What is in my travel bag? Skincare edition!

Saturday, 27 May 2017 at May 27, 2017

In a few days time, I will be travelling to Seoul (yippee!) and by the time this blog post is up, I'm probably already there for like... A couple of days. So I thought I'd share with you what are the skincare products I have brought along with me on this trip!

Labels: beauty, face, korean, lifestyle, review, skincare, tips, travel

In-flight Skincare Essentials and Routine

Sunday, 21 May 2017 at May 21, 2017

If you are someone like me, a person who basically falls fast asleep on any moving vehicle, you may not notice the air conditions in the plane. But air in the plane is extremely drying due to the difference in air pressure and other scientific factors that I have no clue about, so it is very important to keep yourself hydrated and, skin moisturized during a plane journey.


Arriving at my holiday destination with break outs and dry skin is definitely not something I would want, so here are my in-flight essentials and in-flight skincare routine to prevent my skin from drying out. Along with the products, I thought I'd share with you how I keep my liquids along the minimum of 100ml for carry-ons.


FYI: I began my in-flight skincare routine with 0 make-up on. Since my flight this time round was at night/in the early morning, it was unnecessary for me to put on any make-up.

1. Drinking water

Hydrating your body on the inside is equally important as hydrating your skin on the outside, so drink up! I gotta admit that I was really bad at this step though because I hate going to the toilets in planes and I was literally asleep during the entire journey (except meal times of course). So with that said, I will always order plain drinking water during my meal times instead of coffee or tea as I believe plain water does a better job in hydrating my body. *Drinking water can also be used to wash your face if needed! To further prevent yourself from being dehydrated, you can also start hydrating yourself days before your flight to keep your system going.

2. Cotton Pads soaked in Garnier Micellar Water


Instead of bringing the entire bottle of Micellar Water (125ml is actually travel-sized), I simply soaked a bunch of cotton pads in the Garnier Micellar Water and packed it in a zip-lock bag so it is much more convenient. Plus, this method really helped save a ton of space in my bag!

You can also use facial wipes if you want to, but I prefer using the Micellar Water as it is refreshing and gentle, yet it is strong enough to remove any residues and dirt on my face before I start my skincare routine. To remove any excess essence or overnight mask, I can simply use these cotton pads to wipe them off as well.

3. Pixi's Glow Tonic (45ml)


Moving on to actual skincare products, I've brought along with me Pixi's Glow Tonic (45ml) which is a highly raved cult favourite. This toner was included in the Best of Bright Kit Set I got during the 20% Sephora Sales in May! The main reason why I chose this toner was because of it's travel friendly size. I also purchased the actual travel-sized version of the Glow Tonic (100ml) to bring along in my trip but the 45ml one was more suitable and practical to use on the plane. The plane is not the cleanest place to be so I love how this toner exfoliates my skin and effectively removes any excess oils and stubborn dirt.

4. Pixi's Overnight Glow Serum


Filled with vitamins and natural calming ingredients such as cucumber and aloe vera, this serum is sure to keep your skin feeling supple and rejuvenated throughout the flight. This serum is supposed to help nourish your skin while you sleep (hence, overnight glow serum) which is great for midnight flights! Unfortunately, this does not come in a travel size so I had to find a way to store it in a different bottle. I got the MISSHA Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule last year in this adorable travel-friendly bottle which was perfect to transfer this serum into! I only use 2 drops of this every night so I didn't have to fill up the 10ml.

5. Dr.G ActiFirm Real Lifting Cream aka Moisturiser 


Next up, moisturize. I decided to bring along this Dr.G moisturiser which is also an anti-aging cream as it is thick, very moisturizing, and yet doesn't leave my oily skin looking greasy. I exceptionally love the creamy texture of this cream that seems to melt into my skin once I have smoothed it on. Loss of moisture is one of the causes of aging so an anti-aging cream will be the perfect one to use. Since I won't be carrying my eye cream with me, I have just applied an additional layer of this product around the delicate eye areas. No holiday trip will be complete without these little containers. I actually bought these mini round tubs from Daiso last year when I went to Bangkok.

6. InnisFree Sleeping Masks 


For my choice of mask, I have brought with me 3 tubes of Innisfree's sleeping packs! This is seriously gold. Whilst searching for an overnight mask or sleeping packs to bring, I discovered that I have received these mini sleeping packs as a gift from Innisfree probably last year and I completely forgotten about them! They come in a tube instead of a tub which makes it very easy to dispense and apply on the plane.

Most people will bring a sheet mask on flights, but if your flight journey is long, an overnight mask will keep your skin hydrated and moisturized longer as overnight masks are designed to last you the entire night as compared to sheet masks that are designed for only approximately 30 minutes.

