Goat Milk for skin, anyone?

Things embossed with "goat milk" always caught my eye - be it cheese or skincare (looking at you Kate Somerville!), and that's why you'd find goat milk and chai shower cream in my bathroom! I jumped at the chance to try some new skin and body care items by Billie Goat Soap from Australia that includes goat milk as an ingredient.

My new pink power duo!

Ever since I've learned about the Sleek brand years ago when it first debuted on UK drugstores, I knew their products were hardly duds. I brought back i-Divine palettes, Pout Polish, Glitter Powders home back then! 

Miracle Lips with Sara Happ's The Lip Slip One Luxe Gloss / 殿堂級護唇法寶 - Sara Happ One Luxe Gloss/Balm

I don't usually buy lip balms, because 1) too lazy to reapply; 2) it's ok to have one or two but I don't need more than that; 3) they aren't as exciting as color makeup like eyeshadows, ha! So why do I want to talk about Sara Happ's The Lip Slip One Luxe Gloss? I tried the One Luxe Balm packaged in a little pot (which I talked about HERE and THERE), I've been hooked ever since and will not buy any other balms other than from hers. 

Oh and thanks to the lovely BirkinBagBeauty for including the little pot of Sara Happ in her giveaway a few years ago and thereby introducing me to this amazing lip balm!! 

我很少買護唇膏的, 原因有三 : 1) 懶得補搽; 2) 有1-2支便足夠了, 反正從未用完過一支, 更不需要更多啦; 3) 護唇產品不及彩妝品 (眼影) 吸引, 嘻嘻! 今日點解同大家介紹 Sara Happ 既 One Luxe Gloss呢? 因為自從幾年前試過 One Luxe Balm (小瓶裝的, 已早前在這裡和這裡提及過), 之後就變了它的 loyal fan, 以後除了它之外, 任何品牌的護唇產品一概不買!

還有, 要多謝幾年前 BirkinBagBeauty在大禮裡面加入這個護唇法寶, 等我有得試!

April Bits and Bobs

April wasn't an exciting month - I spent half of the time brought down by a serious flu, and with that, April was (nearly) gone in a breeze. I thought I"d do a round-up of April here, beauty-wise.

First off, who could have imagined there were days with just 18 / 20 degrees Celcius in APRIL here? You see, with the summer season approaching (supposedly), I did not carry any lip balms with me since I know I wouldn't need them. But I found my lips chapped quite much that it hurted, and out of panic I reach for the drawer and open this Fresh SUGAR lip balm duo.

Products I'm digging lately / 愛不釋手的產品

I intended to post this sooner but somehow a plethora of personal issues had eroded much of my spare time and mental energy. So here it is, a new post on the products I've been digging a lot lately! 

原本打算早點寫起這篇文, 惟在數天之間, 各種生活煩腦接踵而來, 實在令我吃不消. 現在終於大功告成了! 以下會介紹幾種我近來都 keep 住用的產品:

Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick SPF 15 in Pink: I just adore the print on the lipstick tubes (both outer and the bullet!), they look like newspaper print, and the best part? This lip balm really moisturizes chapped lips, and it carries a very faint tint of pink as well. I had no hesitation to put it in my handbag since it has SPF protection as well. This is the tube I reach for whenever my lips are chapped and don't know what else would look good and at the same time, heal.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit: I've had this shadow for ages but kept overlooking it. Until I discovered Burberry Pale Barley, and Birthday Suit happened to resurface amongst my stash, I put them side by side to compare, and I love both. FYI, Birthday Suit is slightly more 'bronze' and more shimmery. I love how easily this shade applies to the lids, it brightened my eye and made them look awake. Do note though, cream shadows do start to dry out after sometime. 

Korres 潤唇膏 - 很喜愛那種報紙 print, 外殼和內膽都印了圖案, 還有防曬功效, 帶點微粉紅色的輕輕塗已很漂亮. 還有!!! 無敵的潤唇功效!

