*HAUL* Beauty Bay!

Recently my hands were itching to get myself some new skincare products. So I went onto Beautybay.com, did some damage, and here are the things i bought!

EMMA HARDIE PROFESSIONAL CLEANSING SYSTEM

This award-winning Cleansing system was too hard to resist, after reading tons of reviews I finally got this.

The Emma Hardie Professional System is retailing on beautybay.com for £35.74. I wanted to try the Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing balm (phew, that was long). I found this set on Beautybay.com that came with the Rosehip Exfoliating Seeds and Muslin cloth. This was definitely a good buy as the cleansing balm alone would have cost £28.94 on its own. Beautybay.com is still selling the set here.

ALPHA-H ANTI AGEING DISCOVERY COLLECTION

Alpha-H Anti Ageing Discovery Collection is retailing for £26.17. The reason why I bought this whole collection was mainly to try out the Alpha-H Liquid gold. Beautybay.com was having this promotion for the set, and it includes the Balancing Cleanser, Daily Essential Moisturizer, Micro Cleanse and Essential Hydration cream. Again this collection was pretty good as I was able to also try out different products by Alpha-H. This collection is also only exclusive to Beautybay.com, so do check out their website as they are still selling it online here.

This was my first haul on Beautybay.com, they were pretty fast and reliable. They also ship free internationally (thank god!). I only had to wait for about 1 week, but something did happen though to my cleansing balm, upon receiving it i quickly opened it up to check its content. The cleansing balm had melted and I could see this from outside because there is a plastic cover on top of the balm inside. I somewhat knew this was going to happen as products shipped to Singapore go through cargo and that environment can be really hot and humid most of the time. So what i reckoned was the cleansing balm melted en route. So what i then did in this situation was to remove the balm and place it in a bowl and mix the oil with the balm. This is so that they all could cool together into one again. I then put the whole cleansing balm back into the pot and put it in the fridge. This was my only grudge and i cannot really blame Beauty bay as products like these thrive in a cooler temperatures. After putting it in the fridge and letting it all settle, the product turned out absolutely fine.


I will definitely be doing a separate review for both these products as I have been loving them and they are absolutely amazing. So stay tuned!

xx
Lin

Review: LUSH Big Shampoo

Lush products are a big hit and miss for me and their scents are really an acquired taste. Every time I watch a review or haul on YouTube about Lush it always makes we want to go down to Lush and get their products. But when i'm in-store after sniffing around the products, I usually don't end up buying. Some of their products seem or smell too artificially flavoured for me and do not really live up to the hype.

I know there are a ton of Lush product reviews online but i believe that everyone has their own opinion about each individual product and especially when it is a sponsored review I just tend to shy away.

Big shampoo however, has definitely been one of my recurring purchases from Lush. To be honest with you it is something i cannot live without. My hair is pretty long at the moment so every 2 weeks or so i do need to use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of all the build up from washing and hair products that i have been using. This product is really unique as it does have sea salt in it. The sea salt does a really good job in removing all that build up and giving my scalp a good clean. I don't really recommend it for someone to use this more than once a week though, because it really is clarifying and you don't want to over clean your hair, and much like the face a little oil is usually good for your hair. The shampoo has drying effect, so for those with really dry hair i would suggest for you to not use it too frequently and you might need a good conditioner after use. I also notice that this shampoo does give a lot of volume to the hair, so on days where i need a little bit of boost and volume i do reach out for Big......

... As for the formulation of this shampoo i have not been too impressed lately. Lush has changed its formulation, and the sea salts now are coarser than it used to be. When i say coarse it's really is coarse to a point where i tend to be more careful so as to not hurt my scalp. LUSH WHY OH WHY? The old formulation was really perfect and was not as big as what you can see in the picture above. The portions in white are the sea salts, and i think you have a rough (pun fully intended) idea of how coarse the texture of the salts are. Major plus point though: the smell of Big is my absolute favorite! It always reminds me of a beach vacation, because of the Extra Virgin Coconut oil that is infused in the shampoo. Oh, and let's not forget the Fresh Organic Lime Juice!

For those who would like to get their hands on the Lush Big Shampoo, Lush Singapore now does island wide delivery on their website here for SGD39 and if you are in the Orchard road area you can always pop by their store at Wisma Atria Shopping Centre.