And while 3 tubes might seem a lot... Just know that I'm bringing extras for my boyfriend too.

7. The Face Inc Primer Mist 


Y'all should know by now that facial mists is one of my current obsessions. This particular one from The Face Inc promises to give your skin up to 15x hydration, and it only comes in 15ml bottles which is super travel-friendly and fits nicely into the 100ml restriction. The fuss-free, lightweight and slim mist bottle also makes it really easy to carry around. In desperate need of hydration? Simply pull this mist out and give your face a couple of spritz and you're good to go! I've previously done a review for this facial mist, so if you're interested to read on more, click here.

8. A bunch of Samples


Being a beauty guru, taking care of my boyfriend's skin is also one of my life's mission (just kidding) and since he doesn't have a fix skincare routine or any particular skincare products to bring with him, I have just thrown in a couple of skincare samples I received while shopping online for him to pick while we're on board. If you're not fussy about your skincare, these samples are great as they are small, light and they contain the right amount of product for one to two times usage. Personally, I'll be using the Rose Hip Perfume Hair Oil as coming down the plane with dry, unkept and messy hair is not exactly the look I go for.

9. Troiareuke Seoul Aesthetic Cushion


Before alighting, we gotta slap some make-up on. I have brought along with me quite a number of make-up on my flight but decided that since this is a 99% skincare product, I'll just add this to the list. The easiest way to get both SPF and foundation on, is an air cushion foundation. Without doubt, I am bringing with me one of the Troiareuke Cushions. In my make-up pouch in my check-in luggage, I have packed along my holy grail cushion - Troiareuke's A+ Cushion and so for in-flight, I decided to go for the Troiareuke Seoul Aesthetic Cushion which is also one of my favourites.

And that wraps up my in-flight skincare essentials and routine! I hope this post will be helpful for anyone of you who will be traveling soon and I definitely hope you'll have a great trip!

Labels: beauty, face, korean, lifestyle, skincare, tips, travel

Review: Tarte's Tarteist Pro Glow To Go Highlight & Contour Palette

Saturday, 13 May 2017 at May 13, 2017

Now if you've been watching my make-up videos, you will know that for the longest time ever, I've been using the same old bronzer and that is TheBalm's BahamaMama. It is basically the only bronzer I own, so while shopping on Sephora recently, I chanced upon the Tarte's Tarteist Pro Glow To Go Highlight & Contour Palette and decided to give it a shot due to it's affordable price tag.


The Tarte's Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette is a huge palette that contains 6 different shades for contour and highlight purpose. The Tarte's Tarteist Pro Glow To Go Highlight & Contour Palette (phew, that's a mouthful) is basically a travel-friendly version of Tarte's Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette. Containing only half of the full-sized palette, this To Go version is easier to carry around and in my opinion, much more practical if you are only gonna use it for yourself.


This palette contains a total of 3 shades which consist of a contour shade, as well as two highlighters. I honestly don't need anymore highlights but, oh well, it's a bonus. And you can never have enough highlighters can you?


Let's talk about the contour shade first. Named "Chisel", this contour shade is a gorgeous light to medium matte brown shade. The current bronzer I've been using is the Balm's BahamaMama Bronzer so in comparison with that, I'd say that Chisel has more of a red undertone while BahamaMama has more of a grey undertone. With that said, I definitely still prefer the Balm's BahamaMama because the cool tones of the brown gives more natural contour. But if you prefer bronzers that gives you that healthy sun kissed glow, then Chisel is the one for you. (Scroll down for comparison swatches!)

As compared to the two highlighters, Chisel is surprisingly light in formula i.e., it's not very pigmented which is great for a contour shade and especially for beginners. You can carefully build it up if you want to and even if you forgot to tap the excess off your brush, it's unlikely that you'll make a mistake that cannot be saved with some blending.

The top highlighter is called "Gleam" and this is a pearl-liked highlight. It is very light, and very, very pigmented. I think this would be more suited for people with cooler skin tones and I think this would be great to create more volume and youthfulness to your face as it has more of an iridescent glow.


The middle highlighter is called "Burst" and this is a shimmering sand highlight. This is pretty much a basic highlight shade with yellow undertones, great for people with warmer skin tones. It is also quite similar to TheBalm's Mary Lou Manizer! Similarly, this highlight is also very pigmented so make sure to tap the excess off your brush before applying!


Here's my completed look using Gleam and Chisel. Retailing at only S$35, I think this palette is very affordable considering the high quality of the powders. Since the packaging is very travel-friendly, this would be the perfect contour and highlight palette to bring along on a trip.

