2013 Favourites

This is a super late 2013 favourites but better late than never ☺

I didn't know which posts to do first so I figured why not start 2014 with my favourites from 2013!

I started using more make up last year and I've discovered some pretty good products that I've fallen in love with. 

I shall pick 1 out of every category to make sure it's really my favourite favourite.

BEAUTY

Foundation: 

Was thinking long and hard about this and I think that it's got to be my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. I strayed away for awhile but I recently fell back in love with this foundation. I couldn't decide between this or the Shiseido but I think I have to go with this. It's probably my HG foundation. This foundation always makes my skin look amazing. Like it's so natural and like it's not heavy at all. It doesn't conceal every single flaw but I just makes my skin look nice. I don't really know how to explain it but it's really amazing ☺

Price: 75 SGD ( Not sure if it increased! But I'll be repurchasing soon so if it's not I'll update!)

Concealer: 

DEFINITELY WITHOUT A DOUBT MAC PROLONGWEAR. This concealer is really bomb.com I swear. The main concern for my skin is my redness and discoloration. I'm not really too anal about concealing pimples or whatever cause that's just me. This concealer is super amazing and sometimes when I don't feel like using foundation I just use this on my 'problem areas'. It's quite high coverage but super light weight. Super love. If I could recommend a concealer it would definitely be this! ( let me know if anyone wants a post on concealers I've tried yeah ☺) 

Price: 30SGD

Eye Liner:

I literally only use one eye liner for my top lash line and it's the Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Liner. This eye liner is probably my HG for now. I use it like every time I wear eye liner. It's super easy to work with ( But I haven't really tried other gel liners). I've only tried the Maybelline one before this like maybe 2 years ago. It dries out super fast ( Maybelline). The Bobbi Brown one doesn't smudge that badly unless you're wearing it for like 12 hours. My eye lids are the type that no matter eye liner you use it will print on the top because my lids space is quite small. ( I don't really know how to explain) HAHA but any was yeah this is my favourite favourite gel liner and I have it in like 3 colours. ☺

Price: 40 SGD

Mascara: 

This is a tough one because I've tried so many mascaras in 2013. I think I would have to go with Benefit's They're Real. It doesn't clump your lashes and it makes them look natural thick. I hate clumpy mascaras and the mascaras I use are normally the kind where you don't look like you're even using mascara. This mascara isn't waterproof though. That's the only downside so I don't use this on my bottom lashes! ☹

Price: 16SGD for the small bottle/tube

          37 SGD

Eye Shadow:

I'm not really an eye shadow person but if I had to pick it would be the Naked 2 palette although I only got it in December. I used the Sleek palettes before I bought the Naked 2 but if I had to I would choose the Naked 2. The shadows have quite a lot of fallout though so be careful. Other than that, the colours are amaaaaazing! Super love cause I always stick to neutrals~ The most colour I've worn is probably a navy blue smokey eye for clubbing with the Sleek palette HAHA 

Price: 83 SGD

Contour: 

Definitely the Sleek Contour Kit in Light. Nothing more to say. This contour kit is amazing. The brown is not too orange and not too muddy on my skin and it's just perfect~~~ Love love love

Price: 17 SGD

Blush:

Started wearing more blush towards the end of the year only and it's only because of the Sleek blush by 3 palette. I've mentioned it in another favourites video so I won't say much about it here. Sleek blushes are amazing and I have the single ones too! Definitely recommend ☺

Price: Single- 14 SGD

          Blush by 3- 20 SGD

Lips:

Again with lip products I've only got into them like maybe in October after hanging with Flo HAHA I don't have that many lip products but I guess the one that I've got to pick would be the Revlon Lip butters. Talked about it in a favourites video as well. I just got 2 new colours that Singapore doesn't carry thanks to Pearlyn who got them for me from US. Thanks babe :* This lip butters are not drying and when you reapply it doesn't have that dry texture that lipsticks give. It's super amazing cause the only lip product(s) I used to use were lip balms or at most tinted lip balms so this is like the next level. Anyone who's starting out with lip products should definitely try the lip butters ☺I have a feeling they're gonna start melting soon though when the weather gets warmer. Let's hope not!! 

Price: 15.90 SGD ( If I'm not wrong! They've reduced the prices)

Hair Product:

This is super hard but I need to cheat and choose 2 cause I think I must have both these 2 products no matter what although I alternate. They are the Tsubaki Hair Treatment and the Essential Hair Mask ( Pink one) I have used multiple tubs and tubes of these and I really think I can't live without them. They always make my hair feel so damn fabulous and they smell amazing. Please try them. Please!!

Price: Tsubaki- 17.90 SGD ( Not very sure actually but around there hahaha)

          Essential- 9.90 SGD 

Will try and do a skincare post soon once I'm done testing out products ☺ Still reviewing some masks and treatments!

Hope this post was helpful to anyone who wants to buy more make up or looking for new products to try!!

PS: I've had deactivated my ask.fm so if you have any requests or questions you can email me @ alexandriadecosta@gmail.com :D

Lots of love,

Alexandria ♡

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12- Hour Full Coverage Foundation Review

Hi!!!

I am so sorry there wasn't any post last week. Didn't really have time to do a proper post so hopefully I'll be able to get 2 up this week ☺

Picture is a screenshot from tartecosmetics.com 

I finally got my hands on the Tarte foundation last month after researching on it for months (or maybe even since last year) and patiently waiting for Tarte to come to Singapore. This foundation costs $60 and it has 1.7Fl. Oz/ 50ml of product. My other foundations are all 1 Fl. Oz and that's the usual size for foundations in general. So I was super duper excited to finally get it and I even got Florencia excited to get it too. We got colour matched and apparently I'm Fair Sand. Which is the lightest shade and she got Fair Beige. I think I'm yellow- neutral undertoned. I say yellow- neutral because I'm not really yellow undertoned but I'm not really cool and I can use both types of foundations/concealers ( cool & warm). I think the colour is a little too light for me now though because I'm kinda tanner now but it's not that obvious and I guess a little bronzer would even it out. Also, my face is lighter than my body so my foundations are usually not the same exact colour as my body and I don't want it to be also cause then my face would be dark and I wouldn't look normal. Foundation usually looks better on my skin after a few hours as well. 

