I've been surrounded by beauty products especially since I started my Japanese blog a few years ago. I've tried more than 200 products sent from PR companies, and of course I've bought many products myself too. But there are not so many products I have repurchased. Or that I'm sure I will repurchase. Today I'm going to talk about the products I really really love.
Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution
I had a small travel-size bottle which I took about 6 months to use up. I wrote my thoughts about the product HERE before so I'm not going to ramble about it here but there is nothing like this product. It never burns my eyes or irritates my skin. I didn't like the smell at the beginning but now I'm completely used to it and don't notice any smell even. It's such a gentle makeup remover!
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
You can read my detailed review about this amazing cleanser HERE. When I used up the first bottle, I was so sad and decided to buy as many bottles as I can next time I would go to the U.K.. And I did. I bought two of the 200ml tubes with two of their toner and one jar of their cream. Also my sister in law gave me the tiny tube of the cleanser and recently she's sent me 100ml bottle as well. I don't know how and when I would be able to finish them all but now I feel secure. Their cleanser is not something I use every single day but I use it at least 2-3 times a week. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth that nothing else does. I also love the herbal scent.
Pangea Organics Facial Mask
I wrote a full review of this product HERE last year, I apologise for the blurry photos. Apparently you cannot buy it from Vitacost anymore which sucks because it was much cheaper on Vitacost. Hopefully it will be back in stock someday soon. This face mask is just amazing. It doesn't have a pleasant scent but it does its job. This mask was the first one I'd felt a huge difference on my skin immediately. If you haven't tried it before, try it. Buy it. You won't regret.
It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner plus Keratin
This is what I'm going to repurchase once I've finished the current bottle. As I mentioned HERE before, this is such a great leave-in conditioner which makes my hair soft and silky. Although my hair is now much healthier as I chopped 20cm of it last month, still my hair tends to get tangled easily. I spray this leave-in conditioner focusing on the ends before blow-drying. It doesn't weigh down my hair at all but definitely makes them much more manageable and less frizzy. Also it smells heavenly.
Caudalie Divine Oil
This oil is just Divine as it claims. It's such a beautiful product that I don't want to live without. First of all it smells so good. I cannot describe how good it smells but it's one of the best smelling products I've ever used. Secondly it's such a light oil which doesn't make my skin greasy or oily at all, even in summer. It sinks into my skin quickly while leaving this heavenly scent like perfume. Now they've come out with the body scrub and tanning-lotion, and I'm dying to try them out. Let me know how they are if you've tried them!
Moroccanoil Light Oil Treatment for Fine and Light-Coloured Hair
The products from the brand Moroccanoil were the ones I had been dying to try out but couldn't because of the price. Their products are quite pricey and I wasn't keen on spending that much money on something I wasn't even sure if I would like. So the opportunity to try out one of their products came, I was very excited and thought it was a good chance to know if I would like their products or not.
The product I tried is this small sample of Moroccanoil Light Oil Treatment which is targeting fine hair like mine. It's perfect because I heard some people saying that the original was too heavy.
Apparently this product has "the ability to restore
over-processed hair damaged by environmental factors and chemical
procedures" which sounds very familiar to me. I colour my hair every 3 months, and I perm once or twice a year. My hair is dry and damaged, and in need of a really good hair treatment.
The formula looks like this. Some people seem to be a bit confused but basically this oil is full of silicone and a little bit of argan oil. Argan oil itself is a naturally-derived oil but it's mixed with other ingredients like silicone, artificial perfume and colouring. So if you are looking for a natural hair oil, this one is not for you. If you are looking for a nice scented hair oil which makes your hair silky and smooth instantly, you will love it!
It smells like a mixture of floral perfume and vanilla. It reminds me of Divine Oil from Caudalie, the scents are not identical but they have this similar musky yet feminine scent to it. It smells amazing and I love how subtle it is when I put it on my hair. It's not overpowering at all.
As a little bit goes a long way, I think this tiny bottle would last for months and months. I still have the hair oil from Macadamia but I prefer this one just because I like this scent better. I no longer use Macadamia one as it's more like a winter-scent to me.
