Makeup bag essentials

I work part time in an office environment where there is aircon and heating all the time. This really dries out my skin so there are a few products that I must have with me at all times. Lip balm is my obsession so I always carry it around. I'm currently using the Dior Creme De Rose which I love. It smells like soft roses and has a pretty pale pink colour which goes on clear. It is one of the most moisturising lip balms I have tried (I have tried many). I heard this was being discontinued? Not too sure about that though. I also always carry a tube of hand cream with me. My hands always get really dry and uncomfortable while typing at work. The L'occitane limited edition one in passionate jasmine has the original formula but smells like jasmines. It is not too overwhelming but instead a very pleasant slightly sweet smelling jasmine. For my cuticles or any dry patches I reach for my Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream (fragrance free version). To be honest I bought this initially just because it was so hyped up. I was curious about why everyone loved it so much. After trying this I can see why it is loved. However, I do have to say that for me it is not as much of a miracle worker as everyone says. It does moisturise my lips and dry patches. But I have other balms that can do that too. I carry this one for the convenience of it being in a tube.

For makeup, I like using neutral pinks like the Dior Addict lipstick in 564 Model. This is the perfect daytime pink that just brightens up my complexion. I also carry around a bold coloured lipstick for days I go out after work. I'm currently loving the Mamonde creamy tint in the colour matte pop rose. I wore this the whole night and only touch up once. It does not transfer and fades evenly and gradually. But it still leaves a vivid tint on your lips.

Lastly, I also carry around a hair tie just incase.

Comparison: Etude House Sweet Recipe Dear My Jelly Lips JPK004 vs Revlon lip butter in Juicy Papaya

I've been meaning to talk about these 2 lipsticks for a while now.

I bought the Revlon Juicy Papaya lip butter a while back and loved it. Then I bought the Etude House Jelly Lips in JPK004. When I opened it I was surprised at how similar the colour was to the revlon lip butter. They were basically an exact dupe for each other. This was fine with me since I love the colour so much.

The Revlon lip butter is slightly creamier than the Etude House. But both have a very similar texture and sheerness.

My Etude House jelly lips did not last through summer though (as you can probably tell from the photo).

Revlon lip butter - juicy papaya

Etude House Sweet Recipe Dear My Jelly Lips - JPK004

Top to bottom: Etude house jelly lips, Revlon lip butter juicy papaya

Korean lipstick review 2: Innisfree, Etude House

I have been accumulating a lot of new lipsticks over the past few months and wanted to share them with you here.

Innisfree vivid tint rouge, lipstick and Etude House

A couple of months ago Innisfree released the vivid tint lipstick and vivid tint rouge range. They were really popular in Korea because they were very pigmented and long lasting. I think Innisfree came out with a couple of new shades for Spring.

The shades I got were 06, 07, 09, 10.

Innisfree vivid tint lipstick shades 07, 10, 09 from top.

Innisfree vivid tint rouge in shade 06

The Innisfree vivid tint rouge is meant to be similar to the YSL lip stains. I'm not a fan of this one because I don't like the glossy sticky feeling. Also it doesn't really tint my lips and transfer like crazy. The Innisfree vivid tint lipsticks are pretty good though. I love shade 10 which is a raspberry pink/maroon colour. It glides on really smoothly and is matte but moisturising. It still transfers but does last quite a few hours.

Etude House Jelly Lips JPK004 and Dear My Blooming Lips RD306

Next up are these Etude House lipsticks. These have a really moisturising formula. The Etude House Jelly Lips is a really pretty colour. Nearly identical to the Revlon lip butter in the shade Juicy Papaya. But the Revlon lip butter has a smoother and creamier texture. The Jelly Lips is also thinner in consistency and has a sheer glossy finish. It smells like jelly beans too! The Blooming Lips is a deep red and tends to stain your lips. It has a slight glossy finish as well. It is a really pretty colour but is quite high maintenance since it transfers very easily.

L -R: Innisfree vivid tint rouge 06, Innisfree vivid tint lipstick 07, 10, 09, Etude House Jelly Lips JPK004, Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips RD306

Products I have been loving

Helloo! Recently I have been trying to use up products that I own and found that I have been reaching for these quite a bit.

