THE FACE | SETTING POWDERS FOR OILY SKIN

Oily skin girl's best friend is a good powder to control the excessive production of oil! I could not agree more. Finding a great setting powder can make a huge difference in the makeup game. Of course primers and foundation count too but finishing products are the way to go. One of my perceptions when I was starting with makeup is that setting powders are all the same! They do the same job and give the same finish. Well, I was definitely proven wrong! Now that we are moving forward with technology, setting powders are created with different formulas and finishes so finding a great setting powder is definitely a big challenge for oily skin girls.

BROW-MAZING EXPERIENCE!

*collab post*

Brows has definitely became a major trend from mid 2016 all the way to 2017! From carved Instagram brows, to bushy eyebrows, down to brow tattooes! Phew I surely can not keep up! We are all definitely guilty of over plucked eyebrows at one point and I'm definitely super guilty of that! Growing out the brows is the hardest and finding the right salon to help your brows look great is another tough thing to look for!

BEAUTY GRAB | Essence Shape Your Face Contouring Palette

Recently, I went to Farmers to just haul a bunch of necessities when I walked pass the Essence stand. Man I love this drugstore brand so much! They always come out with new products after new products and most of them are of great quality with fun embossing + packaging! Since contouring and highlighting went top of the roof, every drugstore brand started coming with their own versions! Some are a hit and some are a miss but it really depends on what you're after.

THE FACE | In-depth Impression on MILANI Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation

Full coverage foundation is my ultimate go-to. It does not matter what season it is; I have to have my full coverage base. One is to conceal all my imperfection (mainly acne scars) and two I think it creates a flawless base for other products to go on top. For reference, my skin type is oily / acne-prone with enlarged pores. Since I do a 7-4 job on the daily, I need something that will last me all day without needing to touch up in between. If you have been a long time reader of mine, you would know how much I love my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, which has been with me through and through. I went swimming with it on, did a fitness routine, played outdoor tennis, and of course worked in a hot steamy kitchen! It works perfectly and I only have to blot once the entire day! Fast forward to now, I need something that is in my budget range that will work just as great as my holy grail foundation! (Also I can't keep spending $70 on foundation every 2months!) 

It is the perfect excuse for me to hunt for a new affordable foundation!

SKINCARE ESSENTIALS | WINTER EDIT 2016

My skin care routine has definitely changed over the years. I constantly try and discover products that is well suited for my skin type. For reference, my skin type is oily / acne prone and can get quite sensitive. Through out the years, I found that my skin reacts better with gentle products with less harsh chemicals, or products that are well suited for baby skin. 

CONTOUR GAME LEVELLED UP!

Highlighting and contouring is not something that I really pay attention to. However, since the makeup trend of chiselled cheek bones and highlighted under eyes blew up, everyone hopped into the bandwagon. I myself did and was actually proud to kind of master the art of contouring with powder. Though I often catch myself with really muddy and patchy looking contour! The key to makeup is to BLEND! No matter what you do it is always good to spend hours in blending and buffing! 

THE FACE | CURRENT FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION ROUTINE

Full coverage products is where my happy place is! I love a good full coverage base which means, it gives me a flawless face to flaunt through out the day. It easily hide my imperfections from acne scarring, uneven skin tones / pigmentations, and of course my very loud dark circles! For the longest time, I have been over the moon with Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation which I still love to this day. The coverage is on point, and the longevity especially on oily skin is perfection! Now that it is winter time, I'm trying to avoid any heavy full matte foundation as I get quite a few dry spots due to cold weather. 

BEAUTY GRAB | 10 Piece Oval Makeup Brush from Ebay

A whole new different look at makeup brushes! When Artis makeup brushes came out with revolutionary toothbrush looking makeup brushes, that supposedly works best when you apply makeup to yourself! Personally, I have not tried the brand as it is pretty costly. MAC Cosmetics also have their own version but I could not find it anywhere in New Zealand. Best place to go was Ebay! Majority of my tech stuff came from Ebay and I love this website! It is definitely a hit and miss but most of the time I get lucky with my purchases! 

BEAUTY GRAB | What's New With L'oreal Paris!

