Monday 27 January 2014

Birthday Girl

January 24th was my 25th birthday. I'm a quarter century old! I am so lucky and so blessed to be able to spend it with my loving husband and our sweet baby girl. She is the best present I could ask for. (would be even better if this present didn't come with late night/early morning breastfeeds!)


For this particular occasion, my husband treated me to Singaporean Chili Crab at a restaurant in Neutral Bay called Ginger & Spice. This restaurant is quite sentimental to us as it is also the restaurant where we were introduced three years ago. (can you believe it? just three years ago I was single and ready to mingle, and now I am married and popped a bubba!)


Singapore Chili Crab is a mud crab cooked in and drizzled in a special chili sauce with egg stirred through it while it cooks. It could be mild or extra hot depending on your taste. The sauce cannot be wasted as it is the star of the dish really. The sauce can be eaten with rice, roti or steamed buns. It does get a bit messy as you have to give up all dining etiquettes and use your hands acquire the crab meat.

We also ordered chicken satay sticks, a fried octopus dish and Mee Goreng as it is Chinese tradition to eat noodles on your birthday. I think it's because noodles symbolizes a long life...? maybe.





Evelyn was extremely excited to see all the yummy food. Too bad she's still got a few months to go until she can start on solids! She's just like her food-loving mummy!













January Haul

As it is my birthday month, the haul has to be like no other where everything can be justified and excused. Nothing my husband said or did could deter me from every damn beauty product that I set my eyes on.

And here it is...


I stopped by:

- Tom Ford: Golden mink, cocoa mirage and orchid haze eyeshadow quads, lovelust and frantic pink blushes
- Hourglass: Femme nude #1 and #3
- Nars: radiant creamy concealer
- Laura Mercier: Matte radiance baked powder Bronze 01, mineral powder compact
- Estee Lauder: Raisins eyeshadow duo
- Dior: Diorskin nude BB creme, Diorsnow BB eye creme
- Benefit: Rockateur blush, Gimme Brow Gel
- Chanel: Mat Lumiere powder, Les Beiges, Poudre universal compact, rouge coco #48, Illusion d'ombre #83 Illusoire
- La Mer: the cleansing oil, creme de La Mer, The rejuvenating essentials

I will definitely do some more detailed reviews for some of these products once I have used them a few times. 
Is there any particular item that you would like to see a review of?

stay tuned for the drugstore haul for January :)



Friday 24 January 2014

NYX Matte Bronzer

As many of you may already know, Nyx has recently just become available in Target in Australia. Previously we could only purchase from cherryculture.com or beautyjoint.com and chose colours/shades based on google image swatches and reviews. I have already tried some products and I'm happy to say that they carry some really high end quality products.

So I didn't think twice when I picked up Nyx's Matte Bronzer is shade 01 Fair. I like it when companys make different shades in bronzers rather than just a universal one (which just seems so lazy) and usually only suits one or two skin tones on the colour scale. 




Since I only like a little subtle bronzing rather than full-on bronzing, I thought shade 01 would work perfect for me. But when I got home and brushed it onto my cheeks, it was way too pink to be a bronzer for me! Excuse me Nyx, why is it so pink?! I tried it again the next day to see if I can buff it in some more to make the finish look more natural but its just makes my face look red and puffy. 
Eek! #*@&&#%%!

The texture is very creamy and smooth. So soft and creamy that it is bordering on chalky, but don't worry...it's just bordering, not actually chalky. The slightest amount adds a flush of colour to your skin so apply with a light hand and blend the product right in. Aside from how this shade totally doesn't suit my skin, I would highly recommend Nyx bronzers. There are 3 shades to choose from. Actually come to think of it, this could be a highly pigmented powder for dark skinned goddesses.


Here is how it compares to some of my other matte bronzers. My holygrail favorite Nars Laguna is a complete different colour to Nyx's Matte Bronzer. Is it because I'm so used to Laguna? Is anyone else noticing how pink toned this bronzer is? I've decided to either keep it and use it as a blush or sell it in an upcoming blogsale. 



