December 2013 Haul

I recently went back to Singapore and Malaysia for yet another holiday. Now, if you remember my previous haul, you'd know that I bought some goodies from Singapore. YSL to be more exact. This time round, I did not buy anything from Singapore because duty-free prices seem to have gone up. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to shop to my heart's desire at Sephora while I was in Malaysia.

Here's a list of what I bought.
1. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blissful
2. Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara
3. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Turn On
4. Kiss Me Heroine Make Mascara Remover
5. Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color in Dare Me
6. MAC Brush #109
7. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone
8. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar
9. Urban Decay Naked Skin in 4.0
10. Shu Uemura Heart and Flower by Murakami S Curler
11. Benefit Brow Zings

Individual reviews and swatches to come! I can't wait to share with you my opinion of these products. I've tested quite a few of them out and I look forward to announcing my favourites.

Have you tried any of these products? Which are your favourites? 

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Review

Le Teint Touche Eclat
Claims: "Targets shadowy areas and highlights the contours of the face. With buildable coverage and free of opaque fillers, the perfecting texture evens the complexion and conceals imperfections, enhancing the skin’s natural beauty."
RRP: AUD78
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: This is probably the most expensive makeup item I own. Particularly in terms of it's value. I was lucky enough to pick this up at the Duty Free section of Changi Airport as I mentioned in this post. Okay, let's get the obvious out of the way first. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous yet simple. I don't expect any less from YSL. I love that it comes with a pump for you to dispense the product. Plus points for hygiene!

This is a light coverage foundation that can be built up to medium with more layers (I demonstrate how this foundation covers up a lot of my facial imperfections below). It is also very lightweight and I don't notice its presence throughout the day. The lasting power is not excellent but is greatly improved when paired with a primer. I like to apply Benefit's Porefessional primer before hand.

Bare and cleansed

Visible pigmentation 

Using one full pump 

Applied with fingers, blended out with a Beauty Blender sponge

Less visible pigmentation 

The shade I own is B30 and it's a very good match for my skin, particularly my neck. This foundation can cover most of my pigmentation very well. I usually only need very little concealer for one or two very dark spots and a bit more for under my eyes. To the naked eye, my skin looks practically flawless. Whether it makes my skin look radiant, I cannot tell because I don't see it when I look in the mirror. But sometimes, when I look back at photos, I feel like it does.

Would I repurchase this product when it runs out? I'm not sure. It's very pricey and I get the feeling that I'm not completely head over heels with this product. I mean, I love it but I can live without it. I'm gonna try other foundations first before I can definitively say this is the only one for me.

What's your favourite foundation? How much are you willing to spend for the perfect foundation for your skin? 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Review

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment 
Claims: "Fertilises your follicles whilst going deep down into the cortex to condition and strengthen from within. Reduces irritation and moisturises the scalp."
RRP: AUD16.99
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: I don't generally write negative reviews but this product, unfortunately, warrants one. I bought this because Sharon Farrell on Youtube recommended. She loves this product and says that it has helped her grow her hair longer. Upon further research, I found more positive reviews than negative ones. With my fingers crossed, I went out and bought this product.

This product has a very strong floral scent. The first few times I smelled it, I thought it was nice. After that, it started irritating my nose. That's the first strike. The first couple of times I used this treatment, my hair felt nice and soft afterwards. With subsequent uses, I felt like my hair was not benefiting from the use of this product. I did not see an increase in length of my hair. What's worse? Every time I used it, a pimple would pop up on my scalp a couple of hours later. And that was the last straw for me.

I've stopped using this treatment but have yet to get around to throwing it out. Just as well I bought it at 40% off. Otherwise, it would have been an even bigger waste of my money! I am not trying to say that this is an absolutely horrible and disgusting product. All I'm trying to do is warn you. This product could potentially cause scalp acne if it's not suitable for you. If this product has worked wonders for you, then that's good for you and I envy you!

Have you ever experienced any negative effects from using a hair treatment product?

Purple and Gold Party Eye Makeup Tutorial

Party season is here! It's time to bring out your stash of amazing false eyelashes and glitter pigment. Today, I'm going to show you how to do a simple yet stunning purple and gold eye makeup. The star product of this tutorial is the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Sticks in Paranoid Purple. 

Here are the steps: 

1. Prep your eyes with primer. Here I'm using Benefit's Stay Don't Stray Primer. I simple dot some product all over my eyelids and then blend it out when my ring finger. 

2. Apply Paranoid Purple all over your eye lid, staying below the crease and steering clear of the inner corners of your eyes. Blend it out a little with your ring finger. 

3. With an eye shadow brush, apply a deeper purple or brownish purple colour to the outer corners of your eyelids. I used Hustle from the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

4.  With a blending brush, work a neutral light brown colour into your crease. I used Naked from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. 

5. Swipe some Paranoid Purple onto your pencil brush and run the colour under your lower lash line. 

6. With an eyeshadow brush, pat some gold eyeshadow or pigment onto the inner corners of your eyes. I used Half Baked from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. 

7. Lastly, line your top lash line with long lasting black gel/liquid liner. Curl your lashes and apply lots of mascara 

8. This is optional. You can draw black liner on your top waterline and apply false eyelashes for an even more dramatic eye makeup look. 

I love purple and gold together. It's my favourite combination! 

I was partly inspired by the purple and gold top and necklace that I was wearing at the time. 

Please excuse the unruly brows!

Hope you found this helpful and enjoyed reading this post. I will be posting more tutorials using the Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Sticks soon. Keep an eye out! 

What's your go-to party eye makeup look?

HG Search: Moisturiser - Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream Review

Kiehl's Ulta Facial Cream 
Claims: "24 hour, light-textured hydrator. Reduces moisture loss. Continuous water replenishment throughout the day."
RRP: AUD34/AUD64 for 50mL/125mL
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: The first time I tried this product when was my mother bought a jar home and told me to try it. After cleansing and toning my face, I applied some all over my face and went to bed. The next morning, my skin still felt soft and smooth. It wasn't long before I went and got myself a 50mL jar too (R kindly paid for it). I've been using it for more than two months now and have hit the base of the jar. My mother has hit base too. And guess what? We went out and bought a 125mL jar each!

So by now, you'd know where this review is heading. Yes, this story has a "happy ending". You can stop reading now and go buy yourself one to try... Oh! You wanna know more? Okay then. This moisturising cream is very lightweight with a gel-like consistency. Kinda similar to the consistency of Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Gel Cream. It goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly so there's no sticky feeling. If you apply makeup soon after, it is tacky enough to work as a primer.

I love that this product keeps my face hydrated all day and night, regardless of whether the weather is wet/dry/warm/cold. It feels like I'm giving my skin water to drink. A word of warning though, if you have extremely dry skin, whereby it's peeling and patchy, this may not be powerful enough of a moisturiser for you; something like Creme de La Mer might be better for you. Otherwise, I am very happy with this product and it's currently my Holy Grail moisturiser. I know what you're gonna say. But it came in a jar! That's unsanitary! Well, as long as you wash your hands well with soap and dry them properly before dipping your fingers into the product, I don't see any problems with it, especially if it's solely for your own use. Hence, I have not deducted any points from packaging.


What's your Holy Grail moisturiser (if you have one)?