Anna Sui Holiday 2011

This holiday season, Anna Sui brings you all the delicate details needed to complete your party look. Anna Sui's Christmas collection, Magic of Mystical Masquerade, is made up from eight items: Eye Color Palette & Lip Gloss Set, False Eye Lashes, Beauty Mirror 1, Beauty Mirror L, Metallic Color, Beautiful Hair Kit, Bath Set and Fragrance Miniature Set.

All of the products mentioned except for Metallic Color are limited edition, so snag them quickly before they sell out!

My journey began with alluring glossy colours to spice up the eyes - Metallic Color. According to the press release, they are used to accentuate eye looks and you can also apply them straight to your lids for a vibrant look. The sparkly glitters show up very well thanks to the clear base formula.

Name: Anna Sui アナ スイ Metallic Color メタリック カラー
Price: RM 102 for 8 g
@cosme rating: 3 ★
Release date: 3.11.2011

300 Metallic Pink is a cerise.

The brush applicator is very easy to use. It’s flexible and the bristles won't splay much. However, it isn't thin and won't be suitable for precision lining.

500 Metallic Gold is exactly as its name suggests, a pure gold shade.

900 Metallic Green is a forest green.

With Christmas around the corner, I think that these glittery colours would be the perfect addition to any holiday look. I would apply it to the tips of my lashes, as a lower lid liner or to highlight the middle of my lids.

The sticky consistency allows the glitter to adhere without any fall outs. They last long on their own without needing a sealant to lock them in place (as always, I prep my lids with Urban Decay Primer Potion beforehand). The glitter is very sparse when applied to the bare lid. Nevertheless, you can get more opacity with careful layering. For Metallic Color to show their full potential, you should apply them over any regular eyeliner or eyeshadow.

They dry quickly, don't transfer and are easy to remove. If you love glitter, Metallic Color is definitely for you!

Metallic Color comes in six shades, 100 Metallic Blue, 200 Metallic Purple, 300 Metallic Pink, 500 Metallic Gold, 800 Metallic Yellow and 900 Metallic Green, and can be found at Anna Sui counters nationwide for RM 102.

(Source: Promotional images are from annasui-cosmetics.com/)

Disclosure: Press samples.

Read More

[Apple Of Your Eyes] Dueba Candy Daisy Grey

After twelve reviews on circle lenses alone, I can safely say that I've tried my fair share of lenses. It's not extensive by any means, but I think it's a pretty commendable amount for someone who ventured into the circle lenses world in March haha.

Its inevitable that circle lenses manufacturers copy from each other and some make them more obvious than the others. This is the case with Candy Daisy and Bella Special; both have dark spikes surrounded by a thick outer limbal ring.

Name: Dueba Candy Daisy Grey
Price: US$ 18 for 1 pair
Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 16 mm
Water content: 38%
Prescription: 0.00 to -6.00
Life span: 1 year disposal

Candy Daisy isn't the brightest out of the bunch, nor does it have the most unique design (as mentioned above). The grey is very muted and in person, you barely notice that I have these lenses on. I'm not too pleased with Candy Daisy, the design doesn't sit well with me but if it's your cup of tea, it comes in variety of colours besides grey - pink, blue, brown, green and violet.

Candy Daisy is sold at Apple Of Your Eyes for US$ 18/pair. At the referral section, enter the code Blair Tan to get 5% off your order.

Overall rating:
Design and colour ★★☆☆☆☆☆
Enlargement ★★★★★★☆
Comfort ★★★★★★☆

PRODUCTS USED

FACE
♥ Sonia Rykiel L'Atout Eclat Sublime S
♥ Stage Cosmetics Photo Pro Foundation 02 Take 1
♥ The Skĭn Shop Magic Science Mineral Pact 21 Light Beige

EYES
♥ LUVIEW Real Shiny Eyes
♥ Kate Super Sharp Liner BK-1
♥ ES A856 lashes
♥ The Skĭn Shop Magic Science Volume & Curling Mascara

Disclosure: Press samples.

Read More

The Skĭn Shop Whitening Sun Cream

Iris Power Whitening Sun Cream is my HG sunscreen and I'll tell you why below ♥

Name: The Skĭn Shop Iris Power 아이리스 파워 Whitening Sun Cream 화이트닝 썬크림 SPF45 PA+++
Price: ₩ 25,000 for 65 g
Made in: Korea

I can skip the primer step when I use this sunscreen. It doesn’t conceal moon crater pores, fine lines or even correct my skin tone, however, it will leave a nice smooth canvas for my foundation.

