fresh Sugar Lip Polish

My lips are always dry, no matter how much moisturising and hydrating elements I'm injecting into them.  I just cannot help it.... which actually really annoys me because there are always flaky skins residual on my lips.  Unless straight after exfoliating them, they then look and feel a bit more smooth but a few hours in, they go back to their dry and flaky state.

I have tried a few lip scrub, this time I'm nearly at the end of the fresh Sugar Lip Polish. It is a dual function lip scrub: exfoliates and conditions the lips at the same time.  Let's have a look if they live up to the standard.

The exfoliant is a brown sugar looking stuff inside the pot, it smells rather sweet, a bit like brown sugar really.  I scooped this out with my fingers, I need quite a lot of the product as the exfoliant bits are very fine particles.  It is good in a sense that they won't hurt your lips as it's so fine but at the same time you need quite a bit and quite a vigorous action to scrub off the dead skin on the lips.  But cautious though, if you don't have as dry lips as I do, you might not need as much product and as violent as I needed to when exfoliating.

I would give my lips a good 3 minutes of scrub at the very least in order to feel that this stuff has worked its magic.  What about the conditioning quality of this scrub?  Yes it certainly does feel moisturising whilst exfoliating the lips as it feels a little bit tacky both on the fingers, whilst you exfoliate, and after you get rid of the exfoliant using a cotton pad.  Ah, one good tip is that, when you feel that you have completed the process, I'd suggest that you use a piece of dry cotton pad to wipe off the exfoliant from your lips as an extra further step to scrub off the last little flaky bit.  Then followed by using water to clean the lips.  This, I found will leave a much smoother lips.

So.... sounds like I'm not convinced if this gets a thumb up or down from me?  Hm.... I think it would suit more for people who don't have dry and flaky lips but just want a gentle exfoliation of the lips to keep them nice and smooth.  For people like me who has extreme chapped, dry and flaky lips, this perhaps isn't quite the product for you.

What lip scrub/ exfoliate products have you used before?

Four Empties: likes or no-like?

I feel like a ball of fire finishing up my various skincare and beauty bits recently. Seeing that my uncontrollably large collection of a bit of absolutely EVERYTHING that are coming up to their very last lapse of lives, I had no choice but to restrict myself from hauling more and to put what I have into good use!  I've enjoyed the process and glad that I did, because by using up the last drips and draps of creams, lotion and potion, I developed a different experience with them.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for dry/ sensitive skin - this really is my all-time fav when it comes to skincare, not only is this particular product but also LE the brand itself. I found every product in the brand very gentle to the skin, it's very soothing yet does the job well and effectively. It doesn't cause any irritations at all, no stinging to the skin but offers great amount of hydration. Whether or not it's repaired my skin, I can't put my fingers on it as it's unfair to tell by having just finished one tub of this good stuff. However, the result is great enough for me to want to repurchase. Also, the price is fitted in the middle range amongst other skincare brands but results in premium achievement. Liz Earle's that good!

Diorskin Sculpt Line Smoothing Concealer in shade 002 Beige - I personally like Dior as a beauty brand as I have liked a few of their beauty products. You can sneak into my Dior beauty collection here. However, now that I've finished up this concealer, I feel like this is the first of its product that I'm not entirely satisfied with. It's a creamy texture concealer which makes it easy to blend. The coverage isn't great, it's a bit wishy washy. I was told this could be applied under the eyes as well as covering blemishes so I used it as a dual purpose concealer. They couldn't cover things well and it looked as if I've piled on some cakey stuff on my face. Even though I said above its got a creamy consistency and easy to blend, as the coverage is weak, I tend to pile more and more.... A not-so-nice viscious cycle. Also I think I was colour mismatched so it appeared a bit "yellowy" on my face... Not a good look... I had to blend blend blend to make it work! Oh boy that's too much of a hard work!

