Foundation Obsession

Foundation is one item of make-up I cannot live without.  I realised that I had a lot of foundation at home so I went rummaging through my make-up case and got all my foundations out to share with you what they were.

Tadaa~  These are all the foundations I currently have.  I have oily but dehydrated skin and also suffer from breakouts and enlarged pores.  So I really need foundation that has a good coverage, but at the same time I don't like heavy foundations which can make my face look too done.  

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation (NC30), £19.50.

This has a good coverage with a matt finish.  Contains Silica which absorbs the oil on your skin.  This was my first ever foundation.  I used to only use powder foundation because of my oily skin, but now I mostly use liquid foundation.  This was perfect for my skin when I was younger but as I got older, I found it to be a little too drying for my dehydrated/oily skin.  I would recommend this to combination, oily and blemish prone skins or use it in the summer months like I do.  My usual shade is NC25, but this one is one shade darker for the summer.

Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matt Powder Makeup SPF10 (Sable 40), £36.

Another powder foundation I have been using for years.  As the name suggests, this foundation gives you a matte finish.  it can be used dry for a natural matte finish or dampened for a matte velvety finish with longer hold.  I carry this around in my bag and use it only for touch-ups during the day.  The coverage is lighter than MAC and again, recommended for oily and combination skin.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 (NC25), £19.50.

Another MAC foundation, but in liquid version.  This is one of my favourites and it had been my long-term partner.  This covers imperfections really well and you can build the coverage too.  It has a matte finish so good for the summer months. I like that it has SPF15.  I recommend this for combination and oily skin or normal and dry skin in the summer months.

Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid Foundation SPF12.

I didn't know that this foundation is discontinued.  This has lighter coverage than my usual foundations and it gives more natural, healthy look.  I use this when I haven't slept well and need more hydration.  Not very good for covering up blemishes.

IPSA Pure Protect Liquid Foundation SPF25 (101).

This is a Japanese brand foundation.  It is very popular in Japan so I decided to give it a try.  This is a brightening foundation which contains moisturising ingredient, hyaluronic acid.  It has a good medium coverage and I really like the colour and the glow it gives my skin.  This is great for the winter, but a little too heavy for my skin in the summer.  I bought this in Japan for around JPY4000.  

RMK Liquid Foundation SPF10 (102).

I LOVE this foundation.  This is another Japanese brand that I bought in Selfridges, London.  It is very popular in Japan and I read so many good things about it so I had to try.  It has light texture but covers my blemishes well.  Not drying and not too heavy either.  Great for all skin types and it's waterproof as well!  When I went swimming, I was too lazy to take my make-up off, this foundation was still on my skin even after 1 hour in the pool.  My sister also uses this foundation and said that this doesn't oxidise much on her skin.  I can't remember exactly how much I paid for this.. I think it was around £30.

And before I go, there is one last foundation that I got from my sister, but still haven't tried.

This is a Korean brand foundation called Sulwhasoo Lumitouch Liquid foundation.

I will blog about it once I try it out. 

I hope my review was helpful and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

xoxo

Rainy Sunday

It's been raining a lot for most of the week and I was hoping Sunday would be SUNNY.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case and I had to put up with more of miserable British weather!  So I decided to browse the internet for pretty things to cheer me up and found lots of cute skully stuff.  I used to love skull when I was younger and thought I grew out of it as I got older, but I guess I still haven't lol!  I particularly love the Union Jack skull ring  ♥

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Vaishaly Cleansing Balm

I mentioned in my The Best of British post that I would do a review on Vaishaly Cleansing Balm and here it is!  

"Based on sweet almond and olive oils, which nourish as they cleanse, Vaishaly Cleansing Balm also has an exclusive arnica, ginkgo and calendula complex to soothe dry, itchy skin, reducing any irritation or redness.  Arctic oat seed lipid alleviates that familiar 'too-tight' feel that dry-skinned women complain of, leaving skin soft, supple and glowing, while vitamin E a potent antioxidant helps shield skin against free radical damage."

Vaishaly Patel is Britain's top facialist with A-list clientele.  She brought out her own natural/organic skincare range because she was tired of synthetic skincare products.  She has her own clinic in Marylebone High Street in Central London where I went along with my sister for a facial.  We didn't actually get a facial by Vaishaly herself, but by a facialist called Carly who had been recommended to my sister by her facial-lover friend.  After the facial you are given trial sizes that are suitable for your own skin type.

I have been using this cleansing balm for few weeks now.

My skin is very oily in the T-zone, but can get quite dry in the cheeks area.  The facialist told me that my skin was oily and congested underneath, but the surface was dehydrated.  She recommended me this balm which is for dry/sensitive skin.

I'm used to using oil for removing my make-up so I didn't mind using this balm as a face wash.  The texture and consistency of this balm is much like honey and as you start massaging it on your face, the balm melts on your skin and becomes thinner, just right for massaging.  The smell is pleasant and relaxing.

I like the fact that this product is in a tight container with a pump.  This will keep the freshness of the product much longer without the use of any chemicals.

After massaging your face with this balm, you emulsify it with water and rinse away.  I found that the oil did not emulsify very well with water and my face still had that greasy film afterwards.  So I decided to use a warm cloth which managed to remove the greasy film.  I definitely recommend using a cloth.

My skin felt clean and I didn't have that tight feeling I often get with a lot of face washes I tried before.

 It was very gentle and moisturizing, leaving my cheek areas hydrated again.

My oily T-zone felt more calmed down and didn't feel greasy at all.

This balm also removed all my make-up very effectively.

I love the fact that it's 100% natural!

I really like this balm, but the only downside to it is the price.  The full size of 150ml costs £59.

If you are interested, you can buy it online at www.vaishaly.com

I'm not sure if I would purchase it once I run out because of the hefty price tag!

The Ultimate Home-Made Face Mask

Hi guys, I just wanted to share with you my Ultimate Home-made GREEN TEA face mask.  This is something I came across when I was watching a Japanese TV programme.  It is very simple to make and it really works.  

Green Tea is full of antioxidants and drinking it is really beneficial to our health.  Using it as a face mask also seems to help my skin in shrinking pores and giving me that healthy glow!

I've been lazy and haven't made this mask for a while, but my skin needed some pick me up so I decided to use it again.  

All you need is Japanese Green Tea Powder and water!

I bought mine in Japan.  It is much cheaper over there so I stocked up while I was on holiday.

This is all you need to do.

Add a small amount of water and mix until it is turned into a paste.

It shouldn't be too runny, but just thick enough to stay on your face.

Apply this mixture on your face for about 10 minutes.

So easy right?!

I usually do this mask every day for 2 weeks for best results. 

Do you have any good home-made mask that you can recommend to me?

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I went to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon tonight in 3D.  This was by far my favourite out of all three movies, but that might be because I only watched the first two in 2D.  I much prefer Megan Fox than the Brit Rosie Huntington-whiteley though...  not going to spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it yet ;)

Here is the trailer from youtube.

Let me know which one is your favourite if you do go and see the film!

And before I go, here is what I cooked for dinner.

Chinese style stir-fry with Udon.  It only took me 15 minutes haha.  I just threw in whatever leftover vegetables I had in the fridge.  Yum!

Wimbledon inspiration

Hi guys, how was your weekend?

I spent my weekend watching the Wimbledon finals.  Every year I watch the Wimbledon tennis, I always get inspired to go out and do some exercise!  But unfortunately the motivation never lasts ;D

Instead of hitting the gym, I went and inspired myself to create this new Polyvore outfit.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

 Yu-be Moisturising skin cream (image from yu-be.com)

This cream is apparently the number 1 best-selling medicated, vitamin enriched skincare cream in Japan.  It contains glycerin, vitamin E and B2, and camphor.

When I visited my mum in Japan, she was using this for her hands and feet.  I decided to try hers and I really liked it so I bought one for myself!  

I got mine in Japan so the name and the packaging is different from the one you get in the UK.  I bought this last winter so I can't remember how much I paid in Japan ><

It costs £13.50 at www.spacenk.co.uk.

If you are not in the UK, you can find Yu-be retailers in other countries at www.yu-be.com.

The cream smells of menthol and the texture is really thick and hard to spread, but once it is applied, the cream is absorbed immediately.  I prefer to use it only on rough areas of my body such as my hands, feet, elbows and knees because of it's heavy texture.  I leave it next to my bed and use it every night before sleep.  When I wake up in the morning, my skin feels so soft!  I know it's not all natural product, but I cannot live without it!

 ♥

Have you tried it?