Spring Tutorial: Blueberries & Plums

I never thought that blue and plum would go so well together until I saw this (Jacqueline's makeup looks are inspirational). I love the color combination and have been itching to try it out. Once again, this is not a copy of the original but an inspired one since I wanted something softer that's spring appropriate.

Hope you like it and I really need to show you that Daiso palette, don't I? This blue is AWESOME! *tempts*

Read on for the tutorial.

Items Used

Face:
Garnier UV Protect in Purple
e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer
Everyday Minerals Original Glo Foundation in Buttered Tan
Coastalscents Silica Powder
e.l.f. Healthy Glow Powder in Luminance
Everyday Minerals Blush in Snuggle

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Paint Pot in Rollickin
Daiso Jewel Eyecolor (Blue)
MAC Eyeshadow in Prize Bloom (Light Plum)
Smashbox Eyeshadow in Taupe Two (Dark Plum)
NYX Eyeshadow Trio in Lake Moss (Black Plum - MAC Beauty Marked dupe)
MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper (Highlight)
MAC Creme Liner in Black
High Curling Mascara from Daiso
Anastasia Brow Powder in Ash Blonde

Lips:
MAC Tendertone Lip Balm in Sweet & Nice

Start off with lid prepped with an eyeshadow primer. Using a synthetic shadow brush, apply Rollickin right below the crease. Then, take a fluffy shadow brush and apply blue eyeshadow over the blue base. Next, take an angled brush to place Prize Bloom on top of the crease. Bring the shadow down to the outer corner of the eye to join with the blue.

Clean off the excess on the brush and blend the edges of Prize Bloom. Blend the separation line between the plum and the blue so that the color combines well. Take a round crease brush and apply Taupe Two into half of the crease bringing down the color to the outer corner of the eye as well. Using a smaller brush, apply Taupe Two on the lower lash line, extending from the upper outer corner.

Get some black plum on the small brush and add depth by blending the shadow on the outer V of the lid. Apply highlight under the brow. Finish off with eyeliner and mascara.

Done!

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A Year Already?

To celebrate a year of blogging...

http://skindeco.blogspot.com is now

www.skindeco.net

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting my passion!
*HUGS*

Here's to another awesome year and many more to come

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WANTED: Male Co-Blogger

More often than not, I see guys hunching over the pharmacy aisles trying to figure out which facial wash to buy because they couldn't tell the difference between "cleansing foam" and "cleansing gel". As for those who opt to seek for 'professional' help at the cosmetic counters (women territory), I see manly men become so vulnerable as they sit quietly and nod to whatever the pretty beauty consultants tell them to use (and buy!).

It seems to me that guys need help in the grooming department too and even more so than ladies do! As macho as they are, there's always the longing to look good with clear pimple-free skin that doesn't have wrinkles and sagging before hitting thirty. There's the eagerness to shave without those itchy bumps and hairstyles other than bed-hair.

My purpose...

I'm searching for a dude who is interested in co-blogging with me on SkinDeco.Net
(Malaysian residents only. Sorry!)

Read on if you're interested and wanna know more.


What I'm looking for in a guy....

- 18 to 35 years old
- has an interest and is knowledgeable about the following topics (at least 3):
* Skin Care
* Facial Hair Grooming
* Hair styling * Fragrance
* Anything else relevant
- interest in trying out different products and blogging about them
- able to commit to at least one blog post a week

If you think you're able to fulfill that little emptiness in SkinDeco, please drop me an e-mail at smellyocheese@gmail.com with:
-Your personal details: name, age, location
- A picture of yourself
- A sample review/blog-post on male grooming. Ie. What you would write if you were to blog on SkinDeco.

Please submit your entries by 10th March 2009

To make this search a little more interesting, all submissions will be shortlisted to a showdownbetween two finalists.

• The two finalists will then compete by submitting a blog post that will be posted on SkinDeco.Net
  

• The winner will be selected based on the feedback received by the readers. However, the final decision will be made by me.

