New sandals + New nail colour! (OPI Suzy Skis in the Pyrenees)

My mom bought new sandals and she hated it (no idea why she bought also). So automatically, the pair of sandals goes to MOI. :)

Do not judge my ugly nails. They look like that after years of reckless walking which led to painful encounters with doors, cabinets, etc. And I hate pedicures because I wear closed-toe shoes very often and when they are rather tight, the nail polish will go everywhere. So irritating.

Anyway, this pair of sandals is love because of the nude straps - elongates your legs! The gold touch a bit ugly though, but aiyah should be alright for everyday-wear.

NEW NAIL COLOUR! :)

It's more of a really dark, deep blue, rather than black. Quite sheer on first application, I needed 3 coats to make it opaque.

The most awesome thing is I GOT IT FOR S$5 ON EBAY. NYAHAHAHAHA. :)

Review: Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in 0L

This was purchased together with the mascara, you can read the review for the Smoky Lash mascara here: http://fitrina-inamorata.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-make-up-forever-smoky-lash.html

Anyway, this was also one of the biggest hits of Makeup Forever products (along with the mascara, the HD foundations and the HD blushes, etc) and I remembered I wanted it so bad when I saw it in a Christmas Edition Makeup Forever Eyeliner Set that had all their eyeliners. That set retailed for S$500 in Sephora. Which student in the right mind will buy S$500 worth of eyeliners?!

Disappointment aside, a full year has passed and I managed to get my hands on the sample-size eyeliner in 0L for S$5 on sg-beauty. Call me meagre/poor/cheapo, I'd rather get the sample one first, like it very very much, and then save up to get a full-sized one. Imagine the horror if I pay close to S$40 bucks for an eyeliner that DOES NOT work up to my standards? That will be painful and I will never forgive myself for it.

ANYWAY, coming back to the eyeliner, it was also brand new and in this post I'm going to compare it heavily with Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencils in Zero and Perversion.

And if you are lazy to read on and just want to know who's the ultimate winner: Urban Decay hands down. (Though there's one aspect that MUF wins over Urban Decay and you may want to read on to find out what that is, HEHEHE)

Let me start with a few before-and-after photos of myself (ok, my eye) before application of the eyeliner and after application of the eyeliner.

Before - looking horribly dead and soul-less

After - eyeliner really does perk you up, GET ONE GIRLS AND LEARN HOW TO APPLY PROPERLY.

Before

After

Application was quite difficult with this eyeliner. I was so used to the smooth and oil pastel-like texture of UD's eyeliners that I had a problem applying this. The lead is much harder and much more solid. Hence, more pressure is needed when applying the eyeliner on the lids; I even had to resort to pulling my eyelids a wee bit more to allow smooth application. NOT GOOD because pulling your eyelids frequently actually leads to wrinkles. Uh-oh.

Another problem I had also had to do with the too-solid texture. Usually when I apply my UD eyeliners, I like to go over them for more colour pay-off. So I did that with this eyeliner too, but sadly, the hard lead actually stripped off the eyeliner that was already on the lid when I used it to go over the area a second time. So i ended up with weird bald empty patches on that area. UGLY, and I had to apply more and more to cover those patches up. This takes too much time and I'm all for saving time when applying makeup.

Let's do a colour comparison with UD Eyeliners!

Left: Makeup Forever Eyeliner

Centre: UD in Zero

Right: UD in Perversion

Nope, cannot compare at all with Perversion in terms of colour and pigmentation. How can 2 BLACK eyeliners be so different?!

Actually from this photo, you can see that MUF eyeliner is more matte than the UD ones (which glistened under the camera flash). I think that's the reason why the lead is harder.

WATER TEST

All eyeliners passed with flying colours after I put my hand under the running tap water.

After a vigorous rub, all still proved to be quite trustworthy, though MUF eyeliner is showing a little bit more weakness.

After so much negativity, I ought to give this eyeliner some awesome credit for this trait: It stays on like a boss, and do not transfer to the lower lashline AT ALL.

With UD eyeliners, because they are so smooth and soft, they tend to transfer to the lower lashline, causing panda eyes which are unsightly and super eww. With the Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner, the eyeliner actually stayed quite well in its own place. No transferring even after a full day! SO AWESOME.

It's a good sample, but I don't think I will fork out the money to buy the full-sized one. I'm sticking to my Urban Decay babies! :)

Review: Makeup Forever Smoky Lash Mascara

This mascara has been a huge lemming of mine since months and months ago, ever since all the top Youtube beauty gurus started raving about it.

Very sadly for me though, this mascara is too extravagantly-priced (at almost S$50 for one tube!) and since I'm a poor university student with almost no source of income, such splurges can only wait till I'm working or till I accidentally mother a child with a rich businessman.

Lame humour aside, I finally got my hands on a SAMPLE-SIZED Smoky Lash Mascara and I must admit that purchasing it through sg-beauty for S$5 was the best decision EVER.

This next photo is highly deceiving. No, the sample size is not generously huge. I shall compare it with a household item.

A STAPLER! That's how big the product is. For a sample, I must admit that it's packaged larger than its other buddies. DIOR Mascaras samples are like the tiniest thing ever, even smaller than a perfume vial sample!

So this is BEYOND SATISFACTORY.

The previous owner stated that it was BRAND NEW, and yes it was brand new and I am a happy girl. I expected the mascara to be all dry and eeky inside but no, they are still new and gooey and awesome! A VERY GOOD BUY.

Also, looking at the size of this mofo, I think it will last me close to a full month, with daily usage. BLOODY AWESOME.

The bristles are very very fine, which enables the wand to coat every single lash easily. The other good thing is how the wand is not those plasticky mess that bends and stuff. Very few of such mascaras actually work, and I will very much prefer the traditional stiff mascara wand.

The wand size is quite huge, hence it will be quite difficult for those with small eyes or droopy eyelids to apply. No such problems for me though, so heehee am happy!

They call it the "Extra Black Mascara". That is 100% factual. It almost rivals the black shade of Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion. Not a good comparison since they are both different cosmetic items, but you get the point!

Pictures to show you how awesome this product is:

STOP COMMENTING ON THE BROWS, I KNOW!

In the above pictures, I applied 2 coats on both eyes without curling the lashes beforehand.

Length: Look at my lashes, how are those not lengthened!! Seriously very impressed with this mascara!

Volume: 2 coats were enough for the volume that I want. I think one more coat will create a huge blunder of clumps, so better stop at 2!

Clumps: As abovementioned, do stop at 2 coats. The formulation of this mascara is highly thick and so the chances of you getting a clumpy mess is quite high. NO TO THOSE NIGHTMARES.

Staying power: I applied this mascara the next day and it survived the ultimate fickle Singapore weather; crazy heat, crazy humidity then crazy rain. Nothing stops this mascara from being LONG-LASTING. And I'm quite surprised that at the end of the day, no flaking was present! MUCH LOVE. :)

Such is a product that makes me want MORE. I'm going to get a full-size one as soon as I get my first month's pay as an intern next year!! :D

NYX Chic Red Lipstick

A rather reasonably-priced lemming. Such gorgeous bright red colour!!

I shall buy this if smoochiezz has it during one of its fleas! :)

Photo: temptalia.com

Read the rest of the post here: http://www.temptalia.com/nyx-chic-red-round-lipstick-review-photos-swatches (it really looks good on Christine! LOVE THIS SHADE!)

Lemming: Dolly Wink Volume Mascara + Liquid Eyeliner

I really want this set! It was sold previously during Watsons Member Sale, but obviously I was too preoccupied with the exams to go! :((

Heard from the beauty blogging world that it's already sold out in most of the Watsons in Singapore!

OHMAN. :(

INSTAGRAM Love + OPI Bastille in My Heart

The power of INSTAGRAM baffles me. I am so addicted that I have been taking random photos of everything at any time of the day. Food, sky, outfit, jewellery. ANYTHING!

This is taken outside my house. OBVIOUSLY IT IS HEAVILY EDITED OKAY. The power of iPhone apps is CRAZYYYY.

More awesome sky. The next one is even better.

BEST PHOTO. Unedited and THIS IS REAL. It was about to rain at 3:38 pm a few days ago and the sky was this black. It was madly bewildering, like as if a massive thunderstorm was coming. And no, it wasn't a thunderstorm. Just a mild drizzle. DID NOT MAKE SENSE AT ALL.

The start of my jogging route!

I have been jogging almost daily since the start of the exam period and that has been awesome to my weight-loss regime. So far this week, I'm down 2.3kg! :) Of course that was coupled with a less than healthy diet (meaning i skipped lunch/dinner because I was too preoccupied with mugging) but I tried to replenish my nutrients with multi-vitamin pills. IT IS ALL GOOD. I'm determined to lose another 4 more kg by the end of this year! :)

And running everyday is terrible at first, but now I'm addicted because after running, I get so much adrenaline pumping and so much endorphins in my system that I can start on mugging right away! SO AWESOME! WIN-WIN SITUATION! :)

New accessories for the awesome week! :)

I'm still waiting for so many things to come! HURRY HURRY!

Exam period is seriously bad for my bank account. I just buy and buy without thinking, or maybe with the thought of "rewarding" myself after conquering 2 chapters. Major =.= but ohwell, if I'm happy, that's fine. SO THOSE ITEMS BETTER COME AWESOME, IF NOT I AM A MAD AND ANGRY WOMAN.

I bought OPI Bastille in My Heart a few weeks ago for S$5 bucks on eBay. Mind-boggling price, I know. It wasn't the colour that I expected it to be so I was quite upset. However I tried it on for this week, AND IT IS QUITE GOOD.

Previous photo was taken by the trusted iPhone. Here are some clearer photos taken by the more trusted G11.

It really is quite an easy colour to pull off, especially if you have short nails. By the way, the red in the photos got a little bit washed out. Maybe add a little bit more maroon to the red?

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY ON LONG NAILS unless you are a rich tai-tai who is over 40 years old. Dark metallic red colours can only look youthful if applied on shorter nails!!

OK BACK TO RUNNING MAN EPISODE 69!! CHOI MIN SOOOO! :D

Review: Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover

For women who apply makeup on their faces constantly, removing them completely is a daily ritual. Such a habit is extremely crucial for maintaining clear and smooth skin. Wearing traces of makeup to sleep is a huge taboo in the world of MAINTAINING-FLAWLESS-SKIN, and so should be avoided at all costs.

Personally, I had days when I really couldn't be bothered with removing makeup, especially on days when I'm staying overnight at a friend's house for a gathering. I simply could not bring myself to showing the world my OMGWTFTHATISNOTHER no-makeup face. The consequence of that is one that I never want to experience ever again. I had small spots appearing the next day, especially on my t-zone area - the oiliest part of my face. THAT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Never ever would I want to do that every again!

Hence, I'm constantly on the search for a good, fuss-free makeup remover. In the past, I used to use baby wipes to remove makeup. BAD DECISION because according to Wilson's mom, using baby wipes cannot remove makeup thoroughly; some of it is still inside the pores and baby wipes cannot reach such deep territories!

So she suggested a good oil-based cleanser that should be massaged on the skin (not poured on cotton pad) and then finish the cleansing process by using a good cleanser afterwards. Basically, it's a double-step deep-cleansing process every single night, before bed time.

Terribly inconvenient? Then don't wear makeup. SIMPLE AS THAT.

With that I bring you some awesome good news, I have officially found my HOLY-GRAIL makeup remover, and that's the Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover!

You can easily get this at drugstores nationwide.

This is a water-based product and it promises to remove all traces of makeup (even stubborn waterproof mascaras) and restore your skin to the original, bare condition.

Such promises are too good to be true eh?

Many people will use this product wrongly; they will pour some on a cotton pad and then start wiping off makeup. NOT FOR THIS PRODUCT. What you do is, you just take a sufficient amount, massage on makeup-ed (NEW WORD! DING!) face and then rinse off with water. Simple as that!

AND SO IT IS TIME FOR AN EXPERIMENT! I swatched some eyeliners on my hand, both waterproof and non-waterproof ones and THEY ARE READY FOR SOME HARDCORE MASSAGING.

After massaging in several circular motions, without much pressure, all the eyeliners have dissolved and what's left are just the mixture of the makeup remover and eyeliner pigment.

After a rinse of water, WITH NO PRESSURE ADDED TO WIPE THE JUNK OFF, my hand is clean again. THIS PRODUCT IS FREAKING AMAZING.

When I used it on my face, most of my foundation, eyeshadow and eyeliner dissolve quite easily without much pressure added during the massaging of the product. However, the problem is when I have waterproof mascara on. I have to add quite a bit of pressure before it can start dissolving the mascara pigment. Most of the time, I have to massage my eye area twice to get rid of all the mascara properly, and sometimes it hurts. :(

Fragrance-wise, the Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover has a faint floral scent, not too overpowering.

This is definitely a HOLY GRAIL item for me. I'm going to repurchase and repurchase and repurchase and repurchase and .....

YOU GET WHAT I MEAN! NOW GET ONE AND ENJOY THE MIRACLES EVERY NIGHT! :)

Vivi December 2011

Can't wait to finally read this!! I have been so bored with studying that I'm doing everything BUT studying, and reading Vivi will be an awesome distraction!!

But then again my guilt will float in and I will end up slaving over whatever subject I'm mugging again. SIAN.

AND WHAT IS THIS POSB CHARGING ME SERVICE CHARGE FOR EVERY WITHDRAWAL THAT I MAKE?!

I went berserk and checked online, apparently it's for a work permit scheme and it's only applicable to FOREIGN WORKERS.

EXCUSEME, how am I a foreign worker?! I'm legitimately a university student and a Permanent Resident some more!! And I don't withdraw money more than 4 times a month what, THEN YOU THIS STUPID BANK CHARGE ME FOR WHAT.

I'm going to call POSB tomorrow and demand an explanation and a full refund. Seriously, if not I will just change bank already! THESE FUCKING RETARDS!

Food photos of the week.

I feel an obligation to post as many blogposts as possible because of my possible hiatus next week due to the examinations.

Food photographs are always cheered upon, especially if the food looks good in the photos! :)

I miss this simple breakfast so so much. 2 perfectly-cooked soft-boiled eggs with a serving of kaya toast with chunks of melting sinful butter, then wash it all down with a strong dosage of kopi. What else can beat this traditional, but powerful breakfast? Everytime I eat good soft-boiled eggs, I feel like crying. Making good soft-boiled eggs is freaking hard, I FAIL EVERY SINGLE TIME. Hence, I appreciate all the hard work that goes into a soft-boiled egg. Thank you dear Saint of Soft-Boiled Eggs at Yakun.

And then I had Ayam Penyet Ria for dinner. All this while, I have been eating Ayam Penyet at Restoran Surabaya at Lucky Plaza and I still frequent that place for the most authentic and the most delicious ayam penyet. Seriously, if you want good ayam penyet, don't frequent the stalls opened by Malays/Chinese (Malays and Chinese, do not be offended, because the purpose of this sentence is NOT to insult your race, but rather to comment on your inability to cook nice ayam penyet), just frequent an Indonesian stall/restaurant. Nothing can be more authentic than a plate of ayam penyet made with love by an Indonesian. And halo, Restoran Surabaya is really quite awesome. For those oblivious and ignorant, Surabaya is an Indonesian city and it's the birth place of ayam penyet.

OKOK back to Ayam Penyet Ria. This Indonesian eatery (YA IT'S INDONESIAN OKAY) serves the most spicy sambal ever. We ordered the kangkung dish also, and wtf they used the sambal to make the gravy and within two spoonfuls, I can feel chemicals in my tummy churning away. THE SAMBAL IS LETHAL, but it was mother good. YUMYUM.

I cannot wait for another round of this hot awesomeness. Just a word of warning though, please don't eat this too often, your bowels, especially your rectum, will not appreciate it. I had to endure a grueling session in the toilet the morning after I ate this. GOSH, BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.

Cafe Cartel date! Mushroom soup was so-so. It tasted exactly like Knorr instant mushroom soup. =.=

This is the crazy part. I ordered ribs because they were on promotion at a plate for S$11.80++. I didn't expect much because hello, they were having a promotion, surely the portion is going to be damn small? WRONG. I almost felt full when I saw the waiter serve me my ribs.

It took me almost an hour to almost finish it. SO MUCH RIBS SO LITTLE TUMMY SPACE.

It was really good but the taste gets too overpowering after a while. I think I can abstain from ribs for a year now.

HEH. Nothing is better than a good chugga chugga of beer. NOTHING. :D

I want to rob a bank NOW

Just kill me now. The fact that these are not in my wardrobe is making me suicidal.

Review: NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Champagne & Caviar

I bought this online from sg-beauty for S$10, not very cheap for second-hand NYX makeup, but I was too excited about the neutrality of this palette that I grabbed it and ibanked within 5 minutes.

The first thing that I noticed was the spelling error. I don't suppose Americans spell "palette" as "pallet" right? I googled it, and realised everything is spelled as "pallet", so maybe it's a NYX thing? Spelling nazi in me is raving in this monstrosity of a spelling error, but hey, let's not be too critical here, eh?

I bought the one in Champagne & Caviar, which is a compilation of neutral eyeshadow shades.

I realise I'm gearing towards neutral shades more and more now that I'm all grown-up. What happened to my creative side?! Too frustrating but neutral shades are just too easy to apply and match!

Photo taken under yellow lighting.

Photo taken with flash.

The white eyeshadow (extreme left, bottom row) is as good as being non-existent. I had to rub hard (no sexual connotations please!) for more than 5 times before I could get a decent swatch. The black (extreme right, bottom row) is also not very pleasant to work with. The only good thing I can conjure up is that because it's so not pigmented, I can avoid messing up when I want a little darkness at the corner of the eye. *rolls eyes*

My favourite colour has to be the rich caramel brown shade (extreme right, top row). It's just too enduring with that just-right hint of shimmer. I noticed that this palette, other than the white and black, is banking on shimmers and glitters A LOT. I already can predict myself struggling to clean the glittery mess under my eyes after application. YIKES.

Swatches, taken with flash. LOOK AT THAT IRRITATING WHITE-SHADE. Its saving grace will be that I don't use white a whole lot, or almost never.

Overall, I think this palette is a disappointment. The colours look very subtle and warm and enticing online (I almost wrote appetising wtf. HAHA), and they look as good in real life. HOWEVER once I started swatching them, I know the term "don't judge a book by its cover" is NO JOKE. Some colours are difficult to work with, some are just a simple colour boiling in glittery beach. Nevertheless, I will still use it quite frequently because they are neutral shades (LUCKY I BOUGHT NEUTRAL SHADES), I'm rather fearful of hitting pan on Urban Decay's Naked Palette and this can prove to be a distraction.

Yes, the Naked Palette is so good I'm almost hitting pan for one shade. Me! Hitting pan for an eyeshadow! Can you imagine how ground-breaking this is?! Only possible with the awesomeness of the Naked Palette!

Booboo to this NYX Palette! Nice colours though!