Colourpop Creme Gel Liners

Let me tell you right off the bat that I wasn't really into pencil or any stick-form eyeliners. I found them difficult to manoeuvre and disaster ensued whenever I attempted to draw the simplest of lines across my eyelids. 

As a fan of KathleenLights on YouTube, I am constantly exposed to Colourpop videos and tutorials. A while back she created this stunning makeup look, using the creme gel liner in Zulu. Intrigued by the bright mermaid-esque teal, I decided to try out my luck by ordering some liners. 

The colours I picked up are (from top to bottom): Zulu, Dirty Talk, Get Paid, HoneyDude. Zulu is described as vivid pastel sea foam green; Dirty Talk a soft metallic gold; Get Paid a metallic rose gold; HoneyDude a creamy warm nude. 

I ended up loving these liners! They are so smooth and pigmented, and lining my eyes did not end up with me in tears. Whether I'm lining my lids or waterline, they apply extremely well. Did I mention they're waterproof? Perfect for the icky summer days and my sweaty af dance classes.  My absolute favourites have to be Zulu and Get Paid, but honestly I love them all. When payday swings round, I am determined to get my hands on more shades!

Colourpop now offers shipping to Hong Kong, but truth be told it is considerably pricey. I bought my liners off of an Instagram store that helps transport US products to HK. If you check out the hashtag #colourpophk, you'll find a handful of accounts that sell Colourpop products. Prices will range form store to store; I bought mine at $55 each. 

I wholeheartedly recommend these Colourpop gems to you, even if you are a pencil liner skeptic. They make applying eyeliners a dream, and there is literally a rainbow of colours to choose from (something I love about Colourpop is that they don't shy away from colour). Inject some summer brightness into your makeup collection by picking up a few - or a dozen! Pencil liner skeptic or not, you are sure to fall for these creme gel liners. 

Etude House's Lip Tint Eraser

Something I love about Korean cosmetics brands is that they frequently come out with products that make a beauty regime a whole lot easier to execute. An impromptu shopping trip in Mong Kok yesterday resulted in me discovering this gem: Etude House's new Lip Tint Eraser. I'm sure this product isn't a totally new invention, but it's the first time I've actually come across one.

What it is is basically a lip product remover. The product is clear and lip gloss-like in consistency. You take a small drop onto your fingers and massage it into your lips, then rinse off everything with water. Since lip tints are difficult to remove, this product should come in handy when removing stubborn lip products. 

While I'm not as interested in lip tints, I am an avid user and consumer of liquid lipsticks and matte formulas. I tested out the Eraser on four lip products: Colourpop's Ultra Satin Lip in Botanical; Nyx's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi; Mac's Whirl; Too Faced's Melted Lipstick in Melted Fig. Products like these are known to stay on the lips and require oil-based removers for removal.

I took four small drops for each individual stripe of product, massaged it in (making sure that the entire area of colour came in contact with the Eraser), and rinsed with water. 

I am quite impressed with how the product worked! Typically I would use a makeup wipe or an oil-based remover to remove my lip colour at the end of the day, but I sometimes have to scrub into my lips to get everything off. The lip colours came off my hand at ease, and didn't require any scrubbing.

Should you buy this product? While it's not an absolute necessity, I would say go ahead! It's a less painful method of lip product removal, and the Eraser contains Shea butter to help moisturise the lips. At $42, it's a very inexpensive product that could help you out during tough times.

A Purchase From jewellerybox.co.uk

After reading many, many bloggers praising jewellerybox.co.uk, I knew I had to check it out. The site offers an extremely wide range of jewellery in different finishes, and for a while I've had my eye on this particular Claddagh ring. Though the site offers worldwide shipping, an opportunity allowed me to skip that £4 fee and have it delivered to me directly. 

I am without an ounce of Irish in me, but I find the origins and meaning behind Claddagh rings absolutely beautiful. The design in itself is quite unique and eye-catching on the hand. If you're interested on more detail behind the history of Claddagh rings, this site offers a detailed rundown.

I'm very pleased with the overall experience shopping through jewellerybox.co.uk. Granted I myself was not on the receiving end of the package, but from what I know the process was quick and easy. A slight challenge was choosing the size of the ring. The site offered to send a free ring sizer to accurately obtain my ring size; I wasn't able to find the page to do so and I wasn't sure if the offer was extended to outside of the UK. With a bit of luck and some twine, I luckily ordered a size that fit my ring finger perfectly. 

Shop my exact ring here or have a look around the site here!

Mac Halsey Lipstick | Ka-pow in a Tube

Hello all!

Exams are almost over and I can't wait to get back into the blogging scene. I was going to wait until exams were completely over to do this post, but I simply can't wait any longer. Nobody puts this tube of glory in a corner!

You've most likely rocked grey nails, maybe grey eyeliner, but get this: a statement grey lip. The past-me would probably have gone yikes and returned to the comforting embrace of a peach lippie, but the present-me has thought, I could give that a go. 

This lipstick is part of the four-piece Mac Future Forward collection, a collaboration with four rising music stars. Alongside Halsey, artists Tinahe, Lion Babe and Dej Loaf have released an eyeshadow palette, a Lipglass, and a gold eyeliner, respectively. 

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Enter the Halsey Mac lipstick: a slick AF blue-toned grey with a matte formula. One swipe delivers pretty good pigmentation, but the colour can be built up to give an opaque lip. The matte formula is not drying whatsoever, a quality I'm glad is present in all of the matte Mac lipsticks I've tried. 

The lipstick comes housed in a gorgeous blue paint-swirl box with what seems to be Halsey's signature in white. It's a nice touch that personalises the lipstick, as typical Mac lipsticks come in plain black boxes. 

Once the announcement came out on Instagram, I knew I had to get my hands on the lipstick. I absolutely love Halsey as an artist and a fashion/beauty icon, so it was kind of a no-brainer. Well, except for the fact that the lipstick was grey... it's not exactly your conventional lip colour. Eventually, I somehow justified placing an order.

I'm so happy to say that I love this colour! I've been playing around with more crazy colours recently (Nyx's soft matte lip cream in Moscow anyone?), so I was pretty excited to get my hands on this lipstick. In the pic below it's a little lighter and shinier than the arm swatch because  I a. left my lip balm on when swatching on my lips and b. applied with a light hand. I suppose it's way to test the waters, as it's not as in-your-face as a BAM grey. 

I like that the shade is not a Halloween-y shade; it's wearable without you looking like you're prepared to go trick-or-treating. When this shade's on my lips, I feel as empowered as Khaleesi burning down the Temple of Dosh Khaleen.

Don't mind the dark circles, that's what staying up late waiting for the release of Zoella's new collection on Superdrug will do to a gal (and yet I never made it).

So allow me to explain the ordering process. When Halsey released her own Instagram post, slaying everyone in the lip colour, she (at the time) specifically wrote that the lipstick would not be sold in China. It had something to do with how the lipstick was not tested on animals but China condemns testing, or something to that effect. I was hoping that HK would be counted as an independent country in this case, but alas the verdict was no. *tear*

Very honored to announce my collaboration with @MACcosmetics, can't wait for you guys to have it this March #MACFutureForward #EverythingIsGreyishBlue

A photo posted by halsey (@iamhalsey) on Feb 5, 2016 at 9:55am PST

I went through the Instagram tag #machk and eventually found an account that helped people order products from the US and had them delivered to HK. Typically, a Mac lipstick costs HKD$155; my total, including the local postage fee, was $167. Not bad at all, considering markups can be a lot higher! I ordered the lipstick off this Insta. The girl who runs the account was super friendly, and the lipstick was delivered to me at ease. Everything from start to finish took about 3-4 weeks, so if you're interested in ordering just bear that in mind. 