Oh sorry I was rambling about the scent and forgot to mentioned how it makes my hair smooth. It gives this shinning effect on my damaged hair without weighing it down. It doesn't make my hair feel softer particularly but definitely makes it shinier. Also it shorten time to blow dry when you apply it on your wet hair as oil absorbs water or something like that...
I'm now interested in trying out some of their products as I liked this hair oil so much. Have you tried anything from the brand? What's your favoruite?
Today I'm going to talk about the makeup products I use daily.
After moisturising my face with SOLAR Protective Moisturizer SPF30, I apply this BB cream from Baby Pink which I talked about HERE. It has SPF35 too which is definitely needed especially in spring and summer. After I apply it with Buffing Brush by Real Techniques, I move on to concealer. I use a few different concealers starting from Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer in 040 soft beige. It's a little bit darker to use as highlighter so I use it to cancel out the redness around my nose. Then I apply Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 02 Light under my eyes, then mix 01 Fair with Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light, and apply on top. Because my under eye circles are brown / orange, and I was told to apply peachy concealer first, then apply yellow toned concealer on top. It still doesn't cover them up completely but better than nothing, I guess.
Then I move on to my brows. The first thing I use is my eyebrow mascara. My favourite one is Heavy Rotation Colouring Eyebrow in ashy brown. I bleach my eyebrows every 2-3 weeks to match them to my hair colour but I still like applying eyebrow mascara to even out the colour. Then I use my eyebrow pencil from KATE in BR-02. Then I use VISEE Powder Eyebrow in BR301 which is the lighter shade, and I only use the lightest colour in this palette to fill any tiny gaps.
For my eyes, I use NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skin Tone as a primer. I apply just a tiny bit on my eyelid with my finger to even out the skin tone. I actually don't like this product much because it still makes my eyeshadow crease anyway, and it's kind of oily. I am on the hunt for a cheap yet good eyeshadow primer! Then I apply Maybelline Color Tattoo in Eternal Gold. I didn't like this product much at the beginning but now I love how it shines on my eyelids. You still can see through the shine even after you apply other eyeshadows on top. Then I use Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Storm. I like MUA palettes as well but they tend to come off very quickly...Is it just me or does it happen to you too?
Next I use Kingdom Liquid Eyeliner in black. I only use liquid eyeliner just because I like to define my eyes. I don't like black pencil eyeliner just because it's hard to draw a straight line and does get smudged easily. Anyway this eyeliner is very good because it doesn't come off easily in daytime but it comes off without rubbing it too much with a gentle cleanser and hot water.
Relevance Highlight Tip in pearl beige is something I use when my eyes look tired. It brightens up my eyes instantly. Then finally I use L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara. I didn't like this mascara much at the beginning but it doesn't clump and creates very natural looking eyelashes.
On my face, I use Baby Pink BB Loose Powder to set my foundation. It makes my skin look flawless and I love the matte finish it gives. It erases my pores on my cheek as well, I love this powder so much! Then I use Relevance Shading Mineral Powder for shading. I apply it on my chin and forehead to make my egg-shape face look rounder. On my cheek I like to use Pierre Couleur Mineral Mousse Cheek in Lovers Pink. It has this unique texture which is exactly like mousse, and it melts into my cheeks when I apply it with Stippling Brush by real Techniques and creates this glowy look. And I sometimes use Sun Beam from Benefit (in this tiny bottle came with ELLE magazine last year).
On my lips I use different lip products depending on my mood. I like to wear Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick from Soap and Glory when I'm wearing a simple eye makeup as it shows up pretty bright on my lips. I love applying Bath and Body Works Lip Gloss (which I talked about HERE) on top of any lip stick I have! It smells so nice like vanilla syrup or something, and it gives pretty pretty shine on my lips. I also like L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Stain Splash in Lolita. I use it all the time especially at work. It doesn't show up much on my lips but definitely creates "Oh my lips look naturally this pigmented and make my whole face look healthy" type of look if that makes sense. Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie is another favourite of mine. It's such a pretty girlie colour I want to wear on a date or something. It's such a perfect pink!
Phew it became such a long post! Thanks for reading, and share what's on your face today!
Today's post is going to be all about "How I'm preparing my skin and hair for summer". I feel like we skipped spring this year because it was kind of chilly in April and then suddenly it got pretty hot and humid. I started wearing sunglasses lately after having my eyes sunburned. I started wearing my favourite shoes I only wear in summer. I definitely feel like summer is just around the corner!
Not Your Mother's Texturizing Sea Salt Spray
This is my essential to create the beachy loose waves. I spray it on my hair when it's still wet and dry it with hairdryer like I always do. It definitely gives texture on my hair without making it crunchy. It does dry my hair a little bit so I usually try to put some leave-in conditioner or hair oil at the end. I'm thinking that I might try not to use hairdryer in the summer and instead I put my hair in a bun after spraying it and leave it dry for stronger waves. I love the scent of coconut which isn't overpowering at all. Love love love this product!
Parasola Sunscreen Spray
I picked it up in a drugstore just because it looked pretty. I was looking for a sunscreen spray because it's easy and none-greasy, but they all looked so boring except this one. It can be used on your face, body and hair -literally from head to toe- and also it smells nice. It doesn't have the sunscreen smell and instead smells floral like a perfume without being overpowering. Once you start using a sunscreen spray, you cannot go back using a sunscreen lotion. It's super easy to use, you can reach your back easily and it doesn't feel sticky on your skin even in hot weather!
Nourish Golden Glow Toning Soufflé
I received this product in winter. Although I was very impressed with the product I couldn't use it because obviously my skin wasn't showing much at all. It's got light golden particles
which evens skin tone while giving it a sun-kissed glow. It smells so good of frankincense and myrrh which I love.
Just as the name "Soufflé" indicates, it has got this light moussey texture which is very unique. It's not sticky or greasy on my skin at all but it does feel hydrating.
I hope you can see the golden shimmer in this photo. It's absolutely gorgeous, isn't it? It never makes you look like you're wearing obvious glitters all over your body. I am so looking forward to wearing it on my arms and decollete in the summer!
Weleda Deodorant Spray Small Citrus
You don't necessarily have to use it on your armpits just because it's called "deodorant spray". This refreshing citrus-scented spray can be used all over your body! It smells citrussy and herbal which is perfect for summer! It contains alcohol which feels chilly and refreshing on your skin.
Vera Wang Princess foamy body polish
Because it's super humid in summer in Tokyo, walking outside for 3 minutes would make me sweat a lot although I don't sweat too much generally. But I don't have to worry when the all parts of my body smell good, and to make it happen, using the good-smelling body wash is the easiest way! It smells AMAZING and leaves my skin smooth. It smells a bit lighter and fresher than the actual perfume which is ideal in hot weather!
Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer
This SPF30 moisturiser is perfect underneath makeup. It doesn't leave my skin greasy or sticky at all as it sinks in quickly. Another good thing is that it doesn't contain paraben and is 100% vegan, no wonder why it's so popular on Vitacost!
Etvos Mineral UV Powder SPF40
Etvos
is a Japanese beauty brand specialised in making "mineral" makeup
products. This mineral UV powder is very handy as it has a mirror on top
and you don't have to carry your brush or puff around as it's got this puff
on top of the lid inside. It's so easy to reapply sunblock on top of makeup with this product. It's kind of impossible to reapply normal sunscreen lotion on top of makeup during the day but with this product, you don't have to worry about melting your makeup with sunscreen. It's such a smart idea isn't it!
So these are my summer essential products! What are yours?
In April I've used up quite a few products. Or maybe since I started writing monthly empties posts I've been encouraged to finish up products rather than keep them all in my tiny apartment. It feels satisfying somehow to finish up beauty products and judge whether it was a good product or not.
Redken Scalp Relief Dandruff Control Shampoo (REVIEW)
This was my 2nd bottle and I'm so sad it's finished. I don't have dandruff but I have a really sensitive scalp which gets irritated quite easily by using shampoo which my scalp doesn't like. At worst it gets itchy that keeps me awake all night so I am very picky when it comes to choosing the right shampoo. And this shampoo from Redken is the best so far. It lathers well, it makes my hair and scalp very clean but doesn't make them dry. It contains glycerine which moisturises the scalp. It has a very subtle herbal scent which is pretty nice and I really enjoyed using it. I would love to repurchase again but as YEN is much weaker now I'm trying not to shop much on feelunique and lookfantastic lately...so when YEN gets stronger I'll definitely buy a new bottle.
