Archive for September 2013

Home Archive for September 2013

My First Benefit Haul!

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By Jana with 11 Comments

How have you all been?! (Yes, I would love to know!) I just started my mid-semester break for uni and my, am I thankful for it. Hurrah to more silly moments in the kitchen, catching up on my favourite shows, books and not to mention more family time! Steering off topic, let me tell you something... I've always

30 Days of Fashion and Beauty 2013 (Priceline Beauty Tour + Goodie Bag!)

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By Jana with 4 Comments

September celebrates Priceline's 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty! This month unveiled a line up of fashion and beauty events hosted around the nation (of Oz). Unfortunately, still being in uni, studies were of a higher priority and I missed out on some of the fashion events hosted earlier this month at Town Hall, Sydney. When the beauty

August 2013 Empties

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By Jana with 2 Comments

(BETTER LATE THAN NEVER) September calls forth flowers bursting in full bloom and.... an August empties post! I'm so glad that we've hit Spring in Australia; loving the much warmer days albeit it's been a bit windy in Sydney at the moment. Having farewelled winter a few weeks ago, you can sure guess that last month's empties sure packed

Haul: Maybe it's Maybelline

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By Jana with 10 Comments

Not too long ago, Priceline had a half price sale on Maybelline cosmetics. Being the frequent shopper that I am, I rushed over to my nearest store to pick up some items that I would love have a play around with. My curiosity in the product's performance partly influenced my decision in purchasing certain products. Another influence are the various

Review: Bloom Secret Weapon Concealer Kit

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By Jana with 5 Comments

Every queen needs her beauty sleep. Sleeping Beauty wasn't known as a beauty for being awake! (I kid of course!). While some of us can't naturally emulate Sleeping Beauty's "achievements" in the beauty department or get the right amount of sleep, we can easily turn to concealers to masquerade those treasured designer eye bags and imperfections. Bring in

Review: Burt's Bees 100% Natural Lip Gloss

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By Jana with 2 Comments

It's early spring down under, the days are pleasantly sunny (depending on location), the flowers are blooming and the field is abuzz with honey bees working their pollinating magic. Now's the perfect time to join in the buzz with this Spring's fling accompanied with a Burt's Bees 100% natural lip gloss! I acquired this lip gloss in the shade

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Wednesday, 25 September 2013

My First Benefit Haul!

How have you all been?! (Yes, I would love to know!)

I just started my mid-semester break for uni and my, am I thankful for it.

Hurrah to more silly moments in the kitchen, catching up on my favourite shows, books and not to mention more family time!

Steering off topic, let me tell you something...

I've always held a fascination with Benefit cosmetics.

Whether it be the delightfully dainty packaging or the product itself, Benefit cosmetics have always made the top of my wish list for many years. The associated hefty price tag in Australia has rendered the products unattainable; my longing for Benefit has been sitting at the back of my mind for far too long.

I remember back in 11th grade when I kindly asked my friend to purchase me the oh-so-famous Benefit Benetint on Ebay for a fraction of the RRP - around $17. I did my background check on the seller and silently prayed that I did not receive a counterfeit product. When my product arrived and was in my hand, a week later in the toilet cubicles, my heart sank when I ripped it out from the packaging. Hours spent reading articles on how to spot counterfeit goods have finally come in handy. You can say I was obsessed.

Fortunately, most tales do come with a happy ending. Fast forward a couple of years and I happened to be reading Jen's post (The Shopping Queen) about a Benefit deal to hard to pass up. A few minutes later, I made my first Benefit order, and two weeks later, my first Benefit package landed on my front porch, straight from the US.

(Cabana Glama Makeup Kit)

(close up - I already used some of it and scratched it lol)

(Invoice - product listing)

Considering some of the products alone would cost you more than a 'yellow note', the deal online was quite reasonable!

For the "Best of Benefit" kit, you can choose 4 items - from the categories provided, complexion, cheeks, eyes and bonus gift! The products from this kit came housed in a cute pink makeup case/bag. I love pink and makeup bags always come in handy, so this was definitely a winner.

