Missha Crystal Nail Polish Review

I have always been a big... HUGE fan of sparkly nail polish. I think it is essential for every girl to find the right swatches for their nails, because there is nothing sexier than having hands with nails in the right

Missha's Crystal Nail Polish is really good. The swatch I bought is SHOCKING POP NO.2/PINK

Pros:
- dries VERY fast (this is one of the biggest advantages, I admit, I am not a patient person, and waiting for my nails to dry can be a very tedious task)
- the smell is a bit floral, unlike most nail polishes which leave a nasty acetone smell
- the size of the brush is much MUCH wider than most nail polishes I have used in the past, this made it MUCH easier to apply the nail polish.
- big cap, the cap was big (in a size of a heart), this made it easier for my fingers to wrap around the cap to apply the nail polish on.

Cons:
- easy to chip off
- need double coat (or the "colour" does not really show up well)
- Top Coat is a MUST (and even with top coat, the nail polish easily chipped off after a few days of applying)

Overall, I think this is a good nail polish, however I am really disappointed at how easily it chips off. The coat only lasted for 5 days and it started chipping off.

official website: http://www.misshaus.com/ctrl.php?page=ctgProduct&ctg=ADA

Neutrogena Oil-free fresh moisture review

I was planning to do a review on this moisturizer however, after some research I discovered Neutrogena has discontinued this product. Such a shame! But for those of you who still have this product or you can manage to get this product (somehow) I will do a brief review on this product. I was told that Neutrogena has "improved" this product and replaced it with these as shown in this link. I haven't tried these out yet so I'm not sure how similar/different they are with this product.

I haven't really used Neutrogena products and this moisturizer gives me a reason to buy their products. This moisturizer, Neutrogena oil-free fresh moisture, is marketed as ultra-light moisturizer; leaves skin fresh and soft all day; A light moisturizer that provides optimal hydration for fresh, soft skin all day long.

To me, this moisturizer was "love at first application". The reason being is it is extremely lightweight and it is not greasy. It leaves a wonderful "matte finish" on your skin and makes it so easy to apply make up over it. And that is one of my primary uses for this moisturizer, as I treat it as a light "primer" for my pre-makeup face. It has a light scent to it (but it doesn't feel too artificial). My pores are very sensitive and if they are "clogged" with lotion, I instantly feel my skin breaking out, LUCKILY, I can confidently say it doesn't clog pores. It is water-based so it is very easy to spread (a little goes a long way - the directions indicate you should just apply a dime-sized amount and it will cover your whole face).

Unfortunately, this product didn't make my skin any softer than it was, it helped retain the moisture already present on my face but it didn't make it anymore hydrated (as it claims).

I find that due to it's lightness, this moisturizer is very good for those with normal to oily skin (as it doesn't clog your pores and wouldn't make your face more greasy than it already is). I find it works good during Spring/Summer and not so well during the harsh Fall/Autumn/Winter months.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus serum review

I have decided to grab this image straight from Clinique's official site since the pictures I took of it didn't seem to look good at all (not appealing), let alone posting them on Instagram.

The Serum is called Clinique repairwear laser focus - wrinkle & UV damage corrector. Although I do not have any wrinkles nor do I go out into the sun too much, I have noticed the significant difference it has made to my skin.

This is officially my favourite serum! I absolutely love how it absorbs into my skin immediately after application and how smooth and soft my skin feels after using it for just 2 days. (I have used this for about a month now, and I love how my skin feels so soft and smooth).

When you first put it on your hand, it feels like milk. Once you apply it on your face your skin instantly absorbs it. What is so amazing about this serum is after you have applied it to your skin it only takes a few minutes for your skin to feel so soft and smooth.

Though it is marketed for those with wrinkles or UV damaged skin, (I have neither of these) I didn't feel it being too strong for my dry skin (and other blemishes, which it did help me get rid of!). Unfortunately, it doesn't help you get rid of large pores.

I highly recommend this serum for those with really dry skin as it does make your skin feel so hydrated. But keep in mind it can be a bit pricey. I would recommend this for those who desperately need their skin to be soft and smooth for major events coming up soon (e.g. prom, formal, weddings, etc) as it instantly "fixes" your skin. It also does a great job in fixing "blemishes" and "bumps" on your skin too.

