Quick Makeup Tips & Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick Review

Finally an FOTD, right? haha! I did this natural, "I'm just going out to buy tampons" look less than 15 minutes, a very quick & simple trick that will help you to look alive when you only have so little time.

What's used above

• EG Mineral Face Primer

• Pure Ananda Niagara Fawn Foundation

• Thevi Rogue Blush

• NYX Rootbeer e/s (on crease)

• Thevi Onyx Pencil Eyeliner

• Maybelline Totally Toffee Lipstick
  

My personal tips & tricks for a quick 'awakening' (hahaha!) :

1. Apply moisturizer before putting on anything on your face, no matter what. A dry flakey skin isn't hot.
2. If you're lazy putting on foundation, skip it. Use concealer to hide imperfection.
3. Wear a blush! Applying it on your cheek's apple will make you look flushed & healthy. If you don't have blush around, use your pink lipstick & blend around. If you don't have lipstick either, pinch your cheeks for couple of seconds.
4. No time for eyeshadows? Just curl your eyelashes & apply black eyeliner in you waterline to accentuate your eyes.
5. Skip lipstick & apply lipgloss instead.
   

Having said that, I am currently in love with this particular lipstick that I found in drugstore. It's from Maybelline's newest line that's called Color Sensational. The color that I'm reviewing is from the "brown" family (SURPRISE, HUH? lol) but it's not completely brown as it has a pinkish undertone to it.

The color is called Totally Toffee #215. I am in love with this color because it suits my undertone really well, not too pinky nor nude, just about right. The consistency is also great, it applies like a dream, smooth & moisturizing. It does have a slight rose scent but not too overpowering. I was able to snatch it while my drugstore was having 40% off for Maybelline brand so I got this lippy for about $4. Check out your local store & see if you like this line, I know I do.

Haul of The Day: Good Smelling Goodies

This post will be a quick haul/review of the recent bath & body products I have received both from swap or that I bought myself.

First of is from Lunableu. This is a company I recently discovered, some people have had great experience with this company so I thought why not give it a try. I went ahead and ordered some EDP sample vials (for $1.50 each & they're BIG) and a bath cream.

Before purchasing I contacted the owner, Tanya, asking if she has a dupe for LUSH The Comforter Bubble Bar dupe because I love that scent but refuse to spend $9 for that tiny bar. She replied me right away saying she would get it from her supplier, I kinda felt bad for ordering it only in EDP vial thinking about the problem I have caused her.

Anyway, when my ordered arrived I nearly squeaked when I saw that Tanya upgraded the Comforter sample to a full size roll-on. Now THAT'S an amazing customer service. She also included an extra EDP sample vial & a tube of Shea Body Whip.

My complete order:

**Whipped Bath Cream
- Cafe Caramel Latte
(picture below)

**EDP Sample Vials
- Candy, Baby
- Crimson Candy
- Fleur De Lis
- Pink Fairy Dust
- Marshmallow Fluff Cake
- Mango Mousse Cake

**Roll On
- The Comforter

**25% Shea Body Whip
- Pink Pumpkin

I'm wearing the Crimson Candy (orange & blackberry cotton candy) at the moment & I'm LOVING it so much, it smells very bright & fruity. Fleur De Lis is a complete surprise, I never thought it'd be this pretty & complex. Here is the break down.

The top notes: grapefruit, orange zest, and tangerine.
Middle notes: strawberries, apples, pears, rose petals and jasmine
Bottom notes: vetiver, white musk, and ylang ylang

I seriously love everything, the roll on is long lasting, bath cream is nicely scented & lather so well. I also got a coupon of free roll on for my next order. I really recommend Lunableu because not only her products are great, highly scented, and good price but also her CS is superb (not to mention a cute label & packaging)^^

Check out Lunableu here.

Next one is my MUA swap, I received Isle of Eden (IoE) Eden's Mist Hydrating Body Spray in Sugar Me! Marshmallow.

Sugar Me! Marshmallow is amongst IoE most popular scents and now I know why. You know I'm always iffy about cake scent for body products because my weird body chemistry but I'm so glad this scent works for me. Upon spraying it smells like a white fluffy marshmallow but it quickly dries down to a creamier vanilla and airy white wedding cake. One time I wore this for the whole day and I could barely smell it anymore, but all of the sudden my guy friend walked in and said "Something smells like chocolate here. I am hungry. Who is it?" ^^ lol Boys & their simple smell buds.