Benefit Birthday Suit 眼影膏 - 有了這瓶眼影很久了, 直至我愛上 Burberry 的 Pale Barley, 才發現2 者很近似. 這瓶眼影膏很易塗搽, 又持久, 對眼即時精神晒. 不過要小心關好瓶蓋, 要不很快便會乾掉!!

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation - My skin had been misbehaving for the past year (gasp!) and only this foundation could conceal the blemishes for the most part. I usually need some concealer on top and everything will be covered up. I'd totally recommend this to anyone who wants high coverage.

Le Metier de Beaute Eye Brightening and Setting Powder in Revive - I've terribly dark under eye circles and thought this might help. This little compact doesn't really offer coverage to eye circles, but at least it could help your concealer last longer. For the lines under my eyes (yes I know, pathetic, right?), they still do appear after using this. My point is, this is not a wrinkle-filler kind of setting powder, but I do feel more confident when using it.

Giorgio Armani Luminessence Universal Greige BB Fluid SPF 50++ - this product is not tinted according to skintones so that it has coverage, nor it is completely without tint. The name “greige” already suggested a blend of beige and grey together. It doesn’t translate to the face as a greyish color at all. The effect is pretty colorless and therefore, without coverage. I use this as primer mainly, due to its high sun protection. I could not remember why I bought this. It’s not bad, absorbs easily and gives a healthy glow (without shimmers) to your complexion. My trusted primer in the past, is a tinted sunscreen from Orbis. However, that became too drying on me since last winter. I needed something slightly less runny and I discovered this in my stash (I bought it but hid it away somewhere). The packaging is a squeeze pump once you open the cap, not a squeeze nozzle.

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift 粉底液 - 自從我的皮膚學懂了爆粒粒是不須要理由的道理後, 這粉底便成了我的好朋友 (真悲哀...). 單搽一層, 已經遮了 8 成的痘印, 只須加少少 concealer 便行了. 遮瑕度極高, 絕對推薦啊!

Le Metier de Beaute 眼部定妝粉 - Joyce Beauty有LMdB, 但應該沒有賣這個眼部定妝粉了. 這個粉不會有任何遮瑕的作用, 眼下的細紋照舊會存在. 不同的是, 它令 concealer 不會容易脫落.

Giorgio Armani Luminessence BB 底霜 - 這支底霜話它無色又唔係, 話它有色又唔係. 個名 “greige”就是混合了象牙色和灰色色調, 但搽上面又唔會變有色, 亦唔會有遮瑕度. 不太記得當初為何買了它, 但我用開的 orbis sunscreen 不再適合我的皮膚了(因為太乾了). 這支底霜質地不會太水, 防曬度又高, 唔錯. 打開了蓋後, 是個泵嘴設計, 不是唧的.

Alpha H Liquid Gold (with Glycolic Acid) - decided to give Liquid Gold a go and bought an Alpha H sample kit. I wasn't sure the idea of glycolic acid doing to my badly broke out skin in the first place, but after two uses, I'm a total convert! I couldn't say this eliminate ALL breakouts I have, because I don't think it's possible. However, it does leave my skin less bumpy and more smooth by the next morning! I've had a huge zit about to pop out and after using this, it shrunk size-ably the next day. One thing you should note though, if you have any broken out pimples/acnes/zits, or other 'wounds' on your skin, you will feel minor tingle and slightly pain like a small electric shock when you apply Liquid Gold to those area. I, however, continued to use under such circumstances. I suggest you to try a small bottle first.

Alpha H Liquid Gold - 這支超級神奇的 skin treatment, 實在不知應該稱為 toner 還是甚麼名堂好. 它是含有 glycolic acid 的柔膚露, 似 toner. 隔晚使用, 用後不要用任何護膚程序, (我只塗了 eye cream), 便可入睡!! Zzzzz 岩晒我!! Zzzz 我試過有粒勁大既痘準備爆出來, 用了這個之後, 那粒痘起床時收細了勁多! 同埋佢令皮膚滑了很多. 不過喇, 都是先試一試牛刀啊, 畢竟不知道你皮膚受得了嗎? 還有, 如果你面已經有爆發了的粒粒, 或者有粒粒造成的傷口, 塗這個時你的皮膚會有觸電的微痛感覺, 但我在這些情況下還是會用的! 

