Happiness is... June & July Edition! :D

... hauling home goodies! :D :D

I think the shopping bug has bitten me, and I did quite abit of shopping for the past month! :P Some of them are to replenish my stash, some of them necessary, and some of them totally impulsive! lol! :D

I ran out of my beloved MAC Lightful Deep Ultramoisture Creme awhile ago, so i went moisturizer shopping! :D Laneige has always been a brand that slipped under my radar, but a colleague's raves + the good service we experienced at the counter made me leave the counter with these:



Their Hydra Solution Cream. I have been meaning to try out their Waterbank sleeping mask for awhile now, so i picked that up as well! The nice SA gave me a bunch of samples too! :D Annnnnd, aren't the cupcake towels too adorable for words! Hehehe!! :D

I then head on over the MAC store, and left with these from the Surf, Baby! collection! :D



Just last week, I hauled home more MAC from the Semi Precious collection:




My birthday present from Lancome:


The Miracle body lotion! :D


If you're on my Facebook page you would have seen these pretty pyjamas that i got from the La Senza sale:



They double up as tops that I can actually wear out too! Whoots for 2-in-1 clothing! :D

Got myself some super cheap coverups for my upcoming beach holiday:



And some clothes, accessories and shoes (all on sale! Whoots! :D):















And this is totally impulsive and something that will probably never see the light of day, but aren't these Russian Doll earrings absolutely adorable?? :D :D




Went to Watsons to get some essentials:


My Holy Grail Rosken Skin Repair Dry Skin Cream.

I ran out of my Loreal Absolut Repair hair masque, so i got myself this to try:


The Tsubaki Damage Care Repairing mask.

The nice SA gave me 2 samples to try out:



Open sesame:



How i wish somebody gave me these before i started using the Shining Conditioner! :(


On the bright side, a friend help me lug these back from BKK! :D


Boots Caribbean Cocktail Aruba Dream Body Wash and my beloved Clairol Herbal Essences Weighty and Strong shampoo! x2! <3 <3


I pick these up during the Nature Republic sale:


Buy 1 Free 1! :D


And yay for Maybelline sale! :D


Pulse Perfection vibrating mascara, The Magnum Volum' Express waterproof mascara, the makeup remover and a free garnier keychain! :D


Probably the biggest bleeders for my wallet this month are my dive purchases! :D I got them at the Dive Expo in PWTC earlier this month, and saved quite abit off their retail prices! :D



I know the red flippers look odd against the rest, but I didn't come across any pink ones until i bought these -___- Oh well, there's always next year's Dive Expo! :P :P

Plus I got myself a brand new swimsuit...



... and matching pink slippers! lol!! :D




I'm all ready for my next dive trip now! Now time, please fast forward to next week already!! :D

Have you done any shopping lately? Spill! :D Have a great weekend ya! :D

Product Review: The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Gel

At a Glance:
Price: RM29.90 / US$9
Weight: 2.5ml / 0.08 US Fl. Oz.
Made in: UK
Likes: Slim packaging - convenient to tote around
Gripes: Did nothing for my zits, the doe-foot applicator is not very hygienic, pricey
Repurchase: No

Ingredients:



Product Description:

Best if you want to: Fight blemishes without over-drying skin with a convenient portable stick.

How it works:
Lemon tea tree and Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya contain properties that help fight blemishes and prevent new ones from forming.
Tamanu oil from Madagascar has a soothing effect and helps to calm irritation and redness.
Community Trade organic honey to soothe the skin.


Texture & Scent:


The pic above doesn't really show the texture of this blemish gel clearly, but it's the best I can capture >.< This product is essentially, gel, but it spreads easily unto my skin and sinks in quickly. Upon application, there is a cooling sensation, probably from the alcohol in it, and because this contains alcohol, I find that it stings my open wounds.

This smells just like how a tea tree product would smell like! lol! :D

Packaging:


This blemish gel comes in a slim wand, much like a lipgloss, and I find that it travels well.  There is a doe-foot applicator attached to the cap, which I find a little unhygienic:




Price & Availability:
This blemish gel is priced at RM29.90 / US$9.00, which i find quite overpriced for the minuscule amount you get. This product is available at all The Body Shop outlets, as well as from their website :)


My $0.02:

I was plagued with a horrendous bout of acne and bacne about 3 months ago when I was super stressed with my studies. Out of my desperation, I marched to the nearest The Body Shop outlet and left with this and the shower gel after hearing a colleague rave about how the shower gel cured her bacne!

After a few hours, when all the excitement had died down, I suddenly remembered that their much raved about Tea Tree Oil did not work for me :( My heart sank then (lol so dramatic! :P), but i figured since they have changed their packaging several times since the last time i used it, this might just work for me! :)

So did it? Unfortunately, history repeated itself - it did zilch for the zits both on my forehead and back :( And with the minuscule amount in each tube, I ran out within 1.5 weeks, making this a mistake that is a little expensive to make! >.<

While i think that a doe-foot applicator is not the most hygienic applicator there is out there, I'll have to say that I am loving the slim tube. Perhaps i might just save the tube and fill it with 100% tea tree oil from another brand for my travels! :D

To sum it all up, this product didn't work for me, so needless to say I'll not be repurchasing.

