Reviews

Sunday 25 November 2018

The Solone Eyeshadow Kit in Fascinating Love Review / Two Ways to Apply Eyeshadows


Here is a review dedicated to the Solone eyeshadow Kit in Fascinating Love, a mini eyeshadow palette which is part of my first beauty haul from Hermo Malaysia. I purchased this palette for RM69.90 (Normal price RM74.09). On first impression, the size of this palette is cute and the black casing makes this palette look so classy but upon further inspection, it looks like it is made up of some rather flimsy plastic.

Btw, there is a tiny mark there because I was trying to pry away the case from the tin (just out of curiosity) and ended up scraping off with my nail wtf




I do love how they come up with the idea of fitting 8 different colors into such a small palette! Because of that, they're so convenient to bring around without being overly bulky. While I do think each of the pans are rather small for the price I paid for, I'm quite alright with it because I never ever finished my eyeshadows.




The other shade available for Solone's Classic Eyeshadow Kit consists of pink shades, Sweet Tipsiness kit. This appearsto be a favorite, having sold out on Hermo.



As I have mentioned in my earlier haul post, I was contemplating between Solone's and another similar palette, the Mont Blanc Eyeshadow Kit which you can find in Watsons for RM65.94. I finally buying the latter out of curiosity. Both brands' eyeshadow palettes come encased in a metal tin and consists of olive and shimmery gold shades and are about the same price. Solone Eyeshadow Kit came in additional pink, brown and beige shades which compliments one another for au natural day look.


Here are the swatches for Solone Eyeshadow Kit in Fascinating Love without primer. Without primer the shades hardly show up!




After using this palette, I find that the swatches _ especially for the lighter shades _ do not show up well without the primer on my tanned skin. This is different to the creamier, more vibrant Mont Blanc  palette which I was comparing with. I guess that is the downside of purchasing eyeshadows online _ you cannot tell the results until you have it! The second thing I discovered was olive tone doesn't go well with my skin tone, I look so pale in them... Decided that pink and nudes are more my thing.

Anyways, since I have purchased it I might as well put it to good use. It also means that it won't be overly striking and good enough for everyday look. Before getting into writing this post, I have experimented with different looks with the different shades on this palette.


Look #1


I wore this shade to the last Bon Odori event~~




A post shared by Vivien Tan (@voguelyvivien) on 



Look #2



Which look do you prefer?

Monday 13 August 2018

2018 Minimalist Achievements: Hair Care Empties & Mini Reviews

Wanted to post this up last weekend but things kept caming up. For one, me having to dog-sit because the doggo was feeling really unwell from hemorrhoids so he was sad when left alone *sigh* Was just sitting beside him, patted him and borrowed my hand for him to rest his head on. Occasionally he  threw tantrum because of the discomfort.. so pitiful!

Anyways, I'm digressing. Post today highlights my second batch of empties! Read my first empties success story hereMinimalism is something I have been working on for years and it has been one marathon, you've probably heard me mentioned this several times by now. My main goal is not to be clearing away everything from my possessions but rather have enough without making my place a mess and partly, I have mini cases of OCD attacks lol. 


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#1 Midori Hair Treatment & Shampoo Midori is my favorite hair care brand right now and I definitely see myself using this brand for a long run! What I love about the Midori hair care range is that for one, it succeeded in making my unruly hair feel long lasting smoothness and tangle free I kid you not. I always wonder how my friends and many girls could maintain their glorious crown without resorting to straightening their hair and I believe I have found the answers. And this, people who are reading this, lies in Hair Depot.


Today, I have two 1-litre Midori Advanced Repair shampoo which I bought for half price during the Raya/Mid Year sales. There are smaller 330ml ones for RM45 which I didn't think is super worth it (Gotta stretch my ringgit)! I would also recommend the Advance Repair Nourish Smooth Masque (Approx. RM85 for the 530ml bottle) which I had been using. I didn't see a point getting it now that I bought the shampoo because even the shampoo alone works so well already.




