Vaseline has been well-known for their petroleum jelly and moisturizers so I was keen to try something from them. I got their moisturizer with pure oat extract.

Some of its claims are: Touchably soft, smooth skin, multi-layer moisture, absorbs quickly, infusing moisture at the top, core and deep down layers of skin. 

Have you tried any Vaseline products? What do you think of them? x

Now it's no secret that I'm a big fan of pink blushes, and needless to say, I can't help myself just buying another one even though I have enough. So having tried many different kinds of pink blushes, I thought I'd share with you my thoughts on my top 6 (except one)!

1. Catrice Defining Blush in 070 Pinkerbelle

Isn't its name beyond adorable? It's a neutral-toned fuchsia with a matte finish. Catrice blushes are known for being pigmented but I always somehow end up with a bad or 'malfunctioning' product so for this particular blush, I have to swirl my brush in it quite hard to pick up enough product. It is a pretty colour, easy to blend and stays put for most of the day! 

2. MAC's Peony Petal

 I. LOVE. THIS. BLUSH. It's the perfect purple/cool-toned pink for my skin as blushes turn orange on me (think Benefit's Hervana turning Chacha Tint) by the end of the day. This, although oxidised a LITTLE, did not stray for from it's true-to-pan colour! Blended like a dream and stays on for about 4-6 hours before a little fading. This is a satin finish according to MAC but I barely get any sheen at all! I think this blush looks gorgeous on fairer skins! This is limited edition, though. NARS Gaiety is almost an exact dupe!

3. theBalm's Down Boy

I've been eyeing this blush for ages and finally got it at 20% off! This is a soft, milky, neutral baby pink with a satin finish. It lasted through about half an hour of heavy sweating and constant dabbing of tissue (because I was sweating so much) and then 3 more hours after that before I wiped it off. I didn't test it for the maximum hours it wore but damn, this bugger wore well! No fading whatsoever and the colour was just as vibrant as when I first put it on. It is so soft and finely milled, and is highly pigmented, almost as pigmented as their Instain blushes! Psst... You also get a whopping 9.9g of product! theBalm pretty much nailed their cheek products. 

4. Maybelline Jelly Glow Blush 

This next one is kiiiiind of a cream blush and gifted to me by my boyfriend's mother, and at first, I thought, WHAT! I would never wear such a colour! It's so orange! But then when I put it on my cheeks, it was pretty alright. This is the only orange blush I have ever owned. I have no idea what shade this is in because it doesn't say so on the back or anything (one thing I hate about beauty products in Asia), but it is a bronze-y coral and makes my skin glow healthily! It didn't oxidise on me as well. The texture of this is really odd. Not like a normal cream blush, but soft and jelly-like! I just want to squish it all around! 

5. The Body Shop's All-In-One Blusher in 04 Marshmallow

 This was bought, used once, thrown into the drawers and forgotten for a long long time. At that time, blush wasn't really a priority but now, I have rediscovered it and it's amazing! It's very smooth and pigmented. Even the lightest touch can pick up the soft powder. It's buildable, blends okay, but stays on most of the day! It is a peachy pink that is slightly warmer than Down Boy. This didn't oxidise on me yay! 

6. NYX Rouge Cream Blush in 02 Natural.

The last one was bought on impulse and is the only true cream blush I own. This is like Down Boy and the Jelly Glow had a baby. This is very emollient and blends nicely before powder. I tried putting it over powder once and it applied quite patchily. It lasted for 5 hours. 

I thought I'd kind of skim over my thoughts on this Revlon 16 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Inspired. Looking at the colours in the pan, I thought, "Holy cow I can do a mermaid look with this!" It contains a yellow-toned white, a rather muted turquoise blue, muted lime green and a purple-ish navy blue. 

Let's talk about the things I like first. I think these colours go well together and are perfect for summer. I also like the fact that the packaging is clear and you can see the colours through. However, it doesn't have a mirror, but that's not a very big concern of mine. This is probably where whatever I like about this eyeshadow quad ends.

x

The website claims: 

Silky smooth, blendable powder shadow that won’t crease fade or smudge. Wears up to 16 hours. 

x

I'm glad it didn't claim to be pigmented because this is probably the worst eyeshadow quad I have ever swatched in my life. Maybe I just got a bad one, but it was really chalky. It was like working with chalkboard chalk. Really. 

The white swatched alright. I could see the white colour on my arm, but oh so chalky. 

The turquoise was probably the worst for me. When I swatched it, I only got light blue glitter. Barely any colour at all!!! 

The green was alright. Not pigmented at all and I only managed to get a sheer wash of light green after about 4-5 swipes. 

The navy colour was the best. It was the most pigmented out of the all of them (probably because it is a dark colour) but it doesn't blend well. After I tried to blend out the swipe on my hand, it kind of just left a dark blue streak on my arm and made me look like I had a bruise there. Is that what is going to happen when I put this on my eye? I don't even want to find out because I hate it so much and will probably never use it. 