Hope you guys have a fantastic day ahead!


xx
Lin

Review: NARS Laguna Vs. NYC Sunny

Hey Everyone!

I hope you guys are doing great! I woke up today feeling all inspired to blog about these two babies. I have been using the NARS Laguna Bronzer for more than 5 months now and i have tried the NYC Sunny for almost 2 weeks straight! Whoa! It is definitely safe to say that I am confident in reviewing these two products for you guys. So let's get into it shall we?

(Left: NYC Sunny Right: Nars Laguna)

Price:

NARS Laguna: SGD 60 (Approximately)

NYC Sunny: USD 3.19


Products:

NARS Laguna (0.28 Oz / 8 g) :

When i first purchased NARS products many months back, Singapore did not have any NARS counter here so I would get my products online or Bangkok Airport's Duty Free outlet. I got the NARS Laguna Bronzer for approximately SGD 60 and i'm really sorry guys but i just can't remember the online seller anymore. The price for NARS products are generally steep but for the quality of product that you get it is really worth saving for. For someone who has a medium skin tone (NC40-42) like myself the product did not appear to be orangey or muddy at all. The problem that i usually have with bronzers is that it's usually too dark or too light for my skin but Laguna is pretty close to perfect. As you guys can tell by the swatches, Laguna does have shimmer in it. When you have the product on your face the shimmer never seems to be that visible unless you are standing in the bright sunlight. The powder is so easy to blend with and the brush i always use it with is my Real Technique's contour brush. As the brush is small it's pretty precise to get the contour-ing job done. The product is definitely finely milled and high quality. The packaging itself like all NARS products does feel luxurious, but it tends to get grubby and it's almost impossible to keep it clean.

NYC Sunny (0.33 Oz / 9.4 g) :

This product is pretty much well known in the blogging world and on YouTube but sadly NYC products are not sold in Singapore. I was so thrilled to find out that Naq managed to get this product when she was in New York because we both were dying to try it! In terms of packaging, this product is nothing fancy-pansy, quite a standard plasticky material and it does feel a little cheap. For the amount of product you do get, I have to give credit to NYC as their packaging is definitely more compact than NARS. The real test was definitely the texture and appearance of the product itself. The NYC Sunny does look a little orangey in pictures and also in the pan but when applied it did not appear to be too orangey or muddy for my skin tone. This really surprised me and is a huge plus point for a drugstore bronzer. I do believe if you are quite pale this bronzer will show up a little orangey. The blend-ability of the powder is slightly poor. You do have to work a little with the product but definitely buildable. From the swatches you can also tell that NYC Sunny does not have any shimmer at all, it is a straight-up matte bronzer. For matte lovers out there this is definitely as great as most bronzers in the market that have shimmer in it.


Verdict:

Both products have their plus points, and in my opinion if you have the money to splurge, the NARS Laguna will not fail you. If you are on a tight budget though NYC Sunny is definitely a great alternative while you save up to buy the big boy. As for me alternating between both on a daily basis will stretch the longevity of my NARS Laguna bronzer. I will definitely try to update the prices and link you guys up to any legit website where you can get your hands on these products.


xx
Lin

We are back!

Hey everyone!

Sincere apologies for the long hiatus, we've both been busy travelling. September and October have been really crazy busy and fun for us. We both went on separate holidays and now we are finally back and all settled down.

I travelled to Europe this Summer - oh wait, it's always summer here in Singapore! All the more I always feel the need to get away every couple of months. The most awesome thing about our whole holiday trip was when Naq decided to go to  NEW YORK CITY! When she told me she was going all i could think of was my US Drugstore make up list that I was DYING to get my hands on.

So brace yourself guys for the next few weeks, we will posting updates on our make up hauls and reviews!


xx
Lin

July's Favourites

Hello everyone!

I hope i'm not too late for my July's Favourites. They say better late than never right? So let's hop in.


Eau Thermale Avène Gentle Milk Cleanser

My love for french skincare is really starting to blossom or bordering on a little obsessive hee! I got this last month from a drugstore/pharmacy. One of the sales ladies convinced me to try this as i was just browsing through Avene's products. Well firstly, i do not have dry or very dry sensitive skin, my skin is normal/combination, and depending on the time and season it could get a little oily or dry. Surprisingly albeit living in a tropical country my skin does change a lot. The reason why i am trying products for sensitive skin is pretty obvious, when it caters to that type of skin usually the ingredient and the chemicals used are pretty mild as well.


I usually use this for a day cleanser in the morning, the reason being at night i always put on a night cream or serum and I don't want to strip my skin off the next day with some harsh cleanser. I prefer my face to still feel soft and supple and not waste my night cream. The most important thing about this product is, it does not leave an oily/unclean feeling on your face, and this is something I'm pretty particular when it comes to choosing a cleanser.


For those who wants to get this product in Singapore, they are available at Watsons or Guardian.
For anywhere else in the world you can try here or your nearest drugstore.



BIODERMA Sensibio H2O

It's definitely no surprise that I have to include this in my July's favourite. Everyone on youtube/blog land is always raving about this product. I recently gave this a go and of course it has been amazing! I definitely love the cooling feeling that it gives and how it melts away foundation and powder on my face. But I do think for an eye make up remover it's definitely 3/5 and i think I'm being generous here. If you are someone who wears loads of mascara then you definitely need a more potent eye make up remover before giving Bioderma a final run down.


For those who want to get this product in Singapore, it is available at Guardian but not all outlets. Here is the list of Guardian Stores in Singapore.
I also do recommend getting them from SASA online and i know there are some great e-bay sellers too.




NARS Laguna Bronzer

Next on my list is also a cult favourite - NARS Laguna Bronzer. When I first bought this I felt that it was just okay and never really reached out for it much. But this month it's definitely my go-to bronzer. This product has a slight shimmer to it but almost invisible to the eye. The only downside about the NARS range is definitely their packaging. It does feel luxurious but the packaging tends to get grubby really fast. I had to do a thorough wipe before photographing it and believe it or not I've only had this bronzer for only.. errr 3 months?




M.A.C 217 Brush

Well for starters, i'm quite new to the whole make-up brush world and the only brushes I've ever owned are the Real Techniques designed by Samantha Chapman brushes, some old Estee Lauder and Backstage brushes which were given to me by my cousin. All i have to say is this brush makes blending a dream. A FREAKING DREAM. It is almost featured in every Youtube Beauty Guru's channel. I think for a M.A.C brush virgin this is a good one to start with if you are looking for a blending/eye shadow brush.


I bought this at a M.A.C counter here in SG and the price is a little steep, they are retailing it for SGD39. I would highly recommend you to get a friend to buy it for you if they are traveling to the United States or any one going to IMATS.

Right so that is all for my July's favourite and would love to keep doing monthly favorites to share with everyone. Thank you!

xx
Lin

Fan di Fendi.

Summer is here and so is my favorite scent! I got this as a gift from my boyfriend and I was thrilled! Been eyeing this perfume when it first came out at Sephora.


First of all i love the packaging, you can never go wrong with black and gold - NEVER! The top notes of the scent are basically pear and blackcurrant, the heart notes are floral rose and jasmine and the base notes are leather and patchouli. I'm so bad at describing scents that obviously i got the information from here. Most people would probably think this scent is more of an evening scent but I believe that one can never label scents because it's all about personal preference. I wear this for night and day and yet I don't feel it is overpowering in any way. This is definitely a strong scent, and if you are into light and refreshing scents then I think this might not be down your alley.


So he got me the Eau de Parfum version which definitely lasted all day and surprisingly for a heavy-scented perfume it did not overwhelm me in any way even after re-application. You definitely want something that lasts but is not distracting, if you get what i mean. Fan di Fendi will definitely be a perfume that will be right up there with the favorites in my collection.


You can purchase it at any Sephora near you or it is available online here.


Hope you guys are having a wonderful week and happy sniffing!


xx
Lin

Hey. Hey.

We started this blog to share with everyone things that we love, whether it's fashion or beauty.


We choose to write about the things we like, the things we will purchase & our opinions on products in general.


Through sharing our favorite things and make up goodies we can't live without, we hope you guys will get to know us, and hopefully yourself a little better!


We don't know if anyone will read this but here we go anyways!


xx