Compiled Update

Hey guys, sorry bout the lack of updates, just alot has been  going on for me mentally and emotionally. With me being unemployed and free at the moment, I took it as a much needed break/ holiday for the first week or so, but after that, doubts started plaguing me and my self worth and esteem has kinda plummeted especially when some negative things were said to me by my ex-boss. 

I've been trying to keep myself busy to stave off the negative thoughts so I've been catching up with friends and stuff. Here's a lightning post on what's been happening in my life lately:

Attended Mini's 21st birthday party. Here she is cosplaying as her favourite character Kotetsu (from the anime, Tiger & Bunny) and posing with her cake made in his comic likeness. I attended dressed as Crista Lenz/ Historia Reiss from the series Shingeki no Kyojin/ Attack on Titan but didn't really take a pic.

Also attended Skippy's birthday and had a blast drinking beer, getting stupid and playing truth or dare while almost everyone was half wasted. The silly antics we did were really fun.

Shirt: Emoda

Skirt: Bought in KL

Thigh high socks: Cosmode

Choker: Taobao

Went to the premiere of The Wind Rises and a few of us in the group decided to dress up as Studio Ghibli characters. I did another wardrobe/ ghetto cosplay of Kiki with a blue dress I dug out from my wardrobe this time.

Dress from Nichii

The movie was really nice, and really evoked alot of emotions. Definitely a fitting end to Hayao Miyazaki's amazing career.

Watched an Indie film with my mom called, Size Does Matters. It's quite a cute show.

Dress: Jouetie

Jewelled hairband: Osewaya

Stockings: Taobao

Accompanied Steph when she got another tattoo, this time of her other cat on the other thigh. Felt like dressing up abit that day though I did mostly window shopping on my own.

Dress: Topshop

Inner blue shirt with white polka dots: Uniqlo

Belt: Taobao

Beret: Accessorize

Round framed spectacles: Taobao

Badge: Katie

The final product! Now she has both her beloved cats' portraits on her.

A friend of mine wanted to explore cafes, so we went to a pie specialty cafe called, Windowsill in the Woods. It's really popular among the local hipster crowd but their pies are definitely worth it. Threw a jumble of clothes on and somehow they fitted together hahah.

Inner striped Turtleneck: Uniqlo

Shirt: Candy Stripper

Mullet skirt: Bought in KL

Red bowler hat: Can't remember

Round framed spectacles: Taobao

Shoes: The Salvation Army

Since I have time on my hands now, I decided to start on a healthier diet. So I've been whipping up alot of home-cooked meals whenever I can. I cook mostly salmon, white fish and chicken with lots of vegetables and very little carbohydrates.

So far, my stomach has become less bloated and I definitely feel more energised and my skin has become alot clearer now. Hopefully I can continue whipping up healthier meals when I get a new job.

I also took the opportunity to clear out and streamline my wardrobe, so my wardrobe is less cluttered now. I'm getting round to cleaning my room and updating it as I've had the same posters stuck on my room walls since I was a teenager. Man I feel so old knowing I'm in my twenties now and I still have posters on old anime stuck on my walls. I've been looking at Tumblr for inspiration but since I can't exactly change the layout of my room and my furniture, I'm left with just sprucing up my walls and neatening everything out. let's see how I can make the best of it.

Roses, Filigree & Personal Outfit

Accompanied Steph today as she got a new tattoo to fill in a space on her arm, she got roses and some filigree done which looked amazing!! The tattoo artist, Joseph, was also really fun to chat with throughout the entire process.

                                      

Drafting out the design on her arm

Starting on the outlines and apparently, its the most painful part of the process, Steph's face at times, was contorted in pain.

Taking a quick break after Steph was yelling "Chill! Yo, Chill!" to Joseph rofl!!

Starting on the shading in process, think Steph's arm was numb by then because she told me it wasn't hurting anymore.

Nearly done, looks amazing!

Shading in the filigree and rose at the back of the arm, Steph told me this part hurt quite alot

The end result!! Three beautiful roses with filgree all around it 

It also wrapped around her other wolf tattoo, framing it very nicely. Joseph is seriously talented and he completed the entire tattoo within a couple of hours!!

