Wicked Wednesday: That Time of the Year...

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Yes, it is Halloween today but that's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about exams. End of semester exams! Eeeks!

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Unfortunately, I'm terrible at concentrating if I have my blog to worry about. So I'm going on hiatus, again. But fret not, my pet! I promise will be back with more reivews and tutorials that you hopefully will love. For those of you who will be sitting for exams like I will be, I wish you the best of luck!

See you in two weeks. And Happy Halloween!

P.S. Feel free to leave a comment on what posts you'd like me to write on this blog when I return. 

Triple S: Formula 10.0.6 No Time To Shine Review

 I have been trying this oil-absorbing mud mask for quite a while now and I really like it! So I thought it'd do a review and a bit of a demo. Here it goes!

Formula 10.0.6 No Time to Shine  
Claims: Draws out impurities and eliminates excess oil, purifying and conditioning to balance and tone skin. Has cleansing, astringent, healing, soothing, moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties
RRP: AUD$1.99/AUD$8.99 for 9.4mL/100mL

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: I have combination skin. I'm oily, but not extremely, on my T-zone (my forehead, nose and chin). The rest of my face is normal skin. This product is really easy to apply. It is creamy and slightly mousse-like. It comes in a plastic squeenzable tube that makes dispensing the product really easy. The product has a slightly greenish tinge and can stain your fingers but don't worry, it comes off after a couple of washes with water and soap. And no it does not stain your face green at all.  I find that my skin feels fresh and oil-free (not dry), after using this mask. However, I always follow up with moisturiser; to put some moisture back into our skin. Otherwise, my skin will go into hyperdrive and produce even more oils to compensate for the loss of moisture. My whole face is then "normal" for the entire day before any oils start seeping out again. 

Now on with the demo! 

Before

 Here's a Before photo. As you can see, my forehead and nose is a bit shiny from the oil on my skin.
 

I applied the mask all over my face, avoiding my eyes and lips. I concentrated the product on my T-zone to absorb all the oil.

When I'm done applying, I usually set my timer to 15 minutes. While I wait for the mask to dry up, I usually read a book or a magazine or watch Youtube videos. The mask has a cooling effect initially.

15 minutes later

You will feel your skin tighten as the mask dries up. At the end of the 15 minutes, I could barely lift my cheeks to smile.

I then washed the mask off with warm water and pat my skin dry with a towel.

After

 Ta-da! Naturally matte skin; less oily, less shiny. Man, I sound like an ad. Sorry! 

After

I'm quite happy with this mask. I'm already eyeing the other masks by Formula 10.0.6. The next one I am keen to try is the Keep Your Cool Breakout Calming Mask! 

Do you suffer from oily skin? Have you ever tried oil-absorbing masks before?

Wicked Wednesday: Modern Twiggy Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Hey ladies, here's my Pinspiration Look #2! Click here for #1. Please read on for the tutorial.

I was inspired by this Twiggy-esque photo I found on Pinterest; and decided to do a makeup based on it and on Twiggy, of course.

Pinterest.com

Last.fm

First, please allow me to introduce my gorgeous friend, Sophia (first photo above and photo below), who kindly agreed to be my model for this tutorial. With her slightly outgrown pixie cut, big beautiful eyes and porcelain skin, I knew she's the perfect model for this look. However, fret not. This look works on anyone, which I will explain why in the moment.

Step 1. I prepped Sophia's skin with Estee Lauder's Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator to give her a bit of a glow. This was followed by a layer of moisturiser. After that I got Sophia to apply foundation and she did so with her fingers, which she usually does. Because this is a pretty flawless look, and if you don't have amazing skin like Sophia's, I'd recommend you buff your foundation in with a densely packed flat-top brush of your choice.

Step 2. Cut out two strips of Scotch tape. Stick them onto the back of your hand completely and then peel them off. This is to make them less adhesive so that they don't damage/hurt your eye area when you take them off later. Place the strips of tape on the edge of your eyes at an angle (as shown in the photo above). I lined the edge of Sophia's eye with the tip of an eyebrow. You can choose a different angle if you like. Slant the tape out more if you want a more cat-eyed look.

Step 3. Wet your angled eyeliner brush with water. Make sure to squeeze out the excess water or dab it off with tissue. Dip your brush into a matte black eyeshadow (I used Bobbi Brown's) and trace out your socket line.

Step 4.Colour in your mobile lid with the damp matte black eyeshadow, right up to the tape. You may have to do two layers of eyeshadow to make sure the eye lid is completely black for a more dramatic effect.

 Step 5.  Here's what your eyes will look like after you've coloured your mobile lids in with black eyeshadow. If you deem it necessary, you can tight line with a black pencil liner. But I find that the fleshy bits on the upper lid is generally covered up after you put on mascara. Fill in and comb through your brows if needed.

Step 6. Line your (lower) waterline with either a nude or white pencil liner. Sophia used a white pencil eyeliner.

Step 7. Apply tonnes of  black mascara! Sophia is blessed with wonderfully long and curly lashes. If you're not so lucky, like me, curl your lashes first before applying mascara. Then apply false lashes if you like.

