Not only for blond hair! John Frieda Sheer Blonde Series

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Conditioner


I have been colouring my hair for more than 10 years now. I don't mind going back to dark brown which is my natural hair colour, but I enjoy changing hair colour depending on my mood. I never colour my hair at home, I left that to my teenage stage when I didn't have money to go to the hair salon and had no choice but to do it at home damaging my hair. I go to the hair salon in Shimokitazawa where I have a reliable hair dresser who has been taking care of me for more than 13 years now. He used to be an assistant and I used to be his model, and now he is a director and charges quite a lot of money yet he gives me a discount kindly as I was his model and I've known him for ages. I go there every 3 months to cut and colour my hair. I perm my hair every year as well.

In the past year or so, I have been requesting the same colour which is super rare for me. It's called 'Mermaid Ash' and is such a gorgeous shade. I like to colour my hair pretty dark, but as it's very thin and doesn't hold any colour agents, it gets yellowy and brassy. I hate this tone but no matter how hard my hair dresser tries, it gets yellowy within a week or so.

I decided to try John Frieda Sheer Blonde range because it looks like the range that combats the brassy tone in your hair rather than making blond hair look even blonder. I wasn't sure if it works for brown hair, because all the reviews I'd found online were by blonde girls. But I can tell you that it does work for darker hair too!

The shampoo doesn't as purple as I expected, but it's got this bluey purple tint to it. It lathers up well, and as the foam is completely white, it doesn't stain my bathtub. I put it in my hair and let it sit for like 5 minutes before rinsing it out. It has this clean, floral scent that I don't see anybody would complain about. 

 
The conditioner doesn't have much of a colour agent, but slightly tinted. I was really skeptical and assumed that it wouldn't do anything when it comes to colour correcting, but it does work, surprisingly. When I used the shampoo and conditioner together, it worked much better than when using the shampoo with another conditioner. 

However, I don't like this conditioner much because it's too light for my dry hair. My hair still gets tangled after use of this conditioner, and it just doesn't do much in my opinion. I definitely need to use a leave-in conditioner when I use this conditioner.

The photo in the left is my disgusting yellow toned hair. And the brassy tone in my hair is almost gone in the photo in the right. I only use it once or twice a week, and it works perfectly!

I was worried that it could irritate my scalp as I heard sometimes purple shampoo would make your scalp feel itchy, but this one didn't do any of that at all. It's such a mild, yet effective purple shampoo which is super affordable too!


Unfortunately it's not available in Japan but thank god feelunique carries the whole range. I hope someday they would come out with a hair mask version as well. If you have hair that doesn't hold hair colour and tends to get yellowy, it's worth trying out this range even if you are not blonde!

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss / Champagne Toast

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss / Champagne Toast £6.99
When I first heard that Tanya Burr launched a lip gloss collection, I was not that keen on it to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I love Tanya and her videos, I have been watching her for years now and she always inspires me when it comes to beauty and makeup. But I thought her collection including lip gloss and nail polish, was for more younger viewers of her. So I wasn't even planning to purchase it, but eventually I did for some reason. I think it was because I spotted this particular shade "Champagne Toast" when I was looking for a beigy lip gloss. 

 In her original collection, I didn't see many nude shades. This one and Chic were the only nude shades and Chic was sold out (and it was too pinky for me anyway), so I decided to purchase Champagne Toast on feelunique.

I like this slim applicator which takes out the perfect amount of lip gloss. The firmness of it very good as well, unlike some really hard applicators that actually hurt your lips, it's very soft and hugs the lips.

Of course I hate lip gloss that is sticky, but I also hate one that is too thin and runny that makes me look like I just ate something oily like chips. In my opinion lip gloss has to be quite thick yet not sticky, like this one.

It might look too natural in the photos, but actually it gives a very nice beigy colour to my lips. I like adding it on top of a lip stick that looks too strong on its own, as it mutes the tone down instantly, plus it adds this sparkling effect. Although I don't usually like glittery lip gloss, I don't mind this one at all because it doesn't leave the glitter particles on the lips when the lip gloss has been worn off.

