Best of 2012│Beauty

I'M STILL ALIVE! I promised a Best of 2012 post and here it is! (finally). I narrowed it down until it fit in a Glossybox lid, well almost. I picked makeup products mostly and only a few hair and skin care favourites. If you would like to see a full-review on these products, simply click on the name of each product. I hope you all had a good year and remember, the best is yet to come! Happy 2013! :) 

Why are these the best?
Because...

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette:  It is a compact, travel-size matte eyeshadow palette with 6 full-sized pigmented eyeshadows perfect to create both soft and bold looks.
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: It comes with 12 full-sized buttery soft eyeshadows with glitter, sheen and matte shades that compliment any eye colour.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion: Is the blackest black eyeliner ever!
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original: It's a clear, long-lasting eyeshadow primer that make my eyeshadow stay put.
Mac Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved: Is the second blackest black eyeliner ever!
Mac Fluidline in Blitz & Glitz: It applies heavenly and tends to last longer that pencil and liquid eyeliner. Why not Blacktrack, you ask? Because Blitz & Glitz is an intense black with gold pearl.
Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara: No other mascara has a better formula or brush. 
Nars blush in Luster:  This is the prettiest sheer golden apricot blush I've come across.
Mac Matte Blush in Melba: Is a brown peach perfect for all year-round!
Mac Cremeblend Blush in Something Special: A long-lasting creme formula in a light coral shade that suits most skin tones. The texture of creme blushes are my favourite because they stay all day and have great coverage.
Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Purity: It has great wear and quality, it doesn't chip in at least 5-6 days.
Smith's Rosebud Salve:  Is a multi-purpose balm. I've used it on my lips, blemishes and even on freshly-done tattoos. This product is a skin saver! Contains cottonseed oil in a petrolatum base.
Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink:  Perfect for summer as it comes with SPF15 and to prevent dry lips during the colder months. But the tinted part is my favourite!
Benefit Sugarbomb Ultra Plush Lipgloss: Non-sticky. Need I say more?
Revlon Lipbutter in Pink Truffle: My lips but better kinda shade.
Revlon Lipbutter in Peach Parfait: This shade is like Nars Orgasm for the lips. 
Mac Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup: My all-time favourite Mac lipstick. 
Dior Addict High Shine in 566: A sheer rose pink with a lovely sheen!
Real Tecniques Stippling Brush: It gives me flawless creme blush application!
Real Tecniques Contour Brush: Is the easiest way to apply bronzer and blush.
Real Tecniques Expert Face Brush: My foundation looks flawless when using this brush.
Real Tecniques Buffing Brush: I find this brush perfect to blend in mineral foundation.
Missha BB Cream in No.23: Is the best BB cream I've tried.
L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream: It contains 20% shea butter and heals dry skin.
Clinique All About Eyes Cream: It de-puffs and reduces black circles around the eyes.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette: A delicate, feminine fragrance. Not to mention the packaging.
L'occitane Concentrated Mask: This hair mask improved the condition of my scalp and made it 5x better. Since I started using this, I haven't had any itching problems.
Lush Angels on Bare Skin Face Cleanser: A fairly new addition to my routine, but it's already a favourite. It gently exfoliates and removes the dirt off my face. The milky almond texture makes my skin feel fresh and moisturized.

Phew! Are any of these your 2012 favourites?

Favourites: October 12

October has been a good month, I turned 22 (uh oh), Halloween is coming up and the holidays are almost here! Wooo :) I thought I'd include some of my fashion favourites this month to change it up a bit. Let me know if you like it or rather see strictly beauty stuff :)

Ever since i got an iPhone I started buying cases like a mad woman! This month I specially love these two from SwitchEasy. The rose flower case was a gift from a good friend of mine, I don't know if she'll read this but thank you Liz! :) And the Melt case, that I've been wanting to get forever and they sent me the wrong colour and I had to ask for a replacement! It took ages because they ship them from China. But I finally got it and I love it :) And of course, Nylon Magazine is a favourite of mine every single month!

Next are my Mouse Ballerina Flats from Marc by Marc Jacobs which were a present from my lovely mom, I just love them! They're super comfortable and cute. I've been using them quite a lot with dresses, leggings and jeans. 