When Steph was midway doing her tattoo, this guy came in asking for a tattoo of this anime character called Ichigo from the series Bleach, you can see how it looks like here. Despite being a huge anime fan, I'm still not entirely convinced bout having an anime tattoo. I've seen plenty of beautiful tattoos mostly from Sailormoon and Howl's Moving Castle but I dunno, it just seems bit superficial for something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. But it's its body so whatever floats his boat I guess.

On a side note, I took the opportunity to dress up abit for the day, and wound up with this somewhat Lolita style outfit, though it wasn't intentional.

Pussy bow blouse: Osmose

Tulle skirt: Forever 21

Heart print stockings: Topshop

Mary-jane wedges: Rubi

Hair ribbon barette: Salvation army

Charm bracelet (not seen): Dior

I tried to do Zipper style makeup with the intensified blush just below my eyes but I guess it's either I didn't put enough blush or my Iphone camera washed it out or a combination of both. I also used super simple Dollywink otona lashes just to add some volume to my lashes though the camera can't really pick it up.

I may eventually stop wearing iris-enlarging lenses for my daily and fashion wear since I will no longer be using such heavy lashes though of course I will still use them for cosplay purposes. It just looks odd to wear 14.5-16mm lenses when I'm not wearing heavier lashes to balance it out and I find the resulting look plain scary. I'll probably move onto lenses that are 14-14.2mm or maybe 14.5mm but without the black limbal ring so as to appear more natural. Though of course, I'll miss the enlarging effect.  

Camwhore with Steph after her bf, P, came down to meet us for dinner and we later chilled at a nearby Starbucks for abit.

Skincare Review: My Melody Oil Free Moisturizing 3D Fitting Mask

*Sponsored Post

Secretive Pte Ltd was kind enough to sponsor some facial masks for me once again and I'm pretty glad too! their masks are always lovely and fit so well on my face.

The mask that they chose to send this time made me squeal in excitement because of how cute it was. I mean just look at it:

Ultra cute My Melody packaging!

The mask this time is an Oil Free 3D Fitting mask, its main objective is to deeply hydrate your skin while reducing the amount of oil produced. Perfect for me and my ever so oily skin!

The key ingredients in the mask are France Bretagne's Gulf Stream sea water, Antarticine, Marine Collagen, Bulgarian Rose Nectar and Hyaluronic Acid. All the ingredients also help to whiten one's skin though I'm actually already happy with my skin tone haha.

 Blogger being a bitch again and refusing to turn my picture. But that's not the point, the main thing is notice the My Melody character showing you how to apply the face mask. I mean how much cuter can it get? 

After ripping open the pack, I gently pulled out the mask but whilst fumbling around with it, I accidentally tore the fragile mask. It wasn't a deep tear so it didn't affect the integrity of the mask, but it did show just how soft the material of the mask was. 

The mask on my face. Super unglam shot of me but who cares?

The part that surprised me the most were the eye flaps, it's the first I've ever seen on any mask I've ever used before. Useful, since most maks do not work on the eye area and it's bit troublesome to apply an eye cream/serum after you're so relaxed from enjoying the mask. It also had a chin flap that fitted nicely around my chin area. It's nice to know that such areas of the face have also been factored into the design of the mask.

However, I chose to not use the eye flaps since I was watching an episode of Psycho Pass (HOMG!! Everyone should watch this anime! It's too awesome for words), so perhaps that's why my eyes felt abit tight and dry throughout the next day. My skin felt alittle tight too, it wasn't uncomfortable but it was noticeable though it got better once I applied my day moisturizer.

The ultimate test if the mask worked was at the end of the day after a day out in full makeup. I noticed that my makeup hadn't slid off as much as usual which probably meant that the amount of oil produced was definitely reduced. I did get abit shiny but that's pretty normal.

Overall, the mask is great and definitely my favourite product sent thus far. I'll definitely purchase it on my own next time.

Sponsored Review: SexyLook Rejuvenating Duo Lifting Facial Mask

I've been down with a bad stomach flu for the past week or so and today is the only day where my illness seems to be getting better. I've lost about 2-3kg in water weight alone from all the vomiting and stuff as well as the lack of appetite, so I'm feeling pretty weak and lousy.

