We’ve come to the 2nd instalment of favourites of the month didn’t we? . Just as I’ve explained in the previous August 2014 Favourites, all the items listed here has yet to made its way to the blog. I might or might not do an individual review after this. Some product yes, some don’t need to!

In this September 2014 Favourites, I have a good mix of beauty, beauty tools and also decor. I’m kinda into decorating mood at the moment. No surprise here since you’ve seen the amount of trips and time spent at home essential stores lately from my Instagram.

I thought of doing 10 favourites product every month but for this month’s favourites I am keeping it short as I’m having migraine for the past few days. When the migraine hit, all I want to do is to just sleep and whine. Nonetheless I’m going to present eight of my favourites to you. So let’s start with the beauty, shall we?

Favourite Beauty Products

Revlon Parfumerie™ Scented Nail Enamel
When I found out that Alliance Cosmetics is having its yearly warehouse sales, I planned to just get two nail polishes. Somehow I ended up with five. I couldn’t stop because the colors is very attractive and it’s only RM10 per bottle. I was told in advance that these nail polishes are very watery and a few coats is needed to get an opaque finishing. So far I’ve only tried Apricot Nectar (orange), Surf Spray (blue) and Wintermint (green). I love Apricot Nectar and Wintermint but Surf Spray is so ridiculously watery. Wintermint on the other hand is a gorgeous mint green with shimmer bits in it BUT the bottle that I had was a used one. Sigh. The very main reason why I put this as my favourite is that the brush is super duper small and it fits nicely on my uber small toe nails. What’s not to love!

Maybelline Pure.Concealer Mineral Healthy Natural Concealer #01
I’ve been wanting this concealer for the longest time but I refuse to pay retail price of RM19.90 when I know OnlyBeauty will do a warehouse sales once in a few months. I’ve been to two sales but none of them carry this concealer, until the recent sales held at IOI Boulevard Puchong. I went straight to Maybelline section and search for the concealer. There was three left and luck was on my side when one of the three is the shade 01, which is exactly what I wanted. I’ve been using this concealer only since then for the under eye and on acne marks. It’s one of the best concealer I’ve ever tried. Covers well and only settles into the fine lines on my under eye just a tiny bit. I’m already 1/4 down the tube so far

Covo Fearless Waterproof Auto Brow Pencil #Cocoa Brown
As you know, I stock up brow pencil as I go through these pencils like no tomorrow. I’m also quite into doing my brows lately so I’m in the midst of sweeping all sorts of brow related products lol. It’s absolutely madness. Covo has been doing various 5-days promo lately and the most recent one is two of their eyebrow pencil for RM15. I opted for this Fearless Waterproof Auto Brow Pencil as it’s so much convenient and easy to use. To my surprise, these pencil is so slim that it makes it the perfect pencil to use to do small strokes mimicking brow hair and to create a fine tail at the end. There is only two shades to choose from. I bought all four that the counter had and one of it is for my friend. I should have gone to other branch for more.

ZA Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum
I’ve been slacking a little bit with skin care lately and this serum is exactly what I need. I love it for the fact that it’s a 2-in-1 serum, combining whitening with anti-aging at one go. I couldn’t find anything like this before last time and boy was I happy to see one being launched here. In fact this serum is just launched in September 2014. I also find that this serum is not sticky at all even if I use two full pumps. One of the best texture serum I’ve tried so far.

Favourite Beauty Tools

Daiso Clear Pierced Earrings
I got this from Daiso almost a year ago and it has been hidden in my drawer until I took it out recently. I always need to poke my earring holes whenever I needed to put on something fancy when I’m out. So to prevent that, I put this on. This is just like the stick thingamajig that kids or even you put on during the younger days. I never had those because I had my earrings on since I was 8 years old. The one I have comes in heart shape and there’s a stopper on the back as well, just like real earrings.

Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Tweezer & Scissors
I bought a Hello Kitty X Guardian 40th Anniversary Manicure Set for RM14.90 last month and my favourite has got to be the tweezer, scissors and the nail clipper. How often do you see Hello Kitty prints on these tools right? Tell you something funny. I was happily plucking my brow hair with the Hello Kitty tweezer when my mum asked “will you get prettier using Hello Kitty tweezer to do your brow?”. I blank out for a while trying to figure out what to answer. In the end I replied yes, much prettier than using normal tweezer

Favourite Decor

Ikea Photo Frame
This stone phone frame is antique I tell ya. I got this nearly 10 years ago from my friend for my birthday but I have no idea what it was and what to do with it back then so it was under my bed for the past 10 years LOL. I wanted to throw it away recently when I reshuffled my room’s furniture but it still look so new eventhough it was covered in dust for the past 10 years (I clean it once in a while) so I took out some polaroid photos I have and voila! These people in the photos meant a lot to me. One is from Talika Photo-Beauty Therapy media event and one is from Street Love X StriVectin A Purplish Affair event.

Backlight LED Table Mirror
Last but not least, a mirror that have gotten majority of you to purchase after I posted on Instagram and Facebook. It is the backlight LED table mirror that I bought from Groupon for RM55. I had in mind what mirror I want for my vanity table and I googled for it. Through googling, I found this mirror on sale in Groupon so I made a purchase right away. It was scheduled to arrive in 10 days but I gotten mine within four days. Talking about efficiency eh? I did hesitated a bit before purchasing as the mirror size is only 11cm. However there’s no other place selling this type of LED mirror so I bought it. It wasn’t as bright as I thought it would be but good enough for close-up. No regret. It’s beautifully done and looks better than the Ikea one

There you go! My most favourite products / items for the whole month of September. I think I have more but I’m going to save it for October because I’m going to use them throughout October so it makes more sense to talk about it next month. What is your favourite products for September? Any new discovery that I can check it out too?

The post September 2014 Favourites: Beauty, beauty tools and decor appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Ahhh favourites of the month. I never do any of this favourites post before because I never find it interesting. Besides favourites, most people also do empties. I don’t do empties post but two years ago I gave it a twist and did something called “Newly Opened” because I’m rebellious like that

The reason why I never find reading favourites of the month interesting is because most people either (1) repeat the same product from last month and they can like it for a few months in a row. Nothing’s wrong with it though, don’t get me wrong. (2) Most favourites product had been reviewed before. So if I’ve already read the review, there is no need for me to know if you like it or not for a second time. (3) Most favourites product is the product that was reviewed within the same month. So long story cut short, I was itching to do something different and I’ve decided to come out with favourites of the month post too BUT, it will be on things that are not in the blog.

With all the non-stop shopping, I do try loads of new products off camera and usually these are the things that either make it to the blog or it never come near at all. Here is my August 2014 Favourites.

Bioderma Sébium H20 Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution
I met up with the beautiful ladies of Bioderma two weeks ago and Datin Juli Azmi, Chief Marketing Officer even came out to meet me. It was such a privilege to be able to meet with the people behind the highly raved brand and they brought me gifts! Datin Juli said that if I like Sensibio H20, I would like Sébium H20 even more. And she was so right. After trying the cute 20ml Sébium H20, I can say that I would prefer it over Sensibio. It has a pleasant scent to it and it is not as oily as what I’ve heard.

Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner Corrective Care for Enlarged Pores
I had my eyes on this one the first time I saw it at Guardian KLCC. I was extremely happy to find a sample size in my gift bag and I put it on my face the next morning. I like that it mattes out my skin but due to the fact that my pore size is extraordinary larger than ordinary large, I haven’t see any difference yet. Afterall I only had a 5ml tube. I think I would need to get the full size and try for a few months straight in order to see anything. However, that doesn’t stop me from liking this product. It smells amazing and it makes a good makeup base too. *waiting for sales*

ZA Perfect Fit Liquid Foundation #OC10
This is one of my favourite liquid foundation! It is not out in the market yet and due to be released by October 2014. You can read about the product at this link. Initially I was given the shade PO10 which is a pink base foundation but I exchanged it with OC10. OC10 is too dark and OC00 would be a better match for my skin tone. This is a water based foundation that goes on slightly matte. It offers medium coverage that is buildable to full coverage. I also like it for it’s flawless smooth finishing. I would definitely get OC00 soon.