How often and how do you use Liquid Gold? One might wonder. Easy Easy. You soak a cotton pad up once every two days, at night, apply to your face after washing. Do not follow with normal skincare, because this is the only way to allow Liquid Gold to work its best. This product is so cool because I have an excuse to allow myself to be lazy! Wash your face, apply LG with cotton pad, eye cream, and go to bed! Simplicity is what I craved when my skin broke out incessantly!

隔晚使用, 洗面後把這個倒在化妝棉, 再搽在面上, 不須任何護膚程序 (起初不太信), 便可睡覺! 我只塗了 eye cream 便睡覺了. 第2天醒來, 皮膚有一半以上地方變平滑了. 我在 beautybay.com 買的, zuneta.com 亦有售.

Tom Ford Black Orchid EDP - I bought this without a sniff beforehand, just based on the reviews online. After my first spritz, I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE THIS SCENT!! It's a very mysterious, strong, bold, and yet feminine scent. I'm not too sure what goes inside the bottle notes and the making of Black Orchid, but the perfume makers and Tom Ford has got it right!!! The scent really lingers still after 8 hours, which is AMAZING. None of my other EDPs really can compare in terms of longevity. The first time I wore it in office, my boss actually came and asked me what scent I"m wearing. To me, it's a very special scent which not only the girl in me loved. Black Orchid is bold, loud, and sexy. 

Tom Ford Black Orchid 香氛 - 買的時候未聞過 (網購的), 一聞了就不得了, 我完全愛上了這個味道! 我不再鍾情微花香, 果香那些了. 不太清楚入面的調子是如何構成的, 但都不再重要了. 這個絕對不是為喜歡 "淡香氛" 的人而設的, 我則十萬個喜愛, 因它味道很出位, 很sexy, 很有女人味, 連我老闆都忍唔住問我噴左乜, 話佢會買番支. 

That's all for my sharing, have you found any favourite products lately? What are they?

你近來有發現甚麼 products 令你愛不釋手嗎?

Daily staples I can't live without (Spring 2012)

It has been quite a while I have posted about my monthly/seasonal favorites - forgive me for the absence. But this time I'm back with even more promising products, which have earned a daily staple status in my beauty routine. I tried my best to short list them down to the products I use to create a 'minimum' face - that is, the minimal number of items I have been using lately for my to-go look. As I'm always in a rush, eyeshadows are a bonus instead of essential. 

My new beauty toy: EOS lip balm in Lemon Drop SPF 15 review//我的美容新寵兒 - EOS潤唇膏

Thanks to Justine who gave me this EOS lip balm, I've been addicted to its smell and its er...funny packaging. The flavour I got is Lemon Drop, the only flavour which comes with SPF 15 (bonus points for that!). The balm is packaged in a spherical shape and I keep bouncing and playing with it.

首先感謝Justine寄了這個EOS潤唇膏給我, 從此我對它的味道 + 特別包裝上癮了. 我手上的味道是檸檬味, 還有防曬 SPF 15. 這個乒乓球狀的潤唇膏實在太好玩了, 我拿在手中不停拋. 哈哈

Monthly Favourites (Feb 2011) // 每月至愛產品

February has not been a very inspiring month. I didn't get to put on much makeup, didn't buy that much makeup, in general, it has been boring, haha! As you can probably see from the picture below, not many makeup products are being featured, but I figured I would do a monthly round-up post like this every month :P So here you go.

