Review: MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette

Finally back on the product reviewing track. I was looking through my old posts and ohmy my last product review more than a month ago?! It's getting harder and harder to write my reviews nowadays. Usually I write my blogposts at work during lunch but these days, work has taken up even my lunch time (not complaining though because I'm actually enjoying what I'm doing). Once I reach home, I'm so tired I don't feel like stimulating my brain cells - just want to do brainless things like exercise/eat/sleep. Weekends lagi worse, my bed is my best friend and I just sleep the entire day away. HAHA yes I have become a sloth. Why ah, tell me why! I always just sleep my Saturdays away and most of the time I refuse to go out. WHY LIKE THIS!! 

So yes, here's a blog review for one of my current favourite eyeshadow palette. These days, I've been reaching out for this palette more than my Lorac Pro or Naked palettes! And it's much much cheaper as compared to the latter two. 

The MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette is the amalgamation of 12 gorgeous neutral shades in one very spectacular palette. To those who feel the pinch and do not want to spend more than S$70 on renowned neutral palettes, this is the palette for you. I bought mine from Carousell (such an evil app this one, my wallet is crying haha) for only S$18. The palette's obviously much cheaper online (4 pounds only!!), but I think you have to buy a certain amount to qualify for free international shipping. I'm not sure if the brand is available in any local stores. Do comment if you know where to find this brand in Singapore, and I'll update the blog post! :) 

First of all, the MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette is a second installation for this range of eyeshadow palettes. The first one is the MUA Undressed Palette and that is supposed to be the dupe for the cult-favourite Naked palette. The MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette is, expectedly, a dupe for the also hugely popular Naked2 palette. Since I didn't have the Naked2, I got this palette instead of the original Undressed Palette. 

Packaging: The MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette has quite similar packaging to Sleek Cosmetics' eyeshadow palettes. Of course, the main difference is this packaging is entirely in white and there's a transparent panel on the cover. This transparent panel is very useful, especially if you have way too many eyeshadow palettes that may last you several lifetimes. For those late-for-work mornings, the transparent panel is an excellent feature. Without opening the cover, you know what shades you're going to use already. You save those precious seconds!

Eyeshadow brush: The dual-ended sponge-tip applicator is not as bad as I would have expected them to be, especially coming from a drugstore brand. The sponge tips are dense and very sturdy - none of those filmsy, thin sponge layers that will disintegrate within 2-3 applications. The denseness also allows for easier application - you can compact more pigments, hence only one application is needed and you already get vibrant shades on your eyelids, and you get less fallouts. Not bad...not bad at all!

From left to right: Naked, Devotion, Tranquil, Exposed

From left to right: Shy, Fiery, Reveal, Wink

From left to right: Lavish, Dreamy, Obsessed, Corrupt

Shades: The MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette compacts 12 beautiful neutral and timeless shades, ranging from pearlescent flesh-toned finishes, to metallic bronze hues, to darker contour tones. In all, a very well-thought-out palette that's able to deliver everyday minimalist looks and sultry smokey looks. My favourite shade is Fiery. It's a perfect rose gold and it freshens up your entire face. I'm a true rose-gold eyeshadows convert! I always thought the orange in the shade will make my face look yellower, but nope I was wrong! I LOVE ROSE GOLD!

Pigmentation: Ah. This palette scores full marks in terms of pigmentation. How can a 4-pound palette produce such pigmented and vibrant shades on first swatch?! I don't get it, but I love it. This truly brings some high-end palettes to shame. The main difference between this and Sleek Cosmetics palettes (which I also love) is that there are less fallouts when using the MUA eyeshadows. The formulation of these eyeshadows is more compact hence you get tidier application.

Application: The only shade that bothers me during application is Corrupt, but that is expected from a darker shade - more fallouts. The other 11 shades applies beautifully and I dare say that some of them applies and blends out more easily than the more expensive eyeshadows that I own. Naked has a very pleasant buttery finish and and the extremely metallic shades (Devotion, Fiery and Dreamy) blends out like a dream with a normal blending brush. An utterly must-buy palette!

Longevity: I have really put this palette to the extreme test. I brought this palette along with me to Hong Kong and if you have read my previous posts, you will know that Hong Kong was terribly unforgiving in terms of weather. More humid and more hot than Singapore. If this palette can withstand such crazy conditions, it will definitely work in Singapore. And yes, the eyeshadows performed above my expectations even in such outrageous conditions. There was no melting scenarios, there was no fading and after a full 12 hours, the eyeshadow still looked fresh. Amazing right?! Of course, a good eyeshadow primer will definitely help to extend its life span.

Will I buy it again? Most definitely! I'm hoping MUA will come out with a third installation so that I don't have to purchase the Naked3. I'm extremely impressed by this palette and I'd highly recommend this to everyone. Even if you are a palette hoarder, you will still have space for this lah.

Hope this has been a useful read. Have a great weekend guys! :)

Hong Kong August 2014: Food #fatdieme

Our plan for Hong Kong was to shop and eat all the way, but truthfully, the shopping wasn't that fantastic. In the end, around 75-80% of our money went to food. Not regretting though because the food was fantastic and whatever weight we put on we can exercise them away lah. 

Here's a list of the places that we went to for AMAAAZINNGG food. Ah so hungry looking at these photos now. I'm currently desperately trying to lose the gained blobs of fat so I had salad and dragonfruit juice for lunch. The agony~~

Yes, the macaroni from McDonalds was good!!

McDonalds

Hong Kong International Airport

Arrivals Meeters & Greeters Hall, Level 5

Ate here twice because we loved the scrambled eggs so much! I also finally tried the egg white custard and it was so smooth. I want some now!!!! :(

Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司  

G/F, 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan 

We didn't eat at Tim Ho Wan at all this trip because we knew there were other dim sum restaurants better than THW. One Dim Sum was spectacular. I miss the siew mai and beef ball lah. 

One Dim Sum 一點心

Shop 1 & 2, G/F, Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward

If you like greasy oyster omelettes then this is the place for you. 

Four Seasons Claypot Rice 四季煲仔飯

46 Arthur Street, Yau Ma Tei 

WAHWAHWAH my favourite meal this trip. Highly recommended. PLEASE TRY! It's very near the midpoint of the long escalator.

Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園

2 Gage Street, Central

Well, there's a good reason this is so popular. NOMS.

Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家

35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central

Some random shop at Kowloon. Heh don't remember at all because we were STARVING. 

Great, great breakfast at Kam Wah Cafe. The polo bun was TO DIE FOR. My "satay" instant noodles was also damn good. Why instant noodles in Hong Kong can taste so good one??

Kam Wah Cafe 金華冰廳

G/F, 47 Bute Street, Prince Edward

This was S$8. Damn expensive please. Some more the bowl so small. But okay lor, still very nice.

Mak's Noodle 麥奀雲吞麵世家 

G/F, 37 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay

My favourite fruit juice in the world. I had it almost daily when I was in Japan. Damn excited when I found it in Hong Kong. So excited I bought the 1L bottle. :D

Authentic dim sum experience! Crazy chionging for seats and food. In the end we shared a table with this cute old man. :D

Lin Heung Tea House 蓮香樓

160-164 Wellington Street, Central

Hidden gem award goes to Star Cafe. The tomato + egg noodle looks like a pile of vomit but tasted super nice. Once again I wonder how instant noodles can taste so nice in Hong Kong?!

Star Cafe 星座冰室 

Shop No. 36, Champagne Court, 16-20 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Long story short - we ate like gluttons/kings (whichever half of the glass you prefer hehe). 

Hong Kong August 2014: Airbnb Experience

For my recent Hong Kong trip, I didn't want to stay in a typical hotel, so I opted for an Airbnb apartment. Actually, I was hoping that I could stay where the locals would stay - small studio rooms in high-rise apartment buildings. I found one that's extremely near 3 MTR stations and the decor looked nice on the Airbnb listing site, so I booked while crossing my fingers. 

Fortunately, the photos on the Airbnb site were a 100% match to what we saw in reality. I enjoyed my stay in the studio thoroughly and I'm now more confident in using Airbnb for my holidays! 

Here's the link to the studio that we stayed in for 4 nights: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/692723

How the studio looked like.

The sky bridge right in front of the apartment building. This sky bridge links to Austin MTR Exit B5 and Kowloon MTR. 

The best part about this studio is its location - it's very walkable from Kowloon MTR station which means you can simply take the Airport Express to Kowloon station and walk to the apartment building. Super convenient! It's also very near Austin MTR! 

The room was clean and basic necessities were provided. The air-con was damn strong so it was a blessing to us because the weather was super hot and humid when we visited. The only problem we had was the very cranky toilet flushing system. But aiyah no problem for me at all because of the engineer I was staying with. Got toilet flushing problems, send out the engineer boyfriend and no more problems liao. HAHA. But I have told the host about this problem; hopefully he will do something about it. 

My next Airbnb experience will be for my Bangkok trip with Lirong. The apartment that we shortlisted is freaking swanky. Got infinity pool some more. The best thing is, it's freaking cheap oh my gosh?! Airbnb HUAT AH! 

Have a great day ahead guys! :)

Love-hate Relationship with Hong Kong

My 5-day Hong Kong vacation just passed like that. In a few hours' time, I'll be back at work. Not that I'm looking forward to work. The overconsumption of food and sunlight has reenergised me and I'm all ready for work! 

One sentence to sum up this entire trip - I'm never going back to Hong Kong during the summer. Yes, yes very typical of me, complaining about the weather. I thought Singapore's all-year-long heat and humidity were bad, but oh gosh Hong Kong's weather in summer is crazy! I couldn't focus at all because of how stuffy and searing it was. I googled the weather and even though the highest recorded temperature was 33 degrees it felt like 42 degrees due to the high level of humidity. Wahlao, all we wanted to do was go in to random shops/shopping centres to cool down. I also almost fainted on the last day. Couldn't breathe properly, couldn't think properly. I was not a happy tourist whenever I was walking under the hot sun. Poor Kengyang had to talk to a grumpy whiner haha. 

Despite the scorching weather, I still very much enjoyed my vacation. I had a wonderful company and I had amazing food. The single component that I love about Hong Kong the most is definitely the food. Yes the weather is crazy, but the food is always good and my mood will always be better after good food. I will definitely go back to Hong Kong again, just for the food, but next time, maybe I want to go back during the cooler months. :P 

We didn't do much shopping this time round and we spent most of our money on food. I spent the most at Sasa (lol where else right?) and Kengyang's big purchase was at Kiehl's where he bought the entire Oil Eliminator set. When we were in Hong Kong, Kiehl's launched their new Oil Eliminator skincare set for men. I spotted it at Langham Place and got a cleanser sample for Kengyang. He used it for 2 days straight and was freaking impressed at how well the cleanser worked. Initially, he was skeptical about the claim that "100% men agreed that oil is reduced", but he was a convert after 4 washes. So he bought the entire set of cleanser, toner and moisturiser. Cheaper than Singapore lah, so just buy right?! 

Photos! 

Fa Yuen Street Market in Mongkok

Australia Dairy Co. in Jordan. We had two meals here because the scrambled egg was too good. 

Mid-Levels Escalator

Finally took the Star Ferry. The journey from Central to TST was very scenic.

Camped at Avenue of Stars for the nightly A Symphony of Lights show. It was very disappointing and we left before it was officially over. MEHH. 

Times Square at Causeway Bay.

We boarded bus 6X to Stanley Market and it was one of the best bus rides I've ever taken in my life! 

Stanley, Hong Kong

Stanley, Hong Kong

The other purpose of this trip was to celebrate our 3rd year together. :) Next time, let's go to a colder place! 

I'll be posting two more blogposts - one for all the food that we had and one for the awesome Airbnb house that we stayed in. :D Time to go for my run now. Lose the weight gained from all the amazing food!!

Have a good Sunday guys! Also very belatedly, Happy National Day Singapore! I love you much much!! :) 

Ha:tfelt, OOTD and Great Udon

I am obsessed with Ha:tfelt (or Wonder Girl's Ye Eun). Her solo album is perfect and I love every single song. My favourite song now is Peter Pan. Why so flawless?! I'm hoping she'll get the music shows' trophies, but don't think that will happen. :S

Ye Eun wore very simple cross earrings for the album cover and I thought the look was simple and classy. So, I decided to wear cross earrings too. It has been long since I've been so obsessed with a musician. 

On a very unrelated note, I finally tried Tamoya Udon and it was soooooo good. Very affordable and extremely tasty. My meal was less than S$10! 

Definitely gonna go back for more amazing udon!

Less than 24 hours to Hong Kong! :D Can't wait!!

Shinkei Buffet + Pasarbella Finds + Great Company = Amazing Saturday

Usually I spend my Saturdays and Sundays on my bed, watching all my favourite shows. But this weekend, I decided to spend both days with my friends. I know, very normal for most people. For me, it's something different because I'm a serial bed roller. 

As Sunday is coming to a close, I find out why I don't go out on both days that often - I get tired very very easily. It doesn't help that I'm getting older. Ok yes, I digress. Photos!!

Met up with Jaslyn and dorabanana for lunch at Shinkei. 

Shinkei Japanese Restaurant 

600 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh

#01-06/07/10

Singapore 319515

Reservation hotline: 6255 5598

Amazing sashimi platter that you can order again and again and again and again.... 

Tempura was FRESHLY fried. I was very impressed. 

For a buffet, Shinkei serves spectacular sushis!

After that, dorabanana and I headed to Pasarbella at The Grand Stand. 

PasarBella @ The Grandstand Bukit Timah

200 Turf Club Road Singapore 287994

Of course miss dora had to order her favourite oysters. I swear she can survive on just oysters for years. We also had very yummy cold pressed juice from SGOrganic and a humongous slice of pomegranate cake from Laman's Delight. 

Can't wait for our Bangkok trip in November!! 

Also, I think I need to start buying hats. Hehehehe.

And that's it for my Saturday! I went home and napped all the way till 10pm because I was THAT tired. Such a loser haha. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Have a good sleep and welcome the brand new week!!

Taobao haul - July 2014

Some of the items that I bought have been taken down from the shops. However, a quick google translate and search bar input will almost always give you similar items from other shops. So make google translate your best friend and go on a Taobao adventure. I always start with hope of finding one product, and I will end with way too many things. 

All the items came in great quality and fit well. 

Taobao is my wardrobe's nemesis. 

Hope you guys are having a great Sunday! I'm two days away from my Hong Kong vacation! HUAT!