Beauty Wishlist --- HK Edition

While you are reading this post, I have landed Hong Kong safely. As a shopping paradise, it is no exception when it comes to beauty products. Not only most of the products are much more affordable than in North America, the selection is beyond! So of course I have to seize the chance to grab a few of the items I have been eyeing which are not readily available in Canada.

1.) Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream 

- The trend of BB cream is nothing new and there are numerous BB creams out there in Asia. After trying 1-2 a few years ago, I have made the conclusion that BB cream is not for me. I just prefer foundation all in all. However, I believe the technology of BB cream has definitely been advanced and I have been told that they now offer a better colour match and coverage. A lot of people has recommended this particular BB cream from Lioele and I am curious to check it out.


2.) Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner 
3.) K-palette Liquid Eyeliner 

- I am not a big fan of dramatic eyeliners on myself but I have been curious about these Japanese liquid eyeliners. Both of them are known to be long-lasting and precise, not to mention the great colour pay-off. Should I get both? I am thinking maybe to get one black and one brown from each brand to try them out. 

4.) Solone Eyeliner Gel Pencil

- Yes, another eyeliner. lol. This time a pencil. We all know how hard it is to find a pencil that is really smudge-proof. Now I believe this is a Taiwanese brand and we shall see if this is the answer to my prayer.


5.) Menard Beauness Booster Lotion

- This is a lotion/toner that claims to make the skin less likely to become rough or pimpled. It is also fragrance-free and non-comedogenic. Menard is not available here in Canada but it is in Hong Kong. But I first have to find out how much it retails. 

How many lip balms can one girl have?

I am sure we all feel the same - there can never be enough lip balms. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall, lip balm is a must all year round. I don't know about you, but I rarely finish an entire lip balm because I always want to try new ones. So inevitably, a mini collection has formed......

(Left to right) 

Smith's Rosebud Salve 

Jurlique Love Balm 

Avene Cold Cream Lip Balm 

Lip Ice Strawberry Lip Balm SPF 15 

DHC Lip Cream 

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Lemon 

Elizabeth Arden Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15 

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Rosy Lips 

La Roche-Posay Ceralip Lip Repair Cream 

Maybelline Baby Lips Anti-oxidant Berry (with SPF)

Evie Plumping Rose Lip Therapy (Day, with SPF) 

My handbag staple right now is the Elizabeth Arden lip protectant, which is essentially their ever so famous 8-hour cream in stick form plus SPF. This is a brilliant idea because it is so much more convenient than applying the 8-hour cream. I also love the DHC lip cream but it doesn't have SPF so it would be more suitable for Fall/Winter months. It is definitely on the top of my list because I actually have gone through one before (the rare one!!!) and this is my 2nd tube of it. However, it is not available here in Canada and I will need to stock up when I am back to Hong Kong. Another one that I can only get from Hong Kong is the Evie lip therapy. It smells absolutely amazing and is packed with essential oils: almond sweet oil, avocado oil, hazelnut oil, jojoba oil, just to name a few. By looking at the ingredients you already know how amazing this lip therapy is, not to mention it is organic. It leaves a slightly more oily/shiny finish than the other two mentioned above so I wouldn't recommend putting a lip stick on top, at least not immediately or you can blot some off before apply your lip colour. 

I keep some of these lip balms at my nightstand for the convenience of applying before I go to sleep. The one that I reach for the most (frankly the only one I reach for) is the La Roche-Posay Ceralip. I've always adore La Roche-Posay and I used to keep re-purchasing their hand cream (I still love it but I'm just too busy with trying new things now). This Ceralip comes with a set with the hand cream and at first I didn't love it. I thought it was too thick for my liking, but the truth is I haven't found a right use for it. Ever since I started to use it at night before I go to bed, I have completely fallen in LOVE with it. It is so nourishing yet non-greasy and for me, it is just perfect as a bedtime treatment. 

An obvious disappointment is the Avene cold cream lip blam. I enjoyed the Avene cold cream hand cream so I was expecting this to be just as good. Arghhhhh, I really just don't like it. The worst part is it leaves a white film on my lips and this is clearly not attractive. It also didn't do much for my lips so I am not even sure if I will enjoy using it as a night treatment. Overall, this product is C- for me. 

Stay tuned for Part 2, which will be my mini collection of tinted lip balms. =) 

Wishlist

As a shopaholic and a beauty-addict, you can imagine how hard it is to control my spending. I must say, often times it is not things I NEED, but rather things I WANT, which I am sure is the majority of case for others as well. But as inspired by ViviannaDoesMakeup recently, I really want to streamline my "collection". Quality vs. quantity, as simple as it sound, we all know how challenging it could be. Now, for my first baby step, I think it is a good idea to visualize my "desires". Making wishlist will give me a chance to think twice before buying something new. Plus, I think we can all agree that it is interesting to know what others are eyeing at the moment. ;)

OK, without further adieu, here I present my wishlist as of late:



1.) O.P.I Nail Envy 

- Nails strength has always been the thing I am lacking. They break so easily and I have heard good things about this product. I am just hoping it will go on sale.





2.) Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H 

- Base makeup is one of the things I care the most and need the most because of my blemishes and hyperpigmentation. When it comes to Summer, longevity becomes even more important. And to add on top of that, I will be back to Hong Kong in 2 weeks...... The hot and humid weather there is really no joke...... I hope my Makeup Forever Mat Velvet is going to do the job (still testing this out). If not, I will have to seek some help and this Lancome foundation is definitely on my list. 

3.) NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliners 

- I am quite happy with my Prestige eyeliner pencils but of course I am always on the hunt for better. I don't really go for colour liners but I would love to try the brown, skintone and black ones. 

Well, that's it for now. You can for sure expect more of these wishlists to come. 

I'm loving ZOYA

ZOYA Mia 

O.P.I Pirouette My Whistle 

Canmake 101A 

I tried ZOYA nail polishes for the first time recently and I have to say, I fell in love with its formula immediately (at least this shade)! I am certainly not an expert when it comes to applying nail polishes but it was just so easy to work with this one. Opaque in 1 coat but I added a 2nd coat just in case. The most impressive thing to me is how it smooths out. I have never encountered a nail polish that has such a smooth and shiny finish (even with my far-from-steady hands). I was so tempted not to put a topcoat on it.

I am definitely going to pick up more from ZOYA (in fact I did pick up 2 more shades from the Summer collection) and I can't wait to try them! I love Essie's colours, but in all honesty, their formula really is "hit or miss" and even it is a "hit", from my experience it still doesn't compare to ZOYA.

Outfit of the day

Nothing fancy, nothing especial. Just a simple outfit that I wore to lunch with my friend. 

Top: aerie 

Skirt: Forever21 

Belt: Forever21 

Sandals: Guess 

Escape from the heat

The heat wave has been brutal. The temperature is constantly around 33-35 °C and with the humidity, it feels like around 40°C!!!!!! Never thought that Canada can be that hot & humid.... 

So with no air conditioning, I just can't stay at home all day long. Just like any other "normal" person, my first resort is to go shopping. Honestly, I really don't have anything specific in mind, but here I present you the fitting room: 

Awwww, this dress is just so ME. 

I can never get tired of neutral. 

Now there is only one problem, the back is slightly low-cut (which is very pretty) and I just don't know what to wear underneath (which is why I can't even show you because I am obviously not wearing appropriate "garment"). 

I would really appreciate if any of you girls (or guys I suppose) know the solution to it because I do like this dress a lot! 

This kind of weather is not doing any good to my wallet. Luckily, the heat has gone down a bit today and I can finally feel some breeze. The question is, would this stop a shopaholic from shopping? Yesterday I spent all day clearing my wardrobe and I have two bags of clothes to donate. I feel like I have more closet and hanger space now, however, I really want to try to keep it this way. I just can't imagine when I am going to move and need to pack all the clothes...... 

Or, I will say, I am gonna try to only invest in quality pieces. =) 

p.s. In case you are wondering, I found this dress at Winners. 

MIA

MIA Status is active starting from today.
Only 1 goal in the upcoming 3 weeks.
Once and for once, just do it!
Pray that I can have the strength & wisdom and a healthy body.

See you after 3 weeks~

Lorraine