My Beauty Diary Mixed Berries Mask

After doing the horrifically bad Le Masque Hazelia whitening mask, I had to purify my face with a mask from My Beauty Diary. ;) My friend (who gave me the samples) insist that I write more on such beauty samples because it is funnier... never fear, my friends. I will continue with The Spa Series, just that I had to take some time off to gather the courage before I use the products again. FYI, I'll be going for a facial tomorrow, so I probably will not be using any LMH products for a period of time.

Cute pink packaging... I've waited so long and so patiently to use this! I love the idea of "mixed berries" --- I'm a sucker for anything fruity, I suppose! :) The My Beauty Diary mixed berries mask is supposed to be for BRIGHTENING and CLARIFYING.


How do you like seeing my be-masked face in HD now, huh? =p At least it isn't as terrifying as the LMH one. -__-

Honestly, was quite disappointed with this mask. Maybe because I had such high hopes for the mixed berries scent. I was really anticipating something much more fruitier, much more SWEETER. Instead, it smelled quite... not really berry-ish. It didn't smell delicious or inviting. Heck, it was because of the smell that I didn't quite enjoy this mask. So far, my favorite scent in the MBD series is still the Southern France Apricot one. :)

As usual, face felt slightly softer & more pampered, but the effects only lasted 1 or 2 days. Sigh... I am getting tired of using these masks... my next mask review will be from another brand. :3

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Follow Me Blooming Fresh Shampoo

I bought this shampoo when I was in Bahau. Random fact! :) In fact, I first heard of these series of shampoo from Follow Me when I was in Body eXpress gym. Follow Me actually supplies the gym's shower stuff, and I found it surprisingly invigorating & refreshing to use the range of products from Follow Me's Happy Shampoo. Told myself that I would repurchase, but it was more than 6 months before I actually did.

The weird thing (maybe it's a Bahau thing, lol) was they packaged my Blooming Fresh shampoo with the conditioner from the Cool & Happy Scalp. FYI, the Happy Shampoo range consists of : Blooming Fresh, Cool & Happy Scalp, Deep Moist and Smooth & Silky.

I was very excited when I finally finished my other shampoo (yes, I've been finishing a lot of stuff recently, and as a beauty blogger (or not), it really makes me excited to be able to try new stuff) and could start using this. However, maybe my memory did not serve me well, or maybe it was a gym thing... but I didn't feel that amazing invigorating & refreshing feeling that I experienced when I was at Body eXpress. Maybe I bought the wrong "flavor", and it was actually the "Cool & Happy Scalp" that worked wonders... however when I was purchasing, I sniffed each one and I thought Blooming Fresh was the one that smelled most like what I had used in the gym...

At the moment, I'm neither terribly impressed with the smell or the effects of using the shampoo. Also, the conditioner for the Cool & Happy Scalp neither makes my scalp feel cool nor particularly happy. Sigh... should I go over to the gym just to double check what I actually used? Lol... (it was a one day trial thingy)

Basically it just does its job of cleaning my hair, ho-hum, nothing special. However, the products claim to contain a magical "Herbex Flora Essence" which is supposed to promote strong and lustrous hair. So though it doesn't tickle my fancy in the aroma department, maybe my hair's healthiness can still be maintained...

((But I'll still be looking forward to the day this finishes... *grumble*))

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Dove Go Fresh Shower Gel in Nectarine & White Ginger

I actually bought a 1 liter bottle of Dove's "Go Fresh" range in Nectarine & White Ginger (you can see it in my haul video) because you could get a free toiletry bag with every purchase. It costs about RM22, if I'm not mistaken, and the toiletry bag is really good quality (though I don't need it). As I've mentioned countless of times before, I'm VERY concerned with the quality of shower gels that I use because my skin is pretty sensitive. I can't use anything from the following brands : Palmolive, Fruiser, Follow Me.

I *think* I can trust Dove, so that's why I was willing to splurge on a bigger bottle. FYI, I do think RM22 is on the pricier side as before this, I was using Johnson & Johnson's Peach Baby Bath which costs about RM17 for 750ml... and it comes with a free 750ml refill as well! (In actual fact, my Peach Baby Bath finished, that's why I started using this Dove bottle, but I still have the refill! Just that I like to switch shower gels. Variety is the spice of life, even in your shower gels!)

