April Favorite

Here we are in another monthly favorite and I will skip the /omg i can't believe this month is over/ paragraph because I'm sure you've read them countless of times on another blog already. So, onto my April favorites!

MAC Lipstick in Brave Red

This lipstick had been sitting gathering dust in the bottom of my Muji drawer ever since I fell in love with dark burgundy lips. But one morning, I accidentally picked this instead of Cosmo (what can I do, MAC lipsticks look the same and I was in a hurry) then I found myself naturally reaching for this. Creamy and bold, this lisptick is also non-drying, more hydrating than Cosmo even.

Burberry Lip Velvet in Oxblood

I mentioned this lipstick on my previous post. My HG lipstick in every means possible, this lipstick just gives me that BAMF factor that ensures my look througout the day. Last through meals and drinks but I like to reapply during the middle of the day after lunch just out of habit.

Laneige Pore BB Cushion in Brown Beige

I used to stay clear from BB Cream because of its greyish undertone but this BB Cushion changed my mind! It doesn't make my skin ashy but looks completely natural. The pore blurring effect and oil control is just as amazing.

Kiehl's Midnight Recover Concentrate

Probably the most expenssive thing I have with me at the moment. I use this everynight before my blemish clearing cream without moisturizer because layering the two is too heavy for my face. Even then, my skin is not dry at all and every morning, my skin looks considerably brighter.

Red Velvet Album The Red and Mini The Velvet

Oh la, la, I did not expect to fall for Red Velvet at all until I heard their newest single 'One of These Nights'. The haunting and mythical quality of the song just drew me in, and before I know it, I've been listening to their 1st full album and humming to 'Dumb Dumb'non-stop. My favorites other than 'OOTN' are; Huff Puff, Oh Boy, Campfire, Time Slip, and First Time. My favorite member?? Of course it's Wendy and her endless derping.

This has been a lovely month so far, I learnt lots of new things (work-wise), and tackled new approach of communication (I'm such a failure when it comes to socializing, trust me). Also, I'm very happy that my blog is gaining followers on bloglovin. Still very little but it feels very good to know that there're people who found what I wrote interesting.

What are your April Favorite?

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Current Mascaras

If I have to choose between mascara and eyeliner, I will no doubt answer it with; mascara. I'm simply not an eyeliner girl because I'm quiet satisfied with my eyes without it. My lashes, however, are in an entirely different predicament; they're short (af). I'm always in search for good mascara and my (super duper) oily lids just add more to my journey. Since mascara has short life-span, I tend to use only one at the time, and add one more when it's getting dry. Here are the current mascaras I use on rotation;

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara;

For the longest of time, I've been using Dolly Wink Long Mascara but I heard it was discontinued. I freaked out a bit when I almost ran out of it but then this travel-size mascara was given to me as a present when Bobbi Brown was having a promo. Needless to say, as a Bobbi Brown lover; I'm totally smitten! This pitch black mascara not only adds length but also volume, and it's easy to remove as well!

Rimmel London Panorama Long Great Curl Mascara;

a friend of mine got this on her trip to Japan but she mistook this with the black one. I asked her if I can have it (shamelessly) and she said it's okay so here it is inside my drawer. Honestly, this doesn't really give me any curl at all but it does lengthen, even if not as long as Bobbi Brown ones.

What are your current favorite mascaras?

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Jill Stuart Review Ribbon Couture Eyes

Dear Jill Stuart, please trust me when I said I love you, because truly, I do, and for such reason too I will be objective when it comes to you. I was really estatic when you surprised me by the excelent quality of Velvet Eyeshadow and it was with same expectation that I picked another eyeshadow from you which is the ribbon couture eyes. Such lovely and pleasant color for a blue-lover like me, but why, oh why you have to do this to me?

