Of New Year and Blog Design

Hey, guys! First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!! My God~I can't believe 2016 is over!! T_____T

I'm sorry as this is going to be a quick post but I just want to let you know that I'm currently working on the blog design. Not gonna be fancy or anything but I have disabled the mobile version temporarily so I hope you guys won't mind. 

Other than that I wish you guys in good health and hopefully this year will be better thsn the last. 

Until next post, annyeong!

Beauty Empties 11.0 | December

Finally we arrived at the final Empties post of the year! Woohoo! I didn't finish much for this month other than some body products and sheet masks. So, let's just get right into it, shall we?

Even I can't believe myself how quick I finished these two perfumes from Solinotes Paris! I purchased them from Sephora back in June and finished them at the same time around last month. They're basic EDT, wallet-friendly but still nice compared to other perfumes available at the store. Definitely will be repurchasing Vanille and would love to purchase other variants as well. 

Beauty Haul | Althea Korea & Innisfree Malaysia

I just got back from a trip to KL recently and I just had to grab few things from Innisfree store in Pavilion. I didn't get myself so much this time and I only bought some makeup items as I still have a lot of skincare items lining up to be tried next. But then, after discovering Althea Korea recently, I've been checking out some products available on store and finally made my first purchase.

I bought only 2 items from Etude House holiday collection for this year which is My Little Nut. I got my favourite Curl Fix Mascara and Play 101 Pencil in #86. 

MBD Style | Out With My Girlfriend

I had one day to spend with my friend in KL before heading back to KK last week so we decided to hang out at Nu Sentral. There's no particular reason why we chose that mall but there's Sephora and Starbucks, so enough said. 

We've also figured that she needed a change in her wardrobe so we went to several clothing stores to see what kind of style that suit her well.

I started with bottom first so we went to Levi's store to see which jeans cut that flatter her beautiful curve (I still think a straight cut could never go wrong) and a basic shirt with flannel suits daily wear to class. Of course, a backpack!

For shoes, a high cut Converse to me is essential. Nope, it's not because Converse High by BTS from their The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever album has been on repeat for the past few days. I promise! 

I guess that's all for this look! Let me know your thoughts on this look by leaving comments down below! 

Review | THE FACE SHOP Natural Sun Eco Oil-Cut Sun Cream SPF40 PA++

I usually review a sunscreen product around middle of the year but quite honestly, I've been using my cushion foundation for most days and only stick with sunscreen during weekends. Still, I'm going to share with you guys my thoughts on this very product from THE FACE SHOP. 

Just look at that bright orange colour. So pretty!

Review | Innisfree Capsule Recipe Pack in Seaweed

When it comes to wash-off masks, I love trying lots of variants from different brands that I love these days instead of buying those in tubs or tubes because honestly, I'm having trouble finishing them. I usually just do masking sessions with my mum and younger brother so it'll finish earlier compared to when I'm using it all to myself. Plus, it's fun!

I actually got this wash-off mask after being impressed with other variants that I've tried previously and my bestie was raving about this product like a year ago so I decided to grab this during Althea Korea Birthday event few months ago. 

MBD Style | Airport Fashion Inspired by BTS SUGA

I saw a photo of BTS Min Yoongi a.k.a Suga wearing a long coat, sweater, and carrying a carryall at the airport and I came up with this set where I attempted to translate his style into something that I could probably pulled off. Again, probably.

A carryall suits the look from Suga but I think I'd prefer a backpack for an airport fashion and of course, a skinny jeans with high-cut military boots to match. Instead of going with a long coat, I'd choose a trench coat as it's always raining wherever I'm going anyway.

Let me know your thoughts on this by leaving comments down below.


P.S.: Currently on my iPod playlist: BTS Cypher

Beauty Haul | THE FACE SHOP Malaysia

I know! This year I bought lots of stuffs from the brand! What can I say. It's the first brand I ventured into and it's still my favourite all these years. 