The shower gel is in a bright orange color and smells more orange-y to me than peach-y. I was wondering if I got it wrong and "nectarine" is a type of orange. Nope, I was right - the nectarine is a fuzzless kind of peach. Anyway, I still like it because of my fascination with citrus scents. It's a really good pick-me-up in the mornings, especially with the tingly sensation that I get from the white ginger. Leaves you with a clean, refreshing feeling (but not tightness of skin) and the lovely scent lingers for a while after towelling off.

All in all, a shower gel that is REALLY GOOD in my books, and I'm thinking of repurchasing something else from their "Go Fresh" shower gel range - the plum & sakura blossom one sounds interesting!

((I'll wait until AUGUST to do my next haul, muwahahhaa.... all in good time, my lovelies.)

[Edited on 11/8/2011 :] I spoke too soon... after 1.5 weeks of using this, my skin threatened to break out into rashes. Once I had reverted back to Johnsons & Johnsons, it was back to normal. Sigh.... skin, y u have to be so sensitive? Now I can't use Dove shower gels anymore. What a waste. [End Edit]

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The Spa Sample Series (2) : Le'masque Hazelia Whitening Mask

Since I used the whitening cleanser, it made sense to try the Le'masque Hazelia Whitening Mask after that, no? I expected the product to be similar to the whitening foam in smell and texture (since they are part of the same range??), but it was quite different. By the way, once again, there are no directions or ingredients listed on the sample, so I just winged it. I told myself that I would have the mask on for 15 minutes, but because I got so engrossed with a program that I was tracing, I wound up having it on for 30 minutes. By then, I felt like my face was getting SUPER oily...


The amount of product inside the sample packet was weird. Like, too much for one usage, but too little for 2 usages... so I just smeared everything all over my face. The texture of the product was like... face paint. SERIOUSLY. It goes on your face like face paint too! I suppose if you had to be a mime for some costume party, you could use this instead of face paint. =p

The smell of the product was (thankfully) not as acidic as the whitening cleansing foam (I'm now super convinced there's bleach inside, lol). It smells strongly of ... vanilla essence and something light and fruity. But STRONGLY of the vanilla essence. It made me think of how it's like when I'm baking, so it was good. =)

Got darn a lot of bad points about this mask though. First of all, I don't like the texture and the feeling of the mask on my face. Like I said --- it feels like face paint. You put it on too long (I reckon the 30 minutes was too long?) and you will feel your face getting super oily. It's a pain to remove the mask too! Though at the end of 30 minutes it feels like it's "tightening up" on your skin, in fact it's not dried and cannot be peeled off. I suppose that if this is a product to be used in spas, they won't want the therapist to rip something off the customer's skin, haha.

So you gotta wet the mask a bit with water and just ... wash it off. Only, it takes DARN DARN long to wash everything off and things can get a little bit messy. Of course, since this is just one usage, I didn't expect my face to become miraculously whiter. I think that would scare anyone. The only good bit (I suppose) is that my skin felt a wee bit softer after that.

Anyway, I guess I'm biased because I really prefer the ease of paper masks... but this is really quite bad in my books for cream masks too. I cannot describe to you fully how GREASY this thing feels on my skin. Euchh!

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The Spa Sample Series : Le'masque Hazelia

Finally got started on the "spa samples" that my friend got from me from some roadshow. As mentioned, I got a whole stack of samples from Le'masque Hazelia, and I was very, very, very scared of starting to use the products because there are no ingredient listings and no directions on how to use them! I decided to get started on the whitening cleansing foam because --- hey, how much directions do you need to use a facial cleanser, eh?

So this is the "Whitening Cleansing Foam" from LE'masque Hazelia (it's actually a Malaysian brand, but "Doesn't it sound so French" <--- my friend who got me the samples). Each packet is good for ONE use, so I don't think that I can really give a good GUESStimate on how effective the product is for my skin.

Upon opening the packet, this is the sight that greeted me :
The smell from the lotion was... zomg, so strong! It smelled REALLY citrusy, so at first I was really excited to use it. Except that when it was ACTUALLY ON MY FACE, it smelled more ACIDIC and less CITRUSY. Hahaha. I was really scared that the "whitening" was by bleaching my dang face!

