Quick Update

Hello my lovely ladies! I am still here, I am still alive (barely!) and I promise you all that I will be back! At the moment I'm just busy trying to find a rental home for the hubs and I and it has been super stressful trying to figure out where we should stay and it's also super rare to find a rental that is pet friendly. To top it all off... I have a month to find this magical house so.... go me! As soon as everything calms down, I will be coming back with regular posts as I have actually resigned from MAC as well just because my own business is flourishing, which is kinda good but kinda bad at the same time. I miss you all and I will be back soon! 

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RAW Beauty Photoshoot

I had the pleasure of working with Ella Dilber and Jeremy Choh last week for a super quick impromptu photoshoot and it resulted in some of the most beautiful photos I've ever done. Ella's face was perfection and as always, Jeremy is amazing :)

Photographer: Jeremy Choh @ JayChoh Photography

Model: Ella Dilber @ Viviens Models

Makeup & Hair: Phoebe Limanta

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MAC Lipsticks - Blankety & Velvet Teddy

MAC Lipsticks AU$36

Since I started working at MAC, I've played around with so many different lipsticks that I would've never tried before. This is how I discovered Blankety & Velvet Teddy! I rarely ever buy products for myself, and will always see whether I need it for my kit or not but these 2, I definitely got for myself.

Blankety is an Amplified texture and it is described as a "Vaguely vacant soft beige pink" and I must say, they are pretty spot on. I absolutely adore the Amplified lipsticks from MAC, the texture is unbelievably soft but pigmented at the same time and they're just so comfortable to wear on the lips. Blankety is probably as nude as I would get for a lipstick. 

Velvet Teddy is a matte shade that I would have never thought would look that nice on me but I found myself putting this lip colour on more and more. This is described as a "Deep-toned beige" and this colour is pretty much like my lip colour but just a bit deeper. As with any of the MAC matte lipsticks, even though it's matte, it's never uncomfortable to wear and never dries out my lips.

(L-R: Blankety & Velvet Teddy)

I am eyeing Vegas Volt, Honeylove and Creme Cup next so don't be surprised if you see those coming up in the not too far future!

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Bobbi Brown EXTRA Balm Rinse Review

Bobbi Brown EXTRA Balm Rinse 200mL AU$90

As you all know, I cleanse like a maniac... like... for reals. I double/triple cleanse every night and it's something that I've come to really enjoy and find very relaxing after a long, hard, day at work. First step of my cleansing routine is taking off my make up and I believe that it is this step that helps keep skin clear. It is unbelievably important to take every last trace of make up off before you go to sleep but at the same time, make sure that you're not stripping your skin's moisture. This is the exact reason why I love cleansing oils and balms. I find that they take off every last bit of make up off my face (even the dreaded Inglot Gel Liner!) and I find that my skin feels so plump and hydrated after. Before I bought this baby, I used the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil and that was my one and only cleansing oil. Lately though, I have had some issues with  my skin feeling tight after I use it so off I go to find something that's a bit more hydrating and a bit thicker in texture. I used my sister's Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and surprisingly loved it which lead me the Bobbi Brown EXTRA Balm Rise. 

What it claims:

"This conditioning cleanser removes all traces of makeup and impurities quickly and completely. Leaves skin with a smooth, cushiony finish, and feeling instantly refreshed. Use daily for dry skin, or as a nighttime treatment when skin needs more hydration. Dermatologist-tested."

Pros:

Huge tub - 200ml 

Very hydrating 

Leaves my skin feeling so plump

Takes off all my waterproof makeup 

Feels really luxurious

Great packaging

Cons:

Heavy pot which isn't travel friendly

VERY thick in texture - a little bit hard to melt in my hand

The scent - this product smells very citrusy and it's not my favourite scent 

Can be a little bit too rich if you don't have dry skin 

Will need to use a muslin cloth or towel to wash it off with

Overall thought: I do like this product.... Would I repurchase? Hmm... probably not but maybe the mre I use it, the more I'll fall in love with it. It is a great product and I definitely feel like I got my money's worth with this huge tub and at the moment, I am still very on the fence with this product. 7/10

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So this was my first attempt at using this product. You'll notice that after the first rinse, I still had a LOT of makeup left, which led me to using a warm, damp cloth to wipe off the second rinse and that totally did the trick! Please note that in the first rinse, I did NOT try to take off my lipstick hence why it was still perfectly intact. 

Before:

After 1st go of this balm:

After 2nd go, this time using the warm, damp, cloth:

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Estee Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer Review

I had such high hopes for this primer, honestly, I did. I've been having a bit of an oilier T-Zone recently so I wanted to pick up this Estee Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer because unlike any of the other matte primers, it doesn't have that silicon-y feel which I'm not too fond of. I asked my dearest hubby to grab me one whilst he stopped over in Singapore for work as it was cheaper and I could NOT wait until he got home so I can finally try it. Dare I say I was more excited for this product coming home to me than my hubby himself? (Yes, I was THAT excited for this) So you can imagine my disappointment when I felt like this product just did not deliver what it promised. It definitely did not keep my T-Zone matte and what's even worse is that I don't think it even helped with the longevity of my foundation, which is totally the whole point of a primer! Needless to say this will be going in my kit because who knows, what may not work for me, may work for someone else and it does feel nice going onto the skin, it just doesn't do the job for me. 

Pros:

• Feels great on the skin as you put it on - none of that silicon feel

Cons:

• Not that cheap if you're not getting the product duty free (I believe the RRP is AUD $48.00)
• Doesn't keep the oils on my face at bay
• Doesn't keep the foundation on my face that much better than usual

Overall thought: Oh Estee Lauder how you disappoint me... As much as I wanted to love this product, I just couldn't. I will probably try to use it again once I feel the need to give it another shot but I have used it for about 2-3 weeks now and I just don't really like it that much to be honest. 2/10

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