My order wasn't complete without adding in the Hoola bronzer. I've always wanted to try bronzers but the drugstore ones didn't appeal to me as much as this one.
Being the usual me, I had to make one last stop to the sale section to pick up the Cabana Glama makeup kits which were half priced - only $18! Knowing my friend's shared love for Benefit cosmetics, I had to pick one up for her as well.
The Cabana Glama makeup kit contains:
- Hoola bronzing powder with brush (4g)
- Posietint Poppy-pink tinted lip & cheek stain(2.5 mL)
- Some Kind-A-Gorgeous Medium the foundation faker for medium complexions (3.5g)
- Eyeshadow palette - Peach Fizz, Bronze Buzz & Cocoa Pizzazz
- double-ended sponge applicator

I went over $125 which was quite dreaded but I'm happy to say I got free standard international shipping. With every order, you can select two samples to try out so I selected the Stay Flawless sample and the Fine-One-One sample because I would love to try these out!

Overall, I'm a very happy customer, partially because I've finally had my hands on Benefit's Benetint! And partially, because I couldn't stop squealing at all the pretty packaging.

If you're interested in Benefit cosmetics, check out the link here.
Additionally, if you're interested on my take of reviewing any of these products, please let me know!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

So, did you recently take up on this offer? What do you think of these products? What Benefit products do you love?
Feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section below!

Saturday, 21 September 2013

30 Days of Fashion and Beauty 2013 (Priceline Beauty Tour + Goodie Bag!)

September celebrates Priceline's 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty!

This month unveiled a line up of fashion and beauty events hosted around the nation (of Oz).

Unfortunately, still being in uni, studies were of a higher priority and I missed out on some of the fashion events hosted earlier this month at Town Hall, Sydney.

When the beauty events started rolling back in Sydney mid-month, I popped by to Martin Place for the Priceline Beauty Tour where women were encouraged to participate in the "Go Naked Day" (makeup-wise of course!) ;)

Emerging from Martin Place station at midday, I saw this huge pink spectacular.

(inside the tent - centre stage post Beauty Editor Workshop)

On the way in, I donated to Priceline's Sisterhood Charity, Look Good...Feel Better and received a generous goodie bag.

Inside, makeovers (Revlon, Rimmel etc.), Essie manicures, and skin consultations (Ponds) were taking place. There was also a photo booth which you can utilise after your makeover to snap up some memories of the event!

I really wanted to get my nails done; I'm quite interested in the formula and wear of the Essie polishes but there was a queue, so I gave it a miss.

At the back there was some lash magic taking place, and having never worn false eyelashes before, I took up the chance to have my lashes done by a nice gentleman from the Manicare Glam team. I chose the most natural looking lashes available - the Taylor lashes and before working his magic on me, I was given the lowdown on the perfect application.
After putting the falsies on, this lady complimented how beautiful they looked on me and how this 'transformation' yielded such an improvement in the look of my eyes. They certainly added a touch of glamour; my friend thought otherwise!

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and after giving the 'tent' a twirl, headed home. It was when I came home that I decided to check out the contents of my goodie bag.

(gorgeous model on the bag!)

(the contents)

There are a mixture of full sized items and samples. The contents of this bag is great for a get-together with your girls e.g. a sleepover. There's shampoos, conditioners, wax strips, nail products, a bit of makeup and skin care products!

Contents:

Full Sized Items

Almay Moisturising Eye Makeup Remover Pads

Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser Fair to Light SPF15

Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser

Beauty Essentials Nail Shapers

Broadway Nails Press & Go in Joyride

Manicare Glam Eyes Femme Fatale Kim Lashes

Models Prefer Kohl Pencil in Dark Chocolate

Models Prefer Liquid Liner in Brilliant Brown

Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in 043 Forbidden

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Colour in 200 Princess Pink

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color in 908 Graphite Gravity

Swisse Shampoo with Pro-Vitamin B5 and Passionflower

Samples

Biorè Makeup-Removing Wipe (1)

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly (15 mL)

Caron Laboratories Bump eRaiser Medi Paste (2.5 mL)

DU'IT Tough Hands Intensive Repair (5g)

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo (44 mL)

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Conditioner (44 mL)

Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion Skin Conditioner (10 mL)

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gentle Daily Cleanser (15 g)

Puretopia Instant Moisture Skin Quenching & Protecting Daily Face Moisturiser SPF15 (4mL)

Royal Moroccan Hair Serum Treatment (5 mL)

Royal Moroccan Hair Mask Treatment (15 mL)

Waxaway 4 wax strips & 1 after care wipe

Wow, that's a lot of products!

I can't wait to try and share these products around. You can certainly pick up any of these items in your local Priceline.

Thank you Priceline for hosting such fun events and for supporting their Sisterhood Charity!

Did you attend this year's 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty?!

What did you think of this year's goody bag?

Friday, 20 September 2013

August 2013 Empties

(BETTER LATE THAN NEVER)
September calls forth flowers bursting in full bloom and.... an August empties post!

I'm so glad that we've hit Spring in Australia; loving the much warmer days albeit it's been a bit windy in Sydney at the moment.

Having farewelled winter a few weeks ago, you can sure guess that last month's empties sure packed a a tad more skincare products than usual. This year, I exerted extra effort in adhering to my winter skincare routine. To my satisfaction, I did not experience winter skin symptoms such as itchy skin, all good!

So, let's check out the empties shall we?!

Glam Eyes Manicare Accent Lashes Black - Eva Lashes
"2 half length ready to wear instant luscious-looking lashes with pre-applied adhesive"
I received these falsies in a goody bag last year and sometime during August had a play around with them. Prior to this experience, I've never worn them before so when I did try to apply these falsies on, I failed horribly. It was quite a hilarious moment; I had the notion that these would be pretty easy to apply because they're demi lashes, so how hard could it be?! Mind you, I had my laptop open to some instructional YouTube video...But you know what they say - practice makes perfect.
Oh, I do like this brand - it's easily accessible at Priceline and other stockists.

Cedel Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair
I won this shampoo with other cans of hair products through a Facebook competition.
Having tried Batiste's dry shampoo, I was curious to see how this would perform. I liked how it was easily concealed in my black hair but a few improvements can be made to the formula and fragrance. I prefer Batiste over this brand even though it does leave my hair with grey-white residue.

Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil (50 mL)
Rose hip oil entered my life last year when I was looking for a natural alternative for face and body oils. I found the Trilogy Rosehip Oil and after trying that progressed onto the Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+. I found the former worked better for me but you know me, being the Asian that I am, sought to find a cheaper alternative. Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil will you please come forward?! Rose hip oil, liquid gold, fatty acids or whatever you may wish to call it, worked wonders for me. I apply a few drops on my face before bed and wake up to plump glowing skin. During winter, I like to top it up with my all time favourite moisturiser (described here). This oil is super versatile - you may use it for dehydrated skin, to treat scars and pigmentation, as a light anti-aging serum, as a moisturiser... the possibilities are endless! If you've never tried rose hip oils, I must impart you a word of caution - the smell may be off-putting; very distant from the fragrance of roses I can assure you! Recently I purchased my fifth 50mL bottle from the Chemist Warehouse, despite my inner yearning to venture into trying other brands such as Kosmea - the producer of the "best rose hip oil". Oh please, try me!

Bio-Oil (125 mL)

I got hooked onto this product after consulting with a friend about which products to use on scars. The next week later, I hopped into Priceline and sought out the smallest size available (60 mL). This is my third bottle so far being the second largest size (125 mL). Using this oil religiously on my face and body, my scars have faded significantly. The disappearance of some of my pimple scars on my face have been my best result attainable from this product to date. I'd like to describe my relationship with Bio-Oil to be ambivalent. The pleasant calming scent and skin plumping properties have sure won me over. This product actually works but after a few months of use, it seems I've reached the efficacy threshold and there have been limited improvements in my skin. Now, let me remember what I said during my last break-up, (I kid!) "it's time for a break", "it's not you, it's me" Bio-Oil. I find you to be a bit expensive and luckily, I've finally met your much affordable doppelganger (I'll be doing a review soon on that one!).

Olay Complete Defence Daily UV Moisturising Lotion SPF 30+ Broad Spectrum (75 mL)

Back in high school, I was obsessed with Olay products after a good friend of mine introduced me to their classic moisturiser. I really do like this SPF included lotion but it did made my face very shiny - very typical of 'sunscreens'. This lotion is feels very cool and moisturising but beware applying this near the 'danger zone'. My eyes were in agony. That is all.

CoverGirl CG Smoothers Tinted Moisture SPF 15 (40mL)

Before the BB, CC, DD, EE, FF....ZZ cream era, what's a girl gotta do if she does not like foundations? But say, she wants light coverage, hydration and a bit of SPF? Then you give her a tinted moisturiser of course! I really liked this tinted moisturiser; ultra light, ultra natural, ultra this, ultra that! Enough said! Unfortunately, all good things come to an end; I don't see this product as frequent as before and I've moved onto those BB creams for now.

Swisspers Cucumber Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)

I got this free in the Priceline skincare goodie bag a few months ago. For a more detail into the contents of the bag and what I did to redeem the offer, click here. These were much milder and calming than the other variants I've tried (i.e. pomegranate, green tea) but I won't be repurchasing these; I've stopped using facial wipes altogether (for my face). I now purchase $1 facial wipes to pop in my bag so I can clean my hands when I get into a 'sticky' situation out and about!

