K-Beauty Lipsticks Haul + Swatches

Hey gorgeous, welcome back to my blog!

I've recently purchased a few K Beauty lipsticks so in today's post I'll be sharing a mini reviews on them as well as some swatches. If you are interested to see what I've gotten, keep on scrolling!

1) Holika Holika Nudrop Dewy Stick in 03 Naked Honey

Shade: Orange Brown
First Impression: very moisturising, easy to apply as it glides on smoothly. Takes some effort to remove it completely.
Suitable for dry lips too since it is not drying.

On the lips:

2) Peripera Ink Airy Stick in 05 Burnt Tangerine

Shade: Rose Brown
First Impression: Easy application as it glides on smoothly on the lips, not as Moisturising as the Holika one, borderline dry, rather easy to remove as it does not stain the lips.
Suitable for normal lips (non dry non chapped)

On the lips:

3) Innisfree Lip Tint (not sure of the name and shade as it's all written in Korean)

PS let me know if you happen to be able to read these 

Shade: Coral Red
First Impression: nice scent to it, great applicator, easy application, not sticky and drying, very hard to remove, stain lips
Suitable for all lips

On the lips:

4) Wakemake Lip Paint in 15 Chai Paint

Shade: brown
First Impression: strong tingling sensation on the lips, takes awhile to dry, very sticky, hard to remove.
Suitable for all lips.

On the lips:

5) Mamonde Creamy Tint Colour Balm Intense in 07 Kissing You

Shade: red
First Impression: doesn't apply smoothly, not as Moisturising as it promises, colour payoff is great, easy to remove too.
Suitable for normal lips (non dry and chapped)

On the lips:

My personal favourite out of the 5 lipsticks that I swatched is the Holika Holika Nudrop Dewy Stick as it is really moisturising to the lips and I like the shade most. Which is your personal favourite out of the 5?

Anyway that's all I have for this post. Please follow me if you haven't already and I'll see you in my next one, xoxo.

Trying Aprilskin Perfect Magic Cover Dual Cushion - first impression and wear test

Hey gorgeous, welcome back to my blog

In today's post, I'll be trying out the AprilSkin Perfect Magic Cover Dual Cushion foundation and this is the first time I'm using an AprilSkin product (yes, I just came out from a mountain cave) so I'm really excited. Not gonna lie, I'm not a big fan of cushion foundations because they are usually a tad too dewy for my oily skin so as much as I'm excited about trying something new, I'm equally worried that my face will be too oily after awhile. So without further ado, let's get started!

Firstly let's talk about the packaging. I kinda like the colour combination of black and red as it looks really classy and expensive. However it is a little bulky in my opinion since it is a 2 in 1 product hence making it a tad troublesome to bring around.

I got mine in the shade no.21 and it's a perfect match for my skin tone.

Here's me after applying a thin layer on the right side of the face. I would say the coverage is pretty good and it feels really lightweight on the skin. It is also not tacky to the touch.

And after going for another layer, my dark circle is pretty much concealed so are the pores and acne scars.

Since I'm gonna do a review on the foundation as well as the matte powder, I thought I should try the foundation first, without the matte powder and see how the foundation fares on my oily skin.
After a good ten hours, my face became a hot mess, especially at the area around my nose. Foundation was very chalky and face was super greasy which meant the foundation failed the wear test, without the matte powder.

The very next day, I went for the same foundation but this time with the matte powder to see if my makeup will look better towards the end of the day. I focused the matte powder only on the area where my face is the oiliest, i.e. the nose area as well as the forehead.
After a good twelve hours of wearing the foundation with the matte powder, my makeup pretty much stayed the same as when I first put it on.

So in conclusion, the AprilSkin Perfect Magic Cover Dual Cushion only works for oily skin if we use it as a whole. For dry skin, i think this foundation still works for you because it is not drying or too mattifying even with the matte powder. The finish is more of a natural skin like finishing with good oil control power. Overall I think this is a pretty good foundation and setting powder set but definitely not my favourite one and honestly I don't foresee myself reaching out for it anytime soon. And in fact, right after I tried and tested this foundation, I immediately saw two small pimples on my face so I'm guessing this foundation broke me out. Not the worst that I've tried, but definitely not the best as well.