Of course, what's a contest without prizes right?

The winner will receive a grooming pack which will include loads of products to help kickstart his new grooming-blogging career.


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A 'Fairy'-tale Wedding

Early this month, I got the honor of making a dear friend, Fairy, more beautiful than she already is on her very special day. It was my very first experience doing bridal make-up and it's one that I'll remember forever. Hey, it's not everyday that you get to sit at the 'meja pengantin' (bride's table)! Got extra prawn and fish, you know.... I was overwhelmed with pride and 'awwww....' moments that night.

Congratulations Fairy!
When you gonna have babies? :D

Read on for close-up pictures of the makeup as well as description of items used. Link to the tutorial as well!

Before... After...

Elegant and all grown up. Yet so cute! *pinches*
Click for the tutorial

Items Used:

Face:
Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie
Jordana Liquid Foundation in Tawny
Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup in Shade 37 (to darken the foundation)
Revlon Skinlights in Peach Light
Missha Perfect Concealer
Giorgio Armani Loose Powder
el.f. Healthy Glow Powder in Luminance
Coastalscents Silica Powder

Cheeks:
e.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo (the bronzer)
Silk Naturals Sheer Blush in Enchanting
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Light Flush (cheek highlight)

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Paint Pot in Perky
MAC Eyeshadow in Faintly Fleur
Manly 80 Color Eyeshadow Palette: 2-I4 (Shimmery rose brown), 1-I3 (Rose brown-matte), 1-I4 (Medium dark brown-matte), 1-J4 (Black-matte), 1-J1 (White)
MAC Eyeshadow in Rare Specimen
MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
Taiwan Handmade Lashes
High Curling Mascara from Daiso
Fiberwig Tiny Sniper Mascara
Auto Eyebrow Pencil from Daiso

Lips:
CatCosmetics Lip Liner in Naked Lip
Giorgio Armani Brilliant Shine Lipstick in #21



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Review: Biossentials Coffee Tropical Scrub

Some of us just don't have the time (*coughs* or the budget) to relax in luxurious spas, what with all the shopping to do and TV drama to catch up on...
Thankfully, Biossentials has come up with Spa Kits that you can do-it-yourself in the comfort of your own home. The very dear Bee got me the Coffee Tropical Scrub Body Treatment Kit for Christmas (yes, ages ago!) and I finally brought myself to use it for Valentine's as part of the self-love thing.
I had a whale of a time and I really ought to do this more often! *sighs* Shows how little I love myself.

Read on for the review and pictorial step-by-step!

Each Coffee Scrub Kit contains three body treatments:
- 6 sachets of Coffee Scrub: re-energize and invigorate
- Orange Blossom Pure Floral Water: soothing and toning
- Herbal Bath Sachet: hydrate and rejuvenate
- Wooden ice-cream stick

Coffee Scrub with tropical herbs has a refreshing and intoxicating aroma to awaken and stimulate the senses. Coffee contains natural acids that tone & exfoliate tired skin leaving it soft, smooth and glowing. Useful scrub to stimulate cellulite prone areas such as buttocks and thighs. Contains: Premium coffee, pandanus leaf, kaffir lime, cassia leaf and others.

One kit is good for 3 treatments but since there's only one Herbal Bath (very odd), I haven't got to using that yet. Each treatment is sufficient for the whole body, especially cellulite-prone areas which includes the legs, buttocks, arms and abdomen. This treatment acts as a body masque and scrub in one.

The coffee aroma is therapeutic and should be able to satisfy any coffee cravings. Following the simple instructions, the tropical body scrub/masque is pretty easy to create. As the masque is applied on the body, there were some loose granules of coffee that refused to stick on the skin so it could get a little messy if you're not doing this in the bathroom (I did it in the living room). The masque gave a cooling effect that made me sway my arms and legs around because the sensation was so comforting. Hee hee.

