Haul | HK & Vietnam, part 2

Hey everybody! Today I have the second part of my haul from Hong Kong and Vietnam featuring the more fashion related items. You can see the beauty related items I bought here. I actually didn't purchase much at all - much less than I was expecting to! Hong Kong is known to be one of the best places for shopping - which I agree with, but it definitely isn't the cheapest. Also I found that the quality wasn't too great in Vietnam, especially not for the price they ask. I also apologise for the photos, I really don't know how to take pictures of clothes! They may not be the best representation of what they look like in real life.

These are the few accessory type things I bought. I got the Forever 21 earrings and phone case from Hong Kong. The jewellery in Forever 21 was super pretty - lovely statement necklaces but pretty much the same prices you would pay here in Australia. They also didn't seem to have a sale section for their jewellery either :( . I needed earrings because I forgot to put my sleepers back in before we left and I am super paranoid about the holes closing even though it's quite unlikely, haha. They were pretty reasonably priced though. The phone case was from one of the street stall type things and it's a copy of one of the Marc Jacobs ones. I thought it was super cute anyways and although it's a little bulky, it's very protective. 

The "miu miu" sunglasses were from Saigon Square in Ho Chi Minh City. I really like the white and gold and the vintagey cat eye style. I got the silver bracelet from one of the markets in the Sa Pa mountains, where silver is supposedly one of their specialties. They were selling these everywhere there!

I've wanted a felt hat for a while and when I spotted this guy in the sale section of Gap in HK I grabbed it! It was only $12ish which I think is really good. It's a fedora shape and a really pretty indigo colour.

One of the things I saw a lot in Vietnam was this sort of embroidered fabric which they make into many things. I bought this backpack in Hanoi and it was super cheap! I love the colour and although it doesn't seem the strongest, I managed to use it as my carry on and it hasn't broken yet!

I was in desperate need of new sneakers. The ones I had I'd been wearing for a good maybe five years? and they were starting to get a little ratty. Let's face it though, I'm really not sporty or athletic at all, so I didn't really mind what sneakers I bought. I bought these in Hanoi and I'm pretty certain they're fake but they seem decent quality. I think these Nike Free Runs are quite 'trendy' (haha if trainers could ever be) but I just really like that fluoro pinky peach colour.

I'm actually unsure whether these Vans are real or not. Some Vans are actually made in Vietnam and I bought these from what seemed like a wholesaler in Hanoi. They came with a box and everything so it feels very legit. Regardless they are super good quality and were only $15.

These were on sale at Gap and are real suede so I thought they were a pretty good buy. Again I really love that neon pink pop!

A few shirts/blouses I got on sale in Forever 21. Handy how they had all of their Summer stuff on clearance! The second blouse totally reminded me of Tiffany & Co, it does look pretty mature but I think worn with a pleather skirt or shorts would edge it up a bit. Do you see that I have a thing for that neon pinky peach colour?

I also got these super cute spotty skinny jeans on sale at Forever 21. Also they are high waisted! I love high waisted shorts, skirts and pants as they give my column body some shape haha.

I also got these pleather shorts in like a side store in Hong Kong. They aren't high waisted :( but they still look good with things tucked in. 

Lastly, I got these harem pants at the street markets in Ho Chi Minh for only $5! They are super comfy but I'm unsure of how to style them - hopefully so they don't look like pajama pants!

So that's it! I probably forgot some of the more souvenir-y things but on the whole I really didn't buy too much. Once I sort through all my photos I'll probably do a few travel related posts on my trip!

NOTD | Garlands and Glitter

Happy Boxing Day everyone! I hope you all had an amazing christmas day yesterday filled with good food and fun times with friends and family! To all those hitting up the Boxing Day sales today, hope you get some good bargains! Today I have a somewhat festive nail of the day to share. It's pretty simple - no elaborate nail art to be found - but I though I would put a little effort into making my mani a little bit christmassy!

The holiday season is definitely the time to break out the glitter. I used two polished for this look; China Glaze Glittering Garland and Face of Australia Looking for some Hot Stuff. Glittering Garland looks exactly like its name. It's that perfect christmas, deep green - the colour of christmas trees! It has a really beautiful finish - larger particles of glittery shimmer giving it a beautiful glass flecked effect. It does indeed remind me of a glittering garland.

Going with the classic green and red colour scheme, I used Looking for some Hot Stuff which is predominantly made up of different sizes of red glitter. It also contains light lavender and black glitters, as well as silver bar glitters (which are very few, and didn't transfer to the nail). Overall it gives the effect of decorations on the garland. The glitter is quite dense and didn't require any fishing, but I used the 'splodging' technique to paint them on, rather than the usual strokes.

I decided to paint the glitter on varying accent nails so that the pretty effect of the green would show through - and also less effort for glitter removal haha!

Overall I'm quite happy with the mani and it took little effort at all. Maybe next year I'll be a bit more in the spirit and do some cute nail art! 

Skincare Routine | The Extras

Today I have the final installment of my little skincare 'series'. I have also posted my Morning routine and Nighttime routine. In this post I will be talking about all the little extra products that I don't necessarily use daily, but are vital in my skincare routine!

First up is makeup removal!

I don't wear makeup everyday and depending on how heavy my makeup is will determine what product I use. Sometimes my cleanser is enough if I'm wearing light makeup.

Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Solution

Here is everyone's favourite makeup remover! While I really like this product - it removes makeup whilst feeling just like water - it's very expensive. Also, it doesn't remove waterproof mascara or eyeliner well. I find it most effective for face makeup as it doesn't leave my face feeling dry. I have a full review here.

Beauty Care Co Green Tea Facial Wipes

Facial wipes are not wholly recommended in the beauty community which I agree with, to a point. I don't recommend using solely these to 'wash' your face, but I use them to remove my makeup before going in with a proper cleanser. These are very cheap ($2 for 30) but I also find them quite effective. Bearing in mind I haven't tried any of the more upmarket kinds (let's be real, I would never pay $7 for wipes), I find these wipes to be rather soft but a little on the dry side. They still remove makeup as well as the bioderma (not waterproof mascara).

I actually forgot to photograph what I use for waterproof eye makeup but in my last favourites I mentioned olive oil which has been surprisingly effective. It does leave an oily residue but this can be somewhat decreased by diluting it with water.

I've also been trying out the Hada Labo Cleansing Oil, so far so good! I'll have a full review up soon.

Garnier Pure 3in1 Wash + Scrub + Mask

I use a manual scrub for my face about twice a week. I find that this is a really nice consistency. It is still rather gentle and has sort of a paste consistency. It's like a cream filled with granules that aren't too small or too large but really feel like they are polishing away dead skin cells. My skin does look and feel better after use, and with the inclusion of salicylic acid I find it helps with acne. It's also effective as a mask.

I've already done a post of the clarifying masks I like to use which is here so I won't bore you with the nitty gritty. I like to use a clarifying mask twice a week to really cleanse my face and get rid of a week's worth of yucky. I also like to use them the night before any special ish event as they help my skin look much better! While my favourite is the Origins Clear Improvement (review here), I have grown more fond of the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque.

Origins Drink Up Intensive

I don't use this mask on any sort of regular basis but I use it whenever my skin is feeling particularly dry or needing a bit of a pamper or boost. It's essentially and uber moisturising cream which they call an overnight mask. I wake up with my skin looking plump and hydrated! I don't own the full size (this little tub is courtesy to Cherie - thank you!) but one day definitely do intend to purchase!

So that's pretty much everything you need to know about my skincare routine! I'm very happy with it currently but my new found obsession with skincare has resulted in an extremely long wishlist.

What are your favourite skincare products?

Haul | HK & Vietnam

Hello all! Today I will be sharing the haulage from my trip overseas to Hong Kong and Vietnam. This is only the beauty stuff, not the fashion or other miscellaneous things. If you guys would like to see what I bought fashion wise let me know! Anyways if you remember seeing my wishlist, I got everything on it (the HK portion) and a whole lot more! 

I actually only made one trip to Sasa (it was Sasa Supreme and it was HUGE) despite the fact that there is legit one or two on every street. So lets get into the bits! First up - makeup!

I knew that I wanted to pick up another Asian BB cream while I was over there but I actually hadn't done much research at all, so I decided to wing it! There are actually SO many BB creams available and I was definitely overwhelmed with choice! I ended up buying two BB items from Heroine Make. I've heard pretty good things about the brand in general and they were very well priced. Both of them were around $10 each. I got the Mineral BB Loose Powder and the Lasting Mineral BB cream. They had testers out and I got both in the shade 2 (the darkest there). Both are quite yellow which I was happy to see. Despite how much I love my Skin79 BB cream, its grey tone can often make me look pale. I also grabbed the Heroine Make Long and Curl mascara which was on my wishlist. I probably won't open this for a while though as I try to stick to only two open mascaras at a time, they would probably dry out before I got to properly wear them! This was also around $10.