And that's all I have for this post, I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Please follow if you haven't already and I'll see you in my next post, xoxo.

October & November Favourites

Hey gorgeous, welcome back to my blog!

It's been awhile since I last updated my monthly favourites so today I'm gonna share what I've been loving for the past 2 months. Being a new mom, I did not have much time to play with makeup so there isn't much makeup favourites in this post but I do have a few favourites as a new mommy to share so if you are keen to find out more, keep on reading!

1) Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Stick Foundation

If you have been following my blog, you would have probably seen the post where I did a first impression on the Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Stick Foundation and I've been using it non stop ever since. As a mom, I usually do not have much time to do my makeup so a stick foundation is more convenient for me and because I have oily skin, I prefer one with a matte finish. The Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Stick Foundation last whole day on my skin and my face looks flawless and shine free through the day. It is easy to blend with a makeup sponge hence it saves up much of my makeup time and I love it. I also like that it is not tacky so I do not have to set it with powder. Most of the time I would just apply a layer to even up my skin tone and cover my dark circles and I'll leave it as that with the my skin but better vibe. Highly recommend this stick foundation if you have oily skin like me and you want to have a natural finish while staying matte all day.

2) Essence hey cheeks Face Palette

And like I mentioned earlier, being a mom means I need to replace makeup time with latching and pumping and this Essence face palette screams convenience to me. I like that the shades are very usable and I can rely on this to create very simple everyday makeup look. I feel that essence is honestly a very affordable cosmetic brand with high cp value.

3) L'Oréal Revitalift Crystal Micro Essence (smoothing + radiance)

For skin care, I've been loving this micro essence from L'Oréal Paris. First and foremost, I love the smell of this essence. I don't know how to describe it but if possible, you can head down to the drugstore and see if there is any tester out there and smell it for yourself. I promise you won't hate it. This product claims to penetrate up to 10 skin layers with skin refinining droplets powered by brightening actives and Centella Asiatica.
It contains Salicylic Acid to mildly exfoliate and refine pores and skin texture which helps remove dead skin cells and accelerate skin renewal. I notice that my skin seems to have more elasticity these days and it feels a lot firmer than before which I think is because of the Centella Asiatica content which is known for its healing power to deeply repair, boost skin elasticity and smooth out lines and wrinkles. The texture of this essence is super light weight and watery making it easy to absorb and penetrate the skin. Immediately, skin feels hydrated, plumped and refreshed. I've been reaching out for this crystal micro essence on a daily basis, replacing it with my Estee Lauder Micro Essence.

4) Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile & Lavender

Pic credit from Sephora Sg

My next skin care favourite is a facial spray I never thought I would like but I ended up finishing an entire bottle. This Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, chamomile and lavender is the second product I've tried from the brand, the first being the Drying Lotion (which is my holy grail skin care) and so far I've been loving their products. The reason I like this facial spray is because of its strong lavender scent which calms me down everytime I spray it on my face. I used this every single day when I was doing my confinement and I relied on it greatly to keep my face hydrated and also to relax and soothe myself. The mist is really finely and strong and I really enjoyed it thoroughly until the very last drop. In fact, I have already placed an order from Sephora and it should be on its way to me now. Highly recommend this if you are looking for a facial spray.

5) Olens Contact Lens in the style Spanish (Real Olive)

My next favourite of the month is this pair of contact lens from Olens. This is my first time ordering and trying their lenses and I am pretty sure that I'll be repurchasing again. The pair that I've gotten is from their Spanish collection and I got them in the colour "real olive". What I love about their lenses is that they are really thin and easy to put on. On top of that, they are also not drying which is very suitable for people with dry eyes like me. I can wear them comfortably for a good ten hours, without any eye drop in between.

The next few favourites are all mummy/baby related as they are the products I've been loving for the past 2 months as a new mom.

6) Konny Baby Carrier Summer in Charcoal

Pic from Konny

So for the past 2 months, I've learnt how to baby wear with the Konny Baby Carrier Summer and I feel that unlike other sling, this Konny Baby Carrier is really easy to put on, in fact it's just like wearing a tee. I like that this Konny Baby Carrier is super lightweight so for mommies with slip disc like me, I do not feel tired or any ache especially at the lower back area. One thing I really like about this carrier is that whenever I wear my baby in it, she falls deeply asleep, making it easier to bring her out. Sometimes when she is fussy at home, I will also put her in my Konny and within a minute she is sound asleep already. I chose the Summer version because Singapore weather is very hot and humid and with the mesh design, my baby feels more cooling in it and it is also more breathable in my opinion. The price of a Konny is also pretty reasonable as you can get it at less than $90. The only thing I can complain about is that since Konny carrier is based on sizing, my husband is not able to share the carrier with me because obviously we are of different sizes and that is pretty inconvenient but for that price point, I think I probably can get another one for my husband at the right size.

7) Bravado Click and Pump Hands Free Nursing Bra

Pic from pupsik

For breast feeding mommies, you need this in your life. This is the best invention ever, hands down. Bravado Clip and Pump Hands-Free Nursing Bra Accessory is a bra accessory that attaches securely to your nursing bras’ B-clips. All you need to do is to insert your breastpump flange into the slot that holds it securely, allowing you to pump handsfree! You may be thinking $45 for a piece of cloth, is it worth it? Yessss, just get it. I cannot imagine myself holding the pumps in my 2 hands, 8 to 12 times a day, for at least 20 minutes without doing anything else. With this hands free bra, I am able to soothe my baby if she cries, do some online shopping (oops), watch YouTube/Netflix, do some chores while pumping and makes full use of my time instead of sitting there staring at the pump, wasting my life away. So mommies, if you don't already know about this, go get it now. I got mine from Pupsik and I saw Lazada sells it too.

8) Haenim Dryer & Multi Sterilizer (3rd gen)

Pic from Motherswork

Yet another expensive investment I've made in the past 2 months but it has become something I cannot live without now. Honestly I cannot imagine my life now without Haenim because it is so convenient especially for mommies who are doing pumping. For me, I have to pump every 2 hourly for 30 minutes each session and with my Haenim, my pumps and bottles are always 100% dry and this is very important at least to me because I don't want to have to use a tissue to wipe my bottles or pumps dry (tissue has bacteria/germs etc.). On top of that, the Haenim also works as a storage for the milk bottles and I can keep them inside for as long as I want, free of bacteria. I got my Haenim from the baby fair early in July at $329 nett, way cheaper than Lazada.

Lastly I have been binge watching dramas these days while pumping and I have got 2 favourites dramas to share as well!

9) Hotel Del Luna

A romantic comedy featuring IU and Yeo Jin Goo as the main cast, Hotel Del Luna is the story about Jang Man Wol (female lead by IU) being the owner of the eponymous hotel that caters only to ghosts; the beautiful but ill-tempered owner is cursed to manage the hotel due to a terrible crime she committed in her first life. She has since been living for a thousand years until the appearance of Koo Chan Sung (Male lead by Yeo Jun Goo) who managed to save her and she finally moves on to the afterlife. I feel that this is not the typical K drama that I've watched thus far. Some scenes can be quite scary because not all the ghosts in the show are friendly, some can be quite vengeful and scary. But apart from the appearance of ghosts, this is a sad yet beautiful love story between Man Wol and Chan Sung. IU's fashion style in the show is super on point tooand she really inspired me to dress up more often. In fact I was looking forward to see her costumes in every episodes. If you are looking for some fashion inspiration, try Hotel Del Luna. Oh and their OST is awesome!!! The song Another Day is on repeat mode on my Spotify now. Hotel Del Luna is available on Netflix, but if you are not subscribed to Netflix, you may want to try Taxiasians for free online streaming (sshhh).

