Magazine exposures -Thanks Canada!

I have never been to Canada, and I don't have many friends over there either. I don't think my blog is popular there, but for some reason, my blog has been featured in ELLE Quebec. They contacted me in summer and asked me to send a profile photo. I did reply and sent them a few photos to choose from, but had never heard back from them. A couple of weeks ago, when I was just searching about my blog, I came across ELLE Quebec website that mentions my blog! With a photo that they have taken from my instagram without permission....which is a little sad, but whatever, it's ELLE! I guess I was in the printed magazine (October issue) as well but I have no idea how to get it, as it's not sold on eBay nor Amazon.co.jp. But anyway, I was very surprised to be actually on their website, I am very honored!

My name is also mentioned in GLOW magazine, a Canadian beauty magazine. The writer Mishal contacted me in summer, the same week that ELLE contacted me. She asked for help writing an article about Japanese beauty, and we exchanged some long emails. I didn't even expect her to mention my name in there, it was a great surprise! She was such a lovely person to work with, and this magazine is pretty entertaining to read! Check it out if you are in Canada :)

October Favourites 2014

I usually don't like doing "Favourites" posts, but because I had some beauty products that I was obsessed with throughout the month, I thought to share my love towards them with you all.

Revlon Color Burst Lacquer Balm in Coy has been on my lips since I got it in the end of September. I usually don't emphasise my lips with a bold lip stick but this particular shade is absolutely gorgeous that I instantly fell in love. I might do an in-depth review soon so I'm not going to ramble about it now but it's a perfect autumn / winter shade. Another product that's been on my lips is L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire by Color Riche in 601 Nude Ballet. I think I got it in summer and I've been loving it since then, but especially in October I was wearing it a lot when I had strong eye makeup. It smells like peaches or apricots or something delicious, and makes my lips look glossy and full and just beautiful. Also it lasts for at least 2 hours on my lips which is impressive for this kind of formula.

No7 Stay Perfect Shade And Define in Cook Mink has been my favourite for months also. I got it in July, and I kind of regret why I didn't buy more shades. I only have Cool Mink and Glistening Ray, and I'm thinking of buying Coffee Bean and Velvet Truffle next time I come to the UK. Cool Mink looks much more pigmented when swatched on the back of my hand, than it does on my eyelids, but still it's such a beautiful taupe colour. It stays all day and never creases. For the cheeks, I've been loving PIERRE COULEUR Mineral Mousse Cheek in CK-1 Lovers Pink. It's a Japanese brand and I got this blusher a long time ago to review. The shade is perfect for autumn / winter as it's such a lovely plum colour. It's got this unique mousse-like texture, I apply it on my cheeks with my fingers and blend with Stippling Brush from Real Techniques. It creates such beautiful cheeks as if blushing from within.

For foundations, the combination of LUNASOL SKIN MODELING WATER CREAM FOUNDATION in OC01 and Dior Star in 020 has been my favourite. I wish I could use Dior Star by itself but the shade I got (again, to review) is a tad too dark for my skin tone and it kind of oxidises throughout the day, so I have to mix it with the one from LUNASOL which is too bright for my skin tone. This combo makes my skin looks flawless that sometimes I look in the mirror at work and think "WOW my skin looks amazing today". My skin doesn't get shiny when these foundations are on, and my pores are invisible. 

 
Skincare wise, I've been enjoying Twany Time Refresher. It's a serum that you apply right after you cleanse your face. Massage it into the skin for about 30 seconds, until it feels less slippery, then leave it for about 1 minute so that it sinks in. Then add lotion, moisturiser and eye cream like you usually do. When I use this serum / mask, my skin looks plumped and moisturised, and I can tell my skin is satisfied! It's such a lovely product.  Prada Candy L'eau is my signature winter scent. It smells very similar too Candy, but with a hint of citrus it smells a little lighter. It smells like caramel in a very sophisticated way, not like a body spray, which is suitable for business occasions too.

L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil for Thin Hair is a must-have for this season. It smells divine and makes me feel happy instantly. The oil itself is super light that doesn't weigh my hair down at all. The only downside is that the scent doesn't linger. I wish I could enjoy the scent all day. Alterna Bamboo Volume Weightless Whipped Mousse is such an amazing product. I apply it on my wet hair and blow dry as usual, and it gives such great volume! I have the cream version of it as well, but this one works better for my limp hair. I usually get it permed every 6 months or so but I am currently suffering from this weird skin disease on my scalp (I know it's gross but it's caused by stress and I just cannot get rid of it for months!) which makes it impossible to go get my hair done, thus my hair is really limp and boring. This mousse saved my life as it just sets my hair within seconds! Though it smells like grandpa for some reason, I am loving it.

Hope you enjoyed! x

A jelly-like blusher? Sweets Sweets Velvet Souffle Cheek

Sweets Sweets Velvet Souffle Cheek  900yen
I cannot believe that I forgot to write about this amazing blusher that I got back in August. I thought I wrote about it as it has been one of my favourite makeup items since I got it. This jelly-like blusher is from a Japanese drugstore brand called Sweets Sweets. The pricing is a little lower than Majolica Majorca, and a little higher than CANMAKE. I think they used to be a tacky brand before, but their stand at Matsu-Kiyo looks really nice now. 

I picked up this blusher as the idea that it's got this jelly-like texture sounded interesting, and the colour payoff was amazing when I tested at the store. There are 4 shades in total, and I picked the shade 03 Apricot Souffle as it was summer. I am thinking of purchasing 01 Apple Souffle now because I am looking for a deeper shade for the colder season.

I know you can't tell from the photos but the texture is very unique. It literally like jelly, soft and cold, and very pigmented as you can see from the photo above. The top swatch is when applied with a stippling brush, and the bottom one is done with my finger. It goes on a little patchy when I use my finger to apply, so I dip my stippling brush from Real Techniques directly, and apply on my cheeks. That way it gives a perfect finish that looks like my glow is coming from within.

I sometimes apply it as a "blush primer" if there was such a thing. I apply this before powder as you should be doing, and then add another powder blusher on top to make it last longer. It's such a lovely shade that never looks too much, so it's easy to pair it with a different blusher.

I absolutely love this blusher and think it's an amazing quality for 900yen. I am so going to purchase 01 Apple Souffle after writing this review, I want to go buy it now although it's 2:30AM. They just came out with some glossy lip sticks and oh gosh some shades look so pretty! I will definitely write another review when I've got them!