All about them Palettes

First off can I just say, I have had the longest nails for a while and since I had a little outdoor activity thang today.. I snipped them all off.. and I AM LOVING THIS FEELING of typing without the clickity clak of them nails. 

Okay, back to the topic. 

Palettes.

Blush Palettes. Eye Palettes. Holiday Palettes. On-the-go Palettes (you girls know what I'm talking about here *wink wink*) 

I AM OBSESSED and for some reason that I do not know of, the makeup gods keep coming out with them and I AM BROKE and actually quite honestly, cannot afford most of them right now. And the worst of all is.. 

Most of them are limited edition. 

#whydoyoudothistomeomakeupgods

#ineedmoremoney

#maybeapartimejob

#ijustwannaownallthesepalettes 

Here are the Top 3 palette that I am UTTERLY obsessed with and with Christmas round the corner, if anyone's feeling particularly generous and not knowing where to spend that money.. you know where to find me. (lol) 

1. NARS Virtual Domination Blush Palette 

Photo Credits: EssieButton

 How beautiful is this palette? Like actually HOW? It's retailing at £45 which roughly equates to RM255. Which, sounds like a lot but if you think about it.. there's 4 almost full size blushes (1 is a highlighter but you know what I mean) and a large pan of Laguna Bronzer.. It's totally worth it. Plus it's NARS so you know you're gonna get amazing quality blushes/highlighter/bronzer. Also, this is going to last you for YONKS. Like, I've been using my NARS blushes regularly for a couple of years now and I'm not even close to making a dent in them. 

2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Photo Credits: Makeup and beauty blog

Okay, I don't own any Hourglass products because they are pretty much impossible to get around Malaysia.. and they weren't in the UK whilst I was in the UK. #nofate 

But, lucky for me I've got a best friend who's still there and she's bringing this baby back for me! I'll get it when I see her in Brunei next month. SO EXCITED. I mean, already I am ecstatic I get to see Diana after a good half a year but also pretty darn ecstatic about receiving le blushes. 

Retails at £36 for 3 blushes which apparently suits any skin-tone and is super long wearing and makes your skin luminous. I don't know, I haven't tried but  I WILL. And trust me. I'll be doing a review on this one. WAIT FOR IT. 

3. Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette 

Ugh, like as if this needs any introduction right? Anyway, it is being released in good ol' Malaysia next weekend.. Saturday the 6th of December to be exact and you can bet your horses Amelia's going to be in line for this (well, only if a certain someone is also willing to go together so we can queue together lol *AHEM*). Either way, I will get my hands on this palette at some point even if it's not next Saturday. 

Being a fan of Urban Decay's Naked line -- I have all 3 Naked Palettes + Naked basics and their one of their flush palette.. I think I will love this. The eye colours are all super wearable and perfect for any occassion and that bronzer be looking heavenly and that bright pink blush? Uh.. yes?!?! 

I think it'll be retailing at RM180++ if I'm not mistaken which hello? it's super worth it lah! Comes with a full sized Naked Lipgloss too and that mascara and eyeliner might be smaller but you can always fit something in there and then you'll only EVER need one palette to carry round with you everywhere.. THINK ABOUT THE COUNTLESS POSSIBILITIES. 

Hopefully will get my hands on it and then I can blog about it too! Hehe 

To be completely honest, if I can get my hand on the UD one then I'll have 2 out of these 3 that I am currently lusting over which is not too bad considering NARS Malaysia is not even bringing in the Virtual Domination palette here. I need to figure something out. (T-T) 

Are there any other palettes out there that I am missing out on? haha let me know! 

Also, everyone have a great last month of the year! Last month of 2014. That's cray man, this year has gone by WAY too fast, but I'm glad. ONWARDS TO BETTER THINGS IN 2015! 

Lots of love,
Amelia xox 

Favourite foundations - April 2014

Hello everyone, just a small disclaimer before I start off on this post. I'm not claiming to be any makeup expert, or, professional. Just someone who really enjoys playing (and buying lolol) with makeup and these are all my unbiased thoughts! :)

Also, just a heads up. My skin type is combination-oily. Which means, my t-zone is a nightmare with the oil monster but I can get dry patches around the sides of my face, around my eye area and my neck. SO ANNOYING. lol

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Here's my top/favourite Foundations at the moment. I will talk about my favourite high-end foundation, followed by my favourite drugstore foundation as well as my favourite BB cream.

Just to note, I have tried a whole bunch of foundations, but these are my favourite that goes well with my skin and our very humid Malaysian weather :)

1) Clarins Ever Matte SPF15

This is the first ever foundation that I've ever bought! I was unsure which brand to go for: Clinique, Lancome, Clarins, Origins.. but at the end of it, I decided to go for Clarins. Not sure why, could be because at that time I was using their skin products.

Anyway, best decision ever. When I use this foundation (and I only really keep it for special days), it lasts the whole day and keeps my face shine-free with minimum blotting! The scent is super pleasing to the nose as well, a light refreshing cucumber scent that I really adore and reminds me a lot of the Vaseline lotion (the one in the green bottle). So lovely. For some, I understand the scent can be a little overwhelming but I really like it.

It's of a medium coverage and is definitely buildable without making your face feel like it's caked up or anything. Easily blendable - I've tried with my fingers/hands, brushes, sponges, it all works and it sets very lovely!

Unfortunately, the Ever Matte line is not sold in Malaysia Clarins counters (I am not sure about the rest of Asia, let me know if they're sold in your country!), I bought mine while I was in the UK for 27 pounds which I felt was super worth it. 30ml and it has lasted me all this while. It also comes in a variety of colours for all types of skin undertones and I am using mine in the colour 109 Wheat, which matches my M.A.C NC20 skin perfectly :)

You can definitely purchase it online (that's what I will be planning to do once my bottle runs out)! Here are some places that stock it: Escentual, Nordstrom.. to name a few :)

2) Revlon Colorstay Oily/Combination 

A drugstore product that you can easily find in your local Watson's or Guardian.. or at any Revlon counters really. Retailing at around RM59 (but check your local drugstore! Might be cheaper, or more expensive, who knows) overall, I think it's quite an affordable foundation.

This is the foundation that I reach to on a daily basis while I was working. Like, really, every morning I'd use this foundation and it will last me the WHOLE DAY. No kidding, granted I got a little oily towards the end, but still, nothing to complain really.

It's quite a heavy coverage, so use sparingly. Also, there was no obvious scent and it is easy enough to work with. I will comment however, on the packaging. This foundation comes without a pump, just an open top so be very careful when pouring your foundation out. I've been careless before and poured a whole lot out and even once, dropped it while it was opened and I wasted quite a bit of foundation there. Otherwise, nothing much to complain about this one.

Affordable and it works! I truly understand why it's loved by so many around the world. :D

Also, if you've not got oily/combination skin, don't worry as they do it for other skin types too. For example, Normal/Dry skin. They've got something for everyone! hehe I use the colour Sand Beige for this foundation and while it's just a tiny bit darker for me, it still works! Especially since I pop some powder of it to set it usually.

3. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

This is my holy grail BB cream. I use it for days I need a little bit of coverage but not a full coverage. I've been using it for over a year now and you also only need just a little bit of this for your entire face! It's great cause it has SPF35 which means I can forgo having to put on extra sunscreen for when I'm feeling lazy. A little touch of blush and some setting powder, voila! I'm ready for the day.

It's odourless as well (to me anyway- I'm not the most sensitive to scents.) and there are 4 colours which is great considering many BB creams come in one universal colour. I am using it in the second lightest shade: Light. And I always use my fingers to blend this into my face. I've tried with brushes and sponges and they all work well too but for some reason, I always just use this with my fingers.

I like it as it does keep my oiliness at bay, although after a couple of hours, you will see me getting my shine on. :P But otherwise, really liking this BB cream as far as BB creams go. There's no weird overcast that you sometimes get with other BB creams and like it's name suggest, it's definitely camera ready, even with flash! :D

You can buy this at any Smashbox counter (i.e at Sephora). I bought mine from the UK for 27 pounds, which I agree is a little steep for a BB cream considering it's the same price as the Clarins foundation, but I like it and I will definitely repurchase when it's finished.

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I hope you have enjoyed this post, and I do hope it's not too lengthy! If you happen to love any of these foundations as much as I do, let me know :D Also, if you have any other foundations for oily/combi skin that's perfect for our humid weather, please comment on this post and let me know. I'd love to try some new foundations out.

Lots of love and thanks for reading!
Amelia xo

Top 5

I haven't done any of this Top 5 post for a bit. TBH, I've only ever only done one and it was ages ago. Now, I am a little more free with my time and therefore to procrastinate my time to do my revision, here are my Top 5 ATM. You will notice they are all make-up products so do forgive me if you're not into this at all. :) Also, I was très lazy to snap my own pictures so I found some online. Hehe

1) URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE ON EYE PENCILS

So far, in my very puny collection, I have 3 colours: Demolition (A matte deep brown), Yeyo (A metallic white) and  Bourbon (brown with gold glitter). I acquired Bourbon first before Yeyo and then Jun got me Demolition. I cannot express how much I am IN LOVE with these eye pencils. First off, let me say that these are my HG of pencil eyeliners. I've tried plenty of pencil eyeliners and so far these have proven to be worthy as my HG. These pencils are creamy, easy to apply which means you won't have to tug at your lids and they last forever. I mean, it takes quite a bit of effort to get them off at the end of the day but for an eyeliner that doesn't smudge, crease, leak (?!) I say it's quite alright. I'm hoping to be able to collect the whole collection! :D I love them.

On a daily basis, I usually use Demolition and Yeyo. These pencils aren't too cheap, it's going for US$19/£13 so it's quite pricey for eye pencils that do require sharpening. But, from what I see, they last quite a while as long as you're careful with how much you use them. Can't wait to see what's the next colour I'm going to pick. I'm thinking of going for a black pencil since I don't have one yet, but on the other hand I've stopped using black to line my lower lid since I find it too harsh. We'll see :)


2) L'OREAL SUPER LINER GEL INTENZA

I've recently moved on from liquid liners to gel liners. Just because. I think gel liners go on a lot less harsh and I love it. I bought the Bobbi Brown gel liner  early this year and while that formula is good, I prefer this L'Oreal Super Liner Gel Intenza more and I am so happy I got it just before I came home for summer! I'm using it in black and I can confirm and vouch that this eyeliner stays on through thick and thin! Through, sweat, sweat, glorious sweat, through the heat, through the rain. THIS LINER IS AWESOME. Haha! And not too expensive at all, bought it for £9 so I think that is quite decent :) 


3) THE FACE SHOP PHYTOGENIC INFINITE CONCEALER

I recently obtained this concealer since Sinda bought it for me (by surpise as well) and I LOVE IT! I use it mainly for my undereye circles and some discoloration around my nose. I really like that it is 2 in 1, one side is liquid concealer and the other side a stick concealer. It only comes in 3 colours and to my knowledge, Brunei only stocks two of the colours. 21 and 23. I am a 21, and the colour fits me perfectly. It instantly perks up my eyes and make me seem so much awake. I love this stuff! It is also very long lasting and is able to last me throughout the day (I'm talking about 8am - 5pm) and it is not greasy or oily. It is priced at B$25 (if I'm not mistaken) and I think it is quite a decent price for a good product.

4) BENEFIT HOOLA BRONZER

I love this bronzer. I had been wanting this for AGES. I always went on and on about it, staring at it wistfully in the shops and one day I finally had it and I bought it. I love it. I'm so happy I finally went to buy it. The colour is perfect, does not look streaky or too orange. I use it mainly for countouring and for some colour on my face. A little definitely goes a long way so I can see this bronzer lasting for a very long time. Benefit's blushes and bronzer don't usually disappoint I think and I've been thinking about getting the entire blush collection but it will take a while since they are quite pricey, being £23.50 per box. I use this bronzer with my M.A.C 168 brush which I think is just perfect for contouring. Don't forget to tap off the excess off your brush though when you use this bronzer!!!! :)

5) M.A.C EYESHADOW IN BLANC TYPE (MATTE)

I only bought this colour just before leaving for summer to Brunei and I am so glad I bought it. Let me clarify that my daily looks, I usually use both the Urban Decay Naked palette 1 and 2. Unfortunately, I only let myself choose one palette to bring back to Brunei and I chose the original Naked palette. What was missing in this palette was a MATTE light brown/cream ish colour and so I went to the M.A.C store during my Glasgow trip with Jun. This colour is perfect and it shows up so well on my skin tone! I use it as my base and sometimes as a brow highlighter colour.

So yes, those are my TOP 5 at the moment! I might do a post one day regarding what I chose to bring back to Brunei for summer! But, maybe one day :P hehe

Lots of love,
Amelia xx

Top 5 of the moment!

These are the things I am OBSESSED with at the moment. 

1) RASPBERRIES
These are amazing. In muffins, in ice-cream. They are my ultimate go-to fruits at the moment. Shame that the season is over now. 

 

  2) NARS BLUSHERS
(Have Orgasm, and just recently got MataHari and Dolce Vita-- can't wait to try them out! Excited!!!)

3) O.P.I ATOMIC ORANGE
(I got this in a mini-version from the Bright Ideas set by O.P.I. This is my favourite colour from the set. I like it so much I am contemplating getting a full-sized version :D)

4) JEFFREY CAMPBELL LITA WOVEN (in Black)
Need I say more? Got the Taupe Suede version and it is a dream to wear. Comfortable with the bonus of the added height. I am in love. 

5) MAC's MORANGE
It looks really bright, but once transferred onto lips the colour is amazing. A pop of colour is always much appreciated in the gloomy winter weather me thinks.  

On other news, this weekend has been amazing, super fun-filled.. thank you to everyone who made my weekend :)

X
Amelia.