For my tresses, I hardly use retail products anymore because parabens & SLS scare me. I read about how great Jojoelle conditioner is and they were having a Free Shipping Sale couple of weeks ago.

You know free shipping is my weakness so I couldn't pass it up. I ordered a 4 Oz pump bottle of Magnificent Marshmallow Conditioner.

I have to say I am amazed by this product, it's so thick unlike other e-tailer conditioner and it makes my hair feels so soft.

It also doesn't weigh my hair down and the Magnificent Marshmallow scent is lovely. I can't say I'm in love with it (no matter how hard I try to) because I am used to having fruity scents for my hair products. But, I think this is a perfect scent for layering if I use a strong scented shampoo like CYS Somali Rose.

Jojoelle also shipped my order within 2 days, so check her out here.




Another hair stuff I'm loving at the moment is actually not an e-tailer product. I bought this when I was back in Indonesia. This is a Watson's brand and I don't think you can find it anywhere else. The reason I bought this is actually my obsession of the body washes in the same scent, Green Tea & Jasmine. Unfortunately Watson is no longer carrying the body wash (BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!) and I asked if they have whatever product in the same scent. They told me only the Hair Mask is available so I went ahead purchasing without thinking.

You noticed it says "Treatment Wax" on the label but it actually means a deep conditioner / hair mask treatment. The consistency is thick and it smells divine. I have used this for 2 months and I'm very happy with the result. I don't apply this cream directly on my roots because I have an oily scalp so what I do is just apply it on my strands, concentrating on the tips (the one that is breakage prone). I waited for around 5 minutes (more is suggested but I normally have no patience) and rinse them off. My hair always feel shinier & light afterwards and did I mention it smells freaking fabulous?????

Ok, last one is from Cocoa Pink. They were having a "Pumpkin Galore", as part of Halloween Seasonal offer, which allowed customer to order a sample of their newest pumpkin scents. I am always a fan of Cocoa Pink for their tremendous quality of product, cute labels & scents so I went ahead and purchase a sample. I had no idea what the sample would be but I chose the scent in "Perfect Pumpkin Marshmallow". We only had to pay a $1.05 shipping (isn't it awesome?) and the item arrived within a few days.

I was so excited knowing that the free sample is in Voluptuous Body Butter. So many girls swear on this awesome product and I just couldn't wait to try. The Perfect Pumpkin Marshmallow is simply perfect for those of you who can't really do spicy pumpkin as this one is so creamy. The texture of the body butter is very rich but surprisingly not greasy at all. It sinks in within seconds and only left me with the amazing pumpkin marshmallowy goodness.

I just made another order from Cocoa Pink, I am intrigued by their new Halloween Gift Set called Teeny Toils and Tiny Troubles, basically a set of small size items. I will get 11 products for only $25.99 including shipping. The best thing about it is the scents will be a blackberry blends, I looooooooooove Blackberries!

~Here are the scent descriptions of the set~

1st Witch – she’s the lazy one, falls asleep while reading over the spells. She’s the reason for the recent “situation” that burned down most of London. You know when she’s been napping as she leaves behind the scent of lavender, ozone, black amber, and her favorite snack…marshmallow sugar!

2nd Witch – The brains of the bunch, she can be slightly OCD. Everything needs to be “perfect” and don’t even think of touching her book of spells, she will turn you into a toad! She does have a teeny secret, she loves butter rum. Sometimes you can smell it on her breath, buttery rum, butterscotch cookies, black amber, and just a hint of blackberry jam.

3rd Witch – She’s a romantic. Better suited at being a fairy than a witch, her sisters would boil her if they found out. She’d rather be writing love poems than spells (unless it’s a love spell!). Instead of studying potions, she reads romance novels. She smells of a Secret Love Potion – A duplication of "Falling in Love" with a little something to keep it a secret!