First off, I repurchased my Holy Grail cleansing foam which is that Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam. Though I just started using Etude House Milky You Cleansing Foam as my morning cleanser, I'm planning to go back to this cleanser when I finished that. 

I also bought its sister product, Rice Water Bright Cleansing Water to remove my light to medium makeup and this is probably my third repurchase if not mistaken. I really like it as it removes makeup so well and definitely will be reviewing this soon. 

MBD Style | Airport Fashion Inspired by BTS Jungkook

I've been following Bangtan Sonyeondan or Bangtan Boys (BTS) for about a week now, right after they released their 3rd Korean album, WINGS and all I can say is I've been head over 'boots' (intended pun as the boys wear tons of boots for their airport fashion after their debuted back in 2013) with their music and style.

I was looking for inspiration before my trip to KL in December so I went over to Pinterest to see if I could translate the boys' fashion into a set of style that I could probably pulled off. Let's emphasize the word 'probably'.

If you do a Google search on their airport fashion (except during this winter time) the boys wear tight jeans, shorts, graphic shirts, some accessories and most importantly, backpacks. I've added my own personal favourite i.e. headphone and camera - two things I can't board a plane without.

This is the style that I came up with so do let me know your thoughts.  

Review | THE FACE SHOP Seed in Seed | Seed Germ Resilient Serum

It's been about a year since I started incorporating one or two products of anti-ageing skincare into my routine and other than sheet masks that I used every few days, I also just started using my first anti-ageing serum. While I was 'hunting' for a new product to try, the one thing I'm concerned about the most is the texture. I have normal to oily skin so I don't like waiting extra minutes for thick products to be properly absorbed into my skin or having a makeup meltdown in the middle of the day resulted by unbalanced moisture level in my skin hence I need a new serum that is light in texture. 

I got like 10 sachets of this serum from THE FACE SHOP while I was in the store months ago so I started using it and got hooked with its nice scent and how soft it's making my skin after using it for a week. 

Review | THE FACE SHOP Snail Mucus MasCream Sheet

This is the last variant for me to try from the MasCream sheet line and there's a reason why it's the last one and I only bought one sheet for it. Let's just be honest here; although the whole snail in skincare trend has been going for like several years, I have never tried any product made off the snail mucus extracts. Why? You guessed it right. It's gross! LOL But then, in the name of Beauty, I've tried it and yes, I'm loving it!

Beauty Haul | Crabtree & Evelyn Caribbean Island Wild Flower

Of course, I firmly said to myself that I'm done with shopping for this month but as I passed Crabtree & Evelyn store in Suria Sabah, I just had to see the stuffs they're offering for this Holiday. 

I wasn't impressed with so many things as I only tried their most popular line i.e. Evelyn Rose but other than that, I honestly haven't tried anything else. I spent about an hour deciding on which line of fragrance to try next so in the end, I went with their Caribbean Island Wild Flower. I swear, it doesn't has anything to do with my obsession with Secret Recipe's Fish Fillet with Caribbean Sauce that I had earlier that night. 

Review | LANEIGE White Plus Renew Bubble Cleanser

On the previous post, I talked about a cleanser from Laneige that I finished in the last quarter of the year and as you probably expected seeing this review, indeed I purchased 2 at the same time so I am currently on the second bottle. 

Beauty Empties 10.0 | September

Looking at the products that I've managed to finish for the past quarter is definitely making me proud of myself. Before becoming a blogger, I never really finished my skincare and most of the time, I just tossed out things I don't want to finish or just can't as they're already expired. 

I've managed to finish some makeup items and another round of skincare this time so without further ado, let's get right into it!

First, let's go to skincare!

I finished another round of skincare from Laneige that include a bottle of Bubble Cleanser, Skin Refiner, Emulsion, Original Essence, and a tub of Original Cream. I really like the bubble cleanser as it helps with lifting dead skin cells as I noticed less of that every time I swiped my face with toner after cleansing but it's important to note that if you're using similar cleanser, always put on sunscreen after your skincare steps. It feels like a deja vu as I did finished a round of this very skincare line which is White Plus Renew last year in October. 