After about 20 minutes, the masque would have been completely dried and the skin will feel tight. When water is added, the masque becomes a scrub that has granules of just the right size for the body. I was told that the scrub brightens the skin so you can imagine the shock that I had when I saw that my legs looked darker after I've washed off the scrub. With a little closer look, it turned out that my skin was actually having a red tinge, like it's flushed. This meant that the scrub was truly improving the blood circulation of my skin -- neat! After a few more minutes, the color of my skin went back to normal and I was left with soft, smooth and supple skin that glows, Ikidyounot. I couldn't resist rubbing my legs together all the time. Hee hee hee. Even the rough skin on my elbows and knees were immediately softened.

Only downside was that my skin started to feel itchy (I think it's the after-effect of the raging blood circulation) and I had 2 tiny red bumps each on my legs and arms. I could be allergic to one of the ingredients in there but no biggie really.

I don't know the price for this kit but I'll update as soon as I find out.

Biossentials products are available for retail at:
- British India, One Utama or Great Eastern Mall (the GE outlet's so huge I couldn't find Biossentials @.@)
- Aussino, Ikano Power Centre
- Sunpharma, Sunway Pyramid

You'll need a bowl for mixing, the mixers, a cup of water, the stick, instructions and a brush to apply the mask (not pictured here)

Empty the two sachets of coffee mix into the bowl and then add in 1tsp of Floral Water. After that, add in enough water to mix. Keep stirring and adding water (if needed) until you get a goopy paste.

Get your brush (I used the glazing brush I found in the kitchen :p) and dip it into the mixture -- like duh! Brush the masque onto your skin and try to do it in one direction so that the granules won't fall out. Leave it to dry for about 20 minutes. After it has completely dried (very obvious), wet your palms and start gently scrubbing in circular motions. Finally, rinse off and follow with a body moisturizer.

Click to read my review for the Biossentials Face Polish which I LOVE!


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Spring Look: Marshmallows

Y'all know that I'm not uberly psyched about this spring's colorful pastels (love colors, hate pastels) but I think this look turned out to be quite alright. I quite like it. What do you think?

No particular inspiration. I just wanted test out my new Daiso eyeshadow palette (will show soon) which has this friggin gorgeous, yet pigmented, shimmery teal blue. I also tried using Anastasia Brow Powder Duo sample, given to me by Jen. It shaded in my brows softly yet with definition and that's not a good thing because I'm tempted. For the time being, USD22 is just way too much for me to spend on eyebrow powder.

Read on for close-ups and description of items used.

The colors look more appealing in real life. Bleh.

Items Used:

Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie (finishing...)
RMK Creamy Foundation #103
Revlon Skinlights in Peach Light
e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer
Chacott Loose Powder
e.l.f. Healthy Glow Powder in Luminance
Everyday Minerals Blush in Opening Day
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Light Flush (cheek highlight)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Stila Eyeshadow in Champagne (lid)
Sweetscents Mineral Pigment in Chameleon (crease)
Daiso Jewel Eyecolor Palette - Blue (outer crease + wing)
Origins Eyeshadow in Glistening Granite (outer crease)
Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in P Gold 91 (highlight)
MAC Creme Liner in Black
MAX Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Brunette
NYX Round Lipstick in Cream
RMK Gloss Lips in 32 Neutral Beige




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Seller Review: popsicle from Lowyat.net

Up until today, I have never purchased a MAC product at full price. Since I'm not iffy about needing to have everything brand new, I hunt for the MAC products that I want on Ms popsicle's sales thread.

Popsicle has the most extensive collection of MAC products for sale as well as other high end cosmetic brands such as Make Up for Ever, Bobbi Brown and Shu Uemura. But MAC is her main thing; from brushes to MAC Pro products to LE products.

All her items are 100% authentic without a doubt.

Read on for more...

Out of the many sellers of MAC products (not including those who sell fake MAC and don't even know it), I find Popsicle to be the most knowledgeable about the products that she sells. She states the collection from which the product is from so I take that she's a hardcore MAC addict herself.

