I repurchased OPERA Sheer Lip Color!

OPERA Sheer Lip Color / Nude Pink  1,200yen
 Do you remember this post I wrote in October? I was really obsessed with this beautiful product which is like a hybrid of lipstick and lipgloss over last summer - autumn. I wasn't using it as often during winter, just because I preferred deeper shades in the colder season, but I finally used it up last month. It lasted longer than I expected, and I started missing it so much that I had to go back to SHOP IN where I purchased the first one, to get another one. 

I really loved the shade Salmon Pink, but this time I decided to pick up the intense version in this pink packaging, in Nude Pink. I used the word 'intense' to describe it, but it's not THAT intense to be honest. But compared to the one in the white tube, this one gives a little more colour.

Nude Pink looks like baby pink on their website, but I think it's more like a beigy nude pink. I tried all of the shades at the store, and all of them looked very pretty. I almost repurchased Salmon Pink, but I decided to go for a little more grown-up shade.

It's a very pretty nude pink that goes with any makeup looks. Especially when I put a bold shade on my eyes such as blue or green, I put this lipstick to tone the whole look down. 

I love the formula because it just melts on the lips instantly and gives shine and colour at the same time. It puts on beautifully even when my lips are dry, which is another good thing! I always keep it in my handbag, and apply it while waiting for a train, or in the lift, or sometimes as walking down the street, because I don't need a mirror to apply it. How convenient!

I will definitely repurchase it when it's run out, but maybe in a different shade just for a change!

MAIHADA CC Cream

MAIHADA CC Cream  3500yen
As my skin has been in a very good condition, I do not wear a foundation when it's not necessary. On most of my day off, I don't wear makeup at all, but this CC cream is what I wear when a little bit of makeup is needed. This CC cream is from a brand MAIHADA, a Japanese skincare brand which came out from KOSE in 2012. They investigated the secret of 'Japanese Beauty' and came to the conclusion that it's rice which has been supporting Japanese people's health and beauty for more than 2000 years.

The rice extract encourages the skin to create more ceramide which holds and locks moisture. Natto Gum, another key ingredient contained in their products, holds moisture on the surface of the skin. 

First of all, I love the packaging. It looks like a normal squeezy tube, but it's got a pump on it. How convenient is that? It dispenses the perfect amount of CC cream that covers the whole face, and it keeps the content fresh for a longer time.

 It works as a face cream, sunscreen, primer, foundation and face powder (really?). I usually prep my skin with a day cream and eye cream ignoring the claim it works as a face cream too. I blot with a tissue paper gently, then apply this cream on my face. I use Real Technique Buffing Brush or my fingers to blend in. 

It's got this gel-like consistency which makes it super easy to blend. It's not cakey nor drying, it melts into the skin while covering the pores and discoluoration. 

The reason why I love this CC cream so much is that it looks like I'm not wearing makeup at all, but it creates such a beautiful and smooth looking skin. It covers up the pores and prevents my skin to get shiny throughout the day, while adding a healthy glow to it. You know how difficult it is for a shiny girl to find a perfect foundation / BB or CC or whatever cream, that makes the skin look dewy and not oily?

I like the fact it's got SPF50+ PA+++ as well, because I hate piling up a face cream, eye cream, sunscreen, primer and CC cream during summer, because my makeup tends to come off easier during the day when I've got so many layers on my skin. I still need a little bit of concealer after applying this cream, but it covers the majority of my skin imperfections.

Apparently this cream contains 'air-in powder' which keeps the skin to stay smooth, as well as 'pore-lock polymer' which covers the pores, and 'oil-absorbing powder' that does what the name claims to do. And yes, it really does all that. They're not just making it up to make it sound attractive, it really does all that.

Well done MAIHADA, now you are one of my favourite skincare brands.

Exclusive to Travel Retails! Bobbi Brown Instant Pretty Eyes and Cheek Palette

Bobbi Brown Instant Pretty Eyes and Cheek Palette
This palette brought a different perspective to the brand Bobbi Brown. I knew Bobbi Brown was a wonderful brand with a kind of ridiculous price tag, but what I did not know was that the quality of their products were beyond amazing and it's totally worth the price. This palette is the first product I have ever tried from the brand, and I absolutely love it and I'm going to tell you why.

It contains a blusher in Nectar, eyeshadow in Bone, Beige, Pink Quartz and Black Chocolate. All of the shades besides Pink Quartz are matte which is one of the reasons why I love this palette. 

But to be honest with you, I first thought it looked very neutral and a little bit plain. And swatching the shades on my hand did not change that.

From left: Nectar, Pink Quartz, Bone, Beige and Black Chocolate

I wasn't impressed when I swatched the eyeshadow for the first time if I'm completely honest with you. I thought the blusher looked beautiful, but the eyeshadow especially Black Chocolate looked a little patchy and dry if that makes sense. 

BUT when applied on my eyelids, they look absolutely gorgeous. I don't know why but it looks completely different than what it looks like on my hands. They all blend nicely together, while creating a very sophisticated look. I'm a drugstore-eyeshdaow-kind-of-girl and I always thought they are as good as high-end eyeshadow most of the time. But this palette showed me how different and better high-end eyeshadow can be. It stays on my eyelid longer, it doesn't crease, it looks even better after a couple of hours after applied...which never happened with a drugstore eyeshadow.

It looks much more beautiful in real life (let's blame on my old camera) but the 4 shades work perfectly together. I apply Clinique Chubby Stick as a base, Beige on the crease, Bone as a blending shade, Black Chocolate on the outer corner and Pink Quartz on the lid in the end, and blend them all together. Pink Quartz looks a little too pink when applied, but trust me, it transitions to such a beautiful beigy pink as time goes along. 

As mentioned before, this look looks much more beautiful after 2-3 hours. The shades blend well together naturally, and it creates such a sophisticated look. Beige is such a useful shade to have in your collection as a crease colour, or you can apply it all over the lid for a natural look on the relaxing weekend. 

It comes with a tiny brush (though there is no compartment for it) which is pretty handy. I did not write much about the blush but it's such a pretty shade too, it's just that the eyeshadow impressed me so much that it kind of overshadows the blusher. 

This palette is only 6500yen (about 35 pound I guess?) and exclusive to the travel retails. It's such a handy palette to have, which I carry around in my bag when I know will be working late hours or have a plan after work, though I don't even need to touch up as it stays on for hours and hours. I put my makeup on at 7:30am and come home at 10pm or 11pm when I'm working, and my makeup still looks pretty good when I wash my face at night which is ridiculous!

I've been eying on their stick eyeshadow as well as their beautiful eyeliner that you can use as a cream eyeshadow. Have you tried anything from the brand? What's your favourite?