Collagen Hydrating sleeping mask by Watsons review

First off, what are sleeping masks? Sleeping Masks are facial masks which you put on your face before you sleep and wash it off when you wake up. After hearing about these masks I was really excited to give them a try because they seem very cool (imagine wearing a gel mask for 8+ hours!)

see how white the product is? it is transparent when you put it on your face (skin)

I was acquainted with Watsons Collagen mask (屈臣氏骨膠原睡眠面膜, ) while shopping in Hong Kong so I picked it up after hearing about them from various makeup gurus.

As I learned Collagen is a type of ingredient which helps our skin build its firmness and "bounce".  Collagen strengthens skin and gives it elasticity, it also prevents wrinkles (due to aging of skin), you can see the importance Collagen plays in skin care. This mask also hydrates the skin.

I have to say, I haven't had any other sleeping masks, but after using this one, I have to agree that this will be one of my favorite sleeping masks EVER!! Reason being is

1: it smells good (just lightly scented);
2. It is very affordable (I have been using this for over 6 months and there is still A LOT of product left (as         in, I have only used 30% of the product);
3. I have noticed a significant different after using it just for the first time;
4. it is affordable;
5. Time saving (hydrating and taking care of your skin while you sleep!)
6. You can feel the gel working
7. there is definitely more "elasticity" to your skin after using it

With Pros, you will expect there to be Cons, one of the cons I would say (and this is a comment for sleeping masks in general, not just specifically for this product) would be the fear of leaving this product on your pillows, stuff animals, pajamas, blankets, etc. The first time I used this product, I kept panicking and waking up due to the fear of getting this product all over the place... after doing some research online, I discovered that sleeping masks only require you to apply a small amount (as if you are applying face cream/lotion) instead of "large amounts" as you would with other clay/cream masks.

Before bed, put a small amount of product on your face and wash it off the next morning. After using this mask, my skin instantly felt hydrated and smooth, I also noticed the significant change to my skin's firmness, the feeling is very good, I highly recommend you to put on your favorite toner, serum and moisturizer after washing this product off (as you would after using other masks).

Overall, this is a great mask, I using it 2-4 times a month and with each use, I feel my skin feeling healthier and smoother. I would rate this mask 9/10!

Freeman Beauty Facial Anti-Stress Mask Dead Sea Minerals mask review

I have started to like Freeman products especially after liking their Beauty Facial Peel Off Mask. While I was planning to stock up on those, I came across this product and decided to give it a try.

According to the big yellow label this mask was the recipient of 2012 totalbeauty.com Mask award. After using this mask for the first time, I could see why.

First off, a slight warning, when you apply this mask, I would recommend doing this when there are less people around, I was shocked when I applied this mask for the first time, I seriously look like some actress who walked out of an Avatar movie set. The mask is very pigmented (in a weird blue/green colour). Another precaution is don't apply this mask "too close" to the eye area, the mask is "strong" and even when I left "a big circle around my eyes, my eyes were stinging. eeks...

The product is the scent of an ocean, and the texture is clay-like making it easier to smooth out.

On the back of the tube they introduce this mask as a : 

...calming mask [which] instantly absorbs excess oil while clarifying and purging clogged pores. Dead Sea Minerals contain natural supplements that are essential for maintaining healthy skin. Sea Salts help replenish and balance moisture. Lavender and Bergamot promote relaxing aromatherapy.

The instructions asks the user to apply the mask to face and neck

thoughts:

• easy to use
• instantly feel it working (the next day and day after)
• gets rid of excess facial oil

I only applied it to the face. You will know when this product dries because you won't be able to move your face. You use warm water to rinse. To be honest, I didn't feel the difference when I rinsed the mask away, I felt the oil on my skin was taken away, but it was not a very obvious difference. When I woke up the next day, I felt the difference, my skin was so soft and smooth I loved it! 

I think this is a great mask, The instructions ask us to use it 2 times a week, however, since I hardly have much oil, I only use it once ever 2 weeks and that seems enough. I find that if I use it too often (twice a week) my skin starts to break out because I think it takes away too much "oil" from my skin at once.

I would rate this mask 4/5.

