June/July Skincare Faves!
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements, Make-Up & Beauty
Whenever I get a breakout, I involve myself in a lil chemical warfare by slathering a thick layer of benzoyl peroxide on the affected areas but I believe my overzealous use of benzoyl peroxide over the years have led the pimples to develop a strong defense system against my favourite chemical. Damn. I needed to find something as potent as benzyl peroxide and fast because waking up to a bump infested face isn’t a good way to start a day. It was a hard search - how do you expect to find something more potent than a chemical that has ‘peroxide’ in its name for god’s sake? Well, people. I haz found it. The DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask works better than my 2% benzoyl peroxide pimple cream, might burn a hole in your pocket depending on the budget you’ve allotted for skincare but the good news: It won’t burn a hole in your face.
This mask has single-handedly cleared the hormonal breakouts I’ve been getting on my forehead and I’m honestly amazed. The DDF mask is similar to the cult favourite Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque except it’s pricier and the sulfur percentage is higher. The texture is a lot smoother too - I find the Queen Helene version to be so much thicker and a lil’ hard to apply. I like using this as an overnight treatment whenever I have a breakout everyday until my skin gets clear again and it’s been working so well! I wake up to nice, oil-free skin and blemishes are either gone or making plans to move back wherever they came from. Definitely HG material here.
The bad thing about being fair is that it’s incredibly easy to get post-pimple scarring. Whenever I get a zit, I try my best not to pop/touch it but when it goes away, it gives me a little ZIT #2104 WAS HERE BITCH tat on my face every. single. time. That just pisses the fork out of me. I leave you alone most of the time while battling the urge to shove you off my face, treat you with respect mainly fostered by fear and this is how you repay my hospitality?? Bitch plz.
I did some research on natural oils that would help get rid of the redness and apparently, rosehip oil is your best bet so here’s my new anti-redness treatment/night-time moisturizer: Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil. I’ve been using this for a month now and the redness I get on my skin has been reduced slightly! It’s not a dramatic change but I think I’m getting there. Rosehip oil isn’t an overnight miracle and you need to be patient to see results but my skin condition has improved significantly since including this in my skincare routine, it’s more supple now so I’m just waiting for the day all the redness goes away.
You can use any rosehip oil from the health store but a lot of people seem to like the Trilogy version and since it’s readily available here (It’s from NZ), there was no reason not to check it out. The lovely minimal bottle it comes in is a nice bonus too + the cheap price tag- It’s $18 for a 20ml bottle. I know it’s not a lot but you only need 3 drops a night so it’s going to last forever.
I’ve tried a lot of sunscreens from drugstore brands to Dior but I count the Sekkisei Day Essence SPF 25 PA+ from Kose as my favourite. It doesn’t smell or feel like ordinary sunscreen and doesn’t leave the dreaded ghoulish white cast on your face. I hate that sticky feeling you get after applying sunscreen- you get none of that from the Day Essence. You only need about two pumps to cover your face and mmm the scent! Smells very “Sekkisei” lol, if you’re an avid fan like I am you’d prolly know what I’m talking about. It’s slightly floral and smells like ordinary moisturizer- it applies like one too which is one of the reasons why I love it so much. It glides on like a light emulsion on the skin and makes an excellent base for make-up!
I know this isn’t a skincare item but I’m so impressed by this gel liner that it would be horribly selfish of me not to share this with the world. I am IN LOVE with this gel liner. I don’t know why, it’s not like it doesn’t have flaws - no sir, it does. I’ve tried using this to line my lower lash line and it feathered away into a smudgy muddle after a couple of hours. However, it is absolute PERFECTION on the upper lash line. This is the best drugstore gel eyeliner for the quintessential cat eye. It’s a rich, glossy black and actually comes with a brush that isn’t rubbish! It’s comparable to MAC’s fluidline except it’s much cheaper (can’t remember how much I got it for, I think it was SGD$16?) and despite its inadequacy to stay put on my lower lash line (I prefer using my pencil eyeliners for my lower lash line anyway), I really like this little gem.
