It all started when I impulsively decided that I wanted a cushion blush. Since cushions are mostly from Korean brands, the first ones I saw were those collaborative lines e.g. Doraemon x A’pieu. Then I saw the older Line Friends x Missha and kinda fell in love with the Sally cushion. Just because.
So I went a bit overboard and purchased two cushions and one cushion blush. Blame the hormones ๐
What I bought is Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion Moisture SPF50 / PA+++, shade #23. It took a while finding this shade since most sellers were left with #21. The cute Mike Wazowski is The Face Shop x Disney CC Long Lasting Cushion, #v203. The cute Rilakkuma is a collab with A’pieu, cushion blush #CR01.
Haven’t tried any of these. When I have and have time I MIGHT post some reviews.
Btw I also have the cushion case of A’pieu x Doraemon ๐ Just because it’s cute.
After finally managed to decide on what sunscreen to get (Biore UV Aqua Watery Essence), I’m still in a sunscreen crave. This time I thought I’ll get something in powder form, for touch ups during the day. Again I’m leaning toward Asian products since they seem to obsess over sun protection more so than western brands. To my delight, more local Indonesian products now have double spectrum sun protection. Easier to find, and relatively more affordable. Yay! So, I have been thinking and have narrowed down my choices to the following, in no particular order.
Caring by Biokos Timeless Illuminate. SPF 35 PA+++ย
Canmake Transparent Finish Powder. SPF 30 PA++ย
To be honest I don’t know what else is out there in terms of compact powder with sun protection. I think Emina and Marina both have compact powder with UV protection, too. I’ve also seen some Sun Cushion but I think I’d like powder form since I already use cushion as base. But darn these Korean cosmetics, they keep producing these cute cushions!
The Face Shop x Disney Baby Sunscreen CushionEtude House Sun Blind CushionThe Face Shop x Kakao Friends Sun Eco Cushion
Still don’t know which one I’m gonna get, although I’m leaning towards Sariayu. Do you use sun protection powder/compact? Any thoughts?
A few weeks ago I was asked to help do a video of lipstick swatches. Female Daily has a video series of two persons with different skin tones trying on different shades of lipsticks. This way you can see how the lipstick would look on different skin tones. The video series is called #FDSwatchSister and you can find many videos with all kind of lipsticks. Long story short, I tried on nine shades of LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss. Those of you who have tried this particular liquid lipstick will know that this lipstick is not that easy to remove. I used Bioderma Sebium micellar water cleanser and lip balm in between applications. By the end of the whole process my lips felt… abused.
In this video are shades: Dreamy, Fleur, Bazaar, Timeless, Playful, Rebel, Secret, Backstage, Blackcurrant.
You can see other videos by Female Daily here. Do subscribe ๐
Having quite a few lipstick to rotate, I don’t really have a favorite. My goal is to rotate them all so that (eventually) they will all be gone. Sure, I have a few go-to shades for different occasions but none get that coveted “favorite” tag. Yet. Until I stumbled upon Maybelline Color Show in Pinkalicious. I bought it as an afterthought. I was shopping for makeup brushes on Luxola and needed a few more items to qualify for free shipping. So I bought a lip gloss and this lipstick. I love the gloss, too, by the way. Will talk about it in a different post.
Since the lipstick was not my primary target, I left it unopened for about two weeks. When I finally opened and tried it, I was pleasantly surprised. This is not my first Maybelline lipstick but my experience with this brand (lipstick wise) has never been exceptional. Not this time. My early verdict is that this lipstick will get some considerable mileage.
Packaging-wise, it’s pretty standard. Black plastic tube with colored ring in the middle to identify its color family (not the exact color). In order to see what color it is, you need to look at the bottom of the tube. When applied, it glides pretty smoothly onto my lips, no drag. Texture is creamy but not thick. I have pigmented lips and usually steer clear of pinks because mostly they don’t show on my lips. Not this one. It’s pretty opaque and color my lips nicely. Really happy about that. The finish is semi satin, which is my favorite finish for lipstick.
