BEAUTY — The Good Weekender

K-Beauty: Missha Time Revolution Essence & Pure Vitamin C 21.5 Serum

I had such a good run with this Japanese beauty range so it was disappointing that it stopped working for me—especially since I had repurchased the whole expensive range a few weeks before that (for the second time, too), so I was left with leftovers.
PS: Any of you guys ever experienced that with…

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Makeup Remover Solution vs Biore Makeup Remover Wipes

One's a cult product in France (hence, internationally; it's a Paris thing) and another a cult product in Japan. Both makeup removers, both top-notch. But which is better?
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I was introduced to Bioderma when I started my stay (staycation?) in Paris in 2012 by Lisa Eldridge throu…

I Tried The 7-Day Sheet Mask Challenge and Here's What Happened

I know, I know, I'm SUPER late to this game, but better late than never and all, amiright?
My cousin Ira recently recommended two Korean skincare products to me - both of which I'm still testing out - so I thought I'd give my skin some extra taste of the whole Korean beauty shebang by …

Eye Drops That Actually WORK: Rohto Eye Drops

The thing is, I don't like wearing glasses. I have a list and all to tell you why: My makeup looks better without them on. I don't know how Bobbi Brown slays in glasses + makeup.Mascara smears on the lenses when I have makeup on = NOT COOL.Eye strain that comes and goes when I'm doing w…

Yes, I Do Want Some Scrub

You know...as opposed to "No, I don't want no scrub."

I'm actually a pretty low-maintenance gal. I rarely go out for mani / pedi, and I don't do waxing, threading, facials, spa sessions...although I suspect some people think those are what I do all week long, with me being a …

Kose Sekkisei Trial Kit

I've always had OK skin, something I'm glad of, but since I always take a minimalistic approach when it comes to my skincare routine—a cleanser and a moisturiser are pretty much it—there's always that desire of wanting more for my skin. I always want it to look better, for it to be cle…

Makeup & Beauty Buys From Seoul

I've been in the 'dark or bright, no natural lips' kind of phase ever since my autumn-winter trip to Tokyo last November, so when Shah had to go for a quick visit to Korea last month, all I asked for were dark AND bright lip products. He had full three days of work: one day of meetings…

And The Beauty Products That Made My 2015 Are...

It's certainly been a year full of ups and downs, in terms of beauty, for me. I had some really good hair days and some great clear months with my skin but I must say, my facial skin is like a movie; there's always a dismaying twist, only in this "movie", that twist always happen…

Makeup & Beauty Things From Japan

Four little cutesy things and two big beauty buys from Tokyo.
If there is one thing I learned from my Tokyo trips, the makeup and beauty aisles at the local pharmacies / drugstores can be overwhelming; they're just absolutely crammed with products and if you don't speak and read Japanese, …

Lipstick as Blush

Sometimes a lipstick doesn't have to just be a lipstick! I've been repurposing some of the lipsticks I own as a blush and I've been LOVING it.

My first experiment with lipstick-as-a-blush was accidental but it went so well that I feel like I should just ditch my other powder blushes. I would have thought something so emollient wouldn't last nowhere near as long as my old-school blushes, especially on my combination-oily skin, but I was proven wrong. I used to scoff when I read in the beauty section that cream blushes stay on for longer than a powder blush but I'm a changed woman now. (#wiser)

If I'm too lazy to carry a whole stack of makeup when travelling, I can now just stick with a good concealer, an eyelash curler and a lipstick, and those will be all I need.

My favourite current lipstick-as-blush? Revlon Super Lustrous in Rose Velvet, which happens to be one of my all-time favourite lipstick-as-lipstick, too. The sweet pink colour blends seamlessly and evenly on my cheeks but the best part is it actually stays on for HOURS.

Not all lipsticks would work well as a blush, though; it depends on the colour (Bright purple on lips? Yes. Bright purple on cheeks? Maybe no) and more importantly, the texture—a matte lipstick might not be the most ideal as it'll be hard to blend and could end up looking unnatural.

Here's my how-to:

Rub a small amount of lipstick on your ring finer
Dot lipstick on cheeks
Spread lipstick evenly on apple of cheeks or a little higher
Layer as needed

Affordorable Makeup From Japan

I tend to spot clothes faster than I do makeup and beauty items, which was why I only manage to snag a few beauties and one more in my first and second trip to Japan. This third time around, though, I made sure to put aside just a little bit more of my Japanese Yen for some makeup and beauty goodies that are available in Japan's famous cosmetics-laden pharmacies and other local beauty stores.

Natural Exfoliation Using River Sands and Beads

It's odd, but this natural way to exfoliate was the one thing that I truly remember from the number of camping trips I took when I was a scout (or as we call it, "Pengakap") in primary school. I did learn a few other things, like: (1) I enjoy the occasional jungle-trekking, (2) I love bathing in river water, (3) I don't like sleeping in tents, and (4) I hate leeches. But if there is one lesson that I've taken with me from my camping experience to this day, it was to recognise river sands and beads as nature's exfoliators.

Whenever I get the chance to experience the delicious taste of cold river water, I take the opportunity to get some exfoliating done as well; I suppose the metaphor "Kill two birds with one stone" might just be appropriate here. This could be done at any nature's body of water that has sands and beads—even at your favourite beach—but shallow river is just my favourite, like the place I visited here.

It's so super simple to do that you simply must just give it a go the next time you're near some natural sands and beads. Here's how:

Pick up some of the sands and beads from the river bed. Please make sure there are no foreign object amongst them to be safe.