However, life goes on and I finally got round to reviewing this super late review of this fabulous mask I received. 

Introducing the SexyLook Rejuvenating Duo Lifting Facial Mask

Back of the packet. Ingredients include Bird's Nest and Gold Caviar to delay the aging process of your skin and repair damaged skin cells.

Inside the packet is an ultra thin facial sheet soaked in facial essence 

First apply the mask onto your face. Here's a very unglam pic of it slapped onto mine.

Make sure to use the innovative 3D ear hook design to securely hook the mask onto your face!

There's also a chin/neck patch underneath that you also need to secure with the ear hook!

First thing about this mask that I noticed was how tightly stretched it was!! The moment I hooked the masks onto my ears, I could feel it literally stretching my facial muscles back. It wasn't painful just alittle uncomfortable but still bearable throughout the 20 minutes that I left it onto my face.

The moment I removed the mask, I could feel my face was tighter and areas like my jawline was definitely sharper and more contoured. I figured it was simply a mixture of the tightness of the mask and the serum in it and the effects would be gone the moment the serum had all been absorbed. 

However, the very next day, the tightness was still evident in my face! I could see the difference all day long! My pores were also tightened and my face had a soft dewy glow all day, I was in love with everything this mask had done for my skin.

 My plan for this mask is to probabaly use it before my cosplay events or photoshoots, since most anime girls have defined chin and facial contours. However, it is good for anyone who just wants a more defined facial line anytime. This mask definitely has my stamp of approval!

To get this mask head to their website to order or you can check out their Facebook page too at Secretive FB, SexyLook FB & LoveMore FB

Sponsored Review: LOVEMORE Pearl Barley & Milk Smoothing Face Mask

*Sponsored Review

I haven't been using face masks for the longest time as some masks can be rather thick and cumbersome to use, some even threaten to fall off your face if you aren't lying completely flat! Personally, I like to watch an episode of anime on my laptop as the mask does its work, so I need a mask that feels like it isn't there and fits my face well.

So when Secretive.sg offered me a set of masks which claimed to "fit like a glove for your skin to drink up all the essence!" I wanted to put that claim to the test.

After some discussion, this box arrived at my door step a week later

Excitedly, I ripped the package open and what greeted me, was this cheerful pink box with snowflake prints dotting it.  

Secretive.sg had generously given me so many masks!!! I was spoilt for choice! Review of the Sexy Look Rejuvenating Duo Lifting Mask will be up soon! Amongst the many choices, I chose to review the mask that targetted my main concern, oily skin!

For my combination-oily skin, the Pearl Barley & Milk Smoothing Mask was the solution!

A look at the description and ingredients list, but for those who are lazy to click, here's the breakdown:

Main ingredients: Barley Extract, Milk, Silk protein and horse chestnut extract.

Barley is a great remedy for the skin and in chinese medicinal belief, it helps to "cool down" the body which is really important considering the scorching weather we've been having lately. Barley contains a great deal of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins B1 & B2 and amino acids.  

Ripped the pack open, the fine silk mask was sandwiched between 2 layers of plastic to retain its shape and prevent the delicate mask from tearing

 Instructions are, after pulling the delicate mask out, you peel off the hard white plastic and apply the mask, cloth side on to your face and arrange it carefully to ensure everything is in place

When you're sure everything is in place, carefully peel off the thinner blue plastic and you're left with the ultra thin and fine silk mask on your face. It fitted every nook and cranny of my face, ensuring the nutrient rich mask was letting my face absorb its goodness.

I left the mask on for the length of one anime episode (about 25 minutes long) and despite the package saying to only put the mask on for 15-20 minutes, my face still felt deeply moisturised and there was alot of the precious essence left on the mask and in the pack for me to pat onto my neck. I was also sitting straight up the entire time and not once did I have to adjust the mask to prevent it from slipping off, I actually forgot I had it on! The mask really fitted my face like a glove, it was comfortable and felt so soft!

