ESTÉE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR FOUNDATION REVIEW - ACNE SKIN

I am gonna be reviewing my holy grail foundation, Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 :D. I've been searching for a miracle foundation to cover my acne-prone skin and found it!

The price is slightly cheaper (MYR 145) than my Bobbi Brown foundation and the coverage and staying power are really better than that foundation. I thought it was really a bargain considering how good the product is.  I've got to know about this product while searching for a good foundation coverage for acne skin on Youtube :)

The Packaging

It comes in a pretty glass bottle however there is no pump provided with product, which makes it hard and unhygienic to use. I have to be cautious to not to waste any product everytime I use it. When I used it for the first time, I stained my hands and my handbag which was unfortunately placed beside my makeup table :|

I got free samples!!

The Product

The consistency of the product is very thick and not runny, and it does not smell like a perfume at all, which a plus thing for me since I do not like my makeup reeks of heavy perfume. I have been applying this foundation with my 130 MAC foundation brush and I think it's a bit sticky on my face but then it soon goes away after a while.  However I have to make sure to blend it very quickly as it dries really fast after applying it on my face.The good thing is I don't have to bother wearing any pressed powder as the foundation sets nicely on its own. And the best part is it does not break me out. :D

BEFORE

AFTER

The Pros

1. Medium to heavy coverage, perfect for acne scarred skin.
2. Does not break me out.
3. No scent of perfumes.
4. Classy packaging.
5. Durability - 24 months after opened. Usually a foundation will only have a shelf life of 12 months. Great bargain!

The Cons

1. Dries up quickly.
2. No pump provided! Some users bought MAC Foundation pump as the bottle fits with it. 
3. The price is still pretty much expensive than any other foundation.

And I'll definitely going to buy this foundation again.

Pewarna Rambut Shurah : 03 Burgundi Review and Instruction to use

Hello peeps!

Today, I am gonna be reviewing a hair dye from Shurah. I bought the 'Perwarna Rambut Shurah' in shade 03 Burgundi. Actually, I wanted to dye my hair so badly a long time ago but I really thought that those commercialized hair coloring products will do damage to my hair, plus some of the products will coat your hair strands so they are kinda waterproof thus you can't really perform solah with them on. Previously, I had colored my hair in deep red at some random hair salon and I remembered that I paid almost MYR 300 for that! My hair was still damaged from all the chemicals tho. LMAO. O_O So I guess henna-based product will be sufficient enough for me since I am a full-time hijab wearer and also to avoid any permanent hair damage. I went for Shurah since it was the only henna based product in the market at that moment.

Shurah's answer for hair coating

So, I got the product from a local drugstore for MYR 17++ and I noticed that Watson and Guardian do not really stock any of Shurah products. My hair is very thin and is by shoulder-length so one box is actually enough for me. You might want to buy an extra box if your hair is thicker and longer.

The Packaging

The product comes with 4 stuff inside it :

1. Milk activator 60 ml
2. Hair color cream 40 g
3. Hair moisturizer 20 ml (which is surprisingly good)
4. 2 plastic gloves 

Extra stuff that you need to start :

1. A clean bowl (wear and tear cuz the color will stick permanently)
2. A plastic spoon to stir the mixture.
3. A plastic shower cap.
4. A thin comb.
5. A shirt that you hate lol cuz it's gonna be messy.

The Instruction :

1. Mix and stir all of the activator and hair color cream together in a bowl until the color appears really nicely. The instruction that comes with it says that you have to mix and shake it in the activator bottle. IMO stirring it in a bowl with a spoon will make the consistency better.
2. Start coloring from the bottom layer of your hair. Make sure that the roots are given more attention.
3. Let it stay on for more than an hour. I recommend you guys to wait for 2 hours. I have read around the net about the instruction. Most of them claimed that 20 to 40 minutes are not sufficient enough to get a good coloring. So I went for more than an hour.. exactly one and a half.
4. After 1 to 2 hours, rinse your hair until there is no product excess left on your hair. Make sure it's clean enough so it won't stain.
5. Use the moisturizer provided. (Or any of your own)

