MakeUpdate: Maybelline Water Shine 3D Collagen

It feels like such a chore to write now, for some reason. Maybe I'm just in need of refreshment(s).

Let's see ... So today I actually got up at like 8.30 in the morning after half-accidentally drifting off to sleep last night while reading Tuesdays with Morrie. I would have liked to read on but I was so inexplicably tired -- I still kind of am today -- must be the bad sleeping and eating patterns I've adopted. I'm sure my physical condition is tied to my emotional condition, and vice versa.

Anyway so I did the washing and showered, washing my hair with as much Sunsilk as possible, hoping to finish the remaining supply, and conditioned with Asience. After doing my makeup, I put on the green leave-on conditioner Mum brought. I also put on the Sweet Princess SPF50 sunblock with its Strawberry Scent and its tiny glitter. It is easy to put on and not sticky. At the end of the day I feel my skin is still hydrated and soft.

So this morning I had time to cleanse, tone and moisturise my face properly. After doing all that, I used the Boots 17 Balancing Foundation and set it with the Natural Collection Illuminating Loose Powder (even tinier glitter than the sunblock and not over-the-top at all). I wore the orange Sheene blush, Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss (whose lid cracked -- noez!!! T^T), brown In2it eyeliner, Lash Bone, and golden brown Lash Gorgeous Wing.

I realised there's a trick to applying Lash Gorgeous Wing without getting a load of fibres in your eye. All you have to do is look down while you apply it. I find this really helps. Although I still get some fibres flaking off onto my face during application and fewer fibres during the day, I only get one or two fibres in my eyes at most. Oh and I had to brush on two coats of Lash Gorgeous Wing on each eye today. I must say the effect is not as spectacular as Lash Enamel Glamour Neo or Lash Expander Frame Plus. Maybe it's just the light colour. Lash Expander would, of course, beat it in terms of lash length.

Today I raided Watsons and finally bought Maybelline lip colour -- the Water Shine 3D collagen one. I thought I could use this instead of the Bloom lip collagen. This is pretty much the first lipstick I buy myself, and I think it will be the last. I chose the lightest colour I could find, number 201, which is a kind of young, sweet pink. It is too bright. And the lipstick cream collects in the cracks/creases in my lips! Even if I'd chosen a better colour, this tendency to collect in the creases just will not do -- accentuating my creases is exactly the opposite of what I want!

So hopefully when I get paid for my translation job I'll go get myself a good tube of Bloom lip collagen.

I guess I'm just not made to wear lipstick. I hate their obliqueness. Only glosses and balms for me. I love their transparency.

Oh and I retouched my face with Etude Dream On today. I don't know if it's because the puff isn't clean, but this powder keeps caking up my face, especially my nose! Or maybe it's the combination of moisturiser and foundation that makes it happen. Or is it the loose powder? Not sure. But I think I'll be glad when I've gone through the whole powder pact.

While at Watsons, I checked out the Beauteen Turn Colour in Natural Black and Natural Brown. I think the brown looks nicer. I don't want to go too black. The Caramel Choco also achieves similar results. But I think Palty is supposed to be better. Luckily I saw a box of Palty in Bitter Cappuccino today. I think it looks a tiny bit lighter than the Beauteens, but you never know. And I trust Palty. I don't know, but their packaging with pictures of human models instead of Beauteen's manga models just seems more assuring to me. I know, I know, I'm superficial!

Bases that I'm interested in at the moment:

- Maybelline White Stay UV Base (in green)

- Biore SPF50 (the white, oil-controlling one)

- Kiss Mat Chiffon Base

- Etude Precious Mineral BB Base (the oil-controlling one)

Gosh ... I still have Mistine BB, the Boots 17 Balancing Foundation, and Maybelline Clear Smooth left ...

I also heard, according to Musings of a Muse and Lotus Place, that the Etude Precious Mineral BB Pact is also good and oil-controlling. I'm interested in getting it once Rabbo carries it. No sign yet.

Gahhh so much makeup to get through and get to T^T

P.S. Last night I put on the 17 Teal mascara just for fun. I used about three coats. Pretty good. Long and lush and thick. Slightly dry and clumpy once you start layering though. I fell asleep and woke up and it was still on -- no smudges, but some flaking off (the clumps fell off). In the shower, the water dampened the mascara but it wouldn't go liquid and trickle off. Rubbing wouldn't remove it completely. Cleansing did. But I wouldn't go out in the summer heat and rain with it though.

iWant: Boots Natural Collection blush

In my idleness, I OCD-ly checked out Boots.com for Boots makeup. I was already interested in the 17 mineral blush, but I realised I'd forgotten about the Natural Collection blush. I am intrigued!

