What's up guys! You must have seen this coming since I've been "away" for so long, right?

I actually have more items that I hauled which I didn't photograph, but we'll save that for another post another day.

Anyways, I'll start with my Urban Decay Smoked Palette. I don't have a proper photo of it so this is a screenshot from Instagram.

Look at the palette, it's perfect. I know I say this about Urban Decay often but they really do nail their eyeshadows every single time. Well okay there USED TO (I say that because they've reformulated some of their old shades) be a few misses (case in point: Polyester Bride, Midnight Cowboy, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again) BUT I haven't encountered a single bad eyeshadow in their palettes lately.

Every colour in the Smoked Palette is rich and creamy and super smooth. The colours come in a zipper case, and I love it. Makes it easier if you're travelling and wanna pack this along. At least you know the palette isn't gonna pop open in your makeup bag. The accompanying pencil eyeliner is in the colour Perversion, which is a true black. It's the darkest black eyeliner I've ever seen. It's also creamy and glides on easily.

Here's a look I did with it:

I started with a picture without anything on my eyes so you guys can see the difference..

Without eyeliner

With Perversion eyeliner

And this is the last picture I have. I forgot to take a picture of myself with mascara and lip products on :s

It seems that I always forget to take pictures with my makeup complete. I don't know why! I'll try to remember next time.

For my eyeshadow base, I used Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden.

The eyeshadows are really pigmented. I used a light hand and tapped off the excess before applying but the colours were still rich and vibrant on my lids :D

I finally decided to try out Cetaphil, not because I did a print ad for them but because I've read too many good reviews to pass it up. The reason why I've never tried it before is because I always had the impression that it was meant for people with sensitive skin only. The funny thing is, it never really occurred to me that I *can* use products that are suitable for sensitive skin, even if my skin isn't sensitive.

I bought this because I read that it can remove light makeup, but I've tried it so far and I don't feel like it can. There are 2 ways you can use Cetaphil though. The first way is to wash your face normally with it, like how you would with a regular cleanser-- wet your face, massage the cleanser on your face and then rinse. The second way is to apply it on your face without any water, then wipe it off with a tissue or a cotton pad. I used the first method, and it didn't really remove the light concealer I had on. But maybe the second method might work. I don't know because I didn't try. In any case, I typically use this after using cleansing oil to remove makeup, just to be a bit more thorough with removing my makeup. I think Cetaphil is pretty good. It's really gentle and it won't sting your eyes if it gets into your eyes. It's also scentless. It comes in a HUGE 1 Litre bottle so it'll last you a really long time.

Next up, Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover. This product is pretty awesome. It does the job well and doesn't really sting my eyes, unlike the Biore Cleansing Oil. The latter smells AMAZING but it really hurts when it gets into your eyes. This one works the same way as a cleansing oil. Basically, I think it IS a cleansing oil, but they call it something cute to differentiate it from their other cleansing oil, I think. It's also pretty inexpensive, especially if you compare it to other cleansing oils like the ones from Fancl, DHC or Shu Uemura. For me, as long as it works and doesn't hurt my eyes too badly, I'll go with the cheapest option.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Revitalizing Pink Grapefruit Ultra Foam Cleanser and Foaming Scrub. Damn, the name is really long. I don't enjoy these products. I bought them because they're well, pink and cute, and because I love grapefruit scented things and I also have a thing for foam cleansers, and wanted an exfoliant. But they really let me down. The first time I tried the foaming scrub, I liked it. It smelled good and it was fun to use. But from the second use onwards I knew it wasn't a good product. Well it's not exactly TERRIBLE, but I probably won't repurchase it. First up, I feel like there aren't enough exfoliating beads in the gel to really scrub and exfoliate my face. I have to deliberately use my fingers to locate the tiny beads and rub them around areas I want to exfoliate. That kinda annoys me because it's extra work. The scent is nice, but it smells a little too artificial and some people may not like it. I'm on the fence for this one.

