Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Matte 012 Sky Pink

I recently purchased this lipstick and I really love the colour. I chose this lipstick in particular because it is the summertime and I wanted a really nice light pink. Also, I chose a matte lipstick because I wanted my lip colour to be more subtle compared to my eyes (I like my eyes to be the main focus most of the time). On top of that, the price was very reasonable for a drugstore brand.

PROS: It was a very pretty colour and light feeling. I really dislike it when my lip colour feels heavy and this was definitely not. Also, this was really great in quality for its price. My lip colour was long lasting and did not sink in to my lip lines. This was really great because it tends to happen when I wear creamy lip colours.

CONS: I can’t seem to find anything about this lipstick that I don’t like. I am usually very picky with lip colours and this impressed me quite a bit.

OVERALL: This is one of my favourite lipsticks and I will most likely try out another colour. This is a 5/5 J.

Review: StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles

I have extreme dark circles and puffy eyesL. To be honest, I don’t think ANYTHING can get rid of them. I’ve tried many eye creams such as Clinique’s All About Eyes and an eye gel by Decleor. When I heard about StriVectin I really wanted to try it, but was afraid it wouldn’t work on me and I would waste an entire tube of product. I mean, a very small amount of eye creams last for A LONG time and imagine trying to finish a full tube of this product.

-the ink on the tube is beginning to rub off :S

Luckily, Sephora offered this as a 100-point sample, so I decided to test it out. The sample was only 0.25 oz and I am still using it after a few months! I use it once every day during night time before I go to bed.

PROS: This product does lighten up my dark circles and reduced my puffy eyes. I notice a difference in my eyes the next morning and it last most of my day.  I’ve even received compliments on my eyes!

CONS: My dark eye circles and puffiness tends to return at around night time (approximately a few hours before I sleep). I will then apply the product once again before I go to bed and I will look good as new the next morning. Therefore this product does not “fix” my eyes for the long-term, it works day-by-day consistent with application.

OVERALL: This is the best eye care product I have used so far. The effects are not long-term, but it did lighten up my dark circles and reduce puffiness when it worked. Therefore I give this a 4/5.

Review: Dolly Wink False Eyelashes in No. 1 Dolly Sweet

I love false eyelashes! They can make a huge difference in the way your eyes look depending on the shape and size of the lashes. I wear false eyelashes a lot and because of that I usually get them from drugstore brands. They are more affordable and work just as well for every day.

Even though drugstore lashes are more affordable, I still wanted to try Dolly Wink lashes. What made them so appealing for me to try them was because they were produced or inspired by Tsubasa Masuwaka! Also they are made extra long in comparison to my regular false lashes to help create that dolly-eye look (like what Tsubasa does!). Unfortunately, they cost me approximately 2-3 times as much per pair in comparison to my usual drugstore lashes, but I was willing to try it. The package came with two pairs of Dolly Wink lashes and a small tube of lash glue. The packaging is very cute with a picture of Tsubasa wearing the pair of lashes at the front and a close-up of her eyes on the back. To be honest, I am in love with the packaging of her products. I mean, who doesn’t love the light pink and polka dots?! Also, I chose No. 1 because I thought the large “triangle” shapes at the end of that lash strips really give a cute innocent look to the eyesJ.

PROS: I like how these lashes were made longer than the usual pair of lashes. If I wanted to go for that dolly look, I can wear them the way Tsubasa did. At the same time, if I wanted it to be more simple and wearable, I could trim it to the way I like and adjust it my way. Also, I really love the glue that came with it. The tip of the lash glue made it very easy for precise application on to the lash strip. The lash glue made my lashes stay on all day and was REALLY easy to remove when I took off my lashes at the end of the day. The glue literally just peels off in one strip!

CONS: These lashes are more expensive in comparison to my usual drugstore lashes. Therefore, I only wear them when I feel a little more special in the morning that day J Also, the glue that comes with the lashes are great HOWEVER, they take a little longer to dry. The glue DOES dry clear, but I’m usually stuck with white glue lines a little longer than usual. If I am impatient that morning, I would fill in the glue lines with my eyeliner.

OVERALL: I love these lashes! They are very cute, great quality and comes with a great lash glue (most of the time I end up throwing away the glue that comes with false lashes, but I didn’t have to for this). I give these lashes a 5/5 J.

