New Brushes!

I purchased a F80 Sigma brush a year ago or so because I needed something to apply my liquid foundation with. I didn't like the M.A.C. 187 as much as I thought I would because it took SO much time & work to stipple the foundation on and the coverage/effect wasn't even that great, TBH.

Don't get me wrong, I adore M.A.C.'s eye brushes and their powder brushes (the 182 kabuki brush is possibly my fave) but for liquid foundation, these synthetic kabukis are PERFECT.

I ended up using my F80 SO much, and it was such a hassle to wash & dry because the bristles are extremely thick & dense. So, I decided to get myself the synthetic kabuki set :D

There are 4 brushes in this set, namely the F80, F82, F84 and the F86. The 'F' stands for face, just in case I wasn't the last person on this planet to figure that out. Their eye brushes start with 'E'.

Here are the brushes in order from F80 to F86.

I'd have to say that the F80 is still my favourite! It really distributes foundation evenly & effortlessly. And it also does the job quick, pretty much a foolproof method of applying foundation!

The F82 differs from the F80 slightly because instead of being flat like the F80, the F82 has a rounded surface. I don't like it as much because the brush has less surface area and so it takes a tad longer to apply foundation with it.

I haven't found a use for the F84 because I feel like it's more for a product like cream bronzer (Soleil Tan de Chanel, when will you be mine?) because it's angled, which would be perfect for contouring.  I don't use cream bronzer . You definitely can use the F84 to apply your foundation too though.

I like the F86, it's great for patting concealer under your eyes or even for blending out foundation near your nose & those slightly harder to reach areas!

I love these Sigma brushes, they're amazing & definitely worth the money. I can't rave enough about them! If you don't really wear liquid foundation or if you don't see the need in getting 4 of them, you can buy them individually too!

You can purchase them here: Synthetic Kabuki Kit

Snowglobe Nails! ❄

My friends came over to my place for some coffee & cake, and we decided to do our nails too because, why not? :D

I used China Glaze's Kinetic Candy, Shooting Stars and White on White. You can tell how much I love China Glaze ♥

I sponged White on White over my Kinetic Candy base, then did a coat of Shooting Stars over. My friend also brought over Christmas nail stickers and I couldn't resist the Christmas tree & snowflake ❄ There's also a bow on the middle finger of my right hand but I can't take a decent picture with my left ☹

Deborah Lippmann's Cleopatra in New York

This is my newest bottle of Deborah Lippmann nail polish! I don't know why, but it's named Cleopatra in New York, which sounds strange to me! I was really excited about getting this polish after seeing a couple of people post it on Instagram but I'm not sure how I feel about it IRL :(

I think it's meant to be gold glitter pieces in a black jelly base but it can look a little grey to me under certain lights. I applied 2 coats in the picture you see, and the polish is pretty much opaque. The formula is good, considering how streaky & sheer black jelly polishes can be. 

One of the reasons I liked it so much on IG is because the glitter seemed pretty spaced out & more subtle. It might be the way I applied the polish, but 2 coats made the glitter become to densely packed for my liking. I may have to try it a couple more times before I really decide if I like it or not. 

New In: Makeup!

I went on a work retreat with my colleagues (to Bangkok, my second trip there this year!) and I picked up a couple of things at the airport! I rarely buy makeup from department stores/makeup counters because they are RIDICULOUSLY expensive where I live, so when I travel, I like to make use of the opportunity to pick up some makeup from the duty-free shop!

I'm pretty pleased with the stuff I got this time, even though I didn't manage to get my hands on the eyeshadow palette from Chanel's holiday collection :(

I've wanted to try this Revlon shadow stick ever since I watched Amarixe's tutorial (here). I love the colors & they go on so smoothly on the eyes. The only downside is that you have to blend them out fast because they dry/set very quickly! You definitely have to do one eye at a time.

This is my very first NARS eyeshadow duo :') I've been lusting over NARS eyeshadows for a while now, and I couldn't decide between Kuala Lumpur, Kalahari & Isolde. When I saw them in real life, I decided to go with Isolde because Kalahari looked really muddy on my skin. I'm glad I decided to wait til I saw them IRL instead of buying them online!