The formula is a cream consistency typical of many sunscreens. The difference is it sinks quickly into the skin and doesn’t leave a white cast behind (not sure how it'll fare with flash photography though). It’s virtually weightless once absorbed and has a dewy finish that will flatter any skin type.

It has the sunscreen scent that we are all familiar with, except that it also is infused with a flowery powdery fragrance, so it is more bearable. I'm not particularly offended by the scent as it fades shortly after application.

If you have oily skin, you will love this sunscreen. It is so good at minimizing sebum production without drying out my skin - I don't even reach for my blotting films throughout the day. It might exacerbate dry spots for those with dry skin, so you would want to go for an alternate sunscreen.

Lastly, it promises to whiten your skin with niacinamide, an important ingredient for those struggling with uneven skin tone and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I have been using whitening skincare products that I purchased with it and this combination helped me in achieving a brighter, more radiant skin after a month and a half's usage.

That being said, I doubt that it will whiten on its own, you need to use whitening skincare products in conjunction with it to see results.

I know its November, thus the fall season in many countries and many may forgo applying sunscreen. I hope that each and everyone of you will change this habit - UV rays are present every day, all year round.

The Skĭn Shop isn't as widely available as some other Korean beauty brands.. if you'd like to purchase their products, please get in touch with Danny at cooljunmo75@naver.com!

(Source: Promotional images are from the-skinshop.com/)

Disclosure: Gift.

Read More

O'slee Slim Face Medi Deep Clean Mask

Most of you are probably familiar with deep cleansing masks but do you know that O'slee has one that also slims your face?

Name: O'slee Slim Face Medi Deep Clean Mask 深層清潔瘦面泥
Price: RM 79.90 for 70 ml
Made in: Hong Kong

How to use:

It feels good upon application, really cool and tingly. It's very creamy and dries down fairly quickly without cracking (and making a big mess) unless you move your facial muscles.

I will address the two functions separately:
1) Deep cleansing
It controls the oilies very well. My T-zone only showed a slight hint of dewiness after 5 hours without using any sebum regulating products which is a marvel in itself.

Prolonged use will deep cleanse your pores, draw out impurities, bring a spot to a head and then you can use whatever weapons in your arsenal to remove them eg pore strips and pimple stickers.

After the pore strip step or in my case, pore pack, I will slap on a moisturizing sheet mask. It doesn't dry out my skin nor make it feel tight but I would prefer to replenish my skin after all that deep cleansing.

2) Face slimming
I did not see any difference in the size of my face nor the firmness of my skin. I am using skincare products that do a fantastic job in keeping my face nice and firm so I can't vouch for this mask's effect. Perhaps it does help a little... after all, every bit counts.

It's very thoughtful of O'slee to include a sponge in the box. The sponge feels very soft and I would like to say it makes removing the mask a breeze but that would be a lie haha. It takes a lot of patience to rinse the mask off completely, but that's the norm with deep cleansing masks.

My face feels really soft and smooth to the touch and it looks brighter too after a session with this mask. I use it every three days but I only go the whole way (pore pack + moisturizing mask) once a week. After using it continuously for a month, I noticed that I draw lesser gunk with my pore pack and my nose doesn't look as congested as it did previously which is a huge improvement.

Be a little more cautious if you have dry skin, it might be too strong and you may want to use moisturizing masks after every session. Products that do not cause me any problems can be too drying for you.

O'slee products can be purchased from the O'slee online store or at selected Guardian Pharmacies nationwide.

The full ingredient list for Slim Face Medi Deep Clean Mask:

Disclosure: Press samples.

Read More

[Apple Of Your Eyes] Kimchi Flora Violet

This is the third time you're seeing me with violet lenses, I'm still on my quest for the perfect pair haha~ The first two, reviewed here and here, didn't meet my requirements even though they are loved by others.

Name: Kimchi Flora Violet
Price: US$ 25 for 1 pair
Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 16 mm
Water content: 55%
Prescription: 0.00 to -8.50
Life span: 1 year disposal

Flora series give my eyes a dolly and lively feel. The tiny hints of purple peeking through manages to shine and they don't get overpowered by the dominant black colour in the design. I'm really thrilled that they don't stay true to colour once on my dark irides as I doubt that I can pull off a fuchsia.

If you plan to buy anything from Apple Of Your Eyes, please use my referral code below to get 5% off your order!
Code: Blair Tan

Overall rating:
Design and colour ★★★☆☆☆☆
Enlargement ★★★★★★☆
Comfort ★★★★★★☆

PRODUCTS USED

FACE
♥ Sonia Rykiel L'Atout Eclat Sublime S
♥ LUVIEW Whitening Capsule BB Cream

EYES
♥ Lavshuca Melting Eyes BR-1
♥ Sonia Rykiel Mono Eyeshadow 37
♥ Beauty Rush Wet/Dry Shadow Smokin’
♥ The Skĭn Shop Magic Science Gel Eyeliner
♥ Princess Lee cross 6 black lashes (公主李假睫毛交叉6黑)
♥ The Skĭn Shop Magic Science Volume & Curling Mascara

How's your weekend going?

PS: Can anyone in the EU please help me CP Essence's Little Bakery hand creams?

Disclosure: Press samples.

Read More

Eyelash ♥

I love DUP Eyelashes Fixer EX552 to bits and I have gone through two tubes at the time of writing. It only contain a measly 5 ml, not nearly enough for a lashes fan(atic). Furthermore, it is not sold here and whilst I can get it via e-tailers, the ridiculous markups always puts me off.

Name: Zixianna Eye Putti White
Price: US$ 5.79 for 12 ml
Made in: Japan

Eye Putti is so much more affordable and has double the amount but sadly it isn't anywhere near as good as the DUP adhesive. It doesn't dry completely clear and it doesn't hold the lashes well as both ends of the lashband will fly up after 4-5 hours.

This means that I will be searching for an alternative. Anyone liking Shu Uemura's Eyelash Adhesive?

My sponsor kkcenterhk.com also sent me a box of false lashes. The boxes amount of Princess Lee (公主李) lashes in my drawer are slowly dwindling so I was really thrilled with a replacement of sorts.

Name: ES A856 upper lashes
Price: US$ 17.03 for 10 pairs
Made in: Korea

I chose the A856 style from the ES brand because it bore some serious resemblance to the famous Princess Lee lashes. On the left I have ES A856 whereas the right is Princess Lee cross 6 black.

They are very much longer and the curvature isn't as pronounced as the original but those are the only differences. They retain their original shape very well which means that they can be reused as many times as you wish (remember to remove any glue residue and to sanitize afterwards) and they don't shed.

Needless to say I highly recommend ES A856 lashes. Did I mention that it is cheaper than Princess Lee lashes? No? Well, there you have it (^ ω ~)

You can find the products mentioned in this review at kkcenterhk.com. Use the code BLGA210BI10 if you do purchase something, you'll get 10% off your order.

Have a great Tuesday all! I am off to catch up on zzz...

Disclosure: Press samples.

Read More

Daiso Delights

Updated on 17.12.2012.

I think regular readers know that I adore luxurious Japanese products, but I find that some cheaper products work just as well or even outperform the expensive ones! And when I think of Japanese product that are sold for peanuts, Daiso automatically comes to mind. I realized that I never really reviewed any of the items that I've purchased from them, so here is a quick compilation of my likes.

Nose Pack or Natural Pack Masque

Great at getting gunk out from comedone infested areas. You can choose either the white or black paste, up to your preference. Personally I prefer the Nose Pack (white paste) as it packs more punch.

After a period of time, Nose Pack (white paste) becomes so goopy that it is rendered useless. Natural Pack (black paste) gets my love these days.

Facial Mask Sheets

The fabric feels pretty soft; it's not as rough and nonabsorbent as some other brands (random drugstore) that I've tried. I prefer another pack also from Daiso which is made in Japan compared the one pictured (made in Taiwan) but I only had this left. Kanebo Kracie also has these masks, but I'm not going to pay ¥ 500 for something that I can get for ¥ 100 (or in this case ¥ 210).

Eyebrow Coat

Fantastic stuff, keeps my unruly brows in place all day long.

Detergent For Puff And Sponge

I have a couple of the detergent in their old school labels as I went on a hoarding craze a while back *shifty eyes* It is really good at getting makeup out from sponges.

Dryness Spray For Nail

It doesn't dry my polish in seconds but it does make them shinier, last longer before chipping and also half the drying time. It basically acts like a top coat.

Enamel Remover

It removes nail polish very quickly and cleanly without drying my nails out overmuch. However, it has this offensive, overwhelming scent.. I overlook it since it works so well~ It is even better than removers that are five times its price, so it definitely merits a repurchase and a spot in this list.

If you have any recommendations, please share them in the comment section! And have you tried any of the items mentioned?

PS: Please excuse the weird names, I wasn't the one who came out with them haha!

Read More