15.7.12

Rimmel London Glam'eyes Mascara - Black

Mascara is one beauty product that I'm reluctant to use. I have weird droopy-eyelid, huge eyebags, and long but straight lashes. A cursed combination which made any mascara ended up smudging all over my lower eye area, even waterproof types. So I prefer using false eyelashes for cleaner result, but you can't wear them to grocery store or your chidren school, can you? That's why I prefer cheap drugstore mascara, but haven't found the perfect one.



Rimmel London is an UK cosmetic brand and has many great review for their mascara. I bought Glam'eyes Mascara from ASOS for £7.19. The packaging design is unique but feels cheap. I bought the color black and it's not waterproof.


The bristles are firm, it can separate your lashes nicely. However, the size is too big for my eyes so it's hard to reach my inner eyelashes and impossible to apply it on my lower lashes. Also, when I first use it, the formula were nice, I can apply up to three coats of mascara without getting clumpy eyelashes. But after several uses, I noticed that it got drier and harder to apply. Not to mention it smudged after a few hours. So I don't think I would be getting Rimmel mascara anymore, maybe I'll try Cover Girl next. The good side is this mascara has a 12M life span sign, when the usual mascara is only 6M

This is how it looks after I applied two coats of mascara:

10.7.12

Skin Food Salmon Brightening Eye Cream

The only thing that I love about Korean is their food. I don't really get the K-Pop culture invasion. But I think it's a clever marketing gimmick though, to use porcelain-faced dancing teens as a country promoting tools (way to go Lee Myung-Bak!)

Anyway, when my brother had a quick trip to South Korea, I couldn't resist to try the so-called Korean skin care brand named Skin Food. This brand is very famous in Indonesia, and it has many die-hard fans around here. So I thought, eh why not... Actually Skin Food has opened many stores in Indonesia but the products price is cheaper in Korea, and I mean 50% cheaper (what a rip off).. So I decided to get some of their best-seller items.




Since I'm still looking for a powerful eye cream to vanish my extremely dark circle, I wanted to try their famous Salmon Brightening Eye Cream. It's packed with omega 3 and arbutin to help reduce dark area under your eyes.



Too bad all of the description are written in Korean, so I couldn't understand a single thing. I couldn't find any further information on their website either.



I've been using this cream for more than a month now, from a.m to p.m. I lightly dab this cream under my eyes and also on my eyelid, because the darkness has sneak to all of the area around my eyes.



The eye cream feels refreshing and hydrating. It's like it gives all the nutrition needed into my eyes skin. Too bad it stings my eyes if I applied too much, and it'll look greasy too. So less is more with this one.



Sadly I haven't noticed any improvement on my dark circle, but the skin area around my eyes feels smoother and looks healthier - only dark.. This cream is very huge (30g), so I think I'm stuck with this one for a while before I go off hunting a new eye cream. For it's price I think it's a decent product (my brother bought it for 17.000 korean won). If you don't have a heavy-case of dark circle like I do, maybe it'll work for you



The other good side of this brand? They gave me plenty of free samples to try on, yaay!


15.6.12

Nubian Heritage - Black African Soap

Since Burt's Bee had brutally discontinued my beloved Garden Tomato Soap, I was forced to find another natural facial wash to control my acne.


Introducing Black African Soap (note: there's nothing racist about the name).
Black soap is traditionally made in west Africa, typically Ghana, from secret recipes, and has long been used to heal problem skin including acnes. It usually made from the ash of locally harvested plants and barks such a plantain, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, and shea tree bark.



I particularly choose this brand because it's available locally from an online sellee for 70.000 idr (US$8), and it has good review on the web. It's also available on iHerb and the websute ship internationally. I've been using this soap for almost a month now, so it's about time to write a fair review.



The soap is black. It's the first time that i see a black soap. The size is huge for a soap bar (5oz), so it can be used as a facial wash and last forever. Or you can also use it for a body wash if you have a body/back acne. I personally stick to my main purpose, cut it into tiny pieces and use it only on my face, twice a day.



The scent is nice, a fruity candy smell. It can be too overwhelming though, as I used it on my face, near my nose. But if I rub it on my palms with water first, and then applied it on my wet face, the strong smell can be reduce. It lathers well, and produce white foam (I thought the foam will be black too LOL).



