Review: elf High Definition Powder

I have been lemming for elf High Definition Powder ever since dulcecandy raved about it on one of her videos.

I purchased mine via sg-beauty for a mere S$6. The seller used only a very little amount, so it' almost brand new when I got it! :)

The packaging of the the powder is a love-hate for me. Yes, it looks very sleek with the matte, black cuboid, HOWEVER, this product is extremely bulky. When you fit it in your normal makeup pouch, the pouch will have this unsightly bulge. I have given up trying to bring this out to touch up my foundation. Usually I just apply in the morning before I leave, and no more.

When you open the cuboid, this is what you will get.

I do not understand why companies like to include powder puffs for loose powder. I mean it's a completely useless addition! Especially for this product! The powder is white in colour and although it's really fine in texture, when you dab it on using the puff, you get hideous white patches on your face, which can only be rectified using a brush. Hence, why not just include a brush instead of a puff? Cost of production is much lower with the inclusion of a powder puff, but I'd be very much happier if they included a brush instead!

This is the product's dimension, as compared to an Essie nail polish bottle.

This is how the powder looks like (with flash on).

The texture of this powder is LOVE. It is so finely milled and so soft. Also, it is lightweight! All these lead to an important trait that we look for in all loose powders: it is super blendable! However I read online that the super fine texture can actually be detrimental to the skin because it is small enough to enter the pores and into the blood stream. Hence, I don't recommend frequent usage of this product, although the texure can be quite addictive, especially the moment when you just finished application - the skin is so smooth and so awesome to touch.

I applied it using a powder brush, and a light hand is a must for this product! No need for crazy dipping because a little goes a long long way. I'm actually quite impressed by how long this product keeps my skin from being oily. After 3 hours of application, my skin still feel matte and smooth, with no oily patches.

I will definitely recommend elf High Definition Powder despite the issues that I have with it. It's quite a pleasant product to work with, and if you want to avoid getting the product into your skin, perhaps you should apply this over liquid foundation or BB Cream.

Awesome product (not so awesome packaging) and I'm definitely going to repurchase! :)

Monki is available online! :)

My 6-month stint in Stockholm blossomed my true love for Monki. For those who didn't know, Monki is a brand under the huge company that brought you H&M. Weekday is also under the same company; that's the brand that brings in all the Cheap Monday goodness.

Monki + Weekday were my sins in Stockholm and to be honest, Monki triumphed over Weekday just by a weeeeee bit.

I miss going in to Monki and spasming at the ridiculously on-sale items and then grabbing everything. I still remember my 2 pairs of wide-legged pants that were on sale for 60SEK (~S$12), with an original pricetag of 400SEK (~S$80). CRAZY OR WHAT.

However, since I'm back in Singapore, I can't rely on Monki's crazy in-store sales anymore.

The website has been up and alive for quite some time, but it's only recently that they implemented online shopping. BUT, I don't think they ship to Singapore though; for that you have to go through Monki Hongkong (which is usually a season behind, bummer).

Here are my favourites from the site! :)

Gotta have these. *drools*

Found these from the gmarket shop that I bought my flatform oxfords from. MAJOR DROOLS FOR THESE 2 PAIRS. The awesome thing is that both are under 40 bucks, with shipping included.

I NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS.

My bf said better to get the neon orange Puma inspired pair, so he can buy the original in blue! HAHA.

AH this gmarket is my ultimate bane!

Recess Week's Getting Me Clickin'

We, NTU sloggers, deserve a break and I'm so thankful that recess week has finally arrived. Although this one-week break does not mean total slothness, it's just a good mental break. You know how you hate travelling to school because there are so many things waiting to be completed? This break promises the same number of things to be completed, but all to be done either at home, or at a friend's house. So exciting! :)

Also, this next thing is definitely worth a paragraph. The mystery shopping disaster that I did in August is actually quite rewarding. After 2 months, they finally contacted me, and I have money going into my bank account. HOORAH. I still think that I don't deserve to be paid, but ohwell I cannot say no to money!

To celebrate the start of recess week, I ordered some stuff from gmarket Singapore. All jewelleries!

This necklace is just cute and it was $2.69. HEH.

House of Harlow inspired necklace for just $6.69! :)

This owl design is extremely common as a necklace, but I have never seen it as earrings before. Grabbed it for $3.69!

Peacock earrings for $4.69! :) I just love the combination of turquoise and burnt orange. I feel all boho-ish already.

Lily had a Forever 21 spree not too long ago, and I grabbed some stuff too!

This necklace was just US$1.50!

I wanted to get to this MAJOR leather skirt (US$15.80), but my size was sold out. That was horrifying news but ohwell, I shall make do with whatever I see on the streets next week when I go for some hardcore shopping.

Recess Week Day 1/10 is over. NOOOOOOOOO. NOW THE DAYS WILL START TO ZOOM PAST. :(

Things I Will Wear If I'm Skinny

Photos taken from tumblr.com

Wild Fox Couture

I found another one of those good-to-see-heartpain-to-buy websites! wildfoxcouture.com really quite something. I love how they use the old-school-Grease-feel theme for their photoshoots! Their clothes are heavy-handed on details like sequins, prints, studs and all that jazz, just what I like! :)

Since I'm very much into knits and everything comfortable now, here are my favourites! The prices are steep. That is just plain sad.

foodwishes addiction

WHY DO I KEEP WATCHING THESE VIDEOS.

Test test

First post written via iPhone. This Blogger is certainly working hard to please the customers! :)

ASOS why you so evil!

Review: elf Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer

Another item that I purchased during the smochiezz flea. I have forgotten the price though; it was somewhere between S$6-S$10.

I was rather excited for this primer because dulcecandy raved about it in one of her videos and I'm a sucker for her words, so I was major happy when I finally got this product!

It promised a "flawless and smooth canvas", and can "combat oily, flaky dryness, enlarged pores and fine lines to result in a natural youthful looking radiance". Also, it will "prepare your skin so makeup goes on evenly for a lasting satin finish".

Am I convert? I'm still trying the product out but based on first impressions, not so.

The bottle itself looks sturdy and wholesome, but the problem is that piece of thick glass surrounding the vial of product. That glass is a THICK glass. So actually, even when the bottle looks larger than the normal primer size, it actually houses less amount of primer. I feel cheated, but what can I do? I paid a reasonably meagre amount for this baby, so I guess I can't expect a huge container of primer, can I?

The actual size of the primer, compared to an O.P.I nail polish bottle.

Another letdown was the bottle pump, although I must say I'm quite pleased that it was a pump - good for hygiene and convenience! The problem rooted from the consistency of the product. This primer is a thick primer, and so sometimes a pump is not a good tool to dispense the product. This is because what the pump pumps out is actually from the middle of the bottle, and when the product runs out from the middle, it will become too thick and it will cling to the sides, meaning that nothing will be pumped out even though there is still so much product left!

(This is similar to Urban Decay Primer Potion problem whereby the scooper is unable to reach to the product wholly - a reason why so many people decapitated the product so as to get the leftovers out.)

And what is with the white container? I can't even see how much product is left! Up till now, I sound like a big whining baby. HAHA.

The primer itself is a thick, clear gel. The consistency is thicker than usual primers, but it blends out beautifully and smoothly. This is extremely good for those with huge pores around the nose area because it does make an even canvass for your foundation!

A tiny amount is needed for the entire face - one full pump is too much. I used a full pump for the first time and that resulted in a nightmare because too much product can actually coagulate and you are left with white strings on your face. Yikes.

So be very stingy with the amount used because a little goes a long, long way.

This primer also has a very queer texture. One that resembles that old Revlon gimmick product: the liquid foundation that turns into powder when applied and blended. This primer feels just like that! It's quite good actually, because you don't feel like you are layering cream after liquid after cream, and hence this reduces to feeling of cakey-ness. Bravo to that!

Whether or not my foundation lasted me longer than usual, that is something I have yet to find out. However, the primer does live up to some of its promises. The first impression was horrid, and I am quite skeptical about the design of the product. But, this primer does have its plus points, and with that cheap pricetag, I guess I have a new primer to turn to now.

Am I a convert now? Maaaaybbbeeee.

Review: elf Studio Complete Coverage Concealer

I needed a concealer badly because my other concealers were running low and the medicine that I have been taking is too strong for my skin and so I have many surprise break-outs on my face, HENCE I NEED A CONCEALER BADLY!!

I bought elf Studio Complete Coverage Concealer for S$6 at smoochiezz flea and I guess it's a reasonable price, though buying online will cost a mere US$3, add shipping into that and it will not exceed S$5. However, you don't need to wait and you don't have to suffer from the risk of lost mail, and so S$6 is highly reasonable. If you compare it to other concealers in the market, be it drugstore or departmental store, S$6 is TOO CHEAP.

I was contemplating between Light and Medium, and ended up getting Medium because my tan is too persistent.

Medium is a good match for olive-skin tones!

With four different colours, this concealer is perfect for those with uneven skin tones. For example, the skin under my eyes are darker than the rest of the face, and so the lighter shades are able to lighten those areas to make my face look more balanced.

The kit also comes with a tiny concealer brush. The brush feels good and sturdy but I have yet to use it because I do not like applying cream concealer using a brush because of the streaking factor.

Perhaps I will use the brush to apply powder concealers over the cream concealer on days that I want to go light on the face and not pile on liquid foundations or BB Creams.

Swatches in flash.

I'm so sorry if you can't really make out the different shades, but that's good thing right? Means the shades match my skin perfectly! :)

This concealer has a weird texture. The first time I opened it, there were water droplets on the surfaces, and so I had to dry that off. When I start to work my finger into the concealers, I noticed this change in texture, in which the concealer went from being dry and hard to extremely creamy and runny. Metaphorically, it's like eating a boiled egg, and then when you cut through, the runny eggyolk rushes out. So so weird.

However, after around 5 minutes of mixing, the texture became more even and now it's manageable.

The coverage of this concealer is not fantastic but good enough for people with minor blemishes and those who want to cover dark eye rings. The concealer cannot cover a pimple or redness caused by a pimple, which is very annoying because that's what I mostly have on my face right now. It works wonders for my under-eyes though.

Another negative trait is that after the first application of the concealer, all other applications become extremely cakey. There are always moments when you realise that you need more coverage on a spot and hence you top-up your dosages. This concealer is not designed for that. I think it has got to do with the formulation. Every time I apply a second layer, I look like I'm ready to go for a circus act or something, my face looks so cakey! :(

The lasting power of the concealer is also another facepalm moment. If I don't set the concealer with a powder concealer, my impurities will be visible after a mere 2 hours or so! What a letdown!

Conclusion: I thought I will like it because of the perfect colour match and the easy-on-the-wallet price, but it delivers none of its promises. I guess I have to search for another concealer.

Review: L'oreal Double Extension Mascara with Renewal Serum

The return of the L'oreal double-wand mascaras. I'm proud to say that I have all of their double-wand mascaras now, but I'm quite irked to say that they all still fail me badly.

Perhaps this L'oreal Double Extension Mascara with Renewal Serum is quite different because I'm applying some goodness on my lashes to make them grow longer and stronger, however, the volumising and lengthening factors are still quite mediocre.

I got mine thrifted online because I refuse to pay its hefty price tag at Watsons. S$30 (thereabout) for a freaking drugstore mascara is too much. Yes I know the Renewal Serum is something different from other drugstore mascaras, but since you are marketing the brand as drugstore, it's not fair to the consumers to attach such an expensive price on it when they can get a departmental store one if they add a couple or more bucks.

I realise I have a bad habit of crafting long sentences. Random. :D

Photos are not that fantastic this time. My G11 is giving problems and I have no patience to fix it; might as well get another camera? :P

The primer side.

Many beginners wonder why is there a need of a mascara primer! My answer to that is simple: if you are gifted with long, luscious lashes then you can skip the primer, but if you have the typical short, straight Asian lashes, then you may want to use a mascara primer because it helps coats the lashes with a layer of fibres that give the illusion of longer lashes after applying the the actual mascara.

The mascara.

The thing about all L'oreal double-wand mascaras is that the wands are almost similar. Even this one is kind of similar to the old generations.

I guess the only difference is that it contains the renewal serum now.

The thing about buying thrifted mascara is that after you clean the wand (must clean because you never know what eye disease the previous user has), and you re-insert the wand into the tube, you find that the formula has somewhat gone a little bit dryer. This is a very desirable situation if you want your curled lashes to hold and have some volume. A wet formula will only weigh the lashes down and sometimes can get quite messy.

First layer.

Second layer - 1st mascara coat

2nd mascara coat.

To be fair to the mascara, I didn't curl my lashes prior to usage, so perhaps my lashes were too straight to salvage.

Over-all I think it's an above average mascara.

• Renewal Serum helps to nourish your lashes.
• Decent lengthening due the the primer.
• Cute packaging (hey, it's GOLD on one side!)
• Long handles on both sides provide better grip, hence giving better control.

Not so thrilled by the dear price tag and the lack of volumising capability though!