10) Vagabond

Another K drama that I had recently finished is Vagabond by Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy and guys, go watch this please. It's been a long while since I got so anxious about a drama and I literally could not stop myself from watching. Each episode is so exciting and I just want to carry on watching. In fact, I finished the entire drama in 3 days time. For a mommy, I think this is pretty fast. Vagabond is about a tragic airplane crash involving the nephew of Del Goon (Lee Seung Gi) and he swore to find out the truth about the crash after he watched the last video of his nephew on the plane. Together with the help of Hae Ri (Bae Suzy), they discovered a national corruption scandal. Towards the end of the show, there was a huge plot twist (no spoiler here) and the drama got even more exciting. If I had to compare this with Hotel Del Luna, I think you should watch Vagabond first because the entire plot is really good and the acting of the two actors are really awesome too. Enough said, hurry on your Netflix now!

And that's all I have for my past two month's favourites. I am back to trying more makeup and skin care this month and I hope I will have more products to share later. Please follow if you haven't already and I'll see you in my next post, xoxo.

Full Face of Sephora's Minis

Hey gorgeous, welcome back to my blog!

So in today's post, I will be doing another full face makeup and this time I'm gonna use some of the mini products I got from Sephora during their Black Friday sale. If you're keen to find out more, keep on reading!

To start things off, I'll be priming my face with the mini Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional face primer. This primer is nothing new to me and I've been loving it for a very long time because it really does wonders in making my face looks flawless without lines and pores. My face feels silkily smooth instantly after applying the product and it makes applying makeup much easier after that. The mini version that I bought from the sale this time round was limited edition and it comes with an adorable to/from hang tag which makes it a perfect gift for your friends and family this festive season.

For foundation, I'll be trying out the Benefit Cosmetics mini Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Liquid Foundation (10ml) in the shade 01 which happens to be the lightest shade in the mini range. I've always been wanting to try this foundation but the name of the foundation makes me take a step back because it does sound like a little dewy for my oily skin. So I guess a mini version is really useful for those like me who wants to try a new foundation but is afraid of getting the full size.

First let's take a minute to appreciate the packaging because look how cute it is! I don't know why but the packaging does make me smile, probably because of  the big smiley ☺. I also did not expect the mini version one to come with a pump so this was a pleasant surprise for me.

The shade 01 fits me like a dream and I like that it does not oxidise at all. Coverage is medium on first application and it is buildable so you can layer it up to achieve the amount of coverage you desire. The foundation feels very lightweight on the skin and it gives a natural yet glowy finishing. For people who have oily skin like me, I feel that you can go ahead and give this foundation a try because even though the finish is a little glowy, the glow is not the greasy kinda glow. In fact, it glows on the right part (cheekbones) and it looks really natural to me. It did last a whole day for me and I did not look like an oily frying pan through the day.

Both sides done with foundation 

Moving on to concealer, I'm gonna try the Too Faced Born This Way Multi Use Sculpting Concealer in the shade Snow (the 2nd lightest shade). This concealer comes in 20 different shades, from super fair to dark brown (probably for suitable for contouring).

The mini one also comes with a doe foot applicator which is amazing and I really appreciate how these brands try to make their mini versions as user friendly as their full sized products. The shade snow is slightly brighter than my skin tone which is good because I like to use my concealer to brighten the undereye as well as my nose bridge.

The coverage of this concealer is really good, as you can tell from the photo above and a little goes a long way for this product. The texture of this concealer is rather creamy and it is very blendable. I like that it is not drying, however it does set into the fine lines so it is necessary to set the concealer with a powder.

And so for the setting powder, I'm going with the Kat Von D Beauty Lock-It Setting Powder.

When I first opened up the box, I had a shock because there was powder everywhere and I thought I got a defected product. Upon a closer look, I realised the inner lid (to stop the powder from leaking) cannot be closed fully due to whatever reasons, hence causing the powder to leak out from the tub. This was a major turn off to me as I cannot imagine myself bringing this out, only to realise I've gotten powder everywhere and what kind of hot mess it will be. The powder is alright in my opinion, just like any other drugstore mattifying powder. So if were to ask me, I would definitely not recommend this Kat Von D Beauty lock it setting powder because I feel that there is nothing special about it and I do not like the packaging, period.

For contouring, I've decided to try the Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Quickie Contour Stick which I've been dying to try for the longest time. Hoola is one of my all time favourite Bronzer so I was really excited when Benefit came out with this contour stick but then again I'm not really a huge fan of cream contour which is why I've yet to try it out until now. And guys, I think I've found my new holy grail cream contour!

Firstly, the shade is exactly like the Hoola Bronzer which is my favourite cool tone brown. I also like that the contour stick can be used on top of powder product as not all cream products work well on top of powder. It is also very easy to apply and blend and is buildable for a deeper and stronger contour. Will I purchase the full size product for this? Hell yeah.

For Blush and highlight, I'm using the Natasha Denona Mini Blush & Glow face palette which includes the iconic Natasha Denona All Over Glow in shade 1 as well as a golden coral blush that is suitable for all skin tones.

The powder of this duo is really finely milled and it is very smooth on the skin. I like that the blush albeit being so glowy, does not emphasise texture at all. If you are into a glowy blush, then this duo is definitely made for you but for me, I prefer a matte finish Blush to a glowy one so the blush in this duo is not really to my liking. The highlight on the other hand is really natural with the right amount of sheen and glow. But if you ask me, I guess I'll not buy this palette just for the highlight.

Moving on to the eyes now, for eyeshadows, I've gotten the Zoeva's Spice Of Life Voyager Eyeshadow Palette. I've always love Zoeva's eyeshadow palettes because they have really good price points plus their eyeshadows are usually very pigmented with minimal fall outs. So I was really excited when I knew that Zoeva came out with mini travel friendly palettes.

I like that this palette has all the usable shades that one need to complete a simple eye look but at the same time, you can also glam it up and do a smoky eye look.
My favourite shade has got to be Balance The Contrast for it is the perfect shimmer warm tone pink shade. The shade Variety is Key is very unique as well because of its purplish grey tone.

Simple eye look done

To tag the waterline, I'm using the Sephora Collection Mini Eye Pencil To Go in Deep Brown.

This has got to be the cheapest item in today's post as this eye pencil is only retailing at $7 and much to my pleasant surprise, this eye pencil is actually really good. It glides smoothly on the waterline and the colour pigmentation is good. On top of that, it does not smudge and is pretty waterproof. The only thing that I don't really like is that I've to sharpen it to get more product but otherwise I think the eye pencil is pretty decent.

For mascara, I'm going to use the Tarte Big Ego mascara and sorry to say but I dislike this mascara.

The wand is too big to my liking because I ended up staining the face and lids while brushing the lashes. The mascara also kinda made my lashes clumpy even though it is quite volumnising. It is however rather smudge proof and it does last a decent amount of time too. If you like your mascara to have a big wand, then this might be the one for you.

Lastly to complete the makeup, I'm finishing it with the Benefit Cosmetics Precisely, My Brow Eyebrow pencil in medium brown. Gosh, this Eyebrow pencil is soooo good and I'm actually hating myself for not discovering it earlier! I love everything from its packaging to the product. The pencil glides so smoothly on the brows and it lasts a whole day. I like how it is so sharp that I can draw my brows precisely, just like how it is named. With this, there can be no bad brow day.

To set the entire makeup, I'm using the Kat Von D Beauty Lock It makeup setting mist.

This is yet another disappointment to me. The spray is very weak and I have to put it close to my face to feel the mist which makes it really concentrated on the face, causing some wet spots. My makeup did last a good ten hours but I did not think that this setting spray was the main reason because the foundation itself is longlasting too.

And that's all I have for this post! I think minis are really good if you just wanna try out some products. I hope more brands will come out with minis too! Let me know if you like this post and follow me if you haven't already and I'll see you in my next post, xoxo.