Tomorrow I'm going out. Hopefully I have time to raid Boots before I meet my friend. Depending on which is cheaper and how gullible I am, I'm gonna get either the Natural Collection blush or the 17 mineral blush.

Natural Collection also has or used to have a Shine Away foundation. I'm interested as their foundation powder (which I used to have but gave away because it was too dark) was good at oil absorption. However, there is no added sun protection.

Their mascara is pretty cheap too, but I have no business buying more mascara at this point. Besides, I don't put much faith in brands that have specifically lengthening, volumising, curling, and a waterproof-only mascara. But if I'm ever caught out with no mascara and little cash, I might just give the Natural Collection waterproof mascara a try.

Oh I'm also intrigued by Natural Collection's tinted lip balm! Their lip gloss looks nice too. But again, I have enough lip products to be getting on with already. Lately I've been using the Bloom in Amour pretty much every time I put on makeup so the Berry Sorbet Natural Collection lip gloss and the Sexy Mother Pucker haven't been getting much attention -- in fact, I can't remember the last time I used them.

So, my makeup pet hates seem to be: 1. non-moisturising (non-SPF is excusable as there are many cheap SPF lip balms available) lip colours (such as my old Body Shop lip glosses), 2. non-waterproof mascara, and 3. non-SPF powder and/or foundation.

P.S. Update: Just checked out Bootsthai.com and found out that the 17 blush powder is 6 grams and the Botanics blush is 5 grams. Plus Boots is having a sale. Must check it out! Oh and some reveiws said the Natural Collection mascara is lacklustre.

P.P.S. Just tried 17 Lash Illusion completely on its own. One coat blackens and lengthens my lashes (the impact on my lower lashes is especially obvious). Two coats give me lovely, almost doll-like, lush-looking lashes. Yay :D Three coats -- even darker, even lusher, even longer :D

Also just remembered I gotta check out the cheap makeup in Watsons too. That's the 4u2, In2it, and what have you.

Quick makeupdates

It's been a while. A lot has happened.

Been using the Etude Dream On over Mistine BB cream for a change. The Dream On gives a lovely soft-looking coverage. But once my face starts to get oily, the powder starts to cake, especially on the pores of my nose. Urgh. I hope the new version is better.

I gave in and bought another In2it eyeliner, in Navy this time. It seems to take more effort to apply than the other colours -- it seems to be a bit drier -- but eventually it delivers. It looks nice with my black mascara -- not too dark but not too light either. Makes my eyes look brighter than brown or dark brown eyeliner for sure.

I decided to take the Fasio mascara out of my makeup bag. I think it's the end of the line for this one. The last couple of times I used it, it was just too dry, so much so that it appeared clumpy. For most of the time I've used this mascara -- I think over half the time -- I've had to use MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo on top of it to rescue it. So goodbye, Fasio mascara.

I tried using the Lash Expander Frame Plus without priming my lashes with the Lash Bone first. Not bad. But I do think Lash Bone gives it extra thickness.

A "must" trick for comb-type applicators: brush the other side of the tips of your lashes after the normal application (but be careful not to get mascara on your skin), then brush the normal side over again. Fantastic definition.

It seems ZA Wide Eyes Mascara has officially been released now. According to a website or two, it's 350 baht. I'm tempted, but the fact that it's not waterproof is off-putting. What good is non-waterproof mascara to me in this humid weather?

I ran out of Fasio Pure Blush and bought Gino McCray blush number 5 to replace it. At about 150 baht, I get 5 grams of blush, which is a good bargain. I tried to choose the lightest shade of pink possible, which was hard. The first time I tried it, I put on too much, being so used to the really pale pink of Fasio. Now I know that one light dab with the brush on the blush will suffice. But the colour is not what I want. I wanted a pink, but this looks almost like the red Sheene blush I've already got. So I'm tempted to buy some other brand -- maybe an orange, coral or pink MM blush -- or the Boots 17 mineral blush.