I have really stubbornly dry lips and most lipsticks (regardless of price and brand) will dry my lips eventually. For the week I’m giving this lipstick a go, I don’t experience excessive dryness on my lips. Huge plus point. Moreover, it doesn’t accentuate any dry patches I happen to have upon application. Later on in the day, my lips still get dry. But not too much. Sure, exfoliating and prepping with balm is always a good idea, but I found that I can use this lipstick alone without too much prep. Miss couch potato slash lazy bum here approve!
Like I mentioned before, usually I don’t do pinks. My recent pink hauls was because, turns out, my husband prefers pink, girly-girl lip color on me. So, sometimes I indulge him. One of the reasons I don’t wear pink is that usually the color washes me off. I look really pale with pink lipstick. So I was pleased to find that Pinkalicious is very wearable for me. In fact, it gives me a fresh pop of color on days I don’t wear makeup other than powder. Suitable for lazy days. The color is also very safe to use daily. Mind you, where I work, every lipstick color is a safe everyday color (yes, black lipstick included). My work place is cool like that. But for more conservative workplaces, Pinkalicious will not make you stand out like a sore thumb. Thumbs up for that :p
As usual, this successful purchase makes me want to try other Color Show lipsticks (dang it). It doesn’t help that Maybelline lipsticks are so affordable bordering amazingly cheap! I bought mine at Luxola for IDR 28.000 (on discount. Retail is IDR 33.000).
Arm swatch. Pardon my veins ๐
Have you tried any of Maybelline Color Show lipsticks? Any color to suggest? Please let me know in the comment ๐
For those working full time in an office, chances are you spend more than 6 hours in it. Me, I got in the office around 9 every morning and left after 6. Naturally, I have a few things stocked in my desk drawer. Here are some of my essentials.
Spending all day in an air-conditioned space can do things to your skin you wouldn’t like. That’s why I keep a tub of body butter in my drawer. I put some on in the mornings and reapply as needed. Currently residing in my drawer is Sephora Body Butter. This particular body butter is thick and somewhat tacky, so I seldom reapply.
Lip balm is also a must since I have notoriously dry, chapped lips. eos lip balm is probably not the best out there but I like the scent. Texture is “filmy”, like I feel there’s a film coating my lips after applying. This I could reapply 3-5 times a day.
The foot spray is a new addition to my arsenal. Some of my work shoes turned out to be foot sauna x___x So, to relieve aching, tired and hot feet I spray it on two-three times throughout the day. Smells nice, too. I think any foot spray will do but this Taman Sari Royal Heritage foot spray is very refreshing and has a minty, herbal scent.
Hand cream and cologne (both from L’Occitane) get minimum mileage since I don’t use them that often, but still nice to have. I usually put some cologne on before leaving for meeting, just for a little added confidence. The Verbena cologne smells refreshing and not overpowering, suitable for daytime. I know I should’ve used hand cream after each hand wash (which I do quite regularly), but more often than not, I forgot. ย Still, it’s good to know I have some in case I do remember :p
Is there any other thing I should have in my work drawer? Do drop a comment and share your thoughts!
When I start reading skincare reviews, I usually end up with wishlists x___x Lately I have been reading about double toning and am quite intrigued. Now that I’m approaching mid-thirties, I figure I need to pay more attention to skin hydration. But I still have problems with blackheads and general clogged-pores issue so exfoliating is also a big deal. Double toning may be the way to go. Essentially, it’s pairing two toners with different qualities. One is exfoliating toner and the other is hydrating. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Like everybody else, I have been reading Caroline Hirons’ suggestions. Hence this wishlist *sigh*
Speaking of exfoliating toner, my best experience with this kind of toner is SK-II Clear Lotion. It really helps with blackheads. Too bad I consider it too expensive to repurchase. Although, the exfo toner in my wishlist is not cheap, either. Yep, you probably guessed it. Pixi Glow Tonic. Oh, I wish it was the locally available Pixy, but no. It is frustratingly only available in UK (USA, too, recently but still pretty hard to find). People are raving about this baby so I probably put more effort to get this. Living in Indonesia, everything is expensive when it gets here. If I can’t justify the price, I might repurchase SK-II after all. Sekalian mahal aja, gitu.
