When I was gifted a bottle of Elie Saab Girl of Now on my birthday, I was asked to do a review on it. I said no immediately but after considering it for quite a while, I think I should because it is the latest fragrance release. Granted now the distributor no longer send us any new fragrance . Before I go into detail with that perfume, I thought I’d tell you about my all time favourite perfume.

I still remember my reaction when I was gifted with a perfume. I think I sent a wrong impression to my friend that I hated my gift. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE PERFUME. Just that I have too much at the moment lol. I currently have about 30 bottles on my vanity table and another 10ish in the cabinet unopen. I wish he ask me what I want and I’d reply diamond

No. 1 Favourite Perfume – Estée Lauder Modern Muse

I cannot tell you enough how much I love the Estée Lauder Modern Muse line. Modern Muse, Modern Muse Chic or whatever just give me all. I’ve gone through the entire bottle of the original Modern Muse. Right before that, I was lucky to be sent the new Modern Muse Chic. Both version carries the same scent. For me there’s hardly any difference. I’m about to finish the Modern Muse Chic and Paris B kindly gave me hers! This is a scent where whenever I wore it, everyone would stop me on the street and ask me what perfume I was wearing. It happened at several H&M store, with the cashier asking me what sensual scent I was wearing. You can really smell a Modern Muse chic walking from far. I remember when I was at the Sephora Mid Valley store opening, out of the sudden I can smell a strong Modern Muse storm. I started to look around and waited. Then all the Estée Lauder PR girls arrived LOL. I told them “I can smell you from far” and they were laughing hard. No kidding. It’s really that good. For me that is

Signorina Misteriosa, Opium, Bamboo, Flora and The Scent

I can’t pick the secondary perfume because I have many! But if I want to save my Modern Muse and use something equivalent, it would be YSL Black Opium. Oh my God. This perfume is so sexy and seductive. The scent is strong but not nauseating. It lasts the entire day without the note changes. Perfume usually has 3 notes in it and each will evolve as the day goes by. Not this one. No problem for me as I like it that way.

And if I want to smell delicious and yet still sexy, I would go for Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia. I’m a floral scent girl so it is no surprise that I would like this one. The scent is so me according to many people. I go heavy handed with this and I don’t find myself drowning in it. Not bad lol. It’s mature, sexy, sensual, seductive. It’s everything a girl would like.

Hugo Boss BOSS THE SCENT has a similar scent to Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia, only sweeter. I don’t usually go for sweet scent except for this one, which I’ve used up quite a bit. It has a light scent despite being an Eau de Parfum. The scent doesn’t last long although I literally bath myself in it. So if I want to smell nice and a little sweet for a quick outing such as coffee run or lone shopping, this is what I’d wear.

This next scent has an impact in me personally. My ex and I each received the same Gucci Bamboo for review at the same time. As much I like this perfume and I’m left with 3% of content, I would want to finish this up and toss the bottle away. That’s because I have a new bottle waiting . If you like a subtle scent, this is the scent for you. It smells really fresh and floraly. I’m kinda obsessed with it. I only wish it was a tad bit stronger so that I don’t have to use so much each time.

Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina Misteriosa is the “darker version” of the iconic Signorina. I like Ferragamo as a whole brand so it doesn’t take a lot of guessing I like their fragrance line as well. The scent is mysterious as how the brand want to package it. It’s a deep, mature, womanly scent that is also sexy and sweet despite being a floral scent.

The Love of My Life – Elie Saab Girl of Now

You know how certain things that you don’t like a first grew on you and you fell in love? Again and again, all over. That is how I am with Elie Saab Girl of Now. Very much the same feeling I had towards the person who gave me this gift.

I received this on my birthday. It was my birthday eve, raining heavily that we had to cancel our Japanese dinner and go for a cozy home Japanese food order from Food Panda instead. Not the birthday celebration I expected and I was rather disappointed. I bought a new dress to wear. You know me. And it was my birthday! Food Panda was not good but the company was. The conversation started out of the sudden like “so I went to ask the lady what is the latest and greatest and the lady said this”. There I was, sitting there wondering what the heck this person was saying (because there was no opening line) and this person bent over to the other side of the table, and put the box in front of me. A perfume?! I said. That person replied yeah, it’s beauty. I did ask why buy me perfume and that I like diamond haha. This person has been telling me a few days ago that it’s something beauty and I’d love it. Because it’s beauty. Beauty is me. True enough. 100 brownie points for understanding me that well. I opened the bottle and mist Girl of Now on my arm. I said it smells like some middle eastern scent and I don’t like it. You know how perfume is. It takes time. After about 30 minutes, I smell something nice. I took a sniff on my arm and I was blown away. The top note has worn off and the middle note emerged. It reminds me of YSL Black Opium, only manlier. The beautiful scent stays on smelling oh so nice for the rest of the night. As I used it more and more, I like it. Now I love it. As I’m typing this now, I’m misting myself with this perfume on me. I find myself doing this a lot lately whenever I’m working from home. I have the bottle sitting in front of me. Hard to not reach out and mist myself with it.

There you have it! My perfume collection and what I smells like most of the time . Conclusion, Modern Muse or Black Opium hands down. Otherwise it’s Girl of Now

The post My All Time Favourite Perfume appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Recently I had a bad breakout. I’m still breaking out till to this day, can you believe it? This has got to be my longest, most miserable breakout of all these years. So I took a drastic change with my skincare routine. Because I have not had breakout like this for years, I was actually clueless as to what to do.

The first thing I did was to stop everything I was using and re-plan my new skincare routine. The key is to go back to basic. But what? I start from the cleanser and move upwards. And these are what I had come out with.

Day time routine

To me day time was the easiest to plan. I don’t really pile up a lot of skincare products as I was before. So it was just cleanser, toner, eye care, beauty oil, moisturizer and sunscreen.

Cleanser – Neal’s Yard Remedies Deliciously Ella Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash
This one is easy. It is my existing cleanser and I’m ran out as I’m typing this. It’s very mild, doesn’t foam up a lot but does a good job in cleansing the face.

Lotion – Estée Lauder Micro Essence
Micro Essence is actually my night time toner and I’m also using it in the day time. When used along with ANR, the result is amazing. Alone on itself it is just any other lotion, only more sticky and moisturizing lol.

Eye Care – Clarins Enchancing Eye Lift Serum
I’m trying to get through this as this eye serum is not enough when used alone. As it is a serum, it is recommended to use alongside an eye cream. You know me, I’m lazy these days

Beauty Oil – Trilogy No. 15 Limited Edition Beauty Oil
I should stop using this beauty oil as well and be on a super basic regimen but since I just started using it, I didn’t want to leave it alone. It’s harmless and such a waste if I stop using it so there you have it.

Moisturizer – Clarins White Plus Pure Translucency Brightening Emulsion
I have a theory with breakout. You MUST implement at least one whitening skincare in your skincare regimen so that the marks are easier to tone down or get rid off. I never ever ever go on with my day without any whitening product. I find that by using a whitening product, the marks are less red and heals faster

Sunscreen – Murad City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA++++
And of course, always end your day skincare routine with a sunscreen. I’m always on min SPF50. Nothing less. Recently I took out this Murad’s new sunscreen to use. It’s slightly tinted and heavy on the skin. Not my favourite at the beginning but it grew on me. Now, I like how it makes my skin healthy.

Forea Luna Play Plus
This is a new toy I purchase recently from Sephora. I’m using it once a day aka in the morning after I woke up and it makes my skin so smooth and glowy. Weird. It works!

Night time routine

From cleanser to moisturizer there are only 6 products, same as the day time. I thought it’s more. Hmmm.

Cleanser – Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser
I really like self-foaming cleanser. Recent discovery and love is this one from Caudalie. Night time is the time I really indulge in my beauty routine. Even this cleanser which I’ve been saving is only meant for night time as I’m scared I ran out lol.