So that wraps up my skincare review post! School starts tomorrow and it’s probably going to be as stressful as the previous semester so I might not have time to blog as often. I hate talking about academic stuff on this blog because it’s dry, boring and extremely depressing but school will always be my top priority. It’s not easy being here and certainly not easy on my parents’ bank account either. I am constantly filled with guilt every time I check my school fees, God my mother can easily buy herself a Hermès bag with the kind of money we’re paying the university every semester.
Sometimes I wonder if I was even meant to be here at all since I only chose to come here because my ass got rejected by my own local university twice. It’s not the usual sob story where girl graduates from poly with lacklustre results, gets rejected by her local university and decides to go abroad instead. No. This girl here graduated third in her cohort, received a damn medal from the school for it and STILL got rejected by her local university. It’s heartbreaking to work so hard for a damn good GPA only to be deemed unworthy by your own local university but well, I’m over it. There’s no point in remaining bitter about Singapore’s remarkable education system because I’m here now and I’m determined to do well. I scored straight As last semester by some bizarre stroke of luck and I’m hoping to repeat the same feat. My subjects this semester are slightly more daunting than the previous but I have nothing to say except: BRING IT.
Tags: beauty: maybelline, skincare: DDF, skincare: Kose, skincare: Trilogy
A short note + I got me a formspring!
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements
Hey guys I just thought I should post an official hiatus message to explain my disappearance again! Exams are next week so I’ve been writing out essays and preparing for the onslaught of doom that will come in the next couple of days. I’ll resume blogging and reading everyone’s entries once my exams are over (last day’s June 10!)
Meanwhile, you guys can email me, find me on twitter and ask me anything on Formspring!
Guilty.
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements
Oh man I’m actually halfway done with that weightloss entry I promised you guys but due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e PACKING BEING A HARDCORE MASSIVE BITCH, spending my last few days in Singapore with my family etc) I won’t be able to complete it until after I move to Australia.
The past couple of days have been really hard for me emotionally…I’m flying off to foreign lands and leaving some very special people behind. If you’ve read my entries, you know I’ve got a very carefree, optimistic, YEAH BRING IT ON BITCHEZ attitude but urgh I cannot stop tearing every time I think about my family and friends.
This is the part that hurts the most I guess; people I’d never thought would want to send me off at the airport are calling me up and asking me for my flight details, relatives wishing me luck while secretly pushing money into my palms - I’m just…stunned and feeling incredibly blessed that aah, I’ve made some really good friends in life.
This blog has served as a creative outlet/inventory of my great shopping trips (lol) for me and I would like to thank all of you, my subscribers, the beauty bloggers I’ve made friends with and my stalkers/lurkers (c’mon don’t be shy, I love you guys too!) for reading tea noir. It’s been a great year and I hope it keeps getting better.
I’m currently behind everyone’s entries, I haven’t got the chance to read ANY entry on my google reader (I just logged in 10 mins ago and the unread entry count is at 673 entries, I am not kidding you) and I feel guilty because I honestly haven’t got the time to read anyone’s blogs at the moment. I will catch up with everyone’s entries as soon as I get internet in my new apartment so don’t worry lol I’ll eventually read everything and write nice, lengthy comments.
I’m flying off tonight and will probably only get my internet connection set up within the next 2 weeks if all goes well. Til then, I’ll be on hiatus….I don’t even think I’d be able to update twitter either erk, I’ll see what I can do! Take care and be safe everyone, be back soon <3333
p.s Aaron, LK and Nadz: I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH, DON’T EVER CHANGE OK.
Tags: Announcements
tea noir imagery copyright notice
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements
Ok so it has come to my attention that people have been using some of my images on their blogs which is both flattering and a little worrying at the same time. So far the sites that have used my images have linked me back which is great but it scares me to think of other inconsiderate people stealing my images and passing it off as their own.
If you would like to use any image on this site on your blog or for any other purpose (porn, fetish sites need not apply), please ask. I just want to know where and when my images are being used, it’s just basic courtesy because afterall those photos didn’t just miraculously show up on my computer, I’ve been killing my back trying to get decent shots for this blog so please spare me 10 seconds of your time to type in a “hey is it alright if I use that photo of ____ in one of your entries?” I would seriously appreciate it and I will get back to you asap ;D
I’ve had people steal images/whole entries from my previous blog so please understand that I have my reasons for enforcing this. Thank you!