Dr. Brandt XYY Eye Cream
Right after my trial with Clarins Extra-Firming Complete Rejuvenating Cream, I was eager to use my press sample bottle of Dr. Brandt XYY Eye Cream. During the blogger event, I found out that this range as well as DNA range is powerful in combating signs of aging. You all know how bothered I am with my under eye wrinkles so I HAD TO TRY THIS. This eye cream works best in smoothing all the fine lines by moisturizing the area. It is an anti-oxidant eye cream to protect, hydrates and smoothes eye area by providing a 12 hours of protection agains free radicals. After a few tries, I was impressed. Makeup on my under eye doesn’t cake up and concealer doesn’t accentuate the wrinkles I had. I didn’t want to neglect my Clarins so I only use this at night with just a rice size amount. Review will be up in a few months time.

Dior Diorsnow Iconic Overcurl Mascara #090 Over Black
I can’t remember where I got this travel size mascara. It has a normal brush size that is curvy like an eye shape. The formula is slightly dry, which is the type of consistency that I like. It gave my lashes volume, length and curl at the same time. The best part is that it doesn’t smudge on me. One thing good about travel size mascara is that the wand is shorter so I can get a better grip near my eye lashes.

Zoeva 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek & Zoeva 228 Crease
My latest Zoeva brush purchase is also my favourite brushes at the moment. I got the 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek for contouring. It gave my cheek a diffused contour line which no other brush can do. It’s either I get a harsh line or I get a blush-like effect. This brush is in between both .
I was looking for 227 Soft Definer but it was not in stock so I got the 228 Crease instead. I get this brush mainly to apply transition color on my upper crease before eyeshadow. The reviews online is 50/50. I’m so glad I bought this because it fits the purpose superbly.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse with Eyebrow Brush & Spoolie
I was eyeing on Too Faced Bulletproof Brows but the shade I want was out of stock. Thank goodness for that because I later found out that the gel dried up fast. Tarte had something similar as well so I bought that instead. I usually use a small plastic spatula to scrap some product out and only dip my brush from the spatula instead to prevent the gel from exposing to air for too long. It does take me a few usage to get used to the whole brow filling with a brush and gel. I used this product a lot but when I’m really rushing out of the door, I would go back to my ZA Ever Brows lol. Okay, this rushing thingy only happen once in a blue moon.

Make Up For Ever 210 Round Shader Brush
Recently Make Up For Ever launched a whopping 75 brushes and I’m already eyeing a few. Bless my wallet please . One of the press sample brush that I had is the 210 Round Shader Brush. To be honest I had no clue what I was going to use it for. At first I used it to line my upper eyes with darker eyeshadow and it work out well. But lining my upper eyes with eyeshadow is something that I don’t do very often. Contrary to that, I do line my lower eyelash on everyday basis. This brush has quickly become my favourite eye brush. I love the handle the most. The bristles are the softest that you can find for the delicate under eye lash. There is no fallout when I used this brush at all.

Some Random Mask Brush & Spatula
I bought this in a set from Mr. DIY for RM1.90 if I’m not mistaken. I have no idea why it took me this long to get a mask brush because I get the job done in a jiffy! I mainly bought it to apply GlamGlow mask and every other cream mask that I had at home. Best tool to get as I no longer need to waste tissue papers to wipe off the excess mask from my fingers. Mud mask is the most troublesome to clean I tell ya.

