How do i clean my Make up brushes?

Beauty brushes or many call them make up brushes are the tool for beautification. Some have many, some have less and some even have none. For some, beauty brushes are in dispensable but for some their fingers are the ones that does the magic. I begin my make up journey with nothing more than my mum's make up, sponge applicator and blush brush *to be exact, travel size make up and blush brush*.

I got my brush set only after i started professional make up and my instructor expects everyone in class to have clean brushes every time she sees us.

So how do i clean my brushes?

I was asked many many times by friends, colleagues and clients, where do i get my brushes, what are they made of and why are they so soft. This question may not seem relevant to how i clean my brushes. However, the secret hide nice soft brushes is not solely on the brand and material. It's also the way we treat the brushes.

A little about my brushes, i would say that my brush collection is a decent one, no fancy brushes just enough for me to work with. Most of them are from Makeup Forever's S line and the bristles of the brushes are made of goat's or sable's hair. 2 of them from Make up forever's N line and they are with nylon bristles. A few other brushes from Sigma makeup which have synthetic bristles.

Many maybe wondering, where are the MACs!! but sorry i'm not really a MAC person, although i do go crazy at their sales but IMO they are alittle to over priced and even worse they "kinda" make you "addicted" to a super pretty shade of watever and then they discontinues it *irritated*.

Anyway, as many review goes, MUFE's brushes isn't the softest brushes around. So how comes soft brushes? Simple, care of your brushes like you care for your hair minus the chemical treatments, dye and wat not.

There is seriously no secret formula used in the cleansing of my brushes. In fact no special solution for brush cleansing is used,  all i have is cheap shampoo and conditioner.

Natural bristles are animal hair and like the human hair, animal hair can become very dry then split ends happens and your brush becomes very prickly.

And if you are going to use that prickly brush on your face, beautifying yourself will be a real pain.

So, Let's start.

Just like how we wash our hair, i:

Step 1: Wet bristles under running water, making sure that all the bristles are wet.

Step 2: pour a little amount of shampoo on my palm and whirl the bristles on the shampoo till the shampoo turns foamy. By now i'll be able to see the left over make up on my brushes come off turning the foamy colorful. i usually "shampoo" my blush and powder brushes individually as they are bigger and i dun wan they to get the colors from my eye brushes. Smaller eye brushes are held together while whirling them through my shampoo.

Step 3: wash out the shampoo on all brushes and lay all nylon/ synthetic brushes to dry on a piece of cloth as conditioning maybe not be of any good use.

Step 4: Apply conditioner on the bristles but try to avoid the silvery metal that hold them together. i'm not sure if the conditioner will loosen the grip or even stain the metal as till date none of these has happened but prevent is better than cure.  leave the conditioner on for 15 mins.

Step 5: wash conditioner off and lay them flat on a piece of cloth to dry.

Step 6 *opinion: once in awhile, i treat my natural hair brushes to a hair mask.

Now we are done with the brushes, what about our beauty puffs and sponge???

How do i clean them without having to to purchase a sponge cleanse?

Simple, the secret to clean and brand new looking sponge and puff, BAR SOAP!! yes, no need to spend on expensive sponge cleanses. Just bar soap, the cheaper the better!

Simply, wet the sponge or powder puff and rub the soap against them.

 Next, gentle rub them with your hands till you no longer see any make up on the puff and sponge.

Then, leave to dry. And, you can now re use your beauty puff and sponge.

Cleansing of make up tools frequently is as important as having to wash your face as dirt and reminding makeup may irritate your face causing acnes, redness and other skin problems. Plus there is no necessary to purchase expensive cleansing solutions so why not save that money for something else better.

So, till my next post. Stay cheerful always.

Blogger's Launch: Introducing L'oreal Professionnel

Was invited to L'oreal Professionnel's first bloggers' launch.

L'oreal Professionnel may not be a familiar brand to many as the products are not sold off shelf.

However, if u are a regular visitor of the many salons in singapore, then you should be no stranger to the brand, Loreal Professionnel.

