With the avalanche of tempting new products each season, it's easy to get caught up in the latest limited edition offerings. While I try to rotate the brands in my stash, the carousel keeps getting ever larger and I do feel guilty that some excellent products get neglected while I keep testing out new products for reviews here. Here's a list of 12 products that I found myself reaching for regularly in 2012, often snapping up multiple shades. These are all items that I will happily re-purchase.
1. Favourite Lip Balm: Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments are an instant balm for my lips. This holiday gift set of minis was the perfect addition to my collection.
2. Favourite Lip Gloss: YSL Glossy Stains offer truly long-lasting shine without drying out the lips. The shade range is also impressive, with another 4 new shades set to debut in the spring collection.
3. Favourite Lip Stick: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks by Kate Moss offer excellent color payoff, a diverse range of highly wearable shades and are super easy on the wallet.
4.-6. Favourite Eyeliner: Integrate Kira Wink Gel Liner, Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens and Three Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencils are my daily staples. These are so reliably easy to use and gentle on the eyelids that I don't even reach for my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners anymore.
7. Favourite Cream Blush: Becca Beach Tints are superbly easy to use, long-lasting and wake up the complexion instantly.
8. Favourite Powder Blush: Paul & Joe Color Powder CS #79 Les Tourtereaux, #80 True Love and #81 Inseparables from the Lovebirds collection for autumn 2012 have just the right amount of color payoff and are pretty much fool-proof.
9. Favourite Foundation #1: Coffret D'Or Silky Fit Liquid Foundation is easy to blend, provides good coverage and a lovely natural finish.
10. Favourite Foundation #2 Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation gives a more glowy finish than the Coffret D'Or foundation.
11. Favourite Eyeshadow Palette: Three 4D Eye Palette 04 Art of Parties may be less versatile compared to Urban Decay's Vice and 15th Anniversary palettes but the magical purple and creamy black shades form a stellar combination.
12. Favourite Fragrance: Jo Loves Pomelo and A Shot of Thai Lime Over Mango are delightfully zesty confections that never fail to lift up my mood. After using up these, I'll definitely invest in the 100ml bottles. Jo Loves now ships internationally.
What were your favourite products of the past year? Do share in the comments!
I managed to finish up several products since the last empties post back in May. It seems like the months keep slipping by more quickly as the year goes on.
1. Paul & Joe Pressed Powder 03 is a finishing powder that gives a lovely glowy effect. The glimmer is a touch more obvious than Guerlain Meteorites but not too over-the-top. This has since been discontinued and replaced with the Pressed Powder Duo which combines matte and pearl face powders.
2. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose is one of my favourite lip balms as it protects with SPF15 and never feels sticky on the lips. I just purchased the new Coral version which looks very promising.
3. Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist is quite refreshing but I preferred the scent of the Rosewater version. It's also way too pricey for a face mist (this was a gift with purchase). I've switched to L'Occitane Angelica Mist which gives much better value for money (€12.50 for 100ml) and produces a finer mist.
4. Stila Lip Glaze in 08 Apricot has a glossy finish but does not feel particularly moisturising on the lips. It is also slightly tacky with an artificial fruity scent. The amount of product is so puny at a mere 1.5ml that it can be easily finished within 2-3 weeks with daily usage. Also, they are much cheaper than they used to be but the flip side is that these are now made in China.
5. K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow 01 is a daily staple, as it lasts much better than eyebrow powders and is a breeze to use. I go through one every two months and have re-purchased it too many times to count.
6. Sunsilk Hair Recovery Treatment turned out to be pretty average. It didn't weigh my hair down but I did not notice any significant improvement in my hair. Ingredients list is below.
7. Organix Moroccan Argan Oil also did not make my hair feel more hydrated or softer than usual, so it was a disappointment. The amount of argan oil in it is probably miniscule, given that it is tenth on the list of ingredients after silicones and perfume.
8. Percy & Reed Splendidly Silky Moisturising Shampoo had a lovely light floral scent. This did not leave my hair in tangles or feeling stripped, but it did not feel extra silky or glossy as promised. This contains sulfates.
9. L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gentle Shampoo has a nice scent and cleanses well without stripping my hair. However, I find this too expensive to re-purchase.
10. Philosophy Tinsel Town has a delicious crisp berry scent. It lathers up very easily but my skin still needs moisturiser after using this, especially in the winter months.
