kikki.K Pre-Christmas Haul

Hey guys, it's almost Christmas which means that many of us will be and are already spending lots on our loved ones. And while we've been shopping for gifts, I'm sure we've all been stuck on ideas and that's okay, it's the thought that counts in the end! While this post isn't really going give many gift ideas, I thought I'd share one of my recent hauls with items that are useful and can appeal to many different kinds of people.

For those who follow me on Twitter, you may have seen this image that I uploaded when I shared my post-exams haul where I made an online order during the time kikki.K had a 20% off storewide sale and as a way of treating myself for the work I had done in the semester. This sale also gave me the chance to get my hot little hands on items that I've been eyeing for a while. Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by kikki.K (if only I was) nor am I affiliated with them and all of these items were purchased with my own money :)

Firstly I just want to mention how cute the parcel box is! It might look familiar if you remember seeing the following picture of me holding it for the Bloggers Kris Kringle post:

Credits to Melody for the editing!
And now the 'KK' can stand for kikki.K :D

I've called this a 'Pre-Christmas haul' because I ordered these items with no intention of it being a Christmas present to myself however, once I saw it sitting on my doorstep, I couldn't help but think of it as an early/pre-Christmas present judging by the way it looked! It didn't have the ribbon but the snowflake print on the box along with the catalogue and note inside made me feel even more into the festive season! kikki.K could've easily used a standard cardboard box so I'm really pleased with their efforts towards the packaging's designs now that Christmas is fast approaching *_*

They sent me a $10 'welcome' voucher (I'm not a new member but I'll take it - it must've been because it was my first online order!) via email after I made my order and I decided to use this instore to save me the shipping fee (shipping is only free for orders over $50+ and I wasn't willing to spend that much again lol). This is what I bought with my voucher:

And even their store's bag is Christmas-themed and so pretty! Looks like a paper gift bag :)

So let's run through each item I purchased, starting with the one I was most excited about:

2015 TIME PLANNER: LIVE BRIGHT (RRP $49.95, purchased for $39.96)

Yes I admit, it does sound rather pricey for a planner but I can justify spending that much for one from kikki.K. I've been a fan of their products for quite some time and although there are cheaper alternatives, I feel that their products are of high quality and to me that's what makes it worth the price. Not only are they of great quality but also of great style - I adore their themes and colour schemes and it's purely eye candy for stationery enthusiasts like me. 

Really liking the quote on the cover of this one! Something to remember to live by :)

I usually purchase the kikki.K diaries like the one I showed in my February Favourites at the beginning of the year. No doubt, it's still one of my favourite types of diaries to have but after having two of these, I decided it was time for something new, hence the planner :) To be able to fully open the pages and lay them out flat was what appealed to me the most and also the fact that I can reuse the planner each year by simply taking out and refilling it with new pages. In a way this does save me money so I thought why not invest in one.

Planner does not come with the pen

The planner comes with a plastic ruler and a notepad at the back

I could go on and on about how much I adore this design and the pink/lilac colours used for this planner! They're very soft and delicate colours that are very pleasing for the eyes and since these are my favourite colours, I don't think I'll ever be bored of using this every year. I'm a huge fan of the gorgeous shiny gold ring binding too.

Each dashboard has a different design/quote

All I can say are good things about this planner. It's a medium size which I find is perfect and this is also one of the more affordable medium-sized planners from kikki.K due to its material not being leather (in fact it's made from wool). Although leather may give the appearance of a more polished, sturdy look, the fabric cover is a good option if you're strapped for cash, while still being able to have all of the benefits that comes with using a planner.

And since I've spoken so much about the planner, I'll keep the rest fairly brief. I didn't end up taking individual photos for these so I will be using the ones on the website:

SAMSUNG GALAXY 5 GLOSS CASE: LIVE BRIGHT (RRP $9.95, purchased for $7.96)

 

Another product from the 'Live Bright' range that I just had to get! Ever since I received my phone cover, I haven't taken it off and switched back to any of my other ones, which is something I do quite often as I tend to get bored with using the same one. It has a simplistic design, it's glossy and thin so that my phone doesn't feel bulky. It fits on nicely and isn't difficult to take off. There's also a screen protector in the package and that'll definitely come in handy. Thanks kikki.K for designing an S5 case because there aren't many around compared to iPhone cases. They also have a minimalist design one which I'm liking too.