For the benefit of those who do not know, Loreal Professionnel is a brand of the professional products division of the Loreal group. The strong belief in Creativity, Innovation and partnership are the reason why the brand and its product are preferred by hair professionals all over the world.

Offering a wide range of professional hair color, treatment, hair styling and home hair care products. The products by Loreal Professionnel can be divided into in salon and home hair care.

During the launch, we were introduced to 7 of the brand's new product.

Let's now go through each product.

1st up, Mythic Oil.

We all know that since many many ancient years ago, people have been using and believe in the goodness of oil, whether is it for their aromatic or medicinal properties. In the past, oil extracted from plants are used to sooth and calm skin as people know and believe strongly in oil's rich, powerful and protective goodness.

 

Formulated with this strong belief in "oil goodness" that dates many many ancients back, the Mythic oil has been reinvented to suit the lifestyle of many. It is a versatile hair oil that is suitable for all hair types and it helps to control and smoothens hair. The Mythic oil, due to its light weightness and intensely nourishing power, it can be used as "all fix in one" hair oil.

Infused with the goodness of Avocado oil and Grapeseed oil, the Mythic oil is rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2 and D that helps to smooth and nourish hair fibre. It also contain a high concentrate of linoleic acid, one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world which is able to penetrate hair quickly and nourish it deeply.

As mentioned, the mythic oil is a "all fix in one" hair oil:-

- Use it as Pre Shampoo oil, and it will help retain moisture and hair will feel softer and stronger after wash. Simply apply on dry hair before shampoo.

- Use it as a Blow dry Protective oil, the mythic oil not only protects hair from the heat, it's moisturizing texture facilitates the blow dry, leaving hair instantly detangled, smooth, supple, soft and intensely shiny.  

- Use it as an finishing oil, the mythic oil seals the blow dried and styled look, provide shine and prevent split and dry ends, delivering frizz control.

-Use it as a mid day restoration oil, it helps with the reconditioning your hair need during the day, giving it a quick nourishing fix which allows your hair to feel soft, silky and supple immediately.

Impressed? Wait till you hear the results.

Combining the goodness and richness of the two natural oils, Avocado and Grape seed oil, the Mythic oil has not only the ability to Deeply nourish, provide intense shine, long lasting anti frizz protection and suppleness of the hair, its light weightness and anti humidity allows hair to stay styled and look as if you have just step out of the house.

My thought on the Mythic Oil:

Although, i'm been gave the Mythic oil for about a month, to be honest, it didn't gave me a really good impression as it's light weightness did not really help to tame my bleached ends. However, it was till one week away when i went to Salon Vim to get rid of my bleached ends. Therefore, i no longer need anything super oily *grin*.

As i have a constant habit of wanting to change how my hair look, hair coloring became a habit. This led to flat, dry and dull hair, and caused me to want to color my hair even more, creating more havoc for myself. However, after using the Mythic oil of a week, my hair had became shiner, smoother and looking more healthy. The lightness of the oil did not weigh my hair down making it look even flat and most importantly, it did not cause me super oil hair.

The Mythic Oil is used after my shower. i simply just remove excess water from my hair and when my hair is still wet, i take 3 pumps of the mythic oil and apply it even at the ends of my hair no higher than my ear. Then leave my hair to dry naturally while i do my makeup so after about 15 mins, i simply comb my hair through and blow dry.

No tangles no breakage no frizz hair.

2nd product of this post, actually 4 products in total, They are the 

Riche Macadamia and Couleur Botanique from Serie nature.

And, Serie Nature is where Science meets Nature.

Serie Nature was created by Loreal professionnel in 2007 to respond to a growing demand for hair care in the natural care market. This was in respond to woman who are concerned about their environment but at the same time not ready to compromise the effectiveness of the products.

Series Nature believes in combining the best of Loreal professionnel's hair car know hows with the touch of nature. Aiming to maintain the quality of a professional shampoo, while enriching their formulas with nature ingredients.

Making the difference by not only formulating formulas that are paraben free and silicon free,the packaging found on the products of Serie Nature are produced with vegetable inks and responsibly sourced papers which are recyclable.

