Binning Time... Again! July, August & September (eeps, 3 months de??)

This is probably my most (will be at the least) most active posting ever.  The focus this year has really been about clearing and binning all those that I have and thus, there isn't much posting of things that I've bought and used (unless they are finished).

Also, with the busy-ness of work and etc, I do find it a struggle to blog as much as I wish I could.  Maybe in time, I will be able to find more time to blog, but for now, do bear with me and my sparsely updated blog.

Garnier Aqua Defense Moisturising Gel
I've finished 2 of them in the span of 3 months.  Quite gung ho with it...

Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil
Definitely my favourite brand of cleansing oil.  During my recent trip to Hong Kong, I've stocked up more! Woo hoo

Elken Ultimate Perfect Clarifying Lotion
Just another toner which I got when I was using Elken products.  it does help as clarifying lotion, and I tend to use it during the night to do a final cleansing of the face before I start my skincare regime for the night.  Does it job, but not a rebuy coz it's expensive and there's others for me to try out =D

Aiken Daily Sunscreen Face & Body
Nature Republic Color Day Apple Nail Remover
I've had it for a while since I have the tendency to start and stop my self-manicuring habits =p

Maybelline Unstoppable Lash Extension Mascara
I just realised that I've never posted about this mascara.  I've had it for the longest time and had to stop using it cause it was starting to irritate my eyes (I'm a mascara slacker you see, only on occasions do I wear mascara).  I love the wand as it could reach to those short little lashes at the inner corner of my eyes.  Didn't repurchase as I don't see it around, as well as the fact that there's too many out there!

There's definitely some goodies which I bought during my recent trip to Bangkok and it is just a matter of time before, I guess, I start being active in blogging again.  Till the next time!

Quick Smokey Eye - My Attempt

I'm pretty addicted to Lisa Eldridge these days.  There's been a few weddings that I had to attend the past months and here's one of my attempt to emulate Lisa's quick smokey eye.  I love how my small eyes looks bigger and the overall look feels makes me look sweet still =D

Please do excuse the fuzziness of the picture.  I was using the front camera of my iPhone and forgot that the quality ain't as good as when I use the back camera.

Items used:

Face:
Shills 6 in 1 BB Cream
Maybelline Angelfit  Perfect Concealer
Stage Photo Pro Camouflage 04 Buff
Nature Republic 4D Flower Powder 02 Lucid Pastel

Eyes:
Benefit Strut
Red Earth Magicline Kohl Eyeliner Pencil Kohl Crayon in Deep Forest
Anna Sui Super Mascara DX Waterproof (mini version from Plusizekitten)

Lip:
Stage Wondergloss Lipgloss 01 Penelope

Firstly, I line my eyes with the Red Earth Magicline Kohl Eyeliner Pencil Kohl Crayon in Deep Forest .  Don't worry about lining it perfectly or in straight line as you'll be smudging it later.  Once you've lined both eyes, get a smudge brush or a medium size eye shadow brush (I tend to reach out for the eye shadow brush) and run them into your little tub of Benefit Strut.  After that, start smudging your eyeliner with it.  Do it light-handedly.  Start from the inside of your eyelid and move outwards towards the end of your eyelid.  I tend to dip a bit more and add a little more texture nearing the end of the eyelid to give it a bit more omph.

Once that is done, dip your eyeliner brush into your Benefit Strut and line the bottom of your eyes.  Line it half way and then smudge them towards the inside of your eye.  By doing so, it will make your eyes look bigger and have more depth.

To complete the look, I used Anna Sui Super Mascara DX Waterproof mini on my eyelashes.  As my bottom eyelashes are extremely short, I only put it on my top eyelashes.  You may choose to run your mascara over the top and bottom of your lashes to make your eyes pop further.

After taking this picture, I realised how awesome a simple hairpin could do to my hair.  All I did was grab some of my hair up to pin it, and viola! Totally change the look.

Nature Republic Coenzyme Q10 solutionmask

It's been a while since I've applied sheet mask and I figured it is about time.  It's been raining everyday in the afternoon or evening and today's no exception.  I'm holing myself in my room and with the wonderful breeze, I really want to enjoy myself now.

So I went to my fridge to grab my Nature Republic Coenzyme Q10 Solution Mask.  It's written that it is formulated with MD 202 Water.  I did a search on it and found no returns, except for Nature Republic products.  I kinda assume that it's for hydration purpose.  Anyway, I tend to skew myself to Nature Republic's sheet masks cause I find them a better fit for my chubby face.

Like most korean products, their descriptions are in korean and because I am not korean nor am I brought up to know the language, I have no idea what's written.  One thing though, they have a few pictures to show you the sequence of order:

The first thing that hit me when I open the package is the smell.  It carries a tinge of smell that's kinda cloying.  But it's for a split second though.  Thank goodness, for I cannot imagine having to smell that cloying smell for 20-30 minutes whilst the mask is on my skin.

Hydration wise it looks good.  I do find my skin well hydrated throughout the day after using the mask.  Mind you, this is without putting any moisturisers on my skin after the mask.  At the end of the day I do find my skin feeling a little oily.  But it's okay since I am at home and if I were to use this on normal days, it will be used at night rather than during daytime (today is kinda like an exception).

Will I rebuy?  Typically, I find Nature Republic's masks fits me snugly as compared to the others, so I would still buy and explore others.

This one costs about RM7.90-RM9.90 if my memory serve me well.

p/s: Good news! My friend updated me that Nature Republic will soon be open in One Utama.  For those who are staying in PJ, you don't have to drag yourself all the way to KL (as they are only available at Fahrenheit88 and Berjaya Times Square) to get them.  As for the dates, I have no idea =p

Nature Republic Grape Fruit Body Lotion

There was a period of time where I was crazy over Nature Republic and I kept buying heaps of their stuff.  One of the items I got during a spree late last year at their main outlet at Berjaya Times Square is the Nature Republic Fruits Morning Fruits Grapefruit Body Lotion.  Evidently during that time, they came up lots of fruity lotions and facial wash that's hard to resist!

Most of the information written is in Korean, so I don't really understand it.  They had a tester pack available and I was trying it on my hand.  The slight citrus-y smell was captivating and without hesitation, I took it.
I've been using it on and off because I can be quite lazy when it comes to applying body lotion.  Guilty! I know I need to be more "rajin" or persistent in applying the lotion given that majority of my time is spent in air-conditioned rooms.

I guess you'll want to know how it fares, eh?

Okay, before that, let me share with you how I apply body lotions.  I tend to do it immediately after shower, pat my body a lil dry (I mean a little) and apply the lotion.  I find the lotions apply much better this way and it keeps my body more moisturised.

Texture
The lotion is slightly on the thicker side.  It's not as liquid as water but yet at the same time it's not as thick as creams (think Rosken Body Cream).  I like it when I apply with onto my slightly wet body because it kinda lessen the thickness of the lotion.
However, if I use this on my dry and clean body, I do find it a bit too sticky to my liking.  So I just stick to using it after I shower (whenever I do remember and not that lazy).

Smell
Of course it's Grape Fruit smell! What do you expect huh? Hehe, well, it gives the citrusy smell plus a little of the sweet smell, and it is quite decent.  At least it doesn't smell cloying to me.  By the way, it does get quite citrusy, so if you don't really fancy it, this might actually turn you off.

Packaging
It comes in a tube form which I quite like.  It's easy to dispense and because of its slightly thick texture, I don't have to fear that the lotion will leak or drip when I am applying the lotion.  The tube is quite big too, given that it's 150ml.  I guess it will definitely take me quite a long while before I could finish it since I'm so slow on using it.

Moisture Level
I tend to use it immediately after my shower, so it does quite well.  It is moisturising enough for me, and given that I can get quite lazy sometimes, it works well to bring back the moisture even with one application.

In overall, there isn't a whole great deal of shout-out for this body lotion.  It is a decent buy for its price and it works well, as a body lotion should.

*Item was priced at RM16 during time of purchase.

Nature Republic's Color Day Apple Nail Remover

As I was typing this, I find the name hilarious!  You want to remove your nail using liquid?  I for one do not wish to have my nails removed, but I guess I'll use it to remove my nail polish and that's the extend of it =p

Guess what? I am TOTALLY IN LOVE with this nail polish remover.  Oh my gosh, where have you been all these while???  I love it because:

It smells fruity: 

It doesn't give off that alcohol smell that tends to be awful and leaves the room smelling as such for a long long time.  This smells sweet and it beats that awful smell by far off

It removes my nail polish in a breeze: 

It works even better than my Sally Hansen nail polish remover.  I've had a record of my coatings of nail varnish and it just removes them *pooh* just like that.  I guess the most I rubbed (gently) was like about 3 - 5 times and the colours came off just like that.  What more do I have to say?

It is really cost saving: 

At RM5.90 per bottle, this is such a bargain.  What's more, it helps me to save cotton!  Now that's what I called cost savings!

p/s: Nature Republic is located on the 2nd floor of Berjaya Times Square near the Centre Court (near Sasa).  The shop is huge and they have a variety of goodies priced at different range for your perusal and enjoyment.  

This review is personally of my own and contains no endorsement from Nature Republic

Halfway Thru the Month & My Purchases are increasing!

I usually pace myself with my purchases, but this month, it's on an overhaul! They aren't that exhorbitant, but still! Woah, I'm going nuts with shopping eh.. and it's only half a month passed, there's another half to go. I seriously need to go slow =.=

Review: Argan Nutrixer Mask Sheet by Nature Republic

This is actually a long overdue entry!  I've mentioned before that Nature Republic was giving out free masks as part of the launching.  It went on for a while, I guess they were trying to pass those masks out for people to sample it as a few later when I went over to the shop with a few colleagues to make purchases, they were still giving out those masks.  However, it's only if you purchase something in return.

For those who aren't familiar with Nature Republic; it is similar to Etude House and The Face Shop.  Nature Republic is also originated from Korea.  This is what they have to share about themselves:

"Nature Republic", based on Mother Nature's law, is a new cosmetic brand, created by combining both state-of-the-art technology as well as natural substances of the utmost quality.  It includes such substances as various medicinal plants, flowers and seawater from around the world, and natural prescriptions from ancient times.

I've actually used one of the free masks months ago and intended to blog about it, but I guess I failed in that account eh.  Totally forgot about it until today.  Well, since I used it again, I decided to quickly do a review on it.  Like Etude House and The Face Shop, they used an artist as their ambassador.  However, here's the gung ho part.  They did not use just anybody, but Rain!  For those of you who do not know, Rain is a famous and now an International Artist from Korea.  He has recently penetrated the US market (for Asian, I guess that's good achievement) and is one of the hottest selling Korean artist around.  Here's a picture of the masks (check it out, Rain's face on each of these masks ok)

Rain aside (well, not literally raining eh); so how did the mask fare?

Fitting: Well now, I have to say that it does not fit well with my face.  It's not so much of the width but the length of it.  It does not cover the full of my forehead, but as for chin downwards, it's so long that it can cover a quarter of my face =.= That's quite an odd feeling, considering that I was pulling the mask to make it fit my face.  Kinda dislike that fact.

Hydration level: Of the mask of course.  Well, it's rather "juicy" I would say.  Even after 20 minutes to 30 minutes or so, the mask is still kinda wet and I actually went and rub in all over my arms as well as my legs.  Beat that.  Haha... it's good I presume.  Oh, upon opening the mask, rest assured, it didn't drip all over the place.  Nonetheless, a slight run over the plastic bag which holds the mask does produce probably half a teaspoon of the "juice".  Quite well.

Stickiness: The mask's a little sticky, as in, when you touch it, you feel that the stickiness is on your fingers.  I was a little irritated by it because I was having to adjust the mask and I kept needing to rub my fingers around to get it to dry.  Overall, once it's on and if you don't move it as much as I did (I think it took me like3 to 5 minutes to get the mask to settle on my face), it'll fair well.  After the mask session, I did find my nose area and my forehead being slightly sticky still, whereas the cheek's area pretty well hydrated and not as sticky.  Probably because of my combination skin (T-zone oily, cheeks area dry).

Brightening: Okay, to be honest, I don't what's the benefit of this mask.  Nonetheless, I find my face looking brighter and fresher.  I can even feel my skin having a bit of the "do-ing, do-ing" feeling to it.  I'm quite beat recently and looking rather dull, so this mask does help to brighten my complexion.  The colour's quite even and I look refreshed.  Good plus point to it.

Overall: It's a good mask; however; although this is not a re-buy item, I may still not re-purchase it even if it is because I dislike the mis-fit of the mask.

Review: Disaster Buy - Nature Republic Eye Lash Curler

You must be wondering why I say this is a disaster buy. Sigh...

When I first ventured into Nature's Republic, I really love the shop, it's layout, the stuff in it and etc.  So I thought, I guess their eye lash curler would work great no matter which one I buy... I love the look and feel of this eye lash curler.  Come on, check out the colour, such a babe okay.  The design seems good too and having checked with the SA, I made the purchase.  You'd think it'll be a good buy right??

Wrong! I have no idea why, but I guess it's for people who's eyes are wider? Because everytime I use it on my lashes, it actually pinches the side of my eyes! It's sooo annoying I tell you.  Not only that, it's supposed to curl my lashes, but it doesn't really... Sigh, I seriously regretted purchasing it.  I don't remember the price, but I honestly did not think that it would be so bad.  I think my previous cheap eyelash curlers from Watsons did not even fail me as this did.  

Maybe it will work for others, but it seriously turned me off I tell ya.  I am totally not going to repurchase it again.  Rather, I've bought a new one to replace.  Goodbye you curler you!

Sale Again!

I'm now blogging at http://dailyfemme.blogspot.com.  Do drop by and visit :)

It was just weeks before that Etude House's sale has ended, and now it's back on! It's even greater than the earlier sale.  A lot of their BB items and make up stuff are on 50% off.  I consider them quite good deal since their stuff aren't that expensive in the first place (ranges below RM50).

What's more, a few walks away, I find that TheFaceShop is also having sales.  I think the bargains are quite good deal if it's something you don't want to miss out.



What interests me are the masks available.  In both shops, their masks are selling less than RM10 with 20%!! Oh my gosh.... I saw a variety of masks.  What's interesting is that TheFaceShop has a number of masks that is of herbal origins.  Meaning, instead of mixing it yourself, you can apply a mask with herbal proportion in it for the nourishment of your skin.  I think that's quite cool!  With the price sitting at RM9.90 prior discount, and at RM7.90 after discount, it's definitely a good grab!  I saw this Mung Bean mask at TheFaceShop! I read that Mung Bean helps with those who have breakouts.  Mom told me that it has "cooling" effect, thus I won't be surprised if it does.  It's uber cheap ok!! RM6.90 prior discount, and RM5.50, it's a definite grab for me!! Sigh, my poor face suffered a bout of breakouts recently after so many years... totally at lost with it.  So now, hopefully things will go back to normal with all the masks and stuff I'm plying on my skin to ensure the breakout disappear.

I think the sale will continue to "spread".  I'm actually waiting to see if Nature Republic will have a sale!  Shall keep ya all updated... keke... meanwhile check out those shops ya!

 (check out da hunk!!)

Nature Republic

I'm now blogging at http://dailyfemme.blogspot.com.  Do drop by and visit :)

Have you heard of it?  I honestly didn't until recently whilst walking around Times Square, I kept seeing Rain's face on some of the posters and the huge Nature Republic name posted on it.  As I was talking to a friend yesterday on the phone, she mentioned that there's a new korean beauty shop which has opened (she's in Singapore btw) and my eyes actually popped wide opened when she mentioned the name Nature Republic.

With my interest piqued, I actually asked my colleague to detour to Nature Republic after lunch.  It's at Times Square 1st Floor, near Sasa.  My eyes went wide when we saw the shop, because it is pretty huge, think of Etude House and think about 3 to 4 times the size of their store!  It is definitely huge.  The layout is very nice, to be honest, lots of space for you to walk and the ambience is just right, very reflective of their name.  It feels as though you've entered into "natureland" (okay, kinda lame, but you get what I mean right?).

Btw, they are giving out a free masque for every visitor.  That definitely caught my attention.  Quickly checking their things, I find that they have a huge variety of masques and the prices are rather reasonable, ranging from RM7.90 to RM15.90.  Some of it are on promotion, whereby you get 3 for the price of 2 (think Borders). 

I love their range of nail colours and lipstick.  The bottles are sooo cute and they are a lot bigger than Elianto's or even The Face Shop.  Nonetheless, their price ranges from RM5.90 to RM15.90.  Sooo worth the price alright.  Okay, for the lipstick, some of it are quite pricey (RM40ish) but hey, they have quite good range of colours and it seems very suited for Asian skin.  I like the fact that they have a huge range of colours for those who prefer the au naturel look.  I personally do not like heavy colours on me, so their range of things are really really cool.  Anyhow, I have not purchased anything from there (yetttt), but I'm definitely going back there to grab some of their masques as well as their lipsticks and ... oh dear.. huge list coming up soon.  My oh my...

Oh, my colleague was attracted by a masque that is for FEET! Can you believe the range that they have, for feet ok!  I wanted to get a masque that is for the neck!!!! Yes, they have that too... oh my... okok.. (calm down calm down, oh my dear excited me)... It is the very first branch in Malaysia, so I'm looking to see more branches springing up soon.  If you are checking Korean products out, this may be one that you would want to look out for.