EVERYDAY BALLPOINT PEN 3PK: CUTE 2015 (RRP: $9.95, purchased for $7.96) 

As a sucker for anything cute, how could I have passed on this (especially the pen with cats wearing party hats as the design, eep)!! These types of ballpoint pens only come with black ink which is a bit of a downer for me as I mostly use blue ink. I guess this means that these pens will last me quite some time before they needs refilling (yes, these pens can be refilled to be used for many years!)

FELT TIP PEN - BLACK (RRP $1.50, purchased for $1.20)

I think I added this to my cart because I was only about a dollar or so off of getting free shipping so I thought eh, why not chuck in a pen. Something useful. And it has been very useful indeed :) I keep it in my planner's pen holder and I love taking it out and using it because it glides very smoothly on paper. This is definitely one of the best felt-tip pens I've used and I highly recommend getting your hands on one, or a few, or a handful...

FELT TIP PEN 10PK (RRP $12.95, purchased for $2.95 with a $10 voucher)

A handful of these felt-tip pens is exactly what I got a couple of days after receiving my order! I loved the black felt-tip pen so much that I wanted to get them in every colour available. That $10 welcome voucher really helped so thanks once again kikki.K! $2.95 for a pack of 10 felt-tip pens sounds like an absolute bargain to me, hehe. They're highly raved about and I can certainly see why - they make decorating my planner even more fun :)

Any of the above items would be suitable as Christmas gifts or stocking fillers, especially the pens. Nice, good-quality pens are always great to have!

My questjen to you:

Are you a fan of cute stationery?

I don't think anyone could ever be too old for it either!

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University Graduation Day

2014 is proving to be one of the most exciting years of my life. This year I turned 21, got my first car and now I've become a university graduate. On Wednesday the 17th of September, I attended my graduation ceremony and received my parchment in front of fellow graduates, members of the university and guests including my proud parents and beloved boyfriend. I'm very thankful towards those who were able to be there for me on my special day, waiting outside the hall bringing gorgeous flowers and gifts. It was an incredible experience and the memories will stay with me for life.

This doesn't mean the end of my studies though, as I'm currently enrolled in a double/concurrent degree however it does mean the completion of one degree that I had worked hard on for the last 3 years. An accomplishment and achievement which makes it all worth it in the end and you tend to only realise this once you reach that finish line. I know I complain about uni taking up a lot of my time and I still will complain when things get tough because no journey is ever a smooth-sailing journey - it can't be helped. I had my good days and my bad days, good grades and bad grades but with the support from my family, friends, uni lecturers and tutors, I was able to pull through and succeed. If I continue to have this support network and motivation to push on, I will hopefully be completing my second degree and going through this wonderful graduation experience again. I'll find this out in about a year's time!

As a 'beauty, fashion and lifestyle' blogger, I'll be incorporating all of those elements into this blog post, starting with my makeup for the day, outfit of the day and a brief recount of the event :)

FACE

Face of Australia Face Base Primer

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in 200 Soft Beige

Benefit Fake Up Concealer in 02 Medium

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

Tony Moly Crystal Light in 02 Gold Beam

Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz

EYES

The Face Shop Lovely me:ex Design My Eyebrow #04 Brown

Australis Eyeshadow Primer

NP Set Smoke Signals 12-color eye shadow palette (thanks Mandy)

Dolly Wink Eyelash Fix

Luminous Change Eyelash eX #12

Sailor Moon Miracle Star Power Prism Liquidliner Black

Australis Eye Pencil in Blackest Black

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

LIPS

Benefit Benetint

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in 720 Scarlet Ghost

Rimmel Lipstick Lock

NAILS

OPI Euro Minis Centrale Collection - Suzi's Hungary AGAIN and You're Such a Budapest (thanks Melody)

BODY
Lancome Miracle Eau De Parfum (my favourite)

Cetaphil Moisturising Cream (not pictured)

HAIR (none pictured)
Straightened using ghd Scarlet
Various hair products used - see this post
Dyed using x2 L'Oreal Paris Excellence Cream in 8.1 Ash Blonde

I made sure that I wore the longest-lasting products that I had on the day so that everything could stay in place for the whole day, especially for my lips. I always find that many of my lip products aren't very long-lasting (which was why I asked my Twitter followers if anyone could suggest a long-lasting lipstick) and for this reason, I was thinking of purchasing a high-end lip product but decided against it in the end. One day I will spoil myself with a luxe-branded lipstick like Tom Ford - for now I'll stick to what I have and what I can easily afford *crying emoji*

For my lips I lightly applied Benefit's Benetint to give my lips some initial lasting colour and added Max Factor's Colour Elixir Lipstick on top, topping it off with Rimmel's Lipstick Lock which supposedly seals the lip colour. I think this made a very good combination as I didn't need to re-apply any lip products for the entire day! Not bad, hey?