Aside from that, mmm... yeah, it foams up nicely, but the strong acidic / citrus smell was a bit distracting. Also didn't like the initial texture, and my skin felt a bit "tight" after everything was washed off. Would probably not buy again, but then again, I don't know where to repurchase it either. :\\

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Yuberactive Review : Organic Aid Vitamin E Moisturising Cream

Thanks to Yuberactive for the constant supply of great products to be reviewed! Since I already have the Organic Aid facial wash (thanks to Yuberactive), I thought I could incorporate the Organic Aid Vitamin E moisturizing cream into my daily regime.

The Organic Aid moisturizing cream has the same odd, clinical scent that I mentioned in my review for the face wash. According to my friend, it's because of the wheatgerm oil, and there are other products that smell much worse for it! This one is actually really mild and I suppose I've gotten used to it after using it for so long.


The texture of the cream is REALLY thick and gooey. I was afraid of putting it on my face because I was afraid that it wouldn't be able to get absorbed properly. My face felt a bit "heavy" after that... like something was weighing it down. I did NOT use too much, I was really stingy with the product. ;)


The very next day... I promise you... I got a pimple! On my cheek. -___- Which I never get because my problem areas are the T-zone. I was kinda flabbergasted and was afraid to continue using the product after that because I sincerely think that this product is for people with chronic dry skin. It was just too much moisturisation for my skin. I tried using this cream on places that I deemed super dry, like my feet, elbows, knees, and it was much better received there. Elbows and knees felt smoother and soft to the touch (!!) and some dry skin problem I was having on my feet looked better - less reddish.

It's BETTER but I'm not saying that it's completely healed. You can see that the reddishness is gone... but yes, it's pretty gross.. I won't lie...

After reading other people's reviews, I'm wondering if it was mere coincidence that I got the pimple right after using this product? But I'm still scared to try it out on my face. Think I'll stick to the knees, elbows and feet. =p

By the way, this puppy is selling for RM14.90 for 1 oz, I see them having occasional deals like 2 for RM25 in Guardian, something like that. If you have dry skin, you should check this out!

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Yuberactive Review : MAX FACTOR Liquid Effect Pencil Eye Liner

Thanks to Yuberactive for sending me the product for review! I love it when I get free products to try out in the mail. *heart*

This time, it was for the Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil Eye Liner. To be honest, I was a little bit confused. I guess I wasn't paying attention when I requested to review the product, because I was expecting a black eyeliner. I was curious to see how a pencil eye liner could have "liquid effects". Maybe then I wouldn't need to purchase expensive liquid eyeliners anymore! I was totally shocked when I got a brilliant green eye liner in the mail! :D I have never used colored eyeliner before (((surprise!!))) and I didn't even know how to begin. I didn't even know what is that weird purple thing at the end of the pencil (I later found out it's a "smudge stick" but I still don't know how to use it). By the way, the color that I got is called "Green Glow". :) Quite fitting, huh?

After Googling a bit, I found out that colored eyeliner is in fact all the rage right now, with looks like these being paraded by celebrities. I have to say, it looks really good... I was sold and itching to try out the colored eye liner ...

Lea Michele wears the colored eyeliner on her waterline for a smokey eye with a difference! Interesting pop of color underneath!

Classic cat eye with a difference from Rihanna.

I started out with a look that a make-up video recommended --- just use the colored eyeliner to bring out a wash of color (which is of a similar shade), and then line as normal. I think the "wash of color" I applied was tooo subtle. You can barely see it in the picture below! (I used Everyday Mineral's "Olive") :
Plus points for me at this point :
** the color is really super vibrant (you can see this for yourself)
** it glides on easily, in one smooth stroke (I didn't put it super near my lashes as I was lining over with black eyeliner later)
** loving the sleek finish
** color is long lasting (though I can't give you an exact guesstimate... probably 8 hours or more without primer)
** basically idiot proof! (except for the smudge stick, I'm still an idiot in that area).