Honestly, that Firming Sleeping Pack also from Laneige is not the first tub that I finished. It's probably the 3rd or 4th tub as I always have this product at my mum's place, my place and my friend's place. I know. I'm a huge fan of this product so I tend to do that a lot. haha I do love this mask more than the Water Sleeping Pack also from the brand and I'm so excited to know that they're finally upgrading the brand and including this mask into their Time Freeze line. Definitely will be purchasing the upgrade soon!

Review | Laneige Serum Intense Lipstick in Shine Brown

I gotta admit that I've been having this lipstick for about 2 years (I was trying really hard to remember when did I got this from mom) and it went deep into my makeup stash. I totally had forgotten about it until yesterday when I was looking for my Laneige eyeshadow kit palette that I got as a sample and that's when I saw it sitting prettily next to each other. 

The previous Holiday edition of Laneige BB Cushion is still pretty to me. I hope this year's design will be way prettier~

Fashion Haul | TudungPeople Numa Luxe Premium Mixed Crepe Shawl

So far, the only premium hijab I ever bought and wear is from TudungPeople. It all started when a classmate back university raved about a Tudung modeled by a 5th year senior in our Architecture department but the fact that the brand was founded by another senior of ours who made, designed and sold these beautiful hijab at several countries including Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Australia, UK, and Saudi Arabia amazed me so much that I became an instant fan of the brand itself. 

The first hijab that I bought are from the Maysaa and Lamia collection and then I was introduced to this premium hijab line which is Numa Luxe. 

Above are from the earlier Numa Luxe collection that was released back in February. I got mine in Sephia and Russet. You might think they're almost identical but that just lighting. Russet is slightly darker and warmer than Sephia. 

The hijab in this line are made from Poly Crepe. They're thin but still quite opaque and definitely don't require for me to wear something beneath just to cover my neck. They flow beautifully no matter what kind of style you're pulling. 

The hijab from previous collection are quite heavy and thicker compared to the new ones that I ordered (and launched at their online store) 2 weeks ago.

I got 3 colours! The first one is my current favourite which is Fairy Dust, a beautiful dusty or mauve purple. I finally found a colour that can go with my Vietnam silk-made baju kurung.

Review | SKINFOOD Egg White Pore Wash-Off Mask

I have tried several types of mask that help with my sebum control and so far I've encountered clay masks and this egg white mask from Skinfood. 

If you're familiar with Skinfood then you'll definitely noticed how simple and traditional their packaging is. I mean, comic san font. Really? But then again, I'm still loving their wash-off masks from the first time I've tried them until today. 

Beauty Perks | Innisfree Malaysia VIP Kit 2.0

One of the best thing about buying Korean beauty products in local stores is definitely the membership benefits. Even better, if you reached VIP status. Brands like Laneige, Sulwhasoo, and of course, Innisfree are all under the giant cosmetic company, Amore Pacific. As these brands opened branch stores here in Malaysia, us VIP customers get to experience if not fully, part of the benefits being the brand's VIP customers in Korea. Being a Laneige Malaysia's loyal customer for at least 3 years, I think it's safe to say that the VIP customers get like 30 to 40% of the benefits given to those in Korea. You know what I'm talking about if you compared the gift tiers offered in Malaysian stores and Seoul stores. 

Anyway, 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing so when I get the chance to redeem the VIP kit from Innisfree twice this year, I'm more than elated to receive them. Fully thanks to my friend who were willing to pick this up from the store at Pavilion KL. 

Review | THE FACE SHOP Goat Milk MasCream Sheet

It's been real busy for the past few weeks at work and I guess I'll be continuing my simple night routine for another 2 weeks before going through the evaluation for my confirmation at the company early next month so in this 5th out of 6 series of this MasCream Sheet line from THE FACE SHOP, I'll be reviewing my favourite variant so far which is Goat Milk. 

