Well then, I’ve decided to totally skip the festivities now that it’s all over LOL! Didn’t document much on Instagram anyway since the data connection back at home was just far too slow so those of you who follow me on Instagram were spared my spamming till I got back to the city 😀
Once I got back, I got right back into spamming your Instagram feed – sorry… ok not really 😛 I also took part in something called a #designerluxurychallenge which was quite fun and quite an eye-opener but you’d have to see that on my IG feed coz I’m not posting it all here. Instead here were some highlights I thought you might enjoy seeing instead, if you haven’t already 😉
- I caved into the hype and picked me up an Hourglass Ambient Lighting blush in Radiant Magenta, the colour that got my attention first, after I saw it on Karen MBB’s blog. It’s permanent so give me some time to tell you if it’s worth the splurge, despite the mixed reviews out there.
- I emptied a couple more skincare products. Not hard coz I’ve been very good lately, sticking to what I know. This time, it was the Melvita Floral Waters and my favourite Dr. Lewinn’s Line Smoothing Complex. Already have my backups in place, yay! Oh and not happy that the Melvita floral waters no longer come in glass bottles.
- Finally took a store tour of the Nars store at Pavilion KL! First thing to greet me was the Spring 2014 collection and if you haven’t already done so, take a look at the Kauai eyeshadow duo. I’m a bit obsessed by how buttery soft and smooth it is which is very uncharacteristic of Nars eyeshadows, from my experience! I may even spring for it, despite it being a purple! Spring. See what I did there? 😛
- Oh and I also told you that the Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturiser is the best I’ve ever used out there. It is, I promise!
- Attended the official launch of the Maybelline Lip Polish here in Malaysia, which is what the Lip Elixirs are apparently known as although I’ve been told it’s a bit different. But no matter. They’re here and I know there are lots of fans of these out there already! Hands up if you are!
- One of my entries for the #designerluxurychallenge was Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope palettes. It’s a bit funny how fickle beauty afficionados are. At one time, you couldn’t move for LMdB raves up and down the internet. These days, I hardly hear a peep about them. Maybe I’m not reading the right blogs, I don’t know but the big ones aren’t showcasing them!
- I also dug out a couple of Lorac palettes that I have. They’re amazing! You can’t get these anymore as they were limited edition but the quality of the shadows are very impressive. The problem is it’s very hard to get Lorac online at a store that ships internationally for a reasonable price so I’ll just lust from afar. Sigh.
- Pink guava! During CNY my aunt brought some and I ate so much of them! They’re much sweeter than the regular white variety and taste so much better. They also aren’t as easy to find anymore, but if you can, eat them. Delicious!
- And speaking of food, don’t you agree that at a Korean restaurant, the banchan side dishes often trump the main dishes? They’re usually so interesting and I am always curious what I’m going to get each time since they differ from restaurant to restaurant.
- A friend sent me a picture of a sneak peek of Dior Lip Polish by Allure Magazine, which is likely to launch in the later months. Now tell me. Where have we seen these before eh? 😉
- CNY was abominably hot here in Malaysia and I wasn’t planning to doing a lot of visiting so I kept my makeup very light and simple, and these were a selection of items I took home with me. It was wise. It was all I could manage!
- If you’re a fan of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate the way I am, then you could do your bit for charity with the Keep A Child Alive campaign. A limited edition bottle is sold where you get a collectible charm and 100% of proceeds goes towards the foundation to help provide for children with HIV. Only for the LE bottles though and it’s while stocks last!
How was your festive fortnight? Did you travel?
I’m quite glad to be back in the groove as it were. It was fun to go home and enjoy the festivities but as they say, you can have too much of a good thing!
Paris B
Instagram my week is an excerpt of the highlights of my week or weeks on Instagram. There are lots more in the full IG feed so follow me there @ParisBMWS for quick reviews, beauty previews and gastronomic delights.
Awesome eye candy and tummy candy shots that I could feast on 🙂 Lotsa colours, mostly from cult/elusive brands like NARS and Lorac, which I have spotted in the pictures and I feel so high and happy! Aww, can’t wait for your review on Hourglass to find out about the hype and wonderful effect that women are squealing! The Clinique blush looks so beautiful in its blossom design 🙂 Yes, pink guava is like the limited edition version of guava with blush on it, hahahaha. It is yummy I am sure. I can’t recall if I have ever tasted it, but I do recall seeing it only once in all these years. So yay! Good for you to be able to experience the awesome taste.
Haha I’m actually wondering what the hype is about Hourglass blush too to be honest although the Clinique blush absolutely deserves all the accolades it’s been getting. LOL at your description of pink guava! I wish it was easier to get it. I remember it being a lot more common when I was younger and much less so now 🙁
Hey Paris, man I can’t wait to lay my hands on the Clinique Cheek Pop, and naturally the Dior Fluid Sticks! It’s supposed to be a water-based liquid lipstick that does it all (a punch of color, glossy finish, lasting power, moisturization, comfort…). So far nothing beats the Guerlain ones for me (why aren’t they adding shades to the line-up? Hmm?), but who knows? Maybe Dior will do it!
