Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize Part II

I got this Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize in PK333 for my mum (she's fair and actually needs bubblegum pink blushes!!!) and she raved about it, so I got curious and got one for myself too :)



PK333 is, well, a bubblegum pink with shimmers so fine they don't show up at all, so it goes on pretty much matte. Also, unlike the other 2 orangey colors in the same line, this pink one is much less pigmented and has much weaker staying power. Fine by me though, because I've noticed as the blush fades throughout the day, it actually gives me a more natural blush than when it's freshly applied. It is bubblegum pink, after all:P

See my previous Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize post.

Shiseido The Makeup Luminizing Color Powder

I actually had this Shiseido The Makeup Luminizing Color Powder for a while but never got around to try it. In fact, I was never into Shiseido The Makeup at all, I'm still not, and the only other item I own from this brand is the Multi-shade Enhancer. Just that this particular product and its tri-sections of "colors" attracted me, so I thought, hell, I'll give it a chance.

There are 4 colors available for this Luminizing Color Powder:
- L1 Translucent
- L2 Apricot
- L3 Golden Beige
- L4 Golden Bronze

I was actually eyeing the L2 Apricot first because it had this catchy orangey color in it (I was going through an orange blush phase), but then I needed a translucent powder at the time so I decided to get L1 Translucent instead. I only bought the refill though. The case was sold separately and looked rather thick and clunky so I skipped it. I was guessing this rounded refill should fit any Shiseido The Makeup powder case with for rounded refills, and what do you know, it did fit perfectly into the Multi-shade Enhancer case :)

Lancome Juicy Tubes Part III

Even more Juicy Tubes! I just can't have enough of these!

The particular ones I'm reviewing below are from the Lancome Rose Fishnet Juicy Tubes Gift Set of 5 deluxe mini size tubes, the size you'd get in a GWP. So you must be wondering why did I bother paying for them, no? Because 3 out of the 5 colors I don't have yet and they look pretty enough. For the 2 colors I already have, I love them enough to buy a duplicate :D And plus the set was on sale from Sephora, enough said. An added bonus (for me, anyway) is that they came in a nice and simple clear plastic case that I can use for storage :)







From left to right: Butterflies, Pretty in Pink, Rose Fishnet, Dreamsicle, and Daiquiri


- Butterflies: a pretty dulled pink that was pretty much translucent with flecks of coarse gold sparkles. No worries, the sparkles weren't gawdy, and you won't feel them on your lips either as the gloss itself was super smooth. This means I should be in heaven right about now, right? Sadly, no. The scent, it was the exact same nauseating scent a la Melon, which I had to toss a while back because I just couldn't take the smell. Gah!!! Why, Lancome, why must you ruin the most perfect gloss ever?!? We'll see though, I like the color so much I might just clip my nose tight whenever I wear it. Women suffer for beauty, don't they? Sigh...


- Pretty in Pink: As soon as I put on this gloss, I thought, Damn, I knew it! It turned a frosty nude pink on me, but I wore on anyway since the color was so pretty. And then about several minutes or so later, I looked into the mirror again and -woh!- what the hell, the frost disappeared and what was left on my lips was a metallic but sheer layer of nude pink gloss! Does that even make sense, I mean, sheer metallic gloss? Stila It Gloss in Fetching also gave me a metallic finish, but by no means it was sheer and, instead, was rather intensely sparkly. But the sheer metallic finish from this Pretty in Pink was so unique! You know when you buy electronic stuff, sometimes they come in this charcoal-colored plastic bag that's metallic and shiny, but up close you can actually see through it? Yeah, that's what this gloss reminds me of, only it's not charcoal-colored (phew!). Oh, and it smells delicious, by the way, like Vanilla Creme Brulee. Yum...


