Rants... and a word on my new bb cream

Hello!
Today I got the blues... So if you want to skip my ranting, it's totally fine!
Topic number one: shoes.
Yes, I feel like I need new shoes. I haven't been shopping for shoes like in ages. I went to the mall the other day but the mall sucks. No luck in finding my perfect new pair. I'm sad :(
I don't have many in my collection, though. Most of my shoes are flats and they're kind of losing their appeal to me now. The problem with flats are they tend to get too comfy for me. Every time I bought myself a new pair, I'd be wearing them non stop (especially to school). They'll be worn out in no time! On the other hand, heels tend to stick around in my collection a bit longer. I've had my favorite wedges for almost a year and a half and they're still in a good shape. Ever since I saw that Steve Madden pumps the other day, I keep repeating it in my mind that I should be wearing heels more, especially when I go out with my girls. You know, they look really sexy when on. But I'm 170cm (5'6") already to begin with, I will look gigantic when I wear them. I am taller than most of my girl friends and am only about 4 centimeters shorter than my boyfriend. I definitely will look taller than my boyfriend when I wear pumps, he told me he didn't mind (oh how I love him dearly) but still, do you think he really means it? :/
Don't worry, he normally doesn't read this blog. Lol.

Number two: outift of the days?
So I received a request to do outfit of the day posts. I'm like, okay, I can do that. But, seriously, I am casually dressed most of the time. Shorts, skinny jeans, t-shirts, camis... nothing fancy. I don't read fashion magazines nor watch the Gossip Girls. Lol. I buy/wear anything that is comfy and (I think) looks good on me. I am now contemplating to invest more on clothes rather than on makeup because that's what NORMAL girls would do over here. I don't have many girl friends who's obsessed with makeup like me. And one more thing, this blog is meant for my makeup ramblings, so I don't know if I can put the OOTDs into realization soon. I'm flattered by the request though, thanks! I'll consider it. :)

Number three: pimples.
They kept coming like nightmares. I know what's causing it! I've been staying up late and didn't get enough sleep. I've been eating right though. I eat my vegs and fruits. I drink fruit juices like once per two days. Been thinking to get more exercise but damn that laziness! My blogger pal Mirna went to KL and asked me if I want to buy something. I couldn't think of anything at that moment so I just asked her for bio oils and rimmel lipsticks. Lol. Gosh, you guys in Malaysia got more product options than we do here!

Number four: my cat is sleeping on my underwear bin right now. Hahaha. He's a pervy little kitty. He's lifting up my mood, thank God for that.



Number five: the new bb cream is not that good.
Yes I got myself a new bb cream. It is Hanskin Premium Magic BB cream. I got a sample of this product months ago from purchasing my Skin79 hotpink label bb cream. I tried it out and fell in love with it. This bb cream hides my redness like no other. That's why I'm getting the full size tube. BUT, after a while I notice that this bb cream (when worn alone) makes me look extra SHINY and ashy after just a few hours of application. So I have to layer it with mineral foundation. I was hoping that I could wear this bb cream and finishing dust/veil alone for everyday wear (so I can use my mineral foundations sparingly and therefore, save more money to buy other things rather than foundations) but oh well, didn't turn out as I planned.

Rant's over. Let's enjoy the rest of Monday!

My Eye Makeup Brushes

OK, this is such a long overdue post! I'm sorry.
This was requested by Fanny. She wants to know what makeup brushes I use for my EOTDs. The truth is... I don't own any fancy eye brushes. Yep, sorry to disappoint you! Up until now, I've only been using cheap brushes, no high end brands whatsoever. Maybe someday I'll jump into the MAC brushes bandwagon, but for now, I can live with my current brushes. Let's just get started, shall we?

