( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°) Hyped or Does it actually work?! Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Treatment

I am not so sure about you guys but I have had moments in my life where I have completely and utterly destroyed my hair. I am pretty sure it won't be the last time as well. In my endeavour to heal my hair and salvage what remained, I went on a hunt for a repairing and intense leave-in conditioner - when alas I stumbled upon Redken's Extreme Anti-snap treatment. Its plethora of amazing review basically forced me to buy it... and I did. 

This treatment has a gel-like lightweight texture, boasting benefits such as anti-breakage properties through an Interlocking Protein Network and Fortifying Complex that delivers proteins and ceramides into the hair to strengthen, protect and add shine.

Now, when I started using this my hair was breaking off regularly where my bleach started. I noticed a slight reduction in breakage, about 3-4 hairs less than usual (I used to get about 6-7 strands of breakage per brush). But what really made this product shine was that it really gave the hair a lot of slip to aid with mechanical damage when brushing. Also it gave the hair a really healthy shine which damage hair lacks.

It has a light scent and never weighs the hair down so yay for all the fine-haired ladies out there! Even though this is a more pricey item, it is as big as a standard shampoo so I am assuming this bottle will last you at least 5-6 months of daily use.

I will continue using this as I feel like it does protect my hair, when I finish this bottle I will be trialing a new product but I am certain I will return to this product again in the future. It's a 5/5 from me!

>>> 3 Years Later <<< + Kitty Pics!

Wow! I cannot believe 3 years have past so quickly. Literally in a flash of an eye. So much has changed in the way I think, the way I see myself and the world and of course, the way I view beauty. The Phuong of 3 years ago relied on cosmetics, as an acne sufferer - foundation was a cover of security. Yet 3 years later... I only wear foundation to work now, thanks to the amazing power of benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin! In the recent past, I have not really bought any new makeup... crazy. I know. But honestly with all the drama in the beauty community, the competition and repetition of colours and items, I have lost a lot of interest in it. I am using what I have accumulated over the years and I do not have plans to go back to hoarding cosmetics. I also went through a phase with nails, I learnt how to do my own shellac! That kept me entertained for a while, then I got my entrepreneurial juices flowing and started my own lash brand..

oh, did I also mention that I have red hair now too?! 

The past 3 years has been a doozy. So much was learnt in regards to what I wanted in life, who I was and what I was willing to sacrifice for my happiness. Change is always scary but in my case, it was needed and I welcomed it with open arms ( not all the time though ). I also just finished my last semester of my bachelor's degree and I am hoping to find a job within the marketing and hr field soon! I am so excited for what is to come, I want to be challenged, I want to innovate but more importantly - I want to find a job culture that I resonate with and believe in. This is what is most important to me, not salary, not prestige but the culture, people and vision.

I also become a happy mother of 2 tabby cats. Although they drive me nuts in the night, not allowing me to get my beauty sleep - they are still the love of my life and I do not mind the trade off of sleep and the happiness they bring into my life everyday!

But that's my update for now! Stay tuned for many new posts to come, I am inspired. And I am back.

☆ First Impressions: Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer Concealer

Hello to all my pretty readers!

Recently Tarte had a promotion where they provided free shipping on all orders with no minimum and of course being the makeup junkie I am, I HAD to pick something up. I decided to give the Aquacealer Concealer a go, because I wanted to find a higher end concealer that I liked, after being let down by the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I've only used this concealer a few times, but it doesn't really take a lot for me to figure out if I like a concealer or not. 

My expectations for concealers:

• Medium-full coverage 
• No creasing or dryness, I primarily use concealers just for my under eyes so I prefer something more hydrating as opposed to fully opaque - as you might want for a blemish concealer 
• Lightweight and blendable 

This concealer has a very lightweight texture but it is in no way runny, it was actually thicker than I anticipated. It blends out beautifully and seamlessly and because of the more moisturising formula, you have more time to blend it out without it drying in some spots and getting patchy.

PROS:

• Lasts all day, does not crease
• Moisturising, does not emphasise dry patches
• Light- medium to medium coverage 
• Looks very natural
• Packaging is beautifullllllllll 
• The colour is a bit more pink/peachy than I'm used to but because of this it slightly colour corrects while covering, great colour for NC15 and Korean #21 skintones (the colour does not look unnatural at all when it is blended out)

CONS:

• Not many shades to choose from, the shade Fair is light enough but not too light to brighten up your under eyes if you're NC15, the colour might be your exact match if you're NC10 (but don't quote me on that!)
• You can only get it online (at least in Australia)

Rate: 5/5

[ Take it or Leave it ] • Garnier's SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water

Micellar water has been the hype for the past few years but it has taken me this long to try them! Why? I'm a sceptic. I am a strong advocate of the double cleansing method and have always trusted cleansing oil to do the job well and gently. The idea of a "water" being able to remove all of my makeup just did not sit that well with me but when the Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water was on sale at Priceline - I knew I just had to give it a go.

