I know it's been quite a while since my last blog post - I've just been so busy in the past couple of weeks that when I have had a chance to relax I just wanted to chill out a bit, so blogging naturally took a backseat.
As much as I do enjoy writing reviews, I don't wake up every morning thinking "YES I want to post on my blog" - I guess I'm just not that hardcore haha. Writing isn't too much work, but as I'm not the best photographer in the world, it always takes me ages to select pics I'm happy with, then resize & upload so it usually eats away hours at a time.
Anyway in one of my previous posts I mentioned how much I wanted SUQQU's new Christmas collection. Went to London Selfridges for my gankin massage this afternoon (which was a bit uncomfortable at times and I couldn't stop giggling but my skin was left feeling uber clean, perky and refreshed) plus makeover - unfortunately by the time I got back it was dark and the photos I took of my eye makeup just sucked so I gave up.
I bought pretty much everything used on me with the exception of some makeup items being out of stock and I'm pretty happy with the skincare stuff I currently use. I'm still debating whether I want to do that gankin massage on myself daily though so didn't get the cream this time, but I'll be going for another gankin massage for sure :P
Took some photos of what I'd purchased but the pics aren't that great at night (flash doesn't work too well on reflective packaging) so I'll post reviews/swatches etc during the day.
Skincare *Face Protector N SPF30 PA+++ - I adore good sun protection *Pore Purifying Effector - to purge and cleanse my pores *HA White Mask - it gives a brighter, more even skin tone after just 10 minutes
Makeup *Eye Makeup Remover - Felt I absolutely had to purchase this as after a mere few seconds it totally dissolved my favourite (but otherwise a pain in the ass to take off) mascara Majolica Majorca Lash Glamour Neo before my massage & makeover. *Powdery Cheeks Blush in Hanamomo *Powder Foundation Fresh 15 - apparently a bit lighter and less yellow toned than the Glow version; I'll compare them in the morning. They were out of stock of the foundation case though which is a shame.
SUQQU 2009 Christmas Makeup Kit A Contains SUQQU Blend Eyeshadow EX-06 Maiyuki, Eye Lucent EX-03 Yukigasumi and a makeup pouch.
I did originally quite like the look of Makeup Kit B but having seen it in person I only liked 2 out of the 4 lip colours and wasn't blown away by the nail polish, so I ended up leaving it. Not to mention I literally have truckloads of lipglosses already...
Samples *Musculate Massage Cream - same stuff used in the gankin massage *HA White Soap Ex *Extra Off Cleansing Gel *Extra Off Cleansing Milk *Face Refresher *HA Whitening Lotion *HA Whitening Essence *Face Protector N Will be trying these and getting the full sized versions next time if I like them enough.
Once again I really enjoyed my SUQQU experience, especially since one of their senior makeup artists, Noriyuki Yanaka, was flown over from Japan; he did a really subtle but pretty eye look on me using the Maiyuki palette. I'll definitely try to recreate it but obviously my skills aren't anywhere near that pro
Some days I really don't mind being woken up early by the postie, and this is one of those days as I was brought one of the most adorable things I've ever seen!
San-XRilakkuma usually comes on a yellow background, but I was happy to find a pink Rilakkuma schedule book with cute strawberries (one of my fave fruits) on the front; this was a custom purchase from an Etsy seller.
The schedule book says 2010, but starts in November 2009 and ends March 2011. It has a double page monthly calendar, followed by a page per week, and from what I've seen so far it has no repeating Rilakkuma pictures which keeps it interesting.
It's so small and handy compared to my current pink one (from Victoria's Secret) which is bulky, heavy (it does have ample writing space though) and empty most of the time since I just don't have that much stuff to write. I almost don't want to use start using this though, because it looks way too cute!
The Rilakkuma pictures are themed - I think this is a really nice touch. For example, January 2010 has him wearing scarves, there's a snowman and yarn; presumably because it's cold. Then there are Halloween and other festive themes too.
There are a few pages for notes at the back, cash book for expenditures etc, address pages, even a BMI chart and subway maps - I guess these are always useful!
I did plan to do this banila co review of their eyeshadow palettes last week, but somehow ended up being busy. I'm putting them all together for now, but if it looks like too much to digest I'll split it into 3 posts. Anyway, here are my thoughts!
Palette stacking!
Gossip Girl Multi Palette S01
I think this was released around spring this year and consists of a blusher, 3 eyeshadows and a soft brush. The 3 eye colours can be used to create a soft girly look.
Texture is silky with decent (and buildable) pigment, and the shadows all have a pearly finish. Although they don't crease thoughout the day, I do find that the colour fades a bit. The blush is a soft pink which blends very nicely. It's a tiny bit on the light side (would be better if it was slightly warmer) for me as it's medium pigmented, but it still works. Purchased from Gmarket for 22,000KRW (around $19 currently), but a few days later it went on sale at half price. Typical! S Night Standing Palette Shadow S03
One of banila co's summer releases - I have no idea what "S night standing" is supposed to mean though...
Contains 6 eyeshadows in a pretty star decorated metal case with a dual ended sponge applicator (nothing spectacular there). Out of the 3 palettes this is probably my favourite case - as much as I love pink, I'm just not a huge fan of those random bubbles on the Gossip Girl palette. All eyeshadows have a bit of shimmer but not glittery. You can create different looks using different colour combinations, which is always versatile. Some of the colours are more pigmented - such as the gorgeous metallic bronze on the left and some lean towards the sheer side, but all are smooth and blend easily.
Deep The Night Multi Eye Kit F05
The most recent banila co eyeshadow palette; has 5 eyeshadows and a cream liner. The box is very pretty but the case is just a deep purple with sparkles (like the background in the pic below). There's a dual ended applicator with sponge for shadow application & smudging, and an eyeliner brush. This is obviously more of night time palette, but could be used during the day too since some shadows are quite sheer despite appearing pigmented in the palette. I really like this palette in particular, as all the colours go so well together. None of the eyeshadows are matte and they all have either a metallic sheen or some shimmer - I actually prefer this, but I guess not everyone does. The cream eyeliner (far right) has some shimmer too, but it's only noticeable if you look really closely. I think at 22,000KRW each, these palettes are excellent value for money and totally worth picking up if you don't already own similar colours. The quality is definitely there as the shadows are silky, blendable, smooth and don't crease too much, but I have noticed some colour fading both with and without primer.
Note: due to the closeup angles the photos were taken, the palettes may seem bigger than they actually are. They measure approximately 9cm x 5.5cm x 1cm.
I purchased all palettes from the same Gmarket seller 바닐라코 (official banila co distributor I believe).