One last -and the biggest- thing that I love about this lip gloss is the scent. It smells like strawberry candies, which makes me feel so happy instantly. It says it expires 4 months after opening the product, but I don't think I can finish up within 4 months as it's pretty big and I don't need to touch up many times throughout the day, because it lasts on my lips for hours. It's rare for a lip gloss to stay on the lips for hours especially at work when I'm talking, drinking and eating constantly. 

It's impressive how good the quality is for the price, I am thinking of purchasing more from her collection. Recently she added new shades and I really want Berry Picking (a perfect wintery shade!) and Lunch Date (a pretty nudy pinky coral shade), but I'm waiting for YEN to be stronger again as it's 185yen / pound, though it used to be like 126yen / pound when I went to England for the first time in 2012! I can hardly shop at feelunique now :( Anyway, let me know if you have tried anything from her collection!

 

The Body Lotion for Summer / Garnier Oil Beauty Nourishing Lotion

Garnier Oil Beauty Nourishing Lotion £4.99
Summer in Tokyo is hell. The heat radiating off asphalt and the humidity level is really high. But the skin gets dry because of the air conditioning in the stores, restaurants and among others, in the trains. It's ridiculously cold and freezing, I feel that I am frozen to the bone after getting off the train. I'm in the train for 2-3 hours a day, and in the office for like 10 hours or so, which makes it easy to imagine my skin is completely dehydrated. 

But at the same time, I cannot use my favourite body butters from The Body Shop and Rituals, because they make my skin greasy and sticky mostly because of the humidity I guess. So I was looking for a light body lotion that sinks in quickly and hydrates my skin without that annoying feeling.

Then I found it. Well done Garnier, it's such a lovely body lotion. It contains Argan oil, Macademia oil, Almond oil and Rose oil that help improve the skin condition. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Though it's called "lotion", it looks pretty thick. But don't worry, it just absorbs into the skin quickly, and leaves a subtle moisturising feeling on the surface. I still can feel it after 5 minutes, but not in a bad way at all. This was the only body lotion I can apply in the morning before heading to work during the summer. 

I also love how it smells. First I thought it was too sweet and perfumy, but now I'm used to  it and am kind of addicted to it. I don't know how too describe this scent, but it's pretty  feminine, floral scent that some people might not like. On the website it's described as "
subtly fragranced" but trust me, the scent is NOT subtle. I like the scent so I am happy that it lingers on my skin, but it's quite misleading in my opinion.

Garnier is definitely one of my favourite drugstore brands, now I'm eying on their hair care products that feelunique started to carry a while ago. I don't know which one smells good (a scent is the most important for me when it comes to toiletries) and which works for my hair, but I would love to try them out someday in the near future. 

I am also curious about their body scrub from the same range of this body lotion. It must smell the same, and I like the fact it's in the tube bottle rather than a pod. Let me know if you've tried it before, and what your favourite Garnier products are!

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation £5.99
When Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation came out in the UK, I was not that interested because I thought it would make my face cakey and emphasise dry patches that appears in winter. But after hearing all the good reviews, I couldn't resist by to try it.

Because it's not sold here in Japan, it was hard to pick a shade. I would like to thank those kind ladies who helped me to find the right shade on Instagram, without their help I wouldn't be able to.

The shade I got is 100 Ivory. I usually use Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla, and I am in between MAC NC 20 and 25. Ivory is not the best colour match to my skin because it's a little bit too pinky actually, but it's definitely wearable.

The texture is moussy as the name suggests, but very creamy at the same time. You need a tiny bit to cover the whole face, but make sure your skin is well-moisturised. It covers the pores on my cheek, redness around my nose, and even out the skin tone. I use my fingers to apply the foundation, and once it's blended out I use my Real Techniques sponge to make sure there is no harsh line. I have tried to use it with the buffing brush as well but it didn't look as nice.

It gives a matte finish for sure, but I have to say that it won't stay matte for so long. I have dry skin in winter that transforms into oily skin especially around my cheeks in summer. My skin looks a little shiny after a couple of hours even in this colder season with this foundation, which means it might be not "matte" enough for my skin in summer. But the good thing is that it doesn't stay too matte and the dewiness comes through after a while, which makes it look natural, not like a porcelain doll.