LID BRUSHES
(click pics to enlarge)

1. Cosmeup small chisel brush
Cosmeup is a Japanese brand. I have no idea if it's available in your part of the world but in Indonesia, their products are available in most department store (I got mine from Centro). I forgot how much it cost me but I think it's not more than 40,000 rupiahs (don't be fooled by the number of 0's, it's only around $4. Lol). This is my first ever eye makeup brush! I have rather small lids so this is just perfect for detail placement of color. It picks on the color pretty good, especially for pan eyeshadows. The bristles are not that soft, only so-so. I've had this brush for almost a year now, so no wonder that some of the hair's coming up already. I still love this brush and use it regularly, though. It's my trustworthy partner! :)


2. Coastal Scents Chisel Fluff/Pointed Crease Duet
What I like about this brush is that it's multipurpose; definitely my first pick for traveling. It's pretty small so if you have big eye lids, you might not like it. The bristles are only so-so too, not too soft but they don't feel too scratchy either. I like applying lid color with this brush, especially when I'm working with loose pigments. This is available on coastalscents.com for US$ 3,15. I'm going to talk about the other side of the brush later on. So keep reading!


3. Makeupshow 8E 07
This one is pretty new in my brush collection. I have no idea where this brush was made, I ordered it from an Indonesian online shop. You can check her blogshop over here. She's selling all kinds of makeup brushes, many of them are MAC dupes. I think this one I got is a dupe for MAC 239 but I don't have MAC 239 so I can't do a comparison. It's a fantastic brush overall. I like this for picking up pan eyeshadows, it packs on good amount of color and it feels really soft when you pat it onto your eyelids. It looks luxurious and feels durable too in my hands. I've washed it twice and no shedding! :)

CREASE BRUSHES

1. Coastal Scents Chisel Fluff/Pointed Crease Duet
This is the other side of the Coastal Scents brush I described earlier. This is a rather small crease brush with pointy end. I think it works best for people with small eye lids. I use this to apply darker eyeshadow to make my crease look deeper. So I pick this up almost all the time when I decided to do smokey eye looks. The bristles are soft, although the cutting is pretty blunt.


2. Life & Companion Crease Brush
Life & Companion is also a Japanese brand. I got this from Centro Department Store but forgot how much exactly it cost. I think it was around US$4 or maybe even less. This brush is definitely bigger than the Coastal Scent's one and is very dense! It's great for concentrating a certain color on the outer crease area. But I have to be careful when using it. It picks a good amount of color because of its density. There were times when I tend to ruin the whole look by putting too much black eyeshadow with this brush. Lol.



BLENDING & HIGHLIGHTING BRUSHES

1. Makeupshow 7S 01 Blending Brush
I use this brush to blend the harsh lines and sometimes to blend my browbone highlight to the crease. It is definitely one of my favorites. The bristles are soft and the cutting is really nice. I ordered Elf blending brush but I haven't received my package yet. I'll compare this with the Elf one once I got my package (heard a lot of raves on the Elf blending brush!). So far, I am very satisfied with this brush. No shedding or anything.


2. Life & Companion Eye Blending Brush
I mostly use this to apply and blend the highlight color on my browbone area. It's not my favorite brush though. I won't recommend getting this as the bristles are a bit scratchy and it sheds a little after I washed it for the first time. Price is around US$3 on Centro Department Store (it was on sale for 20% off at that time, that's why I decided to pick it up. Lol)


3. No-brand Japanese eye makeup chisel brush
Actually, this does have a brand. But I forgot what it is! Lol. I didn't really pay attention because as far as I remember, it was all Japanese writings on the packaging. I've had this for almost a year. It's my favorite brush to use for applying highlight color onto my browbone area. It's wide enough to do the job fast and the soft, floppy bristles don't tend to apply too much color. I can use this to blend my eyeshadows together too but sometimes it's just too soft and floppy for that job. I also got this from Centro Department Store for about US$5. Look at the pretty clear handle! :)


4. Makeupshow 7E 06 Small Shader Brush
I use this to apply highlight color on more precise areas like the inner corner of my eyes. Sometimes I use this to apply color on my lower lashlines as well. It's dense and well, small, so it's perfect for the job. I love it for being multi-functional!



OTHER BRUSHES I FREQUENTLY USE

1. No-brand Korean-made Synthetic Brushes
I got these brushes from an eBay Hong Kong seller. They came in 12 pcs brush set (including face brushes). These brushes are very dense and stiff. They're not my first picks to put on my loose eyeshadow with (they suck at that!). BUT, they are great for applying and blending cream shadows/gel liner/or any kind of creamy/liquidy base you use! I even use this to blend my NYX jumbo eye shadow pencil on my lid instead of using my fingers. I use the smallest one for blending my eyeliner too sometimes to make the smokey eye effect. Be gentle with these babies though, they're not very durable. I got 4 of them before but I broke one. Lol. I felt like a superwoman when that happened. :D

2. Coastal Scents Taklon Angled Eyeliner Brush
This is what I use to apply my gel eyeliner and it's just a so-so brush. After a few washes, it tends to get scratchy for me. I've had it for only a few months, but the hair's coming up already! I'm thinking of replacing this with something else soon.

3. No-brand department store angled brush
Again, a brush I bought from Centro. This is really cheap. I think it will only cost you around US$2 (or less!). I use this brush to apply my eye brow color and NOT my eyeliner. Why? Because it's too big and too coarse to apply my eyeliner with. I've had this for a while and it's still as good as new.

So that's about my eye makeup brushes. See? Nothing fancy! Oh and I have to add that sometimes I still use the eyeshadow sponges that come with eyeshadow palettes. I don't throw them away. I use them to apply or blend color on my lower lashlines since they have kinda pointy shape so they're OK for the job. Last but not least, I hope this post would be helpful.

That's it and Happy Sunday! :)

*PS:

RANDOMNESS ALERT!!!

I had to stop writing this post the moment "Sleep on Needles" by Sondre Lerche popped out on my iTunes. OMG, you girls should check him out! He's amazing! I first knew him from Dan in Real Life's Original Soundtrack when he did a duet with Regina Spektor. It turns out he's been in the music industry for quite a while back. I don't know why I didn't discover his music sooner! I guess it's because he's European (Norwegian, to be exact) so his previous albums weren't released in Indonesia? But I heard that they release his latest album over here, so you bet I'm going to get myself a copy!! :D

Where I Put My Bronzer/Blush/Highlighter

Quick update!
First of all, Happy Eid for fellow Muslims and Happy Thanksgiving for my American ladies! I've been eating a lot today and just celebrating this 3 days weekend. Lol. Ain't it great to have more days off? :)

I went out with the boyfriend to the mall yesterday. Got some stuff (clothes, mainly) but haven't gotten around to take pics and all. I saw a very lovely pair of pumps from Steve Madden too but they didn't have my size. Oh well, that always happens to me whenever I find a perfect pair of shoes. It's OK though, maybe those shoes aren't meant to be mine (I'm actually grumbling inside, lol).

So anyway, the purpose of this post is just to quickly show you where I put my bronzer/blush/highlighter. I got asked about that a lot by the girls over the forum I joined, so I made a graph for you girls. :)

Please do remember that this is how I do it. You don't have to do it my way. What I know is that you should apply the bronzer to the areas of the face that are normally tanned by the sun (forehead, nose, chin). Don't overdo it though, 'cause you don't want to look too made up. You don't have to always wear bronzer, especially if you don't have enough time to do it in the morning. It's really optional. Although, for me, I have to wear it or else I'll feel like something's missing.

click for a full resolution :)

The areas with green circles are where I usually put my bronzer on. I used flash on my pics so I'm afraid my bronzer doesn't really show on these pics. They do make a difference in real life, though. I apply my bronzer with a powder brush. It's a no-brand brush that I got as a gift. You can also use blush brush or angled blush brush to put on your bronzer with. Begin with sweeping motions with the brush at the top of the forehead working down the nose and the chin. Just apply it very lightly and build the color very gradually.

I went for a smokey purple with pinks on my lid and nude beige-y lips yesterday. Here's what I used on my face:

• ROC soothing reparator
• NYX concealer in a jar in medium
  
• Maybelline mineral foundation
• Ciel Minerals veil
• NYX mosaic powder in Truth (bronzer)
• NYX mosaic powder in Paradise (blush)
• Palgantong lavender powder (highlighter)

On lips:

• NYX lip pencil in Natural
• LA colors tube lipgloss in Butterscotch
  

On eyes:

• UDPP
• NYX jumbo e/s pencil in "strawberry milk"
• UD e/s in Sphynx, AC/DC, Sellout
  
• NYX e/s in Luxor
• MAC pigment in Dark Soul
• NYX pencil eyeliner (Couldn't find my UD zero at the moment!)
• Fashion eyelashes from Trendy (it's a Japanese brand, I think. lol)

That's it. Hope I help a lil bit. Haha. Have fun this weekend, y'all! :)

Purple Gold Eyes :)

Hello!
How was everyone's weekend? Mine was just okay... I didn't go outside since it's been raining hard and some of the roads near my place are flooded. Whackkk :(

But at least on Saturday night I had a movie marathon with the boyfriend complete with the fatty snack and soda. We saw The Taking of Pelham 123 and The Negotiator. I almost fell asleep during The Negotiator. Not my fault though! That movie is so predictable. The Taking is a lot better in my opinion, although it has a rather poor ending. Geez, Denzel Washington is still damn fine, don't you think? Heheheh XD

So anyway, onto makeup related stuff... I went a lil crazy with online shopping these days. I'm waiting for quite a lot of packages right now. Elf, Urban Decay, NYX, my Hanskin Premium BB cream, and recently I just placed an order on Heavenly Naturals. I bought 15 mineral pigment samples from them (have you seen their pigments? they're simply gorgeous!) and added 1 tube of mineral lipgloss in my order. All for only about US$ 30 (including shipping to Indonesia). This package is going to be sent to a very kind blogger friend of mine who lives in Jakarta. Thank you Mirna! I can't wait to receive my package now. By sending it to Jakarta, my package will arrive A LOT faster. It might only take 2 weeks to arrive TOPS, while it usually takes more than a month IF I got them sent straight to my own address in Yogyakarta. Weird, huh?

Off to my EOTN, I went for a purple-gold look tonight! Ain't it pretty? I really like how it turns out. Hope y'all do too :)

I used my Coastal Scents 26 combo palette for this look. I must admit that this palette has been out of my radar for quite some time. This is a great palette though. The shadows are pigmented and easy to work with. I got no complain... aside from the fact that it has no good highlight color. lol.

I numbered the shadows I used on this look. And here's the rest of the stuff I used:
~UDPP
~Urban Decay 24/7 in "zero"
~NYX e/s in "Nude" & UPM in "Mink Pearl" for browbone highlights
~Maybelline Volum' Express mascara

I checked my eyeshadows after 4 hours of application and no creasing. The eyeshadows were still intact. Fantastic, huh?

Alright ladies, I guess that's it for today's post. Have a great day, everyone!

Shop N' Chomp & Dina's Giveaways :)

Shop N' Chomp's Giveaway
click picture to enter




Dina's 100th Follower's Giveaway
Click picture to enter

new addition to my skincare routine

Just a quick update!
It's Saturday morning and I'm supposed to do some house chores and brush cleansing but I don't feel like doing 'em! Lol.

Lazy me.

Anyhoo.
I received Dr Jart+ Pore-X Mineral Mask in the mail yesterday and I plan to use it tomorrow for the first time. I'll do a review on it maybe after a couple time of uses.


This mask is one of those deep pore cleansing + sebum controlling masks. It claims to minimize the size and appearance of the pores, to cleans out embedded debris (lol that's what it says on the packaging), and of course to make your skin feels clean and smooth instantly after using.

Sounds good enough? No?
I bought it mainly because I was just looking for a good deep cleansing staple in my once-in-a-week skincare routine. I've been using Garnier Pure Self Heating Mask for that job and it doesn't seem to be working AT ALL. Every time I use it, and tone my face afterwards, I still see a little amount of dirts on the cotton balls... I didn't see much improvement from using it either. So yeah, I stopped using it.

And, last but not least, in the attempt to make this post to feel more makeup related, I decided to include my yesterday's EOTD:


Another brown-neutral EOTD! Easy peasy 5 mins eye makeup because the boyfriend looked very inpatient. Lol.

What I used:

• UDDP
• NYX Jumbo e/s pencil in "Milk"
  
• Jane e/s in "Brazil Nut"
  
• Earthen Glow Minerals e/s pigment in "Late Autumn"
• NYX e/s in "Nude" & "Dark Brown" from the TS-03 trio
• NYX ultra pearl mania pigment in "Nude Pearl"
• Coastal Scents Gel eyeliner in "True Black"
• UD 24/7 liner in "Zero"
• Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost mascara.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! :)

Fab Giveaways!