Verdict :

So for me, the color does not turn into my desired burgundy or even look like the model's hair on the box. It looks more like a dark copper with a hint of purple on my jet black hair. And I did not do it myself  (my husband helped to put it on me and he knew nothing about hair coloring lol) so some of the spots are not dyed perfectly. I got it good on my roots but not on the bottom length of my hair lmao. Honestly, it looks like a reverse ombre-style with copper on the top and dark brown on the bottom length...lol

I won't be able to post any picture of mine but it somewhat looks like this girl's hair in below link :

COURTESY OF GOOGLE

http://www.juxtapost.com/site/permlink/2ec0e0e0-1972-11e2-9ee3-0ffb7599cc17/post/garnier_nutrisse_42_deep_burgundy_40black_cherry41_hair_color_wiki/

So I probably have to buy another box to dye the bottom length. Sigh.

DERMAROLLER FOR ACNE SCARRED SKIN : An Honest Review (Weekly Update) - WEEK 1

Hello peeps!

I am going to share on my experience of using Dermaroller onto my acne scarred skin. As you guys notice, I have a really bad skin due to acne problem since 2010. Previously my face was so freakin clear except for two or three spots of box scars from my childhood age due to chicken pox. I noticed that my skin started to sprout healthy acne started from 2010 while I was starting my degree year. I was not sure what happened to my face then, as it could be due to a lot of factors such as stressful environment, my eating habits, or my living condition (we had to rent a flat for few semesters so you could imagine the living condition there). I had tried a lot of things to prevent it but no avail. And it got worst exactly after I finished my degree, which was in mid 2011. I was really depressed by then and took Accutane as my acne medication. I admit that i did not finish my Accutane med as I felt my health was deteriorating since I started the journey.

After a few months later my skin had it better as I was being really careful with my skincare routine (plus the Accutane helped a lot). I used Cetaphil Cleanser and Oil Free Neutrogena Moisturizer in my skincare routine everyday and refrained from using makeup. I did not dare to use some random skincare which were thrown in my way. I had also stopped my visits to beauty parlor as I noticed that my skin had gotten worst after one or two facial session. Now, I am really glad that I do not break out as badly as before. I do not wish to experience the pain and shame all over again.

So moving on to dermaroller review!

I have done a bit research here and there as I have a lot of acne scars even though my acne problem is cured. I considered to do a laser treatment but sadly I have no money for that :( The scars are really visible so any tropical counter drugstore product would not really help the scarring and I could not cover it without high amount of thick foundation on my skin. Then I got to know about dermaroller on one blogger site so I said to myself 'why not?' since she claimed that dermarolling has helped her with her acne scarred skin. Unfortunately the blogger does not attach any before and after picture of her skin while doing the treatment so I did an extensive search on the product myself before making my decision to try it.

The product 

I bought it from one Instagram shop for MYR 49.90 which is pretty cheap (around USD 15+). Most sites sell it for more that MYR 100. So ridiculous. O_O

This is the packaging of the product :

I am using 1.00 mm dermaroller on my skin.

The instruction

The Instruction :

1. Use medical alcohol to disinfect the dermaroller and the area of your skin which was treated. In  my case I did not use any medical alcohol as I do not have one so I used my Etude House Wonder Pore toner on my cleansed skin after the treatment and on the dermaroller. After that I used hot water to rinse the dermaroller. Make sure that the dermaroller is disinfected BEFORE and AFTER usage to avoid any irritation or infection. Also, please note that the product can only be used for the duration of 6 months. 

2. Apply suitable functional nutrition onto treated area if necessary. For me I did not use any cream before the treatment. Some people use numbing cream before the process to lessen the pain.

3. Roll the dermaroller back and forth 10 times in each direction onto your affected area with slight pressure. You can refer to the box picture for more information. I did not roll it on my skin until it bleeds (some people do that too O_O and they look pretty scary IMO), I just applied slight pressure until my skin went red from the punctures.

