Nivea Soft Rose Lipbalm

I bought this lipbalm on a whim at my local supermarket for not more than 3 bucks. And I love it!

Some people might not appreciate the sweet scent of this lipbalm, but I personally enjoy it. I think it works better than the regular nivea lipbalm (the one in blue tube) in terms of moisturizing. It makes my lips feel so soft and moist without leaving waxy layer on top of the lips, perfect for under lipstick I'd say.

It also leaves a tint of mauvey pink color when applied but it's not very noticeable on my pigmented lips, sadly.

Soft Rose has now become my favorite lipbalm to bring along in my purse. The size is perfect and the pink packaging is so cute! I will definitely repurchase this when I run out. The only downside of the product I can think of is the fact that it doesn't contain SPF. Too bad :(

Has anyone tried this lipbalm yet?

My (Updated) Skincare Routine

I haven't been very diligent with my skincare routine lately (due to my current manic life) yet oddly enough my skin is now completely clear from acne. I wonder if this is a pleasant result from my effort of eating "cleaner" and getting enough sleep (will talk about the two of them on a different post). Still, these are the products I have to give credit to for helping me maintaining decent skin condition.

Cleansing
I'm currently using Johnson' n Johnson baby oil and Kose Softymo Super Point Makeup Remover to remove my eye makeup. I decided to try the baby oil because of a friend's suggestion. I quite like it since it dissolves my eyeshadow and liner really fast, but it doesn't take off mascara as well as a conventional two-layer makeup remover. As for the Kose Softymo Super Point Makeup Remover, I did a full review on it here.

At night I take off my foundation using Viodi Lemon Cleansing Milk. It's a local product, cheap, and it doesn't have too many weird ingredients that I'm unable to pronounce. It only cost me Rp 27.700 (that's about US$ 3) for a 710mL bottle. Quite a steal, if you ask me, and it works!

After the milk-cleansing routine, I would proceed with washing my face. I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser both in the morning and at night.


Toning
My current favorite toner is the Cucumber Face Toner by Mustika Ratu. It's an Indonesian product that can be purchased at any local supermarket/drugstore. It feels light on my skin and doesn't sting nor leave unpleasant tight feeling afterwards. Some cheaper toners usually have an awful, overpowering alcohol smell but that's not the case with this one. I use this toner every after I wash my face and just before I apply my moisturizer.


Moisturizing
Yep, I'm still using my trustworthy Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel every morning. My skin loves this stuff. As for night-time moisturizer, I use Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion because it's heavier and I sleep in an air-conditioned room. Both of these products have never broken me out.


Extras
Well, what about the Vitacreme B12? I'm still using it often, but rarely as an overall face moisturizer anymore mainly because the floral smell tends to put me off. I now feel that this product is slightly overrated. Yes, it does make my skin feel soft and smooth after application (and in the morning when I wake up) but that's about it. I don't notice any post-acne scar fading nor fine lines disappearing, so nope, I'm not gonna repurchase it. I now use Vitacreme B12 mainly as eye and neck cream.

I also still use my Skin Food Black Raspberry Eye Cream when I feel like it, lol. I doubt that I will finish this cream at all, but at least I'm trying. No noticeable effect either with this cream, but that's probably because I'm not motivated enough to apply it every night.

For acne treatment (although now I rarely get acne anymore, which I'm very happy about), I rely on Desert Essence 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil. It works for my occasional breakout (but not on cystic, unfortunately) without drying up my skin. Just be sure to apply it with a damp cotton ball because if you use it full force, it will definitely sting!


Weekly Treatment
I used to swear by Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream to exfoliate my skin but after a while, it seems to not working as well anymore. So I switched to Wardah Peeling Cream (another affordable Indonesian product) and I've been liking it ever since. I only use this peeling cream twice a week, nothing more. I find that over-exfoliating is never good for my acne-prone skin. And then once a week I'd use Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. It helps reducing blackheads I often get on my nose and it's a good treatment for flaring acne as well.

The last product I use in my routine is the Bio Oil. A lot of you have been asking if this works for me, all I can say is that it's not a miracle product, but it's worth trying if your skin is sensitive and dry. When I was still using Benzoyl Peroxide to treat my acne, I would use Bio Oil to help restoring moisture into my dry and flaky skin. It works pretty well and in my case it does sort of treat redness too.

Here's to sum up my whole step-by-step daily skincare routine:

• Waking up in the morning, I first apply Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser on my dry face, massage it with slow circular motions, then wash it off.
• I continue with toning my face (when it's still wet - I don't towel dry it first) with Mustika Ratu Cucumber Face Toner.
• Then I apply my moisturizer (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisture Gel) and sunscreen (Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock) before applying my makeup.

