Dr Jart Facial Skincare

Hey'all! So I have been looking for a new face wash - one that was not too expensive, yet not too cheap if that even makes sense! When I walked past a shelf stacked full of Dr Jart products my eyes lit up and I ended up picking up more than I needed. I've only ever used their bb creams so was intrigued to try out their skincare range.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Dr Jart, it's a famous Korean brand well known for their bb creams and used to only be available online and in Asia. Now, you can shop a range of their products at Boots!

Dr Jart Bubble Foam

From the Pore Refine Range I picked up the Dr Jart Bubble Foam - I guess this is what I initially went in for, however expected to leave with a typical cleanser I was quite excited to try this out! This was the cheapest of the bunch at about £13 which is fairly decent I think.

This reminded me of the Fancl Washing Powder which turns into a foam and lathers up on your face! This did exactly the same thing and left my face all silky and soft. I also noticed that oil from the t-zone was visibly reduced during the day. 

Dr Jart Re-Tighten Mask

I've been on the look-out for a similar clay mask to my Sanctuary Spa Thermal clay mask and was close to splurging on the Origins mask, until I saw this. Slightly more pricey than the Sanctuary clay mask at £16, I was willing to try this out to compare. The consistency is much thinner than that of the Sanctuary mask, and dried slightly hard - however nothing like the 'cement' style masks you can get I assure you!

After using this, my skin felt visibly smoother and with a glow. Even though I did miss the heating up element from my Sanctuary mask, this really did refine my pores on my nose and my skin felt more taut after! Face lift in a bottle =) Thumbs up!

Dr Jart Water Max Sleeping Mask

I've always been sceptical with sleeping masks - I mean what happens when you toss and turn during your sleep? Surely your pillow case will be covered?! Nonetheless, I was intrigued to try one and because my skin has become so dry from the cold weather lately, I felt like my skin really needed some hydration and this sounded like the perfect product.

At £26, this was the most pricey of the bunch, however with the 3 for 2 offer, it wasn't too bad!
Applying this was like applying moisturiser - it was so thin and creamy, not wet or thick at all like I expected. It glides on like any face cream and I did not have to worry about transfers onto my sheets.

Waking up in the morning, I washed my face as usual totally forgetting I even had it on! My skin felt moisturised and soft before I had even applied my day cream - love the hydration this mask gives me overnight. Now when I use it I just pile it on like a moisturiser even if a little goes a long way!

I love love love Asian beauty brands (not being biased at all!) and half the time you have to pay over the odds online for them so I am really happy that Dr Jart is stocked in Boots.

Thanks for reading guys xoxo

Topshop Peel Off Nails

 Hey'all! I been wearing the 'Peel Off' Nails collection from Topshop lately and I'm in love! It reminds me of kiddy nail polish I had when I was younger ;) Even though their range of shades are limited at the moment, the shades that are available are all ones that I would wear hence I bought them all! At £6 (and with 10% student discount if you have it) is not too bad.

My faves are 'On the blink'- a gorgeous blue and 'What's up' - a hot pink! I applied two coats and the polish did not chip at all, lasting well over three days - pretty good for me! And then the best part - peeling it all off! (do you remember PVA glue in art class when you were younger!?) It was easy to remove with no residue left on the nail.

All in all, it gave a gorgeous shine and great lasting power (only thing I am worried about is if I did chip it, will it all peel off?! I will see....)

My Pick of Winter Foundations

With the harsh cold winter weather recently, my skin has been so dry and flakey and my usual go-to foundation has been making me look a patchy mess. I want a foundation that will hydrate my skin and leave me with a gorgeous 'dewy' glow. 

I've tried lots of drugstore foundations which do give me that healthy glow such as the Bourjouis Healthy Mix, Loreal True Match, Loreal Lumi Magiue, Revlon Photo ready to name a few however with my sensitive and prone to break-out skin type, I always end up looking a spotty wreck =(

So I've decided to spend that little extra in again for my winter foundation and go all high-end!
 For the past 3-4 weeks, I've been sampling various high-end foundations to find the perfect match for my skin - and most importantly one that will work for my skin.

I ended up spending a whole afternoon browsing in the Selfridges beauty hall, which is like a candy store for all us girls (note: this was only possible after ditching the boyf!) and picked up various samples of foundation which claim to give a dewy glow and hydrate the skin.

