My Melody ♫

Hi everybody! I didn't plan to blog again this weekend but I decided to do so because I know I'm going to have an even busier weekend next week and may not have time to blog. As I am currently uni assignment-less (which I know won't last for long),I'll quickly do one now. It's currently Sunday night and I have uni tomorrow. Usually I'd be doing uni work at this time but it's almost 12 am so it's the best time to relax a bit and then head off to bed.

A few weeks ago I received a package from one of my Blog BFFLs which I'm sure many of you know (because she's so awesome). I'm talking about the one and only - my Melody, a lovely blogger from Melbourne (in Australia) who happens to be one of the most sweetest and thoughtful girls I have ever known! So this blog post is pretty much dedicated to her :)

I haven't met her in real life before but we've had countless conversations via Blogger (of course), Twitter, Facebook, Skype and email so from all of that we've gotten to know each other quite well. What makes it easy for us to connect is that we're both from Australia and she's just a year level older than me. Our university courses have similarities and I love how I can talk to her freely about cadavers without her being grossed out xD I can't talk to anyone about it except for her haha. Even my friends in my course don't want to talk about it!

So without further ado, here is the package I received from her:

 She used colourful stamps, how cute x] It's so like Melody because her blog posts are COLOURFUL

Usually for packages, they print out a sticker as the stamp at the post office

Items with a sweet handwritten note ♥

 Don't mind my dodgy 'watermark' - I got lazy and just used my phone's photo editor xD

The items were all a surprise and I had no idea what would be in it so when I saw the things I was like :O Because Melody specifically purchased items that would 'suit' me or was interested in. I remember having a conversation with her about Chi Chi nail polishes x]

Here are the nail polishes on my nails, 2 coats:

Chi Chi Salon Formula in Cyberrella

Silver nail polish, yay it's so metallic ^.^

 Chi Chi Salon Formula in Booty-licious

Quite sheer but buildable colour

And she also got me a Chi Chi eyeshadow dust:

 Chi Chi Eyeshadow Dust in Flashy Trashy

 One swipe swatch

The pigmentation is pretty good and it is a shimmery yellow with a hint of gold. I never owned any yellow eyeshadow but now I do ='] Aw thanks Mel hehe.

Last but not least item, something perfect for a vain girl like me haha...

 A compact mirror! 

Even though I'm kind of vain... this is my first compact mirror lol

Naww it's so pretty how it has pink glitter and rhinestones. If you didn't already know, my favourite colour is pink and I adore anything that sparkles and shines :D

It opens out as a double mirror - the top is 1x magnification and the bottom is 2x magnification

My phone is very outdated, about 3 years old D: But it takes clear pictures because it's a Cybershot x]

So many of you might be wondering why Melody sent a package my way. Well, a few months ago she held a giveaway contest which I entered for fun and also as my way to show my support. I wasn't a winner but she was kind enough to send packages to a few close blog friends who also entered as a way of saying thanks for entering. So sweet isn't she!

Thanks once again Melody for holding such a creative giveaway contest and of course, for sending a thank you package to me :] I don't feel that my words can be enough to thank you so I will definitely be sending you back a little something. You've spent time (and money) finding some items for me so I've got to do the same for you too, and reply to your sweet letter ^-^ I'm very grateful for knowing you through blogging, I hope we can meet one day!

If you haven't already, I suggest you check out her blog because it's really interesting to read with informative and helpful posts. She recently made a switch from Blogspot to Wordpress so her efforts should definitely be praised as it's not a very easy thing to do. Her new header and layout is awesome *_*

Double Winged Eyeliner Tutorial

Hi Guys! I'm back for another week of blogging. Can you believe it, this is something I look forward to most when the weekend comes around :)

I decided to do a really quick tutorial with an inspired look from Qri which I posted about here. It is very simple and the reason why I made a tutorial for it was because I wanted to wear the look again and show you guys how I apply it.

K-pop stars love their black eyeliner because it really frames the eyes and makes someone look strong and fierce. Well, that's just how I see it haha, no idea what their main intention is. But I think eyeliner can make someone appear more atttractive. For girls it can make them look more sexy and for guys it can make them look more manly. 'Guyliner' is really popular amongst the K-pop boy bands and I don't have anything against it however I do like to see them look more fresh-faced. To me it really depends how it's worn because some people can pull it off better than others, and it can't be too thick or weird.

