10 Beauty Products I Can and Cannot Finish

With brighter days now that it's spring time over here, I feel more motivated to clean out my drawers and tidy up my room to help liven up the atmosphere while the sun shines through. It's no wonder they call it 'spring clean'! Cleaning my drawers allowed me to find all sorts of items that I had forgotten about and also made me realise how often I use the makeup and skincare products that I have. In these past couple of months I was able to finish a number of products and I had thought about writing another 'empties' post but why do that when I can do something a little different... talk about the products that I know I can finish and those that I just cannot!   Let's start with the 10 items that I can finish, and here's proof:  

Not all 10 items shown, only my recent empties - more can be seen in my previous empties post

1. Liquid eyeliner Easy peasy Japanese-y! Liquid eyeliners are my one true love. I tend to feel incomplete without that single line above my top lashes - the one thing that I think makes the most difference compared to not wearing any makeup. Happy to go without the rest but liquid eyeliner, I need youuuuu, and lots of you. I finish these off really quickly, not only because I use them almost daily but because the pen ones only have around 6 mL.   2. Eye makeup removers and wipes Without these in my life, would I even bother applying makeup? Using regular face cleansers aren't enough when it comes to removing waterproof eye makeup for instance. I need the good stuff that gently and effectively removes all traces of makeup. I've gone through bottles and packets of these and I'm always keen to stock up whenever there are sales. Besides using facial wipes to remove my face makeup, I use them to spot-clean my brushes too.   3. Cotton pads, tips To assist with the removal of makeup, of course. They're also great for fixing up any mistakes :)   4. Lip balms I apply lip balm at least 3-4 times a day, and times that the amount of days in a year... yep that's how much I use lip balm - basically, a lot. It's as though my lips depend on it because a day without lip balm = chaos. I get dry, cracked, flaky lips, a nightmare for some. I don't have a favourite brand but I generally stock up on Maybelline Baby Lips and Nivea ones.   5. Body lotion, hand cream For someone who has dry skin, moisturising creams are a godsend. Need I say more? I feel so uneasy when my hands, elbows, knees feel drier than a desert. I guess everyone would but even that feeling I get after drying my hands from washing them makes me feel uncomfortable unless I apply hand cream straight away. Weird, right?   6. Foundation and BB Cream Medium-coverage ones especially! A big confidence booster when my blemishes are covered to a point where it doesn't look too obvious or caked-on. I've gone through a couple in my lifetime and the ones I have now are starting to finish up too.   7. Concealer These typically come in small tubes and when there are plenty of blemishes to cover, it's all gone before I know it.   8. Face and body wash The only way to really remove dirt within the skin and exfoliate is to use face and body wash. When they're used daily, I can't see how they CAN'T be finished.   9. Shampoo and Conditioner Reasons why I can finish these products: Water on its own won't cut it, the greasiness will still prevail. Conditioner keeps my hair in top condition :D   10. Perfume and deodorant I'm aware that it can be quite rare for people to finish a bottle of perfume but trust me, it's possible. As seen in my empties post, I finished a 50mL bottle of perfume and I have gone through many aerosol cans of deodorant. Not because I stink (or maybe I do *sniffs*), it's because I was once obsessed with spraying on lots of deodorant as a teenager. It made me feel cool and grown-up, okay.     Now moving onto the ones that I cannot, let me show you my current collection of each:  

1. Lipstick/gloss/pencil  

  Impossible to finish any of these no matter how hard I try. Actually to be honest, I've hardly tried. I'm reaching for lip balms these days, tinted lip balms to be more precise. My mum on the other hand doesn't use lip balm as she never has dry lips! Hence she's able to go through many tubes of lipstick. There was a phase where I was really into using lipglosses and then that died out. Everything else I just use occasionally since none of the above help with my dry lips :( I don't think I have that many lip products but it's not like my collection is getting any smaller (and I kinda want it to so I can feel less guilty about buying more).     2. Blush  

  I've never hit pan on any of them let alone finish any! Plus I rarely use blush due to my naturally flushed cheeks. Only on special occasions and photos for my blog. Whenever I do though, I only sweep a tiny bit. The blushes themselves are pretty to look at and have photogenic packaging (that Physicians Formula heart one in particular!) and as a result of my lack of use, they ain't going anywhere. Looks like they're stuck in my drawers unless I decide to give them away or something.     3. Pressed or translucent powder and bronzer  

  I know many girls out there rely on face powders to set their makeup however I'm the complete opposite. With dry skin that's prone to flaking, I don't feel the need for powder, in fact I find that powder tends to enhance my dry areas and so I'd rather use a setting spray or blotting sheets when my face needs mattifying. For contouring I use the bronzers and contour palette and just like blushes, I sweep a very small amount. My bad for not showing a picture of them all opened - I swear they'd all look pretty close to brand new. Best example is that Rimmel Bronzer with a clear lid that still has the star pattern on the pan.     4. Pencil eyeliner and brow pencil/products  

  Close to impossible for me to finish these, I can use the same ones for decades. Sharpening them decreases their size a little but no matter how much I use them, I can't seem to make them decrease to a size that deems them unusable or 'finished'. Same thing goes to my colouring pencils that I used as a child, which I still have by the way.     5. Nail polish  

  They dry up on me before I get the chance to finish the whole bottle. And besides, the brush applicator doesn't even reach the bottom for you to finish entirely. I can chuck out old ones and replace them with new ones but to be completely done with a bottle of nail polish? Uh...     6. Eyeshadow  

  Ah eyeshadow, another photogenic beauty product that I seldom use. I'm always so tempted to buy new ones for their pretty packaging/colours whenever I go shopping and then when I think about my collection, temptation is no where to be found. I haven't hit pan on any eyeshadows and I haven't finished any single one let alone a duo, a quad or a palette. Don't even get me started on my 88 shadow palette that I've had for years... which almost looks brand new.    Just this week I bought more eyeshadow palettes... what. What happened to no temptation, Jen?

... Yeah about that... review to come!

  7. Hair spritz and serums

 

  You can only spray so much out of a x mL bottle. For me, getting through one bottle takes forever, same with serums where you only need a couple of pumps of product. It's unfortunate that I get lazy using these sometimes :/     8. Primers for face, eyeshadow and lashes  

  Don't know why these are never-ending for me when I use them ALL THE TIME! I've had a backup eyeshadow primer for a few years now... and I'm no where near the end of my current one. I forgot to include my lip primer in the above photo, whoops.     9. Mascara  

  I have never finished a whole tube of mascara. Yes, the formula goes funky or dried up but there's still product on the wand which can be used, thus doesn't technically count as being finished... you know what I mean?     10. Many packet items i.e. samples and face masks  

These are just my samples. I have about the same amount of face masks

  Samples and face masks themselves are easy to finish but I can't finish many samples and face masks, like when I have an overload of them! Sometimes I'm too scared to use samples for my face 'cause there's no expiry/manufacture date on them which isn't helpful for knowing how old or new they are! I have really sensitive skin too and to me it's not worth taking the risk. Same with using face masks where I could get an allergic reaction from them anytime. The only difference here is that they have a manufacture and expiry date which I tend to forget about anyway. There are times where I feel like putting on a sheet mask so I go to look for them in my drawers, then I see that many of them have already past their expiry date! It feels like such a waste when I have to chuck them out :(   So, now that you've seen what I can and cannot finish, I'd like to ask you a questjen or two:

Which beauty products can you finish? 

Which can't you finish?

I wonder if there's anything similar or different~

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Disclaimer: Most products were purchased with my own money, some were provided or gifted. This is not a sponsored post, nor am I affiliated with any of the companies in this post.

Vlog: My 10 Favourite Products of the Year!

Hello! Since we are approaching the end of the year, I thought it would be a good idea to list 10 of my favourite beauty/skincare/makeup products of 2012. I couldn't decide on an actual top 10 (i.e. number 1 being my favourite product) so I have just picked 10 favourite products in no particular order.

In 2012 I've only made a video once thus far, all the way back in January with my ASOS haul. Now it is December and I am back with a new video! Apologies for the crappy quality and rather choppy editing... I'm still a newb when it comes to filming videos (always getting tongue-tied!) and I'm not a vlogger :P Please bear with me ^^

If you'd rather skip the video, you can read below about what I said in the video and also some additional bits.

• Revlon Lip Butters

As I said in the video, these are really smooth and creamy :) I love packaging and the smell of these too - so sweet! I wouldn't say that these have incredible lasting power though, however I do see why they were such a big hype. The only downside for me was that they tended to be too shimmery for me, especially the Peach Parfait one. Perfect colour but wished it had little or no shimmer!

• Felt-tip black Japanese liquid eyeliners (Dolly Wink and K-Palette)

These aren't brand new; I just happened to have kept the packaging!

I knew that hoarding packages would come in handy, haha. Anyway, I love these pen-like liquid eyeliners!! So perfect for my small eyelids. Only a very thin line is needed to make all the difference, hence I struggle to use and enjoy using those liquid eyeliners that are in a 'pot' with a thick brush tip. I also find that it's really easy to wing out my eyeliner with these felt-tip pen liners. They're smudge-proof and waterproof too! Unlike this one that I reviewed recently~

• Brow products (Ardell, Dolly Wink Red Earth and Tony Moly)

Over the years I have collected eyeshadow palettes, blushes, lipsticks, nail polish and so I decided to collect products which I hadn't owned previously - brow products! It was only this year that I had realised the importance of filling in brows. I have quite dark/full brows naturally and because of this I thought that it wasn't necessary for me to do so. Also I guess HyunA's appearance in Gangnam Style MV made me want to do something about my brows lol... even though they're no where near as faint.

Tempted to draw over them

Red Earth Absolute Brow Perfecting Kit (Discontinued)

I picked this up for $2 at Priceline whilst rummaging through a discount/bargain box. It can be a little embarrassing but this product was a gem to find! And come on, for $2 this is amazing. Love the different shades of brown and textures to help fill in my brows, and of course the tools that come with it. I reckon this kit will last me for a while.

Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel (Clear and Brown)

These brow mascara gels are so quick and simple to use. They were roughly $6 each again at Priceline and I had to pick up both because they sort of have different purposes. The clear one is good for keeping your brows in place without needing added colour, days where you just want a more natural look. I also like to see it as a gel 'seal' for after pencil-ing in my brows or after using the powders from the kit.

The brown one is more for colour. I know the brow kit is brown and that gives me colour however this brown gel is lighter and suits my brown hair better. There are Asian brand ones like this and I have seen that they are around $15-$20 each and I can't justify paying that much when I could buy one that does the exact same thing for half the price.

Tony Moly Lovely Eyebrow Pencil and Dolly Wink Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Chocolate 

 Again, kept the packaging haha

I bought the Tony Moly one and it's one of those automatic twist eyebrow pencils that don't need sharpening (very convenient). Then I got the Dolly Wink eyebrow pencil from a giveaway (yay) and I really really like it! Not just saying that because it's Dolly Wink hehe... it definitely is good and I like it more than the Tony Moly one. It seems to glide better on my brows and I don't mind that it will require sharpening (I actually haven't sharpened it before despite using it for over 6 months). They both have the spoolie on the end as most eyebrow pencils do.

• Shiseido Eyelash Curler

I bought this from Sasa for around $12 I think. Not too expensive for a branded eyelash curler. It's definitely worth the investment because compared to curlers that are not branded or are much cheaper, this does a much better job in my opinion. Works incredibly well for my short, straight Asian lashes as it effortlessly curls my lashes and the curl holds even without the help of mascara and until the next day after removing eye makeup and washing the face. Unbelievable!

I'm still curious about its competitor brand, Shu Uemura and how that compares to this eyelash curler. Apparently it is just the curvature that differs according to Kitty but still want to try to see what all the hype is about. I would have gotten the Shu Uemura one instead if it were in stock but luckily I am happy with this Shiseido one and I have no complaints about it.

• Face moisturisers for sensitive skin (Sukin and Purist)

For someone who has sensitive skin, it is very difficult to find the perfect face moisturiser that won't irritate my skin. Thankfully the Adelaide Beauty Conference provided us with amazing skincare products that were proudly Australian owned and suitable for my sensitive skin! Not everyone got the Purist one on the right though - long story short, we were playing a game and our group and another went off to the 'waiting room' and this was where the presenters of Purist were packing up their gear after they did their presentation. They happened to have a few spare products and kindly offered them to us :) I was happy to be given a face moisturiser for my sensitive skin ^^ It's been such a joy to use!

The sukin one has shea butter and therefore smells sweet whereas the Purist one smells like some sort of tea. I'm not tea expert so unfortunately I can't name what type of tea it smells like xD It isn't an unpleasant scent but I do gravitate more towards the Sukin one because of its sweet scent and easy pump bottle. The Purist one is more purse and travel friendly.

• Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes

Now to something that I did review this year, and won from Priceline's Twitter competition. These brushes are simple love. They're so unique and I especially like the contouring brush (far left) which is perfect for blending powder or liquid. They are high quality and the case is smartly designed. At first I wasn't too fond of the small-headed foundation brush but I eventually got used to it and started liking it :)

• Dolly Wink Eyelash Glue 

Package hoarding once again~

Favourite Favouriteeee eyelash glue right now and probably forever unless something even more incredible takes over (which I doubt). I much prefer this over those typical squeeze-tube ones... those are just too messy to deal with. This has a thin applicator brush (like liquid eyeliner) where you use it to 'paint' the glue onto the lash band. The glue quality is A+ because it goes on white but dries clear and I believe that it is waterproof. But the thing that I like most about it is that it comes off all in one strip off the lash band. Which makes reusing falsies (if you choose to) so much better. Some glues are terrible and remain stuck to the lash band even after trying to remove with makeup remover etc. Those ones are typically the ones that come with a pair of lashes (unless the tube is branded). Chuck those out because they're useless!!

As for the scent... it is bearable. To me it smells like sweet diluted hair dye lol.

These are the squeeze-tube glues I was talking about. They're ok but as I said before, messy to deal with. The tube ones I have tried and liked are the LashGrip (pictured) and DUO adhesive but unfortunately that didn't smell pleasant. The Koji one one the left was only a few dollars on Sasa and well... I guess I got what I paid for. It could just be mine that was dodgy but seriously, the glue didn't become sticky... it stayed watery? To be honest, I hated it! That's why I purchased the Dolly Wink one right after and I am so glad I did :D Though I am confused as to why Koji Dolly Wink and this Koji eyelash glue aren't similar despite having the same brand... sort of?

• Loujene False Eyelash Case

Ahaha yes that's right, a box has made it to my 10 favourite beauty/skincare/makeup products of 2012 :D This was gifted to me by the lovely Jen and it was just what I needed. I've always wanted a box to store my falsies and glue, especially for my handbag. And the design is super cute and girly which I adore - pink, white polka dots and a butterfly ^_^

It's also perfect for fitting any other knick knacks I want to bring along with me such as a nail file (and I chucked in a powder/blush brush for the lolz). I love the separate compartments and the mirror. Thanks Jen!!

• Wotnot Facial Wipes

Again this was a product provided by the sponsors of ABC. Sadly I only have a couple of wipes left, nooooo! 20 wipes is not enough and I haven't been able to find a stockist to purchase more of these :( They are fragrance free, suitable for sensitive skin and even removes my waterproof mascara. This is the travel pack version with a hard case and mirror at the back. I love it and will definitely purchase these if I see them!

• La Glace Rose Chamomile Sensitive Care Toner

Last but not least is this face toner which I got from Sasa back in winter (summer for those of you in the northern hemisphere). It was my first time using a toner and I know that there are probably many of you out there who can't live without their toner (maybe I'm just exaggerating) but the only reason I hadn't purchased a toner previously was because most of the ones in stores don't specify that they're for all skin types or suitable for sensitive skin and so I decided to be on the safe side and not use any at all to avoid any irritations. Luckily I was able to find this one on Sasa and so far so good! Doesn't give me any irritations and removes all traces of excess makeup after cleansing. Pump bottle is efficient but not travel friendly.

And that's a wrap! 10 items that I particularly liked this year *_* Hope you found this post informative/interesting. Perhaps some of these items are your favourites too, or ones that you hadn't discovered before. Would love to hear your thoughts on any of these!

Also just wanted to include my current eyeshadow primer that a few of you were asking about in my previous post:

  Australian brand - Australis Eyeshadow Primer

It's great for around $12 and the metallic hot pink is gorgeous. I found it similar to my previous eyeshadow primer, the Urban Decay one:

 

The old packaging. It's all dried up now but I couldn't chuck this away!! Life of a hoarder...

They're both good and I wouldn't compare them because they aren't that similar apart from the stick-sponge applicator and the creamy beige texture. I would say that Urban Decay is 'better' only because of its price (I paid $30 for it). If you're not willing to pay that much then for you Aussie girls, I'd recommend the Australis one.

This is my last post for 2012! Hope you all have a fabulous new year. See you in 2013 :)

Bahaha Flower Power!

Leave you now with SNSD's Flower Power. Relax, it's not their comeback song but yesss the girls are coming back on January 1st (also when I come back from my short trip)!

♥ Jen xx

FOTD featuring Cuicu Eyeshadows

Hi everyone! As I said on my Twitter earlier today, I didn't think that I would have time to blog this weekend but hey, here I am :)

I want to start by saying thanks to those who have shown interest in my giveaway! And a warm welcome to my new followers ^^

I've read through the entries and have taken note of your answers to my questjen: 'what would you like to see more of on my blog?' - I really appreciate the feedback and suggestions.

As a way of showing my gratitude, I have a new makeup look to share. I dedicate this FOTD to the ones who suggested that I do one :D

 It's been way too long since I last did one of these

It's almost spring for us living in the southern hemisphere!! I think this look is very suitable for spring~ weeeeee

A nameless FOTD because I am uncreative and not witty. Forever sighing over the qualities that I wish I had. Where art thou artistic skills, cleverness and musical talents?!?

Just in case you were wondering what products I used for my FOTD, here is the description:

I've included a polaroid selca just because. I'm vain

• MeMeMe Flawless Cream Foundation - Honey Lush
• Cargo Blush - Catalina
• Cuicu Symphony Stereo 3-color Eyeshadow
• K-Palette Real Lasting Liquid Black Eyeliner
• Daiso lashes No. 210 (from Jen)
• Maybelline The Falsies Mascara
• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - Cupcake

If this post was just going to be a FOTD one then it would probably end right here. I think this is why I may have... kind of 'stopped' doing FOTD posts because in my opinion they would be too short and for me they would seem... unfinished. Perhaps blog readers prefer short and snappy posts however as a blogger I much prefer to have detailed posts to keep the reader informed but not bored. Also as a blog reader, I do prefer to read lengthy posts :D

So in additional to a FOTD look I am going to briefly review the eyeshadow trio I used!

Thank you KKCenterHK for sending over this 'Cuicu Symphony Stereo 3 Color Shadow' - a brand and product that I hadn't heard of before. I wonder if any of my readers have...

Looks like a Korean brand?

'프로페셔널메이크업' just translates to 'Professional Makeup'

Hm interesting, I have never seen an expiry date on eyeshadows before. Have you?

I guess that is somewhat helpful

I am a bit confused looking at the back of the packaging. www.cuicumakeup.com doesn't seem to exist? Or maybe it used to exist but moved/closed. That is rather odd...

CUICU Symphony Stereo 3 Color Shadow

RRP $5.95

The box with a hole for the colours to be seen. I like the texture of the box

I see Korean, English and Chinese. Where is the 'Made in _____' ? I seriously wonder where this product came from haha....

The product arrived in roughly one week and it was packaged with about 3 wrap-arounds of bubble protection. To my surprise, I noticed that the pink eyeshadow had cracked:( I wasn't happy with having to clean up the mess it made in the packaging.

Untouched mess. 

I wouldn't blame this entirely on KKCenterHK.... after all they did package it neatly but it was probably not handled with care during shipment

The poor design of the box could be the main cause of this problem. There is a rectangular 'hole' for the eyeshadow colours to be seen which I just mentioned above. I think it would make a difference if this 'hole' was filled with a clear plastic sheet. Oh well... the eyeshadow is not completely ruined thankfully.

I cleaned it up and it looks much better now

Also, I have been inspired to use Jap magazine pages as the 'background' for my product images :) 

It makes the picture a whole lot prettier I reckon

Now to share some swatches:

One swipe with each finger, with the corresponding eyeshadows directly behind

They look rather sheer and if you look closely, you may be able to see some loose powdery bits on my finger. Reminds me of loose eyeshadow pigments... except these are pressed eyeshadows and are not pigmented.... *shrugs*

They definitely look better swiped on the back of my hand

I think it's safe to assume that the eyeshadows have not been finely milled as preferred. Sadly the swatch for the turquoise eyeshadow in the middle looks more like a metallic green. Turquoise would have been more awesome in my opinion.

 In flash lighting

How did I apply my eyeshadow? Well, I used a fluffy shader brush to apply the white eyeshadow to the inner corners of my eyes and also as a highlight colour for my brown bone aka the area right under my eyebrows. I then added the pink eyeshadow to the centre of my eyelids with the same brush, followed by a pop of the greenish-turquoise shade to the outer corners of my eyelids, my crease and on my bottom lash line with a pencil brush (Sigma). I used a blending brush to eliminate any harsh lines and to bring the colours altogether without over blending.

Lighting and camera quality has an impact on how the eyeshadows look on my eyelids

I can't make much comment about the double-ended sponge applicator provided in the palette since I didn't use it to apply my eyeshadow. I actually always use eye brushes instead of sponge applicators.... it's just my preference and I find brushes to be more versatile (applying and blending). I appreciate how there is a sponge applicator provided as it makes it more travel/makeup bag friendly for any needed touch-ups.

My overall thoughts:

It's not a bad eyeshadow trio and the colours are quite nice. It's just that in comparison to other eyeshadows that are similar in price... I feel that this trio is lacking in quality and isn't on the same standards as others. My pink eyeshadow is still cracking even after I have cleaned it up and removed the loose bits. I assume that this is due to the eyeshadows not being finely milled and hence being more prone to separating and whatnot. The pigmentation of eyeshadows is not a high priority for me because it's buildable during application so I'm really not fussed about that. In the palette the eyeshadows feel chalky but once swiped they feel quite smooth and if there is any fallout, they can easily be blown away or brushed off using a fan brush.

The case definitely feels sturdy but unfortunately that wasn't enough to protect the non-finely milled pink eyeshadow from experiencing breakage during shipment.

Recommend?

If I had to recommend it to someone, I would only recommend this to anyone of any age wants to do their first eyeshadow experiment. When I first played around with eyeshadow, I remember that the palette I used was pretty bad quality but I still found it fun to play with :/ I was under 10 years old haha.

But if you are looking for a cheap, good quality eyeshadow.... I wouldn't recommend this. For $5.95 it isn't worth it and you are better off saving your money or investing in a better-quality one where the brand is familiar and the country of make. Also you want to be sure that they have a website that is actually legit.... *sceptical*

You can give them a try if you're interested~ I have a 10% off code for KKCenterHK orders on any item: BLGB345JL10

My face is like: 'I can find better eyeshadows elsewhere'

LOL I'm kidding but it definitely looks like I'm thinking that.

I have come to the end of my review post! Thank you for reading/skimming/whatever you do when you see a post from me xD I really enjoyed doing a FOTD look after such a long time - so glad to have made a comeback ^_^

Questjen of the week:

Eyeshadows - How important is the quality to you?

My answer: Important but not of utmost importance

Even though I found this trio to not be of high quality, this won't mean that I will never use these eyeshadows again or chuck them out. For some they may be completely useless but to me... they are still usable. I can make them work like how I did for my FOTD. I may prefer higher quality eyeshadows but as I said before, pigmentation is not my top priority - just as long as it is buildable and the eyeshadow smoothes onto my eyelids.

I want to quickly add that next saturday is the Adelaide Beauty Conference!! I am so excited for it. I attended last year's one and it was so amazing. I heard that this year's one will be even bigger... oh I can't wait hehe. I will surely blog about it *_*

♥ Jen xx