Next, the Ultra Foam Cleanser. What's the word 'ultra' doing in the product name?? This product is not "ultra" in any sense, other than being ultra lacking and ultra disappointing. After using the Biore Marshmellow Whip Facial Wash, it's hard for foam cleansers to compare to that. The foam in this one is not dense AT ALL, and I have to use about 5 pumps to get a decent amount on my face. Otherwise, it'll feel like I'm literally rubbing the liquid (that you see in the bottle before it turns to foam) on my face. Which feels like NOTHING. This one was a serious let down. There's so little left in the bottle (pictured below) because I use so much of it each time. I really want to finish these 2 products fast so that I can move on to other promising drugstore products.

Another reason why I feel cheated by these products is because it's not "deep cleansing" like it claims to be, and it definitely does not "reveal clean and younger looking skin". :(

Lastly, more drugstore products. I got these (pictured below) from Bangkok 1 or 2 months ago.

L-R: L'Oreal True Match Powder, Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara (x3), Maybelline Baby Lips Color, Maybelline Cheeky Glow

Quick reviews for these products:

1. L'Oreal True Match Powder:

The folks from L'Oreal aren't kidding when they say that this powder is SUPER-BLENDABLE. I couldn't agree more. It's finely milled and is not in the least bit cakey. It comes with a soft sponge that isn't scratchy and is the perfect tool for the powder. This is a pressed powder; L'Oreal has other True Match products too. I have the liquid foundation and the concealer as well. Both are awesome too :)

One thing to note: I got this from Boots in Bangkok and there weren't any testers so I had to try and guess my shade through the plastic packaging :( I eventually grabbed the darkest shade that was available (there weren't many left) and it's too light for me. Lucky for it being SUPER-BLENDABLE, it's not too obvious that this is too light for my complexion. If it were a powder foundation then it may be, but it's not. It also makes my skin feel SO smooth. I really love this. It's really expensive in Singapore though :(

2. Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara:

I think a picture speaks a thousand words, or more. Look at how many I bought and it's testament enough to how great this mascara is. It's a re-re-repurchase, by the way. It's unfortunately been discontinued in Singapore :'((((( and the next best thing is the Hyper Curl Volum' Express, or the Cat Eyes one. But this is my favourite. It leaves your lashes feeling soft and curled all day until you remove it. And it's waterproof, so it doesn't run. It also doesn't smudge or flake. I LOVE THIS!!!! I was actually sad when I found out that it got discontinued. Imagine my happiness seeing it in Thailand. I will definitely always stock up on this whenever I return. It's also like S$10 in Thailand, almost half the price it used to be in Singapore. This is my favourite mascara EVER, and I highly recommend it to EVERYONE. People are always asking me how I do my lashes, how come they stay curled, how come they're so long, etc etc.

My answer is: Shu Uemura + Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara = Perfect Lashes. Of course you have to curl your lashes properly first, but that's obvious.

3. Maybelline Baby Lips Colour:

This is my first Baby Lips from Maybelline. I'm pretty wary when it comes to buying lip balms, and as expected, this wasn't moisturizing enough. It does give you a bit of colour, and it smells good. If you love Baby Lips, you can buy this. I wouldn't say it's a complete miss for me, because I honestly didn't expect much out of it. I got it because it's cheap and I wanted to try it.

4. Maybelline Cheeky Glow in Wooden Rose:

I got it because it was cheap, and again did not expect much from it but I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised! Wooden Rose is a very lovely shade and I think it would complement most Asian complexions. Especially if you're fair. It has decent colour payoff and staying power. Doesn't fade fast but CAN be chalky if you don't blend well. So far it hasn't given me that problem, but it's just a possible con I can see. Packaging is cheap but I really don't care. 

Anyway, here's an FOTD I did while in Bangkok.

I used the same eyeshadow combination here as the one in this post, but as promised, here are some pictures of the look with better lighting:

My usage of Smog and Last Call can be seen better here:

Alright this is quite a silly shot. Haha. I can't remember what I was trying to do. Capture a shot of my lashes, maybe?

Close up:

And finally a happy smiley shot :D

That's all folks! Thanks for reading! Till next time ;)

xx,

Anna