My affordable but good buys ($30 and less)

Hello,

It is Saturday again. I am surprised how much each week had gone by so fast. pheww 

Today, I am sharing my affordable but good buys  ( $30 and less ). Well, the foundation is retailed at S$30.90 but I got it under 20% promotion. So, I include in the list. :P I like to find and buy good affordable make up time to time. Who does not like it? So, I will be sharing the products that I got under budget but good in my future posts.

What I got in this year, January is L'oreal true match foundation in shade G3, Etude house V-line slim maker in No 2, Innisfree no sebum mineral powder and Maybelline blush studio blush em in no. 2.

 I will talk about Loreal True Match Foundation first. I got it in shade G3- Golden Beige. They got quite a number of shades to match your skin. It says super blendable liquid foundation and contains hyaluronic acid that makes your skin hydrated all day. I really like this foundation. It matches my skin quite well and like it says, it is easily blendable. The finish is like more matte finish than my other L'oreal lucent magique  foundation which gives me a lot of shine. It has light to medium coverage and most important thing is it lasts long on your skin. Worth the price. I am currently using this foundation 

almost every day. 

shade G3- Golden beige

Next is Innisfree no-sebum mineral powder. The packaging is really small and that's why you can carry with you everywhere unlike other powders. It is translucent powder which absorbs all the sebum from your face. You can apply all over your face or just the areas that you want to control shine. I prefer to use on my T-zone as setting powder. It gives you natural yet matte finish and I really am impressed by this. It really absorbs sebum and I don't even need to use blotting paper to control my T-zone oil throughout the day. Love this too.

Next is Etude house V-line slim maker which includes bronzer and highlighter. They have 2 shades and I got in No.2 Sun pink/Cherry brown. The bronzer is really subtle and it gives you natural contour. I really love this highlighter - gorgeous pinky white color that really looks good on my skin. It gives natural glow look and lasts long on my face. I really like this product and  that makes me wanna get their other shade 01 which has gold color highlighter.

Swatches of Etude house V-line slim maker in shade 2

Final product of my budget buy is Maybelline studio blush blush em blusher in shade 2- I am so energetic. I am blush lover and love to get all blushes although I got tons of colors. :P They have 4 or 5 different shades and this shade is orange/peach color combination. The packaging is so small and it is travel friendly. It is smooth, pigmented and gives you natural color on the face. Good quality for its really affordable price.

See the swatches :)

That is about it for now, guys. Bye. See you again next week.

<3
Violet

My YSL products review ( Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara and Rouge Pur Couture 52 lipstick )

 Hello Everyone,

Today I would like to share about my YSL products  ( Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara and Rouge Pur Couture 52 lipstick ). I got them at Changi airport shop when I went to bali last month. Since I bought from airport, it is cheaper than outside. I was so excited to own them both because YSL mascara is the one that my close friend raved so much. I have always noticed that her eye lashes look so good like wearing false lashes. That's why, I am pretty excited to try this mascara.  YSL rouge pur couture lipstick in shade 52 ( rosy coral is the name if I am not wrong ) was on my Christmas wish list since there are rumors on the web that this color was worn by my favorite korean actress Jun Ji hyun in "You who came from the star" korean drama. I really like her lips in that drama and I can't wait to wear this lipstick. :D

Let's see below for my review details.

I really love YSL packaging and feel so luxurious to hold  them. I can't get enough of this gold color products. 

how pretty are these!! :)

Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof mascara

 YSL got different kind of mascaras and I bought the one that my friend recommend. It is waterproof version. They got blue color on the tube in case you mistaken with non waterproof version.

The wand is really slim and it is my favorite type because the slim one is able to reach all your small lashes and easier to apply bottom lashes also. 

Ok. You wanna see my original lashes before using mascara? Here you are!! 

my sad little down lashes 

Side view of my lashes after YSL mascara.See how pretty my lashes became :)

More close up photos of my lashes after using mascara 

Pretty rosy coral color

For YSL lipstick, I really love it too. It is coral based pink color and really nice to wear in summer. It does not dry my lips and it lasts quite long too. 

Rouge Pur Couture in shade 52

I wore this color on bali trip almost everyday. I think it really goes well with every make up look .

me wearing YSL lipstick

A little fun photo of Jun Ji Hyun wearing this lipstick that I found from internet.  hehe I think she really wear this lipstick shade in the drama. :P

Bye guys! See you again next week. Hope you enjoy my review.

<3  

Violet

Happy New Year 2015!

Happy New Year folks!!

2014 had passed by so quickly and I am glad that 2015 is here. Last year December was a busy month for me with celebrations and trip. I did not post last week because I was in Bali. I will post my Bali photos in another post. :)
Anyway, let's welcome 2015 with good deeds, good mind and body together! My 2015 resolutions would be to follow my dreams with good faith, to finish my last year of University with good credits, to pay back love to the ones who support me and stand by me through thick and thin as much as I can. I realized that I am not a perfect girl by myself but I have the most awesome family, boyfriend and friends beside me. 2014 was not the best year for me yet I still appreciate every good moments that offered. It is never too late to follow your dreams and to start to appreciate your loved ones. Appreciate your loved ones and never take anyone or anything for granted. Live life to the fullest with no regrets :)

Wish everyone a blessed, healthy and peaceful year ahead ! xoxo

<3 Violet

New Skincare Gift Set- Biotherm Aquasource Series

Hello Everyone!

Christmas is around the corner Yayyy and that means gifts and a lot of shopping!! :D Last week, I followed my bf for his Christmas gift shopping for his mom. We went to Sephora and I helped him choose some skin care sets for his mom. Wow, a lot of nice and affordable gift sets @ Sephora. I love Christmas. :D 

Btw, my skin had been really dry lately and was showing up badly. I asked the BA from Sephora for recommendation and she showed me this Biotherm Aquasource moisturizer. It says 48 hours continuous hydration. They have the Christmas gift set right now ( include cleanser and toner )with the price about the same as moisturizer alone. I have been using the toner from this series ,which I also got as a gift from my bestie last time and I  love it. So, I  decided to try this moisturizer since it is a great deal. My bf got me this set  as a gift. <3 Thank you bae.  I got a gift for my mom too since 22 December is her birthday and SKII stempower got the kit set which include essence and mask. Quite worth it to buy now. :)

present for me and Mom :)

Inside the box is the lovely pouch :)

I open the box and this is what I got. The cleanser and toner is good for travel size and moisturizer is full size. I have been using this toner as you can see from my previous skin care post. So,I won't write long about it. The cleanser is okay. Gentle foam formula which cleanse your skin but not make it dry after wash. I prefer my body shop seaweed cleanser though. 

50ml cleanser, 50 ml moisturizer, 100 ml toning lotion

I am pretty excited for the moisturizer since this is their best selling product and has a lot of good reviews. It is gel formula and I like the feel of it when I try to apply on my face. The smell is lovely ( may not be for those who does not like to have smell in their products ) and  the color of the cream is my favorite color, mint green. When I apply it, it absorbs really well and fast  instead of sitting on my face and  not sticky or greasy like others. It hydrates my face really well too. I find that it is really great to use in the morning before I apply make up. Hydrates my skin and  makes my face less oily throughout the day either. I prefer to use more thick cream type on my face at night though. So far, I am pretty satisfied with this moisturizer and I believe Biotherm makes good products. I would like to try out  other products like essence and serum from Biotherm too in the future. Have you tried any Biotherm products and which one is your favourite?

gel formula cream with mint green color

Bye guys. Just a quick review for my new skin care product. :)

 <3 

Violet 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation Review

Hello, 

Today I would like to share my reviews for Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation. Honestly, this is my first high-end foundation. I have been using drugstore foundations like Loreal and Revlon. But now I want the foundation that gives me the coverage longer without needing to touch up often. My previous l'oreal lumi magique foundation gives a nice coverage and glow when I put on but after a few hours later, my T zones start to be oily. At the end of the day, it oxidizes. My face becomes separate from my make up if you know what I mean :P So, I search online for good high end foundations and find Estee Lauder has quite good reviews. They have two types, double wear and double wear light foundation but I decide to give a try to light one . Okay. Lets get started.

This foundation is only SPF 10 . So make sure you put on sun screen before that also 

I bought it at Isetan and this 30ml tube costs sgd $58. ( holy sh**t!!)

My shade is intensity 2.5 . They got quite a number of shades to try on.  

My face before foundation. I put on moisturizer and primer

I will show you the color of foundation. I pour so much. Oops!!

I just use my make up blender ( sponge ) to apply on my face. I find it easier to apply evenly using sponge than my flat foundation brush. You wanna see the results after foundation? Here you go!!

with foundation

I find that the foundation matches into my skin beautifully without looking like I put on too much make up. It gives a semi matte finish for your face. I love the natural finishing look of this foundation. You need to put  a bit more to give you more coverage and still need to apply concealer for your dark circle eyes and blemishes if have any. 

My full face make up before go out :)

Update: I wear it to go out for a long day. I left home at 11 am and comes back home about 10 pm and sees that my make up is still there. As the name goes, it stays on your face very long time ( about 11 hours ) without oxidization. I check my face time to time during the day and amazingly, my T zones never gets oily. I don't need to touch up!!! Wow

BUT, my dry and combination skin reacts to this make up. ( Note: My skin type is dry seriously around mouth area and beside my eye brows but  oily on Tzone )

 My face got dry patches around my mouth and is peeling off so bad :S Only that area is reacting to this make up though. I wore this foundation for two days and it happened on both days. Not sure it is because the weather is quite cold these days. I need to apply more moisture on that area next time and see how it goes. So for dry skin types, this foundation may not be so suitable.  For oily skin types, this foundation will work best for you without giving too much shine. :)

Update: I mixed my Clinique dramatically different lotion ( 1 pump ) ,about the same amount with the foundation together and tried to apply on my face. The dry patches around my mouth are less and not so visible. So, I guess I need to mix my moisturizer lotion with foundation when I want for long wearing result yet not drying on my skin.

Hope you enjoy my review. See you soon :)

<3 Violet

My skin care products aka My skin care routine

Hi Everyone,

I am back again. Today I will be sharing about my skin care products aka my skin care routine. Alert- It is gonna be a long post!!! My skin is dry/combination type ( oily in T zone ). I have some redness on my face if my skin breaks out from products sometimes. 

These are my current skin care products and it works for me so far.

Featured products ( order by usage )

• The Body Shop Camomile water proof eye make up remover  ( I use it at night to remove my eye shadows/eye liner ) This is very effective product to remove my water proof mascara quickly 
• After I remove my eye and lip make up, I use Hada Labo Super HA hydrating cleansing oil to remove my face make up ( only in evening ) . This product is made with high purity olive oil and is good to use cleansing oil to break down make up before you use your normal cleanser
• After I use cleansing oil, I use my body shop seaweed deep cleansing facial wash. This is my holy grail product. I have used different facial washes before and they leave my skin dry. But this gel cleanser not only deep clean my pores with cooling sensation but also leaves my skin stay hydrated and soft. I recommend this product for combination skin like me and oily skin. Love it.
• I use St Ives apricot facial scrub every other day. This facial scrub is my HG scrub and it really lessen my black heads and pores. I don't even need to use pore strips once a week anymore after using this scrub for a long time.
• After cleansing my face, I use Biotherm aquasource toner. I use this only at night. But this is very gentle toner and does not make my skin dry like my previous Clinique clarifying toner. 
• After toner, I use my Hada Labo Super HA hydrating lotion ( moist ). I spread on hands about two drops and gently pat on my skin. I like to use this lotion because it locks moisture in my skin and helps absorbs better for my next skin care products.
• Then, I  use my Innisfree soybean energy essence with cotton pad on my face gently. ( See my previous post about this essence review ) I like to use facial essence before serum and this step makes my skin more moisturized and supple. 
• Now is serum time. Huuu you might be thinking too many products I use. LOL I  use SK II stempower essence ( only at night ). This product is  anti aging product and helps lift the face , reduce wrinkles, lines and aging spots. I love this one from SK II and effective for me. I will continue buy it although it is freaking expensive. 
• I use Innisfree green tea seed serum mostly in morning ( sometimes evening too after SK II ) . I recently use this serum because of some good reviews from youtubers and online. I won't say it is my HG product but it does the job in moisturizing your face. I may look for other serum in future which is more effective in  hydrating, correcting the texture and brightening. What is your favorite serum?
• Finally, it is moistructure time. I use Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion for day time. It is light lotion formula which is good for day time. I focus using it more on my dry areas like cheeks and sides of fore head. It will make my face oily in T-zone if too much using in that area.
• For night time, I use more thick formula like Hada Labo Super HA cream which is really thick cream formula. I can only use it at night because it is so sticky and thick but it really makes my skin hydrate and supple. It can also work as sleeping mask if you apply evenly on your face. 
• * I use Hada Labo eye cream ( not in picture ) after facial essence. I feel neutral about the eye cream. Looking for more effective eye cream at the moment. 

Apart from my normal skin care products, I like to use some masks once a week or twice a week. I use skin food egg white pore mask and innisfree super volcano clay mask. Both concentrates in purifying your pores. I really like innisfree clay mask more because of its cooling sensation and immediate brightening effect after usage. I really feel like my pores are deeply cleansed after using this. My HG clay mask now. 

I also use some facial masks sheets from the face shop, etude house once a week. Korean face masks are really affordable and good to use. :) 

These are my current skin care routine and products. I really think taking care of your skin is very important and using the right skin care products for your skin is very important too.

Pamper yourself with good products and your skin will be thankful to you. :)

 A little sneak in  of my photo after doing my skin care routine at night ;)

Good night!! Sleep tight and sweet dreams.  

<3 

Violet

Innisfree Soybean Energy Essence review ( compared with SKii facial treatment essence )

 Hi Hi,

It has been about two months that I do not write my blog posts after my first post LOL. I recently joined to a new company and I am so busy with my new working life. xx just can't find the time to write blog. :(

Today, I want to write some reviews for Innisfree Soybean energy essence compared with SKii facial treatment essence.

SK-II facial treatment essence ( I deleted my blog photos  in accident and I dun have the bottle any more so have to post image from web )

I have been using SKii facial treatment essence (30ml ) which I got free when I buy their SKii stem power essence. This is the second time using this very popular SKii FTE. I used  up 75 ml of this SKii FTE before and I see no difference on my skin. So, I discontinued using it and now I just give it a try again after a few years since I got it as bundle.

Again, this  SKii essence makes my skin feels good ( cool feeling ) but no visible result. My skin is dry plus oily in T zone ( combination skin ). I used up 30 ml bottle but I decided not to purchase again since I am not sure I can afford to continue using in future to see the visible effects.

So, I looked up online and found some good reviews about Innisfree soybean essence to replace my SKii FTE. I bought it and it costs only S$59 for 150ml bottle.
( reasonable price )  ;)

Innisfree Soybean energy essence ( I deleted my blog photos  in accident and I dun have the bottle any more so have to post image from web )

I have been using it for about 1 week plus now. Normally, I use in morning and night after my hada labo lotion by soaking in the cotton pad and gently swipe over my face.

Surprisingly, it makes my skin moisturized and so plump immediately. I even feel that my skin becomes clear now. It does not break me out at all. Plus it does not have the strong smell like SKii FTE so it is good for people who have sensitive skin.

I try to compare using both SKii and Innisfree on my each hand. They both absorb well. SKii has very light liquidity formula and Innisfree has a bit sticky gel formula. ( not so sticky )
I must admit that SKii gives a cooler sensation on my face though.

But Innisfree makes my skin plump and clearer.

A lot of people including my friends have good results from SKii FTE but I guess it is not for me. Innisfree is more suitable for my combination skin and I am really loving it right now. I will definitely repurchase and try out their other skin care products for both quality and price. :) Thumbs up for this soybean essence from me!!

That's it for now guys. I will update my skin care routine products soon since I am really into them. Bye and see you!!!

 <3
 Violet