Mini Blog Sale

Hey ladies, I have two items that I would like to sell. No, I did not buy these online and reselling them to make a profit or anything like that. I'm just a bit short on cash at the moment (from all my reckless spending). I won't be charging postage unless you want it to be registered. I will only sell these items to Australian residents.

Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator

AUD90 (unopened)

Napoleon Perdis Hollywood Bombshell Palette

AUD38 (unopened)

Please contact me through email: ty.blog.epi[at]gmail.com if you are interested in buying. You may negotiate the price but I can't promise you a drastic change.

Hope you're all having a good Sunday!

Wicked Wednesday: Lipgloss Disaster!

This is by far the dumbest mistake I've ever made, makeup-wise. My mum gave me this beautiful set of Estee Lauder lipglosses at the end of 2010 as a Christmas present. I know I should have thrown them out by now because they've past their use by date but I couldn't and still can't bring myself to do it. They are/were beautiful and I'm not even halfway through each tube. After all, there was a study that proved five-year-old lipsticks and eyeshadows to be still safe for use.

A few months ago I noticed my lipglosses have hardened up, I couldn't get the product out to apply on my lips. I googled for solutions to fix my "dried up" lipglosses but the closest I've found was Michelle Phan's lipgloss saver video. I tried it out and it didn't melt the product back down much. For a while, the lipglosses were left sitting in my drawer, untouched.

The other day, I had this stupid idea (at that time I thought it was brilliant). I thought that since warm water wouldn't make the lipgloss budge, hot water would. I cling-wrapped each tube and stood them in a mug. After the water boiled, I poured it straight into the mug. I didn't check back on my lipglosses until (at least) 15 minutes later. By then, it was too late. I think the moment I poured the hot water in, it was too late. I had ruined my lipglosses.

As you can see, the hot water "reshaped" my lipgloss tubes. It softened the product literally. It goes to show how "weak" the plastic used for these lipgloss tubes are. They were once rectangluar; now they are oblong. I really want to kick myself for doing it. At first, I was too shocked to be upset. Later, as reality sunk in, I felt morose and regretful. My boyfriend had to do the job of consoling me and reassuring me that there are better lipglosses out there waiting for me. I scoured the internet for websites that sell these lipglosses. I believe they have been discontinued and I was not able to find all of the shades.

So remember ladies, DO NOT soak your lipglosses in hot water. Warm water is okay. The water must not be hot to the touch. I hope this post can serve as a warning. Hopefully, no one will make the same mistake.

What kind of makeup mishaps have you experienced? Do share.

Triple S: Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator Review

I received a deluxe sample of this product for entering in Estee Lauder's Challenge on Facebook. I've tried it out for a little over two weeks and have stopped using it. I will explain why in a minute. I was really excited to receive this sample because I thought I could finally get rid of my pimple scars rather quickly and achieve effortlessly radiant and even skin. Plus, for a really expensive product, I wanted to trial it first before I bought it. So here it is, my review for Estee Lauder's Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator.

It smells heavenly of grapefruit. If you looked at the ingredients list, you'd find a number of fruit extracts on it, especially citrus ones. Yes, Vitamin C plays a role in collagen production, etc, etc. However, my lecturer at uni believes that we're better off buying 1kg of oranges, apply the juice all over our faces and then eat the oranges. She says we'd be getting more Vitamin C to our skin than using some expensive beauty products that only has a small percentage of Vitamin C in it. And that really is the truth. However, that did not stop me from wanting the Even Skinton Illuminator to be a miracle product.

This product is a serum, so it is more fluid than moisturisers. I was told to apply this straight after cleansing my face and to apply moisturiser after it. I did as I was told, religiously applying it twice a day as instructed. It did brighten up my face but that's because it deposited what appears to be glitter particles on my skin, which reflected light. The lady at Estee Lauder said that it would take at least two weeks for me to see any difference and that it also varies between individuals.

After using it for a little more than two weeks, I studied my complexion and could not see any significant difference to my pimple scars. That's okay. What really peeved me was that my skin was reacting to it (at least I believe it was). My skin became the opposite of even, with many tiny little bumps appearing on my forehead, cheekbones and chin. It distressed me because my skin is normally quite smooth. I asked my boyfriend if he noticed any difference to my face. He said that the product definitely brightened my skin but at the same time he did notice the little bumps.

I've stopped using the Even Skintone Illuminator for a week now and the bumps are still there but not as many and as severe. I'm currently breaking out as well and am trying to combat that by going on "skin detox". This means drinking more water, eating less greasey food (no chips for me) and cutting my products down to a minimum (just cleanser and a simple moisturiser). Fingers crossed I can get my smooth skin back!

Overall, I think the concept is great but I think it cannot work for everyone, which is the case for most beauty products. Everyone's skin is unique and so no product will work the same for everyone. If you're one of the people who are really happy with this product, I'm happy for you. I wanted this product to be all the rave that it is/was but, unfortunately, this is not for me.

Summary

• Smells really nice, contains citrus fruit extracts.
• Apply after cleansing and follow by moisturiser. 
• Brightens up the skin but have yet to see it remove pimple scars.
• Will not use it again because skin reacted badly. 
• Doesn't work for everyone; not for me. 

Sweet & Sassy Saturday: April Haul

So you know about the Sigma makeup brushes that I bought but those weren't the only things that I bought this month.

One fine day, when I should have stayed in the library to study for an upcoming quiz, I went to David Jones. I'm sure a number of the staff there know me by face now. I think I visit that place way too frequently. Anyway, I was avoiding the Bobbi Brown and MAC counter as much as I could (although I did stop to enquire about a MAC lipstick) because I've been to their counter so many times I feel bad for not buying from them more often. I headed over to the Laura Mercier counter, which I had only ever been to once and never met the counter manager there before. Also, I've heard Sam from Pixiwoo praise LM products on a few of their videos and I wanted to look at their famous tinted moisturiser.

I was swatching their tinted moisturiser on my hand when the LM lady approached me. She was so friendly, talking to me about the product, colour matching me and applying some on my face to get a feel of it. It was so light that I could barely feel it but pigmented enough to cover the redness on my nose. She said that my colour is Sand and it really was a perfect match for my skin, even my boyfriend agreed. At first, I went away to inspect beauty products at other counters, choosing to buy the tinted moisturiser another day. Then, as I discussed about it with my boyfriend, he said that I should get it if I liked it so much. Plus, Laura Mercier has had a price drop and it made it all the more a good deal. So I went back and told the LM lady that I changed my mind. She was more than happy to sell it to me.

That day, I also stopped by Estee Lauder. They had set up a display promoting their Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator. As I was examining a bottle when the counter manager, who was also very friendly, came over to talk to me about the product. I was really curious for I've heard and read some good reviews on it, particularly from Emily (Emily's Anthology). The lady was so kind to give me a couple of samples to trial it for a few days. I have yet to give it a go. I'm hoping that it will remove the acne scars that I have and even out my skin tone in general. Getting a radiant glow out of it would be a bonus. I will post a review once I've trialled it, so stay tuned.

I've been wanting a hair donut for a long time now. I finally bought one from Price Attack because it was the cheapest I could find ($10) compared to other stores. I could have easily bought one from eBay for $2 but I'm keeping my promise. I apologise for the terrible photo. I've also made a sock bun and I will be doing a comparison between a store bought and a homemade hair donut soon. I will probably accompany that with a tutorial.

Summary: 

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer gives a lovely sheer coverage. Sheer enough to feel like but pigmented enough to even out skin tone.
• Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator sounds very promising. Will trial and review it.
• Hair donut: Store bought versus homemade review and tutorial to come.