By the way, I accidentally bought the Advanced Color Masque during the sale but didn't feel much difference with the Advance Repair Nourish Smooth Masque except for their scents, they both work wonders!



 ~♡~

#2 VS Sassoon Intensive Hair Mask Before I discovered Midori, I find this treatment works alright. While it does make my hair feel better when I use this very often, it cannot be compared to Midori.


#3 Hask's Kalahari Melon Oil No other obvious results aside from temporarily keeping my hair frizz free but that is all it does. Hair oil is definitely not my thing.


#4 Daeng Gi Meo Ri Vitalising Shampoo, a made-in-Korea scalp shampoo. Worse. Shampoo. Ever. Mark my words, it is that bad. This is supposed to be a scalp shampoo loaded with tons of natural herb, which according to one of my gal pals are the worse ingredients to be made the key ingredients. Apparently, chemical shampoos are better for hair albeit being, well, chemicals. It is so bad my other gal pal is using it as hand wash... Yeah, I was speechless when she said that.

Me on the other hand, has been using this shampoo interchangeably with #6 just for the sake of not putting this to waste. That turned out to be a bad idea. Weeks later I find myself with the worse hair fall episode in my life! It was so bad every time I leave the bathroom, tons of hair will be clogging up the drain hole. I find strands of hair everywhere _ on my chair, bed, bedroom floor and laundry, they drive me nuts! I could comb my hands through my head and find tons of loose strands...That was so serious, I was worried about getting bald! Never again will I be using this shampoo!


#5 Naturals by Watson's Argan Revitalizing Shampoo This is a shampoo I bought to try to use alternately with #5 in order NOT to have the latter dry my hair out too much.In the first few wash, I felt my hair got rougher but after some time, it does make my hair manageable but this does nothing like Midori (Obviously, I'm in love with Midori!). If you are ok shampoo that leaves your hair tingling with minty feel, feel free to give this a try.



#6 Ma Cherie Moisture Treatment & Moisture Conditioner Works alright only when use frequently because result isn't long lasting. Price is about RM70 per bottle of 500ml or about RM50 during promotion. This is a brand I was obsessed with for a period of time before I discovered Midori. Comes in several sizes from convenient travel size, medium and large (500ml).


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So those are the items which I'm so glad to get rid off! It feels great not too have so much stuffs lying around. Of course I still have some lying around but I think I did a great job clearing the above. Going minimalist is a long process! Next products I am looking to clear is my collection of facial masks. (☉_☉) I have no idea why I bought so much and not use them... By far in 2018, I only managed to finish using only a handful of facial masks *roll eyes* so it will definitely take a while to complete this goal. Wish me luck, guys!

Sunday 8 July 2018

my first Hermo Malaysia Hauls


Today's post is on my recent Hermo hauls which just arrived! I ordered them last weekend but it took awhile to get to me. Like, six days. My usual expectation when it comes to online shopping is that my haul will arrive in one or two working day. That are usually the case with my other online purchaseslah. Unless I'm shopping from Lazada or Shopee, can take up to a month or two to arrive! The whole wait is no fun.

Only after making the orders did I realized that if  I had subscribed to Hermo's newsletters, I could have gotten RM15 off my first haul! Sigh, wasted! Sharing with y'all so you don't miss out on that promotion!

You probably have known that I'm trying to live the minimalist lifestyle, so I had to think twice, thrice (many times really!) before making this huge purchase from Hermo. The Hada Labo's toner and moisturizer are a must-have because my current beauty products just ran out! Besides that, I'm starting to need sunblock because well, I've been tanned a little too much lately. I am starting to feel annoyed because my tan takes months to heal and during the period I don't look good. The rest are really things I want and partially need. 

After  a whole lots of contemplation, comparing prices and reading reviews, I decided to purchase these items:-




#1 Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid (SHA)
Hydrating Premium Lotion

I purchased this only because I have to and at the same time Hermo was having a promotion where you can purchase 2 bottles of Hada Labo's premium lotion of your choice for just RM84.91! Quite a steal if you want to stretch your Ringgit!

