January 2015 Favorites

Hi guys!

Hope you're all doing well =) man am I on a roll with blogging or what? =D This is like the first time I'm ever on time for a favorites... I le proud XD I'm pretty excited about this month's products, so let's go =D

1. Albion Skin Conditioner

This is a brand new bottle, but I have several sample bottles/packets that I've been using since last November/December. Already talked about this in my last post, but long story short, most hydrating toner I've ever used! My skin feels soooo comfortable every single time after applying this. My skin just drinks it right up :D it smells medicinal, which might not be the most appealing to some, but I simply LOVE it.  Highly highly recommend if you can get your hands on this!


2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

From left to right: Mood Exposure, Incandescent Electra, Luminous Flush

When I first got this palette, I surprised myself by favoring Luminous Flush the most :P it's one of those shades that just look so right in the winter. I was obsessed with that color for like a month or something. Then when I went to Japan, I became obsessed with Mood Exposure XD Mood Exposure gives the most gorgeous I-just-got-in-from-the-cold kind of flush... so pretty. Whenever I wore this blush and check myself in the mirror, my face be like this → （　￣ー￣） *insert very self-satisfied smile*  and my mind went like this→ THAT, is the look （￣￢￣） *insert self dialogue*

 Currently still in the Mood Exposure phase XD  Hmmm Incandescent has received the least amount of love from me... I don't know... it's such a gorgeous color but I just don't like peachy shades on me that much T_T


Swatches

I actually may have mixed up the names/swatches of the blushes... cuz I saw on Sephora that Mood Exposure is the dark and plummy shade. So maybe the Ambient Lightning Blush Palette is just labeled weird. So it might have been top to bottom: Mood Exposure, Incandescent Electra, Luminous Flush




Luminous Flush (?)

Luminous Flush is a darker pink than I typically go for, but I found this winter I'm really liking the deeper pinks!! Goes really well with the cold weather =D oh the flushhhh  (err... that sounds like flushing the toilet)


Incandescent Electra


Mood Exposure (?)










Heavier swatches.




... It should be bottom to top: Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra, Mood Exposure







Lol excessive swatches much? The sun light wasn't that great that day so I was taking multiple pics.


3. Maybelline Fashion Brow Duo

I'm in love with this brow duo! As you can see on the packaging, one end has a spongy applicator that dispenses powder, and the other end is your regular twist up pen. The powder is great when I'm in a hurry, or just to fill out the front part of the brows for a softer look. The formula for the pen is perfect in my books! So easy to use. The product goes on easier than the Za Ever Brows. So quick and so convenient. Really recommend you guys to check this out =D


4. Pupa Vamp! Wet & Dry Eye Shadow in Ombretto Cotto

I'm not recommending this particular eye shadow per se, any super sparkly eye shadow or pigment will do =P

I was obsessed with wearing sparkly gold eye shadow throughout the entire months of November and December =P  Basically for the entire two months until I bought my Lunasol and Jill Stuart Palettes LOL.


I actually really dislike the packaging of this eye shadow. Keep feeling like one day I'm just gonna drop and shatter the whole thing.




I'd just use my ring finger to dab a little bit of the eye shadow and smear it over my eyelid XD nothing too crazy, just a very thin layer so it's quite subtle. Actually there is nothing subtle about it, because when the light hits you'll be able to see the sparkles on my eyelids =P  what I meant was I don't apply so much that you can tell I'm wearing gold eye shadow, but just enough to see sparkles when I blink or when the light hits =P  I also like to apply a little on the center of my lower eyelid. Don't like to apply eye shadow to my inner corners these days because I feel that actually closes up my eyes for some reason...


5. THREE Blushes in #24 Into the Aether and #22 Sweet Thing

Left: #22 Sweet Thing
Right: #24 Into the Aether 


Those blushes are pretty sheer so it was very hard to swatch on the back of my hand. Finger swatches it is XD
Top: #24 Into the Aether 
Bottom: #22 Sweet Thing

Personally liking #24 a little more at the moment... still digging the deeper shades for the cold weather :P but both shades are so nice. I personally really like how sheer these blushes are because it's completely fool proof-- in the morning I can just buff it into my skin and not have to worry about if I use too much of a heavy hand XD




... I just noticed I've been really into pink, haven't I? Hahaha.


6. Jill Stuart Eye Shadow Palette in 08 Amalia Tutu

May I just say again.... the floral smell!!!! (♡_♡) *whiff whiff*


I feel like it was very hard to get true to color swatches... those are quite close to real life but the second shade is a bit pinker in person.


Gorgeous shades. The first shade looks like a matte eye shadow in the pan but it's actually more of a satin. The same goes to the fourth shade. The second and third shade as you can see, are satin with very fine glitters. They're nowhere as sparkly as the Pupa eye shadow I showed above.


My favorite favorite FAVORITE shade from this palette is the third shade though!!! It's sooo pretty. I feel like I haven't seen anything quite like it. I am rubbish at describing colors..... I just know I love this shade. Hahaha.