Etude House Juicy Cocktail Graduation Nails review

Korean beauty products have come a long way and they have been expanding their product lines to nails as well. This product was purchased in eBay after seeing their attractive posting. In this picture I am wearing my Etude House Juicy Cocktail Gradation Nails #3 Love Violet.

The Etude House Juicy Cocktail graduation Nails series each include 3 colours, for this "purple" one they included: #1 Soft purple (as their base), #2 Romantic Purple (Middle), and #3 Mystery Purple (Top). The instructions are very simple: apply the base to the whole nail, let it dry, than apply the middle to just half of the nail, then wait for it to dry, finally, you will apply the top to only one third of the nail.

One of the advantages of this nail polish set is that they dry very quickly, I am an extremely impatient person and imagine having to wait before you apply the next coat each time... yeah, exactly, tedious!

One of the disadvantages of this nail polish, and I'm not sure why they didn't mention this in the instructions is that due the sparsity of the polish (which makes it very "transparent") I absolutely recommend you to apply at least 2 layers or else you would hardly see any polish on (it will look like you put on some clear nail polish with "some colour").

Another step I recommend is to apply a clear top coat (which was also not mentioned in the instructions). Because of the "layers" you put on, it is inevitable the surface of your nails will be slightly "unleveled". So a top coat is necessary to bring your nail surfaces to be even and smooth.

Freeman Beautiful Facial Peel-Off Mask Cucumber Mask Review

bottle of goodness

Walmart has been stocking up on Freeman's masks, so I decided to give this brand a try. I LOVE IT! The description says this will "clarify and renews skin" and it does exactly that!

This mask is thick gel form, the moment you apply it on your face you will not feel very comfortable however, once it starts drying you will feel it "clearing" your skin.

I would suggest applying a conservative amount (just thick enough to cover your face) I have tried to use less and I wasn't even able to peel it (in the end I had to use warm water to wash it away, and once I used TOO much and it was an absolute disaster waiting for it to dry and peeling it off...

Caution though, when you are peeling do not peel too hard or you can peel off any hair which got stuck in the gel (which can be pretty painful) And you wouldn't want to damage your skin's surface by peeling too hard.

impressions:

• very effective
• suitable for those with out of control skin (due to climate change, stress, etc)
• easy to use
• instant results
• really clarifies and renews

Since my skin is not in a bad condition (not absolutely oily or dry) so I just use this once every 2 weeks when I feel that my skin needs to be clarified and renewed.

Seriously, I was skeptical at first, I never thought a mask product could instantly clarify and renew your skin until I used this product.

Just remember like all masks (especially this one, since it is a peeling mask) you must apply toner, serum/moisturizer after.

update (Jan. 23, 2014):
Just recently, due to climate changes, my skin was oily and dry in some areas... I felt my skin was going crazy: I started getting pimples in some parts of my face and in other parts skin was peeling. After using this mask I got my skin "clarified" and my skin instantly went back to "normal". The next morning I discovered that some of the pimples on my face have already disappeared, my skin stopped producing excess oil and the bumpy dry parts were smoothed.

Try it, because it really works!

rating: 10/10

velcro hair up-er review

Had I not been introduced to these I would not have been able to wash my face, put on make up, or put cream/serum/masks on my face as convenient as I can now. This is a MUST GET item if you have bangs or layered hair.

This may look silly, but it works, and it doesn't pull your hair at all, it simply slips off your hair gently when you are done using it. It is made out of Velcro, so you can reuse it and it is very durable (and most importantly, you can wash it).

For those curious, I got this in Sasa in Hong Kong. I think you can buy these at your local Asian beauty products store or online (like eBay, Yesstyle).

Shake Weight workout review

Out of curiosity, I bought the Shake Weight. Most reviews online claim that it doesn't work, I think I can prove them wrong.

After using this, I felt my arms are firmer, so it does work! Just remember to follow the 6 minute exercise provided by the DVD (which is included in the package) - by the way... I think their DVD lied... it seems way longer than 6 minutes... maybe 8 minutes?