Overall, I love this soap. It's an good subtitute fot the Garden Tomato Soap. Didn't break me out so far, or dried my skin (maybe because of the shea butter). It didn't prevent acne from appearing, but I notice that my active acne heals faster than usual, and I don't even need to put anything on my blemishes. The only downside is that it sometimes leave a greasy film on my face, so I usually wash my face twice. If I finished this soap (and only GOD knows when), I think I'll try another facial wash.


RIP my dear fellow. Your greatness shall be remembered..

8.6.12

Sleek Blush - Flamingo

I'm a big fan of Sleek eyeshadow palette as you can see in my previous posts. But somehow I wasn't very interested with Sleek's blush, although I knew they've been raved by many blushaholic everywhere (I think I just made a new vocabulary LOL). But I finally decided to try one of the most famous blush color, Flamingo, only to satisfy my curiosity.


I bought this from a local online seller for 90.000 idr (US$10), but you can get it from their official website for £4.30 and they ship internationally. The price is nice, but you only get a tiny amount of blush. I must admit I'm quite shock when I saw how small this blush is.


Flamingo is a warm hot pink blush, but the color is very hard to described. It's fuchsia without any blue-undertone, if you know what I mean (which I'm sure you don't). Actually the color reminded me of the tacky plastic flamingo garden statue.


Not the real animal, which has more coral color on their feathers.


Anyway, I have to say I'm really impress with the pigmentation. One swipe is enough to put a pink healthy flush on your cheeks, and the color is very pretty too. I think it will suit most skin tones, as long as you apply this very light handed.

But, I don't think that I will purchase another Sleek blush. Because it's powdery and takes forever to blend to achieve a natural look. Also you must use a soft fluffy blush brush, otherwise you'll get a streaky finish. It's a terrible blush option for people who must do their makeup and changing diapers (and eat breakfast) at the same time. But if you have all the time in the world (I'm looking at you single ladies!), feel free to get all of Sleek blush collection.

Swatches (left: heavy - right: blended)



Ingredients:Mica (CI 77019), Talc, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Pentaerythrityl Teraisostearate, Nylon- 12, Magnesium Stearate, Jojoba esters, Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Phenoxyethanol, ChloroxylenolMAY CONTAIN:Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), D&C Red 7 (CI 15850), Red 27 AL Lake (CI 45410), D&C Red 30 (CI 73360), FD&C Yellow 5 (CI 19140), FD&C Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499)

24.5.12

Sleek I Divine Eyeshadow Palette - Oh So Special

Ok, I think every one girl should own at least one Sleek eyeshadow palette in their life, whether she's a makeup junkie or not. They have high quality products, affordable, and have so many different palette theme that will suit any girl personality.


Introducing Sleek Oh So Special. An eyeshadow palette dedicated to all woman who want to feel errr special. The colors selection are wearable, soft, feminine, yet elegant. You can use this one for almost any occasion - to school, work, a romantic date, even for a sleepless girls night-out to the club.


Every color has their own name. I think those names are associated with celebrating something. Although some are clearly out of the theme, like Noir. Also I'm not sure why they came up with "The Mail" and "Pamper", instead of a more obvious celebrating word like Confetti or Bouquet (I should apply to be their creative director LOL).


This palette has a pretty good balance of shimmer and matte color. The matte ones are: Bow, Ribbon, Pamper, The Mail, Box, Wrapped Up, and Noir. The rest are shimmery. All the color are heavily pigmented, even the mattes one - although they are a little bit chalky. The shimmer colors are buttery and easier to blend than the mattes. But sadly the color "The Mail" and "Pamper" are too light to show up on my medium skin, but I think they would be pretty on fair skin people (jealous!).


All the colors are Oh So Gorgeus!


1st Row Swatches (natural lighting - no eye base):





2nd Row Swatches (natural lighting - no eye base):




Ingredients:
Mica, Talc, Paraffinum liquidum, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Propylparaben, Methylparaben

23.4.12

Wet n Wild Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer - Sunkissed

I don't know why, I but love to pull out a tan-sunkissed look lately. And I accidentally found the perfect partner in crime.