I got a YSL Rouge Volupte in no. 29, I think a YSL lippie is going to be my travel tradition from now on. I don't really wear lip products but YSL has the most gorgeous packaging ever, I have to collect it! Both the Chanel lipstick & lipgloss are for my BFF & her mom because they're super lovely & they always get me souvenirs when they travel ♥

---

I really enjoyed my trip to Bangkok, my colleagues were a pleasure to shop with, the weather was good, the apartment we stayed in was amazing. Everything went perfectly and I'm very thankful for that.

I know I haven't done a nail post in a while. It'll be up in 2 or 3 days! It's a new Deborah Lippmann nail polish ♥

New In!

If you follow me on Instagram, you'd know that I got this stuff forever and two years ago. I can't believe that I forgot to blog about it, and that I haven't posted in so long! :(

Anyway, I went on a little shopping spree... slightly less than a month ago? I picked up a few clothing items from F21 and Urban Outfitters (didn't take pictures of them because I can't take a decent pic of clothes :( ) and I also got a year's supply of Victoria's Secret Pink underwear (which I didn't take a picture of, because putting pictures of your undergarments on the Internet is not classy).

I did, however, take pictures of my new candles from Bath & Body Works!♥

I usually tend to go for food scents, but I decided to move out of my comfort zone a little this time because I have a stash of frosted cupcakes and smores candles from B&BW. I couldn't say no the the hot buttered rum scent (which smells exactly like what it's called) so I got that anyway. 

I love HBR, Mahogany Teakwood (less musky, slightly sharper version of Abercrombie's Fierce) and Autumn. Lemon Mint Leaves, on the other hand, smells like... floor cleaner/toilet freshener? It doesn't exactly smell baaaaaad, but it smells chemical-y/artificial.

The mini candles are SO cute, and they were free because I had a coupon. It's perfect because I wanted to try the Autumn scent but I didn't want to get the giant 3-wick candle.

Also picked up a couple of drugstore things, I didn't get any makeup, save for that Wet n Wild e/s trio! So proud of myself hahaha ☺

I got a full sized bottle of the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment because I really really liked the sample I had and the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle because I'm too impatient to wait more than 3 minutes for my conditioner to work!

---

So many exciting things are happening soon, my BFF is getting married this weekend, I'm one of her bridesmaids (eek!!!) and I'm doing her nails. And, I'll be vacation-bound in 2 weeks. I can't wait for duty-free shopping at the airport... MAKEUPPPPPP.

OPI's Bubble Bath & The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights was the polish I was  most excited about from the Skyfall collection and I've been looking for ways to wear it ever since I got it! 

Then I saw the best way to wear TLD ever on Killer Colours (I adore her blog, she's such an AMAZING makeup artiste, I can't emphasize it enough) and on Chalkboard Nails. It was soooo pretty I had to try it out!

Bubble Bath is a perennial favourite and needs to introduction. TLD is a polish with gold, silver, orange & green glitter pieces in it, it's quite unique, I'd say. 

I used 2 coats of BB, 2 coats of TLD and then another coat of BB. I love how it turned out!

I'm Not Afraid Of Spiders

Happy Halloween! ☠ I hope you've had ( or are having) a great time!

Decided to have a bit of fun with my nails with OPI's Skulls & Glossbones and a nail art pen from The Face Shop.

I shall name my spider Harry (Hairy, get it hahaha), and his twin brother (on my other hand) shall be named Scary. They'll stay with me for a couple of days ☺

Questionnaire #1

I got a bunch of questions off Amarixe's (one of my fave beauty bloggers/Youtubers) website & I thought they'd be quite fun to do! She does these things on a weekly basis, but I don't think I will. I love reading about someone else's life but I highly doubt anyone would want to read about my life/feelings so frequently, and I'm not sure if I'll have anything interesting to say anyway!

[A bit of me time before I have to go for class.]

1.) Mood:

Mostly happy, but also a little annoyed over a few insignificant issues.

2.) On the topic of Hurricane Sandy, are any natural disasters common where you live?