From left to right:

Carmex Healing Cream - my whole family has been swearing by this hand cream. I've never had chapped hands this winter, and I noticed my mom's hands are better than what they used to be during winter. This hand cream gets all the endorsement from my family! Mom even said this is going to run out soon, I said, it's not available in Hong Kong, haha!! This cream absorbs extremely quickly - the slippery feeling would disappear in 10 seconds max and your hands are good to go.

DHC Cleansing Oil - This is probably my 4th bottle of cleansing oil from DHC. Yes it is a tad bit more expensive than usual ones (Orbis, Fancl, etc) but the volume is slightly larger too! I've tried everything from Fancl, Bobbi Brown, Shu Uemura, Orbis, Dove, Jill Stuart...and I always come back to this. This removes makeup pretty well but I always use a separate eye makeup remover for mascaras. Got this when the local drugstore are having BOGOF, hope they'll do it again soon!

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in #Natural Gloss - Got this from a swap with a colleague during summer. At first I found this sheer (Clinique website says so too), but I've grown to LOVE this color. It's perfect for the MLBB (My Lips But Better) look, and the formula/texture is DIVINE. Hands down the smoothest and most buttery lipstick I've ever tried, period. This shade is no longer available in the existing lipstick range I believe.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips Lipgloss in #Zena - Received this from a giveaway I've won from Fruity Lashes. My first BE lipgloss and I'm addicted to the shade! This gloss gives my lips a cooling sensation that lasts for 2 hours minimum, and plumps my lips, making them look fuller! Sadly this shade is discontinued and I got this in a Bare Escentuals Kit. The size of this mini gloss is rather small, like 2ml and I can see myself going through this quickly.

Sara Happ The Lip Slip One Luxe Balm - Got this lip balm a year ago from a giveaway. It heals my chapped lips when I was freezing in European weather (-31 degrees in Sweden and Norway), I swear by this if you have chapped lips, one jar lasts forever (15 grams) and you only need a tiny tiny bit when applying because it blends and spreads like butter. I put this jar next to my bed so I get to use it before sleep every night and wakeup with hydrated lips ♥ This product is pretty difficult to get hold of but you can buy this here. I checked with a local retailer in Hong Kong and they only stock the lip scrub, boo!

從左至右：

Carmex Healing Cream - 整個冬天全家都在使用它. 香港沒有出售 Carmex的潤手霜, 只有護唇膏. 今個冬天我從未有爆擦既手出現過, 留意到媽媽用了這支hand cream之後對手好左好多, 佢同我講: 就快用晒喇! 我話: 香港無得賣呢 ~.~

DHC Cleansing Oil - 應該係我第4支黎喇, 雖然較貴, 但size都唔少. 用過好多隻 (Fancl, Bobbi Brown, Shu Uemura, Orbis, Jill Stuart), 始終覺得呢支最岩我. 早排見到買1送1.

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick #Natural Gloss - 暑假時和同事swap番來, 全新的. 起初覺得唔出色, 但漸漸喜歡了它淡淡既顏色, 最岩造 "My lips but better" 既look. 最抵讚係佢既質感, 好滑, 好smooth, 好似搽牛油咁, 可惜呢隻顏色好似沒有得賣了.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips Lipgloss #Zena - 從Fruity Lashes收到既其中一份禮物, 我第一件Bare Escentuals (BE) 既妝品. 超喜歡這隻粉紅色, 搽完會有極度冰涼既感覺 (維持超過2小時都feel到), 令嘴唇更飽滿. 可惜#Zena係限定色, 這支又係迷你版.

Sara Happ The Lip Slip One Luxe Balm - 舊年去歐洲時我用黎發誓既lip balm! 係零下31度我既嘴唇無爆裂就係因為佢 ♥ 15 grams有排都用唔完. 我而家會擺佢係床邊, 臨訓前搽, 起身時嘴唇都好潤. 之前JOYCE有得賣的, 但現在好似只有lip scrub賣, 沒有這個了.

What are your favourite products in February? Share in the comments below :) and if you have done a post about it, feel free to drop the link to your post, I love knowing what others like to use!

