Category: Uncategorized

Today I would be reviewing

 Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15 PA+

VS

 Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation SPF 15

The skin foundation and the long wear foundation are both the best-selling foundations among all the Bobbi Brown foundations they have. Many find themselves caught and stuck in a dilemma not knowing whether which to buy. I was one of them.

So what are the difference between the both?

First, by the outside of both of it, they both look similar but yet different. (LOL. doesn’t make sense right?)

The skin foundation is in a glossy taller glass bottle where the long-wear foundation is in a matte shorter glass bottle. In terms of the pump, cover packaging, it’s the same. It’s just the size and the texture of the glass.

More information

According to their website. 

BOBBI BROWN SKIN FOUNDATION SPF 15

DetailsA truly modern foundation that offers invisible, weightless coverage that looks like skin, not makeup. This long-wearing formula evens tone, minimizes the appearance of pores, conceals imperfections, and offers broad spectrum UV protection. Its hydrating technology leaves skin feeling cushioned, comfortable, and clean. Ideal for all skin types.

BOBBI BROWN LONG-WEAR EVEN FINISH FOUNDATION SPF15

DetailsFinally – a natural-looking and long-wearing foundation. Comfortable and hydrating, this medium to full coverage oil-free formula never looks cakey or masky. Glycerin and shea butter keep skin feeling moisturized while a gel base creates a lightweight finish that stays color-true. Lasts for up to 12 hours even in the most humid conditions. Protects skin from future damage thanks to broad spectrum SPF 15 with antioxidant vitamins C and E.

As you can see from the description above, they are a slight difference with the both foundation. They are both oil-free foundation.

            The skin foundation gives a weightless coverage, so it means if you want a full coverage you would need to build it up with concealer and a few layers of foundation with blending and buffing skills. Whereas the long-wear foundation gives a medium to full coverage that doesn’t make your face look cakey or maskey.

            In terms of the consistency of both foundation, the skin foundation is much more watery compared to the long-wear foundation. The skin foundation isn’t up to a state where it’s runny and flowing down my palm, it’s just perfect the way it is and the best way for you to know is to pop into a store/counter and test it out.

The other thing is that the skin foundation evens your skin tone, as well as minimizes your pores where the long-wear foundation gives your skin feeling moisturized and stays for 12 hours even in the most humid conditions.

What do i think of it? 

BOBBI BROWN SKIN FOUNDATION 

• This is a really smooth foundation that blends and oxidize into my skin really well. It doesn’t break me out, nor does it give me any skin problem with my sensitive skin and all that.
• It gives me a very natural dewy look as if i barely have any foundation on. Means? NO CAKEY FOUNDATION – even with my pores, wrinkles, tiny bumps, bad pimple week, redness and all.
• It’s liquid (water base) and much more watery compared to the long-wear foundation, but it’s not dripping wet kind of consistency. Best for dry skin, doesn’t make your face oilier if you have oily skin (i’m combination for those who don’t know)
• It’s an oil-free foundation. So i really love it that it doesn’t make my oily t-zone worst.
• Coverage is buildable, but i usually use a concealer for special spots that i would want to cover.
• My skin looks healthy with radiance after that. I call it Skin Finish cause it’s like a layer of skin.
• It’s pricey

The best way to summarize it is that skin foundation is a winter foundation and the long-wear foundation is a summer foundation. 🙂 at least, for me.

*will update the color swatches with photos soon.

Finally, you CAN have it all! Give your lips the attention and care they deserve with Powerlips Fluid. This ultra-long-lasting lip colour contains a special blend of good-for-you, skin-nourishing ingredients to help soothe, smooth, and prevent dry-out over time. And infused with our Sueded Comfort Cushion, Powerlips Fluid’s high-performance, weightless formula cushions your lips, leaving them feeling soft for hours. Plus, with its easy, one-step application, it’s virtually foolproof and won’t feather or bleed.

Enjoy intense, long-wearing lip colour that won’t smudge or budge all day—through work and play.