This is definitely a good matte foundation for dry skin. For oily skin, it could be a little bit heavy. I wish they had more yellowy toned shade, because most of the shades look pretty pinky. It's not a full coverage foundation but definitely buildable. 

Have you tried this foundation? What did you think?

Rituals Honey Touch Rich & Nourishing Body Cream

Rituals Honey Touch Rich & Nourishing Body Cream £17.00

I first got to know the brand Rituals just last year, when Fleur from Fleur de Force mentioned about this body cream on one of her videos. Then I remember she and Becky from Talk Becky Talk spoke more about the brand in one of their haul videos, that made me really want to try out some of their products. They said that the whole shop was spa-like and their products also smelt like spa. Who wouldn't like that?

But I was a little bit scared to try out their products without sniffing them because although I love good scented bath and shower products, I also can be pretty sensitive towards scents. Plus their products are not too pricey but not too affordable either especially YEN is getting weaker now. So when my husband offered to get it for me as a Christmas present, I was super happy that I could fly to the moon.

I wanted all the body cream they have got, but I decided to give "Indian Rose and Himalayan Honey" one a try.  The scent is just DIVINE!!! If you are hesitant to purchase this range of products online because you are not a big fan of a rose scent, don't worry about it. It smells nothing like rose. I don't like rose and floral scents too much either and that is one of the reasons why I didn't purchase it earlier, but it just smells like a spa treatment that you (might) get in Bali or Phuket or somewhere like those tropical islands, nothing like rose nor honey.

To be honest, I have more of a bang on description of the scent. It literally smells like a ladies' room in a very luxurious hotel. You know the ladies' room that doesn't even look like one, with beautiful decorations and an amazing powder room, that's what I am talking about! Sorry if I put you off, but if you like that kind of scent (a luxurious spa or a ladies' room, whichever it is) you would love this body cream.

The texture is literally like whipped butter cream. It moisturises my skin but is never feel heavy or greasy. It contains Dimethicone (silicone) which makes the skin surface silky and smooth, so you can dress immediately after applying this. 

Because I love the scent so much and I want to be wearing it 24/7, I've been applying this body cream every single day without forgetting to do so since I got it on Christmas -which is very impressive for me as I failed so many times to make it a habit. And it shows how much I adore this product. This new habit improved my skin condition for sure, as now I don't have any dry patches on my legs or arms that I tend to get during winter.


Now I'm curious about their body cream in the orange jar (Touch of Happiness) and the blue jar (Touch of Hammam). I also want to get their foaming shower gel when I go to England next time, as they don't ship any aerosol tins.  Have you tried any products from Rituals before? What's your favourite?

My two favorite nude shades from Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick 
Notting Hill Nude and Nude Delight  £6.29 each
I used to think that nude shades would wash me out and makes me look dead. But when I discovered that they make you look chic and sophisticated when you choose the right shade for your skin tone, I have been trying out some nude shades. Today I am going to write about my two favourite nude shades from Rimmel Moiture Renew Lipstick. Now they discontinued the exact ones that I have but they now have Rimmel NEW Moisture Renew lipstick (what a unique name, well done) which has the same shade range along with some new shades.

Left : Notting Hill Nude   Right : Nude Delight

As you can see in the photo above, Notting Hill Nude has more of a rose tone whereas Nude Delight is more like a beigy nude with an orange undertone to it. 

Notting Hill Nude

Nude Delight

 I love both shades, they are not bright colours but definitely brighten up my complexion somehow, and make me look healthy. Sometimes I add a lip gloss on top but usually I wear them on their own. I love the semi matte finish and the fact they don't contain glitter particles. I heard glossy lips will be on trend this spring and summer but I still love those creamy lipsticks!

What is your favourite nude shade? Share your favourites with me!

feelunique & lookfantastic discount codes!

Today I'm going to share some discount codes that you can use on feelunique.com and lookfantastic. 

feelunique discount codes:

Code :march3off40

Detail : Use code march3off40 In the promotional code box at the checkout to Save £3 Off feelunique.com when you spend £40 or more.

Expiry date : Valid now until Midnight GMT 11th March 2014

Code : march8off70

Detail : Use code march8off70 In the promotional code box at the checkout to Save £8 Off feelunique.com when you spend £70 or more.

Expiry date : Valid now until Midnight GMT 11th March 2014

Code : MAR10

Detail : Use code MAR10 In the promotional code box at the checkout to Save 10% Off feelunique.com when you buy 3 or more items. T

Expiry date : Valid now until Midnight GMT 11th March 2014.

*Discount codes exclude the following brands Stila, Gatineau, ghd, Ole Henriksen, Lily Lolo, Dr Sebagh & Moroccanoil.

 

Friend Referral
There's a friend referral system on feelunique if you are shopping there for the first time. If you want 10% off friend referral voucher, leave a comment below to let me know your name (first name & sir name) and e-mail address. The voucher code will be sent via e-mail soon! 

lookfantastic discount codes:

Code : NEXT50

Detail : Free UK next day delivery when you spend £50 or more.

Expiry: 31/03/2014 at 23:59 

Code : LFNEW

Detail : 10% off for new customers

Expiry: 31/12/2014 at 23:59

Code : PAYDAY

Detail : 12% off - treat yourself this PayDay!

Expiry: 04/03/2014 at 23:59

Code : PDSAVE

Detail : 15% off when you spend £60

Expiry: 04/03/2014 at 23:59

Code : HUNDRED

Detail : 18% off when you spend £100, perfect for making your payday last longer!

Expiry: 04/03/2014 at 23:59

Code : 45FREEUK

Detail : Free UK next day delivery when you spend £45
Expiry: 04/03/2014 at 23:59

Code : EDITOR12

Detail : 12% off Lookfantastic plus, spend £55 or more and receive a deluxe sample kit
Expiry: 04/03/2014 at 23:59

Hope you enjoy shopping!

Prada Candy L 'Eau Eau De Toilette

   
Prada Candy L 'Eau Eau De Toilette £31.90
I had seen many blog posts or videos that mention about Prada Candy Perfume before, but it did not make me want to buy it actually just because I was scared purchasing it without knowing how heavy and strong it smells. It was often described as a "very sweet caramel scent" which sounded too much for me. But the perfume was always in my mind especially when it became colder in November, when I NEEDED some sweet perfume.

So when Prada brought Candy L'Eau, I didn't hesitate to buy it. It's described as "a mix of zestful and sweetly addictive notes" and "a trinity of White Musks, Benzoin and Caramel is highlighted by the presence of Citrus and Oriental floral notes". I thought, it sounds lighter than the original.

The bottle colour is much more beautiful and elegant in my opinion than the original. The design is exactly the same but this baby pink makes it look much more sophisticated.

 Absolutely gorgeous....*sigh*

I got it in November I guess, and I've been wearing it since then none-stop. I cannot leave my house without wearing it. It smells really sweet but not sickly sweet. It definitely smells of caramel, which is combined with some feminine floral scents. When I spray it, I smell some flowers with the sweetness of caramel and benzoin, but it's not overpowering at all. Then the scent becomes weaker, that I cannot even smell it without trying to do so. 

But when I move my arms (I spray the perfume on my wrists) I smell the sweet and warm scent that makes me feel comfortable and cozy somehow, that reminds me of sweets. The scent lingers on my skin without being overpowering, and the base note is just like caramel without any floral scents. I love how it smells after a few hours on my skin, and it just smells divine in the cold air. 

I don't think I will wear it in summer because it's going to be super hot and humid in Japan and any sweet perfume will make me feel sick. I cannot wear any perfume in the summer actually...because of the heat and humidity. I will miss this perfume once it gets warmer, but I'm sure I will wear it this autumn and winter again. It could become my signature winter scent. If you haven't tried it and you love sweet scents, you should definitely give it a go. You will love it.


What's your winter perfume? When do you switch your perfume?

feelunique.com Discount Codes!

Today I'm glad to be able to share some discount codes that you can use on feelunique! I shop at feelunique a lot since they carry the brands that I cannot buy in Japan, and also they ship internationally for free. In November 2013, they started charing the shipping fee for the purchase under 10 pound which sucks to be honest, but still I most likely go over 10 pound per order so it's not a big deal for me :P

Anyway, here are the discount codes that you can use!

Code : JAN2014FIVE

Detail : Use code JAN2014FIVE In the promotional code box at the checkout to Save an 5% Off feelunique.com when you spend £10 or more.

Expiry date : 01/02/14 (UK Time)

 

Code : JAN2014TEN

Detail : Use code JAN2014TEN In the promotional code box at the checkout to Save an 10% Off feelunique.com Healthy Living Dept when you buy 2 or more products.

Expiry date : 01/02/14 (UK Time)

 

Code : Valentines

Detail : Use code Valentines In the promotional code box at the checkout to Save an 10% Off feelunique.com Hair, makeup or Men's Depts when you buy 2 or more products.

Expiry date : 16/02/14 (UK Time)

*Discount codes exclude the following brands Stila, Gatineau, ghd, Ole Henriksen, Lily Lolo, Dr Sebagh & Moroccanoil.

 

 

Friend Referral
There's a friend referral system on feelunique.com if you are shopping there for the first time. If you want 10% off friend referral voucher, leave a comment below to let me know your name (first name & sir name) and e-mail address. The voucher code will be sent via e-mail soon!

My Best Beauty Finds in 2013

 

Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Toner  
This is a very refreshing toner that I was loving throughout the summer, autumn and winter. It has blue green algae, organic kelp, hyaluronic acid and teatree which help to maintain an acne-free, moisturised skin. It smells so refreshing that I'm totally addicted to it! I apply it on a cotton pad and gently wipe my face with it. It's the perfect balance between refreshing and hydrating.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
I don't need to write too much about this product, do I? There are so many amazing reviews about it, and I've written my in-depth review of this peach-smelling face mask a few weeks ago, so I'm not going to ramble about it here again, but my skin can't be the same without it. It smells amazing, feels brilliant on my skin, and the result is very impressive.

Nourish Revital-Eyes Eye Cream
I use it every morning and night. It contains peptides, amino acids, B vitamins and antioxidants to boost natural resilience against signs of ageing, and it also helps to reduce the pigmentation of my dark circles too.


LUSH Let the Good Times Roll
Thank you LUSH so much for making such a wonderful cleanser!!! It looks, feels and smells of cookie dough. If you love sweet scents like I do, it would be your dream come true to cleanse your face with cookie dough, isn't it? Plus it's super moisturising, perfect for dry skin. Thank god it's now available all year round.

Predia Spa et Mer Fango Double Cleanse
It's a very luxurious cleanser that makes you feel like you're in a spa. It gently removes my makeup without any oily residue, while moisturising my skin. It smells heavenly too.

Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Lotion
It smells very sweet and nutty without being overpowering. I'm not sure when I'll be able to use up this massive bottle, but I've been enjoying it very much since I got it in Jan 2013. It doesn't make my skin feel greasy at all yet hydrate the dry parts perfectly. And the scent lingers for hours.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Butter Cream  
Well...it might beat Smoothie Star to be honest! It smells like sweet yogurt when I open it but once it's settled on my skin it smells like sweet brown sugar with a hint of lime as it claims! Although this one is butter cream which must be heavier than body lotion, I feel that this one is lighter than Smoothie Star Body Lotion actually. I love them both anyway.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Conditioner plus Keratin
The most effective leave-in conditioner, ever! It worked wonders on my hair, it made my hair silky smooth without any tangles. That's unbelievable because my hair is usually very frizzy, dry and very easy to get tangled. Plus it smells like hair salon. Bonus.

Soap and Glory Hand Food 
Love this hand cream! It's quite thick but doesn't make my hands feel greasy or over moisturised if that makes sense. I reapply it every 30 minutes at work just to enjoy the scent. Oh, and to hydrate my hands.

Soap and Glory HAND MAID  
Yes, Soap and Glory again. I hadn't used any hand sanitizers until I bought this one in London in March. It smells divine, lighter than Hand Food although it's the same scent. 

MUA Undress Me Too Palette
Such a useful palette for 4 pound! Although the staying power isn't great, the pigmentation is amazing overall and the shades are all wearable on daily basis. I love creating greyish smoky-eye look with the silver, purple and dark grey.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick / Notting Hill Nude
I've been wearing this lipstick none-stop since I got it. It's not completely matte but it's not shimmery or glittery. It has this rosy undertone to it that doesn't make my whole face like a zombie.
 
L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash / Pink Resistance
I believe this shade is not available either in Japan or the UK, but if you love a very natural coral-pink shade, you should get it from eBay! It's such a beautiful shade that makes me look healthy. I love how it's buildable, too.

Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer
I purchased it because I couldn't afford the hyped-up primer from NARS, and I'm glad I did! It works really well as a primer, although it's doesn't have a colour-correcting effect. My eyeshadows stay much longer when I use it underneath them, and it's super affordable.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
I'm so glad I did purchase it in London in March. I have shade1 and 2, that I use on my dark circles. I don't find them too drying as some people claim, but I wish they had more shades.

Max Factor Clump Defy Volumising Mascara
Such a good mascara, isn't it? It really doesn't make my eyelashes clumpy, it just coats each eyelash that I don't need false lashes at all! I wish I could buy it here in Japan.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara
My favourite mascara that I can buy in Japan for sure. I like it better than Falsies just because it makes my eyelashes fuller than Falsies, which I found the formula was a little bit too wet for my liking. I love this mascara so much that I'll repurchase once I run out of it.

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush / Peach
In 2013, I fell in love with cream blushers. I also liked the one from Bourjois, but this particular shade easy to wear with any kind of makeup, in any seasons. It feels pretty wet on the skin but once you blend it out with Stippling Brush from Real Techniques, it creates this pretty cheeks that looks like it's from within.

Maybelline ColorTattoo Metal / Barely Branded
This shade works amazingly as an eyeshadow base! It's such an elegant campaign colour that I wear every single day underneath any eyeshadows. I just hope it doesn't dry out until I actually hit the pan.


What are your best beauty products you discovered in 2013? Let me know!


Hope you have a happy new year!

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer £5.99
Although I was dying to try out Apocalips, I always thought it wasn't for me just because they didn't have a single shade which would suit me. Most of the shades are too bright, and nude one is too pale. But the other day I just thought to try out this shade Celestial. I don't know why I didn't think of trying this shade out before, because it's such a lovely wearable pink.

As I had heard from so many youtubers and bloggers, it really is opaque. The colour payoff is just amazing, you can't see your lip colour through it. It has a very weird smell that nobody I know has mentioned. It smells like...a cucumber made with plastic. Wait, then it won't smell of cucumber. So maybe it smells like cucumber smoothie with a hint of plastic. How does it sound? I really don't like the smell at all and it bothers me for quite a long time as it lingers.

 

Despite the weird smell,  I really like how it looks on my lips. It's not completely matte but it's not shiny or glossy. It stays on my lips for hours without drying them out, and I can add a little bit of clear lip gloss when I need more moisture and shine to it.

I was a little bit worried that it might look purply on my lips but it looks more like pink fortunately. I wonder how Big Bang would look amazing on people who look good with red lips...! Now it's sold in the States as SHOWOFF and Apocalips expanded the colour range as well, I hope they will bring more nude and beige toned shades in the future, because the formula is amazing. Have you tried it yet? What's your favourite shade?




 

Nourish Revital-Eyes Eye Cream

Nourish Revital-Eyes Eye Cream £29.50 
My favourite UK brand Nourish has launched their first eyecream -in October I guess- and I am totally in love with it. According to the official website of Nourish, the eye cream is "Supercharged with peptides, amino acids, B vitamins and antioxidants to boost natural resilience against signs of aging." It contains vitamin-rich kale extract, macqui berry and pomegranate enzymes, which help counter puffiness and dark circles. Who doesn't want this miracle eye cream? Doesn't it sound amazing? But what's more amazing is the fact that it actually does work.

It feels like a creamy lotion when I apply it under my eyes. It's pretty loose and thin but it takes time to be absorbed so you need to keep massaging it into the skin for at least 20 seconds. The reason is when it's rubbed on the skin it turns milky white and it leaves the residue. I guess that's because it doesn't contain any harsh emulsifying agents, so I don't mind at all. Just remember you need to gently keep tapping with your ring finger until it completely absorbs otherwise you would look pretty ridiculous with while cream around your eyes.

It doesn't have a pleasant scent but that's because they wanted to make eye cream which doesn't irritate sensitive skin around the eyes. My skin has never reacted to fragrance including natural essential oils and artificial perfume, but I've heard there are people who are sensitive to any kind of fragrance, so if you are one of them, you can totally rely on this eye cream.

I use this eye cream every night before bed as well as in the morning before putting makeup on. When I was using  a thicker eye cream I avoided using it before makeup because it tend to ruin foundation and concealer. But with this product, it's completely opposite. It actually brightens up my eye area to prep for foundation and concealer and create a hydrated and smooth surface. With this eye cream, it's much easier to hide my dark circles.


You need a tiniest amount to moisturise your eye areas which makes this tiny bottle last for months. Considering the fact that I wasted so much money on worthless eye cream, I don't think it's too pricey. I would purchase it when my bottle is empty, hopefully with some discount codes from feelunique.com....! Overall it's a very good eye cream. What's your favourite eye cream?

Have you tried the new hand cream from Caudalie?

In the beginning of August, I found those new hand cream from Caudalie when I was browsing feelunique.com. I already had the original hand cream from the brand which smells of Grapefruit, but I wanted to try these out just because I am a Caudalie junkie.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream Blackcurrant Leaf　£6.00
It has Blackcurrant and Bergamot which create this feminine scent. It's not too heavy or overpowering but is a winter scent in my opinion. The scent changes after 10-15 minutes, and it becomes a little big heavier. I smell sunscreen somehow but of course it doesn't have SPF so it's just my nose that is messed up. 

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream Grapevine Honey £6.00
This is more like a herbal scent with a hint of honey. It smells sweet but fresh at the same time. I was expecting this scent is heavier than the Blackcurrant one, but actually it's lighter and more herbal and natural. But the scent lingers on my hands for a long time, which is always a good thing :)

The texture of the hand cream is very light. I don't get dry hands anyway so I use it to enjoy the scent mainly. It leaves my hands so silky without making them greasy because it contains polymer which works almost the same as silicone, that makes the skin surface smooth. 

I love using a hand cream right before a work meeting instead of spraying a perfume, because sometimes perfume can be overpowering, and what if the person you are about to have a meeting with hates the scent? You would create a hell for that person! On the other hand, hand cream doesn't smell too much (usually) and they only can smell it when you give a handshake or walk by. If you are looking for hand cream which has an elegant and sophisticated scent, you should give these a go!

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick
I don't wear red lips. I admire red lipsticks so much but I cannot wear them because I have quite a big mouth and on the other hand, my nose is tiny. (Don't blame me, I'm Japanese!) So when I wear a bright lipstick, I look really strange. I look like a 5 years old with my mum's lipstick. But I don't wear nude lips either because I want a little bit of colour on my lips. I'm always on the hunt for a perfect lipstick and when I heard great things about Rimmel Kate Lipsticks, I couldn't resist to try out. I bought these in the shade 8 and 16 as they seemed pretty wearable.

As they are not old in Japan, I had to pick shades by googling for swatches. This shade No. 16 looked like a pretty coral shade and it IS, but I didn't think carefully about the tone.

Yup it was a little too bright. But look at the colour, it looks so pretty! But believe me, my lips get attention too much with this lipstick on when you look at my whole face...*sigh* Oh and it smells like watermelon.

I have no idea why my lipstick was sweating this much when I took this photo, but I love this shade too. This is the shade 16, and it's such a beautiful mauvy plummy shade.

This shade is more wearable compared to No. 8 in my opinion. I dub it onto my lips with my finger, to make it look as soft as possible. I love how matte it looks, because it creates this chic look! I love the scent of this shade, I don't know what the scent is exactly but to me it smells like cherry. 

The formula of these lipsticks is very creamy and moisturising. They are pretty matte but do not dry out my lips at all. I hate it when a lipstick sucks up all the moisture on my lips so I was glad to find out these are not that kind. I hope someday they would make more basic shades like pinky nude or beige or a sheer lipstick or something. Rimmel is definitely one of my favourite brands now, their products are cheap but the quality is very good for the price!