Initially, I wanted to choose the Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Premium lotion AND the Retinol Lifting & Firming Milk as my second bottle but they ran out of it so I had no choice but to purchase both SHA Hydrating Premium Lotion. Still, I can't wait to try it!

Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: RM65.94 N.P. for a 170ml bottle 
Hermo price: RM84.91 for 2 170ml Bottles, N.P. 56.05 for a 170ml bottle


#2 Hada Labo
Retinol Lifting & Firming Cream

To compliment the Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Premium Lotion, I chose the Hada Labo Retinol Lifting & Firming Cream.

Apparently, this range is advised for women above 30 years old, but I really want to try! Of late, I'm obsessed with anti-aging products not because I'm seeing any but I want to maintain my looks. Damn vain hahahaha!

By the way, in case you're the kind of person who wants to keep your skin care regime simple, you can try the Hada Labo's 3D Perfect Gel which is cream, milk, essence, emulsion and sleeping mask all in a single tube! I haven't tried this myself because I purchased so many items already, perhaps next time! If you have tried, tell me how it went.

Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: RM74.43 N.P. for a 50g tube
Hermo price: Bought for RM74.43, N.P. RM78.90 for a 50g tube


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This time I actually bought some makeup products! I usually avoid purchasing them because I already have them but don't usually wear them but this year I find that I needed the primer and setting spray since I always have issues with my makeup not lasting long enough! I thought it was because I don't apply powder throughout the day until I read about primers and setting sprays. In fact, I just noticed brands like Maybelline and Rimmel started selling setting sprays off the rack which piques my interest!

Of late, I have also been obsessing over neutral color eye shadows such as shades of browns, pinks, and olive! Perhaps I should get a nude palette next and some reds or oranges, if I actually end up using this a lot HAHAHAHA! Gotta be more rajin to apply eyeshadow now. Most of what I have now are shades of purples and one shimmery nude ones. I wanted something creamy and matte which I can use for my everyday makeup.



#3 Sunplay Watery Cool Mist 
SPF 75 PA++

I find myself going under the sun a lot of late, even getting sunburnt in Cameron Highlands just when I'm starting to recover from my Bali-Nusa Islands-Singapore tan! Because of that, I have one hell of a tan right not, it's so hard to get rid of it OMG! I must have sported the tan for so long when I told my friends about it, they remarked I look like the usual me...

Lesson learnt, I decided to go look for sunblocks. I already have one which didn't seem to work so much and is about to finish so time to shop for a new one. So happen Hermo is having sale for this sunblock spray which was why I decided to include it into my purchase #Cheapo I wanted the 150spf ones but let me just experiment with this first!

Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: RM55.56 in 150ml spray can
Hermo price: Purchased at RM24.53, N.P. RM57.90 in 150ml spray can



#4 NYX Angel Veil 
Skin Perfecting Primer

I'm a bit worried because I couldn't try this before purchasing. That is because a lot of primer I tested in the drug store and makeup counters are so oily! It doesn't help that my face is the combination type and gets oily at the end of the day. I haven't tried this yet but crossing my fingers this doesn't disappoint!

Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: N/A
Hermo price: RM45.28 N.P.


#5 NYX Makeup Setting Spray 
in Dewy

This comes in options of Matte or Dewy. I always wanted to try the dewy (not oily!) makeup look and the reviews I have read mentioned this compliments all skin type which was why I decided to purchase this. Again, you will most probably see my review on this once I tested this!

Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: N/A
Hermo price: RM40.57 N.P.


#6 Chriszen Cleansing Water 
Face Makeup Remover

My sis asked recently, how do I remove makeup? I told her I just used my cleanser and don't usually wear one, probably to her horror.  Or not.

Finally decided to purchase the face makeup remover as my all-in-one remover. I don't see the need to purchase the face and lip/eye remover separately. If people tell me, "it's because the eye & lip ones are gentler," I probably won't believe them. Because I have tried several brands (years ago) which claims to be gentle but hurts my eyes like crazy when it accidentally sipped into my eyes! Such traumatizing memories...

Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: N/A
Hermo price: Purchased at RM13.11 , RM13.90 NP


#7 Solone Classic Eyeshadow Kit 
in #02 Fascinating Love

Been wanting a new eyeshadow in olive-green for ages! Recently, I'm all for neutral colors such as shades of browns (grey-brown!), mauve, olive, red and orange eyeshadows! With the upcoming events and weddings I will need to attend, I finally have a reason to buy this. Now that I bought this, I also need to be more hardworking in applying eyeshadow. 

Alright, so I read the review saying that the palette is about 11cm and thought it will be huge.  Too lazy to find a ruler LOL! Turns out to be fun size like myselfloh.





Watsons & Guardian Retail Price: N/A
Hermo price: Purchased at RM69.90, N.P. RM74.09


I was actually contemplating between this Solone Classic Eyeshadow Kit versus Mont Blanc Eyeshadow Kit which you can find in Watsons for RM65.94

The latter is slightly bigger in size compare to Solone's (Initially I thought they will be the same size!) yet at the same time cheaper! Though I do think the kit is too bulky to carry around and with the size of that thing, it will take forever (no kidding!) for me to finish the palette (I have yet to finish any eyeshadow palette I own). Not to mention, this makes good self-defense weapon. 

The other difference is that Solone came in 8 different shades compare to Mont Blanc which has 6 larger eyeshadow pans.


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These are why it is so expensive being a lady! I think my most worthwhile purchase are the Hada Labo's premium lotion and sunblock spray which I save an average of more than RM10/item compare to if I buy them in the pharmaceutical stores!! In the contrary, the NYX purchases are quite a splurge! I wanted to get the NYX primer & stay spray when Hermo has them on sales but I really need them soon so had to purchase anyway. Oh well, all these stuff will probably last me a year, more if I start feeling lazy to use them HAHAHAHA!


Friday 6 July 2018

July 2018 Facial Products Empties


Last week, I emptied all these skin care products, so happen I cleared them all at the same time! My skin care regime is quite a simple one _ these days I try to stick to just cleanser, toner and moisturizer but occasionally includes serums.

Mostly, this is because I'm trying to be a minimalist when it comes to my lifestyle and so my goal now is to empty my skin care, body care and hair care products before purchasing new ones. While I know these days 8 to 10 (or more!) steps regime are all the hype, I don't want to fall into the trap of needing to purchase so many products and over-usage of products can sometimes lead to oil cysts forming on skin, yikes! Apart from that, I don't even have the luxury of time to do extra or even apply masks these days so I really don't need all the extra stuff! *sigh*

At least not for now until signs of aging starts to show up hahaha. Crossing my fingers that won't happen too soon!

Back to the topic, here are the 4 items from my skin care products' recent empties. Photo taken just a few days before they're completely used up!



#1 SK-II Treatment Clear Lotion & SK-II Facial Treatment Essence These are two of my ultimate favorites! For those with combination skin like me, these really do a great job in stripping away oil, dirt and dead cells from your face! 

If you think cleansing is enough, wait until you use the essence! I still find brownish dirts, which really is dead cells on my facial cotton puff after wiping my face. While using these, I also find noticeable smoother skin. Unfortunately, to maintain the result, you have to use SK-II products continuously. Read my my past SK-II review where I answered several questions to help you decide if SK-II is for you. If you have more questions, just include them in the comment box and I will try to provide my opinion.


#2 Innisfree Bija Trouble face wash This is one of my favorite cleanser from Innisfree, aside from the olive cleanser because I find it deep cleanse my skin thoroughly without being overly harsh! Would definitely recommend them to y'all!


#3 Innisfree Perfect 9 Repair Skin a moisturizer which according to the website contains "Jeju's 9 anti-aging elixir complex containing 9 active extracts to fight the 9 signs of aging" which is dryness, wrinkles, flakiness, darkening, blemishes, enlarged pored and reduced skin elasticity. This is one of Innisfree higher-end range. While using this, I didn't noticed any huge change to my skin which means I am taking that my skin isn't too old yet hahahha! I still have breakouts but that could be my stress hormones or just my thyroid wrecking my hormones balance. Not a super amazing product but not a bad one either. It's just a good enough kind of moisturizer.


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As for my new beauty regime, I was deciding on Skin Food's Royal Honey Essential Queen range's lotion simply because I love skin care products incorporating royal jelly as part of the ingredients. I remember at one point I used to be so obsessed with a Japanese facial lotion containing this royal jelly but I don't know why they stopped selling it here in Kuala Lumpur. I kept going around to look for it!

After lots of contemplations, I decided to choose Hada Labo's latest premium lotions range as part of my new beauty routine. Hada Labo has been expanding their range and I was surprised to find out there are so many types now! This has been on my want-to-try beauty product for a while now so now is the perfect opportunity!

By the way, I reviewed the Hada Labo's Super Hyaluronic Acid (SHA) lotion years ago and love how moisturizing it is so I really hope the premium range doesn't disappoint! In fact, I've used Hada Labo for years before deciding to experiment on other skin care brands. Follow me on my blog to check out my new beauty regime in my next post!

Sunday 25 March 2018

Current Obsession: 2018 Innisfree Empties & Mini Reviews

Hello, netizens! How was your weekend? This post today will be a quick review on Innisfree beauty products, my current obsession!!

Here are my Innisfree's empties for the month~!


#1 Green Barley Bubble Cleanser,  a foam cleanser which IMO does not do well in deep cleansing my face. A few weeks into using this cleanser and I found blackheads popping up! Very stubborn ones to boot! They won't come off easily and took weeks before I can popped them out with the help of a pore pack.. Because of that, I'd say this is my least favorite cleanser.

#2 Olive Real Lotion, this olive range gotta be my favorite of them all! Mostly because the scent is nice and it works alright for me.

#3 Jeju Sparkling Mineral range samples which consist of the toner, lotion, eyecream and cream with anti-aging properties. I actually noticed I had lesser breakout on my chin when using these. Will definitely consider to purchase the set in the near future since the set is cheaper than getting each of the items individually.

In case you're wondering why the lack of toner, I am currently using these with SK-II toner and essence. Go here to read up on my reviews.

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As of now, these are the products I am using



#1 Olive Real Cleansing Foam, this cleanser not in photo because I left it back in my hometown and is now in the possession my sis who helped me bring it back to KL but haven't pass it back to me lol

#2 Bija Trouble Lotion, a cleanser with sharp tea tree scent (which I don't fancy) and which promises to resolve any skin troubles. Of all the Innisfree cleansers I have used, this is the one which leaves me with super refreshed and my face clean! Noticed this because whenever I use my SK-II toner, I find the facial cotton covered with dirt but they are clear now. Price at RM35 per tube.

Perfect 9 Repair Skin which has "9 different types of Jeju-oriented botanical active ingredients " which promises to prevent 9 signs of ageing". This is one of the higher end Innisfree's beauty line and the 200ml bottle costs aver RM100 (If I'm not mistaken). I definitely think it is overrated, simply because I don't feel much of a result compare to when I used other products. My skin is a troublesome one, thus my opinion.


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Aside from these, I have tried all their other cleansers including Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam and Apple Juicy Deep Cleansing Foam. Generally their scrub cleansers are good enough for my kind of combination skin, so no complaints!

The BEST part with purchasing from Innisfree is that it is one of the brands in Malaysia who actually accepts these empties to be recycled! For every bottles, you earn RM2 credits for as long as you are a registered member (It's free!). As for myself, I kept forgetting to bring the along every time I visit the store in Pavillion until last two weekends ago did I recycled whatever I had. I also learnt that you can only recycle a maximum of 3 large-size bottles in a month.

Support Recycling!!

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