5 things to do in October

How cliche, but, where did September go? To be completely honest, work-wise, it wasn't a good month. I felt uninspired for a whole month to the point sometimes I feel like giving up. Blogging-wise, we got lot of sunny weekends which means more bright, flattering photo. This month, I wish I can amp my productivity more in both areas, and below are a couple of other things I want to achieve in October;

1. Start to prepare meal for a week ahead in Sunday
2. Clean brushes more regularly
3. Make photography related post
4. Save more money for year end treat
5. watch MARVEL's 'Doctor Strange' with dearly beloved Tanya.

What do you want to do this October?

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5 great things in September

To be completely honest, while September took a great start, what's with my birthday and all, majority of it I spent totally unmotivated work-wise. There were so many things to do but I didn't find it in me to be productive. I think it wasn't until the last week I finally sort of 'find myself back'. Nevertheless, great things did happen so instead of wallowing in the bad, I'd focus in the goods and be grateful for it.

1. Basically everything I got from my birthday (see post), but especially Clinique Pop in Berry Pop.
2. Red Velvet's comeback with Russian Roulette. The whole album has finally grown in me but Russian Roulette is still my firm favorite. It's so catchy and lively. The music video is absolute delight to watch (the makeups are to die for!).
3. Found a simple method of making home-made hot chocolate, featuring chocolate chips and dashes of cinnamon.
4. After 2193190 months of no-pancious (kidding, only 4 months), I finally started eating there again. Let me tell you, I cannot stop (see post).
5. Since 22nd, local Starbucks is having 'Tumbler Amnesty Week' until 30th. As someone who spends majority of morning before office-hour in Starbucks, and owner of Starbucks Tumbler, this is absolute delight for me. I mean; 50% for all beverages??

What great thing happened to you this September?

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Thought on Charlotte Tilbury Glastonberry

On my what I got for my birthday, I mentioned I got myself a Charlotte Tilburry Matte Revolution Lipstick in Glastonberry. While that post has only been up for a week, I've actually tried this lipstick multiple time to give, what I thought, is a proper judgement regarding this particular product. Please bear in mind that this is my honest and personal opinion, which means that different thing might occur to you.

Glastonberry is described as 'sheer blackcurrant hue'. Touted as one of the best vamp lips, I can see the reason why. It's a true dark-bold lip color, and just because it has cold-undertone, doesn't mean people with warm-undertone cannot rock it. It works for me if I dab it gently and tidy it up with lip brush, the color isn't as bold but still great. The formula itself is comfortable, very creamy for matte lipstick and the lasting power is great.

However, the biggest problem for me is how it tastes on my lips. It has slight vanilla scent that's not overpowering, instead, it feels a little chocolate-y, which is okay for me, I have no problem with fragranced product. However, it changed upon application; there's this weird, waxy flavor - not even waxy feeling; taste - that makes me nauseous. Blotting the lipstick helps diminishing the strong flavor, but it doesn't change any, I still feel bothered knowing there's something with weird taste sitting on my lips.

I tried loving this, I truly did, but in the end, I have to be honest with myself; I can't stand it. While I love the color, and the stunning non-drying yet true-matte formula, I do not feel comfortable wearing it for its weird flavor. It might be just me, seeing that I'm yet to see anyone suffering from this issue. But the bottom line is; this lipstick is not for me seeing as I'm someone who favors comfort over anything.

What do you think of Glastonberry? Do you love it?

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Navy Blue Favorite

I find this color to be flattering, both in my eyes and on me, so I'm naturally attracted to them. Give me this color, and the light in my head will lit up; MY. COLOR. I have many things in this color, but here are some of my favorite as of late.

Stradivarius Lace Up Track Brogues in Navy; I find this color combination of navy and white gives the shoes casual feel yet also feminine at the same time. The white-rubber sole might not be practical (since I have to clean it often after some uses), but they're easy to clean, so it's not that problematic.

Cat Pouch with Polkadot; this pouch is heavy and beaten, and worn, and I don't remember where I got it. But there's a reason why I keep using this pouch again and again; it can be a kitten, but it's so heavy duty. From makeup to cables, skincare bottles, and swimming googles, I've used this for almost every thing.

Pull & Bear Knit Cardigan; before Stradivarius, there was Pull & Bear. Their style lately simply do not cater to my fancy as much as back in 2013, I kept going back to them. Their Cardigan is particularly my favorite, they're so closely knit and warm, perfect for colder month.