Project 30-days results + giveaway WINNER!

About a month ago, I started this project 30-days (post here). Now it's time for the results!

I realized the pics are taken at different times and it's hard to adjust the lighting and the angle, size LOL......sorry about that!

First we have....

a small but noticeable tip in the Canmake Cream Highlighter. I used it for highlighting the brow bone and nose bridge.

Next we have my everyday powder foundation: Benefit Hello Flawless in Honey. Wow the pan's diameter enlarged XD!
Length of Urban Decay Bourbon eyeliner has gone a bit shorter when compared to the unsharpened/untouched Zero:
Ettusais loose powder. I can't really judge how far this has been consumed within one month...the results aren't significant eh? I applied with a powder puff, maybe that's why? (since a puff takes up less product than a brush through the sift?)

One of my HG blush: Cargo Blu-Ray HD blush/highlighter in pink shimmer (i believe...). Blush surface has been disturbed even more in the middle, in real life a tiny tiny dip is beginning to form...it didn't show up much on pictures though :/ The latter pic is more similar to the original thing in terms of color.
Marc Jacobs EDP:
Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand cream. Whee it's getting less product inside. I use this only at night before sleep.
Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver balm - completely finished yay! (previous review here)
Jill Stuart Day Care Essence - a month ago there are about 10 uses left, same as the Dior lip glow I chose these two to include in the project because 1) they're the easiest to finish up; 2) can't wait for them to be gone/binned. XD I have used this Day Care Essence as a primer (with SPF) for about half a year, although not regularly. This should be long gone by 4-5 months of uses.
My thoughts on project 30-days:

It's easy to stick with the same foundation, primer, eyeliner, hand cream, highlighter, perfume; yet it's not the case with blushes, lip products and loose powder. If you have a huge stash, it's even more difficult! I found that I can stick to a blush for at most 3 days (unless you have determination and self-discipline of a saint, haha) but after that my hands tend to *drift* towards the others (oh well but I didn't!). It's freaking hard to stick to the same blush :/ especially when you have too many to choose from XD With lip products it's the same case, it's hard to stick to one item when you don't like it in the first place!

I would continue sticking to the same powder foundation, concealer and hand cream, but that's all LOL.

p.s. I just remembered I forgot to take a pic of the Canmake concealer! The tube itself is opaque so it's hard to judge how much it has in the beginning/after 30 days. I'm going to stick to that concealer until it's completely used up/dried up. I am even thinking of dismantling it like people do to their UDPP, but not sure how to cut through the tube -.-.

On another note, the giveaway winner is.....*throws confetti*

fleur!

Congrats hun! Please email me your info and details within 48 hours :)

Thanks to you all who participated!! ^_^

Blogger Meetup with Georgina from Coffretgorge!

Can I start this post by saying: You totally spoiled me Georgina!!!

Yesterday Georgina from Coffretgorge and I met up, and we went to "shorten her shopping list". LOL. She was very thoughtful to know my birthday is coming up in a month's time and brought me so many goodies! We also arranged a swap hence the bunch of things you see here. I left out a few items at home and by the time I got home last night I remembered I forgot to bring along the mask she wanted! Stupid me -_-

She got me the Goatmilk body lotion I was looking for on my wishlist (OMG I didn't know people read that page!!), a beauty essence/serum from Etude house, Korres Lip Butter (been wanting to try Korres for agesssss!), Kanebo loose powder in a separate jar ;), Lunasol eyeshadow palette, a lip and cheek tint, Coffret D'or glitter liner, a seashell-shaped compact mirror, and an orange(!!!) blush from The Face shop!

THANKYOU SO MUCH George!

We went to Cle de Peau to try their famous concealer stick, and we had the SA to try on our eyes. The coverage was GREAT even though she applied a thin layer, I think I'm sold on that concealer *_* I didn't get it but Georgina did, and the SA gave each of us a sample of their cream foundation!
Thanks to George for helping me to pick this shade, I got the Shu Uemura blush in M Pink 33C as well *argh, more blushes?!?!*

On the left: Shu Uemura M Pink 33C. On the right: my HG lilac blush from Benefit "I Lotused You Looking". You probably can figure out why I bought the Shu blush now, hehe I was looking for a dupe of the Benefit one (will do a separate post on that later).

