Catrice Absolute Eye Colour eyeshadows

So I just finished watching the Australian Open Semi-Final match between Federer and Murray. Murray won with 5 sets and I'm looking forward to the final match between him and Djokovic. I've been a supporter of Federer for years now and the first tennis match I've ever watched is of him and some other dude which I don't even remember who it was. I did, however remember watching him play that first time and thinking "Wow, this dude is realllllyy good!" I was pretty clueless and didn't even realize I was watching the then world No. 1 tennis player in action.

Anyway, today I want to share with you guys my thoughts on Catrice's Absolute Eye Colour eyeshadows! There are a lot to choose from and I initially picked up 5 or so to try out but in the end I only got 2 because I have a really hard time deciding whether or not it's worth it and whether I really need them so 2 it is!

These are the two shades that I got!

Catrice Absolute Eye Colour eyeshadows in Mr. Copper's Fields and Starlight Expresso

I absolutely love the packaging! The eye shadows come in a clear plastic case with a closure that snaps shut and I love how you can easily see the color of the eye shadow! The packaging is not too bulky or too small which makes it perfect for traveling. Again, the plastic case makes the product seem a lot more expensive than it really is! Much like their bronzing powder. Each individual eye shadow comes with 2g of product. For comparison, a single MAC eyeshadow comes with 1.5g of product.

These eye shadows retails for B$4.90 in Paloma, The Mall. Mr Copper's Field is a gorgeous shimmering copper-gold color and it's great to use as an all-over-the-lid shade or even as a highlight in the inner corners of the eye. Starlight Expresso, on the other hand is a matte cool-toned taupe color. I don't know if this is the same with the rest but I find that the matte Starlight Expresso is more powdery than the shimmery Mr. Copper's Fields.

Catrice Absolute Eye Colour eyeshadows in Mr. Copper's Fields and Starlight Expresso

They are surprisingly pigmented and easy to blend! I was in a rush to go out a few days ago and I decided to put on Starlight Expresso. I even used my fingers to apply it on as well as blend it onto my lids and it worked out pretty well. However, I'd recommend you to put on some primer before applying any Catrice eye shadow if you want it to last longer because I tried using it once without any primer on and with one swipe of a wet tissue the eye shadow is gone! This surprises me because it usually takes a whole lot more than that for me to remove the Urban Decay eye shadow that I use all the time.

Catrice Absolute Eye Colour eyeshadows

Overall I really enjoyed using these and they have been my go-to eye shadows currently. After trying these out they make me wanna go back and try the other shades! I'd probably go back for more neutral shades though. I wonder how pigmented are their colorful eye shadows, the blues and greens especially.

Time fillers!

While most of us are already moving on with the new semester, I'm currently still at home waiting for the offer letter from UM to arrive. Good news is that our supervisor just told us yesterday that they will be here by the end of the month so - fingers crossed! I can't find much to do around the house and so I juggle between reading books and watching TV. My extended holiday is about to come to an end and I think I'm ready to move on.

Meanwhile, I'd like to share with you guys the books and TV shows that I am currently watching!

Switched at Birth

This is one of most unique shows I've watched so far because many of the characters are either hard of hearing/ deaf which means using sign language as part of the script! I've always been interested in sign language and wanted to learn more but I just don't know where to begin. It'll be awesome if UBD has a sign language club! I picked up a few simple signs that I recognized from when I am friends with this girl in my high school who is deaf herself but apart from that I am lost in the quick gestures and hand movements. It was weird for me because back then I hardly know any sign language so this friend of mine taught me bits and pieces here and there and in the end we were able to 'talk', gossip and even joke around! I can't explain how enlightening the experience was. Talking to her challenges me to use my facial expression more carefully and it makes me so much more aware of other people's body language. I guess it goes to show that language is so diversified that sometimes, you don't need to speak to be understood.

Anyway I went off on a tangent there. haha Emmett used to be my favorite character but I'm not so sure anymore after he slept with Bay's (his then gf) nemesis. This is a great show if you wanted something easy on the mind. Even when things go wrong it won't be as bad as when things go wrong in Gossip Girl or 90210 where you know the characters really f*cked up bad. lol

Bunheads

I don't know why I'm still watching this. It's not that interesting and there really isn't much going on. But it fills my time so I guess that's why. It's about this woman who married a man (Hubble) on a whim and moved to his town to find out that he still lives with his mother. The man died soon from an accident and she is left stranded in this little town where everyone knows everyone and there isn't much to do. Hubble's mom owns a ballet studio though so this show centers around her and her mother in law who is the teacher, as well as the students.