I stumbled across the Maxfactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush and was compelled to get it, haha. This shade, Soft Pink, has been raved about so much by the likes of Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup and Amelia from Liana Beauty. I'm not sure whether this is coming to Aus anytime soon, I'm sure it will eventually, but I decided to grab it while I had the chance. This was also $10.

When I was in Sasa, the only Biore sunscreen they had was the Bright Face Milk, while I was after the normal one. I decided to pick it up, despite not knowing anything about it. The Perfect Face Milk was also sold out in a Bonjour that I popped into. With the abundance of Sasas and Bonjours around I definitely could have found it but, hey, effort. Haha, I actually ended up finding it in a Convenience store in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City and picked it up there for near half the price! It was about $5 while in Hong Kong it was around $10. Still not sure what the difference between these is (the SA in Sasa wasn't much help) but I'm yet to try them and will review them accordingly!

I saw a stand for the Hada Labo Hyaluronic Toner (not exactly sure what this is called, there isn't a speck of english on there!) and decided to get it because of what I've heard and the glaring #1! on it. I also really wanted to try a cleansing oil, which are much more widely available in Asia, but again, due to my lack of research (damn you past Tasha!) I was completely unsure of which to get. I ended up getting the Hada Labo one because..it's a good brand? There was also a Maybelline and Neutrogena one but I was really taking a stab in the dark to be honest. Both of these were kind of expensive ($15 - $18) but pretty middle of the range in the store.

I grabbed the Nexcare Acne Dressings, just 'cause. Haha, they seem so intriguing! And they were only around $5.

Most of the reason I grabbed all of my stuff in one go was because of the Gift With Purchase they were offering. It really wasn't a very good gift...but hey free stuff. You had to spend 600 HKD which I did (I actually spent like, 700 HKD which is $100...sshh). The gift was a Baylis & Harding Body wash - I got the scent Wild rose and Raspberry. It's a pretty huge ass bottle and I did lug it all the way home - but no worry because we ended up being so under the limit that we managed to fit our small suitcase inside the big suitcase.

The backings of stuff - I got rid of the plastic

And! There was a MUJI! Actually a few MUJIs which I was super excited about! It has just recently opened in Melbourne but I reckon it'll take a while to get to Brisbane. I wanted to grab one little thing because I love the look of MUJI so much. I already store pretty much all my makeup in the Officeworks Keji four drawer set which I know a lot of people use, but it's getting pretty full up in there so I wanted to buy something for, I don't know, my daily makeup or something (I really just wanted something from MUJI). So I got the Narrow 2 drawer Acrylic Box with flip top lid. The flip top and normal were the same price - like $17 which is actually SO expensive but watevs (cos that's the right attitude...) lawl.

So that's what I bought! There really wasn't any beauty shopping to be done in Vietnam, Hong Kong is pretty much as good as it's gonna get. On a whole, Vietnam was actually a lot more expensive than I thought it would be and I actually didn't buy too much from there altogether. I actually think I was pretty restrained (as restrained as a beauty junkie can be) but I really didn't need any eyeshadows or lip products so I'm sorta glad I skipped on a few things I was tempted by. Let's hope I don't regret them!

Have you tried any of the products I bought? Do you like them?

Half as Fancy

Hi guys! So I got back from my trip to Hong Kong and Vietnam yesterday! If you hadn't gathered, the posts from the last two weeks were scheduled and now I can finally sit down and write my semi-formal post! My grade 11 Graduation Dinner Dance (a.k.a Semi-Formal) was on the 30th of November (the day before I flew out!) and I wanted to share my outfit and makeup!

Products used:

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Brightener

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 53 and Revlon Colourstay Foundation for Oily/combo skin in Natural Beige

Sonia Kashuk Concealer Palette

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent

I used a mix of two foundations as the Bourjois is slightly too light while the Revlon is a tad too dark. Also I find the Revlon can be a bit heavy on its own, they both don't contain SPF (well the Colourstay has SPF 6) so they didn't flash back in flash photography!

