Change of season loves! And new toy =D

Hiya guys ^_^

So today I want to talk to you guys about some products I'm LOVING during this change of season time!

As spring is transitioning into summer, my skin started acting up. It was very dry and I started having dry patches along the sides of my face. Even for the areas that don't have dry patches, I still couldn't powder my face because powdering would just make my face look so dry. I almost never got dry patches before O_O so for about a week or so I wasn't sure what to do with it. I started using oatmeal to cleanse my face; it helped with my dry patches somewhat so they didn't really show up under/affect my makeup anymore. But at night when I removed my makeup the dry patches would still be there. So I decided to break out my emergency skincare XD

Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Face Cleanser.

I'm already half way through this stuff!

I highly highly HIGHLY recommend this cleanser! I talked about this and the serum from the same Mega Mushroom Skin Relief line in my best of 2011 products post. But honestly I like the cleanser even more than the serum. I personally found the cleanser potent enough to deliver benefits.
You might think it's just a cleanser how is that gonna help because you just wash it off your face? Well this is a treatment cleanser and you're supposed to be able to even just tissue it off and leave it on the skin.

I personally don't do that, but even after you wash it off you can still feel "a layer" of product on your face (not unpleasant or anything, kind of like when you use whipping cream on your face) but whenever I use this cleanser my face is always calmer and more supple. Love it :) it does have an herbal scent which I don't mind. So after a week of having dry patches on my face, the dry patches disappeared the next day I used this cleanser. Yes, the next day :D awesome stuff.

By the way I don't use this everyday. I try to only reserve it for days when my skin is feeling rocky, simply because this cleanser works so well on my skin I don't want my skin to get used to it!


Another love for change of season would of course be my natural plain yogurt mask :)

My absolute favorite! I think it tastes better too O_O

I ran out of yogurt for the longest time and did not have time to go grocery shopping until about a week ago. I stocked up on yogurt this time XD while the Origins cleanser helped me get rid of dry patches, the natural yogurt mask made my face so hydrated and restored its brightness and suppleness.... sigh, I almost forgot how absolutely amazing natural yogurt masks work! LOVE!


Sometimes I opt for chocolate mask :P it really doesn't matter which one you use, as long as there's natural yogurt in there ;)



So that's all! Absolutely recommend these two "products" :D Really helped my skin battle the changing seasons!

Oh another product I've been loving will be my SKIN79 gold label BB cream... forgot to snap a photo but you guys all know what it looks like. Simply because it makes my dry skin look so glowy and nice. I haven't been powdering my face at all lately with this BB cream because it stays on well on its own, plus powdering still makes my face appear a little dry. I was using the Josie Maran foundation for the last few months and I'm switching back to SKIN79 again.


Next, I received my new toy today :D :D :D

My new Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki brush! So freaking excited XDDD



I was lucky enough to be contacted by Sigma to join their affiliate program (I think anyone with beauty blog/channel can apply?) Since I do own a few Sigma brushes and absolutely adore them I was very excited to accept this opportunity, and of course, the complimentary gift :D
So yeah, if you're wondering why I have a Sigma banner on the right side of my blog, it's because I'm now in the affiliate program :)


Jennifer, the Afiliate Program Coordinator was so nice and let me choose the F86 brush since I already own the F80 which originally was the brush she offered me :P


I noticed they have changed the handle! They used to have this matte handle (bottom two) and now it's a more glossy/plasticy handle (top)? It looks more sleek but I prefer the old handles better because the new handle attracts finger prints quite easily.



Yay! I have 3 Sigmax brushes now =DDD now if I can get my hands on the Angled Kabuki... lol! Maybe someday.

Anyway, super duper excited! Can't wait to use this brush ^_^

That's all I have for today! Next will be reviewing some LUSH products :)

Have a great day guys!

<3 Frances

Sigma F80 and F82 Foundation Brushes Review

Hello hello!

Woooooooo it's Wednesday XD I'm excited cuz that means we're closer to the weekend XD
Before I get into the review, I just want to do a little update about my life ╮(￣▽￣)╭

So if you've read my "I'm still alive" post, which most of you did cuz a lot of ppl congratulated me XD I found a job, so that's mainly what's been keeping me busy (ˉ▽ˉ；) I work about 35~40 hours a week (almost full time); sometimes they let me off early when it's not busy. But every day after getting home from work, I'm just completely famished+exhausted+lazy... and all I feel like after a day of work is to huddle up in my sofa, game a little (got a few wii games for Christmas XD), and go to bed around 11:30pm XD this job is making my lifestyle healthy haha.  So that's why I haven't been posting much... but I'm working on it XD I've been working very hard these days so I have many posts under construction =D

Okay enough of my boring life, now onto the review!

So I've always wanted to try out Sigma brushes, but since they got very mixed reviews, I never did. However, after doing much "research," I narrowed it down to these brushes, which got much praise on the Youtube community! (MissChievous, xteener, HollyAnnAeRee all really liked it!)

First, I want to comment on Sigma's shipping. I love how they have different options for shipping =D For example, I chose the cheapest, USPS First Class, which cost me only about $2?! The cost is dependent on the weight of your purchase.

Sigma brushes come in a red pouch like this:


And they gave me a gift! E25 blending brush. Which I really like =) it's very soft, does not scratch my eye at all. Compared to MAC 217 it's more fluffy/not as dense and more bendy. I'm impressed by this brush quality =)


This is the Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush F80

$16






And this, is the Round Top Kabuki brush F82

$16






So overall I do really like these brushes, especially I love the F80! Just because F80 is more bendy and feels softer. F82 is firmer so it doesn't feel as soft. But their bristles are both really soft and didn't scratch my face at all!

These brushes are SO dense, the hairs so fine, that it makes applying liquid foundation effortless and flawless <3

A note however, although in the brochure it says F80 is perfect for liquid, cream, powder products, I actually found I only like using it on liquid foundation, and I mean very runny/thin liquid foundation, that's when I feel like the brush is working to its best. For examples, Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear, Givenchy Photo'Perfexion, Estee Lauder Double Wear, these foundations all qualify as very runny/thin liquid foundations. With these runny/thin liquid foundations, these Sigma brushes really do give that flawless application and finish. Thicker liquid foundation, like Makeup Forever HD foundation, however, don't work as perfectly with these Sigma brushes; personally like using sponges for thicker foundations. I also want to add that gel foundations and BB creams don't work as perfectly with these brushes either; I like to use my own fingers for those. So that's something to consider if you're thinking about buying these brushes, depending on what kind of foundation you use.

Also personally I like to use fluffier brushes for powders =P These brushes would work for powders too, but they go on more heavily; personally just like to dust a thin layer of powder over my face. It's really all a matter of preferences.

And I think that's all I have to say for these brushes? Can't really think now cuz it's 11:07pm and it's close to my bedtime XD


Product demo video!
PS: This was filmed on the same day I filmed the makeup/skincare haul video which was a while back, in case you're wondering why am I still "breaking out from that time of the month" like 2 weeks after that vid XD) haven't got a chance to edit this post until now lol


Hope some of you found this helpful ^_~

<3 Frances