In this look I wore EOS Candy Doll Lenses from MukuCHU which I absolutely adore and find very comfortable! Thanks for sending them to me MukuCHU~

I also wore some wavy clip-on hair extensions to go with the look to have hair more like Qri's x] These hair extensions were kindly sent by Iwantcute.com which I will fully review in another blog post.

Basically I've shown two ways in which you can wing-out your eyeliner from the outer corner of your eyes. One way is demonstrated on Qri's look (which I like to call 'fish eye' because it reminds me of a fish) and two parallel lines that resemble an equal sign.

Here are some pictures. The quality isn't that great because I was using my iPod's camera - it's better to camwhore with because of the front camera xD

Qri's eye look

(my uni timetable is on my wall haha)

2 different types of double-winged eyeliner

Left = diagonal lines

Right = horizontal lines

Flicky waves - loving these hair extensions so much

Good lighting is important for pictures (:

I like how it reflects onto the bridge of my nose, making it look slimmer

The look is suitable for gyaru style~

I'd look even more gyaru if I had worn top and bottom falsies

My Anna Sui inspired mirror always makes an appearance in my tutorial videos ♥

And here's the video tutorial! Please don't mind my fob-like tutorial steps, I had limited words to use each time for the sentence to fit so it was as short as possible. Hope you understand what I mean though x) Don't mind my randomness at the end haha ;P Enjoy!

Some people would apply just eyeliner instead of eyeshadow but I like how the eyeshadow gives more dimension to the eyes. Thick, bold black eyeliner is the key to this look! And I always apply my eyeliner AFTER I apply eyeshadow. Haha Gerry ;P

I love both styles of winged eyeliner but I reckon the diagonal lines stand out more in photos than horizontal ones. Both are suitable looks for many occasions.

A question - actually, I think I might change it to questjen lol

So, a 'questjen' for you:

How important is black eyeliner to you?

For me, I love black eyeliner. I actually prefer how I look with black eyeliner than not having any on at all. Every time I go out I used it to line my waterline and when I go to a party or an evening event I would also line my top lash line. It completes my makeup looks and if I just has eyeshadow on, it wouldn't look that good. I don't really like brown eyeliner because it makes me look sleepy/tired and white eyeliner doesn't frame my eyes at all. Black eyeliner is a must for me!

Review: My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Mask

Hello all, I've got a review on a face mask that I recently tried :) I received this from Chanel who did a swap with me and I'm really glad that she sent me this because it was my first time trying an MBD mask.

If you're not sure what My Beauty Diary masks are, they are a well-known brand of face masks from Taiwan and are known for having a large range of masks with various purposes and for different skin types. I had wanted to try these masks for a really long time because I've heard so many good things about them from bloggers who have done reviews.

My Beauty Diary - Strawberry Yogurt Mask
我的美丽日记 - 草莓优格纳米面膜

Front 

 Back

- Everything is written in Chinese

- Date of Manufacture and expiry printed

Main ingredients and their purpose:

- Natural strawberry extracts contain minerals and enzymes to leave the skin clean, fair and fresh

- Yogurt extract balances sebum secretion and tightens pores

What it claims to do:

- Whitens and refines skin

- Controls excessive sebum secretion

- Leaves skin luminous

- Enhances skin's moisture level

Suitable for:

- Normal and combination skin

[Sourced from Sasa.com]

When I opened the packet, I didn't know that there would be a protective sheet over it so I was a bit surprised at first, lol. Here is how it looked like on my face when I first applied it:

 I could have had my eyes opened and looked straight forward but... that might freak you guys out :P

I forgot to put down the nose-flap thing at first haha

As you may or may not know, I am not that good with reading Chinese so I got my mum to read the instructions on the back of the packet so I could fully understand what to do.