- Rose Fishnet: there was so much hype about this gloss that I actually went to the store to see it in person, only to be totally bummed when the gloss turned out to be just as dark as it looked online. In fact, I was so disappointed that I didn't even bother to swatch it on the back of my hand. I regretted that. I really should have tested it instead of just judging by its appearance, because later on, I bought it on a whim when I needed a filler item for my Lancome online spree, you know, to get free shipping and goodies and whatnot, and it turned out to be the most beautiful gloss ever! I know it looks like a blushing bronze color from the picture, but somehow it turns a sheer nude on my lips with just a hint of rose and a gorgeous, gorgeous blush gold sheen. What a knock out! So even though I already have a full size of this Rose Fishnet Juicy Tube, I didn't hesitate buying its mini version in the Rose Fishnet Juicy Tubes Gift Set for my desk at work, you know, to liven up my day. And it smells like, hmm...something sweet, but I just can't put a finger on exactly what, but all the more reason to love :)


Rose Fishnet full size


- Dreamsicle: this milky cotton candy-pink one was also pretty, but because of its very obvious lilac iridescent shine that turned my lips sickly pale, it's my least favorite one in this set. It smells yummy though, like tangy candy, so I won't complain too much. I can always layer it over a lipstick!


- Daiquiri: I've already reviewed this gloss, so I'm not going to repeat myself. Let's just say it's one of my favorite gloss ever and there's absolutely nothing for me to complain about this one. I'll keep buying it for as long as they keep making it. And they better!


The empty case, nice and simple!


See my previous posts:
- Lancome Juicy Tubes
- Lancome Juicy Tubes Part II

Naive Aloe Body Wash

I've seen the Naive brand from Kracie (ex-Kanebo, the older packaging will say Kanebo, and the newer packaging will say Kracie) since my days in Japan but was never curious enough to try. I was using Dove Aloe Body Wash at the time, (not the American Dove, the Japanese Dove) and the Aloe scent smelled so amazing nothing could tempt me away from it. I did have a tiny little rounded container of the Naive Peach Hand Cream, and that was it for my Naive experience. Now I really wish I had tried everything (okay, may be not everything, but close) in that darn drug store because Japanese-made anything is just so expensive here!

So you know where I'm going with this, right? Of course, when I spotted the Naive Aloe Body Wash in a set, which includes the 650 mL pump bottle, a 450 mL refill bag, plus samples of Naive Shampoo and Conditioner, for only $9, I immediately snatched 2 sets to try. They had the Grapefruit scent in the same set, which I also bought but will review later. If you are interested in trying these, I really recommend checking out your local Asian stores first as they might have these for much cheaper than online. Be especially keen for the sets, which are almost always super nice deals! For this Naive Aloe Body Wash, the 650 mL bottle by itself is usually $9.50 at least!


***Picture from TrueRenu.com.

My first impression of this body wash is...foamy. Yep, the stuff is runny, extremely light, and very foamy, so totally completely typical of a Japanese body wash (my beloved Dove Aloe Body Wash was like this too). It's hot and humid over there, can you blame them? I guess I'm so used to using the thick, heavier and much less foamy American-made body washes, which is better in the dry and harsh winter. Now that it is getting warmer, I just can't stand the thick film of grease these body washes leave behind on my skin, so I opted for something lighter, and this Naive Aloe Body Wash fits the bill perfectly.

Scent wise, it smells like generic soap. Nothing aloe-y about it, unlike my Dove Aloe Body Wash (I told you I was obsessed with it!), but generic soap is fine by me :D Hubby didn't like the smell at first, but then he likes the bubbles factor so much he got over his dislike of the scent. Oh yes, one pump and you'll get a very bubbly wash from head to toe. It rinses off completely clean by the way, so if you use too much of the stuff it might dry out your skin. Now I'm totally curious to try all the other scents! Why, to see if they all smell like generic soap, of course. Ha, just kidding!

OBS Milk Face Pack

I felt like trying something random today, so I grabbed OBS Milk Face Pack from my fridge :D OBS is a Korean brand and that's about all I know, unfortunately. Perhaps somebody will drop me a clue or two? Please?

The Milk Face Pack is a wash off mask type that's supposed to be moisturizing and soothing. And it delivered these claims decently, much better than expected. I was thinking since it's called a milk pack, it would be white and opaque, you know, like milk. Nope, it was translucent and more like coconut juice. It smelled like coconut too, actually!