In conclusion: Halsey is queen, she and Mac have totally nailed this lip colour, and I will definitely be using this in the near future. World, get ready for this bold, beautiful lipstick!




Have an amazing day! x

DIY: Jewelled Rings

Hello all!

I have not blogged in ages as exams are approaching soon and I've been knee-deep in notes, flashcards and textbooks. Nonetheless, I have a really quick DIY for you today to satisfy any crafty cravings and to prove to you that yes, I am still alive!

You will need:
- wire
- wire cutters
- superglue
- jewel beads
- some round object the size of your finger

Let's begin!

1. Take your length of wire and wrap it around your round object, forming an O.

2. Slide that O off the object and cut down the middle as indicated below:

You should end up with what is essentially a massive jump ring.

3. Open the ring as you would with a jump ring, and slide your bead onto the ring. 

4. Close the ring and superglue both ends together. Slide the bead over the two glued ends and add a drop of superglue into the hole of the bead to fully seal everything. 

Voilà! You're ready to rock your jewelled ring!

I was inspired to make these rings because I have just finished watching Star Wars Episodes 1-6, and - aside from being fully caught up and psyched up to join the fandom - it got me thinking about character aesthetics and what colours would represent them. The black ring was made with Darth Vader in mind because when watching RotS, I remember thinking, "That is one hella shiny suit!" Keep up with my Star Wars obsession here on my tumblr c:

Anyways, I've been and will be posting considerably less due to exams, but a cheeky post may spring out once in a while. Be updated every time I post by following me on Bloglovin here or subscribing to the mailing list on the side bar!

Have an awesome day x

The 88th Academy Awards | Favourite Looks

The internet has been buzzing over the past few days with news regarding the recent 88th Academy Awards: 'Mad Max: Fury Road' and their astounding 6 wins out of 10 nominations, Stacey Dash's unexpected appearance, Leo winning his long-awaited, well-deserved Oscar (when we found out, everyone around me leapt up and started cheering, I kid you not)!

Between Chris Rock speaking out on diversity, Lady Gaga's beautiful performance of 'Til It Happens to You', and Jacob Tremblay's utter adorableness, stars showcased all sorts of beautiful gowns on the red carpet. Here are a few of my favourites!

1. Hannah Bagshawe and Eddie Redmayne in Alexander McQueen

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Honestly, when have they ever disappointed? By this point I am probably biased because they have appeared in many of my favourites, but, to follow Scotty P's mantra, I have "no ragrets". Like last year's ceremony, they came, posed, and conquered. Hannah Bagshawe always manages to amaze me with her effortless style, and enough can't be said about Eddie Redmayne in a tux. They are everyone's couple goals, and true Hollywood royalty. 

2. Alicia Vikander in Louis Vitton 

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I'm not a big fan of warm colours, but this is something else. Alicia Vikander totally rocked this twinkling LV creation, giving off sunny vibes on the red carpet. While the bubbled high-low shape of the gown says 'princess', the embellishments take it to another level. I have yet to watch The Danish Girl but after watching the trailer yesterday, I am determined to do so. Congratulations on the Best Supporting Actress win!

3. Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein

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First, a very necessary PA: Brooklyn is incredible and you need to see it. Now back to the look.

Saoirse Ronan is devastatingly gorgeous, especially in her custom Calvin Klein. Everyone has been comparing her to the Little Mermaid, but I like to think her more of a glittering, Slytherin-esque goddess. If looks could kill, hers would slaughter you like a basilisk (ayyyyy). From the sheer skirt you can see that the sequins are arranged in a swirly pattern, reminiscent of the backdrop of van Gogh's 'The Starry Night'. Very, very nice!

A short but sweet compilation of my favourite looks from the Oscars. What were your favourite looks of the night?




Lots of love! xx

Viola Beach

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Hey guys.