Forever 21 Fox Print Mirror; isn't this so cute? I swear Forever21 has the cutest pocket mirror ever. I'm not easily tempted but the navy background of this one just trampled over my last wall of resistance. It's never leaving my makeup pouch ever since.

Daiso Hair Clip; when I use something for 3 years straight, that's saying something. I remember buying this at Daiso Harujuku, Takeshita Doori, when my friends came visiting. Leaving Daiso without buying anothing? Trust me; impossible. I always carry hair clip with me for just-in-case situation, or when I'm hitting the gym, this has been permanent fixture in my daily life.

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Lip Balm; I purchased this lip balm back in April. God, do I love it. It's as good as the L'Occitane one, and I might love it better on my lips that Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate; do I really need to recite all great things I've said about this little bottle of miracle? Yes, but I'd bore you all, so; no. This little bottle contains (what I believe to be) miracle in liquid form, and the glass bottle - in navy blue - makes it feel all the more luxurious, even though not exactly travel friendly. If you wants instant boost in the morning and clearer skin after every use? This one is for you.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner; some people find toner to be gimmicky, but for me, toner is a must for skincare step. It leaves my skin feeling more refreshed and ready for the next skincare step. I've been a Kiehl's convert for a while now, and this one doesn't disappoint me either, it picks up the dirt residue well and doesn't make my skin feel tight after use.

Jill Stuart Horoscope Nail Polish in Observant Virgo; I know I got to have this the moment I saw the color (and the name). This polish is supposed to mimic starry sky of September; with navy blue sky and silver-blue glitters as the stars. I love popping this up now and then for some festive moments.

Do you have any navy blue products that you love? What is 'your color'?

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Quick Impression 01 | Beauty

My last 'empty post' garnered quiet positive responses, so I thought why not do more 'mini-review' post? While I already have another batch of empties (I swear I'm not lying), I also have considerable amount of new product that I'm yet to talk about. This post will cover some new products that I bought between April and August.

Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Cuzco (Medium 1.5); this semi-matte finish base has more coverage than expected, it evens up my skin tone, plus decently gets rid of my redness. It last incredibly well on my oily skin though I won't say it stops me from getting oily, I need to powder my face after around 5 hours or so (please note that where I live, the weather averages between 27 - 33°C all year around). The color is spot on, even closer than my Bobbi Brown's foundation, and I think with its extensive shade ranges (12 shades), everyone can easily find their color.And I can say now after around 3 months, I love this more than my BB foundation.

Verdict; love. it. so. much.

Nars Contour Kit in Paloma; the contour shade deep rose definitely has pinkish-rose going on, and I can imagine this can comes off as blush for people with fairer complexion or cool undertone. On my warm, medium-yellow skin, this is warm enough to chisel my (non-existent) cheekbones, and even then, I can safely use this as blush when I'm feeling lazy. I used it with Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush and had slight difficulty, but then I switched to Zoeva Angled Cheek brush, and boy, does it did this color wonder (and my cheeks pretty bones). I use pink beige aka. the supposed highlight shade to my concealer, the bright color gives the area a lift but nothing too obvious. The two shades blend easily which is good for someone who just started 'attempting' contouring like me.

Verdict; love

Jill Stuart Layer Blush Compact in #06 Old Rose; I did review on this one last week, so you may check for full review. To keep it simple, this blush has the most beautiful subtle shimmer that makes the frosty finish actually looks natural. The color is subtle on my medium skin, but I can imagine this shows up more vibrant on fairer skin.

Verdict; love

Majolica Majorca Lash Aesthetic Mascara; a full review of this one is coming on, but in short, if you have; 1) oily lids that doesn't work at all with Maybelline mascaras, 2) short, sparse lashes, 3) problem with mascara that's hard to remove, this one is solution for you. It thickens and does lengthen my lashes, plus it's really easy to remove but still water-proof.

Verdict; love. it.

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Sharper in Auburn; this is my first brow-product. I'm blessed with thick brows and frankly speaking, I'm quiet satisfied with them. The only thing I need to do is tidy them up and this does the job very well. The bristles is short but big enough, just the right size to shape my brows without 'overdrawing' them. The only problem I have is it tends to clump on the bristle when I pull it out so sometimes I ended up with too bold inner lashes (which is not pretty).

Verdict; like.

Burberry Eye Colour in Gold Pearl & Pale Barley; these two eyeshadows are buttery, silky smooth, applies evenly, and the pigmentation makes it impossible to go wrong. The formula allows this to be applied dry or wet which gives you more intense color. The subtle shimmer gives the eyeshadow beautiful glow and dimension, I think the color pulls differently under different light. I use Gold Pearl mainly for highlight and Pale Barley as all-over lid color.

Verdict; love. it. so. much. don't. question. my. love.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Ruby; I love to pull this when I'm feeling really, really lazy but still wants color on my lips, because I look dead otherwise. I'm really into its color and the delicious taste when I lick it, it's hydrating too. The downside is I often ended up with flaky lips despite how moisturizing it is.

Verdict; like it.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?

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What I got for My Birthday

My birthday was two weeks ago and I promised you a birthday-haul-esque post, here it is! Truth to be told, only a couple of these were really in my 'birthday wishlist', but for this and that reason, I ended up swapping some items for another.

Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set Vol. 2; following last year, I got myself another brush set from Zoeva. After considering between this and the 'en taupe set', I ended up getting this one. I actually haven't use this yet in fear of ruining the beautiful white brushes, but I will, soon! When I bought this, Sephora was having a promotion for any Zoeva purchase, so I ended up with Mini Luxe Petit Crease for free.

Charlotte Tilburry Matte Revolution Lipstick in Glastonberry; Along with 'Filmstar Bronze & Glow', this one was so high on my wishlist. I meant to get it next year but when they're back in stock, who am I to resist? This is less red and more blue than oxblood, honestly, it will be tricky to pull this one, but let's hope I can find a way to work them.

Clinique Pop Lip Color Primer in Berry Pop; this was actually swapped out after I bought Charlotte Tilburry one but my sister ended up getting this for me. Thank you nonetheless, sis! This lipstick has built-in primer that helps color last longer while moisturizing at the same time. It's definitely more comfortable on me compared to CT one.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask; Laneige is pretty famous for their sleeping mask, and they reformulate it for lip treatment. They called this 'mask' but it's easier to think of it as super-thick and hydrating lip balm. Pop this overnight before you sleep and it promises removal of dead skin cells which will make you wake up to supple, smooth, and bright lips. I have serious issue of 'difficult lips', so I hope this will make them 'friendlier' to more type of lipstick. Oh, this is another one from my dear sister!

Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Cream Mask; after knowing Jurlique is available locally, I couldn't hold myself back from trying them out (blame 'Jasmine' for introducing me to this brand). Some people find it off-putting but I'm personally fan of their rose scent, it doesn't smell artifical and I actually love the 'richness' of it.

Riffle Paper & co. Alice in Wonderland 2017 Desk Calendar; I know it's a little bit early for 2017 calendar, but as an Alice addict, I cannot help myself when I saw this. Featuring 12 beautiful illustration by Anna Bond, this calendar will decorate my desk all year along next year. By the way, I might or might not shamelessly asked the tech guy to got me this lol.

Philips In-ear Headphones in Black; I just have to listen to music at any given time, especially when I'm working, or else I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Headphone is absolute must everyday just like how music is a steadfast staple of me. I've never tried any fancy headphone, always using the one that comes with the phone, so I'm really excited when I got this from my best friend. 

SHINee The 4th Album Repackaged Married to The Music; SHINee is my favorite music group of all time. They just released their new album recently (an absolute perfection, master-piece of the century) which I will be getting soon, but I'm yet to have all their albums, especially from the last 3 years. They released 'Married to The Music' last year and I'm absolutely in love with it. This album consist of 15 songs with high quality and distinct, very 'SHINee' color. It's hard to choose favorite but if I have to choose, I'd go with Chocolate and Odd Eye.

What do you think of my presents? Let me know on comment section below!

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Another Girls Day Out

I treated two of my lovely friends; Amez & Mba Agi for pasta lunch at Pancious last Sunday as part of birthday tradition. When it comes to our hang out place, we seems to have this fixed schedule and place. Started by hitting either Pancious or Genki Sushi when we have budget, or grab anything from nearest fast-food joint. I think it became a once in a month habit last year to visit Pancious and have their pasta instead of their pancakes with ice tea or earl grey milk tea as companion.

After we're done with lunch, we will hit any makeup counter including Sephora and indulge ourselves in shameless swatch fest while joking around, sighing over the beauty of newly launched items, and making mental note which one to pick for next payday. In short, a long window shopping spree which could last for two hours with us talking all the time, giggling uncontrollably, and being embarrassing together (#unitedwestanddividedwefall).

