Thrifty Makeup Removers

Makeup removers have been known to be one of the best investments for your skin! I am pretty thrifty when it comes to buying them though, because I've seen many inexpensive ones that do a fantastic job. Better than fantastic because they're affordable and easily accessible. Who doesn't love that?!

Here are three of my picks:

 Sephora Waterproof Makeup Remover, $6.00 for 1.69oz, $9.50 for 4.2oz is a plant based eye makeup remover that has a dual oil and water phase that you have to shake up to use (much like the Lancome Bifacil, but much cheaper). It's really gentle on the skin, and good for people with sensitive eyes and/or contact lens wearers.

Before: Lipstain, waterproof gel liner with glitter, waterproof mascara, lipstick

Most of the makeup came off after using 3 cotton squares. It's highly unlikely I'll ever wear this much makeup ever. But I guess I have some sense of security knowing that I could. It's ideal for eye makeup but it's pretty good with everything else.

Biore Cleansing Oil, $13.99 for 5oz is a Japanese drugstore cleansing oil that removes everything! Unfortunately, the Biore products in the US and Japan are so incredibly different! The ones from Japan have the cutest packaging and cool formulas. This one has a fruity scent, but not really bothersome or strong.

To use this oil, you dispense a few pumps into your hands and massage your face dry. Use a little water to emulsify the oils, and the makeup should slowly come off. Rinse off and follow with a gentle cleanser. 

I never appreciated cleansing oils until recently. I never understood how to use them before, but once I learned how, I realized how wonderful it is... everything comes off!

Took off some of the remaining residue that the Sephora one couldn't pick up. I cleaned the left side of my arm. 

And finally, here is the most thriftiest of thrifts! Brace yourself for.........

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Yep! You've probably seen this on Youtube and in a vast amount of beauty blogs, discussion boards and whatnot. But olive oil is truly, truly the best one to use. Not only is it affordable, it's also super easy to find. 

I get the Extra Virgin bottle because it is the most readily available one in my grocer and is of the highest grade for olive oil, but you can choose fancy schmancy ones like Extra Virgin that's cold pressed, 1st pressed, which basically means that the oil was never heated to a certain temp making it the most meticulous method of extracting the oil. 

This was like $7.99 or something. Do the same as you would with a cleansing oil and be surprised! 

These are all amazing makeup removers and equally as good as the pricier ones. I'm looking at you, Shu Uemura!

Goodnight!

Recent Acquisition

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

:)

Thank you for all your birthday wishes! 25 isn't so bad.

FOTD using Chanel and Dior products

I took a mental health day from work today and decided to stay home and relax (as much as I can, at least) and to catch up on blogs, read, maybe write. Last weekend, I found out my poor cat has fleas... it's frustrating to deal with because those pesky little things jump everywhere and they're gross and I'm paranoid that they're hatching eggs everywhere and going into the electricals and water valves. Pretty soon it'll be a setting for the perfect horror flick. Attack of the Angry Fleas. I'll wake up in the middle of the night from some nightmare (cliche, lol) and of course the power will fail mercilessly, I'll run to fetch a flashlight and find the batteries have rotted. Then I'll panic and attempt to run to find something to illuminate my surroundings right before tripping over cords and knick knacks on the floor. I'll possibly be out of breath by then and the fleas will excrete a toxic airborne fume and I'll be gagging while being dragged, along with my cat, to the fleas who bound together to create a human fly trap. Oh god. I shudder to think of the outcomes after that. Yeah o_o

I'm taking care of the matter as much as I can. Thus, mental health day is needed.

Anyway, I decided to use my Chanel Pro Lumiere foundation today. I've had this foundation for awhile now and I'm surprised I haven't gotten around to reviewing it formally. I've been reading so many Chanel reviews that I figured everyone must've tried it by now! =p Sadly, it is discontinued now but you can still purchase it online.

Before the Pro Lumiere, I was also quite fond of the Teint Innocence (also discontinued). It's safe to say I really love Chanel foundations, but they have a habit to discontinue stuff that people really love! Well, they replaced the Teint Innocence with the Vitalumiere Aqua, which I haven't gotten around to trying yet. I haven't come to terms with the horrible packaging of the Vitalumiere Aqua...ugh. Why replace beautiful glass bottles with a plastic one? They replaced Pro Lumiere with Perfection Lumiere, which I also haven't tried, but eventually will. Hopefully before it gets discontinued. And that is going to be the end of my foundation rant!

Here's the look:







What I used:

Face

Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation in Limpide/Nude (10)
Dior blush in Passionfruit

Eyes
Dior Mania duo eyeshadow.

This is an oldie. I think it may be one of those gwp things? I can't remember now ;p It's old.

Lips
Chanel lipstick in Ardent (see my review here)

So yeah, that was the look. At home. I hope you're all having a good week. I'm dreading tomorrow already. I'll be 25. Yikes!

What high end brands do you fancy?

Review: Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Serum and Night Cream

Hello ladies!

How's your weekend so far? Mine has been hectic all day. Between running errands and the inconvenient rain, I am finally getting time to sit down to blog... yay!

I am finally getting around to reviewing the Naruko skincare I've been using. A few months ago, I tweeted that I finally got this in the mail and that I was really excited to try it. For those of you don't know, Naruko is a Taiwanese skincare brand founded by Niu Er, who is well known in Taiwan as a beauty/skincare guru. I've never seen any of the Taiwanese beauty shows (I don't speak Chinese...!) but it's widely popular in Asia. Naruko Skincare is paraben free and does not test on animals. There are several different lines in the Naruko Skincare series. From what I counted, there is 11. They all focus on something different - from prevention to brightening to maturing skin.

Okay! On with the first product. It's the Naruko Brightening and Firming Serum (see website here) from the Magnolia line. This line focuses on brightening dull and sallow skin.

What it is:  Anti aging serum that firms and brightens skin
Claims: Brightens dull skin, prevents signs of aging, moisturizes, brings back translucent skin
Packaging: Hygienic pump, pretty frosted glass bottle :)
Texture: Gel-like formula.

Scent: A bouquet magnolia flowers. It's definitely warm, and the scent is quite strong but not unpleasant.

Strengths: Absorbs into skin quickly
Weaknesses: None at the moment.
Availability/Price: I ordered this online. Unfortunately, there aren't any vendors in my area. It is $23.50 for a 1oz/30ml bottle
Overall: I am halfway through this serum and I have to say I haven't noticed any significant improvements in my skin. It is very lightweight. The gel-like texture was good during the summer months but I think I'd go with something more nourishing when I am done with this.

Note: Serums are an extremely important step in your skincare routine because they are ultra concentrated and jam packed with antioxidants and nutrients for your skin, and will help your skin absorb all the beneficial ingredients in the next step of your routine - facial moisturizer/night cream.

Ingredients: Plantain Extract Complex, Phytoferulin®, Magnolia Pure Gel, Hyaluronic Acid, Tranexamic Acid

Review: Dior Icone Foundation

I am back from sunny San Diego! It was one of the best weekends I've had all year, and probably one of the busiest. Theme parks galore. I am not kidding. I went to Seaworld, the Wild Animal Safari Park and the zoo. All in one weekend. I also ate at Hodad's, Hash House and some other SD hot spots.

Anyway, I wanted to briefly review the Dior Icone Foundation. Actually I meant to review this nearly a year ago. Gah, how time flies! Well, if you continue to read my review, you'll see why it took me so long to properly review it. It's also a discontinued product now, but I'm still compelled to write about it because you can still find these everywhere.

This is a mattifying cream to powder foundation that's conveniently packaged for travel in a twist cap tube. It reminds me of a bb cream. Aesthetic-wise, I always picture Dior foundations in luxurious glass bottles.

The texture of this foundation is light and airy. I'd say it's like between Maybelline mousse foundation and powder in a tube. It goes on completely matte on your face and has decent oil control throughout the day. The scent is the signature Dior smell in all their foundations.

Shade: Linen (21)

The coverage is pretty good, sheer to medium but it's not enough for dark circles or blemishes.

I'm not normally a huge fan of very matte foundations. It looks so flat? But then again, it's a personal preference and many people swear by the MUFE mat velvet+ (review here). I prefer dewier/satin finishes because it makes my skin look more youthful and natural. But the matte finish is perfect for photos and videos. It's a pretty nice foundation, but I suppose it's discontinued now because many women prefer something more moisturizing. Yeah.

Do you have a go-to matte foundation? Or do you also prefer satin finishes? I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)