $350 from each paycheck to go into my MKK fund for the last four paychecks, so yes, I've hit this target! I plan to continue this $350-each-month practice until the real day, insya Allah, because it hasn't been a hardship to ikat perut and we need all the money we can get. 

So this was a really fun challenge to work on! I'm going to continue most of them anyway, so it's definitely been helpful in making me rethink my consumerist choices. 

Till the next post!

FOTW: Malay events

I had a really nice weekend which started with me waking up at 5.00am on Friday to do a full-beat face so I could check out the Fenty Beauty launch confidently. 

Friday:

I was inspired by Kaushal Beauty's video on a grungy fall look where she used the browns and black in the UD Naked Basics (?) palette on her eyes with a dark lip. So I recreated this with my Viseart Neutral Mattes! I used the darkest peach, the black and the dark brown shades, plus the glittery black liner shade from theBalm Driving License.

Lips are Huda Beauty in Famous. I love the dark vampy shade, but it doesn't really wear well through food and drink. Also, I fell asleep on my hand in the bus and schmeared it quite madly. Heh.


Saturday:

I had to do my makeup in 10 minutes because my dad was rushing me to get to Syafiqah's wedding. So I just buffed out my favourite L'oreal Infallible foundation, used all the colours in my trusty theBalm Driving Licence on my eyes, and popped on the NYX IBLG in Toasted Marshmallow on my lips. Blush was MAC Prom Princess.

I can't overstate how much I love Toasted Marshmallow. If I could keep just one lipstick out of my collection of.. 20? It would definitely be this.

Anyway, I was at the wedding for like an hour, then I came back home and just put on mascara before I went out for my date.

Yeah, my glasses basically cover up all of my eye makeup, so I should definitely try to go crazier next time.

We had fun, as always. 9 Rangkaian Tarian Melayu was so, so much fun and truly educational, and also a welcome trip down memory lane for me. Afterwards, we walked to the Waterboat House, which is beautiful, and then we walked back. Pretty chill day, but we're also quite sick of the Civic District, so we can't wait to get away after the end of this month.

FOTW: Lazy Day in Tampines, + Watsons Haul

So yesterday was one of our rare no-plan dates, and it was a really hot and sunny day, and we were planning to ride out, so.. I ignored all of that and decided to attempt a halo eye anyway. 

Eyes: All Nubian II palette. My trusty Madagascar as a transition/crease (I usually don't define my transition or crease separately, because double eyelids.), Kenya as the inner and outer corners, and Zuri as the halo. Later, when I was dabbing Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid in Opal on my cheekbones, I also popped the remaining on my browbone. Then I dunno what got into me, but I used the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk in my waterline and went in with a bit of Kenya on my lashline, after mascara HAHA. 

Face: L'oreal Infallible 24Hr Matte, MAC Veronica blush, aforementioned Becca SSP Liquid. I actually don't really like this Opal because I don't think it shows up well on my face, but I just wanna get it finished ASAP since it was a Sephora points perk. 

Lips are UD Vice in Venom, which is truly one of my favourites and never dries out my lips. 

So, as I said, it was a really hot day, but somehow my eye makeup did not run away and my halo look was still the same with my eyes open. Of course, with my eyes closed, you could see that the shimmer had transferred upwards, but that's nothing new or tragic, so I'm good. 

Watsons was having a 20% off members-only sale, so I bought backups of my DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and my Hada Labo HA Lotion, which are both on their last 5% or so. Gosh, I never realised how expensive the DHC was! It's like $40 for 200ml like whutttt. I got this at like $25ish in the sale but like, why did I pay $40 for it that first time? Now I'm hooked and I'm gonna have to splash out 40 every two months. Syabas, Ain.

I know I said I wanted to try the Hada Labo premium, but I thought hey, the normal one is working fine for me, so why mess with a good thing, right?

And finally, this Marc Anthony shampoo I got to replace my current 2 litres of shampoo I'd bought in a common idiotic moment like, two years ago. Or maybe a year ago, entah. I wanted to try something sulfate-free and see if that improves my hair and scalp in any way. So, I will keep you updated!

Makeshift Vanity

Check out my new vanity! Over the Ramadhan period, I managed to clear out a good chunk of my stuff, and managed to free up 3 cubes in my shelves to create a mini-vanity area.

