HadaLabo Gokujyun Cleanser Experience

I know so many people have reviewed and tried this but it does live up to its hype.

HadaLabo Gokujyun contains hyaluronic acid to aid in the retention of moisture in the skin to keep it remaining supple. The face wash/cleanser claims the following:

• Hydrates as it cleanses, helps restores skin's natural moisture leaving it silky smooth
• Gently cleanses leaving skins comfortably hydrated an refreshed
• Skin pH balanced and low irritation
• Free of fragrance, mineral oil, alcohol and colourant

This product definitely ticks all of the points for me. After I used it my skin did not feel dry, over washed, or tight. My skin felt really smooth, soft and bouncy =]

My skin did not react with the product. It says fragrance free but it did smell like rice to me which isn't too bad since I like the smell of rice.

The one I received was made in Japan. Not too sure if country of manufacture makes a difference ???

It's a creme cleanser which lathers really well into the skin

Pros:

Kept my skin moisturised

No reaction

Smells good

No tight feeling

Soft, smooth skin =]

Affordable

Cons: 

none so far =]

Should I try the other things in the line up of products?

My Beauty Diary French White Lily Mask Review

Today I'm reviewing the French White Lily Mask from the My Beauty Diary limited edition Blooming of Beauty mask collection.

• Comes in a pack of 5
• Soothing and Whitening
• Suitable for all skin types

To Use:

1. Cleanse and tone face like usual
2. Remove mask from packaging and unfold
3. Place onto face and adjust accordinly
4. Smooth out the mask and massage the excess essence onto neck (I also rub the excess essence from the plastic mask that is ripped off from the cloth mask onto my arms and legs, I also squeeze the excess out of the packaging as well - just trying to get the most out of it and treating the other parts of my body =P )
5. Leave mask on or 20 - 30 minutes
6. Peel of mask, Pat and massage essence into face and neck to assist its absorption
7. Moisturise face like usual

Ingredients list of Mask

Smells like lilies =] which I totally love as they are one of my favourite flowers. 

Pros:

Moisturising

Soothing
Actually whitened/brightened complexion

Good price

Smell =]

Good Expiration time (3 years)

Cons:

Hard to get

Limited Edition

I haven't taken a decent photo of what the actual mask looks like because I use this during night time and lighting is horrible for a photograph =( but the masks look like the usual My Beauty Diary masks

My Beauty Diary Japanese Hydrangea Mask Review

Hey All =]
My Beauty Diary has released some LIMITED EDITION masks to celebrate the Taipei International Flora Expo. There are 5 different masks all in varying floral "flavours/scents" (can't think of a better word =S)
Today I'm reviewing the Japanese Hydrangea mask as it's the first one I'm trying =]

• Comes in a pack of 5
• Soothing, Calming and Oil Control
• Suitable for all skin types especially those who have oily or combination skin

To Use:

1. Cleanse and tone face like usual
2. Remove mask from packaging and unfold
3. Place onto face and adjust accordinly
4. Smooth out the mask and massage the excess essence onto neck (I also rub the excess essence from the plastic mask that is ripped off from the cloth mask onto my arms and legs, I also squeeze the excess out of the packaging as well - just trying to get the most out of it and treating the other parts of my body =P )
5. Leave mask on or 20 - 30 minutes
6. Peel of mask, Pat and massage essence into face and neck to assist its absorption
7. Moisturise

Ingredients list of Mask

The smell is divine (don't all flowers smell great anyways?). Probably smells like Japanese Hydrangeas, I would assume so anyways. The mask soothed my face but I'm not too sure on oil control considering I have dry skin.

Pros:

Moisturising

Soothing

Oil Control?

Good price

Smell =]

Good Expiration time (3 years)

Cons:

Hard to get

Limited Edition

Has anyone else tried these masks?

Next Up: More mask reviews =]

Kose Cosmagic Sweet Deco Cheek, Peach Pink Review

Kose's Cosmagic Sweet Deco Cheek has been heavily featured in popular Gyaru magazine Popteen. 

I got mine from my BonjourHK haul. I chose 02 Peach Pink but there is 01 Strawberry Pink available as well. 

Comes with blush, lid, brush and novel feathery applicator which I think is kinda useless as it doesn't really pick up the blush well.

There are instructions that come with the packaging on the different ways to apply the blush.