Meet Wet n Wild Sheer Tinted Moisturizer. At first I was curious about tinted moisturizer. Like all mommies out there, I must do everything in a blink of an eye, while multi-tasking. So applying - buffing - stippling a foundation on my face everytime I go out, with a baby clinging in my arms, is not such a good idea. I guess a tinted moisturizer can reduce the amount of frustation in my makeup ritual.



I was glad when I found out about Wet n Wild Tinted Moisturized, the price is super affordable, the reviews are great. But I didn't do my research well about the shades. I ordered this from drugstore.com which has only 2 shades: Natural and Sunkissed. I impulsively choosen Sunkissed without looking for any further information whether it will suit my skintone or not. And yes it's too dark for me, but in a good way, which is great. As I was saying before, I could get an instant tan effect using this. Although I also thinking to get Natural too because I love this tinted moisturizer.



The coverage is sheer at first but can be built to medium, it even out my skin tone nicely but can't cover my acne scars and dark circle. It gives me a dewy healthy finish and make my skin glow. I'm so happy that it includes SPF 15 in it, so when I was in hurry, I could just slap this into my face without any moisturizer/sunblock addition (note: I have a dry/combination skin). But I think you need to set it with a face powder to make it more last through the day.

The original price tag is $3.99 in drugstore.com, but I have to pay 60.000 idr (US$5.5) to get it here. The ingredients does not contain any silicone, so it won't clog my pores (another big yeaay). But it includes mineral oil, so be careful if you're allergic to it.



Swatch (left: heavy, right: blended)






Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (w/w 5.6%), Octinoxate (w/w 3%), Avobenzone (w/w 1%)

Inactive Ingredients: Water (Aqua/Eau), Talc, Butylene Glycol, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Stearic Acid, Mica, Glyceryl Stearate, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Sodium Laureth 4 Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid)





11.4.12

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette (Giveaway Prize)

Sometimes I can't believe my luck... I have a beautiful baby boy, a great husband, living in a nice house, and recently won an Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette..

Yes, I am the lucky winner of Stephanie Tsang blog giveaway. You should really check her blog... She posts awesome nail art and gorgeus beauty and fashion looks. I'm soooo excited when the mail man arrived today and brought me this:


And, inside I found the most beautiful palette I've ever seen (no kidding). It's beautifully crafted, and you know, I'm a sucker for cute packaging...



The packaging is sleek and elegant. I really love the UD's logo on top of the box, it's made from an embossed translucent purple acrylic and looks very luxurious.



This palette was launched in 2011 to celebrate their 15th anniversary (obviously). It's limited edition with 15 exclusives new shades.



The eyeshadow are all shimmery except the matte black one named Blackout which you can find in Naked2 palette. I'll post the swatches later because now I'm too excited to do a proper swatch LOL!


Well, this just like a dream come true. Now I know, miracle does exist... Thanks again Steph!

9.4.12

Max Factor Bronzing Powder - Golden

I know that I have a medium skin tone and live in a tropical climate, but I've always wanted to have a healthy tan skin like J.Lo or Jessica Alba. Sunbathing is not a good idea because it made me look like one of the homeless people around the traffic light (if you have been to Indonesia, you'll know what I'm talking about), instead of looking like this:



So make up is a good idea, and of course to achieve a sleek sunkissed look, bronzer is a must. And when I was looking for an good, inexpensive bronzer, I found the review about this Max Factor Bronzing Powder. Never heard this brand before but it seems to have great review about the foundation and mascara.



Fortunately, there's a Max Factor counter nearby (so tired to shop everyting online), so I get to try it and see if it suits me. Turns out that I loooooveee it. The colour suits my skin tone perfectly. Not too light/dark, and it's pure bronze, not orange (some bronzer I've tried in the past turns orange on me). The best part it only costs me 50.000 idr (US$5.5) and it's huge! It's also made in Ireland (not China haha)



The bronzer is shimmery but not too much. It's also pigmented so you'd better apply it light-handed. And since you get a generous size, I think you can also use it as a body bronzer.

Swatch:

7.4.12

Sleek i Divine Eyeshadow Palette, PPQ (Limited Edition)

You know, I'm a sucker for colorful eyeshadow palette. So when I saw this Limited Edition Sleek Eyeshadow Palette, I knew that I must have it!



It's a collaboration between Sleek and PPQ brand for London Fashion Week. This palette has all the color you need to create an edgy runway look.



Like all Sleek Eyeshadow, the pigmentation is amazing, the texture is buttery and very easy to blend. Since I have dry lids, I can get away wearing this without an eye primer.



This palette includes some basic everyday colors and some head turning ones. But I think most of the colors are cool-toned. So for warmer toned girls like me, it requires an extra effort to blend some color together in order to match my skin-tone. So I reserved this palette for days when I'm in an artsy fartsy mood LOL.



Swatches:

Top row L-R Barry White, Black Box, Salt ‘N’ Peppermint, Simply Red, Pink Beret, Primal Green.
Bottom Row L-R: Fade To Grey, Blue Monday, Supernova, Chris De Burgundy, Lilac Allen, Golden Silvers.

The only downside for me is that the eyeshadows are made in China. Well, it explained the cheap price tag. But, I think I could deal with it for a while.



Ingredients:
Mica, Talc, Paraffinum liquidum, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Propylparaben, Methylparaben

1.4.12

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream - Skin Tone

Sometimes I wonder why do I love this brand so much. Now I know, it's because they keep making a high quality product with an affordable price.

This is my latest NYX obsession, the Xtreme Lip Cream. I never wear any lip product like this before. The texture is like a liquid lipstick, very moisturizing and has a lip gloss feels. The color is highly pigmented, very opaque, and covers my pigmented mauve lips perfectly. It last pretty long, and the color is still visible on my lips after I had dinner.



It comes in 11 gorgeus shades. I choose the Skin Tone shade which is a warm brown, and it looks great on my warm medium skin tone. This shade is perfect for a neutral/nude look and can be wear with bold smokey eyes. If you couldn't pull out a nude lips because it'll wash you out, you can try this one. Although I'm not sure if it'll look nice for people with fair/cool skin.



I got this for 60.000 idr (US$ 6.5) from my local online seller. So you can purchase a few shade without breaking you wallet (I'm thinking of getting another one, just can' decide what shade). The only downside is that it smell weird and plasticky like most of NYX lip products. But thankfully it dissapeared after a while.


Swatch:

Ingredients
Ricinus Communs Seed Oil, Polybutene, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Synthetic Bees Wax, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHA, Fragrance. May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), FD&C Yellow No.5 Al Lake (CI 19140), FD&C Blue No.1 Al Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxide Red (CI 77491), Iron Oxide Yellow (CI 77492), Iron Oxide Black (CI 77499), D&C Red No.6 (CI 15850), D&C Red No.7 (CI 15850), D&C Red No.7 Ca Lake (CI 15850), D&C Red No.28 Al Lake (CI 45410).

15.3.12

Sleek i Divine Eyeshadow Palette

Ok, I know I said to splurge on eyeshadow instead of buying drugstore ones, but I'll make an exception for this brand.

Introducing... *drumroll* ...Sleek! An affordable high street makeup brand from UK (I guess high street means drugstore in british, fancy!). I first heard about this brand because they have a dupe for OCC Lip Tar call Pout Paint. At first I was like, meh...what's with the name? It reminds me of my baby's laundry detergent.

Then I accidentally read that their eyeshadow were raving everywhere, some also said it's the best drugstore eyeshadow in the market. So I decided to try one of Sleek eyeshadow palette, and ended up having 3 of them in the next 2 months LOL.



Left-Right: Original, PPQ Me, Myself & Eye, Oh So Special


The eyeshadow are highly pigmented with bold colors without primer underneath (although I still recommend to use an eye primer if you're planning to wear this all day). The texture is smooth, buttery, not powdery at all (even for the matte color), and very easy to blend. I also didn't experience any fallout. The colors choice are pretty, and they often make a limited edition palette

The price is only $10 on Sleek's website, and they ship internationally. But I got these for 150.000 idr ($16) each from ebay/local online seller. You'll get 12 eyeshadow, a black elegant packaging, and a wide mirror which I could actually use. The only downside is, it's made in China sigh (now you know why it's cheap). If you're looking for an inexpensive eyeshadow palette for your collection, try this. You won't regret it.

Sleek i Divine Original Eyeshadow Palette (permanent collection)


Sleek i Divine PPQ Me, Myself & Eye Eyeshadow Palette (limited edition)


Sleek i Divine Oh So Special Eyeshadow Palette (permanent collection)
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