Not that big of a fan of the pink shade though... I do notice if I apply the pink shade all over my lids, then my eyes look swollen. So I usually just use it very lightly on the first half of my eyelids.










7. SK-II Cellumination Essence-In Foundation

See my review here. As I mentioned in my Best of 2014 post, I fell in love with this foundation because of my Dior sunscreen. This foundation wouldn't have made it to my favorites if it wasn't for my Dior sunscreen to be honest XD  I liked it a lot but never loved it. But with my Dior sunscreen, now I do love it :P


It's dried out, but that doesn't affect the product lol. My favorite way to apply this foundation now is just using my fingers. Great coverage, stays on well, wears gracefully throughout the day. I really really REALLY wanted to get another one when I was at duty-free.... Seriously, I was THIS close to getting it *insert imaginary thumb and finger*. But I didn't cuz I have sooo many foundations already =(( I figured I should at least use this up first then go from there. Aiiii. But anyway, reached for this A LOT when I'm not using my YSL TE... if I wasn't trying to use up my YSL TE, this would prob be the only foundation I'm reaching for at the moment XD 


8. Lunasol  Eye Shadow Palette in Biege Biege

I already talked about how much I like this palette in my last post. So please just feel free to check that one out for my thoughts on it. Just wanted to provide good swatches here for you :P


Made a dent in the brown shade because I've been using it to line my eyes.


Swatches. Doesn't it look like the most unremarkable shades? XD But they do layer so well with each other!




I LOVE THAT BROWN SHADE OH MY GAHHHH.


The highlight shade really is very sparkly... this last pic shows it better.


These days I've really been reaching for the Lunasol and Jill Stuart eye shadow palettes ^_^ Kind of exciting for me cuz it's been a while since I've been into eye shadows (or since I've been using eye shadows over my eyelids, period). I do like the Lunasol one more than Jill Stuart though, because the Jill Stuart shadows aren't as "adhering" I feel...

That's all I've got for January! Basically everything I got from Japan was a hit XD  So happy that I'm loving most of these products. A few years ago I was really into Japanese makeup, now I feel like I'm entering that phase again XD  Just wish these are more easily accessible =(

Next up I have some lip products I want to show you guys... as well as a New Year's beauty resolutions post... after that I think I will probably enter a blogging hiatus... been spending wayyy too much time blogging. LOL.

Hope you guys have a great start to February ^_^


<3 Frances

June 2014 Favorites ^_^

Ello ello guys!

So... this month's "favorite" post probably won't be that exciting to most of you... at least for my long-time readers :") (hello if you're reading!) because lot of them are rediscovery of old favorites XD So you probably have seen most of them at some point. And the newer favorites I believe I've already done reviews on all of them, kkk. 


Let's first start with the new items I have for this month XD  Those are probably more exciting for you guys to read!

1. Canmake Cream Cheek Blush in 01

Guys. This thing. Is amazing!!!!

I used to avoid cream blushes-- I used to have this one from Stila called Convertible Color in Gerbera and I loved that color! But somehow I reasoned with myself that it's more hygienic to dip my brush into the cream blush than using my fingers =_= so that kind of ruined the blush for me (lint, brush hairs getting stuck in the blush... all that good stuff). So I pretty much avoided cream blushes after that. So glad I decided to give these a try!!! I have 3 colors but this is my favorite (review and swatches for the rest will come up soon). Been pretty much reaching for it non-stop over the last couple of months ^_^ Haha my new blush love affair after the Benefit Rockateur lol.



Swatch



It's sooo pretty. It honestly goes with every look, and just makes my complexion look super super healthy and glowy :)


Caution: This blush does contain glitters. However it doesn't look glittery at all when applied to the face in my opinion. But if you really hate glitters then perhaps you might want to keep that in mind before purchasing.

What it looks like on me:

Application


Honestly... blush is the hardest thing to photograph. Didn't want to overdo it but at the same time the color always comes off more washed out. But I hope you guys can kind of see it





2. LUSH BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask

My attitude toward LUSH is always kind of ambivalent... I think their products are fun, but overpriced (aka luxurious items haha!)

But! This mask is pretty awesome *-*  This is kind of like a last-minute favorite for me... because I've only used this mask 4 times. But I'm loving it!


You can see chunks of seaweed in it




Skin feels super moisturized and baby soft after ^_^b Love it! Now I'm super interested in trying out more LUSH fresh masks. I wonder if they come in bigger tubs... cuz I kind of want one *-*


Ok from here on out all the products are old... I apologize ahead of time if I'm boring you guys XD


3. YSL Glossy Stain in #29 and Etude House Kissful Tint Choux in #4

I think because I'm working now I try to use more neutral colors T^T these two are the ones that I keep in my pocket to reapply :P these and a lip balm of course. I like how these don't require a mirror to put on-- I just dab a bit on the center on my lips and rub my lips together :) or smooth out with my fingers if I can. Super convenient.