Review: Candy Doll Cheek Color in Strawberry Pink

I have recently purchased this product because I REALLY LOVED the colour when I saw it! It is a VERY cute and bright Barbie/baby doll/Gyaru pink! On top of that, I have always associated the Candy Doll brand with Gyaru because Tsubasa Masuwaka appears in their ads a lot! I love TsubasaJ, I mean, she’s probably one of the most recognized Gyaru models out there. Gyaru fashion and makeup are actually one of the many influences of my makeup and style because it’s adorable, pretty and extremely fun to do!

PROS: I really love this colour. The way it appears in the packaging is exactly how it turns out on my cheeks. It is one of the few PINK blushes that do not turn out red on my cheeks. In addition, I also love the packaging, it’s very adorable and dolly-like (which I love!).

CONS: As much as I love the colour of this blush, it was slightly difficult to blend in comparison to my other blushes. I’m not sure if it was because of the specific blush I was using, but all my other blushes blended out a lot easier and faster.

OVERALL: This is a really great blush for those who are going for a cute Gyaru/Barbie look. I give this a 4/5 J

Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette

Let me start off by saying “I LOVE THIS PALETTE!” I love this palette as much as I love my Shu Uemura eyelash curler (and that’s A LOTJ). Urban Decay is one of my favourite makeup brands to begin with. I love their eyeshadows because they’re great in quality, pigmentation and texture. I love their eyeshadow primers because they make my eyeshadows long lasting and saturated. In other words, I love Urban Decay! When this palette came out, I was way too happy. It came with 12 neutral eyeshadows, a double-ended 24/7 pencil liner, and a mini eyeshadow primer potion (which I reviewed in another post). I went crazy at the time and went back to Sephora constantly until they had it in stock.

One of the main reasons why I love this palette is because I’ve used EVERY colour before, yes, every colour. They are all wearable and can be used on any skin tone.

Here is a “summary” of all the shades:

-notice how I'm quite close to finishing "Virgin" :(

The first colour is Virgin. It is a VERY pretty satin white colour with a hint of beige. I use this colour the most because it is perfect to use underneath my brow bone, inner corners of my eyes and on top of my cheeks for highlight. This shade is special because it is exclusive to the naked palette. I’ve actually tried to find another full sized Urban Decay shadow to take its place, but failed to find one as good as thisL. The second shade is Sin. It is a pinky nude colour with a hint of shimmer. I like to use this shade all over my lids in the spring time. The third shade is Naked. It’s a very subtle matte nude colour that I like to use when I like to look very natural and clean. The fourth shade is Sidecar. It is a shimmery beige colour with relatively large sparkles that kind of looks like it can fall out, but it’s a pretty colour! The fifth shade is Buck. This is a matte medium brown colour that is also one of my favourites. I like to use this shade to fill in my eyebrows, apply all over my lids and line my lower lash line. The sixth shade is Half Baked. This is a very nice bronze colour for the summer. The seventh shade is Smog. This is also another favourite, it is a medium-dark shimmery brown colour that I used quite often as well, especially in the evening. The eighth shade is Darkhorse, it is pretty much the dark brown version of Smog. I like using this shade when I want to go for a “darker” than usual.  The ninth shade is Toasted. It is like a pinky-bronze colour that I don’t use often, but it is very flattering in the fall. The tenth shade is Hustle. It is a redish brown colour with a hint of shimmer. I love this shade during the winter time because it’s a very nice warm tone for your eyes. The eleventh shade is Creep. It is a very nice black shade with bit a shimmer. Last, but not least, is the twelfth shade Gunmetal. It is a very pretty metallic blue-ish gray. I liked to use this colour to line my lower lash line when I’m feeling a little different at timesJ

-Swatches from left to right in order

PROS: Every one of these shades is wearable. I never felt any of them were out of my comfort zone and these eyeshadows are great in quality and colour. I also love how the palette is magnetic and therefore, it is easy to close and open the case (more smoothJ). In addition, the eyeshadow potion primer and 24/7 eyeliners that came with the palette were just amazing! They definitely are my favourites.

CONS: It was quite difficult for me to get this product. I mean...I had to return to Sephora countless times and fight with a few girls....but that was all worth it (The fighting part was sarcasm...lol). Also, there were a few shades that were exclusive to this palette in particular and most of them are the ones I use often. Therefore, those colours will most likely finish very soon. Unfortunately, I am not willing to purchase another Naked palette JUST for the few particular shades.

OVERALL: This is a must have. Period. This is definitely a 5/5!