Pixi Glow Tonic
I used to think you only need one toner, so I usually choose exfo toner. I figure why use hydrating toner when moisturizer is coming up next? Turns out hydrating and moisturizing is not necessarily the same. One other thing I learn from dear Lady Hirons ๐. One toner that caught my eyes is Thayers. I really don’t have many ideas regarding this hydrating toners. I might consider Secret Key Witch Hazel toner, I don’t know.
Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner
So, that was my toner wishlist, which is my primary wishlist. The following is my random wishlist ๐ I might get these, I might change my mind. Double toning really set my mind on the idea of hydrating my skin. The toners I will get, one way or the other. I might settle on cheaper alternatives like Hada Labo lotion. These, on the other hand, may always be a wishlist and nothing more.
… When it comes the time to remove it. Like I have mentioned a few times, I’m a couch potato. Well, okay, I’m lazy. There. So, although I know the best course is to do double cleansing, often I found myself skipping them all together and hop to bed instead. Don’t take a page out of my book, dear friends. I won’t be held responsible for your breakouts if you do.
There is still hope for me, fortunately, for I am now trying to find cleansing methods simple enough for my sloth-like mentalism.
Maybelline Total Clean, Laneige Cleansing Water, Bioderma Sensibio, Viva Green Tea Face Tonic
When all I use during the day are some powder and lipstick, I resort to Bioderma Sensibio micellar water cleanser. It’s definitely enough to remove powder and my skin feel moisturized afterward.
When full-on makeup is employed, even the sloth have to exert some willpower and use a more thorough method. I use Laneige cleansing water (texture is like cleansing oil, though), remove it with Viva toner-soaked cotton pad, use Bioderma and if I feel like it, apply more toner. I use separate cleanser for eye makeup (Maybelline Total Clean). Do you see that no foaming cleanser is present? Sloth here! I figure, I’ll use that in the shower the next morning, so, a few hours delay won’t hurt. Right?
Is there any sloth like me out there? Do you have any other cleansing hacks I need to know? Do share!
Nude lips are something I always love, but couldn’t always pull off beautifully. After a phase of colorful lipstick spree, I went back to nude lipstick lemmings. Since Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet was so popular (still is), I decided to get Nude-ist. I also managed to nudge my sisters to get nude lipsticks as well. I borrowed their liquid lipstick for this post. Three nude lipsticks I tried are Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist, Sleek Matte Me in Birthday Suit and LA Splash Smitten Lip Tint Mousse in Charmed. All nude colors, all matte finish, and all in liquid form. Hey, the liquid matte lipstick ship hasn’t sail yet. So here are a few photos I took of them.
Top: Bourjois REV Nude-ist; Middle: LA Splash Smitten Charmed; Bottom: Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit
In terms of color, LA Splash Charmed is the palest. Without the appropriate makeup, this can look deathly. Is that even correct grammar? I also find this to be extremely drying. “This lipstick is so funny, it cracks me up”. Get it? *garing* Literally dried up my lips in seconds.ย So, the next time I tried this, I made sure to exfoliate my lips and prep my lips with lip balm beforehand. It didn’t crack as bad as before, but still it settledย into the lines on my lips, and it showed. The color is beige with minimum pink, hence it looked pale on me. Texture is creamy, not too liquid-y. When it dries, it dries like nobody’s business. Difficult to remove, too. Some people may not like the fact that this stayed on your lips for a long time, fearing harmful effect on lips. My suggestion, just remove with oil-based lip remover. Be patient and be gentle. Don’t rub too harshly on your lips. Eventually it will come off, even if it takes a lot of coaxing.
Left: Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit; Middle: LA Splash Smitten Charmed; Right: Bourjois REV Nude-ist
Moving on, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Nude-ist is the most creamy. It’s my favorite in terms of texture. It’s comfortable on lips, too. Color has a hint of pink so it’s more wearable for me. I do have pigmented lips but this is opaque enough for the color to show. Although essentially it should dry matte, I found that it stayed a bit “wet” even after more than 10 minutes. Perhaps the formula vary slightly between colors because Pink Pong (from the same series) definitely dries matte.
Finally, Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit. This (I think) has some brown in itย that it’s not too nude. Very wearable. Texture is less creamy than Bourjois. This also don’t settle too much into lip lines. I think this is a very good choice if you’re looking for liquid lipstick. When I tried this, it dried matte and last okay, around 3 hours with drinking and eating.