The heart shaped template is attached to the packaging which needs to be cut off. Took me a while to locate it -_-"

The heart is a creme blush, the bottom two colours are powdered blush. The lightest pink is a good highlighter. 

• To apply the creme blush simply use fingertips to melt the blush and pat it along the cheeks
• Then begin to evenly spread out onto cheek bones
• Use the darker pink powder to seal in the creme blush and apply it around the cheeks to create dimension
• Highlight nose and upper cheek area 

The lid is quite thick adding unnecessary bulk and weight to your handbag if you carry it around, otherwise it's super cute and girly and makes it look like a crystal

Swatches on paper

Left to right: Creme blush (love heart), dark pink powder, light pink powder (highlighter)

Swatched on arm

Left to right: Creme blush (love heart), dark pink powder, light pink powder (highlighter)

This is what it looks like on me. On camera the colours are kinda washed out, it looks a bit pinker in person. However, this blush definitely gives you the cute pink cheeks that most gyaru gals have. 

In my honest opinion this blush is kinda hard and awkward to apply. The blush brush supplied is rubbish. I used a normal blusher brush to apply the powder and it's hard to pick up the individual colours. Also the highlighter powder is much much easier to pick up and usually gets swiped along the way when aiming for the darker pink blush powder. The creme blush doesn't melt too easily on the finger tips. 

I don't think I would re-purchase this as there are many other blushes on the market around the same price but much easier to apply. Canmake creme blush is definitely better than the creme blush in this one and is a third of the price of this. 

Pros: 

Good pigmentation

Gives nice pink blushy cheeks

The lightest pink colour is a very good highlighter

Achieves the Gyaru look

Cons:

 Hard and awkward to apply

Hard to get outside of Asia

So many varied prices online

Bulky if carrying around in makeup pouch

The brushes supplied aren't good

Creme blush not too fantastic

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday =]

xoxo

How to tell the difference between fake and real Shu Uemura Eyelash curlers

I don't think I made sense in my last post about Shu Uemura eyelash curlers so I'm going to do a detailed post. 

The left is fake and the right is real. I threw out the fake box but in general the fake box looks almost identical to the real one

Left is fake, right is real. Notice the screw on the fake is bigger?

Left is fake, right is real.

The left is fake and right is real. The rubber on the fake seems to look thicker, the two inner metal bars are thicker on the fake. 

Left is fake and right is real. The fake has some sort of "w" marking after the logo whereas the real doesn't. Also the rubber looks thicker on the fake one. 

Left is fake, right is real. The best way to tell if it's a fake Shu Uemura eyelash curler is the rubber band. The fake does not have the logo on the back of the rubber band. Also real Shu Uemura lash bands are softer, more flexible and slightly thinner than fakes. 

Left real, right fake. Fake seems to be thicker.

Hope my comparison was helpful. I paid a little over $2 on eBay to check out the fake. Real Shu Uemura lash curlers retail for around $40 in Australia!! I paid $12 US from BonjourHK. They are a trust worthy site and don't sell fakes. I've been to the actual stores in Hong Kong. That's how I found out about them. They are like SaSa and most of the times their prices are lower and they stock some brands and products that SaSa doesn't =]

Bonjour Haul

It looks like I'm always hauling...trust me I hardly go physical shopping. I LOVE online shopping ^_^

My package came in the mail from BonjourHK. It's like SaSa in Hong Kong but most of their prices online are cheaper =] but the major downside to shopping with BonjourHK is that free shipping only applies if you spend over $200 US!! So usually I wait for the products I need to accumulate so I can get free shipping. I hate shipping costs =(

I got all this. I needed new SK-II facial treatment essence and I was running out but didn't want to pay local price...I think for the 215mL in Australia it is over $200AUD!! But on Bonjour it was $US103. The Australian dollar is currently strong and almost matches the US so buying online and buying in bulk is cheaper =] SaSa was a bit more expensive but now it's on sale for $US96!! FML...oh well they don't stock the limited edition My Beauty Diary masks or Shu Uemura lash curlers.

Clockwise from left: HadaLabo Tamagohada cleanser, HadaLabo Gokujyun cleanser, Shu Uemura Lash Curlers, SK-II facial treatment essence and Kose Cosmagic Blusher in 02 Peach Pink

New My beauty Diary Masks!! =]

Top Row: Platinum + Pearl Lift Stretch Mask, French White Lily Mask, Vienna Black Tulip Mask, Formosa White Phalaennopis Mask

Bottom Row: Gold + Marine Collagen Mask, Peruvian Sunflower Mask, Japanese Hydrangea Mask

The flower My Beauty Diary Masks are Limited Edition released to celebrate the Taipei International Flora Expo. 

Will have more info and reviews on future posts ^_~

Canmake Nudy Glow Lipgloss Swatches

Hey all! Hope the Christmas rush hasn't been too unpleasant for everyone. I have a review on one of the Canmake lip glosses I got ages ago. Sorry I haven't been doing lots of reviews lately =( 

I'm reviewing the Canmake Nudy Glow gloss in 06 peach milk. This one gives off a very nude hue with a very glossy result. Absolutely love this shade. 

 Bare Lips

 Above: With Flash

 Above: Without Flash indoors

 Above: I have the Canmake Lip Concealer on in the lightest shade

 Above: Lip concealer and the lip gloss on top (indoor without flash) 

 Above: Lip concealer and the lip gloss on top with flash

Pros: Nice opaque finish

Decent Moisturisation

Nice Nude result

Good Price

Good Quality

Cons: Hard to get

Can have a streaky finish if not applied neatly

Not too much a fan of the brush applicator wand. I reckon sponge tips are better

Lips need to be well exfoliated for a good result

Overall I reckon this is a good product given it's price. I think it's 600 yen so would be roughly $7~8 which is good price for lip gloss in Australia....Dior and Chanel glosses are $45 to $50 AUD here!! =(

On another note I would recommend Rimmel's Vinyl Gloss...they are great quality for the price with good opaque finish with a better applicator and finish, however, it's not as long lasting as the Canmake lip gloss.

Also watched Megamind in 3D today =]

It's pretty good. Would recommend to take little cousins out for a school holiday treat 

giveaway announcement

CONGRATULATIONS NATALIE NGUYEN!!!

Thank you everyone for entering ♡

Hope you guys are enjoying my blog.

Natalie...Please email me at an9el_star@hotmail.com for your address details (the email is my primary school email therefore I don't regularly check it. Only for this giveaway I will check)

Melbourne Haul

Hey guys!! I'm back from my brief getaway with some friends. We went to Melbourne, Australia which is just interstate for me. Following are some things I picked up =] All my stuff were at discounted prices because Melbourne has a lot of factory outlets and is a well known city where people are laid back and dress very funky (the cool kind).

From Forever New (kinda like Forever 21) 

Floral Skirt: $29.95 was $69.95

Floral Active Shorts: $19.95 was $29.95( although FREE because it was a buy one get one free offer)

Boater Hat from Just Jeans. I only paid $5 at the counter!! RRP was $19.95 then reduced to $9.95. I love it when you are prepared to pay the face price and then it's further reduced at the cashier =]

Supra shoes. Paid $70 was $120. All 3 of my Chucks are worn. So these are a similar style but different brand. My friends and I like to collect sneakers. 

Tan Sandals from a random boutique store. Was $60 Paid $35

Body Shop small Body Butters. Don't remember but I paid $5 less than RRP.

Cute teapot from T2, I love tea and T2. Teapot/teacup set was $30. Was not a reduced price.

Above is from Kikki.K

A4 box was $29.95 down to $12.57

Tags was $9.95 down to $2

Elephant sticky tape was $6.95 down to $2

I love Sales =] 

Next posts giveaway announcement and some happy snaps from my holiday.

Attempted Ashy coloured hair

Yesterday I coloured my hair an ashy brown colour. I chose a light ash blonde colour as I wanted to achieve an ash brown result because I have natural black hair.

Above is the stuff I used: creme colour, 30 Vol - 9% peroxide, mixing bowl and brush and gloves.

I mixed my creme colour and peroxide in a 1:1 ratio.

Above: Before

Above: Results...in sunlight it seems to of resulted in an auburn colour as I can see a golden redness to it. 

Above: Taken without sunlight....looks light an medium brown to an ashy brown colour.

I think the colour is a bit golden and dark so I might re-attempt the same colour until I achieve the result I want...also I will put a toner through to wash out any golden tinge to achieve the ash effect I want. But I'm going to treat my hair first...don't want to overdo my hair and frizzle it.

Also...thank you Maki for the Lovely Blog Award ^^