MAC | Red Red Red | Toxic Tale

Hope this finds you well!

Forgive the lack of  updates, prelims and finals are coming so hadn't had the time to write much. Please bear with my sparse updates until those end.

I have tons of product reviews I want to share with you after, in the mean time, follow me on Instagram @sheenashares to get a sneak of reviews that might come your way.

However, I did want to share with you a lipstick that Mac Cosmetics released as part of their Red Red Red Collection. Since it would only be officially launched on our shores this Feb, I wanted to give you guys the heads up because this one lipstick is sooooo good.

Toxic Tale (Satin)

A bright coral, this shade piqued my interest as this coral seemed to lean more towards pink than orange which was exactly what I wanted (although it does seem more orange off the lips, but on, it's definitely more pink). I somewhat bought this blindly because I didn't even get to swatch it in person because it was my aunt who helped me purchase it (at 20% off, no less) as she won a pass to the preview launch. I forwent the other shades in the collection because this was the only opaque shade of the lot. I personally would rather spend $30 on a opaque lipstick than a "tinted lip balm" but that's just my opinion.

TEXTURE: 5/5
It had a smooth, creamy and thick texture. There was no lumps and bumps. Creamy such that there was no chaffing of lips once on. The consistency wasn't so thick that it would slide of the boundaries but not thin enough that a mere rubbing of lips would lead to colour disappearing.

APPLICATION: 4.5/5
It's stellar texture allowed for smooth application. There was no dragging across the lips however because it is of slightly thicker consistency, it won't exactly slide across the lips either. It does take a wee more muscle power but I can't complain because the non slip allows for more control on application. For intense shade, control is much welcomed. In addition, the formula for this allows building up for a more intense colour without patchiness.

PIGMENTATION: 5/5
What I really love about this shade is the ability to control intensity without compromising much on the opacity. My lips are pigmented dark pink with brown edges. Therefore, even most opaque lipsticks are unable to cover the edges of my lips. However, 2-3 layers coats my lips quite nicely without any brown peeking through. Heck, even a single layer (shown below) manages to coat my lips pretty damn well.

LONGEVITY: 4.5/5
I had this on through a soupy and oily meal and it was still visible. My lips did not look oily albeit it did look slightly duller / less neon. However, there was no pressing need to touch up after the meal thus making it a fuss-free lipstick. There was also slight fading in the inner lip but if your lips are pigmented pink, it's barely noticeable since Toxic Tale leans more towards pink. It was neither hydrating nor drying.

ONE layer applied for a softer look

To sum it up, I highly recommend picking Toxic Tale! Don't let the the it daunt you. In the tube and swatched on the hand, it does look a bit "whoa nelly!" but as seen above, a single light layer gives a soft but vibrant look that brightens up the face (:

♥ Sheena V

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L.A. GIRL | Glazed Lip Paints

Hi guys, I'm baacckkkkk.

L.A. GIRL initially released 6 shades of Glazed Lip Paints some time back. There was enough demand for it that they released an additional 12 colours!

L.A. GIRL | Glazed Lip Paints

I chose to order the shade Blushing and Pin up off drugstore.com as I had other items to purchase as well. Unfortunately, at the moment, drugstore.com only carries the 6 original shades so I was limited in choices.

It retails for US$3.49 a piece, which is also mysteriously cheaper than ordering from lagirlusa.com (US$4). Go figure. 

Read here to find out why I, as an international customer, prefer to shop on drugstore.com rather than the official site.

So on with the review!

Ingredients list found at the back

Despite it being a drugstore brand, these Glazed Lip Paints came with a protective wrap, which I appreciate. It's always a sigh of relief knowing it's not contaminated. But I digress.

REVIEW

SCENT

If you place the opened tube right under your nose, you're probably gonna pick a whiff of peppermint. Any further and nothing, it's that faint. Hence on the lips, I could not pick up any scent. Which says a lot because I personally think I have a strong sense of smell.

TASTE

On my lips, I felt as though I had Wrigley's Peppermint Gum laying there. This goes for both shades. There was a slight minty sensation on my lips, though no tingling like how lip plumpers provide. Only a feeling of freshness on my lips which I actually enjoyed very much. 