First day using this: my arms felt... tired!!!!! In the middle of the night, my arms were sore to the point I think they literally swelled up, I was in so much pain I thought my arms were breaking apart

Second day: My arms recovered by the time I tried this the second time... it was tiring, I did manage to finish the full routine.

third day: just like the second day, except I couldn't finish the full routine, my arms were sore and tired, however, I did notice my arms firming up... which is good!

fourth - tenth day: it took a lot more effort to complete the full routine

I think this product is very effective it does tone your arms (and helps them loose a few inches off!)

___________________________________________
UPDATE:

I think after using this Shake Weight for a while, I feel my chest area firming up as well :P

Crest 3D White Whitestrips teeth whitening review

Who wants whiter teeth? I definitely do! After hearing lots of reviews and feedback about this product, I am bound to give this product a try.

Unlike most people, unfortunately, this had definitely made my teeth more sensitive than I thought. After the third day trying this, I would wake up in the middle of the night in pain! Who knew your teeth can feel so much pain? I just tell myself "beauty is pain, beauty is pain".

Luckily, my teeth were less sensitive in the morning, afternoon and evening so I was able to eat and drink. I avoided sour and any food with high acidity just in case it will hurt.

The second night trying this, I was awaken by the pain again, I feel my teeth were so sensitive to the point, swallowing saliva (ok that sounded weird, but we do swallow our saliva... k?) made me feel I was swallowing some "teeth residue" (I don't think that's true, but it felt like that).

And just like the first day, the pain was pretty much gone in the morning and day/evening to follow. Again, there was a little funny feeling like my teeth were bound to hurt if I chewed too hard, but the sensation didn't bother me too much.

The third day: my teeth actually felt much better... HOWEVER, after putting these on... my teeth started to feel so much pain later that night... and the length is much longer... it lasted till morning :(...

I think these have helped my teeth turn a bit whiter (after wearing them consecutively for 3 days) However, I think I need to take a break from them for a while because the sensitivity of my teeth became nearly unbearable.

Some of my friends suggested I try a lower number (the current one is #4), use Sensodyne toothpaste, and other suggested I wear it for less than 30 mins (cut down the duration to only 15-20 mins). I will do that and let you know if that is better either in a future post or an updated version of this post.

Thanks for reading!

Kracie - Naive - Green Tea Cleanser review

For this post, I will be only doing a review for the Naive Kracie Green Tea facial cleanser as that's the only product I have tried here.

This is a strong facial cleanser, you can feel it immediately after you rinse, your face and fingers you used to clean with have a squeaky clean touch to it.

Although the instructions suggest using 1cm of the product, I just use merely 3-5 mm since it is already a lot of product. The instructions say taking that bit of product you foam it up with either a foam ball or the palm of your hands.

thoughts:

• a little goes a long way (even if you apply a small amount and foam it, it still works)
• strong cleanser
• light fragrance (lighter means there should be less chemicals inside?)
• great for "tough" stubborn oil
• remember to moisturize immediately after you use this!!
• not suitable for winter months

Since it is so strong, I suggest using warm water (instead of hot water) to clean the product from your face and immediately apply either 1. serum or 2. moisturizer or 3. emulation to your face because your face will dry up and your skin will feel as if it stiffened (not a nice feeling).

I highly recommend this facial cleanser because it does what it promises and it literally does a good job removing oil and dirt from your face. However, if you have sensitive skin, I would suggest a milder cleanser like Biore's (product review will follow shortly).

French Manicure attempt

It has been years since I have attempted the French Manicure, and as expected, I wasn't able to do a great job making my nails look as good as they could be.

The picture somehow made my French Manicure tips look weird, but they actually do look quite good in "real life"

I think the most important steps to making these French Manicure tips are:
1. Base Coat, so when you draw on the white lines the white nail polish stays better

2. It is best to use tape as a guide to make those lines, or you might end up with uneven lines (some looking bigger than others e.g. my pinky nail and my thumb)

3. Top Coat, without a top coat, it is easy for the white polish to wear out easier, and that's not good, if you have to redraw that line every 2 days.

Hope these tips help!

Peonies

Spring and Summer are the best times looking around your neighborhood and seeing flowers bloom. And that's exactly what I have been doing for the past week. Above is a picture of some Peonies which blossomed beautifully in my own backyard, I decided to take some and put them in my house. They smell so nice, just like bring a piece of nature into my house.