The Milk Face Pack dried clear and upon contact with water, it puffed up and got somewhat slimy in the same manner as the Avon Hydrofirming Drench Recovery Mask, only it washed off much easier than the Avon mask. And man, I totally underestimated how moisturizing this mask would be, that was, until I put on the usual amount of my lovely Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. My skin just felt so over saturated with moisture I had to wipe off some of Cetaphil cream to lighten things up a bit. Too bad Sasa.com isn't carrying anything from OBS at the moment, because I actually went back wanting to get some more, at least to see what other masks they have. And the Milk Face Pack was cheap too, something like $0.50 a piece!

Hadabisei Under Eye Gel Masks

So I finally got to trying these nifty looking Hadabisei Under Eye Gel Masks! I held out for the longest time because they were a bit expensive for my taste, $16 for 4 pairs. But then recently I found them on Ebay for only around $8 (half price!) so I nabbed, like, 3 boxes :D


***Picture from Hadabisei Japan.

I was taken aback by their texture at first, but I guess when they say gel masks, they really mean gel masks! These felt like thin sheets of jello with tiny little holes! Because they are thin and so gel like, they adhere easily to the skin and to themselves, and I fumbled around quite a bit with them before I got them exactly where I want them to stay. Once they were on though, they stay put. No sliping or sliding around like the paper sheet masks! Also, I had refrigerated them before hand, so they went on cool and refreshing. I imagine these would be totally awesome on a hot and humid day, so here's my excuse to go back to the same Ebay vendor to buy more :D



Just like the Hadabisei Moisturizing Masks with Collagen, these Under Eye Gel Masks did not disappoint. Actually, they are rather impressive! I LOVE them! It was really neat to watch how these gel sheets work. While applying them, I was doubting whether such thin gel sheets would adequately moisturize my dry under eye areas. Little did I know that there were TONS of liquid packed in them! I guess that was why these sheets had tiny little holes. I squeezed the rest of the liquid essence left over from the packaging onto the sheets, and the drops just disappeared into them! A few minutes into the application, I felt the essence running down my cheeks because the gel sheets were just so saturated!

My under eye areas felt sooooooo nice and comfortable afterwards. After massaging in the left over essence into my skin and let it dry, there was no stickiness, no heaviness, and my skin just felt soft and supple and cool to the touch (probably the after effect of the gel sheets having been chilled). The next morning, my eyes were awake and fresh even though I was exhausted and could have dropped any moment. I'm so getting more of these!

View my post on Hadabisei Moisturizing Masks with Collagen.

First true FOTD!

My first true FOTD, as in the picture was actually taken during day time and this is usual my day time makeup, as bare as possible :) And yeah, you will see repeats of some products, sorry. I know, I need to rotate my makeup soon. That's going to be a goal for next weekend!



Face:
- Maikohan UV Compact Powder SPF 19+ PA++ (t-zone only)
- T'estimo Color Lighting EX-09
- T'estimo Color Cheek OR-16

Eyes:
- Etude House Orgel Light Eyes #03 - White Pink (hey, at least I'm keeping my promise of posting a true FOTD with this palette!)

Lips:
- Lorac Mocktail in Guava Tiki with Lava Flow blended in the center part of both lips

Etude House Orgel Light Eyes Part III

More Etude House Orgel Light Eyes! I have actually been using of these palettes for a while now but just didn't get around to review them.

All pictures taken indoor with flash.

03 - White Pink


05 - Aqua Blue

Spring FOTN

-GASP!- I am wearing blue eye shadows!!! Although for some reason the colors doesn't really show up in the pictures. May be it's the quality of the smaller ones I uploaded of something...But I promise I'm wearing blue. Urgh, hate my hair though. I just washed them and they are pointing wherever they pleased. I swear my hair has a mind of its own.

Going out with 3 of my neighbors tonight to try a new Thai place. After a couple of years or so living in the same apartment complex, we made friends. Every month, we go out to dinner at an ethnic place to try new things. Erh...well, Thai food is hardly new, but whatever. Did I mention I LOVE Thai food? I do.