The real test was checking out the results for the entire day. I didn't apply anything on my face for the entire day as I ran around doing errands, but I did notice that my pores seemed to have shrunk, my face still felt plump and hydrated even in the midday sun, my face also seemed to be less puffy then before as my jaw line seemed more defined that day. However, most importantly, the oil on my face was significantly cut down! I didn't get the horrible oily sheen that usually occurs by mid day and it continued well into the evening. My skin definitely felt great and the mask lived up to its promise of making my skin "glow in radiance and feels firmer and smoother" as well as giving me its promise of having "baby soft skin".

I will definitely reccomend this mask to anyone who has to deal with oily skin, it hydrates your skin while dealing with the oil issue incredibly well!

To get your hands on this fabulous mask, head to their website www.secretive.sg!

Do take a look at their facebook page too Secretive FB Sexylook FB LoveMore FB

Girl's Day In

After a really stressful and tiring week, my dear friend Jo suggested a girl's day to relieve the stress and get my mind off everything. We painted our nails, gossiped and bitched, watched Bridget Jones's Diary, did facial stuffs and in the evening, popped over to Ikea for their awesome meatballs and to get ideas for Jo's potential new home back in Indonesia. 

 Daiso's Blackhead removing mask (review coming soon!) after we painted our nails

 Facial masks after peeling off the other mask, I joked that we looked like masked murderers

 Our dinner, I'm so glad we decided to share our meal because I was feeling incredibly greedy that evening.

It was a day that my heart and mind truly needed. It's helped me with my stress levels as I come to terms with my grief, though I realise I'm not totally sane still as I randomly bought this heavy key chain thingy for my phone at a sale: 

It is actually pretty cute and it connects to my iphone by simply plugging it into the earphone jack, but it's insanely heavy thus causing my phone to hang heavily on the end it's attached to. Not to mention, it cost me freaking $28!!! Why I bought it I'll never know, I was looking at some much smaller and cheaper dangling stuffs, decided to get one, then saw fancier designs on those dinky revolving stands, spun it around, chanced upon this and just in a split second, decided to buy this instead. I know I've lost a few of my marbles after this happened as it's totally not my usual shopping style plus I'm actually quite broke at the moment, so for me to spend that amount of money on something so stupid clearly shows my stress levels.

Okay, I've digressed from the original topic so I'll stop now. My head's still abit far off but I'll be back with more posts soon!

Skincare Review: Sana Hadanomy Collagen Mist & Skin Food Carrot Collagen Eye Sheet

I've realised that I've been incredibly slow on my product reviews, so here's 2 quick reviews of products that I've come to love. Unfortunately, there's no before or after pictures of me using the products so you just gotta take my word for how fabulous they really are.

First product is Sana's Hadanomy Collagen Mist:

It seems that the product is pretty well-known as I've seen it being mentioned a few times in other blogs. This is the mini, limited edition bottle which I bought for SGD$10, though it seems to be sold out by now. The original size costs bout SGD$20 if I remember correctly.

Product claims to contain collagen in a fast-absorbing mist, with 3 other moisturizing ingredients combined, hyaluronic acid, acerola extract and honey. Also claims to be free of colorants and mineral oil. According to the instructions, the product can be used at anytime when your skin feels dry with examples such as after a bath or washing one's face or even over makeup for a "excellent natural, radiant setting".

I tried the spray only once over my makeup, which unfortunately caused my Majolica Majorca foundation to slide right off after a couple hours, however, my new foundation does leave my cheeks with some dry patches, so maybe this spray might be the trick to blend it in. However, I mostly use it at night after applying my L'oreal pre-essence and before my other moisturizers. In my experience, the spray does help in moisturizing my face and with its lovely floral scent it's a cool, refreshing relief just before bed.

Texture: Light with a mild, floral fragrance

Recomended skin type: No indication so I assume it should be fine for most skin types

Absorption rate: Incredibly fast, I spray 2-3 pumps on my face and it gets absorbed near-instantaneously

Amount needed: Bout 2-3 pumps will do, I've used it since late last year on a near daily basis and the bottle is only 1/4 finished

Price: SGD$10 for this mini edition (if I recall correctly), the larger bottle has twice the amount for bout SGD$20

Popularity: I've seen it being mentioned in a few blogs and in Japanese magazines. It's also the most popular product out of the entire Sana Hadanomy Collagen range

Options: There's an entire skin care range dedicated to it so if your skin's on the dry side, perhaps the range might be just what you need

Plus points: Free from colourants and mineral oil, and since only 2-3 pumps is needed per application, the original-sized bottle will last for a long time. It also makes for a refreshing skin refresher in the day since the product claims to be small enough to penetrate the skin under makeup.