• At night I take off my eye makeup first using either Johnson n' Johnson baby oil or Kose Softymo Super Point Makeup Remover. Then I apply Viodi cleansing milk all over my face and wipe it off with facial tissue.
• I wash my face with Cetaphil and tone it with Mustika Ratu Cucumber Face Toner.
• I apply either Skinfood Black Raspberry Eye Cream or Vita Cream B12 around my eye area and proceed with applying Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion all over my face.
  

And there you have it! My skincare arsenal has been through a lot of lineup changes the past two years but I now have come to a conclusion that simpler routine works best for my acne-prone skin. Hope it helps!

Review: Geo Xtra Bella in Brown (WBS-204)

Nope, I didn't break my promise and stuck with only having two pairs of circle lenses instead of buying more. This pair I'm reviewing was actually sent to me by Yenny from Dazzling Room. I bought my second pair of circle lenses from her and as I said on my previous circle lenses review, it was a pleasant experience. I'm so happy when out of the blue she offered me a free pair of lenses. Thank you, Yenny! If you're interested to check out her shop, you can go to her webstore or her Facebook. I never really check out Facebook shops (in fact, I kind of resent them, lol), so I prefer going to her Multiply when I want to browse for lenses.


Before we start, I have to stress that even though I got this product for free, this is still my honest opinion. :)

Geo Xtra Bella in Brown
WBS-204

dia: 15. mm

b.c: 8.70
life span: 1 year
made in: Korea
degree available: only plano

dim lighting: lens out, lens in, with makeup (click to enlarge)

Size (10/10)
My initial reaction: holy cow these lenses are huge! But once I put them on, I instantly calmed down. They don't appear too buggy on me (thank goodness), just... very dolly. It's my first pair that's bigger than 14. mm in diameter, so yeah, maybe that's why I was completely in awe when I saw them for the first time. I give them 10/10 because that's exactly how I feel about the size: perfect! They give a nice enlargement without looking too unnatural. If you have smaller eyes than me, they sure would appear bigger.

outdoor

with flash

Comfort (9/10)
Just like my other Geo lenses, these are very comfortable. Perhaps I just can't wear them as long as I could with smaller lenses. My eyes seem to get tired with them faster, so I wouldn't want to wear them longer than 5 hours.

Design and color (7/10)
I love the sunflower design, so pretty! They have a nice gradation of color; dark brown, medium brown, then orange petals. Unlike the Geo Angels, they don't have super obvious black outer ring, which I prefer. They blend really well with my dark iris, making me look like I have choco brown eyes. They look stunning under daylight, but in room lighting the color is hardly noticeable. I wish it was more opaque!

indoor

Overall, I love how these lenses give definition to my eyes and sort of make my face looking a bit more proportional somehow. The design is simple yet gorgeous. If you don't like too fake-looking design on circle lenses, you'd probably enjoy these a lot. The color is nice, but doesn't show up much on my dark iris. Nobody ever mentioned to me that my eyes look weird or anything, so I think they are suitable for work or school.

After trying out these lenses, I'm now thinking about trying other bigger size lenses out there. I'm thinking about Geo Princess Mimi in Apple Green next. What do you think? ;)

Cetaphil Review

I'm glad someone pushed me to do this review; it's too long overdue!

So I've been using both Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for at least the last couple of months now. I purchased them from an online shopping spree at Female Daily. I chose to buy the 20 fl oz (591mL) size bottles so that I would get more bang out of my bucks. I paid around $20 for the cleanser (retails around $12 in the US - correct me if I'm wrong) and $23 for the for the lotion (retails around $16). I guess that's pretty much a steep huh? :/


The Cleanser

Unlike any other cleansers I've used before, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser does not foam or lather at all. You really need to apply the cleanser liberally in order to thoroughly cleanse your face. I usually pat and massage the gel-like cleanser on my dry face (I don't wet my face beforehand) for about 3 minutes before I wash it off. It definitely feels strange at first, especially if you're used to soapy cleansers, but the good thing is that this cleanser will not strip your skin dry. Instead, my skin feels so soft and moisturized after cleansing.

If you need a heavy duty cleanser to wash off your makeup, this is not it. I use this every morning and night but to take off my makeup, I still rely on my milk cleanser.

I notice a difference on my skin after I started using Cetaphil; less whiteheads and redness around my nose and chin. As for breakouts, I still experience mild acne at that time of the month, but other than that, I think my skin reacts quite well with this cleanser.

Two months later I'm left with ⅓ amount of product in the bottle. I'm not surprised by this because I do use it twice daily, and I can go for maximum 3 pumps on each use to cleanse my face and neck. I would love to repurchase this once I run out but I don't see any Cetaphil spree on Female Daily anymore. Oh well.