No, not at all. I don't live near the edge of a tectonic plate so it's pretty safe here! (Applying Geography I learnt half a decade ago, whoop whoop!)

3.) What is your favorite song at the moment?

I spent all of last night listening to the acoustic version of Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

4.) Current nail polish:

OPI's We'll Always Have Paris ❤

5.) If you could only use one makeup product, what would it be?

Definitely, without a doubt, my eyebrow pencil. I have really sparse brows and I look really weird when I don't fill them in.

6.) Current outfit:

A green, fitted v-neck tshirt from Forever 21 & dark wash denim shorts from American Eagle.

7.) Are you good at keeping in touch with friends and family?

It depends. I'll only initiate get togethers/dinners/shopping dates if my friends make the same effort too. If I have to be the one who keeps asking someone out, I won't do it. I'm pretty good about replying texts & emails though!

8.) Are you excited about any holiday makeup collections this year?

UGH. MAC has this rose gold + bows (two of my fave things) collection coming out, It's unbelievably pretty. And also so unbelievably expensive, I really doubt I'll be purchasing anything. I can still be excited about it though!

9.) The world's most wonderful chef is at your home ready to fix any meal you desire-- what do you order?

HMMM... Can I have duck confit, parma ham pizza, aglio olio, tiramisu and red velvet cupcakes, thank you!

 

10.) Weekly goals:

Finish that social psych assignment & NOT drink anything from Starbucks ( I love my little coffee machine & I need to cut down on overpriced drinks anyway).

Short Update!

[My mocha from lunch the other day, isn't it pretty?]

I took quite a few photos with my camera the other day but I misplaced the wires to hook it up to the computer. My pictures are all stuck in the camera now, I can't get them out unless I buy a new cable ☹. I don't think I will though, I might just wait til the post-Christmas sales and get a new one.

In the mean time, there may not be too many posts. I'll try to get my hands on my dad's Panasonic LX5 (which is heaps better than my old point-and-shoot) though!

New In: OPI Skyfall & More! ☁

I finaaaaally got my paws on the polishes I wanted from OPI's Skyfall Collection! I thought about getting the entire collection because I loved the swatches I saw online but I came to my senses and decided to just buy the ones I REALLY liked. After all, how many variations of red nail polish does 1 girl need?!

So, these are the ones I decided to get in the end.

L-R: Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me, Casino Royale

L-R: Live And Let Die, Goldeneye, The Living Daylights

I also decided to pick up a couple of darker Fall colors because I don't own too many of them. I tend to lean towards pastels so darker polishes rarely catch my eye.

L-R: Here Again... Aragon Tomorrow, We'll Always Have Paris

I've worn HAAT but I didn't really take a picture of it. I have a picture of it with nail art on top on my Instagram (ohheyclaudia) but it just looks like it's black. It's actually a very dark green! Opaque in 2 coats, but you can probably get away with wearing 1 thicker coat. I love polishes like that!

 This is most definitely my favourite polish from the Skyfall collection!♡ Skyfall is a deep, dark red creme polish. It looks so pretty on the nails & the formula is amazing too. It's opaque in 2 coats, and it's pretty glossy!

I probably won't be buying anymore nail polishes anytime soon. I've got to set myself on a strict nail polish ban. I'm running out of space to store my collection ☹

Pink & Glitter Nails ❤

I wanted to paint my nails the other day but I couldn't find any of the newer polishes that I wanted to use. So I pulled out a couple of oldies but goodies!

These are OPI's Rainbow Connection (from the Muppet's collection) and Strawberry Margarita (IDK which collection this is from, it seems to be one of the polishes that have been around for forever!). I adore both of these polishes, especially Strawberry Margarita, I use it sooo much & will definitely repurchase it when I use it up!

I've seen my friend wear a coat of Rainbow Connection on top of Strawberry Margarita and it was SO pretty. I wasn't prepared to have to wrestle glitter off 10 fingers so I decided to have an accent nail on each hand instead. I really like how it turned out!

