PAUL & JOE BEAUTE
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Make-Up & Beauty
Friday was payday, thank you god. I was going out of my mind the past month because I’ve seen so many things I wanted to get but was too broke to pay for and it’s all Miuccia’s fault. If she hadn’t designed the most gorgeous wallet known to man, I wouldn’t have to go through so much torture!
I’ve been wanting to give my skincare routine a little whitening boost so I did plenty of research, read up reviews on different products. I won’t really bother usually, well of course I’d read reviews on something I’d want to get but that’s about it. This is what happens when you’re broke - you realise you have so much free time on your hands that all you can do is read up everything there is about the stuff you want to get when your next pay comes in >D
Japanese skincare is something I’m really interested in; I find it fascinating that most of the Japanese women I meet/see/watch on tv have such radiant, glowing skin! Hence to get good skin and live happily ever after, we must do as the Japanese ladies do: Invest in a good Japanese skincare line, eat sushi everyday, drink purified glacial water from Mount Fuji and marry someone who looks like Shirota Yuu (I would click that link if I were you and marvel at the hotness!) HAHAHA RIGHTT got a little side-tracked thar, forgive me.
PAUL & JOE isn’t a Japanese brand at all but PAUL & JOE BEAUTE, their cosmetics and skincare range, is made and formulated in Japan so it’s pretty much a Japanese brand with Parisian roots (mmm I like the sound of that!) I’ve read so many raves about their skincare line so I bought two products to try out!
I got the whitening serum and the creamy facial foam! I originally wanted just the whitening serum which was SGD$76 but the P&J salesgirl was telling me that there was some promotion going on so I could get both the serum and the facial foam at SGD$80! What an awesome beauty steal!
I can’t really do a full review until I’ve made good use of them both but here are my initial thoughts: I LOVE the whitening serum, I’ve not seen any whitening effect so far because I’ve only used it for three days but I love the gel-like texture. It’s not greasy at all, absorbs quickly into the skin and has this AMAZING orange flower scent. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
And hello? Look at that beautiful packaging, how can anyone resist that? It sits so prettily on my vanity table that I am just compelled to use it everyday!
The face wash has a similar scent to the serum and after washing my face with it, my skin felt clean and not tight at all! Can’t really say much because I’ve only used this once lol. Reviews to come when I actually see results!
Got some samples to try out as well! P&J’s really generous with their samples, I got some cleansing lotion, cleansing fluid, foundation and moisturizing serum samples whee!
A non-skincare related purchase: I got very annoyed with my eyeliner smudging on me like it was runny ice cream on a hot day so I caved in and got myself the MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes in 22L which everyone is talking about. It’s supposedly waterproof and smudge-proof. I’m really impressed, I wore it out today and it didn’t budge!
Since I have so many black eyeliners, I opted to get this shimmery gunmetal gray shade! It’s not a flat gray (which is gross!) and has little iridescent silver and blue shimmer as seen in the swatch!
So if you have problems with your eyeliner giving you the unattractive raccoon eye look, you should seriously consider getting some eyeliners from MAKE UP FOR EVER. They have a gazillion colors AND they don’t lie about being smudge-proof unlike some other make-up brands >_>
Til next time~
Tags: Make-Up & Beauty, make-up: MUFE, skincare: paul & joe, skincare: whitening
MAC STYLE BLACK Part Deux: The Makeover
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Food & Nosh, Make-Up & Beauty
Ok I need to type this in 10 minutes flat because my cousin, Nadz, is power-napping next to me and she’ll kill me if she finds out that I have her photos all over my blog lol.
I’ve had a pretty rough friday: fell sick, had to cancel my dinner date, slipped and fell down three steps down the stairs and my butt has a ginormous bruise the size AND color of a mini eggplant - not cute. I had a sleepover planned with Nadz the following day (her birthday is coming and we thought of celebrating it earlier) so I was determined to get well, downed what must have been a million pills and went to sleep, hoping that I would wake up happy & healthy.
…AND I DID! So yay! I’m having a great time with my girl, we went shopping earlier to get Japanese snacks (omg these little honey + vanilla biscuits from Japanese snack brand, BOURBON - it’s like honey stars on crack so so good) and to get ingredients for panna cotta! It’s our tradition to try cooking something we’ve never made before everytime we have a sleepover so you can expect an entry on that soon haha. We’ve already made the decadent dessert and it’s currently chilling happily in the fridge ;D
Nadz finally got her MAC Style Black eyeshadow from me today and I thought hey, this just calls for a makeover! Plus I owe you guys a beauty entry anyway - perfect timing!
You have NO idea how reluctant she was, you would have thought you know after practically knowing me her entire life, she would have a greater sense of trust in me but nooooo, the girl was sulking and squirming the whole time I did her make-up…until she took a look at the end result LOL!
I wanted to go for a subtle smokey eyed look that was suitable for the day so I combined Nadz’s sooty gold-black eyeshadow with richer shades of olive green and light gold. Nadz usually doesn’t use lipstick so I forced some midtone pink-red lipstick on her lips to make things interesting holaaa!
Nadz’s FOTD:
Face:
Dr Jart Black Detox BB cream - this bb cream is awesome btw!
Cheeks:
MAC mineralize blush in Moon River (Limited Edition)
MAC mineralize skinfinish in Shooting Star (Limited Edition)
Eyes:
MAC eyeshadow in Sable & Mink in the inner corner (Limited Edition)
MAC mineralize eyeshadow in Gilt of Association on outer lid (Limited Edition)
MAC pigment in Blonde’s Gold (Limited Edition)
Edit: Forgot to mention I used Shu Uemura’s cream eyeshadow in Suou as a base & Majolica Majorca mascara!
Eyeliner:
Clinique cream shaper for the eyes in Egyptian
Random dark blue eyeshadow from MAC - totally forgot the name eep! Will update this later.
Edit: It’s MAC mineralize eyeshadow in Ether.
Lips:
NYX lipstick in Doll
Oh crap I think Nadz just woke up lol, so I gtg! Have an awesome weekend!
Til next time~
Tags: fotd: smokey, life, mac: style black, Make-Up & Beauty
I dream of Tokyo.
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Make-Up & Beauty
I love Japan. I’ve had a crush on Japan since I was 11 when I watched my first anime (Akazukin Cha Cha lol, REMEMBER THAT?!), the crush deepened when I discovered sushi at 14 and then slowly this infatuation grew into full blown L-O-V-E when I got exposed to a Japanese language module in school & multiple Japanese cultural exchange programs where we got to meet students from Kumamoto (it’s in Kyushu!) It was a wonderful experience and I made some lovely Japanese friends!
And I love twitter. I’ve gotten to know new people; my readers (I LOVE YOU GUYS!) and other individuals around the world who just followed me because we had similar interests! I met Miho on twitter - she lives in Tokyo, a city I could just quit my job, pack my bags and take the first flight out for.
I was just tweeting about how I wished we had more Japanese beauty products here in Singapore because their packaging is to die for and Miho tweeted me back saying she could send me some, how sweet is that? We decided to do a swap- she gets me Japanese cosmetics and I get her chocolates, sweets from Singapore! EXCITING~~
You guys know I’m a big fan of Majolica Majorca right? Well their new collection just came out and ahh, their new liquid eyeliners are to die for. Gorgeous, gorgeous blackened jewel-tone shades in a budge-proof eyeliner formula encased in a streamlined automatic pen-like packaging = Ilyana NEEDS. I asked Miho if she could get me the Perfect Automatic Eyeliner in GR604, a deep forest green shade with shimmer and well, I just got it in the mail two days back via express mail no less!
YAY goodies direct from Tokyo! I was so shocked when I saw the package in the mail, I didn’t expect to receive it so soon!
I opened the package and inside it was another envelope waiting for me. I unwrapped it and finally saw this lil’ note written by Miho! That’s sooo sweet of you, I’m so glad we’ve become friends ♥ ♥ ♥
This is the best part…she sent me TWO eyeliners even though I only asked for one! I DIED. She got me the eyeliners in GR604 and BL603 which is a rather opulent midnight blue! You have great taste, Miho! ;D
I was literally speechless for half a minute, trying to digest how/why there were two eyeliners in the package instead of one. I immediately called my bff, Nadz, to tell her about it because I was just very very stunned (in a good way). Duh, that’s the way we girls roll; if something bad happens, we call and if something good happens, we hollerrrr!
MIHO YOU MADE MY DAY, ありがとう!!! I am so touched and grateful you took time off from your busy schedule to write me that note and send me these eyeliners, they’re beautiful and I can’t wait to try them out! I sent your box of treats via express mail too, hope it gets to you safely! xoxo
Til next time~
p.s you may be wondering why on earth were there kitty paws in that third photo? My cat chose to plunk itself right in front of the envelope I was shooting for some nap time! His name is Mikhail and isn’t he the silliest cutest thing? ;D
Tags: life, majolica majorca: eyeliner, Make-Up & Beauty
STAY GOLD
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Make-Up & Beauty
Surprised to see this entry? I know I’m supposed to be on hiatus but I felt it was my duty as a beauty blogger to put up the make-up I had on for Eid/Hari Raya before the photos rot on my hard disk drive lol. I was going for a very natural golden look with a wee bit of green thrown in (you know I can’t resist green!) with dolly pink lips to finish it off!
My Eid FOTD:
Face:
MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC25
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach
Cheeks:
MAC mineralize blush in Moon River (Limited Edition)
Eyes:
MAC paintpot in Rubenesque as a base
MAC pigment in Melon on the inner lid
MAC eyeshadow in Amber Lights on outer lid
Jesse’s Girl eyedust in Sunlit Cactus in the crease
MAC pigment in Blonde’s Gold (Limited Edition) as a highlight
Clinique Cream Shaper for eyes in Egyptian as my eyeliner
MAC fluidline in Sweet Sage (Discontinued) to smudge beneath my eyeliner
MAC Browset in Girl Boy
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander NEO
Lips:
Dior Addict High Color in Charmed Pink (You can read up more on the lipstick in this entry)
Tags: fotd: neutral, Make-Up & Beauty
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
addicted to you ♥
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Make-Up & Beauty
My latest beauty haul from Dior! My first, actually. I’ve always wanted to get a tube of Dior Addict lipstick but I wasn’t crazy about the price. I’ve bought 4 items and only spent $60! AMAZING Y/Y? How on earth did I manage to spend so little on 4 items which would have easily cost me over $200++? Well girlfriends, GUESS WHO GOT PROMOTED TO BEING THE REGIONAL DIOR COSMETICS ASSISTANT CONSULTANT?!!!!!!
Not me. It would be nice though, sigh. The truth is a lot less glamorous; my aunt has access to excess Dior stocks so she sells them off…kinda like a desperate housewives sideline business aaaanddd since I’m her favourite niece - I get first dibs on the merchandise! Totally werkin’ the family connections tharrr people!
Let’s officially start this haul entry with a kick ass photo of my DIORSNOW spf 35 sunscreen/make-up primer. It smells heavenly and you only need 3 drops of product each time you use it, quite economical (I wouldn’t say the same for the original price though lol)
Massage Mask from Dior Prestige.
I had no idea what this was for since everything on the packaging was in French (”I can’t speak french so I’d let the funky music do the talking, talking now~” Can’t Speak French by Girls Aloud, if you’ve not heard the song, you don’t know what you’re missing - DOWNLOAD. IT. NOW.)
I snapped it up anyway because 1) look at that luxurious packaging 2) It’s Dior, hellooo?
Stolen from Dior.com:
Dior Prestige Skincare is a new regime that is what’s considered to be “liquid gold” treatment enriched with rare botanicals. Dior Prestige skincare includes the exclusive ingredient of Kniphofia Flower nectar that is harvested by hand at dawn before the bees awaken.
I have no idea what a Knipikapikaomgwhut flower is/looks like but heck it sounds pretty darn good to me.
LIPSTICK PORN.
MORE LIPSTICK PORN.
Dior Addict High Color in Charmed Pink. The color may look very bright in the tube but on the lips, it’s a subdued petal rose with a slightly glossy finish. This was the only tube my aunt had and I AM SOOO GLAD I SNAPPED IT UP.
Dior Addict High Shine in Beige-a-porter is no disappointment either. It’s less pigmented than it’s High Color sister but its super shiny gloss-like finish totally makes up for its lack of color pay-off. Both lipsticks are very moisturising and are probably worth every last cent of their original USD$26 price tag.
Well that’s all I’ve got for this haul entry and hopefully you aren’t too jealous over this epic beauty bargain I managed to score ;D Til next time ♥
Tags: dior cosmetics, Make-Up & Beauty
‘Twas make-up destiny.
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Make-Up & Beauty
Do you believe in make-up destiny? This might sound a little cheesy…
I believe if you were meant to get something and somehow in the process of getting that particular item , you come across many difficulties..things don’t go as planned and you are actually led to believe you’ve lost all hope - well if you were truly meant for it, it will come to you in a different way or form.
…Wow that’s so deep coming from me LOL- alright class, that’s the end of today’s Ilyana’s Shopping Philosophy session.
The MAC Starflash collection came out late last year and together with the new eyeshadows that came with it, were the Kohl Power eye pencils which were being repromoted, Raven (a reddish brown), Orpheus (straight up black with gold) and Mystery (blackened teal).
Now being a green eye make-up swamp thing, I was immediately attracted to Mystery and all its mystery (wow you are really starting to sound real cheesy there, ilyana) but something in me went for Orpheus in the end and as much as I wanted to get Mystery and all its ~mystery~ (yes ilyana, we get it now shut up already, geez), i had already purchased 4 items from the Starflash collection so it would probably give my imaginary accountant a headache if I spent another $28 on some green kohl eyeliner even if it was aptly named, ya know ~MYSTERY~
HAHAHAHAHA..ok *clears throat*
So after many months of thinking about the one that got away, one of my livejournal friends posted up a make-up sales post on her blog to fund for her vacation and well you have probably guessed it by now - she had a brand new Mystery Khol Power pencil selling for $15…just like a page out of a make-up whore fairy tale.
There’s no denying it, IT’S DESTINY.
On to the photos.
Oh and I recently purchased these from the drugstore yesterday. I never really got into the whole nose pore pack thingum because I read somewhere that they don’t really work? Well I got this Biore White Grape ones out of pure impulse and I can’t really comment on whether they work for me yet but they do smell so so nice!
I kinda messed up with my previous tube of lip balm (don’t ask, it’s slightly embarassing) so I finally got a new tube! It’s the only lip balm that seems to work for me.
Tags: MAC, Make-Up & Beauty
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