After putting the two side by side, although the Shu isn't as lilac as Benefit, but it swatched nicely in the store haha!!

Are you getting anything from the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales :D?

happy thanksgiving xx

Products I'm digging into this month + giveaway note

While I was reading this post on MWS, I figured it'd be interesting to see how makeup products will turn after intensive use within a month XD This is because I never finish anything, with the exception of mascaras being tossed because they passed their date of 4-5 months. The closest I've come to finishing a product is with sunscreen-primers (I only use primers with SPF and also use as sunscreen alone). You're supposed to wear sunscreen everyday so this doesn't really count I guess? The second closest occasion is hitting pan on 2 foundation compacts, and one concealer - that's the *only* items I've hit pan on. I have way too much blushes, eyeshadows and the like so none of them gets regular love. *shame*

And I picked the following items:

- CARGO Blu-Ray High Definition Blush/Highlighter in Pink (HG!)

- Canmake Cover & Stretch Concealer UV #02 (HG!) (previous review here)

- Canmake Cream Highlighter

- Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Bourbon (HG!)

- Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

- Marc Jacobs Eau de Parfum

- YSL False Lash Effect Sample in Black

- Dior Lip Glow (previous review here)

- Jill Stuart Day Care Essence (transferred into a small jar due to small amount remaining)

- Ettusais Medicated Acne-control loose powder

- Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation in Honey (HG!)

Phew, picking which items for this month is not an easy task! I recently 'shopped' my stash and took out Benefit Hello Flawless and it was my HG powder foundation up to now, and since I've hit a medium-sized pan on it, I want to see a larger pan XD. Choosing eyeliner is the easiest - black liners look too harsh on me, browns are perfect for everyday use if I can't switch. Canmake concealer is my HG and I've been using it for almost a year (easier to finish up?) so that's definitely on the list. Canmake cream highlighter is included because application is fast, and it contains so little product so easier to hit pan on LOL! Jill Stuart primer - needless to say, only 6-7 uses left, the tube was already dismantled by me, HAH! Ettusais loose powder because it's been used for more than a year (O_o just realized up to this point) and seems never be able to finish it. YSL mascara sample because it flakes and smudges in my undereye area - throwing it away is kind of wasteful...(let's see how long I can tolerate this mascara). Dior Lip Glow is chosen since only 1cm of the product is left in the tube and I disliked this product so much and wanted to use it up. Marc Jacobs EDP is a signature perfume of mine and the scent is perfect for fall and winter. Since winter is approaching and I often reach for hand creams, so it's included. Eyeshadows are left out because I don't wear eyeshadows often.

The hardest part was choosing which blush to use...finally CARGO Blu-Ray blush was chosen because I love the formula - it applies dreamily like melting butter (short for words...). And the blush changes color according to your skin or lighting I think...so much fun to see it show up in different hues of pink everytime! :D

Before heading to bed - please meet this fellow:

They're the new glasses I got. These are the first pair of thick-framed glasses I have. And why am I digging it this month? 'Cause November is the season for assignments, revisions and exams!

Have you had similar experiences of choosing particular makeup products and tell yourself to use it intensively? How did it go? How do you choose which products to include?

p.s. In case you haven't, check out my giveaway here :)

Review: Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm SPF 10

Today I am reviewing a recently recruited item in my makeup stash, here it is: Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm,

It comes with a rectangular cap (which is kind of bulky to me). I like the pinkish tube but I don't like the shape of it. You can pull the tube in and out from the cap with a click. The tube itself is very slender, the end of it has a "CD" imprint on it. When you twist and reveal the lip glow comes out. It's a very milky pink kind of color, but it is not pigmented at all. You will see why in the pics below which I swatched it on my arm. The color is similar to the kind of pink you see on the cap! It reminds me of those lip balms for kids. And it SMELLS EXACTLY the same as those junior lip balms. It carries a vanilla taste, with tiny tiny tiny touch of mint, if your nose is sensitive enough to detect it. The smell is very faint, though.