That is 2 coats of Strawberry Margarita and 3 coats of Rainbow Connection! ❤

China Glaze's Harvest Moon

This is part of the The Hunger Games collection from China Glaze. I remember being SO obsessed with this for  months before it launched, and when it finally did, I went out and bought almost the entire collection. I have 9 out of 12 of the polishes. I passed on Mahogany Magic & Riveting because I didn't like those colors. 

I wasn't really a fan of Harvest Moon when I saw it too (orange really doesn't appeal to me at all) but I thought it might be alright for Fall/Winter.

This is the first time I've worn it!

I think it looks better on than I expected, doesn't make me look like an oompa-loompa, I hope? 

I quite like the metallic finish of this polish and it applies really well too. The first coat is a teeny bit streaky but the second coat totally evens it out & makes it opaque. The only downside to this polish is that it takes slightly more effort to remove as compared to the normal creme polishes. It's not a big problem though, especially if you're used to removing glitter polishes!

New In!

I haven't posted in forever, I'm sorry. I don't really have anything to post about recently because I haven't taken too many pictures. I do post very regularly on Instagram though (because it's so convenient), so check my Instagram out if you're interested (: I'm 'ohheyclaudia'.

I took a short vacation to Penang, Malaysia with 3 other friends this week, we were there for 4 days. Penang is all about the food & cafes & art galleries so I didn't take many pictures. I did, however, pick up way too many things from the airport on my way home. Duty free shopping is really my weakness :(

Anyway, these are a few of the things I bought!

My very first Dior nail polishes! They actually come in a set & the daaaaaark green color is actually a crackle top coat! I'm not really a fan of crackle but I love how this combination looks.

Also, my very first Dior lip product. I rarely wear colors on my lips so I decided to get a sheer lipbalm. It's really glossy & moisturising!

One of my friends was using this on the trip, and let us try it. It was amazing, it's super dark, goes on smoothly & doesn't budge at all.

I didn't take a picture of the other things I bought because I already put them away but I did post them on Instagram :D 

A new nail post should be up in a couple of days <3

Etude House's Juicy Cocktail Gradation Nails ♥

So this is the other thing I got from Etude House the other time I went! Isn't it pretty?! I  can't pass up anything that comes in a set, does that sound weird? I saw these nail polish sets that make doing gradient nails much easier than they already are, and I decided to get one!

These are the polishes that came in that set! The first layer is a shimmery, light peachy pink. The second layer is a fine gold glitter polish with slightly bigger silver glitter pieces. & the last layer is a big, gold chunky glitter polish. You're meant to paint the peachy color over your entire nails, then paint the second layer slightly higher up your nail and paint the chunky gold glitter on the tips, super easy right? You don't even have to use a sponge!

(Please excuse my terrible cuticles, I had to remove the glitter polish I was wearing before that, and remover makes my nails really dry!)

This is 2 coats of the peachy color, 2 coats of the fine gold glitter and one coat of the large gold glitter. The polishes are great, they're really easy to apply, very smooth & no streaking at all! The large gold glitter polish was a little tricky because I had to push the glitter off the brush so that it'd stick on my nail bed. If I hadn't, there would probably be only 2 or 3 glitter pieces on my nails. It's not a biggie though!

I think this set is great, if you're lazy like I am & you don't have to have to sponge or think of color combinations when doing glitter gradients. On the other hand, it's probably  if you wanted to make a dupe of this set by buying similar polishes from other brands!

Ppppolka Dots!

I went into Etude House ( a Korean makeup/skincare/beauty shop) with my friend because she wanted to check out their skincare range. She didn't get anything but I did walk out with 5 polishes (2 individual bottles and 3 in a set) and a pore pack mask >.<

You have no idea how much self control it took to not buy the whole selection of nail polishes. It did help that they were not inexpensive though. I saw this pastel range and I wanted them all :'( 

This is the range of polishes they have, but it's in a different packaging! I know the picture says matte, but the ones I have are glossy heh.

Credit: Etude 

Anyway, this post is going to be about 2 of the polishes I bought, both pastels! Their names are CGR702 (blue one) and CBE101 (the yellow one). I don't know if they have real names.