Labels: beauty, make-up, review, tips

Review: Tarte's Magic Wands Brush Set (Limited Edition!)

Saturday, 6 May 2017 at May 06, 2017

The last time I got myself new brushes was probably in 2015 where I bought the Zoeva Rose Gold brushes. Technically speaking, I have enough brushes to live with, but when I saw Tarte's Magic Wands Brush Set, I pretty much convinced myself that it's time to treat myself with some new brushes (teehee).


About a week back when I finally decided to order one for myself, it went out of stock! Thankfully, few days later, it was available again and I bought them without any hesitation. Do note that these brushes are Limited Edition so once they're gone, they're gone!



It's called the Magic Wands Brush Set, but everyone is calling them Unicorn Brushes and I guess it is because the handle really looks more like a unicorn horn as compared to a magic wand. Also, the bristles are in a lovely mix of pink, purple, turquoise and green which are colours usually associated with unicorns! Personally, I'm not that into cutesy stuff like unicorns, and I must admit that these brushes looks way out of place in my brush holder (which is copper-plated,... which happens to match really well with my Zoeva rose gold brushes). But still, I have to say that these brushes looks flipping adorable and what actually made me purchase them is the quality of these brushes as compared to the appearance.


First of all, they are really lightweight and long. As I have mentioned, I don't exactly have a huge collection of make-up brushes, but comparing them with brushes from Zoeva and Real Technique, they are definitely lighter and much longer in length! I really liked that as I find it easier to make lighter strokes with them.


Secondly and most importantly... They are REALLY SOFT, and should I say flexible? Brushes with prickly bristles are the worst and although the brushes from Zoeva are really soft too, I find that Zoeva's powder brush can be quite stiff which makes it difficult to apply loose powder evenly all over my face without potentially smudging my liquid base. These brushes on the other hand feels very gentle on my skin which makes them perfect for applying thin layers of powder.


The Magic Wands Brush Set from Tarte is retailing at S$58 a set, which contains a total of 5 brushes. That makes it S$11.80 for one brush which sounds pretty reasonable to me considering the quality and brand.


Now let's get into the individual brushes! Beginning with face brushes, we've got one of my favs, the Pink Powder Brush. Like I have mentioned earlier on, this is a super fluffy blush that is perfect for applying thin layers of powder such as loose powders, finishing powders or setting powders. I'm definitely more of a compact powder gal so I love how the bristles are flexible and soft, so I can swirl my brush around my compact powder without damaging them or causing too much fall-outs. This brush is not very dense, so it picks up the right amount of powder to avoid caking or uneven application.


Next up, we've got the Purple Liquid Foundation Brush. This is basically a brush that is able to apply any liquid or cream products such as primers, tinted moisturizers, liquid foundations, cc creams, etc!


This brush is a lot denser than the previous one which makes it perfect for picking up and applying liquid products to avoid any wastage. It has been awhile since I used a brush to apply my liquid foundations (beauty blender has been my one and only), but to test this brush out, I've put it to the test and I was glad that my foundation appeared smooth and non-streaky after blending with this brush although I'll still prefer my beauty blender.


The last face brush is the Magenta Contour Brush. For as long as I can remember, I've been using the same old angled brush from Coastal Scents for my contour so I was very excited for this brush as I do not own any brushes like this! This is a very dense brush with a flat and angular bottom to create perfectly defined contours. It was extremely easy to use so I high recommend it if you're new to contouring.


Moving on to eyeshadow brushes, first up is a Green Blending Eyeshadow Brush. Blending is key when it comes to eyeshadows, therefore, you can never have too many blending brushes. This works as good as the ones I already own, so, no complains here! The light and fluffy bristles really help gently blend out my eyeshadows without picking up too much with it.


The last brush is a Blue Shading Eyeshadow Brush. Fun fact, nearly all (literally 99%) of my eyeshadow brushes are the ones that came along with the eyeshadow palettes I bought. So once again, extra eyeshadow brush? No complains! This brush is a very basic flat brush, great for packing on your main eyeshadow colour as well as your base eyeshadow colour.

Overall, I feel like this brush set would be the perfect gift for any unicorn obsessed, or for someone who is just starting out on make-up as these brushes are pretty much basic essentials. Make-up brushes can also last you a really long time if you take good care of them so I think it's fine to splurge on a couple of good ones. I mean, face brushes especially, are totally worth splurging on. Personally, using these brightly coloured and pretty brushes really brightens up my mood so for me, it was definitely a good purchase!

Labels: beauty, face, make-up, review