Most of her items are either brand new or lightly used. She makes sure to describe how many times the product has been used and so far, I know that she's been honest about it. I've had some sellers sell me 2nd hand items that has been used a lot more than they claim. Big bummer. If there was a flaw in the item that she's selling, for example, paint chipped off the handle of the brush, she points it out and even takes pictures of the flaw to make sure that the potential buyer has full understanding of the product's condition.

There were times when I'd get too excited about getting something that I couldn't care to see pictures of it. Being the responsible seller, Popsicle would always always always show me the pictures before proceding with the transaction so that I'd know exactly what I'll be receiving.

She mails out the items when she says she will so, if she can't make it to send out the item on a particular day, she'd notify me in advance. Her items are always carefully wrapped in bubble-wrap.

When it comes to the prices, Popsicle may not have the lowest rates on the block but she prices the products according to what they're worth. She's also pretty firm with her prices. I take that as not spoiling the market price too much while giving those who have tighter budgets (like myself) a chance to get MAC products at a lower price.

As mentioned earlier, she has a wide array of MAC products with some of them being uncommon. For instance, she has pressed pigment eyeshadows. She practices good hygiene as well by washing all the used brushes she sells with MAC Brush Cleanser before sending them out. Some of the products that I've gotten from her are:
- MAC Fluidline in Blue Peep
- MAC Creme Liner in Black
- MAC 187SE Brush

I think I've bought other stuff too but I can't remember :-/

Popsicle gets a pink starfish and go check out her sales thread to see if you can find what you're looking for!
Click for Popsicle's Sales Thread


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Review + Camparison: MAC Pro Creme Liner

I wouldn't be surprised if some of you reading this post has never seen or heard about this product. Honestly, I didn't either until I saw it up for sale and looked it up. The MAC Pro Creme Liner in Black has definitely been hiding in the shadow of the ever famous Blacktrack Fluidline. This product is no longer being sold at MAC stores in Malaysia so I'm pretty damn pleased to own this one despite having reasons to dislike it. There are times that I'm completely in love with it too so I welcome this liner into my makeup stash and I know it'll be with me for a very long time.

My decision maker: rpere009

Read on for the review, swatches and comparisons.

So, first thing that you'd notice is that the packaging is almost identical to a MAC eyeshadow. Indeed it is except for the glossy brim. In the pan is a very thick cream. Like modelling-clay-thick. To put you out of your confusion as to how such a thick creme could possibly work as a liner; this product is water-activated meaning that you'd have to use it wet (with water or mixing medium). What you do is you moistened your brush first before you dip it into the product. What you will get is a much more fluid line.

There's already a huge pro with how the product is used. Since it's water-activated, this creme liner will most likely never dry out compared to other gel liners or liquid liner. This means it'll literally take you years before you can finish using the product. This liner, from what I've read, is popular amongst working makeup artists because the product can be easily cleaned for hygienic usage between clients. Simply spray with disinfectant (rubbing alcohol) and wipe the top layer. The cream is firm enough that you won't lift up too much product.

The fluidity of the liner can be adjusted and it may take a few tries (or more than a few) to get the best consistency, which should glide smoothly over the skin and dries quickly. Too wet and it'll take ages to dry, too dry and you'll get smudges. If you get the consistency right, you should have a beautiful dark line that stays put and wouldn't smudge for hours and hours.

This liner can also be quite the b!tch by giving you a perfect line on one eye and a not-at-all perfect line on the other. I HATE when that happens. If you're going to rush your makeup, don't use this. The more you rush, the more the liner will go horribly wrong.

The Fluidline jar packaging looks a lot more classy but not necessarily the most practical since the glass is heavy and the lid is detached. Content wise, Fluidline contains 3g of product while the Creme liner has 2.5g of products. Although less in grammage, the creme liner will have a much longer usage life since it's water-activated.
Also, since the Fluidline will slowly dry out, it'll get more difficult to use the product as time goes where as you can always make the creme liner fluid.