I think you can do a Nicki Minaj look with this liner --- she has crazy poppy colors on her eyes (think lime green, neon yellow, fuschia...) and a light pink lipstick. Sorry, can't pull it off 100% as I'm no make-up artist, plus I did this as a test drive for the eyeliner. =p

I also love using the colored eyeliner... as an eyeshadow. Instead of just lining my lids, I can blend it in with another eye shadow and it's so easy - just color in your lids! I decided to blend in my pink eyeshadow with the green eyeliner :

I think contrasting colors go better with a lime green eyeshadow, don't you? And before I could try out the Lea Michele & Rihanna looks... my eyeliner broke! I'm kinda pissed off cos I was pretty careful with it... I don't have a special eyeliner sharpener... this product would be so much cooler if it was one of those autoliners, then we won't have to worry about the tip breaking off. :)

It costs RM38 at your local drugstores, which I reckon is pretty pricey. Personally, not a re-buy for me as I'm quite disheartened by the pencil breaking. ;_;

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End of July Shopping Haul!

So I went to the drugstore again!!! I prefer doing my haul posts through videos because I don't want to show pictures of the products til I actually use them. :)

As usual, if you don't want to watch the video, here's a list of what I got :
Guardian
a. Liese Juicy Shower Mixed Berry Hair-Hydrating Mist (REFILL)
b. Two packs (each pack has 3 packets) of wet tissues from Guardian's in-house brand
c. A pack of 4 platinum masks from Befas
d. Dove shower gel in nectarine and white ginger

Watsons
a. Sophie Monk "May Beauty Be With You" Pore Minimizing & Double Lifting Mask
b. Whitening & Moisturising Facial Mask from Watsons in-house brand x2
c. Deary Chamomile & Arbutin Mask

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Benefit "That Gal" & Benefit "Girl Meets Pearl"

I really, really do love my "That Gal" face primer from Benefit. I think I've raved about this product so many times, but I'm doing it AGAIN because I want to compare it against "Girl Meets Pearl", which is another face primer from Benefit. :)

Reason why I love "That Gal"? Well, to be honest, the first thing that attracted me to the whole series was the packaging. :) I grew to love it because I love how all I need is some moisturiser, and then "That Gal" over it to make myself totally dewy & glowy and that's all I need for a day out. However, I do agree with those who have said that too much "glow" will end up making you look OILY. I suppose in Malaysian weather, that is totally prone to happening. I usually wear it only when I know I'm going to be in air-conditioned places most of the time. =p

During my last Benefit haul, I bought "Girl Meets Pearl" because I was curious about it. Since I loved "That Gal", how does "Girl Meets Pearl" improve upon it? What's the difference?

Personally for me, I use both over moisturiser and without any foundation over it. For me, both are excellent at giving glowy, dewy looks and smoothening over small face imperfections. The only difference is that "Girl Meets Pearl" gives me a sort of bronze, sun-kissed Goddess kinda look while "That Gal" is more of a daytime kind of look. The primer for "That Gal" is pinkish while "Girl Meets Pearl" is more flesh-toned, so I suppose that's why?

Here's my "Before & After" for "That Gal" (pls note, I didn't use that much "That Gal" because it was finishing! I'm really sad, but at the same time, looking forward to a new Benefit haul, muwhahaha!) :

You can see the "before", my skin is quite matte... nothing glowey about it. :)

Though you can't see too much "glow" (Cos the product is finishing! Sob!), you can see the overall skin tone is more evened out, and there is a sligghhhhhtttt dewy finish.

Before make-up look during another day. You can see the full look in a haul video that I'll be posting up later. :)

Full finished look. You can see I look more "tanned" than I do in the "That Gal" photo, right? I tell you, there was no foundation involved at all. Both times, I just used the moisturiser, and the face primer. :)

Well, I guess that's all I really wanna show you guys about the face primers from Benefit. You might think it's not necessary, and I would agree if I was wearing foundation. Some recommend to wear it under foundation, but I usually find this not necessary cos I use mineral foundation which sometimes have their own formulas for their own "glowing" look (check up Everyday Minerals). I just love the ease of using face primers and moisturisers alone. Your face doesn't feel clogged up, and it's just a breeze to get ready to go out. =)

In short, I'm definitely going to repurchase "That Gal". Online, it's only USD29, but it's selling for RM129 in Sephora and all Benefit counters in Malaysia. Bah humbug!

