A year of lip products #3

I have recently discovered that I own an obscene amount of lip products. In an effort to downsize without having a blog sale or burning all the makeup in my possession in a bonfire, I thought it would be a neat little idea to take inventory of my lipsticks, glosses and stains.

Pictures are taken in natural daylight with no color correction or manipulation.

Revlon Moon Drops Lipstick in Peach Silk

One of the brightest lipsticks that I own, this one is incredibly hydrating and my lips never felt dry when I have this on. It does, however have a very grandma kind of smell which I'm not really sure whether I like or dislike. The color is a very vibrant peach coral and although it's supposed to be a creme finish, I find it slightly glossier than I'd like. I'm not sure if other people have the same experience, but I found that it stains my lips if I don't remove it with a cleanser.

A year of lip products #2

I have recently discovered that I own an obscene amount of lip products. In an effort to downsize without having a blog sale or burning all the makeup in my possession in a bonfire, I thought it would be a neat little idea to take inventory of my lipsticks, glosses and stains.

Pictures are taken in natural daylight with no color correction or manipulation.

The Balm BalmShelter Tinted Lip Gloss SPF 17 in Valley Girl

My very first product from The Balm is...very disappointing. To be fair, this was sold as a tinted gloss so I shouldn't really expect anything more than a tint. The color looked perfectly safe for everyday wear and the added sun protection factor sounded promising. It comes in your standard spongy doe foot applicator that I honestly don't like at all because I get paranoid that it will harbor all sorts of nasty stuff in those little nooks and crannies. Not much product is picked up and it annoys the hell out of me to dip 3 more times to do my lips. From the tube itself, I gathered that there's some shimmer but what I didn't expect was that they were practically glitter when I swatched it. Thankfully, it doesn't translate to lips and I have to say (albeit grudgingly) that it left me with a nice soft shine. I didn't experience any stickiness that usually comes with glosses nor did I particularly feel that my lips were moisturized. If anything, I thought my lips felt drier after some time. I was also pretty disappointed that while it smelled pretty decent (some fruity indistinguishable scent), it had zero taste. Overall, this is so underwhelming and meh that I don't think I ever want to wear it again.

A year of lip products #1

I have recently discovered that I own an obscene amount of lip products. In an effort to downsize without having a blog sale or burning all the makeup in my possession in a bonfire, I thought it would be a neat little idea to take inventory of my lipsticks, glosses and stains.
Pictures are taken in natural daylight with no color correction or manipulation.

e.l.f Studio Matte Lip Color in Natural

As the name of the shade suggest, this is a very natural-looking color that beauty bloggers refer to as MYBB (my lips but better). It comes in a pen-like applicator that you can twist up just like a regular lipstick. The products itself glides on smooth and I like that it's skinny enough for me to line my lips before filling in the color. Although meant to be worn as a matte color as shown on the skin swatch, I prefer to layer a good lip balm under to minimize the appearance of fine lines and any possible dryness.

Buy it here.

No Buy Ban

Ever since I came to Japan about 8 months ago, I've mostly been a stay at home wife. I learned to cook, did housekeeping, familiarized my self with the neighborhood and mostly, enjoyed not having to wake up at insane hours for work and function on 40 hour days.

Unfortunately, the one thing that I didn't enjoy was not having an income. Before, I was making some decent money and ate out often (partly no time to cook, partly not really knowing how to cook). I could shop whenever I want and I didn't need to think twice when I saw something that I liked.

In the first few months of being here, I spent on the things that I couldn't bring along with me. I guess when you move to someplace new, you have to eventually build up your stash. 

I got bored of buying the needs, and I began making a mental list of wants. All of a sudden, cosmetic and skincare products became all kinds of interesting to me. I started watching Youtube videos. There was a day when I even devoted 3 hours of my time to researching "How to Make the Perfect Hair Bun" and tried it out on myself.

I have never been on such a vain roll in my life. Should you be someone who knew me in real life, you would know that I hardly wear makeup and I don't comb my hair. I may even be called a little boyish.

But here I am, all of 29 years old and learning beauty tricks from people far younger. I thought, hey, if I'm gonna be a stay at home wife, I wanna be an attractive one at that.

So I started buying.

It started with browsing at the ELF website. They had a great deal of stuff at dirt cheap prices. I saw the 100 color eyeshadow palette on sale so I bought it. The more I browsed, the more I bought.

In just 2 weeks, I bought about $100 worth of products from ELF. Now, they didn't ship to Japan, so I got myself a US address and had my stuff shipped there. I had then paid another $250 to have my stuff shipped to my apartment here.