This was after more than 10 heavy swatches, and no, I'm not exaggerating. It was really more than 10. 

Needless to say, I will not use, much less repurchase this quad again. 

Since Spring is here, why not try a little DIY gel candle? Many of us change the theme and decorations of our room according to the seasons. Many of us are also candle junkies, so what better way to decorate your room than with a gel candle that can be changed according to the seasons to go with your room decor? 

• Fragrance 
• Flowers/pebbles/sand/seashells/anything you want to put in!
• Colouring

 

So I have yet another haul that I wanna talk about! My grandma has just recently discovered the magic of ASOS and asked me if I wanted to dump some things into the shopping bag along with a watch she chose, so I said why not? (: I also got an item each from NYX and E.L.F when they had a pop-up store at the local mall! And also, I did say I wanted to get the Maybelline Colour Tattoos in Inked in Pink and Gold Rush so.... Hehe. AND THEN there was a Catrice clearance sale that was too difficult to resist!

One of the items I got from ASOS is the ASOS Front Strap Clutch, $43.57. I was having a difficult time matching bags to maxi dresses, rompers and such, and I realised that what I needed was a plain, versatile clutch bag. The material of this is slightly harder and more 'box-y' than I expected it to be but that doesn't change the fact that it's so chic and sophisticated yet casual at the same time! I can imagine myself using this with many outfits!

I got the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, $24.18 at a dollar cheaper than what my local drugstore is offering (cheapskate, I know, but what else can you do when shopping on a budget?).  I was contemplating between this one and the serum version, but I think this one provides more coverage and since that's what I need, I got this! I'm in the shade 52 Vanilla.

The next one is the ASOS Coin Cuff Bracelet, $24.20 $12.10. I actually thought the coins were 'loose', but typing this post, I realise that it says 'CUFF' bracelet, silly me. *facepalm* This is not too shabby a cuff, though! It has a lobster clasp so it's adjustable. I have very small wrists and I hate the fact that I can't wear cuffs because they just slide right off! The only downside is that because the coin part is heavier than the chain, it tends to weigh down and so after a few minutes of wearing it, the coins will be at the bottom of my wrist and the chain on top, but occasionally adjusting it throughout the day is not a big issue for me!

I just love pop-up stores by NYX and E.L.F because they don't retail over here! I managed to get the thing I needed the most, which is a green concealer from NYX. It is their Waterproof Concealer Stick, $5.00 USD (can't find it at the moment!). This just did wonders for my red and angry blemishes. It neutralised them well enough so that the redness doesn't peek through. It is quite difficult to blend, but that means that once you really work it in, it doesn't budge!

I have been wanting to try a kabuki brush for ages because of it's supposed powder buffing magic. I picked up the E.L.F Studio Kabuki Brush, $6.00 USD and the moment I put this against my face......... it was like the heavens exploded and and cotton candy pooped on my face. Not even kidding. THIS. IS. SO. >>>SOFT<<<!!!! I can't even-

Needless to say, this applies blotting powder like a dream. However, for really BUFFING powder into the skin to get that really AIRBRUSHED look, I'd say this isn't quite dense enough. The Tarte Airbuki looks great for that, though!

 

I am loving the consistency of the Maybelline Colour Tattoos! So soft and smooth! xD Comparing the formula to MAC's Paintpot in Bare Study, it isn't as slippery and thin in consistency. It is much more thick, opaque and gel-like! Loooooveeeee. I am now officially a convert and have to get all dem shades!

Petrol Shop Boys without flash, with flash

So while I was at it, I saw a Catrice clearance sale and I just went 'HOLY SMOKES' in my mind because everything was 3 for $10 (SGD). I only picked up 2 little things from them, though (because budget), but they were 2 GREAT little (oxymoron, hah) things! They are their mono eyeshadow in 650 Petrol Shop Boys, a blueish sea-green, almost mermaid, color with silver shimmer, and their Cucuba Limited Edition Loose Eyeshadow in C05 Take It Mint, a minty, mossy green. I thought these two would look beautiful together and I was right! 

Left to right: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla (it looks too dark for me but it matches my neck), Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Inked in Pink, Catrice Eyeshadow in Petrol Shop Boys, Catrice Loose Eyeshadow in Take It Mint, Take It Mint on top of Petrol Shop Boys 

Please leave a comment if you've tried any of these products and let me know your thoughts about them!!

Have you ever been in those situations where you need to get ready in 5-7 minutes, think to yourself, "hey, I could squeeze in some eyeliner," and end up doing eyeshadow and the whole she-bang? And then you arrive at your appointment 15 minutes late. I have experienced this one too many times, so I've learnt (the hard way) what to LEAVE IN THE DRAWER when doing makeup in a jiff, and also a few tips to speed up the process!

1. Use a colour-correcting primer!

Primers help your makeup go on smoother (and therefore less blending) so it is one of the most important steps! Most of you already know this and I'm sure you have seen different coloured primers in the store. But which one is for you?

Green - Neutralize redness
Purple - Brightens/counteracts sallowness
Peach/pink - Counteracts sallowness
Blue - Brightens
Yellow - Lightens

Use the appropriate one for your skin, and that helps a lot with coverage later on! 

1. Make sure to get foundation that matches your neck exactly!

I know it's hard, but try your best to get a foundation in a shade that blends in well with your neck! If your foundation is too light, you'd have to spend time on bronzer to darken it up, and if it's too dark, you have to faff with highlighters and lighter-coloured powders. Lancôme, MUFE, MAC and Nars are a few high-end options that have foundations that come in a bajillion shades, and L'Oreal is a great drugstore alternative! Use a sponge/dense brush to quickly dab/buff everything in!

2. Skip the eyebrow pencil! 

Wait, don't panic. It doesn't mean you shouldn't fill in your eyebrows! When in a hurry, I go for tinted eyebrow gels. These colour and set your eyebrows in 5 seconds with just a couple of strokes, while with pencils, you have to do precise outlining and brushing through to make sure everything is blended. Save the pencils, powders and pomades for days when you have the luxury of time! 

3. Skip the highlighting concealer! 

If you used a peach/yellow primer, it would already cancel out some darkness under the eyes. Dab foundation for slightly more coverage. Or if you have REALLY TERRIBLE eye bags/circles, don't put the concealer on your cheek bones, nose bridge or forehead. This will save you about half a minute of blending!  

4. Mild highlighting powder to set makeup! 

If you're a fan of a matte base finish but don't fancy the cakey and dry look, use a powder with a SLIGHT shimmer (a.k.a. NOT like the Mary Lou-manizer!) to give a glow-y effect! If you like the dewy-but-not-greasy look, set your foundation with a translucent powder!

5. Use cream blushes or cheek tints instead of powder blushes! 

I am quite prone to mistakes when I use powder blushes, especially pigmented ones like those by theBalm. The chance of applying too much product at one go (especially if you're panicking) is high. I personally find cream and tints easier to control! They're great for people with dry skin and for those with oily skin, set it with powder and it lasts all day! Also, the stress of having to blend tints before they set in awkward spots/streaks on your cheeks is a great incentive to blend faster! ;D

P.S. I like The Body Shop's lip and cheek tint. 

6. Skip contouring and bronzing! 

Blush already gives your face the lift, glow and dimension it NEEDS, so you won't look pasty or ghostly. Contouring (IMO) is just to further sculpt the face. Time is of the essence, so pass the contouring and bronzing! If need be, just a few swipes at the beginning of the hollows (at the hairline) will do.

7. Use a one-step eyeshadow, define the crease, or skip everything altogether! 

If you feel like you can't leave the house without at least a bit of colour on your lids, use one or two swipes of cream eyeshadow! I am a MAC Paint Pot and Colour Tattoo fan! Don't be tempted to try and blend it out! You don't have to (unless you screwed it up and it got on your brow bone or something). Another option is to just define the crease with a bit of brown/taupe eyeshadow. Apply lightly so you won't have to spend too much time trying to blend it out! Of course, you could also go bare altogether!

8. Skip eyeliner! 

Unless you're a pro or going for a smoked-out effect (which you probably won't be considering that you're VERY late), eyeliner takes time and precision. Just tight-line with a creamy, waterproof pencil to give that definition your eyes NEED and the appearance of thicker lashes instead! 

9. Use a mascara that does a bit of everything!

Try to find a mascara that volumizes and lengthens! This way, you won't have to layer mascaras to get enough definition. If you are going to be out for a long time, try to find one that is waterproof! You may not be able to get a mascara that does all three things, but there are many who do at least TWO! If you can spare a few more seconds, coat your bottom lashes with mascara too! That really opens up your eyes.

P.S. You can read about some of my fav mascaras here!

10. Don't bother with lipstick! 

Use a tinted lip balm or lip stain, even a hybrid (think Revlon Just Bitten Kissables!) You don't even have to apply it right then, you can bring it along for on-the-go application, since you don't need a mirror! The most tinted lip balm I've ever tried is the Palmer's Dark Chocolate and Cherry Lip Balm! The oval shape of it also makes slathering it on a breeze! Sheer/glossy lipsticks are also another option. Pigmented lipsticks have to be applied carefully or you could mess up (cleaning up and reapplying is NOT something you'd want to do when you have to be out the door in 1 minute!), and ain't nobody got time for that! 

So these are my 10 tips/things I can leave out in my makeup routine when trying to complete it in less than 10 minutes! These might not work for you if your makeup routine HAS to include some of the things I'd skip, but that's alright! I hope you enjoyed reading this post anyway and I hope it helps some of you!

Comment down below if your 'Under 10 Minutes' makeup routine is different or if you'd skip anything else! 

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by the gorgeous Petra so thank you very much!

So March has been a month where I spend waaaaay too much on makeup so I end up with waaaay more favourites than I intended! I promise I'll try to make it as painless as possible. :P