OPI Stranger Tides: Joyful Green to End the Year

While lots of beauty bloggers demonstrated make up tutorial -- eyes, lashes, lips, cheeks -- I would like to share my review of OPI Nail Lacquer on Stranger Tides.

I am not kind of nail polish person, I don't posses beautiful fingers and tidy nails. Yet I am falling in love playing with colors gradation, and OPI, I must admit, has a very wide range of shade selections for nail polish. Although there are some colors with dupes, but sometimes, the color is one-of-a-kind, which you rarely can find in other brands.

When it comes to favorite shades, I'm always in love with pastels and pale ones, although I am not keen to wear brighter colors, too. My pick this time is part of OPI Pirates of Caribbean's 2011 collections. If you are a fan of nude and pastels, you may find that the colors are drop dead gorgeous!

Front: Skull & Glossbones. Sheer grey/taupe; Middle (left to right): Steady As She Rose. Light sheer purple, Sparrow Me The Drama. Muted pink/rose cream; Planks A Lot. Muted lavender; Back (left to right): Stranger Tides. Light dusty army-green;
Mermaid Tears. Beautiful dusty turquoise

Okay, so I decided to buy one. I was quite confused because I wanted to have all :D My top two favorites are Sparrow Me The Drama and Stranger Tides. I browsed on several online stores and YEAY, I found Stranger Tides was on sale here!

As described above, Stranger Tides is a very beautiful subtle dusty army-green, but don't get it wrong, the color is opaque enough with 2 coats of application and it has creamy texture, too. No shine, no shimmer, just a glossy cream. I would prefer to call it with baby green. I was quite surprised that the color, like usually happened with baby blue or baby purple, didn't wash my nails out.

OPI Stranger Tides with 2 coats application

My rating is 4.0/5.0

The downside probably because I found it's a bit uneven and difficult to apply, and of course, the price. OPI's price at counter in Jakarta is quite high, IDR 195,000 :(

 However, if it was on 50% sale, who would resist? ~xoxo~

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum; So Long, Blackheads!

As long holiday's coming (read: less work in office), I am now super busy working on my new beauty blog (like, posting something daily? oh, get a life, LOL :D)

So, it's been a week since the blog was launched, and I have hit 519 pageviews. Not so bad. I don't have any particular mission by having a beauty blog. I am doing it for fun :) Moreover, I am not a high school or college students anymore with bunch of friends to be asked as followers. At my age, being a beauty junkie is totally an option (moreover because we need to earn money by ourselves, not just using my Dad's credit card like I used to do several years ago, hehehe) and a good make up is not cheap.

One day in office toilet, a friend with similar age as mine, said: " I think we need to invest more in skin care, you know, there are fine lines that are already visible on my late 20s skin, so I'm using Olay day and night."

I stopped coming regularly to aesthetics and dermatologist since a few years ago, and I realized that I haven't spent much on skincare but cosmetics. After taking bath, I stood a little bit closer to the mirror and DANG, suddenly I saw some fine lines in my under eye area, and how dull my face looks overall.

Using Olay, or any drugstore skin care products, is the last thing on my mind. First, my skin is acne-prone, quite sensitive towards a 'new' skin care products (but luckily my skin is OK using almost all cosmetics). Secondly, I tried Olay White Radiance Serum sometimes ago, but after finishing 75% of bottle (in a religious way), i found no difference at all. Even the price wasn't that cheap (around IDR 130,000). Not only I didn't see any visible difference, but I also didn't feel my skin smoother from within :(

My other friend introduced me to http://cosme-de.com. I used to shop at www.strawberrynet.com before, but seems like the price hikes up a lot after the Rupiah was weakened. At this new online shop, I decided to try SKII collections, a four-pieces travel kit for USD 44. Sadly, it turned out that SKII is not for me. I had  severe breakouts after using it for 2 days (thanks God I managed to sell the travel kit to my friend, with 20% less price. She is SKII's regular customer and the products fit her skin well).

At my most desperate point because of tiny bumps here and there that created by World's No.1 High Selling Skincare, another friend told me that she has been using Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum and it works well for her. Her skin became softer day by day and brighter. I bought it right away, from Korean Noona, because they had it in a travel size bottle of 30ml. The price is not more than IDR 70,000 include the shipping cost. Good deal!

This photo belongs to www.skinfood.sg

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum is the new innovation in Skinfood's Black Sugar Cleansing Range. Previously, it is well known as cleansing product that effectively removes dirt and dead skin cells. This serum claims to deliver similar benefit as in the cleansing range, it contains the sucrose from Brazilian Organic Black Sugar which deeply hydrate and keep its natural moisture. It is also enriched by multivitamins and minerals to bring goodness to skin.

The travel-sized serum, with 3 pieces of cotton pads

It has a runny texture, more like a toner. If it is a serum, it's usually much more thick and more concentrated. The smell is fine, it reminds me of Tonymoly Egg Pore Pack but a bit more subtle. Quite similar to the scent of candy, maybe because it contains sucrose in it :)

My take on the product.


Well, my friend is telling me no lie. After read some reviews and recommendation to use it with its original cotton pads, I feel that my skin is much more clean. The cotton pads itself is very unique. It has two sides, the one is to exfoliate/cleanse, and the other one is to gently penetrate the serum onto skin. After using cleansing milk, wash my face with lukewarm water, I was surprised that the cotton pads could be like this:

Heck?! How come I always sleep with these dirts make-up residue on my face? Since then, I have been using this serum regularly, but more on cleansing purpose because it doesn't dry out my skin like regular alcoholic toner, instead giving me a smooth and soft feeling, like applying a cleansing oil without giving me an oily finish. Even it is safe to apply this in the morning, before applying BB cream or foundation, because it will be absorbed quickly on skin and giving a smooth canvas for you to create your make up. After using it day and night for 1 week, I notice that my nose area becomes better. I used to have a rough surface on my nose because of the blackheads and whiteheads, yet now I find that the blackheads are gradually gone and it becomes softer. Now I can tell that its claim to remove the dead skin cells is true!

I recommend this to everyone who has problematic skin because it did not break me out.

I am rating this product 4.1/5.0

The smell, texture, formula, are OK. But I haven't seen any brightening effect until 1 week of using. I would  give it 4.5 if it deliver this advantage (then I realize I become so picky in skin care products but not in make up :D).

My face is clean and moisturized at the same time after using Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum. Now I can sleep with no worry. Don't you feel to try? ~xoxo~

UPDATE: After 2 weeks using, I found that my face is brighter! But unfortunately I had some new zits, too. So, now I am thinking twice whether I should repurchase, or not.

TGIF and I'm Going Retro

Thanks God It's Friday!

This morning, I accidentally found a nice chiffon blue shirt with polka-dot pattern on my sister's closet.

Without telling her, I immediately wear it (hey, it's kind of revenge actually, because she wore one of my shirts last time without permission, haha :D) FYI, my sister lives in Bandung. She's on her 3rd grade studying at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), majoring Industrial Engineering. We have a huge age gap -- 9 years -- but fortunately she is my only sister (and sibling!) so no matter how annoying she could be, I still love her and so does she :* and I hope she wouldn't love me less just because I 'stole' her shirt.

I love the shirt because it has kind of retro style. So, I suddenly thought that I should wear a retro make up, too. Moreover, I just had my hair curled from the digital perm last month.  

Polka-dot and wavy hair? Oh I feel so 80's!

Here's my today's look

Going retro with silvery eye shadow and nude matte lipstick

Apparently, still not gone too far from my signature l

And for my FOTD, I am wearing:

• Caring Colors Stay True Foundation in #3 Natural Glow (I'll review later, it's one of good local products)
• VOV Cover Foundation in Light Brown (wear it as concealer to cover heavy acne marks)
• MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder NC30
• Urban Decay Dangerous Eye Palette in Mushroom (see the review of this palette here)
• Silkygirl Double Intense Gel Eyeliner in Dark Brown (another underrated drugstore product. love it!)
• Revlon Eye Brow Pencil in Brown
• NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna (another list to review, soon! ^.~)
• Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense in #1 Mat Flesh (trust me, this nude matte lipstick is the winner!)

See you again in the next review!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

~xoxo~

Year End Wish: Shu Uemura Lip and Cheek Tint in Heroine Rose

"What makes a woman looks beautiful? 

 A clear luminous skin from within, and the red lips that shades 

 like a rose."

Please note that the above quote is just created by myself, not Marylin Monroe :D But I am quite serious when saying it. As a woman in late 20s, I fully aware that having a luminous skin is something too good to be true, especially to know that I have an acne-prone and oily-combination skin at the same time that always makes my face looks dull and uneven if I am not wearing any make up. And note that I was born with medium skin. Not fair. It's a total medium that even if I am using whitening products, I would look more weird because of color inconsistency between face and body. Thus, let's jump into the alternative; a lips that shades like a rose. This clearly looks more feasible for me :)

My addiction to make up has been established from long time ago, but it just keeps growing wild until now. At the moment, as a huge fan of matte lipstick, I am still looking for the best lipstick that stay all day on lips without fading. I just reviewed MUFE Aqua Rouge series and in that review, I mentioned that I am planning to buy MUFE Aqua Rouge in Pink #15 or Raspberry #10. Unfortunately, the USD rate hikes these months until it reaches IDR 12,000. Scary, huh? Buying some expensive stuff equal committing suicide.Better not, better wait until hopefully, everything back to normal (though I am not sure it will until the presidential election's done next year).

Okay. So I randomly saw a review on While You On Earth about the Shu Uemura's Takashi Murakami Princess Collection. some weeks ago, WOW! I am so impressed with the lip and cheek tint because it looks like a PERFECT rosy pink for me. For your information, I am a big fan of neutral/brown lipstick and feel so confident wearing those colors. I tried to find a good pink lipstick, but until now, none of them could replace my neutral lipstick at heart. They're either too bright and contrast to my skin, or even sometimes too ashy.

When I finished reading the review, I smiled. There's a chance, never been a better chance, to get it for FREE. I was rushing to open this giveaway contest and couldn't wait to participate very soon!

I knew Shu Uemura since long time ago, probably when I was around 11-12 years old, they opened their store in Indonesia. I saw that the color selections are very light and unique, from the lightest blue eyeshadow to the yellow lipstick. At that time I said; what? As a high end brand, I didn't manage to look for it. But as I grew up, I knew that this Japanese brand has a specific customers and has an amazing quality in their products, not only cosmetics but also its skin care. Well, you really got what you pay.

This Shu Uemura's Takashi Murakami Princess Collection has a beautiful artsy packaging which blew my mind. My curiosity continues and I keep on searching for other review. 

 

Heroine Rose is one of the 5 shades available. There are Dream Pink, Fuchsia Fun-tasy, Princess Coral, Magical Red and Heroine Rose, which I found that the most suitable color for my skin is the latest one. 

Courtesy of http://womenlovebeauty.com

Shu Uemura claims that it provides benefit such as:

• Hybrid Pigments - advanced technology to bring brightness and fidelity of color to the lips.
• Dual Shimmer Complex - multiple pearls and shimmers help achieve various shine effects.
• Aqua Soft Pump - leaves lips hydrated and comfortable.

Some reviews said that, although it has a texture like lip gloss, but it's more like a lip cream, it stains all day with matte finish. Another plus for me, since i have been longing to find a perfect matte lipstick that could leave a beautiful stain until the day ends.

With IDR 325,000 as price tag, I will definitely think twice to buy this with my own cost. Simply because the most expensive lipstick I've ever purchased is the Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge but it was still under IDR 300,000 (and I just bought a new one two weeks ago). It just doesn't make any sense if I have to buy another high end lipstick at the moment :( Oh, how I want this so BAD!

PS. I got this new year's eve party invitation from a friend and that would be SO PERFECT if this lip and cheek tint could be mine. Its long lasting stain would complement my make up all through the night.^.~ xoxo

Carnellin, please do make my wish come true ;)

Dream Comes True with Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse

"I once dreamed, that in my wallet, there would be no blotting paper anymore"

Anybody with super oily skin like mine, please raise your hands up!!!

The most annoying part of having that super oily skin is no matter how good our make up one second after applied, it will just disappear within two hours. Or three, if you're lucky. Then we will busy preparing for some blotting papers, either green or blue, to absorb the excess oil on our face during the humid days, that we regularly buy at monthly grocery shopping.

Gosh, how I wish I never have to blot my paper again. But that's impossible. Even when I use an oil-free foundation, with mineral oil control loose powder, there's nothing that could keep the shines at bay. The longest I survived is just until lunch time, after that, do not ever ask how mess my make up was.

But miracle does happen though.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Natural Beige. I am on my second jar already!

Actually I heard this product so long time ago, around 10 years perhaps, when I was still in college. At that time, I didn't use foundation daily and the only one I had was only the Maybelline Clear Smooth Foundation after its first launch in Indonesia. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse, suddenly it comes again with new and improved formula. I read some good reviews of this product and decided to try. Just a lucky try, considering that the price is not so expensive at IDR 95,000.

I bought the Medium 2,5 shade, which is Natural Beige. It suits my skin SO WELL like it's melted without any trace.

A tiny amount

After blend. You can see how perfect it suits to my skintone

This foundation has a soft mousse texture that a little goes along the way. The coverage is medium to full, that for my blemished skin like mine, I don't even need to use the concealer. YEAY! Even a heavy powder is no longer necessary (a setting powder for finishing is enough) because it leaves matte and powdery feel on skin. It covers redness and acne marks incredibly, as long as you found the right shade for your skin. The oil control is oh-so-great! I barely see any shine on my face during the day, but, if we wear this without primer, it will easily fade out. So, prime your face first before putting this on. At least, a day cream from your regular routine. As for me, I use The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion as day moisturizer and primer. This combination never fail to keep my face matte all day long.

Even a single thin tissue would easily fade the foundation out if without primer

In USA, this foundation come in a wide range of color selection, but here in Indonesia, it's only available in 4 shades. Medium 2,5 is suitable for medium-tan skin tone with strong yellow undertone. Although my undertone is more yellowish neutral, but I do like having my face turns to be more yellow than pink. I feel more like an Asian :D

My rate on this product is 4.3/5.0. Also check out my review at Make Up Alley here.


However, the Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse could be a nightmare for you who have dry skin. Though it covers pores and fine lines well, but it would accentuate the dry parts of the skin and that makes it look flaky. This foundation will work good for oily skin only, as in combination skin, you must be careful to not apply this on dry areas. ~xoxo~

Left: one layer of Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse. Right: bareface

FOTD

On above picture, I am wearing:

• Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in 'Natural Beige'
• Urban Decay Dangerous Eye Palette in 'Loaded'
• Revlon Colorstay Creme Gel Eyeliner in 'Brown'
• NARS Bronzer in 'Laguna'
• Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge in 'Brown Beige'

Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge in Chesnut and Brown Beige; A Stain That Lasts Forever

I didn’t like wearing lipstick. Everytime I eat, the lipstick would be faded. So unpretty. Even sometimes it’s just gone with the wind because the staying power is too weak. Especially those moisturizing lipstick; they moistured, sit for few minutes, then went away with no trace.
 
Early this year, a friend of mine was asking me to be her beauty advisor. She wanted to have fuchsia color for lipstick. I made a research to find the good one, and I accidentally found that MUFE Rouge Artist Intense has a really bright and nice fuchsia. I pick that one for her and she loved it. As my research continued, I found another range of MUFE lipstick that claims to stay all day on lips. It is actually not a lipstick, but more like lip gloss with double sides; the lipstain and clear gloss. I looked at the color selection, and fell in love with Chesnut. Not pretty sure about the texture, I blindly asked my friend to buy it in Sephora. It costs me US$ 24 and it turned out to be my best lipstick of all time.

CHESNUT #4



Chesnut is a beige color with warm undertone. Not nude, not pink, not orange. Not chocolate. Just perfect. Though the color is kind of MLBB (my lips but better), it can cover fine lines and being true to its claim, it stays at least 8 hours on my lips!

Chesnut suddenly became to-go-lipstick and it took 3 months for me to finish it. Pretty fast, eh? You will see how Chesnut look when applied on my lips (sorry I didn’t manage to make a selfie, so this was a picture with my 2 y.o. daughter when whe were in Uluwatu, Bali).

BROWN BEIGE #5


When I was traveling to Padang, my friend was in Plaza Senayan and she told me that MUFE was on big sale. I was asking her to look for the new Chesnut but it sold out. She said there was Brown Beige left that looks pretty similar to Chesnut. I thought to give it a try, since the price is relatively cheap IDR 150,000 when on sale, compare to IDR 330,000 at normal retail price in Indonesia.

While in fact, Brown Beige is not that similar to Chesnut. Brown Beige is much more brown, and it turns out to be dark plum on my lips. I like this color too, though not as much as I adore Chesnut. The good thing is this color is suitable for a vampy look, with minimalist eye and cheek make up. While Chesnut can be combined with bold eyes and medium face contour because it would not clash other colors.

My rating for MUFE Aqua Rouge in general is 4.2/5.0

These really work well for me, as I hate reapplying lipstick during the day. In the afternoon, even after lunch, the color still stay, lighter, but still leaves beautiful stain that everyone could notice. The texture is similar to Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream, but three times better. For high end category, this will always be my favorite, and I am thinking to buy some more shades such as Pink #15 and Raspberry #10. BUT, if your lips tend to dry even in hot summer season, stay away from this as it will make it worse. Since I am fan of matte lipstick, I don’t mind with this drying effect. It can be reduced by reapplying the clear gloss as top coat. ~xoxo~

Aqua Rouge #5 Brown Beige with and without clear gloss