The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo and Conditioner
Apparently this shampoo is a best-seller on The Body Shop UK website, but I absolutely hated this series. Before they changed the whole haircare series, they had shampoo and conditioner with honey and I loved the scent of them. So one day I went to the shop and asked for it then they said it was discontinued and instead they had new haircare series, and they recommended this one because it smells similar to the honey one I loved. But in my opinion it doesn't smell the same and the scent doesn't even stay on your hair. Also it's pretty drying and makes my hair frizzy and basically it doesn't do anything to my hair. I just don't like it and I'm not going to repurchase, ever.
LebeL Trie 5 Hairspray
I think I bought this about a year ago after my hairdresser used it on my hair at the hair salon. It smells like green apples which is brilliant but it doesn't do much on my hair. I don't think I'm going to repurchase it but I might have a look at a bit stronger hairspray from the same brand because it smells so good.
Terracuore Jasmine and Honey Body Scrub
Terracuore is a Japanese organic beauty brand which has fields in Italy to grow the herbs which are included in their products. Terracuore is my favourite Japanese beauty brand and their products are very good. Although they are pricey and I can't buy them often. This product was given to me by them when I had a business meeting with them but actually it's 5250yen which is about 35 pound / $52. It's ridiculously pricey but it's VERY good. It contains Jasmine essential oil which are derived from more than 13800 jasmine flowers. I was expecting a strong jasmine scent but it's much softer and sweeter, and surprisingly NOT overpowering. This creamy body scrub contains crushed apricot seeds which exfoliate your skin gently, and believe me it does make my skin so so so soft. And it leaves the pleasant scent on my skin. What more do you want? Another great product from Terracuore I've tried.
Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Cleanser
This was sent from my lovely fellow blogger Mel from The Beauty Dispensary a few months ago. Since the day I received it I had been using this cleanser every single morning. It's such a gentle cleanser with pleasant rose scent. I think I should have used it in the summer time because foaming cleanser tends to strip natural oils on your face and obviously in summer your skin produces more oils than in winter. I really enjoyed using this cleanser, and also I loved the chic packaging so much. Thanks Mel!
Pangea Organics Facial Mask (REVIEW)
The best face mask I have ever used. I literally cannot live without it. Whenever I feel my skin is dry or dull, I use this face mask at night. Immediately I feel the difference on my skin and the next morning my skin feels glowing again. It smells a little bit weird but now I'm used it and I'm more into the result it makes on my skin. I cannot explain how and why it works so well, but trust me, it really does work. I introduced this face mask to my readers on my Japanese blog, and some of them actually tried and they all loved it. If you haven't tried it yet, you definitely should. It's amazing and of course I repurchased it again.
Jason Apricot Scrubble
(REVIEW)
I loved this scrub! It's such a gentle face scrub you can use every day. I only used it 2-3 times a week but it was enough to make a huge difference on my skin. It makes my skin so silky and soft with such a fresh and sweet apricot scent. You would be very surprised to feel your skin after you've used this product, it's such an amazing face scrub. I love it but I'm not going to repurchase now because I have some other ones to use up. I strongly recommend this product if you're looking for a gentle face scrub.
Bourjois healthy mix serum (REVIEW)
I decided to bin it although there's a bit left in the bottle because it's getting old. I used up like 80-90% of it and I liked it very much. Mine is shade 52 Vanilla and it's slightly darker but matches my skin tone OK. It doesn't feel heavy on my skin and I really liked it. I've got the new version of Healthy Mix Foundation and I'm totally in love with it. The review will be coming soon!
BIODERMA Sensibio H2O (REVIEW)
I don't need to explain what it is because you all know what it is. I loved it, although I didn't like the weird smell at the beginning. It takes everything off without being harsh on my skin. It didn't irritate my eye areas which is great, and I'm dying to repurchase but for now I'm not going to just because it's expensive here. I will buy tons when I go to Paris. Someday...
Weleda Wild Rose Day Cream (REVIEW)
This product was sent by my another lovely fellow blogger Zanka from Zanka Talks Cosmetics. As the name is not in English, I don't know what exactly it says but I assume it's a day time moisturiser. I was using it in the morning before putting makeup on anyway, and it worked really well. It smells amazing, of natural wild rose which was pretty soothing in a busy morning. Thanks Zanka so much!
PAUCE Cleansing Butter
I LOVED this cleanser so much! It's got this buttery texture and it melts on your skin turning into an oil consistency. It removes all my makeup including eyeliners and mascara. I didn't even need my BIODERMA to remove my eye makeup because it took off literally everything. And it left an oily feeling on my skin even after rinsing it for more than a minute, and this oily feeling turned into a whole new moisturising feeling after I dried my face. It's such a good cleanser to take makeup off and I'd love to repurchase if it wasn't this pricey. What a shame.
Skin Repair Moisturiser™ Normal/combination
Another product I loved so much. Although I have dry / sensitive skin, this one worked really well during winter. I couldn't stand the smell at the beginning but I think it faded after a few weeks since I opened the jar because at some point I wasn't bothered by the smell anymore. Now I'm using a new
jar and it stinks and I realised that it wasn't me getting used to the smell, it was the smell faded by time. Other than that it's such a nice cream which really is effective. I'll keep repurchasing their products until I find a better brand which I doubt :)
Phew, it has become such a looooong post, you must be bored. Thanks for reading!
Although I was away for 2 weeks, I used up quite a few products during the month of March. Some of the products are talked about here in the past, some of them aren't, but anyway I'm going to get started!
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner
These are the samples which came with a book which was sent to my company. I wasn't interested in Giovanni though I have heard of many good reviews, but decided to give it a try. Although they're supposed to be "Deep(er) Moisture", they didn't feel like moisturizing at all. Maybe just because my hair was too dry and fine, but they tangled my hair and didn't give shine to it. The scent was OK but wasn't strong enough to stay on my hair which was disappointing. I didn't understand why people are raving about them, but please let me know if you know any other series of Giovanni which might be suitable for my dry, damaged and fine hair!
Leivy Double Moisturising Body Shampoo ( full review)
I loved this shower gel so much that I used it every day. At first I thought the scent was too old-fashioned as it reminded me of my grandma's makeup table. But once I was used to it, I was in love with it. Especially the scent left on my skin after having a shower was amazing. It smells fresh and clean yet powdery and feminine. Also it's pretty moisturizing which is perfect for winter. I got it as a PR sample and thought of purchasing it but I don't think I would any time soon just because I've got many other shower gels waiting to be opened.
Foot Scrub
I don't even remember the brand of this foot scrub but I'm sure I got it as a PR sample as well. I didn't like it at all as the texture was just weird. I can't be bothered to describe how weird it was because it was such a terrible product which is not worth talking about. I don't mean to be rude but it didn't do anything to my feet and didn't smell nice either. What's the point of using a body scrub which doesn't work?
Balance me Radiance Face Oil
The best face oil ever. Full stop. I got this sample when I purchased their body cream and eye cream on lookfantastic.com. It's such a light oil which sinks into the skin really quickly without making my whole face greasy. It's very moisturizing and makes my skin soft and smooth. Obviously I don't recommend using it in the morning before putting makeup on but it's a perfect oil to use at night. When my skin felt dry, I put one pump of the oil on my palm and gently patted on my skin and I could see the difference the next morning. Another good point of this product is that it doesn't have a weird smell. The actual product is 30pound for 30ml which isn't the cheapest in the world but I don't think it's overpriced as a little goes a long way. The bottle could last almost a year (only if it allows you to)! Now they have a special offer on lookfantastic.com where I put the link above, check it out!