And with that, I spent the first $350 from my Malaysian bank account. Of course, who would feel the pinch when you're not physically paying in cash, right?

I discovered the wonders that is Rakuten after the husband mentioned it. More buying ensued.

In 8 months, I had spent a lot of money on zero income. Sure, I use all of the stuff that I bought. But who could really finish using up a 100 color eyeshadow palette anyway? Why did I need that extra lipgloss when I always get hair stuck on my lips? And 5 foundations? Really?

My bank account balance was beginning to look like the way it had been in my early 20s. Miserable. I'm sure the husband would be really disappointed if he had known about my secret spending.

I needed to put a stop to my shopaholic ways.

Hence, the No Buy Ban.

The rules are simple:

1. I'm not going to buy anything that I don't absolutely need, like, say, another pressed powder to add to my collection of 8 others.
2. I can only replenish what I've used up (eg. shampoo, conditioner, face moisturizer etc.)
3. The ban will last for a minimum of 30 days starting November 9 2012.

I've been cutting down on waste in my life for what seems like forever, so I can't even begin to describe how ashamed I am right now to be surrounded by all the things that I had bought on impulse and possibly may not have a chance to use.

Let's see how this goes.

Introducing: My Suteki

It shouldn't be allowed, ever, but I'm going to do this anyway.

SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT!

A good friend in Malaysia and I had recently started venturing into opening a little blog shop of our own. We thought that with her still being in Malaysia, and I, now living in Japan, we could probably send each other parcels now and then to make ourselves feel loved (I know, I know).

Japanese cosmetics and skincare had long been known for their quality and performance and I figured there was no better was to prove the myth by trying them out for myself. Truth be told, I haven't had the chance to try out many things yet as I had brought along with me approximately 6 months worth of skincare when I came here. And the sheer volume of products here is really just mind blowing.

I love going to drugstores to browse and do swatches. It really surprised me that drugstore cosmetics here are of reasonably good quality and at highly affordable prices. They tend to wear very well, too. Though the colors may not be as daring and bold as, say, American brands, I have to commend the Japanese on mastering the nudes.

Without further ado, I present to you, My Suteki.

The site is still a work in progress as I'm still constantly sourcing products that I honestly think are good and well worth the buck.

If you want something but don't see it in the store, why not shoot me an email and I can hunt it down for you. I have access to pretty much anything when it comes to Japanese skincare and cosmetics so I could most likely do a CP for you.

Do take a look and please shoq us some love!

Purchase Mistake: ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer SPF20

Product: 

ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer SPF20

From here:

This lightweight and hydrating formula is breathable and provides anti-aging sun protection with UVA/UVB SPF 20. Achieve even skin tone and naturally radiant skin with this moisturizing sheer tint of color. The smooth formula enhances your complexion with the nourishing key ingredients Aloe, Cucumber and Vitamins A, C & E.

Why I bought it:

I developed an allergy to SPF products in my early 20s after a bad bout of sunburn. As a swimmer in my teens, I trained 7 days a week, rain or shine. I had a perpetual tan and my skin gladly welcomed sunblocks and creams of any kind. Somewhere between school and college, my body had started to reject sunscreen. Each time I applied it would result in breaking out in hives. One time, the allergic reaction was so bad that I had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment because my throat had started closing in. When I went to college, I stopped swimming and my lifestyle changed. Where I spent most of the day at the pool when I was a teen, I now spent my nights outdoors instead, going to clubs, working on college assignments and indulging in late night suppers. It was perhaps this change of lifestyle that threw my body off balance (I'm just assuming, really) and I was baffled when I had a bad burn after a weekend at the beach with friends. To say it was a bad sunburn was understatement; I had to get a jab on the drive back from the beach to the city. I was in so much pain and my body temperature was rising steadily. During the consultation, the doctor told me that I suffer from a condition called sun allergy. I know, right. What nonsense! But, yes, in addition to being allergic to sunblock, I also have sun allergy. Oh, joy. Needless to say, products that said "SPF" on their labels couldn't find a customer in me for years. Slow, though, I started experimenting with SPF products again. After all, the doctor did say that we develop and get rid of allergies in our lifetime. It started with a powder foundation with an SPF. My skin didn't react to it any more than when I didn't use it. Being in my late 20s now, I shudder at all the sun damage inflicted on my skin in all the years that I did away with sun protection. I thought it was safe to reintroduce it into my beauty regime.

Why I hate it:

It has practically zero moisturizing properties. The first time I tried it without my regular moisturizer, it just dragged across my poor face like a very dry expired moisturizer. It went on streaky and wouldn't spread properly. When I finally (and with much difficulty) managed to smooth it out as best as I can, it just sits on the surface on my skin like an orange mask. I looked like I had a very bad fake tan on my face. Being so dry, it was flaky on some parts, which is a huge surprise for me as I have always had a combination-oily skin type. Flakiness was unheard of until then. I gave it a second try the next day and applied it over my regular moisturizer. Nope, didn't work, too. While it went on streaky before, now it clumped up my moisturizer and I was left with little orange balls all over my face. So I spent another 5 minutes fixing my face. It worked badly with makeup, however minimal. My face was oilier than usual in less time, and blusher doesn't seem to sit well on it. The cherry on top, however, would be when I broke out so badly the next day. I had more than 10 pimples all over my face and rashes in certain areas. It took me 4 days with an antihistamine and 2 weeks for it to clear. Needless to say, there was no third try for this product. I gave it to a friend to try (hence no actual picture of the culprit) thinking that she might fare better than I did, given my history with sunscreen allergy and sensitive skin. She had the exact same reaction as I did. So, off to the bin it went.

Why I definitely won't repurchase:

Not only did it not work for me (and my friend), it caused so much damage to my skin that could possibly be irreversible. It has been 2 months since that incident and I still have some dry spots from when I had rashes. I had badly wanted to like this product after reading all the good reviews about it. Sadly, this falls far too short of my expectations, even with its $3 price tag. Also, not sure if this is a usual complaint, but the tube was only half full when I got it. Dud, much?

October '12 empties

Inspired by so many other beauty bloggers, I have decided to do my own "empties" posts.

When I came to Japan, I took as many skincare products along with me as possible. Now, I have a good reason.

I have this habit of buying 6 months worth of anything each time I go shopping for my toiletries. I can only blame it on my busy schedule as I hardly had time for sleep when I'm working. Last thing I really,  really need is facing a bad week with an empty tub of body butter.

So it was only natural that when I left Shanghai and came here, I have a mountain of stuff that I have either barely used, or a completely brand new. I couldn't ship them over here due to restrictions with shipping cosmetic items and liquids. I did the only thing I could.

I packed them all into my check-in luggage.

I was a mere 4kg overweight and it was nothing that an apologetic smile at an early check-in couldn't fix. While I'm definitely no stranger to luggage overweight, I was a little nervous about having the man lug my trolley case from the airport to my new apartment.

He did grumble, as I had expected, but I reminded him that I had spent quite a bit of money shipping the other 30kg of stuff over that he didn't have to drag around.

But, I digress from the original intent of this post.

On to the empties:

Product #1:

Biotherm Aquasource Oil Free Clarifying Hydrating Gel Lasting Fresh Matte Finish

From here:

Keeps skin ideally hydrated without a greasy after-feel. Also mattifies to keep skin moisturised and shine-free for long.

What I think:

This is a product that I had loved dearly for 3 or so years. I was so devoted that I would purchase at least 2 bottles from my local Biotherm counter in Malaysia each time I go on my skincare pilgrimage. It spreads so easily on my skin and doesn't sit on the surface leaving it sticky. The gel sinks right in and preps my face for makeup without needing a primer. I love, love, the smell of it because it always seems to wake me up a little and lift my senses in the morning. As I worked outdoors a lot and couldn't be bothered wearing makeup on the days I have 4.30am call times, all I have on my face for those 20-hour days is this baby right here. The pump dispenses just the right amount of product and a bottle could easily last me 3-4 months. I believed that this was my HG moisturizer, through and through. Imagine the devastation I faced when the Biotherm girl (we were already on a first name basis and buddy terms by then) said that the product had been discontinued and will no longer be sold at their counters in Malaysia. I was practically inconsolable. The bottle in the picture was in fact a tester product which the girl so kindly gave to me after I was told that it was discontinued. And this, too, will be the last bottle that I will ever use.

Will I repurchase:

No. As much as our love affair had lasted 3 years, I won't be repurchasing it. When I came to Japan, for some very strange (and very sudden) reason, it stopped working for me. In fact, it was like my skin had developed a total rejection to it. I was constantly pimply, and mind you, this was of the big and painful variety. The oil production factory floodgates broke and my makeup would be cakey within the first couple of hours. My self-esteem took a huge dip when my face was just greasy all the time. Who gets greasy in spring time anyway? Apparently I do. So with a really heavy heart I stopped using this and switch to a Japanese drugstore brand. The difference was immediate. I tried going back to it a couple of days (very bad mistake) and my skin took another hit which lasted weeks. I had to retired this to a dark corner in the closet for some months before I finally decided to finish up the remainder by using it as a hand lotion. Of course, it didn't fare well as a hand lotion, but I couldn't bear to see it go to waste.