But what makes me choose the creme liner over the Fluidline is the color. Black is black right? Not quite when it's so obvious that the creme liner gives a much richer black when applied wet in comparison to Blacktrack. Really dark liners can make the colors of your eyeshadow stand out a lot more.

I'd only recommend this if you have as much patience as I do to make a product work. If you don't you'd just hate it A LOT.
Blacktrack Fluidline is still my favourite go-to black gel liner because it's reliable but as I perfect the usage of the Creme Liner, it may eventually win first place.

Only available at MAC Pro stores or http://www.macpro.com/


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Review: Elianto Miracle Multiplex White BB Cream

Shortly after reading about this BB cream on Prettybeautiful.Net, rather coincidentally, I saw that my mom had the Elianto Miracle White Multiplex BB Cream. Naturally, I had to try it since I've been hunting around for a new BB cream.

Elianto has three types of BB creams. Miracle Multiplex for oily skin, Miracle Multiplex White for dry skin and a compact type of BB cream which gives a sheerer coverage or work as a base. Something like that.
The BB cream promises a lot of things; whitening, anti wrinkle, firming, moisturizing -- that I really couldn't care much about in a BB cream.

Read on for the review and swatches.

The texture may look more watery compared to my Missha BB Cream but it's actually very very creamy. As you can see, just a little dollop can be spreaded on a large area. It's generally quite easy to blend but the BB cream takes a little while to settle so that it wouldn't look like it's just sitting on top of the skin. The coverage wasn't too bad either. The finish is smooth and glowy, giving a decent color match but still a tad fair for me. Downside was the strong fragrance that somewhat bothered be.
I thought to myself, "Not too shabby..."

After less than 2 hours, the terror begins. My skin is not the kind that excretes a lot of oil but this BB cream made my face look oilier than a wok that has just been used to fry Hokkien noodles. Mind you, I've used a makeup base underneath and loose powder over it. Then, the makeup started to look blotchy and cakey. I was not a happy camper.

The only way I found to make this BB cream work for was when I use it with my Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup.

It worked fine for Mom so I guess this one's really meant for dry and more matured skin. I'm not tempted to try the Miracle Multiplex BB Cream though when I can get SkinFood BB Cream at the same price (RM49).

Elianto Miracle Multiplex White BB Cream retails for RM59.


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Post V-Day Report

Valentine's Day for 2009 is done and over with. I must say, that this year's 'celebration' has gone pretty well without having to spend a bomb. The V-day elements were all there; the date, the flowers, the surprise, friends and, family.

As it turns out, you really don't need to spend 200 bucks on a crappy buffet dinner (2007 @ Nikko Hotel) to be happy on Valentine's Day.

What did you do for Valentine's?

Read on for more pictures and the FOTD for the night.

While the boy was out spending buddy time, Mei Mei (Andrew's sis) and I had our little quality time. She dragged me to see some Taiwanese pop star *groans* where I was surrounded by hundreds of screeching teenagers with pulsating pimples for almost 2 hours. The things your do for those your love. Apparently you can't have your own CDs/notebooks to be autographed and you'd need to purchase 3 CDs to take a picture with the singer *rolls eyes*.

We had a mini home spa treatment too by masking our arms and legs with the Biossentials Coffee Scrub. (My leg looks like a lotus root)

And watched Mythbusters

After pestering me about what I got him for V-day and making a hoo-ha when he found out I got him nothing (seriously, what do you get for a dude? I just accumulate the presents and get a good one at one go), he popped my gift from the back of the couch. I've been dropping hints for weeks! Ok, I did expect it so it wasn't exactly a surprise but at least he didn't just shove it in front of my face and said, "There you go". I don't usually fancy movie tie-in covers but for Gerard Butler, I'll make an exception. Hot men in their forties.... *drools* The movie and the book were quite different and both have their own appeals. I was disappointed by the book's ending though *sighs*

Romantic dim-light dinner... at the end of the street... literally. Walking distance. Yeah, we walked.