As important as our environment, the quality of the haircare in serie nature are also of top priority. Loreal professionnel has/will gradually introduce more respectful formulas with unique textures and fragrances and delivers hair with luxurious results.

And here are the two new products from the Serie Nature.

1st, Riche Macadamia.

Infused with macadamia nut oil, the riche macadamia is a thirst quenching shampoo and treatment for dry hair. The Riche Macadamia range targets dry hair to restore softness, nourishment without weighing hair down.

As mentioned before in my previous post, Sulfate is a cleansing agent found in many shampoo. The Sulfate is replaced by a gentle cleansing agents of plant origin. These cleansing agent creates a rich form, more gentle and more tolerant.

2nd, Couleur Botanique.

Like the riche macadamia, the Couleur Botanique is infused with active linseed oil that actively helps with protecting and preserving color treated hair. 

Linseed oil is used for its polymer properties on its own or to resins and solvents when mixed with other oils. Rich in Omega 3, linseed oil also has many medical benefits. Linseed oil forms an aqua-protective film around the hair fibre that helps preserve radiance and color.

Both the Riche Macadamia and Couleur Botanique comes with an Exclusive In Salon Service each.

Apart from Riche Macadamia and Couleur Botanique, Serie Nature has get a full range of other products targeted at different haircare problems.

My thought on the Riche Macadamia and Couleur Botanique products:

As mentioned for a gazillion times, i have got dry, bleached and very damaged hair. Therefore, Riche Macadamia is my first choice of shampoo as its designed and formulated for dry hair. After using the Riche Macadamia shampoo and hair mask, my hair did felt soft and smooth. However, i realized that my hair get very oily, shiny and flat at the end of the day. Although my ends are nice and soft but the shampoo is too rich for my roots.

I was told by Gary after visiting his salon at shampoos that lock in color, also lock in moisture. So i changed my Shampoo to the Couleur Botanique shampoo. Although it sounded like i'm defeating the purpose of the Couleur Botanique shampoo, but true enough it did helped with my oily roots issue and did not cause my hair to be dry and frizz. And for my ends, I'm still using the Riche Macadamia mask as a daily rinse off hair treatment after i shampoo my hair. So my Flat hair and dry ends issues are solved by putting 2 products from different ranges together.

And now, the last two products of this post, The  Super Style Heroes by Tecni.art

Ever wondered how models in those editorial shoots have super big hair?? That's because they have the whole "kitchen sink" in that fluffiness.

So what can used to shape your hair at home, as neat as those big hair and as cool as those stylish looking model?

Meet the Super Dust and Bad Mud.

Super Dust is a powder form styling product that allows volume with a matte effect.Simply dust some of the Super dust  directly on hair or on hand and spread it over the mid lengths or ends, take big sections and gently back comb hair with finger and run hair to create volume.

Model after Super Dust.

Bad Mud, is in the other hand a creamy textured clay that help mold hair to construct you desired style.

All we need is a nut sized amount of Bad Mud, warm it between hands and spread on dry or damp hair to create desired look.

Model after Bad Mud

In today's industrialized market, hair products can be easily purchased off the shelves of super markets and drugstore. But like the saying goes, The hair is the richest ornament of a person. It is important to find the correct haircare and styling product to allow your hair to look its best. Although professional product maybe a little more expensive and a little hard to access as they are only available in salons but with the advise of professional hair stylist, the chance of purchasing a product that does not suit your current hair issue is slimming. Giving your hair that everyone will die for look, i'm sure it's worth the money and time.

So for more information on Loreal Professionnel products, visit them at their facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/lorealprofessionnelsingapore

Till next time, Stay beautiful!

Salon Vim by Chez Vous: The Experience

Before i start this post, i'll have to say that i become very anal when it comes to me stepping into a salon. Whether issit the washing/ cutting/ dye/ blow dry/ trim even the attitude of my stylist can drive me nuts if something goes wrong.

That's the reason why i only visit the salon once a year.

So like my normal routine hair cut every year, i went down to Salon Vim for a hair cut.

