Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Tint in Perpetual Plum

Saw this in the drugstore and always thought of buying it, but now I get to review it for free thanks to Yuberactive! What is it? It's Rimmel's latest lip tint called "1000 Kisses" and it's in Perpetual Plum. I am a bit wary of having PURPLE lips, but it's not really purpley at all! Anyway, what differentiates this from other lip stains / lip glosses is the fact that it comes in a "marker" like form! You really feel like you are taking a pen and coloring in your lips. Weird? Wacky? Cool? Innovative? You decide!

 To be honest, I don't quite like this product. Maybe I'm getting old, I think this "technology" is too "new" for me. I don't like the feeling of drawing on my lips at all! The biggest drawback for me is that the cover feels too loose! The cover came off in my bag and there's splotches of "perpetual plum" all over my bag!! Grr!

I've only used it twice since I got this product. Once as a first time test trial, and one more just for the "photoshoot" used in this review. The color is alright for me, but I feel that it doesn't last very long. Also, I have very dry lips, so it's totally a NO NO for me to wear this lip tint by itself. I really need something more moisturising. If you wear this lip stain without any other lip balm applied first, you can see all the horrible cracks in your lips. Yucks! Hence, for the pictures below, I applied Blistex first before the lip tint. Maybe this causes the color to look different compared to other reviewers...

 In this picture where I'm holding the lip stian, the original lip color is on the top lip and the bottom lip has been colored in. I don't think it's a really deep shade, so don't be scared off by the "Perpetual Plum" name!

And this is me after! This lip tint pen costs RM29.90, which I do feel is a bit pricey. However, if you're into trying new things, this might just be up your alley. However, I think I have way less than 1000 - 2 kisses on this pen because of it staining my bag when the cap fell off! One thing that *did* impress me about that incident was that when I found the lip tint, capless... I was so afraid that it had "dried" up because it was left without a cap for so long. Miraculously, it was all ok, so that is at least ONE good thing about this product for me. :)

Maybe it's only me who had a bad experience! Everyone else who reviewed this seemed to love it! :O

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Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Flirt

Thanks to Yuberactive, I got to review Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear "HARD AS NAILS" nail polish in "Flirt". I was happy to be able to review this dark shade of nail polish because it's really different from the other nail polishes I have, which are in bright, cheery colors. I don't think I've tried such a dark and sophisticated color before! I do, however, think that "Flirt" doesn't seem like such a suitable name for this color. I would think it would suit a pink shade more, don't you think?

Anyway, enough about the names of the shade, this is how it ACTUALLY looks like :

Yes, it's a very, very, very dark purple shade. As always, with Sally Hansen nail polishes, it is SUPER easy to put on. I don't know what they did with their brush, I think they idiot-proofed it! I rarely make a mess of my nails when I'm using Sally Hansen!

 

The nail polish lasts me for about 4-5 days before it begins chipping. I find that pretty good, as even when it chips, it's not a lot. A few brushes will get it back looking brand new again. A plus point with this nail polish - I really do feel that it makes my nails stronger / harder. All this for a very affordable RM19.90. Worth it or what?

I would say that this is worth a repurchase. I just love this shade! I didn't think it was "me" at first, but I like this sophisticated and glamorous version too. It's much better for the office than my other happy colors too!

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Yuberactive Review : Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Another free product thanks to Yuberactive - the Rimmel Sexy Curves Full Body Mascara! I am always on the lookout for GOOD mascaras because I'm really too lazy to wear false lashes. Is there any mascara that can give me such results? Let's find out if this one does it! :)

 

The uniqueness of this mascara is in the wand! It looks like 3 little balls, haha. I don't know how to explain how it helps create "Full Figured" lashes, so I'll quote from the Yuberactive website - "The first Triple Plump brush with 3 x the curves for 70% curlier lashes. Voluptuous brush with CurveControl technology wiggles easily through your lashes quickly coating them." It definitely caught my attention attention with the unique wand. HOWEVER... either my lashes are so short or cannot-be-helped already because I couldn't capture distinct "before and after" images for this entry.

I did notice that if I use eyeliner, mascara doesn't even look noticeable in pictures. O_O" So for it to look even SLIGHTLY more noticeable, I decided to do a "fresh face" look for this series. No eyeliner at all, and only mascara. Could it replace my eyeliner as a "go to" product.

This is a picture of me with blusher & lipbalm, eyeshadow and no eyeliner or mascara.

Before picture on top and after picture at the bottom. Like no difference right?

Before and after picture side profile... slightly more curve out. Has a slightly "eye opening" effect. Quite nice!

