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.
I used up the whole thing so I have has time to gather my thoughts and opinions on this. In a nutshell, this did not do much for me. I slather this on after I have my daily bath/shower. This absorbs well as it is quite light in consistency, so I completely agree with its claim of absorbing quickly, but did not make my skin any softer or smoother. Neither did I feel that it moisturised the 'core and deep down layers' of my skin.
However, one thing I did like about this is it's smell. Although it has that lotion-y smell, it still has a tinge of freshness and floral. The light scent lingers for a while then goes away, so if you apply this in the morning, it won't clash with your perfume.
I don't think I would repurchase this again, but I might try the others like the aloe vera one, since they're fairly cheap!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
First row left to right: Catrice, MAC, theBalm
Second row left to right: Maybelline, The Body Shop, NYX
Have you tried any of these blushes? What are some of your favourite blushes? x
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.
Did I just get a bad 'un or is it really a terrible product? What do you think of this? Tell me in the comments below! (:
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?
Things You'll Need:
Gel wax (for candles)
Candle wick (preferably those with a base)
Container
Pot
Measuring jug/cup
Chopstick/anything similar
Optional:
Fragrance
Flowers/pebbles/sand/seashells/anything you want to put in!
Colouring
Steps:
1. Place one end of the candle wick at the bottom of the jar
2. Tape the other end of the wick to a pencil or chopstick and place it on top of the jar so it stays upright
3. Fill the jar with as many things as you want!
4. Heat the gel wax gently in a pot, but DON'T LET IT BOIL!
5. After the wax has liquified, you can add in your colouring and scent!
6. After everything is mixed, pour it SLOWLY (unless you want a really bubbly effect, which is so cool if you're going a beach/summer theme) into the jar
7. Once the candle firms up, you can remove the pencil and cut off the extra wick!
Here's an example that my friends and I did! We made this candle as a baptism (Christian rite) gift for our friend. We put blue potpourri about a quarter of the jar, then poured in just enough wax to cover it and waited for it to set, so the individual leaves won't start floating up. We also laminated her name and stuck it in, pressing it against the side. After that, we just added more wax layer by layer until it reached the top! We then added a few more bits of the potpourri and done!
We also decorated the cork lid by sticking a few pieces of potpourri and writing an encouraging phrase like so:
This was the end result!
I know it isn't the best or the prettiest but hey, it was only our second try with the potpourri!
Tips:
1. You can also add colour after you have poured the wax (when it's still hot)!
2. If you want your items to float, you can pour a bit of wax, add a few items, pour wax, add more and so on and so forth!
3. There WILL be some bubbles when dealing with gel wax but nothing a little placing it in sunlight or warm oven can't handle! (more heat = less bubbles!)
4. If you want your items to be firmly at the bottom, pour wax about a quarter of the way and let it cool first! Then you can fill it up after!
5. Fresh flowers and branches are beautiful for Spring, sand and seashells for summer, pine cones, red autumn leaves and cinnamon sticks for autumn, pine needles, bit of holly (you can spray paint it with fake snow!) and tiny stream foam balls for winter!
6. Make sure the wax is 95% firm before removing the pencil from the wick, or else it might fall and sink!
7. Stir potpourri in when the wax has liquified to give a very subtle scent!
6. It might take a few tries but it definitely cures a boring/sick day!
What do you think of this simple gel candle DIY? Will you be trying it for yourself? Leave a comment! I'd love to read them! x
100% pure coconut oil, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated, natural beauty product ever! It has so many different uses you can substitute this for almost half of your haircare/skin care products and it would work just as well, maybe even better! So far, I've only used it for beauty purposes but have yet to try adding it to my food! I do really enjoy the taste and smell of this, though! Reminds me of beaches and seaside resorts!
Beauty:
1. Put it in a face mask
I mix equal parts of this with tumeric powder for my acne on bad skin days and one third of this with two thirds of honey when I need a burst of moisture for my skin! It helps to soothe my skin and best of all, it doesn't feel thick and heavy (no clogged pores yay) like regular oils.