I knew about Salon Vim and my hair stylist, Gary whose the director of Salon Vim after attending the Bloggers' launch by Loreal professionnel introduction their Mythic Oil and Stylist products. And of course, as Director of Salon Vim by Chez Vous, one the salons designated by Loreal Professional as their flagship store, Gary was one of the speakers at the launch.

During the launch, the blogger were sitting around "complaining" about our hair issues to gary and of course i did a ton of questioning about my FLAT!!! hair. My questions were answered BUT my problem is not solved. My hair is still flat and i got more and more fustrated by it each day.

So straight after the Lunar new year holidays, i made an appointment at Salon Vim to see gary.

Pic taken from Salon Vim fb page

Although, Salon Vim is located in the heart of orchard road, the interior deco of the salon was surprising simple. And by simple i DUN mean run down. Simple earthy colors, clear cut lines and cool natural light made the salon less sophisticated and more edgy with its natural simplicity. I remember reading somewhere that a salon shouldnt be fulled with fancy colors, decos and lighting as only the simplest environment can show the true color, texture and style of ones hair.

I understand that there words in some of the local forums that Salon Vim is very overhyped and all advertorials. I have my own doubts after making the appointment, doubts about their service and most importantly if they are going to hard sell me products!! *HATE IT THE MOST!!* But, i still went for my appointment and even brought my personal barber (boyfie) with me.

Upon arrival, we were shown to our seats and were served drinks and even biscuits. I didn't have to wait too long for Gary to come over and say "Hey, i remember you from the product launch". I told him i wanted a hair cut cause i needed a change in style and i've had enough of my flat hair. Gary asked if there is a particular style i wanted and how much length can he take off. And my answer to him was, i dunno and please dun take off too much length.

Before picture taken from instagram on me complaining about my hair

i was than sent to the basin for hair wash. Remember i said that i become super anal when it comes to my hair? Hair wash is one of the service that i seriously hate, it's either the water is too cold or the person's nails are too long or water splashing all over my face or rubbing of my ears for no reason. However, the hair wash at Salon Vim was a rather enjoyable one.

Not too much pressure was used, no wash splashing all over the place, the lady that helped me with the hair wash also checked the water temperature with me and the head massage was a rather relaxing one plus she took her time during the head massage no rush and no sudden pressure. *feelingzen* After hair wash, my hair was blown dry.

Next, Its Gary's action time *sounds like some kind of action hero act, but Gary is seriously very friendly*, he did his little consultation and told me it's extremely important as he need to know what his clients really want before he figures something for them against their problems/ requirements. As i do not have a particular style that i wanted, i told gary it were be up to him BUT he have to help me with 3 problems under 1 condition.

Problem no. 1: I have got really flat hair
Problem no 2: My hair parting has been since forever and i'm afraid my hairline is starting to move up
Problem no 3: The ends of my hair tends curl toward my right if they are over cut.
And,the condition: he is only able to take away 1 inch of my hair length

My boyfie was sitting beside me looking rather irritated about me being a pain in gary's ass but no problem, my hair is in good hands!

Gary gave me full body hair at the ends, he did explain his cut and i remembered hearing him mention triangle scut?? or something along the line. Cannot really remember as he was talking and telling me alot of stuff about himself, his path to success and his passion for hair modifications! *super word to use* I mentioned he was really friendly remember? Anyway, problem 3 solved as full body hair can weigh down my hair and prevent them from going haywire.

He then move to the top, did some snaps and instantly volume appear, he also helped me change my hair parting and teach me how to maintain it. So again problem 1 and 2 solved.

Gary also took the pain to style my hair and made mi look so good, everyone on my facebook page went crazy. BUT the truth is i did not perm my hair!! i know the curl looks super gorgeous and i look super feminine with them but it only lasted awhile *sadface*

Finally...

After!! pretty much!? i want those curls!!

Anyway, i dun feel that the praises and advertorial are too much for Salon Vim. They provide good service, project professionalism and a whole load of friendliness. What can anyone ask for??