Ribbon Couture Eyes used to be Jill Stuart's newest eyeshadow line until the new one came out in the beginning of the year. This one promises shimmery, high in color eyeshadow, and even if the color selection, like the other Jill Stuart eyeshadow, is dominated by variations of brown, this line actually released some popping color like this one in 'Indigo Tweed', a part of their Summer 2015 releases. I picked this up last May when I was in Japan but didn't use it until about five months later because I didn't have a heart to ruin the beautiful ribbon embosssing. Housed in a luxurious-looking package that feels as luxurious on hands, presentation-wise, there's nothing to fault from this product. That was only until you try it on.

I don't know if it's the fault lies in my way of applying them or in the tools or in the product itself. Since this eyeshadow is on the sheer side, I need to pack them on so the color is vibrant enough. The thing is, whenever I add more product, the ones already on my lids just move around so it's almost impossible to pack them and get intense, vivid result. I tried putting them over primer and they perform better on top of Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Bone, but not without difficulties. That being said, they actually stay true to their shade on my deeper-toned lids instead of turning into same dirty hues of grey (something I experienced with local brand blue palette), so in a way this product is not entirely bad either. I tried doing blue-smokey eyes look with this and they were actually stunning!

My favorite shades of the bunch are the turqoise-mint shade and the deep royal-blue shade. They're a little bit crumbly but has minimum fall-out. The shimmer, as you can see on the above photos, are so finely milled, they also give the eyeshadow a nice dimension that makes it sophisticated when each shade is worn alone. Still, with how hard it is to work this eyeshadow, I won't say I love it but I don't hate it either. If you're a fan of high shimmer eyeshadow (and pretty, luxurious packaging), this eyeshadow might be the one for you.

Have you tried any Jill Stuart Eyeshadow? What's you favorite shimmer eyeshadow?

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The Only Blush I will Ever Need

I have a confession to make; I only wear 1 blush since March 2015 to now, April 2016. Nope, I'm not lying nor exagerrating. If you follow me on instagram you might notice that I basically only feature one blush which is Bobbi Brown Blush in Nectar. I purchased this back in January 2015 for graduation and started wearing it regularly in March after I hit pan on Candy Doll Blush. A year later of wearing this practically every single day, I am yet to hit the pan. Funny thing is, because I was so obsessed on hitting the pan on this one, I didn't feel even a teenie weenie bit urge of purchasing new blush. Seriously. 

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nectar is described on BB's site as 'pink coral silky powder blush that glides on smoothly and offers a matte finish with long-lasting wear'. I vouch to you that all claims of this blush being silky and smooth, plus matte and long-lasting are true! But I want to add that this blush is not completely matte, rather, this actually gives my cheek glow, a really healthy glow as if they're glowing from within. The texture is very fine and smooth, I always apply them using Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush and it kicks very little powder but not to the point of utter messiness (looking at my Too Faced Eyeshadow Palette).

As for lasting powder, this totally last a whole day. I generally apply this around 6 in the morning and when I returned home around 8, my cheeks are still blushing pink even if my base and eyeshadow is as good as melting away. Pigmentation wise, it's so pigmented! I usually tap my brush lightly once but it's enough for each cheek to last through the day. Of course you can build this up for more intensity.

The best part about this blush is probably its versatility, appropriate from every occasion from office to party. There is literally no part of this blush that I can fault for. Really, I've been staying loyal to this pretty little thing for a year now, do I need to convince you with another long paragraph of how much I've been smitten?

Have you tried any Bobbi Brown Blush? What's your most favoritest blush ever?

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A Little Gift from South Korea

My dear friend, Mba Agi, went to South Korea by the end of last March. I only asked her to get The SHINee Popcorn from SM X SUM Market but she surprised me by getting me some more else.

SM X SUM Market SHINee Gourmet Popcorn;

At first, I wanted a SHINee tumblr, but I remember I have a 'mint-turqouise May' project coming to celebrate SHINee's anniversary, so I need to stock up on turqouise colored things. When she was asking me what I wanted to get, it just happened someone on twitter tweeted about this popcorn. I immediately fell in love, then told her I want to get this one, with the bottle being spare if she couldn't get hold of it. A review(?) of this is coming soon(?), but let me tell you, this thing is such a darling for photograph.