The other product I'm reviewing is Skin Food's Carrot Collagen eye sheet:

My friend bought it for me during her holiday in Korea, but it's priced at SGD$5 at our local Skin Food outlets. The product claims to contain carrot extract for Vitamin A, marine collagen and royal jelly, all of which help to moisturize and tighten the eye area. The patches are to be placed under the eye area for 30-45 mintues, I watched one anime episode just to keep track of time.

I hardly ever use eye masks, however, with countless nights staying up late for various reasons, my eyes have taken a serious beating. I now have incredibly bad dark eye circles and puffy eyebags, and must depend on the power of a concealer to camouflage the damage inflicted on my poor eyes. So I figured why not finally put this mask to use, since it couldn't get any worse, and I was so glad I did! My eyebags disappeared and my dark circles reduced just after a single application, the effect lasted for about a week with no change to my sleeping pattern.

Texture: gel-like

Recomended skin type: Dry and sensitive

Absorption rate: Instructions were to leave the patches on for 30-45 minutes, I left them on for about 40 minutes and most of the gel had been absorbed by then

Price: SGD$5 a pair in local stores, however, I'm sure it can be bought for far less online or in Korea itself.

Just note that, the sheet isn't very soft and pliable, so it sat on a weird area on my right lower eye area, causing mild irritation with the sheet rubbing my lower lid. However, the mild suffering caused by the sheet was well worth the resulting effects.

I hope the reviews were useful! I'm sorry that I haven't been posting more interesting stuffs lately, but once my last test for the semester is done this week, I can finally start having a fun social life once again instead of being cooped up with my books and notes. I've got so many things to write about soon, so just stick with me and I'll get to them soon!

Till next time!

Advertorial: L'oreal Paris Youth Code Pre-Essence

I had a fabulous time at Cosfest last weekend, however, I'm still trying to sift out the pictures that were taken there as well as arranging new shoots and new cosplay plans with my friends. So in the meantime, I'll do this little review:

Today's review is the L'oreal Paris Youth Code Pre-Essence

Nuffnang was kind enough to send me some little samples of this amazing product

So I got these cute little 5ml tubes of the product. I was abit apprehensive at how long these little tubes would last but it really surprised me, I've used them every night for bout 2-3 weeks nows and I've yet to even finish one tube!

A single drop is all that is required for an entire face (okay bad picture, the pre-essence is so liquidy that it started to run once I applied it to the back of my hand)

The Pre-Essence claims this:

In 1 drop: More Radiant

In 1 week: More Refined

In 1 month: Rejuvenated Skin

It's also supposed to be the result of Pro-Gen Technology which helps to recover genes by working on a cellular level. But enough of all these bombastic sounding science-y stuff, what truly matters is whether it actually works right?

In my experience, this little tube of Pre-Essence has become a real holy grail item in my skincare regime. My old skincare regime consisting of solely my Sana moisturizer on my face was starting to lose its effectiveness and my old problem of having massive breakouts on my face during my PMS period had returned.

However, upon using this product, my skin instantly started to clear up! Even the clogged pores that had refused to surface slowly went away and now I have smooth, clear and radiant skin once again. It also passed my PMS breakout test this month so I can safely say it's pretty effective.

The product is a mostly clear liquid that isn't thick and it gets absorbed into the skin almost instantaneously. All I have to do is rub it between my palms and tap it onto my face and it'll be absorbed immediately. The smell is also a pleasant slightly floral scent but it is barely noticeable so I doubt people who are sensitive to smells will be affected by it.

At only $29.90 a bottle, its getting a permanent spot in my skincare regime. It's an amazing product and with only a single drop needed during each application, I'm sure a full-sized bottle of the product will last a few months which is total value for money! I've also read a few reviews comparing this product to Lancome's Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate, so of course price-wise this L'oreal's Pre-Essence definitely wins hands down.

