One of the brushes

Hello, peeps!

I guess you all can actually see that I haven't been blogging about of the things I love most - make-up and skincare, for quite some time. 

Well, the fact is, I've started working and everyday and I am dealing with make-up and skincare products as one of my routines every single day. Sometimes, I even have to deal with difficult clients so, I guess I just have to persevere. It's not that bad because I do like my job based on two main things - I don't need to buy all those make-up products because we get to use them for free and we can even use the skincare products there every single day.

How cool is that?

Anyway, story of my job aside because this is one of the backdated entry that I was supposed to share but I procrastinated quite a bit. LOLX!

Meet one of my favourite brushes - Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush!

I contemplated to get it initially because I thought of wanting to buy either MAC or Sigma foundation brush but in the end, since MAC is not available at my hometown and I was too lazy to do online shopping, I headed out to Parkson and bought this brush! I knew I will not regret it because Paris B of My Women Stuff blogged about this brush and thereafter, I made up my mind to buy it!

If you don't know just yet, this brush is meant for applying liquid foundation but I tried applying my cream foundation with it and it worked fine!

This is a slanted flat top brush. Since it is slanted, I find application of foundation is a breeze! It reaches the side of my nose easily with either brushing or stippling motion.

Most of the times, I personally prefer to use it via stippling motion because it would give an air-brushed finish, which is dewy!

The bristle is really dense and soft.

Well, I wouldn't consider this brush as super expensive or cheap. I would like to use the term affordable. It retails for about RM100 at Shiseido counters throughout Malaysia. However price may differ depending on which state you are from.

I never expected I would love this brush after my MAC 109 was stolen. It maybe only half of my MAC price but it does its job quite decently.

I guess one brush would last me for a while. I would re-purchase it again in future! Please, Shiseido, please don't up the price!

Make-up for sensitive skin

I am lucky to have normal skin that does not react to most of the skin care that you can find in the market. Therefore, a lot of the times, I get to use quite a number of products without having to worry about the ingredients in the products.

So, I am always counting my blessings when it comes to normal skin because I do come across a few people in my life who have really fragile skin. Whenever they are allergy to certain ingredients, their skin tend to react - pimples, acnes, rashes, red spots and others.

Sometimes, it does struck me how my friends find suitable skin care and make-up products for themselves. It has been pain in the neck to follow them around to find these products.

Well, counting your blessings yet - those of you with normal skin?

Fret not because I am sharing with all of you with sensitive skin - BB cream for those with sensitive skin!

I know what you're thinking.

"WHAT?! My skin is already sensitive and you want me to wear BB cream?!"

Hey, hey, hey, don't worry, this BB cream is formulated especially for those with sensitive skin.

May I present to you - ACWELL Mineral BB Cream.

For your information, this BB cream is oil-free.

Sounds promising?

Read on...

ACWELL is a line of product specially manufactured by Giverny Paris for those with problem and dry skin.

If you don't know yet, Giverny is a Korean company with the formulation of the products coming from Paris. A lot the products from Giverny are actually of premium quality so it'd not be weird if the price of each product is about RM100 or maybe more.

I am unable to disclose the actual price of this BB cream since it is not yet available in Malaysian market but it will be available soon.

The packaging is sleek and prestige.

Once you take out the product, you will see a even neater packaging - the BB cream comes in pump form. Bottle and pump, get it? LOLX!

One plus point that I really do like for this BB cream is that even after pumping out the product, it does not make the whole packaging messy or anything. In fact, this is what I would like to define - neat and sleek! I used to have really bad experience with some BB creams that ended up creating a mess everywhere!

The texture of this BB cream is very, very thick. If you are thinking of dragging, tugging or pulling it across your skin, think twice! It is way to thick for you to rug or pull it across your face. The best way to apply it is to use patting motion. Total blending and application time may be longer if compared to other BB creams that I have tried.

Since the texture of this BB cream is very thick, the coverage is medium. It does quite a good job in covering red spots and broken veins but it does not cover your dark under eye area. Due to its consistency, a little product goes a long way because usually, for my face, I would need around 2 to 3 pumps for full coverage but this BB cream proves me wrong - half a pump may even be too much for the whole face! It is crazy, I know!

Best thing of all, yes, it is oil-free because I don't think it greases up or anything throughout the day. Oxidation is minimal too once it sets onto your skin.

If you are worried that you have a function to attend to at night and scared foundations or BB creams will give you white cast because of the SPF inside, well, you can free yourself of worries because this BB cream does not contain SPF.

I find the lasting power of this BB cream is not bad - it lasts for about 5 to 6 hours without re-application or setting powder. If you have to know, this BB cream wears off the fastest around the side of your nose and forehead. Yeah, T-zone! Other than the wearing off part, I have no complain at all.

So, for those of you with sensitive skin, look forward to the launching of ACWELL in Malaysia!

Next generation BB cream

Troubled skin?

Refusing to use foundation? 

Well then, I bet all of you know, among Asian women, BB creams are the IN things now. I guess 9 out of 10 women these days have already tried out those BB creams available in the market.

As for myself, I have tried and tested a fair amount of BB creams in our Malaysian market and honestly, I am not really a big fan of BB creams because I personally think majority of the shades in the market are either too fair, too pinkish or too grey-ish.

Furthermore, these BB creams do not last long. The wearing time is around 3 to 4 hours before they start melting off. For those drugstore ones, I guess the longest wearing time that I could vouch for is Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream - probably about 2 to 3 hours.

I hate re-application - that is one of the reasons why I turn to foundations in the end.

Therefore, I gave away most of the BB creams in my possession to either stupid sister or friends because it is really not good to just throw away since there are people who might appreciate them. Yeah, I am such a kind and considerate person, just like so. LOLX!

Anyway, of all the hypes about how good a BB cream is, I came across the next generation of BB cream called the CC cream when I visited Singapore in December last year. 

I guess I discovered it a little later than others. 

That time, I was not so keen on trying it out even though there were testers on the display. I was loving my foundation and never heard of the brand before. 

It was not until June or July, I came across one of the Singapore's top beauty bloggers, Roseanne Tang's entry where she blogged about the exact CC cream that I saw in Singapore - Rachel K CC Cream.

  

It made me curious and I wanted to try it out after reading Roseanne's reviews and also watching her video in which she compared several BB creams and also the Rachel K CC Cream. Since then, I have been wanting to get it but nobody was able to send it back to my hometown for me. Thus, I waited until last month when stupid sister went to Singapore and bought the pink tube of Rachel K CC Cream for me.

I was too excited and couldn't wait to test it out.

Rachel K CC Cream retails for about SGD$30. I guess that is a decent price for BB or CC creams, right? Well... at least I think so.

So, let's see, what is CC cream and what is the hype all about, shall we?

Rachel K CC Cream is essentially a much-improved and refined BB (Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm) cream that will do everything that is expected of a BB cream and the most important and intriguing difference in a CC cream is the delivery of the cosmetic properties. 

While BB cream is toted primarily as a golden product of the skincare industry in Asia, CC cream has been developed to retain all the skincare benefits of a BB cream as well as more effective ingredients and skin coverage. 

This is where the “color control” comes in. Unlike BB cream, CC cream rocks a heavier, more cosmetic-like coverage that actually has a lighter texture. This results in a formula that is extremely easy to blend, yet offers a smooth and even-toned base that looks like a second (flawless) skin. 

The Rachel K CC cream has undergone a lot of testing and revealed some very impressive results: 

When compared to BB cream, test subjects agreed that Rachel K’s CC cream had a less oily texture, a better whitening or brightening effect, 3 times better coverage, absolutely no breakouts, longer-lasting moisture and hold, and 5 times better stability.

Well... if you want more information, there are more on Rachel K's website.

So now, why exactly CC cream instead of BB cream?

So, let's see how the Rachel K CC Cream fairs in my honest opinion.

When the first time I tested it out, I was half expecting the CC cream to have a watery texture but no, I was wrong. The texture is quite thick!

Yeah, thick and it does not slide or glide everywhere during application - good news, huh?

I guess that would be one plus point to this CC cream because I hate my foundation, BB cream or whatever you call them to slide or glide during application.

The shade I have gotten is Neutral because Original is too fair with more pink undertone to it. Neutral is fine with just a little pink undertone which in my honest opinion would suit Asians with fair to medium skin tone. Oh, haha... I just realized I am not too dark. LOLX!

Blendability is okay, not too bad. I find it difficult to apply if you were to drag the CC Cream across your face due to its thick texture. So, best way to apply it - patting motion! By patting motion, I mean patting your face, just like when you are massaging your face.

Another plus point is that this CC cream happens to be quite waterproof. After applying it onto my hand, I tried running it under the water and pooooofff... it's still there.

It does say on the packaging that it is smudge proof but honestly, I would not agree with that. I personally think it is not smudge proof. After the application, I tried rubbing it with my fingers and it came off. This is quite a big no-no for me because if it is not smudge proof, most probably it will come off in about 3 to 4 hours on my oily skin.

We shall discuss about the coverage of this CC cream.

One thing that I do like about this CC cream is that it covers quite well. I wouldn't say the coverage is good but it's like a little above average. I notice an immediate whitening effect and also the evens out my skin tone quite well.

I know you'll think it looks too fair on me but let's just give the CC cream some time to set, shall we? So, I proceeded with my eye make-up, blush and lipstick.

In about 15 minutes, the colour adjusts itself to fit my complexion.

Not bad, right? Considering I took the pictures with flash and there is no white cast or anything.

If you are worried that the CC cream might be too oily for you, don't worry. I think it is not oily even though the texture is quite thick.

On the lasting power - I'll give it a rating of 3 out of 5 because it wears off in about 5 hours or so especially on my T-zone.

Will I purchase it again?

I guess for the nearest time, I won't be re-purchasing Rachel K CC Cream. One tube can last me for quite some time, furthermore, I have found HG BB cream already.

Hello, world, for once again!

Hello, peeps!

I know, it has been one month since my last update. I am terribly sorry for the lack of updates. I have been really busy with work and by the time I get home every day, it would either be I am too lazy to blog or I am just feeling like going to bed.

The good thing about working, huh? You get all the privilege to feel lazier than non-working days. Hahaha.

Anyway, I will be updating soon with more reviews of my newly found loves and all - yeah, I am selling cosmetics! LOLX!