Isabel Lee | Malaysian Beauty & Lifestyle Blogger: January 2012

Happy CNY!

So it's the first day of Chinese New Year and it's the Dragon year.

Wishing all Chinese readers a very good year ahead and may it be filled with luck and prosperity!

Giveaway Winner

Considering only 3 people joined my last giveaway, I'm not sure if I should hold more but I will anyway since I have more stuff to clear!

Well anyway, back to the winner..

Congrats Abigail! You're the new owner of the Suncoat polishes. Will be dropping you an e-mail in a short moment ^_^ Thanks for joining, everyone!

Solone Magic Waterproof Eyeliner (Black)

If I see a good eyeliner that's cheap, I'll go crazy over it! Hence this haul =/ Repurchased 2 of my beloved Black & Gold and the other 2 are plain Black. I've learnt my lesson. No more from the glitter range for me.

The moment I swatched it, I immediately doubted my choice. It looked 'drier' and matte. Wasn't sure if I would like it.

I'm not sure if I'm not used to using pencil eyeliners anymore or this didn't go on as smoothly as the one in Black & Gold. It's not very precise hence the slightly smudged look. I can use this on both my upper and lower lash line.

Just the eyeliner on my eyes. No mascara. It's a solid black (plus it's matte) so it feels quite dark.

After a few hours, the liner did smudge downwards. Compared to the one in Black & Gold, it was more waterproof and only came off when I used my Maybelline makeup remover.

- Another day but same liner -

Wore my new top from Tanks for 5 again! Love how this top works for casual and not-so-casual. No idea why I look so shocked on the right =/

Was out at Laundry, Curve with Nicole LOL Hilarious night..

Well, I shall not elaborate more or Nicole might kill me. Let's just say it involved being not drunk, wanting to kick the police, singing Silent Night, eating pizza with a spoon and Alice is lost in Wonderland.

Ingredients : Carnauba Wax, Microcrystalline Wax, Z-Ethyl Hexyl Palmitate, Castor Oil, Glycerine, Tri-Capryl Caprate, Pigment

Size : 1.5 g

Price : RM 73 for 4 including poslaju

Bought from : Taiwan (Thx Anna!)

Made in Taiwan

Pros : Pigmented, does not stain skin, cheap, can be applied lightly or heavily

Cons : Not easily available, smudges

My conclusion : I still prefer the Black & Gold but for a pencil eyeliner and for that price, it's good!

Veet EasyGrip Ready-to-Use Wax Strips

Because I like to wear shorts, I always shave my legs and I can't stand hairy legs (my own). If it starts to get too long, I get irritated by it. All these years of shaving has lead to bumps and scars all over. Mum has told me to get an epilator while le bf has bugged me to stop shaving and wax instead. Well, I did check out the epilator at Guardian but it also shaves, not pluck. Wax strips were the next choice. I remembered Laura talking about the Veet ones and picked up a box.

There were several types but I got the aloe vera variant since it's for dry skin.

The EasyGrip (extended roundish end which you hold on to as you peel it off) does make it easier to pull. So far, all the hair has been removed at the root and none broke. Although possible, it isn't very efficient at removing hair that are 2mm long. It didn't make my skin dry and I think it even peeled off my dry skin =/

*For legs, arms, underarms & bikini line only

I use this for my legs but tried underarms once (failed terribly). For my legs, it removes up to 80% of targeted hair. Don't know why some are just so stubborn. For underarm, the number drops to 30% only and it leaves behind a lot of sticky wax!

Instructions..

The wax strips are paired up so there's 10 pairs in a box and you peel it in half to reveal both.

This is after 1 use. As you can see, the surface is not shiny anymore and won't be sticky enough.

I just fold it into half, press the wax together and open it. It will be sticky again.

Since it couldn't remove all the hair, I gave up and tried to just remove as much as I could. My legs were definitely smoother compared to using a razor but it wasn't easier. Waxing was more time consuming plus if you do it wrongly, you get sticky residue. I do notice less bumps when I wax though.

About the sticky residue, you can use the provided perfect finish wipes to remove it but it's actually really oily so you have to wash with soap after that and it takes up more time. You can substitute this with baby oil or any oil.

I think to really remove ALL the hair on my legs, I should use about 4-5 strips. But maybe I just have more hair than normal girls =/ Each strip is about RM 1 so this is definitely not wallet friendly compared to RM 10 for a packet of razors.

Update : Definitely works better with hair longer than 5mm that's soft. I only needed max 3 strips and it removed most of the hair.

Ingredients :

Wax strips : Triethylene Glycol Rosinate, Glyceryl Rosinate, Silica, Polyethylene, Parfum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, BHA, BHT, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Wipes : Paraffinum Liquidum, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Parfum. Isopropylparaben, Butylparaben, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Pelargonium Graceolens Flower Oil

Size : 20 wax strips

Price : RM 23

Bought from : Pharmacy

Made in France

Pros : Less irritation compared to shaving, leaves skin smooth, removes hair at root, removes hair efficiently if long and soft enough

Cons : More expensive than razors, may leave sticky residue, does not remove all hair if short, time consuming

My conclusion : ~~Right now, I'm not liking it but it's good to prevent more bumps and scars. Still looking for other alternatives!~~ If you can wait for your hair to grow longer and softer, it works great to remove them! Worth repurchasing.

Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose

I was a little wary about sniffing this since many perfumes send me into a sneezing frenzy. However, the sweet berry scent, combined with a light floral touch captivated me. It smelt delicious..

Mega plus points for having such a lovely bottle! It's like a love potion.

One drop will have the men at your heels.

This radiant jewel, scintillating with multiple reflections, is dressed in a delicate and voluptuous gradation of powdery pink to violet. At its neck, a nighttime rose with satiny purple petals has just blossomed under the diamond-cut cap. A precious rose symbolizing passionate love.

The lovely Emma Watson, style icon of many young girls and women in this world is the face of Tresor Midnight Rose. The new Lancome ambassadress was born in Paris and is described as a unique & fresh beauty. She's graceful, radiant, passionate and all things nice.

The whole promotion area was decked in romantic purple, wispy curtains and dim lighting. Love was in the air.. Or it was just the scent of Tresor Midnight Rose.

Like a mouth-watering candied apple, Tresor Midnight Rose could be a crisp, sweet "candied rose of love", fruit of an unexpected encounter. From the very first moment, it's love at first sight between deep, intense rose absolute and vibrant, bold raspberry.
The caress of jasmine and peony meets fresh blackcurrant bud absolute and intense pink pepper.

For the final touch of seduction, the drydown - Virginia cedar essence, vanilla and musk - warms up the floral notes in an absolutely addictive and modern trail.

I like how Tresor Midnight Rose smelt and it was quite long lasting on me. Guess the sweet tooth in me is naturally attracted to sweet perfumes as well xD One spritz of this makes me feel flirty & young.

wait a minute.. I AM young =_=

There were also bottles of Tresor In Love which smelt lighter and more fruity compared to Midnight Rose.

Sorry I'm bad at describing scents. However, you can head down to MV to catch a whiff of both Tresor fragrances. The Lancome BAs are ready to give you a skin analysis too. You can also redeem free sample vials of Midnight Rose and others, including a makeover & photography session.

Lancome makeup artists giving Fatin & Tammy a makeover to match the new Tresor Midnight Rose!

Don't they look lovely? I think it's sexy & suits the fragrance.

We had the chance to check out Lancome's Hypnose Baby Doll Eyes mascara which is going to be launched soon. The results on Fatin's eyes are amazing! So many 'ooh's and 'ahh's when the mascara was being applied.

Me with Fatin & Tammy at the Lancome promotional area, LG Centre Court, Mid Valley.

I loved her purple dress so much, I asked for a photo of her xD

Tresor Midnight Rose is available in two sizes : 50 ml (RM 205) & 75 ml (RM 265).

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

Trésor Midnight Rose Contest

Sorry for the sudden surge of Lancome posts these few days. Was gonna combine this with tomorrow's post but the first portion of the contest is ending tomorrow!

Lancome is giving out their latest fragrance, Tresor Midnight Rose to winners of this contest!

Click HERE for more info.

Beary Cute Cable Ties

Just wanted to share something I purchased last night from MilkADeal.

ZOMG! It's so cute... Rilakkuma! FYI, I've seriously had my eyes on these for months since I saw them elsewhere but it was RM 15 per pair there excluding postage so kiamsiap me didn't want to part with my money. So glad I waited cos it's RM 15 for 3 pairs including postage here! Yayyyyy~~

Link to buy : HERE

Referral link to sign up if you haven't LOL : HERE

Marine Q10 Plus Exchange Program

Exchange programs are just awesome..

FREE Marine Q10 Plus when you bring an empty bottle of any beauty supplement.

Date : 14th Jan 2012 (Saturday)

Time : 1.30 pm - 2.15 pm

Locations : Watsons stores at KLCC, Sunway Pyramid, Sungai Wang Plaza, Ipoh Parade & Tebrau City.

* Limited to one bottle per customer aged 18 years & above. While stocks last.

50% Off Hanskin Products & GWP

The main reason Cocicoci attracts me is because of their cheap Essence products but I discovered that they also carry Hanskin (popular for their BB Cream) and until 14th Feb 2012, all Hanskin products are half priced!

They're also giving out freebies with purchase so yay!

I have one of their Essence Metallics nail polishes but don't have photos yet. I tried it already though and it's awesome..

The Stay with Me lipglosses are kinda attractive (look at the price tag!)