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ASOS Dresses (Part Two)

Part two of my ASOS dress selections! Got a bit distracted with VS sales that are going on at the moment... :) Anyway, check out these lovelies :

I just so love cheongsam inspired dresses! A little bit of East meets West in this silver lace creation. I think it would be nice for a marriage registration ceremony or something! :D It's only £40.

I am undecided about the strappy detailing on top, but I love the cheerful yellow of this dress, and how well cut it is and how the lovely pleated skirt just falls.... also £40.

I suppose you would think this looks more mature or whatever, but I think it looks so well-tailored and somehow, kinda 60s mod style. £40

Another well-tailored dress in a gorgeous navy blue. Kinda serious, but the length (short) makes it playful as well. £45

I love this dress.. it's so unique. From the ruching details to the neckline... and in contrasting coral and pearl.. so nice! Another dress that I think would look nice at a marriage registration ceremony. £45 as well.

I love the colorfulness of this dress! And I like how it makes me feel kinda dreamy and dizzy looking at it! Never seen such print before on any other clothes. Not a fan of the cutting & design of the dress... would love it if they had this print on a top or something like that. £45

I like both the colors of this dress and the unique "braiding" detail down the front of the dress. Sadly, I don't really look good in tubes, but sigh... inspiration to lose weight, perhaps? Going for £45

Simple but charming black & light grey lace dress... a sweet & sexy combination that will only set you back £49

Interesting Grecian drapery with sexy cutout detailing. I wouldn't wear this though, cos I'm afraid it'll make my hips look huge! May someone slim do this dress justice! Going for £55

A cutesy dress with cherry prints on it! Looks perfect for teatime with the girls in a posh hotel cafe. £55 as well.

This "fan" dress with folds & cutouts is definitely one that will spark conversations. Make it yours for £65

Lastly, this amazing dress with it's amazingly detailed fold & structured top is just.. gorgeous. Don't think about how to launder it and just get it for £65

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Basic Makeup Palettes for Work

I've got a LOT of eyeshadows, but there are only 6 palettes that I keep returning to for office looks. Occasionally I would take a walk on the "colorful" side by incorporating weekend colors in (only on Fridays!), but these are my staples :

Close-ups of the palettes :

Clarins Palette Quatuor in Les Oceanes. I got this free in some Clarins contest. :) It came in a nice red velvety bag too! Plus points for packaging. The whole palette looks very sleek and posh, with a metallic cover, and a mirror inside. The colors don't seem very "ocean like" imho, but very nice shades nonetheless - dark grey, lavender, light grey and a barely-there pink for highlighter.

Kate - Contrasting Eyes ... I can't find what shades these are. I just took it because I REALLY loved the dark, shimmery brown color, which really looks as good as it does on the palette. I rarely touch the weird turquoise, and the pale yellow makes for a nice base. This was one palette that I bought just because my friend said that Kate products are really good. I have no complaints on the product itself either, but then again this is the ONLY product I have from the range. ;)

My ultimate go-to eyeshadow for work (when I don't want to think too much) is my L'oreal HIP duo. This one is called Dynamic, and I think it's the only eyeshadow I ever have that managed to touch the pan! Hahaha... it's really awesome - strong pigments, and I love the shimmery light gold, which contrasts with the deep chocolate to create a slight smokey office eye look. :)

I think I won this as well, cos I don't remember buying it. Oh well, it's a Maybelline expert eyes in Plums. The dark plum shade is really not as dark or as glittery in the picture. You need to use a LOT of it in order for the colors to show. And the highlighter is slightly pinkish. I don't use this one as often because it has a lot of fallout, which irritates my eyes. However, since it's barely used, I feel like it's such a waste. Photographed it to remind myself to USE THIS. :P


Quite regret buying this... was at a stage where I wanted MORE neutrals / nude shades, so I got this ZA Eyes Vibrante in E2. All 3 shades are very light and shimmery, not much pigmentation. It would be great if the colors came out as how they look like on the palette.

This is my second go-to palette every morning, and it's a gift from my sister! Ain't it great to have a sister that DOESN'T like wearing make-up? :) And I don't know why, she keeps getting free make-up, so I have a few items from her. :) This one is Clinique's Color Surge Eye Shadow in "Strawberry Fudge". I just love it! The shimmery pink eye shadow goes so well with the shimmery brown. Not toooooo glittery that it becomes inappropriate for work, and the colors are surprisingly pigmented. Suitable for a more feminine look, I occasionally wear this on the weekends as well cos it's so awesome. :)

I just realised that I have zero brand loyalty! Hahaha. Oh well, variety is the spice of life! :)

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Theramed Minty Explosion

Since we're talking about beauty, let's not forget about making our teeth pretty! I'm quite a fan of unique toothpastes... my friends all know about my madness for French toothpaste (Denblan) --- but they understand the madness when they use it. It's like your plaque is actually being removed and you can feel it! Can you imagine how powerful a toothpaste is if you can feel your plaque being removed! Keep in mind that plaque is usually removed with powerful dental instruments when you go for your teeth cleansing every half-yearly. :)

My boyfriend introduced this toothpaste to me and in fact he doesn't want me to promote it so much because he wants to be special. -___- But I'll just share it with my lovely blog readers (also because I don't think there are that many reading this blog)...

Presenting...

This is indeed an awesome toothpaste because aside from "really" cleaning your teeth, you can use this as a mouthwash as well! Just squeeze a bit into your mouth, gargle with water and you're good to go. Powerful fresh breath that lasts a longggg while.

A small bottle like this (75ml) can actually last me for quite long. I'm almost finishing my bottle, but it's been about 6 months already! And believe me, I brush my teeth faithfully ok... but I do admit that I use this for brushing and not for gargling daily, though I have used Theramed for gargling before. Just to say that it works la.

Sadly, can't find this in Malaysia, but I bought this in Singapore's Carrefour, so definitely falls in the "Drug Store Beauty" part. :) Cost is about RM5- RM6, if I remember correctly. Comes in many awesome flavors, but I bought 2 only. :)

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ASOS Dresses (Part One)

The only thing I've ever bought from ASOS are their dresses, and that's because those are the items that always catch my eye. I love the detailing on their dresses and how well-tailored they are. You really cannot find copies for these dresses on cheaper websites because they are probably quite hard to make! For the price, I find that it's quite worth it, considering that it's almost the same price as stuff from Topshop / Miss Selfridge, and it's kinda more exclusive? The only problem I have is that they don't accept Malaysian credit cards. Sigh... what a joykill.

Still, I can admire from afar. This season's offerings show a lot of cheeky cut-outs, bodycon dresses are still very in (a good reason to continue with the diet -- le sigh!), amazing cuts & tailoring for simple dresses make all the difference and vibrant colors still feature prominently. Check out these really cool pieces available this season!

I'm currently loving chain prints (I think it's so Versace though my boyfriend thinks its "so aunty"). Anyway, this dress is easy breezy casual for £24.

Love the back-details for this dress, and the shade of green is gorgeous as well! Rather simple silhouette, think I would need a corset to ensure that I look good in something like this. :P £25.

Love the back detailing for this dress which is both sexy and sweet! Incidentally, I'm looking for tops / dresses with low V-back... any suggestions? (Cos I think my back is really good la... must show off a bit.) £26.

Cute kimono-style dress in powder baby blue. Loving it! Going for only £28.

I'm a sucker for dramatic detailings like this... I don't think I look good in one-shoulder dresses though, but don't you think this looks great? £29.
A bodycon dress with a sheer mesh panelling in the middle adds a bit of spice to your an otherwise normal LBD. This one is going for £30.

Ooh, I super love the cutout detailings for this dress!! £30 for a unique dress like this is worth it, right?
A rather simple blue dress, but I love the royal and rich shade of blue. The studding detailing in the middle panel of the dress also adds a little punk edge. ;) £32

Semi cheongsam inspired dress... and I love lace too... so this goes into my "LBD with a twist" list. :) £35

Love the construction detailing on this dress! And the contrast between the pale pink fabric against the black dress... £35 as well.

Just happen to love the "peacock" print on this dress... kinda unique ya? £36.

Just showing you 12 items that I've noticed so far... will share more in following entries. :)

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