I do admit that the price tag may be a wee bit high but we humans need to pamper ourselves once in a blue moon when our pocket allows us too... 

Gary... =)

 
So for those who are interested to find out more, go add them on their facebook page for more info.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Salon-Vim-by-Chez-Vous

Till my next post, Stay pretty!!

PS. this post is not sponsored! mi pay money ok!!!
PPS. Boyfie say he can retire as my personal hair barber. =/

Show & Tell Monday: Let's talk - Being Slim and Thin is Different!

It's Show and Tell Monday again! Missed last month cause i spent the xmas and new year very sick and not only that my laptop crash on me too! What a way to end 2011 and start 2012. But nonetheless, here's the second Show and Tell Monday.

 

When i was pondering on what to write for this show and tell as i didn't want to do a product and i was going through the worst diarrhea of my life so no mood for products and how tos. So here's my opinion on an issue that i think has been a problem for many. The line between being slim and thin.

This thought came to me after i saw this video on youtube that documents people's weird obsession over the things they eat, do and love. Anyway, in one of the episode, they featured Isabelle Caro.

If you are a fan of the fashion industry, you would have remembered her from the billboard in milan during fashion week 2007.

For those that don't know her, please do not mistaken that Isabelle Caro is a ordinary woman who suffered from anorexia due to high fashion influence. A little on Isabelle Caro, a french model & actress suffering from anorexia since the age of 13. According to the some online information, Isabelle was standing at 1.65m and weighing only 25kg at the worst of her eating disorder. Isabelle only realize her anorexia problem only after she slipped into a coma in 2006. However, Isabelle tried as much as she can to fight her disease and also told the world her story and that anorexia is a sickness NOT a trend.

However, Isabelle Caro lost her battle against anorexia and passed away in Nov 2010 at the age of only 28.

In the past, even in the western society, curvaceous woman was seen as beauty as a fuller body means healthy, desirable and at the same time, fuller woman are considered ideal mothers with the extra resource to nurture their babies. Being thin in the past is seen poverty. However, in today's world, easy access to food has changed the situation. Fatness has lost it's symbol of health and thinness no longer poverty but beauty and sometimes even status.

Thin people are beautiful, thats what the society was told when super skinny models walk the runways. But thats fashion. High fashion that alot of people can only see and read via the media and can nv be realistic to many. Plus, known only to a handful of people as compare to the thin image the fashion world projects, size zero model are ban from the high fashion runways.

See i believe it is in everyone that we humans like to be adored and looked upon as a pretty individual. And it all right in my opinion to be a little under the standard weight against your height. But if you are standing at a height of 170cm and weighing 40 odd kg and telling me you are on some kind of diet. seriously! go talk to someone.

It may sound really hypocrite of me to be saying that as i had my share of thinspiration obsession, irritating the fuck out of everyone that my thigh is fat, my waist is thick, i eat too much and etc. Well, even till today as i'm writing this post i keep thinking of how my stomach is going to handle the 4 piece fried chicken i had yesterday and today. But what's the right way of keeping my body in shape and not be obese? 

The simple old theory of eat right and exercise!!!!

Here's my little journey from being 62kg in Jan 2009 to 52kg now.

Although i only loss 10kg, this amount is seriously enough to affect my life. I started my dieting as i was going through stress during my examination period and my eating spree was crazy. However, 2 weeks after my exams was my sister's wedding. So to look good i put myself on a low carbohydrate diet. 

I stopped taking rice, bread and even noodles. All i had for a day was, a cup of coffee or milo for breakfast, A bowl of fish soup for lunch, alittle snack for tea and another bowl of soup for dinner (of course, i do have proper dinner if i'm out with my friends). This continued for 1 year and by the end of 1 year, i weighed 55kg. 

The lost of 5 kg did not affect me much as i did not exercise and my job did not require for me to move alot. So i continued my diet for another 5 months without feeling wrong. By the end of 1.5 years, i was 52 kg and i could skip breakfast, have salad for lunch and nothing for dinner but still feel all right occasionally tired but i though it was due to work stress.