Now on to the swatch. Sorry about the quality of the pictures, it's really hard to focus on that tiny swatch, plus, this balm doesn't really show any color although it is called a Color Reviver Balm. To give you an idea of what it is, on the Sephora site it is called ''A color-awakening lip balm with SPF 10." Its function: "Dior Addict Lip Glow responds to the color chemistry of your lips to create a shade that is uniquely yours. Smooth it on to moisturize, add sun protection, and enhance your natural lip color. "

So, you see why there's not much of color showing up when you swatch, because it will react with your body chemistry to create a color.

I tried swatching on a napkin (Tip: I suggest the same when you swatch blushes at counters, because they show up really pigmented in napkin papers than on arm/skin, it makes comparison between blushes easier.) and it came out like a florescent, fuschia kind of pink (I swear the color is like that when swatched on a paper).

Before application of the Lip Glow:

After application:

This picture makes it look like there's shimmer/glitter in the balm but there's none, it's only the sunshine makes it looks shiny.

Another shot from below:

Although the color of my lips imparted by this lip glow is fairly light, but in real life it turned my lips into fuschia pink! I don't hate fuschia pink, but it certainly doesn't match my skin shade. My friend commented on it as 'a little bit dark to go along with the rest of my face'. For your reference I am a NC25. While it looks nice in pictures, I swear I don't like the color shown up after reacting with my body chemistry. I tried using this lip glow in different hours during the day to see if the color changes, but they turned out to be the same.

In terms of consistency, I would give it a 'poor'. It lasted no more than 30 minutes on my lips. It doesn't really moisturize my lips, unlike the Lip Balm by Sara Happ I reviewed earlier on. This Dior Lip Glow doesn't stay, so it doesn't offer comprehensive sun protection (how does it protect when it doesn't last?).

The only good thing about this lip glow is: the SPF 10. While the degree of protection isn't high enough, it's better than most balms/glosses out there which do not offer any sun protection at all. At the value of almost 27 Euros (22 Euros if you purchase at Duty Free), it only carries 3.5 grams of product and roughly not more than 3cm long (when fully twisted upwards). I would say, make a pass on this one and get something which can last longer!

Summary:

Pros:

- carries SPF

- sounds high-tech since the balm will react with your lips' chemistry to create a unique color

Cons:

- bulky to put in a purse

- SPF not high enough for someone like me (I prefer SPF higher than 20 at least, for lips)

- expensive for the small amount of product you get

- the color generated might not match the rest of your look

- doesn't last me more than 30 minutes

- doesn't moisturize either

Buh-byes and WELCOME TO...

Hi ladies! In this post I will be saying goodbyes to the products which I finished using and will be going to the bin. They are:

Benefit That Gal Primer
Benefit BadGal Blue Mascara
Clinique All About Eyes Rich (deluxe sample size)
Clinique Clarifying Lotion/Toner (travel size)


The Benefit primer is nothing special, I just like the smell of it and the pinkish tone (which really brightens up my complexion), but nothing more. I finished 2-3 tubes of this primer (coz it's really really tiny) and somehow I feel this product is more for winter, as I have the sticky feeling when applied in humid/warm weather. Since this primer does not have SPF, I tried applying sunscreen before hand and it didn't work with this primer, there were tiny particles (like the kind of suds you get from rubbing an eraser on a paper, eww) falling off my face. Therefore I prefer primers with high SPF. Bye-bye, That Gal Primer!

