My favourite things from May

1. My Beauty Diary mask in Japanese Cherry Blossom

I first got to try this variety thanks to Yasumi, and loved the smell, so I had to pick up a box on my vacation. It has a lovely cherry blossom smell - not too overpowering, and more pleasant than the Bath and Body Works version. The mask itself is quite hydrating and soothing as well. For some reason this version isn't sold in the Asian supermarkets here.

2. Mary Kay Ultimate mascara

Already reviewed here, but to sum up I find the mascara adds just the right amount of volume and length. It doesn't clump at all, and doesn't smudge easily either. Perfect if you want a natural but better look.

3. Marcelle Minerals eyeshadow in Playa

I didn't think much of this eyeshadow at first, because it creased easily as an all-over lid wash. However as a brow highlighter it performs superbly. The colour is a beiged champange with some shimmers, just right to highlight under the brow, and because it is a loose shadow it blends easily with whatever colour you use in the crease to soften any harsh edges.

4. Etude House Peach Cheek Blusher in 05 Happy Peach

Great blush for spring - it adds a hint of peach colour to your cheeks. Best suited for lighter skintones.

5. Canmake cream blush in 07 Coral Orange (LE)

This product has to be one of my favourite blushes ever! The consistency is perfect - easy to blend, not too greasy, and doesn't break me out. The colour does not have any shimmer nor is it fully matte, but it has a glow of its own.

6. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Pageant

I'm loving bright pinks for the warmer weather, and this is a gorgeous, pigmented fuchsia pink. Definitely a must if you are considering trying out the Lip Tars. Be warned though, it can stain your fingers if you don't wash it off promptly.

Sapphire eyes

A while back, I received the Maybelline Eyestudio range to review. They have a bunch of quads in the lineup, and one of the first I tried was the Sapphire Siren quad.



The colours are quite pigmented, and pearlized with shimmers.


The white and black shade have tiny glitter in them but it does not create any messy fallout, much to my surprise. The green and blue colours have a frost finish and blend well.

Here is my look using the quad!










(These pics are before my haircut by the way hence the longer hair)

Although the colours are pigmented, I found that they kind of blend too well into each other and just look like a turquoise blue on my skin. Next time I'll try using a pale base underneath to see if the colour comes out more.

Also used in the look was the Etude House Happy Peach stamp blush. Surprisingly, when I applied the colour with a brush (as opposed to finger swatching) the colour shows up well. In real life it shows up as a natural peachy-pink flush. Don't ask me why the colour looks a bit reddish here...Can't remember what lip gloss I used. Possibly Annabelle's Cherryoke gloss :)

Anyway, so have any of you tried the Eye Studio quads? Opinions?

Vacation purchases, Part 3

See Part 1 and Part 2 here. I also went to Etude House, and Fancl!

From Etude House:



Cute patterns on the bottle



I thought it was cool how the bottle has a flat back so it can line up flush against the wall:




I had to buy the Etude House Peach Pact, which I had been lemming since it was first released in 2008 because it was 50% off!



It is a baked compact finishing powder.




Also got the Peach Stamp blush in Happy Peach!





The payoff is quite sheer though, so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone above NC25. On my arm the colour is hard to capture with my camera, haven't tried it on my face yet.



These products from the Peach lineup have a lovely peach scent too :)


I also got the duo fibre brush, which Jojoba recommended. So far I like it! The size is about the same as a 188, perhaps very slightly bigger. However the Etude brush is firmer and more densely packed than the 188 which I find rather floppy.




From Fancl, I got the Snow White LE cleansing oil, which you may have already seen on other blogs:



Obviously, I was suckered by the packaging! And it doesn't hurt that it includes a bonus travel size too, both for the same price as the regular cleansing oil.





I think I'm quite well stocked on cleansing oils now...I actually got a total of 3 cleansing oils on this trip, the 3rd which will be in my last haul post :)