I've been using the Boots fragrance-free cleansing wipes regularly now. They're just so convenient. They leave my skin feeling a tiny bit dry, but after that I cleanse it and it's fine. However, it fails to remove mascara. Even the non-waterproof Boots ones, if I remember correctly. So I still need to use the L'Oreal oily makeup remover on my lashes afterwards. But I don't mind. I got the wipes for cheap, and there's at least another month and a half's worth left.

After reading reviews, I'm really tempted to try Skinfood's White Grape Pact. It's supposed to be good at oil control. However, it offers no sun protection. Same with Beauty Credit's Lovely Matt Pact. I also don't really like Beauty Credit's packaging. The silver doesn't work for me.

I might end up trying Lotree's powder pact as it offers good sun protection -- SPF40 -- but the price, even at Rabbo, is a bit high for me (750 baht). Okay, so I got the Dream On for 900+ baht, but that was from an Etude shop, before I knew about Rabbo.

Oh I gave in and bought True Match foundation powder as well because it was on sale. I got G5. I hope it's not too dark. I haven't tried it yet.

I'm also tempted to try Palgantong. It's hard to come across a review that says it doesn't offer good oil control. But their packaging is not to my liking. I saw a pressed version of their powder online. Hope I can find it -- and for cheap.

Heck, maybe I just won't buy any powder at all. I am supposed to be saving money after spending too much and being told off. But I do want pink blush.

I've been using MM mascaras lately. And I use Boots mascaras when I stay in and just want to add a bit of colour to my day. I must say the 17 Ultimate Length does help my lashes stand up high. And the No 7 Maximum Volume, even when put on top of the first, makes my lashes all lush-looking -- and non-clumpy.

I really don't like using Lash Gorgeous Wing. The fibres falling in my eyes really don't make this mascara worth it. Yesterday I layered many coats of it on top of the Lash Bone and I still don't think it covers the Lash Bone completely.

Yesterday I had a nap in the daytime with makeup on. Gotta give MM, In2it and Gino credit -- the mascara, eyeliner and blush stayed on perfectly although I woke up with my face oily. I had to wipe the excess oil off and apply more Dream On and a touch more Gino.

What to do today? *sigh* ... I can't really go and buy more powder, can I.

P.S. I use the Revlon New Complexion in ... umm ... I forgot the name of the colour but it's the lightest one ... anyway I use it on my neck.

Yayz! iGotz! ^o^

Today after my final exam I went to the Watsons at Siam Square to look for those MM Spring Collection 2009 items but they weren't on display. I walked to Central World and found that the stuff that was on display just yesterday weren't there! Hmm looks like someone mucked up. So I walked some more, all the way to Platinum Fashion Mall to the makeup smugglers' stands lol and got the Lash Expander Frame Plus for 400 baht -- 90 baht cheaper than at Watsons :D They didn't have the powder though and the ladyboy that served me didn't recommend it anyway.

Lash Expander Frame Plus, like the Lash Gorgeous Wing before it, comes in a 6 gram tube. Looks like MM is up to some 'downsizing' as my Lash Bone, Lash Enamel Glamour Neo, and the previous version of Lash Expander Neo were all 7.5 grams.

I haven't opened this new one yet as I'm already wearing mascara today but I can't wait to try it out tomorrow :D

Speaking of which, today I am wearing my Fasio mascara with Lash Enamel Glamour Neo on top. I find that Fasio on its own is too dry and looks too natural so I put the MM on top and BOOM! Uber thick lashes :D

Today I discovered a new trick too. I learned a while ago that Fasio mascara is best applied on my lashes without the use of a lash curler first but today I decided to test that theory. It remained true. So, as has become usual, I used Lash Enamel Glamour Neo to try and rectify the situation. Alas, even my beloved MM HG mascara found it hard to reach the tips of my curled lashes! So I tried putting the MM on the top side of my lashes instead of the under side as usual -- and it worked! And what's more, the definition is spectacular!

What else have I found out that I haven't blogged about lately? Well, my black Gino McCray liquid eyeliner is stunning and gives enormous impact when used with any of my black mascaras. (Yes, plural. Don't make me count how many I've got now. Don't.) But for a more subtle look, my dark brown In2it eyeliner is just fine.

And I learnt something important the other day when I wore my golden brown Lash Gorgeous Wing with my Maybelline eyeshadow quad and no eyeliner: never go without eyeliner when wearing mascara. You can wear eyeliner and mascara with no eyeshadow, but you shouldn't wear eyeshadow and mascara with no eyeliner. At least not with the golden brown shades of my Maybelline eyeshadow quad and my MM mascara.