Sephora is one monster of temptation.
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements, Make-Up & Beauty
Announcement: I’ll be on a one week hiatus starting tomorrow because I’ll be DOWN UNDER BABY!!!
Sephora’s F&F Sale is hell for my bank account. This haul entry has been long overdue, not because I was being a lazy ass but because my haul took a whole month to arrive! I’ve been scratching the walls at night, baring my imaginary abs and howling for my package every new moon. I was at the bookstore the other day and they had an entire shelf dedicated to “VAMPIRE ROMANCE” - since when is that even considered a GENRE?
I was reading the summary at the back of one of the books: girl is an emo vamp, boy is a vamp who was responsible for turning girl into a vamp, girl CONVENIENTLY forgets boy was the one who made her an emo vamp in the first place because he was a hot mess, they fall in love…BITCH PLZ I blame Twilight for this, it’s the El Nino of the literary world and needs to burn in the fiery depths of useless books.
OK BACK TO MY SEPHORA HAUL, that’s enough Twilight ranting for today lol.
OMG YES NARSSSSSSSSSSSSS /o/ /o/ /o/ I was super super excited about the Sephora F&F sale because it’s the time of the year when I actually have a valid excuse to get 3 *epic* NARS blushes at one shot without feeling guilty. I only kept 2 blushes though, the last one was a present for my girl Nadzirah’s birthday - hope you like it bbcakes! <333 The flash of gold you see is my spankin' new Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté lipstick in Fetish Pink, also from Sephora.
NARS is pretty much blush nirvana for every beauty junkie I know. I mean, dudeeee - check out that packaging? It’s this smooth matte case made of black rubber and it feels AMAAAAAZING to touch. They come in many shades, all of them unique and so so pretty. I spent two hours deciding what shades to get (I’m not even kidding!) It was so hard! There were so many I wanted to try: Deep Throat, Dolce Vita, Albatross, Mata Hari etc.
So in the end I ordered Sin and Angelika. Sin is a berry shade with gold shimmer. It’s very quaint - most berry blushes I’ve come across are very warm but Sin is a cool-toned berry that has been perfectly balanced out with the addition of some very fine gold shimmer and THAT, my friends, will give your cheeks the most incredible mauve-like flush EVER.
Now isn’t that just stunning? I just can’t get over how beautiful Angelika is! She’s a bubblegum barbie pink with CRAZY gold glitter! You can already tell from the picture how glittery she is compared to the very subtle Sin. This is probably the Britney of all blushes lol, she’s hot, she knows it and she’s got nothing to hide. I haven’t had the chance to try out Angelika yet but I have heard nothing but good reviews about the color (wish I could say the same for Britbrit tho..she’s seen better days) so I think the blush will look just as pretty on my cheeks.
Aah, the infamous Orgasm blush. It was such a painful thing for me to do when I gave this to Nadz as a birthday prez. It’s a lovely peach-coral with gold shimmer (yes I know, I’m a massive gold fan) and it will look good on just about anyone. I didn’t get Orgasm for myself because I’ve collected too many Orgasm dupes over the years so it’ll be kinda silly to get yet another peach blush, I’d much rather spend my money on a blush color I don’t have. Nonetheless, Orgasm is orgasmic ;P
Now for my fave purchase from the haul: the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté lipstick in Fetish Pink. Holy sweet butter in a stick, this is the BEST lipstick formula I’ve ever come across. Ok I know I say it a lot, everytime I buy something, it’s either the BEST bla bla or the most BEAUTIFUL bla bla in the whole world (I can’t help it x_x) but the YSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks are THE SHIT.
YO DIOR ADDICT
I’M REAL HAPPY FOR YA
AND IMMA LET U FINISH
BUT YSL MAKES THE BEST. LIPSTICKS. OF. ALL. TIME.
Thank you Kanye for being an asshole to Taylor Swift and leaving us with best quote OF. ALL. TIME.
Where do I even begin?? The lipstick is so creamy, so pigmented that it completely covers my lips in the exact shade you see in the tube. It glides on like a dream; almost like spreading the smoothest chocolate ganache on a cupcake. It completely blows my Dior lipsticks out of the water omg. It’s the lipstick of the future…I know this prolly sounds ridiculous but it feels like a second skin on your lips, almost like you were born with lips of that color.
Here’s a swatch of Fetish Pink. The color I picked was something that I wouldn’t have normally chosen: a really bright blue-toned pink. I totally underestimated the pigmentation of the lipstick so when I first used it, I had to tone it down by applying another lipstick over it. It’s sooooo creamy, I love it! It’s got this really nice mango scent too which is a bonus point.
…and you know me, always the sucker for anything ornate: HOW DIVINE IS THAT?!
Hope you enjoyed my haul this time ;D Sorry I’m kinda behind on everyone’s blog entries, been so busy packing and packing - it’s neverending! I’ll try to comment on all the entries I’ve missed out on before I leave tmr. I’m not sure if I’ll have access to the internet in Australia but I’ll keep you guys posted if I can. Take care, I LOVE YOU ALL ♥ ♥
Tags: beauty: NARS, beauty: yves saint laurent
Shu Uemura, DHC & Biore Cleansing Oil Review
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements, Make-Up & Beauty
This is going to be one lonngggg epic cleansing oil review! I’ve chosen the following three cleansing oils: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Biore Cleansing Oil & Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O because I’ve used all of them at some point and I like how each of them are of a different price range so you can pick whichever suits your budget best!
Cleansing oils have been getting really popular recently, it’s quite a fascinating concept actually removing make-up, grime and dirt on your face with oil…wait isn’t that supposed to be a bad thing? Who knew that we could actually fight oil with even more oil? Genius! I have no idea who was the smarty pants behind the idea and I’m not going to go all ~HISTORY OF CLEANSING OIL 101~ on you so let’s just skip the theatrics and move on. If you are curious to learn more about the magic science that goes behind cleansing oil, I think my boyfriend, Google.com, would be able help you out!
I never actually got into the whole “OMG LET’S SMEAR OUR FACES WITH OIL” thing because all I ever needed to remove my make-up back then were a couple of baby-wipes and the occasional swab of baby oil. And then I got my first tube of Majolica Majorca mascara. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my MM mascara as much as I love my mother (I kidddddd) but it is ridiculously hard to remove! SRSLY I think it’s made of tar because the first few times I tried removing it with my baby oil, I used up 1/5 of the bottle and I lost so many eyelashes (RIP lashes, hope you’re enjoying lash heaven) that it just became such a chore to remove my make-up.
Enter Biore Cleansing Oil. If you are new to cleansing oils, I would really recommend this because it’s cheap, it works really well and removes everything including my mascara! I like the fruity..almost grape-like scent it has and the only thing I don’t like about this product is that it stings a little bit if it gets into your eyes which er happens to me a lot because in order to remove my mascara, I massage it gently into my lashes to make sure everything gets off so there’s no escaping the slight sting. I’m actually used to the sting so it doesn’t bother me as much. Honestly it doesn’t HURT, it’s just a little uncomfortable because haaai girl I’ve got some oil in my eyes.
DHC is a japanese skincare brand new to Singapore but they’re quite well-known worldwide for their focus on harnessing the potential goodness that fruits etc like olives and acerola have and infusing it in their skincare. Wow. I feel like I’m writing a beauty research paper lol! Anyway I’ve gotten some samples of their insanely popular DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and have used them all prior to this review! It’s slightly pricier with a bottle costing about SGD$40. I’m guessing they’re trying to justify the price because they’re making use of some good quality extra virgin olive oil?
The cleansing oil has a very distinct scent which I don’t like at all because it just smells like regular EVOO to me. The oil has a thick consistency but it wasn’t hard for me to spread it on my face. It’s quite gentle to the skin and moisturizes even! Unfortunately, (haha here comes the baad) it didn’t remove my mascara at all so I was kinda disappointed with it. It removed everything else perfectly though so if you have sensitive skin and don’t use heavy-duty mascara, grab a bottle! As for me, I don’t think I’ll ever purchase this.
So last but not least, we have the Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O (god, that is such mouthful!). I’ve always been curious about Shu’s range of cleansing oils, partially because they come in such pretty packaging and they have a different type of oil depending on what your skin needs! They have one for everything imaginable! Oily skin, dry skin, ageing skin, skin-whitening! I asked the SA at my local shu counter for some samples of their most popular cleansing oils: the blue bottle (whitening) and the green bottle (anti-oxidants for ageing skin). I’m very much aware that I’m only in my really early twenties but anti-oxidants are great for you at every age k!
Shu Uemura’s cleansing oils are, I won’t lie, really REALLY expensive with the premium oil 150ml bottle priced at SGD$68 and the 450ml bottle going at an astronomical SGD$155- whoo can you see Saturn already? ;P So just what is the big deal about it? Why is it so fricking expensive?
It’s my holy grail. Total HG material. The oil has a thin, smooth consistency which makes it very easy to spread over the face and it removes my mascara like no other. Just rub it gently into your lash line, everything dissolves instantly (definitely faster than Biore!) and get this - IT DOESN’T STING! And usually most women wash their faces with another facial foam to remove the oily residue from their cleansing oil but you don’t need to double cleanse if you use this because it works as a facial cleanser as well and there isn’t any oily residue left; your skin is clean and so soo soft. It’s got a comforting green tea scent and omg packaging, packaging, pretteh packaging!
Cut to the chase:
Biore Cleansing Oil: Cheap, Good at removing all make-up but stings eyes and leaves a slight residue on skin.
DHC: Mid-range, Gentle for sensitive skin but doesn’t remove heavy-duty waterproof mascara.
Shu Uemura: OH MY GOD IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND GET A BOTTLE. Your skin will LOVE you for it! Even if you can’t afford it, run to your nearest Shu counter and ask for samples!
I hope this is helpful if you’re new to cleansing oils! Anyway I finally purchased my first proper bottle of the Shu Uemura cleansing oil this week and got some other stuff from them as well, beauty haul entry up next! Wishing all my muslim readers a Happy Eid Adha, enjoy the long weekend!
Til next time~
img credit: shu uemura, dhc & biore.
Tags: beauty: biore, beauty: dhc, beauty: shu uemura, skincare: cleansing oil
Not another one?
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements, Misc
I have a tumblr now. I’ve always had one actually but it got stuck in the deepest part of my closet together with the rest of my clothes I don’t wear anymore. I know I must be crazy or something, re-opening my tumblr when I already have a couple of blogs under my name but I’m doing this together with my homeboy, Aaron, who created a tumblr account on a whim and forced me to re-open my account to honour our friendship lol.
BEAUTIFUL/ELECTRIC is a collection of instantaneous thoughts on fashion, related imagery, a sprinkling of my personal life (and maybe some bitching HAHA) so check it out, it’s my new baby and I’m curious to see how it grows.
boyisamonster is Aaron’s tumblr! He’s a fierce fashion whore so you can expect the same attitude on boyisamonster HAHAHA I honestly cannot describe it any better but he knows his labels and models way better than I do so I expect it’s going to be just as compelling.
If you have a tumblr or know of interesting tumblrs (doesn’t have to be fashion-related!), share it with me in the comments - I would love to follow more people ;D
Tags: Announcements, web: tumblr
Ramadan Eid
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements, Make-Up & Beauty
Ramadan (a month of abstinence from food and drink at dawn til dusk for muslims) has come and gone, this can only mean that Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (also known as Ramadan Eid, Eid ul-Fitr in other parts of the world) is here once again.
A time of celebration and a terrible time for dieters alike because of the sumptuous feasts we are all subjected to when visiting our relatives. I lost 4.5kg during the past month and with my mother cooking 5 dishes (oven-grilled chicken being one of them!) just for tomorrow….I fear for my calorie intake lol.
Everyone who reads this blog on a regular basis (whoever you are, thank you so much for reading and people who actually take their time to drop a comment, you get extra love and a cookie from me!) probably has seen too much of my garden so here are some shots of my home that I took this morning (AT LONG LAST!). My family has been cleaning, polishing, mopping the house since last week to make sure everything looks *sparkling*
I WENT SHOPPING! HURRAH! I’m going to quickly run through some of my new favourite products of the week and give you guys a quick review on the both of them!
I went to my local Bobbi Brown counter for the first time and got myself a new concealer! Well it’s not really a concealer - it’s a corrector actually, which neutralizes your undereye circles..sort of like a base for your actual concealer. The Bobbi Brown Corrector has gotten some fantastic reviews online so I got one in the shade Peach which is a yellow toned color!
It has a very creamy consistency which I love and applies more fluid than my other favourite - MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 concealer. I know you’re supposed to layer the corrector with another concealer but I think just the corrector alone set with some loose powder under your foundation provides enough coverage.
And before I forget, I am in LOVE with Sephora’s concealer brush! I originally intended to get Bobbi’s concealer brush but there weren’t any stock left so I went to Sephora and got their brush instead. It’s made out of synthetic hair, is pretty soft (yay for the delicate eye area!) but is stiff enough to apply cream concealer/eyeshadows smoothly onto the skin. AND IT’S A LOT CHEAPER, +1 to Sephora.
My BFF went to Hong Kong for a vacation with his family just last week and with all my incessant demands “OMG YOU HAVE GOT TO BUY ME THIS H&M DRESS”, “YOU NEED TO GET ME THIS DVD FROM HMV HK MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT BB” and “OKAY PLEASE TELL ME YOU’RE GOING TO LUSH”, he certainly did not disappoint and bought me presents including this huge tub of LUSH’s new facial scrub, Dark Angels.
If you’re familiar with LUSH, you would probably have heard of their popular cleanser, Angels on Bare Skin. It’s pretty gentle for the skin, I would even call it heavenly if you like lol.
Dark Angels is the spitting black, demonic ash fallen angel sister to Angels on Bare Skin and it is not to be messed with.
You only need a teeny tiny amount and please make sure you’re not wearing anything expensive because if it gets on your clothes, this bitch is going to stainnn.
This is perfect for people with oily/combination skin. It’s got the good oil combating properties of charcoal, avocado oil and Rhasshoul mud. The scent of the scrub is woodsy, almost earthly and I would really recommend this if you need a scrub with extra oomph (it’s not harsh but it isn’t very delicate either so people with sensitive skin, please stay away!)
That’s all I have for you guys today. I’ll be going on a short hiatus due to the festive season (all that visiting, eating!) but don’t worry I won’t disappear for long. Please follow me on twitter for instant tea noir updates or just follow me because hella I think I’m amusing enough!
I would like to wish all my muslim readers a Happy Eid, have a joyous time with your family and try not to eat too much! A shout-out to my bb girl, Nadz, I LOVE YOU BBCAKES! I hope to see you tomorrow!
Till next time!
Tags: Announcements, Bobbi Brown, LUSH, Make-Up & Beauty
tea noir will be right back
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements
Sorry I’ve not been updating, it’s been a busy week. I’m currently in the midst of redesigning tea noir, more details on why, how and what when I’m done with the layout lol. Meanwhile, brb!
Tags: Announcements
Follow me on twitter!
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Announcements
Okay so I’ve actually been on twitter for months now and I finally implemented it into Wordpress (you can view my twitter updates on the right column) so I got rid of my “Daily Shots of Caffeine” bit at the bottom at the website because it’s a lot more convenient for me to update what I’m up to/micro blog via Twitter.
Find out what entries will be coming up next, whether I’ve spotted any hot shoes, clothes, make-up, what I’m having for dinner (Lol it would prolly be sushi 80% of the time) and just basically what I’m going through daily (let’s hope there’s no emotional drama HAHA) etc so readers with twitter, ADD ME! My twitter username: ilyana
Next entry’s going to be all about smokey green eyes! Watch out for it ;D
Tags: Announcements
Good luck with...