2. Apply it to dry ends
I apply a little bit of this to the last quarter length of my hair and use my fingers to scrunch and work it in. This smooths my hair and makes it really soft and silky after I blow dry! Be careful not to put too much, though, because it would be difficult to absorb and might make it a bit greasy.
3. As a hair mask
Like the face mask, I mix this with honey or yoghurt and apply it to the ends of my hair after conditioner! I then go ahead and brush my teeth etc before washing it out! You can go ahead and leave it over night, this stuff is pretty easy to wash off!
4. Body moisturiser (including face)
After a bath, I massage a little bit on my legs and arms (especially after shaving) and it makes them really really smooth! Another thing I do is to mix it with my face scrub and the tight and sore feeling I normally have after I wash my scrub off is no more!
5. Strengthen eyelashes/help brows grow
Before I sleep, I take the tiniest bit on my finger and coat my lashes and brows with it. I only started doing this a few days ago, however, so it might take some time for the results! I've done a bit of research on this and it isn't proven that coconut oil helps your hair to grow, but many people have seen results so no harm giving it a go yeah? (; This helps to strengthen my eyelashes, though, because they stopped falling out (like they usually do when I remove my makeup) since!
6. As a makeup remover
I pour a bit on a cotton pad and this stuff just takes my makeup off so easily! I especially like using this for removing eye makeup as it's much much gentler than a regular makeup remover!
7. As a body/lip scrub
Mix this with sugar (a natural humectant) and you got yourself a moisturising DIY scrub! Simple as that! Gently massage all over your body/lip till the sugar granules dissolve and rinse off!
8. Shaving lotion
This oil is great for slathering on before shaving! It just makes the blade glide on so much more smoother (yay) and it moisturises at the same time as well (double yay)!
9. Cuticle oil
I haven't had a manicure in ages partly because I don't really bother about my nails much and also to save money. Coconut oil works as a natural cuticle oil because of it's moisturising/healing properties!
10. Massage oil
I haven't had someone massage me with this yet but I do it myself on my aching legs and shoulders! As mentioned, this will moisturise your skin like crazy and the scent (Hawaii beaches and coconut trees anyone?) is so relaxing!
11. Bath oil
Whenever I decide to really unwind and take a long bath, I just pour this into the tub and swirl it around. If you use hot water, the scent is even stronger and you can practically feel your worries and stress melting away!
12. Treat dark circles
I apply this under my eyes overnight and wake up in the morning to not-as-dark-as-they-should-have-been circles! Truly works wonders!
13. Tame flyaways
Having your hair up in a sleek ponytail but dem pesky flyaways just WON'T behave? Take a little bit of this on your finger and gently smooth the stubborn hairs down! This won't grease up your hair as much as other oils and is even proven to give you healthier hair when applied to the scalp!
14. Soothe itching and eczema
I have slight eczema on my legs and they always act up if rough fabrics rub against them or if it's just too humid. I just use this as a moisturiser, rub a little bit on the affected areas and voila!
15. As a mild deodorant
I make my own deodorant so if you're interested to know how, leave a comment below and I'll get to it immediately! (:
Other:
1. Cooking oil
Yes, use it as cooking oil. It's healthy and good for your body whether applied topically or consumed!
2. Add it to your coffee
A spoonful to your coffee will give you an energy boost!
3. Substitute for butter
On toast, popcorn, anything you put butter on, this might be a healthier alternative! The taste will change, though, so try and see if you like it!
4. Consumed by itself - increase metabolism + energy
Swallow about one or two spoonfuls a day and it's supposed to increase your metabolism rate and energy levels!
***FUN FACT*** The fat in the coconut oil does not circulate in the bloodstream! In fact, it immediately goes to your liver to be turned to energy!
Make sure to get the 100% pure virgin cold pressed coconut oil though! Extra virgin if possible! Those are the best as they've been through less processing and therefore retain most of it's health qualities.
Do you have any other uses for coconut oil? Would you try any of the above uses? Leave a comment!
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!!