What I love most about this product is its mildness and the fact that it doesn't aggravate my acne or redness like some harsh cleansers usually do. I think if your skin is sensitive or acne-prone, this would totally worth a shot!

The Lotion

I've tried using this lotion in the morning but it's too oily under makeup given that I live in such humid weather. So now I only use it at night. It takes a few minutes to get fully absorbed because it's pretty thick, but once it's absorbed, I can feel my face feeling so moisturized without the tackiness. With this lotion I only need a pea-sized amount for my face and another one for my neck; a little goes a REALLY long way!

I used to apply Vitacreme B12 all over my face before applying Cetaphil lotion on top of it but that routine breaks me out on my forehead (rarely happens!). I should have known better because my skin has never been fond of too much product anyway. I now only use Vitacream B15 as my eye cream and this lotion as my moisturizer. Sometimes I would use Vitacreme B12 all over my face alone without the Cetaphil when I feel like it.

I'm going to stick with this moisturizer and rotate it with my Vitacreme B12 until I finish both products. I'm not sure if I will ever repurchase it, I much prefer thinner moisturizer with gel texture but as long as this doesn't break me out, I will try to finish it up.

All in all, I think both products are well worth the price and I definitely would recommend them to people with acne prone and/or sensitive skin. :)

Currently Into...

1. The color coral


It's bright, obnoxious, and very much spring-y! This year I would love to incorporate more coral into my makeup looks... maybe get a bright coral blush or a lipstick. The above polish is Barry M Nail Paint in Coral that I got as a giveaway prize. It was two coats with Seche Vite dry fast top coat on top. I love it. Application was a breeze, too!


2. MAC "Soft Ochre" paint pot


Is it better than UDPP in terms of prolonging the wear of eyeshadow? Nope. But I like the fact that it serves both purposes as eyeshadow base and under-eye concealer = time saving makeup. I just slap some around my entire eye area and bam! Awake and less zombie-like version of me. The only downside is the texture; it can be a little bit too dry at times. I have to make sure I moisturize my skin well before applying it.


3. Jogging
This poem by Victor Hugo about nature parallels the feeling I had when I jogged this morning:

"No tranquility can be found more august than this; universal life is here in all its religious serenity; no disturbances; everywhere the profound order of nature's great disorder; walk with a softened heart in this wilderness; it is as voluptuous as spring and as melancholy as autumn; wander about at random; leave behind the ruined abbey, lose yourself in the moving peace of the ravines, amid the song of birds and the rustle of leaves; drink fresh spring water in your cupped hand;walk, meditate, forget." - Victor Hugo, Toilers of the Sea

One thing I like about jogging in the morning is that I feel like people are a lot more friendlier at that time of the day, haha. Plus, it's not just I'm exercising, it's also a moment where I can lose myself from life mundane tasks for a little while. To walk, meditate, and forget. Hands down the best way to start the day.


4. Guided by Voices
Earlier this year I discovered the wonderful music of GBV and this band has since been driving me crazy with their extensive discography. They were disbanded in 2004, if I'm not mistaken. They first rose into fame during early to mid 90's among underground music enthusiasts. I wasn't sure what lo-fi is when I first started getting into it, but damn this hissy noise is the best. I haven't heard anything, ANYTHING this good in a while. So original and refreshing. Here's one of my favorite songs of them:

I am a scientist, I seek to understand me
All of my impurities and evils yet unknown
I am a journalist, I write to you to show you
I am an incurable and nothing else behaves like me
...
I am a pharmacist, prescriptions I will fill you
Potions, pills and medicines to ease your painful lives
I am a lost soul, I shoot myself with rock and roll
The hole I dig is bottomless
But nothing else can set me free

5. Dexter
I've heard about this show from friends a long time ago but never really interested enough to see it until recently. Now I'm totally, incurably hooked! It's not the most perfect show or anything, there are better ones out there, but I find the characters in the show very entertaining. Well, except that Rita girl who *spoiler alert* died at the end of the fourth season. She's kind of annoying, if you ask me. Haha. I have a crush on Debra and an even bigger crush on The Ice Truck Killer. Rudy was freakishly sexy! XD

Can't wait for the 6th season!

What have you been into recently? ;)

An Important Message...

Don't freak out, please. It's just me without makeup. :)
These pics were taken earlier this morning before I went for a jog.

Notice the huge eye bags? Yeah well, that's what sleep deprivation do to you. I don't have chronic insomnia or anything, I simply didn't get enough sleep the last couple of nights and it already made a huge difference.

Why the sudden "hey look, I'm bare-faced!" post?

It's because I want my readers, particularly my young Indonesian readers, to relax and grasp this concept: it's just makeup. Don't knock yourself out over it.

