product review: NYX HD Eye Shadow Base

I read raving reviews so decide to give it a try.

Pros (⌒▽⌒)☆:

~ With primer on, eye shadow color stands out better and lasts longer.

~ The creamy texture of the primer makes it easy to apply and blend on my eyelid. Its application wand, similar to a lip gloss wand, helps to make application a breeze too.

~ It is slighted tinted (very light beige) so it can be worn on its own for a natural look.

Cons ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ:

~ With the primer on, I find it harder to blend out the eyeshadow color on my eyelid. Blending is possible, but really need more effort.

~ It is slightly tinted (very light beige), which means it might not be suitable for ladies with darker skin tone.

Overall, for a drugstore brand (and thus the affordable price), I would say its a keeper.

product review: ghd V Gold Classic Styler (flat iron straightener)

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I cannot stop raving about my ghd flat iron straightener (V Gold Classic Styler).

For the record, I am a fan of volume and a flat iron straightener isn't exactly the volume tool. But when I am in a rush for a quick fix of my messy thick wavy hair, flat iron is the tool I'll grab.

I used to have a Jose Eber Signature Series, which is one of their bestsellers that can flat iron dry and wet hair. I have never used it on my wet hair, no matter what the marketing promises because I am not risking my hair getting fried like a banana. It was a good flat iron, but I always find my hair looking very stiff straight after using it.

Then one day, one of my besties told me about the ghd flat iron. I was skeptical at first but I ordered one anyway. It ended up she gave it to me as a birthday present! And I am eternally grateful to her after that because the ghd flat iron is so amazing! へ(゜∇、°)へ

In the picture below, I have used the ghd flat iron to straighten my hair. You can see that my hair is smooth and looks naturally straight. The curl-in at the ends and the side-sweep-big-wave on my left fringe was done using the ghd flat iron.

my hair straightened with ghd flat iron

Compare above with hair straightened with Jose Eber flat iron (picture below). My hair looks "stiffy" straight and the curl-in on the ends is not that natural.

My hair straightened with Jose Eber flat iron

Pros (⌒▽⌒)☆:
~ The ghd flat iron smooths out my natural curls in just 2-3 times of going through my hair with it. The result is silky smooth hair that looks naturally healthy straight.
~ It heats up really fast! This is a major plus for me because when I am rushing (which is all the time), I need things fast *snap snap fingers*.
~ The switch on the flat iron has a nice light indicator and it beeps when it is heated up. I love the beep sound alert feature. It becomes very intuitive to use --> switch on, beeeeep, use! (Check out video below)
~ It is made of very good sturdy material, yet it is light and easy to use. Great for traveling!



Cons ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ:
~ There is a plastic cover which comes together, that is used for keeping the flat iron in closed position for storage or traveling purpose. It is well thought but the plastic cover fits loosely so it could come off easily. It is especially irritating when I am trying to hold it, or carry it around or pack it into my luggage. I have to take special care that the cover doesn't fly off or my flat iron doesn't fall out and lands on the floor.
~ It is more expensive than most flat irons in the market.

Overall, I would say "YES! Please get this flat iron because it is soooooo good!". ＼(*T▽T*)／
Even though it is pricey, it is worth every cent for the result that it delivers. And I realised that many professional hair stylists use the ghd flat iron on their clients. So without a doubt, go get one!

product review: Revlon PhotoReady 3D Mascara

I love mascara! It is my staple, the only make up item that I would not mess up. So naturally I am always happy to review a mascara.

I have a few strands of fairly long lashes. So I really need V.O.L.U.M.E! I also have sparse bottom lashes so a good comb that could cover my bottom lash would be a plus.

My preparation:
I have primed my top and bottom lashes with Mary Kay lash primer. I chose this primer because it is good enough to condition and protect my lashes yet it does not enhance the effect of the mascara, unlike some other primers.

Pros (⌒▽⌒)☆:
~ The fine bristle brush design allows me to coat every strand evenly. It also coats my sparse lower lashes without making a mess.
~ With just 1 coat, my lashes were lengthened. Woahla!
~ The second and third layers were added on easily, without having to manage clumping of product (too much mascara sometimes tend to lump together).

Cons ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ:
~ Generally, I find that the wand is not well designed ergonomically, especially when I try to coat lashes on my left eye (I am a right-hander). It was also awkward to reach my inner eyelashes. I smudged some mascara on my eye lid a couple of times.

Overall, I would say I love it because its gives me the full volume lashes that I need. I find that I don't need to go all the way to 3 coats actually. Just 1 or 2 coats is already "powerful" enough for me for daily wear. Anything more should be reserved for glamourous dinner parties. The result is really good for a drugstore brand. I guess I will need to try get use to the awkward angle issue to avoid cleaning up smudges.

mask it! Mary Kay Botanical Effects Mask

I have problematic acne-proned skin. When it comes to skincare, I am EXTRA SUPER careful.

In my long battle with acne, I have learnt that masking my face often will reduce frequency of break outs and aids in the recovery of acne marks. But not every mask works for my skin type. I used to love a clay mask from Kiehl's but they stopped making it. The replacement product gives me break outs because it tends to over drying.

So I am very thankful when my sister-in-law introduced the Mary Kay Botanical Effects series to me. I have been using this mask for about 6 months, once or twice a week. Personally I do not recommend using this mask more than 2 times a week.

While this mask works for my acne proned skin, it can be used on all skin types as Mary Kay Botanical Effects series is a general line of skincare products from the company.

Pros (⌒▽⌒)☆:
~ leaves skin feeling fresh and looking bright. no break outs! yay!!
~ helps to reduce visibility of acne marks
~ just leave on for 10 mins and rinse off. can be a quick fix before an important event.

Cons ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ:
~ where I live, Mary Kay does not have counters so need to call up their sales representative to order. its not a biggie but personally i prefer sales counters.

It is very important to avoid applying the product (as with all mask products) around the eye area and temples.

this is seriously a very unglam picture of me!   (╯︵╰,)