The Max Factor Lipstick reminds of a high-end one with its gold packaging. The formula is great too!

(Also unintentionally promoting the important use of seatbelts with my car selfie~ RIP EunB and RiSe)

I also made sure that my foundation stayed in place as I knew that I was going to be taking lots of pictures and needed to look as flawless as possible. For a lasting finish, a face primer is essential and I used Face of Australia's which has Vitamin E and chamomile, ingredients to help smooth and soothe the skin. The foundation I went with was Rimmel's lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation to give me light to medium coverage and a dewy finish. Trust me, I don't take the wording of products too seriously, especially when they state the number of hours that they claim to last. Anyway, I wanted my face to look alive and awake and since I have dry skin, I wanted to minimise the possibility of flakiness occurring so instead of topping it off with powder which accentuates my dryness, I spritzed some setting spray by Australis to keep it all in place and make me feel refreshed!

Since I opted for bold lips, I went with neutral eyes using the 6 shades on the right of the NP palette, a simple winged eyeliner and my most natural-looking falsies. I filled in my brows very lightly so that my brow game wasn't too strong (haha) and applied waterproof mascara being my favourite, Benefit's They're Real on my top and bottom lashes. I highlighted and contoured the high points of my face and applied a hint of blush to my cheeks.

Products from my recent Sasa haul that I used on the day

• Dolly Wink Eyelash Fix: holy grail eyelash glue, forever repurchasing.
• Sailor Moon Eyeliner: wooooo the packaging is awesome and so is the quality, really.
• Luminous Change Lashes: first time hearing about this brand, quality is just like Dolly Wink's with the clear bands and it's a fraction of its price with an extra pair of lashes - why not!

For my nails I used the front two shades from the OPI Euro Centrale Collection and this set was gifted to me by the lovely Melody on my 21st birthday. Thanks girl, it's definitely come in handy!

Outfit of the Day - Graduation and Academic Attire

Professional photo where they made me pose like this lol

Dress: Forever New

Shoes: New Look

Bracelet: Michael Kors

Earrings: Pandora

Pouch and Bag: Mimco and DKNY

I decided to wear a floral dress to stand out from the black gown and since it's now spring, floral is even more appropriate :) I love that my faculty's hood is a pretty pink because it's my favourite colour, yay. The gown and the hood were hired except for the mortarboard (the hat) which is good so that I can keep it as a souvenir from graduating!

As my graduation was in the morning at 11am, I had to get up early and prepare to be at the hall by 9. If I had more time to prepare without having to rush and be sure to beat the morning traffic, I probably would have curled my hair and add a few finishing touches to my look. I guess I could have woken up even earlier but sleep is even more important to me. I felt so drained by the end of the day and mind you, I did get enough sleep!

My view of the stage from the third row

It was a very exciting process. I thought that we were all going to rehearse the 'walking up on stage' part during the pre-briefing session at 9 but we didn't! So when the time came, we were quietly told of what to do and that was it and in an hour the ceremony came to an end. My uni actually filmed the whole thing and uploaded it on YouTube and you can see me walking up on stage at the 38:00 mark :D Thank goodness I didn't trip over and neither did anyone else despite my high heels, I was super nervous.

I didn't want to make a big deal out of this event so I only notified a few of my close friends who gladly came along and took photos with me. I felt quite spoilt and happy to share this joyous moment with some of the most important people in my life. Thanks to everyone who congratulated me ♥

To celebrate we headed out for a late-ish Yum Cha and I was so full and tired afterwards that I just wanted to crawl into my bed. I couldn't imagine having more to do in the evening, which is likely to happen for my own wedding one day with the ceremony followed by a reception. How do people do it, I have no clue!

Although it was a very happy occasion, I couldn't help but feel a little emotional on the inside. A chapter of my life had came to an end and I could feel myself getting teary in the hall, listening to the speeches about how far we've all come and our achievements, and wishing us the best for our future endeavours. I was also thinking about my parents who were there to witness their not-so-little girl anymore, their youngest child and only daughter all grown up and receiving her Bachelor's Degree. They've always wanted me to study hard and graduate from university (you know how typical Asian parents are) and just thinking about how they were feeling on the day made me want to cry tears of happiness. I always try my best to make my parents proud and I am really glad to say that there is finally something for my parents to be truly proud of.