Key features:

• Acrylic drawers and PE drawers and containers from Muji. Muji is a true organiser's haven - when you enjoy paying $$$, that is. They were just about enough to contain my rapidly growing collection, so I told myself I'm not to buy any more makeup or skincare that won't fit into the allocated storage containers now. 
• BOSSE bar stool from Ikea, $59. I chose this because it was cheapest, with a wide seat area, and no backrest. I felt like a backrest would make my room feel even more cluttered than it already is. Overall, I'm happy with my decision, but I realise that the corners are a little pointy, so it kinda hurts when I sit down at the wrong angle. Ugh. I didn't think about that at all. If I'd known, I would have gotten the INGOLF bar stool (with backrest) at like $70-$80, but it's okay, it's not a giant issue or anything. 
• Philips desk lamp at the top right corner of the photo gives extra illumination if I need it? Haha. It was left behind by Hashim (my brother-in-law) when he moved out. The light is pretty bright, and looks very very cool white to me, but when I took a test shot the other night, I looked yellow, so I don't know what's what anymore. 
• Finally, the star of this vanity, my battery-operated mirror with LED lights from Japan Home (Toa Payoh), $9.90, batteries not included. This is a really happy find of mine, because I realised that the desk lamp doesn't illuminate the inside of the cube, so any mirror I put inside there becomes useless for detailed makeup work. Before I found this mirror, I ended up just holding up a mirror with one hand and tilting my face up to catch the lamp light. It was kinda annoying, because it meant I didn't have a spare hand to balance with, or grab things or whatever. It's also a giant plus that it's battery-operated, because there is no space for additional wires or whatever to be hanging out around my cube. I really lucked out when I wandered into Japan Home and found this mirror. 

Here's a close-up shot of the mirror:

Thoughts so far:

I've used my vanity a couple times since it's been up for a week, although that was without my magic mirror up there. I don't know if it's psychological or something, but I thought my makeup looked better, as in it was blended more cohesively, even though I thought my skin looked horrible and textured under the bright lights. 

However, having all my makeup and skincare stacked up on top of each other in those cubes makes it a fiddly business to keep reaching for stuff while sitting on the stool. You know, as opposed to a nice proper table where nothing's gonna knock into each other when you lift up one item? But it's fine, my workaround is to lay everything out on my bed and pick out the stuff I want before I start. Then I just reach over to my bed to grab it and put back the previous item. It's worked so far, and I had a successful 25-minute makeup session yesterday when getting ready for work, so yay. 

Also, a plus of this new location is that I can set the fan to blow directly and uninterruptedly at me - my face, specifically - for the whole session. When I was sitting in front of my cupboard, the fan was basically blowing at the back of my head, which was sad and not very effective. Also, I can see the clock from where I'm sitting now, instead of squinting at it from my previous position, which helps greatly in time-management. 

Overall, it's a definite improvement from my former situation. My vanity is now so welcoming that I feel like sitting in front of the mirror and testing out eye looks. But I haven't done that yet, heh. I'll keep you updated!

Personal dupe for J*:

So I'm not exactly a fan of J*, although his was the first bunch of liquid lipsticks I bought, which then reintroduced me to makeup as a hobby, so, I dunno if I'm supposed to feel any kind of loyalty for that. Anyway, I've seen been enlightened to his meanness in general (which includes the being racist part), so yeah I've been trying to reduce the amount of stuff I buy from J* Cosmetics. 

However, my favourite liquid lipsticks are J*C, namely Gemini, Leo and Unicorn Blood. At the moment, I'm still gonna keep buying Gemini and Leo, because I use them so frequently, and I haven't found matte dupes for them. I thought it would be the same sitch for Unicorn Blood, which I love love love for being so dark and blood-coloured. But then I realised that Dose of Colours in Brick is even darker than Unicorn Blood!

Top: Brick, Bottom: Unicorn Blood

It's not a perfect dupe by any means. You can see that Brick is more neutral, while Unicorn Blood is yellower. But the overall effect on my lips seems to be the same, so I dunno. My Unicorn Blood is drying up now, actually, so maybe I won't repurchase unless I have another US$55 worth of stuff to buy from Beautylish to make up the $75 for free shipping. As for Dose of Colours, I really do like the two liquid lipsticks I have, but I have to pay for shipping for those, and the package arrived a little banged up that time, so.. I dunno. If I finish Brick, I might just go back to J*C via Beautylish anyway, just because Beautylish is love when it comes to shipping. 

Okay, that's all I have for today! I've started writing down my post ideas, so I hope I come back soon with a new post! Bye!

FOTW: Friday off and Films at the Fort

I took the day off on Friday to head to Ikea with my mom and sister to get stuff for a makeshift vanity. As always, when I'm going out with my mom, I have to hustle because she always nags when I take too long to get ready. But somehow, I was degil and still wanted to put on a light full face.

So I used my L'oreal Infallible on the face, The Balm California DL on my eyes and on my lips, MUFE Aqua Lip Pencil in 14C with NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu on top. I skipped concealer and blusher, as always when I'm in a rush.

I can't say enough how easy the Infallible is to apply. It probably takes me all of 30 seconds to dot it on my face and buff out with my Zoeva brush. It feels so, so light, too! That's why I still keep reaching for, especially when I'm in a rush, or if it's a really hot and humid day. Yes, it is still too pink for me, but I don't care. For now, I'm still oversupplied with foundations, so once I finish something, I'll go look for a less pink and more green foundation.

Date of the weekend

Here I am on my newly-bought Ikea stool, with my freshly-placed desk light, and my God-given natural sunlight grudgingly creeping in through my open window. Same, too-pink foundation, because it was so hot and muggy, my face was starting to rash up. I put some Mizon Snail AIO around my nose and mouth, and it kinda-sorta helped. The rest of my face was basically the same as on Friday, except I added blusher in MAC Veronica (Prom Princess), to help make me look fresh and young and cute? Because I was trying to channel Marty Maraschino from Grease, for the movie we were catching at Films at the Fort.

We had a lovely day, with some mini-hissy fits because I was anxious we'd be late, and also he picked the wrong supper place. Heh. We were also overwhelmed by the giant Night Festival crowd. Travel light to festivals, people! I didn't have a choice because I was lugging two picnic mats, two inflatable cushions, and a baby blanket. But otherwise, a lovely afternoon and evening spent with my adorable, always-accomodating boyfriend.

FOTW: Civic District Outdoor Festival

We had a more relaxed, #noplan date on Saturday, to hang out around the Civic District Outdoor Festival. But I still wanted to put my full face on, for some reason. Lucky then, that it had rained for the entire four hours prior to me leaving the house. 

I mixed my too-pink L'oreal Infallible 24HR Matte in Amber with my too-yellow KVD Lock-It in 62. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I think I could have put in more Amber, because the overall result was still a tad too yellow. And I realised that after I got used to the runniness of the Infallible, I actually prefer that texture to the thickness of the KVD. I hate to admit it, but yes, there it is. So I may actually end up not repurchasing KVD but instead looking for a runny texture or whatever Infallible I can dig up in Singapore (or Perth at year-end). 

I also used my Nubian II palette on my eyes, pulling in a tan and peach shade from my Viseart Neutral Mattes for the lid and browbone highlight. I really adore my Nubian II, actually. I think it might be my favourite palette. If only my deep crease didn't crease up all my shimmers, I would be able to use the Nubian II as a standalone palette more. Maybe I will pick up a NYX Glitter Primer, or whatever it's called, to see if it improves the performance of shimmers on my lid. For primer I actually used UD Anti-Aging Primer Potion, with my LM setting powder and NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk on the lid, but I really don't find that Milk helps with the popping or the longevity of the eyeshadows for me. I think I'm about ready to give up on it. 

And my lipstick is my favourite funky colour, the KVD ELL in L.U.V. I love everything about this shade - the brightness, the purpleness, and the name (one of my favourite Tory Lanez songs this year). I went to the doctor about two weeks ago and he gave me some cream for the supposed rash on the perimeter of my lips. It seems to have worked, because my lips have finally reverted to their normal self of not being cracked and chapped, syukur Alhamdulillah. As a result, I've been able to wear liquid lipsticks again, which is a great triumph and relief. I did have a mini-episode that day when I put Lanisoh Lanolin on my lips one night, and woke up the next morning with lips that were threatening to chap up again. So I've concluded that my lips are sensitive to lanolin, and I'm not gonna play around with that anymore. We'll just stick to paraffin and beeswax for these babies. Actually, the Bite Agave Lip Mask has lanolin too, I've heard, although in lower concentration, so it might be okay to continue to use that sparingly. Sparingly = my paraffin is too far away and the Bite Agave is just nearer to reach. Heh. 

I finally dug my ABH Dipbrow out of the mothballs but kinda overdid my brows a little. It's just so hard to control the placement, especially with these darker colours! I think I'm just gonna pick up a NYX brow pencil next. I've heard good things about it compared to the ABH Brow Wiz. And I skipped blush because I was thinking of reapplying my sunscreen throughout the day. Spoiler alert: I didn't reapply. 

I didn't love the overall eye look in the end, but it's okay. I've now come to the conclusion that I will try not to overthink my shadow placement. We'll see what simple look I can come up with next weekend. Also, I'm looking forward to mixing my foundations again. 

Heh, sorry, this last one is just for kicks. OOTD: Top by Curve Cult, shorts by Warehouse, denim jacket by Cutes, sneakers are the Reebok Zoku Knit or whatever they're called. 

It was a lovely date - we had lunch at Chilis, coffee and cake at Craftsmen, walked a lot around the area, caught a couple of fun exhibits at National Gallery, had drinks and the yummiest foie gras and duck sliders at the rooftop bar, danced a little, and took the bus to Changi Village where we had supper at Dynamic and chilled by the sea, trying and failing to watch for meteor showers, thanks to the cloud cover. 

