More Hair Product Wars & Sneak Peek: In2it Light Reflecting Liquid Eyeliner in Caribbean

Okay so today I went to MBK and hunted for Palty but I could only see one box of Juicy Peach left among the dodgy-looking shops. Then I looked again at the Beauteen in both Watsons outlets. I decided that if I was ever going to use Beauteen instead of Palty to darken my hair, I'd use Caramel Chocolate instead of Natural Brown because they're about the same colour and I don't want to look completely dull. What really decided me against buying Beauteen was the fact that it clearly states that it cotains Hydrogen Peroxide. Some websites claim that Palty does not, but I can't know that because all the writing on the boxes is in Japanese.

If I can be bothered, I'll go to Platinum and see if I have better luck finding Bitter Cappuccino or Ganache Tart this time.

While I was at Watsons, I also had a good look at the potential replacement shampoos and conditioners that I might buy after Asience and Elseve Royal Jelly are gone. Asience remains the only product on the shelf that contains Camellia/Tsubaki (if you don't count the old versions of Herbal Essences, which I'm sick of). Elseve is more expensive. But there was something else: Herbal Essences now has a new shampoo, conditioner and treatment trio called Long-Term Relationship -- it's a formula for long hair! I sniffed it; it's nice. It's got raspberry and satin, apparently. It's supposed to strengthen your hair against split ends. I might be interested, but next I might be more interested in protecting the colour of my hair, in which case I'd better get the Elseve for colour-treated hair. However, Asience conditioner is cheaper. Or maybe I'll throw caution to the winds and just get those huge bottles of Shiseido Golden Repair??

Nah, when I'm abroad, I won't be able to get Asience, so I may as well use it while I'm here. However, some places sell Elseve shampoo for 99 baht and you get 250ml as opposed to 138 baht for Asience's 220ml. I still want to try the Asience shampoo though! ... All right, all right, I'll try the Asience shampoo and leave the Elseve until I get overseas :D

Phew.

I also finally gave in to curiosity and bought In2it's Light Reflecting Liquid Eyeliner in Caribbean RL 03 -- a pearly deep sea blue-green that looks darker or lighter depending on the angle of the light. I've read good things about In2it eye makeup so I'm confident this will be a winner. It should be better than its cousin, the Navy eyeliner, anyway. That's so dry I'm giving up on it.

Speaking of dry, I think my MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo is finally drying up :-( It definitely feels more congealed than it used to and I can see more clumps. It's still good, though, but it won't stay good for long if it's drying up. I'm using it past its advised shelf life anyway.

Can't wait to try this eyeliner out.

Oh today (Tuesday) I wore the Sheene Oil Free on my cleansed, toned and moisturised face. It's a pretty good match for my skin colour, not too light at all, but not too dark either.

I can't wait to dye my hair! When I tie it up I can really see the black roots on the underside and the back where I didn't put enough cream! And the difference between the red-brown roots and the lighter orangey-red of most of my hair is much more noticeable now than when I first dyed it.

I just remembered something. I have to look for the new MM Summer 2009 collection. I want to get that solid perfume if it's nice. I didn't look at the MM stand at MBK today because the BAs were in the way, waiting for victims to come along. Brrr.

If I ever really need a light nude lip gloss, I'm gonna get one of MM's beige ones.

OMFG I just remembered at Watsons today I saw Palgantong's Zebra Eyes Mascara or whatever it's called in a paper tube at the counter! Must search!

Where art thou, Bitter Cappuccino & Ganache Tart?

So last night -- well, actually, Saturday night -- I emailed the Rabbo people and asked when Palty in Bitter Cappuccino and Ganache Tart would be available. On Sunday, they replied, saying that the colours would be available "by the end of the month" -- I'm not sure if that means this month, April, or next month, May.

It's annoying that I can't find pictures of those who have actually used Ganache Tart -- or even the rough guides at the back of the box that tell you approximately what colours your hair should turn out. At least I've seen a couple of the Bitter Cappuccino results and swatches -- even held a real box and looked at the back of it. (Should have bought it then, dammit! Grr!)

I'm so desperate I'm even considering trying Beauteen!

I seem to have used up a little over half of my Asience conditioner now. I wonder if I should switch brands when it runs out. But Elseve is more expensive (although I think there is also more of it, which should justify the price) and Shiseido Golden Repair comes in a really huge bottle.

The Elseve royal jelly shampoo seems to be running out a bit fast as I wash my hair approximately every two days and need to shampoo twice each time. I seem to have used up a quarter of the bottle now, or almost. Wondering if I should switch to Asience shampoo next. Asience is pretty good but I'm getting sick of it -- the sight of it and the smell of it. I get bored easily.

Cosmetic Rant

First of all, let's address a problem, albeit a small one, that popped up a while ago (this is long overdue): the Mistine Diamond -- the glue that holds the refill in the case seems to have melted a bit and seeped out so that it makes the plastic film that came with it sticky! How yucky and annoying. I would quite like Mistine Diamond if it didn't have this problem -- and if it didn't have that overpowering perfume!

Today (read: Saturday) I went out to Platinum, hoping to get my hands on Palty Bitter Cappuccino and get a look at the three new Palty colours, especially Maple Donut and Ganache Tart. However, Rabbo only had the bleach colours and, I think, Honey Brown. Even the upstairs one only had the bleach ones and I think Orange Biscuit. The shop next to the downstairs Rabbo had more colours. They even had Maple Donut, but that was the only new colour they had. No Ganache Tart. And no Bitter Cappuccino. And the last time I checked MBK, they only had like two boxes of Palty left -- one a bleach and the other one, I think, Caramel Brown or Juicy Peach. I guess I should have bought Bitter Cappuccino when they still had it T^T

Watsons also didn't have the new Majolica Majorca collection. I wanted the solid perfume. It's lucky they didn't release a new mascara because I still have so much to go through.

I want that Palty! I don't want to use the semi-permanent L'Oreal Creme Gloss because I don't have the equipment for it. And I'm reluctant to use Beauteen because apparently the colour isn't as even or as long-lasting as Palty.

I'm impatient, I really want to get my hands on it really soon, but I guess I'd better not buy anything I'll regret later. I'll keep my eyes open. Hopefully the colour(s) I want will turn up later, perhaps closer to the time I actually want to use them.

Oh and still no Mistine Debutant around. And I bought that Axe limited scent -- yay :D

Miscellaneous Makeupdates

It's official. I think my hair colour, recently revitalised by Palty in Orange Biscuit, has started to lose its ravishing redness. Only a little, though. A very tiny bit. The red is more visible at this time of night in the bathroom light for some reason. I remember I managed to deliberately tone down the rampaging red after the first couple of vigorous washes.

I dyed my hair on the 31st of March. It'll have been exactly three weeks since then tomorrow. So the colour has lasted pretty well. I hope it doesn't go really dull or ugly before I have to colour it again. And I can see almost a centimetre of dark roots coming through.

I'm pretty much decided on getting Palty in Bitter Cappuccino (two boxes this time!) for the graduation season. Today I searched the Boots and Watsons at Siam Square and MBK but couldn't find a DIY hair colouring equipment kit (I don't fancy using the lame nozzle that L'Oreal Creme Gloss has -- I'm much more confident with Palty's comb applicator) so I think I'll have to abandon the L'Oreal Creme Gloss idea. I'm just really hooked on Palty, I'm not confident trying anything else. I really hope Bitter Cappuccino turns out dark enough for graduation so that I don't have to go over it with Beauteen in Natural Brown or Natural Black.

I think my L'Oreal Elseve royal jelly shampoo and Asience conditioner have worked together to make my hair softer than it was just after I last coloured it. I wash it once every two days usually. The shampoo is in a 250ml bottle so it might just last me until I have to go abroad. If not, I'll try Asience shampoo when the Elseve runs out. Today the sun and heat dried my hair out, I think, and I'm starting to scratch my scalp, so I'll wash my hair tonight.

I made a mistake today. I gave in to my curiosity and bought Maybelline Moisture Extreme lip colour in Iced Peach Tea. Due to a lack of any light nude colours that would suit me, I had to get this one, the orangest one in the selection (which is a bad one -- mostly pinks and dark colours). And it turned out too bright orange on me. Ick. I'll have to try and sneak my unwanted lipsticks and powders into Mum's makeup bag without alarming her with the vast amount of such items.

And it does not smell like watermelons as foreign reviewers say. In fact, I can't pick up any smell at all. Or maybe that's just cos I'm still a little sick.

I don't want to risk disappointment with another lipstick but I already spotted one: L'Oreal Star Secrets in Guava Crystals. It's a lovely pale shade of coral that I think should suit me well. I hope I'm right because 350 baht is a little expensive for me, and the lippie doesn't even come with special properties, as far as I know.

The other night I decided to crack open the Nivea Q10 Lip Effect instead of using the old Body Shop lip balm for a change, cos I felt my lips were in desperate need of it. The formula is thick and a pearly white colour and smells faintly, I think, of grapes. As it's so thick, it's not as easy to spread as regular lip balm, but not too hard either. My lips feel instantly pampered, moisturised. It might be my imagination, but after a couple of nights of use, the deepening lines in my lips seem to be less severe. That may have something to do with my sleeping pattern, which I've been trying to get back to normal (whatever that is -- I don't remember going to bed before eleven since ... in fact, I don't even remember when I started going to bed late and what time I used to go to bed before that!) and with my lack of vitamin C -- I haven't been drinking vitamin C -rich fruit juice for a while now and I've just started again.

About the Maybelline Water Shine 3D Collagen -- yes, number 244 is closer to my natural lip colour while number 204 is a bit brighter, a bit more garish. So I'd really like to get some nude lip colours next time. I've been reminded by these lip colours that any colour close to pink seems to accentuate the yellowness of teeth -- even though I always use whitening toothpaste!

Saw some new Axe today -- their limited edition summer scent. Very fruity and lovely, from the test whiff I took. I want it.

Palty DIY Part One etc.

Another point I forgot to add about In2it Oil Control & Oil Free 2-way foundation powder. When I touch my face with it on, a bit of sheer powder comes off on my fingers. This does not happen with Fasio, which feels completely matte -- almost like I have on a rubber mask, if that doesn't sound too weird. In2it also comes off a lot when I remove excess oil, as I think Mistine Diamond does. I think the Diamond is a lighter colour when it comes off though. In2it, like some other foundation powders I've tried (I don't remember which ones), tends to look thick and old after you apply it a second time on top of the first and your face has become oily. So from now on, after applying foundation powders, it's powders only for retouching!

Today I dyed my hair with Palty all by myself! A first for me! I ended up using a bit too much of the cream on the top and front part of my hair because I thought I'd have enough -- the cashier told me so (though in retrospect she probably thought I was only going to use it for my roots). So I didn't leave enough cream for the rest of my hair although I tried to put a lot of cream on the more obscure parts. The roots at the top, then, were completely covered in cream and turned out a light shade of brown that blends in with the rest of the hair -- which has turned a more vibrant shade of the colour I already had. The more obscure bits turned slightly lighter maybe but the underside of the roots on the back of my head are especially noticeably dark.

All in all, not bad for a first-time DIYer. Now I know that I should get two boxes next time for hair of this length (just past shoulders). That way I'll be sure to have enough cream to completely saturate all of my hair, which I think is the trick to get an even colour throughout with Palty.

I know from experience, and confirmation by other people's webboard and blog posts, that the roots of your hair will change colour faster than the rest of your hair -- that's why instructions on DIY hair colours say you have to leave the roots alone first, which is exactly what hairdressers do (yet my roots always turn out lighter anyway -- maybe because they have to leave the cream in my hair for longer than they expected, as my hair is very thick -- every hairdresser remarks upon this, every one). With Palty this time, however, I knew that my priority was my roots, so I simply covered the roots at the same time as the rest of my hair. That turned out well in the case of the top/front part of my hair, and I think it would have turned out fine for the rest too if I'd had enough cream for it.

After reading the forums, I now know why the tips of my hair never turn out quite as light as the middle or near the roots of my hair. It's because my hair used to be dyed a darker colour. Perhaps with more cream I would have fixed this, but maybe we'll know next time. (I did try and put my tips into the bottle to get at the last residue of cream in there, however.)

Next time I might try mixing the colours in a bowl instead of in a bottle so that the cream is easier to reach. A brush would also be easier to use than a squeeze tube and comb applicator.

I'm impressed with the results of my first ever completely DIY hair colour (I've had mostly salon dyed hair and before that I got Mum or someone else to do my hair) but apart from the fact that it covered up most of my noticeable roots and intensified my existing colour -- and I was right about my choice of colour while the cashier was wrong -- I find myself kind of wishing I'd got a different colour. I mean, the red is awesome and brings out the playfulness in me, but I think it's almost time for a change.

Damn. I just found some English instructions online and it says you have to use conditioner too before rinsing and then using the included leave-on treatment.

Anyway for graduation I'll have to dye it a dark colour. I'm kind of interested in trying more Palty in Bitter Cappuccino, but I'm not sure what kind of results I'll get with my red hair. I'll have to check the swatches next time I'm near a shop that sells Palty.

The swatches on the Beauteen website don't appeal to me, and besides, Palty's supposed to be more accurate with their swatches and the actual colour you get. (Beauteen's instructions also says you should shampoo twice, but I thought shampooing just once produced enough foam -- or maybe that's just because of the colour cream?)

When I first washed Palty from my hair, my hair felt dry, just like it felt last night when I washed my hair with the remains of my Sunsilk damage care shampoo without conditioning. (When I woke up, however, my hair felt soft as if I'd conditioned with Asience. Weird.) But as soon as I put shampoo in it, it immediately felt super soft!

So maybe now I haven't washed all the chemicals out of my hair because I only shampooed once.

The colour will change once I shampoo more, inevitably. Some have said that the colour gets even brighter, golder. Interesting.

I think my hair now feels a tiny bit stiffer than it did before dying with Palty, but that could just be because of the chemical residue.

I might wash it soon, when I do the washing. Doing my washing is always a good time to condition my hair. It's also an excuse to use up the Sunsilk as I'm eager to try out the new L'Oreal Elseve with Royal Jelly. It's supposed to be a new deep conditioning formula. I really had a hard time finally buying this as the other formulas were tempting as well. A veteran hair coloring lady on Jeban recommended using shampoo for dyed hair, like the red Elseve. If Royal Jelly doesn't do it for me I might switch to the red. But I'm pretty happy with the Asience conditioner. So indecisive ...

I'm really looking forward to a nice deep dark chocolate hair colour so I hope the Palty does it for me!

Anyway, about makeup ...

Today I wore Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. Still slightly clumpy. I'm pretty sure it's partly its brush (forgive the pun) with Fasio and partly its shelf life. The second brushing helped things. Still, I think the whole problem could be avoided with the help of Lash Bone.

Speaking of which, my renewed red hair colour gives me an excuse to use the golden brown Lash Gorgeous Wing more! *cringes at the thought of fibres in my eye*

Oh -- about the Revlon lip gloss I mentioned earlier -- I read some reviews and found that it doesn't have that see-through look of normal lip glosses. So I felt a bit discouraged. I want a gloss that is see-through but not too shiny or too glittery.

Today I tried a Maybelline lipstick tester -- one of their Water Shine lipsticks, I think. The cream texture collected in the lines of my lips. I'm really craving that Bloom lip collagen!

Today I also tried putting the coral orange Body Shop gloss on with the Liplife gloss on top. This time, the Liplife glided on much more easily! And the two colours blended gave a lovely pale peach colour, almost nude, very nice on me with my current curiosity about peach tones!

Sloth & Spending

Today I went out to MBK and got more toothpaste (I don't remember toothpaste running out this quickly), shampoo (L'Oreal Elseve -- the new one with Royal Jelly) and hair colour (I got Palty in Orange Biscuit at Platinum because the ones at MBK were ten baht more expensive -*-). I also ran into a shoe trap at Platinum and picked up a pair of white snakeskin heels.

I was also tempted by the Lotree, Beauty Credit and Innisfree powders (there was no Etude or Skinfood in sight) but the BC case doesn't cut it for me and Innisfree is so hard to find online -- reviews, I mean. But their cases are quite pretty. All pearly-like. So maybe when I get my paycheck from my translation job I might treat myself a bit. I might even get the Etude BB pact too.

I found a cheap potential buy today: Revlon Beyond Natural cream lip gloss. I'm interested in the peach one. Only 200 baht! That's cheaper than Maybelline lip gloss! ... Okay those are the prices at Boots at least, maybe Watsons is cheaper (as it usually is).

Etude and Canmake both have lip concealers, however. Lip concealers can be used for a nude lip look.

Then there's the MM Honey Pump gloss. I doubt they're as much value for money as the Revlon though -- the latter has about 12 or 13 ml in the tube.

Oh today I used MM Lash Expander Frame Plus on its own -- no Lash Bone. I also curled my lashes prior to application, but somewhat clumsily, as I didn't want to wreck the pink and and peach OP eyeshadows and Navy In2it liner I had on. (Note to self: don't wear very similar lip, cheek and eye colours again -- I had on the Bloom Amour gloss and the Gino Sugar Peach blusher.) Somehow I think either Lash Expander looks better on its own without the help of eyelash curler, or it just looks better with the help of Lash Bone. Gotta test that out later. Haven't tried curling before Lash Bone then mascara yet.

P.S. Just tried adding up known and estimated prices of Etude BB pact, Lotree, Innisfree and Beauty Credit. I know the Etude at Rabbo is 500 baht but I didn't see any at the shop today -- maybe I just need to ask -- but if they don't have it and I really want it, I either have to wait till they have it or go buy it at the Etude House where it's more expensive. I know the Lotree is 750. I don't know the prices of the BC and Innisfree but I know the BC at Watsons is like 888 baht -- and the cashier said something like, "This powder is about 900 baht at the official shop." Whatever the case, the Lotree alone is almost a thousand baht already.

I also saw the black butterfly Anna Sui case at Platinum today but I wasn't really tempted. There are prettier cases than that around.

P.P.S. I still wanna try Mistine Debutant. I didn't see it at Platinum although I saw Mistine Diamond there. Maybe at MBK the stalls have it but I overlooked it.

Trial & Error: Body Shop lip glosses, Natural Collection Illuminating Loose Powder, Sheene blushes, MM Lash Bone with Lash Enamel Glamour Neo &

Tonight I decided to do a little test that I've been thinking of for a little while now. But before I got to the test, I did some side experiments.

Today I didn't go out (I got up about 6pm) so I had no makeup on my face at all. I splashed some water on to remove excess oil, towelling dry. Then I put on the Natural Collection Illuminating Loose Powder. Mine is the green one. It has some tiny sparkles which don't turn out too obvious on your face. I dabbed the powder on with the cute fluffy puff that comes with it. It toned down my redness but didn't completely hide it. Other than that, there is no coverage to speak of, but then, I don't think that can be expected without any use of foundation or makeup base. I tried using my old blush brush with it and I think that helped a bit. Then I put my old orangey-brown Sheene blush on my left cheek and its red, slightly sparkly twin on my right. There is only a slight difference between the two colours.