Moving took a toll on me especially with my scheduling. But enough about that! I recently found a stash of untouched makeup from L'oreal. I clearly forgot about this stuff, thank goodness for cleaning! These products is already out in the market for you beautiful people to grab! 

SUMMER MOST LOVED PRODUCTS 2016

This post is very long overdue! This year's summer was definitely the best! We had almost a month's worth of consistent heat and sunny days which is pretty amazing for Wellington! As the heat rises, its time to ditch a full coverage base and swap to a lighter one! My skin also tends to feel dry so little oomph of moisturiser is much needed! Summer calls for a little light, fresh, and dewy look. Personally, I like the look of imperfect skin peeping through as it looks natural and very fresh!

CURRENT FAVOURITES | Skincare Add-Ons For Acne - Prone Skin

My skin has its ups and downs but recently, I think I've found the products that works great with my skin. Technically speaking, I still have pigmented scarring from previous acne but one thing I'm happy about is the texture of my skin is even! It makes makeup application a lot flawless. 

UNBOXING | Lust Have It! FAB (Fashion & Beauty) Box

*affiliate post*

Something new and exciting has finally come to the blog! Lust Have It Women's Beauty bag is my favourite especially me being a makeup junkie but they made it even better by combining fashion and beauty together! For the month of February, I got mixture of products that is perfect for summer!

UNBOXING | Lust Have It Beauty Bag

Getting subscription boxes is like getting present every month! You never know what you're going to get until you unbox it! Lust Have It has the best selection when it comes to beauty samples and I like the theme that revolves around the season! This time it is all about the summer youthful glow!

THE FACE | Full Coverage Base Duo

Full coverage base is every girl's best friend! I love how airbrushed and flawless my skin looks, the imperfections are easily hidden, and it looks great on photos! However, full coverage base can either look good or bad depending on the application and products used! One thing I hate is for it to look so cake-y and patchy through out the day. For majority of 2015, I did give up full coverage makeup and went all lightweight and natural looking. But when I reverted back, I knew that I was missing something and that full coverage makeup works best for me!

BEAUTY GRAB | SEPHORA NZ PICKS!

Long wait is over especially for New Zealand beauty junkies! Sephora online has finally made its way to New Zealand December last year to be exact! I'm a little late for the hype, but seriously though! For my very first Sephora haul, I decided to purchase brands that is not readily available in New Zealand stores - Kat Von D and Marc Jacobs Beauty. 

UNBOXING | Lust Have It Beauty Bag 2016

*affiliate post*

Back to back unboxing of the Lust Have It beauty bag! It's hard to stop myself from opening the bag! I can already see a bunch of goodies inside the box and oh boy! Lusties, we are showered with awesome products once again and this time its better! (GEE I know I've said this so many times but its truly amazing!)

THE FACE | SUMMER BASE

This year's summer is by far the best I've experienced! The temperature never drops below 20 degrees which I enjoy and with the hope of it lasting for a long time. With this heat, protection is much much needed especially for the face. Not only that, if you're a makeup wearer like me things can tend to slip and slide so a good setting powder is a must to last a day without feeling and looking like a greaseball.

UNBOXING | Lust Have It Beauty Bag

*affiliate post*

It's unboxing time once again and probably the most exciting part of my whole month! Since we moved to a new place, I lost track of what month this bag falls under. Lust Have It was kind enough to send another beauty bag and the contents are amazing! I've said it before but it keeps getting better and better!

BEAUTY GRAB | Avene Skincare for Acne Prone Skin

Another brand added to my list of to try products for acne prone skin. I know for the longest time, one of the main reasons that I break out is because of constant change of products I use. I did manage to stick to one product for the entire year but I got bored. I did however managed to find that gentle products works great on my skin, therefore I'm only sticking to products that are also suitable for sensitive skin.

BEST 15 of 2015 | BEAUTY EDIT

2015 was a hit and miss for me. It was a hit because I got to do quite a few things and experienced a whole bunch of exciting stuff in both lifestyle and beauty! I'm fortunate enough to be working along side great companies and also expose my unknown skills to the world. It was a miss mainly because of my skin issues. My skin went all ballistic and started irritating wand do all sorts of stuff. I went back to my simple skincare routine but still did not quite do its magic. However, I'm grateful to have found makeup products I can use to hide my imperfections and enhance my natural features.