Ottogi Noodle Snack;

On April 1st, SHINee released a CV of Ottogi noodle snack after their last cf on 2009, it was pretty adorable and I got strangely sentimental, because, God, 2009 was years ago. Just after I was done watching the new cf, she contacted me via Line and said; "I got you that one." Ah, fate is such a lovely thing.

Missha Line Friends Edition Love Secret Hand Cream in Blue Daisy;

This one is also unexpected gift. Missha x Line collaboration is everyone on my instagram feed, from BB Cushion to Lipstick. She got me this handcream, which as you can see, is as cute as a button. Not only adorable, this one also smells really good (Mom, ever the hand cream-fiend, keep trying to try this before I got the chance to snap a picture of it, but I managed to guard it until the end lol).

SHINee assorted post-it notes;

I literally squealed in joy when I fished this out of plastic bag. I love post-it notes but I never get the fancy ones because I think it'll be such a waste if I'm going to throw it away later. Nevertheless, I'm really happy to get this one because the images are from some of my favorite photoshoot, the first one in blue is my absolute favorite.

Overall, I'm so thankful for her, she really is too kind for me even if we only got to know each other last year (I know, it always feels like I have known here since years ago). I'm going to return the favor when I go to Japan this June.

Do you have anything you want to try or get from South Korea?

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On My Lips at The Moment

As I rummaged through my makeup pouch, I realized I've been having two same lip products inside for the couple of weeks. Now, I might not have that much lipstick, but I tend to change it every week. However, these two have been swimming in the bottom of my bag for too long to be ignored.

Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in True Pink;
was, admittedly, a little bit of unexpected purchase. However, I obviously do not regret it as seeing I've been using this a lot lately. I think it started when I used this for a family photo and noticed how it flattered my complexion nicely without making it ashen like some pink lipstick tend to do to me, seeing as this isn't as brown as MAC Cosmo and leans more toward blueish pink. Creamy without any tugging and stay puts despite my constant drinking.

Burberry Lip Velvet in Oxblood;
I had a phase when I cannot stop whipping this out from my bag until I swore to use up my MAC Cosmo and the fear of having nasty-smelling lipstick makes me put this back in the drawer to use the older lipstick I have. But this creamy, matte lipstick is back and I'm back to that phase. I cannot stop gushing about how this lisptick, despite making me looks considerably older, skyrockets my confident a lot. You know those products that make you feel like you can kill even grizzly bear? For me, this lipstick is.

What have you been favorite lipstick as of late? Do you have any lipstick that makes you feel invinsible?

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New in April

April just began but look at what I added to my growing collection. It's truly mind-blowing, I blame this on the very convincing SA who doesn't stop mentioning the promo when I was at Kiehls' counter. As I've mentioned previously, my goal 2016 is to improve my skin condition so 3/4 of my wishlist is full with skincare but with these purchase, I think I can say I already have it completed (hopefully). Here are new items I bought this April;

Laneige Pore BB Cushion; Laneige has three variation of BB Cushion in their line. I tried my mother's cushion (the normal one) and it turned out too rich for me. I saw they have one targeted for oily/pore-troubled skin and I didn't even think twice when visiting their counter. This one is the darkest color and while it has that grayish tint that all BB Cream seems to have (and honestly, I do not fancy), it looks really natural on me.

Stradivarius Card Holder in Mint; my current My Melody Card Holder is barely holding on together. I originally had my eyes on Kate Spade's similar looking card holder but then I stumbled upon this in almost exactly same color but only 1/10 of Kate Spade's price. Of course I did not think twice when snatching this and proceeded to pay.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate; I had this infamous concentrate in my wishlist since January. I didn't plan to purchase this until 10th but then the SA just had to told me they're having this promotion and I bid tearful goodbye to my money. I've been using the sample version of this one since March 21st and my skin has been looking amazing every since.