Product Review: Nature Republic Color Deco Nail Polish in BL505

At a Glance:
Price: RM5.90
Weight: 10ml / 0.34 Fl. Oz.
Made in: USA
Likes: Beautiful pigmented glossy color, long lasting, dries quickly, cheap.
Gripes: Takes a long time to dry!
Repurchase: Yes! :D


Ingredients:
NA


Product Description
NA



Pigmentation & Color:
This is a beautiful sky blue color with a greenish sheen (which is super super gorgeous)! :D This one needs at least 2 coats for an opaque finish.

This is me wearing two coats:



Texture & Scent:
This nail polish is slightly thicker than the usual polishes, hence it takes awhile before it dries completely.

This one smells just like nail polish!! :)

Packaging:


This nail polish comes in a cute round glass bottle with a super long cap. The applicator brush is thicker than most other polishes, which makes application super smooth and easy:



Time Test:
This polish lasted more than a week on my toes! :)

Price & Availability:
This nail polish costs RM5.90, and is available at all Nature Republic stores.


My $0.02:

This is my colleague's! We're in a nail polish swapping phase now, since we almost never ever finish up a single bottle! lol!! :D

This color is absolutely beautiful! It's a bright sky blue with a gorgeous green sheen to it to keep it from looking flat. Although it takes quite awhile before it dries completely, the slightly thick texture applies smoothly and streak free on your nails! And at RM5.90 each, you won't feel guilty at all buying this! :)

The only thing i didn't like about this one is the long drying time. But since the color is sooo beautiful, i'm willing to overlook that! :D I'll definitely buy a bottle for myself! :D

MAC Fashionflower Collections Review & Swatches + the Magically Cool Liquid Powder! :D

The collection has finallllllly landed here in Penang, almost 3 months after it's launched! Phew! >.<

This collection reminds me of a less vibrant Give Me Liberty of London collection. The stars of the collection are definitely the lipsticks! :D As you can see in the picture above, we did not get the beauty powders, so I apologize in advance for not having swatches for them! T_T

Ok enough intro for now, lets dive straight into the swatches! :D


Eyeshadows (US$14.50 / RM58):



Sadly, the Mattes in this collection are somewhat chalky and not so pigmented! >.< I guess they probably apply better than finger swatches, but I personally think that there are better options out there! My favourite of the lot is Lucky Green, which is absolutely beautiful in terms of color and texture! :D

Fresh Daisy (Frost) - Frosty white yellow
Aqua (Matte) - Aqua blue. This is a permanent PRO color, and last seen in the Dare to Wear collection.
Lucky Green (Veluxe Pearl) - Frosted midtone lime. This is a permanent PRO color, last repromoted in the Digi Pops collection.
Bows & Curtseys (Satin) - Metallic hunter green. This is repromoted to being a pot in itself from the 6 Twists of Tartan palette last Christmas. This is the EXACT shade of green on me as the Dark Indulgence Mineralize Eye Shadow from the Semi Precious collection, albeit with a less smoother texture.
Groundcover (Matte) - Midtone warm grey
Free To Be (Matte) - Bright true coral. This is part of the permanent line, and last repromoted from last year's Give Me Liberty of London and Dare to Wear collections.


Lipsticks (US$14.50 / RM68):



All 4 lipsticks are really lovely! Summer Shower probably doesn't do much on its own, but it looks AMAZING layered over another lipstick! :D The other 3 colors are so just so pretty and creamy! :D

Summer Shower (Glaze) - Light aqua
Mlle (Glaze) - Light white pink
Growing Trend (Amplified) - Midtone taupe nude
Ever Hip (Cremesheen) - Bright creamy coral. This is a repromote from last year's Give Me Liberty of London collection.


Lipgelees (US$14.50 / RM65):



These glitterbombs-of-a-lipgloss are as usual, super glittery. I find Now In Season quite intriguing in terms of color - it leans a little green when applied, but it is predominantly yellow! :D

Now In Season - Pale yellow
Fashionflower - Pale pink
Budding Beauty - Pale coral


Thats all for this collection. Now lets take a quick look at the Magically Cool Liquid Powders (previously featured in the Venomous Villains collection) , now part of the permanent line! :D



I find that these are abit too shimmery to be an all over powder. They do, make lovely highlighters though. These require a certain technique to apply - according to my MA one must pat them on with a brush before buffing them in. If you attempt to buff them in right at the beginning, they will ball up like my swatches below! >.<

I must mention that these have amazing staying power too - I swatched them in the afternoon, and they're still there on my arm about 7 hours later! Amazing stuff! :O

Magically Cool Liquid Powder (US$22.50 / RM120):



Truth & Light - Sheer shimmer that reflects silver and pink
Honey Rose - Sheer rosy beige with multi-dimensional shimmer
Cajun - Sheer bronze shimmer that reflects gold


That's all for now! Didcha get anything from these two collections? :D

MAC Semi Precious Collection Review + Swatches! :D

This is the annual Mineralize collection MAC puts out once a year which usually comprise of baked mineral eyeshadows, blushes and the multipurpose Mineralize Skinfinishes (see previous collections here and here). I'm not really a fan of their mineralize range but I'll have to say that I'm beginning to be a convert!

