Where has all the time gone?

And with a blink of an eye (yes one eye. I've started twitching a lot lately hahaha), it's already the end of July. Haven't visited my own blog in forever, and was startled to see that my last post was mid January! That's half a year gone by and I've not bothered to blog. Mostly because I have been so busy with life and just, there's been so many things to do and so many emotions to be felt.

Decided to blog today because I've missed ranting in words, and typing fiercely and without hesitation. To put it simply, I've missed writing. And it's not just writing about make-up that I've missed (haven't had the budget or time to buy new make-up.. I know, the sadness) but I've missed writing about how I felt or what I've been doing without being afraid of being judged.

These days, I realised, I have been keeping myself locked up in a box. Not a very big box, a medium one with a few people in there with me. Okay, that come out a little wrong, but like you know, there are a few people that I pour my heart and soul out too so it's been alright but I still feel like there's something missing.

Am I happy? Yet? I think the right answer would be no.. I'm not happy.. yet. I'm good, I'm alright, I'm content.. but I'm not at the level of happy I think I could potentially be. I'm even starting to question the definition of happiness, is it the amount of laughter you go through every day or how much you smile? Cause I definitely laugh everyday and I most definitely smile everyday. But at the end of the night, when I'm home.. I just feel like emo-ing.. mostly. Or just knocking out (which on most days is a good thing). There are times when I'm restless and can't sleep and thank goodness for the time difference because my love, Diana usually will be there to talk to me till I finally get sleepy, but when she is not, I tumblr and overthink about life.

Some days, I pat myself on the back because I feel like I've come a long way from dark days. Some days,  I'm not so sure. I've taken up calligraphy and it's been a good past time.. some nights  I can sit and write and practice for hours and hours till it's past midnight and my eyes are tearing up to sleep. Maybe when I consider myself good enough, I'll post some here for memories.

Where is all the time going to? I think about what I have done this year and whilst I had done a fair bit, I still feel like I haven't done quite enough and I can't think about what I can do with the remaining 5 months of 2015. In a month's time, I will be reunited with Diana and Chloe, and Allisan in Bangkok and I am really, really, REALLY, looking forward to that. Mostly because my three favourite people are going to be with me at the same time in a really awesome city, so that's a lot to look forward to there. You know, I was already going to BKK with Alli, but when Chloe and Diana confirmed that they too, could meet us up there, I was so happy I could cry. My face was actually hurting from smiling so much haha.

Also, I've finally finally been to Melbourne now. At one point, it felt like I was the only person on this world that's not been to Melbourne, so I'm glad I can say that I've finally visited and I enjoyed myself! I would say, mostly my tummy enjoyed it. Packed on a fair bit of weight there and I almost don't regret it. Visited Philip Island and penguins almost became my new favourite animal (can't compare with rabbits and dogs though.. I cannot.), only because they were SO cute and smart and just lovely. I don't think anyone could stay upset watching them walk. That was a good experience. I also got to see some koalas and kangaroos, which I was excited for. The last time I was in Australia, I was in Primary 6, perhaps? So it's been a while. I still prefer the UK for many things, but I can see why people like Australia too. hehe

I want to be back in this space soon. It's nice to be able to type again hehe It really has been a while. Before I leave today, I want to share this little quote that I came across whilst tumblring today. It really hit a spot and made me want to cry.

“Someone can be madly in love with you and still not be ready. They can love you in a way you have never been loved and still not join you on the bridge. And whatever their reasons you must leave. Because you never ever have to inspire anyone to meet you on the bridge. You never ever have to convince someone to do the work to be ready. There is more extraordinary love, more love that you have never seen, out here in this wide and wild universe. And there is the love that will be ready.” ― Nayyirah Waheed

And I think it's so true. There's another quote that I love so much that goes like this: 

"Wait for the person that makes things feel effortless. You should not have to try so hard to keep him. If he's the right person, he'll stand by you no matter what and you won't have to exhaust yourself with trying to make him stay." 

 And my most favourite quote of all:

"The truth is that the more intimately you know someone, the more clearly you'll see their flaws. That's just the way it is. This is why marriages fail, why children are abandoned, why friendships don't last. You might think you love someone until you see the way they act when they are out of money or under pressure or hungry. For goodness' sake. Love is something different. Love is choosing to serve someone and be with someone in spite of their filthy heart. Love is patient and kind, love is deliberate. Love is hard. Love is pain and sacrifice, it's seeing the darkness in another person and defying the impulse to jump ship." 

 Basically, what the world of quotes is trying to tell me and all of y'all out there is that if a person loves you, they'll love you. Irregardless of everything.

Some days I feel like I'm the most difficult person to love and some days I feel I'm really not that bad. Some days people make me feel like I am not worthy of their time, or their love and it's hard on those days, but then there's also more days where people make me feel like I am worth their time and love and I am especially thankful for these people because y'all really do lift me out of the clouds. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for listening to me, and not judging me and just letting me air out my heart. It gets so stuffy in there with all the thoughts and silly things I keep in there. Some days, I just wish I didn't feel so much.

It would be so much easier if I was cold hearted.

Lots of love,
Amelia.

My M.A.C Army (as of 20th October 2014) + Swatches

I remember the first time I was captured by the M.A.C lipstick stands and the vast array of colours.. they were a sight to behold. To be honest, I'm still crazy awed by all the colours and variety of them lipsticks in M.A.C and my ultimate dream is to own every single one of them.. and the holder too. IMAGINE THEM IN MY ROOM ON MY NIGHTSTAND/VANITY. Damn son, it'll be so magical to wake up to them err'day. 

Today I will be typing about my modest collection of M.A.C lippies.. and leg swatches (only because it is SO much easier to take photos of my leg rather than my arm.... since I don't actually have a model lol) 

It took me ages to figure out if I should group them by colour, finish  or collection but I have decided that I will group them by colour. That way, I'll know which colour group I'm lacking in the most. Hehe 

Don't they look like soldiers?

Cue: Destiny Child's Soldier song. LOL

Them REDS

 (L-R) 

Amplified Roxo from the Pedro Lorenço Collection, Huggable Lip Colour in Red Necessity, Matte Ruby Woo, Lustre Cockney, Satin Sa La Vie

Swatches - With Flash (R-L as opposed to L-R as above)

Swatches - No Flash

Them PURPLES

(L-R) 

Satin Rebel, Matte Heroine, Lustre Plumful, Lustre Pink Popcorn, Amplified Saint Germain

Fun Fact #1: Saint Germain was given to me by Allisan.. it's a super barbie pink and it makes me look tan! 

 Fun Fact #2: I have a Pure Heroine from the Lorde collection waiting for me somewhere cause Diana got one for me! :D So excited to try it out, it's meant to be an even deeper purple compared to Heroine. Also, I ADORE Lorde, so anything to do with her, I love already. Haha

Swatches - With Flash

Swatches - Without Flash

Them CORALS/ORANGES

 (L-R)

Cremesheen Crosswires, Amplified Vegas Volt, Lustre Dreaming Dahlia, Amplified Morange, Sheen Supreme Gotta Dash! 

 

Fun Fact #3: Morange was the first ever bright lippie in my entire collection (including everything non-M.A.C as well) I remember wearing it a lot to University and being shy abt having a bright lip. Hehe.

Swatches - With Flash

Swatches - No Flash

Them PINKS

(L-R) 

Cremesheen Lickable, Amplified Impassioned, Matte Candy Yum-Yum, Huggable Lip Colour in Love Beam, Viva Glam Nicki Satin, Lustre Flamingo

Fun Fact #4: Candy Yum-Yum was discontinued for a while but brought back when M.A.C allowed their consumers to choose which discontinued colour to bring back! :D This neon pink won and I had to have it hehe

Fun Fact #5: Yes that Viva Glam is for Nicki Minaj (who I am a huge fan of) and yes, I only bought it because it was Nicki Minaj. HAHA It's a pretty colour tho, I should really use it more often. 

Swatches - With Flash

Swatches - Without Flash

Them NUDES

(L-R)

Cremesheen FanFare, Amplified Chatter Box, Lustre Patisserie, Cremesheen Creme Cup, Cremesheen Creme D'Nude 

Fun Fact #6: Creme D'Nude is my FIRST ever M.A.C lipstick puchased and turns out to be the least suitable colour for me in my collection. Lol. I was conned cause the colour looked so good on a friend of mind, so I bought it but upon trying it on.. I've been asked if I am sick cause I look so pale. Lol 

 

Swatches - With Flash

Swatches - No Flash

Hope you enjoyed this little inlook (???) into my modest collection of M.A.C Lipsticks. If you ask me, my favourite finish has to be Lustre. Only because it's mostly moisturizing and easy to apply. I also LOVE the Huggable Lip Colours but unfortunately I managed to grab only 2 colours out of the 6 (if I am not mistaken) and that will forever be on my "THINGS I REGRET" list.. #over

**********************************

On other personal news, I'll be back in Brunei and re-united with my fur babies in about.. 2 sleeps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  SUPER super SUPER excited I cannot even. Haven't seen them in about half a year, so that's always exciting. Hehe 

Hope everyone is well and have a Happy Deepavali!

Lots of love,

Amelia xo

Fun times with Kiehl's in the Sun!

Hey guys! Been real busy with life at the moment, having started a new job earlier this week and just really getting back into the grind and 5.30 mornings! 

Anyway, remember my little post on Kiehl's a little while back?  Well, I won invites to their awesome event and I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to! 

The event was held two Sundays back at the Secret Garden on top of 1Utama! I've never been there so it was quite the adventure for me. Since the event was appropriately titled "Fun In The Sun with Kiehl's" of course we had a lovely sun-filled day on top of the 1Utama rooftop. 

We were first greeted with Mr Bones, whom you can find right outside the Kiehl's store in 1Utama, and we were given sharpies to sign our name on him! If you happen to go by the store next time, try and see if you can spot my name! :D hehe

We were greeted with a lovely buffet spread as well as Kiehleans (I don't quite know what to call the representatives from Kiehl's! hehe) who were there to give us some advice on our skin and performed an oil test! Interestingly enough, I was touted as normal skin with just a teeny bit of oiliness on my T-zone area! Which is interesting, considering I've always imagined myself to be an oily combination gal! 

Note to everyone: You can also head to any of your friendly Kiehl's store to get your oil check on! Just simply inquire! :D 

How pretty is this set-up? I wanna get married in a garden some day so I can have a spread like this too. Actually, maybe.. if it wasn't 36 degrees out there. Haha!

We were served super cool blue solution for drinks! hahahah

We were also a little 101 on their newly formulated Ultra Facial Oil-Free products which included their face wash, toner and moisturizer (gel cream) and I think it's really cool that they've used desert plants A.K.A cacti (I think they're the same thing?) since you know, we need all the secrets they know for keeping in tip-top conditions in them crazy desert weather.. and I love that there is no oil in their formula (as well as scent, but I'll get onto that in a sec.) 

Since one of their key ingredients is desert plants, we had a lovely cactus terrarium session where we got to make our own! 

Yep, that's me. The super scary-determined-looking person! HAHA wtf was I even doing.

And here is the end product of our hard work: 

With Lenna, a new friend I made that day!

Was super happy with my terrarium and so glad I got to make one! Can you see the little crane sitting in my bowl? I named him Jimmy! Hehe. Also, we were told to feed them about 2 teaspoons of water every 10 days to 2 weeks. Cacti are really low maintenance so it's really good for people without green fingers like me! 

We were then given time to hang about and chit-chat to people around us which was great! It's nice to come to these sort of events cause you meet people with the same interest as you, which, in my case is make-up/skincare/beauty.. so it was definitely nice. There was also a nice backdrop where we could take pictures at.

All of us butterflies that lovely sunny day! :D

All in all, it was such a great event with a whole load of knowledge on how, just because you have oily skin, it doesn't mean you should have to strip it off all it's oil cause that'll only make matters worse! 

I would like to thank Kiehl's Malaysia and The Butterfly Project Team for putting together such an awesome event! It was my first event and I'm already looking forward to many more in the future! *big love* 

This picture was captured by the loveliest ShopGirl!

We were also given a complete set of their Ultra Facial Oil-Free skincare to try! I was really stoked to receive them products because I am really always on the hunt for something better for my skin! 

Here are the products:

1) The Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser which retails for RM 85/150ml
2) The Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner which retails for RM85/200ml

3)The Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream for RM100/50ml

They are also all available from your friendly local Kiehl's stores!

So far, I have been using these products for a week or so and I must say, I really really like the range!

 

I really enjoy their Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser because it foams up really nicely as well as leaves you with a nice squeaky finish. Usually, you'll relate a squeaky finish with a dry tight feeling right? Well, I'm pleased to let you know that this doesn't give you that "tight" feeling at all! Everytime I wash my face, I just feel SUPER clean and refreshed, which I suppose is what you should be feeling! :D

The Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner, while comes in a blue bottle, comes out as a transparent liquid which you put onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over your face, this just reduces all the excess oil on your skin's surface and also  leaves a really fresh feeling. While unscented, I can smell something, just not sure what it is.. but it's definitely very unoffensive so I am also liking this product a whole lot! I really like toners because I feel like they always give that extra uumph to your skincare routine! 

Now, this. The Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream is what I've REALLY been enjoying! Formulate for normal to oily skin types (which is exactly what I have), it comes in a LOVELY (and I mean, really really nice) texture that is immediately soaked up by your skin! It's definitely unscented and you can just tell your face is soaking up all that moisturizing goodness! It's also extremely light, so no worries about wearing it under your make-up daily. 

Here's how the gel looks like inside, doesn't it just look super soft and dreamy.. like something you wanna rub into your skin to provide it with all the goodness of it? I feel like this is definitely something I would like to incorporate more into my daily skincare routine, and something that I will definitely repurchase once it runs out! 

Also, if you didn't know, Kiehl's is about handing out samples so that you can try. Head down to your nearest Kiehl's store and ask for a sample and they'll gladly give you some so you can get a first-hand experience of the product! 

Thank you for reading this extremely long post! I hope you've enjoyed it! 

Once again, thank you The Butterfly Project and Kiehl's Malaysia for such an amazing opportunity. This event has really opened up my eyes to Kiehl's products and I am looking forward to buying and trying more of their products in the future! :D

Lots of love,

Amelia xo

Zoeva Classic Face Set + GIVEAWAY!

Hello everyone!

I am mad about brushes, I might not have the biggest collection of them but I really do adore brushes. They can be a little pricey, depending on where you'd like to buy them from. IMO, I think M.A.C does lovely brushes but at exorbitant (I hope this is the right word) prices,  then I found Sigma who btw, makes the BEST FOUNDATION BRUSH OF ALL TIME (but another post on that for another time), and while there's other brushes in my collection: Real Techniques, Kiko, Inglot, E.L.F... I have recently found a favourite which is both affordable and of good quality!

JENG JENG JENG.. introducing ZOEVA brushes. I did a little bit of digging around and found that they are of German descent (LOL wtf, I mean they're a company originating in Germany) and while they're brushes are comparable to Sigma's, they're about a quarter off Sigma prices!

Found them on Luxola (eh, fav site in Malaysia ok.) and at first, I ordered a few eye brushes.. you can never have too many blending eye brushes ya know. Hehe, and then I moved on to face brushes and you know what I love the brand! It's made very well, even after cleaning my brushes, I experienced very little shedding. So far, *touch wood* I've not had any problems with any of their brushes I have ordered. What can I say, this brand is a real winner!

In the month of May, as part of my monthly beauty purchases and also because I was rather bored in Brunei and they were having their 30% off ridiculous-but-good sales that they always have from time to time... I finally ordered something from Zoeva that I have been coveting for a while!

It's always out of stock for some fabulous reason, so I had myself on the waitlist and BOOM, I was lucky enough to be able to grab it this time round!

Doesn't this just look absolutely beautiful?

So yes, of course I bought it.. and for 30% off too, I calculated and the end total was only RM144.55! For 6 brushes that you can use for all sorts of purposes, MAN ISN'T THAT AN ABSOLUTE STEAL?!!!! I mean, that's the exact price you'll be looking at paying for ONE (1) M.A.C eye brush!

Anyway, they came 10 days later and man, they're just beautiful. They also come in an amazing bag that looks like this:

Yeah, super sleek and heavy duty. HEHE.

Here's how the brushes look in real life:

Yes, I realise the red desk background is distracting. SORREH. I have no other background to shoot on LOL.

As you can see above, these are the brushes that you will get in the set:

• 102 Silk Finish
• 105 Luxe Highlight
• 106 Powder
• 122 Petit Stippling
• 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek
• 142 Concealer Buffer

Can I just say, I have tried out all the brushes and they are just so soft against my skin, not scratchy at all and I LOVE IT. The only thing I wouldn't quite need would be the 122 Petit Stippling, but I've got a medium stippling brush so I guess I could do with a small one too. LOL *hoarder* So if you're a beginner looking for brushes to start off your "collection", I think this set would be absolutely perfect. Got your foundation, blusher, powder, bronzer/highlighter, concealer all sorted! You can even use the 142 Concealer Buffer as a blending brush for your eyes so talk about multitasking *love*

Anyway, I'm going to hold my FIRST GIVEAWAY for the Zoeva 102 Silk Finish Brush, it retails for RM50.50 on Luxola and I'll be giving it away only because I already have one before I bought this set, and I don't really need two.

The bristles are soft and dense, which makes it absolutely perfect for liquid foundations, buffing out your bronzer/blush/concealer.. it's pretty much a multipurpose brush so woohoo!

If you would like to own your OWN Zoeva 102 Silk Finish brush, just let me know in the comment section (you can say anything you want lol, or tell me why you'd like to try it etc.) and I will choose a random winner. Don't forget to leave your blog so I can contact you! This giveaway will run till the 30th of June 2014, Monday! Oh, and it's only open to residents of Malaysia (for easy postage/handover of the brush hahaha) :)

Good luck :D and thanks for reading my post.

Lots of love,
Amelia 

P/S I AM ALSO ATTENDING TAYLOR SWIFT'S RED TOUR KL TODAY! Anyone as excited as I am?? I am bursting with excitement, I already feel them tears coming thinking about it #dramaqueen #crybaby But I've loved her since Teardrops on my guitar and DAMN She's come a long way since then. *proud Swiftie*

P/P/S I have made my pictures larger this time round, let me know if it's any better for you? :) Received some comments saying that my previous pictures were too small. HEHE thank you.

Bronzers of the mo'!

I've been hooked onto bronzers ever since I've seen the magic it's been able to do! I'm still really light handed when using bronzers even though I have been using it for quite a bit now. Maybe about 2 years? Still need to work up the courage to pack it on so I can actually see it though. What I love about bronzers is the lovely glow that it seems to give your face. It's my favourite part. Especially when you've got a face full of foundation or BB cream and all you really want is a little bit of colour, besides your blush. Bronzing will be your solution! :D

{Also, can I just say: I watched Maleficent last night and DAYUM GURLFRIEND, Maleficent's got her bronzing game on point!}

I'm super choosy when it comes to bronzers that I will actually buy. Firstly, no shimmer. Like, I prefer a matte bronzer all around. Shimmer can be so.. distracting to be completely honest. but then again,i guess sometimes things you don't necessarily like ends up surprising you. (LOL) Secondly, nothing too dark. For obvious reasons. I'm about a MAC NC20 - 25 and mostly wear shades Fair, light. So nothing too brown or it's going to look super muddy on me and nothing too orangey cause I don't really like that look :P

Anyway, I've been OBSESSED with these 3 bronzers over the past couple of weeks! Let me introduce:

From Left to Right:
Canmake Shading Powder (in 01 Danish Brown)
Kiko Cosmetics Essential Bronzer (in Warm Melange)
Sleek Face Contour Kit (in Light)

Let me tell you a little bit on how I came about my Kiko Cosmetics Bronzer. First off, Kiko Cosmetics a.k.a Kiko Make Up Milano, originates from Italy. While being in Italy my first time round, I noticed it a lot but fortunately (for my wallet then),  I wasn't into makeup yet. So, making it a point, I KNEW I had to walk into one of their shops this trip round! 

We need a Kiko Cosmetics in Malaysia seriously! They're makeup is of good quality and is inexpensive, very affordable and AWESOME. 