Oilatum natural repair face cream is my ultimate remedy for dry skin.  It's an aqua based hydrating and repair face cream for dry and sensitive skin.  You only need a tiny amount for the entire face as it really is very moisturising minus the greasiness.  It's not fragranced at all which is a big plus in skincare.  I use this more frequently in between seasons and especially during the winter time.  I would apply a bit more round my nose area as they tend to suffer from flaky skin.  I'd strongly recommend anyone who has dry/ sensitive skin to give this a try, you can use this in replacement of your normal moisturiser.  I don't find that my makeup slips off if I have this applied underneath - I thought you might want to know this.

L'Oreal New Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution This incredibly affordable, Bioderma Sensibio H20 (the King/ Queen of makeup remover) dupe by L'Oreal has received an overwhelmingly amount of hype in the bloggersphere quite a while back.  Did I like it?  Hm.... This was actually my 2nd/ 3rd bottle.... it's a sign I must like something?  Hm.... The answer actually is I'm not entry sure.  I was certainly attracted by the price, approx £1.67/100ml for the L'Oreal Micellar solution, whilst for the Bioderma water is around 

£4.50/100ml.  In terms of effectiveness, I would say they are almost identical, and cannot 

tell the difference really.  I would say that L'Oreal Micellar solution is slightly more effective in

removing waterproof mascaras.  Having said that, I don't think a water-based makeup remover

can ever outperform an oil-based one.  However both are very gentle on the skin and I can

almost say that the L'Oreal one is even a bit more gentle.  However the dispenser is no-good, 

the content inside can be over spilled when you try to get the product out, so in the end you are 

wasting quite a lot of product and end up having to top up more and quicker.  I think now that

I've finished this one and have repurchased, I'm happy to move onto something else different.  

The next one on my list is Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.

I hope that you liked this kind of empties + product review blog, and didn't find it too tedious.  

What have you emptied recently?  Have you tried any of the above products?

Burberry Makeup

I caved, finally.  Never say never is what I learnt again and again.  I thought I would not try any makeup by Burberry as I was a little sceptical about them despite hearing mainly good reviews about them.  Yes I was impressed by B's nail polish but the rest of the makeup range.......?

The motivation came from Lily Pebbles talked about her favourite One Wash Wonder eyeshadows, I was intrigued by how amazing it is her pick on Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Mulberry looked on her eyelids.  The other day, I made it a mission to make my way down, to I believe the only Burberry beauty shop in Hong Kong (in Pacific Place).

I asked to have a swatch of the mulberry shade.  It looks exactly like how Lily described a chocolate burgundy shimmer.  However a tester was not available so I couldn't test it properly and when comparing Mulberry to other shades available, I found it a little too dark shade to my liking.  These days I'm all about natural makeup, a little goes a long way kind of eye colours.  Suddenly I spotted Antique Rose (No. 10).

It looks a little shimmery on the pan itself but when swatted on fingers, it's rather matte and it gives out a sheer finish rather than all glittery.  I would describe it as a muted darker pink.  A definitely one wash wonder for me.  The eyeshadow quality is fantastic, it feels rather buttery and very easy to blend.

My scepticism has been completely dispelled and the quality of it reminds me of Bobbi Brown's eyeshadows!  If you haven't tried any beauty products from Burberry, I'd strongly recommend you to go and play with it a little bit at the counter to try it out for yourself.

Whilst the very nice makeup lady at the counter helped me with testing the eyshadows, she also applied some Velvet Foundation in No. 203 (available in 8 shades) on me.  It felt really good - coverage is a light to medium, and gives a matte finish which is something not of my usual choice as I would have opted for a more dewy finish.  Hence I tried out Sheer Foundation (available in 13 shades) n the past but was freaked out by how thick the texture of.

The lady explained to me further, Velvet Foundation is more of a watery texture, even though it gives a matte finish, it is suitable for all skin types.  If you want a more dewy and glowy finish, you can apply a Fresh Glow Fluid Base (available in 2 shades) which I also tried and really it gave a refreshed look to your face, and the glow that you need.  Whilst the Sheer Foundation, even though it gives a sheer finish as opposed to matte, it suits dry skin but it is more for mature skin and offers a heavier coverage, hence the thicker and slightly more creamier finish than the Velvet Foundation.