Me wearing YSL

I've done a review/swatches on this lip stain before, please refer here if you're interested. But I decided to post these pics because they do look quite different from that post. I was more heavy handed here so I thought I'd put them so you guys can see the different finishes it offers.




As for the Etude House one, I have plenty of pictures here.

4. SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion

Remember a while back I said I feel like this lotion wasn't moisturizing enough? Well along comes summer and hello the perfect summer moisturizer =DDD

I put it side to side with my summer standby moisturizer-- the Shiseido Pureness Matifying Moisturizer, because the two are quite similar. Shiseido being more watery, and SkinMD being a bit thicker and more slippy in texture. But in any case, the hydration level of both is really similar. I'm glad to have SkinMD because now I can replace my Shiseido moisturizer with it! SkinMD is like half the price of Shiseido ^_^b


Top: Shiseido. Bottom: SkinMD


Granted it still might not be enough for dry skin. For my combination skin, it's perfect for the hot, humid summer weather. Recommend for combination (normal/oily) and oily skin ^_^



5. Canmake Blush in 02 as eye shadow application

I don't think I need to elaborate on this item since I pretty much raped your eyes with selfies where I was wearing this eye shadow. Been obsessed with using this as my eye shadow! Drama influence LOL. Check here if you want to see what this blush looks like as an eye shadow. Well also I'm wearing this as my eye shadow in all my pics for this post hehehe. 



6. IPSA Face Color Palette in #201

This is also an old favorite. This palette happens to contain my all-time favorite highlighter! I personally wouldn't waste money to buy this palette-- I personally can't wear that peachy blush on the upper right corner because it makes me look sun-burned. The setting powder on the lower left corner is completely and utterly rubbish-- it has no oil control whatsoever. The "contour" shade on the lower right corner I do like for a tan-blush look :)  but I don't think it's unique enough for me to want to go out there and purchase it. Also as a contour it's way too orange and unnatural. This highlighter though :") I really don't know what it is about it, but I just love it so much!!! You guys probably wouldn't think it's anything unique XD it looks really similar to the "Virgin" eye shadow from the NAKED 1 palette, but Virgin translates just ever so slightly on the silvery-white side on me... which can look a bit stark for highlight. This color on the other hand... just looks completely natural and subtle ❤ I wonder if IPSA sells the highlighter individually? I'll have to look it up.

I sort of did a review post on this palette, check here if you want to see my thoughts on this product when I first got it :)




It really doesn't look that special as a swatch XD


Okay these swatches photos are not doing this product justice. Need some face action here!



I like to apply some above my eye brows, and between my eye brows, like shown in this picture


Then I bring it half way down my nose bridge. The reason why I only do it half way and leave out the tip of my nose is because my nose gets mega oily -_- so I just skip the tip to avoid the mess.


I don't always do this step but sometimes I highlight the C shape here too. Nowadays forehead and nose bridge is more fun for me to highlight XD


Result *-* Even I think my skin looks pretty freaking amazing here. LOL the tricks of makeup PUAHAHA. 




Me no like this angle of my face, but thought you can the see highlight super well on my nose bridge XD I don't usually use this much, I was very heavy handed just for the purpose of taking pictures, so normally it wouldn't look so obvious LOL.



Comparison photos. Small difference, but difference nevertheless? :)

Left: Without highlight
Right: With highlight


Left: Without highlight
Right: With highlight

Readers probably be like... I didn't even notice any difference until you pointed it out XD




Here's an old pic of me, with no highlight whatsoever.


Here's a pic with highlight on forehead and nose bridge. Sorry I'm recycling old pics... in my defense... 回收也是一種美德啊!!! (遮臉) How do I translate that... recycling is a virtue XD *covers face*


Also with highlight on nose bridge. Nose looks just a wee bit taller??? Yes?? Can't see any difference??? XD I feel like if anything it makes my nose look straighter @_@


Is the difference better manifested in these pics?


Kkk, it looks like I have a nose bridge. Puahah




There's hardly any difference when you look at my nose from the front, but from side view I feel like it does a little sumthin' sumthing XD kind of crazy what a little bit of highlight can do to your face. 



I was surprised at how tall my nose looks (well I think so). It's probably the angle too but I think the highlight probably helped. I mean you guys have been reading my blog for a while now and you all know I have a relatively flat nose. This is kind of fun XD

So yeah I've been into highlighting my face again =P Truth be told, I'm never the person who cares a whole lot about nose... I'm all about eyes XD but it seems like people are getting nose jobs/rhinoplasties left and right these days. I wonder what I would look like with a super tall nose bridge and pointy tip... probably super fake and unnatural hahahaha.



That's all I have for my favorites! Sorry about the sparse posting. I'm actually on an off block now so I have some time. Hopefully I can get more blogging done! Is there anything you guys are interested in seeing?

Enjoy the beautiful summer ^_^ Time for me to hit the gym!


Laters :D

<3 Frances