NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paulo and Istanbul

Howdy! I have been quite obsessed with lip products this couple of months, especially with NYX's lip creams! My first purchase was San Paulo, a dark rose pink which turned out to be one of my favourite lip product of all time! My second lip cream is Istanbul, a fairly light and soft pink. Both colours are closer to neutral to cool-tones.

It's not lipstick, nor is it gloss. It's like nothing you've experienced before. It's lipstick cream that goes on silky but looks soft matte. 

Not exactly the most beautiful description but it is, honestly, true. The texture of the lip creams are a dreammm~ Soft and creamy, gliding effortlessly on your lips and leaving a colour true to what you see on the tubes. It is very pigmented (especially for San Paulo) and easily spreadable and movable during the first few minutes of putting it on. Look over to the right bar for the Lip of the Moment, currently San Paulo. The cream then slowly and subtly dries off to a matte (slightly powdery) feeling, adding colour to your face yet not stealing the limelight. I don't like shiny/glossy lip products as they can make me look more mature (yikes!). 

Longevity of the product is, like most lip products, according to what you do with your lips. If you're gonna have a meal or drink, the lip cream fades with wear. However, it's such a dream to put on you won't mind touching up! One thing though, since it feels close to nothing on your lips, you might forget having lip colour on. Becareful not to rub your lip area accidentally! 

Since this product is blendable and dries matte, I'm sure you can use them as cream blushes! Use Istanbul for a fresh-face blush or San Paulo for more intense colour. 

I love the NYX Soft Matte Lip creams and can't wait to collect em' all!! 

I bought the lip creams from Smoochiezz and it's Watson's Atrium Sale for $10 and $15.90 :( respectively. 

:) 

Dandruff, Psoriasis or dry scalp?

Check out an updated post on my dandruff condition here!

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I have a flaky scalp. It isn't the best accessory to bring with you and is probably a reason to be self-conscious. Having those nasty white flakes falling onto your dark clothing is more than embarrassing(and I love my dark tops)! I have lived with this issue for years and years, with each more serious episode slightly different from another. Well, I've always thought I had DANDRUFF, since the people who do comment (dear friends), would unrelentingly tell me.

http://wchild.deviantart.com/art/Snowing-texture-117096416

                           

Dandruff flakes are a mixture of oil, sweat, bacteria and dead skin (scalp) tissue and are usually yellowish or orangey due to the oil and sweat. They can flake, or stick close to the scalp.

It can be due to various reasons like:

• Hormonal changes 
• Consumption of alcohol, high sugar or salt foods
• Lack of nutrients
• Weather changes 
• Overactive oil glands
• Bad hygiene 
• Even stress. 

A dry scalp however, over-sheds dead, dehydrated skin cells. The flakes of a dry scalp is mostly white coloured. This condition can be caused by:

• Inactive oil glands
• Bad product use/buildup
• Scratching
• Over combing

Psoriasis is a much more serious skin condition faced by many people. It is a skin condition that causes patchy silvery scales to develop on a person's body, including the scalp. This underlying skin condition can be triggered by the weather, cuts and abrasions and even sunburn. It is best to get a dermatologist prescribe some steroids or shampoo!

*information retrieved from here, here and here

I suppose I have a dry scalp more than one with dandruff.

Until recently, I did little to no research on this bugging issue. Head and Shoulders was always readily available to me in the shower. My mom seemed to face flakes too, so it probably was hereditary. Obviously the household anti-dandruff shampoo wasn't working wonders. In recent years, I have come to realise that I pick my scalp often – when I was reading, watching videos, blah blah. It kinda is a terrible habit that I felt good doing. It was my version of finger-biting and this addiction of mine wasn't helping the situation, it created the vicious cycle. I would feel for bits of dead skin on my scalp and remove it with my filthy fingernails. Ugh, sorry for grossing both of us out. I know I had to stop this nonsense.

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a hunt for a suitable shampoo for my condition. I stumbled across Dermaveen's Oatmeal shampoo meant to soothe dry and irritating scalp. I was immediately drawn to the smell of it (almonds and oatmeal!) and purchased it about a week later. I have used it a handful of times and I quite like it! The aroma is pleasing and comforting, and it does sooth my, at times, itchy scalp. Hair feels squeaky clean out of the shower (which I'm not used to) and makes my wet hair less smooth unlike conventional shampoo. However, when dried, my hair feels light, bouncy and soft!

Dermaveen Oatmeal Shampoo

Dermaveen Oatmeal Shampoo

It's still too early to predict the effectiveness of the shampoo, but heck, I'm enjoying it now.

I purchased Dermaveen Oatmeal Shampoo from Unity (a pharmacy by NTUC) for $16.90 (ish).

YouTube Beauty Vloggers I subscribe to

Beauty YouTubers are all the craze now! Everyone is subscribed to one of the many, watches their videos and follow their lives. It's kinda like a reality tv show, just not as crazy. I subscribed to many of them and they make up probably 70% of my subscription list! In today's blog post, I'll be introducing to you some of the very wonderful beauty vloggers I follow religiously!

Be mindful that they are not in any particular order!

Pixiwoo 

Do I have to explain more? The pixiwoo sisters (Sam and Nic), makeup artists and gorgeous ladies. They are professional, detailed and really comprehensive.

Pixi2woo

Sounds familiar doesn't it? Tanya Burr is pixiwoo's younger brother (Jim)'s girlfriend! She's young, beautiful and talented as well! I adore Tan's very sweet personality and her choices in beauty and fashion! I especially LOVE her Audrey Hepburn makeup look! 