Honestly, I buy pasar malam nail polishes cos they're cheap even though they look like they could harm my nails but these Essence nail polishes are so cheap and colourful, they make a good alternative.

If I break my cosmetic ban, you know who to blame lols

Redeem Free Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose Samples!

How?

"Discover Tresor Midnight Rose - the new sexy and sweet scent from Lancôme! Redeem a free Tresor Midnight Rose sample at any Lancôme counter once you fill in your details in our Tresor Midnight Rose Sampling Application which you can find on the left of our fanpage!

*Terms and conditions apply. No purchase required. While supplies last. 1/ customer. Ends 31 Jan 2012."

Drop by the Lancome promotion area at Midvalley Lower Ground Centre Court from 9-15 Jan, wear any purple clothing/accessory and tell the Beauty Advisors the secret password "12 midnight" to be one of the first 5 each day to win a Tresor Midnight Rose body lotion!

That's not all! If you purchase above RM 250 at the promo area, you'll get a free makeover and have your photo taken & printed on the spot for you.

Info obtained from Lancome's FB.

Skinz UV White Starter Kit

So late on writing this post.. I was gonna write my excuse but let's not be draggy. It's here now so read it! lols

I received the Skin Whitening Starter Kit to review. I've never had much faith in whitening products as they're usually really oily and yucky, leave a white cast or makes my skin peel (fake whitening! hmph). I'm not about to praise this just because it's free from PR, especially because it took 1 month to arrive. Initially I was pissed cos I thought they lied about sending it lols Was the postman using my product? =/ So, everything I'm writing here is absolutely my own unbiased opinion!

Alright.. Lets move on to the products now.

Skinz UV White Facial Foam (15g)

This 99% plant-based foaming cleanser gently cleanses and removes impurities while retaining your skin’s natural moisture balance. Deep cleanses your skin to reveal a clearer translucency.

Looking at the pearly white colour, I somehow expected it to be drying but it wasn't! In fact, it did not dry out my skin at all and smelt so so fresh! Lathers well (although not as effective as Kanebo with the foaming method). This effectively removes dirt, oil and cleansing oils from my skin without drying it out. I think this will be a good purchase.

Skinz UV White Intensive Whitening Serum (5ml)

A high-potency serum of Radiant-Gene Activator concentrate and enhanced with Hesperidin to boost the skin lightening process. Helps reduce pigmentation and dark spots effectively, revealing a brighter, improved radiant skin tone.

Only a small amount of this is needed to fully cover my face. It's a really light serum that absorbs super quick, leaving my skin feeling plump and revitalized. Strange.. But that's how I feel every time I use this. No greasy or sticky feel at all. Every single bit is absorbed.

Skinz UV White Intensive Day Moisturizer (12g)

A water-based day cream that is quickly and effectively absorbed into the skin to whiten, protect and hydrate your skin during the day. Advanced broad spectrum UV filters provide complete protection from UVA & UVB rays.

Don't be fooled by the creamy look of this moisturizer! It's water-based and is not greasy. I dot this all over my face before massaging it in as it has a tendency to 'ball up' if I rub too much. I don't know why.. Tried warming it between my fingers first but I still prefer applying it directly. It doesn't make my face extra oily, absorbs well and isn't too heavy. Combined with the UV protection, this makes a good day moisturizer.

I can't say if the 'visibly radiant, glowing luminosity in 2 weeks' is true since I did not use the whole range but... According to two people in my life, I've looked better! xD

Mum asked me on a random day when I just got out of bed with my messy hair and all : Are you wearing blusher??? =_=

The le BF said to me after not seeing me for a few days : How come you so pretty today wan? Are you wearing makeup? (I wasn't but I totally took that as an insult since if I'm pretty that day, does it mean I wasn't pretty before that? LOL)

Overall, I noticed a brighter complexion, skin's moisturized but I do get some dry spots (nose peeled), less mini bumps!, plumped & smooth skin and it didn't cause any breakouts. I'm not sure if I look fairer as I do have a tendency to look pale when I'm sick.

IMO, this skincare is not bad.. The eye brightening essence looks interesting.

"An invigorating eye therapy that lightens the appearance of dark circles and strengthens the skin tissue around your delicate eye area. Reduces excess fluid retention which helps eliminate eyebags and puffiness. Reveal visibly brighter, glowing radiance around your eye area!"

Priced at RM 33.90 for 15ml, I think it's quite alright..

Bought from : Pharmacies

Made in Malaysia

My conclusion : If you don't have very dry skin, you can give this range a try ^_^ It's much better than I expected. If it weren't for the bottles of unopened skincare I still have, I'll give this a shot!

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

Shaping My Eyebrows

Not claiming I'm a pro.. This is just how I shape my brows. I don't think it's the perfect shape yet but it's definitely improving lol

Messy eyebrows :

Pluck ALL the strays!

Only pluck those you are sure shouldn't be there.

Using a spoolie/eyebrow brush, I brush the hair upwards and snip off the extras. This ensures no long hairs get brushed out of place later and ruin the shape. For the outer end (towards the ears), brush the hair downwards instead.

I then switch to a small blade to shave away hair that I'm not sure if it should belong there =/ Shaved hair will grow back but when you pluck them, there's a chance that they will just disappear forever. These cute small blades can be found at Daiso for RM 5 (3 pcs).

After this, look at your brows and repeat if you think the result is not good enough. Try to make it a habit to 'maintain' your eyebrows everyday or every few days, depending on the rate your eyebrows grow. When mine goes seriously out of shape, I like to get it professionally reshaped at places like Empro. It's just RM 10 and if you maintain it, you don't have to reshape it often.

My Beauty Diary Natto Mask

All this while, I thought Natto was some kinda fruit. After looking at the pictures on the packaging, I thought it was probably from the orange family.

After putting the mask on, I spent the next 20 minutes Googling 'Natto' and to my surprise.. It's actually fermented soybean and is a traditional Japanese food! @_@

Source

Of course, the mask wasn't sticky like the real natto. It smelt kinda sweet & fruity to me. Not sure if it was just my brain still thinking of 'orange'. If you read the Wiki page, there has been ideas that Natto is beneficial for health. Some believe it can reduce baldness in men (shit.. why not for women too) and helps with Alzheimer's.

[image removed cos it's recycled and I feel like a lazy blogger LOL]

As usual, I love the sheet. Stays moist, comfortable, adheres well, good fit etc etc. The mask did moisturize my skin and make it plump but I didn't notice any brightening effect. However, the function was stated as 'moisturizing and suppleness' not brightening.

Ingredients : Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Grapefruit Extract, Polyglutamic Acid, Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Laminara Digitata Extract, Fucus Vesculosus Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Triethanolamine, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Polysorbate 20, Methylparaben, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide.

Size : 30 g / 23 ml

Price : RM 63.88 for a box of 17

Bought from : Pharmacy

Made in Taiwan

Pros : Pulp sheet is very good, moisturizing

Cons : -

My conclusion : As a moisturizing mask, this is not bad but still not my favourite MBD mask. Excluding my favs, it is one of the better ones.

Giveaway : Suncoat Nail Polishes

So... It's a new year and I thought I should really clear some things. Take note that these are NOT NEW. I've swatched them HERE and 2 of them have been used once. If nobody wants them, I'm just gonna bin them. They're not dried up or anything. Still usable.

Giveaway rules :

- Must be a follower

- You must have a Malaysian address

- Closes on 15th January 2012

How to join?

Be a follower =_="

+1 Post this on your own blog (post or sidebar, doesn't matter)
+1 Share on Facebook

+1 Answer the question below by commenting here :

If I gave away clothes, would you rather have a 'cash voucher' (so you can choose anything you want from the blog) or I'll pick the clothing to giveaway?

Comment below with your follower name, e-mail address, links and answer to question.

Planning more small giveaways in the future (includes beauty stuff, clothes and some others) but I'll see the response for this first.

Hope you're having a good 2012 so far! ^_^

Maybelline Hyper Sharp Liner

The one makeup product I run out of the most is eyeliner, followed by mascara. Hence, I'm always on the lookout for cheaper but better eyeliners.

Grabbed this cos it's only RM 23.90 and was on discount *kiamsiap* I must say... The eyeliner does look cheap though =/ Especially that faded gold omg.. I've always preferred white gold over yellow.. It also doesn't have that secure cap feel like Empro's.

Guess the specialty of this eyeliner is it's 'hyper sharp' tip which is 0.5 mm or something *hears girls rejoicing* I, however, did not find this useful since I always draw thick lines due to the shape of my eye =/ In fact, I had to go over it a few times to make it thicker.

It's very precise though. Great if you wanna draw some fancy eyeliner designs. It's not a very black colour but going over the line again will make it really black. This eyeliner is definitely waterproof as I rubbed it vigorously under water and it did not budge!

Sharp and precise but since I wanted it to be thicker, I had to draw a few times and it was a lil wobbly on the other eye.

Doesn't matter cos after the falsies, you can't see it xD

Ingredients : Water/Aqua, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol Acrylates Copolymer, Beheneth-30, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Simethicone Tocopherol, Sorbitan Laurate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Sorbitan Trioleate, Subrose Palmitate.

Size : 0.5 g

Price : RM 23.90

Bought from : Guardian

Made in China

Pros : Cheap, precise, waterproof, smudge proof, pigmented

Cons : Tip too thin for my preference, cheap looking packaging

My conclusion : This eyeliner is not bad but honestly, I'm just more comfortable using the Empro or Kiss Me eyeliner as this is really too thin for me. The price is really worth it though..