Garnier claims that this Micellar Cleansing Water in the Sensitive Skin version would, "remove makeup + cleanse + soothe. It required no rinsing, can be used on the face, eyes and lips. There is also no perfume and it has been dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested." The application of the product is easy with the use of soaking it in cotton pads and gently wiping where you need it.

What's Good?

• Mess free - there is literally no mess, you just need a few cotton pads and the micellar water. I usually require 3 cotton pads for my whole caked up face 
• Easily accessible, you can get this product at most drugstores and pharmacies 
• Affordable and comes in many sizes (I have the smallest size offered at 125ml for around $6AUD)
• Takes off 95% of my makeup, even waterproof mascara! But to get off the mascara I need to soak my eye in the cotton pad for about 30 secs. It does have some trouble with intense wear foundations like the Estee Lauder Double Wear
• Good first step in your two step cleansing routine 
• Does not break me out, at all
• Should last you quite a while, I've had mine for about 6 weeks and I use it on a daily basis (2-3 times a week at least)
• Does not leave a residue on the skin and does not irritate the eyes 
• There's many versions of this micellar water for you to choose from, I've only tried this version so far

What's Bad?

• Does not 100% take off all of my makeup, so a second cleanser will be needed
• Drying on the skin

Overview:

I would give this product a 4/5. It does everything it claims to, I just wish it wasn't so drying on the skin and did not require a second cleansing step - especially on those days when you're just too lazy.

♡ Review: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes - Mood Exposure and Luminous Flush

Hey guys! It has been a while since my last post, almost 2 months! Time flies when uni is killing you with assignments and finals eh. Well, I'm on break now so I thought I'll come back and hit you with a review on these cult favourite blushes. If you didn't know, blushes are one of my favourite makeup items so best believe I was ecstatic when my boyfriend got me these as a gift! Any who, without further rambling, lets get into the review! 

(Left to right: Mood Exposure and Luminous Flush)

(Left to right swatches: Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure)

Mood Exposure

Mood Exposure is a beautiful soft plum colour that does not lean too red or purple. The mid-tone colour of this blush makes it an everyday friendly blush that would suit fair to deeper skin tones. The colour of this blush leans more warm, hence I've placed this blush in my "summer blush"category - I was surprised the first time I used this blush as it gave a lot more pigment than I expected - I've always expected the Hourglass powder products to be more on the sheer side. What really amazed me about this colour was that it was able to warm up my face so well, even without the help of a bronzer. Mood exposure also has a little bit of a sheen to it, but no noticeable glitters or shimmers on the face. 

Luminous Flush

Luminous Flush is your typical pretty mid-tone pink that anyone can pull off. This blush also leans more on the warmer side, but due to my preference of pink blushes in the winter opposed to summer, I've placed this in my "Winter Blush" category. Luminous Flush has fine shimmers in it, more so than Mood Exposure which is more of a sheen but the shimmers do not emphasise textures or pores or look funny on the skin. The shimmers give the skin such a beautiful glow, it really livens up your skintone, this colour would especially look beautiful on those with fair skin because the warm-pink tone will give your skin some warmth while also providing it with a natural and glowy flush.

Overall 

I would recommend this blush to anyone, the formula is beautiful and easy to use - it is not easily pigmented and blends beautifully. There is also an array of colours to choose from and not much to fault about these powders. They are finely-milled and soft but not too soft that there is a lot of kick-up. These blushes are expensive but definitely worth it if you're looking to treat yourself!

Price and Purchase from here.

☆彡 Holy Grail Skincare? The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA spheres 2%

Hello pretty people! The Ordinary's skincare range has been hyped up in the past few weeks and there's a reason why, they are so affordable yet effective. These little guys have powerful concentrations of active ingredients at such an affordable price that they are now competing against luxury skincare that cost an arm and a leg for the same ingredients. 

So, being the curious little bee that I was, I needed to give them a go. I'm not one to change up my skincare routine often as a lot of things can tend to break my skin out, so I started small and tried out two products. Needless to say, I will definitely be trying out more.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 

Summarising from the official site itself, niacinamide or vitamin B3 is known to "reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion while the zinc is supposed to control sebum activity".

Pros:

• The serum is extremely light and watery, it glides well onto the skin and layers well underneath other skincare 
• Immediately calms down the redness in my skin 
• Brightens my skin 
• Results are seen within a week of using the product daily 
• The congestion around my jawline has greatly been reduced
• Controls my oil throughout the day if used in the morning 

Cons:

• Cannot be used under makeup, your makeup will peel off

The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA spheres 2%

Summarising from the official site, "vitamin c in its pure form of L-absorbic acid has been known to reverse multiple signs of skin ageing while brightening the skin when applied topically".