And that concludes my empties post!

I know the posting of this post is late; I had a lot of assignments and errands that kept me occupied throughout.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this post!

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Haul: Maybe it's Maybelline

Not too long ago, Priceline had a half price sale on Maybelline cosmetics.

Being the frequent shopper that I am, I rushed over to my nearest store to pick up some items that I would love have a play around with. My curiosity in the product's performance partly influenced my decision in purchasing certain products. Another influence are the various reviews I've read on the "blogosphere". I ended up purchasing 15 Maybelline products which was quite astounding, since I was planning on picking up only one fifth of the total products purchased. This haul was quite enjoyable in the making; I have my sister and best friend to thank, for helping me make the wearisome decisions - "should I get this?". I know I can be quite annoying when shopping; my decision making skills are atrocious.

(I hope you don't mind the inconsistency in the photos provided. Some of the photos taken became blurry once uploaded, so I decided to substitute a few with much better quality images from various sites).

1. Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in Medium (2% salicylic acid and made for oily skin)

After watching Jodi's review (Goo Roo Beauty) and seeing this BB cream pop up in nearly every Maybelline haul I've encountered, I just had to have it. I rarely buy BB creams in the shade Medium, but this shade was a lot lighter than your average medium shade and it suited my skin quite perfectly for the upcoming summer months. This BB cream mattified my combination skin and made it looks flawless, thus making it the best western drugstore BB cream I've tried to date.

2. Maybelline City Rescue Total Clean! Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover (70 mL)

Since discovering dual phase makeup removers, I've fallen in love with them. The retail price for this makeup remover was a bit expensive so I'm very pleased to purchase this on a half price discount because I've always wanted to try it.

3. Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara in 280 Blackest Black (7.5 mL)

4. Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Mascara in 271 Very Black (9 mL)

I purchased both of these mascaras because simply, I've always wanted to try these. Oh, and not to mention the positive reviews I've read!

5. Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner

A great glossy eyeliner that draws perfect lines. Great staying power as well. I'm impressed!

6. Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Liner

This has quickly escalated to become one of my favourite liners! The epitome of the perfect liquid eyeliner perhaps? It ticks all the right boxes!

7. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black (3g)

This is my first gel eyeliner so naturally I was really excited to try this out! I love this product already; a natural and dramatic look can be achieved. Love the formula and the handy brush provided!

8. Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in 70 Barely Branded

I am so amazed with this eyeshadow's formula compared to the original Color Tattoo eyeshadows; the newer generation is much creamier. I was lucky to pick up the last one at my local Priceline; evidently it's very popular with other beauty enthusiasts.

9. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment + Concealer in Light

Personally, this product is quite expensive, so naturally I had to pick it up during the sale. Initially when I first heard of this concealer, I was concerned with the anti-aging claims pertaining to the eye area. Being only 20 years old, I wanted to avoid anti-aging products as they are unnecessary for me. However, this concealer works well to conceal dark circles, so I'm sticking with it for now.

10, 11, 12. Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquers in 160 Chiffon Chic, (Limited Edition) 825 Rose Bling and (Limited Edition) 820 Sea-Quins

I'm a nail polish girl, so it's no surprise that my willpower to resist picking up these polishes failed me. I will always welcome girly pinks and glitter polishes into my stash. The Sequins polishes are eye-catchingly gorgeous; I can't wait to try them out!

(Swatches - 25 Lust For Blush and 65 Pink Possibilities)

13, 14. Maybelline Color Whispers Lipsticks in 25 Lust For Blush and 65 Pink Possibilities

I heard these were more lightweight than the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters and curiosity got the better of me. These are perfect for those low maintenance days especially in the warmer months. The colours are sheer yet buildable - one being a nude-mauve-pink and the other an adorable pink; you can infer that I love many things pink!

15. Maybelline Baby Lips Loves Color in Pink Lolita (SPF 16, 4.5g)

I just adore this dolly pink colour and had to pick this up after having a positive experience with the Baby Lips balms.

And that concludes my Maybelline haul! I'm going to have to put myself on a shopping ban or Project Pan soon. My makeup drawer is accumulating a lot of products at an exponential rate!

I hope you enjoyed this haul! I would love to check out your haul if you too, purchased from the sale! Feel free to link your posts in the comments section below.

So, have you tried any of the products featured?

