Isabel Lee | Malaysian Beauty & Lifestyle Blogger: April 2011

My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask

I'm sure by now you've already heard of the wonderful powers of pearl powder. This MBD mask has pearl powder inside for whitening & toning.

Packaging's cute as usual ^_^ I faced one big problem with this mask. The perfume!! It's too much especially for something you place on your face for 15 minutes =_= I'm kinda having a headache now cos of it. 15 minutes seems like a long time. I would remove it if it weren't such a waste.

The sheet feels very moist, just like the other masks from the upgraded version. However, it doesn't feel as moisturizing as the previous ones I've tried. Skin's soft and very smooth. My face does look temporarily brighter but that's it.

Ingredients : Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Parbadensis Leaf Juice, Morus Nigra Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Soluble Collagen, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract, Camella Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycine, Triethanolamine, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Alanine Glutamate, Methylparaben, Azelaic Acid, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Polysorbate 20, Fragrance, Pearl Powder, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Xanthian Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide

Size : 30 g / 23 ml

Price : RM 63.88 for a box of 17

Bought from : Guardian

Pros : Thin sheet, good fit

Cons : Heavy perfume, not much effect

My conclusion : I like the upgraded version but I won't be purchasing the pearl powder one because of the perfume

Beautilicious The Magic Wand

I used to hate felt tip liners but I'm beginning to like them now. Especially when I'm wearing falsies!

This is my first felt tip liner so I can't compare it to others. The packaging is simple with cute silver designs. Cap closes with a click so I need not worry about it 'drawing' on my stuff.

The thing I like about felt tips is the tip. This eyeliner is fat and thins towards the tip. It didn't become 'blunt' or furry after using a few months.

As you can see, application is a breeze. I can draw a straight line, curve it, thin or thick. I do realize that when I press it, it has a tendency to seep into the lines though. Perhaps pressing it releases too much?

The shade is in Midnight Black and it's really black! I've tried the Cyber Colours liner and it's not anywhere as pigmented as this. Unlike CC, going over the line doesn't make it run all over the place (it's like running a wet paint brush over your canvas).

I'm liking the effect ^_^ It's precise and clean. Easy to draw a wing too.

Waterproof - Nope.. Don't understand why do they even claim it's waterproof. Just a tiny bit of water makes it smear. I was lying down and my dry eyes teared a little. When I got up, the whole wing had smeared downwards.

Super-Staying Power - If you stay dry, I guess it's long lasting. In fact, the staying power is so great that I have difficulty removing it. It stains my skin and if I use my Biore Cleansing Oil, it leaves a green mark!! =_= Not good if you make a mistake or decide to do an elaborate eyeliner. You'll be stuck with a dark gray mark for a few hours.

Made in Korea

Pros : Good tip, easy to draw, pigmented, real black

Cons : Smears badly with water, stains skin, seeps into lines

My conclusion : I'm not loving this cos it smears and stains my skin. Any other brands to recommend? =(

Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara

Bzzzz..... Bzzz.... Zzzzzz~~~~

It's a bee.. It's a ~~vibrator~~ grass cutter..! No wait.. It's Maybelline's new Pulse Perfection Mascara!

Went for my part time job training this morn. Since they provided us with a tester mascara to try out (how to sell if you have never used it before?), thought I'll blog about it.

My 'work makeup' : ColorVUE lenses (comfort for long hours & natural colour), Biore sunblock as oil controlling base, Physician's Formula concealer, Empro brows (neat and more defined), liquid eyeliner (quick and easy), WnW blusher (Mellow Wine is actually a very nice glow), Stage lipstick (darker colour lasts longer) & Elf HD Powder to set everything (so I don't have to touch up that often).

I like the black and gold colours ^_^ It's professional and sleek. Despite having a mini motor + battery, it's not too bulky.

Before using, please remember to remove the gold tape or else the wand won't vibrate.

Wand! Y U NO vibrate?!

It's a rubbery wand that's flexible and doesn't collect too much mascara between the bristles.

When the button is pressed, the wand vibrates 100 times per second. It may tickle a little at first but you'll get used to it =) With this vibration, you don't even need to do the normal zig zag motion. You must be thinking, why pay more for a vibrating mascara when you can vibrate it yourself?

Answer :

So as you can see.. This mascara does what no human hand can do. After all, it's a mechanical device and it's vibrations are more consistent, resulting in evenly coated, long but not clumpy and separated lashes. The result is long, luscious and voluminous lashes that are still soft to touch. It's easy and fast to use. Imagine how long it would take to manually vibrate your wand ~~or face~~.

Can you guess which side is the mascara & which is the falsie?

* is the mascara. Quite obvious cos my real lashes are visible at + side =_="

Lookie here! I dare say the mascara can be an alternative for this falsies if you prefer mascaras. My falsies are quite natural though. Ignore the weird looking angle on my real lashes as they were bent from the curler and glue.

This is the mascara applied on both sides, including a little on the lower lashes.

Love the effect! Even my mum asked if I was wearing falsies. Think I'll be getting one myself since it's limited edition (oh no~~).

The formula is not heavy at all and it held the curl for hours. After one coat, it's obviously lengthened and there's some extra volume.

Just like it claimed, lashes are separated and clump-free. Each lash was coated instead of coating a few lashes together so there's more volume.

Selca pics cos I have awesome real lashes xP

The battery lasts for 3 months with regular usage. For hygienic purposes, you should dump your mascara about 3 months after opening anyway.

Mascara is smudge proof (or it's so slight that I didn't notice it) if you stay indoors. Wore it today on a hot day + I was under the sun a bit and it did smudge slightly. I've read some reviews saying that this smudged badly with water. I splashed my face with water and only my eyeliner smudged. Hence, I conclude it's waterproof. Removal was quite easy with my Maybelline eye makeup remover.

Ingredients :

Size : 6.5 ml

Price : RM 59.90

Bought from : Pharmacies

Made in China

Pros : Coats each lash evenly, lengthens, clump-free, separates lashes, adds volume, lashes are soft, fast & easy to use, holds curl, ~~smudge proof~~, waterproof

Cons : Pricier than normal Maybelline mascaras (those don't vibrate though), limited edition

My conclusion : Love it. Want it. If you want to try this mascara, come find me at Guardian 1 Utama on Fri-Sun, 12-8pm. I'll be there for 2 weekends starting this weekend. =)

** Product was provided by the company for promoting purposes (I'm working part time). However, this has not affected my thoughts on the product in any way. Before anyone accuses me of praising this mascara just because I'm promoting it, just know that I'm not paid to blog about it. And the commission is not a lot either so why risk it?

If you're wondering what's with the weird pose, I'm pointing at my pink eyeshadow. If you read my blog, you'll know that I normally do neutrals but that day I wasn't in my neutrals mood and decided to go pink.

I'm using the pink and orange from LA Colours Tease palette, Elf All Over Colour Stick (Pink Lemonade) and ZA lipstick on my lips. It looks nuder because I used the new Stage lip liner beneath it. Brows are Empro & mascara's Maybelline.

Which reminds me.. I got my first job! Part time, that is.. And I'm promoting Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara. Not sure if I should reveal the location in case some of you people come and stalk me xP But if you see me... Come say Hi! And buy the mascara from me cos I get commission =x

My pink top to match my pink eyeshadow xP It's odd that my eyes look so big even without eyeliner o_O Guess credit goes to the contact lenses ^_^

Right.. Self admiring aside.. We had nasi lemak! I don't post about just any nasi lemak okay? This is from 6 To 10 Grill & Nasi Lemak somewhere in Section 17. You can choose from chicken curry, beef rendang, sotong sambal, minced meat sambal & some others I can't remember. It's delish! ^_^ Price was a bit high though. I choose chicken curry and sotong sambal so it's RM 11.50. Bf took 3 types and paid RM 15.

Sorry if you're hungry right now.. xD

Next is Khuntai restaurant. Parking was horrible, road's sandy (don't wear heels) and there's no air cond. However, food was served really really amazingly fast O_O I think all our dishes arrived in 5 minutes! The place is quite busy as I see the waiters running back and forth.

Thai green curry chicken, RM 15. Not the best but still okay. I prefer the Thai curry at My Elephant, Sec 17.

Tom Yum Soup with Fish, RM 19 for small, RM 33 for big. There was a looot of fish in here. It's very nice and not too spicy. Soup was a bit murky for my taste though.

Fried rice with cashew nuts. Not too impressed.

Stir fried diced chicken in yam ring basket, RM 18. Note : This is not the Chinese yam basket. The yam is not soft! I think it was mashed up then piped out to form the shape. The yam was too hard to eat. There was chicken and prawns inside but IMO, quite little.

Bill came up to RM 60.80 for the two of us. Overall, I don't really like this place. My Elephant was definitely better (and they serve brown rice!).

Oh and er.. Random McDonalds pic xD Can you guess which one's mine?

If you guessed either one of the burgers, you're wrong cos both the Mega Mac & Double Filet-O-Fish were my Bf's =_=

Look : Hello Kitty

Meow!~

I'm not a fan of Hello Kitty but I noticed a lot of girls are. Thought it'll be fun to do a HK inspired look.

Since HK has vertically long eyes, I attempted to draw them on using eyeliner but I had difficulty aligning it to my real eyes =/ Add some whiskers, a touch of pink blusher, conceal lips and rub some yellow on your nose. There you go.. Oh and don't forget the signature ribbon ^_^

A plainer version of it without the odd eyes.

Products used (Excluding base makeup) : Manly Eyeshadow Palette (Yellow), NYX JEP (Milk), Maybelline Perfect Concealer (for my lips), NYX Round Lipstick (Strawberry Milk), Rimmel Vinyl Lip Gloss (Pin Up), Missha Black Eyeliner & Elf Natural Radiance Blusher (Shy).

When I went down to remove my makeup, my mum was like "What's with your face?" xD

I'm liking this shade of purple ^_^ Application wasn't the best though.. But I can't expect much since it's from the night market =/

Thumb : Supposed to be a present but doesn't look like it lol The ribbon is a fimo clay from Nell Stash.

Index : Dots using the new dotting tool. This was the biggest size.

Middle : Glued on some square clear rhinestones. My fav finger! ^_^ They keep coming off though. Grr..

Ring : Lines done with lining nail polish, bought from the night market as well. They have all sorts of colours.

Pinky : Got lazy so just stuck on a flower rhinestone xD

Personally, I would prefer not to have any 3D/pop up nail art as they come off when I shower or change or pat my dog. I look at my nails at least 10 times a day to check if the rhinestones are still there =_=

This Week 230411

Since the past few months, I've been trying to take pictures when I can, sometimes of nothing in particular. One day, I was heating up some rice in the microwave and the plate broke (my bad... the plate wasn't microwavable). And you know what my dad asked me??

"Have you taken a photo of it?"

I was like "What for?! *confused face*"

Dad : You take photos of everything what..

=_="

If you're wondering... NO, I did not take a photo.

But it did cross my mind =x

Aaaaanyway.. Nicole & I went to shop at Mid Valley cos I needed clothes for my part time job. My first job ever! ^_^ Hope it goes well.. =x She was raving on and on about this Brotzeit place so we ate there for lunch.

Sorry to random dudes and aunties for posting your pics. Environment is quite nice for a day/night out with friends or colleagues.

Taken before her hubby arrived. Gosh.. I think the people there aren't used to people taking pictures cos they were staring =_=

We both ordered the lunch set cos everything there is so pricey O_O This was RM 12+. The fries are thin and crispy, salad's mixed with mayo, sauce on buns were sweet and sausages were average. Mayo & sweet sauce isn't really my taste. Guess I shouldn't go to Germany lol

Stage was still having their clearance sale so I picked up a lip liner in Nearly Naked for RM 8. My first lip liner!

Wonderlust Lipstick in 12 Julia for RM 12. I was going to grab another nudie then Nicole told me to get a brighter colour. This aint bad!

Yay~ Thanks Aisyah! I've received the lippies and immediately tried them on =_= This is actually my second attempt with Circe. It used to make me look dead but it seems better now. Margarita is a nice touch of colour too.

Review & swatches on products will be done soon. By soon, I mean probably few weeks later ~_~

Random end note : Urgh! Lemming for Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate atm.

Ministry blacklists six cosmetics products

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has warned the public against the use of six cosmetics products, including one from a French manufacturer, found to contain scheduled poisons.

The products BML HB Lotion, Krim Malam Shana and Natasya Gold Krim Herba are said to contain tretinoin and hydroquinone while Biotox Whitening Hydro Cream contained dexamethasone and Yoko Whitening Cream and Sue Beauty Night Treatment Cream contained tretinoin.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry's Pharmaceutical Services senior director Datuk Eisah A. Rahman said the use of tretinoin, hydroquinone and dexamethasone in cosmetics may cause various side effects and should only be used under medical supervision.

Tretinoin can cause redness to the skin, peeling, discomfort and sensitivity to sunlight while hydroquinone can cause redness to skin, discomfort, skin discolouration, hypersensitivity and a gradual blue-black darkening of the skin.

“It also inhibits the pigmentation process and this attenuates the ability of the skin to protect our body from harmful UV rays, which can lead to the risk of getting skin cancer,” she said.

Eisah said that dexamethasone, a steroid, when used topically, can cause skin irritation, dry skin, acne, thinning of the skin and increased risk of skin infections.

Prolonged use of topical steroids may result in systemic side effects such as suppression of the adrenal glands, metabolic disturbances and immune response impairment.

“Anyone who is in possession of the products is advised to immediately cease selling, distributing or using it,” she said.

Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/21/nation/8525889&sec=nation

My sis was reading this article yesterday and she was like 'aiyah.. you won't use the products wan lah..' so I was a bit relieved until... I saw YOKO WHITENING CREAM.

I have it!!! Bought some time ago and used it a few times too!

Dermatologically tested logo sumore. And why isit for export only?! Is it cos the manufacturer didn't want to harm fellow Thais?? =O

Dumped this in the dustbin already. Now I'm wondering if I should still use their underarm whitening cream + deodorant (should be the same ingredients right?) and their bath salts =_=

Empro Day & Night Mascara

Last year for Christmas, I sent Santa this letter.

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year..

I want a mascara that gives me long luscious lashes that will blow hot hunks away with a single bat.

I also want it to be smudge proof, water resistant and of course it has to hold the curl.

Can you also make it beneficial to my lashes?

If possible, I want it to be double sided too, so I can choose to have long lashes, thick lashes or have both.

Well, I never got that mascara.. I guess he just couldn't find such a great mascara. ~~Or I've been bad.~~

Then suddenly Santa Empro gave me this wonderful magical wand that changes your lashes from meh.. to BAM! And it has all the properties of the mascara I asked for!

I wish the tube was prettier though.. Plain white doesn't really work for this mascara. Maybe I'll write Santa Empro a letter this year.

The Day wand has an hour glass shape and fibres. However, I have not experienced fibres falling into my eyes. The Night wand is thinner and does not contain fibres.

*click to enlarge*

As you can see, the Day side provides length and volume. It doesn't look fake and my lashes are still curled. The fibres really helped and the mascara is not too wet until it smudges when I blink (this sometimes happens to me cos the lashes are too long and touches my undereye when I blink). For the 3rd pic, I layered the Night mascara over the Day mascara so I have the effects of both Volume + Length ^_^

*click to enlarge*

Because of the different formula & wand, the Night mascara gave a different result. It packed on more volume without clumping. However, it was too heavy for my lashes and caused them to droop =( I could have recurled my lashes but I don't like doing that.

The Night side may look clumpy but as you can see in this picture, my lashes are separated. The Day + Night does not have as much volume but it's longer and more curled. I would say it has the benefits of both mascaras.

I'm actually very surprised that my lashes were so fluttery and super soft after applying this mascara. It's not crunchy or hard at all! It looks so natural (compared to other mascaras) and application was a breeze. Also, it doesn't smudge and make my panda eyes darker. Removal was very easy too! In fact, I managed to remove the Day side with ONLY water.

I think the best effect is combining both sides. Now.. If only it's pink with diamonds and smells of strawberries.. Then it'll be my dream mascara xD

*Actually I recorded a video for this but found out its nearly 500MB and it's in a format that isn't supported by my Windows Movie Maker ~.~ I shall just give up on videos.. lol

Product says : Empro Day & Night Mascara Generation3 is Vitamin E-enriched to strengthen fine eyelashes, providing more elasticity to the lashes while the natural formula works to strengthen the lashes and grow naturally. With a specifically developed brush to outstand the eyelashes, one light stroke is all it takes to effectively curl out every lash separately and thus creating a 3D effect to the eyes, giving more volume to the lashes and making them appear luscious in vibrant colours. This product turns every pair of tired eyes into a magnetic charm. comes in a neat, compact packaging specially designed for your everyday need.

Ingredients :

Water, Iron Oxides (C177499), Stearic Acid, Acrylates Copolymer, Beeswax, Butylene Glycol, Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Sucrose Postearate Polyvinyl, Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Behenyl Alcohol, Nylon-66, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Aluminium Silicate, Montmorillonite, Methylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Butylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Panthenol.

Water, Acrylate Copolymer, Iron Oxides (c177499), Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Acacia Senegal Gum, Alcohol, Glycerylabietate, Hydrogenated Polysobutene, Tea Stearate, Beeswax, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Cellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Penthenol.

Size : 8 ml

Price : RM 58.80

Sold at : Watson's, Sasa & Empro outlets
You can also buy it online HERE.

Made in Korea

Pros : Provides length, volume & curl, doesn't clump or smudge, soft lashes, natural, easy to use, variable effects, easy to remove

Cons : Plain tube, Night side weighs lashes down

My conclusion : The price may seem a little steep but think about it.. You're practically getting 3 mascaras (if you count the Day + Night) and the quality is good =) If I'm working, I'll probably repurchase this ^_^ I like soft fluttery lashes.

** Product was provided by Empro. However, this has not affected my thoughts on the product in any way.

Top 3 Property Websites in Malaysia

Just like my sister, one day I will have to look for my dream house. Can I have a pink house with a small garden, tree and a clear pool?

Seriously, I don't know how people actually find THAT house. The one that takes your breath away and you know it is the right place to raise your family in and you wanna spend your whole life staying there. This is not some hotel alright? All the houses for sale I see don't look appealing. I mean, there has to be a reason why the owner is selling it, no?

There are so many houses. How am I going to find one I like? Do I visit all of them? Do I check every neighbourhood? *faints* Thank God we have the internet now.. House browsing is just a click away.

Obviously I clicked on the top ones. I don't normally click on Ads but PropWall claims to be Malaysia's largest property site. Sure anot.. Must click to find out what's so good.

Browsing is really easy. You can choose to see all, condo, house, office, shop, factory or land. They include a little summary of the place, the details, layout and analysis. Just choose the area you want, fill in the details at the bottom (buy / rent) then wait for their response.

Believe it or not, they will even tell you that a certain place is expensive so if you're looking for a cheap place, look elsewhere. This site doesn't just want to SELL but they care about the buyer as well ^_^ There's also a calculator & map for your convenience.

1st non-Ad link was iProperty. If you have an Iphone, Ipod & Ipad, you can raise your iFamily in your iHouse which you found on iProperty xD

Ok la that was too lame

Phew.. This site looks complicated but check it out! You can search by amenities which is very useful if you want a house near to a school/transportation/places to worship etc. This makes finding my dream home so much easier! I'll need a school nearby for my future kids, LRT station nearby but not too near until I can feel the ground shaking & preferably a hospital nearby as well. Imagine searching for a house like that without the internet! I'll just die..

When you buy a house, you need furniture to go with it right? iProperty also allows you to search for 'home services' where you can find for furniture, solar power, security, insurance etc etc.

Last but not least.. ThinkProperty.

Not much to say about this.. I think it's rather plain. Don't know why but when I opened it, I felt that it was targeted at the younger buyers. You can add search filters like type of property and price. There are guides for buying, selling, Malaysia My Second Home etc. Good if you're new to this whole buying properties thing. There's a forum where the users can discuss about properties, renovation rules, ask for help or anything else regarding properties. So for newbies, this is the site to visit.

Alright.. I can sleep better tonight knowing I don't have to worry so much about this when it's time to buy a house. With these 3 websites, I've got everything covered ^_^