So anyways back to the foundation. The first time I tried the foundation I must admit that I hated it. My skin was going through a dry phase and this foundation was stinging my face and it was so hard to blend because of the dryness on my face HAHA 

Side note: I used to have really really oily skin but now my skin is kind of normal to combination. I do have dry face phases but other than that it's quite normal~ like only oily after awhile and around some areas. 

So yeah, I really hated the foundation I removed it the minute I put it on ( also partly because my mother was rushing me and I got irritated and didn't have time to blend and all). But Flo wore it too and she said she loved it. After reading all the beauty gurus rave about the foundation I was determined to like it cause it was quite expensive and I didn't want to waste my money. So I waited for my skin to stop it's stupid dry nonsense and I gave the foundation another try. I liked it a bit better but I wasn't really feeling it. Like the coverage wasn't that fantastic and like I didn't really like anything in particular. 

I wore it a few more times and I've finally come to a conclusion.

These are my thoughts, I'm not saying I'm 100% right or anything but this is what I have observed :

1) The foundation doesn't make me that oily but after like 6/7 hours I do get shiny. But not oily.

2) The foundation is not full coverage. It's like light to medium. 

3) It's a semi matte finish. Not too matte and not too dewy.

4) It's lightweight. Doesn't feel heavy or thick on the skin.

5) There's no scent.

6) It doesn't really oxidize. 

7) It didn't blend easily on my skin. 

8) It separates on my skin after 8 hours of wear.

I applied this foundation using my fingers, a beauty blender and a buffing brush and the buffing brush works the best. 

Overall I would give this foundation a 6-7/10. Honestly not what I expected. I'm not sure if it's because the colour subconsciously bothers me cause I'm a paranoid person by nature or what cause today after staring at my face multiple times I realized that the colour isn't that bad like it's lighter than my body but it's not obvious, know what I mean? In other words, it matches my face but not my body. 

The formula didn't really work well with my skin but maybe it will work well on someone with oily skin ☺ Flo loves this and she has oily skin so maybe it's better for an oily skin type ☺

So ya anyways, the foundation only has an SPF of 15 which means I would still have to use sunscreen underneath this. 

I am quite sure I won't repurchase this but I will just use it up since I already have it. It's not a foundation that I enjoy using, like my Shiseido & Chanel. I am honestly disappointed by this ☹

Has anyone else tried this foundation? Maybe I'm doing something wrong~ Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this okay? ☺

Will probably do a post on face masks next so stay tuned!! ☺

Lots of love,

Alexandria ♡

Foundations foundations foundations

Gooooooooood morning!!

I couldn't decide what to post about ( contemplating between my 'everyday' make up routine or my skin care) so I guess I'll just talk about the foundations I own or have tried, if anyone even reads this hahaha

My first ever liquid foundation:

REVLON COLOURSTAY Combo/Oily Skin

Pros:

Good coverage

Lasts long

Doesn't get oily fast

Cons:

Super thick

Smell is super strong ( but I don't mind)

Packaging is damn burden ( I transferred mine into a muji pump bottle)

I've stop using this already because it's really super thick. I used to mix it with moisturizer and it was fine :)

Repurchase? Nope cause I've found better foundations :)

Chanel VitaLumiere Aqua

Pros:

Smells nice

Super light

Looks nice in pictures ;)

Cons:

Expensive

Gets oily ( maybe it's the weather in Singapore plus my combo skin)

Packaging makes it hard to tell how much you have left

HG FOUNDATION. I know I can always count on this foundation hahahaha love it

Repurchase? Yes

Chanel Perfection Lumiere

Pros:

Smells even nicer than the VitaLumiere

Looks AMAZING in pictures

Semi matte finish 

Cons:

Expensive

May cling to dry patches

SPF not high enough for day use so I still have to use sunblock underneath

I love this foundation. Didn't purchase the full size because I bought the VitaLumiere. I have samples of this and I really really love it. The samples have lasted me for super long also. Love the smell of this but the coverage is not super high but it looks natural. 

Repurchase/purchase full size? Considering purchasing the full size because I really really like it

Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation

Pros:

Super high SPF (SPF 43+++)

Water resistant + lasts long on the skin

Good coverage

Cons:

Relatively expensive

Smells a bit like sun block ( I kinda like the smell HAHA)

Favourite foundation at the moment although I haven't used it in awhile. The last time I used foundation was almost a week ago and I used the Perfection Lumiere. I love this foundation for day time because it covers my redness and the SPF is (Y). It doesn't make me oily until like 5/6 hours so it's a good wearing foundation! I love. 

Repurchase? YES. 

Garnier BB Cream ( Miracle Skin Perfector)

Pros:

Easy to blend

All in one

Very natural looking

Cons:

I think it breaks me out.. I think

It can get oily

I'm not a fan of BB creams to begin with but this BB cream is the only one I actually kept. I use it on days when my skin is super dry and I don't wanna stress it with foundation. This must be set with a powder though cause if not my skin will just get oily. Colour is good but I really think it breaks me out :(

Repurchase? Nope cause I feel like it clogs my skin

I hope this was useful to anyone who reads this! :)

If anyone wants me to do a post about something (e.g. my make up routine/ favourite this or that) just let me know! You can write it anonymously on my ask if you want :) 

<-------- The box is there 

Till my next post

x