For the Eyes:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer

The Balm Balm Jovi Palette shade Metallica 

Chi Chi Nudes Palette, second last shade

MAC Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Black

The Body Shop Eye Definer in Moonstone

Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner

L'oreal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara

Ardell 120 Lashes and Lash Grip

Because my dress is black with some silvery jewels (photos down below!!) I chose to go for a mainly silver eye with a gunmetally shade in the outer corner/crease - sort of smokey but not. I popped the MAC powder over top for a bit more sparkle (also in the inner corner and browbone). I did some winged liner and put on false lashes! I actually did a practice run of the makeup which was my first time putting on falsies and I was suprised at how well I did it haha, went pretty smoothly on the day too! I don't particularly love the mascara I used but it's waterproof (didn't want any smudging!) and I was wearing falsies anyway. I tightlined with black liner and put some champagne coloured liner on my waterline. 

Face and Brows:

Dolly Wink Eyebrow Powder in Dark Chocolate

Essence Lash and Brow Clear Mascara

Sleek Contour Kit in Light

BYS Blush Trio in Coral Me In

MAC Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk

I contoured and highlighted with the Sleek kit to eek out my non-existent cheekbones. I also topped off the highlight with the MAC powder for a little extra glow and the silver shade complements the rest of my makeup, accessories, etc. I opted for a blush that would complement the lipstick shade I wore and I used the far right shade which is a rather bright coral. I applied it extremely lightly though so it didn't detract from the rest of the makeup.

Lips and Nails:

Yardley Lip Definer in Pillar Box Red

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivids in Vibrant Mandarin

OPI Nail polish (shade unknown)

I wanted to go all matchy matchy with my lips and nails but sadly the nail polish actually dried more red than in the bottle - oh well! Haha, they were similar enough. I wanted to go for a rather bright and bold lip as my outfit was all black and I wanted to add more colour! 

YEaaH...those selfies...haha

These photos are actually from my practice run of makeup a couple of days before so my hair isn't done here! It looked pretty much exactly the same on the day. I'm glad I took these photos though because it was pretty hectic on the day because I actually did two of my friends' makeup! Yep, it was like Salon Tasha up in here, haha! 

Onto my dress! Please excuse that the photos are not up to par with most fashion bloggers - I'm not one and my mum was behind the camera, haha. The dress is from ASOS and I actually bought it near the beginning of the year (risky, because it might not fit come the day or tastes may change, but luckily neither of those happened but it was pretty tight...). It has an open back and jewelled detailing on the front so I opted for minimal jewellery and an up-do. It also has a tulle skirt which was VERY puffy and big, so my mum ended up cutting a layer off and sewing it down at points to the lining haha. You can't tell it's been altered and I like it much better! My friend Tam did my hair in exchange that I did her makeup hehe! It's a french braid crown essentially and I really like it so thanks Tam! I borrowed both the clutch which is from Mimco and the wedges which are from Wittner from my sister. I really like the detailed wedge (which you can't really see) but it's gunmetal so it matched other bits of my outfit!

The earrings are my mum's and the rings I got from Lovisa. I really like the assortment of midi and normal rings and I think they added just the right amount of pizzazz.

The Gal Pals!

I hope you found this post somewhat interesting as I spent a while compiling this post! I had a really great night and it was an amazing way to end the year off - heaps of fun! It was pretty exciting to get all glammed up haha! Now to start hunting for a formal dress...

Rich Repair for the Hair

Hey guys! Today I have a hair related post for you all! I'll be reviewing three products from Goldwell's Dual Senses Rich Repair line which is designed for dry and stressed hair. I have the Thermo leave-in treatment, 6 effects serum and 60sec treatment.

First up is the 60sec Treatment which is basically a hair mask that only needs 60 seconds to work. They have some seriously bold claims on the tub - regenerates hair up to 100% in 60 seconds. How is that even possible?! It's not, haha. I'm not a believer in being able to fix damaged hair like split ends - once it's split, it's split. I do believe in trying to prevent them and making them look and feel less damaged. This mask is really nice and although I don't believe in the 60 second claim, it's nice to know it's working quickly. I prefer to use masks in the shower, and I don't have 15-20 minutes to stand in the shower (waste of water)! It's comparatively thin and not dense or heavy. It spreads through the hair easily and I feel that after the 3 or so minutes I have it in for, my hair feels really nice. It is softer, shinier and feels and looks healthier. I really like this mask but I don't find it particularly different from others I've tried.

