Maybelline Baby Lips Color Lip Balm

I am quite obsessed with tinted lip balms.
During almost every trip I made to the drug store, I will make a quick stop at the lip balm section, scouting for any new tinted lip balm products.
One of the newer collection available at my local drug stores is the Maybelline Baby Lips Color lip balm. It comes in 4 shades and I bought 3 out of the 4: Pink Lolita, Cherry Kiss and Coral Flush.

Pros:
1) If you prefer a sheer wash of color from a tinted lip balm, this product will definitely fit. (Others I have tried often resulted to a deeper shade of red on my lips.)

2) A good range of shades for a drugstore brand tinted lip balm. 4 in total, while most other brands only provide 3.

3) Very moisturizing on the lips without the sticky feeling.

Cons: 
The only thing I dislike about this product is the smell and taste. All 3 shades that I own have different yet similar fake fruity smell and taste to them. It almost feel like you are eating perfume of some sort because the smell is just too strong, and for a lack of a better word, too fake!

Each of the lip balm costs less than RM10. (I will put the exact price later as I could not recall it at the moment). My favourite shade is Coral Flush as it has the least fake fruity smell. =)

Maybelline Baby Lips Color Lip Balms are available at all drugstores nationwide such as Caring, Guardian and Watson.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup Foundation

Hello lovelies!

Its been a few days since the last entry as I have been quite ill.  :(

Had an asthma exacerbation and it has been just super tiring!!

Anyways, I am feeling a tad better and wanted to post this right away.....

Foundation.....

I am not really a fan of foundation as they generally just feel heavy on my face. Instead, I fancy myself as a tinted moisturizer user. (Even then I dont use tinted moisturizer everyday. I only use a liquid  sunblock daily).
Benefit Cosmetics has a foundation range called Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup. This particular foundation is one that i dont mind using. It is oil free with SPF 25 PA+++, which is a bonus since I am definitely a fan of SPF. I love the texture and it provides a light but buildable coverage (up to a medium coverage)without the heavy feel of many foundations i have tried in the past. It has quite a muted smell and  leaves a healthy dewy glow on the skin (which is another bonus as i prefer a dewy finish over matte). 

Outer Packaging: 

Unlike most Benefit Cosmetics products, the box for this foundation, I think, is a bit "plain".

Product Packaging: 

See-through plastic tube with a pump. (I love the pump for hygienic reasons.)

Shades:

While it does not has the widest shades range in the market, the 9 available shades i think are sufficient. (My shade is Honey). This foundation has a yellow undertone which particularly compliments Asian's skin tone quite nicely. (Yeay!)

Application: 

Personally, I find the best, flawless way to apply is either with clean fingers or a clean beauty blender sponge. A stippling brush may work but i do not own 1 right now. =) It is encouraged to set the foundation with some powder. Since i have more of a dry skin-type, I hardly use a setting powder. (Plus, I find that powder reduces the dewy effect).

Lasting power: 

Even without a setting powder, the foundation has lasted a good 6 hours for me (in an air-conditioned environment). I tend to use it only for special events, like Eid and weddings, and for all those occasions this foundation has definitely fulfilled my needs and expectations.

In pictures: 

I am definitely happy with how my skin looks in pictures with this foundation. Not ghostly and not too shiny. Just the right amount of shine for a dewy healthy look. I absolutely dislike the powdery, washed out looks you get (especially with flash photography!) with some foundations.

Value: 

It comes in a 30mL bottle and ooooopppss! I will have to get back to you on the price as it has been a while since i bought mine. ^_^

Overall, it is definitely my go-to foundation. Try it if you are after something lightweight with a dewy finish. May not work for you if you need a heavier coverage.

Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup Foundation is available at all Benefit Cosmetics counters and Sephora outlets.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)
  

Just Bought Products: Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Flexible Coverage Concealer And Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer

     In addition to sharing my views on products that I have tested and used, I thought that I will also have a section called "Just Bought Products". In this type of entries, I will share new products that I just bought and eventually write a review on. On average, I will only review products which I have used for at least 2 weeks.
     For today, the products I want to share are 1) Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Flexible Coverage Concealer and 2) Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer.
     The reason why I bought these 2 products is because I am still on the search for the most suitable under eye concealer for my skin type. I will share some thoughts on products I have tried so far in a different post. In the meant time, here are some pictures of the mentioned products:

Hopefully I wont be disappointed!
Watch this space for my reviews on these products in 2 weeks time.
xox
Note: Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Flexible Coverage Concealer: MYR89
          Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer: MYR99 (review)
          Both were bought at Sephora.

Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit vs. Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

Hello!
     Today I will review on a make-up product (2 different brands) that is definitely my if-you-have-to-choose-only-one-makeup-product-what-will-it-be. For some people it is mascara, others mention lip gloss and concealer. Personally, I cannot go without my eyebrow groomer. =)

      I started to be concern on how my eyebrows look back in 2009. I think it was in 2009 when thicker eyebrows started to be seen in magazines and I was on board! Given my rather rounded face shape, a thicker well-shaped eyebrows help sharpen my face a little (or so i think! =D) Also, thicker means less maintenance and no painful plucking!  
      The first eye brow grooming product i had was by Benefit.

However, in 2010, i started to use the Natural Brow Shaper by Bobbi Brown. It wasnt because the Benefit product was not working that i switched. Rather, I find the Bobbi Brown version was much easier and faster to apply. With Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit, even though it is not rocket scientist, i had definitely required a lot of practice before i was comfortable enough with the application. 

     Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper on the other hand, is packaged like mascara with a brush applicator also similar to a mascara. This I find easier to keep clean compared to the palette type of the Benefit kit. My Benefit kit got messy after having it for a few weeks. But of course, Benefit's packaging is cuter.

     Application wise, I find it much easier and faster. Even though the brush applicator looks quite big, it actually does the job pretty nicely and offer a more controlled amount application of the product. In correcting mistakes, both products are quite easy to clean off using just a cotton bud- but only when it is still wet! (When dried, both products do require extra efforts to remove, such as soap & water, or make-up remover) Due to the Bobbi Brown's more liquid consistency (Benefit's is thicker), it may be just a little easier and less messy to remove and correct.
      As for their finish, both delivers a natural look. I have never really tried any brow pencils as I fear the overall look will seem so colored on. Both products will not get washed off if you get caught in the rain but will get onto your nails if you scratch an itchy eyebrow!

Currently, there are 4 shades plus 1 clear, available in the US. In Malaysia, only 3 shades are available. The shade that I personally use is the darkest one available here - Mahogany. Although it comes only in a small tube with 4.2 ml of product, it generally last me about 4 and a half months. Price wise, it retails for MYR75, which is quite stiff, but if you do the maths, at least for me, it is MYR18 a month, which is not too bad for a product that I am happy with.

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper is available at all Bobbi Brown counters.
Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit is available at all Benefit Cosmetics counters and Sephora outlets.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Waterlight Lotion with Helioplex SPF50+PA++ Anti Dullness

Hi there!
For the first few entries, I thought nothing is more proper than writing reviews on products that I have loved, used and repurchased for a while now. I am going to start with a sunblock that I have been using for the past 1 and a half years, everyday, without fail. It is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Waterlight Lotion with Helioplex SPF50+PA++ (a mouthful isn't it? =D).
     First off, the importance of using sunblock DAILY (yes, daily and not only when you are going to the beach) could not be emphasized enough! Even if you are an individual who spend most of your daytime indoors, the time taken for you to drive to work, cross the parking lot, and go into your building, are enough time for UV exposure which cumulatively, over day, weeks, months and years, would inevitably affect your environment-exposed areas. Sun spots, premature aging and skin cancer (eeeekkk!) are some of the detrimental effects one could get from unprotected, prolonged exposure to the sun.    
     Since there are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of different sunblocks out there, why do I stick to this particular one? Well, let me first share with you the top 3 criteria that I look for in a sunblock.

1) consistency: i prefer more of a liquid form of sunblock to use on my face as this will definitely feel a lot less heavy on the face.
2) finished effect: no no to the white pasty finish you get with the typical body sunblock you use at the beach.
3) OK for sensitive skin: i have really sensitive skin (in fact, I have eczema. more on this later...=D). since sunblock would definitely have some "heavy-duty" ingredients, i have to make sure it wont cause break outs or more importantly, it wont cause an allergic reaction.

(I guess I should have put point number 3 as number 1 since it is THE most important criteria.)

And I am happy to say, that this Neutrogena product fulfilled all 3 criteria. In addition, the finish effect is one that I highly desire - brightening!

For this particular product, there are 2 variants: one for even skin tone, and one for anti-dullness.

I have in the past purchased both but in the end only repurchased the anti-dullness variant simply because I absolutely love how it leaves my skin looking healthy and glowing! (The effect of the Even Skin Tone one was not too apparent to me and I did felt a bit of a burning sensation on my face when I used it!)

And below is a "swatch" of the product on my hand.....

Yup. It is actually a light purple in colour, but as you smooth it out on the skin, it leaves a healthy glow. (not oily, but just enough shine). 

The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Waterlight Lotion with Helioplex SPF50+PA++ retails at MYR49.90 and can be bought at any drugstores such as Watson and Caring. 1 bottle lasts me 2 months of great light-texture, UV protected, glowing skin.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.

=)

Intro =)

Hello hello! =)
Welcome to my blog!
As the title suggests, this will be a place where I, Panini, will share my thoughts and views on various skin care and make up products which I would have personally used or tested. The sole intention is to be of some help (at least!) for those who are interested in trying the various products. Let's face it! Things ain't cheap these days (booo!) and at times, products that claim to do certain things just doesn't cut it (pffft!).
One important thing to remember tho, is that everything on this blog will be my personal opinion based on my own experience (and I will remind readers of this fact at the end of each review!).  Products that may have worked for me, may not work for you and vice versa. Also, do note that I am NOT-what-so-ever affiliated with ANY skin care or make up company. 
With that in mind, let's get started!