I love you mum and dad!

You know what's so special about awards/certificates/diplomas/degrees etc? The fact that recipients have been recognised for their hard work and have respectfully earnt it and deserve it. Many things can easily be bought, lost, replaced but with any award or degree, it belongs to you and only you. Your name is written on there and no one can take it away from you, claiming that it belongs to them. No one can take away your wisdom and the skills that you've acquired. It's something that money can't buy.

My questjen to you:

 Have you had a graduation and/or are you yet to have one?

I've had a year 7 (primary to secondary school) and a year 12 (end of high school) graduation prior to this graduation but this is by far the biggest one of them all. Fingers crossed that I'll have another!

Good luck to those who are yet to graduate from their studies and to those who already have, big congratulations ^^

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EOFY Sales - Accessories Haul

Hi guys, I hope you’re all well, I can’t believe that half the year is already done and dusted! My exams are also done so for the next 3 weeks I’ll be putting my feet up and making the most of this free time as I can. This is the start of a new financial year and thanks to the wonderful end-of-financial-year (EOFY) sales, I managed to pick up a few accessories that I needed – tech-related ones especially. I decided not to go crazy with the spending and having exams distracted me from making too many cheeky instore and online shopping trips!

There's more but they haven't arrived yet. The downside to online shopping :(

Basically the purpose of these stocktake sales is for retailers to clear out their excess stock, hence the massive discounts, and to increase sales to note down in their books before June 30, the last day of the financial year.

This first item isn’t part of my haul but I thought I’d include this anyway since I helped to pick it out – it’s my mum’s new Oroton handbag and it’s her first of this Australian leather goods brand. She was really excited to finally purchase one after years of contemplation. 

They had 50% off storewide plus an additional 20% off online orders for one day only. A lot of the bags that she showed interest towards were sold out before she could even add them to her cart however she managed to pick out one that she was happy to buy, and I’m happy that she did. I think it’s gorgeous.

I also made a purchase on the Oroton website where I purchased 2 umbrellas because I couldn't decide on just one. I might give one to my mum. They're on their way so I couldn't add it to my collective image above, sadly!

They were 70% off in the outlet section

I snagged a Mimco Medium Pouch which was reduced and had a further 20% off reduction on one of the days, so it was almost 50% off RRP. Mimco is another Australian leather goods brand and what I really like about the pouch is its glossy patent leather - love the feel of it.

A while ago, I wasn't that interested in this brand, particularly because a few of their styles didn’t appeal to my taste (the huge buttons, though I don’t mind the turnlock style) however I found that their pouches were really handy to use with a simplistic design. I see a lot of girls with them and it’s great that they have a wide selection of colours to choose from to suit individual personalities. I chose lilac because it’s soft and feminine and it caught my eye when it was released for the Mother’s Day collection back in May. I hope to get a pink one and/or a black one later on.

I currently use it as my casual clutch to stash the basic necessities being my phone, keys, frequently-used cards, loose change, mints and lip balm. It can also be used as a cosmetics bag.

Those cardholders in the image above are new too. I managed to buy two of them from David Jones’ sale for $25. I was intending to only buy one but for 50% off, I thought why not grab two so I did! And I’m really glad I did because I’m currently using both in my pouch and they’re so convenient to carry in your pockets etc. I’ve never had a cardholder before and seeing how often my boyfriend uses his, I was convinced that I needed one too.

These were the colours that I liked best out of the selection

They’re made from Saffiano leather, the same type of leather that’s used for designer bags such as Michael Kors, Prada, DKNY and more. I had thought about getting a Tory Burch cardholder but after seeing these ones for just a fraction of the price and made from the same material, I decided not to. I’d be paying for the brand of a product which probably has the same quality as these anyway. Never say never though, I may still give into a Tory Burch!

I love my music and nowadays I can only use in-ear buds as they fit snuggly and I think they make music sound even better than ordinary earphones. I’ve been using Samsung and Sennheiser earphones (my favourite pairs) and I ended up buying two new pairs from a brand I hadn’t heard of but had decent reviews online (and a mid-range price tag). I’m always wanting to have spare earphones in case I lose a pair or if they stop working.