Another note to self: don't buy non-waterproof mascara. Ever again.

While my Boots No 7 and 17 brand non-waterproof mascaras are very nice, the fact that they're not waterproof is just not practical in this kind of humid weather.

Oh and I bought the new Garnier Skin Naturals Light Visible Whitening Face Powder. First I bought it in Natural which turned out to be a bit on the orange tan side for me then I bought it in Ivory. The case seems to be an exact replica of the Maybelline Clear Smooth powder. After all, they're both owned by L'Oreal, and they sell for the same low price of 189 baht. And they both offer SPF 18 sun protection. But the Garnier one is slightly different. It claims that its Vitamin C helps to lighten the skin. My verdict on the powder itself? One pat and it gives you an incredibly smooth matte look just like the Maybelline version. And like the Maybelline version, it doesn't give my skin much oil control, if at all. But for the price and the smooth matte effect, it's wonderful for touch-ups.

BTW the Garnier powder puff, like the Maybelline Clear Smooth puff, sucks. It's like a thin piece of cardboard covered with fabric of a towel-like texture with a piece of satiny fabric stuck on the top. The powder smells the same too. And it goes on well so I guess we can excuse the lacklustre puff.

Makeup merit-making

Whoopee! I managed to get rid of my brown Fasio eyebrow mascara, the 17 mineral foundation, and the Maybelline one too! I gave them all to my mum. She'll probably keep the eyebrow mascara but the two powders are too dark for her so she'll probably give them to someone else.

Eye makeup and extremely sweaty situations

Today for the Arts Bye Nior and Concert, I wore Mistine BB cream as concealer with Mistine Platinum on top, later topped up with Etude Dream On. I wore my orange/brown Sheene blush, Berry Sorbet Natural Collection lip gloss, golden brown Fasio eyebrow mascara, black Gino McCray liquid eyeliner, Lash Bone and Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. I experienced similarly hot and sweaty conditions as Thursday's photo shoot, but not quite as harshly so, I think. However, I did a lot of dancing during the later Arts Concert, which get me all hot and sweaty. I didn't care how my powder held up as it was dark and it wasn't a situation where you cared how shiny your face was.

However, I did notice that my eyeliner had disintegrated at the outer corners of my eyes, staining my skin slightly. And the mascara on my bottom lashes was also gone. Although I did get a comment on the thickness of my lashes, it's not as impressive as the effect achieved with 17 Lash Illusion put on top.

Depending on how in a hurry I am tomorrow, I may wear either the golden brown Lash Gorgeous Wing or the 17 Ultimate Length in Teal, perhaps with the No 7 Maximum Volume in Navy on top to tone it down.

Majolica MAJORca FAIL!

Well, okay, the title is an exaggeration, but hey, I tried to be creative...

Today I quickly did my makeup before taking our Arts class photo. I used Maybelline Clear Smooth gel foundation (in Natural) with the Natural Collection pressed powder (in Warm). I'm not sure cos I didn't have a mirror (or a puff, for that matter) on me at the time but I think I achieved a light and natural-looking coverage and colour. I used the pink Baby Blossom Fasio Pure Blush, Sexy Mother Pucker nude lip gloss, dark brown In2it eyeliner, and two coats of MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo.

Now I clearly see the difference between using just a mascara with no Lash Bone. Even with two coats, my lashes, though blacker and more defined, were still thin. Thinner than I like, anyway. Or maybe I'm just used to the thickness achieved with the help of Lash Bone or multiple coats of other mascara.

Not only that, in the evening, I found that there was even some slight smudging! It seemed all the mascara on my bottom lashes was gone and on my lower lids instead. The mascara also smudged my upper eyelids where the tips of my lashes would have brushed against my skin. And the eyeliner was also gone.

But then, we were out in the sun for ages waiting for the photographer to finish his job. It could be that and/or incompatibility with my foundation and/or powder.

P.S. The other day I found some Teal 17 mascara, but it was the Ultimate Curl variety. I didn't like the look of the brush.