The Thermo Leave-in treatment is a heat activated spray that also claims to restructure the hair and improve compatibility and shine. If you can see from the photos, it is a bi-phase formula that you shake up before spraying onto towel-dried hair. It doesn't specifically say anywhere on the bottle that it's a heat protectant, aside from its 'heat-active care formula'.  I would assume though from its claims that it would be. I try not to blow dry my hair and use very limited heat on it so I've only used this a few times. I really like it though from the times I have used it! The spray is really nice and fine and I apply it quite liberally, focusing on my ends. Again, I don't find it "restructures" the hair, but my hair feels soft, tangle-free and is shiny after blow drying. It also makes my hair look nice and sleek. Definitely better than if I didn't use it!

The 6 effects serum is like a leave-in conditioner/serum type product that claims to have six benefits for the hair; shine, smoothness, frizz-free hair, healthy ends and reduced hair breakage. There aren't any unrealistic claims on this one which I prefer! For the most part, this delivers in all six areas! It's quite similar to many other leave-in conditioner type products that I use in that it helps make my hair super soft and healthy looking. The texture is quite thin and doesn't weigh my hair down. Keep in mind I have quite coarse hair, but even for fine hair I think this would be great. I like that the packaging also has a lock pump.

All of the products smell really nice - a sweet, warm rich scent that doesn't linger too much, but makes using the products a pleasure!

With the consistent use of these products, I do feel like my hair isn't as damaged as it would be if I hadn't used them. So in the prevention department, I think they do pretty well! They make my hair soft, shiny, tangle-free and look and feel healthier than it probably is. 

Have you tried anything from the Rich Repair line?

Toile de Jouy

Wazzup peeps!? Haha (the endless hunt for varying greetings), today I come to you with the review of one of my favourite blushes as of late! It is the The Balm Instain Blush in the shade Toile. Also, I do apologise for the shoddy lighting in these photos, it was quite a dreary day out! Leggo!

The packaging on these blushes is absolutely precious! I seriously love all of The Balm's packaging - it is too cute! It comes in a thin and compact cardboard case with a mirror inside and magnetic closure. As you can see, the front looks like a little magazine - ADORBS! The header matches the colour of the blush inside. Also the blush is bordered by different fabrics and patterns, corresponding to the name of the blush. After some googling, Toile or Toile de Juoy is a repeating decorative pattern (usually quite elaborate) on an off white background. 

The premise behind these Instain Blushes is that they are actually powder stains that are extremely long wearing. I can't exactly say they STAIN the cheeks, especially not to the degree that I imagine a liquid stain would (not that I've tried one - yet - but I can only imagine). They remove fine with makeup remover/cleanser. From what I hear, working with a liquid stain is quite troublesome and requires quick blending as it stains rather quickly. This blush is very pigmented (but not as pigmented as Sleek or BYS) and it's not difficult to go over the top. Unlike a liquid stain, it is very easy to blend. It blends out to a really diffused, soft look - depending on how much you apply. The formula overall is very soft, but not powdery or chalky and applies and blends wonderfully. Even if you do apply too much, you can blend the product away with a clean brush. 

The lasting power though is definitely there. It's probably the longest lasting blush I own! I find usually by the end of the day (10 hours) my blush has faded away completely. The Instain Blush though I find even if I've applied it rather lightly, I can still see is after those 10 hours on my face with minimal fading and is still noticeable! Obviously if I've applied more, it's more noticeable. 

Toile is an absolute stunner of a shade! I was immediately drawn to its peachy-pink nature as I always am! It's slightly different to most peachy-pinks in my collection though. It's slightly deeper and with more of a rosy undertone. Despite looking quite bright, it's actually rather natural on me when applied lightly. Although I don't naturally blush, I'd imagine that if I did, it would be similar to this colour! You can build this up to quite a bold cheek if you would like! It is also matte. The shade range in these blushes is lovely - there are quite a few brights, but also a couple more neutral, lighter shades.

Swatched, blended

This is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite blushes! The combination of the formula, the lasting power and the shade make it a real winner in my books. I definitely recommend checking these guys out! It retails for AUD$26.95 for 5.5g of product.