Like any other girls, I love getting dolled up and looking my best. Heck, I admit getting sweet comments from all of you my readers can really boost my ego too. But the truth remains; no matter how many sweet comments people say about you or your appearance, you can't be genuinely happy until you accept yourself for who you really are. And now, at this point of my life, I'm finally able to say that I'm content with who I am and what I look like. I confronted my insecurities and I realized that I'm so much more than what meets the eye. Makeup is one of my hobbies hence the blog, but know that one day I might grow out of this and start another blog about, I don't know, learning languages? LOL.

Bottom point is... if you enjoy my blog, good. Thanks for supporting me and making blogging feels worthwhile. But don't ever dictate me to look a certain way in order for you to be able to enjoy my blog.

My last post about me "obsessing" to be more tanned generated a few comments on my shoutbox and someone even shot me an email regarding the issue. All from Indonesian readers. I know you might think I'm weird because I want to be tanned while many Indonesian ladies out there prefer having fair skin, but hey... it's just me! On top of it, I don't recall myself saying I look a lot better tanned. It's because I don't. Tanned or not, I still feel fairly decent-looking actually, lol. Why did I develop the idea to try airbrushing at a tanning salon? It's because I've been outdoor a lot lately and my skin looks spotty on some places of my body. I would like to see if I can do something to even it out. That's pretty much it.

People comment all the time about what you should or should not do with your face/body. But the only person who's entitled to judge yourself is you.

You can like or dislike the way I do my makeup, it's all fine by me. I'm not forcing you to read my blog and I never ask you to follow or subscribe to my blog either. So quit complaining if you don't like what you see over here.

Makeup, like any other form of art, is subjective. One piece of artwork can trigger all sorts of different reactions from different people. You go see a movie with friends, some of them end up hating it while you find yourself enjoying the movie a lot. It happens. So next time you see someone sporting a makeup look or even a piece of clothing that is oh so not your style; shut the hell up. It's not like your opinion matters to her anyway.

I know I sound harsh, but I feel like it needed to be said.

And now that I've said it, I will go back to enjoying the rest of my Saturday staying in. I have a book to finish and a couple more of Dexter episodes to watch. Who here likes Dexter? I do. I like the character Debra even though she's so foul-mouthed.

I hope you guys have a lovely weekend.

Sleek Blush in Flamingo

The first thing I'd like to say about this blush is that it's amazingly pigmented. I've never owned a blush this vivid before. One light swipe with a powder brush is always all I need, pretty much the opposite of my MAC Sheertone Shimmer blush in Flirt & Tease.

The packaging is literally sleek, and sturdy. It doesn't look anything like your usual "drugstore makeup." Instead of a crappy brush, it comes with a huge mirror inside. I love it.

Color-wise, I would describe it as a bright medium pink shade. It has a slight sheen finish but it would be safe to categorize it as a matte blush. I think the color is so feminine and universally flattering.

The powder itself is very well-textured; smooth, non chalky, and easy to blend. The staying power is unbelievably good too despite of my oily skin.

Negative notes? Nada. This blush is top notch especially for such affordable price. I so wish Sleek was sold here in where I live!

me wearing the blush :)

Help a Noob?

Lately I've been obsessed with having a more even-out tanned skin. I have a medium olive-tan skin tone to begin with and I usually tan very easily. I've been really outdoorsy the past couple of weeks and I notice that my forearms and legs are tanned but the rest of my body are still pretty pale. I wonder if I can fix it by using self-tanner (I'm such a newbie in body tanning!). But then again it might be more effective to go to a tanning salon and get the pale areas airbrushed?

Anybody knows a recommended tanning salon in Yogyakarta or Jakarta?

As for my face, the other day I tried mixing my MAC Face & Body Foundation with a little bit of Everyday Minerals "Everyday Bronzer". I like the result! It gave me a beautiful looking tan. :)

face:

- monistat as primer
- mac face & body foundation (C4)
- everyday minerals everyday bronzer (I don't know if it's been discontinued, I've had it for quite some time now)
- mac blot powder (medium dark)
- mac sunbasque blush

eyes:
- mac soft ochre paint pot
- too faced eyeshadow in honey pot (all over the lid)
- too faced eyeshadow in erotica (outer v, lower lashline)
- too faced eyeshadow in silk teddy (inner corner, browbone highlight)
- revlon fabuliner liquid eyeliner
- revlon volum' express mascara
- falsies

lips:
- nivea lipcare spf 27
- nyx megashine lipgloss in tanned

And here's my eye makeup for the day. I had to do something quick so I picked up my Too Faced The Natural Eye Palette. This look was done with only 3 eyeshadows! It's simple, but it gives enough definition to my eyes.


I'm currently enjoying my weekend out of town. Hopefully I can blog more regularly again next week. :)