While we were in Verona, basically, they had the sign 1 EURO LIPSTICKS, so naturally, my mom and I oooh and aaahhed (my mom loves lipsticks)  and we went in and within MINUTES I TELL YA, my mom had about 4 lipsticks in her basket already. Oh, and nail polishes ("Girl, 1 euro for Nail polishes where can you find so cheap! Quick which colour nice!" - she proceeded to buy 5) and eyeshadow ("4 euros for eyeshadow sticks?! I LOVE EYESHADOW STICKS. Girl which one will fit me???" - she proceeded to buy 4) Yeah, now you know where I get my shopping habits from. HEHE 

I on the other hand was basically, tottering about just trying everything out. I didn't have anything in particular to buy and then this bronzer cause my eye.. and I was just staring at it when one of the shop assistants came up to me:

SA: Bonjourno! *Starts speaking in Italian very quickly"
Me: Sorry, no Italian, English! 

SA: Ah, English! Yes, bronzer! This colour suits you. Beautiful, let me show you.

And she whips me off to the corner and starts applying it on my face.
Let me clarify, usually I do not enjoy this cause god knows where that brush of hers has been and yeah.

After which, I looked at myself in the mirror. 

Me: Yes, I'll take one. 

SHE MADE ME GOLDEN. Like seriously, it was beautiful, I don't know how she did it but I went up to my mama and she was like, Oh wow. your face is brown, but in a nice Italian way (HAHA WTF). 

So yes, that's my story. I also bought a new brush and some eyeshadow sticks -- my mom made me really want to get one too. LOL No regrets though, quality eyeshadow sticks they were. 

Also, this whole bronzer, the pan is bigger than my fist.. I think it's gonna last me FOREVER costed only 16.90EUROS. That's barely S$30/ RM60! (Also, I'm not very good with forex so excuse me there hehe) So it was SUPER affordable. And I love it so much. It smells beautiful as well btw! Also, this is part of a limited summer collection so YAY!

 I know I said I do not like shimmer in my bronzers, but I'll make an exception here. It's not OTT and it gives a beautiful sheen that doesn't look like I'm about to deep fry some eggs on my face! 

Anyway, I am awake you can't purchase KIKO in Malaysia, but you can find them online.. I ain't too sure about shipping though, but they have their shops in several places as well as the UK (although I checked and they were selling it the except same price except in £££ so more expensive leh!) and America!

Beautiful swirls! Don't they look like galaxies? *dreams away....*

Onwards to my second bronzer that I have been obsessed with lately: Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light! Now, Sleek Makeup is another affordable makeup brand who is very well knows for their trio of blushes, and, super affordable eye palettes! Hola at me if you've got one (or two, or three, I don't judge) of their eyeshadow palettes! Usually about 12 colours for only £7.99. RIDICULOUS. Too cheap. and so pretty too. Love their packaging, very reminiscent of Nars (which unfortunately is super pricey).

I ordered mine online from Luxola (best website hands down) and this kit costed me RM45.50 but I purchased it when Luxola had one of em crazy sales days and took 20% off that price! (I can't do math but I assume I paid less than RM40 for this) and I think it's very reasonable because not only do I get a nice amount of bronzer, but it comes with a highlighter as well! (Which is beautiful too, not OTT and just lovely to put under my eye area)

The bronzer comes in 3 shades, Light, Medium and Dark and I chose Light for obvious reasons and it's perfect and matte. I LOVE IT. 

Last but not least, is my Canmake Shading Powder. I bought this at our local Sasa, unfortunately I don't really remember how much I paid for it since I bought it a while back. Canmake is a Japanese drugstore cosmetic brand and while it's super cheap in Japan itself, I find that the prices here and in Singapore (generally), are about double the price! It's quite alarming T_T

Out of all my bronzers, this is the lightest and the only one that comes with a brush. That said though, I don't use the rbush at all, much prefer using my own fluffy brush for a more natural look!

In regards to it being the lightest bronzer out of the three that I have been reaching for on a daily basis, this is the most naturalest (is this even a word wtf).. so definitely something I would use just to not make my face look so flat! I like it enough and it's so cute! looks like a chocolate bar doesn't it! HEHE Also, the size is super compact so it's nice for touch ups -- just a though, I don't actually bring a makeup bag out when I'm oot and aboot. Hehe

I know this post is a little lengthy, but I felt a bit more gung ho! HEHE  Hopefully I will do more of these kind of posts if ya'll like it! Let me know :)

Lots of love,
Amelia xo