Reviews and Other Stuff

Samples of The Week: Clinique, Boscia, Bite Beauty, Kate Somerville, Lancome, Miu Miu & Tarte

July 28, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Happy Friday guys! It’s about time to wrap up some samples and share my first impressions about them. This week, I picked a mini lipstick, a sample of some clay foundations, a hybrid makeup remover, a few basic moisturizers, and a very interesting scent.

Shall we begin?

Lancome BI-FACIL Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover (1.7 oz: $15, 4.2 oz: $30, 6.7 oz: $39) – One of the best eye makeup removers I’ve ever tried. It erases my liner like a breeze and there’s not a single sting. I even use it on my face and it saves me a lot of time and effort. It’s also not sticky and it comes in different sizes.

Boscia Charcoal MakeUp Melter Cleansing Oil-Balm (3 oz: $32) – This is a blend of charcoal and oil/balm cleanser that you have to apply on your makeup face and massage it all over to get rid of makeup. It has a strong lavender scent, much like the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser. This product becomes foamy and it really removes all your makeup but you’re going to need a spatula (provided if purchasing the full size) in order to scoop the balm. It’s pretty thick and a bit sticky, my fingers had a hard time grabbing the product. Other than that, this is a good alternative to traditional facial cleansers and makeup removers since this product combines the two.

Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate (0.5 oz: $13.50, 1.6 oz: $39) – This a lightweight gel serum or moisturizer with spheres of antioxidants. It has no distinct scent but it hydrates very well. It’s a great hydrator for the summer and my skin absorbs this quickly. Just like most Clinique serums and moisturizers, you can never go wrong with this.

Miu Miu Eau de Parfum (Travel size/0.33 oz: $28, 1 oz: $68, 1.7 oz: $90, 3.4 oz: $118) – A fresh floral scent that will surely catch your attention. I thought this was gonna be more of a sweet scent, but this is actually fresh and delightful, like a blend of something earthy and green with a bit of jasmine. It’s also very long lasting and not boring.

Bite Beauty Multistick (0.17 oz: $24) – Reviewed the papaya shade thoroughly before, found HERE. This is one of the best multi-taskers I’ve ever tried. Almost all the shades from this collection are all good and wearable. It has a velvety texture upon application, and it glides well on the lids, on the cheeks as a blush, and as a lip color. They’re pretty easy to blend and they’re also well-pigmented. The effect is a matte monochromatic trend. I love this.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation Spf 15 (1.7 oz: $39) – A natural to mattifying finish full-coverage foundation that’s vegan and oil-free. This foundation really covered my redness and blemishes and it’s pretty long-wearing. It feels whipped but lightweight, and it blends into the skin well. I noticed a bit of pilling but they’re blendable and I love that it comes with an added Spf. My face looks flawless with this.

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream (1 oz: $50, 1.7 oz: $65) – This feels like a gentle moisturizer that’s great for sensitive skin or even in any skin type. It has almost no scent but it hydrates the skin well and it’s also very lightweight. There’s a soothing feel to this and it hydrates some dry patches on the face.

Lancome Energie de Vie Smoothing & Plumping Water-Infused Cream (1.7 oz: $55) – Another water-infused cream that smells fresh and slightly like citronella. My skin absorbed this lightweight moisturizer immediately and it does have a plumping effect. Overall, this non-greasy cream hydrates the skin excellently and my skin felt soft after using this. The whole Energie de Vie line seems like a very interesting line to try.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Beetroot (0.15 oz: $26) – Love this deep berry shade. I’m sure we’re all familiar with this lipstick. This line up has one of the boldest well-pigmented lipsticks ever. It’s extremely creamy and buttery soft, and while it does transfer a lot, the pigment stays put on the lips for a long time. I love that it’s made of au-naturel ingredients and the citrusy flavor is a delight. As to how it compares to the newly-released Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick? stay tuned, because a review of that particular lineup will be coming soon.

Verdict, I almost love all the samples I’ve tried, but if I have to narrow it down, I think I like the ease of using Lancome BI-FACIL Eye Makeup Remover, the scent of Miu Miu Eau de Parfum, the range of shades from Bite Beauty Multistick and Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation, the high-impact colors of Bite’s Amuse Bouche Lipstick and the hydrating effect of Lancome Energie de Vie Water-Infused Cream.

Have you had samples of these too? Which ones did you like?

T.G.I.F Everybody!

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Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick Review + Swatches

July 27, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey there! I’ve been really impressed with the Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick (0.12 oz for $21) from the moment it was released, and I have a bunch of reasons why. This lipstick is almost perfection. From its packaging, down to its finish and shades.

Ever since this lipstick came out, I had a feeling that I’m gonna love it. The swatches seem to be all wearable and there are different variations of warm nudes and mauves. Perfect for any skintone. Just my kind of lipstick.

If you’re the type that’s kind of bored with matte liquid lipsticks and you’d want something hydrating but not too glossy, then I truly recommend this. Just like most of Tarte’s Rainforest of The Sea products, this Color Splash Lipstick is probably one of the best lipsticks I’ve ever tried. The formulation and the finish are just about right. It is moisturizing and hydrating without feeling heavy on the lips. It’s not overly shiny nor shimmery. It has a semi-matte finish without drying the lips, a bit like Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Matte Finish but way creamier. It doesn’t have a distinctive flavor nor scent, but perhaps slightly buttery.

There are several shades from this line and they’re all pretty. I really had a hard time picking out the best that I like the most. It seems like every shade I swatched were all gorgeous. The lipstick is also well-pigmented and I love that there are different variations of nudes and mauves in this line. There are coral-ish nudes, rosy nudes, brown mauves, rosy mauves, etc. Apart from the beautiful array of shades, I find this lipstick to be a good value for the money. It’s long-wearing that even after 2 meals (without reapplying), I could still see the shade on my lips. Such is the staying power of this lipstick.

Island Life – Rosy Mauve. A muted mauve rose that’s perfect whether you live on the island, in the city, or in the jungle. This is one of my fave shade in this line.

Set Sail – Dark Nude. Gorgeous perfect nude shade for light to medium complexions.

Siesta – Brown Nude. I’d say this is a true neutral nude shade that could work for any skin tone, especially to those who are in the range of fair to light.

Surf’s Up – Mauve. This doesn’t look mauve at all, at least not on my lips. The shade itself is warm nude mixed with a muted orange/coral/terracotta hue. It’s very unique and very beautiful.

Vacay – Dark Cool Rose. Gorgeous. Just the right blend of slightly dark rose and mauve. A warmer version of Island Life. This is a great pop of color on the lips be it day or night. Also, great for the upcoming Fall.

5 o’clock – Dark Mauve. Looks more like a mauve brown to me, but more on the mid-brown side. Very wearable like a darker version of Siesta.

The packaging of this lipstick has a whole Summer vibe that is totally unique and cute. I love the blue marble-style tubes with golden accents. The Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash lipstick is a comfortable, creamy, and hydrating lipstick with an incredible range of shades. Its lasting power and very good pigments are really good and something I highly recommend.

Have you tried these already?

The Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick is available at Sephora

See ya later,

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Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” Book Review

July 26, 2017 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

“I have no idea who these people are. But I can tell you one thing— these people are richer than God” – Peik Lin, character from Crazy Rich Asians.

Here’s a bold satirical book that will surely crack you up. This book is purely entertaining and fun to read. It’s a romantic comedy that will not only make you chuckle but it will also touch your heart, especially towards the end of the book. It’s an interesting fast read with a no-nonsense type of writing. Each character is very well developed, so much so that even if you’re not rich, filthy rich or crazy rich, you will still find this book to be a great summer read.

I found out about this book when I read an article that talked about an upcoming romantic comedy film with an all-Asian cast. I thought, now that’s gonna be interesting, and of course, the upcoming film is entitled and based on this Crazy Rich Asians book by Kevin Kwan.

In the first few pages of the novel, you’ll find a family tree of The Young Family, The T’sien and The Shang Clan. It’s a great reference as to who the characters are, where they came from, and in which family they belong. You will find yourself constantly coming back to this for reference while reading the book. This means to show that there’s a lot of characters involved. But there’s a few main ones that are the main focus of the story. Don’t worry, I won’t be spoiling the entire story here, but I’ll give you a glimpse of what the story is all about.

Rachel Chu is a Chinese-born American and an NYU Economics Professor living in NYC with her boyfriend Nick Young who hails from Singapore and is also a History Professor at NYU. Nick’s best friend Collin, is getting married in Singapore and Nick is invited, so is Rachel. She’s never been there and she has no idea about Nick’s family history nor his complete background. Meanwhile, Astrid, Nick’s cousin living in Singapore is a jet-setting lady with troubles of her own. She warns Nick to tell Rachel about who and what their family really is. Also, Eleanor is Nick’s mom who loves him dearly and only wants the best for him. She’s eager to meet her son when he arrives in Singapore but changed her mind when she found out that he’s coming with his Chinese-American girlfriend, whom she’s never met before. Su Yi is Nick’s grandma who also loves him dearly but she has her own mind and sets of standards. Peik Lin is Rachel Chu’s former classmate and best friend from Singapore. Read how their lives will come together in one big funny mess, especially when Rachel finds out who Nick really is, his entire family and relatives’ history and background.

This novel depicts the lifestyle of the crazy rich Asians in a larger than life way, It’ll shock you to the bones and you’ll find yourself being transported to their world while laughing at the same time. It’s a lighthearted take on the lives of the people who have too much for their own good and also a tearjerker towards the last few chapters. There’s moral lessons to learn and several insights to ponder.

The Crazy Rich Asians Book is a trilogy by the author Kevin Kwan. It is available in amazon.com

The Book 2 (China Rich Girlfriend) is also available at amazon.com as well as the Book 3 (Rich People Problems)

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