Boots 17 Ultimate Length Teal mascara

Well, my lashes certainly looked long -- but certainly not thick. Which is what it's supposed to do. It took a bit of effort from me to make my lashes actually look blue -- yes, it's called Teal but really it's just blue -- two coats made my lashes thicker and more vividly blue. I wasn't brave enough to go around with bright blue lashes all day so I put the No 7 Navy mascara on top of it to tone it down.

I don't know what's happened to my Fasio. It seems so dry. Or maybe I'm just comparing it to the other stuff I've been using, all of which seem quite moist. Maybe that's the difference between waterproof mascara and non-waterproof.

This week is a week of Arts senior activities. I think I'll have to wear waterproof mascara all this week, at least definitely the day of the Bye Nior -- even though I did and ended up not shedding a tear at the Chorus Bye Nior.

Boots 17 Lash Illusion & Ultimate Length in Teal

Phew! Now that Mum's rescued me with a bit of money, I can afford to eat out and buy mascara again lol. Lucky the 17 ones are selling at only 99 atm so I got two for just 198 baht :D

I got the Lash Illusion in Midnight Black (there is only one colour) and the Ultimate Length in Teal (that's the only blue one I can find). Neither are waterproof. I don't understand why anyone bothers to make mascara that isn't waterproof. Anyway, they are 8ml each so that's pretty good value!

The Ultimate Length one, like most 17 mascaras and other makeup products, comes in a dark grey tube with slight sparkles. The Lash Illusion one is a bit more chic though: the tube is black with sort of green/blue sparkles, kind of like No 7 mascara.

The Ultimate Length has a thin brush which is convenient, unlike the brushes that come with many volumising mascaras. I tried putting it on over the MM Lash Bone & Lash Gorgeous Wing today so I can't really comment on the Ultimate Length's performance.

Lash Illusion, according to online reviews I've read, has a rather big and cumbersome brush. I don't find it to be too much of a problem -- or maybe I'm just used to getting mascara on my eyelids -*- The brush has bristles which kind of remind me of a toothbrush. The formula seems to be dull, thick and dry, but then this bottle was produced two years ago. The performance, when I brushed it on over all the other mascaras I'm wearing today, however, was very satisfying. Good lash separation. Makes my lashes look very thick and black indeed. I've yet to try the Lash Illusion or the Ultimate Length on their own, however. I don't think Lash Illusion is as good as MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo though.

So I think my favourite waterproof volumising mascara is MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. For non-waterproof, I think Boots No 7 and 17 will probably take the cake.

Tomorrow I'm going to my Chorus Bye Nior so I have to wear waterproof mascara. It'll be the MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo for sure, cos we're supposed to dress in a 'celebrity' theme. (With the extra oomph of Lash Bone to boot, of course :p)

P.S. The other night I cried while wearing No 7 Maximum Volume in Navy over Fasio. There was some slight flaking but no rivers of blue.

Happy Chinese New Year / Happy Australia Day

This post has nothing to do with Australia Day or Chinese New Year; I just needed a title :p

Today I wore the 17 mineral with Natural Collection pressed powder on top and I added the Mistine Platinum on top of that because the Natural Collection didn't brighten the mineral foundation as much as I wanted. I wore my pink Baby Blossom Fasio Pure Blush, Berry Sorbet Natural Collection lip gloss, no eyeliner, and the No 7 Maximum Volume mascara in Navy over crimped lashes.

One thing I noticed about the mascara today. The cool and wet feeling formula seemed to make my curled lashes droop a teeny tiny bit. But the brush (I think) made my lashes fan out so much that it didn't really matter! And the more coats I applied, the longer and curlier my lashes got! And once again, crimping after the mascara was dry was no problem at all.

Once again, the Mistine whiteness seemed to wear off at the end of the day. Re-applying the Mistine, however, made me look a bit cakey. So maybe I'll re-do with the Etude Dream On instead from now on. (I still have to take the Mistine with me to do my neck, though.)

Last night I experimented with the mascara, layering on layer after layer (that's a lot of layers!). Then when I went to cleanse for the night, I sprayed water on each eye with the shower head. It took a bit of time for the mascara to start flaking and bleeding off. And when the mascara was wet, the colour was brighter!

Today I checked out the 17 Teal mascara again and decided I might actually get it ... when I have more money. If I can get a waterproof one, even better. Most 17 mascaras are selling at 99 baht at the moment. No sign of that ZA Wide Eyes Mascara yet. I might actually get it in violet if I'm happy with my No 7 Navy and my future 17 Teal.

