Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick / Penelope Pink  $32.00
I finally found my perfect nude. Though I'm not a bold-lipstick-kind-of-girl at all, I had been struggling to find a perfect nude shade for my skin tone. I have a tiny nose that my friends always make a joke about and a rather big mouse, so it looks a little unbalanced when I wear a bold lipstick as you might be able to imagine. I've never been a big fan of blue-toned pink on my lips either, it makes me look so '90s. Oh, and I don't like a frosty nor super matte finish.... Now you know fussy I am when it comes to a lipstick.

But K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Penelope Pink from Charlotte Tilbury satisfies me fully. The shade is perfect, the finish is beautiful, the scent is divine and the packaging is to die for. What more can I ask for?

First I thought to get Bitch Perfect, simply because I liked the name better. And of course I liked the shade too. But I realised it could look a little too pinky and bright on my lips, so I decided to get Penelope Pink instead -which was a smart move of me, well done!

Penelope Pink is such a beautiful nude with a hint of orange, whereas Bitch Perfect is a brighter coral pink. It glides on the lips very smoothly which feels pretty comfortable on the lips. I often forget the fact I am wearing this lipstick, and accidentally wipe my lips with a napkin.

As you can see, it's not a matte finish but not too glossy or sticky. I really love this kind of texture when it comes to a lipstick, because I cannot stand a matte lipstick that dries my lips out as I have naturally dry lips. As mentioned above, this lipstick is very comfortable to wear and I notice myself reaching for it several times a day.

Another thing I LOVE about this lipstick is the scent. It smells similar to the lipsticks from MAC but not as strong in my opinion. It might put you off if you hate the scent of vanilla, but I personally love this scent and you only smell it when you apply the lipstick.

So, where to buy their products from when you're not in the UK? I got mine from Beautylish.com that offers free shipping on orders over $100. Their price is cheaper than Net a Porter, another website you can get their products from.

Now that Charlotte Tilbury launched new shades from her new range Hot Lips, I will definitely purchase some in the future once I am able to justify myself for getting another lipstick. I"m eying up on Super Cindy and Kim K.W. Which shade is your favourite?

Hada Labo Shiro-jyun Brightening Sorbet

Hada Labo Shiro-jyun Brightening Sorbet
Summer is finally here in Tokyo and I cannot be happier! Although we're in middle of the raining season technically, it felt like summer last weekend. If you're thinking of switching some of your skincare items to something summer-appropriate, why not try the new addition to Hada Labo Shiro-Jyun series launched a couple of months ago called Brightening Sorbet?

The formula with a brightening ingredient tranexamic acid will calm down inflammation -which is known to encourages melanin to grow, and prevent dark spots. Its cooking and refreshing texture is kind of innovative, and I find it very enjoyable to use.

It comes with a spatula which I usually don't like but with this product it's necessary. As you can see the texture is like a solid oil, so if you dig your fingers into the jar directly, you will end up with the moisturiser under your nails which can be irritating.

Once it's applied, it starts melting by the warmth of the skin. As it contains menthol, it gives a very refreshing and cooling feel to the skin which would be very nice when your skin is burnt after a long day out on the beach or something. It also contains Witchhazel to tighten the pores, Saxifrage to moisturise and Edelweiss to calm the skin.

The scent surprised me more than the texture to be honest -because usually Hada Labo products are unscented, but this product has a very nice floral scent to it. It's definitely floral but not too heavy or sweet as you might expect from the word 'floral', it's more like a fresh and clean scent.

I usually apply a small amount on my palm and rub my hands together to melt it a little bit, but if you want to cool down your burnt skin, you might prefer to apply it directly to the skin.

I like how moisturising yet not greasy this moisturiser is. It's perfect for normal to combination skin, but might be a little too light for dry skin. You can store it in the fridge to make it even cooler! It's such a lovely moisturiser for under 1,500yen ;)

Is beautyblender worth the hype?

beautyblender $20.00
I don't think I need to write an in-depth review about this cult beauty product, because you all are aware it's one of the best selling beauty products in the world and there is a possibility that you are fed up on hearing about it. But I thought to write a quick post about my thoughts on the REAL beautyblender -what make it so special that spending $20 on a makeup sponge doesn't seem to be such a bad idea.

I have used some makeup sponges in the past. I like applying my liquid foundation with a brush, but I definitely need a sponge to make sure the skin looks flawless, without any streaky lines or patchiness. I've tried some Japanese ones including Tofu sponge, Dior one and Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. For years and years I've heard beautyblender is the best sponge ever, but I couldn't justify myself for spending that much money on a makeup sponge. It's not even a brush, it's a makeup sponge, think about it.

But then, I finally got fed up on using crappy makeup sponges that didn't satisfy me at all. I decided to purchase beautyblender online, as it's not available in Japan. I bought the one comes with a mini size of the solid cleanser, because I heard someone washed her beautyblender with a shampoo or something that completely ruined the texture. I thought it would be safer to get the cleanser too.

The sponge expands quite a lot when it's damp. And this is when I realised the biggest different between the dupes and the real beautyblender. It's elasticity. That is it. Everything else is the same -it looks identical to the sponge from Dior that I used to use, but the texture is completely different.

The one from Dior was very hard and didn't change the texture at all when damp, whereas beautyblender becomes softer and much more spongy once it soaks up water. The key here is that you must wet it properly. I squeeze my beautyblender at least 6-7 times under running water, so that it's completely wet. Then pat dry with a towel then with tissue paper as well, otherwise it feels too wet on the skin.

It's so bouncy and soft on the skin, and does blend everything seamlessly. As mentioned earlier, I apply my liquid foundation with a brush (my favourite is Sigma Flattop Kabuki) and basically bounce this sponge all over my face. Then apply concealer, blend with a brush, then bounce this little black one again. When I want more coverage on my pores, I add a bit of my foundation over the cheek and dab the beautyblender. It blurs my pores completely and it never looks dry or patchy.

Overall, this sponge does wonders for sure. I have no idea if elasticity of the sponge is connected to its blending ability, but it does do an amazing job. I cannot go back to Miracle Complexion Sponge from Real Techniques anymore, and I do not mind spending $20 on a sponge at all.

My last note is about the solid cleanser. I first thought it would be ridiculous to buy a bar soap just for a sponge, especially when the soap is more than $15 or so. But now I am not against the idea as much as I was before, because it's pretty good actually.

Mine is a mini and the tin didn't come with the soap itself, so I keep it in the lid of the plastic package of beautyblender. It smells of lavender which is lovely, though I wish the scent was a little more stronger and lingering. It's a little awkward to swirl the sponge on the soap, but it lathers well and keeps the sponge nice and clean. The great thing about this sponge is that it lasts forever. I have used this solid cleanser multiple times in the past 2 months, but it looks exactly the same size as when I bought it. Which means the full size solid cleanser would last for months or possibly for a year if you take a good care of it!

If you haven't tried the REAL beautyblender, give it a go. In my opinion it's better to get one beautyblender than getting 10 dupes.