This has been a hybrid Face/Date of the Weekend. See you next time!

July Empties and Favourites

Empties

So after like.. 3 (?) months of skincare, I finally got some empties!

Stephanie Nicole made me buy these. She started me on my multi-step skincare routine, and I bought these two to fill in the many gaps I had at that time. The Caudalie Grape Water is supposed to be for the hydrate step, but I feel like it didn't do anything for me. I mean, humid weather, me sweating all the time, this grape water is just adding to the surface water on my face, but no true hydration, I felt. I do love that this is literally grape water, grape juice, and nitrogen, but.. not repurchasing. I've replaced this with my Hada Labo HA and Belif Anti-Aging Shaking Water, and those feel so much better on my skin.

I actually bought two of the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturiser, because Watsons was having a Buy 2 Get 1 50% Off at that time. I regret it, so so much. Remind me not to buy backups anymore, especially when I don't know if the product works for me or not. So this thing is supposed to be wrinkle-smoothening, among other claims, but because I don't have wrinkles yet (thank You, Allah), I can't attest to the truth of that particular claim. I also hated the heavy feel of this moisturiser on my skin, because I was combo-oily at that time. It also made my skin smart/tingle unpleasantly, for some reason. So I ditched it for a month or so, and just went with my Belif Aqua Bomb. I did continue using this Olay cream on other parts of my body, just to use it up as quickly as possible.

But when my skin turned to combo-dry about 3 weeks ago, the Belif Aqua Bomb just wasn't giving me enough of an occlusive layer, so I went back to the Olay. It was pretty okay, and I was about to forgive it and just use it both night and day. Unfortunately, last weekend my skin started acting up (itching, rashes) from the sun exposure, and the Olay started stinging my skin again. So I gave it up and bought Belif Moisture Bomb on Monday. Yes, I caved, I'm sorry. I already opened the second Olay I got, and I'm still using it on my body, so let's hope I can finish it in two months or so. Yes, weirdly, it doesn't annoy the skin on the rest of my body. My chest especially loves this cream, go figure. Anyway, not repurchasing! (Or maybe I am, for the good of my chest. We'll see!)

Favourites

I think I had five favourites in June, but I can't think of more than three favourites for July. Mainly because of my rashy skin and chapped lips, I guess? Like, I wasn't able to use the full range of lipsticks I have *sob*.

The NYX Intense Butter Glosses were a lifesaver for my lips. Well, not my lips exactly, but I don't like going out without colour on my lips, so these looked great on, and they didn't kill my lips! I'd like to thank r/MakeupAddiction, or was it r/BrownBeauty, for recommending these in a couple of threads. These are Toasted Marshmallow (on the left) and Chocolate Crepe (on the right). I got Toasted Marshmallow first, simply because it was the only darker shade at Sephora Ion, and not because I was madly in love with the colour or anything. But I was pleasantly surprised because it looked amazing on - not too crazy, but natural enough for me to wear to work daily. And it fades off into a really accurate MLBB colour. My outer lips are more darkly pigmented, and it's almost the same purply shade. But better, of course.

So I was dying to continue a NYX IBLG collection, so I picked up Chocolate Crepe a week or so later, at the NYX store in Bugis. I'm just gonna buy my NYX stuff there from now on, because they obviously have their full range there, and Sephora doesn't have enough room, so they keep switching out the displays. One week is the IBLG, the next week it's the less-impressive Butter Glosses. Anyway, I love this shade too, because it's the MLBB for my inner lips. It fades naturally too, so I just love love it. I really hope NYX somehow comes up with more colours, because the rest are too light or too neon for me, and I need my blood red, please.

And the third item is my California Driver License palette by The Balm. I remember buying this in a drugstore in New York because I loved the packaging. At that time, I wasn't into makeup at all, so I hadn't wandered around the Singapore Sephoras in months. If I had, I would've realised that we have The Balm here too. Anyhow. This poor palette has been overshadowed by my Viseart palettes for a few months, but I reached for it again last month to do single-shadow looks for when I have 5 minutes to put my face on before I miss my bus. I adore the blush and and brow shades. They're the perfect go-to combo for 5-minute days, and they look darn good on. The liner shade is great too. It doesn't actually look glittery on the eyes, just black, but it's fine with me. It's slightly more forgiving than the Viseart black. And I also pull in the blush shade for a lid colour when I don't like my other lid options, and the brow one if I don't like my other crease options. Love. This. Palette. I'm so glad I went for this one instead of the Hawaii one!

And that's all I have for tonight! See you next post!