It was till i've decided that i wanted to start exercising that made me realize i need to eat. I started pole dancing about 4 to 5 months ago and the start of it was horrible. I kept feeling dizzy during and after classes for the 1st course as i didnt realize that till my classmates told me that it was coz i didnt have food before pole classes. So i started eating and realizing that i need food to burn out if i were to exercise and to make sure i maintain at a healthy weigh i must have a balance between my food intake and my exercise. 

And even so, my body wasnt able to recuperate itself fast enough and my recent diarrhea episode sounded the alarm. I wasn't able to cope with the medicine prescribed by my doctor and even after the diarrhea stopped, i wasnt able to recover fully and 1 week after the diarrhea i fell ill again.  

Not only that i've realized that it has seriously affected my physical conditions, my physical appearance changed so much that my friends was at one point asking if i had enough money to feed myself. My use to be full body had downsized from a 12-10 to a now size 8.

I'm not trying to courage anyone who has read this post to diet like i have. I know many may think that a tall and slim body is the most desirable body anyone could ask for. But the fact is we have pushed the slim image so much towards thin that many did not realize dangerous it can get.

And even more ridiculous are the articles on people being proud and preaching about thinspiration. Obviously, many did not know the amount of people that are dying due to malnutrition. 

My point here is simple. Being Slim means eating, exercising and enjoy every bit of life to the fullest. Not need to be over obsessed with being too fat or too thin cause life is too short for us to be too worried about the amount of lumps we are showing.  

So till the next show and tell! stay healthy!

Cocktail @ The Studio anyone?

Seriously, when was the last time i've blogged about cool chill out places...

Never mind when cause i've got a cool place, situated on the outskirt of the mostly overcrowded Clarke quay but still near the center district.

Introducing to all you party people, The Studio Cocktail Bar!

Located near one of Singapore buziest shopping and business district, The Studio is a bar that allows tired shoppers and buzy executives to slow down their foot steps and enjoy the night and some drinks in a cozy environment with colleagues and friends.

However, like none other bars, The Studio Cocktail bar prides themselves with their cocktail specialties.

Sam the bartender

Professionally, prepared and served in specially selected glasswares, the passion for cocktails in the team at The Studio can be seen in their range of signature cocktail.

Cuba Libre - Fresh lime, Coke & Rum

 

The Studio offers not only the standard cocktails that you can find anywhere else but also their signature cocktails that can only be found in the bar. And very afford-ably priced, cocktails' price ranges from S$18 to $26.

Signature Cocktails by  The Studio Cocktail bar

Top left, The Apartment. Top Right, The Gardener. Bottom, Room Mate

Not only does The Studio Cocktail bar serves cocktail, they too custom cocktail to suit the taste buds of different individuals. And making the cocktail experience a better and fun one, the team has actually came up with a Do It Yourself Cocktail.

This means that you would have to chance to shake up your own cocktail with sam's help! This means that you will be able to learn mixing technique from a experienced bartender! You would also be given a card that shows the concoctions of the drink.

Items needed for Cosmopolitan

During the Media session, bloggers were invited to do a little "shaking" and try out the cocktails they have made for themselves.

Plus a little fun

No pressure even for first timer, sam's step by step instructions will make sure your cocktail just right but be surprise even with the same ingredients, everyone's cocktail taste a wee bit different.

Done =)

Those that are looking for places to hold your private party, The Studio cocktail bar has also hosted several corporate events and private parties. Not just a place and drinks for rent but the team at the studio cocktail bar customizes ever single party, from the kind of drinks served to the music that is played.

So the next time when u are pondering over where to chill out after a long day at work, try The Studio Cocktail Bar. 

The Studio Cocktail Bar
778 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198746
Tel: (65) 6396 6345

www.thestudiobar.sg
http://www.facebook.com/thestudiococktailbar
thestudiococktailbar@gmail.com

Bifesta- Celebrates Beauty

As i've mentioned in my previous post on Hado Labo Cleansing oil, I'm no big fan of cleansing oils so how do i remove my make up?

Well, for the longest time, i've been wanting to write about this product but i guess i've been too lazy.. *I've been busy i mean* and also this product would have easily made to Show and Tell Monday, if i don't attend the event held by Mandom Corp.

So.. Bifesta..

Not a very familiar makeup remover brand? maybe Cleansing Express may ring a bell?

Yes! Bifesta is the more refine and new version of Cleansing Express.

The reason Bifesta is my go to make up remover is because it is a water based make up remover strong enough to remove SOME water proof mascaras.

I've been using cleansing express ever since it was available in Singapore a few years back. Now, Bifesta has bought in a whole range of cleansing lotions , Cleasing Gel, Cleansing liquid and Eye Make up Remover .

 

Not only have Bifesta changed their name and packaging, they have also improved their formulas with Plus-ion Hyaluronic Acid Structure that helps retain moisture on skin even after washing off.

The Bifesta Cleansing range are divided in to 2 different types. The rinse off types and the non rinse types.

Let's start with the non rinse types:

The Non Rinse cleanser are mainly the Cleansing lotion. Bifesta has got the Moist Cleansing lotion with ceramide infused for dry skin, Sebum Cleansing lotion with Green tea extract for oily skin, Brightup Cleansing lotion with saxifrage extract for dull skin and course my personal favorite, Agecare Cleansing lotion with Coenzyme Q10 for agecare.

As mentioned, i've been using the Agecare cleansing lotion since it's launch and till date i'm still loving it. However, if you are someone who has oily skin, i wouldn't recommend the Agecare cleansing lotion as it might cause break outs. 

I wouldn't say that it's totally ok to not rinse off the cleansing lotion as i would recommend for anyone using the non rinse cleansing lotion to just gently rinse their face with water. But after a crazy night at the club and having to remove your make up is already a huge pain in the ass, then knowing that you can get away with not washing your face after removing your make up with the bifesta cleansing lotion is a huge relief.

Next, the rinse off cleansers:

The Rinse of cleansers consist of the Gel, liquid and Eye make up remover. All suitable for all skin types and most importantly, please make sure you wash off those cleansers before hitting the sack. Bifesta has came up with the rinse off cleanser as they understand that besides those that love the cleansing lotions, there is another group of beauty lovers the love their massage off cleansers. 

I'm no big fan of cleansing gels and liquids but! Eye make up removers are a must for my current mascara as it's one of the known most stubborn mascaras.

I was surprise that the Bifesta Eye Make up remover manage to remove my mascara with just 3 wipes and dun be scared off by it's rinse off type label. Seriously the eye make up remover is not oily and has a watery texture just like the cleansing lotion.

Here i have my trusty Bifesta Agecare Cleansing Lotion and Eye Make up Remover.

How do i remove my make up using the Bifesta cleansers? Simple!
For my whole entire face, i need 5 cotton pads, yes! 5! 2 for the eyes and 3 for the face. I have got a big face so if you have got a smaller face, maybe 4 is enough.


1st: The Eyes
- We shake the eye make up remover well to make sure the Emollient layer (that help to remove water proof makeups) and the Water based layer (wraps off oil & Sebum) is well mixed together.
- Pour about a 50 cents coin size of remover on a cotton pad
- Press down gently and hold for 10sec ( hold longer for stubborn and hard to remover make up) the cotton pad on your eyes before wiping off make up
- Do the same for your other eye.

2nd: The face
-Take 2 cotton pads and pump a generous amount of cleansing lotion on the cotton. (The result i need 2 cotton pads is to make sure that the cotton pads are able to hold the cleansing lotion)
- Wipe cotton pads all over face including the eye area to remove eye make up remover
- Take other cotton pad and pump 2 pumps of cleansing lotion on cotton pad
- Wipe cotton pad all over face making sure that no there is no trace of make up left.

And, we are done.

Alittle test for all cleansing products:

 

Clearly the Bifesta Cleansing Lotion is strong enough to wipe off some water proof make ups BUT for less rubbing and tagging on your eye area, pair the cleansing lotion up with the eye make up remover for best results.

Till next time people, take care!

Show & Tell Monday: Hide them all tattoos!

It's the first Show & Tell Monday!!!

And to kick start this little segment, i would like to share with everyone a product that is used for the "hiding" of my tattoos!

Anyone that has seen me personally would know that i'm a person with multiple tattoos.And i love my tattoos, in fact, i'm suppose to complete my back piece but i'm juz to lazy to drag my ass to my artist.

You maybe wondering why i would have to cover up my tattoos if i loved them so much? well, it's kind of like an society issue. Please save me that u should walk out and be proud look. Just answer these questions and you will know where i'm coming from.

Say, if your kid or your parents or even yourself is badly injure, would you go to a doctor with a recognized doctor certificate and huge tattoo on him arm or a doctor who is more decent looking? if you are in trouble with the law and badly needed a lawyer would you want someone with a huge tattoo on his or her neck to represent you?

My point here is although we are living in this 21st century's modern society, people are still stereotyping people with tattoos. Therefore, using make up to cover my tattoos are essential in some occasions and even when i wan to change my look, from naughty to nice. *grin*

Left: MUFE Full Cover Concealer, Right: MAC Mineralize powder

Unlike in the western part of the world, where the demand for make up and market is bigger, it's rather hard to find a product in Singapore that deals with serious imperfection coverage.  I had to take the time to ask around and read up online for reviews before i decided on what to buy as i'm looking for something that has full coverage and most importantly waterproof. Good thing is i had a awesome makeup instructor that directed me to the Makeup Forever's Full cover concealer.

So while doing my online research for products, i've came across a few suggestions and some of them are Dermablend,Kat Von D concealer,Dermacolor, etc. I was considering between Dermablend and MUFE's Full Cover concealer.

Dermablend seems to be a good cover up concealer to invest in because of what it did to zombie boy in it's ad video and it comes in a bigger tube for larger areas but again it's not available in singapore which means i can't try the color and shipping is going to cost me a bomb. Also, i've seen the making video of the Zombie boy video ad for Dermablend and in the making video, Zombie boy mentioned that he could get away looking like a normal person if people were to walk pass him. So i'm interpreting it as his tattoo are still visible if one were too sit down face to face.


My tattoo on the ankle

MUFE's Full cover concealer in the other hand is available in singapore and is waterproof! The only downside is it comes in a really small tube!!! Although, it's a very thick formula and in alot of reviews, it was mention that a little goes a long way for this concealer but i'm concealing tattoos! not blemishes or dark rings! 15ml is seriously too little!!

Tattoo half covered

But, I've went ahead with purchasing the MUFE Full Cover concealer after trying it over the counter and i got mine in no. 10 and 12. 10 for my neck which is fairer and 12 for my ankle.

Like any other shelve concealers, the MUFE Full Cover Concealer looks like a normal skin color concealer at first but when applied the really thick consistance of the product could actually cover tattoos. Of course if you have dark colored tattoos, laying of the concealor is needed. As seen on the pics above, thats the tattoo on my ankle and i have got black and red inked on me. And to cover the tattoo completely, i actually had 5 layers of concealor on and using a very light layer of MAC Mineralize powder in Medium Dark to set the concealer. Note that no color enhancement is done on the pics to show the true colors of the cover up.

All i did was to apply the concealer with a make up sponge in a dapping motion, layer by layer and of course letting one layer to dry alittle before applying the next. Then using the same sponge pick up the MAC powder, set the concealer also in a dapping motion and at the same time blending the concealer and powder and the edge of the tattoo into the skin as i dun wan my cover up to end up looking like a birth mark.

Also as mentioned, the Full cover concealer is waterproof and i actually tried running my tattoo cover up under the running shower and i was amazed that the concealer stayed as it is and it only started to melt down after a little massaging.

Another thing i would like to mention about the concealer, is that it can be a little too dry. So making sure that areas i apply the concealor on must be well moisturize, avoid too much powder and using it on smaller areas for example the under eye and blemishes are not advised. Well, maybe you can try mixing it with your regular concealer or foundation if you wanna try using it on the face.

I hope this post has been useful and do stay tuned to the next Show & Tell Monday!