After picture... like no difference only right. Sigh... mascara is not for me! Maybe next time I will do an entry on how I will look like with FAKE lashes only. :)

Smiling, but actually slightly disappointed with this product. Well, it's not Rimmel's fault, I really think my eyelashes are just purely "cannot be helped" anymore. :( Costs RM29.90, guess not a repurchase for me.

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Yuberactive Review : Rimmel Glam Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara

Thanks to Yuberactive, I have the opportunity to review Rimmel's Day 2 Night mascara with 2-in-1 magic cap! It's truly a unique mascara, I've never seen anything like it on the market!

The packaging looks pretty normal - in fact, one might just brush it off with a ho-hum - what's so special about this black & pink tube of mascara? But then check it out...

Oh my God! Bet you didn't expect that, eh! You have TWO wands within one tube - one for LENGTH and one for VOLUME. The LENGTH wand is to create exceptionally defined and ultra-lengthened lashes - your day look. The VOLUME wand is to thicken lashes with voluptuous, oversized volume. WITHOUT CLUMPING. This will be your "night look". Hence, you will be able to transform from day to night without the messiness of fake eyelashes. To be honest - I've always been looking for a mascara that can give you the "fake eyelash" look. I'm just way too lazy to go through the hassle of gluing stuff on my eyelid. If I can get the same results with two flicks of my mascara wand, all the better right? That's why I get so excited over mascaras that really make a difference.

You can see that the length wand's bristles are further apart and generally less mascara is on the brush. The effect for the length is not that "va-va-voom" when my eyes are open. But when I close my lids, you can see how long my lashes look. To me, not a fan of the length wand, but yes, it is suitable for a day look. There is a subtle difference to the overall look with mascara on, nothing too OTT.


The volume wand looks clumpier and more heavy-duty, but no worries, it doesn't clump on your lashes. I love the volume wand as I think it "opens" my eyes up better than the length wand does. It also doesn't feel super "heavy" as some mascaras tend to feel on my lashes. It is comfortable! I think I'll just forgo the length wand and stick to the volume wand from now onwards, hehehe.

All in all, I find this mascara SUPER worth it, considering it is only about RM40 in your local drugstores (do correct me if I'm wrong), and you get to play with TWO different looks. Maybe you would find the length wand more useful than I did (I have really short lashes, I need all the help I can get). The only complaints that I have is that it doesn't dry fast enough (I have a photo of me with a blotch of mascara on my eyebag... :P) and that it is not waterproof...

So don't go and wear this when you plan on watching a tearjerker. Otherwise, have fun! :)

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Lipsmacker x Paul Frank Lip Balm

Thanks to Yuberactive once again for giving me a chance to review nifty products! This month, I'm reviewing the Lipsmacker lip balm from the Paul Frank collection. The flavor that I received for review is Julius's Coconut Cream. Even when I've just gotten the product from the post office, I was really excited, because ... it's coconut! I love coconut flavored stuff!


My lips are usually terribly chapped, and I always prefer using lip balms to lip glosses. One gets the same moisturising effect, but without the stickiness usually related to lip glosses. Your hair doesn't get stuck to your lips when the wind blows, and your boyfriend generally prefers that you DON'T kiss him with lip gloss on. :x So I'm really a lipbalm fan all the way!

The packaging is really cute - together with the coconut cream fragrance, it really brings to mind visions of going to the beach!

To be honest, the first time I smelled the lip balm - I didn't really like it. Was too overwhelmed, because I was expecting a light coconut scent. Something light, subtle, and fresh. This is more like... coconut milk or coconut oil. It's heavy, thick and if you have an aversion to such things, best to try another "flavor". For me, I grew to love this lip balm, and can't stop "smacking" my lips together cos it became so yummy to me. :D

Check out how dry & chapped my lips are! :(

Lipsmacker to the rescue!

I look like I'm about to eat the lipbalm! Well, it smells delicious enough to be eaten! :P

It is also super moisturising and quite long lasting (until you have a meal, then it disappears). This is good and bad in a way. Good because hey, long lasting! only need two swipes to get the job done! The bad part is that I like to apply lip balm on my lips, hahaha... so since it's so long lasting, I don't get the chance to constantly reapply. Hahaha!

For RM12.90, I find this a pretty good buy as it is similar to the cost of most lip balms in drug stores. I actually went to Watsons to find out if there were other flavors from Lipsmacker and I saw they have Coke / Sprite flavor as well! Omg, can't wait to try those...~~

Before and after pics:

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Yuberactive Review : Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Cardinal

Thanks to Yuberactive for the cream blusher from Max Factor! It is really a different type of blusher that I've not gotten a chance to use before. I've used to mineral powder blushers, normal powder blushers , liquid cheek tints... and now a cream blusher! I was expecting it to be like a powder blush, but it is more like a cheek tint to me.