Step 8. Twiggy's lower lashes were painted on with liquid liner. I thought that for a more modern and wearable look, we'd just stick with putting mascara on the lower lashes. Tip: one method is to use the tip of your mascara wand to paint the product on your lower lashes with small strokes.

Step 9. To bring more life to your eyes, brighten the inner corner of your eyes with either a light eyeshadow or light eye pencil. I got Sophia to draw her inner corners with her white pencil liner and then blend it out with her finger.

Tip: blend makeup products out with your ring (fourth) finger because it is the cleanest finger. Also it is the weakest finger, so it is the gentlest.

Step 10. Apply a pinky nude lip colour to your lips. You may use a lipstick if you like. Here I got Sophia to fill in her lips with a Mirenesse Auto Lip Liner Duet in Naughty Nudes (the light pinky end). It's so creamy that it passes as a lipstick! 

Step 11. You may leave your cheeks blank if you like. After all, the main focus is the eyes. For Sophia, she blended on a bit of rosy pink cream blush onto the apples of her cheeks for a subtle glow.

Step 12. It is my belief that no glamorous look is complete without highlighter. I applied a cream highlighter (Benefit's Watt's Up) with a flat foundation brush onto the tops of Sophia's cheek bones. You may apply some under the arches of your brows as well if you like. I blended the highlighter out even further with my ring finger. Subtlety is key.

Voila! The finished look!

I hope you love the look as much as I do! I also hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.

I would like to thank Sophia, my lovely model and RLD Photos, my wonderful photographer.

What do you think of this makeup look? Isn't Sophia simply gorgeous?!

Triple S: Essence Eye Pencil and Lipgloss Reviews + Swatches

It's finally here! The review(s) that I promised. Sorry it took so long.... Anyway, let's jump right into it!

Essence Kajal (Kohl) Pencil in 01 Black 
Retail: AUD$1.95 for 1g

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review:  We may not have affordable cosmetic brands, such as ELF or Milani, like they do in the USA but we certainly have Essence here in Australia to make up for it. Apart from being affordable, this eye pencil is of relatively good quality. It is very pigmented and its creamy texture glides on smoothly. You don't need to press down hard to lay on the product; it transfers onto skin quite easily. This product smudges but that can be used to our advantage. It is perfect for making a simple black smokey eye. Line your upper lids thickly with this pencil and smudge upwards with a blending brush and voila!

These days when I am too lazy to line my eyes with liquid or gel eyeliner, I just swipe some of this product on and I'm good to go. In terms of lasting power, it is pretty decent but it does run under my eyes after a couple of hours. But I have to admit that this happens to me with most (if not all) eye pencils. If you experience the same problem, just make sure you pack on some pressed powder under your eyes after you're down with your eye makeup. The reason I gave this product a 5 out of 5 for packaging rating is because I can't find any fault with it. 

Here's a swatch of the kajal pencil. You might be wondering what the swipe of pink next to it is. It's a swatch of an Essence lipgloss. Please read on for the review.

Essence XXXL Nudes Lipgloss in 03 Nude Kiss  
Retail: AUD$3.50 for 5mL

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: This is a pretty pink lipgloss with a slight mauvey tone in it. It contains a bit of shimmer, which helps reflect light, adding to its glossiness. I really like this lipgloss because it is not sticky at all. Like most lipglosses it's not long-lasting from being wiped off or consumed during talking and eating. The applicator is long, slender and soft, which makes it fast and easy to cover your lips with product. All it takes is (approximately) two swipes and you're done. Because of it's clever design, I never scrape my lip by accident with the hard angled plastic in the applicators of some lipglosses. The only thing I am not fond of is the scent. It reminds me of some kind of food that I've tried before when I was younger (its name eludes me).

In case you are wondering, this is not a plumping lipgloss. Just putting it out there in case anyone thought it had a plumping effect because of its name "XXXL". The reason I gave this product a 5 out of 5 for packaging rating is because I can't find any fault with it. Plus, I think the packaging is quite appealing and looks of high quality.

 

The lipgloss is sheer like most other lipglosses but it is pigmented enough to give my lips a bit of colour. See photos below. 

Bare lips

With the lipgloss on

 I like these two products so much so they've become my go-to products.

 Have you tried any of Essence's products? Do you like them? Please share in the comments below! 

Wicked Wednesday: Face of the Day #2

Hey ladies, sorry I haven't been very organised with my blog posts lately. I feel like I've had to apologise to you guys a lot recently and I hope to change that. I aim to schedule some posts for when I hit exam block and won't be actively posting on this blog. I already have lots of ideas and photos are ready. I just need to sit down, edit the photos and write up the posts!

Anyway, here's my second FOTD. I hope you guys like this one as much as you liked my first. Please excuse my rebellious baby hairs. I didn't even realise there were that many standing up when I took the photos!

So here is a list of products that I used for my face today:

- Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
- Virgin and Sin from the Urban Decay Naked Palette
- Essence Kajal Pencil in 01 Black
- Benefit Eye Bright Pencil
- Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara
- Bobbi Brown Blush in Tawny
- Benefit Watts Up Highlighter
- Urban Decay Lipstick in Naked


What do you think of this look? This is one of my go-to looks.

Beauty Trial Portal Blog Sale

Hey ladies, I'm just doing a shout-out for one of my loyal readers (who is also a beauty blogger). She's having a cosmetics sale on her blog. So you love a bargain, head over to Beauty Trial Portal and check it out!

Oh, and do keep an eye out. I will be posting up my essence and Bourjois reviews up soon.

Hope your week is going well so far!

Triple S: Revlon's Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick in 210 Flare Review + Swatches

I hope everyone is having a good weekend! Today I would like to share with you my thoughts on Revlon's Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick in 210 Flare.

The lighter end of the pencil is a lilac type purple colour. The darker end is a plum shade of purple. Here's what the pencil tips look like.

The lighter end

The darker end

Here are a couple of swatches. For some reason my camera can't pick up the beautfiul dark purple colour. Instead it registers as brown. The lighter colour is a bit more accurate in these photos.

With sunlight

In the shade

Retail: AUD$17.95 for 1.9g

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: I love the texture of this product; it glides on like a dream. It is slightly creamy but at the same time powdery (so it's somewhere between the two). I also love how pigmented they are! With regular powder eyeshadows, you would need to apply a least a couple of layers before you can get the same effect. The staying power is also amazing. I wore the lilac colour to work the other day and even after 8 hours, it did not budge at all; it stayed perfectly vibrant. I gave the packaging a 5 out of 5 because I can't find any faults with it. I like how the product comes in retractable tubes (twists up and down like lipsticks) because I hate having to sharpen my shadow pencils. The only downside to this product is that it does not blend as well as powder eyeshadows. Other than that, I have absolutely happy with it!

To achieve this pretty pastel look, simply swipe the lilac colour across your mobile lid (stopping before the crease). Curl your lashes and coat on some mascara and you're done! If you want your eyes to pop even more, just add a little bit of bright eyeshadow like Urban Decay's Virgin onto your inner corners. This look is particulary lovely on brown-eyed girls.

Do you have one of these shadow sticks? If so, what colour(s) do you have? Would you like me to do more eye looks with this product? Please leave a comment below! Thank you for reading!

Wicked Wednesday: Comparison of Makeup Books

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Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual by Bobbi Brown

This is the first makeup book I've read and the only one I own. In terms of teaching you makeup application, this book covers the very basic. It is only good for complete novices but with internet (Blogs and Youtube), it is no longer necessary to learn how to apply makeup through this book. Instead, strangely, I learned a lot about skincar. Bobbi explains sunscreen and moisturisers in a lot of detail. She also talks about common important skincare ingredients to keep an eye out for. This book contains tips about becoming a makeup artist, which I think is what makes this manual unique. It gives you an idea of the directions you can take and things that you should do in order to become a good makeup artist. Overall, I think that you don’t have to buy this makeup book but I still think you should borrow a copy to read it at least once. You will more than likely learn at least one thing that you did not know about previously. However, I do think that this makeup book would make a very good gift for a young girl who has just started to show interest in makeup. 

 zoefoster.com.au 

Amazing Face by Zoe Foster

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library to read and am considering getting a copy for myself to keep. This isn't a makeup book. It's a book about beauty that does cover makeup. Zoe's writing style is very fun and relaxed and it's amusing to read. She shares a lot of beauty knowledge that are not commonly known or found on the internet. For example, did you know that after spraying perfume onto your skin you're not supposed to rub it? Many beauty gurus like Michelle Phan make this mistake! You're ruining the true scent (if you read it you'll find a more elaborate and satisfying explanation than mine). Zoe also gives product recommendations, which is very convenient for people like me who don’t know where to start looking or what to try. Lastly, this book is suitable for all ages. Zoe gives advice according to age group and needs, which I think is absolutely wonderful! I think Amazing Face is worth a read.

 

yourbeautyspot.ninemsn.com.au

Makeup The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris

This truly is the ultimate makeup guide! Our amazing Aussie makeup artist Rae Morris teaches us about colours and textures of makeup products. She explains eyebrows quite thoroughly and even demonstrates different effects with different types false eyelashes. The photos are absolutely beautiful to look at. Steps on how to achieve the looks are concise and easy to follow. I love how Rae shows us how simple makeup can actually be. In the book, she did a lot of looks that do not require more than two eyeshadow colours. This book is filled with a plethora of makeup looks. So if you're out of ideas on what to wear on your face, consult MakeupThe Ultimate Guide; you won't regret it! 

angusrobertson.com.au

Express Makeup by Rae Morris
If you loved Makeup The Ultimate Guide, you will go nuts for this makeup book too. The format is similar to The Guide except the looks are different. This means more stunning models to ogle, more tips and tricks to master and more looks to try out! This book is practically a library of gorgeous makeup looks. They are all very easy to achieve and in short periods of time. In my opinion, this book is suitable for all ages, ethnicity and makeup tastes/styles. 

Do you have any favourite makeup books? What other makeup books would you like me to read and review?