Blackberry Sugar - Blackberry, Sugar Whipped Cotton Candy, and a splash of Candyfloss.
Blackberry Bliss – Blackberry Musk with a dusting of White Flowers.
Cauldron Bubbles - Squashed Blackberries mixed into a potion of Sweet Sugary Cotton Candy, Pounds of Marshmallows, Cupcake Batter, Buttery Frosting.
Full Moon - Blackberry, Coconut Milk, Marshmallows, White Chocolate
Eye of Newt - Sweet Blackberries with a twist of lime.
Midnight Hag - Tart Blackberries, Vanilla Bean Noel, and a splash of Spiritueuse Double Vanilla.
Something Wicked - Tart Cranberries, Sweet Ripe Backberries, Crushed Raspberries, and one lone Strawberry that tried to get away.
Three Witches – Blackberry Musk, Plum Apricot, and a splash of Spiritueuse Double Vanilla

I can't wait !!!!!!!

Product Focus: Guerlain Divinora Radiant Colour Palette

I did a swap with my lovely virtual friend Lara who lives in Malta. I sent her some of yummy smelling goodies and she sent me a couple of gorgeous European brand makeups.

The awesome looking quad on the left is by Guerlain. I know Guerlain is one of the oldest perfume house in the world and it's based in France.

This palette is called Divinora Radiant Colour and the one I got is in Touche de Bronze.

I can't stop staring at the gold plated packaging, it's very pretty. The case is very sturdy, and there's a "Guerlain" carved in the middle bottom part of the opening.



Packaging

As I mentioned, the case is ultra sturdy and pretty. The gold color just makes it look so expensive & classy. It has an inside mirror and sponge tip applicator. On the bottom you can find
logo, brand and palette name.

Color

This palette contains of 4 colors and they're all very interesting. The "bronze" isn't really warm based bronze but instead it has an olive tint. I absolutely love these and I can see wearing them a lot in the future since they're pretty subdued.

Pigmentation & Swatches


The 4 colors are varied in terms of finish, the lightest & darkest color has more shimmer (and harder in texture) whereas the other two looks more matte and softer.

They're very pigmented and easily buildable. I really like the darkest greyish dark olive because it has the coolest sparkle and it would look awesome for outer V or even as a liner.

Swatches can be found below.

This is sold retail for $56 and you can find it at Sephora here.

Product Focus: Bourjois Lovely Rogue Lipstick

I received this from a swap with no expectation at all, I have tried Bourjois brand before for their eye shadows but never the lip product. I was looking up the color which is 04 Sable Unique which is described as a nude apricot-beige and you know my ill-fated obsession with nude & natural lipsticks, so I was eager to see how this color looks like.

First of all, the tube is pretty cute as the color matches the actual lipstick inside (it applies to all the colors in the Lovely Rogue line). It also has a round mirror on top so you won't have hard time doing touch ups during the day. The consistency is fairly creamy, similar with NYX round lipstick. It's always nice having a primed lips under it tho, as it's not super moisturizing.

The color is LOVE LOVE LOVE, better than I expected. On my lips it looks nude, and I have to say it looks better than my former HG NYX Circe. I did swatches just to show you, and you can see how Sable Unique has warmer undertone so it does look more natural on my medium tan-tone skin.

me likey =)

Product Focus: Bubbletub Lip Balm

Fall is approaching and what's worse than a dry lips due to colder weather? Well..there are "runny noses" and "abrupt weight gains" but those are the topics you need to discuss with your doctors (lol). I always have this nasty chapped lips issue when fall/winter is slowly on its way so I normally search for a good lip balm to save myself.

Etsy has always been my favorite place for my lip balm searching project, not only because the prices are great (not to mention their SNS -Saturday Night Special- sale) but also due to their creativity & yummy scented lipbalms. It's much more than "Cherry" or "Vanilla" flavor that you see available in drugstores, we're talking a scrumptious confectionary such as Lemon Meringue or Pumpkin Pie scented lipbalm that wouldn't really help our winter cravings.

The Store
I stumbled upon Bubbletub on Etsy when I saw this awesome deal of trial size lipbalm. I love trying lots of scents and this is a perfect deal for me. They have this offer of 5 Mini Lip Balms for $7.50 (Regular size is $3.00 each).

Shipping is only $1.25 for U.S & Canada and $2.50 for International customer.