Also, LMdB just weirded me out a bit too much by now. You can only buy “bundles” of stuff on their site, and some pieces aren’t even for sale. You have to spend 200 bucks to get it for free instead. I mean, can’t I just buy what I really want??? I think the marketing and PR strategies have changed a lot, and their new head MUA isn’t quite as “visible” as the previous one (I mean, do we even know who she is?). Also, with the lack of seasonal collections, it is just a bit forgotten. I still love what I own, but I have a hunch that it will be harder and harder to lay my hands on their stuff (it is constantly on sale on Beautybay. I don’t think that’s a good sign). That is frustrating to say the least.
I haven’t come across any info on the Dior Fluid Sticks yet, but I remember when they had the Lip Fluid from years ago and I loved those! Liquid lipsticks that were really lovely in texture on lips and not drying without being too glossy. Then they had to discontinue it bah! Interesting that they’re bringing it back though! And you NEED at least 1 Clinique Cheek Pop. Need! 😀
Oh and as for LMdB I feel the same as you do. I checked out their site recently and it was all pre-packaged items. You can’t buy singular items and then they launched that beauty box thing that you subscribe for a year at a go and I saw some of the items that people got – one month it was makeup remover. Like what?! That’s all?! A brand with potential that’s just about dead to be honest 😛
Oh I’ve never tried the Lip Fluids, but I’m glad to hear you liked them! Let’s hope these are even better (the formula is touted to be glossy though).
Yeah I don’t know what happened to LMdB. The marketing strategy is truly confusing, and they seem to have stopped caring about bloggers. Most niche brands try to build an online community, because that’s how they gained their popularity in the first place. I kept thinking maybe they were going through a transition period, but now this seems like the status quo. Oh well. It’s a pity but there is plenty to love out there.
Haha, before your time, Sunny! 😀 As for LMdB as you said, there are other brands and products out there to love. Sort of like, it was good while it lasted eh? 🙂 I didn’t notice it about them being out of touch with the bloggers but perhaps that might explain why I don’t see much mention of it anymore. After a while, people just forget and move on especially if it’s too niche and cult and hard to find 🙂
I can’t wait to read your review about the Hourglass blush.
By the way, I am in the middle of cooking chicken with honey sauce wrapped in bacon with roasted potatoes. Plus peanut butter cookies for dessert 😉
Did you get any Hourglass blushes, Marina? And your cooking is always so fascinating! Be sure you instagram them 😉
I have been wanting to try out Kiehl’s MRC for a long time now, and this is probably the perfect time to do it! 🙂
By the way, I have wanted to purchase Antipodes Juliet cleanser ever since you reviewed it months back. I’m thinking of taking the plunge now. I know you only use it for the morning cleanse, but I’m wondering if you think it is strong enough to work as a second cleanse in the evening after an oil cleanser / cleansing balm? I don’t wear foundation on a daily basis, just sunscreen.
Thank you!
And do a bit for charity eh? 🙂 I hope they still have these promo bottles where you are Emy 🙂 I love the Juliet cleanser and it’s great to be used both day and night. If you’re already using an oil cleanser, it’s perfect to use Juliet because it’s so gentle on the skin. I don’t because I”m back to using my Vichy (also I use 2 cleansers coz I’m too lazy to keep switching it from sink to shower and back again 😛 )
I love LORAC too. It was my first eye palette way back then that i invested upon when it was available in Singapore. Kind of miss this brand now that I see your photo. 🙂
And i can’t wait to see that Hourglass blush review. It’s so pretty in that pan.
Lorac eyeshadows are so good! I didn’t know they were available in Singapore! Are they anymore? It sucks that I can’t get it readily online though. And I’ll work on the Hourglass blush 🙂
I am definitely going to check out the Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturiser the next time I am at Pavilion since it is suppose to be even better that the Laura Mercier one 🙂
Melvita rose water… I’m using up one right now!! Love it. Sometimes my girls run to me, while I was applying my creams, for a spritz of it too. Since it’s quite natural, I give them one spritz each and send them happily running away and giggling. They have no idea what it is, of course. They just love the sudden coolness when it’s sprayed on their faces (I always tell them to close their eyes and mouth so they sort of anticipate when the mist will land on them). When I finish it up, I’m going to fill it with plain drinking water to spray on them. It’s cheaper. HAHA
The Maybelline Lip Polish… seen online that it looks so glossy it sorts of puts me off. Wanna know what you think about them. Lorac palette…!!! I am so lusting after the Lorac Pro Palette!! On MRC, we recently bought a new bottle but it wasn’t the LE one… boo… if I had known better, I would have asked for the LE one… 🙁 The pink guava looks yum! I bet it smells more fragrant than the white ones. 😀
Oh nice! Melvita water is so nice and for me so far, the best product I’ve used from them. Everything else has been just so-so. And your daughters are so cute! 😀 I’m sure they enjoy their nightly ritual too (oh and remember to add some rose essential oil into the plain water else they’ll be able to tell the difference! LOL!) Will update on how I feel about the Maybelline Lip Polish once I find the one I bought. Can’t remember where I put it! >.< Pink Guava tastes better - more guava-y 😛