Chanel Beauty Shopping & I'm Back... I Think?

I'm sorry I've been neglecting this blog. Between work, exams and then starting my full time job, I've been way less excited about makeup and nail polish. Which is shocking, seeing how all I ever used to think about was makeup & nail polish!

That being said, there has been a product I've been wanting to try for a longggg time. And I finally got it, to celebrate the first month at my big girl job (I've been doing an awful lot of celebrating actually).

I got two things, can you guess what they are? 

Yep, I FINALLY got the CC cream I've been lusting over. That and the eyeshadow quad in Seduction.   I also wanted to pick up the Les Beige powder but the lady at the counter said they're sold out in most places :( Oh well, maybe next time. 

I love Chanel's sleek and simple packaging. Always a win. (The Les Beige powder comes in a beige compact, SO MUCH WANT.)

I've been meaning to pick up one of the Chanel quads just to try their eyeshadows but I haven't seen one that I want badly enough to fork out US$60 for so I held back. This purchase was completely spur of the moment, I hope I don't regret it! 

It seems like it'd be a good combination of colors for me. I have more neutral eyeshadow palettes than I can remember so I didn't want to get another one with just different shades of brown. 

Seduction is perfect because it has a deeper red-toned shade (top left) and a light champagne (top right) and a pretty peachy shade (bottom left). It's not too far out of my box but still slightly more colorful than most palettes I own. I can't say I'll get much use out of the darkest brown shade but I'll try to use it as eyeliner!

So excited to wear these out tomorrow, hopefully I won't be disappointed!

Inglot!

I visited an Inglot store today! Look at the rows and rows and rows of nail polish, in every color & shade of the rainbow and MORE. I was drooling when I saw the display :O 

I also made my first Inglot Freedom palette (only 3 pans of eyeshadow but still...), I'll blog about it soon!

Oh you know...

Just the things I want but can't buy because I'm supposed to be saving up for a big purchase. I'm going on a no-buy soon. & It so happens that just as I've decided to go on a no-buy, all my favourite companies come up the the most amazing things. 

I've been the biggest fan of Archie comics ever since I was a kid, I was obsessed with collecting & reading them. I'm definitely Team Betty though, are you? 

I knew I wanted to own pieces from this collection when I first saw it (hello blushes & eyeshadow quad & face powder!). The packaging is too cute ♥

MAC is releasing EIGHT new pro longwear paint pots! :O I think I've said it more than enough, but paint pots are my absolute favourite thing from MAC (the MSFs come a very close second). Look at the gorgeous shade on the top row, I need them all! 

I know I'm definitely going to get Vintage Selection & Let Me Pop (3rd & 4th ones in the top row). These were first seen in the Champale collection in 2010 and I didn't get them because I wasn't into wearing much eye makeup then.

And finaaaaally, the pastels from China Glaze's Avant Garden collection. I'm a sucker for pastels. I haven't looked up swatches yet, but I probably have something similar to the lilac & periwinkle colours in my collection. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the darker pink, mint & white colour though. 

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I just need a teeny bit of self control, I'll pick out a couple of things to buy from each collection and I won't go overboard :/

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

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 ♥

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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!

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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.

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

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 ♥

M.A.C Must Haves!

I was thinking of doing a MAC Starter Kit post recently but when I looked at my (pretty small) makeup collection, I realised that there aren't that many things I love from M.A.C. Don't get me wrong, I do love M.A.C. , but I just don't like some of their products. So, I decided to do a post on my M.A.C. must haves instead.

These are my M.A.C. must haves! I will ALWAYS repurchase these products when I run out.

I think Mineralized Skin Finish (MSF) products are amazing! I've been using the MSF Natural (powder on the right) ever since I started using makeup 2 years ago & I've tried other powders but nothing comes close. I really like that the MSF Natural doesn't make me look COMPLETELY matte or cakey. I'm an NC25-30 and the shade Medium is slightly too light for me. The product does oxidise a little after a while, so I usually leave the house the house with it matching my skin tone though. Medium Plus is too dark, I use it to shade/contour sometimes.

The other MSF pictured is Soft and Gentle, which I think is great because it suits every skin tone, you can use it to highlight and it looks very natural and I even use it as a lid color if I'm going for a simple/natural makeup look. I love products that can be used in more than one way! The thing about MSFs is that, if you use them as highlighters & eyeshadow, they last FOREVER because they come in such big pots.

The last product would be a Paint Pot. I love love love paint pots, which is evident in my other post here! My recommendation would be Rubenesque, simply because it will match ANY skin tone, and it's such a lovely champagne color! You can use it as an eyeshadow base or wear it on it's own. 

I definitely can't wait to try out more M.A.C. products. There's something about the sleek black packaging of almost all their products that appeals to me. I really like how they sit in my makeup drawers all neat and matchy matchy!

Travel MAC Palette?

I purchased a 4 pan palette from MAC a couple of days ago. I actually already own a 15 pan palette from MAC but I wanted something that I could take with me if I'm traveling or going to be doing my makeup on the go. 

Top row: Naked Lunch, All That Glitters

Second row: Mythology, Honey Lust

I meant to take pictures of the swatches but I forgot ☹ I chose to put only neutral shades inside so that they'd match everything. When my friend saw this palette, she said that all the colors look the same haha, I really should try venturing into colors but I don't want to look like a clown.