CANMAKE Dual Eyebrow Stick 600yen
Wow, it's been more than a month since I wrote my last post here. I apologise for the absence, it was just overwhelming to juggle 3 blogs, my job and dealing with the family issue that I'm currently having. I'm not going to write about my life stuff here but it's been tough and I didn't feel like writing in English -obviously because it's much harder for me than writing in Japanese. I'm kind of back on track now (hopefully) and decided to start blogging again!
Today I'm introducing you my current favourite eyebrow pencil. It's a new item from my favourite drugstore brand CANMAKE, which came out in June I believe. The idea behind this thick eyebrow pencil is that it has two shades in one. 01 has beige brown and dark brown, and 02, the one I've got, has orange beige and ashy brown. So for example you can draw an outline with the darker shade, and fill in the small gaps with the lighter shade. Or simply mix them together as you wish.
You can see that the left half is the ashy brown, and the right half is the orange beige. I have to be honest, it's really hard to draw an outline with this pencil simply because it's too thick, and I tried to use the edge to draw the end of the eyebrow which I ended up making it look so messy. I use KATE eyebrow pencil in BR-2 to draw an outline, including the ends, and fill in the gaps with this pencil mixing both shades. It creates thick eyebrows that have been in style in Japan for a while. Thin eyebrows are kind of old fashioned now in Japan, everyone wants thicker and lighter brows rather than bold and dark brows.
This pencil is perfect for creating such trendy eyebrows. The top swatch is the darker shade, the middle is the lighter shade, and the bottom one is when they both are mixed together. It looks like powder on the eyebrows, giving such a soft-focus-effect. I thought it was a little too hard when I tried at the drugstore on the back of my hand, but when used on my eyebrows it glides on perfectly. I haven't used my eyebrow powder since I got this pencil because it stays longer on my brows and works kind of better than the powder in my opinion, as it sticks to the skin rather than sitting on top of the brows if that makes sense! It's a must-have item if you are aiming for thicker and softer-looking eyebrows.
Well done CANMAKE for another great product with an affordable price tag!
It's the end of June, summer is around the corner. Are you protecting your skin from the strong sun? Here are my top sun protection products that I've been loving this summer!
1. Organic Argan UV Cut Spray
Love this UV cut spray not only because it provides long-lasting (and waterproof) UV protection of SPF50+ PA+++, but it smells divine. I don't even need a perfume when I wear this handy sunscreen which you can spray easily on your back, the back of your legs and hair.
2. Clinique Superdefense Daily Defense Moisturizer SPF 20
This moisturiser with SPF20 is perfect for a lazy weekend when I'm not wearing foundation. It has a slight sunscreen scent that I'm not a big fan of, but it goes away after like 5 minutes. Love the fact it gives a matte finish, too.
3. Clinique Superdefense SPF 20 Age Defense Eye Cream
Why don't all the eye creams in the world have SPF? This moisturising eye cream is tinted which brightens up my eye area instantly, while protecting the most sensitive areas to the sun. I am glad that they brought out an eye cream with SPF as I tend to get dark spots around my eyes, and this product makes me feel secure!
4. Origins Smarty Plants CC Cream / Light
I use this SPF20 CC cream to correct my complexion and to protect my skin against UV. I wrote a full-review HERE so I'm not going to ramble here about it, but it's such a lovely CC cream that evens out the skin tone and gives a subtle glow to it. I find the texture a little too heavy for me during summer, but I love wearing it in Spring, Autumn and Winter!
5. Origins Brightening Protector SPF40 PA+++
This is the sunscreen from their brightening range only sold in Asia. I love this one more than Smarty Plants CC Cream during summer, because it has higher SPF and the texture feels lighter on the skin. It doesn't have the sunscreen smell at all, and I enjoy the fruity scent that most of their products have.
6. Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence
You can read my in-depth review on this product HERE. It smells of citrus, and has NO sunscreen scent at all. It doesn't feel greasy on the skin, or face, I don't mind wearing it all over my body at all as it feels like I'm not wearing sunscreen! I would repurchase it once I've ran out of this current tube. That's how much I'm in love with this sunscreen!
I like Japanese products when it comes to sunscreen. They usually don't smell of sunscreen at all, and they don't leave your face looking like ghost's. It surprises me how many old-fashioned sunscreens are out there still, as it's even hard to find them in Japan lately. What's your favourite sun protection items?
L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire by Color Riche
First of all, let me thank lovely Danniella from famousinjapan, who kindly sent me the shade Nude Ballet from L'Extraordinaire when we did a swap a couple of weeks ago. I had been eying on L'Extraordinaire since the launch in the US, I knew I would love them because I love L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash, and L'Extraordinaire seemed very similar and even better.
The shade Danniella sent me was Nude Ballet, and I purchased Rose Melody myself on eBay because I loved Nude Ballet so much and wanted to try other shades.
The left is Rose Melody, a beautiful nude pink with tiny silver glitter particles. The right is Nude Ballet, a creamy nude beige with a rosy / pinky undertone which doesn't wash you out.
Rose Melody
Look how pretty it looks on the lips! I'm so glad that it's not a kind of pink that has a blue / purple undertone which I'm not a big fan of. It's a perfect nude pink that you can wear on daily basis.
Nude Ballet
I've been in love with nude lips since I discovered Nude Delight and Notting Hill Nude from Rimmel, as a nude lipstick makes the whole look sophisticated when the shade is right for you. And I must say that Nude Ballet is the new favourite nude of mine! It goes with any look, from smoky-eye to natural no-makeup-makeup. It makes your lips look pinker yet less red if that makes sense...You know why I love this shade, look at the photos, it's gorgeous!!
I must mention that it has a subtle scent that some people might not like. For me it smells like Origins Drink Up, kind of fresh and fruity. I don't mind the scent at all, but I can understand if someone says it's disturbing.
L'Extraordinaire is not a lip stain, but it stays on the lips for hours. It remains pretty glossy for hours without reapplication, which is very handy for me at work as I literally don't have time to re-apply a lippie. One thing I don't like about this product is that it is a little bit sticky and kind of gooey on the lips. You never forget that you are wearing it on your lips, as it reminds you every time you open and close your mouth. But at the same time, I shouldn't be complaining about it because this is why it stays on the lips for so long...If you are not a big fan of sticky lipgloss, you might not like this product.
Overall I'm loving both Rose Melody and Nude Ballet at the moment. They are always in my bag, I take them wherever I go. I wonder why L'Oreal in Japan is so crappy, although the brand has so many great products in the US and UK. I've been eying on the nude lips that were inspired by the actresses. I'm thinking of getting Cheryl's nude or Eva's nude!
What's your favourite L'Oreal product?
