Current favourite foundation (Holy grail!!): Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

I'm quite dumb. I loved this liquid foundation so much, I kept using it daily and now the glass bottle is really dirty and I only have around 30% of the liquid foundation left - so I cannot bear to take photographs and post them on my blog. Yikes. The photos provided by Bourjois itself shall suffice then (sorry guys!!).

The Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation has reached "holy grail" status in my books. I have been using it every single day since I bought it and I'm running out!! The worrisome side of me keeps wanting to order 5 more as backups, JUST IN CASE. What if they discontinue this glass bottle of enchanting liquid? CHOI TOUCH WOOD.

I purchased mine from ASOS.com (link) for less than S$15 because there was a 30% off cosmetic products some time back. Even without the discount, it's less than S$20. If you go to Watsons, BHG or other local stores that stock Bourjois, this will definitely cost you more than S$30 (I think it's S$34.90 or some ridiculously exorbitant price-tag). If you want to try this foundation out, I will suggest you order from ASOS.com - free worldwide shipping + will cost you half the Singapore retail price (DAYLIGHT ROBBERY).

Time to zoom in to the reasons why I love this foundation so much.

1. Oily-skin compatible - this foundation is great for those with oily skin. I have severely oily skin, especially around the nose and forehead. When I have the Healthy Mix Foundation applied, my skin still gets oily but not as much as before. Usually, I will need to blot at 11am (I usually apply at 8am), then another time at 3pm. With this foundation, I only blot once at 4-5pm, and touch up with some loose powder and I'm good to go! 
2. Acne prone-skin compatible - Sadly, my acne prone skin is still giving me a headache. I'm scared to try new face products because I'm scared of the potential breakouts that I may get. This liquid foundation didn't break me out AT ALL. Very very good!! 
3. Medium coverage - The Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation is not a full-coverage foundation. It has a medium coverage and it will not be able to cover huge pimples. However, I personally prefer this medium coverage because I don't want to feel cakey all over my face. Some liquid foundations have a coverage so strong and thick that you feel like you're wearing a mask. This one feels lightweight and breathable. You can just cover your blemishes with a good concealer, no biggie!
4. Blendability - This is one of the main reasons why I love this liquid foundation so much. It's SOOOO blendable! If you use a foundation brush, it's blendable. If you use your fingers, it's blendable. So easy to work with! No unglam patches and uneven pigmentation. It's also a breeze to build up the layers. 
5. Long-lasting - No joke. It lasted for more than 12 hours. My face needed blotting at the end of 12 hours but I still looked okay without a touch-up. 
6. "Younger-looking skin" - I don't know how factual this is, but quite nice to know that the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation will give you a younger-looking skin look. HAHA. 

ARGH, I NEED TO BUY MORE!!! I think I will run out in another 2 weeks' time. Complete disaster. 

Hope you enjoyed this quick review (with a lack of photos, sorry!). Have a great day!! 

Staycation at Studio M Hotel (30th Monthsary + Valentine's + Mr Chung's Birthday)

I'm back! I know, it's silly of me to abandon my blog when I'm feeling lost, but sometimes not writing anything or not finding ideas to write about takes some burden off my stressed mind. 

The main reason why I'm so ... muddled and in disarray is because my soul mate is leaving my side for a good 6 months. In the past, I used to scoff at girls who said they didn't know what to do when their partners were overseas for student exchange or other programmes that separated both of them for a long period of time. But now that it's happening to me, I start to get it. 

Kengyang is frankly the only person who can tolerate my ridiculous outrages and listen to me crying like a siao char bo on the phone. 

How now? I need to distract myself with activities and MORE BLOG POSTS. 

Friends have been telling me that 6 months will pass extremely quickly. I know lah, but currently I talk to him almost every single day?! SO HOW TO TAHAN 6 MONTHS.

Ok. Need to stop whining. #dealwithit moment. 

Anyway, last Saturday was our 30th month together. We went to Food For Thought for a good brunch and after that proceeded to Studio M for a VERY comfortable 2-day-1-night staycation. Kengyang's birthday is on the 27th and he will be in Shanghai by then, so last Saturday was a triple-combo celebration - 30th month, Valentine's and his 24th birthday! 

Food For Thought is mega awesome, so I don't have to go into details. PHOTOS. 

My MUST-ORDER every time I dine at FFT - Scrambled eggs and garlic mushrooms. 

Kengyang ordered the Trio of Sliders. It was ok lor, but quite expensive ah. S$5 for one mini burger. O.o 

Of course must order the pancakes also. Mixed Berries Pancakes was DIVINE. 

Studio M Hotel was amazing. Very attentive and friendly staff. We arrived at the hotel at around 3pm and there was a long queue for checking in. However, the queue was cleared quite quickly because they opened a lot of counters for check-in and they even had staff to direct us to the counters (sometimes people don't pay attention and they don't proceed to the counter even though it's their turn, so may clog up the line). We only queued for maybe 5-10 minutes?

I still remember the name of the staff who helped us with our check-in. Hi Francis!! He was very professional and extremely quick in the check-in process. Confirmation and payment were done within 5 minutes and we were then directed to our room. Oh! We were also upgraded to Executive Loft. Yay, thanks Francis! :)

All rooms in Studio M Hotel are duplex style studios (two floors) and the main highlight of the hotel is the WINDOWS.

Being in Executive Loft means getting assigned a corner room (some very pantang and hate corner rooms, but trust me in Studio M Hotel, you WANT to get a corner room), and you have full-height bay front windows. It's quite an experience!

Our bed was on the second floor and it was a really comfortable bed. Nothing beats Glow Hotel Bangkok's beds though haha.

Sneak preview of the amazing windows.

The only downside of Studio M Hotel is how minuscule the toilet was? It's a huge negative point for me, but the windows made everything better, so okay lor.

They don't provide toothbrushes/toothpaste/combs/shower caps etc as well. Or maybe we didn't search hard enough. HAHA.

We went out for dinner and when we came back we had other complimentary snacks (not in picture). Thanks Studio M Hotel!

We bought McDonald's and potato chips as well, so we were snacking like pigs.

One other negative point - we were only given one bathrobe? Play scissors paper stone and decide who wear meh? Luckily we didn't really mind, so we just kept quiet about it then.

WINDOWS! Sadly we were on the 3rd floor, so we couldn't really see the skyline.

What I noticed was that the neighbourhood Studio M Hotel was located in was really quiet and ... aristocratic (LOL)? Super atas and super expensive with lots of branded cars around. It's really like you're overseas because I've never seen Singapore so quiet and empty before.

The windows are really stellar. Tiny toilets? NEVERMIND, THEY HAVE GIGANTIC WINDOWS!

The swimming pool.

Most comfortable sofa EVER. 

We walked all the way to Liang Court for dinner and we tried Pecori Japanese Egg Restaurant. It was an okay meal, but we should have tried the curry rice!!

Studio M Hotel also provided complimentary breakfast and I was surprised that they had a good variety of breakfast items.

The scrambled eggs - TO DIE FOR.

In all I spent slightly over S$220 (taxes all included) for a 2-day-1-night stay at Studio M Hotel, with a free upgrade to Executive Loft. For a triple celebration, it's quite worth it. The toilet was a big disappointment, but all is forgiven because of the 3-metre height bay windows.

Studio M Hotel Singapore

No. 3 Nanson Road
Singapore, 238910
Singapore
T. +65 6808 8888
F. +65 6808 8899
Reservation email: Reservations.SMH@millenniumhotels.com
Contact them at: http://www.millenniumhotels.com.sg/studiomhotelsingapore/utilities/contact-us.html
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Have a great week guys! More beauty reviews coming up soon!! 

Two-week hiatus

Happy Chinese New Year guys! :)

I'll be on a two-week hiatus till after 15 February. I'm taking this time to reorganise my life and my mind. I know it sounds super cheesy lah but I need some time to think through my current and future steps.

Moreover, Mr Chung is leaving for Shanghai on the 15th and he's not coming back till end of July this year. So....I'm in big trouble in terms of emotional support. Oh dear dear dear.

OKAY I WILL BE STRONG. HUAT HUAT KUAT KUAT.

Michael Todd True Organics AGAIN!

These products work so well (except the Kaolin Clay Mask, which didn't do anything much), that I ordered them again. 

I was waiting for a promotion on them and YES, with the code "clearskin45, I shaved US$25 off the US$70 price tag. In the end my total came to US$59.95 after the addition of shipping (US$14.95 - increased from US$9.95! I hope that means I will receive my items sooner!). 

These Michael Todd True Organics products have kept my acne at bay and they work wonderfully well with my The Body Shop tea tree products. KEEPER ALERT! 

My favourite product has got to be the Organic Lemon Toner. Smells refreshing and made a life-changing impact. I actually noticed a difference between the times that I didn't use this and the times that I did. 

Thank goodness for Michael Todd True Organics!! 

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Product link

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Shopping District Beauty Haul (NYX, elf, COVERGIRL, Wet n Wild, jordana)

I got to know of Shopping District from a friend of mine on Twitter and ohmygosh I was hooked once I visited their website!

Just FYI, I'm not sponsored to write this blog post. I just love the site so much I have to write about it! Easy, fast and hassle-free transaction, and they have so many drugstore products that are not available in Singapore! 

Yay, here's my haul!

Wet n Wild Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Single in Brulee (S$6.90) - Photo from X
COVERGIRL Lashblast 24 Hour Mascara in Very Black 800 (S$15)
NYX Concealer Jar in 04 Beige (S$9.50)
elf Essential Eyelid Primer in Champagne (S$4)

Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Point (S$8.90) - Photos from X and X

NYX Matte Lipstick in MLS10 Perfect Red (S$10) - Photo from X
Jordana Easyliner For Lips (S$8) - Photo from X 

Can't wait for all my new toys to arrive! Especially the lipstick and lipliner! 

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Visuals x 1403

1403 = third week of the year lor. 

That is one of the many mnemonic codes that I learn at work, so shall use it to make my entire life easier. 

Chinese New Year's coming and I'm both anxious and excited. For the first time ever (in Singapore that is), I'm not staying at home during the entire CNY period because I have no house visitations. I'm going to visit Mr Chung's family + extended family and I'm peeing-in-my-pants scared. But okay, I WILL CONQUER. 

Photos, photos...

This was a street away from my office. My office location is great, but sometimes the tourists really ah...SMH

Finished this book in one sitting. Can't believe it has been 14 years since the last book (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason)?! 

Mr Chung and I tried Bijin Nabe from Tsukada Nojo. It was good but I wouldn't go back again. Slightlt salty aftertaste after the second bowl and I'm still contemplating on whether I'm on the consuming-collagen bandwagon?? It's like eating liquid fat right?! *shudders*

Very cute this Tsukada Nojo. We had this personalised plate of complimentary jelly after our Bijin Nabe. The two miniscule blocks of jelly were quite sad (but tangy and delicious!), but ok lah good effort on plating ah. :D

Finally got my specs! S$55 only from New China Opticians at Peninsula Shopping Complex. I'm no longer blind! 

I don't post selfies often, so here's one! :D 

Happy Chinese New Year guys! HOPE YOU GET MANY MANY ANGBAOS! :) 

5 Days with Converse

Yes, it's true. A pair of low-cut converse shoes really matches with EVERYTHING. 

Top: Zalora | Jeggings: Zara | Necklace: Bugis | Blur arm candy: Casio + Bugis

Dress: Taobao | Sweater: H&M | Watch: Casio

Top: Zara | Skirt: Qoo10 | Arm candy: Taiwan + Cotton On

Blazer: New Look | Tank: New Look | Jeggings: Zara | Watch: Casio

Dress: Taobao | Watch: Casio | Necklace: Forever 21

It has been a very comfortable week for my feet. :D Yay Converse!!

Have a great weekend lovely readers! 

A slight departure

This is a slight deviation from my normal posts.

If you're not into rants and posts full of anger and resentment, then I suggest you scroll down a little bit more to the next post.

I'm quite annoyed. I tried to avoid participating in arguments but when the filament snaps, I just can't keep quiet. Why is my self-control so ... weak?

As said to many of my close friends, I must be a serial killer who killed happy families in my past life to deserve such a dysfunctional family now. Going into details will be quite redundant because why hang your dirty laundry in public right? Traditional Chinese mindset ingrained since young and kicking in right now.

Nobody listens when you talk.
You are only visible when help is needed.
No presents, no cards, no greetings. Yes the yearly birthday cakes but what's the use when the sincerity's absent? Of course the man in the house sighed when asked to come out to partake in your 5-minute birthday celebration.
Your maternal family sees you eternally as that 11-year-old brat who always creates problems.
Your paternal family ... well, what paternal family?

The list goes on.

But I'm still here. I'm still sensible and I'm still sane.

My life outside this house keeps me going. Then when I step into this hellish abode of mine, my heart stiffens and I start feeling suffocated. It's overwhelming but all I can do is go inside my room, close the door and have earphones ready.

I cry a lot at home. I refuse to cry in public. A strong exterior that's painstakingly built to mask the frail recesses.

Why am I annoyed?

Because till now, I'm unable to break out of the "why" bubble. Why is my family like this? Why am I born into such a family? Why am I treated this way?

I need to change this to a "how" bubble. How can I avoid this? How can I help? How can I get out? How can I make it less difficult? How can I ignore the ill treatment?

Nope. Not even close.

That's why I'm annoyed.

It is a gloomy Thursday night indeed.

Skin update (Hormonal Acne)

My last post on my hormonal acne was in mid-November (http://fitrina-inamorata.blogspot.sg/2013/11/battling-acne.html) and at that time, my skin condition was at its worst. I had new pimples forming daily and it was not the best time of my life. In fact, I was depressed and over-anxious.

2 months+ have passed and I'm glad that my skin has gotten miles better. I have stopped taking Doxycycline pills because those pills are not recommended for long-term intake (many many many problems associated with constant intake of those green pills), and so far everything's great. I'm still consuming the EPO and Vitamin E pills and I think they are keeping my hormones in balance.

I still have the occasional breakout (now I have 2 due to PMS) but nothing major and I'm okay with it.

Some tips on keeping those monsters out of your life:

• If things get out of hand (no products are working etc.), visit a doctor. Sometimes you need antibiotics to treat the problem internally. I was given two months' worth of Doxycycline pills and they worked. 
• Revise and edit your skincare products. Sometimes nothing is working because you are using way too many different products. Initially, I just used a cleanser, toner, moisturiser and tea-tree oil. I stopped using all the different pimple treatment creams and suddenly the situation got better. 
• Try to invest in a good cleansing brush. Clarisonic is good but really expensive. A good alternative will be the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System. I'm using it nightly with my Michael Todd True Organics Charcoal Detox Cleanser and my face feels super clean and soft after cleansing. A good cleansing brush really helps in removing makeup and other impurities. 
• Drink water and green tea. This sounds like a "duh" advice but seriously, IT WORKS. 
• Don't touch your face. Just stop touching! If you feel like you need to pop a really huge and painful pimple, go ahead. But do it with clean hands and tissue. Don't just use your fingers (more germs and bacteria!!), use a tissue and squeeze that horrible pimple. After that make sure you stop the bleeding by pressing another clean tissue on the wound for a few minutes, then apply tea-tree oil on it. It will sting at first, but the tea-tree oil will help keep bacteria away from the open wound. 
• Try to not sleep with your face touching the pillow/bolster/blanket. And change your bed sheet regularly!
• You can continue using your concealers/liquid foundations if you have to. Of course it's best to not use any of these but well if you need to be presentable then just use them. Just make sure the products are fragrance-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic and mineral-free. It's not that difficult to find products with such criteria nowadays, so don't worry about that. 
• Just stop fretting about the acne. I stopped being obsessed over my acne and it actually made me feel so much better. 
• Invest on evening primrose oil and vitamin E pills. Please consult your doctor on these first. I asked the doctor and she gave me the green light to consume these pills. They keep your hormones in check and they are very effective for hormonal acne. If you have many small spots around your jaw and upper lip area, then it's most likely to be hormonal acne. I take two EPO pills and 1 vitamin E pill a day and my jaw and upper lip area is clear of spots now. :') 

I'll be posting a skincare routine update soon (complete with photos of my acne-scarred skin LOL), but here's a summary of the routine:

Morning

• Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser
• Michael Todd True Organics ORGANIC LEMON AHA + DMAE Toner
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion

Night

• Michael Todd True Organics CHARCOAL DETOX Cleanser with Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System Brush
• Michael Todd True Organics JOJOBA CHARCOAL SCRUB (5 days a week, will not use on days I exfoliate)
• Exfoliate with Olay Thermal Crystal Polisher and Olay Pro-X Microdermabrasion Plus Advanced Cleansing System Brush (Wednesdays + Sundays)
• A good clay mask (Wednesdays + Sundays) - I'm alternating 3 different ones that work for me. 
• Michael Todd True Organics ORGANIC LEMON AHA + DMAE Toner
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion with a few drops of The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

Compared to last time, my skincare routine has been significantly downsized. I don't buy new skincare products to experiment anymore. I know what works and I continue using them. 

So far so good! :) 

I have received a couple of emails regarding my last skincare post. For those of you battling acne, press on and don't overload the products. Consult a doctor and revise your skincare routine! PERSEVERE! 

Highly Raved Drugstore Foundations (Revlon, Neutrogena and CoverGirl)

Yes, I want them all. It has been a known fact to close friends and family that I will not step out of my house without some form of blemish-concealing on my face. As tiring and high-maintenance as it sounds, I only spend a couple of minutes on this daily, so it's not that tedious lah.

Now that my acne freakout (yes, I'd rather call it a freakout than a breakout because I truly freaked and sobbed) is somewhat under control, I'm starting to experiment with liquid foundations again. But, I'm not as adventurous this time round. My focus will be oil-free, liquid foundations that are formulated specially for or suitable for oily/acne-prone skin. Exciting huh?

There are sooooooo many that I want to possess but I don't have all the money in the world, so self-control is needed. Drugstore liquid foundations!

I read quite a number of beauty blogs and subscribe to lots of beauty youtubers, and the 3 most raved about drugstore foundations have been these 3. I really want them all!!

1. CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation
2. Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Liquid Makeup
3. Revlon ColorStay for Combination/Oily Skin

I know the Revlon one has been around for eons but it's so expensive in Singapore?! I'd rather join a Drugstore.com spree - so much cheaper! 

What's your favourite drugstore liquid foundation? 

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