Objects of my Affection: February Favourites, purchases andPinkStrawberrieLove Package!

Another month about to end! I cannot believe I have survived February!! I'm looking forward to the winter almost being over :D I shall be off to HK in about 2 weeks time - I cannot wait!! In the mean time I'd like to share my February Favourites!

Let's begin with this Nano Mist Lotion:

 Although my moisturiser has been doing a great job dealing with the harsh dry winter - the AC has been wreaking havoc!! Every now and then my skin would need a pick me up and I would turn to this little pink bottle. I actually picked it up from my local drugstore next to my work place. Yes, I work next to a drugstore! This bottle of goodness contains hyaluronic acid and collagen; can be used at any time - before/after makeup / prep the skin (as a lotion) / after bath / when you get dry skin. Needless to say it helps to set the makeup and moisturise the skin in between. Like the Shiseido hadasui, it even works on hair! I still like Hadasui but I love the fact this comes out as fine mist! Its also colour and fragrance free! I used to keep this in my bag but I kinda like it on my makeup counter :P

Next is the Express Moist Cleansing lotion by Bifesta - a subline of Mandom Beauty.

This was popular online for while but now it has been repackaged and has a few other versions. This is actually my second bottle :) The first bottle was brightening version but since the winter is so dry I went with Moist. The "Moist" version contains ceramide and hyaluronic acid. It's also oil-free. I found it actually worked much better than wipes - it dissolves the makeup really quickly, and it's even gentle on the eyes! This has actually replace my usual eye makeup remover now. I find it so convenient that I can take off a full-face makeup at once. My face is refreshed and supple after use. I even use this in the morning when I feel lazy :P For a bottle of 330ML for 980 yen(sometimes cheaper) It's quite a bargain! This product was ranked 2nd in 2011 on the Japanese Cosme.net ranking.

Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturiser:

I finally finished the tub the other day! I really love this moisturiser. It's probably one of the best moisurisers that I have used so far. Very few moisturisers I have found could beat the winter dryness and this baby is one of them! It's non-sticky and it adsorbs on the skin really quickly. It's good enough to use for night AND day. I find that it primes my skin really well before makeup :) It's lasted me for nearly 8 weeks even though I have used it everyday - I would say it's great value for 2100yen. As moisturising as it is, it's also really light so I'll definitely consider using this in the summer too! I have just repurchased a new tub :D This product was ranked no.3 in 2010 on the Japanese Cosme.net ranking!

The MoroccanOil:

 

Wow I have finally gotten around talking about this product! No matter what shampoo I use or what deep conditioner I use - it doesn't work nearly as well as this hair oil! That is worrying because this MoroccanOil is hardly cheap! I did manage to get 15% discount from HQhair when I ordered it last summer. I've used it increasingly more and more this month since the AC has taken the toll on my hair! Each time I use it, my hair becomes really soft and manageable - even when I wake up the next day - I feel like my hair doesn't need that much effort in managing; somehow it would look bouncy and smooth! I'm currently 2/3 into the bottle.. I'm considering in repurchasing this or maybe I'll try other some other magical hair oils after I finish with this :P

That's my monthly favourite for now! Since I needed time retail therapy and not wanting to splurge that much I've just picked up a few bits and pieces the last few days...

A minty sparkly number I picked up the other day..

A mini bottle of Eternal Basic are only 525yen each!

I applied about 4 coats for it to show some decent colour - it actually looks darker in person than in the photo. The shimmer is very pretty but I wished the colour showed up better! I'm going to try adding this on top of a more pigmented creamy mint shade :)

intergalactic love

I finally got a new phone cover :) It's black and sparkly! I also added one of those decorative plugs :P

 As mentioned above - I just repurchased the Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturiser and it came with a mini lotion (which I really like too). The mini lotion will be convenient to travel and use!

The Oily t-zone (my nose) is the bane of my life.. breakouts are not frequent but I'd like to try and control the oil production! I'll have to see how this goes.. The bottle is TINY but a little goes a long way. I tried using it the other day and it left me a very matte nose. I'm testing it out to see how long it stays matte.

I could help purchasing some of these cute Rilakkuma candies in a can!! So cute and they are pretty good (I opened the honey one haha)

Last but not least, I received another generous package from the awesome Riya!! She was so sweet and generous, I really shocked with how much she put in the package. I love all the shade she picked as well. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

 Riya was sweet enough to offer to send me some L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm and two more things I have been eyeing-up, coincidentally!

Some generous extras that were totally unexpected!!

Thank you so much for your generosity Riya!

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. I am looking forward the month ending! We will be heading out somewhere for onsen this weekend, and I can't wait!! Will be back soon with another post. xx

Dior Addict Color Reviver Balm Lip Glow Vs L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Universal Lip Glow

I've been using the Addict Color Reviver Balm Lip for about 18 months now - it's lasted me a long, long time - I remember using it consecutively for months and then I'd take a break.. but basically I'm almost done with it. Just a little to go. I'm considering in repurchasing it because I really love how moisturising it is and the colour it gives on my lips. I wore it a lot of my "natural" or no makeup looks and I actually got a few compliments and questions about what I was wearing :)

source

Then a few months the lovely Penelope from 2beautyetc sent me a generous package and inside contained the L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Universal Lip Glow! I was curious as soon as I opened it - it minded me of a lip stick but had a transparent colour. 

One of the things I love about the Dior Lip Glow is the creaminess of the texture. It makes my lips feels soft and buttery but it's not sticky at all. After trying out some Revlon Lip butters, it definitely reminds me of a high-end lip butter :) Not only is the texture creamy but it leaves a gorgeous shiny gloss on the lips that a lip gloss would achieve.

Dior Addict Lip Glow

The texture of the L'Oreal version's texture has a much drier texture -  definitely more like a lip stick texture. Although drier, it's quite moisturising - although not as moistursing as the Dior Lip Glow. While the lip glow leaves a noticeable gloss - the L'Oreal version feel more like a glossy sheen - more natural looking.

L'Oreal Universal Lip Glow

"Lip Glow" pigmentation differs to each person and responds to the colour chemistry of your lips...I actually got similar pigmentation from both of the products! Although if you closely compare the colour - the Dior version is ever slightly brighter.

L'Oreal Universal Lip Glow

Dior Addict Lip Glow

The L'oreal is definitely a good dupe and cheaper alternative for the Dior Lip Glow! You can definitely achieve similar results at a snippet of a price. However I do prefer the Dior Lip Glow a little more as I'm pretty much in love with it's texture and it's full moisturising properties. Dior Lip Glow is definitely worth the splurge and I'd be happy to check it out again at Duty Free :P I'm seriously impressed by the quality of drugstore product these days! xx

Apopofkawaii.com announcement

Hi guys - I would like to personally say thank you to every one of you that have supported a pop of kawaii from the very beginning. Now we have come to end of the road and I'm sad to announce that A pop of kawaii will be closing from the 1st of March.

It's been quite a journey and a massive learning curve. Thank you so much for your support!!

Any orders made already made will be shipped before March 1st.

Weekend Happenings and Everyday Makeup Video

Hey guys! Another weekend came and gone! I had a short but a productive one... short not being able to relax until Saturday evening (worked for a few hours in the afternoon), and productive because I finally went to La Maison Du Chocolat!!! It was basically a cake-galore sugar-filled weekend. Never again! I ate so much sugar, I swear it gave me ADD -_-;; This week I'm all about cutting down on the sweets! I was able to burn off the sugar during my tennis lesson. Thanks to our coach, who always gives us a proper work out!

Salvador cake (Cherry Chocolate Ganache cake - Macaron (Salvador and Framboise) - Cappuccino

La Maison Du Chocolat is chocolate heaven for any chocolate-fanatics out there! It's as pricey as hell in Tokyo - We wanted to go there on V day but we were too lazy in the end so we decided to go there on Saturday to makeup for V-day! LOL! It worked XD Yummy in my tummy!

I picked up a "waterfall" skirt in F21! I've  been looking for something similar for ages and the price was a bargain! It went well with the muted pink blouse. I can't wait to really wear it out when the weather gets warmer again! The blouse and knit is what I put on after work. Something easy and that kept me warm!

Heroine Make Mascara (lengthening formula) - Rabbit Blotting paper - AQUA eye mask (Korean brand) - Nature & Co Honey blend set

I went to the LOFT in Yurakucho to pick up some hand masks for my mum (she is obsessed with them) I'm slowly hauling a few at a time so I can pass on a bulk when I next see her. I couldn't help picking up something for myself - some blotting paper (haven't bought this in a long time - I always go back to this one) and an eye mask I've been wanting to try for a while!!

The other two were from my local drugstore :) I wanted to give the Nature & Co Honey Blend shampoo a go but decided to give the pack a try since I get to try a bit of everything - loving the scent and it's make my hair really soft. The best thing? It's scilicone-free!

obsessing with gold and peaches :P Thanks to Riya

And here's my everyday makeup video I did earlier last week.. I don't actually wear eye makeup everyday (because my face gets rather oily by the end of the day and it grosses me out lol) but here's a neutral look I would wear out everyday ;)

I want to say thanks to Mae for sending me the W n W palette!! Check out her blog for amazing fashion posts!! I was going to do a video on base makeup but there aren't any real techniques to it and it's rather boring (very quick and simple). So, I thought I'd leave it out. Let me know your thoughts on it!

I really want to wear more bright makeup so I've gone and purchased those 120 colour palettes from the Gmarket. The prices are amazing - here's the link if you're interested (much cheaper coastal scents - haven't even bought from them in years). I even got the nude palette (that's F). Finger's crossed everything will come in one piece! Sorry I am a bit slow with catching up right now.. Slowly but surely! Will be back soon! xx

A Lover's Glow and Lenses Mishap

Hey guys, hope everyone had a nice Valentines. We had a quiet one because I had work ... I decided to do a wearable "glowy day makeup" on the day - I went for a peachy glow with Illamasqua's Lover blush. It's been sitting in my makeup box for a while now, and I thought it was about time I used this! The colour is not only perfect for the Spring/Summer but it would brighten any cold winter day :D

 Let's start off the with the eyes..

I primed the eyes with Too-Faced Shadow Primer then I worked with the Dior Sunset Palette in 440 (the nude peachy and medium taupe) I decided to line the eyes with the darkest brown.

 I wanted to test out the new lenses that came through last weekend... unfortunately they didn't work out too well LOL.

EOS adult brown

Yes your eyes are not deceiving you, the colours are DIFFERENT!! LOL. Can you believe my luck? Years of not bothering with circle lenses, this is what happens!! I'm quite disappointed, I was really looking forward to wearing them. What was really strange was that the lenses looks identical in the bottle. I have emailed to Candylen.com to complain about it and they have responded and I will have to get back them soon.. On a positive note they were not uncomfortable to wear but my normal contacts have been playing havoc on my eyes from the air conditioning. I mean they are actually coping well but as soon as I finish work - I get red eyes =_=

 On a random note , which colour do you prefer? :P

my right eye - this is more if a hazel shade

I think this particular hazel shade actually goes with the eye makeup really well.. and maybe not as well with a cooler tone lens (below).

This lens has a grey tone to it! How bizarre..

I cannot for the life of me remember what I used as a blush base under Illamasqua Lover :/ Probably Maquillage Face Creator 66 with the nude pink?!

sometimes natural is best..? LOL.

If you're wondering what I have on my lips - I paired it with YSL Rouge Volupte in Faburg Peche and Revlon lipglossin Peony :) Time to dig out the peaches for spring!

AS you can see my Valentines was uneventful but I did enjoy a lot of Valentines-related blogpost , which made me feel all gooey inside :). I cannot wait for this week to be over (already)!!! I have been feeling up and down this week.. you know what they say.. 船到橋頭自然直 **fighting** !! Have a great weekend guys. xx

Weekend arrivals :D

Hello loves! Hope everyone had or is having a good weekend and enjoyed the Valentines weekend. Due to an impromptu all-night Karaoke on Friday night lol, we decided to have a quiet weekend in. It was nice and relaxing - caught up with 2 rom-coms on DVD, went to tennis school and played Super Mario on Wii XD ..The weekend went TOO fast! Saturday was especially nice - the stuff I had been waiting for finally arrived!!

The first thing that arrived was.. my lovely furry Jacket from the Gmarket! I always seem to have better luck with clothes than with shoes... I'm glad I took the risk despite the mishaps I've had with online shopping! It was mega bonus that it was bought at a huge discounted price - even my mother in law was surprised to hear how cheap it was :P

roar!

 I'm very pleased with the size- the sleeve length just fits me perfectly and it's really comfortable around the shoulders with plenty of room (no in a overly baggy way). The lining is just what I wanted - something warm and snuggly! Of course my favourite part was the HUGE furry hood XD hehe

smooch!

 Sorry I couldn't helped but to cam-whore with it on! XD Excuse my face - I have nothing on my face and if I'm sleepy I had about 5 hours sleep from the night before LOL. Lately I have been loving idea of being lazy and wearing no makeup at the weekend! It feels SO good!!! I even went to tennis school with no makeup on (just sunscreen - I learn indoor though). My husband was just amused that the ladies wore makeup at tennis class. I wear makeup 5 days a week (even though I don't usually cake it on) it's nice to let the skin BREATHE!! :P

It's been such a long time since I last wore circle lenses, since 2008 I recall - before it became huge.  I remember blogging about it when it was first getting big. It's quite remarkable how popular circle lenses have grown since then! Circle lenses distributing companies have grown massively too.. which to choose?!

Candy Lens was my choice! They were doing discounts for the Lunar New Year and I had seen plenty reviews from this company. I went for EOS Adult brown and grey :P The shipping fee seemed reasonable and it came on time as promised - 8-10 days! I was able to track it without any hassle. Everything was packaged so cutely with a handwritten note (not in photo) plus I got 2 free lenses cases (prob won't use them because of the solution I use). Everything was paid securely on Paypal - it was all a smooth operation! I cannot wait to give them a try! I would recommend this company for providing such a prompt service!

Today was the first time I watched some of the Grammy on TV (since we have cable TV at home) - big up to Adele for representing the UK - winning so many gongs haha! Her eye makeup looked so fabulous.. I really want to try and replicate it! It was so nice to see that The Grammy Awards were making a tribute to the late Whitney Houston. I remember reading about her death just as I woke up :( Such sad news! I remember her comeback in the early 2000s and I grew up with "I will always love you". Listening to that song yesterday on the radio teared me up..Just like so many famous and legendary artists that have passed away, her music will live on. 

What did you guys get up to over the weekend? Hope you all have a great week ahead! xx

The Midas Touch

Hello lovelie! Hope everything is having a good week so far! I noticed that I've actually reached over 1400 followers - a big thanks to you guys!! I will surely hold another giveaway .. Perhaps another 100 to go?! Lol!!

I've manage to pick bits and bobs at the beginning of the week ;) it's somewhat helping me tie over the time I have to curb spending and saving to spree in Hong Kong :P My contacts and coat both haven't arrived yet so it's starting to drive my patience. Hoping they'll arrive soon!


Let's start off which some bits I picked up...

I picked up a Mojilca Majorca Jeweling Eyes palette GD 886 - 2nd MM palette I own LOL / NEW Canmake Cream Cheek in 13 Love Peach LE!! A Loft exclusive Kiss nail in 60 (gold :D) / Chocolat lip essence in Caramel

As for the cream blush, you guys know I'm a big cream blush fan... swatch was pretty and it's a LE. Canmake sell really quick usually.. it's not even on the website - they did an Japanese article on it here. Personally I think it's crossed bwteen 01 Peach Dream (it's discontinued) and 08 Marshmallow pink!

GD886 swatch! I cannot wait to use it.. Will try it for a V-day look ;)

As you can see I've been into gold as of late, hence the blog title :P It's been 2 years since I have purchase a MM palette?! I'm particularly glad I picked up this baby up, really soft and pigmented - the colours are exactly what I'd go for and I'd be happy to use it with another palette or on it's own. A reader once suggested to do a tutorial and look with only one palette (asked on formspring) I'm hoping to do one sometime! 

The nail colour is LOVE!!! It's lights up my day even by just looking at it!! it's really sparkly with gold shimmer and silver glitter in it. You can just about see the hint of colour in the essence! it smells SO good but it doesn't taste like caramel, unfortunately :P

Kiss nail/lip essence set were from Loft - it's a limited edition set. I had my eyes on the nail set because the set actually cost 945yen!! That's a good bargain because the nail polish is actually 840yen and the lip essence is 945yen!! I basically got the nail polish free - I actually wanted the nail polish more than the lip essence at first, lol. Now I've tried the essence, it's actually quite nice! It's non-sticky and there's a slight hint of nude colour to it - it would look great on it's own or another lip product!

Guess what arrived through the post....

Package from Jian of PinkFishTart Thank you!! Isn't the lip gloss swatch pretty??!

 The ever so lovely Jian set me a package! She was awfully thoughtful and sweet - I commented about her croc nails and she hunted one down for me!!! She also knew I liked my reds and picked up this lip gloss for me... and so strange I am a HUGE fan of teas so the little selection is perfect for me ^____^. She wrote me a cute DIY postcard too :) Thank you Jian!!

I bought a new blouse from F21 on Saturday, wore it out on Monday before work :P  It's white with black polka dots. I goes well with with my salmon pink knit - love that knit!! Sorry couldn't take a whole outfit. Will try to next time!!


Vday is hugely marketed in Japan!! Check out the Mister Donuts's heart shaped Churros!!

Also Rimmel released an LE of their face powder...

Would you? I mentioned this on my FB page... it's produced in China but I check their lipsticks again, made in Japan!! Interesting haha..

 I'll try and update over the weekend! Do you guys have anything plans for the weekend? I think we'll be heading on Saturday night, followed by tennis on Sunday afternoon and some La Chocolate du Maison hot chocolate and cake?! Be back soon! xx

Short post: Indulging At the Weekend & Thoughts on Dholic

Hey guys! What has everyone been up to? My short weekend is almost over :(  I've had to work for a little on Saturday but I was able to indulge in some awesome Chinese Yunnan Hotpot in Ginza called Gozenbo in the evening. It was the healthiest and tastiest hotpot I've ever had - it's basically a hotpot full of different kinds of delicate mushrooms! Yup, mushrooms! It was a course meal so we were pretty stuffed by the end!

Sporting with neutral makeup because I had to work on that day :)Trying to work on the hair there too - went flat as the day went on -.- Love lining the eyes with eyeshadow - you can fill in the gap of the lashes easily and it's looks defined and wearable for everyday! I should seriously do this more often!! I'm planning on doing an everyday makeup video - would anyone be interested..??

Some of the food we had.. top left was for starters - it was so prettily presented! For dessert we had Almond pudding with Tapioca!! There was a small piece plum flavoured ryokan (not in the shot -.-) it was different but so nice!!

On another happy note my Dholic haul came! The quality has definitely exceeded my expectations - except for the necklace - one stone was slightly scratched, although it doesn't appear to "plastic-y" it does feel like it is.. Other than that, all items were in good condition. I ordered everything in a free size - the salmon knit is very chunky and soft. The sky blue knit is also very soft, the seam of the pink blouse looks good.

Both the blouse and Salmon knit are actually made from Korea, and there is no tag on the sky blue at all LOL. All in all I liked my purchase but I'm not sure I would have spend 3000yen on that kind of necklace (similar to Topshop's price). it's the quality you'd find in Forever21 or H&M accessories.

LOL I totally Pigged out this weekend :P Luckily I could work out a bit with a double tennis class (that's 160mins of sports ^^). This week classes were pretty hardcore - a lot of moving and kept at a constant pace - which I prefer. I also learned to do top-spin - pretty proud of myself! Ganbatte :D I hope everyone is having/has had a lovely weekend. xx

Collar Love ♡ Dholic & GMarket Haul

Hello lovelies!! I can't believe it's February already! Winter blues are almost over :D How was everyone's weekend? I finally watched Mission Impossible 4! I found it very entertaining and it seems Tom Cruise still has it LOL!

Here's what I wore on that day - I matched it with grey denim jeans (not in picture). I'm loving the blouse / layered with knit trend right now!! I threw together my two fave items in the wardrobe!

Blouse - Gmarket / Knit - Topshop.

I did a day-night look with the Smashbox palette (had work earlier that day); you can see the eye makeup on top-right picture - I simply lined and smudged with the purple-tones grey on my lash line. For night (bottom left) I just added liquid liner and smoked it out with the same purple-toned grey on the outer corners - can't really tell in pictures though - restroom lights are always so crap :P

Lately I haven't found clothes in stores that appealing (I know weird being in Tokyo and all..) - there was NO way I could wait until March, plus I've been stuck in a wardrobe rut recently.. or the lack of - I should say so I decided to venture once again with online shopping. Last year I didn't have too much luck with online shops - mostly shoes and bags lol - so i've decided to avoid shopping for them and focus on CLOTHES!!!

It's still very cold in Tokyo and I really didn't feel like splurging on winter clothes - Dholic's style seemed perfect for what I was looking for and prices seemed reasonable ! I know I haven't had a good experience with the boots but all is forgiven and I'm all for second chances ;)

I bought both knits in those shades! Sky blue and Salmon pink :D  picture courtesy of Dholic

I've been getting sick of wearing just beiges and greys so I went for some colour this time. If you didn't know, Dholic is the sister company of the well-know Zipia! The only difference is that everything is shipped within Japan (Shibuya me thinks) and you get free shipping once you spend over 8000yen (which I could get :D). Of course you don't need to spend a minimum of $300USD! This is a random comment but I do love the model's hair (on the left!) My hair cut is really similar to it right now.. I need to work out to softly curl out the hair end like that!!

image courtesy of Dholic

Blouses are definitely my thing right now - you can dress it up or dress it down! I went for a sheer hidden pocket blouse - in pastel pink (instead of the one in picture) - again in attempt to bring more colour into my life :P I'm sure you could tell I'm more a minimal person when it comes to accessorizing.. a personal goal this year is to accessorize more - starting off this a gorgeous collar necklace piece! I decided to go with black as it would probably go with a lot of things and looked a lot better out of 2 other colours. Now each item was around 3000yen per piece and I could also free shipping, plus 200yen off, I'm paying with COD (cash on delivery).. it's basically hassle free shopping :D  (unless you don't have cash at hand LOL). I cannot wait for everything to come!!

my new "down" jacket, or a casual winter jacket for the non-Japanese lingo lol image courtesy of Coco Doroci

I've been wanting a new coat for a long time! I've been looking for a fluffy one - I have a short one I bought from YesStyle.com YEARS ago, and I thought it was time to replace it. I found a seller called Coco Doroci that sold all coats and jackets with napping and furry trimmings - plus it was on sales - I couldn't refuse ;) it looks so warm - love the hood furry trims and it has pockets! This baby went down for just ove 2800yen plus delivery!!! The thing I love about Gmarket is that you can get coupons for the amount you spend :) Just got an email that it's been shipped. I'm excited!!

I'm enjoying online shopping a little too much haha. Next stop... beauty products?!

What have you bought online recently??? I will be back soon and a big hello to new followers xx