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

Review: Models Prefer Starter Face Brush Set + Tutorial

Hello, I'm going to be doing a little review on a brush set which I bought recently from Priceline. The brand is called 'Models Prefer' which is a brand that is only seen in Priceline and is Australian. I've owned a palette from them and I must say, the quality wasn't good. It's worth the money but it really can't be compared to drugstore makeup :/ I noticed that their eyeshadows have low pigmentation and feel quite chalky. Although their palettes are around $5 each, I really don't think I'll be purchasing Models Prefer eye makeup again.

I had a glance at their section in Priceline and I noticed that they now have a range of brush sets. A starter eye and face brush set. The eye brush set consists of about 6 brushes and was on sale for $7.95. It tempted me but I realised that I already had all the eye brushes that this Models Prefer set was offering. Their Starter Face Brush set attracted me though and I purchased it straight away. On sale for $9.95 was a set of 4 face brushes - concealer, foundation, angled blush and powder.

Lovely gold pouch, it looks like a purse. This would be ideal for travelling

- Instructions on the left, perfect for beginners

- Extra protection on the brush heads

- Magnetic button on the inside to close

They look quite professional with the wrapping around the brushes

The angled blush and the powder brushes have brush guards :)

The names on the brushes is really helpful for beginners :)

I am totally sold about the appearance of these brushes. It doesn't seem as though they have been clumsily designed or packaged and for the price, it's pretty good. I know that they may have used cheap plastic but usually one brush of any other brand costs $10+ dollars so having 4 of these for that price isn't bad at all.

My main reason for purchasing this brush set was to find a replacement or an alternative foundation brush for my Ecotools one. I've had the Ecotools one for almost half a year and the quality is wearing off. The brush was really good at the start but now it's no good with applying foundation...

L-R: Ecotools and Models Prefer

My Ecotools brush hairs have gone poofy and fluffy!

So not what it's meant to be like :(

I bent the hairs of both brushes and the Ecotools one stayed in that position :/

It's starting to look more like a blush brush instead of a foundation brush

Currently my Ecotools brush is streaking on me like crazy! It leaves all these lines on my face and it doesn't smooth out my foundation properly. Thank goodness I found a cheaper and possibly long-term replacement foundation brush :) It does the job well

Models Prefer Foundation Brush: 5/5

I really hope that the quality doesn't wear out like my Ecotools, but I won't be surprised if it does. I've only spot-cleaned it (using a moist towel) and I haven't seen any shedding of hair.

I don't normally use concealer but I still wanted to have a concealer brush, just to add to my brush collection. I'm glad that I could find a cheap concealer brush that is quite dense and does the job well. I actually tested this out with a concealer and also with my foundation. Instead of using concealer, I also like to use a bit of foundation with the concealer brush to cover up any blemishes. My foundation has really good coverage and when I don't feel the need to pack on foundation, I can just use a bit of it as concealer!

This is the tallest brush in the set, I don't know why they aren't all the same height...

Models Prefer Concealer Brush: 5/5

The hairs are dense but not too dense to make it hard for concealer to be applied on my face. Again, this has only been spot-cleaned however, there was still no shedding of hair.

Now with the angle blush brush, I can compare its quality with my Sigma angle blush brush which I reviewed here.

Sigma is the white-haired one, Models Prefer is the black-haired one

They both have the brush hair guard to help hold the hairs in place after use and washes.

The Sigma one is tighter, thus better at maintaining the shape of hairs on the brush

The Models Prefer brush is taller

The hairs on both look very similar but they're quite different

I'm not surprised that the Sigma angle blush brush has much softer hairs than the Models Prefer one. We all know that Sigma has high-quality brushes and cannot be defeated by cheaper brushes! The Models Prefer brush hairs aren't too scratchy but aren't too soft either. I think that after a wash or so, the hairs will become rough and will shed.

Models Prefer Angle Blush Brush: 3/5

-1 for hair quality

-1 for shedding

Now finally onto the fourth brush. I can't compare this brush with any other because this is my first powder brush. And what a shame, I don't use powders on my face :| But judging by the hairs, it feels exactly the same as the angle blush brush. I'm also going to give it the same score based on that.

Models Prefer Powder Brush: 3/5

-1 for hair quality

-1 for shedding

The only positive thing that I can say about the angle blush and powder brushes is that they pick up a lot of product on the brush because the hairs aren't that soft. One swipe of blush or powder would be enough and this will help save me from running out of products too soon.