4. Apply nutrition cream after the treatment. I used my Etude House Collagen Moisturizer after I've done with it. I have read that some people prefer to use Vitamin C serum as your skin absorbs better nutrition after using the dermaroller.

WEEK 1

So this is how my skin looked like before the treatment :

How did my skin look like in 2011

2014

These are how it looked like exactly after dermaroller treatment. Notice the redness? O_O

And this is how it was a few days later :

Detailed view

Honestly, I notice that my skin has some slight improvement as compared to before. It really helps to lessen the redness of new acne scars. However I could not see any improvement to those deep box scars. I want to make dermarolling my weekly routine but my skin needs to heal before I can use it again. I do not want the holes punctured by the dermaroller permanent.... O_O God help me with that!!

So that's all for now.. I will be updating this on weekly basis so stay tuned lol

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE ON : Week 3

SEPHORA VIP PASS EYESHADOW PALETTE Review and Tutorial for Beginners

Hello!

Today I am going to be reviewing the Sephora VIP Pass Eyeshadow Palette that I have bought for MYR 36 from newly opened IOI Mall Putrajaya's Sephora branch. I have bought this palette as I needed to make up my sister in law on her wedding day and I figured that this palette should be enough to create a natural look for the wedding theme. 

Below are the 8 colors available in the palette. Those colors are super gorgeous but they are a bit shimmery. Although the colors are quite shimmery, it could appear as matte as well with correct application by using eyeshadow brushes. The colors are not as pigmented as compared to other high end brands, you could easily see below swatches made by my fingers. 

Swatches that I have numbered accordingly.

I went for a natural look from this palette even though they are not as good as compared to natural look done by using other pigmented eyeshadows. But I think this palette is perfect enough for beginners under budget considering the price and the quality offered by Sephora in house brand. 

TUTORIAL FOR BEGINNERS (Pardon the eyebrow! :p)

1. Primer your eyelid and start to apply shade number 1 or 2 onto your lid from the lash line to brow bone.

2. You can highlight using the light/neutral shade onto you eyelid crease, under your eye and under the eyebrow. 

3. Apply a darker shade, use shade number 3 or 4 depending on your skin color (I am using number 4 as I am a bit dark, my shade is warm beige) to the outer corners of your eyes and blend it carefully as per below.

 4. Use shade number 3/4 and apply it to the outer corner of lower lashes.

The natural look without any eyeliner. 

5. If you want to add a dramatic touch, you can apply shade number 7 onto your eyelid and blend it up to the crease. Use the eyeliner to complete the touch and you are ready!

Verdict

The palette is not as good as other pigmented eyeshadow but as I was saying just now it should be good for beginners who want to try and experiment with their make up skill (because I am a novice as well so this palette is a start up for me too)

I am rating it for 2/5 stars. :)

ETUDE HOUSE : WONDER PORE FRESHNER REVIEW - Acne Skin (Plus 4 different ways to use the toner :D)

I am going to review one of the hottest selling Etude House product, Wonder Pore Freshner. I already bought this in June 2014, which was 6 months ago so this review is going to be a long term review since I have already used this product in so many ways :) I hope this will help you on choosing the best toner for your beauty regime.

Mind you my skin condition is very bad at times due to acne. I also have super oily skin and dry skin around under my nose area so they are so flaky and painful when they get super dry.

The Product

It claims to have 7 in 1 solution as it will deep cleanse your pores, maintain PH 4.5, control large amount of sebum, minimize pores, refine your skin tones, moisturize your skin as well as keep the elasticity of your skin.

The product comes in 2 sizes, the one that I bought is 500 ml for MYR 80++ but i managed to buy t during buy one free one so it costs less than that. Etude House Malaysia always offers one buy one sale so you will just have to wait for the perfect time to buy it. (Eg : Christmas Sale, Aidilfitri Sale - sometimes they will offer it randomly)

The product also comes with a pump for 500 ml bottle which is very convenient and hygienic for me to use.