Orange Juice: RM2.50, Lamb Chop (top): RM9.90, Sirloin Steak (bottom): RM14.90. Cheap but yummy, k?

Next on our night's agenda was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Cineleisure Mutiara Damansara -- Courtesy of MySimplifieds.Com
Awesome movie and yet again, hot men in their forties. Brad Pitt's forty-five... old enough to be my father and yummy enough to grab in all the wrong places. Hui Xin and I literally squeled when His Hotness appeared as his hottest self on screen as Benjamin.

A very pleasant surprise from MySimplifieds.Com as well! So pweeetee.....!! See that cute blue watering can with a chocolate amongst the roses? That was from Prettybeautiful. Thanks, dearie!

We then adjourned to The Sanctuary Club, joining some friends that were already there.

The club is a place where singles find new love on V-day... Sorta...

FOTD: Miami Sunset
I wanted a simple smokey eyes that's copper-ish.

Items Used:

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation #5.5 + La Mer Treatment Cream Foundation in Honey
Missha Perfect Concealer
La Mer Loos Powder in Translucent
The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Cheek Color in Warm Copper
Silk Naturals Mineral Glow in Cupid
Urban Decay Primer Potion
NYX Trio in Rust/Copper/Bronze (the middle color)
MAC Eyeshadow in Zone
MAC Eyeshadow in Concrete
MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
MAX Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
Auto Eyebrow Pencil from Daiso
RMK Lipstick C in Gold Brown
RMK Lipgloss in Shiny Sheer Gold

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Silk Naturals: Cheek Colors + Fiber Optic Brush

Some time ago, I combined order with the So Loverly girls to get Silk Naturals products. I've wanted to get my hands on the Fiber Optic Blush Brush from the moment I saw the review on Christiana's blog. Prior to this, I've used my MAC 187SE brush to apply blush and it has given me beautiful colorings but it was a little too big and I didn't want to sell my arm for a MAC 188 brush.
Along with the brush, I've picked up a few cheek colors that are dupes of some high end brands: NARS and MAC.

I've also included a mini tutorial on how to use the fiber optic brush for cream blush.

Read on for the reviews, swatches and tutorial.

When they say sample, they MEAN sample! There's very little product in the jar but sufficient for about 7-8 uses. All the mineral powders are finely milled but not necessarily a breeze to blend.


Mineral Glow in Cupid
= Dupe for MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Northern Lights
= Golden Bronze Pink Glow
= Gives that slight added glow but barely noticeable. I still prefer my MSF in Light Flush or even my e.l.f. Healthy Glow Powders (Sun Kissed, Luminance)

Sheer Blush in Enchanting
= Dupe for NARS Blush in Dolce Vita
= Deep Red/Brown Matte
= I fell in love with this color. Such a perfect night blush that makes the cheeks look chiseled. I'm thinking of getting the full sized jar for this shade. If it was an everyday blush I may not have to consider.

Sheer Blush in Lovelace
= Dupe for NARS Blush in Deep Throat
= Medium Apricot Shimmer
= Despite the sharp color in the pot, it gave pretty poor color payoff. Doesn't stay on too well either. *sighs* Rather disappointing really.

I don't have lemmings to get more blushers from Silk Naturals despite the tempting dupes. Quantity and pigmentation wise, I'm a bigger fan of Everyday Minerals blushers.

From this order, I was most excited about the iddy biddy Fiber Optic Blush Brush. It's really very teeny! I don't have a comparison picture but you can be assured that this brush is about three quarters of the MAC 188 in diameter. Side by side with my MAC 187SE, the length is slightly shorter making it great to travel with. The brush head is obviously much smaller. When it comes to the softness and density, it is very comparable to the 187SE.

During washing, there was just a few bristles that came out with a little bit of dye. No big. At least it behaves a lot better than the 187SE

This brush gives great percision to blush application with an airbrushed finish. However, if you're not the kind who would spend more than 2 minutes to apply your blush, you wouldn't like this brush. But if you're like me, you may just love this brush. I do admit though, that I wouldn't use this brush if I was in a hurry.