11. Soap & Glory Flake Away is a body polish containing shea butter, sugar and peach seed. The scent is very strong and sweet, possibly too cloying for some people. It does provide excellent exfoliating action though.
12. The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Morocco Argan Oil & Orange Blossom Body Souffle has a wonderfully light texture that sinks into the skin without feeling greasy. However, it's just too pricey at S$39.90 for 200ml.
13. Paul & Joe Fragrance Body Cream 002 was part of a holiday set a couple of years ago. This felt slightly greasy on the skin and I didn't quite like the scent.
14. Lush Buche de Noel was a limited edition oats-based exfoliating face cleanser released for last Christmas. It reminded me very much of Angels on Bare Skin, except that this has a stronger cherry scent. This is gentle enough to use every day and rinses off cleanly without any residue.
15. L'Oreal Elseve Liss-Intense Serum Anti-Frizz used to work well for taming my hair but recently, it doesn't seem to provide the same sleekness as before so I won't be re-purchasing this.
16. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a daily staple that I've re-purchased many times as it does not irritate my eyes. The biphase remover takes off eyeshadows in a jiffy while mascara and eyeliner take a bit more effort to wipe off.
17. Pure Fiji Nourishing Exotic Oil in Coconut worked wonders with my hair, keeping it glossy and frizz-free throughout the day. The warm coconut scent takes a bit of getting used to though.
It's been almost a year since I purchased anything from Visee. They have an excellent range of eyeshadow palettes but the gradational colour schemes tend to get boring after awhile. Thanks to a friend in Japan, I recently purchased the Glam Shade Eyes PU-7, which was released as part of the Spring 2011 collection.
The official retail price is 1890yen but my friend managed to get it at a 30% discount in one of the larger drugstore chains, so I paid just 1323yen (about S$22) for it. It is also available for US$21 on Adambeauty.com which is based in Hong Kong and ships internationally.
Lotus Palace reviewed the Glam Shade Eyes and didn't like them but I'm actually liking the PU-7 palette quite a bit! The slim plastic compact is typical of Visee, with a raised pebble motif across the lid. You can throw the palette into your bag or makeup pouch and not have to worry about breakage as there is no mirror, plus it is very light. The under side of the lid has a reflective surface that one can use as a mirror.
The palette consists of a pearly white, light mauvey pink, a plummy brown, greyish black and metallic silver. These shades are not that unique but they are work-friendly and easy to wear. All the shades have a refined shimmer that gives a lovely glowy effect without being too over-the-top. Used over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, they lasted well over 8 hours of wear on me without fallout or significant creasing. The plum shade looks more brown than purple when applied, so it won't make the eyes appear bruised.
I applied the plum shade with the broad sponge applicator along the upper lashline and the outer one-third of the lower lashline and the pink shade in the middle of the lid. I used a brush to sweep the pearly white across the browbone area and the thin sponge applicator to apply the silver shade at the inner corners and along the lower lashline. I finished by lining the upper lashline with Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Sequins and applying Benefit They're Real mascara. The shades applied smoothly and were easy to blend.
Glam Shade Eyes Pu-7 is the type of idiot-proof palette that I tend to reach for when pressed for time as it's so easy to use and doesn't create fall-out on the cheeks. Plus, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
The other products used for this look include: Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine Free Powder in Nude Beige, RMK Super Basic Concealer EX-01, Za Ever Brows BR21 and Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Passion. The Sugar lip treatment in Passion is the newest shade just released by Fresh, which a friend helped to purchase from the USA. It is not available yet at Sephora in Singapore. It gives the lips a healthy natural reddish tint, that is not as deep as Plum but more red-toned than Rosé. For a lip balm, it lasts amazingly well. It has been more than 5 hours since I put it on and it is still going strong without any feathering.
The Visee website has been updated with the latest Glam Glow Eyes palettes and lipglosses in their collaboration with Smacky Glam. You can also see pics on the wonderful A Dream of Tokyo.
Fresh is now available at Sephora stores in Singapore! Being a huge fan of their Sugar Lip Treatments in Rosé and Plum, I'm glad to see that the price in Singapore is the same as in the US.
Also, the Clarisonic Mia has finally arrived on our shores.
My skincare routine has always pretty simple as my skin does not take kindly to the piling on of skincare products. My oily skintype has been the bane of my life as while it means having relatively few fine lines, I have enlarged pores and acne scars on my cheeks and forehead. In my 30s, I still get occasional spots, usually in the week before the time of the month. Most are relatively small with perhaps just a big one every month (the kind that takes days to form and even longer to fade). When deciding on which skincare products to purchase, I usually look for products that are gentle on the skin and help to keep my pores clean without drying out my skin. I don't go for facials, laser resurfacing or peels although I may try them out in the future.