In summary:

Texture: Slightly viscous but mostly runny

Absorption: Near instantaneous absorption

Effectiveness: Highly effective in making my existing products work harder (I have less blemishes but use less moisturizer at the same time)

Price: 4.5/5 ($29.90 at Watsons and Guardian outlets, not bad for a product that only requires a single drop per application)

Use: apply the Pre-Essence after cleansing your face and applying toner but before your serum and moisturizer (I don't use toner, so I just apply it straight before my serum and moisturizer)

All in all, it's a major find and is now a holy grail item for me.

*Samples provided by Nuffnang, however, the review was 100% my personal opinion*

Makeup Review: Kanebo Kate Powder Foundation in BR-C

I've been on the hunt for a good powder foundation to use for normal school days ever since my old SK-II foundation ran out. I was actually deciding between this foundation and Majolica Majorca's powder foundation, but this one had a ton of favourable reviews online so naturally I gravitated towards it.

Firstly, I bought it in the shade BR-C, which is a brightening powder and the only one that is contained within a white packaging. The other shades are packaged in black and seem a tad darker in shades. The compact. It's made of super reflective plastic that is a total dust and fingerprint magnet! Within a few uses, it was covered in scratches and smudged fingerprints and such, so if you're picky about appearances, then its better if you find an alternate compact.

I've already used quite abit of it, so pardon the dirty sponge. I'd forgotten to take a pic when it was still nice and clean. The powder is very fine, and the coverage ranges from fine to medium and covers minor blemishes. It also contains SPF20

After full makeup, the effect without flash is a luminous, light finish that I love. I can also fake perfect skin with it haha!

With flash, you can see that it has a slight sheen to it and is generally quite smooth in application with no patchiness. BUT!!! This effect came about only after I had changed my makeup base to Majolica Majorca's Skin Lingerie Pore cover which I had reviewed before.

Me after a long day in school and then going out to sing karaoke with some friends, so pardon the tired look. I also used a peach instead of pink blush for a more au naturel look.

The foundation on the whole is a decent product however, it has caused me to change my makeup quite abit. Firstly, I was using Kate's Mineral base (which I keep forgetting to review about) and being from the same brand, I naturally assumed it would work together just fine. I was so wrong!! This foundation doesn't work to give a matte finish and if you apply a mattifying base, it'll just go all patchy and wrong and look horrendous. So I had to switch to a base with less oil control in order for it to work fine. The good thing is that if you prefer the luminous, dewy look., this foundation is just what you need.

However, a few warnings to take note! When I applied this foundation, I was really shocked at how pale and white I looked and it wasn't fair, it was literally white! But after applying my other makeup such as mascara and blush, the shade looked just fine. I'm also glad I got it a shade lighter because the foundation does have a tendency to oxidise since it doesn't control oil very well, so do get a shade lighter then your usual if you have oily skin. It also doesn't work as well with my favourite Candydoll loose powder, but with Kate's own loose powder, it works just fine and keeps the powder in place and minimizes smudging. I also have problem contouring my nose now because I use a waxy concealer and a brown eyeliner to darken the sides of my nose, but whenever I use that method now, the powder slides and creates terrible smudges that are super difficult to fix, so I have to use my bronzer instead.

So in summary:

Coverage: 7/10 (average coverage, but it does leave a sheer, luminous finish. So its good for faking perfect skin)

Texture: 9/10 (super finely milled powder, that go on smoothly and need minimal blending)

Oil control: 3/10 (Do not depend on it for oil control! Use blotters and bring along some loose powder to touch up instead)

Price: 6/10 (More pricey compared to average drugstore products. I remember the foundation costing $38 and that's not including the compact case, which I can't remember the price)

I'm getting used to using the foundation now, though it was initially incredibly frustrating to figure out how to make the best of it. I had to change quite abit of my makeup products and routine to accomodate it. So do remember, when done right, the effect is amazing but if not applied with the right products, it can go horribly wrong.

I'm still on the fence if I should continue using the product or try out my other option which is the Majolica Majorca powder foundation. I'll probably continue using it out of habit more then anything else, but I'll see how when this initial pact finishes.