(oh and did I mention that my bf likes to play with this empty tube just because it sounds and looks like those machines you get your minced beef/pork from? lol)

Concerning the blue mascara, I was in the blue-eyed phase and I got this mascara brand new from a swap. I heard that blue mascara will enhance the contrast between the black and the white parts of your eye, it performed okay for this purpose. But this mascara weighed down my curled lashes (-.-) so I can't see any difference in terms of lengthening and volumizing. I won't be purchasing it in the future.

For the Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream, I finished 3 full size of this cream before, and this is a deluxe sample size I bring along for short trips. While I do not notice that much of a difference after use, but until I find the ultimate HG eye cream, I am settling on this one. This cream moisturizes the under eye area, and if you find the "All About Eyes Rich" formula a bit thick, you can try the watery formula called "All About Eyes" I think. I still have another deluxe sample size with me and I aim to empty this jar before I return to Hong Kong. Yay for more luggage space!

This clarifying lotion ( I prefer to call these toners) from Clinique has an overwhelming alcohol smell which makes me dizzy, I had to hold my breath while applying it with cotton puffs. I remembered the SA telling me to use cotton balls and pat on the skin, but anyhow, my skin felt cleaned (like sanitized kind of clean) after using. It works at clearing the dead skins on my face I believe, but due to the smell I won't be buying this formula. I also tried the toner without alcohol by Clinique, but I forgot how it was (like 3 years ago). Since then I switched to the CLEAR line from Orbis, the toner from this line was raved by many Japanese girls, because it has a special ingredient in it to help fading acne marks.

In this post I also wish to say a huge welcome to... Dior Addict Lip Glow with SPF 10! This is my first lipstick like thingy in my life, I don't really use lipsticks (thankgod my obsession with lipsticks hasn't started). This Lip Glow is more like a lip balm for me, only better, with SPF 10. I also noticed they claimed this lip balm will adjust into a shade that is unique on your lips according to body chemistry? This sounds like Smashbox's O-glow to me.

Please share your thoughts on this lip glow :)

This balm heals my lips like no other - Review: The Lip Slip One Luxe Balm by Sara Happ

Today I will be reviewing (Yes! finally!) a lip balm by Sara Happ. The picture above comes from the official website, and below is the picture taken by me.

"The Lip Slip - One Luxe Balm" is a sister to "The Lip Scrub" which has many flavours to choose from. This lip balm is housed into a cute litte golden cardboard box which reflects light, the box gives a feeling of luxury. lol. The balm, is in candy-floss pink color with tiny golden shimmer in it.

FYI, the official website says: " the lip slip® is the latest from Sara Happ, creator of the cult favorite lip scrub line. A balm like no other, the lip slip® leaves no color, just the richest, glossiest hydration imaginable. Wear it all day. Wear it overnight. Results are immediate. We’d have it no other way."

Features of this lip balm: "Infused with Sweet Almond, Jojoba & Macadamia nut oils."

The inspiration for this lip balm comes from "The supple feel of a shimmery gold YSL calfskin bag. A bottle of Coco Chanel Mademoiselle. Your favorite camisole; soft, sweet, nude, girly

and grand. The world doesn’t need another lip balm. It needs the right one. Slip into this."

The balm smells like dessert and I adore the texture! It feels like butter, only better. It resembles the Nutella chocolate cream you use on bread with a spatula. it isn't sticky at all, and I use it during day and night and this thing heals my chapped lips like no other in a weather of -4 degrees celcius. My lips are fully hydrated and I can still feel the balm when I woke up (a sign of long-lastingness!). It doesn't give a tint or color on my lips, which is always a plus as I prefer nude lips. 15 grams in a jar might not be much, but you only need a tiny dip of your finger each time to spread it on your lips. This jar will last me for a year I reckon.

Here's a picture of the sheen and hydration this balm imparted on my lips, can you feel the smoothness and buttery-ness of the texture? Yum....

This balm is sold at USD $24 with 15g in the jar. If I ever run out of it, I will surely buy it again. Right now, I'm more interested to try its sister - The Lip Scrub. If I'm correct, the balm and the scrub are available only online at its official website!