Review: Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam

I’ve used this cleanser for a few times and I feel like it is enough to do a proper review on it. I actually received this product as a sample (I forgot how and where lol!) and hoped it would be able to leave my skin soft and glowing as the name of the products sounds so nice! I’ve never tried any Shiseido products before and so I did not have any thoughts on the brand. I know that my mom has purchased a lot of their products and really loves it, which was why I decided to try this as well.

PROS: I really loved the creamy and smooth texture of the product. It made it very easy to lather on to my skin. The product itself felt like it had moisturizing properties (similar to a Dove commercial description!) and felt really nice and smooth.

CONS: After rinsing the product off my face, it gave me a completely different feeling. It felt as though I used hand soap and had the “somewhat rough and tight” feeling to my skin.  I was hoping for a soft feeling after the nice texture of the product, but was slightly disappointed.

OVERALL: This product feels nice while lathering on to my skin, but my skin results were quite different from what I had expected. I give this a 3/5.

Review: DHC Oil Sheets

I carry oil sheets in the bag all the time. To me, they are a MUST HAVE. Why? Because I do have a combination skin type with an EXTREMELY oily T-zone area and normal-to-dry cheek areas. If I were to apply makeup early in the morning, by the afternoon I would need to pop out a sheet because BOY-DO-I-LOOK-SHINYL. Not only do I think it is important to remove oil because it is unattractive, but it also messes up your makeup and contributes to bad skin. Keep in mind that oil, bacteria and dead skin all contributes to acne, so if one can remove excess oil, it would definitely help. However, it is my preference to limit myself to 1-2 oil sheets a day because over blotting will irritate your skin and potentially cause redness.

I’ve tried quite a few types of oil sheets. My mom brought me back these DHC ones when she went on a trip to Hong Kong. I really liked how it came in a very nice package with 200 oil sheets! I was very excited to try them outJ.

PROS: I really love how it came with a plastic “case-like” package. It was very different from the usual paper cases. It made it more “heavy-duty” compared to many other brands and I also love how each of the oil sheets were about the size of my hand! They were HUGE!

-they're the size of my hands!!!

CONS: I am actually not a fan of oil sheets that are made of “tissue-paper”-like materials. I don’t find the oil blotting abilities to be as strong as the ones made of plastic-like materials.

OVERALL: I really love the packaging of these sheets. It makes the product that much better to use! However, I am not a fan of the material of these sheets and so I don’t use these too often. They are better for people who aren’t oily as frequently as I am.  I rate these oil sheets a 3.5/5!

Review: Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil

I have received this cleansing oil as well as other Boscia sample products from Sephora when I reached 500 points on my Beauty Insider card J I was very excited about trying the cleansing oil especially because I have never tried one before and it sounds more gentle in comparison to regular cleansers. However, I was worried about it breaking me out because the texture of the product felt very oil-based and heavy for a cleanser.

PROS: I really like how gentle it was and how it didn’t sting my eyes. It was even able to remove makeup in between my lashes and along my lash line. I also like how I didn’t need a lot of product for my entire face. I’ve also read on the Sephora site that this product is made from a lot of natural ingredients and few to no harsh ingredients such as fragrances and dyes. This is great for those who, like me, have sensitive skin.

CONS: Because it was a ‘sample’ bottle, I ALWAYS squeeze out way too much product on to my hand and waste most of it. Also, I personally don’t like any oily feeling products even though this product didn’t actually break me out or did anything bad, it’s just the texture that didn’t make me feel too comfortable.

OVERALL: This is a really great product. I like what it does to my skin and how it feels very fresh afterwards. I give this a 4.5/5 J

Review: Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer

I remember purchasing this concealer when I was desperate for one. Unfortunately, I had just run out of my Bobbi Brown concealer and went to Sephora the next day to find one to take its place temporarily. To my surprise, I like this concealer a lot! I won’t say it is better than my Bobbi Brown concealer, but there are definitely things that I like in comparison to my other concealer.

-I used shade #3

PROS: I really like how this is a waterproof formula. I love waterproof makeup because you never know when you will experience rain, snow, tears etc. I also like how it is long lasting, light and I think this is the perfect concealer for dark eye circles. 

CONS: Although I love using this concealer for my dark eye circles, this concealer may not be the best for concealing acne. I’ve noticed that when I tried concealing bumpy areas of my skin, the product tends to “slide off” those areas no matter how much powder I use to set it.

OVERALL: This is a great concealer for dark eye circles. It is also perfect for those who tend to tear up easily and are worried about their concealer smudging or rubbing off. I give this a 4/5 J