L-R: Benefit Hoola, Nyx Matte Bronzer, Soleil tan de Chanel, Nars Laguna
L-R: Benefit Hoola, Nyx Matte Bronzer, Soleil tan de Chanel, Nars Laguna

Sunday 19 January 2014

By Terry Touche Veloutee Highlighting Concealer Brush

Only just a few days before I bought this, I thought "I'm not going to spend that much money on a concealer pen. Come on!" And this being fresh in my mind from just recently reading some blog reviews about it, I swatched it (why do I do this? my bank account asks). This is my first time trying something from By Terry. I have to admit, something puts me off about these newly established brands and I just can't justify paying similar to what you would pay for Guerlain and Dior etc for these lesser known brands. So I have no idea what came over me when I told the sales girl that "I'll to take this one in 02 Cream please!"




After using the Touche Veloutee, I can't say that I'm in love. I'm still a bit on the fence. Everytime I grab it to use it, I wish I would fall in love with this product because the packaging just makes it seem so luxurious and lovely. My first impression when using this was that I don't like the brush at all. It is 3 times bigger than that of YSL Touche Eclat, Chanel's Eclat Lumiere Highlighter pen and Mac's Prep + Prime Highligher Pen and also feels about three times stiffer. The bristles are not soft and it was quite uncomfortable rubbing it along my sensitive under-eyes. I couldn't take it and patted the product in with my fingers. 




The actual concealer smells divine (rose scented I believe), and the texture is very creamy. It has strong coverage yet is lightweight which already makes it better than most of the concealers on the market. However, I still don't think it trumps my holygrail Covergirl under eye concealer which is $18 for 9g. There was slight creasing in my wrinkles (yes wrinkles! urgh) after a few hours of wear but nothing that's going to turn me off from using it again. In terms of correcting, I think that's all a bunch of BS. Dark circles are either genetic or from lack of sleep, none of which makeup can fix.

Now Terry Gunzburg is the lady behind YSL's infamous Touche Eclat and has now established her own brand. The Touche Veloutee actually smells really really similar to my Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation come to think about it! I definitely believe that she has improved the formula since Touche Eclat as the Veloutee has fuller coverage and has more of a matte finish. 


comparison of Touche Eclat to Touche Veloutee
comparison of brush size
Sans Touche Veloutee
With Touche Veloutee
As you can see, I don;t really have terrible dark circles to begin with. But the Veloutee does hide most of the discoloration and flattens the appearance of bags under the eyes. I used Maybelline's Dream Matte powder and Real Techniques Contour Brush to set the Veloutee. 


For $79 I definitely think it's more worth it than YSL's Touche Eclat which is $55 for 2.5mL (insane!). Do I love the packaging? Yes, it's absolutely beautiful and just feel expensive. It's chunky and extravagant. The formulation is nice but it wouldn't hurt to have a little more stronger coverage. If you suffer from dark circles, this product is great for when you're on-the-go (i.e. rushing to work and applying your makeup on the train etc) as it is just so convenient.

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Wednesday 15 January 2014

Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Palette

Oh Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi...Thank you so much for bringing this dreamy 9 shadow creation to life. And what makes it even better is that they are now reduced to $87.50 (from $125) after Christmas on bobbibrown.com.au.

Again, I can't compliment enough about Bobbi's shipping and handling time. 2 days for domestic delivery is really something out of the norm in Australia as parcels usually take 4-6 days and that's not including the companies processing time. And this time, I treated myself to a complimentary gift wrapping. If you want to make someone special feel a million bucks, select gift-wrapping with your order because ohmygod it's lovely!

Here is how the parcel was packaged. It seems so extravagant for such a small eyeshadow palette! And I LOVE it!



Now, onto the actual eyeshadows. There are 3 matte shades, 2 metallic and 3 sparkle shades. 



The top row shadows are from left to right: Ivory (matte bone), Golden Pink (metallic rose gold), Gold (Gold sparkle). Ivory and Golden pink are very creamy, soft and pigmented shades which are a dream to apply and blend but the sparkle eyeshadow (just like all Bobbi's glitter eyeshadows) is quite hard/stiff and need a little more patience when applying it.