Pros:

• Because of the high concentration of vitamin c, my acne scars is seen to be reduced in redness within a week, within 2 weeks the darkness of the pigment has started to fade 
• Works well when mixed with a moisturiser 

Cons:

• Smells horrible, don't smell it 
• Texture is gritty, takes time to get used to 
• Cannot be worn under makeup because of the gritty texture 
• When it is used alone without being mixed with a moisturiser, it stings my face, especially around my nose - the feeling is there for 3-4 hours after initial application and is quite unbearable and itchy 

Overall:

I will be repurchasing both of these products and I am looking forward to trying more things out! The only thing I recommend is, diluting the vitamin c serum with a moisturiser to make it a more pleasant experience to use - diluting it helps with the texture, stinging and smell!

[ My April 2017 Wishlist ]

This month we're going to have a mixture of different makeup and skincare items. But you guys already know what these posts are about so lets get into it!! 

**None of the photos are mine**

Anastasia Beverly Hills Moon Child Glow Kit

Guys!! This glow kit is so beautiful, if you're into that duochromatic highlight effect then you'd love this! The colours in this palette are so beautiful yet wearable and ethereal but I'm holding back since I'm on a no-buy. I'm definitely keeping my eye out on this baby because I want it in my collection! 

Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops in Halo 

Another duochromatic highlight, as you guys can probably tell now - I'm really into this trend right now, I've seen the swatches for this product and oh my goooodness. It's so pigmented and beautiful! But to me this is more of a "collection" item because I don't think i'd be reaching for a liquid highlight that often - hence why I'd prefer the Moon Child Glow Kit over this. But we'll see, if I have spare cash then I might just blow it off on this bad boy, but at sixty something dollars, I'd rather get the glow kit because it has more colours and versatility.

Colourpop Aquarius Lip Collection 

I've been on the hunt for the perfect nude lip for my light NC15 skintone, but all of the nudes I've tried have been too rosy and dark. I've seen lip swatches for this collection on people of similar skin tones to me and they looked perfect! The colours are also different enough from each other in the collection that I am able to justify getting the trio instead of getting one singular one. I also have my eye on their other lip collections too but this one is on the top of my list!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette 

When this came out I was not interested, at all. I was over the warm eyeshadow colours and was transiting into more cool/neutral colours. But recently when I was browsing at Sephora, I decided to give this palette a swatch just for the heck of it and I fell in love. The shadows were so pigmented and smooth and buttery and the colours inspired me, I haven't felt this inspired by a palette in so long! So now I really want to add it into my palette collection!

Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask

I've heard so many great things about this affordable mask, it had consistently good ratings and reviews as opposed to their pink mud mask. I've been really into skincare lately, especially into things that can cleanse, brighten and clarify my skin tone and texture. But the budget-saver in me is waiting for the mask to go on sale before I get it, as I already have a mud mask I'm trying to use up. Hopefully this mask goes on sale soon so I can write a review on it for you guys! But it is still quite an affordable mask at full price for only $8.99!

April Skin Pinky Clay Nose Pack

I've always suffered with blackheads and this "peeling" type of treatments always intrigued me but I've never been enticed enough to look further into them but as I've stated lately, I've been into skincare more and I'm trying to step up my skincare routine. I've read good reviews about this blackhead remover so it is on my list to try! As a side note, nose strips have never worked well for me - they've just been painful and only manage to take out like 2 blackheads and just a lot of peach fuzz, so I'm hoping I'll have more luck with this product!

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 

I'm on the constant hunt for a good weekly exfoliating treatment for my oily-acne prone skin and this peeling solution packs a punch at 30% AHA and 2% BHA. I am interested in this product because of the high concentration of ingredients but also because of how affordable the range is! I believe this product is between the $8-$12AUD range!

The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil

I've always heard about the miracles of this product and how hydrating and healing it is. I'm looking to adding an oil into my skincare regime for the colder months and this seemed like the best bet, as it doesn't clog pores and helps to even your skin tone - something I need a lot of help with!

If you guys have anything on your wishlist for this month then let me know down below!

Finishing Essentials • Mac Prep and Prime Fix +

Hello pretty people! I'm back today with a review on the infamous Mac Prep and Prime Fix +, but for ease we'll just call it by its more used name "Mac Fix +". I was always curious about this product because of all of the hype around it, some people deem this product as a necessity in your makeup arsenal while some believe it's nothing but fancy water. But today I'll give you guys my verdict!

Claims: "A lightweight mist of water packed with vitamins and minerals, infused with a blend of green tea, chamomile and cucumber to gently soothe and refresh the skin. Gives an instant boost of hydration while delivering a soft sheen to refresh and finish makeup." - Mac Official Website.

• Soothes and refreshes the skin
• Hydrating 
• Dermatologist tested 
• Ophthalmologist tested 
• Non-acnegenic 

Uses: This is a multitasking product that could be used after your skincare to give you a boost of hydration and glow. It can also be used before and after makeup to give your skin a boost of hydration and to settle any powders or cakey-ness on your face (if used after makeup application, do this before you do your eye makeup as it could make your eye makeup run). You can also spray this on your brush before dipping it into an eyeshadow to foil it and make it more pigmented.

Pros:

• The mist if amazinggggg, it gives such as beautiful dusting of liquid on your face and never has random spurts - but obviously, make sure you spray about an arm's length from your face
• It does make your eyeshadows a lot more pigmented and metallic - so use this on shadows that are a bit lacking 
• Makes your face look beautiful if you use it as a finishing step, melts all your powders together and gives you a smooth look. It does give you a bit of a sheen but nothing gross (I have oily skin) and I've been complimented on my skin when I've used this
• Even though this is technically not a "setting spray" and it is not meant to make your makeup last longer, I feel like it actually does. Since all my makeup melts together and does not sit on top of my face, I feel that it does help prolong the longevity of my makeup

Cons:

• A bit expensive at $32. You can probably find cheaper alternatives at the drugstore, which is what I will be doing - but I will keep the Mac Fix Plus bottle to simply refill it with different finishing/setting sprays because of how amazing the nozzle is

Rate: 4.5/5

♡ Review: Etude House's Dear Darling Water Tints in #01 and #02

Hello my lip tint lovers! Unlike you long-term advocates of lip tints, I'm only dabbling into those products now. I've never been a lip person, I rarely put anything on my lips except for the occasional balm when my lips are extremely chapped and that's because I'm low maintenance with my lip makeup. But I thought it was time I started getting more into them and lip tints seemed to be a good choice, as they are a tint they are meant to stain and last but most of all, be low maintenance.

I got the Etude House "Dear Darling Water Tints" because they were highly rated and were extremely affordable at about $3AUD a piece.

**Application is on bare lips, no lip concealers**

Pros:

• Affordable pricing 
• Bright and vibrant colours with just two coats
• Lasts pretty well if you don't eat or drink, otherwise you will need to touch up. But it does stain, not by much though
• The colours are pretty and trendy on the Korean market, so if you're into the Korean type of makeup look then these will be great!
• Not too drying, if it gets too drying then I'd put a lip balm on top and that seems to do the trick
• Light watery texture, doesn't feel like anything on the lips
• Also the pink one smells really good, like candy. But the red one smells like medicine

Cons:

• Only comes in 3 colours, which is typical of Korean tints. They always have a pink, red and orange and if they have anymore colours then they are basically variations of those.
• They don't last through eating or drinking but they're affordable so you can just reapply easily
• Since it's watery you can easily drop it everywhere so if you're clumsy like me... be careful!

Overall I am quite happy with these tints and will be looking forward to trying more from Etude House and other brands!

Rating: 3.5/5

♡ Girls Day + MOTD + Restaurant Review #2 ♡

Long time no MOTD post! Hopefully I'll be able to do these more often in the future but recently I've been out with my girls to a fairly new restaurant/bar at Cabramatta called - Viet Hoa Oyster Bar and Kitchen. But first of all let me show you the face I had on, specially my eye makeup since my face makeup routine/technique generally stays the same all the time - the only thing that changes are the products.

The palette used was the Too Faced Sweet Peach.

I should have a review on it coming up soon, either on my blog or on my youtube. But if you guys want to enquire about anything else that's on my face then let me know in the comments.

The Review:

There's very little things in the world that I like almost as much as makeup and seafood happens to be one of them. 

Let's go in with the pros first - the customer service was amazing, all the staff members were so nice and accommodating, always making sure we were comfortable and happy. The food came out relatively quick and the food tasted sooooo good, giving a shoutout to the oysters and salmon. The salmon pieces were thick and juicy. The prices were okay - it wasn't expensive nor was it cheap, just normal fresh seafood prices. I also liked the decor of the place - simple but pretty. I think the minimalist approach to modern restaurants is the trend nowadays. 

Now onto the cons, I wish there was more room or tables that could accommodate a larger group. There's plenty of spaces for people in groups of 1's - 4's. But it was alright, we made it work so nothing too bad. Also, I hope one day they'll be able to open a restaurant/bar away from their seafood market next door - I think it'll give them more room and it'll be less noisy. But one more thing - this is about personal taste though, I thought the sauce for the Peking Duck Bao was too strong so not the fault of the restaurant itself.

Overall, great restaurant - had a fantastic time with my friends and the food was great too. Nothing serious to complain or note. Would highly recommend.

An updated group photo of my beautiful girls.