But bear in mind that this product contains denatured alcohol even though its free from paraben, mineral oil, fragrance, coloring or animal ingredients.

How do I use the product?

I use the product in 4 ways :

As a toner

Usually I will use this after facial cleansing with cotton as a toner. Pump the liquid out from the bottle with cotton and dab it on your face. Do not overuse as it will sting your face, pumping one or twice per area would be enough

As a face mist

Sometimes i will use it as a mist to dehydrate my face when i go outside. Since 500 ml is a large quantity, I transferred some of the product to an empty spray bottle so that i could bring it everywhere in my purse.

As a makeup remover

I also find it useful for cleansing your makeup residue after wash (Usually you cant get a clean face even after a makeup remover and a facial wash). I will wipe it around my under eye area so that i can cleanse the mascara/eyeliner that fall while washing. Don't use it on your eyes and use it after makeup remover and facial wash!

Makeup residue with Wonder Pore Freshner.

Foundation on my skin.

After toner.

As a make up setting spray

Believe me or not I find it useful after getting my makeup ready, with one or two sprays it will set your make up if you want a dewy finish instead of matte finish,

The Pros

1. It does wonders to my face.
2. Minimize pores as it claims.
3. I can use it in multiple ways.
4. No scent- subtle alcohol scent.
5. Affordable price considering the product amount.
6. Shelve life of 12 months.

The Cons

1. Sometimes it stings.
2. Product contains alcohol.

Verdict

I really love this toner as per mention above. It does help my skin condition as I can see slight improvement on my skin over the course of 6 months (i will add pictures later). I'll definitely repurchase this product! :)

CYBER COLORS : HD AURA Watery Makeup Base Review - Acne Skin

Hello,

Today I am gonna be reviewing a primer that i bought earlier last week. I notice that there's not a lot of review of this primer on the net, might be because this primer is not as popular as other face primer such as Benefits Porefessional. Actually i bought it just because I was volunteering to make up my sister in law for her wedding and i did not want it to waste for just a day use so i bought one that suits my skin tone and skin type. Luckily her skin tone is quite similar to mine so not gonna waste any primer here.

I bought the primer from SASA outlet at the Mines for MYR 65.50 after 30% less (the initial price was MYR 95). The SA told me that Cyber Colors is from Japan and i never tried any Japanese cosmetic product before so why not? I like this primer and i think it was such a good bargain. I know i could get a better primer for this price from Benefits as people are raving about their face primer range but it was still such a good bargain considering the amount that this product has. (30 ml for this and 22 ml for MYR 120 for Benefits Porefessional - correct me if i am wrong)

There are three shades available for this primer and the one that has been recommended to me was 02 Glow. First thing that I love about this primer is, it has no scent at all. I went to few cosmetics stores on the same day to test their primers and i did not like the smell. Secondly the consistency of the product is very smooth and not oily so it is suitable for my super oily and acne prone skin. The primer glides easily on my face and it does not feel heavy even after i moisturize my face. Mind you i have a lot of pit scars and ice-pick scars from acne and being pregnant does not help my skin condition at all.

And lastly the staying power is quite impressive for a water-based primer. I woke up at 5.30 am and started my makeup routine at 6.00 am. Even with humid weather and me sweating a lot i found out that my foundation was still presentable after 8 hours though my eyeliner and lipstick were already smudged here and there. And the best thing is, the primer does not break me out. :)

The consistency.

See how it covers my pores?

Ingredients

The pros:

Bare Face

With Primer

With foundation - See the redness disappears with one layer of foundation although it does not cover my pit scars.

1. It has no scent at all
2. Suitable for my oily and acne prone skin.
3. Staying power until 8 hours.
4. Smooth when applied to face area
5. It does not break me out.

The cons:

1. The lack of Cyber Colors counter, I never found any except at Sasa therefore it is hard for me to repurchase or try other products from this brand.

Conclusion, I definitely repurchase this and add it into my makeup routine :)