The formula of these polishes are pretty good! The blue one applied really really nicely, no streaking or patchiness but the yellow was slightly trickier. It was more sheer and needed 3 coats to be fully opaque, unlike the blue which only required 2 coats.

It's a pretty small bottle, only 7ml, as compared to the usual 15ml OPI/China Glaze bottles. 

I definitely want to try out more of the polishes they have, it'd be nice to have the entire collection hehehehe. 

New Stuff From Benefit Cosmetics!

Benefit Cosmetics was having a this promo were you could get free international shipping if you bought US$90 worth of stuff instead of the usual $130. I decided to order a few things I've always wanted since they added up to more than US$90 and I'd probably NEVER place a US$130 order on my own. 

I placed an order on the 8th of August but they haven't arrived yet. Hopefully they'll come soon because school's gonna start & I hate waiting :(

These are the things I ordered! It's only 4 things but I think I paid ~US$100 for them-- Benefit is pretty pricey. The Finding Mr. Bright box set was on sale for US$27.99, so... I guess at least I saved some money. 

I've wanted to try Benefit's That Gal primer for the longest time because it's supposed to brighten up your complexion. My complexion is pretty dull so I hope this works! Evidently, I need a lot of help brightening my face, I bought That Gal, Eye Bright AND Finding Mr. Bright, haha.

I've tried & loved Bad Gal Lash so I decided to get another one (broke my rule about only getting drugstore mascaras).

Can't wait for the stuff to arrive so I can use them ♥

OPI's Strawberry Margarita & China Glaze's I'm Not Lion

I decided to do the two-accent-nails thing again (did it once HERE), not a very novel idea, I know!

I wanted to paint my nails something simple & fun so I decided on OPI's Strawberry Margarita and added China Glaze's I'm Not Lion as an afterthought to jazz it up.

Strawberry Margarita is one of the most classic OPI colors, it's just a bright pink creme polish that everyone loves. The formula is perfect too, it goes on so smoothly and it's completely opaque in 2 coats. No streaks, no patchiness at all.

China Glaze's I'm Not Lion from the On Safari collection is another winner. It's a glitter polish and I'm positive it consists gold and holographic glitter. It does look different in different lighting though, sometimes I think I see silver and other times I think I see bronze. I swear I'm not cray-cray though hahaha.

Back To School Bag Shopping?

So school starts in a few weeks, sucks to be me! I brought my old backpack to Bangkok and it's now falling apart at the seams so I need a new one. I can't decide which one to get though. Please help? :D

China Glaze's Shocking Pink!

I have China Glaze's Shocking Pink on right now! I don't know why but I've always had the impression that Shocking Pink was from the Summer Neons collection. But it isn't, it's from the Wow Factor collection. Maybe China Glaze has too many (Poolside, Wow Factor, Summer Neons) neon collections?

This is 3 coats of Shocking Pink with one very goopy coat of Seche Vite on top (I need a new bottle).

I didn't plan on buying Shocking Pink at first, because I thought it was too similar to China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy, which I already own. I decided to get it in the end because I couldn't decide what else to get. When I compared them, I realised that FFF is much more coral, and SP is a true neon pink. They're not dupes at all!

The formula of this polish is okay, for a neon. It was a little streaky and uneven, but 3 coats was enough to level everything out and make it opaque. 3 coats is not bad at all! I'll never forget how China Glaze's Yellow Polka Dot Bikini took me 6 coats, never wearing that again!

Bunnies Here, Bunnies There, Bunnies Everywhere!

I'm more than slightly bunny obsessed at the moment, so I decided to do bunny nail art :D I initially intended on painting bunnies on all my fingers but I realised it would have been an overkill!

Colors used: 

• base/bunny noses: OPI's Panda-monium Pink
• brown bunny: OPI's San Tan Tonio Texas
• white bunny: China Glaze's White On White
• black: China Glaze's Liquid Leather

Surprisingly, the bunnies on my right hand turned out cuter than the ones on my left. Maybe because I had a bit of practice after doing the left. 

Room Ideas

I'm finally getting my room refurbished & redecorated, I'm SO excited! These are the colors I have my eyes on at the moment-- white, a wood-sy color & navy!