Honda Water Flask
Something not beauty related . I was given a limited edition water flask by my friend who happens to be the Sales Manager of Honda when I pick up my car one year ago. Being in the automotive media for a few years, I get countless of water flask from various media launch event. You can say I’m a bit bored with getting water flask although I do collect Honda merchandise. When I did a furniture reshuffling of my room a few weeks ago, I threw away every other water flask I had and decided to take this out to use instead. This one stays on my work/vanity table as I’m too lazy to walk to the kitchen for water. Usually merchandise like this is not in the best quality but I discovered that this one is different. One particular day I pour in 10% of hot water and left it on my table for a good few hours. When I opened the cap, the water is still warm! I am already thinking to put coffee in the flask instead

Glass Containers
You see this coming didn’t you? It is not a secret that I’m very much into crystal-like, shiny glass containers at the moment. It all started when I found a large glass container that was meant to put candies after watching Huda Beauty beauty storage ideas. That’s the large one you see on the right below. I wouldn’t just buy any glass container available as majority of it is dull and yellowish looking. What I was looking for is something clear, clean, crystal-like and with good workmanship. A few weeks after that I stumbled upon an identical but smaller size glass container so I bought that too. The larger one I used to store cotton buds, MUJI Peelable Cotton and normal cotton pads. The smaller one on the other hand is a bit small to store anything that I have so I used it to store travel size skin care that I wanted to use up, thumb drives, tweezer, brow scissors and so on.

Phew! That’s a lot of products that I like eh? I hope you like this new favourites post. Do let me know what you think so that I know if I should continue for the coming months. What’s your favourites product for the month of August? Anything interesting?

The post August 2014 Favourites: Things that are not in the blog appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

I was in for a surprise when I attended ZA’s Autumn / Winter 2014 new product lineup which was held at TGV Indulge, One Utama Shopping Centre last month. Not only I was already looking forward to a beauty product launch event held at a cinema but this time round, ZA launched one new anti-aging skin care product – Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum and two makeup products – all-new Perfect Fit Liquid Foundation and Gel Eyeliner for its Autumn / Winter 2014 collection and one brand new skin care range catering to the men – ZA Men.

Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum (RM59.90 / 30ml)

If you remember October 2013 last year, ZA launched Perfect Solution range, which is a full scale anti-aging skin care line that cater to a more mature skin. As we all know before, ZA is well-known for its brand target of young adult. Perfect Solution on the other hand is focusing on anti-dullness, wrinkles and loss of skin resilience for women age 25 to 35 years old. Why start anti-aging from the age of 25? Simple. Signs of aging starts to appear as early as the age of 25 years old. Even if its not prevention is always better than cure. Now, ZA launched and added in a brand new beauty essence into its Perfect Solution Range. Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum is set to improve both spots and wrinkles. YES! A 2-IN-1 PRODUCT! It’s the first ever in the market for consumer looking for a serum to work on the cause of age spots and wrinkles on the skin surface. It also helps in repairing any potential spots and wrinkles that is caused by “hidden melanin” that are in the depth of the skin.

ZA Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum is a high-performance whitening beauty essence that is developed and formulated with Retino-White Complex (4MSK = a whitening active ingredient + Retinol Derivative). This serum improves the skin’s resilience and clarity with superb moisturizing effect. It approaches signs of aging in three aspects – promoting firmness, translucency and moisture retention.

Now the range is complete . Introducing to you the whole of ZA Perfect Solution Range.

Perfect Fit Liquid Foundation (RM37.90 / 30ml)

I’m extremely excited and in love with the new Perfect Fit Liquid Foundation! It is a foundation that gives the skin a natural and shine-free transparent finishing. The foundation contain micro-pink pearls for a soft, pink skin appearance and with gentle pink translucent. As a result, you get a natural finishing with a healthy natural glow on the skin.

What I love about this foundation is that it is a 100% oil-free, water based formula foundation that has a dewy light texture, just like water. Having said that, it is a long lasting foundation, perfect for the whole day. It comes in six shades to choose from. These shades are adjusted towards the skin color in Asian women. Therefore it suits yellowish and pinkish skin tones as well. Not only that. The foundation creates a thin membrane on the skin to cover the appearance of pores and uneven skin tone. Application and blending is a breeze with medium and buildable coverage. It finishes off semi-matte (that’s why I like it) but gives a dewy look when the foundation sets. Dry skin user may not need to set with powder but I always do . Highly recommended foundation. No kidding.