I ended up leaving with samples of the Giorgio Armani Maestro & Luminous Silk, Dior Nude Glow, Chanel Vitalumiere Satin Smooth & YSL Touche Eclat.

 The GA maestro £38 - one I've been dying to try since its release!

I tested the GA Maestro first even though it was not one that gives a dewy glow, I was so intrigued to use this properly reading the raving reviews from other bloggers! I was matched to a 4 which was perfect - this has to be the most amazing finish a foundation gives that I have ever used.

Major Love:

• Velvety soft matte finish - like a second skin
•  A little goes a long way 
• Perfect for my combination skin
• Controls oil fairly well - only my t-zone got oily towards mid-day  
• SPF 15

Love Lost:

•  Clings onto any dry patches - causes flakiness thus no good for those with dry skin
• Too sheer and does not cover enough of my redness and imperfections 
• Extremely pricey at £38 (when I picked up my samples it was £36!)
• Needed touch-ups by mid-day - staying power not so good

Overall, I loved this foundation for days when less coverage is needed, however I will wait until summer before I pick this up as its matte finish and sheer coverage will be perfect for a summer's day.

                             
GA Luminous Silk £34
                                   

 Major Love:

• Gives flawless skin and glows in all the right places
• Photographs beautifully (as there is no SPF) - great to wear out or for special occasions where cameras are out!
• Looks natural, yet with buildable coverage
• Shade 4 was a good match for my skin and was easy to blend.

Love Lost:

• No SPF if you want some protection in your foundation
• Staying power is weak - by mid-day I feel like I need to re-apply
• Gets oily quick
• Thick consistency - can feel cakey if you apply too much 
• Expensive

The Dior Nude Skin- Glowing - one of my favourite foundations out of them all.

                             

Major Love:

• Gave an amazing healthy glow in any light - the skin's natural luminosity was emphasised by the sheer pigments used in this foundation
• Buildable coverage - even though this is supposed to be like 'bare-skin', it still provided the perfect amount of coverage for daily use
• Shade match #31 was close to perfect for my skin tone and blended perfectly - currently I am Mac NC20; #31 is more yellow toned, whereas #30 I found was more pink.
• SPF 15

 Love Lost:

• T-zone needs powder and touch up half-way through the day
• Apart from the price, I do not have many bad words to say about this foundation!

Chanel Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing £34

                                         

This is amongst the top 2 with the Dior Nude. I can't decide which to go for as this one also did good!

Major Love:

• I tried Clair #20 which was a really close match to my skin
• Finish, like the bottle says was 'satin smooth' and really gave off a dewy glow
• Medium coverage - gives slightly more coverage than the nude so can also work as an evening foundation too
• Great staying power
• SPF 15

Love Lost:

• T-zone got slightly oily towards the end of the day... other than that....
• ...it was pretty much all love for this one! <3

YSL Touche Eclat £29
                                    

Another one of my faves, the legendary YSL Touche Eclat pen in the form of a foundation. I was matched to the B40, however I am looking to try the shade lighter:

Major Love:

•  That all-over glow you get after a swim in the pool on your beach holiday - LOVE!
•  Feels so light (gel-like texture), fills in pores to give smooth coverage however if you have acne/blemish skin it may not work as well in covering up these for you.
• Felt really hydrating to the skin
• Highlights all the right places
• SPF 19

Love Lost:

• I found that this just doesn't stay on my skin - by mid-day I felt like my make-up was sliding off, even after setting the foundation with powder.
•  Compared to the Dior Nude & Vitalumiere, I found it was slightly more shiny too.

The main thing for me for all these high-end foundations I've tested is NONE of them broke me out after using each for a week or so. I just want to buy all of them! I ended up picking up the Chanel AND Dior (oops) this weekend which I am super happy about! Once the weather gets warmer, I am looking forward to buying the GA Maestro which will be a perfect, light foundation for everyday wear.

Fingers crossed for some more sun as recently I've been 'diagnosed' with vitamin D deficiency - seriously I'm sure 99% of us living in the UK must suffer from this?! I think this is the perfect excuse to book myself a holiday in the sun don't you think? ;)

Thanks for reading guys xoxo

Bobbi Brown: Lilac Rose Spring 2013 Collection

 

It seems like Spring is never going to arrive in the UK with this crazy cold weather....thank goodness for Spring make-up collections every season! Who else loves it when brands bring out their new collections for each season? This year, Bobbi Brown does not fail to amaze with their 'Lilac Rose Spring 2013' collection focusing on pink and purple hues.

I am in love with the shimmer brick which is a must in my make-up bag and the neutral-toned eyeshadow palette - two items I think I will be picking up this weekend after pay day! ;)

Thanks for visiting xoxo

Christmas & NY : Hong Kong 2012/13

After an amazing 2012, the best way to end it had to involve something big and fun! Spending the festive season in Hong Kong was so much fun (even though Christmas did not feel like Christmas what so ever!) and NYE was even better!

Going back reminded me how amazing the food was and how boring the UK lifestyle is compared to that of Hong Kong. There is so much to do from day right through to the early hours, and you always feel so safe when out late at night - it just does not compare to the London life.
I am now secretly planning my emigration getaway to Hong Kong - watch this space....

For the meantime, here's a taster for those who have never been to the city that never sleeps....I promise you, you will never want to leave and fall in love with this city! I certainly have! =)

NYE view from 'Wooloomooloo' bar, TST

 

 

Causway Bay. Street Stall

 

 

NYE @ Tsim Sha Tsui

Langham Place, Mong Kok

Christmas HK Style - Harbour City, TST

Macau

Disney Land

Amazing sushi @ Sushi One (50% off after 10pm!)

Highly recommended Vietnamese restaurant - Central

3.15pm High Tea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE ME, LOVE HK! One of my all time favourite cities in the world, and one that is worth a visit if you love hustle & bustle and amazing cuisines from all over.....Next stop; HONG KONG ;)

Thanks for stopping by! xoxoxo

My First Christmas & NYE in Hong Kong

Photo Courtesy of Modern Net

So we finally took the plunge and booked our flights to Hong Kong! I'm so excited to be spending this Christmas and New Years Eve in Hong Kong this year...not only that, it will be my first ever Christmas out there! The amount of times I've been, I have never spent Christmas there so I am super duper excited!

If you have never been before, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but also  one of the most amazing cities I have been to (I know I am biased right there!). Shopping haven of the world and delightful food kingdom - I am actually most looking forward to all the delicious and yummy food out there and am all ready to over-indulge...it's Christmas after all ;)

Of course, I can't forget the shopping that will be unmissable (if a bad thing for my purse) I know I will spendng sooo much so am currently trying to hold back at the moment. HK is known for shopping and everything is so affordable, especially beauty items, so I always make sure that I stock up on everyday products and tools. Having never been for Christmas, I am excited to shop for Winter clothing there too (I will ban myself from buying stuf from stores such as Zara and H&M though...!)

So if you have been following me on Twitter/Instagram, you may have heard me going on about my love for Balenciaga, and of course counting down to pick up my B bag! After my friend picked it up for me from Vegas, I've been counting down the days to pick it up -finally I am able to get my hands on this smoochy baby!!! Obviously this is the main reason I am heading back to HK... ;) Can't wait...will defo share with you when I pick it up.

This year has flown by so fast, and before I know it, it will be time to fly....yet I have so much going on and to prep before I am even ready. All in all, this has been an amazing year so far and I know it will only get better for 2013. Apparently, dreams do come true...looking forward to the exciting times ahead <3

Thanks for reading lovelies & Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the US xoxo

Laura Mercier Oil Free Fondation Primer

Hey y'all! It's been a while since I last posted - work has been super hectic on the lead up to Xmas so every evening, with the little time I have, I just spend it lazying about and watching movies and series! >.<

Well I'm back, and after bleeding my purse again recently on new cosmetic products I figured I better tell you guys all about it! At £28, it is definitely worth a post hey? Yes, I am talking about the much raved about foundation primer by Laura Mercier. Casually strolling through the make-up department of Selfridges (as a girl does) I couldn't resist any longer and caved in to getting this primer:

The Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer

I have been looking for a new primer for ages, one that actually does what it is made for; creating a flawless base for foundation application and long-lasting make-up.

Overall, this felt more like a lotion than your typical primer however I have to say I found that my make-up did last longer throughout the day and applied more evenly. Even though this was meant to be oil-free, I did find that the t-zone began to get oily towards the end of the day and needed powdering.

It is one of the better foundation primers I have used, however for the price tag, I did expect my skin to
be super-model-esque flawless...nonetheless I loved it and think it will be my go-to primer for now =)

Do you use primers and if so which is your fave?

Until next time.....xoxo