I'm going to get a new bed, a beside table, a dresser/desk & a new wardrobe so I have to decide on which ones I want (they're going to be from Ikea I guess). I can't wait to give my room a makeover, it's been waaaaaay too long since I've done that. My room is too boring now :( 

Polka Dots ☺

My friend & I decided to get our nails done at a random salon when we went to Bangkok a week ago because my neon pink nails were chipping and manicures are SO inexpensive in Bangkok.

We went to a small nail shop at Union Mall (at Phahon Yothin MRT station, in case anyone is wondering, the shopping there is fantastic) after a long day of shopping. It was really enjoyable because we got to rest and the manicurists there were really patient & took so much care in doing our nails.

I didn't want to get anything TOO fancy so I went with polka dots. My friend decided to go all the way & she got floral nails & 3D polka dots on alternate fingers (the polka dots were formed with beads). Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of her nails :(

The manicurist used a white polish for the base, and then she mixed blue acrylic paint for the polka dots. My friend got her floral pattern painted on with acrylic paint too. She also decided to get a gel overlay so her nails would last longer, but the manicurist didn't cure the gel properly so her nails didn't dry & they were ruined after a couple of days :(

My simple polka dot manicure costed me US$6.40 and lasted me an entire week. It could have lasted longer if I didn't get bored with it!

Bunnies, Bunnies, Bunnies Everywhere!

***PLEASE ADOPT, DON'T BUY***

I visited Chaktuchak Market when I went to Bangkok, Thailand last week. Chaktuchak is an extremely large market (12 soccer fields, if my friend gave me the right info) which sells EVERYTHING from clothes to traditional Thai craft, and even baby animals.

I am IN LOVE with rabbits, they are probably right on top on my list of pets I want. And I nearly died when I saw a store selling baby rabbits. They were the cutest little things in the world. 

This little guy (or girl) was my favorite of the bunch. How could anyone not be in love with a face like that? It's also super soft ♥♥♥

They dressed some of the bunnies up in the cutest little dresses possible. I can't deal. 

*faints & dies*

While I wouldn't say that these animals live in horrible conditions, I still don't advocate breeders & stores like these. The problem is that these stores sell these bunnies extremely cheaply, 100baht (~3USD) for a non-lop and 800baht(~24USD) for a lop. Partially because they're so inexpensive, many parents buy bunnies for their children on a whim. When the children are tired of these bunnies, the families release them into the wild and the bunnies cannot survive on their own. 

If you want a bunny, please think it through carefully! They're expensive to raise, can live for 10 years or more, require a lot of attention and they're not toys. Also, please look on Pet Finder to see if there is a bunny in your area you can adopt.  

Glitter Gradient Nude!

I wanted to paint my nails a nice nude for a change because my nails have either been super bright or pastel recently. Decided to go with OPI's Barefoot In Barcelona, which is a lovely, dusty pink creme polish I love.

This picture is from a while ago, because I didn't manage to take a picture before I got bored with it! After a couple of hours, I decided it was too boring & I wanted to add a little something to it. 

I sponged Deborah Lippmann's Some Enchanted Evening on the tips and I got a pink based glitter gradient which I thought was really pretty :D

Polish Overview Part 3: Blues, Teals & Greens

Part 3! ♥ I'm so tempted to say blues and mints are my favourite, but then again, I said the same thing about corals and red haha.

Left to right: China Glaze's Kinetic Candy, OPI's What's with the Cat-titude, CG's Electric Beat, Deborah Lippmann's On the Beach, CG's High Def, CG's Manhunt & CG's First Mate

I really love my mints/teals though, these SO pretty!

Left to right: Revlon's Minted, Sally Hansen's Mint Sorbet, Essie's Turquoise and Caicos, OPI's Mermaid's Tears, OPI's Thanks A Windmillion, CG's For Audrey & Aquadelic

Left to right: OPI’s Don’t Mess With OPI, OPI’s Uh Oh Roll Down The Window, MAC's Fatigues, OPI's Just Spotted The Lizard & CG's  Agro