Swatch L-R: Ivory, Golden Pink, Gold
The second row is Opal (silver sparkle), Fog (matte grey-brown), Beige (matte tan). I don't care so much for Opal or Fog. I usually use Fog to shade in my eyebrows as this way I won't need to carry yet another beauty product in my bag. I love the shade Beige as it is the perfect colour for an all over lid colour or transitional colour for the crease as my skin tone is quite yellow and tanned. It is so pigmented and easy to pick up with a brush.


Swatch L-R: Opal, Fog, Beige
The third row is Chocolate Bronze (metallic brown), Candlelight Gold (metallic cream), Eclipse (matte black). I really don't like black eyeshadow and I believe it is a waste to have a matte black in all my eyeshadow palettes (I think this is probably the reason why I love Tom Ford eyeshadow quads so much. He hardly ever includes black!). Chocolate Bronze and Candlelight Gold are my 2 favorite shades from this palette and Chocolate Bronze was the only colour that I actually swatched in store and just went "yup, i'm buying this."


Swatch L-R: Chocolate Bronze, Candelight Gold, Eclipse


I can't really capture it on camera but chocolate bronze actually has purple and gold glitter pigments throughout the brown shadow. It is just amazing when seen up close. This is a great palette for me as it takes care of my eye makeup and brows. Easy!


Tuesday 7 January 2014

Organi Honey Facial Peel

I guess Organi is one of those Australian-made brands that no one knows about, and because no one buys their products, the prices are outrageously expensive. Organi has one of those pop-up stands underneath the Myer in Sydney CBD and I was stopped (harassed) by one of the sales consultants to try their miracle peeling mask. 

Now I usually hate this technique of selling from lesser-known companies. 120% of the time I get approached in the streets to try something out, I just smile and continue my business so I don't really know what intrigues me to stop at this counter and give the products a go. 

The minute I put the tub to my nose, I was drawn-in, the smell is amazing. It smells so yummy, you can definitely smell in the honey in it. And it did remove a layer of dead/dry skin from the inner half of my wrist. The consultant then told me that I would also receive a complimentary 200mL Salt scrub and a 300mL Body butter with a purchase of the Honey facial peel and the prospect of great freebies was too much for my self restraint. 

The peel is like a translucent, silicone-like cream and you apply it onto a damp face like you would any cleanser (I always cleanse my face before I use this peel) and slowly, you can feel lumps rubbing off your skin with the product. Once rinsed off, face feels tight and baby-smooth and slightly lighter in colour than before the peel. I also feel that my serum and moisturizer is absorbed quicker after I have done the peel each time meaning that due to dead/dry skin, my serums have not been fully absorbed into my skin previously.





I think every girl should own a peel like this even if you don't wear make up as it also removes any excess sunscreen, moisturizer that hasn't been absorbed/washed off properly allowing the skin to breathe and accept new products that you apply onto your face. Even after 2-3 days of using this peel, my skin still glows and feels smooth and tight. This I think is because all the serums that I lather onto my face has been absorbed and put to use.

I purchased the Honey Facial Peel for $90 at the time with the 2 complimentary salt scrub and body butter. I researched online and organi.com.au sells the peel for $150 and $100 each for the scrub and body body! Eek! 

Is there a peel that you use that works wonders?

Thursday 2 January 2014

Wishlists & Resolutions 2014

Dear God...

All I ask for in the new year is a big fat bank account and a slim lean body...
Please don't mix these up like you did last year!

Aaaaamen.

On a more serious note, my new years resolution is to wear make up every day so that I can use up my impossible-to-finish amount of make up so that I can justify buying more.
Here is a list of products that I am set out to purchase sometime in this year.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder


Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Empatant


Benefit Rockateur blush


Mac Prep & Prime Highlighter stick




Diorskin Shimmer Poudre in Amber Diamond


Diorskin Nude BB Cream


Estee Lauder eyeshadow duo in Raisins


Stila In the Light palette
What are your beauty resolutions this year?