These are apparently around $30 each which aren’t too pricey but are more up-there compared to some that I’ve seen around $10 and less. Electronics shop DSE had these for around 80% off that price - $5 a pair with free shipping (say whaaaat)! What makes these different to the earphones that I already have are that these are tangle-resistant due to their flat cable. It’s so annoying when earphone wires get all tangled. Another thing is that they’re fluoro so they’re easy to spot in your bag. One pair is compatible with Apple (pink) and the other is compatible with Android (blue). Of course they work on both devices but the volume control buttons will only work for the brand that they’re designed for. I use my iPod and my phone to listen to music, depending on what I feel like listening to, i.e Pandora app or my own music.

eBay had a one-day 15% off purchases which I gladly took advantage of. None of the items have arrived yet but I can share what I purchased – accessories for my favourite tech gadgets, my S5 and Sony NEX camera such as a new floral case, spare batteries and a power bank.

I hate it when my phone runs out of batteries! That's why I bought a power bank and spare batteries

I’m trying to be good by saving more than spending and only getting what I need and will definitely use. So far so good with all of my recent purchases – no impulse-buys and no regrets. EOFY sales may be over but there are definitely more sales to look out for this year – end-of-season ones and post-Christmas/Boxing Day sales! Bring them on :D

Also, you don’t have to always wait for the big sales to make your purchases as you can still benefit by using coupons and promo codes online to give you a bit of guilt-free shopping and save you some coins. Almost every time I’ve shopped online, I’ve searched for a coupon to use and have been successful a number of times. I’ve shared a few of my favourite coupon sites on my blog and there’s one that just launched in Australia recently called CupoNation, which provides deals and coupons for Australian stores such as The Iconic, ASOS and Booktopia and some of my favourite beauty and fashion retailers all in one place – BeautyBay, Urban Outfitters, Ozsale and Shopbop. Sometimes it’s difficult to find out when there are sales happening in a shop but with this site, you’ll be able to find all of the best deals that CupoNation has to offer without having to sign up for multiple E-newsletters from several stores, for example, ASOS promo codes. There are many categories to choose from and if you’re into electronics or jewellery and accessories, you can easily find great deals and coupons for those items too.

I’d love to hear if any of you did any shopping recently with the EOFY/mid-year/end of season sales, what ever you want to call them! I’m always keen to hear about the amazing bargains that get snapped up :)

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Disclaimer: Products were purchased by me, unless otherwise stated. I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. All opinions stated by me are 100% honest with no bias. See more at http://www.questjen.com/p/disclaimer.html for full disclaimer. 

My 21st Birthday Gifts ♥

Hello! I am now officially a 'legal' adult all over the world - that's right, I've turned 21! In Australia it's not such a big deal (but then again, it kind of is with all the 21st birthday parties) compared to other countries because the legal age here is 18, however I thought that this would be a great opportunity to have a celebration with friends, seeing as most of them have had or are having their 21st birthday celebration. There are many friends who I don't get to see often due to our daily commitments so these birthday dinners and parties give us a chance to catch up :)

I had 3 birthday celebrations/outings this year - with the boyfriend on the day of my birthday (Thursday), with my girls the day after my birthday, and with my family on the following day. 3 days in a row of celebrating ^^

I took photos on the night with friends and I was thinking of sharing them but for privacy reasons I decided not to. Instead here is one of me with my birthday cake.

Yay!

I'm so glad I decided to do something for my 21st with my friends. About a year ago, I would've said I wasn't going to do anything. If you know me well, you'd know that I'm a very simple girl who doesn't like to over-complicate things and easily gets flustered among a large group of people, haha, which was why I wasn't keen on having a '21st'. It's probably got to do with my introverted-ness and mild social anxiety that made me not want to be the centre of attention for a celebration. I usually celebrate birthdays with my boyfriend/family and that's about it. In the end I decided to invite my closest girl friends with 15 of us on a table for a casual dinner. I don't mind attending events with lots of people, they can be quite fun but if I'm the star of the show, I'd rather be around less people. Anyway, I was happy with how the night turned out and I loved seeing everyone!

Just thought I'd share some of the lovely gifts that I received. Perhaps they'll give you some ideas of what to get for an upcoming 21st (I've got a few coming up). To make things easier, I'll group them by their category:

Electronic devices

I guess I could say that I'm a bit of a tech girl, I love new technology and gadgets. Whether it's a new camera, tablet or music device, these are popular choices for friends who want to chip-in for a valuable gift.

My dad bought me a new phone and this was the first gift I received for my 21st. With my current phone contract expiring in less than two months (Galaxy S2), it's the perfect time to receive a new phone for an upgrade and I'm extremely happy to have gotten latest Galaxy model. I can't wait to start using it!