Packaging

They all came wrapped & sealed, with cute labels and plastic container. The tube size might look tiny for some you but I'd prefer this size so I can bring them around in my purse and alternate between flavors so I don't get bored.

You can choose 5 flavors amongst so many that they have (it was so hard to choose, I'm telling you..they all sounds great), and I narrowed down my choices to

~ Punk'n Pie (Pumpkin Pie)
~ It's Hip To Be Square (Toasted Marshmallow)
~ Buttery Toffee
~ Chai To The East (Chai Tea)
~ Lime Sugar






Quality
They're very moisturizing and doesn't leave you the weird wax feeling. The scents are absolutely scrumptious, I tried on the Punk'n Pie today and it's so tasty, just enough spice and warmth. I can't wait to try the rest. Based on the my sniff-ability, they're all really good. Toasted Marshmallow is a nice yummy gooey marshmallow scent, Buttery Toffee smells so good just like a toffee crunch. Chai Tea is a great fall scent but Lime Sugar is really mouthwatering, smells like a sweet candied lime and it's very refreshing.

I LOVE THEM !!!

If you're interested to purchase, click here to go directly to the 5 Mini Flavor Shots but please check out the other items because Gail (the owner) makes other awesome bath & body products.

EOTD: Majolica Majorca

A good friend of mine gave me this gorgeous palette from Majolica Majorca in GR750, which I noticed have been sorta popular among Asian Brand makeup lover out there.

I honestly didn't really take any advantage of living in Japan for years regarding makeup and you may be surprised by my reasoning.

I was turned off by all the Japanese "too cute" makeup packaging.

The only makeup brand I bought was KATE by Kanebo, whose packaging is a simple sleek black case.

Yes, I am weird like that. I also find those cheesy "KAWAIIII~~~" scream is intolerable. Sorry if you consider this rude, but I have just had enough Japanese friends screaming it on every expression they tried to make. Anyway, before I get even bitchier (lol), let's move on to the good stuff.

This palette is just like any other Japanese makeup, they're on the shimmery side. Don't get me wrong, I love shimmers, I think every girls need an extra blings in her life. This particular quad, if I may call it, I found pretty decent as it's not too shimmery (you know I hate discoballs) yet it delivers good pigmentation of shadows and soft texture.

Packaging

Not too girly, compact and a good size to carry around. It also has sponge tip applicator for those who love. Downside is probably not having a mirror for application, but I don't really sweat it.

Pigmentation

4/5, The white color is actually really pretty in person as it got this gold highlight (picture above doesn't do justice) and although I personally think the quad is a pretty odd color combination (beigy pink - olive green - steel blue - white gold), I quite like it.

EOTD

Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Paint Pots Moss Scape
Majolica Majorca GR750 Green (all over lid)
Majolica Majorca GR750 Pink (inner lid)
Majolica Majorca GR750 White (browbone)
Majolica Majorca GR750 Blue (lower lash line)
L'oreal HiP Gunmetal Dark Green (outer V)
L'oreal HiP Black Cream Eyeliner
Rimmel Sexy Curve Mascara

Hope you like them & have a very nice weekend !!!

Product Focus: Stila Charmed Palette

I took advantage of Tammy's blog sale and purchased this gorgeous Stila palette. It's part of their Indian Summer 2009 Collection. This palette was on the market for $28 but I saw Beautycrunch & Sephora sold them for $10 in the end of the season.

I love the theme of this collection, the palette comes in gold cardboard box and it has pretty bindi attached on the cover.

Packaging

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. It's compact, slim and sleek. The only duds is probably thin plastic cover that needs extra caution not to be pressed down to the eyeshadow. Other than that, I think it's a great packaging, no brush/applicator attached but I don't really mind it since I hardly use them anyway.

Color

Contains of 4 colors,

• red copper
• bronzey gold
• greenish teal
• burgundy purple.

They're fun to mix & match.

Pigmentation

I would give them 4/5. Stila eyeshadows are usually buttery soft but these are on the firmer side, which I prefer because I have such an oily lids and soft eyeshadow creases faster on me. The burgundy purple color is harder to swatch as they look darker (almost blackish) on my skin, but it has gorgeous purple sparkle that would be awesome for crease color.

Final Say
All & all I think these are such a cool palette and a great deal for the price (if you can snatch them at $10), I honestly don't know where you can find this at the moment but you can try stalking Beautycrunch or Ebay, who knew you can score some good deal.

Haul of The Day: Cleanse Your Soul

I'm back in Aloha Land !!! Yes, ladies...after all the MEGA long hours of flight & layover, I finally breathe a fresh Hawaiian air back again. Surprisingly it's still really hot in here (WUZZY, you're right! & thanks for the warning, hun :P).

Well, it's been a while since I do reviews on good smelling body products so this post would be a one. I jumped on the bandwagon of Cleanse Your Soul (CYS) sale back in August, which offered a free roll on plus free shipping (how could a girl resist, huh? HUH?) for order over $25. I love me some CYS and you know I need to get ready for fall & the yummy smelling goodness.

So I pulled the trigger and ordered:

• Soy Shampoo - SOMALI ROSE
• Eau de Parfum - PINK LILACS
• Eau de Parfum - RACHEL GOES PINK
• Silk & Shea Soap (sample size) - HAWAIIAN RAIN
  
• Silk & Shea Soap (sample size) - WALNUT CREAM CAKE

For free Roll On - RESTLESS HEARTS
For freebies, I got Tart - RED VELVET CAKE & Yogurt Soap - DARK PUMPKIN PEACH

Scent Review

• Somali Rose (Rose with chocolate, sandalwood, anise, musk and a twist of green moss. Incredibly sexy scent) - Rose can be overwhelming for some people and honestly I always thought rose is such an 'old lady' scent.....but not this particular kind of rose. Somali Rose is a very sexy & warm type of rose that is not too floral. It's a bit spicy but not too much to make you crinkle, it also has this 'clean' unisex vibe that your boyfriend/hubby would love too.

• Pink Lilacs (Spring never smelled sweeter! Lilacs meets sweet Pink Sugar) - Yes, I'm ordering spring scent in fall, so sue me. Pink Sugar is probably one of my favorite blending base for perfume and this one is just so pretty. The sweetness of Pink Sugar is toned down by the light springy lilac, it's basically a gorgeous scent that makes you want to wear floral dress and run around the sunflower field.

• Rachel Goes Pink (Orange, strawberry, lemon, lime, grapefruit & raspberry mixed with Pink Sugar) - Mmm...this should be named a fun in a bottle, everything screams fruity & it wears so well without smelling too childish. Pink Sugar makes the ordinary fruit basket smells more grown up & sophisticated.

• Hawaiian Rain (Guava, papaya, pineapple, followed by the floral notes of the air after a rain) - Ok, I'm one of those people who don't quite know how would rain smell like but this blend is sooo good. It's fruity but clean at the same time, think of a laundry sheet that costs you an arm & leg.

• Walnut Cream Cake (Layers of rich brown sugar cake topped with walnut whipped cream frosting) - I ordered this because I wanted to try a foody scent which sometimes works against my chemistry. This is a scent that made me fall in love at first sniff. It's MEGA scrumptious & warm, the scent reminds me of a light airy pumpkin mousse mixed with a toasted marshmallow & brown sugar drizzle. This one is a must have, I know I'm gonna reorder this!!!

• Restless Hearts (Amber Vanilla based fragrance with a hint of gentle orchids and soft powder notes) - I was a tad disappointed by this because I was hoping for a less powdery type of scent, but it's still pretty & wearable.

• Red Velvet Cake (Cocoa, buttermilk, vanilla and sugar topped with cream cheese frosting) -It's a regular RVC scent, with a yellow cake note that I'm not really keen about but I can see how foody lover would go ga-ga over this. I think this would be my least favorite scent out of the bunch.

• Dark Pumpkin Peach (Pumpkin Bread with a hint of peach drizzled with caramel) - Yum, a sweet & warm pumpkin with a slight peach note in the background, perfect for thanksgiving season.

OHHH I forgot how fun this is, all the excitement of unwrapping the box, smelling each & every single item and re-sniffing them, trying to figure out which one to try first. Let me tell you, these stuffs are addicting and once you fall into the devil circle of smelling goodies, you're in serious trouble. Trust me, I know.