Personal thoughts when using the blush? Well, you definitely don't use it OVER powder because you're going to have a hard time blending it. I like to use it just over a clean, moisturised face so that it gives a subtle glow. Because the packaging is so small and cute, you can keep it in your bag for easy touch-ups throughout the day. Again --- that's easy to do only if you don't wear foundation OVER the blush.

To use it, think of it like... a lip gloss. You swirl it with your fingers (yes, a brush is out of the question), quickly dab a bit on your cheeks and then continue to blend in with your fingers. I am used to using blushers like Benefit's Cha Cha Tint, so this was quite a familiar process for me. To ensure that the color distribution is done properly, I recommend making three "dots" on your cheeks like the picture below before you blend it in. Also, my personal "recipe" for using this is to give three "swirls" around the small container before applying on my face. One swirl is too light, and three swirls leaves just the right amount of color after blending everything out properly.



I like the blush because the Soft Cardinal shade is youthful and gives me a healthy glow. It's not something garish and I think it would be suitable for all age groups. The bad part is that because it is a bit "sticky" in texture, it requires some amount of tugging at my cheeks in order to blend it in properly. As I grow older, I get more anal about tugging at my skin that might result in wrinkles. Heh.



Plus, in the morning when I go to work, it's so much easier to just swipe on some powder blush with two flicks of my brush instead of messing around with my face with my fingers. I believe it was Natalie Portman who said that the best make-up advice she ever received was to keep her hands away from her face at all times. Hmm...

However, having said all that ... I find RM28 too pricey for a tiny bit of blusher. Still, a very interesting product. Think about it --- you can store a blusher in your handbag with no worries of spillage. You don't have to take any brush along (e.g: when you use mineral make-up blushers!). It's small, so it can be slipped in along with your lipstick!

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Yuberactive Review : Max Factor Earth Spirit Eyeshadow in Ultra Aqua

Thanks to Yuberactive, I managed to score the chance to review the Max Factor Earth Spirit eyeshadow in "Ultra Aqua". This product is part of their Earth Spirits range that features mainly light, soothing shades in a compact case. I have to apologise beforehand - I retrieved this product a little late from the post office and then I was off for a holiday in Hong Kong, so I didn't have time to experiment with looks that I could get from this shade as much as I want to. However, I DID toss it in my make-up bag to take to Hong Kong, and I didn't regret it one bit!



Love the small, compact case, which meant that it didn't take up a lot of space. It was also my "go to" color whenever I wanted something simple, sweet yet striking. Don't underestimate the light, shimmery blue-green - there are some gold flecks in it that really help make your eyes stand out. No need to worry so much about what to blend it with, it already looks good just by itself. :) I also like that it's striking enough that when I wear my glasses, my eyeshadow still stands out.


For me, I felt that the color was pretty long lasting - wore it on the plane until I could check-in to my hotel. That's about a good 12 hours there, though I have to admit that it was losing it's lustre by the end of the day. No primer needed, but then again I don't have oily skin. My main complaint about this eyeshadow would be it's screw-top covering. Really, is that necessary? It would be so much more of a breeze to use if I could just flip up the cover and swipe away.


Talking about swiping, there isn't an applicator with this eyeshadow either, but for us who still love using our fingers, it ain't a problem. :P Going for RM11.90 at your local drugstore, this seems like a steal, and I would love to check out the other shades they have on offer. ;)

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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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Yuberactive Review : Organic Aid Organic Aid Vitamin E Facial Foam

A fresh, bare face is the most base item needed before you proceed to do your make-up. Imagine a painter who has a spoiled canvas. Can you proceed to create a drawing on a dirty piece of paper? Well, maybe you can, but when it comes to your face - "painting over" a dirty canvas just means the dirt is trapped there and ready to cause you skin problems later.

Thanks to Yuberactive, I got the chance to review Organic Aid's Vitamin E Facial Foam. For the period of 7 days, I stopped using any other cleanser except for this one. My initial thoughts about the cleanser? Well, it's pretty unassuming. The bottle is rather plain, and has a screw-top cap. The cleanser itself does not have any buffing beads or fruity / floral scents. It *does* have a scent though, although a mild, rather clinical one. Though I'm not a fan of the scent, it doesn't bother me too much.



Here's a before / after comparison after 7 days with Organic Aid.

This is the best picture / close-up I can find of the "before". My skin is generally problem-free except for a few pimples that frequently occur near the T-zone. I only get it during my period, and it takes sooo long to clear up... that by the time I think it's cleared up, my period comes round again and a new batch of pimples comes out. :(

This is me, just taken today! Generally clear right? Oh, and I was wearing eye make-up, but I was NOT wearing foundation!

The ultimate test for me is having a cleanser that can remove my make-up without me using a make-up remover. This is because I'm usually in a rush and I don't have the time to namby pamby around with cotton pads and an extra bottle rattling around in my bag. This cleanser does the job! However, though it is harsh on dirt, it isn't harsh on my skin as it didn't make my skin feel dry or stripped of natural oils as what harsher cleansers would do.

Left side has been removed with Organic Aid cleanser. Right side was original make-up.

As you can see, at the start of the test, I had a little bit of skin problems in the form of a few pimples (?? not really pimples but red spots) on my forehead and nose area. With my previous cleanser, I was happy with how good it worked for my blackheads, but in terms of getting rid of my spots --- hmm.

After 7 days, I found that I did not get any new pimples on my face, and the pimple scars that I *did* have from before had faded tremendously. This must be due to the vitamin E in the facial foam! The product contains pure vitamin E from wheatgerm oil (the most natural and EXPENSIVE source of Vitamin E). Studies have shown that vitamin E has been shown to penetrate layers of the skin and reduce the formation of free radicals which can interfere with healing. Vitamin E also influences the production of collagen, a structural protein partially responsible for the strength and elasticity of skin.

I also noticed that my skin is more soft and supple after just a week of usage, even without using moisturiser.

Well, that's all that I can review for this cleanser. The original cost of the cleanser is RM15.90 for 50ml. To me, that *is* pretty pricey because RM15.90 is the higher end pricing for face washes that are 100ml in size! In essence, this face wash is 4x as expensive as the more generic brands. However, the benefits of using the face wash can clearly be seen, so I suppose it is up to you to judge.

[Edited on 11/8/2011 :] I still get some slight spots around my forehead, but ever since I've used this product, NO MAJOR BREAK-OUTS. However, quite sad because it's not good for blackheads... my Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating facial wash was better for that. I guess you win some and lose some! [End Edit]

[Edited on 12/9/2011 :] After using this about twice a day quite religiously, the tube only finished around the first week of September! Quite a long while, considering it is only 50ml in size, right? A litle bit goes a long while. ;) [End Edit]

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Yuberactive Review : Adidas Happy Game Deodorant

Now that I'm "graping" (the Malay term is "menganggur" and it means unemployed), I have the time to go for my "marathon" gym classes. And boy, do I need 'em! I miss the gym and the gym misses me. ;p

When I was much younger (and lower level staff) I had time to go for back-to-back classes. The most legendary one was when I went for 7 classes in Celebrity Fitness. Basically, I was working out from morning til night.

You know what happens when you're exercising for such a long amount of time?

Here's a clue : you aren't bathing in between each class. :) To go for 7 classes, you only have about 15 minutes break between each class to let the sweat cool off your body before you start sweating again. ;p

Of course you get a little bit stinky! So how do you stay fresh in the gym if you're going to be working out for long hours?

(1) I always change shirts between classes. However, I don't own enough sports bras to keep switching. XD
(2) I spray on some Adidas deodorant!

Before I got Happy Game (thanks to Yuberactive) to review, I have already been using Adidas Natural Vitality.



Why use a deodorant? Why not use a perfume?

Well, if you're loaded with cash, I suppose you could spray yourself with some eau de parfum, but generally, deodorants are lighter and cheaper. Plus, I personally believe that there's some chemical reaction between deodorants & your sweat that neutralises it. When it is sweat + perfume, it seems to either make things sickly sweet, or terribly noxious.

I like using Adidas deodorants simply because they smell good and it does its job of keeping me feel fresh for an affordable price (RM16.90 for each canister). With Adidas deodorants, they give me a fresh and clean feeling, which in turn gives me the confidence I need to really perform at my very best.

"Happy Game" is described as a floral fruity scent which "strikes the perfect balance of energy, femininity and sensuality". To my uninformed nose, it definitely smelled stronger than "Natural Vitality", and was definitely a feminine, girly scent.

I first tested this deodorant by going for a Body Jam class at the gym. I noticed that halfway through the class, there were people who still wanted to stand near me, so I suppose that is really an indicator that I don't stink. =p After the class was over, I was drenched with sweat, but I bravely took a sniff and I could still smell Happy Game on me. Score!

I've been using it ever since for every class I've gone to ever since, and it never fails me - no matter how drenched I get, the fresh floral scent of "Happy Game" manages to disguise how I *really* smell, haha. It's definitely a keeper!

Last two pictures show how bushed / sweaty I look after I'm done with just ONE class. But I still smell good. Secret weapon is in my hand. ;)

Lastly, you might be wondering why I'm gymming so much. It's cos I want to make my arms more toned. Sigh...

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