Karen tagged me on beauty discoveries for skincare, makeup, haircare and favourite scents. Here goes nothing!
SKINCARE
What facial cleanser do you use?
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It’s great for sensitive and troubled skin.
What toner do you use?
Clinique Clarifying Moisture Lotion No 3. A bottle takes a year to finish. But after I finish the bottle, I’m going back to a toner by Simple. I think it’s better for the skin.
What moisturizer do you use?
Day moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel
Night moisturiser: Clinique Moisture Surge Extra
How many times a day do you wash your face?
Twice a day, during my showers.
Do you use eye makeup remover? If so, what kind?
Payot Demaquillant Sensation Yeux Et Levres dual texture eye makeup remover. It was a gift and is the BEST eye makeup remover I’ve ever used. Easily removes waterproof mascara.
Is your skin oily, dry, or combination skin?
Combination. I have a really oily T-zone, but dry cheeks.
What is the best part about your skin?
My cheeks. It’s probably the only part of my face which is smooth :p
What are your skin problems?
Blackheads on my T-zone, clogged pores, and ever-growing amount of freckles despite how much sunscreen I use.
MAKEUP
What foundation do you use?
Liquid foundation – MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
Mineral foundation – Everyday Minerals
What powder do you use?
Estee Lauder Lucidity Translucent Loose Powder
What eyebrow pencil do you use?
A Kanebo Testimo eyebrow pencil. Quite expensive on the first purchase, but it lasts a long time. I’d just need to buy the refill everytime I’m out. I bought it over a year ago, and so far, I’m still on my first pencil.
What eyeliner do you use?
I’m still deciding between the indelible gel liner and Covergirl’s LineExact liquid eyeliner and which one I like more. Both are good but give me different (but good) results. For the lower lashline, I use Rimmel’s Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil.
What is your favorite eyeshadow?
I don’t have a particular favourite eyeshadow, although I really like the duo eyeshadows by NARS.
What mascara do you use?
Covergirl VolumeExact waterproof mascara. Doesn’t really give me that va-va-voom volume on my eyelashes but at least it gives me no clumps.
What are your favorite lipbalms/glosses/sticks?
Oh dear. This is a very tough question because I have so many! I like the lip gloss by Benefit and Nars. I love Softlips lip balm. They’re pretty much the only lip balms I’d use. I’m not really into lipsticks, but I’d have to say the ones by Maybelline are very good and moisturising.
HAIRCARE
Do you color your hair?
I used to. I’ve done red, copper, gold highlights, back to red, and just before I left for Australia, I dyed it back to dark brown to match my actual hair colour. My original hair colour actually makes me look younger.
What is your stylists name?
In Malaysia, that would be Esther from Bellitas Hair Salon in Penang. I’ve been her loyal customer ever since I was 15. She (and the rest of the girls) knows my hair inside out. I haven’t settled on one here in Melbourne yet. I’ve been wanting to try out Korean salons though.
What salon do you go to?
Bellitas Hair Salon in Malaysia. Over here, so far I’ve only been to Carmen, at Balwyn (as recommended by Geekchic).
What is your natural hair color?
Dark brown
What is your hair color now?
Back to dark brown. Whee!
Do you have straight or curly hair?
Well, wavy hair, to be precise. I have coarse, wiry and unmanageable hair.
Do you use a curling iron?
Nope. I want my hair straight, not curly. I don’t need extra curls. My coarse hair is naturally wavy.
A straightener?
Yep. I had to, ever since I got my haircut in April. The hair stylist gave me too much layers, which my hair couldn’t take. The volume is now twice as big, which simply look awful. Once it’s straightened, it looks much better.
What kind?
Remington T-Studio Nanosilver S8800. It’s the best flat iron I’ve ever used. It can also double as a curling iron since the ceramic plates are pretty narrow.
Do you use a blow dryer?
Yep. When left to dry naturally, my hair increases in volume. I use a Breville Avanti ionic hairdryer.
Do you use gel and if so, what kind?
Nope. Hair’s too long for gel.
Do you use mousse, and if so, what kind?
I used to, when I had permed hair. Yeah, what a big mistake that was. I don’t anymore. Have permed hair and/or use mousse, I mean.
What shampoo do you use?
Schwarzkopf Zero Fizz Shampoo
What conditioner do you use?
Schwarzkopf Zero Fizz Conditioner
Do you use leave in conditioner?
Yep. Shiseido Senscience Moisturising Mist and John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease hair serum.
SCENTS
What deodorant do you use?
Shiseido’s Ag+ Deodorant Powder Spray in Clear Soap. Great stuff, I tell you. Unfortunately, this is only available in Japan š
What body wash do you use?
I’m currently using Johnson’s Dreamy Skin Creamy Bath cream.
Do you use a loofah, washcloth or soap to wash?
I use one of those mesh thingies to wash with when in the shower.
What perfumes do you use or like? Name five.
L’occitane Cherry Blossom (my wedding scent)
Elizabeth Arden’s 5th Avenue (I know a lot of people think it’s an “auntie” fragrance, but I love it because it smells good to me, and also it was the first perfume I used)
Clinique Happy Heart (the only perfume I have which I actually finished and am on my second bottle now)
Marc Jacobs Daisy (lemming for this one big time, but happy to just have the sample-sized bottle)
Estee Lauder Pure White Linen Light Breeze (I don’t have this one yet, ‘cos it’s too expensive to buy here. I go to the Estee Lauder counters everytime I go shopping just to squirt some on me and a perfume strip :p)
Do you always have to smell good?
Of course! Who doesn’t?
Tag! You’re it!
Beetrice
Paris
Nikki
Kahani & Syen
I’ve run the whole gamut of hair colours too and am now perfectly happy with my own god-given colour which pretty much looks highlighted all by itself! Silly me for wasting my money hehe… Thanks for the tag. I’ll get to it soon… in a few parts š
we use the same moisturizers! but a layer of dramatically different is not enough for me, i have to slather on another layer of moisture surge during the day. at nite, i use double layer of moisture surge. damn, my skin is so thirsty and greedy. squeezing me dry, both my skin n pocket š
Ohh… you reminded me of Bellitas. I used to go to Bellitas (either Esther or Alice would attend to me). They were really nice but I stopped going there after I moved to Singapore. But since I’m back in Penang, maybe I could visit them again. š
ohh, thanks for the tag, I’ll probably do it over the weekend š Thanks dear…i love reading yours..its like learning your deep dark secrets š
omg; thank you for this!!! i was just about to get the clinique, seeing all the raves on MUA, you’ve taken away all doubts now!!!!
hows the face healing? š
Where is Bellitas?
YOU NEVER TAG ME. I IS SO HURTED š i go tag myself š
Paris:
Isn’t it funny that we have to go through all sorts of hair colours first (thus damaging our hair), before realising that our original hair colour looks best on us? Sigh :p
Prettybeautiful:
Hee hee, my skin’s squeezing me dry too! Am now slowly introducing cheaper alternatives to my moisturisers though. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a new HG of moisturiser that wouldn’t break the bank. Clinique moisturisers are good, but I don’t like the fact that they do not contain sunscreen. I do use extra sunscreen, of course, but still. You’d expect it to have sunscreen on the price you paid, wouldn’t you? Tsk tsk tsk.
Kooi:
I go to Esther when I need a hair cut. As for the rest, I’ll go to Alice. I make it a point to be nice to Alice because she can throw in a lot of goodies š
Askmewhats:
Oooooh deep dark secrets. Shhhh! :p
Helly:
Oh hi! I’m still ouching over your face! š Face is all healed now. Unfortunately it’s left with some discolouration š
Anonymous:
It’s in the Island Park area in Penang, at Greenlane Heights. Ground floor š
Geekchic:
Eh I didn’t tag you ah? Pai seh pai seh :p Next one ya? š
Go do it go do it! š
Oh lala..another tag?? I must say, this one is incredibly long!! š ok ok, time to get cracking!