For facial cleansers, I'm currently using REN Rosa Centifolia Facial Cleansing Gel in the mornings and Coast To Coast Rainforest Clarifying Facial Cleanser.
I like to use the REN cleanser in the morning as it is an light, slightly watery gel cleanser that is extremely gentle on the skin. It leaves my skin feeling clean and soft without any dryness. It has a lovely soft rose scent. REN is a UK brand that does not use petrochemicals, sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances or colours, glycols and silicones in its products. It is available at Escentials in Tangs Orchard.
The Coast To Coast cleanser is a light foaming gel cleanser meant for oily and problematic skin. I use this in the evening after using a cleansing oil to remove makeup. It cleanses effectively without stripping my skin.
For removing makeup, I usually use a cleansing oil, such as those by Shu Uemura, followed by a facial cleanser. Currently, I'm using the Body Shop Moisture White Shiso Make-up Cleansing Oil, which works well too although I haven't noticed any significant whitening effect from it. Recently, I also picked up Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Solution. This is a non-rinse cleansing water for acne-prone skin. While it does remove makeup quite well (but not waterproof mascara), I found that it leaves my skin feeling taut after some time.
For removing eye makeup, I always use an eye makeup remover. My favourite is Cleansing Express but right now, I'm using a sample bottle of Jill Stuart Makeup Remover (Eye & Lip). It is a biphase remover that works well for removing eyeshadows and eyeliners but it doesn't completely remove some mascaras, like Suqqu Mascara Volume Long N.
After cleansing, I usually apply a toner or lotion with a cotton pad. Over the past month, I've used up two 50ml bottles of Shu Uemura White Recovery EX+ Whitening Lotion. It feels refreshing and hydrates my skin without leaving it sticky, but I haven't seen any significant lightening of my skin pigmentation.
After applying the lotion, I've been using Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome. This does a great job of keeping my skin from flaking and prepping my skin for foundation in the mornings. I'm down to my very last sample sachet and am seriously considering buying a bottle. I've also been trying Lancome Genefique Youth Activator but it doesn't seem to do much for my skin, plus it feels slightly sticky unlike Moisture Liposome which absorbs very nicely into my skin.
For protecting the face from UV rays, I like to use Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse SPF50 if I'm not wearing makeup. RMK's Face Protector is nice too but on the pricey side. If I'm wearing makeup, I usually use either a primer or a foundation with SPF.
For the delicate eye area, I've been alternating between Lancome Blanc Expert Anti-Dark Circles Eye Serum, L'Occitane Angelica Eye Roll-On and Kenzoki Belle de Jour Angel Eyes. The Lancome eye serum absorbs very nicely without stickiness. The L'Occitane eye roll-on feels cooling and therapeutic thanks to the metal roller ball but I've had problems with the roller ball either getting stuck in the cap or failing to dispense any serum. The Kenzoki Angel Eyes has a slightly creamier and denser consistency than the Lancome serum, but it also helps to hydrate the eye area effectively.
For exfoliating the skin, I use my Clarisonic Mia a few times a week (never more than once a day) or a facial scrub like RMK Gel Scrub or Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish. Once or twice a week, I also use a clay mask which helps to combat the oiliness. I've been using Suqqu HA White Mask, which is alright but super pricey. I've just started using Avene Cleanance Mask, which also has glycolic acid, salicylic acid and tiny scrubby bits for an exfoliating effect.
I've also been trying Garnier Self-Heating Sauna Mask with zinc. The heat sensation is interesting but I'm not sure if it actually has any significant effect on the skin. If my skin is looking dull or flaky, I use My Beauty Diary sheet masks. For de-clogging my pores, there's still no other product as effective as Biore nose strips. I use these not only on my nose, but also my forehead and cheeks as the pores in these areas get clogged too. Kose Seikisho Mask White works too but it is painful to remove.
And finally for keeping my lips from chapping, I use an assortment of lip balms from Paul & Joe and Fresh. Recently, I've also been using Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Black Honey almost every day, including the recent look that I did with the YSL Midnight Garden palette.
All of the above products were purchased by me, except for the Body Shop Cleansing Oil which was provided by the PR company.