 

Fleur De Force

Fleur, also friends with Tanya, has one of my favourite styles of vlogging. She's nice yet has her zesty moments, great at reviews and funny at times too. She gives a fair share of high-end and drugstore/high street reviews!

In this video is also Ingrid (Missglamorazzi), whom I follow! She's a very chirpy and happy vlogger and I just love her cat Nugz!

Sasaki Asahi

I love this woman. She is like a bubbly bubbly can of soda! Sasaki is a Japanese beauty vlogger who never cease to amaze me. Her videos are innovative, creative, crazy and just..full of life! Please watch her!

Sprinkle of Glitter

Louise is SO FUNNY! Her vlogs and videos always make me chuckle and smile. She's an intelligent young mother who's expressions are out of the world. Her witty (and sort of silly sometimes) comments and style makes me happy! Love watching Louise and her chummy Zoella too :) She is really a sprinkle of glitter!

Hope you enjoy watching them as much as I do!

Pink Treats!

Today is pink day! I've just recently gave my blog a good scrub and dress up, but this isn't it just yet. I obviously need a gorgeous banner. Am I already scaring you with all the pink? I promise I'm not any hardcore pink lover, this was purely random, heh!

Have been rethinking a blog name as well, any suggestions? :)

And since I've taken photos of quite a few products, I might as well dive into it and give some of it a nice little shout-out.

DKNY Sweet Delicious – PINK MACARON

How can someone not adore such a cute little thing! Pink Macaron is one of the three newly released 'Sweet Delicious' scents from DKNY. I'm sure you are fairly familiar with its elder sister Be Delicious! Got hooked within seconds while browsing duty-free stuff in the airport and just had to get it! It's a sweet scent yet not toooo sweet. Scents are so hard to describe aren't they, so just go check it out! The others in the line are Creamy Meringue and Tart Keylime (which are gorgeous too!)

Banila co It Shiny

I received it as part of my birthday goodiebag from Fitrina. The product is called It Shiny. Whatever the reason for the weird grammar, it's a cool product. It is a liquid highlighter that is pinky-peachy when squeezed and its great for mixing in with your foundation or just dabbing it on the bridge of your nose or cheekbones! 

Fairy Drops Mascara

Well, this is a product that has been raved by the beauty community. It is quite a good mascara! It has great black colour, a unique application wand and it stays on foreverrrrrr. They say the Japanese makes the toughest and best mascaras. Oh yea~ I can hardly remove it with my usual eye makeup remover (for eyes and lips). Truth be told, I'm not such a big fan of mascara! The tugging and rubbing to remove mascara is too damaging.. ;( Great product though.

Soap & Glory Hand Food

Soap & Glory is kinda known for their scent. Many people love it and some claim it smells exactly like a Chanel perfume. I personally have yet to take a whiff at the expensive luxury brand but it does smell nice and sweet. I've almost finished my little tube of Hand Food! In terms of effectiveness, it does work fairly well, and has a pleasing scent. 

Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy

I received this as a gift from Shu (my sister). It. Is. A. Huge. Amt. Of. Handcream, that smells like rosewater. It's very creamy and silky which absorbs into your skin to near nothing, your hands feel soft and moisturized after. The metal tube will last you for ages but could be a chore to carry around (that's why I bring around my S&G one more often). Shu uses the Lavender scented one and I always preferred it more to mine! :p

p.s. my new favourite hand cream is the Elizabeth Arden 8-hour one! 

Products:I wish I had! NYX Matte Lip Cream, Heavy Rotation Gel Liner, Sleek Suede

I have on my YouTube subscription list, a whole bunch of beauty vloggers, and this means that I get exposed to many new (not forgetting pretty) beauty products that I wish I had my hands on! Well, there can never be too many makeup items can there? Sadly, money is a huge issue here. An undergrad is usually poor and in debt and that's exactly who I am!

But still I think it can't harm to just share what I am hoping to get my hands on, can I :) So, here are the few items on my 'to buy if I have excess cash' list!

1) NYX Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp

I have the lip cream in San Paulo, a gorgeous deep deep rose pink. I love it! The pigmentation is there, it smells and tastes great (creme bulee, sorta?) and goes on so smoooothlyyy. The cream glides on exactly like a cream and subtly dries to a slightly powdery matte finish. I need to get my hands on more. I'm eying on Antwerp, a bright peachy colour. I am lacking that colour in my lipstick collection ;)

However, I am worried about how it'll look on me. I have an average (or slightly darker) Asian yellow skin tone. I've seen it work wonders on people who are fair.... but I WANT!

2) Kiss Me: Heavy Rotation Gel Liner

I have heard great things about this gel liner from Fi. She has made this her most current HG eyeliner! How can I not try it! I love my liquid liner, but truth be told, I'm still not too expert on it just yet. It takes a lot of patience and STEADY HANDS. I work better with an angled brush.

It's costing about S$24-25 bucks at Watson's and that is, by my standards, pretty expensive! I wonder if I should use my Watson's rebate on this. hmm.

3) Sleek Blush in Suede

This blush was introduced to me by beauty vlogger Beautycrush. It is a matte neutral blush that seems to just enhance one's facial features! It looked good on Sam (vlogger) and totally convinced me that I need it. Just waiting for undertwenty to restock :)

I know I would probably get all three items when the time comes... they are not exactly high end and damn expensive! But only time will tell.

In the meantime, share with me if you have tried these products. Let me know if they are worth it!