"Balance Me Radiance Face Oil is a light, absorbent 100% natural radiance
enhancer with powerful Amazonian buriti nut oil. Combats congested
skin with conditioning moringa and camellia oils that work with calming
Roman chamomile, yarrow and benzoin to enhance the radiance of skin of
all ages and types. The perfect skin pick me up, this highly
concentrated formula has a delicious orange blossom aroma, skin is left
calmed and balanced."
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
I loved this toner so much! I kept this small bottle for special occasions as it was kind of like my secret weapon! Whenever I felt my skin was dehydrated I put about a tea spoon of this toner on my organic cotton wool pad from The Body Shop and wiped my skin gently. Once I wipe the whole face, I place the cotton pad on the dry areas and gently push the cotton pad so that the toner seeps through it and skins into my skin. I usually keep doing it for more than 5 minutes, I found it soothing even! That's my quick cure of dry skin!
Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel (from the travel kit for normal skin)
I bought the travel kit for normal skin on lookfantastic.com about 6 months ago. I decided to take this cleansing gel with me to London. I mainly used it in the morning as I didn't expect it to remove my makeup. Overall it's an OK product but I don't think I would purchase the full-size bottle. It's got a runny, loose gel texture which I'm not a big fan of. The rosy scent isn't too bad as it's not overpowering at all and I found it quite soothing but that was the only thing about this product which impressed me.
SUSY N.Y. Nail Volume Gloss
This is my 2nd bottle of this product. I'm totally in love with this top coat as it gives a shiny and glossy finish to my nails! I remember it's about 1,000yen which isn't too bad considering the fact it lasts at least 3-4 months. It gets gloopy after a few months so I need to add some thinner liquid. I've used top coats from many different brands from OPI to Seche but this one is the best so far. I'm going to repurchase for sure!
THREE Glam Touch Lip Gloss in Summer Sounds
THREE is a Japanese skincare / makeup brand. I love the concept and their chic and sophisticated packaging designs, as well as the products themselves. This colour is called Summer Sounds which was one of the limited colours which was sold in the summer 2012 (or 2011, not sure). It's a perfect pink beige which brightens up the whole face. It's shimmers in it which reflect lights beautifully. I loved the plastic applicator which was much easier to apply on my lips than a sponge applicator. The formula is in a perfect consistency, not too greasy yet moisturizing. I dropped by the duty-free shop at Narita airport hoping to purchase another colour the other day, but unfortunately none of the colours they have now could beat this colour. This was the best lip gloss I'd ever used.
Lancôme Virtuôse Divine Lasting Curves & Length Mascara
I loved this mascara so much and was wearing it every single day until I got Loreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara. It separates my lashes as well as creating voluminous lashes. And it's so easy to remove just with warm water without a trace although it doesn't smudge at all during the day. It's a very good mascara which I would love to repurchase...only if I was richer!
Sorry this post became pretty long and boring, I should learn how to write simpler and shorter reviews! Let me know if you've used any of those products I mentioned here!
Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil Free B.B. Cream £8.50
I'm going to get to the conclusion. I LOVE THIS BB CREAM. I hadn't tried any BB cream until last month when I received a PR sample from a Japanese company. Their BB cream wasn't that good because it made my whole face streaky as it didn't sink into the skin quickly enough. I tried my best to make it work somehow but it didn't happen. Right after my disappointing experience with the Japanese BB cream, I finally opened this BB cream which had been sitting in my room for about a month. I got it from feelunique.com and was waiting for the perfect timing to open it. And that's when I fell in love with this product.
It's very loose in consistency as you can see in this photo. I really think it's their mistake to put this BB cream in this tube packaging. It should be in a pump bottle for sure. You can't call it "cream" in my opinion, it should be called "BB liquid" although it sounds silly. Every time I open the lid, the liquid comes out none stop and it's pretty annoying. I put it in my glass jar that I put all my brushes upside down to prevent that annoying "accident" but it doesn't help at all.
Besides that, it's such a nice product. It doesn't get streaky at all and melts into the skin instead. Whenever I use this BB cream I get compliments on my "flawless" skin. It's supposed to be for oily and combination skin but I didn't find it drying at all on my dry skin. Just because it's oil-free, doesn't mean it's not suitable for dry skin as long as you moisturize your skin enough.
Overall, it's a must-have in my makeup bag now. I've been wearing it every day since I got it and it impresses me every time I use it. This product made me curious about other BB cream as well -what's your favourite BB cream? Let me know!
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer 5.99GBP
I've been using concealers since I was about 15 because of my dark circles. I've tried many different concealers but I haven't met any special concealer which I would repurchase over and over again. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer when I come to the U.K.,but I purchased this one from feelunique.com just because I wanted to try out. I heard many good things about their foundation and powder, so I thought this concealer should be good as well!
The colour I got is "Light" which is the lightest colour in the yellow-toned range. There is another bright colour called "Fair" but this one is more pinkish than Light. I wanted yellowy one because that would cover up my dark circles.
I like this sponge applicator much better than a brush applicator like Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer. I really don't like the tube because every time I use it I have to squeeze the tube and sometimes it comes out too much and I waste it. It's just frustrating!
I really like this texture because it's not too loose but definitely not too heavy. A little bit goes a long way and it covers up my redness around my nose perfectly! But when it comes to my dark circles, unfortunately it's not enough. Maybe it's because of the colour because this colour looks slightly darker than how it should be to cover my dark circles. I still use it under my eyes anyway but I wish it had more coverage.
I'm very interested in their liquid foundation. Have you tried any of their Fit Me range?
Maybelline New York Color Tattoo 24hr Gel-Cream Eyeshadow 4.99GBP
I believe this product is one of the most raved products in this blogginng world. I wanted to try out so bad as I was just looking for eyeshadow which can be the base, but it took me a while to find out that it was sold on feelunique.com. When I found out I didn't even hesitate to put it in the basket. I chose one in Eternal Gold which seemed to be the lightest colour which I can use as a base colour.
It looks more yellow actually, I wish it was more beigey colour like it looks in this photo.
You can see it looks very yellowy rather than champagne gold which I wish it was. My eyelids need to be perfectly even out otherwise it creases and doesn't apply evenly. It looks really messy when that happens and I struggled at the beginning to be honest. I usually apply an eyeshadow base first, then apply this eyeshadow using my finger.
I used this eyeshadow as the base in this photo. It appears to be pretty subtle once I apply other eyeshadows on top. I'm sure it's going to last so long as just a little goes a long way. I hope it doesn't dry out before I use it up. That happened to me once before with the cream eyeshadow from Jill Stewart which was my favourite. One day I opened the jar and found out that it was completely dried out. I hope it wouldn't happen to this one...
I believe there is the metallic series of this eyeshadow in the U.S., and it's got a very nice beigey gold colour! Let me know if you've tried it out!
It's February already! I'm so happy that winter is almost finished (in my head) and Spring will come very soon! In Japan Cherry Blossoms will start blooming from the end of March and that tells me that Spring has come. I can't wait for Spring, because it's my favourite season of the year! Anyway, because I didn't do Empties post in December, I have a quite few empty bottles here for you!
Caudalie Gentle Cleanser
This is such a nice cleanser! This milky formula which smells divine removes dirt and makeup on the skin really gently as the name claims. It leaves my skin soft and moisturized, it doesn't feel dry even 5 minutes after I've washed my face. It lasted pretty long as I only needed a tiny amount to wash my whole face. My favourite part of this cleanser was the scent, I cannot describe it well but it smells very clean and fresh. I totally recommend this cleanser if you're looking for cleansing milk. I also think it's more suitable for dry skin more than oily and combination skin.
Caudalie Cleansing Water
I got it for free when I purchased some Caudalie products on feelunique. It does the same thing as Bioderma does, but less effective. Bioderma removes makeup much more easily. With this cleansing water, I had to rub my eye areas with a cotton pad quite strongly, and that irritated my skin. It still didn't remove all my makeup off, which I don't mind too much because I wash my face with another cleanser afterwords anyway. It smells really nice just as the cleanser does, which makes me feel relaxed whenever I use it. I don't think I would purchase the full-sized one, just because I think Bioderma does better job.