Beauty Haul | Sephora and M.A.C

I used to post Beauty Haul of the month at the end of that month but I've been changing my schedule and do my shopping at the beginning of the month so I guess they won't be much difference, right?

These days, my heart just scream "more makeup, please!" even though my brain (and my bank!) nodding my head and pulled me away every time I was passing by Sephora and makeup boutiques. But of course, I can't just not to get anything when Sephora was having Double Points day. For the sake of getting Sephora Gold!! haha 

Review | My Burberry Eau de Parfum by Burberry

The rainy season has started and I'm more than elated as it's my favourite season. The coldness, the smell after the rain, fresh grass, drinking hot green tea while watching the rain hitting the window glass... why am I being so dramatic right now? So basically, this perfume has embodied everything I love about the season into one beautiful bottle. 

Beauty Essential | 9 to 5

I've been working for more than 4 months now and I'm slowly getting myself into the whole routine from morning till late evening which is why it's imperative to have some essential items with me throughout the day.

Review | THE FACE SHOP Black Label Lipstick in No. 13

It's been raining for almost everyday for the past week~ I'm loving it! With hot green tea latte, on bed all day with just one good book, I'm all for it! of course, we all have to work despite it's raining cats and dogs out there. haha Anyway, finally~ I'm back with a review! It's been more that 6 months, I know! Caught up with zillion things ever since I started working and only the past few weeks I sought the strength to sort my vanity (truth be told, I'm not done yet!) and after literally hoarding containers from Daiso, I managed to sort 80% of my beauty stash. Phew! 

Anyway, I received this lipstick about a month ago and as I got some free time this morning,  I managed to take some photos though they're not well-lit as I only got sunshine for a good hour before it started to rain again. 

Review | Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder

I honestly didn't know that there are many types of makeup powders not until 2 years ago when I started doing makeup by myself. I talked about the sebum controlling beauty items that I'm using currently in my previous post and I featured this No Sebum Mineral Powder from Innisfree as one of them. 

I'm pretty sure if you're an avid Korean makeup user, you definitely know about this sebum-controlling HD powder or if you prefer, translucent powder. 

Online Shopping | Q-Depot

As I've been busy with work as of late so I usually just obtain my beauty fixes from online. As you probably saw in my Instagram feed for the past few months. You didn't? Lucky me! haha shopaholic in the making over here. 

I guess it goes without saying that I love Korean beauty products. From the skincare products to makeup items, I've been using and loving them since late 2013. But now that I'm back in Sabah since last year, I find Korean beauty stores here are much lower in number compared to KL so I resorted to buying online instead. 

I have to admit that I rarely get Korean makeup items via online as I need to swatch on my skin to see if it the colour fits me or not, whether it suits my skin type or not.. and so many other reason a girl can give which proven by numerous Sephora visits! But that's not the case for Korean skincare products. It's much easier getting them online and have them delivered compare to going to shopping malls, dragging my feet with lots of stuffs (they're heavy by the way!).

I've discovered several number of online stores selling Korean cosmetics especially since last year and I have to say that each and every online store may have the same basic style or way of marketing their products, but some actually have unique identity to them. 

Review | Banila Co. Clean it Zero Sherbet Cleanser

Last month, I got an opportunity to work with Althea to spread the news on their celebration of their first birthday and I got the chance to pick up several items from the store. Some products are my personal favourite (I honestly don't have much time to scroll through the products that they're offering so I just went those) but this is the one product I've been eyeing to get for so long but as Banila Co. isn't available locally so this is just perfect. 

Beauty Haul | THE FACE SHOP Malaysia

Korean beauty companies collaborating with SNS companies or other brands with special characters like Disney, etc. has been a trend for the past few years so this year, one of my favourite K-beauty company, TheFaceShop has collaborated with Kakao Friends and Pixar's Monster, Inc. 

I went to a local TFS store recently and saw the collection is on 20% discount for all the items so I grabbed few items among other things as they're so cute!

Review | TheFaceShop Moisturizing MasCream Sheet

As I've been so busy the past few weeks, I've been focusing merely on basic care that includes cleansing, toning and moisturising and for essence or serum step, I opted for sheet masks instead.  

For this MasCream sheet line, I've tried the Nourishing (my favourite so far), Brightening and Firming so this time I'll be reviewing the Moisture variant. 

Blogger Mail | Althea Birthday Box!

Hello, lovelies! How are you? Hope this week has been kind to you and yes, we're all looking forwards to weekends. haha

Anyway, as you probably might've guessed from the previous post which is an essential reading for you guys to know all about Althea Birthday Celebration where there will be giveaways, Althea Rewards, Instagram contest and so much more!

So today I'll be doing a unboxing post where I'm gonna share with you guys the Korean beauty products that I grabbed during the bloggers event. Well, it's not a physical event but there were lots of South East Asia-based beauty bloggers took part in this sort of virtual party while giving hands to the Elves of Althea-land to spread the news of their first ever birthday celebration. Now, let's get right into it!

Online Shopping | Happy Birthday, Althea Korea! #AltheaTurns1

Hello, my lovelies~ It's been awhile, I know! Forgive me for leaving you guys with no updates as I've been busy with work, work, work!

So what are better ways to do a comeback blogpost other than writing about the latest collaboration I have which is with Althea Korea! 

Wait what's Althea Korea? Althea is the wonderful shopping land where you can get your K-Beauty fix and have it shipped from Korea to your doorsteps! (no tax no fuss!) within 10 to 15 working days. I can say that their prices are amazing, and they do have lots of fun, trendy and exclusive beauty products for you to unbox all the way from Seoul, South Korea! They do have the best price, and free shipping is given for over RM150 purchase with 30 Days Unconditional Return and of course, they're selling 100% Authentic products.

So it's their 1st ever birthday and the Elves from the Althealand are inviting you guys to join their global party!

Review | Innisfree Capsule Recipe Pack Strawberry Wash-Off Mask

Few months ago, I got my hands on the Rice variant from this Capsule Recipe Pack wash-off pack line from Innisfree and as you probably know, I love brightening skincare especially in mask category hence, I picked up this Strawberry variant. 

Review | Kevyn Aucoin Neo Bronzer in Capri

If you know me personally then you might noticed that I'm not into blusher that much and ever since I started doing makeup, I only have one blusher from Bourjois for like 2 years before I got my current and absolute favourite cream blusher from Aritaum. Then, this came through the mail. 

As I still considered myself a noob in makeup, I'm not surprised to find out about the brand being one of the most coveted name in Hollywood. By merely looking at the packaging, I think anyone could tell that this is an expensive makeup item. 

Review | Kate Tokyo Liquid Touch Powder Foundation For Cover in OC-D

I first get to know about powder foundation probably around last year when I first got a mini sample from Bare Minerals but I wasn't really interested as I was really into cushion foundation at that time (still is, actually) so I didn't try other similar products. 

As I was getting the sister product so I thought why not getting this as I've been loving powder foundation these days. It's simple and easy to apply, and I'm taking a break from that glowing, dewy looks that cushion foundations often give me. 

Review | Kate Tokyo Powderless Liquid for Cover in OC-D

To this day, I've only tried drugstore, Western and Korean foundation so this is the first time I'm trying Japanese foundation after hearing this product being recommended by a YouTuber that I'm following. 

I got this around 2 months ago and I was actually kinda reluctant to try this at first as I was assuming there are limited number of shades but Kate Tokyo even released for cool tone skin. I happened to match the second darkest shade which is OC-D. 

Review | TheFaceShop Firming MasCream Sheet

I started integrating one or two anti-ageing products into my skincare routine starting last year I think and I've also in the middle of trying beauty samples for anti-ageing skincare lines. 

So far, I have firming sleeping mask and anti-ageing eye cream but for most of the time, I love using anti-ageing sheet masks as it's simple. As I can buy them separately, I reduce the risk of buying a miss product as you know how certain product can be too intense for your skin which is the case for most anti-ageing products. 