By the way, the brush is selling for USD5.99. That's a steal!

This is a great brush for applying cream blush since usually you'd need more control for it.

Dip the tip of the bristles into the cream blush. Get just enough product on the bristles. Distribute the color where you want it by stippling. After you've placed the color, you can start blending.

Blend in circular motions only on where the blush was placed.

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Review: ~H2O+ Face Oasis Cleansing Water + Hydrating Treatment

It has been about a month since I attended the ~H2O+ store event at Pavilion where the bunch of us were given a set of the Face Oasis Cleansing Water and Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment to use and review.

"Dive into an oasis of oil-free moisture with a superior time-released hydration system that energizes and revitalizes the skin. Sea-derived skincare collection of water-based super-hydrators instantly moisturizes, balances, and transports and distributes hydration for up to eight hours, leaving skin supple and glowing. It's like 8 glasses of water for your skin!"

I've been using both products for a while now and they've definitely made it into my daily skin care routine (fine, I don't have a very consistent routine to begin with).

Read on for the reviews.

Face Oasis Cleansing Water

This oil-free water-activated fluid impressed me upon demonstration. The method for using this cleansing water is similar to how a cleansing oil is used: a pump or two of fluid is massaged onto dry skin, water is then added to work the gentle foam, and finally thoroughly rinsed off. There was immediate brightness (difficult to capture difference by camera) after cleansing and skin felt really refreshed and soft. True enough, there was no feeling of dryness and tautness.

I would say that it's an effective cleanser for day-to-day use but it doesn't remove make-up too well. I was recommended by the ~H2O+ beauty consultants to cleanse twice but that didn't work either. There was still residues of foundation after cleansing. I keep this for my no-makeup days.

The packaging is simple with a lockable pump. I think mine's faulty though because the pump doesn't bounce back up after I've pumped. No biggie really.

The price isn't quite my cup of tea mainly due to how fast the product is being consumed. Even though I've restricted the usage, I'm already almost 1/5 through the 118ml (RM60) bottle. There's a bigger bottle for RM99/243ml. Fine, it's not over the top but it's definitely pricier than most of the cleansers I use!

Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

"a water-based gel that instantly moisturizes and diminishes fine lines... Leaving skin supple and glowing... Intense level of hydration day or night..."

Since I have a couple of day moisturizers already, I started using this Hydrating Treatment for night time. Within a few days of usage, I could already see the effects. The next day, my skin would look plumped and I had rosy cheeks. Rosy cheeks! I never get that! I was totally psyched. This meant that the treatment had been "energizing" my skin to improve the circulation.

The Jell-O texture is very easy to massage as the gel absorbs readily into the skin. There is a slight stickiness but only for about 10-minutes or so. Overall, the gel still feels lightweight. The scent is pleasantly fresh, nothing too distinct.

I love the jar packaging of course -- maximum usage of product. The frosted-glass-lookalike jar is classy and yet light since it's plastic.

It usually takes me a long time to get through a 50ml jar but since the product is in gel form, I find myself using twice the amount than I would with cream. I've also realized that it's providing my skin sufficient water but not enough oil so I tend to get flaky spots ever since I've stopped using my cream-based moisturizers. I now use this as a treatment with an added moisturizer. It seems to be helping the moisturizer absorb better.

RM159 for 50ml is not extreme but still rather high end for a student without a steady income. However, if you can afford this, I would highly recommend it.

Face Oasis Shine Neutralizing Gel

We were given a sample tube of this as well. The function is quite similar to the Hydrating Treatment but it caters more to oilier complexions. The texture is more lightweight and has oil-absorbing benefits to keep the skin looking matte with a velvety finish. Thus, no stickiness at all upon application. I've used this for day and it's certainly not moisturizing enough for my skin. Oily complexions would benefit more from this.

RM159 for 50ml.

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