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque; is another Kiehl's item I had in my wishlist. The only mask I ever own was The Body Shop's Seaweed Clarifying Clay Mask. I might have shared it previously but TBS's products sting my skin alot. That particular mask was the worst, it left my skin tingling but no apparent effect at all. But I trust Kiehl's for I have only good experience with them and purchased this one. I still cannot judge this product, hopefully once May comes, I can give my two cents about this mask.

Facial Fuel No-Shine Moisturizing Lip Balm; oh my god, what a mouthful name. I just bought this to make the promo valid, but I don't think I will even buy this if my L'Occitane Lipbalm isn't running out either. This is actually designed for men but the SA told me this gives matter finish, and the twist-up application is more appealing than the tube ones for me. This lip-balm has slight mint taste that makes my lips tingle on first application but it does moisturize well, I think I just need to get used to that sensation.

What did you bought so far this April?

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To do April

My To Do April is more a preparation for May, I realized. With my upcoming trip to Japan and other events such as SHINee's anniversary and my friends' birthday, I have so many things I have to prepare. You'd think than celebrating favorite artist birthday is silly but trust me, it runs in the fandom and it gives me another special day to look forward to. My To do April includes;

1. do something for Jonghyun's birthday. Bake, buy cake, anything,
2. start budgeting for Japan trip and making wishlist,
3. Of course Visit embassy for visit permit,
4. bulk write for May since I will be missing most of the time,
5. take pictures for 'Turqoise May'. Yes, in May my instagram will be (almost) exclusively mint-blue in color,
6. be more forgiving and sees from other people's perspective,
7. read more about web marketing,
8. quote of the month; there are not many things you can solely achieve on your own.

What are your goal this April?

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March Favorite

I didn't realize that most things I favored last month were mostly pink in color. I swear this is not deliberate, I just found myself reaching for these items more than the other. When choosing my favorite, I make sure to set my staple aside such as my foundation - concealer - blush since I'm basically using the same item everyday (Hello, loyalty!). Thankfully I'm saved from redundancy by my lipstick and eyeshadow. Here are my March Favorite;

MAC Lipstick in Cosmo; my equivalent to MLBB shade and probably the most 'tamed' color I own. This pink-brown lisptick is really easy to pull and its versatility made me reach for it most of the time this month. I have to admit I had been lazy in my makeup routine in March, looking forward to bring darker color back in April.

Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in True Pink; I purchased this to make my Jill Stuart Lip Blossom works on my lips but ended up wearing this alone. Even without lipstick on top, this creamy lip line gives fabulous result; vibrant color than flatters my complexion and good longevity.

KIKO Long Lasting Stick in Burgundy; out of two eyeshadow stick from KIKO, I fall for this harder than the other way which is the highly coveted Rosy Brown. Lots of my clothing consist of wine red hence my tendency to reach for this one. True to everyone's claim, this eyeshadow stick is really creamy and easy to wear. This last for 4 hours or so on my lids before creasing and fading but one quick swipe is enough to fix them.

Jill Stuart Nail Lacquer in Sweet Note; I was not sold at first because this one is quiet sheer and even three layer cannot give me the opacity I wanted. Turned out this one isn't meant to be worn alone for opaqueness at all, rather as top coat over more opaque base. However since I'm lazy soul at heart, I skipped the base altogether and wear it alone. With more usage, I'm finding myself in love with this, there's something very feminine with its fine shimmer and peach-pink color.

Liz Lisa Body Lotion; had been sitting gathering dust on my cabinet just because I fear running out of it. However, I wore this one in the beginning of the month and I'm squeezing the last drop of it now. Not only nourishing, this lotion is light in texture and smells heavenly.

Those are my March Favorite. What was the items you used a lot last March?

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