BELATED LIFE UPDATES

I apologise for having not posted anything new on my blog for quite a while. It's because the hubby and I were busy with moving overseas and I had to say it was more hectic than I thought. We are now in Beijing, my hometown and I am so happy we finally get to spend some time with my family.

On the first day we had a lovely walk in Tao Ran Ting Park, where I used to go to all the time when I was little. It was a beautiful day with blue sky, which is quite rare these days in Beijing.

Yesterday we decided to adopt two puppies. We named them Des (on the right and the stronger one) and Troy (on the left and the more strategic one). They are the cutest thing we've ever seen and we could not bear the thought that they would be abandoned otherwise in the street as the Chinese buyers are mainly interested in having pure breed dogs. We are so happy we are now parents and we hope we could help them grow strong and healthy. 

We've been busy with organising stuff for our new unit here recently so that we can move in. I'll be back here and post as usual in one or two weeks after we settle in and I cannot wait to share some of my new beauty loves with you soon! 

 

NATIO EYE CONTOUR TREATMENT GEL

I was looking for a morning eye cream the other day at Myer Center. I picked up the Natio Eye Contour Treatment Gel in the end after trying it on my hand over the counter as I really enjoyed the scent and its cooling effect on the skin. If you do not know about Natio, it's an Australian owned and operated beauty brand and offers plant based beauty range. The brand's skin care range is created using the principles of aromatherapy, which focuses on blends of pure essential oils extracted from aromatic flowers and plants. If you read my previous posts, you'd know I've grown a bit of passion for the natural and organic beauty products so I love the company's beauty philosophy and vision. 

Back to the product. This eye gel is especially made for the morning time and targets on the puffiness and dark circles that we experience often in the morning. The cornflower and chamomile are supposed to soften, soothe and firm the eye area while the cucumber and calendula to cool, moisture and calm the skin. I find it quite gentle on the eye and very pleasant to use. It feels soothing and cooling when I gently pad the product around my eye area and it absorbs quickly enough without annoying me with the sticky touch that gel formula products always do. It seems to work well to calm down the puffiness. Because it's lightweight yet moisturising, it works with concealer rather than against it. It definitely helps prevent the fine lines from showing after a few hours wearing concealer and that's a big plus for me. However, I've seen no sign of diminishing the appearance of the dark circles around my eyes. Having said that, I've never used any eye products that effectively tackle the dark circle issue and I think it's more of a curing "inside" than "outside" problem. 

Overall I am happy with this product and would recommend it as a good morning eye gel or a good base for eye makeup. My test of this product is in the summer so we'll see if I am still satisfied with its moisturising power when I go back to a colder weather. 

Have you tried this eye gel? What's your current morning eye skincare product? 

THE RETURN OF THE WINGED EYELINER AND RED LIPS

I found some new goodies recently and thanks to them I've been enjoying wearing winged eyeliner and red lips over the past few days.  

Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush is the ultimate winged eyeliner tool for me. It creates the most accurate and the finest line. It's so easy to work with that it makes the forever long work now finished within minutes. Be sure to use a fairly fresh and creamy gel eyeliner and you'll be amazed. Voluminous lashes are a must when pairing with the winged eyeliner. Maybelline Volume Express the Falsies Waterproof Mascara is my current favourite mascara for my upper lashes. It really curls my lashes from corner to corner and gives me the most satisfying full lashes I've ever wanted. However, I do find the brush is a bit too big for my lower lashes. It seems in the UK the new Falsies mascara has two ends, one with the normal brush, the other with a smaller brush for the lower lashes. Unfortunately I cannot get hold of it in Australia yet but it's definitely on my wishlist. 

I've never purchased any Face Of Australia products before the Face Of Australia Lasting Looks Lip Creme in the colour For Red-er. But OH MY, I honestly think it's the best lipstick I've picked from the drugstore. It has a vanilla scent but not an overwhelming one that makes you sick. It's so creamy and it goes on so smoothly and comfortably that it feels more like a lip butter . The consistency is incredible and it's very forgiving for any imperfections on my lips. The colour is quite buildable and can go from a light orangy red if I just dab the colour using my fingertip to a red-er colour if I directly apply the lipstick on my lips. I am pretty rubbish at describing colours but this colour can definitely suit all skin tones beautifully. It gives you that vibrant yet classy look effortlessly. The only complaint if I have to say any is its lasting power. I do not find it long lasting on my lips especially when I eat. But at AU$10.95 I do not mind touching up a bit more. 

Have you tried any of these products? Do you want to try any?

FROM BB TO CC

We'd probably all agree that we are over the BB and CC cream fuss. However, we cannot deny we are glad these all-in-one creams are in our drawers now to save us some time to get ready. 

Korean BB cream was a big hit in China when I lived there. I wasn't really interested until I saw my girlfriend's flawless skin one day and asked her what she used. When I heard those two magic words again "BB Cream", I could not resist but had to try it myself. Heynature Moist Tightening BB Cream was my first BB cream and unfortunately I did not grow fond of it. It's a one colour for all BB cream and I found the colour like a white mask on my skin tone. Although later the BB cream did seem to turn a bit darker, it looked rather dirty on my skin. I used it twice and it was forgotten for good in my drawer. 

It took me forever to have the urge to buy a different BB cream. I was at HK airport duty free, where I buy all the things I do not need, and I saw this Bobbie Brown BB Cream SPF35. Reading through the product description and trying the product on my hand, I believed this could be the one for me. It's not a love at first use product for me but I did fall in love with it in the end after several uses. It's perfect when I have dry skin days or when I live in the cold weather. It's light weight, easy to blend on the skin and provides good moisture. Although by no means it can replace a high coverage foundation, it does offer decent coverage for my skin condition and I am happy to wear it on its own. I use it not so often in the summer as its lasting power is not ideal under the heat and when my T-zone tends to be oily.

CC cream did not seem to get as much attention as the BB cream and I only got my hands on them not long ago. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream was my first CC cream attempt. I was not disappointed but not amazed either. The product itself is quite nice to use but it certainly does not live up to what's been advertised. It offers light to medium coverage, similar to the Bobbie Brown BB Cream if not less. I still can see my pores and have to use concealer to cover up other imperfections on my skin. It gives a dewy finish on the skin and it's not long lasting as I start to see the shine on my T-zone after 3 or 4 hours. On the other hand, this CC cream is light weight and very moisturising on the skin although the texture appears to be more creamy than the Bourjois' one. It does not feel like foundation at all and I do notice my skin feels hydrated through out the day. The high SPF (50) is definitely a big plus for summer use and the pump design is the most convenient compared to others.

At half of the IT Cosmetics CC Cream's cost, Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream is a very smart buy. It's probably my most favourite Bourjois product ever and I simply adore it. The texture is more liquidy yet it sets on the skin in a powdery form. It's easy to blend and it provides, in my humble opinion, a better coverage than the IT Cosmetic CC Cream. It's more of a satin matte finish, which I prefer, and it lasts a good 4 to 5 hours in the summer. It's the perfect CC cream for the hot weather, although I may turn my love to the IT Cosmetics one in a colder weather for its more hydrating effect. If you have very dry skin and experience quite some dry patches on your face, you might not like this one as much as I do as it does seem to let the dryness on the skin appear.

Have you tried any BB or CC cream yet? Which one is your favourite?

WANDERLUST TAG

So I stumbled across an old video of +essiebutton, where she and her boyfriend did the Wanderlust Tag. I love travelling and think it's fun to answer the questions here on my blog and show you some pictures of a favourite trip of mine.

1. Your most treasured passport stamp?

The first time I went to London. It's a life changing experience and I loved every moment of it. 

2. Can you recite your passport # from memory if asked?

No...I have a very bad memory for numbers as well as English names. 

3. Preferred method of travel; planes, trains or automobiles?

It depends. Long haul flight is so uncomfortable (well I fly economy all the time) but it's the quickest way to get to where I want to be and I cannot stand spending days on the train. I enjoy road trip a lot probably because I am not the one driving (I cannot drive so....). 

4. Top 3 travel items?

Camera, credit card and tissues. 

5. Hostel or hotel?

Always hotel. I've never stayed in hostel. I cannot live with people I do not know and share bathroom etc....It's kinda scary. 

6. Are you a repeat visitor or do you explore new places?

I'd prioritize new places on my travelling list. However, if I am going to have a Europe trip, I'll definitely go back to see London. I just love that city. 

7. Do you read up on your destination (culture,history,safety) or do you wing it?

Well I google a bit and sometimes I'd even buy a book for the destination (might not read it....). I am not a planner and quite spontaneous so most of the time I'll just wing it. 

8. Favorite travel website?

Trip Advisor. I never got any disappointing experience from going to places that are highly recommended there. 

9. Where would you recommend a friend to visit? Name city & why.

It depends on the friend's interests. If it's history and culture, I'd recommend London as that's what London fascinates me the most. I loved walking around the city and went to all the museums and galleries (I went to high street more often though, let's be honest....). If it's for sunshine and the nature, I'd recommend most cities in Australia and my favourite one is Adelaide as you can see old buildings in the city, enjoy wine in Borassa and be amazed by the nature in Kangaroo Island. All photos in this post were taken there. 

10. You're leaving tomorrow, money is no option, where are you going?

Europe especially Italy and Greece. I hope I could make it happen this year or next year. 

Where is your favourite place to visit?

FACE OF THE DAY

On my face

Vapour Stratus Soft Focus Skin Perfector has been in my makeup routine since I got it. It gives a natural satin finish and leaves a smooth base for makeup. I then reached for IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream, which is a new discovery of mine. I like the fact that it has a high SPF, which is much needed in Australia summer. It has a creamy texture but is light weight at the same time. I would not say it's a full coverage foundation as I still had to use Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer for my undereye dark circle as well as any other imperfections on my face. However, it's not a favourite concealer of mine and I am still looking for one. Today was my first time using IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness and it did a great job to cover any redness on my face without making it look cakey or drying my skin. I also found it effective to camouflage red blemishes. I then swept a fluffy brush in Clinique Blended Face Powder to set my concealer and my T-zone. Body Shop Bronze Bronzing Powder is still my favourite contouring powder. After contour I used MAC Powder Blush in Pinch O' Peach for a pop of colour on the cheeks and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle for the natural golden glow. 

On my eyes

IT Cosmetics Brow Power is my current go-to brow pencil. I always reached for Becca Lost Weekend Palette when I wanted a neutral look on my eyes. It's a perfect palette for everyday use with two matte and one shimmer eyeshadows. I used Moleskin (the light matte brown) on my eyelids and Chino (the dark matte brown) on my crease. To add more depth, I used Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze on the outer corner of my eye and blended it well with the rest of eye makeup. I chose Revlon Colourstay Eyeliner in Brown for a softer look and Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara to further open my eye. 

On my lips

Usually I prefer lipstick to lipgloss. However, I felt like having a bit of shine on my lips today and opted for Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Berry Allure. I love how non-sticky and hydrating it's on my lips. It gives a sheer finish, which is perfect for day time. 

What are you wearing today? What are your go-to products? 

IT COSMETICS BROW POWER - THE UNIVERSAL BROW PENCIL

I always thought buying a brow pencil is more or less like buying a foundation. Colour matching is the most tricky part. So when I saw IT Cosmetics Brow Power only got one colour option and was labelled as the universal brow pencil for all brow colours, I thought I had to test it. 

What does IT Cosmetics say about the product: 

"The oval shaped tip creates the most natural looking, well-groomed brow and is perfect for both thin and thick brows. The long-wearing formula is waterproof and smudge-resistant. Brow Power is also paraben-free, non-comedogenic and hypo-allergenic. Our universal, transforming shade adjusts to your brow colour. Apply lighter, softer strokes to match lighter colour hair including blonde and silver. Press harder for darker hair including medium brown to black"

My experience with the product: 

I like the oval shaped tip as I find it easy to work with. Testing the pencil on my hand, it does generate a quite wide colour range, from very light brown when applying gently to dark brown when pressing hard. However, I did not get a black colour from testing the product on my hand regardless how hard I pressed the pencil. The pencil feels soft and buttery when I apply it on my brows and together with the spooley brush it's easy to create a natural look. My natural brow colour is close to black and although the brow pencil colour payoff is more like dark brown on my brows, I am happy with the way it looks (shown in below picture) as my natural hair colour is dark brown. However, if you have very black hair, I think this brow pencil may not be dark enough for you. 

One thing I was also looking forward to testing out is the staying power of this brow pencil. Unfortunately I do not find it to be very long lasting on my brows. After four hours out in the city for a few things, I found the pigment on the outer edges of my brows faded, which was quite disappointing. Although it's summer in Australia, I stayed in the shopping mall most of the time and therefore did not sweat much. Testing on my hand, it's definitely not smudge resistant either. 

Overall I like how the Brow Power works on my brows and the natural look it easily creates. However, I am not impressed by its staying power. For AU$36, I would not say it's a brilliant product and think it's somewhat overpriced. It'll have to be a very impulsive purchase if there's next time. 

Have you tried the Brow Power? Do you like it?