Since this only started last year, this tradition is not even a year old, but I hope this can last forever. We might 'meet' everyday through twitter and LINE, but nothing beats meeting in person. They're truly lovely people, my friends, whom I connect with in so many levels. We might not think alike, have different personality, but we click together at this one vital part. I hope we can meet very soon and the next time it shall includes actual shopping haul.

What's your favorite hang-out place and activity?

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Jill Stuart Beauty Talk #02 Layer Blush Compact in Old Rose Review

Welcome back to the 2nd installment of Jill Stuart Beauty Talk! The second part of this series will be about their highly coveted and best selling product ever; Layer Blush Compact. Mine is in shade 06 Old Rose. It's the darkest and deepest out of 6 shades, which I think will be perfect for my medium-dark complexion.

The color looks like dusky-pink with hint of mauve, on my skin, it shows up as bright pink with no mauve at all. The blush has very fine, undetectable gold shimmer that makes the finish of this blush slightly frosty but without chalky. The pigmentation is sheer to medium, and since this shows up on my medium skin, I think on fairer skin this can comes up more vibrant. Definitely on buildable, and even if you put on too much layer, they still won't come up looking 'fake' or turns you into disco-ball.

The blush comes in the most gorgeous-looking packaging ever that is actually more light-weight than it looks like, which honestly makes it feel a tad 'cheap' but overtime, you will get used to it, and it will still be the most elegant looking thing in your drawer. It also has detachable and retractable brush with it, and I find that the blush applied best when using this one instead of another brush as it's quiet dense so it picks up the product easily. A little tip is to make sure you hold the brush-stopper or you'll end up scratching the surface like I did.

The only downside of this blush is it's perfumed, like any other Jill Stuart products. Personally, this is not an issue for me, but if you're not fan of it, you might want to stay clear from this blush. Aaand of course it's not readily available other than in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

What do you think of this blush? Will you pick any blush from Jill Stuart?

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Birthday Makeup Edit

As I have mentioned a couple of times before, my birthday is on early September, in fact, it's actually today. So, Happy Birthday, Me! As for the makeup for my birthday, instead of dramatic and glam-up look, I choose to wear my favorite makeup products. I might not look any fancy, and it's admittedly similar with my everyday look, but what's important is I'm wearing what I love and these babies are guaranteed to make me look simple yet great at the same time.

The Face

Surprise, surprise; the combo of Max Factor Facefinity All-day Primer and Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint is back again. What is a girl with oily skin who wants natural glow on her face to do when this combination does exactly just that? Facefinity gives me a very natural glow that instantly brighten up my face and the satin finish of Velvet Matte Skin Tint promises me no slick, greasy skin for the day ahead. After eradicating my dark circle with Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, I give my cheekbones a very slight definition using Nars Contour Kit, before applying blush from Bobbi Brown for naturally flush. Just to keep it safe, I lightly dab some Bare Minerals Mineral Veil Loose Powder on my face.

The Eyes

My lids are naturally darker than the rest of my face, so combination of concealer and Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Bone give me blank canvas that makes the eyeshadow color to pop more. I define the crease using the same Contour Kit from Nars, then pack on Burberry Eye Colour Silk Shadow in Pale Barley all over my lids, God knows I love this eyeshadow to its tiny, little, sparkly bits. Curl my lashes, apply a coat of Majolica Majorca Lash Aesthetic Mascara on each, set my brow with Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Sharper, then I'm done! So simple, isn't it?

Finishing Touch

I don't even think when picking up Burberry Lip Velvet in Oxblood. It's obviously my favorite lipstick, ever; my holy grail, my sun and my moon, my icing on the cake. It's gorgeous deep-red color with enough hint of brown to make it more wearable as opposed to blue-hued dark red lipstick. Another product from Burberry is their Eye Colour Glow in Gold Pearl which I talked about recently; a swipe on each cheekbones, on each browbones, on my cupid bone, and a little along my nose for gorgeously natural glow.

Ha! Of course my skin decided to be uncooperative and pop some pimples whenever I have to do face-shot. Anyways, as you can see, the finished look is really simple (and you can hardly tell if I'm wearing anything on my eyes; which I did, the camera didn't pick it up, that's all, U G H), but compared to very dressy look I do for some occasion, I genuinely feel more comfortable and in my element this way. By the way, my choice of perfume is Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Edt ;)

What kind of look do you like to wear for your birthday? Let me know on comment section below!

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