HANA Organic Floral Drop (full review)
I'm not sure how long I took to finish this product. It's basically Rose Water with some essential oils in it. It smells absolutely fantastic and I love the concept behind their products. Their toner (this product) and moisturizer (here for the full review) are designed to use in the evening because it repairs your skin during sleep because that's when your skin barrier becomes weaker. It's pretty expensive and I don't think I would buy it (I received it as a PR sample a long time ago) just because I have other products to try out.
Aussie 3 Minutes Miracle Deep Treatment for Coloured Hair (full review)
I LOVED this product. I usually keep switching over my haircare products depending on my mood but I couldn't resist using this one every single day until I finished it completely. I enjoyed using this product so so so much and I'm hoping to get some bottles when I come to the U.K. next time (which is pretty soon actually!). I wasn't a big fan of the scent which was too peachy and artificial, but I loved how it made my hair so soft, smooth and voluminous. With this hair treatment I didn't have to worry about styling my hair at all. It's a magical product seriously! I don't care the fact it's packed with silicone and polymer, it worked really well on my hair.
Redken Scalp Relief Shampoo (full review)
This is another fabulous haircare products! When I was using this product, I didn't think it was anything special. Yes it did kill itchiness on my scalp but I thought that was because my scalp became less sensitive and calmer. But once I finished the first bottle, my scalp started itching again. I repurchased it from lookfantastic.com because somehow feelunique didn't allow me to buy it from Japan. Thank god lookfantastic did allow me to, otherwise I was going to have to live with my itchy scalp. Once I started using this product again, my scalp became calm again.
Tocca Laundry Delicate
It's not a beauty product but I had to include it here! Is it even popular in other countries? I believe it's from the U.S. but I've never seen anyone talking about this product outside of Japan. It's a laundry soap from the brand Tocca, and this small bottle costs 2500yen or so. I always buy it online so that it's much cheaper, but still it was 1300yen or something like that. The reason why I keep buying their laundry soap is because of the amazing scent. There are 4 different scents and my favourite is this "Florence" one. It smells like "In Love Again" perfume from YSL for me, and the scent isn't too strong but not too subtle. I don't use it to wash my clothes but my pillow cover, tights, underwear and my makeup brushes (I'm not sure if that's OK to do so but they're not animal bristles so should be OK). I use a tiny tiny amount at a time and this bottle lasts for more than 6 months. I already repurchased two bottles. One is Florence and another is Cleopatra. I will talk about them another day!
Caudalie Lip Conditioner (full review)
I have repurchased this product twice or three times already. It's moisturizing enough for my dry lips and I also like the subtle vanilla scent of it. I'm not going to repurchase this time just because I have EOS one which I've been enjoying using recently.
URIAGE Lip Balm
I got it from my local drugstore, it's pretty expensive (1,040yen) for a tiny lip balm but it really works. I'm sure I spent more than 20,000yen on this lip balm in the past because this was the ONLY lip balm which worked for me before I met Caudalie and then EOS. It's got a vanilla scent too which I like.
Aveda Invati Shampoo and Conditioner
These were just small samples I got when they launched this series in Japan. It's supposed to
refresh your scalp and remove the daily build ups, and I think it works OK. The formula is really loose and looks like curry, which was a little bit gross. But fortunately it smells of herbs so please don't worry, it doesn't smell of curry. I liked both shampoo and conditioner but am not going to purchase the full-size ones just because they're pretty expensive and I have better ones for cheaper prices.
iMPRIME Repair Method
I got the whole set of the range in small bottles as a PR sample. You wash your hair with normal shampoo, then pat it dry with a towel and spray the "Base 0" all over your hair. Then apply Repair method 1 which is in the red bottle, then apply Repair method 2 which has two different formula, one is called α which is in the green bottle and another is called β which is in the blue bottle. α is for a smooth finish, and β is for drier and more damaged hair. They all smell AMAZING, I loved the scent so much. It smells like a salon if that makes sense, I think it's grapefruit and some herbs which bring out this fresh scent. It really worked and made my hair silky and soft. I don't think I would purchase them ever because when I buy them in bigger bottles, it costs about 10,000yen in total. I simply cannot afford them, but I really really love the products.
I hope you enjoyed it! x