Face:
- Maikohan UV Compact Powder SPF 19+ PA++ (t-zone only)
- T'estimo Color Lighting EX-11
- T'estimo Color Cheek PK-17

Eyes:
- T'estimo Color Eyes BU-61, DB-13, GY-35 (will review all 3 soon)

Lips:
- Lorac Mocktail Guava Tiki


It's soooooo hard to keep a straight face when hubby's like, "Okay, now look sexy!" Gah, quit making me laugh, darn it!

T'estimo Color Lighting Part II

It's been a couple of years, but I've finally got my hands on a couple more of these T'estimo Color Lighting, and what do you know, I just had to try them right away :D

EX-09 is a lilac-toned highlighter, you can't really tell from the picture at all, but I guarantee you it's lilac :) The whole pan is rather pale, but the three circles in the middle are definitely lilac, and they're pressed all the way down the bottom of the pan too, not just a thin layer at the surface. On top of them though are three circles of over-sprayed lilac shimmers arranged a bit skewed to the right as though are overcasts. This layer is gone after the first use. The highlighter is not shimmery at all but rather very subtly pearly, and even then, you'll have to swipe some on the back of your hand to notice the fine pearly shine.


To be honest I'd never had a highlighter that was lilac before. The highlighters I'd tried had white, pink, gold, green, and blue, but never lilac or anything purple-ish. So I wasn't too sure what this highlighter was supposed to do, but I wore it during the day anyway. The powder was soft and was neither chalky or dusty. After putting it on, though, I was quite disappointed - I couldn't tell any difference at all! I thought, damn, it's T'estimo, I was so sure I was going to like it! And then I put on some blush, and -wow- my face just got this strange...glow. It was subtle, nothing like the airbrushed effect, but it had this very healthy glow to it that wasn't there before. I looked awake and fresh! But then I wasn't about to just credit the highlighter, after all, it might have very well been the blush. So on another occasion, I put the blush on first instead of the highlighter (as I usually highlight first) and the glow wasn't there. Then I applied the highlighter, and -poof- there it was again, that glow! So I think this highlighter does have some effect after all, but that effect is not visible without a follow up blush. So yes, I am rather happy with this highlighter :D It's like a more subtle version of the highlighter in the Canmake Cheek & Highlight. And because its effect is too subtle for the night, I have to say it's definitely a daytime highlighter. Don't even bother with it at night, you won't see a thing!

EX-11 is entirely white, even the 3 circles in the middle. The 3 shimmery circle over spray are iridescent, but they disappear after the first use so really, they're just for appearance. Again, the powder is soft but not chalky or dusty. And while this highlighter is not overly shimmery by any means, it's definitely a lot more shimmery than EX-09. In fact, I think I've found a 24-hour highlighter - a highlighter that's suitable for day and night use! *squeals in happiness* It's like a more subtle version of my beloved Victoria's Secret Mosaic Highlighter but at the same time, not at all over the top for day use. How is that possible? I guess I'm just lucky! A total keeper! *smooch*


See my previous T'estimo Color Lighting post.

T'estimo Color Cheek Part III

I'm really supposed to rotate my makeup every once in a while, but then it's been so long and I miss T'estimo so much I pushed everything else aside to go back to the brand. I've got tons of stuff I haven't even touched, but luckily I also have T'estimo items I haven't used either, like these Color Cheeks :D Hooray!

OR-16 is not orange at all. Instead, it is a matte coral-toned powder pink that reminds me of the reddish flush my cheeks and chin (and nose too, unfortunately) get on colder days. That's just looking at it though. Upon application, it sheers out to just a natural glow. Oh well, it's still a very pretty natural blush. It just didn't do what I thought it would.


RD-19 is a strawberry red that does what I thought OR-16 would do - giving me the flush my face would get in colder days. Let's just say I've been looking for a blush that could this for a very long time, not because I want to look cold, but I wanted to recreate Vicki Zhao Wei's look in the picture below.


Isn't her blush just adorable? I love it! She's my favorite Chinese actress, by the way. I've been watching her ever since her debut in Huanzhu Gege days.

