Anna Sui Cheek Colors Collection & 2014 Spring I Launch

I am loving Anna Sui's range of makeup!

And so, this will be a write up showcasing the awesome range of cheek colors from Anna Sui that is too attractive to resist! Coupled with another showcase of what was recently launched for the Spring Collection. (Of course, I don't own all of it, I just loaned them for a self-organised photo-shoot)

Each of cheek color comes with 4 different shades of pigments that can be picked up with a single swipe. When applied to the skin, the colors comes out brilliantly - what you see is what you get!

From left, Cheek Color #100, 300, 301, 400, 500 & 600

The cheek colors comes in Anna Sui's signature vintage looking casing that's light-weight and flat. The only disadvantage being that it doesn't come with a self-contained cheek brush. -_-

In the following close-up shots, you will see Rose patterns carved unto the cheek colors - yet another signature symbol of Anna Sui products as the Rose is her favorite! And if you do put your nose close to the palette, you will experience a soft scent of roses - and that's because rose extract has been incorporated as part of the product to give off this soft fragrance.

While these are existing cheek colors which are ever-available at all Anna Sui counters, Anna Sui has also launched a Springtime Limited Edition in a slightly more pastel pink & coral palette, with the same vintage packaging.

From the left, in #302 -an iridescent dewy pink and #601 -an iridescent rose coral.  

This springtime concept revolves around a "glow from within" which is prominent in Anna Sui's SS Runway Fashion. Models coupled with dewy & "barely-there" translucent base and a touch of blush that's so subtle, one would think it was a natural blush. 

From  the left, swatched with just 1 finger-stroke:

#100, 300, 301, 400, 500, 600, 302 & 601

Like mentioned, the pigments are brilliant therefore, what you see from the palette is exactly what you'd get. 

Right below is the blended out version of each color.

#100 is dual functional, as a highlighter for the T-zone as well as a base color for the cheeks where it changes the overlaying cheek color to make it brighter & more brilliant. This works well with over-laying blushers from any brand, not just Anna Sui colors. 

Point to note may be the fact that it has alot of silver, purples and blues in there, so while it works well to counter any form of yellow overcast skin tones, application should be done with care. You don't want to end up looking too ashy while over-doing it!

#300 is a rose pink that's ultra-feminine, though slightly skewed to being a little on the cooler end.

#301 is a coral pink that contains some orange pigments to give off a unique blend of warmth while still looking sweet pink!

#400 is a signature Anna-red hue that is rich, classic and edgy - so it really brings out character and confidence!

#500 is a mix of deep burgundy with beige & brown, somewhat a bronzer, that can be used with all other cheek colors to add depth and intensity.

#600 is this illuminating sun-kissed coral, with more corals than pink - emitting the radiance of a juicy radiance, fresh from the beach! 

#302 is a limited edition dewy rose pink that contains a sparkling touch of iridescence that's ultra-light, soft yet slightly cool. I personally find it multi-functional - as a blush on its own, as a cheek highlight or as a base for brightening up regular cheek colors to sculpt the cheeks giving it a hi-cheek-bone appearance.

#601, also a limited edition rose coral that has a luminous finishing, like a warm reflection of sunshine that can be used like in multiple ways, like mentioned for #302.    

Moving right along, from the bottom-up, these limited edition lip crayons are great for pairing with the cheek colors. #302, 303 & 702.

The lip crayons are in a semi-matt finishing which are great as a lip color on its own, lip base to enhance lip color adherence, used as a lip liner, or used to alter the colors of of lipsticks providing gradients and ombre effects.

#302 is nude pink that contains silver pearls.
#303 a rose pink, also containing silver pearls- but a close-to-natural lip color.
#702 a beige tone with a tinge of coral, completely matt.

That pretty much sums up my Anna Sui madness for now. :)

Cheers!

Stay sane, keep calm and rock on!

#cheokletquoted #2 No choice is also a choice.

 

One of the greatest thing about being human is we have freewill. We decide to love, laugh, cry, hurt or hate. Circumstances may be bleak but u can choose to make the most out of it.

The phrase "Oh well.. There's no choice.." is not something uncommon. 

I sometimes catch myself saying that and start feeling lousy about a situation.

The thing is, the more you think "there's just no choice" the more you feel compelled to believe that there is no hope in whatever crisis you are facing and have to suck it up and accept the thrash thrown at you whether you like it or not.

That itself leaves you feeling defeated, lousy, helpless - whatever negative cognition you may come up with.

Yet, there is a twist to this entire cycle. 

What if you stopped thinking "there's no choice" and instead think the opposite that "there's a choice"?

The situation may remain, but the action you take when you decide to see the opposite will change from an act of defeat to an act of victory.

So whenever you think "there's no choice", think again. You may actually have one.  Or more than one.

DIY Hair Dye for CNY! (Liese Hair Dye Review)

I like going to salons to get my hair dyed, where all you do is sit there and relax. But there are just some days where I feel like DIY. Save some money and spend it on makeup!

So today, my review will be DIY hair dye - also very timely for CNY.

You see, I was walking around in Watsons (once again!) and thought this liese hair dye thingy looks pretty easy to manage. You don't even need to comb your hair through with the dye (as regular dyes, I always felt that combing step causes me a lot of hair loss, and with my recent hair loss encounter, no thanks!), all you need was to massage the product into her hair as you would while shampooing. Sounds easy enough. So that was it! Decided!

I choose the raspberry brown color cos I wanted something that's not too copper nor too light.

Simple instructions.

My hair has been dyed before to a light-brown tone, so I reckon the results to be either the 2nd or 3rd row. So long as you hair has not been dyed black before, this sorta DIY does work pretty well to change the tone of your hair.

Now, this is what I call hair tone uneveness.

Each time I return to the salon to dye the crown of my head, the color just doesn't match up well to the rest of the dyed color and after sometime when new hair grows out, there will be 2-3 uneven tones worn on my hair!

While the product comes with alot of relevant stuff to ensure your hair dye DIY is successful (inc hair conditioner to help repair your hair) 2 other essentials will be:

1. A shower cap- to wear while you wait for the dye to fully penetrate your hair and

2. Vaseline- where you will most definitely want to avoid having ANY dye accidentally dye parts of your face or neck etc. So you want to apply a thin layer of vaseline near the hair line (on your face please, not the hair, cos then the hair cant get dyed!), around your ears, and the back of your neck.

Also, do wear an old t-shirt that you can throw away after the dye cos that will stop you from worrying with the dye touched your shirt (which will certainly be the case especially when you have long hair!)

Start mixing up

Gently tilt bottle upside down and repeat 

(NO vigorous shaking, please. You don't want a mini explosion at home!)

Since the solution comes out in foam form, the mess was really minimised.

Application started from the top of my head, where I coat the foam in a shampoo motion. Brushing the fingers through the hair, right above my forehead, then outwards, with the right hand moving to the right & left hand moving to the left until I reach behind the ears covering the top half of the head by now.

Then from the bottom, back of the head, brushing through from left to right. 1 key point to minimise mess is to keep on working the hair as if you are going to tie it in a pony tail or a bun.

Easy & neat!

Cover with shower cap and go do other things for 30 mins. Then, rinse out, shampoo and condition.

Even after brushing my fingers through the dry hair to coat them all, the hair fall out was minimal!

This is the comparison. 

(After photo was taken 1 day after the day I dyed)

The color was significantly even and hair was darker than my previous tone which was the result I wanted.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT LIESE HAIR DYE

Thumbs up! for this product. It was fuss-free, gentle on the scalp (I didn't feel any sort of stinging sensation), easy to administer from preparation to application, the solution comes out in foam form with makes it easy to handle, easy to wash out, no entangling of the hair, minimal hair fall out rate and even-colored results.

Definitely a good choice for hair dye DIY!

That said. have a good time experimenting and happy CNY!

Cheers!

#cheokletquoted #1 Sometimes the only person stopping you, is you.

 

So go on, crawl, walk, run, jump, leap... you are one step closer to your dream the moment you start.

Sometimes we desire to do something and get trapped thinking what and how we should get started to do it. 

Can I do it? Should I do it? How should I do it?

The more we think, the more we just ... think... and all we do is think.

We stop ourselves from doing what we desire to do without even knowing it.

All we need is to just start by taking that first step. Whether we crawl or walk or run or jump - that first step will lead us to the next step which will lead us to the following step.

So get going and you will soon get there.

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is my favourite season!

Long weekends. Holidays. Cheers everywhere!

"all because of love"

Christmas is a season of joy,
For the birth of Christ is celebrated worldwide.

His sole purpose was to die- a sacrifice,
That we may have eternal life.

So while we celebrate for all the various reasons,

Let's remember the greatest of all is to celebrate "LOVE"..

 I had a great Christmas because I could:

#1 Be Joyful;

putting up the Christmas tree and listen to Christmas carols all day!

#2 Be thankful;

that there are people I could appreciate and write notes of kindness to

#3 Be able to Give & Receive;

even when we are miles apart.

#4 Be with my family.

 

#5 Be with the other part of me. 

 

#6 Be crazy & expressive!

 

#7 Be pampered!

 

#8 Be glad there are people to share the season with.

Do what makes you happy.

Be with who makes you smile.

Laugh as much as you breathe.

Love as long as your live.  

 

 THANK YOU JESUS!

I have all I do, because of You!

Olay Professional Pro X Advance Cleansing System Review

I have heard a lot about a particular cleansing tool called the Clarasonic Mia. And being a bargain-hunter, I can't bear to spend the money buying a cleansing tool that cost more than $150.

Must we really use a tool that's like a electronic-toothbrush to clean our face?! Then how have we been surviving for the past few years!

I would be confident that I wouldn't need a gadget like this one 2 years back. But with my recent hype experimenting with make-up where I sometimes use make-up brushes to buff the foundation over my skin so it covers the pores and gives a smooth finishing, I have to think twice about how to truly cleanse my skin.

Logically if you "buff" foundation into your face, it means you need to "buff" it out as well - so it makes complete sense to use that electronic-toothbrush look-alike cleansing tool. Except for the price!

And while randomly scanning Qoo10, I found this treasure. It seems to function just as well as the Clarasonic one, and it cost 1/3 the price. (Less than $50)  It doesn't seem to be the latest gadget in the market. I am just slow in finding it. But so what? I found it anyway.

Product Description

My Comments

- Cleanse your skin 6x better to maximize your post-cleansing skincare absorption >> Absolutely agree with the logic of maximizing the absorption capability, just not too sure about the "6x" part

- Has 2-speed, rotating system >> A good choice to allow people who are more sensitive to choose the softer, gentler "touch". In the word "rotating" it means, the brush just goes in 1 circular direction. Which is fine. All I want for it to do is to "buff" the make-up off!

In fact, I read a few other reviews about the Clarasonic one which mentioned about it's oscillating system, where the brush moves first in clockwise, then in anti-clockwise (back and forth movement, think oscillating fan) I guess that's one of the key differences.It did seem like this back and forth swing will do a better job in cleansing cause the movement seem more gentle as compared to a 1-direction only "buffing" motion.

- Water resistant >> Not water proof?

- Replaceable brush head>> Good for hygiene purpose!

Pointers:
Use a gel cleanser (or any cleanser that will create foam) alongside this tool. Otherwise, if the cleanser doesn't lather up, you will be working with nothing cushioning between this brush and your skin (which means friction - who wants that?)

I have seen some examples of this being used with an oil cleanser to remove make-up, and I disagree with it because 1. oil does not lather up, so, I find it too harsh on the skin and 2. not removing the make-up prior to this as a last step means, you could possibly be buffing the make-up in, no?

So remove your make-up first, then apply the cleanser to your face and work it up a bit, then dampen the brush head and let it run through your face from side of nose outwards and upwards towards the temple of your head. Whatever you do, just make sure you "treat" your skin in a lifting motion for firming effect. You don't want to aid the force of gravity and pull your skin down.

Don't over use it, just 60s (about there to run it through your whole face) and rinse with water - and that's it.

My Verdict

Having used it for 3 months now (alongside my current favourite, philosophy gel cleanser), I must say it is worth the buy. In fact, I have already ordered more as Christmas gifts!

1. The brush is really soft and gentle on the face. (easily purchased from Watsons or Guardian)

2. It's so compact, light and easy to handle. Just 2 buttons to choose from, on/off, adjust speed. done.

3. It's battery operated. I don't need to be bothered about how to charge it and think about bringing it on holidays. (Like I don't already have enough of chargers? No thanks, but I don't collect chargers)

4. It's water-resistant and that's good enough because I didn't encounter any problem while washing the brush head under the running water, or using it with my wet hands. (Waterproof is good, but who is really gonna bring this underwater and operate it while being submerged under water?)

5. I am not so sure if the rotating system can be compared to the oscillating one, but one thing I am sure is that my skin feels and looks clean. The pores did NOT expand or anything like that (cos that was in fact one of my concern, that all that "buffing" action will expand my pores!) And I do feel my skin being less dull (possibly cause of the "manual exfoliation" movement).

Well, in conclusion, I am one happy and satisfied customer.

Cheers!

The Battle between Hair Loss Shampoos! Klorane VS Natur Vital

Ever since my trial with the Furterer Hair Loss Treatment program , I have been really careful with the kind of shampoo I use because I don't ever! wanna see my hair choking the drainage again!

I have been alternating between both of these Hair Loss Shampoo (i.e. using Natur Vital only after Klorane has finished and vice versa).

I can't recall the price, but they are about $20ish per bottle (Klorane often has bundle prices of $29.90 for 2 bottles at Guardian/watsons)

Left to right: 

Klorane Hair Loss Conditioner, Klorane Hair Loss Shampoo, Natur Vital Hair Loss Shampoo for women, Natur Vital Hair Loss Tonic Treatment.

Let's talk about KLORANE. 

As mentioned in the previous entry, Klorane was a recommendation from the sales staff who was serving me when I made my purchase of the Furterer Treatment Program. She mentioned it being made of plant extracts hence, using it with the Furterer Program was fine (since it was cheaper than using the Furterer Shampoo, THAT Furterer Shampoo was bad - it tangled my hair up in the shower! Hate it!)

Klorane Shampoo was in dark brown in color and it was a very watery consistency. A lot more fluid than the regular hair shampoo, but of course not so watery like...  water? 

The scent was a refreshing herb scent, nothing overwhelming or repulsive.

It doesn't really, lather up or rather, it takes ALOT to lather up. 

After applying the first round to my hair, it seems to just dissolve without lather, and by then I am not even done with working it through all my hair. (Not that I have a lot!)

I would have to pour a second round of shampoo into the palms of my hands while shampooing, just to add to the first round to lather it up. But. At least this doesn't entangle my hair like Furterer does!

One of the ways I noticed was to rub it in your palms, introducing some air to it, then, rub it unto the top of your head before spreading it all over the scalp and hair.

Although it doesn't tangle my hair up, due to the lack of lather, I can't work it too thoroughly through my scalp and hair. Rinsing the shampoo out with water was a tough because there seems to be no "emollient coating" (I don't know what better way to explain that!). I can literally feel the friction between my fingers and the strands of hair when I wash the the shampoo out with water - it feels "squeaky clean", I can't be sure if "clean" was the right word to use, seriously.  

 

So after part rinsing out the shampoo with water, I applied the "matching" Klorane hair conditioner in the hope of softening the hair and removing the "squeaky" feeling so I can have a better, thorough rinse.

Lo & behold! While the application of the conditioner was smooth, the rinsing was like crap!

One would have thought a conditioner gives such a smooth and silky coating to each strand of hair that rinsing it off was easy - but sorry, wrong number! Not for this Klorane Conditioner.

The "squeaky" effect resurfaced and you feel like your are rubbing rubber. (That's how much friction and non-smooth it was!)

This - made my hair fall! After 2 uses - I thrashed it. It was almost a full tube left, mind you. But I rather waste the product than waste my hair!

My Verdict for Klorane Shampoo

Despite it being tough to administer, I do find it rather effective because I don't spot alot of hair loss while using this shampoo. (So long as I don't use its conditioner!) And that was my whole objective MINIMISE hair loss.

The not-so-fabulous experience about it:
Takes too long to lather up, exhausting way too much product in 1 use. Tough time rinsing it out because it is soooo "squeaky".

Well, I did improvise the method to using it by pairing it up with a non-plant base conditioner (in the likes of Sunsilk Hair Fall Control Conditioner). And problem with rinsing out the shampoo without that "squeakiness"" was solved.

Let's get started with Natur Vital. 

Natur Vital was a random buy because I spotted a "mohawk" TV commercial which was so hilarious that I remembered the brand - random, I know.

I must say I absolutely enjoyed using this shampoo! Much better than my experience with Klorane.

It is white, silverish in color and the consistency was like that of a regular shampoo. Thicker than Klorane, definitely. 

The scent was refreshing but not so much like a scent of herbs, nor fruits, perhaps a little floral? Nothing overwhelming or repulsive.

It was much easier to work up a lather with this. 50cent coin x 2 is enough.

 

Also, it doesn't tangle my hair up, while lathering/rinsing it out. There's a slight "emollient coating" (you'd get my point b now). Minimal friction felt between my fingers and the strands of hair when I wash the the shampoo out with water. 

 I am not sure if they sold a conditioner alongside this. I just paired this up with the regular Sunsilk conditioner that I always use and it was fine.

Overall, a better choice than Klorane, though I do continue alternating this with Klorane just for the sake of switching between shampoos so as not to develop any form of product over reliance.

After shampooing and towel-drying, I also tried this Natur Vital Hair Loss Tonic as a form of maintenance.

 

It comes in a 60ml bottle with a pointed tip - where you are supposed to administer the solution into the scalp and massage it in. 

I can't quite understand why such products are often sold with a pointed tip instead of a spray head, because the spray head is so much easier when it comes to application. 

With the pointed tip, you need to exercise control in tilting the bottle such that you pour just the right amount, not too little and not too much. But that's the difficult part about it. 

With the spray, the solution dispersed is always going to be consistent and so controllable. Just part hair and spray in different sections and rub it in.

That's why I had to include the 10ml spray bottle (bought separately) in the photo-shoot to emphasize the efficiency of a spray head!

This was a watery texture that had a similar scent to that of the shampoo. Nice; floral.

My Verdict for Natur Vital Shampoo & Hair Loss Tonic

I cant count how much new hair I have grown (who can?!), but I have definitely seen improvements when I wash my hair - lesser hair fall outs.

Overall,  am satisfied with this product - except for 2 ingredients here that I will need to research a little more on: Alcohol Denat (known to be not-good for skincare products) and Retinol (Vit A), Vit A is known as a miracle worker for the skin, but what about pregnant users? Still safe for use?

Yup. This sums up my review on the the 2 Hair Loss Shampoo that I am currently using. 

Cheers!