Revenge

 Though the plot of Revenge confuses me sometimes, I still like watching it because for once, the main character has the upper hand. Most movies/shows are like Pretty Little Liars, where A, the bad guy is always messing with the girls while they are consistently one step behind in everything. Revenge, on the other hand shows Emily the main character as the one with the power. I like how she is able to play her cards right and is able to do considerable damage to her enemies. It's refreshing to see her plot her revenge and succeed while giving that little smirk she always does when everything went well. I think that's part of the reason why I like this show so much. I'm always wondering who is she gonna mess with next!

Pretty Little Liars 

Speak of the devil. I don't even know what to make of this show anymore because there are so many twists and turns to the plot not to mention the side stories which are just confusing to me. I thought this is a friendlier show but apparently I am wrong because someone actually tried to kill Aria by trying to push her off the train in a box with Garett's body in it. Talk about murder! Also, what's up with Aria's dad?? One second he is all 'I'm so sorry, Aria' and the next he's giving her that perverted look saying 'I know what you're up to, Aria. I found that letter in your boot.' This must sound confusing if you haven't watched this show. Give it a go if you're into mysteries and suspense but if not, I'd say skip it. I wish I could say I have a favorite character in this show but alas, I'm annoyed with them all. hahaha I'm still watching because I wanna know exactly what the heck is going on and am half-hoping they'd clear up my confusion with each episode that I watch.

The Vampire Diaries

Compared to Pretty Little Liars, TVD's story plot is straight to the point and that's exactly what I like about this show. You know with each episode what is going on and what they are doing or trying to do. Side stories aren't so bad as well and they all have an ending which makes more sense than PLL's. I'm glad they finally put Elena and Damon together but I'm starting to wonder what they're gonna do with Stefan. I think Stefan's gonna be forever mulling over his breakup with Elena in self-pity because that's what he does. I don't know, we'll see. Apart from the love-triangle, I love watching Klaus with Caroline! Who doesn't right? haha

Modern Family

No explanation is necessary with this. The picture says it all. lol This is my favorite sitcom apart from The Big Bang Theory. I can watch this over and over again and still laugh about it like it's the first time I'm watching it!

The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon Cooper. 'Nuff said! Actually, he's not the only one. The things these characters say is just freakin' hilarious I can't even! I usually download these shows and sitcoms are the one I keep in my folders whilst I delete the rest once I've watched them. I can't bring myself to delete this because I know I'll watch it over and over again!

X-Men

This is random haha! I've recently started reading X-Men from the very beginning at Issue #1 when it was first published in 1963 and although the story wasn't that amazing at first I quickly grew to love it. In the 1960s each issue comes with a new 'threat' in which the X-Men have to defeat in order to 'save the world' but now that I'm in issue #201 (1986), I noticed that the story flows more now. They not only concentrate on the X-Men fighting the villains but they also talk of things that are happening within X-Men. Storm losing her powers, Cyclops getting married, Professor X gaining and losing the use of his legs. There's a lot going on and I find that I'm usually more drawn to when things are more slow-paced. The fighting scenes are good but it's not my favorite. The drawings are getting better and better and I can't wait to reach the 1990s issues!

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

The Lucky One started with this man who found a picture of a girl among the ruins during his time in Iraq and after the war he decided to search for her. On foot. With his dog. His friend believed that the picture bought him luck because he survived a lot of tricky situations during the war in Iraq while many don't. So off he goes and of course, he found her.

 I read this so long ago that I've almost forgotten the story plot. What I know for sure is that the book is about a thousand times better than the movie. As it always is. The writing style is very similar to Dan Brown's where the author writes in a sense that we as the reader read in the perception of one character to another. However I particularly liked the main guy character who is Zac Efron in the movie. If you are interested in this story, I strongly suggest you read the book instead of watching the movie and you best believe you'll enjoy it more!

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I know I'll love this book even before I read it because Kinsella never disappoints! She always puts magic in her book and I'm left laughing and crying. Sometimes I do both at the same time. This is no exception and even better, it all started with a cellphone. I guess it's time we finally admit that technology is all over the place nowadays it's so hard to avoid them. Even in books. Like most of Kinsella's book, I've Got Your Number is an easy read with a quirky main character who's gonna make you laugh yourself silly. I love how she puts into words these thoughts that the main character is thinking and made it sound so funny!

The story started when Poppy lost her engagement ring during dinner or something with her friends in a hotel. She panicked and somehow lost her cellphone too in the chaos and then amazingly enough, she found one in a trash bin and claimed it as hers because well, finders keepers. So she started calling her family and friends and told them to use this new number to contact her instead if they ever found her ring. Turns out this cellphone actually belonged to this multimillionaire's (doh) assistant who quit her job and dumped the cellphone in a trash bin. While the ring remained to be found, Poppy and this man started texting each other... read the book to learn the rest!

Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder

Paloma recently added a new cosmetics line in their shop and it was none other than Catrice, the popular European cosmetic brand in which MissChievous on youtube often raved about. If I'm not mistaken, she mentioned a few times about their products and how it's a really affordable drugstore brand where she came from. Either way, from the packaging alone it's pretty obvious that Catrice and Essence cosmetics have the same manufacturer. 

Paloma at The Mall is stocked full of Catrice products 

I can't help but pick up a few things myself because they are just so darn cheap. It's the perfect price range for younger teens who are just starting to get into makeup and wanted to experience with colors. Anyway I'm also glad to see the extended range of neutral colored eye shadows they are selling.

Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder

 Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder

There are two bronzing shades and I picked up the darker colored one called 020 Deep Bronze only because I have medium skin and any bronzing powder lighter than this shade will probably not show up nicely on my skin. 

I really like the packaging of this stuff! It comes in a compact plastic case with a clear cover which snaps shut and it has quite a bit of product in it too at 9.5g. To compare, a MAC bronzing powder has 10g of product. The Catrice bronzing powder retails for B5.90 whilst a MAC bronzing powder costs about B$38! Also, you have to admit the imprint on the bronzer itself is gorgeous! Basically the whole packaging looks way more expensive than it really is! And to think that it'll cost you only 1/6 of what MAC is selling is just mind blowing.

 Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder

  Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder

 

 The good thing about this is that it's Matte!! I remembered The Body Shop came out with bronzing powder a few years ago and they are really shimmery with glitters in it and I just don't know how to work the product with all the shimmers and glitters. Some people like to use the bronzing powder all over the face for a bit of color but I prefer to use them to lightly contour my face. 

This product is pigmented too so I always make sure to use a light hand when working it onto my skin. I have to say the color doesn't complement my skin 100% but nonetheless it works. For contouring, I like using either my Sigma tapered highlighter brush F35 or the large angled contour F40. Depends on which one is clean lol

Before and after applying the Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder 

I dropped by the shop again yesterday and noticed that their products are selling really good! I remembered back in the days when I just started getting into makeup how hard it was to find affordable makeup products, even simple things like brushes, primers and bronzing powders! Now they're almost everywhere (if you knew where to find them, of course) and I can't help but feel relieved. haha

More OOTDs

I can't fathom why I keep taking self shots of my outfits when they are honestly nothing special! haha I mean, sure of course I want to look good whenever I head out but comfort always comes first for me. Which is probably why you're seeing so much jeggings and leggings in my OOTDs. 

I haven't been wearing these bright blue pants a lot since I bought them at Deseo a while ago so I decided to pair them with this top which I recently bought at New Look! It's a peplum top with lace details and I love it! It's the first top I own with any lace on it so I am very happy to have bought it. Initially wanted to put on some heels but then me and the siblings are bringing my baby niece along so I wore a pair of Converse instead. Just in case I needed to carry Jazelle around when we are shopping coz I don't wanna risk strutting around the Mall with a baby in my arms and wearing sky-high heels! (Just a figure of speech, I don't actually own any sky-high heels fml)

If you can't already tell, I am flaring my nostrils in the pictures above because it is taking my brother FOREVER to take the damn shot. lol

Sharon braided my hair for me that day!

 

FOTD.

Another casual outfit but I have an excuse! I knew I wanted to go shopping for clothes so I opted for some shorts and a T-shirt. And of course a pair of flats which is very the comfortable. I can walk a whole day with them flats. Btw, I bought those opaque tights in Parkson and they work wonders! I like how they are thicker than the usual tights and they are perfect. I wish I had bought more like... 10 pairs more. lol They also come in a few other wearable colors like brown and black. Duh.

 

FOTD

I used one of my Inglot shades on my lids, which is a dark pink color with silver glitter. I used a black base underneath though, I believe it's NYX's jumbo pencil in Black Bean. On my lips I finally used the long neglected Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Nude. I used to wear this lipstick way back when it first came out but then noticed that I looked a little too pale and sickly so I stopped wearing them. Now I just top it up with some tinted lip gloss and it's not that bad after all!

 

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme foundation

Yes, I finally got my hands on the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme foundation! There are so many foundations that I wanted to try but I already have quite a lot that I haven't finished using up yet so I always ended up not buying any. Even this particular foundation I have no plans on buying just yet but when we're at Guardian, Shala suddenly told me, "Okay, you can grab one item here and I'll pay for it. Just one!" I knew right away I wanted to pick this up! Talk about having no self control. lol

 

Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation in Medium Beige

I love the packaging of this! The use of glass jars gives the product a more expensive feel, like it's more expensive than it really is. However I think this packaging in particular is quite excessive because from the picture above you can clearly tell that the glass alone makes up half of the jar! The actual product you get is only 23.7ml. For comparison, the Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation holds 30ml of product, which isn't a lot either.

 

 Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation in Medium Beige

There are only 4 shades to choose from and I got the second lightest shade which is Medium Beige. This is by far, the thickest foundation I own! Like the Colorstay liquid foundation, this smells like paint which is unfortunate but otherwise it's works great! This also happens to be the foundation which lasts the longest on my skin, even longer than the popular Colorstay liquid foundation.

 

 Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation in Medium Beige

The consistency is different from anything that I have ever tried. I have read many reviews of this product by other beauty bloggers and Allison (amarixe on youtube) described it as more of a 'melted milkshake' consistency, which I think is pretty interesting. For me, it's like a paste. A liquid-y paste if you'd like. Or paint, like the ones on your wall before it dries up. I guess what we are all trying to say is that this Creme foundation is very thick in consistency!

Before and after

I like to use the Sigma F84 Angled Kabuki to blend the product onto my skin. I find that it is by far the easiest and quickest way to apply the product evenly. As usual, I dot the Creme foundation all over my face before I do any blending and buffing!

Before and after

I have yellow undertones in my skin and the shade that I chose, Medium Beige has more of a pink undertone which I really like because it completely neutralizes and brightens up my skin! This Creme makeup is without a doubt a full coverage foundation and is perfect for when you want to look like you have flawless skin! It sets to a matte finish and I love it! 

The longest time I have used this is for about 8-hours straight and even then, it still looked pretty good on my skin! No budging or weird patches on my skin whatsoever. It's now my go-to foundation for when I know I'll have a long day ahead of me and I want something that will last on my skin the whole time I am out without worrying about touching up or anything. 

P.S.: It can be a pain to remove! I need to wash my face with a makeup removing lotion 2-3 times to get it completely off my skin!

 The Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme foundation retails for B$29.90 at Guardian. Definitely go check this out if you're into fuller coverage foundation or if you prefer a foundation with long-lasting power.

Welcoming 2013!

Happy new year!  

I still can't believe it's already 2013. I feel like I haven't really done anything much since last semester but I am now on my third year second semester of UBD! Like woah, what did I do exactly to be called a third year undergraduate? Kinda feels like I haven't really earned that title but there it is. haha not gonna complain though because I'm liking it! 

So for the second semester I have applied for the student exchange program. I have friends who's going off to Korea, Thailand and even Taiwan which I think is pretty cool. I initially didn't apply for SEP but then changed my mind after a briefing was held encouraging us to do so. And so I thought why not. I didn't wanna go to Singapore but I wanted some place close to home. Not really interested in going to Thailand or the Philippines so in the end I chose Malaysia. The only thing about the Uni that I chose now is that they take forever to acknowledge our applications! Most of my friends are well on their way with the medical checks and stuff and I'm still sitting at home waiting for the offer letter. It seriously sucks to be me right now. I guess 2013 started off with a challenge for me to test my patience. 

For this upcoming year, I wish for my family and friends (and myself) to be healthy and happy. I thought I should come up with a new year's resolution but I basically recycle mine every year so my wish for everyone to be healthy and happy should suffice. 

Health wise, I think I have significantly improved mine since May last year. Before that I did do exercises but not as regularly. My goal for 2013 is to maintain my health + exercise regime. I don't normally talk about health topics on my blog because I find it embarrassing. Other people must be doing even better with their health and exercise routine than I am so I feel like I should probably not say anything about it here but then I thought, why compare myself with others? Right? Right?! lol I can safely say that since last May, I have worked out at least 3 times a week every week. Which is really saying something because if you know me you'll know how much of a lazy bum I can be. Nowadays I try to work out 4-7 times a week. I'm currently on day 29 of Insanity and I can't wait to complete a round! As for food, there are really no specific 'rules' that I stick to. It depends on my mood, I guess. There you have it, my health 'secret' all cramped into one paragraph lol

Apart from that, I really want to be able to look at things in a more positive light. I like to be realistic but sometimes that make me see things negatively somehow. I hope I'll be able to learn a thing or two while I'm overseas this semester so, fingers crossed!

Here's to a new year and fresh start for everyone! A clean slate.