I haven't been entering giveaways for a while but now I decided to test my luck again! Don't hesitate to join in too. Good luck, girls!

~ PRINCESA LIVIA'S First Giveaway~


Sleek Paletts! Must be nice to win these!! I'm such a sucker for palettes :D
Click here to join.



~Dainty*Dollymix's 50 Follower Giveaway~

Prizes are: Barry M Nail paint in 'cyan blue 294', Revlon Fantasy lengths self adhesive eyelashes, Rimmel colour palette with 6 eyeshadows, 1 powder blusher & 4 lipglosses. Click here to join.

~ Mommy Fabulous' WELCOME TO THE BLOG WORLD GIVEAWAY~
She's giving out fabulous MAC goodies! Click here to join.

~ Nancy Lauren's Love Spread Contest~
Another fabulous MAC goodies! Click here to join.




~ Maria's Early Xmas Giveaway~
You get to pick between 2 packages! A lot of yummy stuff to win! Click here to join.

Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer Review

Hello ladies!

I’ve been asked about my must have beauty items and today I will show you one of them. Yes, it’s a body moisturizer!

I live in a tropical country and when it comes to body, my skin is drier than a desert. That’s not a good combination at all. I find it hard to choose a good body moisturizer. Some are too sticky in this humid part of the world, but some are not moisturizing enough for my skin. Not to mention, I basically live in my air-conditioned room, so skipping moisturizer is a big no for me. I’ll get dry patches on my feet, knees, and elbows if I do that.

When I came across this Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer, I picked it up right away. I bought it online though, ‘cause in Indonesia it will cost you over 100,000 rupiahs if you get it from drugstores or supermarkets. But by shopping online, I got it for as less as 85,000 rupiahs. That’s a lot of saving. Plus, I don’t need to get my lazy ass to the store to get it. Lol!

Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer

(click pics to enlarge)

What it says on the packaging:
“Irresistibly soft, inviting smooth skin is in the palm of your hands. Let the nourishing formula of Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer take even your roughest spots—heels, elbows, and knees—from a state of extreme dryness to a state of lasting softness. This fast absorbing body lotion goes deep beneath skin’s surface to lock in moisture for 24 hours of relief. With continued use, it actually triples skin’s moisture content, healing dryness at the source to prevent its unwelcome return.”


Price: IDR 85,000-100,000 per 621 ml (around USD 6 for 21 fl oz)

Pros:

• Very moisturizing!
  
• Moisture lasts me all day; I put it on twice a day.
• Smells nice and not too perfume-y!
• Dermatology tested.
• Texture is soft, rich lotion that sinks right into the skin.
• Affordable price.
• Great packaging. The 21 fl bottle comes with a pump so you can control the amount of product you’re going to use.
  

Cons:

• Could be a bit sticky but not as much as some body butters I’ve come across.

I certainly suggest you Indonesian ladies to try this first instead of buying other perfume-y not-so-moisturizing body lotions on the market. Yes, it could feel a bit on the “pricier” side because usually we just have to pay around 12,000-21,000 rupiahs for body lotions. But hey, look at the amount of product you’re getting! It’s definitely worth it!

Oh and in this post I’d also like to share with you my new way of browsing for products and online shopping! If you love online shopping as much as I do, I bet you knew how important it is to get as much information as possible before actually buying the item. It's better to search for reviews and comparing prices prior to purchasing so that we can end up with less remorse after we receive our packages, right?

So today I went browsing on Pebble.com, a one stop shopping website that I find very helpful. It's very easy to browse for beauty products and to compare prices. You also get to ask questions regarding the products you're interested in so that you can gather more comprehensive information about these products.

The good news is that it's not for beauty products only. One time I was asked by a fellow blogger about how I got my cat to be so huge. Well, my answer would be this product called Nestle Proplan. Ever since I fed Aslan with this kibble, he gained weights really fast and became healthier. He was a little guy back then but now he’s sooo chubby! For you cat lovers out there, you might want to try this brand, especially if you want your cat to gain weight faster.