So overall, I have some mixed feelings on this brush set. It's definitely a brush set that is suitable for beginners and also suitable for someone who has an interest in makeup. It could even be good for a gift. The only worthy brushes of use are the foundation and concealer brushes and I'm likely to pass on the angle blush and powder brushes. As a replacement for my foundation brush and for me to just have a concealer brush that I'd be glad to pick up and use, it was worth it. I could have bought a brand new Ecotools foundation brush for the same price as this set but I didn't want to risk going through the same problem again.

I think I'll be sticking to my Sigma angle blush brush and maybe use the Models Prefer one when I've been too lazy to wash the Sigma one x] That probably won't happen but if something goes wrong with my Sigma one, the Models Prefer brush will be the replacement.

Models Prefer Starter Face Brush Set: 8/10

-1 for the hairs of two not-so-good brushes (angle blush and powder)

-1 for the shedding of hair

So that's it for the review! I will now leave you now with a tutorial video of which I used 3 of the 4 brushes. I filmed this last night, hope you like it.

Since these brushes are aimed at beginners, I thought I'd do a little beginners guide to applying makeup and doing REALLY quick smokey eyes with neutral colours such as golds and browns, using my palette and lashes from Daiso. Sorry there's no talking, I do however have a few captions here and there for instructions. Also, it's been sped-up so that it's not so dragged on, and to show you really how quick and easy it is to achieve this look!

I remember Tam requested me to do a tutorial because she wasn't sure how to apply eyeshadow. I was going to do it for my Park Bom Inspired Look but that's a little outdated now haha.

Oh and excuse the crappy, yellow lighting :/ And also how pixelated it is... Windows Movie Maker decreases the quality after I publish the video :(

Tutorial: Neutral Smokey Eyes

Products Used (in order):

Australis Face Primer

Models Prefer Starter Face Brush Set

Revlon ColorStay Velvet Creme Makeup in 020 Natural Tan

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in #53

White Face Sponge

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Daiso Eyeshadow Palette (Shine Colour Eyes)

Australis Mineral Eyeshadow Contouring Brush

Eyeshadow Brush

Sigma Blending E25 Brush

NYX Eye/Brow Pencil in 901 Black

Rimmel Soft Kohl Eye Liner Pencil in 071 Pure White

Face of Australia Liquid Eyeliner in Charcoal

QVS Eyelash Curler

Laneige High Perm Curling Mascara

Daiso Criss-Cross Lashes in #3

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy

Pupa Velvety Baked Blush in 04

Face of Australia Kabuki Brush

Please let me know if I should do something like this again or if you have any requests/suggestions :)

OOTD - Dressing for an Interview

Hey guys! So I'm feeling a lot more stress-free now. If you follow me on Twitter (which quite a number of my blog followers do, hello!), you'd know that I've been stressing in the last couple of days, including today. Today I got my school results and score D: I'll reveal more about that later.

Yesterday I had an interview for a university course that I was interested in. Not all university courses require an interview to be accepted but since this course is so competitive, an interview was required. It's the Bachelor of Oral Health. I've actually had my mind set on this for quite some time.

The interview in my opinion went well but I had no idea of what they'd be expecting as answers for their questions. It went for about 20 minutes but I felt that it went much quicker than that! I don't find out whether I'm successful or not until next month. Keep those fingers crossed for me!

This was my first formal interview so you could imagine how nervous I was before going into it. On Twitter I revealed what I was planning to wear to the interview and now I'm going to share the outfit of the day :) I wasn't too sure what to wear for the interview because people who had interviews the day before said that they saw people wearing casual clothes like shorts, jeans and t-shirts. My mum made me wear more of a corporate outfit to make me look more professional and serious about wanting to do the course. I'm really glad that I did dress this way because the other girls at the interview did too and dressed similarly to me :]

So, here is my outfit of the day:

- Silky silver singlet

- Black Skirt

- Black cardigan

- Gold flats

I wish I wore skin-coloured stockings...

I kept it really simple and didn't wear any jangly bracelets or necklaces - just a watch and a pair of earrings. I kept my hair down, even though maybe I should have pinned it up :/

Singlet tucked into the high-waisted skirt

I thought that maybe the singlet would reveal too much skin so I left the cardigan on during the interview

I decided to apply just a bit of makeup, to make it seem as though I put in effort to make myself look nice for the interview.