Eye Care – Clarins Enchancing Eye Lift Serum
Nothing different here compared to day time. Still the same product for the eyes but sometimes I do stray to others. Sometimes

Lotion – Estée Lauder Micro Essence
Same as day time, Micro Essence is the essential as I’m pairing it with ANR.

Serum – Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Now, this is the main key product in the whole Breakout Skincare Routine. As I was re-planning my entire skincare routine, I was thinking hard on one product that can help with skin rejuvenation. I mean, most of the anti-aging products claimed to be one but I only knew ANR would work and worked before. So I bust into a brand new Limited Edition Golden ANR bottle from the Monkey year. Nothing feels as good as a brand new bottle of ANR haha.

Beauty Oil – Trilogy No. 15 Limited Edition Beauty Oil
Because I was using this beauty oil in the day, why not continue at night as well? Plus I feel more moisturized if I had this on to sleep.

Moisturizer – L’Occitane Reine Blanche Whitening Rich Cream
Like I said, I must have at least one whitening product to reduce acne marks and to accelerate the healing process. This cream is potent! It’s not drying for the skin and does a good job. I still do ended up with breakout marks but I believe it will be gone in no time with continuous use of this cream. I’m left with just a medium blob. Hope it will last me lol.

Treatment

On every alternate days, I would be putting one some kind of mask. The only I can’t stop using is the L’Oreal Pure Clay Mask Anti-Pores. I don’t care what people say about PRC made or UK made. This is what I can get in Malaysia and that’s what I’ll be using. Other masks on rotation are REN Evercalm™ Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask (review here) which works in calming down the skin or redness,Dr. Brand Magnetight Skin Recharging Magnet Mask (review here) to suck out all the impurities from the pores, and hella lots of sheet mask. The one I’m currently using are of course from my LoveFace X #IWillBeOkay collaboration box

Tell me, what do you do when you have breakout? Do you stop using everything or do you go back to the basic 3-steps?

The post Breakout Skincare Routine appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Everytime a brand released a new highlighter, you went crazy and swear THIS IS your highlighter and IT IS THE ONLY highlighter you need. You hunt for it, you bought it and then, another brand also released a new highlighter, you find yourself repeating the same reaction or process. And another brand, and another. The story goes on. “I only need this highlighter in my life”. How often have you said that or heard your friend said that? Too often . “I only need this highlighter in my life” – NOT!

As much as I still go gaga or ooohhhs and ahhhhs over new highlighter releases, I don’t find myself wanting to purchase them. It’s getting stale. I find that everybody in the whole wide world is forever never ending releasing a new highlighter. It’s getting too repetition that I got bored and stopped buying highlighters. Let’s be honest here. Highlighter never finishes! I piled them up on my face every day and I don’t see that I’ll hit pan anytime soon. Let me show you my small little highlighter in my collection, which are my favourite and why I don’t purchase anymore highlighters.

Ultimate favourite, the one I regretted not buying a few more

I have heard Zoella talking about the Estée Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée Blush so many times that I regretted not getting it while I still can.

2 years ago, I went to Estée Lauder Staff Sale and I saw this! There she was, sitting beautifully on the table with no one near it. Everyone probably thinking it is too shimmery to be used as a blush but I knew this is not a blush type of blush but a darn pretty highlighter. I giggled my way to the table and grabbed one without blinking. Not even a split second. I had an urge to grabbed another one but I thought I wouldn’t use this as much as that time I wasn’t into all the contouring and highlighting routine. It was my one and only highlighter and I have used it so much so that it has a small dent to it. It’s a waste that Estée Lauder no longer make them anymore as they are the most absolute gorgeous highlighter ever. I was hoping that I will see this at the next warehouse sale but nope, these never make an appearance anymore. It was made in 2013 so Estée Lauder wouldn’t sell this at 2016 staff sale. No way I am throwing this away. There is something about a pink highlighter that goes on so beautifully on the skin. I never quite get this effect from other highlighter except from this. It’s the only highlighter that shows up on photos for me.

The one that shocked me and caught on camera

I tried this Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 Custom Nude Palette For Face & Eyes one day on camera and my shocking reaction was caught on point on camera.

Not only this Shimmer Strips has a cute lace box packaging, albeit a bit bulky but I like lace so yeah. It is said for the face and eyes. So far I used it as highlighter as that’s what I learnt from international Youtubers. Plus I have a separate eye palette within the range for my eyes so I don’t use this for the eyes. Some people has been using the warm bronzey bottom as their bronzer but I find it to be too shimmery. As a topper yes, not as the main bronzer alone. I like to use the top two rows, run my brush on them several times and voilá. The highlighter is so blinding that it lasts the entire day. If you have darker skin, just swirl everything together. Another thing I notice is how fine the shimmers are. There aren’t much powder kick back to it. Although I have been using this like crazy, I still don’t see a dent. How is that even possible! I am so totally recommending this if you need a good highlighter that is absolutely affordable.

Waitlisted, bought and disappointed, the one that is cheap but does nothing

I wanted to complain about the ELF Illuminating Palette so much but it is so cheap, like RM26.84 cheap that I shut my mouth lol.

I own a ELF Contour Palette and it was not too bad so when iHerb has the Blush Palette and Illuminating Palette, I bought immediately. However the Illuminating Palette was sold out within the next minute that I was put on waitlist. I immediately check out when it was back in stock.

It was a disappointing palette to be honest. It has no pigmentation AT ALL. The only shade that is more shimmery is the 1st shade on the top left. The rest is more of a matte shade with no pigmentation at all. I don’t reach out for this palette at all nowadays as this palette require plenty of time piling up. And the end result is not wow even though so

Does better than how it look

I decided to lump these two Essence Prismatic Rainbow Glow Highlighter and Wet n Wild Mega Cushion Highlight together because my thoughts on them are pretty similar.

Essence Prismatic Rainbow Glow Highlighter is an exciting purchase this year. It is so cheap and it’s pretty interesting to see a rainbow highlighter turned into a golden highlight. It is beautiful on the skin, with super fine shimmers and almost no powder kick back. The highlight is subtle but definitely there type of highlighter. As it is a golden-ish type of highlight, I can’t see clearly in my dark room and I always end up piling them. What amazed me was that, no matter how much I used, it is not blinding or looking too overly done. It is still beautifully highlighting and yet not overly done type of highlighter.

Wet n Wild Mega Cushion Highlight on another hand requires a little bit of getting used to at first when it is new. At the beginning I ended up with a patchy highlight strip on the top of my cheeks and that freak me out. Later on I found a way around; and that is to tap on the back of my hand to even out the liquid highlight before dabbing it on my cheek bone. It is so gorgeous! I was blown away everytime I whipped this out to use. The end result looks like as I was using an expensive highlighter but actually this cost just $5.99 each. I’m glad I bought 2!

The most outrageous expensive highlighter I use

Ahhhh Guerlain Coque D’Or Perfumed Shimmer Powder Body & Hair. I fell in love with this mainly for its packaging. Do I have any use for perfumed powder? Not at all

These days no one goes out with shimmery hair or skin unless you are in a photo shoot or fashion show. I missed the previous one so I told myself I have to get this. And I did. Then I ended up not knowing what to do with it. It cost me nearly RM400. I told myself it’s too expensive as vanity table decoration lol. So I ended up using it on my cheek bone as highlighter! It works but the misting has to be really precise and on point. If not and you need to spread it out with your fingers, you will find all the shimmers stick to your fingers instead of the face. It’s a waste of money I tell you lol. During my earlier highlighting days, I used to use this a lot but I can never get a precise mist. It always ended up on my cheeks rather than on my cheekbone. It also has fly away shimmers that tend to get on every other part of the face. It’s outrageous, it’s expensive and I’m using it as highlighter. Oh well

Now, confession time. Which one of you cannot stop buying highlighter? I think I have problem to stop purchasing contour or bronzing product but highlighter? I don’t need a lot. So far I have been doing pretty good.

The post “I only need this highlighter in my life” – NOT! appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

I was reading one of the Estée Stories article this morning and one of the article caught my attention. Gift With Purchase or in short GWP. How the entire GWP started back in those days and how it remain as one of the most brilliant and salient sales strategy to date in the beauty industry. I remember back in 2010 when I started all this beauty craze. Admittedly, GWP affected a lot on the decision whether to purchase or not to purchase a certain product or amount. That was because beauty counters at departmental stores do not offer discount. GWP is the way to go. Every week I would keep a close eye on Clarins and later on Estée Lauder for their GWP promo. These two brands had most of my money lol!

The Estée Lauder GWP Story

For Estée Lauder, it all started back in 1946 when Saks Fifth Avenue cosmetics buyer Robert Fisk finally responded to Estée’s “millionth” request on rewarding their customers with free gift with purchase, and agreed but only applicable to an order of $800 worth of product purchase. Estée proceeded to notified all the store’s preferred customers via mail (snail mail, there was no email back in 1946) that they are offering a free cream-based powder with every purchase. It was the first of it’s kind marketing strategy and so the entire Saks Fifth Avenue’s inventory was sold out in just two days. Here are some old Estée Lauder Gifts With Purchase ads from decades past.

1956 GWP: Free Estée Lauder Translucent Face Powder

Not sure about you but at the beginning, all these ads does not make any sense. At one glance you wouldn’t know what it meant.

In 1956, a purchase of your choice of Estée Lauder cosmetics scored you a gratis box of Translucent Face Powder. This ad also notified customers of a personal appearance by an Estée Lauder special representative and a recommendation for an easy-to-follow skin-care regimen.

1960s GWP: The Quick Facial Kit

This is where it started to make a little bit sense lol.

Here, a quartet of skin-care essentials to prime your skin for complexion perfection. The set included Cleansing Oil, Creme Pack, Skin Lotion and Enriched Under-makeup Creme, all housed in a rectangular box.

1966 GWP: The Castilian Look By Estée Lauder

This is my favourite.

Inspired by the sultry style of Spain, this set contained a Translucent Powder Base, Translucent Face Powder and Castilian Lipstick.

1970 GWP: The Face Of The ‘70s

Here you can see the evolvement of Estée Lauder identity, which is still translated to today’s look. This looks like the current Estée more due to the color ad.

Housed in chic dark blue packaging adorned with the gold Estée Lauder logo, this cosmetics quartet features a blush with matching brush, Tender Lip Tint, mascara and Fresh Air Makeup Base.

1972 GWP: The Fragrance Gallery

This set housed three Youth Dew-scented confections: Bath Oil, Body Satinée and Cologne.

1978 GWP: The Country Life Beauty Kit

All-in-one beauty kit? This is where the idea of “box” set came from! I think

Geographical locations and mixed beauty bags reigned supreme in 1978. This one boasts glosses, shadows, Aliage body moisturizer and a fragrance.

2015 GWP: Opening Ceremony Collaboration

And lastly, this is today

The tradition continued with the Estée Lauder Opening Ceremony Fall 2015 designer edition collaboration. The collection featured limited edition cosmetic bags in exclusive signature Opening Ceremony prints in brightly colored thumbprint, ikat and flower designs. Each gift bag contained a selection of Estée Lauder skincare and makeup must-haves like Advanced Night Repair, Sumptuous Mascara, Pure Color Lipstick and Eyeshadow Quad Compacts in either subtle or bold iterations and more.

I love vintage beauty stories and I hope you too!

The post GWP, Beauty Industry’s Most Brilliant Sales Strategy to Date appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona