I haven’t written about beauty in such a long time. You guys can probably see a pattern emerging here: in Australia, I rattle on about food and how much school sucks. But put me on the plane home and I start writing about girly superficiality because (almost) everything is cheap when you’re paying in SGD$ – *snaps fingers* Then whoa! Ilyana becomes interesting again! 8D

I’ve had this Topshop blush in Pinch for a while now – my cousin, Nadz, gave it to me for my birthday half a year ago – but I stupidly forgot to pack it into my luggage when I was due back in Australia so it’s been unopened and hidden in my drawer ever since. But every make-up sob story has a happy ending: I’ve rediscovered it, torn open the chic box packaging, and smacked it onto my face. Literally.

I made the mistake of thinking the blush would glide on my face like a NARS Multiple and that I’d be able to blend it out easily. ’twas a no go. This is why one should read the instructions on the back of the box: DOT ON CHEEKS AND BLEND (see 4th image). What did I do my first time? Swirled two fingers in acid pink, confidently swiped the blush onto my cheeks and shrieked in horror when I realised that was it – the blush was nearly set. Cue panicky smacking into skin to blend the streaks into something that resembled radiant pink nothingness (if that makes sense at all).

It took forever and sore cheeks but I managed to fix my blonde mistake and..omg such perfection. It is the prettiest dolly pink I’ve found and because it’s cream, it gives you the best fake glow ever lol! It doesn’t have shimmer in it but it does give your skin a slight sheen. Since it was a gift, I’m not too sure about the price but I know the TOPSHOP make-up range is very affordable so it’s definitely below $20? It’s beautiful, it’s cheap but as I’ve highlighted, you can’t just swipe and go – dot it on your cheeks and blend it quickly because this baby sets almost immediately. And once it sets, it will take some brute force on your part to get this blended properly. It takes some time to get it right but when you do – AMAZINGGGG.

Oh yes – that picture of me? I’ve fallen down the dark path of Photobooth photos HAHA! I just cannot be bothered anymore :/ I wish I had someone who could take photos of my FOTDs and stuff but sadly, this girl rait here is FOREVER ALONE T_T Every girl has that paradoxical ‘no make-up’ make-up look right? This is mine.

Face:
MAC Studio Fix in NC25
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20

Cheeks:
TOPSHOP Cream Blush in Pinch

Eyes:
Paul & Joe Eyegloss in 05 Murmur
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Maybelline Full n Soft Mascara

Lips:
Lush Lipbalm in Whipstick (MY FAVE – tastes like chocolate omg!)

What’s your favourite pink blush? Let me know in the comments x

I usually have a light wash of colour on my eyelids on most days but with my new glasses, my eyeshadow color tends to get lost behind the frames and morphs into a less stellar, muted version of itself. And what used to work perfectly before now becomes a glum waste of eyeshadow. So I’ve decided to amp up my usual repertoire of browns by tossing in a steely grey creme eyeshadow and blending the dark shade into my crease. It’s not too dramatic for the day but there’s still some roughness, some edge to it that I like.

And speaking of things that used to work perfectly, I had to change up my foundation routine last week because somehow I got fairer in Singapore what. the. fork. Maybe it’s because I’m always hiding in shopping malls to escape the heat? Whatever the reason, it’s distressing when your go-to foundation (mine was Dr Jart’s Black Label BB Cream) becomes an unattractive bottle of fake tan. Thankfully, I found my old samples of Everyday Minerals foundation I got back when the brand was all the rage and am now wearing the Sunkissed Fair shade in the Original Glo formula. I’m dreading the day my tiny sample runs out because I heard Everyday Minerals reformulated all their foundations so I’m a lil’ wary of ordering another batch. Does anyone remember the awesome value for money kits Everyday Minerals used to have? Man, I miss those!

Face:
Everyday Minerals Foundation in Sunkissed Fair
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20

Cheeks:
Lavshuca blush in RD-1

Eyes:
Paul & Joe Eyegloss in 05 Murmur
Topshop cream eyeshadow in Darkness
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Maybelline Full n Soft Mascara

Lips:
Lancome L’absolu Rouge in Rose Rhapsodie

Two tips if you’re using mineral foundation: 1) Always use a moisturiser or sunscreen before buffing in the foundation with a kabuki brush. My Kose Sekkisei sunscreen makes a great base for mineral make-up, plus it doubles as a light moisturiser too. This way your foundation applies smoother and doesn’t end up patchy in drier areas of your face.

2) After applying your foundation and the rest of your make-up, instead of setting your face with finishing/loose powder, try spritzing on some Avene thermal water! I AM SUCH A CONVERT U GUYS. I can’t tell if the thermal water makes a difference to my skin but this magic water shiz is so brilliant at setting powder or mineral foundation. I hate that too dry, matte look you get with said foundation types but a couple of spritzes of Avene and HOLAAAA FAUX DEWY SKIN!

Sorry for the late update guys and fork I am so behind commenting – I’ve been so busy! :/ I flew off on Sunday night, had a transit in Brisbane on Monday morning for two hours and then landed in Melbourne just before noon. Two hours later, I was back in school attending my first lectures of the new semester until 6pm. That was two days ago and I’m still exhausted! Guess I’m not cut out for any sort of jet setting lifestyle LOL.

I’m so excited about my subjects this semester: Television & Popular Culture, Lifestyle & Consumer Culture, Asian Public Relations (IKR LOL if I don’t get a distinction for this, I should quit being Asian lor, as most Malays would say: “buat malu aje!”) and Short Fiction! Sounds like fun, huh? Up until the assignments are due anyway, rofl. Wish me luck!

Not everyone has perfect skin. And that is precisely why I don’t believe in beauty miracles, not for my skin anyway. If you’re lucky enough to have a minimal skincare routine and still have beautiful skin, brb while I stab my pores with a miniscule fork. I beg you to lie and tell me you swear by an amazing $1,000 cream made from fermented marine kelp, or if you like, just name any cult skincare product from the top of your head that my paltry student allowance can never afford. I’ll mope around for a bit but it’s going to make me even more determined to discover the right, affordable products for my skin.

That’s been my mission since the start of the year. I won’t lie. Ever since I started university, the condition of my skin has just gone south. It’s the change of weather, increased levels of stress and frankly, when you’ve got to juggle cleaning, cooking and writing essays all at once, you don’t have time to think about beauty and vanity (yes, they are interchangeable!). But things are a little different now. I’ve gotten used to my life in Melbourne, I know roughly how long it’ll take for me to write an essay and I can whip up some fricking good pasta in under half an hour. Now, the last thing I have to deal with? My skin.

The first product I’m going to review in my illustrious search for the best is Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub. I’m actually surprised how well this scrub has worked for me, considering my decade-long hate campaign against Neutrogena. I first used Neutrogena in my early teens and uh, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Their products did not work for my skin and might have aggravated my oily teen skin even further if I remember correctly. Oh but this scrub I love so much! You can see from the photo I’m actually about to finish it too and that’s incredible because I usually abandon a product after a month to try a different one lol.

The scrub has 2% salicylic acid in it to combat pimples but honestly, I don’t think it’s the salicylic acid that’s helping my skin: the scrub also contains an unlisted percentage of glycolic acid. I don’t know what it is about glycolic acid but my skin tends to behave better when it’s been fed teeny amounts of it. Of course, the scrub is by no means a miracle product. While it doesn’t completely eradicate acne, it has dramatically lessened the number of zits I get during my monthly PMS-induced break-outs. On that note, the painful hormonal cysts I get on my chin during said period of facial turmoil have disappeared completely which makes this a phenomenal product in my eyes. Plus, it has the most soothing cucumber scent!

I use the scrub 3 times a week and leave it on like a mask for 20 minutes, allowing the glycolic acid to sink in before washing it off. I think it might be too harsh to use it more than that but since I am quite the obsessive scrubber, I use my Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant on other days. I’m still looking for other products that would help me in my quest for good skin (e.g. the perfect pimple cream) so if you guys have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments

For someone who used to grouse about the lack of Lush stores in Singapore, I ironically write very little on the subject matter now that I live in a country teeming with it. I can explain.

Going to Lush for the first time is like going to your favorite buffet restaurant. You’re barely 10 ft away but already you are catching whiffs of toffee and pink rock star soap. When you’ve been to a restaurant a couple of times, you’re certain you know what you want but there is often that nagging feeling you get; the one that tells you maybe, just maybe, you should stop playing it safe and try something different today. It is our innate need for new experiences that makes the Lush store a very dangerous place. And I avoid it the same way I avoided carbs in a failed all-protein diet: Pretend it doesn’t exist.

Trouble is, I have to pass by a certain Lush store everyday on my way to school. I used to think this was the best thing ever, I could pop in anytime I wanted regardless of the time. Then, it happened. I keep my Lush paper bags piled neatly on the top shelf of my closet (you know, out of sight, out of mind lol). Sometime last year, I was late for dinner with friends so I was running around, getting dressed, sorta lost my balance and crashed. Into my closet. I opened it just to check if the doors were still working and like a broken dam, 12 black/yellow paper bags slid out, pelting me at my feet. And I was left with a very visual display of just why I was broke every month.

Just like this:

Not good, gais. So I’ve been anti-Lush the last 6 months. Pretty good record, considering every sidelong glance at the store’s woodsy interior gradually eats away my resistance. And my resistance finally gave away last week when I was feeling the hate from school so I went in to check out their new summer stuff!

I’m very fond of Lush’s bath bombs and bubble bars…when I still had a tub. Sex in The Shower is one of their new emotibombs, designed specifically for the bathtub-less! It smells strongly of roses and ylang ylang which I’d imagine to be a perfect combo for the ‘deed’ lol. Still, single ladies (and men) would probably appreciate an indulgent shower from time to time. The sad thing is, like an inexperienced lover, the emotibomb probably lasted just under 10 minutes in the shower? But I have to admit, it was a delightful 10 minute experience LOL I’M SO GETTING SUED FOR THIS. *cough* So yeah, if you’re feeling down and wouldn’t mind throwing $5 into the sewage pipes just so you can get high on rose-scented fumes, SEX IN THE SHOWER IS WHAT YOU WANT.

Demon in the Dark. The Godmother. Unlucky for Dirt. Vanilla in The Mist. Just rattling off some of my favourite Lush soaps, who comes up with these names and scents seriously? Just incredible. Yet, none of these soaps would ever top my favourite: Honey, I Washed The Kids (or in this entry, Honey for short). Now, the problem I have with Honey is that while the scent is exquisite, the soap formula is a little drying to the skin. But just for Valentine’s Day (Yeah, I am a lil slow huh?), Lush released a shower gel version of their no. 1 soap: It’s Raining Men.

Oh. My. God. It smells exactly like Honey except punchier (I think it’s the inclusion of bergamot and wild orange oil) and the fragrance just lingers on your skin forever. I’ve stopped using my perfume since I bought this from the store because I’d hate to have something mask its caramel-like nuance. I have no problems with the shower gel formulation too. Truly, truly sublime. Sadly, it’s limited edition so I’m tempted to get the largest bottle but it’s $30 ._. WHO SPENDS $30 ON SHOWER GEL MAN? (I’ll think about it.)

Anyway, how has everyone been? Anyone else inflicted by similar shopping problems? ;p School has been, I’ll be be blunt, so shit for me the past 2 weeks, I don’t know if I’m imagining things but my workload has increased two fold compared to last semester. I haven’t been sleeping well. And frankly, I don’t have time to take care of myself mentally + nutritionally. It’s been instant noodles, junk food etc. I’ve gained a bit of weight as well, which makes my diet entry last year completely obsolete LOL, it’s a shame, really and I hate it. When your parents’ money are banked on you to get good grades, you better deliver. I haven’t disappointed them yet but this semester has the potential to break my lucky streak, it’s terrifying! Gotta get my act together!

The only subject I like this semester is Poetry. It’s challenging but I enjoy it immensely. I don’t aspire to be a poet, of course but I think it teaches something valuable: To look at the world and describe it in the most unusual way. I suppose that is the beauty of poetry and god, it’s therapeutic. Except for the last couple of days when I was forced to write a sonnet. Sorry, imma werq my free verse everyday. Urgh, Shakespeare. Why didn’t sonnets die with you? That said, I’d still like to have a hot man recite Sonnet 18 to me one day lol, I would just DIE. Happy weekend, everyone!

p.s I think it’s evident by now I don’t have time to read anything other than my school texts. I will catch up with everyone eventually but it’s a little hard, I hope you understand. It’s not you, it’s me (or rather, uni)! If you need to contact me, email me or find me on twitter! Thanks guys x

Hello from Melbourne! Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while. I don’t really have to apologise for I did say I was going on a short hiatus in my last entry. The truth is I did have time to blog. I was just stuck. Creatively.

I’ve been afflicted by a severe case of writer’s block the past two weeks and while I am still far from getting over this self-bashing, I was in dire need of expressing myself so I’m attempting to get rid of this block by doing exactly what I don’t want to be doing: writing a blog entry. I’m not sure how long I’ll take to write this but I’m putting away all sharp objects just in case I get vexed by my own writing and start having ideas about reenacting scenes from Sweeney Todd.

This writer’s block just materialized one morning after I had my cup of English breakfast tea and reading The New York Times online. I sat up quickly on my bed, crippled with uncertainty and thought, “My god, I can’t write for shit.”

I think this has been going on for some time now, manifesting like a leech in my head over the last stretch of the summer holidays and with me, its host, caught unaware. Writing is very subjective, as is design. There is more to writing than the careful placement of a verb, a noun, an adjective; a quiet chemistry that happens when you string a bunch of words and punctuation together. And while I am familiar with the rules that govern the standards of ‘good’ design, I am completely inexperienced when tinkling with the alchemy of writing. But I suppose we all have to start somewhere.

tea noir is my baby, it’s only been two years since I decided to show the world how much make-up a person can accumulate but this site has transformed into a quick-change act, emitting enough ambiguity to confuse even my most loyal reader. New friends who want to link me on their blog always ask the same question: “Should I put you under beauty, fashion, photography or simply under Personal Blogs?” I was just as stumped.

I think I’ve figured it out though. tea noir isn’t a beauty/fashion/photography/personal blog, it’s a commitment to an aesthetic: my own set of principles and elements of style that I’ve cultivated through my experiences growing up. It’s up to you to figure out which genre or category tea noir falls under, it’s all blurry at this point but I consider it a strength, a uniqueness that I possess in this wired world. People have asked why I don’t have ads, sought out advertorial opportunities or joined nuffnang. It’s not that I oppose it, I just want free reign on what I put up on my blog (and sry2say I worked too damn hard for my pretty layout to be destroyed by ads created by some idiot who *think* they know design I HAVE PRIDE ALSO K)

LOL so enough ~serious business~, I think the previous paragraphs have been a great warm-up to help get me back on track. If you’ve made it this far, I hope I didn’t bore you lol. I just needed to shake off this hatred I feel towards my writing :/

I’ve been redecorating my room the past week to keep me distracted from my writer’s block and it’s been going, for lack of a better kick-ass word, spiffy! 8D I’m sick of complaining to everyone that my apartment is fug so I decided to be pro-active and make my room a better place for womankind. If you’re expecting the methodical “before” and “after” photos, sorry I’m not going to indulge you with the “before” photos because I refuse to let anyone be subjected to that kind of horror lol.

I keep all my skincare and accessories on the ledge of my window. Because there is not enough space elsewhere for the amount of product I have. Yeah I know, I have a ton. I went thrift-shopping for a couple of days to find one-off pieces for my ledge and scored that super long tray for $3. I got it at a weird party store too lol. I like to close my eyes and pretend it’s from Philippe Starck ROFL.

Floral soap dish, oval container and brush holder were $8? Vintage bone china side dish plate was a lucky find too, isn’t it gorgeous? I love the delicate gold trimming. That polaroid photo was taken the day I left for Australia for the first time in 2010, a reminder of new beginnings and my family’s love.

Monet’s Regatta at Argenteuil, circa 1872 <3 If you ever find yourself living in a ghetto apartment, throw in a Monet painting in a baroque frame and girl, you've got instant CLASS. The almost pastel green glass bottle houses my most adored scent from Parisian perfumer Annick Goutal, Petite Chérie. Incredibly pricey too, I try to use it sparingly.

My bedside table! I found this bone china dish at the same thrift store where I bought its sister and it houses the make-up I use daily e.g. mascara, concealer, fave go-to lipsticks. Anyone notice that tube of Maybelline Full N’ Soft mascara? That was my first mascara ever and it was discontinued in Singapore like 6 years ago or something. SO STOKED TO FIND IT HERE! I always have a cup of tea in my room in the mornings and at night. Also introducing my first film/lomo camera, the Diana Mini in her pristine white reincarnation.

These wooden alphabets were given to me on my birthday last year by my crazy friends! I think it’s an ingenious take on the boring greeting card plus it doubles as a brilliant prop atop my shelves. Please excuse the expletive you see in one of my friend’s written greeting above lol. I was going to blur it out but that would’ve made it seem even more obvious. Plus I’m no innocent, just because I keep my language clean on this blog, doesn’t mean I don’t swear in real life ;p The painting is Van Gogh’s lesser known Starry Night Over The Rhone, 1888 (told you I was an Art History buff!)

Remember in a previous entry I was ranting about the silly tribal flag painting in my room? I covered it up with some high fashion material WERQ IT! Can’t believe I took a year to think of this ._.

MY FAVOURITE THING IN MY ROOM RIGHT NOW: FRICKING FAIRY LANTERN LIGHTS!!!! I don’t care if that makes me a pseudo hipster chick, my room has AMBIENCE. I can serve some tea and let people chill on my bed for $10 per head just to look at my lights, THIS TRUMPS ALL.

Cherry blossoms printed on each paper lantern

My Keep Calm poster! It’s actually longer and has the crown at the top but it got cut off by my camera, I’m using my 50mm – left my zoom lens in Singapore because it was just annoying to carry around.

So that’s the end of my room tour, I hope you guys like what I’ve done to the place! I’m going to change the look of my entire apartment gradually but for now, my room is looking foxy and that is enough ;D

Also, to the man who bought me my first Chanel and who would’ve supported me even if I wanted to be a drag queen, to the man who taught me that there is no sense in being rich if you don’t have humility, a great personality and substance: Happy birthday dad, I love you!

..God I love/hate my writing. I’m going to bed.

I like the eccentric as much as I like the pretty. It’s reflected in the clothes I pick and the friends I have. And the kookiest one I know has a bad habit of buying me a hoard of kitschy paraphernalia whenever she travels to the coolest part of Asia, Japan (my very biased opinion, obviously). Yumi‘s half-Japanese so she visits her motherland once a year. Uh huh, I know right. Most people only venture into Tokyo in their sleep (me included!) and she gets to go there every year.

Still, I can’t whine about it too much since she always gets me a giant goody bag filled with amazing things. Remember last year’s? I have no idea why she spoils me so much. I listed down the pros she might have with me as a friend in my head and apart from “enjoys eating monstrous amounts of pizza and pastries” and “can converse on a wide range of topics from the worsening economy to fat cats”, there is quite little I can offer LOL *shrugs* KEEP ON GIVING, YUMI! <3

See what I mean?? How can you not get excited when taking a peek into this treasureland?

The tote bag that came with the magazine she gave me! Perfect for my grocery shopping :3

This cute skincare trial pack she got for me! It comes with a foaming cleanser for the day and a thick gel for removing make-up at night. I’ve not used the cleanser yet (I am a cleanser junkie and have about 4 more bottles of different cleansers to go through, see below) but the make-up remover gel is great! You spread it on your face and it slowly warms up when you massage it into the skin. Mmm magic thermal heating properties, kinky. And with a name like MARSHMALLOW ORANGE, nobody will dare deny its awesomeness. Yep, it does smell of oranges too :3

Natural Blush by Cezanne, which I believe is a common drugstore find in Japan? This is Shade 01 and is reminiscent of my NARS Angelika blush except it’s warmer and matte. It does have a slight shimmer to it in the pan but the shimmer vanishes once you apply it onto the skin. I wasn’t expecting a lot from this blush because I’m going to say, without an ounce of shame, that I wasn’t too keen on the packaging. There’s nothing wrong with it but once you’ve been exposed to the remarkable packaging design skillz of the Japanese, you kinda expect more than a simple acrylic case. Aah but in this case, simple is good. The blush is beautifully pigmented and in the words of Edith Piaf: Non, je ne regrette rien!

My first product from Japanese drugstore beauty and skincare mogul, SANA! The packaging is so cute omfg, I cannot. Girly ‘kawaii kore!!‘ squeals aside, this concealer is bananas. Like, literally. It is the shade of the palest banana HAHA WTF o_O; The craziest thing is, it fricking works. Admittedly, the coverage isn’t as good as my MAC Studio Finish concealer but it’s got a nice light consistency which the Studio Finish concealer is sorely lacking in. You don’t ever need to worry about putting too much either. Point is, if your undereye circles aren’t as abhorrent as mine, I would definitely recommend the SANA concealer!

THE OBAA-CHAN (grandmother) OF ALL FOAM-DISPENSED CLEANSERS: Softymo’s Airy Whip. I’ve wanted to try this for years! It’s not open yet – I’m saving it for winter. Super huge photo to make up for my lack of review lol.

And the dubiously named Pink-G Body Lotion LOL, oh Japan how you tickle me. Yumi sent me a sexy photo of her posing with this bottle the same day she bought it, yelling with unrestrained enthusiasm about how she found something that screamed ‘me’. It’s got slivers of silver foil trapped in a beautifully rose-scented aqueous gel that transforms into water when coming into contact with your skin . I’ve used it a couple of times and the silver foil actually melts away, leaving behind the barest hint of shimmer. THIS IS THE SHIT RAIT HERE PEOPLE.

Peach-scented hand cream! I know it doesn’t look like your typical tube of hand cream. And get this, the hand cream is dispensed in FOAM. I don’t know what it is with the Japanese and turning everything into foam but GO FORTH AND SOLDIER ON, JAPAN! /o/ It’s like a wild foam party treat for my hands, minus the gyrating bodies and scantily-dressed women, LOVE THIS.

DHC‘s famous lip cream. It’s still unopened, sorry. Again, I’m saving this for winter. I’ve heard plenty of good things about this though, Yumi loves the lip cream as well! I’m going to be so prepared for winter this year; I’ve got different cleansers, lipbalm and slight deviation here, the warmest thermal fleece jacket from UNIQLO <3 WINTER, I WILL OWN YOU.

These product reviews would not have been possible without the extreme generosity of Yumi, THANK YOU MY LOVE <3 <3 I will see you back in Melbourne where we will feast on feta cheese and pumpkin pizza.

ALSO, TEA NOIR’S EPIC GIVEAWAY IS ENDING IN 2 DAYS!! The entries I’ve been getting are such a delight to read, thank you so much for taking part guys! It’s going to be so hard to choose my top faves *_* Please join in the fun, if you haven’t ;D Click here to take part in the giveaway and then you can truly say Non, je ne regrette rien! 8D

While I can’t say I’ve tried SK-II’s Facial Essence, I’m halfway through a bottle of the line’s Facial Treatment Clear Lotion and I like it enough as a toner to put it on top of my beauty round-up list for 2010. It’s got SK-II’s secret Pitera shiz and the added benefits of AHAs to help exfoliate the skin! It doesn’t have alcohol on the ingredient list (as far as I can remember, I threw the box away months ago) which makes it really gentle on skin. My face has been a wreck lately for reasons beyond my control. Yes. Hormonal acne is not something to be trifled with because even your peroxide of choice wouldn’t stop it. Grit your teeth, apply massive amounts of concealer and try to be as gentle as possible when treating the affected areas. This toner does its job.

After I ran out of LUSH’s Angel’s on Bare Skin, I wanted something even more gentler because winter was just sucking out all the moisture from my skin. Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant is SOOO GOOD. It comes out as a fine powder when you pour it out of the tube (no Kate Moss cocaine jokes please!). It gets activated by a few droplets of water and you end up with this slightly foamy paste. I know it’s a little weird to be scrubbing your face with something that doesn’t feel the slightest bit abrasive but it does work!

The powder’s got some rice-based enzymes in it, as well as salicylic acid which masquerades as over-the-counter acne medication most of the time but it also happens to be a great chemical exfoliator. Don’t be put off by the inclusion of salicylic acid though, the Daily Microfoliant is so gentle you can use it everyday. YouTube reviewer Lollipop26 believes the Daily Microfoliant worked so much better for her than her Clarisonic, check it out

I’m trying to fade the red spots I get from old zits as well and the Face Shop’s Post-Acne Nighttime Eraser is a nice product for that. I’m not sure if it’s working or not because I’ve only had this for about 1.5 months now and while my marks are still there, the redness has gone down a bit. It smells really soothing too, I would slap it on even if it doesn’t work LOL. I’ll update you guys on this product when I finish the tube…eventually.

My first Bobbi Brown palette from the extremely generous Catherine! She actually bought the same palette and when I expressed my amazement at its colours, she sent me one for Christmas! I had no idea she was sending me something major so I had a “OH MY GOD SHE DID NOTTTTTTT” moment when I tore the wrapping open lol THANK YOU CAT <33333 Totally digging the slick black packaging too, that crest is hot!

Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette from L to R: Ivory, Oat, Espresso, Burnt Sugar, Velvet Bronze, Black Plum. I’m particularly in love with the Burnt Sugar shade, it’s a beautiful metallic gold-brown! Cat’s written a fantastic review on this palette, complete with swatches so I shan’t go into too much detail – read what she has to say ;D

I noticed I have a lot more natural-looking FOTDs this year than in the past when I used to be more experimental with colours lol, perhaps I really have grown up omg. Sadly, my skin doesn’t want to get out of its awkward teen stage *stabs* Anyway, this dark brown FOTD has flashes of gold in it for instead of layering the colour on a neutral coloured base, I used my Kryolan Aqua Pearlshade in Gold to create a subtle duochrome effect whoo.

Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC25

Cheeks:
La Femme Glow On Nectar Peach Blush

Eyes:
Kryolan Aqua Pearlshade in Gold as a base
Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Burnt Sugar
MAC eyeshadow in Amber Lights
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom as highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Honey
MAC Pearlglide eyeliner in Wolf
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO

Lips:
Good old Nivea lipbalm!

I like the eyeliner in this look as well, dark grey and gold make a beautiful pairing ;D

Announcement: tea noir will be on a short break this week, I’ll be heading to Malaysia tomorrow to meet my BFF Aaron for the first time! I hope everything goes well and I’ll be back soon to tell you what happens when two fierce bitches meet LOL I’M PRAYING THE WORLD DOESN’T IMPLODE ON US! x

Also, it’s nearly 3am now I don’t have time to read my entry again so forgive me if I have any typos/grammar issues in this baby! Thanks guys, see you soon.

My internets died on me this afternoon. Australia, I really want to like you but your shit internet providers are setting booby traps for me in our love game. Aaron suggested I take a break from the internet so I dropped all plans of drowning my modem in the bathroom sink and went out for coffee instead.

Scooping out minute amounts of brown sugar in an old jam jar to stir in my latte definitely beats pre-packaged sugar sticks.

I finally got an iPhone 4 last month yay! And I got to pick a free case thanks to Apple’s iPhone 4 Case Program. Since I’m part Chinese (thanks Grandma!) and part Malay (thanks other notable blood relatives!), it has been inscribed in my DNA to have a “can’t lose out/tak boleh kalah” attitude so I picked the most expensive and prettiest case offered >D

Writing out to-do lists on napkins is a good way to whittle time away and pretend you have your life organized. I haven’t packed at ALL. Yeah, sure everyone thinks I still have time. But I have an exam to study for, gifts to buy, an apartment to clean, a freezer to defrost, bills to p- you get the idea.

Plus, what plagues me most is not the question of what clothes to bring (I’ve half a mind to pack some undies and pyjamas so I have an excuse to buy more clothes) but MY HEELS OMG, which pairs do I keep here and which pairs will travel the world with me? …and make-up. WHAT DO I DO WITH MY MAKE-UP?! *SCREAMS*

Shoot me: A couple of months ago, I did a swap with Fiza but never had the time to take photos of the loot she sent over from Singapore. I sent her a bottle of Bio-oil (which is available in abundance here) and she sent me a tube of the Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick (crazily overpriced in Australia). She included some extras as well, so lovely of her! The Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick has a slight pink tint to it and omg the scent is so yummeh!

Extras: Some fruit masks from The Face Shop and hand cream! Haven’t tried the hand cream yet because I’m trying to finish the one I have from L’Occitane.

MOAR NAIL POLISHES! I love the pale lilac shade, Fiza! It’s going to be perfect for Spring! And the dark grape-ish glitter shade is beautiful!

Everything she sent came in this striped nautical pouch, ++ brownie points for effort! Thank you so much for everything, Fiza! I loved everything you sent, including the skincare samples (didn’t take a photo because I forgot to bring them out with me!) I’ll be seeing you soon <33

I'm on a blogging roll yeahhh! It feels good to be writing for myself rather than for school and I love that I now have the time to take photographs again. I'm thinking of doing a giveaway soon and it *might* have something to do with Twitter so this would be the perfect time to follow @ilyana for more updates. If you don’t have a Twitter account, it’s about time you get one, honey because you don’t know what you’re missing: Rumour has it that I’m pretty funny on Twitter ;p

I’m going to update my About and Links section of the site within the next couple of days too, I have new blog friends and I can’t wait to share their blog links with you guys. Take care guys! <3

Today it finally struck me that I’ll be returning home in a little less than two weeks. Has it really been a year? Well, honestly it’s only been 9 months but it’s the longest I’ve been away from everything. First time I’ve been without the family, first time I’ve had to change a light bulb in my life and the first time I’ve had an old Turkish man ask me out for coffee.

It happened during winter: my friends and I decided to brave the cold and meet for a movie date in the mall. En route to the mall, I get stopped by a man in his 50s and he starts talking excitedly about my hijab.

“You wear the hijab! Are you muslim too?” I relax. I do a quick scan of his appearance.

1. He doesn’t have a beard.

2. He looks clean enough.

Ok, he seems harmless. I let him continue talking as I nod politely. He mentions being a Turkish businessman with 3 offices around the city and asks me if I want a part-time job. I decline, quickly making up excuses until I am satisfied he gets the picture. He sighs and holds his hand for a handshake. Thinking it is a sign for a friendly goodbye, I shake his hand. WRONG.

I try to pull my hand away but he doesn’t let go. This is the point where I want to kick him in the balls. But the good, peace-loving muslim in me doesn’t. He tells me “I like that you’re wearing the hijab. My wife used to wear it too…until she died a few years ago. Coffee?”

I. DON’T. EVEN.

Now whenever I’m within 50m of the mall, I silently pray I don’t run into Old Turkish Geezer again. No sir, I’m not sorry I gave you the wrong number. Besides, you should count your blessings – my shopping would give you a mountain of debt.

Back to tea noir-related business, I have a short review of the CoverGirl Aqua CG Smoothers for you guys today. I’m not going to lie to you and say “Oh I’ve been looking for a tinted moisturizer for agessss.” Thing is, like most of the stuff I have in my make-up bag and wardrobe, this was an impulse buy. Walking into an Australian pharmacy is like stumbling upon a wonderland of cosmetics and skincare not found in Singapore, with little signs spewing “Buy 2 Free 1″ deals. It is not good for me. The pharmacy and I have a nasty, surreptitious affair going on – one that is most likely to last the three years I will be here. Resistance is futile.

Before I continue, I’d like to apologise for the shit lighting in all my photos this entry. I was going to take all of them outdoors in natural light like I usually do but spring has brought with it unpredictable bouts of torrential rain. I could either a) take my photographs in my apartment or b) pretend this entry was never going to exist. And it’s better to have an entry than to have none at all, oui? I tried to fix the colours in Photoshop but this was the best I could do. If I pushed the color levels any further, my photos would’ve looked like something out of a b-grade 70s flick. For real.

Let’s ignore yellow old me for a sec – The CoverGirl Aqua CG Smoothers is a tinted moisturiser with SPF 15. It’s gives sheer coverage to the skin which is buildable, I suppose but it won’t cover pimples. It will, however, minimize any redness that you may have. It applies smoothly too – I like that I can just smear this on my face with my fingers without having to use my MAC 187 stippling brush. And as with most tinted moisturisers, you get this nice dewy glow instead of the matte flatness one would have with normal foundation. It doesn’t feel like I’m wearing anything at all too.

The downside is that after a couple of hours, my skin gets a bit oily and the dewy glow transforms into an oily muck. But nothing can’t fixed with a little powder. Some people who have reviewed this on MUA have named this an affordable (and maybe even better?) version of Laura Mercier‘s tinted moisturiser but since I haven’t tried the Laura Mercier version, I can’t really comment – interesting comparison though.

Swatch! I use the Light to Medium shade.

Lipstick courtesy of Chanel. Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle. Blush: NARS Sin, Eyes: MAC Mineralize eyeshadow duo in Bright Side Gallery Gal, Maybelline Gel Liner & MAC Copperized pigment to line the lower lashes. Nails: Essie in Love, Beverley Hills xx with 24k Gold (LOVE LOVE LOVE OMFG, perfect red – thanks Cat!)

I know, I know. I have a terrible addiction. In my defense, the blue ring was gift from Yumi. Doesn’t it look absolutely stellar? Like a tiny galaxy trapped in stone. The other ring’s made of glass, beautiful piece that one. It reminds me of a Monet painting and god, I love my Monet.

Did a little thrift-shopping some time ago and found this vintage brooch for $10. The pin at the back’s getting blunt with every use so I wear it sparingly.

And I do smile sometimes lol. I have a gap in between my two front teeth. Yes, exactly like Lara Stone except my gap isn’t as huge…and I don’t bare my breasts on every Vogue cover I get.

Also, before I end this entry:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER: NADZIRAH! And it’s been a yearly tradition for me to share some of Nadz’s embarrassing moments on my blog so:

#1 Nadz’s blogging tips

#2 Nadz’s secret ambition

OH SNAAAAAAAPPPP I’M SUCH A BAD-ASS LOL.

I love you bbcakes, I look forward to cooking with chu in my kitch’ and dancing to Shakira in the mornings when I fly back.

And because this is probably the sweetest thing I’ve typed on Twitter:

DAYUM GIRL I sound just like your boyfriend…except he would never be able come up with this even if he tried (OH YEAH I SAID IT)

I haven’t blogged in…7 weeks.

And my friends have been dropping ~subtle~ hints.

It’s a bit unethical of me to keep bribing for your love and forgiveness with snapshots of food but I do it so well I don’t think I’ll ever stop for as long as school continues to pervade every second of my life lol.

I was lucky enough to be invited over for a dinner party at a friend’s place a month ago and impressed with his cooking, we made a covert deal: he was to email me his favourite recipes and I was to reveal the address of my secret brunch hangout. This pasta recipe is so easy to make; it’s actually deceiving and I say this because yes, it’s a cinch to make but it tastes like you’ve actually made an effort lol. Whiffs of this would make your dinner guests think you’ve spent hours at the stove stirring while the sauce simmers away, a seemingly complex coral-red with bits of herb green strewn in.

Capellini with Shrimp and Creamy Tomato Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. Peeled shrimp
3 large garlic cloves, mashed.
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup sweet red vermouth*
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream (aka double cream)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 lb angel hair pasta

*I don’t drink alcohol so I substituted this with 1/2 cup of apple juice and a generous squeeze of lemon

1. Heat oil in skillet. Add shrimp, garlic with oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Turn until golden.

2. Stir in vermouth, tomatoes. Stir until tomatoes are soft.

3. Add cream and briskly simmer until sauce has thickened slightly.

4. Add lemon juice. Let it simmer for a while more.

5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Serve immediately.

In place of the powdered stuff, I actually used fresh oregano. I’d like to think that it does make a difference and plus, I love pulling the slightly woolly leaves off their stems and releasing them just centimetres above the pot so they can infuse perfectly with the pasta sauce by way of gravity. I like sprinkling more atop my pasta because god, I love its peppery sweetness that goes so well with anything tomato-based.

Also, I need to admit what you see in these photos aren’t shrimp; they’re grey prawns fresh off the market. Shrimp usually comes frozen here and I hate waiting around for anything to defrost (I’m lazy!) so I settled for the cheaper, faster option ;D Obviously, this recipe isn’t figure friendly (double cream omg) but does it even matter?

This is going into my instant salvation in 20 mins or less recipe folder for days when I need something more than what a few mediocre rolls of sushi can offer me. Thank you for the recipe, Felix!

Magazine picks of the month and I finally got Nigella Express – it was going for $12.95 at a bookfair in school, I’m extremely excited about this so it gets a spot in this entry >D

RUSSH is a bi-monthly Australian fashion magazine, I would consider it better than Vogue Australia actually. Alessandra’s on the cover of the current issue and urgh, could she be any perfect?

STUNNING.

Catherine McNeil is on the cover of Vogue Australia but sadly, the editorials in the magazine are so lacklustre. This is a pretty picture no less and I like the dramatic eyeliner in this one whoo.

And finally, we return to the familiar food porn from the domestic goddess, the anti-chef I watch obsessively on the Discovery Home & Living channel back home. Nigella Express is a beautiful, well-written collection of fast recipes for the overworked and busy.

What would this entry be without the salacious promise of new make-up mmm? This is MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish in By Candlelight, quite the poetic name for a beautiful peachy highlighter from the In The Groove collection. To be honest, I bought Petticoat first but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. It’s a pretty raspberry but it wasn’t very exciting so I exchanged it for By Candlelight which I much prefer.

Here’s a swatch! You can barely see it on my skin – which is the point, really. You want highlighters to look like the glow on your skin is from within you, not on you (greasyyyy!) lol.

I must get back to my readings now sigh. I’m taking Anthropology this semester which exposes one to ‘unconventional’ culture practices e.g. eating the body of a dead relative and it is quickly becoming the subject I enjoy going to for lectures because my lecturer is this kooky English guy with the most remarkable and terribly explicit sense of humour. I’m sorry I haven’t had time to read all your entries but mid-semester break is coming and I’ll be doing some massive catch-up readings then. Meanwhile, you can follow me on Twitter or ask me a question on formspring. Take care and my muslim readers, sorry I’m a wee bit late but Happy Ramadhan & Eid!