Instructions:

1. Gently tear the package off the mask and place the mask onto the face.

2. Leave the mask on for about 20-30 minutes and remove after.

3. No need to rinse the excess, instead massage the remains onto the skin.

 Enjoying this mask on a hot day (:

Initial thoughts:

Even though I received this mask in January, I was slightly hesitant about trying it at first because I had previously gotten a bad skin reaction to a mask I used which wasn't from MBD. Instead it was some cheap one that I bought from an Asian store in my city. I'm glad it was cheap because it would have been an even bigger waste of money if it wasn't =/

I was also slightly hesitant because it didn't say that it was for sensitive skin but in the end, I was SO glad that I did end up trying it! I loved using it because it was so cool on my face and I had no skin irritations whatsoever. I don't think I'll be trying any other brand of masks, I really trust this brand.

I can't complain about the way it fitted on my face because everyone's face shape and proportions are different so it can't fit perfectly (unless you had the 'perfect' face shape and proportions I guess T_T) but with that said, there wasn't that many creases on my mask which must mean that the fitting wasn't bad :]

I left this on for exactly 30 minutes, I didn't want to take it off earlier!

Results:

Sorry I didn't take a picture of my face after I took off the mask but I asked my mum what she thought of after I did my mask and she said that my face looked whiter! Not a lot whiter like a ghost or something, just a natural whitening and brightening to my complexion. I could see it too ^.^ My face also felt baby-smooth and very moisturised, just what my face needed.

Pros:

- Yummy strawberry yogurt scent, not too strong

- The mask does what it claims to do

- Protective sheet = less prone to ripping mask when opening it out

- Mask sheet could fit many different face shapes

- Although it doesn't say so, it's suitable for sensitive skin

- No drippy mess/residue from the mask but extremely moist

- Material is very gentle on my face

- Cooling sensation without it being in a fridge prior to use

- Date of manufacture and expiry printed

- Quite inexpensive online, can purchase single or pack of 10

Cons:

- Couldn't fit all the way up to my hairline (must be 'cause of my large foreheard -.-)

- Instructions and description all written in Chinese - not good if you're not a fluent reader like me!

- More expensive in store than online

- Risky to purchase online as there are fake MBD masks, but purchased from trusted stores are fine

Repurchase?

YES! Without a doubt. I want to try the other types too and buy some mixed sets :D

As you can see, I didn't have a problem with the mask itself at all. I was so pleased! I recommend this to anyone who wants to try a face mask and I am certain that you would be pleased with this as much as I am.

Thanks for reading my review, I hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions about MBD masks, feel free to ask~

Have you tried MBD masks before? 

Which mask is your favourite?

If you haven't tried MBD masks before, I'd still like to know other brands you have tried, like and would recommend to others!

Bluefly.com Prada Review

Hi guys, I'm back with another post on Bluefly.com. Last year I made a post about it as a way of introducing it to you guys because I do believe that it's a great online shop for fashionistas to check out. If Bluefly.com doesn't ring a bell, you can check out my previous post on it here.

I really think that Bluefly has the largest range of designer brands than other online stores, the list literally goes on and on and on! You can see it here if you don't believe me ;P I wish I could update you guys with a haul from Bluefly but unfortunately I am still not willing to splurge just yet x] Sure I have a job now however I'll just be saving up and see where I go from there :D

I know that on my blog, I don't always talk about fashion designers and such but as a matter of fact, I love fashion. I'm not huge with labels and famous designers however I love how there are different types of fashion trends and styles these days which really intrigues me. This is kind of irrelevant but I did a huge project on Italian fashion last year in year 12 so I do have quite a bit of background knowledge that is still pretty fresh in my mind ;)

For this post, I'll be focusing on one very famous Italian brand that most if not all of us know, despite whether or not you are interested in fashion. One of the Italian fashion brands that I focused on last year for my project was Prada and to my slight surprise I see that Bluefly carries authentic Prada items.

What I love about Bluefly is that there is a section for Recent Product Reviews and it is the first thing that shows up when you click on a brand. This is really convenient for buyers so that they can read about previous customers' opinions/ratings before they decide make a transaction. This also tells me that Bluefly takes their customers seriously and are able to be honest and loyal to future customers.

It's reasonable for them to sort their reviews from highest to lowest rating and I'm really glad that Bluefly didn't try to conceal any low ratings on their site. I'd actually find it really helpful knowing that a pair of expensive Prada shoes were a bit uncomfortable to someone else. I'd rather know than feel regretful after purchasing and I'm sure that Bluefly wouldn't want to hear complaints from their customers. So in a way, it's a win-win situation.

Speaking of shoes, I also had a look at the prada shoes. I sorted it by popularity so I could see which shoes have been most purchased out of the range. Pretty cool to see that there is a pair that has been sold out :O

Now I really want some new shoes!

It's been a while since I last visited their site before this so it's great to see that Bluefly has still continued to impress me with their new features.

If you're really interested in purchasing from them, you can sign up for Bluefly emails and receive $10 off your purchase! Click on the image below to direct you to the sign-up page.

Dueba Crystal i Brown Review

Hi guys! It's been about a week since I last blogged so I thought I'd update you guys briefly on what's been happening. It's March now which means that 2 months of this year have already gone by - so quick :O I just started university on Monday and this week has been pretty high and low for me. Lows are waking up early and having so much information to process in my mind (prior to uni I was on holidays for 3 months!) and the highs are seeing friends and meeting new people :)

Oh and I just noticed... this is my 100th blog post! :D

Of course if you'd like to know more about what happens during my days/weeks then you can always follow me on Twitter (that's what it's there for, hehe).

About 2 weeks ago I received a pair of lenses from EyeCandyLens and the owner Chloe contacted me about a sponsorship program. You may have noticed a new banner on my sidebar on the right hand side - that will direct you straight to her site.

EyeCandyLens provide 4 different authentic brands of Korean circle lenses - Geo, Dueba, Neo and Vassen which to me is a very extensive range. I decided to choose a pair from a brand that I have not tried before which were the Dueba Crystal i Brown lenses.

Package:

♥ Registered mail

♥ Bubble wrapped

♥ Free lens case included

Such pretty, girly vials!

Yellow-lidded case to match the lens colour

Brand: Dueba

Origin: South Korea

Water content: 38%

Diameter: 14.5 mm

Base Curve: 8.6

Power: plano, -0.50 to -5.00 (0.25 step)

Duration: 1 year disposable

Even though on the EyeCandyLens description says that the lenses are 14.5mm, on the vials it says that they're 15.0mm lenses :O If that's true then I guess this is my first time wearing 15.0mm lenses - biggest yet!

Enlargement difference

Natural lighting

Flash photography

The image on the site of the lenses is much darker than the actual lenses which can be quite misleading. However, if you ask Chloe about any type of lenses and what they'd look like on, she'll be able to help you (just like how she helped me).

Chloe told me that these Crystal i Brown lenses give a watery, sparkly-eyed effect - kind of like the lenses in the Nudy series without the speckles. Her description was spot on, and this tells me that she has knowledge about circle lenses and is a trusted seller. I had requested a different pair but Chloe did not recommend them for me as I much prefer to wear lenses that blend in with my natural eye colour. Again she gave her honest opinions to help me with my decision to make sure that I was a happy 'customer'.

I have the Geo Nudy Brown lenses and I can definitely see a resemblance with these lenses. My Nudy lenses are close to their expiry so my new lenses will be a great replacement :D

Taken with my iPod

Not the best photo quality - as you can see my dark circles look much darker than normal :/

These lenses enlarge my eyes so much and they give me that crystal effect that I adore. Many of you may know my liking with Swarovski crystals and I reckon these lenses sparkle just like them *_*

Colour: ★★★★/5 I'd like them to be a bit more dark (like the image on the site) but this colour is still a very pretty shade of brown

Pattern ★★★★★/5: The crystalised effect of these lenses are bound to be complimented.

Comfort ★★★★★/5: Very comfortable, when I wore them on it almost felt like I didn't have any lenses on! I wouldn't recommend you wear these for more than 5 hours because these are larger than regular lenses and are more prone to drying, plus reducing oxygen supply to your eyes.

Enlargement ★★★★/5: It's obvious that these enlarge the eyes a lot but it would enlarge even more with an outer black ring. I'm glad it doesn't have that black ring, so these look more 'natural'

Overall score: 18/20 - Love it!

If you're interested in purchasing them, here is the link: Pretty Crystal i Brown

Thanks for reading my review, I hope that you found it helpful. And thanks to Chloe for sending these to me!

I'm curious about your answer to this question:

Would you ever try wearing 15.0mm lenses?

To me there isn't that much difference with wearing them compared to 14.0mm but when you look in the mirror, you do see a big difference!