Recent Empties -Skincare

I had been accumulating empty products since December without paying attention to the magnitude of the situation. My big bag was full of empty products...actually it was overflowing. I finally took photos of them and started writing a blog post on my Japanese blog, Beau Tea Time, and realised nobody would read it if I tried to fit it into one post because it would be too long.

So I decided to write 3 separate posts about my rubbish.

Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean
I believe Peaches and Clean have changed its packaging and formula a couple of times in the past. I heard the 1st one was amazing, and then they changed the formula and made the package smaller, which was rubbish, so they changed it again and that is the one sold at Boots right now. Mine is rubbish one I believe -it's smaller and didn't do much to my skin. But I loved it. The realistic scent of fresh peach is always refreshing to use, and the texture is just perfect to use in the morning. The only downside is the pump. As you can see I still had 20% of the product left in the bottle but the pump stopped dispensing and it was paint in the butt to remove the pump and shake the bottle in the shower. I will definitely repurchase the newer version when I come back to the UK this summer.

RAFRA Balm Orange Yuzu&Honey 
RAFRA is my favourite balm cleanser. It's better than EVELOM and CLINIQUE, I absolutely swear by it. I much prefer the original version to this limited one. The scent is too subtle that it didn't WOW me at all, and everything else is exactly the same as the original -no point of buying the limited one.

Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm
Danielle from Famous in Japan kindly sent it to me when we did a parcel swap a long time ago. Unlike Japanese balm cleansers, western balm cleansers are pretty oily that you must use a muslin cloth to remove them. I personally am not a big fan of rubbing my skin with a cloth, especially around my eyes where I already have terrible pigmentation, but those oily balm cleansers remove makeup like magic. The cleanser itself is very good quality for the price point in my opinion, and I would repurchase it if I didn't mind using a cloth along with it.

The Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Butter
It was my 3rd jar of this cleansing balm, and I felt like they've changed the formula. Maybe it was just me, but it felt a little oilier. I usually do not use a cloth to remove this cleanser because it rinses off perfectly without it. But this one left an oily residue on my skin which was uncomfortable. It might be good for dry skin, but having combination skin I wasn't a big fan of it. I might not repurchase it anymore.

ansage Arti Wash 
I used up this lovely face wash from ansage, which is called Arti Wash because it contains Artichoke extract. I liked it very much because it didn't strip off the natural oil on my face, and left my skin feel super smooth and refreshed. It's a very basic face wash I must say, but I really enjoyed it and would like to repurchase if I have an opportunity.

Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
It took me more than 6 months to use up this bottle because a tiny bit goes a long way. It's a perfect cleanser for normal to combination skin in my opinion, as it leaves enough moisture while removing excess oil and dirt on the skin. It didn't remove my makeup at all, so I was using it as a morning cleanser and it worked perfectly. Definitely worth the price tag, and I will repurchase it for sure in the future.

Esteé Lauder Cyber White HD Lotion
First I thought it contained too much alcohol because it smelt and felt like pure ethanol,  but surprisingly it did not irritate my skin at all -it was actually very refreshing and I loved how it makes my skin feel. Despite the fact it contains alcohol, it did not dry out my skin either, and made my skin soft and supple. I loved the scent as well -just like other skincare products from the brand, it smelt divine. I am not sure about the whitening effect to be honest, but I enjoyed this lotion very much.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream 
This cream is super unique. It's such a basic cream far from trend and fashionability that I first thought was too boring, but no other cream works like this product. It's got no scent and the packaging looks pretty boring. It's not a kind of face cream that excites you. But whenever my skin feels dry or unstable or too sensitive, I switch my day and night cream to this one. It's THAT reliable. I am kind of freaking out that now I'm out of this. I will definitely repurchase it -maybe at duty free in July- because this is one of the best face creams I've ever used.

Clinique Superdefense Age Defense Eye Cream  
Although I was using it every single morning before makeup, it took me a year and a half to use up this tiny tube. It's slightly tinted but not enough coverage to hide my dark circles. I loved the fact it had SPF20 to protect my eye area from sun damage -because I already have tiny dark spots there and I wanted to prevent more spots. The only downside is that it separates towards the end, it was really messy by the time I finished the tube.

Elemis Hydra-Balance Day Cream 
Thanks to lookfantastic beauty box for introducing this cream! First of all, the scent of Neroli is absolutely beautiful. Secondly, the texture is very creamy and moisturising which is perfect in a colder month. Made specially for normal to combination skin, this cream leaves enough moisture on the skin without being too greasy. I was using it during winter before makeup. Though I never skipped a step of blotting an excess oil of the cream with tissue before applying a foundation primer, I did't feel this cream was too heavy for my combination skin. It might be a little too rich during a warmer season, but I really enjoyed it in winter.

tatcha
Just to clarify -tatcha is not a Japanese brand, it's an American brand inspired from Japanese culture. Their branding, concept and packaging are absolutely beautiful that I was very impressed -it's capturing the essence of Japanese culture very well. But now I've used up 3 of their products, I am not sure if they are worth the price tag.

One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil was raved by Caroline Hirons, and she said 'this oil is too luxurious to remove makeup' and recommended to remove makeup with a cheaper makeup remover, and use this oil to cleanse the skin. I liked this silky oil too because it wasn't oily at all, yet left my skin lovely and supple.

Deep Brightening Serum is something I was a little disappointed with. It's not a bad product at all, but I simply didn't think it was worth $185.

Clinique All About Eyes 
A very basic eye cream that I would be happy to receive as GWP or something, but I don't think I would dash to the counter and buy another jar of it.

Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair SR Complex II
You all know it's a magic serum, don't you? It plumps up the skin instantly that you can see the difference in the morning when applied this serum the night before. I'm not keen on the smell -it's rare for an Esteé Lauder product not to have an amazing scent, but I can handle it especially because the result is fantastic. I just started using my 2nd bottle and I don't think I can live without it. I need 5 backup bottles!

Vitality8™ NightRadiant Overnight Creme/Mask 
This cream (also from Esteé Lauder) was nice but nothing special in my opinion. I've tried 3-4 different types of Esteé Lauder face creams but this one was my least favourite. It smelt lovely and felt nice on the skin, but I didn't feel like it was moisturising as it claimed. Apparently this cream would give nutrients to your skin, but I didn't see any positive nor negative difference after using it for a couple of months. I wouldn't repurchase it again, they have better face creams!

I believe you're super tired from reading my crap...but thank you! 2 more posts related to empties are coming up soon so stay tuned :)

Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel

Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel  $8.99
I am not complaining here, but nobody told me Deep Cleansing Gel from Real Techniques was THIS good. Actually, I hadn't heard beauty bloggers/ YouTubers talking about this product much until I specifically searched for some reviews.

Whenever I purchase Real Techniques' products, I always order on iHerb.com because it's very cheap. Well, I believe the price is the same as RP in the US, but it's much cheaper than buying them on eBay or even from Boots in the UK. Real Techniques is an American brand apparently, which is why RP in the US is cheaper than what it is in the UK. iHerb offers pretty reasonable shipping rate, and it arrives within 3-4 working days from the states which is pretty good, so I shop there quite often. If you're interested and new to iHerb.com, you can use my referral code 'FQS584' to get $5.00 discount on your first order.

Anyway, I just purchased this cleanser because I was running out of my Dr, Bronner Magic Soap and was looking for something better to cleans my brushes with. Magic Soap works amazingly and I love how clean my brushes get after washing them with the cleanser, but it stinks. It smelt OK at the beginning, but as it gets older the smell changed slightly and I just cannot stand this weird smell anymore. I love Real Techniques' brushes, so I thought, why not?

The packaging is slim and pretty. The only thing I don't like about it is this lid. They should have made it with a pump rather than this type of lid, because the texture of the cleanser is pretty thick sometimes it doesn't come out. Every time I use it, I have to shake the bottle so that the cleanser comes down to the lid otherwise nothing comes out. Also with this lid, it's hard to control how much product to dispense.

The texture is pretty thick like I mentioned. I usually use it with Sigma Spa Express Brush Cleaning Glove. This glove is well handy that it makes me want to wash my brushes! I apply a cherry-sized amount on the glove, wet a brush with warm water and swirl it on the glove. I often wash 3-4 eyeshadow brushes together to save time and use of cleanser. You might struggle to distribute the cleanser evenly on the brushes at the beginning because of the texture of the cleanser, but once it's lathers up it should work fine.

The best part of this cleanser is the scent. I've read / seen some reviews on this product in the past but nobody -or nobody that I remember- mentioned how great it smelt. It smells very unique that I've never come across any cleansers smell like this. It smells like tea. You know tea-scented fragrance like Au the Rouge from BVLGARI or Penhaligon's Lothair...this cleanser has got a similar note which I believe is tea. The scent is pretty weak that it won't leave the lovely scent on the brushes once they're dry, but it makes the washing process even more enjoyable.

I'm going to show you how clean this brush would get with the cleanser and the glove. It's Sigma Flattop Kabuki which is my favourite brush to apply liquid foundation with. It's unbelievable how flawless it makes my skin looks!

As you can see, it doesn't lather up too much when the brush is dense. It creates loads of bubbles when I wash something like eyeshadow brush and blush brush, but buffing brush, kabuki brush and concealer brush are always harder to create lather with.

This glove has two sides by the way, one side shown in the photo above is for smaller brushes such as eyeshadow brush and concealer brush, and another side has bigger bumps designed to be used for bigger brushes. I personally like this side of the glove for some reason for any brushes -I feel this side cleans brushes better and quicker.

After swirling the brush for about a minute, I rinsed it with warm water and dries quickly with a towel. You still can see that the foundation is stained in the middle section of the brush, which I tried my best to get rid of but I assume it's stained. It didn't come off no matter how many times I washed it afterwards.

I still think Dr. Bronner's soap cleanses the brush better, but considering how great it smells Real Techniques is a winner in my opinion. Magic Soap leaves such a disgusting scent on the brushes which is a very big matter to me. Deep Cleansing Gel from Real Techniques cleans the brushes efficiently and quickly enough, and the pleasant scent motivates you to wash them regularly. The packaging looks pretty and the price is affordable. I will definitely repurchase it once I've run out of the current bottle. It's definitely worth trying if you're looking for a good brush cleanser!

Canadian gem -Nudestix

Nudestix is the brand I came across quite often when browsing some high-end online shops such as Sephora, Beautylish and lookfantastic. It instantly caught my attention as I LOVE any makeup items in a stick form. I do not mind getting rid of all my powder eyeshadows and replace them with stick shadows. Founded by Jenny, a former chemical engineer who has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Nudestix is now featured in multiple magazines and carried at retailers including Sephora and SpaceNK.

I love the fact they have two daughters of Jenny as their muse, it adds a personal and kind of homey touch to the brand. I was lucky enough to try out some of their products, and am going to review them today as I am truly impressed with the quality.

From right to left: Concealer Pencil in Light 3, Magnetic Eye Color in Angel, Twilight, Intense Matte Lip+Cheek Pencil in Kiss and Lip+Cheek Pencil Dual in Soul/Flesh. 

All the products come in a tin with a mirror on the back of the lid. I think it's a great idea branding-wise, but I simply feel bad for binning it because it's pretty high quality. At the same time, it only holds 1-2 products in there which isn't suitable for keeping it in my handbag all the time. 

Magnetic Eye Color in Angel is such a beautiful shade which is versatile yet unique. I love the fact it's not yellowy but kind of pinky -it definitely has a warmer undertone which compliments my skin tone. I describe this shade as a warm champagne gold. It glides on as if it melts on my skin, and does not budge at all once it's dried. I usually apply this shade straight after applying Primer Potion from UD and blend well with my finger. It only takes 5 seconds to create a perfect base for the next stage of eye makeup -or I can wear it on its own.

Twilight is another versatile shade that is perfect for a daily use. Whenever I cannot decide which eyeshadow to wear in the morning, I go for this one. Again I LOVE this shade because it's not a reddish brown that I am not a big fan of. It's a similar shade to On and On Bronze from Maybelline, but in a stick form-much slimmer and more convenient, isn't it?

One thing I want to point out is that you don't have much time to blend the eyeshadow. It sets very quickly that you need to blend immediately once it's applied on the eyelid. I once applied it on both eyes, took 30 seconds on choosing which brush to use, and realised my eyeshadow was completely set and it was impossible to blend. Which is actually a good thing -it means it never budge!

Concealer Pencil in Light 3 is a little too pale for my skin tone, but I use it to combat redness around my nose and define the edge of my lips. The texture is creamy and not drying, but maybe not suitable for under eye. 

I found the Mascara very basic -the wand is a typical brush-type one which gives volume to my lashes. I wish it was a little more separating, but mascara is one of the hardest makeup items to review on, it all depends on your liking.

Intense Matte Lip+Cheek Pencil in Kiss and Lip+Cheek Pencil Dual in Soul/Flesh are both gorgeous. 

I wish I could rock Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil in Kiss, it's a very elegant plumy pink that looks horrendous on me. The texture is lovely that it dries down to a matte finish which makes the whole look pretty elegant and sophisticated.

On the other hand, Lip + Cheek Pencil Dual in Soul / Flesh looks lovely on me. The left shade on my lips is Soul, and the right one is Flesh. I found Flesh a little frosty and pale, which I usually wear on top of a darker lip liner otherwise it would wash me off, whilst Soul is a perfect nude shade that can be worn on its own and looks gorgeous.

Each product has its own sharpener which I found convenient as I often forget to buy a matching sharpener. I have been loving the eyeshadow sticks that I've been wearing at least 2-3 times a week for more than 2 months now, which is pretty rare for a makeup / beauty addict like myself -which i believe you agree if you are a beauty junkie too. Though their products aren't the cheapest in the world, they are worth the price tag in my opinion. If you have't tried any of their products, try their Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil and Magnet Eye Colour. You will be impressed.

Best of Sigma Brush Set

Best of Sigma Brush Set  $92.00
It's truly impressive how quickly Sigma became a big brand. Though it's been only 7 years since its debut, Sigma is now one of the most well-known brush brands in the world. Their brushes are amazing quality for the price, and another good thing about it is that they ship internationally. Recently they changed the shipping rate and now you can get the products delivered to your front door for free when you purchase $30 if you live in the states, and $75 if you live elsewhere. And you know what, it's easy to spend $75 on their website simply because they have tons of amazing stuff.

I was lucky enough to get Best of Sigma Brush Set as a PR sample, and I instantly fell in love with the brushes once I've tried them. There is absolutely nothing negative to say about them and now my makeup does not complete without them!

F80 Flat Kabuki Brush
This is one of the best selling brushes of the brand. I had heard so many good things about it in the past, and now I understand why it's so popular. I used to use Buffing Brush from Real Techniques to blend my foundation, but I wasn't fully satisfied with its performance because sometimes it would make my foundation look streaky.

This brush takes the foundation application to the next level. Foundation never looks cakey or streaky when applied with this brush, because it's so dense that there is almost no gaps between the hairs. It blurs my pores which makes my skin looks absolutely flawless. It's been 2 months since I got this brush and I have't used any other brushes to apply my foundation. I am so addicted to it.

F64 Soft Blend Concealer Brush
I LOVE this brush for blending my concealer around my nose and under my eyebrows. I don't know what it does, but it blends concealers seamlessly. I even feel like it increases the coverage of the concealer, and helps it to stay put. In my opinion it works better with a solid concealer rather than a liquid one.

P88 Precision Flat Angled Brush
So what works better with a liquid concealer? Precision Flat Angled Brush does! With soft hair, this brush does not irritate the sensitive skin around the eyes at all and blends an under eye concealer flawlessly. I use this brush to apply Colour Corrector from Bobbi Brown, to get the most coverage out of it, and add Za Concealer -which is my absolute favourite and I'm gutted it's discontinued- on top and blend with this brush again. It makes the concealer look a little streaky sometimes, but it works fine most of the time.

E57 Firm Shader Brush
This brush is perfect for packing eyeshadow on the centre of the lid. It brings out the intensity of the eyeshadow especially metallic or glittery one. I love using this brush to smudge eyeshadow under the eyes too.

E38 Diffused Crease Brush
Another favourite brush of mine! I'm using it as a blending brush rather than a crease brush, because it blends ANY eyeshadows seamlessly. There are some eyeshadows that I always struggle to blend that goes on patchy. Usually it takes a couple of minutes to blend them completely, which is pain in the butt in the busy morning. With this brush, it takes less than 30 seconds to blend. Why? I have no idea, but it works.

E34 Domed Utility Brush
This could be my least favourite out of seven brushes in the set -doesn't mean it's bad, it just means I am not a makeup artist and don't try new techniques every day. My daily makeup routine doesn't require this brush, but if you want to do the cut crease look, it might be handy to have this in your brush collection.

E21 Smudge Brush 
I used to use a tiny brush from ADDICTION to apply eyeshadow under the eyes or smudge eyeliner with, but this brush made me realise that the ADDICTION one was actually too small for my liking. This brush applies the right amount of the eyeshadow and makes it much easier and quicker to smudge. I sometimes use it to clean the edges of my lips too.

Seven brushes including Flat Kabuki Brush for $92.00 is actually pretty affordable in my opinion. I definitely think this set is worth the price, and is a perfect set for a beginner. My favourite is definitely Flat Kabuki Brush, but I also love Diffused Crease Brush too. Since I got their brushes, makeup process became easier and more enjoyable for sure. I highly recommend this set if you are new to Sigma, or makeup!

Discount Code
Put the discount code 'NIC10' to get 10% off your order!

Maybelline Volume Express Magnum Barbie

Maybelline Volume Express Magnum Barbie  1,404yen
Maybelline brought out a new mascara called Volume Express Magnum Barbie in March. I am all about fuller lashes rather than longer ones, so I couldn't resist to purchase this mascara that claims to make your lashes full and voluminous like Barbie's.

The packaging is bright yellow with a metallic pink lid, which is easy to find in your makeup bag for sure. The brush looks very similar to Maybelline Falsies, that I cannot point out the difference to be honest. The formula is waterproof that doesn't come off by my trusty RAFRA balm cleanser, which is good for those love waterproof mascara, but too much for me who tend to go for a 'film-type' mascara that comes off with warm water.

It's got fibres called 'topping fibre' which you can keep adding on the tips of the lashes to make them look longer until you're happy with the result -supposedly. I do not like how fibres make my lashes look wonky and unnatural, but it might be perfect for those who want more length and volume at the same time.

I noticed that this mascara does not separate the lashes, but make them look thicker and voluminous. If you like the '60s look, or very thick spider-lashes, this is the mascara for you. It's very close to L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara in my opinion.

I am not 100% convinced that this mascara would give you Barbie lashes, I like Maybelline the Rocket and Falsies better, but again you might like it if you like thick looking lashes. I still think Maybelline is one of the best drugstore brands when it comes to mascaras!

Mis"el Ady Liquid Eyeliner

Mis"el Ady Liquid Eyeliner  1,200yen
If you are looking for a liquid eyeliner that is jet black and super waterproof, I've got a perfect one for you. This eyeliner from Mis"el Ady has nothing negative to say about. I literally have to wash my face with oil cleanser twice to take it off my eyelids completely. It's up to you whether you think it's good or bad, but all I can say is that if you are looking for a waterproof eyeliner, this is the one for you.

The 0.1mm brush is very thin as you can see, and it helps you draw a super thin line which makes it easier to do the flick as well. Also the body is very slim that's easy to hold.

As you can see the ink is blackest black that looks super bold. I took this photo when I tried this eyeliner for the first time, and I was impressed and overwhelmed at the same time by how pigmented it was. It is kind of hard to draw the straight line until you get used to it, just because the ink is very black that if you miss the mark it's super visible. I didn't intend to draw the line this thick, but my hand felt shaky for some reason that I ended up looking like this.

But the amazing part is it never comes off unless you use an eye makeup remover or oil cleanser. Even my trusty RAFRA cleansing balm did not remove it in one go. Some people might think it's pain in the butt to remove, but I think it's a good thing because it means I can completely rely on it during the day, that it never ever comes off even if I put eyedrops in my eyes, or I cry -which does not happen often anyway-.

If your eye lids tends to dislike any liquid eyeliners out there, it's worth trying this one out. For 1,200yen, it's truly amazing.

Aujua Equial Force Mist

Aujua Equial Force Mist  3,000yen
The product that made me ditch all the texturising and volumising sprays that I got from Boots, is surprisingly a Japanese product. Japanese people tend to have thicker and voluminous hair which is opposite from my hair type. People who have thin and limp hair like I do, struggle to find a product enhances natural volume in the hair.

It's only recently that Japanese beauty brands started bringing haircare products for mature people who have limp hair due to ageing of population. Aujua Equial is one of them. Aujua is a Japanese haircare brand only sold at hair salons. They have 15 different lines of haircare products which you can choose depending on your hair type. Seven out of 15 are focusing on anti-ageing, and they have shampoo, hair treatment and some styling products within the line.

Equial is for limp hair which needs more volume. I have never tried them but they also have shampoo and hair treatment. I was recommended to try this mist at the hair salon which I go to for 14 years, when I told them I was struggling to style my hair. They demonstrated this product with my hair at the salon, and I was impressed with the result that I had no choice to to purchase it. But at the same time I was wondering -is it the hair stylist that made my hair look amazing, or the product?

As it turned out it was this product. I simply spray it directly on my scalp and the roots -not the hair, this is the important part- after towel-drying my hair, and massage it in. Then blow-dry my hair as usual. It's simple is that but makes a huge difference to the finish. It lifts the roots naturally which gives volume to the hair without feeling greasy or crispy at all. I cannot feel the product in my hair, which I love the most about this mist.

It does not have an amazing fragrance which is a little disappointing, but it has a very subtle herbal scent which does not disturb other fragrances you are wearing. Since I started using this mist, I completely stopped using the texturising spray that I adored before. I just don't need it. If you are looking for a volumising spray that does not make your hair crispy, you must try Aujua Equal Force Mist. This bottle would last for about 3 months as you only need about 10 pumps per day, which makes it about 1,000yen per month which I think is pretty cheap for what you get!

Integrate Beauty Filter Foundation

Integrate Beauty Filter Foundation 1,728yen
Since I started wearing makeup at the age of 17 or something (my parents were very strict that they didn't let me even wear a tinted lip balm until then), I have been a liquid foundation kind of girl. I believe powder foundation is more popular than liquid one in Japan, which I seriously wonder why. Liquid foundation looks much more natural and skin-like, whereas powder foundation makes you look drier than you actually are and emphasises the creases and baby hair in my opinion.

But recently, I found powder foundation that melts into the skin and instantly evens out discolourations. Bonus: it's from drugstore.

Let me introduce you to my favourite powder foundation aka my go-to weekend foundation at the moment, Integrate Beauty Filter Foundation.  As the name suggests, it blurs pores and fine lines to create skin as if it's photoshopped. It comes with a very thick and fluffy puff, but I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it to increase the coverage. When applied with the puff, it feels more like loose powder than foundation, but with a dense brush like Buffing Brush, it covers everything you want it to cover without making it look cakey or heavy.

The reason why I love this foundation is that it literally melts into the skin and blurs everything. As you can see in the photo, you cannot really tell where the foundation is applied because it's super natural.

I have tried so many BB cream, tinted moisturiser and loose powder which you can wear alone on your day off to create natural-looking skin. But I did not like most of them because they either does not cover my pores enough, or does not do anything to make my skin look better. But this one does both. It covers and blurs my pores perfectly, make my skin texture look smooths, evens out the skin tone and covers redness around my nose without a concealer. What more can I ask for?

Having SPF15 PA++ sun protection, it's perfect to wear on my day off when I don't feel like piling up loads of makeup products on my face. It comes in two shades which I believe won't satisfy everyone, but shade 1 which is the lighter one matches my NC20-25 skin perfectly. It's not too pigmented which makes it suitable for wider range of skin tones I guess. For under 2,000yen, this is a must-have foundation!

Shiseido d program Allerbarrier Essence

Shiseido d program Allerbarrier Essence  3,240yen
If you ask me what the latest trend in skincare in Japan, my answer would be 'the products that protect your skin from environmental irritations -a product like Allerbarrier Essence from d program to be specific'.

Skincare products used to be more to do something extra to your skin to improve the condition of it -i.e. brightens up the complexion, smoothes wrinkles and lightens dark spots...though they became more to protect the skin in the past few years due to the change of lifestyle, stress level and environment.

Allerbarrier, the latest launch from Shiseido d program (you can read more about the brand on my past review on their Moist Care range) is representing the shift in my opinion. With the ingredient called H-stabilising A, this light-weight essence increases skin barrier function whilst protecting the skin from environmental irritations such as pollens, pollution and a UV damage.

In Japan, more than 15% of the population suffers from cedar pollen allergy from February to March / April time depending on the year, and PM 2.5 from China is a massive issue as well. People sometimes suffer from unknown skin irritations actually caused by those environmental irritations.

The texture is quite runny and thin, which feels like an oil the moment applied to the skin. But then it turns into a silicone-y feel after about 30 seconds. It probably is because this essence is supposed to leave a film on the skin surface so that dust, pollens and pollution do not touch the skin directly.

Having SPF40 PA+++ UV-protecting action, it makes a perfect primer without being too oily or drying. It does not contain UV absorber which sometimes irritates the skin, which makes it leave the alien-looking residue. It makes my face look blue-y silver, which I don't think is the best primer to wear on a free-from-foundation kind of day. It does look OK when foundation is applied on top, it shouldn't be worn on its own in my opinion -unless you want to look sick and shiny.

I am one of those who don't know much about the consequences of pollens and pollution, but I hope it stabilises my skin condition.

I also got a mini of Day Repair Mist, which is like a mist lotion that is perfect to use during the day to refresh the makeup. It's free from alcohol, paraben, artificial fragrance and colouring, which makes it very gentle and suitable for sensitive skin -all of d program products are supposed to be suitable for sensitive skin, though. It's so small that fits perfectly into my makeup bag, and I like spraying it all over my face and blot with oil blotting paper, before applying a bit of concealer to touch up.

d program over all is a lovely brand, they have some trial sets as well that you might want to grab when you have a chance!

Burberry Kisses Sheer in Cameo Rose

Burberry Kisses Sheer in Cameo Rose  £25.00
Burberry's new lipstick Kisses Sheer was launched in Japan on 2nd March. Launching 28 shades of lipsticks at once is brilliant, but more amazing fact is that nearly half of them are nude or light-pink shades. I have a tiny nose -which my friends and family always pick on me and say 'do you even have a nose?'- and a normal sized mouth, which makes me love nude shades much more than bright pink or red on my lips. But sometimes it's hard to find a nude shade that doesn't make me look like a dead person, and brands tend to have only a couple of nude shades. It's actually easier to find nude lipsticks from domestic beauty brands because Japanese women do not wear a bright colour on their lips much.

So when I was asked to pick and choose one shade that I wanted to test from Kisses Sheer, I couldn't make my mind up! I found most of the nude shades beautiful. I was going to go for Nude or Nude Beige, but for some reason I ended up choosing Cameo Rose. It's more like natural pink than nude, but as the formula is very sheer and light, it kind of looks nudy on the lips.

The formula is super creamy that it glides on the lips instantly -it almost feels like a lip balm than a lipstick. The bullet looked pretty vibrant and I thought it would be too bright on me, but it's so sheer that I can control how pigmented I want it to be on the lips. On a daily basis, I dab the lipstick on my lips and use my finger to blend. When I want a stronger colour on my lips, I build up the intensity by applying it twice straight from the bullet.

I applied the lipstick twice so that the colour shows vividly in the photo, but still you can kind of see my natural lips through the lipstick. It's so pigmented yet sheer, which is lovely especially in Spring and Summer in my opinion.

Another discovery was that this could be the first lipstick with a blue undertone that looks pretty on me. I usually avoid bluey pink when it comes to a lip product, simply because it would make me look old-fashioned for some reason and I hate the look on me. I usually go for beige and coral to avoid the retro vibe. This shade definitely has a blue undertone, as the name -cameo ROSE- suggests, but strangely it looks nice on me. It's probably because the formula is sheer, it would make me look so '90s if it was matte.

Overall I am very satisfied with this lipstick. It doesn't feel heavy or drying on the lips, the sheer yet pigmented formula is very suitable for the coming season, and I love the magnetic packaging too.  I tried out Nude Beige too but it was slightly too nudy that I needed to pair it with a lip liner to stop people asking me whether I was sick. I cannot wait to try out some other shades too, it's such a lovely lipstick that's worth the price tag!