That's such a fantastic learning at the Burberry Beauty shop!  I was given a sheer foundation to give it a good try!

Are you tempted to try some Burberry makeup bits?

March Favourites

This month is a bit of a weird month for me, makeup wise I'm all over the place, skincare wise I'm just trying to use up what I have in the stash, although still keeping everything in the hydration side of things seeing my skin is still pretty dehydrated, and with the ongoing issues of blemishes....

Whilst I want to cover things up, I don't want to go all fake and things.  A little cover up goes a long way, as long as I look presentable, dewy and fresh then I'm all happy.  So this month, makeup wise I ditch my beloved eyeliners and on most days I forget about eyeshadows, its 'll about the natural rosy cheeks, and glowy finish.

Revlon Powder Blush in #002 Haute Pink Rose Classe It does look pretty bright and pink on the pan but if you try to swatch it on the back of your hands, it's actually a rather soft muted rosy pink colour.  When swept on the cheeks, it creates that rosy cheeks finish which definitely gives an illusion of a natural flush on the face.  It's perfect if you want just one thing applied on the face to make a difference, this is the product you want to consider!

The sun is coming out a lot more and a little stronger these days in Hong Kong, despite having a few gloomy days.  I quickly turned my thoughts on sun protection.  My good old Kiko City Filter Sunscreen Primer in SPF 50 provides a perfect filter for my skin from the damaging but lovely sunlight.  When squeezed out from the dispenser, it's a yellow liquid form cream but don't be freaked out by it as it sets transparent, and very hydrating and extremely light in texture, too.  It doesn't feel as if you have put a sunscreen in SPF 50, not tacky and not-blocking-pores feel!  I know it's a little difficult to get anything that is higher than an SPF 50 in the UK so perhaps this would be your next high thing when it comes to sun protection!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer It's a perfect conealing threesome.  It's got two shades, one for under the eye areas, another for covering those blemishes; and a transparent powder to set things in place.  I don't normally use the powder but the two concealer shades have been my best friends.  They are light, not cakey at all; and very creamy which makes blending a dream!

I want to thank Kate lash maximiser in White saved my short and non naturally curly lashes!  After curling them, I applied 2 coats on each side of my eyelashes, it gives my lashes a bit of a push up bra effect, a good base to be ready for mascaras to be coat on better and more effective.  Together with the Maybelline Great Lash which I got in a giveaway by Julie, you can see her in depth review of the mascara here.  I know so many people are absolute fans of Maybelline mascaras and I have now tried quite a few but sadly me and them just don't get on.  When I received this in the giveaway, I was actually really excited to try them on and wanted to love them but once again it proved me right that we aren't friends in the mascara department.  However, an Eureka moment dawned on me, since I have very sparse and tiny bottom lashes, I thought why not try this on my bottom lashes!  It worked amazingly well on them.  The tiny mascara brush, appeared an almost heart shape with a rather pointed end made it perfect for me to direct the wand onto my lower lashes.  I don't need drama on my bottom lashes so this serves me just right, that it gives them a little definition that the lashes needed!  So, perhaps next time if any mascaras don't work on your upper lashes, how about look downwards and give them a try?

Applying mascaras can be a messy act if you are not careful, so my Sephora targeted eye remover swabs are very handy makeup tools to clear up those mistakes around the eye areas.  You break the end with a blue line that runs around one end of the cotton buds, then the blue liquid inside the tube would flow onto the other end which then soaked up all the products, you can then use that end to clear up any imperfection on the face, very handy and tidy indeed!

I have to say when it comes to skincare, I can be a little lazy and I don't want to put 10 products on my face every day and night.  So when my sister (@forksandbrushes) recommended me highly of Kiehl's Midnight Recover Concentrate I was intrigued by it.  I have used the eye cream from the same line and was very fond of it.  Now that I have been using this good stuff for over 2 months and I feel like I want to repurchase it already but I'm not even 1/10 of using up this product yet.  You only need 2 droplets of this after your evening routine of cleansing and toning your face.  Then you rub this in between the palm of your hands to generate a bit of heat, you then press your hands against your whole face when applying.  It feels very soothing and somewhat repairing.  It's a serum and a slightly oily one but it isn't greasy at all and absorbed really quickly by the skin.  The next day, you get to meet a rather refreshed and glowy self.  Sounds like magic but you feel that this stuff is doing something overnight to your skin!

It feels a bit of a ramble this March Favourites but I hope that you have enjoyed reading this!  So, what have you liked using in March?

DIY Gift Idea for Mother's Day

Another year, another Mother's Day!  This year Mothering Sunday will fall on 30 March in the UK.  I have a feeling it's on a different day in Hong Kong, possibly the second Sunday in April; if you know please let me know!

Each year, I have to be honest; my sister (@forksandbrushes) and I always struggle to find something special to give to our moms.  However, ideas always kind of flush into our minds a couple of weeks away from the M-Day.

This year, I'm not able to celebrate the day with her physically as I'm in Hong Kong whilst she's in London.  My sister and I have prepared a little present for her already but I thought I might do something special and give her a little surprise all the way from Hong Kong.

Shopping around to get ideas, I stumbled across a blank puzzle board in Muji.  (unfortunately after searching high and low on Muji's website I cannot find the link to the product itself but if you click on the link provided above, you can find a picture of it featuring the puzzle board).

My creative side of me suddenly jumped out of me and thought, this would be a perfect DIY little project!  I can draw (nice) pictures on it then disintegrate the pieces and send it off to my mom; then when she receives it; she'll have the fun to reassemble them together to find out what her lovely daughter has sent her as a surprise!

The puzzle board comes in two sizes, the one I got is 210mm x 210mm; and the other one is a slightly bigger one.  My one cost me HK$35, so roughly around £3.

You will need (colour) pens/ pencils which are 'slide resistant' because of the material that the puzzle board is made of, so I used some permeant marker pens to draw on it.  I had so much fun completing this little project and I hope my mom will like it!

I mean even if you can't get hold of one of these blank puzzle cardboard, I think you can take DIY a step further.  Buy a piece of cardboard from any stationery shops, draw some lines and grid of puzzle shapes, have them cut out so that they can actually become puzzle pieces for assembling and reassembling later on; then draw on them.  I think the result would not be any different to what I have generated here!

Have you any ideas already what to give to your mom on Mother's Day, which is only a week away!  Hopefully I have given you a nice and easy DIY idea!

The Greats but I have to let them go...

It's such a fantastic feeling when you come across products that you have enjoyed using so much that either you have already repurchased them, or that they now sit on your repurchase list.  They have definitely served right in your beauty book.

However, as my beauty collection grows (out of hand), I take particular attention to products that are a little more vulnerable to their use-by dates than others which I can pretend they would last longer than they should.  Any liquid/ cream products, specifically base products that actually go on my skin straight after my moisturising step, I am very attentive to these and would clear them out when the time is up.  Therefore sadly, I'm going to have to let the following products go even they are unfinished......

Becca Resurfacing Primer - I have done a rather detailed review of this good stuff you can check it here.  This stuff is brilliant, it does what it says on the tube, resurface any uneven skin tone and leaving my face feeling and looking much more refreshed.  It's a great preparation for the skin!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua An absolutely all time favourite which has been well documented and enjoyed thoroughly here , here and here.  This is the first high end foundation product that I own and have since left me a completely biased view of only high end base products are worth the hype.  It's rather difficult to find something as impressive as this (it's possible but one one satisfied me, read on to find out what this is).  It's on my repurchase list but I'm going to hold forte right now as I'm trying to finish up a few other base products that are approaching their use-by dates in the next few months.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation - There's something about the French, they seem to know how to deliver when it comes to lifestyle and beauty.  Bourjois is my favourite drugstore brand, and only their foundation products impress me and makes me think that they are on par with high end foundations.  This is perhaps one of their most well known foundation product and are often perceived as a dupe of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua.  They are rather similar, the only difference is that Chanel's one is of a more watery texture whilst Bourjois' Healthy Mix Serum Foundation is a slightly thicker texture, whether it is a gel foundation I can't tell but both brands are equally hydrating and excellent for dry skin.  Both are great to give a healthy and glowing finish!  I have moved on to try other Bourjois base products and they continued to be loved, and very well loved!

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer - I bought this based from a complete sense of curiosity and was attracted by the packaging.  In terms of keeping things hygiene it isn't the most ideal because of the sponge applicator.  However it is also because of the mini sponge applicator design that makes me think, ' Oh my god this is so cute!'.  It's a great product that you can (may be not ideal) apply it under the eye areas straight from the sponge applicator.  The minute you apply this on areas you need, you definitely would feel that the areas in question have been 'erased', funny feeling, eh?  It's such a creamy formula that it blends so well and easily with just fingers or using a brush if you want everything blended in perfectly.  It's also an all round concealer - for everywhere from under the eyes, round the nose areas, blemishes and any other areas that need a bit of coverage.

bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment - This is possibly one of the most groundbreaking skincare item that I tried.  It's a powder that you brush all over the face as part of your evening skincare routine, after the serum/ moisturiser step.  It aims at reduce pores and increase luminosity.  It really does what it claims.  I found that my skin had definitely improved during the period of time when I used this.  However I drifted away from it and went onto trying out other things..... There is a ton of product in this that it will be more than enough to last a good 12 months however I'm going to have to let it go now that it's well beyond the 12 months mark....

Are you like me who would keep a strict pair of eyes on those expiry date on beauty products?  What have you had to say goodbyes to in the past?

The Orange Struggle

Alright, I get it!  From the cat walk shows, beauty advertisements, to celebrities on TV and magazines, bloggers on youtube and at beauty counters; it seems like orange lips is the way to go Spring/ Summer.  Sadly, me and orange have drifted apart from each other.

A year and a bit ago I started to venture out into coral/ orange and have thoroughly enjoyed wearing them.  Recently I'm more into the nude, natural, 'my lips but better' colours..... Orange is a bit too loud, and too out there for me.  As much as I probably won't be wearing these shades religiously, but I still want to share with you 4 orange shades that have passed my comfort zones and you might want to give them a little whirl to see if they suit!

I found that orange/ coral shades can be a bit tricky for olive/ yellow undertone skin despite having a pale overall skin tone; as they might not be the most flattering for this kind of complexion.

The first one in the stash to ease you into coral is by Chanel, Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer LipShine in #46 Liberte.  They are a bit of a cheat in the orange bold lips department.  It looks, as you can see, rather like a nude, my lips but better shades but trust me when wear on the lips, somehow it appears as a light shade of coral; it pops!  I love how hydrating this lipstick is on my very dry lips and I can definitely wear this without having to wear a lip balm underneath.  A very easy lipstick and colour to wear.

From a cheat-orange shade, let's jump onto a proper orange/ corally lipgloss, this one by Jill Stuart Lip Jewel in shade #19.  I was totally attracted by its packaging, the pink jewel on top of the dover applicator makes it like a lipgloss that a princess should own and would wear.

I remembered how obsessed I was with this lipgloss I was applying this on almost on an half an hourly basis.  Okay, it might suggest that this lipgloss doesn't wear well, it gives a very sheer finish that it is buildable and appears very glossy.  It passed my lipgloss test, too that it isn't sticky that it catches my hair!   If you are a glossy kind of gal this one would be for you.  Also as you build the colour up you can have total control of how intense the coral shade you want.  All in all, a good quality lipgloss that I would recommend.

Topshop makeup just never disappoints!  This little Topshop number in shade CHARMED is a beautiful neon coral/ orange shade but when worn on the lips, it doesn't appear too bold and overwhelming, yet it's bright enough to make a statement that you are a stylish person that is keeping up to the orange lips trend.

If you are still not convinced about orange lips, how about choosing something of a hybrid of coral and peach with a pink tone runs through it?  Chanel Livres Scintillantes Glossimer in shade #165 might satisfy your curiosity and comfort zone.  The colour pay off is sheer and almost complements with every makeup look you carry.

Are you rocking the orange lips already?  Hopefully I have given you a little bit of an idea to wear orange on your lips!