Product #2: The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter

From here:

An intensive, rich and fragrant all-over body moisturiser with the decadent Japanese cherry blossom fragrance. Absorbs into the skin easily to condition and soften. 

• Lasting hydration 

• Leaves skin softer and smoother 

• Buttery texture 

• Cherry blossom scent 

What I think:

Absolute winter essential! I bought this tub in Hong Kong when I lived in Shanghai solely because The Body Shop is not available in China. I've always had a huge crush on anything cherry blossom so this was the first (and only) tub I reached for when I stepped into the store in Wan Chai. The scent, while is nothing like other cherry blossom products (not necessarily body stuff) I had, was something that till now I'm not too sure that I really like. It was a tad too strong and I felt like my senses were under siege whenever I smooth this onto my skin. However, it does seem to be bearable once I crawl into bed. It may even have helped to lull me to sleep. The texture seems to be a little smoother than the other body butters from the same brand that I've used before and spreads on easily. I find that because it's slightly fluffier than the others, I tend to use a little less. Typically, I apply this on my body after my nightly shower before bed as I think this is the best time to do it. My skin gets really dry in winter to the point where my eczema flares up and I get rashes so bad that they bleed so this is a really good alternative to treating my predicament with medication and other creams. They go on my arms, legs, torso, shoulders, back, bottom...everywhere! As a body butter, I didn't expect it to sink into my skin completely and leave it feeling grease-free. When you've got 2 blankets and duvets, a pair of thick socks and pajamas, and an electric blanket plugged in during winter, that little bit of tacky feeling will make you thankful it's there. I'm a two-showers-a-day but I use shower gel only at night (refer to the dry skin point). I find that when I take a warm shower in the morning, I still have a slight protective layer of body butter on me so my skin isn't completely naked. This helps to make my skin feel moisturized throughout the day with no dryness-itching.

Will I repurchase:

Definitely. As a matter of fact, the man is also using it, albeit in a more manly scent which is Olive. I've always used these when the weather's cold and they've yet to fail me. However, this falls into my winter-only buy as I prefer lighter lotions in summer.

So that sums up my two(!) empties from the last month. I should really learn to write real summaries instead of being so wordy.

As a hoarder in general, I'm looking forward to finishing up my old/existing products because I'm pretty convinced that the guy who predicted Doom's Day is wrong and I have no need to prepare for the apocalypse.

How the homebody came to be

At almost-8 months of living in the same country as my not-so-new husband, I've finally decided to get moving on starting a new blog to chronicle my misadventures of adapting to life as a homebody.

About 8 months ago I had packed my bags and shipped off the obscene amount of belongings that I had accumulated during the time I lived and worked in Shanghai. From a decent wage earning studio producer who worked with international photographers and directors, I was all set to leave that behind to move to Japan to be with my man.

Of course, this is not all just in the name of love. I had realized that for 8 years, I worked my dream job. But in hindsight, I had also foregone building and maintaining strong and lasting relationships with people. My job took up pretty much 90% of my time, and when I wasn't working, I was going on holidays. Friends eventually stopped calling altogether when they realized that I will never make it to their meet ups and events. Most of the time, I can't even pencil in coffee time.

So when I moved to Shanghai in the summer of '11, I thought it would be a good opportunity to settle down in a new country and make myself some new friends, you know, to compensate for the loss of ones that had phased out when I started working. Through the move, the changing jobs and the settling in, I was pretty stoked to be only 2 hours away from my man, as compared to the previous 7.5 hours from Malaysia.

We had been going out for 4.5 years and we'd spent that time traveling, sometimes he to Malaysia, sometimes I to Japan, sometimes meeting halfway in another country. We registered our marriage 3 days after Christmas '11. Up till then, we'd always talked about him moving to Shanghai to be with me. We spent 4 days as man and wife together before he was due to return to Japan, and I, to Shanghai.

To cut a really long story short, Shanghai didn't work out for me. Or, some people would say, I'm not cut out for Shanghai. So I left and finally worked on the one relationship that was good, constant.

I came to Japan, and the rest, is the future of a homebody.