***I've no idea where this picture came from. If it is yours, please leave me a comment along with your website URL so I can properly credit the picture. Thanks!***

PK-17 is your good ol' pink blush that just can't go wrong. It looks a bit cooler in the picture, where as in natural light it's a bit more muted. I could have sworn there were some purplish shimmers in the blush, but then after the first couple of swipes, they were all gone, so perhaps they were just sprayed on. Hmm...


See my previous posts...
- T'estimo Color Cheek
- T'estimo Color Cheek Part II

SkinLite Aloe Essence Mask

More SkinLite sheet masks! My illogic just don't quit, does it? :P

But to my surprise, this Aloe Essence Mask was actually very nice and hydrating! Wow, a SkitLite sheet mask that works for once. Oops, did I just say that out loud? :P I left it on for about 15-20 minutes and my skin was nice and soft and feels very plumb. So I guess that means it did deliver the hydration it promised! I'm totally curious about the wash-off version of this mask now :D



It smells nice, nothing like you would expect an "aloe" product to smell like (you know how they all have this "aloe-y" scent?), but it's not bad. I can't even describe the scent, it just smells fresh. I put this in my fridge and applying it chilled was an awesome experience. So cool and refreshing. Ahh... I'll definitely do this again on a hot summer day!

MAX Sumi Haigou Sekken

When I first heard of charcoal soap, I though, "Huh, interesting," but I wasn't completely sold yet. It wasn't until I saw that the soaps were black did my curiosity peaked :) I know, what was I thinking, how can charcoal soap not be black, right? I guess I just didn't make that connection :P

There are several brands and varieties of these soaps, of course, but the more readily accessible one is MAX Sumi Haigou Sekken. I say that because this soap can be found online at shops like Amazon.com, TrueRenu.com, Webichi.com, etc., going for $7-10 for a packet of 3 huge bars of 135g each. It can also be found at your local Asian grocery store, and probably for cheaper too! I got mine at the local Asian grocery for $5, so if you are interested in trying these nifty soaps, check yours first before buying online!

By the way, there are a variety of these black charcoal soaps, like the bamboo charcoal soap (bamboo heated at temperature so high it carbonizes, try Nihonkan po Kenkyusho Takesumi Soap), or the charcoal and Kaolin clay soap (try Pelican Deitanseki Soap), so the possibilities are endless if you want to explore further. These soaps all contain medicated charcoal, which is supposedly gentle but can deep cleanse by drawing impurities from the pores. They can be used to both the face and body, great for oily or acne skin, are exfoliating but non-drying, and even somewhat whitening. Ambitious claims, huh?

This particular soap, the MAX Sumi Haigou Sekken, has a mixture of charcoal and bamboo vinegar and is supposed to be deep cleansing (the charcoal) but is moisturizing (the bamboo vinegar) at the same time. Its packaging is fairly simple: translucent milky white plastic so you can see the 3 bars of black soaps inside. All the descriptions on the packaging are in Japanese with 1 single line of English at the very top that says "Sumi (charcoal) Soap" in red capital font. Unless you read Japanese, I guess you'll just have to remember what it looks like and look out for it. I know I do :)


So how's this soap? I guess I'll have to say it's amazing. Best soap I've ever used. The bar is a smoky charcoal color, so it's not black as I thought. When it's wet, wherever the water touches lightens up to a milky gray, then the spot would dry back to the dark charcoal color. It whips up a thick and creamy lather but rinses well and leaves no residue behind. It'll turn your bath puff somewhat gray so you'll have to rinse the puff out after use (as you would regardless). The best part is that my skin feels so soft and yet so squeaky clean! Even hubby, who never really gives a damn what soap or body wash we use in the shower, exclaims upon lathering up, "Hey, this is really nice soap! I like it a lot!"

Yup, that sums it up nicely. In fact, the soap's so gentle I'm considering using it on my face! I'll be sure to update this post when I do. Oh, and the scent, you're probably wondering if this soap smells like charcoal too - it doesn't :) In fact, it's got a very faint scent of "cypress," they say, that dissipates rather quickly. Whatever, I just know it smells nice and woodsy and I really wish it would last a bit longer than the few minutes that it does.