London Beauty Haul!

This video is long overdue but I finally posted my first ever YouTube video! It's a makeup and skincare haul of all the stuff I bought during my London trip back in October. Hope you guys enjoy the video and if you liked it, please give it thumbs up and subscribe for more videos!

MAC MACnificent Me Collection | My Inner Femme + Diva Antics Lipsticks

It is hard to keep track of all the MAC collections coming out every year... there's so many! One of their latest is the MACnificent Me Collection which is inspired by the winners of the MACnificent Me contest where individuality, style, and passion are celebrated.

I naturally gravitated to the lipsticks because the colours in this collection are beautiful, especially the reds!

A little Urban Decay haul

You know when go into a store with the intention to only buy one thing, then get sucked in by everything around you, and you end up with several items that you probably don't really need. Yeah. That's what happened this weekend when I went to Urban Decay.

I had wanted to get one of the Matte Revolution lipsticks and ended up getting the Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion, Brow Beater, an Eyeshadow, and two gifts with purchase of travel size versions of the original Eyeshadow Primer Potion and All Nighter Setting Spray.

bareMinerals Matte Foundation SPF 15

My skin has been doing quite well for the last month or so, and with the hot humid weather in Hong Kong I wanted something that didn't feel heavy on the skin but is still able to give me a decent amount of coverage that will cover any discoloration, redness, and acne scarring (my main concerns). A friend of mine swears by the bareMinerals foundation and although I'm not a huge fan of loose powders (too messy!), I decided to give the matte version a go... and it is exactly what I needed!

MAC Lipstick in Twig

I've been on the hunt for the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice ever since seeing it on Hollyannaeree, but unfortunately the creamy matte line isn't available in Hong Kong (correct me if I'm wrong...). So of course I did a good ol' Google search for dupes and MAC Twig was one that kept popping up.

Tapered Blush Brush | Bold Metals Collection by Real Techniques

The Real Techniques brushes are one of my all-time favourites brushes to use and are my daily go-to brushes. Simply brilliant quality. So when they released the Bold Metals Collection, Sam & Nic Chapman of Pixiwoos' new line of luxury makeup brushes, I was aching to get my hands on them. The Bold Metals Collection consists of 7 brushes for different functions, all made with incredibly soft synthetic bristles (even softer than the original RT line) with premium quality metallic ferrules/handles that give the brush a good 'weighty' feel. The Gold handles are for bases, Platinum for eyes and Rose Gold for finishes.

My Top 5 | Liquid Eyeliners

First thing's first, a look is not complete without a good set of winged eyeliner for me - it makes a huge difference to the overall look and also elongates the eyes and makes them look bigger. I've used pencil liner, gel liner, eyeshadow (you name it!) to create the perfect winged eye but I personally find that nothing beats liquid liner! You get a clean precise thin or thick line and in my experience liquid liners last the longest on me... especially for my oily lids. This brings me to today's long overdue post on my favourite liquid eyeliners.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

Several months ago I put in a huge Sephora order with a friend who was going back to Canada, one of the items was the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette which I've been eager to try for ages! So you can imagine my excitement when I got the bag of goodies, only to find my friend had gotten the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette instead.

NYX Slim Lip Pencils

In case you didn't know, I LOVE wearing a bold lip. I'm all for the bold lip for an instant oomph! Bright reds are my go-to colour (MAC Rubo Woo and Relentlessly Red are two of my favourite reds), but I've also dabbled in shocking pinks, oranges, and dark purples. Basically whenever I'm wearing a bold lip you can be certain I've got some sort of matching lip liner underneath. Lip liners not only line and shape the lips but it also creates a barrier to prevent your lipstick from bleeding/feathering out, and if you're like me and fill in the rest of the lips after lining then that creates another layer of colour so the lip colour seemingly lasts longer. 

The NYX Slim Lip Pencils are one of my favourite lip liners, as you can tell I have quite the collection. Coming in a huge variety of colours from nudes, pinks, reds, plums, browns, oranges and even black, the Slim Lip Pencil's buttery formula make them glide on smoothly and are long lasting, whether worn alone or layered under a lipstick. They are super affordable too ;)

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay

I've had oily combination skin and clogged pores since forever. Even with a good daily skincare routine and clay masks, I still shine like a light bulb by noon and still get blackheads and whiteheads - a constant bane of my life. Luckily, I haven't been prone to major breakouts since high school, even with oily combination skin and clogged pores, phew! Those high school years were rough though...

I'm currently using the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay - a gel cleanser containing red clay, rosemary leaf oil and botanical antioxidants that helps to remove excess oils, unclog pores and purify the skin.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Exciting (180)

The Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting lipstick collection is finally in Hong Kong! I feel like it has been over half a year since it has been out in the UK/US... I remember seeing everyone lusting over the gorgeous colours all over Instagram (especially the nudes) and me going to Estee Lauder counters to discover that they didn't have the collection yet. When I finally saw them in store, I had to get in on that.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

I've used many eyelash curlers over the years, from MAC, Koji, Shu Uemura... One that I've stuck to for years is the Shu Uemura one - very easy to use, gentle on the lashes and doesn't tugged on the lids. While on holiday during Christmas and sharing a room with two other girl friends who were all very much into their makeup, they asked me whether I had ever tried the Shiseido Eyelash Curler and I was momentarily stumped because I hadn't tried it yet... and why haven't I?

Of course curiosity killed the cat which brings me to today's post!

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Perfume

I'm slowly going through my first ever Sephora haul, so here's another gem, the Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black perfume.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

And so my new found Tarte obsession continues...

My first dabble into Tarte blushes was through the Pin Up Girl palette and I've since decided to make it my life's mission to own ALL the Amazonian Clay Blushes in existence. Unfortunately, Tarte is not readily available in Hong Kong and so I have to rely on friends going back or my next trip to US/Canada. Luckily, a friend did go back and a huge Sephora was given to her by yours truly.

Ta-dah! My latest addition: Exposed... and DANG, it's B-E-A-UTIFUL!