So here it comes: my first China Glaze review. I am proud to say that I am really, really happy with this nifty little bottle of goodness with the eyebrow-raising name. Girls, please meet Trophy Wife.

Trophy Wife is a gorgeous shade of neutral pink containing copious amounts of fine shimmery silver particles. It looks great in the bottle and I love it even more when applied – pink without being garish, pretty without appearing ditzy, fun and cheerful enough for casual occasions yet workable for the office.

Colour payoff-wise, I would describe this shade as multidimensional. Under sunlight, the pink seems to have a golden shimmer, but under fluorescent/white light, the shimmer appears slightly cooler. And as I discovered recently from way too much time spent in Chinese restaurants, under yellow light, Trophy Wife looks distinctly coral.

Two coats are needed to achieve full opacity, but for more brightness and pop, three coats works great. And application is such a breeze because the formula is so smooth and just glides right on, nice and easy.

In the photo above, I am wearing two coats, topped off with Seche Vite (miracle substance much? Love it!). These two coats clung like Velcro to my nails for days, lasting the entire Chinese New Year week without needing a touch-up and only beginning to peel towards the end of about the 8th day of wear. This is pretty impressive, all things considered.

I purchased my bottle for a super wallet-friendly SGD 7.00 from a set-up stall at the concourse of the mall just a few blocks from my place in Singapore. This is a far cry from the SGD 20.00 that a bottle of China Glaze goes for at my local Watson’s outlet. How could I resist?

The stall was run by Smoochiezzz, a Singapore-based company that seems to be a cornucopia of all things makeup, except far more affordable than retail. Do check them out – their prices are incredibly reasonable (comparable/cheaper than Secret Allure, even), and they ship internationally!

Psst, more China Glaze entries to come. Here’s a hint – Some Like It ____

Anyhoo, I’ll be talking about brands that I wish were easily accessible to us. I’ll be disregarding the price issue (we know that getting these brands through sprees are going to be more expensive and also, existing imported brands from cosmetic giants like L’Oreal and Estee Lauder Company tend to be more expensive here compared to the US and Europe). Here we go!

Oh, Tarte – you of the amazing eco-friendly, blogger-raved beauty items. Amazonian Clay blush for only USD25? Lipsurgence lip products for only USD24? Sure, this translates to about what, RM75+ per product but we don’t get it here at all.

I know many people raved about Inglot and when we finally got it here, it was like WOW. But what would really wow me is if we get Illamasqua. Methinks it will be bloody expensive if it ever reaches our shores but their make-up and nail polish have won rave reviews (makes me think, “MAC what?”). While their cosmetics line is impressive, what really won me over was their association with the S.O.P.H.I.E. Lancaster Foundation, which is dedicated to educating the youth about acceptance and tolerance towards others, as well as their animal-free policy. These things may not hold a lot of importance in our local culture, but it’s high time we start caring more about what brands stand for, as the decisions we make as consumers can impact the way brands conduct their business.

LUSH. AH HOW I LOVE THEE. I stumbled into Lush when I was living in Australia and by golly, how can you not fall in love with the handmade soaps, shampoos, massage bars, bath bombs, oozy jiggly jelly soaps and everything else? The combined scents sometimes gave me a headache but I absolutely loved the rustic, organic packaging and the use of natural ingredients. Poring over the Lush catalog was an easy time-waster. LOVE. It was already a bit over budget in Australia and I hear that it’s even more so in Singapore…so if you’re in Malaysia and need a LUSH fix, just head down south. I don’t think LUSH will ever open here – it’ll be too expensive, hard to regulate (in terms of the ingredients) and Malaysians are not very good at keeping their fingers to themselves. They’d be busy poking every single thing that’s on display (and well, LUSH displays EVERYTHING within poking distance).

NYX and Wet ‘n’ Wild are two brands I’m lumping together because I deem them to be more on the affordable side, almost drugstore-like brands. NYX’s star products include a Naked dupe and their eyeshadow singles are amongst some of the best-reviewed in the blogosphere. They go for something ridiculously cheap, like USD3.99 (if only we got equally great eyeshadows at a similar local price!). Wet ‘n’ Wild 8 color palettes have also been reviewed positively and I think are great, cheap palettes compared to our local brands here.

That’s all I can think of today. Any brands that you would love to have where you’re at?

So today I’ll share with you my skin profile, inspired by the So Loverly ladies. I may not have shown my face (though you can find it on the other blogs if you look hard enough) but take a lookee at my skin profile

Skin type: Normal-combination on good days, combination-oily on not-so-good days. The triggers include hormones, stress and reaction to products.

Skin ailments: Reached puberty at 11 and BAM pepperoni face. I’m not kidding. I was the tall, slightly overweight metal-teethed kid with shiny skin stretched tight with angry acne vulgaris. Took Ro-Accutane when I was 12/13 alongside topical antibiotics and Retin-A. Now acne-free on most days. Body skin is very dry (hello reptilian legs) and I have seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp.

Skin reactions: My skin’s normal, but it will react to the usual pore-clogging culprits – oil-based skincare/makeup, too much hydration, some forms of silicone (I can’t take the new Clinique Turnaround Concentrate, which is a pity because I absolutely loved the old formula) and even anti-imperfection skincare (the heck, Vichy Normaderm moisturizers?! I seriously broke out AGAIN).

Morning routine: Any cleanser I can find, SK-II essence, Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector, Biotherm Hydra D-Tox eye gel, Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer, any sunscreen.

Night routine: Mandom Cleansing Express water, any eye makeup remover (Biore’s pretty darn good and beats Clinique’s Take the Day Off), any cleanser, SK-II essence, Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Biotherm Hydra D-Tox eye gel, Clinique Moisture Surge (or sometimes I even skip moisturizer at night – I find that oddly enough, the serums are moisturizing enough and I wake up with less shine and fewer clogged pores).

Special kamehameha (Dragon Ball reference FTW) routine: Origins Charcoal Mask and/or Out of Trouble Mask, or Kose mask.

Panicked problematic clogged pores and zits routine: Clinique liquid facial soap (for dry/combination skin), Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions toner and moisturizer, Biotherm (or any other brand) eye gel. Absolutely no serums.

Makeup:

• Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 3.0 + a small pump of Lancome Maqui Blanc Miracle in O-04 (I think). I get the exact color match and the addition of Lancome’s Maqui Blanc makes the foundation more 3D (you know what I mean – some foundations just look flat. I look more radiant too!) EDIT: I’m an NC25 in MAC shades.
• Setting powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil. Do not use anything else. This will change your life.
• Eyes: Naked 1 palette or the OEM palette (Thanks Connie!) or Face of Australia shadows (Thanks Bee!). Mascara – any will do, not fussed. Liners: I have Estee’s Kohl liner, UD’s 24/7 liners and my Empro liquid liner – depending on the look, I use whichever I need. Primer is an absolute must; I switch between Too Faced and UD.
• Blush: I fail when it comes to blush. Later!
• Bronzer: I swiped on Hoola and it works! (Thanks Rinnah!).
• Lips: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey (Thanks Kym!) or Maybelline Baby Lips or Benefit Dessert First (Thanks Lyn)! or Stage lipstick (that reminds me, I’m supposed to do a Stage haul review. Brain, wtf u no remember?!)
• Eyebrows: shu uemura (everyone uses their awesome slate pencils, right?) in Gray.

I haven’t identified specific ingredients that are my holy grail or bane. All I know is if something breaks me out or melts my face, that’s it, I’m outta here! However, I can tell you what are my holy grail items that I have used in the past, may still be or am not using it currently, but will definitely use in the future:

HOLY GRAIL: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Clinique 3-Step (I am returning to this range soon because it has worked in the past so very well especially after I take a break from the range), Freeman’s pineapple enzyme mask, Clinique Moisture Surge, Clinique Anti-Blemish range, Clean & Clear cleansers, Mandom Cleansing Express.

I’ll update my skin profile when necessary, but for now that’s all I can think of. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away

Oh. And mini shout-out to all the #evurls – you are all awesome. Thanks for inspiring us to look better, feel better and spend better too (OK the last one…sounds a bit dodge).

A cute dose of happiness comes in the form of Beauty Up My Life by Plue. Simple, straightforward, clean blog for all readers – do check her beauty reviews. Her reviews cover a wide range of brands (ever heard of ‘NOPS’? I didn’t till I read her blog!) from a wide range of prices so it’s a great place to source for additional info.

I always, always, always make it a point to go to A Model Recommends. Ruth Crilly is a British model and I like her minimalist writing style as well as her layout. She’s also a bit of a brainiac who’s currently studying for her MA in Creative Writing at the Royal Holloway – more respect! Plus hey, it doesn’t hurt to know what a model uses to keep in top condition. Mostly her reviews are on beauty items but she puts in bits of her personal life to jazz things up a little.

Coming in again from sunny Ozzieland is Ling of The Best Beauty Blog. A Scottish import who is addicted to all things cute (read: Hello Kitty alert!) and lip-related, her perky demeanor and fun writing style pulls readers in.

All Lacquered Up is the place to go for everything nail-related. Swatches from every brand conceivable, beautifully photographed and described. Just go there, enough said.

EDITS:

Yani of Red Luscious Lips was a blog I visited waaay baack before I started blogging and obviously her forte is on lips (she does blog about other skincare and makeup). Her blog layout is rather striking with the dark background and red lines; definitely a fresh look from the usual beauty blog. Yani also taught me how to test foundies on my forehead instead of the usual jawline, because the forehead tends to be a bit darker and in my case, my forehead matches my neck pretty well.

Hot mama Juan of My Views and Reviews is another blog I read because she covers a wide range of topics, not just on beauty! I’ve seen posts on electronics, books, and for fellow mums out there, she also blogs about baby/child-related products. Extremely useful – it’s like having an all-in-one mommy/family-centered blog with feminine beauty as a priority.

That’s pretty much it for now. Again, Happy Lunar New Year/Gong Xi Fa Cai/Gong Hei Fatt Choi/Xing Nian Kuai Le/Happy Tet (in Vietnam? I think)/Happy Chinese New Year!

Now I gotta be honest – the reason why I’ve been putting up more posts about nail polish is because I had a gel manicure and successfully chipped/buffed off the polish, which resulted in dry-looking nails. I loved the shape of my nails though and thought to milk it for what its worth by putting on as much polish as I possibly could.

Back to the polish – Blue Year’s Eve is a vibrant royal blue with blue reflective sparkles. Such a lovely color for holidays, weekends, nights out, but definitely not for work. Application was a breeze (as it is with most China Glaze polishes that I own) and it took 2 coats to achieve the blue I wanted. If I had 3 coats I’d probably be slightly blinded by the blue .

With flash it looks a bit garish rather than the true vibrant color I saw in real life. However without flash, it photographed much better.

Blue Year’s Eve is not as multidimensional as Tinsel Town (review here) as there are no glitter pieces; only sparkly specks. Granted I may not love this as much as Tinsel Town but when I paired Blue Year’s Eve with Snowglobe (another Let It Snow 2011 polish, review will come up shortly!) it turned into something truly spectacular and beautiful.

The formula dried in about 8 minutes and I had minor tip wear after 2 days without a top coat. You can get it online from Secret Allure at RM25.00.

Quick tip: Did you know you can help the drying process by placing your polished nails under cool running water? Wait for your nails to dry for about 2-3 minutes before you do that.

Tinsel Town is crazy in a good way – I see heaps of silver flecks suspended against a blue-black base. At first glance it looks like a predominantly silver polish but it isn’t – there’s just so much beautiful silver grit and a smoky base that makes it look absolutely classy yet wearable enough for daily wear (yes, including for work!).

Here’s how it looks like with flash. All I used were two coats and no topcoat. I think if I used topcoat it would be “WOAH SHINY”:

As you can see from my swatch, I get a very gritty silver color, whereas blogs like Temptalia managed to get the black base to show up in photos. Mine definitely had a lot more silver crowding my nail bed but I love the effect so very much. It looks gritty but application was beautifully smooth and lasted for about 3 days without a topcoat.

Here’s how it looks like without flash:

What I got in the bottle was what I got on my nails, so I’m happy enough. I do wish I could’ve swatched it with more black but for some reason it didn’t work on my nails. I found that the polish separated quite easily though – maybe it’s the formulation but there was a thin layer of blue oil, hmmm.

Anyway, for RM25 from Secret Allure, I thought it was a very good buy and such a lovely wearable color that can take me throughout the seasons (yes, this polish doesn’t care if it’s winter, summer, or whatever else is thrown in between). Is this something I highly recommend? YES – please buy it. And enjoy it.

In case you’re not convinced:

1. Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel: One of my everlasting favorites, Vichy’s Normaderm cleansing gel makes its appearance when I get crazy blemishes and clogged pores. I rarely use this on a daily basis because my skin isn’t very oily, and the fragrance can be a little cloying. However it does a great job when my skin flares up, gets too oily (during the hormonal week of the month) and when I need to feel super squeaky clean without the squeak. This lathers up minimally for me and a 200ml pump bottle retails for RM60+. All in all, this makes it cheaper than Clinique’s 200ml liquid facial soap. Unfortunately Vichy will be exiting the Malaysian market in March, and if you’ve missed the BOFO (buy one free one) sale, just stash up as stocks are running very low.

2. Nivea Aqua Sensation Invigorating Cleansing Gel: I’ve reviewed this previously (link here) and it’s a pretty useful cleanser. Cheap as it’s RM17+ for a large 200ml bottle and it lasts for months. The parent company is the same company that produces Eucerin.

3. Clinelle Deep Cleansing Gel: I’ve also reviewed this previously (link here) and retails for RM33.90 for 100ml (no 200ml tube exists). Famously referred to as a Dermalogica dupe (as I’ve heard rumors that the same company who brings in Dermalogica also brought in or formulated Clinelle), it’s a great way to get clean skin without breaking the bank. Unlike Nivea and Vichy, this one needs more help when it comes to removing makeup so I highly recommend double cleansing.

4. Liquid Neutrogena: A staple in most bathrooms, or at least when you’re growing up, Liquid Neutrogena has been the go-to for me. I think it retails for around RM17+ per 150ml pump bottle, and our Southern neighbors carry the 175ml version as well. This was one of the simplest formulations I encountered in a facial cleanser, and I’m happy to report that this is a great cleanser that doesn’t strip my face but leaves it comfortably clean.

5. Clean & Clear range: These are so cheap, retailing at an average of RM12 per tube. I was surprised how well they worked for me, considering that most of these are cream cleanser formulations. My favorite out of the lot, the Deep Action cleanser, really helped me during a bad outbreak (which involved a lot of clogged pores) and did not leave my skin feeling stripped. Most cream cleansers make my skin feel all tight and uncomfortable, but not this one. As you’ll find a lot of promos on this line (e.g. BOFO, discounts) you’ll be so tempted to toss 5 million of these into your cart. Try out the small sized ones first and see how you go.

That’s pretty much it for my top 5 picks. Have a great week ahead

Today’s talkback is on acne and seborrheic dermatitis. As some of you may know, ksuan and I suffered from acne vulgaris which resulted in us taking Ro-Accutane as a last resort. Prior to that we both had topical medications which included but are not limited to topical antibiotics and Retin-A. We’re happy to report that those days are behind us now and we rely on over-the-counter remedies for flare-ups.

I myself suffer from another skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis, which is present on my scalp. It’s mad itchy and worse than dandruff, but I’m currently on some medication to try and control the situation (hah, I rhymed!).

If you have any questions on the two conditions above, or any feedback, please share it with us . Would love to hear from you all.

The first Trésor was a little musky and more mature; after all, it was launched 20 years ago. The bottle shape is more classic and reminiscent of old school perfumes. I started paying attention with the second Trésor edition, Trésor In Love, which introduced the same bottle shape as Trésor Midnight Rose and an accompanying ad campaign fronted by Elettra Wiedemann, targeted to a younger generation of women. From memory, it was a younger, slightly sweeter fragrance compared to the original Trésor.

In comparison with the original Trésor and In Love, Midnight Rose is definitely my favorite scent out of the lot. It’s slated as the ‘seductive edition’, where ‘love at first sight happens’.

Let’s talk about the scent – it retains a rose heart note, balanced out with an almost bubble-gummy sweetness of blackcurrants and raspberry topnotes. I spritzed on a bit before work and I can still smell the blackberry topnote with a little vanilla musk. What keeps Midnight Rose from becoming too cloyingly sweet is the woody Virginia cedar essence. It truly evokes a sense of playfulness, flirtatiousness and spontaneity. It’s the kind of perfume you spritz at strategic pulse points – your neck and wrists should be enough – and it lasts for a good portion of the day.

This is more of a night scent for me – my personal preference is to have something a bit more neutral, like the original Marc Jacobs for women, and Midnight Rose is a let’s-go-out scent for me. This is a bit of a surprise because I normally associate ‘pink’ or sweeter scents with the day, and night scents are stronger with deeper musk notes. Midnight is definitely has strong rose notes and the lighter fruity notes hold almost equal strength to the heart notes.

Now, onto the packaging.

The satin rose is nothing new – we’ve seen the black one on In Love. You can remove the satin rose if it bothers you and keep it aside. For me, it adds a nice touch to an otherwise ordinary perfume bottle. The overall color scheme used stays true to the Midnight Rose theme – pink gradient leading to deep purple.

The Midnight Rose campaign is fronted by Emma Watson, and you can view the ad campaign here. This is a nice scent to get; something of a change from the usual mature-ish perfumes that you use for night. It’s light, flirty and not overly sweet. A 50ml bottle retails for RM205; 75ml (pictured above) retails for RM265.

Disclaimer: This was provided to us for product consideration. We were not influenced in any way whatsoever and this review purely reflects our own observations and thoughts about this product.

Happy Monday, lovely ladies! Our favourite photographiste is back with another guest review for us! Hope you enjoy her latest offering.

Love,

- dom and ksuan

Following my last foray into finding the perfect foundation, I suggested my top choice was Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation, but at a hefty price tag of AUD 60.00 – 90.00 for a product I would only use sparingly, I was on the lookout for something available at the drug store and budget friendly. Here comes Maybelline’s new range of foundations, concealers and powders known as Fit Me. From this selection, I managed to nab a bottle of their liquid foundation.

Photo courtesy of beautyjunkiesunite.com

As per the photo above, the liquid foundation comes in a 30ml heavy glass rectangular bottle and looks and feels quite luxurious. Unfortunately this might not be first choice for people who prefer some pump action. There are 18 shades available and the website states:

Let the real you come through. Beyond matching: Fresh, breathing, natural skin.

- No oils, no waxes, no nonsense
- Natural coverage that leaves skin the way it was meant to be… fresh, breathing, natural
- Exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin’s natural highs and lows to show through
- Non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested
- Find your number, find your fit!

So what do I think about it? Read on!

I found my shade easily in 310 Sun Beige, the colour blended finely into my skin. It feels lightweight and sheer even though the coverage is quite good, providing an even skintone and covering dark marks.

The finish is dewy and wears for at least 6 hours, although on my oily-combination skin it tends to get shiny at the end of the day so blotting is necessary. There is no discernible smell except for a faint makeup-py scent sort of like powder which disappears after a while.

I found that a little bit goes a long way, a fingertip dollop is enough to cover the whole face and I often just dab my foundation brush into the bottle cover and dot on the necessary areas before blending it out. If you pour out the foundation it will be way too much product.

Overall, I am very satisfied with Maybelline’s new foundation although I have experienced a couple of break-outs but it’s nothing that fastidious cleansing and some acne gel won’t cure.

On a score of 1-10, I’d give this a nice firm 8. Would I repurchase? Definitely. Especially since it retails at a very pocket-friendly AUD 13.00 – 15.00 depending on where you find it

For those of you who’re keen to check it out, here is the ingredient list:

Active: Octinoxate (7%), Other: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, PEG-9, Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Disodium, EDTA, Acrylates Copolymer, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Tocopherol Ascorbyl Palmitate, Aluminum Hydroxide, PEG-9, Ethylparaben, Dipropylene Glycol, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Alphaisomethyl Ionone; May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

Note from dom and ksuan: As far as we are both aware, this foundation is not yet available in Malaysia or Singapore, but is widely available at all leading pharmacies US- and Australia-wide. Here’s hoping it makes its way to our sunny shores soon!