Their eyeshadows and skinfinishes have definitely came a looooong way from their early gritty, glitterbomb ancestors. The eyeshadows, especially, in this collection - although there were several shades that contain large glitter particles, all shades have a beautiful smooth texture and are oh so pigmented.

The MSFs, on the other hand, were just ok for me. Don't get me wrong - they are gorgeous colors and buttery smooth, but they are abit too shimmery for my liking. The Mineralize blushes are lovely though (as always! :D)!

Ok enough blabla for now! Lets go onto the swatches! :D

Lipsticks (US$14.50 / RM68):



The lippies are a little sheer, but they are pretty nevertheless. Gem of Roses almost came home with me - its just so beautiful and wearable! :D

Lush Amber (Lustre) - Light Nude Beige
Gem of Roses (Lustre) - Midtone Strawberry Pink
One of a Kind (Lustre) - Midtone Rosy Neutral
Musky Amethyst (Frost) - Deep Plum

Cremesheen Glasses (US$18.50 / RM80):



Some of you may know my love for the Cremesheen glasses! :D They're just so juicy and they make one's lips look so yummeh! :D It's nice to see some shimmery shades for a change :)

Pure Magnificence - Light grey pink
Natural Flare - Light caramel nude
Geo Pink - Strawberry pink
Looks Like Sin - Midtone reddish plum
Richly Revered - Deep brown plum

Mineralize Skinfinishes (US$28 / RM115):

As mentioned above, the MSFs are quite pigmented, but they are also quite shimmery. You can get at least 3 color combi from a single pot by mixing the colors, so its quite versatile! :)

ps: sequence for swatches are as follows - outer color, inner color, the both swirled together :)



Semi Precious Pearl
Base: Beige Champagne.
Innercircle: White, Plum, Bronze



Semi Precious Crystal Pink
Base: Pink Champagne.
Innercircle: Pink, Dirty Green, Bronze



Semi Precious Rose Quartz
Base: Rosy Pink.
Innercircle: Silver, Lime, White pink, Copper



Semi Precious Goldstone
Base: Brown.
Innercircle: Rosy Pink, White, Gold


Mineralize Blushes (US$23 / RM100):



The mineralize blushes are quite lovely! They're pigmented, smooth yet not over-the-top shimmery!

Warmth of Coral - Coral, Peach
Pressed Amber - Nude, Beige, Brown
Feeling Flush - Pink, Deep Blue, Pink, Soft Brown


Mineralize Eyeshadows (US$20 / RM83):



Mineral Mode - White Base w/ Copper & Grey
Quartz Fusion^ - Soft Pink, Silver, Deep Pink
Smoked Ruby* - Burgundy & Black
Rare Find - Violet, Brown & Gold
Faux Gold - Coral, Gold, Lime & Bronze
Golden Gaze* - Gold & Black



Unsurpassable^ - Green, Teal, Purple & Copper
Jade’s Fortune - Bright Yellow, Blue, Lime & Black
Dark Indulgence* - Forest Green & Black
Hint of Sapphire - Pink, Violet, Teal, Copper & Blue
Clarity - Light Pink, Off White Green, Gold & Black
Blue Sheen* - Navy, Black & Peach


Thats all for the color story! :D I don't usually review brushes in my swatch posts, but i'll make an exception for the ones in this collection. There are 4 brushes - two face brushes and two eye brushes. These have two sides to them - one side is made of synthetic fibres (for cream products) and the other side, natural hair for powder.

Prior to seeing them in person, the general opinion of these brushes were split in two - there were those who thought that these were pure genius, and those who found these gimmicky. And me? I think that these are DIVINE! Hahaha! :D

They are incredibly soft - I will spend all day fondling them if i could! Haha! My initial concern was that these won't pick up and blend powders properly since I rarely use cream products (especially the 179 and 234 where the top of the brush is used instead of the sides). After checking them out, I can say for myself that while the synthetic part doesn't pick up powders as well as the natural fiber side, both sides blend powders beautifully. The face brushes are especially useful for super pigmented blushes - just use the synthetic side to pick up product and blend, and you'll be rewarded with a sheer wash of color! <3



179 - US$47 / RM165
234 - US$22.50 / RM92
235 - US$30 / RM138
128 - US$32 / RM135


Ok thats all for this collection! Didcha pick anything up? :D