Today's post will be short and a little different to what I usually talk about. While on Facebook this morning, a news report from BBC caught my attention; it reported the death of the English indie band Viola Beach and their manager in a car crash very recently.

I had never heard of Viola Beach, nor ever heard their music. I really wished I had though, because their music is amazing. I've never really felt too much about the death of famous people and such, but today's news has hit me and I can't stop thinking about it.

My friend Ruby said this, and I agree with her: it's sad how people only get the attention they want after they die. My thoughts go out to the family members and friends of Viola Beach and their manager; I can't imagine what they're going through. 

I'd like to say that I'm a fan now, as I truly enjoy their music. It's sad that this incident has made me become one because I mean it when I say I would definitely have been a fan of theirs had I known about them earlier. 

So here's to Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe, Jack Dakin, and Craig Tarry. RIP and let your music live on.

I'll see you next time x

Golden Globes 2016 | Favourite Looks

Another awards show, another set of looks to review! Award season kicked off with the Golden Globes, held at The Beverly Hilton in California on January 10th. The awards ceremony honoured the best American films, actors, and everything in between. A multitude of stars attended the event, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga, and Amy Schumer. 

*all images sourced from Getty Images

Normally I have 4-5 favourites per event, but a slightly bigger cluster of celebrities really caught my eye. My personal favourites include Jenna Dewan Tatum's gorgeous Zuhair Murad creation, Melissa Benoist's fresh, spring-y Monique Lhuillier ensemble, and Saoirse Ronan's understated yet elegant Saint Laurent gown. 

The list does not end there! As usual, Zendaya slayed the red carpet in a deep-red and layered Marchesa dress. Another beautiful look was Emilia Clarke's caped Valentino; as our beloved Khaleesi, she definitely looked every inch the regal queen she plays! Fellow GoT costar Natalie Dormer donned a scarlet gown, looking exquisitely fierce. 

Now, I don't usually review men's fashion as I personally feel that tuxes look more or less the same to me (sorry!). However, I do want to mention Rami Malek in Dior; the Mr Robot star's suit stood out to me from the collection of red carpet looks. Very suave!

And those were my favourite looks. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the evening!

Have a lovely day! x

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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I'm going to be upfront: I've never seen any of the Star Wars movies. It's not that I don't want to, but I feel like all the major plot twists have been spoiled for me already. Nonetheless, I went ahead and watched the seventh episode, Star Wars: The Force Awakens on New Year's Day, and let me tell you, I was blown away!

*warning* spoilers ahead!

Let's get to the main point. I'm shocked, my family's shocked, Buzzfeed's shocked: in a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo was killed. GASP. Each movie before this had equally shocking scenes, so I guess I should've seen something coming. I just never thought it would be Han Solo; so many things relate back to him and Star Wars without him seems wrong!

For a lot of movies, the girl protagonist is whiny, irritating, and weak. I am very happy to say that Rey is not one of those cookie-cutter mains. In a way, she reminds me very much of the beloved Agent Peggy Carter: she's a strong, independent female, they both have English accents, and at angles she looks like her too. The fact that Rey is a talented fighter and pilot makes her character even better. Also, the compulsion ability she possesses due to the Force was a nice touch.

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With all movies comes a ship that's set to sail. The most obvious ship (aside from Leia and Han) was Rey and Finn. Their meeting was practically designed for them to end up together. However, what was so painfully refreshing about the whole situation was that they didn't end up together at the end. Granted, there are still two more episodes to go, but nothing was forced. They didn't create this clichéd scene where the two of them share a kiss and declare undying love for each other. My friends and I agree that this is one of the factors that made The Force Awakens so enjoyable.

My list of favourite characters is unnecessarily (or is it?) long, and General Hux and Kylo Ren are definitely on it. Their bitter anger towards everything is wonderfully portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson and Adam Driver, respectively. The first time Hux appeared on screen I couldn't resist thinking, "Bill Weasley!" Ren actually had me fooled when Han pleaded him to leave the First Order, and he agreed to do so. Though I'm shocked at the brutal murder, I really liked his character.

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On the topic of Ren, unless you have been living under a rock, you must have seen the Emo Kylo Ren memes somewhere; I for one am IN LOVE with them. The whole emo vibe mixed in with Ren's parental issues and struggle for power is undoubtedly hilarious!

*gestures* *door opens* yes Rey you see when you are as powerful as I you can do these things "kylo that was an automatic door"

— Emo Kylo Ren (@KyloR3n) December 31, 2015

~you are what you love, not who loves you~ i'm darth vader

— Emo Kylo Ren (@KyloR3n) December 29, 2015

There are a ton more on the Twitter page so check it out here.

Was I the only one excited about the cameos? Thomas Sangster, one of my favourite actors, unexpectedly popped up during the scene when Finn and Poe were escaping the First Order base, but sadly got blown up after 3 seconds of screen time. Bummer! Billie Lourd a.k.a. my favourite Chanel too made an appearance as Lieutenant Connix, who worked in the Resistance base. Daniel Craig also appeared in the movie as the stormtrooper Rey used compulsion on when she got captured. 

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It's safe to say I'm excited for the next episode, coming out in May 2017. I would definitely like to learn more about the origins of, well, everyone - especially Poe Dameron and Rey - and I'm quite certain we will. 2017's a long way away, but I'm already anticipating the eighth episode!

So, all in all, I really enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If you haven't seen it, what are you doing now?!




Have a lovely day! x

Ringing In the New Year

Ahhhhhhh... new year, new me! Or so the saying goes. 2015 has been full of its ups and downs, and I'm ready for the new year. Nitpicking at things I want to improve in and making goals for change is easy, but keeping up with them? Not so much.

Last year I went with three resolutions: 1. to read more, 2. to make more time for certain things, and 3. to make videos. I feel like I've fulfilled 50% of that list; I've definitely read more, I've participated in some activities, but making videos didn't go as planned. Well, that slate has now been wiped clean and here are my 2016 resolutions.

1. Maintain the blog

Firstly, I'm not going to be filming any more videos. For now. I noticed that I posted less when I uploaded videos, and I feel like I should focus on the blog as it is my main priority. Throughout 2015 I became more aware of my blog's quality and how I can improve in aspects such as photography, content etc. The pressures of filming videos is completely off my shoulders so it's a good opportunity for me to improve the blog. I've decided to post when I have a post rather than post every week, as churning out posts just for the sake of it isn't what I hope to achieve. 

2. Keep up with exercising

I lost a littleeeee bit of weight this year as I started working out during the summer. Though the change is small, I intend to continue exercising. Exercising to me is more about health, rather than losing ___ amount of weight, because I feel like weight loss is part of staying healthy overall. I'm not saying I'll be dropping by the gym everyday, but going running 2-3 times a week isn't actually all that bad.

3. Eat more fruit

Truth be told, I got this resolution off a friend. Fruit is a healthier alternative to snacks, and it also helps with inside-the-body systems. A little fruit ain't gonna hurt nobody!

4. Handle time management more wisely

Poor time management has gotten me into sticky situations in the past. It's something I hope to improve at, especially with my exams not far ahead. 

5. Just wear it

There are times when I've put off wearing outfits that I've planned because "I'm not going anywhere particularly interesting", ending up in the usual jeggings-and-Vans combo. As a student there aren't many times I can go out during the week, so outfits go to waste. This year I've decided to let loose and just wear what I feel like wearing.

Following resolutions is hard. Who cares about gyming when you've got that slice of cake at home? Why study when there are two new episodes of Galavant waiting for you (have you watched it though? It's amazing)? It'll take a whole lot of self discipline and control to stick by these resolutions, but I have no intention of giving up.

I'll see you soon! x