Jewellery:

Jewellery is the perfect gift for any feminine and elegant female. I adore jewellery, especially classy/dainty pieces like the ones above. Currently I'm obsessing over rose gold and anything that sparkles!

Fragrances:

I see fragrances/body gift packs as quite typical gifts which I have gifted to friends before but haven't done so for a long time, and probably won't again because I personally don't like gifting people fragrances... but that doesn't mean I don't like receiving them - I am a-okay with it, as long as they smell nice :) Luckily the ones I've received do and they're pretty awesome.

Beauty products:

I'm a girly girl, I love all sorts of beauty products and I never feel as though I have enough! They can be so useful and handy. Also, gifted beauty/skincare products give me the opportunity to try new brands/items that have been missing from my collection. If I've used them before or have them already, it never hurts to have backups!

In case you were wondering what the black item is, it's a brush set! This was just what I needed *_*

And they're really good quality too!!

Bags/purses:

A girl can never have too many bags/purses, right? We pretty much need one for all different occasions (casual outings, dinner dates, cocktail parties, you name it) and it's great that we can easily switch between them. I'm definitely going to make use of these bags.

Chocolates:

You can't go wrong with chocolate unless... well, someone is allergic to them. But that's not the case with me and I've got a sweet tooth so I welcome yummy chocolates with open arms! You have every right to indulge in some choccies on your special day, and after your special day :)


The number '21'

These are great for memory's sake, simple as that. On the left is a '21' photo album to store all of this year's happy snaps. With cards, I prefer to receive ones that have an age at the front to help me remember which year it was for, when and if I look through my cards in the future. Having the age/year inside the card is good too :)

I just want to end this post by saying thanks for the well-wishes on my birthday and thanks friends for celebrating with me and for your beautiful gifts - I will cherish each and every one of them! And of course I will always cherish you guys too ;) I feel so blessed, appreciated and loved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Questjen of the week:

Out of the categories above, which is your favourite type of gift?

For me it's definitely jewellery, since they're so versatile!

To any other May babies reading this, happy birth month :D I Can't believe the month is almost over, so quick!

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February Favourites ♥

Wow, it's already March! A new season has begun and another month has gone 'bye' (pun intended). I've decided to share my favourites from February, however I have many favourite products, including the ones from my 10 favourite products of 2012 (still loving those!) and from my recent hauls there have been products which turned out to be some of my favourites of all time. What I'll be sharing in this post are the products that I haven't showcased/mentioned on here before. This is a great time for me to do just that!

In no particular order, here are my favourites items from February 2014:

kikki.K 2014 Weekly Cute Diary: Small

Of course, this isn't all to it but this particular page is cool, and no I don't have it empty! At the time I took the picture it was

Reasons for purchasing:

I need a diary to keep me organised as it helps me to document my plans, deadlines and give me all sorts of reminders. In 2012 I had one just like this but bigger and when I used my diary last year (which was great but not designed this way), I really started to miss the colourfulness of my previous diary! I'm a sucker for cute/pretty designs, hence I repurchased this diary for 2014. 

Reasons for favourite-ing:

The size is perfect for my bag and every time I pick it up and use it, it makes me feel happy from just seeing all of the decorations on the pages. I like how there is a removable notebook and a sheet of stickers inside. Despite it being more on the pricey side in comparison to other diaries, I don't feel that tempted to purchase a different sort. I feel that it's worth the money :)

OPI Mariah Carey Minis 3 Pack

'Silent Stars Go By'

Believe it or not but I had never bought OPI nail polish before until I bought this set. I have one full-sized OPI nail polish from the first ABC (beauty conference) goodie bag which was a bit too dark for my liking ('Lincoln Park After Dark') and I found the formula and lasting power to be similar to my Essie nail polishes I had purchased from blog sales. Plus I rarelyyyy get the chance to wear nail polishes due to my work regulations.

Reasons for purchasing:

I went shopping for a friend's birthday gift and found myself looking in the OPI section. This 3 pack was discounted to just $12 (RRP $17.95) and although I didn't exactly need new nail polish, I thought to myself, "oh, I might as well buy it since it's on sale!" and these shades are perfect for me! I love pinks and purples for nail polish, they're the shades that I wear the most :) I was also keen to try to Liquid Sand range which gives a textured matte finish as seen on blog reviews I've read.

Reasons for favourite-ing:

I am a fan of glittery nail polish, especially ones that brush on nicely and last long. OPI nail polishes are definitely high quality (who doesn't agree with me?) and I am really happy to add these to my nail polish collection. And since I'm not much of a nail polish-wearer (I so would be if I could be!), having these mini sizes is best in case one/all dry out as I'd hate to have to chuck a full bottle away if I only used it a couple of times. I like having variety and minis are good enough for me :D

Ego Sunsense SPF 50+ Moisturising Face

Reasons for purchasing:

This brand was recommended to me by a friend when I was looking for a new moisturiser for my face that can give me high SPF protection. Usually when I go out I use BB Cream which gives me coverage and sun protection but some days I prefer to let me skin breathe and wear something more lightweight. It was under $10 which to me is fair for a 100 mL product and I was happy to pay that much to try it out.

Reasons for favourite-ing:

During February's heatwave, I needed something that could help soothe the dryness of my skin from the deadly sun and protect it from getting burnt. As cheesy as this sounds, this was my saviour!! Light, non-greasy, suitable for my sensitive/dry skin and can be used as a base for my makeup which I did a couple of times. Some of my foundations have none or little SPF protection, thus having this applied underneath solves that problem. I like the packaging because it makes it easy to carry around with me.

 The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Make Me Star Waterproof Gel Liner

L-R: 06 Celebrity, 04 Disco Purple, 05 Sky Fever, 08 Moon Silver, Indigo Blue. Smudge tip at the bottom

Reasons for purchasing:

These purchases were from my massive The Face Shop haul that I didn't get around to sharing as a post (In total, 21 products purchased). Sadly the shop in my city had to close and so they were forced to clear out all of their stock. I hadn't purchased any products from The Face Shop before because there was never anything that caught my eye or attention. However when I visited during their closing down sales, these coloured eyeliner pencils had me intrigued and as a result I bought 5 different colours, $3.30 each (RRP $16.50 each instore). I wanted to try using different eyeliner colours besides the usual black that I use.

Endorsed by one of my favourite SNSD girls, Seohyun!

Reasons for favourite-ing:

I love the way these eyeliners glide on and the gel consistency is quite smooth compared to an ordinary Kohl pencil which can sometimes drag along the skin and not leave a nice, crisp line. I can use them on my upper and lower lash line and also as eyeshadow with the smudge tip. I need more waterproof pencil eyeliners too! Most of the ones I have don't last very long or end up smudging really easily. Damn, I wish I could have purchased all of the colours but there was very limited stock. I could always buy them online.

The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Stick Eyes

L-R: 03 Violet, 07 Dark Purple, 06 Dark Brown

Reasons for purchasing:

More from The Face Shop haul! Eyeshadow sticks like these are so easy to use and they seem to be very popular for Asian brand cosmetics. It makes applying eyeshadow very quick compared to using eyeshadow palettes with a brush/sponge applicator. I don't have many of these eyeshadow/shimmer sticks and since they were only $2.60 each (RRP $13 instore), they were an absolute steal so I grabbed these colours out of the limited selection.

Reasons for favourite-ing:

They glide on nicely over my thin eyelids without any pulling and tugging and I'm happy with how the colours look on me. No sharpening is required - all that's needed to do is twist the bottom like a lipstick. Also these are handy to put in your handbag for touch-ups :)

 The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Design My Eyebrow (Auto)
Brown, Dark Brown and Black Brown

Automatic pencil on one end, spoolie aka mascara brush on the other

Reasons for purchasing:

The Face Shop normally sells these for $11 each instore and with the sale they went down to $2.20 each! It's a must for me to fill in my brows unless I'm just going to uni/work and I thought that this would be a good investment. They last for 24 months after opening - that gives me two years to be done with them and I'm pretty sure I can do that, even while having all opened at the same time and alternating between them. And you might be wondering why I purchased 3 different shades... well, it was hard to pick just one when there's so many shades of brown and I'm not a natural brunette but I'm always dyeing my hair brown, sometimes light and sometimes dark. So for that reason, I felt that it was best for me to get 3 different browns to match however my hair looks I suppose, hehe. Also buying 3 is still cheaper than buying 1 for its RRP.

Reasons for favourite-ing:

These are my first automatic eyebrow pencils and I think I prefer them a little more than eyebrow pencils that need sharpening. The triangular shape works well with the direction of the hairs on the brow, depending on how it's angled. I found that this type of design and application gives a more natural look and I don't have to worry about my brows looking too harsh as the colour is build-able and you can choose to keep it really natural/faint or bold. Having a spoolie on the end is always handy for blending.

Face cleansers and scrubs

L-R: Innisfree The Minimum Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin,
The Face Shop Pore Minimiser Scrub,
Australian Pure Beauty Sensitive Face Scrub

I've been trying a range of cleansers for my sensitive skin and seeing whether they work well and don't irritate my skin. These 3 cleansers/scrubs have been the stand out products for me so far and I've been alternating between them each day, but mostly sticking with the cleanser as my go-to because it's the most gentle out of the 3.

Reasons for purchasing:

Innisfree: This was from my recent Sasa haul which I also didn't get around to sharing. I did a search for sensitive skin cleansers and this popped up so I decided to give it a try, plus it was only $6 USD. Since it's a fragrance-free foam, I figured that it would be very gentle with its light, airy texture.

The Face Shop: Purchased for the sake of the sale again and I have pretty big pores that I want to minimise. Even with products that say 'for all skin types', I still feel sceptical and hesitant to try the product because I in the past I have had skin reactions to products that say just that. But I bought it and tried it anyway - RRP $17.70 instore, bought for $7.

Australian Pure Beauty: N/A. A product from the ABC 2013 goodie bag :)

Reasons for favourite-ing:

Innisfree: It cleans my face well for something so gentle and I get no irritations. I like the pump dispenser as it's good for keeping the amount used consistent and 1 pump is enough for me. I would recommend this if you need a cleanser and have sensitive skin, or even if you don't have sensitive skin.

The Face Shop: It smells really nice and the blue micro beads don't feel harsh on my skin. It has a clear, gel-like consistency and it didn't irritate my skin - in fact it made my skin feel super smooth and I reckon my pores did become smaller! I won't hesitate to reach for this again.

Australian Pure Beauty: This one is a very grainy, sand-like and thick scrub where for me, a little goes a long way. I use about a pea size for my whole face and my skin feels smooth and refreshed afterwards. If this had been a product saying 'for all skin types' and I saw the texture of the scrub... I would have been very concerned about using it but since it says 'sensitive', I felt relaxed about giving it a try. Wording, packaging and appearance can have such a huge effect on one's perception, expectation and psychological thoughts.

 Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Chunky Cherry

Reasons for purchasing:

N/A. It was from quite a while ago, from an ABC goodie bag. And I had only recently started using it.

Reasons for favourite-ing:

It's like a lip balm with colour and I am obsessed with using tinted/coloured lip balms because I love the colour pay-off and having my lips nice and moisturised is what I need more than want! I can't use drying, mattefying lipsticks, I know I'll have that habit of licking my lips every few minutes or so. It may look great for some but it surely won't feel great for me. I think the reason why I've had it for a while and haven't used it is because of the colour - I'm more of a pinks/neutrals lipstick wearer however I am starting to really like red lippies all of a sudden. And it may look very red from the tube but the application is sheer. It's sooooo moisturising and it would be nice to have more of these type of lip crayons/balms ^_^

 Guinot One-Step Cleansing Water Face and Eyes

Reasons for purchasing:

N/A. From last year's ABC goodie bag.

Reasons for favourite-ing:

I haven't gotten into the Micellar Water Cleanser craze yet because most are quite up there in terms of pricing and I feel that average cleansers with water under $10 do enough for me. I always need to wash my face after removing my makeup anyway. But that doesn't stop me from being curious about Micellar Waters and wanting to try them. I'm not too sure if this product is classified as one because it doesn't say so on the bottle like most of them do. However the directions of use at the back of the bottle seems to indicate that it does work like one because it says, "pour on a cotton pad, then cleanse the entire face".

Here are the lovely swatches from the products mentioned in this post

The remains after one swipe of a cotton pad with the Guinot product

(The waterproof gel eyeliner remains! How good are they?!)

I would say that this cleansing water is really gentle and effective for face makeup more than eye makeup that's waterproof. Of course it can remove waterproof eye makeup too but it would require a bit of rubbing and/or more product. This doesn't put me off using the product or making it a favourite... I see it more as a toner than a cleanser and I'm happy to use this product to remove my face makeup :) The scent is gorgeous (think flowers) and surprisingly doesn't irritate my skin. I still like it even though there could be better products out there.

And that's a wrap!!! I always plan to have short and simple posts but I get very carried away when talking about things I LOVE and end up making these posts go on and on! Well it's over now, finally haha.

An easy questjen of the week:

February favourites - what are some of yours?

Keen to find out what people are liking/disliking!

Disclaimer: Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me unless stated otherwise. This is not a sponsored post, nor am I affiliated with any of the companies acknowledged. All opinions are stated by me with 100% honesty with no bias. 

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