Seriously powerful. Simply wow! Powerlips Fluid.

Four shades including Determined, Persistence, Confidence and Unbreakable will launch on 11 December, plus three limited-edition shades (Roar, Maven and Breadwinner) are available on Monday 11th December 2017! Purchase individually or enjoy all seven shades in The Powerlips Fluid Powerful Pack.

 

• Vitamin E—nourishes, softens, and moisturises the skin while delivering anti-aging and antioxidant benefits.
• Beeswax—calms, soothes, and conditions skin while helping protect against irritants.
• Avocado Oil—hydrates and softens skin.
• Kaolin—natural clay base that supports rich, long-lasting colour.
• Silicones—help maintain moisture and soften skin.

• Creates a Sueded Comfort Cushion, a flexible film layer on the skin, that cushions your lips and leaves them feeling soft for hours.
• Comfortable on lips; does not sting or burn when applied.
• Has a light and silky, non-sticky consistency.
• Does not contain a harsh alcohol smell or taste.
• Is non-separating and does not require shaking to evenly distribute product prior to application.
• Won’t feather or bleed into lines around or above lips.
• The weightless formula contains a blend of skin-nourishing ingredients, like avocado oil, beeswax, and vitamin E to hydrate, nourish, and prevent damage.
• Is smudge-resistant, drink-resistant, and kiss-resistant.

Apply to clean, bare lips anytime you want a splash of long-lasting, powerful lip colour. Line lips with an applicator and then fill in colour. For best wear, use alone and avoid glosses and balms.

LIP TIPS

• For longest wear, avoid oily foods and glosses.
• For a sheer effect, try applying colours with a makeup brush.
• Contour and shape lips by applying a darker base layer and letting it dry. Then, apply a lighter or more metallic colour on top for a round, plump-lip look.

 

Get your hands now on the new Powerlips fluid!

Find a job these days isn’t easy. (Any job is easy but a job that suits you, and would be happy to stay and in a great company isn’t)

Finding a job in a different country doesn’t make it any easier.

Finding a company to sponsor your work visa and offer you a job isn’t anywhere close to easy.

When I decided to move to Australia, it took a lot of consideration and thinking. I’ve been through a lot in the past 12 months and that is why I have to decided to share my story. When I first graduated, I searched for jobs in Singapore for 9 months and many times I was rejected because I needed a working visa/permit or I wasn’t physically in the country for an interview. Hence, when I decided to move to Australia, I knew it wasn’t easy.

I started sending my resume in October 2016, decided to quit my job back in Malaysia in December 2016 and moved to Sydney in January 2017 and that’s when the serious hunt starts.

Looking for a job is full time – bear in mind. Updating your resume/CV and revising it a million times, cover letter, emails and applications. Everyday, I would be searching and applying for jobs for 6 hours per day and in would be sending and applying over 30 jobs. #lifeishard (Some applications even require you to sign up to their system and do an online test which takes more time)

I was lucky to be able to schedule interviews at least 3 a week and I take my interview sessions as a practice and always improve how I present myself the next time. but after 2 months of applying and interviews I finally got an offer. (with the help of a very awesome recruiter)

With the process of applying visa and waiting which took 4 months, I received my visa and I’ve been working for 2 months.

Time flies.. …

With this, many people have asked me how the process was and what are the steps needed for the visa.

First you’d need a job offer, without the job offer you can’t apply for a work visa.

Second, the company that offer you a job has to sponsor and pay for your visa. (but that doesn’t mean you don’t pay anything)

Third, the agent (usually appointed from the company) will then collect your documents and lodge your application

Forth, you wait till the nomination approval is given – this means the approval for the company to sponsor is given but does not mean your visa is granted. In some cases, agent will only lodge the visa application after the nomination application is given, but in my situation, both were lodged at the same time so when we received the nomination approval, we did not have to submit any visa application since it was done earlier.

Fifth, visa is granted and you may start work anytime.

Fees and Cost 

If you ask around the agents, different agents will tell you a different cost of the visa, it various between $8k to $20k (depending on what the agent fee is and all that document cost and jazz) but that is up to the company to agree to pay for it.

A company can’t randomly say they want to sponsor even if they are willing to fork up the money because they have to be in the list or to be “nominated” – this means, they are allowed to hire overseas and sponsor their visa. Hence during the Visa application there is two part of application

1. Visa Employer Nomination
2. Visa Employee Application

Visa Employer Nomination is applied from the HR of the company and Visa Employer Application is applied by you (employee). That means with every document and application there is a fee. Something that I didn’t know and nobody has inform me prior to this.

Visa Employee Application Fee various from agent and time (thanks to the government) but what I had to pay and fork up;

• Application form $1,750
• Agent Fee $1,650
• IELTS test $330
• Health Check $323

That comes up to a total of $4,053 (rough estimate of RM15,000) that has to be paid for the visa before the agent starts any work what more the application. This fee doesn’t include your flights here, accomodation, transport, food and allowance and anything else that you would need BEFORE you start working to earn any income here. So this is something that you would need to keep in mind and to some people it may be mentally stressful.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

8 days after we lodged our application, Prime Minister announced that the Working Visa 457 would be abolished and everyone freaked out. The same morning, I emailed and contacted both my recruiter and the agent to ask if I would be affected and what would this mean.

New rules;

• Instead of Work Visa 457, it is now called Short-Term Work Visa or Medium-Term Work Visa depending on skills
• Instead of 4 years visa granted, new visa would only be 2 years grant
• Previous 457 visa allows unlimited renewal each time visa expires, new visa (Short Term Work Visa) only allows one renewal with no approval guarantee ( I was told there would be a review )
• Previous 457 visa can be applied with no working experience, new Short Term Work Visa would require a minimum of 3 years working experience.

Some people applied offshore and they are lucky enough to be able to stay in their home country while applying for jobs overseas, waiting for visa and all that jazz before coming over here hence they reduce waiting time and during the waiting time, you will not be allowed to work unless if you obtain a working holiday visa or any visa that permits you to work.

Many people told me they envy my non-working days but I can honestly say I did not enjoy it at all. I couldn’t do anything to have income, not even part-time of freelance (legally). That was my biggest obstacles but after torturous four months of waiting, I finally started work and I did not regret anything at all even if I had to be jobless of 9 months.

p/s. based on my personal experience.

You guys should know by now that I love Bobbi Brown skincare and makeup. From their foundations to their cleansers and makeup removers. People always do ask me, “Is it really worth it?” 

So today, I’ll be reviewing the Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisture Cream and let’s see if it’s worth every cent to everything it claims to be. 

Just to make it clear for new readers; I have dry combination skin with sensitive skin (Rosecea). The annoying oily T-zone and dry cheeks. Weird right? That’s why moisturisers are tricky where it can’t be too heavy or too light. I don’t really mind layering my skincare at night, but during the day is what I need to look out for. 

I have always thought that the Bobbi Brown Extra range is for dry, dehydrated skin or aging. So when I was given a try on this moisturiser and a few other of the range. I was surprised how it turned out! 

First things first – the scent. I love the scent. It reminds me of lemongrass and citrus. Can’t really get a hang of what the scent is as there is quite a few ingredient in there (which we will get into it later). If you’ve smelt and used the Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse, it is similar to that, but less tangy. 

I love how it comes it their sleek simple packaging. Although the tub is a downside. But it’s made of glass and it’s sturdy. With the inventions of spatula, I no longer need to dig my nails into the tub. LOL 

Let’s see what does it claim to do?

What it is:
 Extra Repair Moisturizing Cream contains all the benefits of Bobbi’s cult-favorite Extra Repair Moisturizing Balm but with a lightweight, luxurious cream texture that’s perfect for layering and prepping skin for seamless foundation application.
Who it’s for: It’s ideal for normal to extra-dry skin types and perfect for those in humid climates or anyone who prefers a lighter feel for their cream.

Formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates 
– Phthalates

Active ingredients: 

-Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate: Plump and smooth the appearance of fine, dry lines. 
-Shea Butter: Provides a protective barrier against moisture loss. 
-Omega-Rich Sunflower Oil: An ingredient packed with essential fatty acids that provides moisture without a heavy feel. 
-Triple Emulsion Technology: Gives the cream its lightweight texture while still allowing it to be incredibly moisturising.

Other ingredients: 

What’s my verdict?

The Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisture Cream is made for those with normal to dry skin and humid climates. That means, it’s suitable for Summer/Malaysia/Singapore countries where the heat and humidity is terrible. My skin loves it as it balance out the combination skin, locks in the moisture for the dry areas without obvious dry patches showing out, my foundation lays on properly and sets nicely and the oily T-Zone does not shine like diamonds. It shows that there is anti-aging properties but I wouldn’t say much about that, because in the end, how do you judge if anti-aging properly does work? 

The moisturiser isn’t the heavy creamy thick kind of texture but rather a gel kind of cream, it glides on my skin without any tugging and spreads evenly. It absorbs really quickly with no greasy or layer of shine over it. I was surprised even when I layer my skincare at night. I had a semi-matte baby skin look, which was what made me love it! 

The Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisture Cream cost RM335 for 50ml. 

Is it worth it? Yes, even though it’s on the pricer end. But it is considered to be a higher end luxury skincare. 

Would I recommend it? Yes. 

Does it claim what it does, I would honestly have to finish the whole tub or at least 3-6 months of constant use in order to review if my skin got immune to it, and if they were any after-effects. But so far, loving it. This made me wanna try the rest of the Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Range. Have you guys tried any yet? 

Till then, Remember! You’re never ugly, only if you’re lazy! 🙂

I am not your crazy fanatic that would purchase 100 colors and swatch them for you. As much as I would like to assist you but I do not have the financial privileged to do so.
I picked up two colors from the comfort matte range.

Thryst – slightly pinkish red

714 – darker red

One thing I’ve learned, DO NOT TRUST the color on the packaging box. Because sometimes they have been exposed to light and the color on the packaging fades. For example, 714 looks slightly orange but it isn’t.

Swatches

As you can see 714 had an orange undertone but has a brighter red finishing to it.
UD also has the metallic finish liquid lipsticks, but I didn’t purchase any of it because it isn’t something I could wear on a daily basis.

As compared to the other liquid lipsticks, UD has not failed in terms of pigmentation and it comes with the standard applicator which is pretty easy and handy to apply it on. It takes quite a while to dry up to a matte finish (about 5 mins) so there’s no worries about the lipstick drying on the tube or applicator on a daily wear but of course nobody leaves it open for a long time. There wouldn’t be any guarantee on that. 

Anyone tried it yet?

The end of Autumn is almost here.

The road trip up to Blue Mountains last weekend was spontaneous and breathe-taking

It felt like a painting or a wallpaper.

When the Autumn leaves of red, pink, purple, orange, yellow, green and brown waiting to fall off is a sight you’ll never forget.

We only went to the Bebeah garden at Mount Wilson Village which was a 12 acre garden with an entry fee of $8

As most gardens here are private, so the owner has the right to charge you for an entry fee. Some are even $16 for adult..
Blue mountains is huge and i will be awaiting for more trips there.

Harsh weather, sunny days, air-conditioner and rainy days, we’ve all been through it. Many of us don’t take into consideration how our skin reacts to the weather and we would just go about our days.

When I’ve gotten the chance to try out some of the Estee Lauder products I’ve been wanting to get my hands on I was thrilled!

 

I managed to grab hold of the Estee Lauder Advance Night Micro Cleansing Balm & Cleansing Foam.

When Estee Lauder came out with their Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion, I was really happy and managed to try it out in the 75ml and I could say this was a very promising product. Then when le-sis started on the Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair Synchornized Recovery Complex and let me try some, I had to get my very own too! (Currently on the second bottle. #holygrail)

So when they came out with the Advance Night Micro Cleansing Balm and Cleansing Foam, I figured, what a great combination to add into my skincare routine! And now, I have them in my hands all thanks to #sephoraSG and #EsteeLauder

I’ve also gotten the Estee Lauder Nutritious Vitality8 Radiant Energy Mist. Now Nutritious is another range which is my love and my favourite. So much to talk and rave about them, but i’ll only be talking about the Mist today.

 

First I’ll start with the Estee Lauder Advance Night Micro Cleansing Balm.

 

Kudos to packaging!

I know I’ve always hated tubs/jars as I would need to stick my finger in and my germ-phobia would start kicking in and thoughts running wild in my mind on how i’ve just contaminated my product and now bacteria and germs are going to grow in it. BUT, I also understand jars can be quite handy and pretty AND, not to mention, quite sturdy. A solution to this? A spatula..

Cleansing balms are not new and they have been around for quite some time, in fact, I’ve tried a few hence I’m excited to see how this fairs.

Cleansers have been a huge part of my regime and I hope everyone takes this seriously. LOL

                  “Removes makeup and impurities, including pollution, as it purifies deep within skin’s surface to improve your overall healty look.”

 

The Micro Cleansing Balm has a very sturdy packaging and it looks pretty classy on my vanity table.

According to Estee Lauder, these cleanser are formulated without stripping your natural oils and protective barriers. Micro-purying and Micro-revitalizing they say.

What I love about this is that the light weight balm melts into a silky cleansing oil as your massage over your skin. Then added with water, it turns into a milky emulsion that rinses off easily.

Even with the thickest, heaviest, waterproof makeup. This has proven it.

You don’t get a tight feeling out of it and as someone who suffers from Rosacea and sensitive skin, I can say that this thing definitely calms my skin down and eases the redness.

*                 *                 *                 *

Next would be the Advance Night Micro Cleansing Foam,

 

 

Most people wouldn’t judge or evaluate much on Cleanser, they will just grab whatever they can see or feel like. Some may even buy according to what they feel is cleaner. I’ve got a few friends who buys deep cleansing cleansers just so they can feel their face is tight and the tighter they feel, they cleaner they think it is. – Please remember that means you are stripping your natural oils off and it’s too dry.

 

This Micro Cleansing Foam is creamy and although it doesn’t lather up into soap and bubbles like many other cleanser do, it has a minimal foam and cleanses well. Removing any toxin, impurities and makeup residue. This also helps to prepare for your next skincare step regime – Advance Night Repair, which would absorb into your skin better.

 

Tube cleansers are the easiest and it’s a creamy white cleanser, rinses easy and leaving your skin feeling clean, soft and refreshed.

I’ve only been using this during the night time and I love how Camomile and Lavender is in this cleanser which makes skincare much pleasant and aromatic blend just takes it to another level.

The scent for both Advance Night Micro Cleansing Balm and Micro Cleansing Foam has been very mild and pleasant. It’s not strong and it sort of has a milky baby powdery scent to it.

Finally, a mist I’ve been enjoying and carrying around.

 

I’ve been using the Radiant Creme for the past 6 months and it’s my favourite night cream so far. So the mist was something that I was looking forward wondering what this would do.

This is a lightweight mist that can refresh or hydrate your skin. Similar to the entire Nutritious Vitality8 range, the mist is infused with Poemgranate8 Complex to give that extra hydration and radiant.

 

It comes with a standard mist head that sprays evenly on the face. I’ve been carrying this in my bag and if i need a boost of hydration I’d give it a go. It’s a fairy small size at 30ml which is handy and can fit into any bag/clutch easily.

This is perfect and can be used under or over makeup. #triedandtested

There’s many more to come and for now I can say Estee Lauder has not disappointed me and has once again impressed me.

If there’s any other products you would like me to review or try out, let me know!

You can now also shop your favourite Estee Lauder products here and collect your Sephora points as well! 

Till then, Remember! You’re never ugly, only if you’re lazy! 🙂

*This post is sponsored by #sephoraSG