(Have a beautiful day everyone!)

Sunday, 8 September 2013

Review: Bloom Secret Weapon Concealer Kit

Every queen needs her beauty sleep.

Sleeping Beauty wasn't known as a beauty for being awake! (I kid of course!).

While some of us can't naturally emulate Sleeping Beauty's "achievements" in the beauty department or get the right amount of sleep, we can easily turn to concealers to masquerade those treasured designer eye bags and imperfections.

Bring in the Bloom Secret Weapon Concealer Kit! Ladies, this credit card-sized concealer kit easily fits in your handbag/clutch so you can apply touch ups and conceal, conceal, conceal, oh-so-stealthily.

I purchased this nifty kit tailored for fair-medium skin at Cosmetics Fragrance Direct at DFO. Yes, the medium-dark kit is also available if you're interested! For just a quarter of the RRP, this deal was too hard to pass up. This is indeed my first Bloom product so I was very interested in the performance of the product.

This kit comes with 3 skin coloured concealer shades (fair, light and medium), a beautiful light bronze illuminiser, a yellow concealer shade for blue-purple tones (bye bye dark circles) and a green concealer shade for redness and blemishes.

And added for your "assistance" is a brief guide of the shades and their possible uses. I do believe that the light and medium concealer shades are swapped and do not correspond to the back of the card.

(swatches of the shades - light, medium, illuminiser, fair, green and yellow)

I find the product to be of great value for $5, but I would not purchase this at its RRP ~ $20.

The shades are of decent pigmentation and conceals my dark cirlcles and blemishes adequately. The blue-purple shades of my dark circles are diminished and my eyes appear much brighter.

I'm not a fan of the brush so I use my fingers to pat everything in because "fingers are basically the ultimate makeup brush" as quoted from Candice (YouReview). I find gently patting on layers to be the most effective application of these shades. The illuminiser has got to be one of my favourite shades - a very nice bonus that's not overly sparkly and provides the perfect sheen for me. I haven't played with the green shade yet because I don't have any redness on at the moment. Throughout the day, I found myself to do a minor touch up, which I don't mind of course - my dark circles are quite distinguishably unsightly.

This concealer kit is certainly handy for those on the go and for those undercover touch up sessions. It's not the best but it certainly is worth trying out. Additionally, if you're looking into experimenting with concealers why not check this kit out? It has three flesh tone concealer shades so nailing the perfect shade has never been easier!

Friday, 6 September 2013

Review: Burt's Bees 100% Natural Lip Gloss

It's early spring down under, the days are pleasantly sunny (depending on location), the flowers are blooming and the field is abuzz with honey bees working their pollinating magic.

Now's the perfect time to join in the buzz with this Spring's fling accompanied with a Burt's Bees 100% natural lip gloss!

I acquired this lip gloss in the shade 239 Spring Splendor after winning a Facebook competition.

In comparison to the shade chart found on the Burt's Bees website, there exists colour discrepancies with Spring Splendor.

Evidently, the colour looks very different to the one present online. Nevertheless, it's still a very wearable shade.

(swatch in natural sunlight)

(swatch in the shade)

I found this gloss to not be as moisturising as other glosses I've encountered. The colour is a bit sheer to my liking; I've seen other shades with much more pigmentation.

Spring Splendor provided me with a very natural and effortless "MLBB" (my lips but better) glossy look that is great for this season (Spring!). You may dislike the waxy scent accompanied with the gloss, but have no fear, it is certainly is not overpowering (and you'll probably not notice it later). The formula of the gloss is a bit thick compared to other glosses and there are shimmer pigments dispersed within.

Brownie points for the cute packaging - refer to the lid of the bottle, I simply adore the bee hive pattern! I also like how this gloss is packed with "natural oils rich in nutrients" (hear ye, hear ye! you heard it right!)

Overall, this lip gloss isn't a favourite of mine due to the much thicker formula. Nevertheless, this is a great gloss to layer on top of lipstick/lip balm or to be worn on its own. A good alternative to those lip glosses with artificial and possibly "sickly" formulas. Do consider that statistics states that women ingest a significant numerical value of lip products in their life time. So if you're health conscious or like to opt for more natural lip gloss, then this one's for you!

This product retails for $16.95 and can be purchased on the Burt's Bees website.

So, for those lip gloss enthusiasts out there, will you be making the 'switch'? Have you tried this lip gloss yet? What are your thoughts? Do let me know in the comments section below!

Have a beautiful day!

Her Beauty Days