And here are some photos of the lipsticks on lips. Didn’t have the picture of Sleek since, well, it’s not mine ๐ Maybe I’ll update sometime when I get to borrow it again.
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet – Nude-ist
LA Splash Smitten – Charmed
Gosh, I still need to learn to take proper photos. x___x Anyhow, I’d love to know your favorite nude lipsticks! Do drop a comment ๐
I’ve been hearing good things about micellar water cleanser. As a self-proclaimed couch potato, I was obviously intrigued by the claim of easiness of removing your makeup. In my defense, I am now, once again, a mother of a little baby. You can imagine my (further) reluctance to use cleansing oil, toner and facial foam at the end of a long day while the baby is crying wanting to nurse. It’s just too much.
For a while, the only readily available micellar water makeup remover came with a price tag of IDR 200k. Hmmm… Not willing (yet) to dish that kind of dough for makeup remover.
Once I read about Maybelline Clean Express Miracle Water in (where else) Female Daily, I’m determined to get my hands on it because, well, the price! For only IDR 50k, I think it’s a steal! So, how did it fare in terms of removing makeup?
I must say I’m a bit surprised. It certainly did the job well. I used Covergirl Simply Ageless foundation and at the end of the day, using this, it came off quite thoroughly. I soaked two cotton pads to completely remove my makeup.
If you’re using heavier makeup, you’ll need more to completely wipe off the makeup. For my daily use, two, sometimes one cotton pad(s) will do.
Btw, I have used the pricier one, and I found them both more or less the same in terms of efficacy. In all fairness, I don’t have sensitive skin so that might contribute to my similar experience with these two brands.
Maybelline Clean Express Miracle Water is available in all Maybelline counters. Price is IDR 50.000.
Have you tried Maybelline Clean Express Miracle Water? Do drop a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Another day, another new product launch to attend. Ini udah beberapa minggu yang lalu, sih. Kali ini yang mengadakan adalah Citra. Merk body care lawas ini meluncurkan produk terbarunya, seri Citra Japanese Wakame dan Citra Korean Pink Orchid. Makanya nggak heran acara yang diadakan di Morrissey Hotel ini dekornya juga nuansa pink-hijau dengan sentuhan Asia. Eh, bahkan disajikan wakame salad. How appropriate.
Kalau ngomongin Citra yang terbayang pasti body lotionnya yang hits itu. My sisters for instance, are avid users of this particular brand. Nah, inovasi Citra kali ini menghasilkan lotion tubuh yang ringan, cepat menyerap dan nggak lengket. Mengapa susah-susah bikin lotion baru dengan karakteristik begini? Ternyata ini semua hasil riset, lho. Orang biasanya malas pakai pelembap tubuh karena lengket. Makanya Citra membuat pelembap tubuh yang nggak lengket, cepat terserap dan ringan ini.
Untuk membuktikan klaim “cepat menyerap” ini, dilakukan eksperimen yang bisa dicoba semua yang hadir. Satu tangan diolesi Citra Wakame lalu dilapisi pasir (iye, pasir beneran bok). Tangan yang satu lagi juga diolesi lotion biasa lalu dilapisi pasir juga. Terbukti, tangan yang dilapisi Citra Wakame pasirnya lebih mudah lepas dan dibersihkan. Citra Wakame bener-bener nggak lengket. Btw kita jadi kayak main di pantai, mainan pasir ๐
Habis itu nyoba juga tekstur Citra Korean Pink Orchid. Nah, kalau yang ini skincare untuk wajah. Tekstur krim-nya juga ringan, ngga lengket. Kandungan anggreknya dipercaya mencerahkan kulit secara alami. Wanginya juga ngga terlalu nyengat nih. Pretty soothing for my taste. Moisturizer ini juga sudah mengandung UVA dan UVB jadi bisa lah agak tenang pakenya karena sudah mengandung sun protection.
Looks thick? Careful, appearance can be deceiving ๐Setelah diratakan, poof! No trace at all
Buat yang penasaran sama ingredients-nya, silakan dicek foto-foto ini.
Adakah yang sudah coba juga kedua seri terbaru dari Citra ini? Do share!
The Skinny Nerdy Mommy 