More Impressions: No 7 Maximum Volume mascara in Navy and 17 Pure Finish Mineral Foundation PLUS First Impression: Natural Collection pressed powder

Okay so today I put on the 17 Pure Finish Mineral Foundation and then the Mistine Platinum on top of that. The Mistine does a good job of lightening up, or covering up, the too-dark mineral foundation. I went out for the afternoon and when I got back in the evening, it seems the whiteness of the Mistine wore off and I could see the tanness of the mineral coming back.

Oh -- today I am wearing a bluish aqua green Chinese style top so I wore some blue-green Body Shop eyeshadow with my dark brown In2it eyeliner and the No 7 Maximum Volume mascara in Navy. The colour of the eyeshadow seemed to bring out the colour of the mascara a bit more. One coat of mascara was enough to define and fan out my lashes beautifully, although I wouldn't say they look uber-thick; I think the right word would be lush. A second coat when I got home made them look a bit thicker -- I could see it in the photos I took. Crimping on the dry first coat enhanced curl and length and produced no clumping :D

I love the lush look I get with this mascara! It also doesn't feel heavy on my lashes.

Last night when I cleansed all my makeup off, I didn't experiment with using just water first, but after I put my Ziiit Milk makeup cleanser all over my face excepting my eyes and splashed water on it, the four coats of mascara on my left eye instantly trailed down my face in a creepy navy streak (my right eye had the cleansing milk on it; maybe that's why that side didn't run). So that's what it's like to wash mascara off easily! I hate to think what'd happen if I cried or got caught in the rain with this mascara on though :s

I finally got my hands on the now discontinued Natural Collection pressed powder which is selling at the low price of 49 baht (at some Boots branches but not all; you have to be careful and make sure you're looking at the right price tag). I got the last one available, in Warm, at the Paragon second floor branch (there were two testers left -- a Warm and a Neutral -- and a farang lady that came in after me was looking at them; poor lady; I'd already grabbed the last one!). It truly is a "Natural" powder with only two main ingredients, one of them being talc, and offers no sun protection. But that's okay, all my foundations have some kind of SPF.

When I got home, I tried it on over my darkening face using the sponge that came with the 17 mineral foundation. Yes, that's one drawback of the Natural Collection pressed powder -- it has neither mirror nor applicator. So what did it look like on top of the evaporating Mistine that gave way to orange-tan 17 mineral? It hardly brightened me up at all. I put some Mistine BB loose powder on top of that. No perceivable difference. Finally I put the Mistine Platinum on top of it all. Now we're getting somewhere!

So I can't really give a full review of the Natural Collection pressed powder yet. What am I gonna do with it? Keep it as a reserve powder to use with liquid foundation. I'm just happy I got it so cheap :) Its usual price is 135 baht for 10 grams.

Then I took a couple of pictures with my camera and phone and the result is an ultra-smooth and ultra-white complexion! :O

Oh I took a look at the 17 teal mascara and, well, it's not the shade of blue I want. And I didn't see the new ZA mascara at the Watsons on the second floor of MBK. Just as well, or I'd be even poorer T^T

I did get the ZA Dewy Effect Emulsion though as a replacement night cream for my Nivea Visage White Extra Cell Repair 5 in 1 Night Cream which is almost out. ZA's Dewy Effect range of skin care is supposed to keep your skin's moisture level maintained at all times. This is supposed to be good for both dry skin and oily skin, as apparently my skin is oily because it is dry -- if that makes sense -*- The logic is, my skin is actually dry so it tries to produce more sebum to keep itself moist, but it ends up being just greasy on the surface while staying dry on the inside. I guess that explains why my nose and other parts of my face flake sometimes.

This ZA Dewy Effect Emulsion retails for 395 baht for 100ml, which I think is a good deal as there are many creams that sell at about that price for just 50ml. Can't wait to try it ^-^

P.S. It seems I have an affinity with Z-named products: Ziiit and ZA :p In fact, once my Ziiit facial wash runs out, I'm gonna try the ZA Dewy Effect gel cleanser.

P.P.S. At Watsons there happened to be a Sheene promotional thing on. Luckily I had my iPod on pause while I was paying for my ZA emulsion, cos the Sheene people just said that anyone who's got any green on them today would get a free sample of Sheene powder. Of course I'm wearing a green top so I went and got one. It's a really tiny sample (1.5 grams) of their oil control wonder. Good for emergencies. My past experience of Sheene has been good coverage but nowhere near as much oil control as they promised. But then my skin is worse than an oil slick.