- Revlon ColorStay Velvet Creme Makeup in Natural Tan

- Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

- Urban Decay Primer Potion

- Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadows in Hazel

- NYX Black Eyeliner

- Rimmel Soft Kohl White Eyeliner

- Pupa Blush

- Pupa Lipstick

- Majolica Majorca Mascara

- Australis Makeup Finishing Spritz *NEW*

- Sigma Blending Brush

- Models Prefer Face Brush Set *NEW*

(*NEW* means that this was my first time using those products and they were recently purchased :) I think I might do a review on them)

The eyeshadow is almost invisible or hardly noticeable. Again, kept it very simple and light and used neutral colours. Only lined my waterline, curled my lashes, applied mascara and a hint of blush with a neutral pink lippie.

Used the two lightest shades

So I felt so relieved after the interview and now I have to wait until January to find out whether or not I have been accepted. I am really hoping that I will! Especially as a way to make up for my result today. I wouldn't say my result was bad but it could have been better - heard of so many better scores but the good thing is that it is high enough for me to get into the university courses that I have applied for ^_^ Just going to hope for the best~!

Now that my stress levels have decreased once again, I will blog regularly from now on, perhaps even daily :)

TAG - Naughty or Nice List 2010

[This post was made a few days ago but I didn't have the time to finish and publish on the date]

So I've decided to do another tag post even though I wasn't specifically tagged for this one. This tag was actually created by YouTube beauty guru Jen from frmheadtotoe :) I thought it'd be a great idea if I went along and did this tag in the form of a post instead of a video. Mind you, I actually did record half of it with my iTouch camera but it went for almost 20 minutes O_O Yeah that would be heaps boring to watch haha...

For this tag, all you gotta do is list 5 items that were 'naughty' for you this year i.e. products that you regret buying, didn't work, waste of money and 5 items that were 'nice' for you this year i.e. products to recommend to others, continue using, repurchase etc.

Starting with the naughty list:

1. Batiste Dry Shampoo Tropical

I decided to try a dry shampoo this year to see whether I can maintain nice hair in between washes. I don't wash my hair everyday, and I know for many they'd be thinking 'ew' but my hair doesn't get oily or dirty that easily. My hair is fine the day after I wash it so I wash my hair every second day. This dry shampoo didn't seem to do anything for my hair. It just made my hair smell like the tropical scent, which I wasn't a huge fan of anyway. I regret buying the regular size of it, even though I got it at a discounted price! There are now smaller versions of it which I would have rather purchased. The aerosol can is very close to still being full and unfortunately I can't give it away or sell because aerosol cans aren't allowed to be shipped in packages :| It's going to go to waste if I don't use it...

2. Australis Extender Lash Mascara in Clear

Clear mascara doesn't seem to have the same formula as regular dark mascara. This clear mascara did absolutely nothing for me. It couldn't hold my eyelashes after curling them; in fact they made them straight again o_o It also took forever to dry on my lashes. All it did was make my eyelashes wet. I would definitely not repurchase this or any other clear mascara!

3. Australis Mineral Eyeshadow Contouring Brush

Don't call me hypocritical but I liked the function of this brush. I'm only being biased about what it does - I love how it contoured my eyeshadow and the shape of the brush hair. With that I'd be biased with any contouring eyeshadow brush. What I disliked about it was the quality of the brush hairs and the handle.

The brush actually detaches from the handle which is so not good quality! And the brush hairs shed like crazy.

Although the brush looks like it has high quality, it really isn't. The thing about Australis products is that their prices are similar to other drugstore brands like Maybelline and Rimmel but their quality is not even close to those! Either Australis drops their prices or increases their quality. I will not purchase anymore brushes from Australis, even if they are half price! It isn't worth it for me.

4. Clearasil Pimple Blocker Pen

I bought this when I was desperate for something to decrease the size of an abnormally large pimple on my face. I paid full price for this - $13.95 and let me tell you - it was a waste of my money! I didn't see my pimple decreasing. And also, it didn't seem to do anything on my 'fresh' pimples. It is advised that you use it when a new pimple forms. Luckily there's no scar on my face from the large pimple x] Another thing is that I hardly get pimples on my face so this product really did go to waste. It said not to share this and it is only intended for personal use, I'm guessing for hygiene reasons. So there's no way I could give this to someone else to use :/ Even if I could... it has already expired =[ It expired a few months after I purchased it. What a waste! $13.95 for 1.9mL was not ideal. As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures...

5. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

This makeup remover was actually on my blog sale, but I decided to give it to a friend since she uses it and was running low of it. Again, I see both positives and negatives on this product. It removed my makeup really well, one swipe would do the job. It reminded me a lot of the Lancome Bi-Facil which is the makeup remover that I adore. The thing about this makeup remover was that it wasn't gentle on my sensitive skin and eyes, and I believe that it gave me an allergic reaction :/ It made my eyelids red, swollen and itchy... not a good look. If only this makeup remover was gentle *sigh* So if you do have sensitive skin like me, I don't recommend this eye makeup remover however if you don't have sensitive skin, then I think you could give this a try.

Now with the nice list:

1. L'oreal Gentle Makeup Remover for Eyes and Lips

Speaking of gentle makeup removers, I was able to find a great one after I discontinued using the Neutrogena one. I did a little review of this here and I must say, I still have the same thoughts on it :) It's very gentle on my eyes and I love how it clearly states that it's suitable for sensitive skin! Although it takes a few swipes to properly remove makeup, I still love how it doesn't give me an allergic reaction and it works well for me. I would repurchase this unless I can find one that ticks all the boxes - gentle, for sensitive skin and can remove makeup in one swipe.

2. Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara in Waterproof

I don't know why it didn't rotate, even though the photo on my computer has been rotated!

I also did a mini review of it here and this is still my favourite mascara. It works well with my lashes and it does everything that I want it to =] Luckily I purchased this when it was half price (now it's $23.95) because I don't think I would try using a different mascara. I would love to repurchase this but maybe when it's on sale again x] $23.95 might be too much for me, unless I want to spoil myself hehe.

3. Pupa products

This is upside down. Oops...

Ah, this year I discovered Pupa products at Priceline when they had a 50% off sale on all Pupa items. Now Pupa products are no where to be found in my city or in any of those Priceline stores anymore but that's okay. I have enough Pupa items that will last me for a while x] I'm just going to be glad that I was able to try high-end makeup for the very first time! In Australia they aren't considered as high-end but in Italy (where they originated from) they are high-end :) Maybe if I visit Italy I can purchase other Pupa stuff. I was happy that I could also have some Pupa items in my blog sale (which have all been sold) and also in my recent giveaway. I definitely recommend Pupa products because they are high-quality and have unique packaging x]

4. Rimmel and Revlon Lipsticks

This year also marked the year of me buying lipsticks for the first time, and also blush xD I had bought and tried every other makeup product except for those. It took me a while to realise my liking for lipsticks and blushes! I'm very glad that I have lipsticks from Rimmel and Revlon. My first purchased lipstick was Rimmel's Pink Blush which is known as a dupe for MAC Viva Glam Gaga :D It's a very Barbie-pink and it doesn't suit my skin tone that much so buying the Lady Gaga one wouldn't have been worth it as it costs a lot more! Revlon lipsticks are also my favourites :) Rimmel have the cheapest drugstore lipsticks and Revlon are the most expensive but definitely worth it ^_^

5. Urban Decay Primer Potion

Last but not least is my Urban Decay Primer Potion! This is my most expensive makeup product but it was worth every cent :D Well for me it was haha, not sure if it'd be the same for others. At the start of the year I was just looking for any ordinary eyeshadow primer to keep my eyeshadows from fading or creasing and I was happy when I came across this one online. When I bought this, I didn't know anything about the brand 'Urban Decay' and I had no idea about its quality. It was $30.95 but I clicked the 'add to cart' button in a flash because of the product description on the site that I purchased from. The price didn't affect me and I just wanted an eyeshadow primer so bad! There are so many cheaper ones but I don't care - this one is SO good! I can't rave about this enough. Urban Decay is quite expensive for Australians especially but you can't go wrong with this. I could use the chalkiest and least-pigmented eyeshadow and I'm sure that this primer potion will work its magic to make it look fabulous. So there you go - with this you're able to get away with buying cheap, low-quality eyeshadows by just using the Urban Decay Primer Potion first :) Eye makeup stays put and can last for the whole day and/or night!

I tag everyone who would like to list their 5 favourite items of 2010 (doesn't have to be cosmetics, they could be clothes, shoes, accessories etc.) and 5 disliked items =] I'd love to see what you've discovered in 2010 and maybe I can get some ideas!

PS. Sorry if the pictures seem a little unclear, I used my iPod Touch camera. Also I didn't watermark because I got lazy :/ I've been so busy in the last couple of days and now I'm dreading my school results D: Wish me luck.