On to the beauty stuff, the Clinique All About Eyes Rich has been an overnight savior when I'm feeling super tired. It really de puffs and diminishes black circles. I rediscovered two things recently: the Sephora Bronzer Brush (similar here) and the Mac Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass and I've been using both a lot. I never really used the brush cause I don't wear a lot of bronzer, instead I'm using it to apply foundation and it works great! I don't know if it's the bristles, the shape or size but my foundation looks flawless when applied with this brush. My favourite blush at the moment is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful, you can see review and swatches here. Another lip product I've been loving is the Dior Addict lipstick in colour 566 - Taffetas, it's quite sheer but it gives my lips the prettiest colour and shine! Lastly there's the Urban Decay Vintage Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy (a cult fave!) and a L'occitane wood comb I got as a gift. I love the little things I get as gifts because they always end up being my favourites!

Left to right: Mac Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass and Dior Addict Lipstick in 566.

What are your October favourites?

Review: L'occitane Aromachologie Radiance & Colour Care Shampoo

You see, I used to dye my hair a lot in my teenage years. Black, red, pink, purple and even blonde highlights! It was fun but now that I think about it, maybe it was a bit of a mistake. Though my hair hasn't been dyed for about a year now, you can still catch the colours. As a result of dying my hair so many colours now I have natural red highlights. I wonder if that's possible or it's just how my hair always been. The point is, I've always tried taking proper care of it. And even now that my hair is growing into it's natural colour from the roots I take care of the ends. I recently re-discovered L'occitane Aromachologie Radiance and Colour Care line (Shampoo $.22 for 8.4 fl oz.). All products have natural origin ingredients, which could seem like you need more product because you don't see enough foam in your hands. But really, you only need a bit to wash your whole scalp and hair (even if it's long like mine!). Having tried the Repairing Shampoo before, I thought these magical 5 essential oils would be a good idea. And it was.

I suffer from itchy scalp sometimes, and I haven't discovered what it is that causes it. But when I use sulfate-free and moisturizing shampoos this doesn't happen. So I'm guessing it's dryness. This shampoo is amazing, it smells so good! I'd say floral because of all the essential oils (geranium, palmarosa, bergamot, rosemary and cedar). My hair and scalp feel so fresh and clean when I use this, and the lovely scent stays all day long. The best part? It can be used every single day! (Yes, I wash my hair everyday!). My hair shines and has a nice volume to it which is nice because I have naturally straight hair. Sometimes I wish I had curly hair, but don't curly haired gals want straight hair too? I got a few samples of the conditioner and the masque and all three work wonderful together! If you're looking for a colour care shampoo for your dyed hair look no further cause this is it! 
Have you tried this shampoo? Do you colour your hair? If so, how do you take care of it?

Picks: Moisturizers

I hope you don't find this post boring, cause I know skincare stuff isn't very eye catching, but it's very important. Actually, it's the most important step on skincare. Moisturizers form a barrier between the skin and the environment that holds water in the epidermis. It helps protect against pollution and sun damage, that's why it's also important to use a product which contains SPF to protect against UVA and UVB rays. I have combination skin and it benefits from oil-free moisturizers. There are all different skin types and moisturizers and when you find the right one, your skin will look bright and smooth!


Benefit triple performing facial emulsion SPF 15 PA++: this is an oil-free facial moisturizer with a very lightweight formula. I first tried it when I bought the B.right Radiant Skin Intro Kit that included a facial polish and two facial moisturizers. I really like how it feels on my skin because it's VERY moisturizing but yet very lightweight! It contains a very pleasant aroma and makes my skin feel fresh and clean. I've heard one or two negative reviews about this lotion before but I really, really like it! It works great on my skin!


L'occitane Ultra-Matte Face Fluid: this moisturizer is recommended for combination to oily skin because it has red rice extract along with other ingredients that help control oil on the skin. I use this after washing my face with the Foaming Rice Cleanser on my problem areas, which is the T-zone (where most of the oil patches are) and it does reduce shine. It has a very light and clean fragrance as most of the products from L'occitane (which I'm in love with!) So if you have oily-combination skin like me, this moisturizer (and cleanser) will work great on your skin!

Depending on your skin type, this may or may not work for you. But I totally recommend these moisturizers for oily or combination skin!

What is your skin type and favourite moisturizer?