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

New: Etude Precious Mineral BB Pact [Sheer Flawless Skin]

So I finally got it -- the new Etude mineral BB pact. At the Paragon cosmetics counter they had all three versions of the powder but at the Etude shop in Siam Centre they only had the brightest colour and the darkest colour. And it isn't even that dark -- the cake actually looks lighter than my number two Etude Dream On! But that may just be the pearl powder in the mineral BB pact.

After getting my pay, I saw the new Etude mineral line at the Paragon branch. The ladyboy BA told me that they were on sale -- 20% off -- and the pacts were about 800 baht each. Luckily the Siam Centre branch was just a bit cheaper -- about 795 baht. I did debate with myself whether to go to Rabbo instead, but my feet hurt from my purple heels, and the last time I went to Platinum, there was no Etude or Skinfood to be found. I didn't want to go there and be disappointed, so I bought the pact at the Siam Centre branch.

Also at the Paragon cosmetics counters a BA helped me try one of the new coloured Lip Plump lip collagens. I believe the colour is called Viva Va Voom. It's probably the lightest colour, a sort of orangey red. It looked a bit scary just out of the tube but it looked fine on my lips afterwards. I almost bought the original Limp Plump but realised it has no SPF! I'm a bit OCD about SPF, so I passed. I do still need something to erase the wrinkles out of my lips though. Boots have a line of cheap lip care. Their CoEnzyme Q10 one doesn't have SPF though; they have a stand-alone SPF lip balm stick. Maybe Lip Ice has an anti-aging plus SPF one? Or maybe Nivea, even?

So, the Etude mineral BB pact. It's SPF 30/PA+++ and comes in a dark, pearly, maroony purple case that resembles a clam shell. It's about the same size as the Dream On pact but the mirror inside is bigger, which is more convenient than Dream On. Like the Dream On, there is no built-in tray to put the puff, but it comes with a removable plastic tray that I must be very careful not to lose! The powder itself has a strange smell, I think -- reminds me of dish washing detergent or bathroom cleaner -- is this because it's mineral, or because of the mineral water, or is this the way Etude's BB usually smells? I remember their normal BB pact smells different to the Dream On, but it doesn't smell like this. And I've never smelt their BBs.

Anyway, being excited to try it out, I put it on over the In2it I was wearing. I think it made my face look a bit brighter (I think the In2it darkened or was wiped off as the day wore on) and if you look closer you can see the sparkly pearl powder.

And this is the kicker.

I fell asleep for about an hour. And when I woke up -- my face was only slightly shiny -- more moist or dewy or shimmery than oily! I couldn't believe it. Was it just the mineral BB or was it the help of the In2it?

I wiped off the excess shine and did a test: mineral BB on one half of my face and Dream On on the other. I think the colour came up pretty much the same but Dream On might have been slightly more natural-looking and seemed to give more coverage in some places. BUT Dream On cakes horribly on my nose while the mineral BB doesn't. That first day, anyway.

I might try the mineral BB as a base with Dream On for redo's next -- but with mineral BB on the nose and some cheaper powder, maybe Mistine Diamond, on my neck.

I still want that Maybelline White Stay UV base. The 30 baht off promotion at Watsons is until the end of this month so I still have time. Not sure whether to get the green or the purple. I guess I have redness that needs erasing but I'm curious about the purple.

I saw some pictures of some Castledew case and realised it resembles the Mistine Diamond case. Hah.

My Navy In2it eyeliner is getting even harder to apply, I think. Must be because I lost the cap so it dries out much more quickly :-(  Might try their liquid liner instead though -- they have a sparkly navy one.

The last mascara I wore when I went out was Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. One application. It was quite dry and natural-looking :-s  Must need the help of Lash Bone or a couple more applications to give it more oomph. But it has served me so well, oh yes ...

I'm still in search of something to moisturise my lips and help erase the lines that are becoming more noticeable. I just tried the Maybelline Water Shine 3D Collagen again, this time applying thinly, and it looks fine except that it's too pink for my liking -- maybe I should get a more orange one -- but it does collect a bit in the cracks still. Should I get a more orange one and give it another try?

Okay I've just been convinced by web and two YouTube reviews that I should try the Maybelline Moisture Extreme lip colour. Like the name says, it's supposed to moisturise and it also has SPF 15. For some reason it seems collagen and sun protection never go hand-in-hand in lip products. So maybe I'll get this for the sun protection and the cheap Boots lip balm for the collagen. Hell, maybe I'll even get another Water Shine Collagen one too, a more orange one this time.

The Maybelline site is helpful in that it has a "Color Advisor" -- you pick your skin colour (it only has "Light", "Medium" and "Dark" -- no mention of pink or yellow undertones though) and your eye colour and the site will highlight the colours that will suit you best. One of the Moisture Extreme colours that it recommended (the American, UK and Australian site don't have Water Shine 3D Collagen and the Asian sites are not in English) is called Peach Colada. The Thai reviews have mentioned Iced Peach Tea, and I suspect they are the same colour or similar. Must check them out.

I think I'm sold. Orange lip colours, here I come ...

P.S. Maybe I'll get the Maybelline White Stay base in purple, as I have green powder ...

P.P.S. Changed my mind -- I'll get the green base as the purple is supposed to make your face brighter. I have foundation and powders for that.

And the Canadian Maybelline site reckons Moisture Extreme now has collagen ... hmm ... that would make it THE lipstick, then :p

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.

Repentance / Lessons learnt

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned...

Today I bought what seems to be an Anna Sui Moisturizing Powder Foundation Case from MBK for 400 baht. It was supposed to be a new home for my Revlon New Complexion refill which does not fit into the Mistine Platinum case and has a case too ugly for my liking.

The Anna Sui case is too small for the refill. Just looking at it, I could tell. But I bought it anyway.

I tried to remove the Garnier Light powder from its case because it looks like it would fit. But I failed. The powder cracked everywhere. My poor Garnier powder.

The lesson is this: I should try to buy cases and refills that are made for each other, if possible. And I should try to buy less makeup because I can't use it all in time. Mostly it's powder/foundation and mascara.

Yet I think tomorrow I'll still go to Rabbo at Platinum and see if I can score Anna Sui powder case with refill or the same by Lotree. And maybe Lash Gorgeous Wing in black if I can stand to lose a few more hundred baht.

Oh -- the Anna Sui case I bought today comes with a cheap-looking sponge that seems to have been dyed purple. Not the trademark Anna Sui kind.

Note to self: when I go to the UK, I should buy some real Anna Sui powder case(s) with original refill(s) in the duty free zone.

Now if I could only find a refill that would fit this stupid overpriced case. Maybe I can get a Skin Food refill tomorrow. They're smaller than the Revlon so they might fit. Or maybe I can get an In2it refill, if it looks like it would fit.

Oh, the Revlon.

As I said, Ivory Beige is too white for me. Today I put on Fasio over Mistine BB. It seemed too bright so I put the ZA number 22 on top of that. Later, out of boredom/curiosity/procrastination, I put the Revlon Tender Peach (which I exchanged with Mum) on top of it all. It still looks a bit funny -- probably because Revlon has a more pinkish than yellow tone -- but after it blended in, it looked not so bad. No more Revlon for me, I think. Asian brands would be better for my skin tone.

P.S. Everything's not lost! Hurrah -- I just tried putting my old Sheene refill into the Anna Sui case -- and it's a perfect fit! :D Hooray~ Now if I can only find a Sheene refill...

New target: Lotree

Okay, just in case I can't get Anna Sui cases for cheap, I think I'm gonna try and get Lotree ones because I've seen them at my Platinum makeup dealers' stands. I just took a look at pics of the cases online and they look good -- a mystical deep purple with the kind of gothic deco I love. Apparently the powder's good too but we'll see.

Random rant

BTW I hate the new Apple Safari 4 Beta's "native" look. I liked the Mac OS feel of the previous versions.

I just tried Etude Dream On on my bare (cleansed, toned and moisturised) face and it kind of softens the imperfections a bit but can't cover my redness or the pimple I kind of have on my right cheek. But the colour is a good match for my skin. I put the MM Pressed Pore Cover on top of it and now I look whiter -- but still no redness coverage.

I wanted to go out and get the Lash Gorgeous Wing in black and maybe some Ann Sui cases at Platinum but I heard thunder so I decided to stay in. But it's still sunny out and the thunder's gone away now. Dammit.

I really want a new MacBook. My babe said he wanted to get me one but we know he can't afford that and coming here to see me. And my family can't afford that and Dad's new car and my going abroad either. Not even with iStudio's 0% interest.

A really quick makeupdate just to get my writing glands going...

Okay, so first things first -- the MM Lash Expander Frame Plus mascara. Lengthens pretty well on its own. My lashes are a good length already but this adds a little oomph to them length-wise. The fibres are soft unlike the Lash Gorgeous Wing ones. During the day I do get slight fibre flakage but it's nothing to get upset about. However, the more you apply the mascara and the more fibres get on your lashes, they start to get a little ... cobwebby. A good trick is to brush the other side of the tips of my lashes -- I find that gives my lashes a bit more definition. But be careful not to get mascara on your eyelids.

As my lashes are a bit long already, I prefer mascara that gives me big volume. This one, obviously, is a lengthening mascara. So I use it with my Lash Bone and I get just the right amount of volume and length -- and compliments, of course :D My lashes are almost as thick as with the Lash Bone + Lash Enamel Glamour Neo combo, but they're longer.

What else is new?

Oh -- I bought the MM Pressed Pore Cover at Watsons the other day. I tried it on top of the Mistine BB the other day and today I used Mistine BB plus Boots 17 Skin Perfecting Balancing Foundation with the MM Pressed Pore Cover on top of it all. The puff is very soft and velvety. The powder appears almost white and kind of shimmery. On the puff, it looks a pale skin or cream colour. It goes on slightly lighter than whatever I'm wearing as foundation. But I think it does a good job as a finishing powder. The whiteness isn't too obvious (unlike Mistine Platinum) and it blends in after a while. Today I was also kind of impressed with its oil control capabilities too -- but that may be due to the 17 foundation and/or the Mistine BB. It was really hot and humid today and I was sweating in the faculty library but when I got to the bathroom, my face wasn't as shiny as it normally would be, just moist and modestly shiny. And I think it does cover up the pores -- but that, again, may be the work of the Mistine BB and/or the 17 foundation. And it doesn't cake! That's the best part! However, it offers no sun protection so it must be used with lotion, base or foundation that does.

As Watson is having a Revlon sale with a buy-one-get-one-plus-one-baht promotion, and I'm kind of looking for a round powder refill for my Etude Dream On case (not that it's running out anytime soon -- it's like 12 grams and I don't even use it normally), and Mum was here this weekend, I kind of helped the BA sell us the New Complexion Oil-Free Wet & Dry Compact Make Up. First we got refills for the both of us -- hers in Tender Peach and mine in Ivory Beige (the lightest one in this range) at the suggestion of the BA. That night I tried to put my refill into the Mistine Platinum case but it was a bit too big. Tonight Mum instructed me to get some more of the Revlon stuff (is it powder or is it foundation powder?) because she said it was really good. I suggested we get the case plus refill this time as the refills aren't going to fit into our Mistine Platinum cases. So I got them. And I hate the Revlon case. Not only is it an old-lady olive green and gold, but it is so flimsy. I am considering getting an Anna Sui case or two -- at a cheap price, of course -- instead. Whenever the Etude Dream On runs out, I can put one refill there and the other one in the cheap Anna Sui case (if I can get my hands on one or two).

I plan to discard my Sheene Oil Free sample, my Garnier Light powder in Natural, and my ZA refill (22) by giving them to my mum. The first two powders are too dark for me and I suspect the ZA might be too. More importantly, when I tried to put the ZA refill into my new MM Pressed Pore Cover case, it wouldn't fit. It's just a bit too big. And it put hairline cracks into my gorgeous black MM case T^T

What to put in my MM cases once my Pressed Pore Cover and Fasio are gone? Well, I might just get some more Pressed Pore Cover. Or I could get the L'Oreal True Match or Ideal Balance. Or some In2it. Maybe I'll even get the MM Skin Remaker or some other Shiseido-owned powder from my locale at Platinum Fashion Mall.

P.S. I'm kind of tempted to get Lash Gorgeous Wing in black too. I haven't quite learned my lesson on that range yet. The short fibres sometimes get in your eyes during application and they do flake onto your face during the day but the latter is tolerable and the former can be endured.

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.

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.

More Fasio / No 7 observations ... and more

Today I wore the Fasio again. I forgot to mention that it looks very natural. And the No 7 starts to look clumpy on your lashes if you do more layers.

I wore the Mistine Platinum again today and one of my friends said it actually doesn't look too pale. Later I re-did my face with the Etude Dream On and I think it makes me glow a little more. It doesn't look cakey like re-doing with powder foundation. However it offers no shine control at all!

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 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

Boots Beauty Buzz @ Chamchuri Square

I went to eat at BKK Grill at Chamchuri Square today after class. I ordered the pork chop steak with honey sauce and instead got just the pork chop steak -*- (Yesterday I ordered a small Gloria Jeans coffee and got a regular instead -*-)

Afterwards, for lack of a Watsons, I went to look at the Boots branch instead. They're having a Chinese New Year sale. Lots of their house brand cosmetics are retailling at reduced prices. I spent a few minutes checking out their makeup, especially.

Boots' 17 brand makeup now has a pressed mineral foundation powder compact. It's selling for about 159 baht at the moment. Interesting. I don't really like the colour of the compact, but the idea of a cheap pressed mineral foundation powder is tempting. I don't know what SPF it is though -- it says it's got sun protection but doesn't say how much. And I only saw three colours there: Natural, Biscuit, and Honey. Natural, the lightest one, looks too dark for me!

Boots' No7 brand makeup has a wide range of mascaras and they're selling at about 199 each at the moment. They have a "Brown/Black" colour that's sort of tempting -- it's not as clearly brown as the MM Lash Gorgeous Wing -- in fact, it's almost black. But then I remembered I'm not gonna buy brown mascara any more. They didn't have any testers for the blue mascara though (called Navy) so I don't know what that colour's like.

Also, the Boots cucumber skincare range (apart from having a 75-baht moisturising cream) has some makeup cleansing wipes -- 10 for like 49 baht and 30 for like 69 baht. Very interesting. Would be useful for nights when I'm too lazy to wash my face. (Which is miserably often.)

Oh -- today I wore the Lash Bone with Lash Enamel Glamour Neo. The difference in impact between the two MMs and the Fasio is colossal. My MM lashes are probably twice as noticeable as with the Fasio. And of course, no panda eyes. I can also curl the lashes after the mascara is completely dry, but they have more tendency to clump together than with the Fasio.

Don't know what I'm gonna wear tomorrow. I need to use up my Lash Gorgeous Wing. Too bad brown makes my eyes look tireder.

I saw some ads for Maxim fashion contact lenses at an optometrist's too. I'm a bit tempted because their blue contacts look quite clear and natural. But I know that using contacts means I also have to clean them and artificially hydrate (lubricate??) my eyes, incurring more costs. And I'm so poor right now. Too many good meals and expensive coffee. Ah I miss Starbucks! They always smell so inviting whenever I walk by!

Oh and I re-did my face with the Etude Dream On today. I think neither it or the Mistine Platinum look much too light for my complexion any more. Either I'm paler or something about the powder(s) changed.

Makeup Musings

I wore my red Sheene blush, In2it dark brown eyeliner, and Fasio mascara with Mistine Number One Platinum today. Oh, and the Natural Collection lip gloss. Looked great. Natural and beautiful. But I think -- unless I put it on too hurriedly -- the Fasio mascara isn't as thick as MM! At least not as thick as MM with the Lash Bone, anyway!

Oh, the above is about Monday. I realise that it is now, technically, Tuesday.

Today, if I have enough time in the morning, I'll try the Lash Bone and Lash Enamel Glamour Neo and see how it looks :D

Mascara Maniac

BTW, Mistine Number One Platinum is running out already. I can see the bottom.

The Fasio mascara is no harder to wash off than MM.

I'm crazy -- after washing off all my makeup, cleansing, toning, and moisturising for the night ... I put on the Fasio mascara -*- I just wanted to see what it's like without using the eyelash curler -- which can cause eyelash tangles and "too" curly curls if misused ... and guess what? The Fasio mascara works great without the help (or the opposite of it) of the eyelash curler! My lashes are very black and fan out beautifully :)

Maybe I'll try all my mascaras without the eyelash curler and see how that goes :)

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.

Afterthoughts

BTW. Mistine Number One Platinum smells like something that used to be put on me by gay makeup artists when I used to be a sign-bearer girl in junior high school. Like another Thai brand, PIAS, maybe. Or just cheap cosmetics. And the Maybelline mineral powder foundation's kabuki brush presents a problem in covering my under-eye marks. Puffs have no trouble reaching in there.

I just tried putting the Mistine over the Maybelline and the difference in colour is so obvious. I guess what I'll do with all my powders is try to use the loose powders when I have time to put on makeup before going out, and try to use the too-light powders on my neck instead of my face.

There is also the question of the Mistine BB cream and the Maybelline Clear Smooth gel foundation that I haven't been using. I'll try to use up the Mistine first, which shouldn't take long as it's only about 15ml, then try to use up the Maybelline. Then use the loose powders on top of them. And use the Etude Dream On for re-dos when I'm out.

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Healthy Natural Foundation

Okay so today I tried on the new Maybelline mineral foundation powder without putting anything else on my face first (and without even going out! I think my makeup addiction is getting serious!). It gives a very natural look and I think the colour is just right for my skin. The coverage gets better the more you put on but I don't wanna put too much on for fear of caking. It doesn't feel thick or heavy either.

The included kabuki brush is adorable. The bristles are a bit stiff for my face though, but then so are the bristles of my big blush brush. Strange how the tiny blush brushes which come with blushers are so soft though, but because they're so tiny, they are useless.

So my verdict on the Maybelline mineral powder foundation? I like it so far. If I put the Etude Dream On on top of it during the day when I re-do, I think the colour would be just right -- a tiny bit brighter but not too much so. Yay :D Or maybe I could even put the too-bright Mistine Number One Platinum on top of it. I guess I'm so used to powders that are too light for me that I feel like this Maybelline is a tad too dark. It looks perfectly natural on camera though.

P.S. I'm starting to worry about finding anti-aging creams.

Mistine Number One Platinum & Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Healthy Natural Powder Foundation

So I gave in and bought Mistine Number One Platinum in S1 the other day. The first time I used it, I didn't like it. The packaging is fine but the puff is really lacklustre. At least the puff for Mistine's BB loose powder looks good. However, yesterday I tried it again on bare and unprepared skin and was quite satisfied. It offered good coverage without feeling thick or heavy. At the end of the day, however, I felt like it was just a bit too light for my skin tone. I'm not sure if buying S2 next time is a good idea though. Buying foundation powder darker than your skin, I think, is worse than buying lighter.

Today I went to Watsons to buy some Asience conditioner but they didn't have any. Instead I was surprised to see Maybelline's new mineral foundation on sale. I gave in (again) and bought some in Natural Ochre (W02). Haven't tried it yet. Might tomorrow.

What am I gonna do with all this powder? lol.

Oh, today I'm wearing just the Etude Dream On after moisturising. Nice and light coverage, good match with my skin tone. It just offers no shine control.