Name: Bourjois Cream Blush

Shade: 04 Sweet Cherry

Net Weight: 2.5g/0.08oz 

Price: SG$ 20.00

Purchased at: BHG Bugis

I got this in Singapore a few months ago and I had this in my July favorites and it will probably continue to be one of my favorite bits of makeup for a very long time. I was supposed to get one of the classic Little Round Pot of Blushes (#54 Rose Frisson in particular), but I was a little put off by how shimmery they turned out to be. Right next to them were the Cream Blushes and I fell in love with them. I purchased it in #04 Sweet Cherry for SG$20.00.

It is a warm pinky coral that isn’t too orange and is a bit blue-toned. You can really control how pigmented you want it to be and it is not hard to build up the color. My favorite thing about it is how wonderfully natural it looks. There is no shimmer in the product and after you blend it out it looks as though you’re blushing from within. Unless you really lay it on thick or layer a powder blush on top of it, it’s very difficult to tell that that you do have blush on and are not just blushing.

I love how blendable it is! It is easy to apply and equally as easy to blend out or fix if I apply a little too much. I used to have such a difficult time with cheek tints because of how little play-time you get with the liquid. Despite it being more solid, the Bourjois Cream Blush is not at all cakey. The texture is so soft that it almost feels like frosting and it glides on so smoothly. It has cream-to-powder technology to thank for that. It does not dry out the skin on my cheeks, which is a problem I’ve always had with powder blushes. I’ve found it looks fantastic on dewy skin because it does not mattify the area allowing the glow to shine though.

(1. 1 swipe -  blended, 2. 1 swipe - not blended, 3. 2 swipes - blended, 4. 2 swipes - not blended)

It also stays on a great deal longer than powder blushes. However, it does fade after about five or six hours (less if it’s a cool day or you’re staying indoors.) To keep it from fading too fast, I like to layer on a powder blush to help it set better. I’ve been using YSL Blush Variation in #3. It adds two hours to the staying power and enhances the color.

The packaging is portable and is about the same size as their individual eye shadows.  The color of the pot matches the blush and I really like that the number is printed on the front. There is a small mirror on the inside, which is great for when you need to apply makeup on-the-go! I also like how much control you have since the best way to really use this is with fingers. However, it is not very hygienic to be picking up product with your fingers and this might cause breakouts if you aren’t careful. I always make sure my fingers are clean before I use it and that helps, but I won’t be surprised if I start breaking out when this pot gets older.

All in all, this is a lovely product that I am completely in love with. I never used to wear blusher very often until I got this and now I cannot go out without it on. While I do use this product almost everyday, I don’t need a lot at any given time so this will probably last me another four months or so before I need to buy another one. I would repurchase this no questions asked. Here it is in action:

TL;DR

+ Natural finish, blendable, buildable, does not cake, does not dry/mattify skin, portable

- Fades after 5-6 hours, not hygienic

Name: Cheng Lan Bellina Mask Whitening Creatment 

Net Weight: 30.00 g / 1.05 oz

Price: NTD 100.00

A dear, dear friend came back from Taiwan recently and brought me back this Cheng Lan Bellina Mask Whitening Creatment. She loved using it and raved about how wonderful it was, which naturally made me curious. I’m not incredibly particular about my sheet masks because I tend to think they’re all generally the same. They come in a box of five and retail for NTD 100.00. Initially this mask seemed run-of-the-mill and I did not feel any real difference when I first used it. To be fair, I tried it on the first time after a night out and very little sleep so my skin was not in very good condition. However, this got my dull and dehydrated my skin back to normal. I attribute that to the Vitamin A in this mask, which helps normalize skin functions. The effects weren’t spectacular, but it did a good job of repairing a fair amount of damage.

The second time I tried it my skin was in far better condition. I had gotten more sleep and my skin had been properly cleansed and moisturized, but it was a bit dull and I still had some puffiness from having just woken up. I put the mask in the refrigerator a few days before so it was nice and cold when I put it on. This probably helped remove a lot of the puffiness as well. The effects of the mask were definitely more visible the second time around. My skin felt fresher, softer, and smoother after I had taken it off and massaged the remaining product in. It was still in very good condition about six hours later when I washed my face and put makeup on. I also noticed that my primer absorbed better and cream blush went on more smoothly and did not fade as much. Usually, after about eight to twelve hours the blush is barely visible, but it stayed on the whole evening and well into the night. I did not see the whitening effects it claimed to have, but that would probably be best seen with regular use.

What I found interesting about this mask was how few ingredients it had. Most sheet masks I’ve seen list upwards of fifteen ingredients, this one however only has five. The Phalaenopsis Bellina (Beautiful Orchid) extract is the most heavily featured. Orchids are used in Chinese medicine for a number of reasons; one of these is to replenish moisture as some species contain a lot of amino acids, which this mask lists in its ingredients. Other than that, it adds fragrance. I was really interested in the fact that the Bellina Mask had Hyaluronan or Hyaluronic Acid. It’s a very good anti-ageing ingredient that lubricates and helps cushion skin. It’s naturally occurring in the human body, but is depleted as you grow older. As I mentioned earlier this mask has Vitamin A that helps your normalize your skin functions. It also has Aloe Extract, which is great for healing and moisturizing skin as well.

On the whole I’m pretty satisfied with this product. It has so much liquid in it as well. I folded up the mask itself and put it back in the bag and reused it a few days later and it was still very moisturizing and the mask was still soaked through. There is not much to say against it except that there are probably better masks with more pronounced effects, but by and large this is a very good sheet mask. 

TL;DR

+ Normalized dull and dehydrated skin, makeup absorbs better, glides on smoother, and lasts longer after use, has anti-ageing and healing ingredients, lots of liquid inside

- Did not see the whitening effects, effects were not super evident

It’s hard to believe that July is over! This month I veered towards more natural looks versus my usual heavy eyeliner or bright lips. These products really helped achieve that and were incredibly quick and easy to apply. A definite plus since I could never wake up early enough and always rushed through my morning routine. Without any more further ado, here are my July Favorites!

Bourjois Cream Blush in #04 Sweet Cherry

I absolutely love this product. The color is gorgeous and very natural. I never used to like blush because all I had were powder blushes and they dried up the skin on my cheeks. The cream blush doesn’t cake or cause dryness, which is fantastic and a little does go a long way. I tried liquid cheek tints before too and I found them somewhat difficult to control and took too much time to apply and perfect. The Bourjois Cream Blush extremely easy to apply and blend even if I’m in a hurry or applying makeup in a car.

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in #14 Curvy Candy

My friend Ren gave this to me a few months back and I’d been using it on and off. Recently it’s become a makeup bag staple. It’s super easy to just glide on and I like the heft of it. It’s longer than your usual lip balm and I like that it feels like a giant crayon (is that weird?) The color is sheer, but buildable and it doesn’t feel heavy or look too gloopy when you apply more.

The Face Shop Flebote White Crystal Effect Essence

I got this last February and I’ve recently reincorporated it into my makeup routine. I say makeup not skincare because I mix this with whatever base I’ve chosen for that day. It makes the consistency a lot more moisturizing and a lot thinner. I especially like mixing it in with concealer as it helps prevent it from looking cakey especially on the under-eye area. It also makes the concealer easier to blend.

VDL Tint Bar Triple Shot in #502 Triple Burgundy

I first saw this product in PONY’s Krystal Rum Pum Pum Pum makeup tutorial and I was so excited to see it at the VDL counter. I can’t be too sure, but I think this color has been discontinued. This was one of the ways I used to cheat the lip gradation look, but recently I’ve been mixing all the colors together when I use it and it makes a really nice raspberry shade. The product itself looks really unique and interesting on top of that, it smells amazing.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I cannot stress how much I love this palette. My friend Gaby recommended this to me after I whined about how badly I needed good neutral eye shadows. The matte neutral shades apply beautifully and are very pigmented with or without primer. I also like that there is one shimmery shade for highlighting the brow bones and the center of the eyelids. I especially love how small it is and that it comes with a mirror, which makes it incredibly travel-friendly. It does not, however come with a brush or have a brush compartment. Though this doesn’t bother me quite so much because of how easy they are to apply and blend even with just fingers.

Everything here was such a staple this month and always managed to make its way into my makeup bag and will likely remain so until the season changes. Most of these are still relatively new so they’ll last me quite a long time.

Wow! This post turned out longer than I expected. Even so, I could probably go a little more in-depth and review some of these products later on. I’m also thinking of doing a post about lip products some time soon so watch out for that!