You probably notice this but when I like one item from certain skincare line (especially sheet mask), I tend to buy the whole line or all its variants. This is the case with MasCream Sheet from TheFaceShop. I love the Nourishing variant hence I went back to the store and got myself the Brightening, Moisturising and this Firming variant. 

Skincare Diary | Sebum-Controlling

For the past few months, I've been talking about sebum-controlling beauty products; from cleansing to skincare and of course I had to talk about few makeup items that are helping me in controlling my natural oil from seeping through my makeup. 

As I already went in depth on several items that I'm featuring in this post so today I'm gonna share with you guys the routine that I usually do in the morning. In short, this is my current AM routine. 

Review | TheFaceShop Brightening MasCream Sheet

Last month, I've used several sheets of MasCream Sheet for Nourishing as my skin felt so dry especially for the past months I've been battling with flaky skin due to spending at least 10 hours a day in air-conditioned room so this week I decided to try the Brightening variant also from the same sheet mask line. 

Beauty Empties 9.0 | June

Hello, lovely people! How's you weekend so far? For me weekend means catching up with sleep and house chores. Especially laundry. Well, specifically laundry. It's been more than 2 months since I started working but I still can't adjust my routine that well. Any tips, though?

Review | THE FACE SHOP Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream

Now that I've reviewed my current cleanser and toner, today I'll be sharing with you guys about my current moisturiser, Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream also from TheFaceshop. 

This product is part of my current morning skincare routine that focusing on sebum-controlling properties as I want to prolong my makeup but still want to have balanced moisture level in my skin.

Makeup Look | Daily Office Makeup

In last week's post on my beauty haul for last month, I talked a little bit about my daily makeup routine for office which is all about achieving that natural simple look hence in today's post, I'll be going in with details on the makeup items I use.

Review | The Face Shop Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Water

As I mentioned in my previous post on my current foam cleanser, I'm on a simple 3-step skincare routine especially in the morning that consists of a cleanser, a toner and a moisturiser which are all focusing on sebum-controlling property and this time I'll be reviewing the toner, Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Water from TheFaceShop. 

Beauty Haul | ZOEVA and Solinotes Paris

I guess it goes without saying that ever since I started working in an office environment, I've been wearing makeup like everyday. The past 2 months was all about adjusting to new environment, new routine and the need to wear makeup to work has gradually increased from week 1 to week 9. 

As I never really have proper makeup routine or set an everyday makeup look, I went on research on basic daily office makeup and one thing that came out the most was pulling a natural look i.e. natural eyeshadow colours, natural looking base foundation, and the need to have proper scent or perfume on you throughout the day.

Review | THE FACE SHOP Chia Seed Fresh Cleansing Foam

Of course, it's summer right now but here in Malaysia it's always hot and humid so for most of the time during the day, I will go to at least one item in my skincare routine that has sebum-controlling properties but as I'm taking a break from my usual brightening skincare lines  - Laneige White Plus Renew, I'm on this simple 3-step sebum-controlling skincare line from one of my favourite K-beauty brand of all time, TheFaceShop. 

Review | Etude House Zero Sebum Drying Powder

I've been obsessing with pore or sebum-focusing makeup items for the past few months and this product from Etude House is just one of many that I now have in my makeup collection.

I've done a review on its sister product, Zero Sebum All Day Matte Gel so do check it out! It's basically a simple gel-based primer that you apply at the first step of base makeup and it does help with controlling the shine from beaming through my foundation. 

However, for today's review I'm going to just apply the powder with just my sunscreen on so you can see how fine and transparent it is but first let's talk about the basic things about it. 

Beauty Talk | Cleaning My Brushes

If there's one thing I could not give up when it comes to makeup that will be not washing my makeup brushes. I usually wash these babies like once a month as I have multiple brushes for similar function for example I can use one powder brush per week and use another in the next one. But washing all of them together is quite a task these days I rather wash one set of brush every week so it'll take like at least 15 minutes to go through all of them.