Then I dug up my old yellow Body Shop lip gloss which I can only remember using once. It's called Liplife Gloss and I think the colour is called Apple. It comes in a tube that reminds me of a test tube (I remember when I first bought it I was afraid it would break like glass -- then I realised I could squeeze the tube) and there's 7 ml of it. I thought maybe I could use it in place of beige-toned lip gloss to tone down the brightness of my real lip colour. So I put some on and, well, it's incredibly sticky, probably stickier than it was last time I used it -- I can't brush it onto the rest of my lip the way I can with the Body Shop lip balm that I'm still using and which has almost run out, or even the coral orange gloss in a tub that I also recently rediscovered. I just tried applying it with the use of a brush that came with my old Oriental Princess eyeshadow/blush palette cases (I think it might be some sort of liner brush but I use it for applying lip gloss) and that helped make things easier. It gives a pale yellowish shimmery look to my lips, toning down the orangey-pink natural colour. So, yes, it does the job, but it's so sticky and I doubt it's safe to be swallowed with food and drink. Maybe it'd be easier to apply with lip balm. I'm keeping it for now.

As for its buddy, Lip Prism, which is about half its size (3.4 ml) and is a pearly combination of yellow and bright pink in its tube, when I brushed it on my top lip tonight (I used the Liplife on my bottom lip), it turned out looking a horrible gaudy shade of fuchsia. I don't remember it being quite this garish. I might be throwing it out as I can't see myself wearing such a colour. Again, I'm not sure it would be safe to swallow it with food or drink.

Now for our main event, the mascara test.

First, I brushed Lash bone on my lashes, top and bottom, on both my eyes. Then I used Fasio Shock Free Curl Volume mascara on my left eye and MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo on my right.

Turns out that Fasio can be used on top of MM Lash Bone. I think it does make application easier, or maybe it looks that way because I can see the Fasio covering the whitish Lash Bone bit by bit. However, Fasio is still pretty dry and clumpy.

MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo has always applied smoothly so far and it experienced no difficulty gliding on top of Lash Bone, as I knew would happen from previous use.

The result?

On the MM side, my lashes are well defined, fanned out, long and pitch black. No clumps.

On the Fasio side, my lashes are fanned out and long, not quite as black, and riddled with tiny dry clumps.

The clear winner is MM.

I don't know what I'll do with the Fasio. I'm sentimental so I don't think I have the heart to chuck it out until it's completely dried up, but I can't see myself using it when I go out again.

More mascara-related goss: I did some searches on Canmake Eyelash Essence and found that it's a very good eyelash care mascara. Lots have people have experienced great results -- longer and stronger lashes. It can even be used as a mascara base and it's completely clear. I might get it and use it as a base instead of Lash Bone when that runs out.

Meanwhile, the Fasio Easy Mascara Remover looks just a little bit complicated. After brushing it on, you have to wait two minutes before wiping the residue away with cotton pads. Then you have to wipe the wand clean before putting it back in the tube. And it can only be used with waterproof mascara, not with mascara that can be washed off with warm water.

Maybe it's easier to just stick with the L'Oreal makeup remover.

I still want to get the Mistine Debutant powder and lip gloss (or lipstick). I wonder when they'll stock it at Boots. Maybe in April?

Oh and when I looked at the new Fasio mascaras the other day, I noticed that they'd increased the amount of product per tube to 7 ml. On ya, Fasio.

Eureka! In2it foundation powder & Gino Pink Passion blusher (and brush)

Yep, that's right, I got those two items I wanted! I got the Gino blush brush too because the BA said I needed to buy 300 baht's worth of their stuff to become a member ... which I did.

I got the Gino Pink Passion blusher in Sugar Peach (No. 4). It does come with a rather nice brush -- very soft -- but I don't set much store by tiny included brushes. I just hope the 94-baht blush brush I bought is worth it. If it is, I can use it instead of the old blusher brush, which I can use for my powders.

While browsing Watsons, I also rediscovered Ziiit toner. It's cheaper than any of the other toners I looked at. Ziiit has all the good natural ingredients, that's why I love it. And I will definitely be buying Ziiit toner once my current Nivea one runs out (half a bottle left now).

Now, I tried the In2it powder over the Mistine Diamond I'm wearing today (which, by the way, has such a strong perfume that I can smell it while I'm wearing it, even if the smell is less strong when I sniff the powder in the case!). It really did seem to make my skin incredibly smooth, but that may just be the fact that it's powder foundation on top of another powder foundation.

The In2it refill is just a tiny bit too small for the Majo case. It's about the size of True Match, actually.

Speaking of which, I think I'll have to give it up. And the ZA too. I checked out True Match testers again today and found that it is actually Vanilla (or something like it) that truly matches me, not the colour I've got. I also tested Maybelline mineral foundation powder as well, finding the same result. Even though their lightest shade looks way too white when I dip my fingertip into it, when I blend it into my skin, it actually doesn't look much too bright for my complexion.

As for oil control? (Back to In2it now.) Not sure. I don't think anything can ever master my super-oily T-zone. At the end of the day, the powder was melting away from my nose and collecting in my pores.

I will try Maybelline White Stay base one day though. When all my liquid foundations run out. I heard it helps a little in the oil control department.

My Lash Enamel Glamour Neo is still clumpy! Is it really Fasio's fault or is LEGN just getting old? I wore it today and the clumps were still there. Plus the formula seems to be a tad drier. I haven't tried it over Lash Bone yet though. Maybe tomorrow. I mean, today. I will also try In2it on its own as well -- and the new Gino blusher :D

BTW the In2it is in Warm Beige, or OCF 02. That's the second-lightest of their yellow tones. I think it's actually a pretty good match for me.

P.S. Just tried the blusher. The included brush is too small to be useful. The 94-baht brush, however, is wonderful! Its width actually fits that of the blusher. A couple of sweeps are enough to put some colour in my cheeks! Oh plus the blusher has a very mild fragrance too. Kind of like cookies, I think.

Maybe I can use these puny included brushes to sweep on eyeshadow instead ...

InsoManiac MakeUpdate

Gah I'm so tired ... Stupid Facebook quizzes got me up all night, addictively doing one after another ...

Just wanted to jot down some makeup searching I did today.

The Beauty Buffet store yielded some good finds that I have either overlooked before, or that are just new. There is the Gino McCray Pink Passion blusher -- about 10 grams worth -- and the colour's nice too. Good value for money. There is another weighty Gino McCray blush but I think it's a cream-based one. I'm not too good with blushers that are not powder. (Speaking of which, the Maybelline mousse blushers are good value too ... but they're mousse, not powder.)

Gino McCray also have this Illuminating powder compact. It's about 13 grams and comes in a bulky black case. But it looks pretty good. Might try it out some day.

I wore Mistine Diamond today and did my re-do with Etude Dream On. The Dream On definitely softened my overall look (the Mistine did look rather bulky, but then I guess foundation powders are bound to do that) but it accentuated the paleness of the Mistine Diamond.

Oh, Fasio have brought in their latest line of mascaras, gradient blushers, eyeshadows (very nice colours and packaging), and -- the mascara remover! The mascaras aren't very exciting, just updates of their old mascara (except the lengthening mascara now has a comb applicator), but the mascara remover, which retails at 300 baht and is designed to be applied just like a normal mascara, is a bit intriguing. But my L'Oreal makeup remover does a good enough job on its own, I think.

No 7 blushers -- 5 grams -- are going for 199 too. But the Gino McCray ones are more value for money.

After looking at all this makeup all day, I thought, did I really need it? When I re-did my powder and put some more blush on -- first the orangey-brown Sheene, then the red Sheene because I could hardly see any change of colour in my face at all -- I thought, do I really need a new baby pink blush and an orange blush? And the powder -- do I really need more powder? I know I have more than enough already, but the new Dream On case looks lacklustre and the powder itself seems to me -- maybe I'm wrong -- even whiter than its predecessor. And the Mistine BB pact is still too light. I don't really want the Lotree that much, and the Skinfood White Grape pact has no sun protection.

I admit I'm interested in the In2it powder foundation though. They're including an extra refill for like 345 a set. I just wonder if the refill will fit my Majo case when the time comes to change refills (it is true that only my Fasio powder foundation seems to be anywhere near running out). I've heard good reviews of In2it.

Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind when I get more money from Mum. I think I really wanna get that In2it powder though. Plus I might need to get a True Match or Ideal Balance case for my True Match refill -- unless I give it away.

Oh, and no sign of the ZA Wide Eyes Mascara, though it isn't waterproof anyway and has fibres (risky). No sign of Mistine Debutant either. There was one Mistine Puffy blusher tester at one of the Boots stores at MBK but the product itself couldn't be found.

Okay, so next on my iWant list: In2it powder foundation and Gino McCray Pink Passion blusher. Oh and the Palty hair colours and a root re-touch when I can afford it.

All dressed up, nowhere to go ...

... or no money to do anything when I go out, more like.

Yesterday I went and saw Milk with a friend. While waiting for her to show up, I raided Boots and Watsons. At Boots, I found that there was a new Mistine powder on sale -- Mistine Number 1 Diamond Bio Skin Complex Super Powder SPF 18 PA+++ (wow, what a long name ... let's just call it the Mistine Diamond). I of course bought it despite the fact that I have many powders already. Mostly the packaging attracted me. The wrapping has a rather nice image of a popular Thai actress and the powder case is made to look like a huge diamond -- rather hi-so, I must say.

I chose number S2 because my previous experience of Mistine powder -- Mistine Number 1 Platinum -- taught me that S1 is way too light. Plus, it was the only number available at that particular Boots store.

This powder is imported from Korea where it was made by Kolmar, the same company that produces Mistine BB cream. This powder claims to have the secret to Korean women's flawless-looking skin. It claims to, basically, have similar ingredients to real skin, thus blending in perfectly smoothly.

Aside from this, my eye was also caught by some new Maybelline mascara -- the Volum' Express Hypercurl Cat Eyes mascara. It caught my eye because of its packaging -- it looks kind of like the usual Volum' Express tube except it is slimmer, and the lid or applicator handle is shiny magenta or hot pink with black tiger stripes! It excited me a bit because it has a comb type applicator -- the first I've seen in Maybelline in this country! The comb has two sets of teeth, I'm guessing to help build lash volume. And yes, it's waterproof! I was tempted, sorely tempted, but I had to remind myself that I have at least two perfect MM mascaras that need my loving. I told myself that Maybelline is lo-so mascara to me now, and moved on.

I was wearing Fasio powder foundation yesterday but I couldn't wait to try the new Mistine powder when I got home, so I put it on top of the Fasio after removing excess oil. It turned out that the S2 looked no different to the Platinum in S1!! Despite the fact that the powder itself looks darker, it ended up making my skin look vampire-like!

I thought maybe it was just the fact that I put it on over another foundation powder, but no! Today I woke up and simply washed my face with water before trying the Mistine Diamond on and it still looks vampire-like! Oh well ... I guess I gotta blame it on the fact that it's Korean-made powder ... Korean powder is whiter than anything ...

Anyway, a little more comment on the packaging ... I love the "glass bottom" look of this thing, I really do ... so much less tacky than the white bottom of Mistine Platinum ...

And the puff is also nicer than the Mistine Platinum one. Gotta hand it to them for the design. It actually looks good and not like a copy of something else ... although I slightly suspect them of taking inspiration from Shiseido's Maquillage case, which is also kind of diamond-like, but pink. And when I think harder, I realise the "D" logo on the front kind of reminds me of Christian Dior. But no matter. This is one Mistine case I really won't be embarrassed to use.

Anyway I really wanted to go out and buy the Skinfood White Grape pact from Rabbo today, as yesterday my friend told me that Skinfood is better than Etude. And I've read enough rave reviews of the White Grape pact to convince me to try it. And even if I don't have enough for it, I thought, I could just get that Palty hair colour that I've been wanting, or maybe even MM blush, as none of the pink blushes I looked at in Watsons or Boots yesterday cut it for me.

A little mascara musing here. Yesterday I wore just the Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. Wonderful, but where did those solid clumps come from?? I'm blaming the Fasio for the clumps. I'm sure Lash Enamel Glamour Neo on its own would never clump until it was nearly out of date.

And today I'm wearing Lash Expander Frame Plus on its own. Two coats, actually. One coat makes my lashes long, two make them longer and thicker too! Yay! But I don't think it's such a good idea to brush the other side of my lashes on the second coat.

So I might stop getting Lash Bone after my current tube runs out. I don't need it that much except to oomph up Lash Gorgeous Wing.

So what am I gonna do with this too-white Mistine Diamond? Use it on my neck, I guess. I would give it to Mum but the case is too adorable!

Oh I also put my new True Match in G5 on top of the Mistine Diamond, hoping to tone down the brightness. It's much yellower, the True Match. In fact, after comparing Mistine Diamond to my other powders, I found it's a bit more pink than the other ones, which are yellower. Not satisfied, I put the ZA on top of that again. Now I think the True Match and the ZA are slightly darker than my real skin, which is actually a kind of pale olive/yellow. Should I be surprised that when, at the end of the night, I tried to wipe my makeup off with my Boots cleansing wipes, it didn't manage to clean up all of the foundation powder? I made sure I was completely clean with the L'Oreal after that.

Oh, when I did my usual OCD-like searches for reviews on the makeup I just bought, I came across this other Korean imitation Mistine powder -- Debutant. It's also got its own line of lip glosses too. Very interesting. The powder case is average but it's got nice Korean Gothic (as I've just now coined it) graphic designs on the front and a Korean-style plastic tray for the puff. Maybe I'll get a Debutant lip gloss instead of Etude.

P.S. It is all too easy to get finger marks all over the shiny Mistine Diamond case. But meh. It's still too pretty to give up.

P.P.S. I just tried re-doing with Mistine Diamond to see if a fellow Thai reviewer is right about its not caking after re-do. And she's right. But then, I haven't been out today so I haven't really faced extreme weather conditions, therefore not much excess oil. This powder is actually so pale -- or good at covering up -- that I have to re-do my Gino McCray blush too! I might have to get a more orange blush and lip gloss to go with it though: since it's a bit on the pink side it won't do with my pink blush and gloss.

I forgot to add that Mistine Diamond does have a fragrance. A very perfumey one. I can only hope it fades soon.

I might start using Mistine Diamond for whenever I go out, both for before going out and for re-doing.

Oh and there are tiny sparkles in it. You have to look closely though.

P.P.P.S. Okay, upon the third re-do, the Mistine Diamond is starting to look cakey. It does make my face feel soft and smooth though.

I hate being poor. I want that Skinfood White Grape pact. And I wanna buy some orangey and pale pink blush. I want that Mistine Debutant powder and lip gloss and maybe even lipstick too. For the blush I might wanna try MM or even Etude, if I can get them cheap at Rabbo. Or maybe there's some nice Mistine blush I'm overlooking down at Boots. I can't get any of that until I have more money :(

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.

Confessions of a Fasio Ho

Okay so today I gave in to temptation and bought a Fasio pack consisting of their eyebrow mascara in Golden Brown, their Hyper-Stay mascara in black (Shock Free Curl Volume) and a little makeup bag in gold, brown and orange tartan.

I tried the eyebrow mascara over my existing eyebrow mascara of the same brand (but in Brown, which I felt made my brows too dark). It looks okay. Maybe the Brown and the Golden Brown can even be used together to achieve the right shade.

I tried the Curl Volume mascara on over what I'm already wearing -- Majolica Majorca Lash Bone with golden brown Lash Gorgeous Wing over the top. The Fasio made my lashes very black, all right, but I don't think their chunky brush does the job that MM's comb does. Or maybe the Fasio will work better on its own. I'll try it tomorrow. As for Fasio's reputation for being hard to wash off, I'll report on that when I do wash it off! Which brings me to another point -- today I bought the L'Oreal De-Maq -- the oily Elixir one which claims to be good at washing off the hard-to-wash-off. I will not be trying it yet though as my Ziiit Milk is not finished yet, although it is close to.

Today was the first time I washed my hair since I dyed it, making it almost exactly a week of not washing my newly-dyed hair. I used what was left of my Herbal Essences conditioner and then put the Asience conditioner on top of it. My poor hair feels dry :( I think I need cream-based shampoos and conditioners and maybe even leave-ons but I have plenty of shampoo and conditioner left waiting to be used.

Oh, plus the Fasio mascara, like the MM Lash Enamel Glamour Neo, can accidentally stain your eyelids and be hard to remove. If this mascara really doesn't work, I'll have to give it to Mum. Poor Mum lol.

Fasio also have a mascara that promises to separate lashes to make them fan out beautifully. It's about 400 baht though -- around the same price as the package I bought today. You can get that kind of mascara with a little glitter mascara that comes with a comb brush for like 450 baht or something, but I resisted that temptation.

P.S. The Fasio mascara is only 6 ml while MM are 7.5 (Lash Bone & Lash Enamel Glamour Neo) and 7 ml (Lash Gorgeous Wing). At least it'll run out sooner! ^^"

P.P.S. Maybe next time I buy mascara, I'll focus on length rather than volume. Volume can actually be quite "shocking."

New Year, New Hair ... and other guilty pleasures...

Yesterday I went to MBK. My intention was to get some toothpaste cos I'm seriously running out. But I also kind of wanted to do something with my hair -- a colour and maybe a trim too.

First I had lunch at Sizzler, ordering the new spicy chicken steak. It turned out to be quite salty. I couldn't eat very much and actually left my plates and bowl not as clean as usual.

Then I went to the Watson's on the sixth floor to get my toothpaste ... and what should I find but discounted ZA products! The oil-control foundation powder refills were only about 267 baht, down from their usual 300-something. Without thinking of how much powder I already have, I decided to buy it, telling myself that when my Fasio powder runs out, I'll put the new ZA into the Majolica Majorca case in its place.

I got the ZA powder in number 22 because 20 is their whitest and neither of the two Watsons at MBK had number 21 which I think would have matched me perfectly! Afterwards I tried the ZA powder on top of what I was wearing that day (if I remember correctly: Mistine BB cream, Maybelline mineral powder foundation, and a re-do with Etude Dream On) so I couldn't really tell if the colour was all right or not.

Anyway, while at Watson's I got the Fasio eyebrow mascara. They had two colours, brown and light brown, and I got the brown because I was afraid light brown would be too light. That was before I had my hair dyed, however. But the brown doesn't do a bad job: it lightens my brows just enough to not look really black compared to my hair. And it's easy to wash off with my Ziiit Milk makeup cleanser.

Now, after getting the cosmetics (and the toothpaste of course) I went to the Neo hair stylist at Bonanza across the road. But I didn't stay. There were at least two people waiting in the queue and I think I needed to have a coupon to get the cheap prices they advertised. So I had to go back to my staple, Big Cut, at MBK.

This time, Big Cut did a great job with my colour. I'm very happy with it. It's sort of copper. And I got a slight trim and a treatment done while I was there. I did spend 1900 baht but I think it was worth it.

I don't think I'll be doing a colour like this again soon. I think I need to dye my hair a natural dark brown for graduation. After that I might stop dying it for a while. I'm not keen on enduring the stinging sensation the chemicals cause on my scalp again soon.

Today I wore Mistine Number One Platinum. It looks great with my new copper hair. However, at the end of the day, it seems to be coming off with the excess sebum. Or maybe all foundation powders are like that.

And I think soon I'm gonna have to get the L'Oreal De-Maq makeup removing cleanser -- the most expensive one -- it's about 200 baht.

Makeup Mayhem :p

Okay so today I wore my OP pink eyeshadow with the brown mascara and no eyeliner. My lashes do stand out more, but I never seem to have got the hang of doing pink makeup. Anyway at the end of the day I bought the Maybelline Eye Studio eyeshadow quad in GD-2 "Gold Nuggets" and another In2it eyeliner -- this time in brown, which turned out to go well with my brown mascara :D

When I got home and put some Mistine BB loose powder on, I realised that there are tiny sparkles in it! Tinier than in the Boots Natural Collection one (which I put on today on top of the Mistine BB cream ... it looked very slightly green on me so I put the Mistine BB loose powder on top of it again).

I also realised that I can try my light green eyeshadow with the brown mascara! So I'll try that next :D And the Maybelline palette after that! Yayz! Lots of opportunity to use my brown mascara teehee :p

And when it runs out, I'll try the Lash Gorgeous Wing in black because I'm actually diggin' the fluttery lashes look.

Oh and I think I'll get the L'Oreal Ideal Balance 2-way foundation powder next time, as it's just a bit cheaper than ZA :D

MakeUpdates

Today I put on the Mistine BB cream after moisturising and put on the matching loose powder after that. Now that I've got the hang of it, loose powder isn't so bad. It's still not good for carrying around, though. Oh, and the smell isn't as 'morbid' as it seemed at first, or maybe I'm just used to it. (Etude might be slightly on the sickeningly sweet side.) The two Mistine products gave me an even and soft-looking finish. I wouldn't say it's oil-controlling, however I think it does a better job of that than Etude. But perhaps I'm judging Etude unfairly. I haven't tried Etude with the Maybelline foundation yet, and I can't remember if I've already tried Etude on top of the Mistine BB cream. Oh, and today I put the BB cream on a bit thick because a lot came out with I squeezed the tube, and it gave a better coverage, but not too much, which I like.

I wore the two brown Oriental Princess eyeshadows I have today: a pearly brown first with the golden brown on the top. This is not my best combination, as I found out later. However, without using any eyeliner at all (I tried to put some on at first but decided against it), my brown mascara does stand out more. Yay!

I'm a bit tempted to buy one of Maybelline's new colour palettes, in brown, to replace the pearly OP brown that doesn't look good on me.

BTW, the L'Oreal De-Maq isn't as expensive as I thought. It's not twice the price of Ziit Milk at all. Well, one of the varieties is just over 200 baht, but the other two are around 150 baht. Hooray :D

Today I'll try pink eyeshadow with brown mascara :D

Makeup mania

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.

It's been almost two months since my previous confession.

Since my Maybelline Clear Smooth pressed powder began to run out, I've been running around looking for a replacement powder. Reading online reviews, some of them conflicting with others, led me to buying many different products in order to quench my curiosity and decide for myself what works and what doesn't.

First I bought Boots Natural Collection loose powder because it was on sale for 69 baht. With it, I bought the pressed powder foundation as well as a lovely pink lip gloss called Berry Sorbet (smells like ice cream). The pressed powder didn't offer enough coverage for me but it did absorb a lot of oil, which I love, but unfortunately the colour is either too dark for me or it gets that way after a while. So I'm gonna hand this over to Mum when she gets here. Besides, Boots powders don't have refills! What a waste.

The Berry Sorbet gloss is lovely. It's a wonderful sweet pink. The product is not sticky, in fact it's quite liquid and seems to get absorbed just a little bit. It seems to moisturise my lips too, which is a plus because my lips have been flaking for a while even after applying my staple Body Shop cranberry lip balm. The Berry Sorbet gloss is not ultra-shiny, but I don't need the ultra shine anyway because my lips are quite full already.

As for the loose powder ... it's my first experience with loose powder and I'm glad it was only 69 baht because I don't think I'll be buying more of this. I chose the green powder because green makeup bases apparently hide redness in your skin. When I actually tried the product, I found that it has a bit of glitter in it, which I couldn't tell from looking at the packaging. Applied alone, it offers no coverage at all. Haven't tried it with anything else yet because ... well, there's more on the way.

After reading rave reviews of Mistine BB Wonder Cream and seeing it and the BB loose powder at Watson's, I gave in to temptation and bought the set. And the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss which I've been eyeing for ages just because of its naughty name and its delicious chocolate smell.

I've been using the BB cream to cover up my redness, acne scars and large pores ever since I got it, but once it's finished, I don't think I'll get more. I think my Maybelline Clear Smooth gel foundation provides much better coverage and feels wonderfully light. But the BB cream is only 15ml so it shouldn't last long. Yay :p

The BB loose powder has a strong, I call it 'morbid' flowery fragrance. It reminds me of mum's or my grandmother's old-lady cosmetics. I think the product is a bit more finely milled than the Natural Collection powder. The puff is lovely, full and soft, and it's actually practical, compared to the Natural Collection puff which is cute and fluffy-looking but I don't feel it works so well. I think I prefer the Mistine BB loose powder. There's more of it too, like 15 grams or something, so I won't be able to get rid of it in such a hurry. I think I'll keep both loose powders for when I do my makeup at home as I don't want them to spill in my bag when I'm out. Oh, and the packaging of the Mistine BB loose powder is a bit ... well, cheap. The plastic seems to be quite thin. And the lid is very thin and shallow so it's not as good for putting the powder in as the Natural Collection loose powder lid is -- that one's lid is a bit curved so it's like a nice little bowl to put the powder in before applying it with the puff.

The Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss is supposed to make thin lips look fat, but I don't know how much it affects me cos my lips are quite full already. Like I said, I just liked the name and the smell. There are two kinds of SMP lip gloss -- clear and nude. I bought the nude one because I don't have any nude lip colour and I wanted to give it a try. Like the Natural Collection gloss, I think SMP moisturises my lips because I don't experience any chapping compared to the Body Shop cranberry lip balm (which never used to make me flake before!). The shine that SMP provides is unbelievable. My lips stay sticky and shiny all day. Oh, and this lip gloss makes your lips tingle a bit when you apply it, but that doesn't last more than about half an hour. So I don't know if it makes my lips look bigger, but it's very high shine and as a bonus, it keeps my lips moisturised.

So overall I think I'm gonna give up on the loose powders. I'll find a way to use up or give away the ones I bought and I won't buy any more. I only got them because I thought maybe loose powders are better at absorbing oil than pressed powders. Who knows, they may, but I can't deal with the unease of use when compared with pressed powders.

And that brings me to my big splurge -- my first Etude compact powder. I got the number 2 Dream On pact because I thought the number 1 would be too fair for my skin. I got it from the Siam Square Etude House where they give you a 5% discount for an individual purchase and 15% if you buy more than one item. (I only got the one thing because that's expensive enough.)

The packaging is gorgeous. That's the main reason why I got it -*- The powder is just pressed powder, not powder foundation. It smells really sweet -- not 'morbid' like the Mistine, but enchantingly sweet. Some people might be allergic to perfume though, but I'm not. I think I chose the right colour for my skin. I think it's an almost exact match. But it does not control oil like it claims to at all. I won't be getting it again. I might get the shine-free refill that I saw in the Siam Center store. If not, I might get a Mistine Platinum refill -- because I've heard great reviews about that, as well as from my mum. (Again, some reviews contradict others. I'll never know what works for me if I never try.)

I couldn't stop there. I finally got the absolutely fabulous Majolica Majorca case -- which I don't regret at all, it's just too gorgeous not to have! And I got a Fasio powder foundation refill to put in it. The Fasio is not a perfect fit but I can live with it till it runs out. And then I might try the Majolica Majorca 24H Pressed Fantasia -- their pressed powder -- because that at least would fit perfectly. Apparently that one might be a little too white and it's not a great oil control product but at least I know it's good for the skin as it can be worn while you sleep too. Or I might get a ZA powder foundation refill as I've heard it's good for oil control.

Anyway, to talk about the Fasio. It claims to cover up pores and some people say it's good for oil control but there aren't as many people talking about it online as some other brands. I think I see why. I only bought it in the first place because it was the cheapest powder foundation refill I could find in the Watson's at Central World where I got the MM case. (I also bought Fasio's Pure Blush in Baby Blossom -- a light pink. I did want to buy MM's blush because of the gorgeous case but I couldn't handle paying 300+ baht just for blush.) Anyway, the Fasio powder foundation has a very make-up-y smell -- reminds me of my mum's foundations. I can live with that. It feels very thick on my face. I feel like my pores can't breathe. (I wear it on top of the Mistine BB Wonder Cream -- that might be part of the reason. And most times I don't moisturise before putting it on.) And I think it also looks very thick. Or maybe I apply too much. But I feel it makes me look older! If I re-do it, I feel like all my pores are more prominent! Plus it looks crusty halfway through the day -- probably due to sebum absorption. I admit it controls oil better than the Etude Dream On, but the crustiness just won't do!

As for the Fasio blush, I'd say it's satisfactory. I don't have a big problem with blush not staying on. I picked the lightest colour -- Fasio has only three blush colours, which is a shame -- and I need to brush it on twice with my big blush brush to make it noticeable. The puny brush that came with the blush is useless, as most brushes of this type are. The blush itself is fine. It looks like a healthy glow. I do find that later in the day, it seems to be darker, but that might be because of the powder.

So I think I'll give foundation powders a miss from now on. I only started buying foundation powders because normal pressed powders don't have refills. Hopefully ZA doesn't get crusty or look and feel really thick like Fasio, which, by the way, is even worse when applied with a wet sponge. (Or maybe I'm not doing it right -*-) If ZA and Mistine Platinum are good, great! If Pressed Fantasia is better, then even better! :D

That's all I've bought. But I still want more.

Before all these adventures in the realm of powder makeup, I bought my first expensive (for me) mascara -- the Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. This is their line of lash volume-enhancing mascara. My lashes are ... quite abundant and their length is fine, they just need a bit of curl and volume. At first I wanted to get their latest Lash Gorgeous Wing mascara, which has a brush type applicator instead of MM's signature comb type and has short and long fibres. But my boss during my internship tried it once and gave it to my supervisor instead because it offers no thickness despite its claims. And I've read bad and mediocre reviews of it online. So I gave it a miss and chose the volumising one instead. And I'm pretty happy with it. People always comment on my lashes whenever I wear it. The comb applicator is wonderful. It separates individual lashes and eliminates clumps, giving my lashes a fan-like look.

But I still wanna try the Lash Gorgeous Wing! MM have just come out with a little winter collection, including a golden-brown version of the Lash Gorgeous Wing ... which I won't be getting as I need black mascara. Still, the allure of the promise of feathery-full lashes is strong! I know it doesn't actually thicken your lashes, but I've got the Lash Enamel Glamour Neo for that. I just wonder if I could put Lash Gorgeous Wing on top of that to give my lashes that feathery look.

I went to Platinum Fashion Mall yesterday because I heard they sell MM mascaras there for around 400 baht -- 90 baht less than what I got mine for at Watson's. I saw the Lash Enamel Glamour Neo, the Lash Expander Neo and the Lash Bone -- but no Lash Gorgeous Wing T^T (I also saw the Kiss Chiffon Matte makeup base that's supposed to be really good for oil control... Maybe next time...) There were also other MM products like the Rouge Majex lip gloss and their Honey Lip Pump as well. And the pretty golden case. I didn't ask for the price because I don't want to regret buying mine at Watson's for 300 baht.

So maybe when I have more money I'll buy the Kiss makeup base and the Lash Gorgeous Wing (in black, of course). There's also the infamously hard-to-wash-off Fasio mascara which costs about half the price of MM ... but some reviews say it clumps and makes your lashes look like cockroach legs. Eew. I'm also thinking of buying L'Oreal's De-Maq Expert makeup cleanser because my Ziit Milk makeup cleanser is running out fast as I use loads of it to wash off my MM mascara -*- De-Maq is like twice the price of Ziit Milk though, and I've been using Ziit Wash and Ziit Milk for so long because of their all-encompassing ingredients (Ziit Milk even has olive oil in it!).

Oh yeah -- I'm also interested in the MM Lash Bone mascara base. Some people say it doesn't do anything, but it does have lash-lengthening fibres in it, and it's supposed to condition and thicken your lashes. Hmm. Lash Bone or Lash Gorgeous Wing? Or both? The Lash Bone at Platinum and the Lash Gorgeous Wing at Watson's? Or maybe later they'll have the Lash Gorgeous Wing at Platinum too?

So yeah, all this makeup buying and coveting has resulted in a serious loss of cash.

Sigh.

P.S. None of the powder/foundation powder products have irritated my skin. No break-outs, not even with Fasio's suffocating foundation powder!