TEXTURE: 4.5/5

Both shades I picked neither emphasized nor disguised the lines on my lips. Do note that this might vary with across shades. As the name suggests, these lip products are by no means matte. These provide a pure intense wash of colour. No shimmer, glitter or whatsoever. They however, have a slightly glossy finish although more subtle than an actual lip gloss. Moreover, unlike a gloss which usually has a thicker consistency, these lip paints had a thin, somewhat watery consistency, similar to slightly watered down paint.

In all, the name "Glazed Lip Paints" is actually a very apt description for the product. Haha.

APPLICATION: 4.5/5

From the first picture above, we can see that the product comes with a plastic slanted tip applicator. This helped the application of this product to have more control, despite the thin consistency. I must mention, it depends largely on personal preference on whether the applicator provided was sufficient. Some might prefer using a lip brush. I personally find it easy enough to apply. The trick is to squeeze out product bit by bit. Once done, I clean up the edges with a cotton tip, like how I do with most of my lip products anyway. Therefore there is no added hassle for me. I deducted 0.5 because I definitely had to pay attention on how much product I squeezed out. Once, I squeezed out too much and it was sort of a mess. Note: Do not store it cap-down to prevent a sudden burst of product during application.

SWATCHES

L.A. GIRL | Glazed Lip Paint in BLUSHING

PIGMENTATION: 4.5/5 
The only reason why this didn't score full marks is that the outer edges of my lips, where it's darkest, still showed through.

This product cannot be continuously built up due to the natural slip of the product therefore there is an extent to how opaque it can appear on your lips. It will never look as opaque as it does straight out of the tube. Of course, if your lips are less pigmented than mine, there would probably be no issues on opacity regardless.

WEAR: 4/5
I was on shift and this managed to stay on for 6 hours looking exactly the same. Therefore if you're in a working environment like retail whereby you go through hours straight without eating and only minimal drinking, this is God sent for you. Wiping it off after left a stain.

On a separate occasion, it went through the "meal test" and found that although the lipstick for the most part was still there, it was not as intense or "glazed". In addition, it did feather, just the slightest bit. Nothing someone could tell from afar.

L.A. GIRL | Glazed Lip Paint in BLUSHING

L.A. GIRL | Glazed Lip Paint in PIN UP

L.A. GIRL | Glazed Lip Paint in PIN UP

PIGMENTATION: 5/5
As mentioned in Blushing, this product cannot be continuously built up. That being said, Pin Up allowed me to obtain full opacity thus deserving full marks.

WEAR: 3.5/5

Similar to Blushing, this managed to stay on for 6 hours looking exactly the same, provided there was no eating and only minimal drinking. However I must note that Pin Up tends to transfer onto my teeth, hence 0.5 point less than Blushing. It could be because I have a slight overbite but I did not have this problem with the other colour nor did I apply it any differently. Hence this is something to keep in mind when wearing out.

Similarly to blushing, after a meal test, it did feather ever so slightly and it lost a little of its "glaze".

VERDICT

Putting price aside, I find this product to perform very well, for what it claims to be. It gives off a glazed finish, as stated. Obviously if you're into matte lips and matte lips alone, this is not for you. 

What made me very impressed is the intensity of the shade. There is only very slight variation on and off the lips. So if you're someone who really likes a bold, intense lip, this one is for you. I personally enjoy lip products that translates on the lips exactly how it looks like on the tube. I mean, when shopping be it online or in stores, you pick a shade based on how it looks like on the screen or in the tube right? 

The only 'make it or break it' factor I feel is that it has a faint peppermint smell and slight sensation to the lips. Someone who has an adverse dislike to it may want to give this a skip. I must reiterate the fact that it is very faint and slight though.

Now factoring the price of US$3.49 / S$4.8 it wouldn't hurt the pocket to give this a go if it interests you. Not to mention, drugstore.com often has 15-20% off sales. wink wink.

With that, I hope you enjoyed my review.

Till my next one!

♥ Sheena V

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MAYBELLINE | Colour Sensational Creammy Matte Lip Colour in Daringly Nude

Hi!

Maybelline has released a new line of Colour Sensational lip sticks and this time, it's all mattes. 

I saw swatches floating around the web and was interested in a few colours actually. Just my luck that the ones I was interested in were out of stock. Well, except for Daringly Nude.

In the tube VS Swatched

As you can see above, how it looks in the tube and how it looks swatched is quite different.

In the tube it's definitely a brown tone nude whereas swatched, it has a pink undertone to it. 

In the following photo, you can see that it looks quite different on the lips too.

On the first swipe, I was like "Oh crap. I look lifeless.".

As I continued applying, my heart sank deeper.

SCENT

It has a rather overpowering scent which reminds me of play dough (to me). Somewhat like the scent NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams give off but stronger. The scent lingered for a good 15 minutes before it started to fade away. I personally dislike strong scents and this made me want to wipe it off my lips immediately.

PIGMENTATION: 4/5

It managed to conceal the colour of my lips for the most part. However, it did not manage to conceal the outer edges of my lips with are a darker brown. I could not build it up enough to do so as at a certain point, it would start to drag the existing product off the lips.

TEXTURE: 4.5/5

The lipstick has a creamy texture, similar to Mac's Cremesheen formula. It is definitely matte with no sheen whatsoever. Although it is slightly more creamy than what a conventional matte texture would be, there is no tendency of it feathering. However, it will transfer as the creamy texture does not dry down completely. 

APPLICATION: 4/5

Application was smooth. If you have uneven pigmented lips like mine, a lip liner is highly recommended to give it more definition as it does have a slip to it. Otherwise it can come across as sloppy (like above). Up close, you can tell that it has settled into the lines, making my lips look extremely aged.  Which surprised me somewhat as I would have expected that such a creamy product would fill in and cover the lines instead. 

WEAR: 3/5

Touch up is necessary as it wears off easily and completely after a meal. Removal is also simple, a wet wipe is sufficient. 

VERDICT
If scent is something that does not bother you, I would say give this a go. On the other hand, it's not a product that I would initiate a purchase for. It's more of, "Oh. Since I'm already buying stuff on the site, I might as well give it a go" kind of situation. I also recommend staying away from the nudes because those are tricky especially since you have to buy these online. I personally won't be picking up more as the scent is too much for me. :/

As usual, I hope this was helpful!

♥ Sheena V

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Hey guys!

Most of you would have known that I went on a US Online Shopping rampage (here) a few weeks back.

Therefore today, I'm going to share with you my thoughts on one of my buys.

E.L.F. Lip Exfoliator

I previously used LUSH Mint Julip Lip Scrub which I bought whilst in Australia. 

It was starting to run out hence I needed a replacement. 

I initially wanted to repurchase it 

but when I saw that it was retailing for S$22.90 in Singapore, 

I went, 

HELL NO! 

It costs only AU$9.95 (S$12.50) there!

No way was I dropping more than $20 on a tiny pot of medicated sugar!

Which brings me to this purchase.

When I first took it out of the parcel, I was surprised at how bulky the packaging was.

INGREDIENTS
Sugar, Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado), Vitis VInifera (Grape Seed) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oild (Jojoba), Copernicia Cerifia Wax (Carnauba), Euphorbia Cerifera Wax (Candelilla), Ceresin, Butyrospermm Parkii (Shea Butter), Tocopherol, Aspartame, Fragrance

The exfoliator itself was the size of Urban Decay's Revolution Lipstick, which that by itself is big.

The packaging was twice its length and 1.5 times its width. Crazy.

DIRECTIONS
Apply, like how you would with a lipstick, to clean to clean damp lips and massage in a circular motion to exfoliate.

Now, looking at the picture above, one would think that it has a grainy texture right? 

Nope. 

This exfoliator was smooth to the touch, which surprised me. 

I mean, how is it going to exfoliate my lips if there's no friction?!

Fine, I figured that its probably just the initial layer that's smooth. It's probably going to get rougher as I use it.

Hence I decided to give it a week before I start forming solid opinions on it. 

Not to mention, I found the scent off putting. 

However, guess what? I only got 4 uses out of this. 

You want to know why?

It freaking broke on me.

BROKE.

And fell onto the bathroom floor. Ain't gonna use that anymore.

It also made me realise how little product there actually is. 0.16 oz to be exact. 

Whilst LUSH Mint Julips has approx 0.88 oz. (Repurchasing it is seemingly more attractive)

Also, one thing to note, it never did become more abrasive. At least not by the 4th use.

Okay, maybe the tip did but that's it!

While product did wear down, the brown particles seen in the tube didn't seem to contribute any factor to it being a exfoliator. This could be because there seems to be more wax (yes, there's wax) than sugar. 

It did nothing to my lips whatsoever. 

Maybe that's why it was on sale for US$2.69 (as opposed to US$3)

You guys have to tell me if I'm doing anything wrong because this freaking sucks.

VERDICT: Major Fail. Don't bother.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to search for another alternative. 

If any one has any recommendations that costs no more than $15, please comment down below.

Otherwise,

Anyone from Australia wants to send me some LUSH Mint Julip?

Pretty please?

♥ Sheena V

P.S. Come back on Thursday, I'll be posting up another product from my drugstore.com purchase.

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Ferguson Farm, Perth 2014

I saw this tag floating on Hello Khronicles and seeing that I'll be off travelling tomorrow, I thought this was very fitting!

Not to mentioned I hadn't done anything me-related in a while. Haha.

What made you start travelling?
The desire to spend time away from family, with friends to a place off a different island. That was when I was still an angsty teenager. Hahaha. Now I travel just to take a break from my commitments. Although I can't afford to do that often, I make it a point to at least go somewhere substantial once a year.

Philippines 2013

Where was your first plane ride to?
Philippines. My mum is a Filipino so we go back to visit once every few years. This first trip happened when I was slightly more than a year old. It was the first trip back for my parents as a family (Parents + older brother + me). I recall it being quite fun with the older ones pampering me since I was a cute little circle. Hahaha.

Gold Coast / Brisbane 2013
First trip down under

Where have you travelled to that you would love to visit again?
Australia. I fell in love with the country in my first visit there in 2013. To be more specific, it was Brisbane that got me hooked to the country. I love the winter weather and I love how spacious the place is. There's no such thing as invasion of personal space. I have a goal to visit a different state each year if possible. I already did Perth this year so next up, I have Melbourne on my mind. (:

What are you 3 must have travel items?
Aside from the compulsory passport, air ticket and sufficient clothes, I always bring the following;

• Travel adapter It would so suck so bad not being able to charge your phone
• Hoodie
  No matter how high class a hotel may be, I always bring a hoodie to wear to sleep, hood up and all. Some places are very dusty so I do so to prevent breakouts on my face and breaking into a sneezing fit
• Truckload of tissue packets
  I get the sniffles easily so I must always have a couple of tissue packets on hand. In addition, as mentioned, hotels can be quite dusty so I always have a pack or two beside me when I sleep.
• Bonus! Portable Charger
  Especially looking at the current state of my mobile, the battery tends to run out faster. It is also a known fact that battery life is shortened in cold weather.

Window, aisle or middle seat?
If I was placed at the side columns with friends/family, I would prefer the window seat.

If I was placed at the side columns with strangers, I would prefer the aisle seat because I don't like to be 'cornered' by strangers.

Also, if I was placed in the middle columns, regardless of who I'm seated with, I would prefer the aisle seat. because although I'm not one who regularly visits the toilet during flights, should I need to, I'm not comfortable with the idea of squeezing through people to get to the toilet. I would much rather have to get up from my seat to give way to those who need the toilet because it doesn't bother me that much since I wouldn't be sleeping of watching movies anyway.

Which places are on your 'visit-to-next' list?
Melbourne. I hope to travel there during my next semester break, if I can afford it. If Melbourne turns out to be too expensive, I would like to check out Hong Kong for Dim Sum or Brunei for the wide range of cheap Halal food. However, if we were in a world whereby we could travel freely, I would check out either London or Switzerland. In the meantime, I'm heading to BKK and ICN in the coming two weeks!

Brisbane 2013
Best weather everrrrrr

Where would you travel just for the weather?

Australia, specifically during winter. I personally find their winter weather just right for me. I find the strong wind refreshing and breathtaking. Some of my friends found it too cold, not me. I can still escape wearing a thin jacket or even shorts on the less windy days.

KL 2014
with my father missing-in-action

Do you have an interesting 'I'm lost' story?
Fortunately, not yet. Hahaha. I've been too anal to allow that to happen. Hopefully my trip to BKK and ICn doesn't break that lucky streak.

I do have another interesting story of a lost father though.

This past June, my family and I (sans my brother), went to KL for the very first time. Q tagged along as well. However, my father was actually a last minute addition to the trip. So instead of taking the plane like the rest of us, my father actually took the bus there.

Because the journey for my dad would take longer, he left Singapore earlier so that all of us would arrive at the hotel about the same time.

My party arrived first and we waited for my dad for an hour before deciding to leave for lunch as all of us have not eaten. We thought that my father could just call us once he reached and we would head back since the shopping mall was only a 5 min walk away. We also left a message for my dad at the hotel counter, just in case.

We ended up exploring the mall for a few hours. In the meantime I was getting very worried on the whereabouts of my father since he hasn't called and it was getting quite late. Worried that my father's mobile possibly died on him and that he was actually waiting at the lobby grumpily prompted us to make a return.

When we arrived at the hotel, there was no sign of him at the lobby. We also asked the counter if my father did show up and they said no. Perplexed, we decided to just return to our room. Upon nearing the room, I could hear the television playing which was surprising because I recalled switching everything before we left.

We went in and saw my father lying on the bed, watching television without a care in the world. -_-

I tell you, I was fuming that he didn't even call us. Waiting for food only that one. D<

(It was also disconcerting that a staff just let my father in the room solely because my father presented the name of who the booking was made by and none of the other staff were aware that my father as actually already in the room.)

Where would you like to travel to, just for the food?
Brunei / Hong Kong. I've seen too many pictures of good food from friends who've been there. My time will come soon :D

Is there a place you would never go again?
I have restaurants I have vowed not to return to and companions I have vowed not to travel with again but never places to  avoid travelling to again. If I had to pick a place I'm in no rush to revisit though, I would say Phuket mainly because, it's one of those places whereby, once is enough.

Harbour Village , Perth 2014

If you could take one person with you to travel, who would it be?

Q. Although we more or less like to do the same things, it's good to know he will acquiesce to whatever requests I have. Heh Heh.

How do you pass the time on the airplane?
There seems to generally be two types of people, one who prefers to sleep it through and one who prefers to have a movie marathon.

I am neither. If it's a short flight, I let my mind wander my way through. If it's longer, I usually occupy myself by typing/writing down my thoughts. My mind is too active to just sleep or mindless watch movies. I might throw in an episode of Elementary or Sherlock but not a whole marathon. Or maybe a few rounds of chess on my tablet!

Are there other people whom you think should do this?
Well, not really. Hahaha. I'm the only one in my circle of friends who blogs. Or maybe @heyitsbrina and @gnatniamrahs if you're reading! If anyone else decides to do it, leave a comment! Would love to read it. (:

So yeah! Check out my IG @fsnavee if you're interested in my travel pics (:

I have some prescheduled posts coming up so keep a look out! Bye!

♥ Sheena V

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I'm sure most of you have heard of the hype surrounding the Blender Cleanse Solid.

I bet you guys are curious to know, is it indeed worth the hype?

I caved in to curiosity and managed to snag one during a recent luxola.sg sale for only $15.60 (as opposed to $30) 

Hence I'm going to test it out in a bid to help you decide for yourself :)

First of all, let's appreciate the fact that there is a safety seal on it

Ingredients;
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water, Glycerin, Coconut Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Palmitic Acid, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetraspdoi, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

The blender cleanser solid is encased in a round plastic container

The blender cleanser solid rests on top of a plastic filter

The plastic filter is raised to prevent the bottom of the solid from being soft

How the plastic filter looks like in the case

DIRECTIONS

There are two methods in which you can clean your beauty blender / brushes with the soap;

1. Rub your beauty blender / brushes directly on to the soap to create a lather. Do note that it does not foam up much, which is normal. Once it has lathered a little, rub it against your palm to help remove the foundation inside.

2. <Only for brushes> Place the plastic filter on top of the soap and then rub your brushes over it. The plastic filter acts as a uneven surface to allow the soap to 'scrub' out the dirt. I found that this method is particular useful for cleaning stipple brushes due to the different length of bristles. Do not use this method for your beauty blender as it might damage the beauty blender.

Method 2: Place plastic filter above soap

With introductory pictures done, time to get on to the...

BLENDER CLEANSER SOLID TEST

Will it leave my stained brushes SPOTLESS?

URGH. The dreaded foundation stained brush!

I put the Blender Cleanser Solid to the test by letting it clean the above brushes mentioned.

Prior to this, I found that the best soap to use was DETTOL Body Soap in Original. I will elaborate more on that method in the future but just to let you know, I got along with that just fine.

REVIEW

Stain-free brushes after one wash

PROS

• Bristles Stain-Free
  Powder products are generally easy to remove regardless of what soap you use hence the real test here is if it manages to remove the foundation stain. I'm happy to announce that although it required more work than the powder-based stained bristles, it did still managed to remove the foundation stain from the bristles within one wash.
   
• No Suds
  After rinsing the brushes out with water, I found no suds left within the bristles. This is something that may not occur when using other soaps. It is important to remove all suds from the bristles to prevent damaged roots that results in shedding.

• Leaves Bristles Soft
  After washing, I noticed that the bristles felt softer. However, it didn't look softer. Meaning, the bristles didn't look any less frizzy which makes me wonder what exactly is in that thing to make it this way (potential con).

CONS

• Chemical-ish Scent
  The smell is very reminiscent to a particular bar of soap that my mum used to purchase, I think it was LUX. I personally avoid bar soaps because those are more likely to irritate the skin, read here. The ingredient list did state that it includes fragrance so it may or may not irritate your skin while cleaning.

• Longer Drying Time
  I noticed that drying time for my brushes when using this soap is significantly longer than when I use Dettol Body Soap. Specifically, it took about 48 hours for the above brushes to dry, which surprised me! It usually takes me at most a day.

• No anti bacterial ingredient
  I may be wrong, but from the ingredient list, I do not see any ingredient that could kill the germs collected in my brush. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Hence if you have acne prone skin, you might want to proceed with caution. 

VERDICT

As for everything else, it boils down preference. Here are my thoughts with regards to the product, $30 price tag aside.

NOT for those who;

• Do not have a huge brush collection to rotate brushes, your brushes may not dry in time for your next use.
• Are sensitive to products with fragrance, this might result in an adverse reaction to your skin. 

For those who;

• Want a quick fuss free clean as there suds are easily rinsed away
• Owns non-black bristled brushes and require them to always be stain free

TIP: If price is the only thing stopping you from buying this bar of soap, would suggest just using this soap solely for cleaning foundation or cream product brushes to avoid having to repurchase this product so soon. Let your regular body soaps clean the powder products off the brushes because those get the job done sufficiently. You could also stalk Luxola.com for coupon codes to get more bang for your buck. 

You can buy the Blender Cleanser Solid on Luxola here.

If this is your first purchase, use code LUCKY30 to get 30% off.
If not, use 30LXGG (valid til 31 Dec 2014)

Even if you're a repeat buyer, Luxola usually has pretty generous sales going on so if you think this could be your next Holy Grail product, I would stock up during the next sale they have. You never know when they might start adding this brand to their 'non-discountable brands' list because no matter how good a job it does, a bar of soap is never worth $30.

I hope this review has been helpful!

♥ Sheena V

If you've found my review useful, help me out by signing up for a Luxola account through my affiliated link, (I earn points through referrals)

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post. Products bought with my own money. All thoughts are my own. 

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