Products shown:

Missha Super Aqua Bergamot aroma deep sea water micro mist - wow that name was really long. This is essentially a water mist you spray onto your face whenever you feel dry or want to be refreshed. I really like this. The scent is quite subtle and soft (not really sure what bergamot is meant to smell like). As the name suggests it is a micromist so it sprays out really fine mist compared to the Avene Eau Thermale spray which tends to leave small droplets of water on my face :S

Anna Sui lip balm - This is my second tub. It smells so good! It is a very soft rose scent that is present in all Anna Sui products <3 Absolutely love this stuff. It moisturises the lips really well as well. And the lid screw on so I don't have to worry whether the tin is closed properly.

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie - I have been obsessed with berry coloured lips and nails recently. Berry Smoothie is quite sheer and has a few shimmer particles in it but they are not that noticeable on the lips. It is really moisturising as well.

L'Occitane hand cream in lavender - Love the texture of L'Occitane hand creams. This one is gel like and absorbs instantly leaving my hands really soft and smelling like lavender. I find that L'Occitane lavender scent smells nicer than Crabtree & Evelyn's lavender.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I usually spray this when I feel tired because it has a minty sensation which helps keep me awake haha. As for the smoothing and glowing properties I can't really say I have seen much of a difference. Before this big bottle I used up 2 smaller sized ones and also could not see much of an effect. I use this for the minty sensation and scent as a pick me up really... it is pricey but I really like it for that purpose.

Daily Makeup

I don't really spend that much time putting makeup on in the morning but I do notice the difference that makeup can have even if it's just very natural/minimal. Here's what I use on a daily basis just to brighten up my face.

Products shown:

Holika Holika Petit bb cream - watery

Bourjois Healthy Balance  unifying powder - 52 vanilla

Lancome hypnose mascara

Shiseido integrate brown pencil eyeliner

Kanebo Media blush - pk2

Dior Addict Extreme - 356 cherie bow

Etude House fresh cherry lip tint

Etude House Dr. mascara fixer

Etude House single eyeshadow - cafe latte

Korean Lipstick Review: Holika holika, Tony Moly

I have always liked Asian lipsticks over the western brands since they tend to be lighter and sheerer with a more glossy finish. I find that Korean lipsticks are quite affordable and also really high quality.

I like Tony Moly and Holika Holika lipsticks better than the Etude House ones that I have tried because they are more moisturising and the colour selection is better (I like sheer nude pinks and peaches).

The lipsticks I will be reviewing today are:

Holika Holika Heart Ful Moisture Lipstick - Baby Beige

This one comes in a super cute metallic pink tube and an even cuter heart shaped bullet. When I first got this it was too pretty to use haha. The colour is the typical pink beige. It's not quite as moist or glossy as I usually like. But it's not bad I guess..

Holika Holika Face to Change Sheer Lipstick

I LOVE this lipstick. It is so glossy and sheer <3

I got 2 colours BR504 Smokey Pink and PK120 Glory Pink.

My favourite is the BR504 because it is such a natural everyday colour. The PK120 I don't like as much since there doesn't seem to be much colour. On my lips it just looks like sparkles :(

These apply really smoothly and feels like lip balm on the lips. But since its so smooth and light it tends to slip and slide if I apply too many layers.

PK120 Glory Pink

BR504 Smokey Pink

L to R: PK120, BR504

 Tony Moly Prestige Lipstick Glossy

I don't remember the name of the colour since it is in Korean but it is number 02. This is a sheer coral peach colour and going by the name it is super glossy. Right up my alley. The only thing I don't like about this is the packaging since the tube clicks open which I find annoying. Also it is a bit bulky.

 Tony Moly Berryberry Lovely Stick - PKLS02

At first I didn't like this one because it makes me look really ghostly white. For some reason mid tone pinks just look awful on me. But I found that if I just apply a light layer of this my lips look really youthful and moisturised. This also smells fruity which I like.

Tony Moly Prestige Crystal Lipstick- 01 Muse Pink

I absolutely hate this lipstick. I bought it online and looked like a natural peach colour. But when applied on my lips it is a bright barbie pink. The formula is also quite dry and not moisturising at all.

L to R: Prestige Glossy lipstick, Berryberry Lovely Stick, Prestige Crystal lipstick