And that's about it! If you're looking for a new way to shop easily, definitely give Pebble.com a try. Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

FOTD with EDM Snuggle + color tag

Hey all!
How was everyone's weekend? It's been raining 2 days in a row in Yogyakarta! No fun! I was looking forward to go see a movie with the bf but aside from the bad weather, apparently, our movie theater simply sucks. They keep showing OLDIES (Seriously? Australia?) and now, out of all the 6 studios, 3 are showing 2012! What the heck? It's rated 6,7 stars on IMDB, so there's no way my bf wants to go. We had a deal that if the movie is rated below 7, we're not going. We don't want to waste our money for movies that will only make us go WTF? during credits. Lol :P

Anyhoo. I did a look! This was for yesterday night's dinner. And yes, it's another Urban Decay look. I hope you're not bored yet ;)

I got a request to do review on Everyday Minerals blushes. But I haven't gotten around to do a post on it yet. On this look I'm wearing "Snuggle", which is a radiant pink shade with a hint of peach. It has a bit of sheen and is really pretty. I think it will suit most skin colors. I'd love to own a full size jar of it! :D

FACE:
-ROC soothing reparator (moisturizer)
-Oriflame fawless blemish concealer
-EDM semi matte foundation in "Olive Medium"
-Ciel Minerals veil
-EDM blush "snuggle"

LIPS:
- NYX tinted lip spa "Hush"
- NYX round l/s "Power"
- Pop Beauty lipgloss from Sara cabinet

EYES:
- UDPP
- Urban Decay e/s "Mushroom", "Sellout", "Perversion"
- NYX trio e/s "Taupe", "Nude"
- Urban Decay 24/7 liner "Zero"
- Maybelline volum' express mascara

BROWS:
- Elf eyebrow gel
- Jane e/s "brownie point"

And I took this picture of my eyemakeup after 6 hours:

Still as god as new! The eyeshadows didn't crease at all. I'm happy :D

COLOR TAG!!

Laney was tagging us to do greens. I decided to do it but it turns out that I don't have any interesting "green" things.. lol.

My Pop Beauty Sara Cabinet



One of the most fun books to read! :D



UD homegrown & misdemeanor are pretty!



My old picture with my BFFs (green picture frame! hehe)



And my Point One jeans.

That's it && happy Monday, everyone! :)

Review: Mentholatum Acnes Sealing Jell

Hello ladies!

I'm sorry for not been blogging as much (and not answering your questions)! Been busy lately and I have hardly worn any makeup so no FOTD either. I try not to put on too much makeup these days as my occasional breakout has started again. I got this huuuuge pimple on my chin and a few small ones on my right jawline. Eek! I feel like I'm in high school again. Haha.

So anyway, out of my desperation, I picked up this Mentholatum Acnes Sealing Jell a week ago during my grocery shopping. I've been using it since to treat my "mini breakout". It's basically that zit zapper type of products, kind of like the Clean&Clear's one. I've never tried that one though, so I would not be able to compare the two of them.

Mentholatum Acnes Sealing Jell

Price: IDR 13.500 (Not more than USD 1,50) for a 9g tube.

Available in: most drugstores (Guardian, Century, etc) and even on supermarkets (Superindo, Carrefour, etc).

What it claims: kills acne bacteria and treats acne.

The consistency of the gel is more on the thick side. But you still have to be careful not to squeeze out too much product from the tube. The gel is clear (even though it looks a bit yellowish) and you can see little bubbles in it. It doesn't smell funky at all, so that's a plus.

When I first put it on my raw pimple, it definitely stings. But I guess that's normal with this kind of product. You might hate the stinging sensation but just wait for a good couple of minutes and it'll all go away. The good part is, it actually does treat my acne! At least it calms them down and make them feel less irritating so you won't feel like squeezing them all the time. Within 2 days, I can see that the gel is working. It got rid of the redness and I can see it fades my acne slowly. I have used this 5 nights in a row to one of my pimples and the pimple is almost cleared up. Patience is the key, ladies! So don't throw this away after only 2 nights. Keep using this and you might see a good result. I think it would only work for non-cystic acne though. So if it's only for your occasional acne pop outs, then I'd recommend getting it. :)

Repurchase?
If I ever run out of it, I probably will! But it's only to treat my occasional acne breakouts, so I think one tube will last me a loooong time. :)