P.P.P.S. I'm curious about the 17 Lash Illusion mascara. I read one good (though I think partly commercial) review on the net. It only comes in Midnight Black though and is not waterproof.

P.P.P.P.S. I hate that Boots doesn't keep their website, neither the global nor the Thai one, up-to-date on their makeup range.

Boots Beauty Blitz

Okay. I gave in AGAIN. I bought not only the No 7 Maximum Volume mascara in Navy -- I also gave into temptation and bought the 17 Skin Perfecting Balancing Foundation in Natural too. I thought the price tag said 99 baht. It turned out to be 217 baht at the counter -*- Oh well, at least they got the mascara right.

Oh today I wore the Gino McCray eyeliner with Lash Bone and Lash Gorgeous Wing. Uber thick, uber defined lashes! :D

I tried the 17 Pure Finish Mineral Foundation on its own too. Way too dark. I put the Mistine BB loose powder over the top. Still too dark. I touched up with Etude Dream On twice. Then it started to resemble my actual skin colour -*-

Can't wait to try the new 17 foundation and No 7 mascara when I get up!

P.S. Didn't manage to grab the Natural Collection pressed powder cos the Boots branches at MBK don't have it.

Boots 17 Pure Finish Mineral Foundation

All right, so I gave in again. I bought Boots 17 Pure Finish Mineral Foundation, a pressed mineral foundation powder. It comes in a rectangular case in 17's trademark slightly shimmery dark blue-grey colour. The case looks a bit boring, actually -- that's the bad thing about 17 -- their packaging.

The foundation itself is a rectangular shape with rounded corners but is slightly less wide than the Majolica Majorca, Fasio or ZA. It weighs 9 grams and, according to Boots's website, is SPF15 (which it doesn't say on the packaging).

I really like the sponge and the mirror. The sponge is a rectangular white one, very soft. The mirror is very widescreen -- bigger than my MM case's.

Now, as I mentioned in my previous post, the Boots stores in Thailand (that I've visited in my part of Bangkok, anyway) only carry the powder in three colours: Natural, Biscuit, and Honey. Natural is the lightest so I got that -- but even when I applied it on top of my very white Mistine Number One Platinum, I could tell that my face looked darker than usual. On the Boots website, however (their global site, Boots.com), it says the powder comes in six colours, including the ones I mentioned above. The other three are Ivory, Caramel and Fair.

Some people on web reviews that I've skimmed say that mineral foundation is the best thing for oily skin. I hope they're right.

Tomorrow I'll try the Boots mineral foundation on its own. If it turns out to be too dark, maybe I can use it with the Mistine BB cream and/or the Mistine BB loose powder. Or maybe even the green Boots Natural Collection loose powder.

I just got this because it's a pressed mineral foundation at an extremely affordable price -- only 159 baht in Boots's current promotional period.

I also want to get some Boots No 7 mascara in blue, but the only one I could find was the Maximum Volume in Navy Blue. There wouldn't be a problem except that Boots makes a lot of non-waterproof mascara: any mascara that doesn't have "Waterproof" on it is not waterproof. I find this highly impractical.

But it seems Boots doesn't make waterproof mascara in blue so I think I'll have to buy the damn thing to satisfy my blue mascara curiosity. (All No 7 mascaras are currently selling at 199 baht.)

BTW, the 30-pack cleansing wipes are actually 89 baht. A bit too much for me to spend in my current poverty lol. I'm getting the blue mascara and that's it.

P.S. I put on the Fasio mascara again today. My lashes looked thin with just one coat, but then maybe that was partly because of the Gino McCray liquid eyeliner (which stays on well, BTW). After a second coat long after the first was dry, my lashes seemed to have a bit more oomph. Hmm, this will hopefully make it run out sooner lol :p

Also, next time I need to buy more blush, I'll get Gino McCray's. Only 99 baht for 5 grams! (Hmm I sound like I'm talking about drugs -*-)

In addition, I noticed they were selling Natural Collection pressed powders (now discontinued) at 49 baht. I was very, very tempted but I had to be firm and buy just the mineral powder. (Who knows, maybe I'll buy it when I get that blue mascara -*-)

AND my eyelash curler is sort of broken! :s