Pink mini haul

I recently went on abit of a pink phase, and bought some pretty pink-ish makeup. First up is Estee Lauder and Michael Kors Very Hollywood blush in Sunset Coral 07.

The Very Hollywood Collection comes in a gorgeous coral pink box, and has a nude beige pink packaging.

The blush itself is a light peachy pink colour:

Here's what it looks like on my cheeks:

Next up is the Estee Lauder and Michael Kors Very Hollywood Sheer Lip Sheen SPF 15 in Bungalow Pink. It's a vivid raspberry pink:

A swatch of it on my lips:

My next purchase was a MAC in Lillyland cremeblend blush in So sweet, so easy. I think they're only selling MAC in Lillyland products online on the MAC website here in the UK. I haven't managed to find any in the shops.

The blush is a light, yellow pink. A really sweet and pretty colour:

A swatch of the blush on my cheeks. Applied with Illamasqua Blending Brush 2 (great for applying cream blushers)

Please excuse my undereye circles. I was ill with a cold when this pic was taken. My skin was chafed too from constant rubbing of my nose with tissues.

In addition to pink makeup, I also found this adorable throw from Marks and Spencers:

I thought i'll add this in. It's my own personal gem, my PhD thesis. I've collected my copies from the book binders and handed them to the university for their library collection. Below is my own personal copy which I've put on display in my bookshelf (abit sad I know, but I'm quite proud of it!)

Skinfood BB cream review

This review was done quite some time ago before I went on a self imposed foundation diet. Before I start, I'll very briefly explain what a BB cream is for those who've not heard of it before.

A BB (blemish balm) cream is a product which combines foundation, concealer, moisturizer, SPF, anti-ageing, anti-acne, and whitening treatments in one. It was originally developed in Germany by dermatologists to soothe the skin of patients who have undergone laser surgery. Korean companies then made this product widely available, and soon BB creams became hugely popular in Asia.

This all happened around 3 years ago. Nowadays there are so many brands of BB creams. I started revisiting my interest in BB creams whilst trying to find the perfect alternative to foundation. I've tried some of the most popular brands (Skin79, Dr Jart, Missha, L'egere and Skin Food) and am reviewing one of my favourite brands today -Skinfood.

I've tried both the Skinfood Gingko BB cream and Mushroom multi care BB cream

Skinfood Gingko BB cream

This BB cream is formulated with ginkgo and green tea extracts. It has a slight herbal smell which I quite like. The coverage is sheer and the texture of the cream is fairly thick. A major downpoint of BB creams is that they are usually only available in 1 or 2 colours. I have this BB cream in Shade 1.

(shade1-for fair skin with yellow undertone, shade2-for slightly darker skin with pink undertone)

It's one of my favourtie BB creams due to its sheer coverage, and the fact that it doesn't really irritate my skin. It also gave my skin a dewy look, which is what I look for in foundations. I would like it alot more if it included an SPF.

Though I like this BB cream alot, I find that I hardly ever wear it. In general I do not find that BB creams improve my skintone overtime.

Skinfood Mushroom Multi Care BB cream SPF20

This BB cream contains aloe and mushroom extract. The consistency is similar to the Gingko cream, but it provides a much higher coverage. What I like best about this BB cream is actually the scent. It smells divine... It's quite a strong scent which exactly smell like mushrooms. I can't quite pinpoint the scent.. I'd probably describe it as ever so slightly medicinal (but in a good way!). I have to say that not everyone likes this scent though.

I don't have a pic of it on my face, but here it is on my hand. (Shade 1)

It spreads relatively easily to provide medium coverage. If too much is applied, it does have a tendancy to look slightly cakey.

All in all, I quite like the BB creams. However, I generally find that BB creams do not live up to their massive hype, and would really only ever wear them when my skin needs some coverage and don't want to wear foundation.

Back from Malaysia

I'm back from visiting my family in KL, Malaysia. My sis also came by from Australia, so it was a nice little reunion! My sis and I also stopped by Kuching, Sarawak to visit our grandpa and relatives. We soon realised we spent more time eating than not eating, and as a result I now need to go on a diet.

I didn't really take any pictures of my trip, as I was mainly spending time with my family. However, I did do alot of shopping. I wanted to buy things I couldn't get in the UK. I also bought quite a few cute little dresses in preparation for summer, aswell as some shift dresses for work. Below are a pair of earrings I found at the numerous gold jewellers dotted around the waterfront in Kuching, followed by some pics of my beauty haul.

Make up for ever HD invisible cover foundation #117
I've heard lots of good things about this foundation. It's designed to provide medium to full coverage while remaining invisible on-screen and real life.

Canmake Powder Cheeks PW20
An inexpensive Japanese brand blush that gives a pretty baby pink glow to cheeks

Vichy Bi-White reveal lightening deep cleansing foam & double corrective whitening emulsion
I've always liked Vichy products and couldn't resist trying their whitening range. Especially since my skin's been looking a little dull lately.

Silk Whitea Organic Peach Water-Binding Mask & Organic Strawberry Whitening Mask
My sis and I have tried this a few times and love their fruity scents and the nice glow they provide.

Laniege Water Sleeping Pack

A hydrating mask which works while you sleep. I got this to help rehydrate my skin after the drying effects of 6 flights in 2 weeks. I loved how easy it was to use (i.e. apply onto face, then go to sleep). My face felt more hydrated the next day, but so far I haven't seen a vast improvement in my skin.

Laneige Sunblock Triple SPF40

A 3 in 1 product combining suncare, relievement of photo aging, and correction of skin tone. I'm not sure what i think of this product. It illuminated my skin, but gave me a very slight white-cast. It also contains silicone which I've heard is not great for the skin.

Near my grandma's house a loads of shops selling everything you would never want, all in one roof. However, I managed to find a new nice things and bought them in the spirit of Chinese New Year. I got these cherry blossom sprigs to give our home a more oriental feel.

And these pigs as both my husband and I were born in the year of the pig (and also because they are quite cute!)
A quick, and random NOTD to finish off. This is my current favourite nail colour: Chanel, Ming #471. I like it so much that I've pretty much worn it exclusively all winter.