Gel Eyeliner (RM26.90)

This year we see the rise with gel eyeliner in a pencil form. ZA is launching one too! ZA Gel Eyeliner is like a pot of gel liner but encased in a pencil. It is a extreme-wear, waterproof and smudge-proof eyeliner that glides on smoothly on the lash line. When it sets, it is ready for all-day wear thanks to its smudge-resistant and fade-proof formula. There are two shades to choose from – BK 999 (Real Black) and BR 669 (Deep Brown). The pigmentation is extremely rich. I’ve tried it on and it stays true to it’s claim of soft and smooth application.

Unveiling the all-new ZA Men skin care line

This year, ZA has evolved into a comprehensive brand acting as a step-up from the angle of beauty in the life of the Asian Next Generation of both men and women. Simple and sophisticated – the all-new ZA Men skin care line is all set to give power and confidence to Asian man through solving skin concerns.

Targeting men in their twenties, ZA Men is a simple step-by-step skin care product catering to the three main skin concerns of Asian men – oily, dry and fatigue skin.

ZA Men skin care line consists of three range namely Ultimate Recharge (for fatigue skin), Ultimate Matte (for oily skin) and Ultimate Moist (for dry skin). The line consists of just two products usage, a cleanser and a moisturizer. All three range is formulated to suit the Metropolitan generation.

The ZA Men cleansers consist of Ultimate Recharge Deep Cleansing Scrub for fatigue skin, Ultimate Moist Deep Cleansing Gel for dry skin and Ultimate Matte Purifying Oil Control Cleanser for oily skin. To compliment the cleansers, the ZA Men also consists of the Ultimate Recharge Energizing Gel Moisturizer which provides up to 24 hours of hydration and protects skin from pollution and Ultimate Matte Purifying Oil Control Gel which absorbs excess sebum on skin and leaves skin fresh and silky after use.

Which of these upcoming new products would you like to try? I’m loving the Perfect Fit Liquid Foundation, Gel Eyeliner and of course how can I not like the 2-in-1 whitening + anti-aging beauty essence, Perfect Solution Youth Whitening Serum

The post ZA Autumn / Winter 2014 New Product Lineup & Unveiling of ZA Men appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Toner, or some company refer as lotion is generally used after cleansing but before applying moisturizer. This step is crucial as it act as a bridge between the cleanser and moisturizer. Many would skip this step thinking it is unnecessary or not important, just like how some people would skip eye cream, which they deemed as unimportant as well. I was one of the many a few years ago. I would skip toner but not my eye cream because I learnt about a simple fact on using a proper eye cream than relying on face moisturizer as an eye cream. Anyhow that is a totally different topic

Today I’m going to talk about the basic of skin toner. I’m not going into extreme detail i.e. astringents, floral water, fresheners, herbal toner and so on. I’m going to cover the few different types of toner in basic. This is what you should know at least. I remember a few years ago I would skip toner because no BA would tell me toner is equally important in a skin care regime. They would tell me I can skip it as it doesn’t do anything to the skin. There are so many different types of toner or lotion available in the market. Do you know which one you need?

The importance of toner

Toner act as a double cleansing after cleanser. It will help to lift away any dirt and residue left that your cleanser weren’t able to and also wipe away any cleanser residue from the face. That’s not all. A toner also helps to tone your skin (most toner do) and rebalance the skin pH. There are two types of toner – with alcohol and without alcohol. Interestingly, toner can be applied onto the skin using a few method – with cotton pad, misting onto the face or use as a facial mask by soaking a dry cotton mask sheet. Back in those days, I was told that toner will help to shrink the pores. I find that this point does nothing for me at all. So, to attest if a toner help in pore shrinking or not is up to your skin. It may or may not work for you.

Traditional Toner

Suitable For: All skin type. Do look out for “alcohol” in the ingredient list if you are allergy to it.
Recommended Product: Yadah Pure Green Toner, Shu Uemura TSUYA Skin Youthful Crystal-Transparency Lotion, Biotherm PUREFECT Skin Micro-Exfoliating Purifying Toner.

The most basic and conventional toner is the normal toner that we all know since many many years ago. Usually when you shop for skin care, the sales girl would recommend the matching toner to go with. Toner can be from the same category i.e. hydrating but I say it’s not necessary. It’s just like hair care. If you suffer from two or more skin concern, you can mix and match the category regardless from the same brand or not for even more efficacy, although I would highly recommended getting from the same brand as your cleanser and moisturizer. Toner is usually in a clear, colorless, watery consistency. Some is slightly with fragrance scent while some is over the top. My favourite toner is always the one that doesn’t have a specific function to it, but a little hydrating won’t hurt . My current favourite is none other than Yadah Pure Green Toner. It is the PERFECT everyday toner that is neither a whitening, brightening, anti-blemish or oil control. It is said to be a hydrating toner that soothe and soften the skin but it’s not heavy or oily on the skin, just the way I like. It definitely feels just like a normal toner.

Essence-in-Lotion

Suitable For: All skin type.
Recommended Product: Estée Lauder Micro Essence, ZA True White EX Essence Lotion, Hada Labo Retinol Lifting + Firming Lotion.

Beginning last year we witness the growth and demand in having a 2-in-1 lotion product that work as a toner and essence at the same time. Let’s face it. No one have the time to sit down and pat a few different products every day and night due to our hectic and busy lifestyle. I do and I enjoyed it but not everyone think the same as I did. As a convenient alternative to consumer, many company race in the olympic of essence-in-lotion race and came up with their version of treatment lotion aka essence-in-lotion. With this, you can skip toner and essence altogether as both product is already combined into one bottle. So how to choose which is which? Easy. My advice has always been “think of what your skin concern is and what you need”. My favourite is Estée Lauder Micro Essence and ZA True White EX Essence Lotion. Estée Lauder’s Micro Essence is actually a treatment lotion that is recommended to use together with Advanced Night Repair. When it is used alone, it act more of a normal toner without any obvious result except for waking up with well-hydrated skin. But when used with Advanced Night Repair, the result is a rosy, glowing skin! Now, ZA True White EX Essence Lotion is equally interesting. It is not a 2-in-1 product but a 3-in-1 product – lotion, essence and emulsion. This product is mainly for dark spots and evening out skin tone. I like it for it’s 3-in-1 whitening benefits.

Exfoliating Lotion

Suitable For: All skin type, especially for sensitive or dry skin.
Recommended Product: Clarins White Plus HP Gentle Renewing Brightening Peel, Hada Labo Mild Peeling Lotion.

As I like to scrub my face, I was recommended to use a “peel” instead. I called it peel because the first ever exfoliating product that I used was from Clarins and they said it’s a gentle peel. It was later on when other company came out with similar product and named it as exfoliating lotion or peeling lotion. This is one confusing product for many people mainly due to its function and liquidy texture. I too asked the same as I was told it is a “scrub”. To not further confuse you, an exfoliating lotion is actually a lotion that is also with gentle peel/scrub properties. What it does is that it tones and remove dead skin layers from the skin surface without the conventional harsh scrubbing. Isn’t it a perfect combination and to pair exfoliating with toner is brilliant! There are a small majority people that suffer from sensitive skin that they are unable to use conventional facial scrub. But if you do not remove the dead skin layer from the skin, skin care applied on will not be able to penetrate into the skin. This is where exfoliating lotion came in to save the day! This can be used as a weekly treatment or if you skin can take it, use it daily at night. It doesn’t sting the skin. All exfoliation is done without you even noticing. One thing that I don’t like about these type of lotion is that the consistency is more gluey and chunky than normal toner. It does hardens into jello around the cap and nozzle that never fail to send chill down my spine

Hope you find this 101 edition useful for you. No doubt there are so many types of toner / lotion in terms of function, texture, benefits and so on. What you need to do is to think of what exactly your skin need, for example brightening. Then from there you just need to pin point which brand and budget to go for and that’s it! . Until next 101, adios!

The post Toner 101: Types of Skin Toners appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona