Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams!

Hey everyone!

Some of you have been requesting a review on the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams in one of my hauls so here it is! NYX Cosmetics isn't readily available where I live so I bought this for almost 9 US dollars, which I know is kind of a ripoff but we always get ripped off here in Thailand so I'm kind of used to it. haha. I know that in the US it's only 6 dollars which is an amazing price!

These come in 11 shades so I think there will be something for everyone. I got mine in shades Abu Dhabi and Sao Paolo.

I really liked the packaging on these until the black cap of the red one came off. I think the glue of black cap got dry so it didn't hold onto the white cap anymore. So make sure you get a good one before you buy it! I wasn't too bothered by this just because I didn't expect amazing packaging or anything. The applicator of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams are the typical doe foot applicator.

On to the actual product, I really liked these! The formula is very unique and different from anything that I have. I first thought that these might resemble the MAC Kissable Lipcolors, but they're not dupes of each other at all. The MAC ones are more of liquid lipsticks and they do not dry down to a matte finish. When you first apply the NYX ones onto the lips, they are the creamiest thing. Seriously, it just glides onto your lips. It also felt really moisturizing when you first apply it. About 10 minutes after application, it dries down to a matte finish, which makes the color really long lasting. Not gonna lie though, it becomes quite drying once it's settled. So, for those of you who don't like matte lips or have dry lips, I wouldn't recommend this product at all. But if you're like me and you love matte lips, get these noooow. They're amazing.

I've heard from a few reviews that these smell like vanilla. To me, the scent has a hint of florally smell which I'm kind of mehh about. It's a tiny bit strong for my taste and it somewhat lingers on the lips. I much prefer the MAC vanilla scent in their lip products.

I've swatches a few of my red lip products in comparison to the NYX Sao Paolo. It's a tiny bit lighter than MAC Russian Red but the finishes of the two are the same. When I swatched NYX Sao Paolo on my arm, it doesn't go on complete opaque but on the lips it does. Not quite sure why that is :/

(Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart, MAC Russian Red, NYX Sao Paolo, MAC Prolong)

I tried to swatch NYX Abu Dhabi to my nude lipsticks but I don't have any dupes for it. It's a lot darker than anything that I have and I would describe it as a dusty rose color. 

(MAC Hue, NARS Cruising, MAC Kissable Lipcolor in Woo me, NYX Abu Dhabi, MAC Viva Glam Gaga II)

All in all, I would recommend these but only to those who like matte lips! If you have dry lips, steer clear of these 'cause they can be quite drying after about 10 minutes after application. The color payoff is amazing. I would definitely repurchase these just because I actually do like the matte finish it gives. They also do a hot pink one called Addis Ababa that's really pretty! so check that out if you're into bold lips :)

Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Good color payoff
- Unique texture
- Long lasting

Cons:
- Matte finish dries out your lips sometimes
- Packaging isn't the best quality

Let me know whether you prefer a matte lip or a glossy lip?

An-An

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Yet another haul (Lisa Eldridge Edition)

Hi guys!

If you are a beauty junkie like myself and you've never heard of Lisa Eldridge, I suggest you look her up right this second. I saw in one of the comments on Youtube that she's like the Mary Poppins of makeup and I think that's a pretty genius description of her. I love her skincare philosophy, makeup tips and her extremely soothing voice. She did makeup for a bunch of celebrities like Emma Watson, Kate Winslet, Eva Green, Cheryl Cole...the list goes on. So yes, most of the products that I'm featuring in this post are recommendations that I have gotten from Lisa Eldridge.

A majority of the things that I purchased are from La Roche Posay, which is a French skincare line that Lisa Eldridge highly recommended. It's a brand that a lot of dermatologists use as a treatment for their patients with a wide variety of skin types. I've been using these for a week or so now, which I know isn't enough time for me to give a review right just yet. But, so far I'm in love with them! 

La Roche Posay Eau Thermale
This is essentially a facial spray made from mineral spring water. It's really hot at the moment in Thailand, so the mist is really cooling and hydrating. What I love about this product so much though, is the spray nozzle. It spritzes out a really fine mist that covers your whole face evenly. BUT I can't say that it does anything remotely different to my skin to drinking water in a spray bottle. 

La Roche Posay Physiological Soothing Toner
I'll do a separate in-depth review on this later so stay tuned! But let's just say that ever since I've used this in combination with the Effaclar K, I haven't gotten a breakout since so yay :)

La Roche Posay Sensi White Cream
This is targeted towards people who have sensitive "Asian" skin. It's a whitening cream that's supposed not so much to completely white out your face, but rather to even out your skin tone and brighten your complexion. Again, I need more time to test out this to give you a good review.

La Roche Posay Effaclar K
Not that I'm saying that this is a miracle product or anything but I noticed a quite remarkable difference to my skin overnight. It's smoother as well as brighter. It's suitable for oily and acne prone skin which I don't have, however prior to purchasing this I got some serious breakouts on my forehand and cheeks. So I gave this a try. But we'll see how it goes for about another 2-3 weeks.

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Extreme Fluid SPF 50+
This is a product that Lisa Eldridge recommended in her sunscreen video which you can watch here. Again, review on this on a later day!

Bioderma Solution Micellaire
Because Thai drugstores have gone completely mad, they are charging about £8 for a 50ml bottle of Bioderma that's supposed to only be £1.5 *sigh* All in all, this is a product that lives up to the hype for me. It's a very soothing and gentle cleanser that removes makeup really well.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC5

I've seen Lisa Eldridge use this in a lot of her videos. I've heard that it's a very dry concealer and I would agree that it is, but the coverage that it gives is insane. It covers everything and does not budge throughout the day. Definitely a thumbs up for this one.

If you want to see things that Lisa Eldridge uses on herself and her clients, just have a peek at her website here. Click "search" and see her recommendations of amazing goodness there :)

Have you tried any of these products? If so, let me know if you like them!

An-An

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Real Techniques Brushes!

Hi everyone.

This isn't so much of a review of the Real Techniques brushes, it's more of an expression of my love for these Real Techniques brushes. Real techniques is basically a line of brushes created by a beauty blogger, Samantha Chapman aka half of Pixiwoo.

I purchased the RT brushes from a Thai online shop because they are not readily available in Thailand. Surprisingly, the prices of these are quite similar to the UK price considering that almost every beauty things we get here in Thailand are so overpriced. I probably would love these even more if they have the US price tags haha. I find it kind of strange that these brushes originated in the UK but they're cheaper in Ulta. Whut?

How often do I use these? Let's just say that after I've bought the RT brushes, I never had to clean my MAC brushes ever since. I think that says a little something. The bristles are made from synthetic hair which are crazy soft. I've washed these brushes multiple times and so far, they have not shed a SINGLE hair. They also dry really quickly!

These are my favorite RT brushes out of the whole range. I'm not gonna go into details today and explain each one, because this isn't a review. If I had to pick 5, I would choose the powder brush, stippling brush, blush brush, buffing brush and the setting brush. Again, for the price of these, you really can't go wrong.

Pros
- inexpensive considering the quality of them
- do not shed a single hair
- dry quickly
- cruelty free
- fantastically soft bristles
- work well with both cream and powder products

Cons
- not readily available where I live :(

What are your favorite RT brushes? 

An-An

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A little indulgence

Hello everyone!

This is probably the last haul you'll see in a long time but I'm not promising anything! Partly because I'm moving to the UK in 19 days. Not gonna lie, I'm a little scared to pack all my stuff 'cause let me tell you, I have a LOT of crap that needs to come with me to college. I still have no clue how to fit everything in a single suitcase. I'm screwed. 

Revlon Flirt - £3

China Glaze Dress Me Up - £6

China Glaze Luxe and Lush - £6

China Glaze Luxe and Lush

I knew I had to get something from the Capitol Colors collection simply because I love the Hunger Games Trilogy. Luxe and Lush was the first one that caught my eyes. Look at it, it's just SO PRETTY!

 China Glaze Dress Me Up

(natural light)

Another nail polish from Capitol Colors. This is apparently from District 8 which represents textiles. Now, I don't recall any names from District 8 'cause it's been quite a while since I read the books. But this color is a beautiful dusty rose color which I like. Also, the formula isn't too thick nor runny. Definitely a thumbs up!

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creme in Stockholm - £5
Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creme in Abu Dhabi - £5

I have quite a lot to say on these lip cremes, so stay tuned for a review!

 Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution - £44

I've heard a lot of great things about this product so I finally decide to give it a go. The formula isn't at all oily. I know the price tag is quite extravagant but I caved! I haven't been using this religiously, so I can't say anything about it just yet.

Fringe necklace from Forever 21 - £5

Believe it or not, I do not own any clothing items from Forever 21. I can never find anything that I absolutely love from that store as I do from stores like Zara. But this fringe necklace is gorgeous!

Evil eye ring from Diva - £5

Again, I don't normally shop in Diva but ah this ring. I've been looking for an evil eye ring for ages! I've been wearing it everyday since I bought it. The silver has worn off quite a bit but I don't care.

Bone necklace - £10

Turquoise beaded necklace - £5

Fringe necklace from Forever - £5

Beaded bracelets - £4

Beaded rings - £1

The rest of these accessories were purchased from a local store here in Chiangmai. This little store is, I believe, owned by a hippie. But I'm not sure.The lady there said that the bone necklace is made from a cow's skeleton...which is kind of gross and bad ass at the same time. So I bought it. She did also say that these animals died of natural causes, so it's good to know that no animals were tortured in the process.

Cow skeleton necklace

The little shop mentioned is called junjun.

What kind of posts do you enjoy reading? Let me know!

Have a great day :)

An-An 

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Hello England!

Next month is an extremely special month for me. As I had already mentioned that I'm going to the UK for university, I wasn't sure until recently which city I would be moving to. But now that everything is set in stone, I'm officially going to Cambridge! 

Not gonna bore you with the details, so let's get into the nitty gritty of this post. Basically I'm going to be in London for about a week before I move into my dorm. I've never been to the UK before so this is super exciting for me. I've been doing tons of research on places to go to, and of course I've noted all of the places I'd like to visit in my book.

Things I need to do while in London:

1. Take pictures of The Ritz and the travel bookshop in Notting Hill.
2. Get a vintage pair of sunglasses from Camden Market.
3. Get on London Eye.
4. Have lunch at the pub.
5. Go to Oxford Street.
6. Go to Covent Garden.
7. Go to Carnaby Street.
8. Get a Beatles style Abbey Road picture.
9. Don't get lost in a tube station.
10. Go to Liberty, Selfridges and Harrods.
11. Take crap ton of pictures.
12. Ride a double decker bus!

Yes, I'm aware that the things on my list are so cheesy and touristy but oh my goddddd, I'm SO psyched for this trip. I have to say that Notting Hill is on top of my list because it is one of my favorite films. I nearly crapped my pants when I found out that travel bookshop actually exists. Maybe I'll find my Will Thacker or even Spike! &#@!#! (Clearly I've gone insane, if you can't tell)

Since most of my readers are from the UK, I need you guys' help! What are your favorite places in London and Cambridge? Please do let me know! I've already jotted down all of the touristy places that I'd like to visit but I'd love to know your favorite places to shop, eat and just walk around.

NOTD - Yin Yang Wilderness

Ahoy!

It's been a while since I posted a beauty-related post, so here is a little NOTD for you. I did them myself and I got inspired from a few pictures on Pinterest. May I say that Pinterest is probably one of the coolest websites I've ever come across. If you haven't joined Pinterest, I suggest you do now! 

Products used:

- Revlon Bare Bones

- Acrylic paint

- Paint brushes

And that's pretty much it! This took pretty long to do since there's a unique design on each nail but it wasn't overly complicated for a beginner like me :) So, you should try this out too! I think it's funky and pretty cool. 

What are your favorite nail polishes at the moment? 

An-An

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A feeling of nostalgia

Just a warning, this is going to be a hell of a long post. So, grab a cup of tea or something.

Recently I've been looking through my hard drive and Facebook to find pictures to put up in my college dorm room. Being an ordinary girl that I am, I need my room to reach the maximum level of coziness possible. So yes, I've stumbled across a bunch of photos that triggered old memories of my childhood and the high school years. As good as it feels to be out of high school, these memories will be greatly missed. If somebody asked me how my high school life was going..a year ago I would have said that it pretty much sucked. There were a few people that I didn't get along with and a fair amount of my classmates just weren't the type of people I normally hang out with. But on the day we sent my best friend, Irene and her family off at the airport, it really hit me that we were about to part ways and go off to college and get on with our lives. 

Here are some pictures from my childhood and high school life that never will fail to put a smile of my face.

Me in kindergarten. I was quite a dancer.

Year 1997. What a chill time they had.

Our trip to Phuket. Summer 2011

 Jana, Irene and I doing what we always do. The last few weeks of school were the most memorable. 

 Me and Irene at a school event.

Fancy dinner on the last night of Grade 10. 

 School Earth Day. SAY CHEESEEEE!

Japanese feast on Sakura's birthday night.

Neighbor, Jana and me. Best night ever until the incident.

 We love Ajarn Boo! Hats off to the best teacher ever. ขอบคุณอาจารย์ปูนะคะที่สอนอันมาตั้งแต่เกรด 8 นะคะ อันจะคิดถึงอาจารย์ปูมากค่ะตอนไปเรียนต่อ :S

Graduation night. Had to give Nut a piggy-back ride 'cause her feet hurt from those killer heels.

Sending Irene off at the airport. Picture taken before we cried our eyes out like babies.

 Before Jana shoved that cake in my face. Thanks a lot, Jana.

My surprise birthday party at school. It was the best day.

An-An x 2

While everyone was reading To Kill a Mockingbird in English class.

 My favorite person. ever.

 I LOVE BUBBLE BATH! MORE BUBBLES, MORE BUBBLES!

 Dinner at a restaurant in Guangzhou.

The most chill spot in Chiangmai, Mon Jam.

What else is there to do on a New Year's Eve than taking cheesy photos on Photo Booth? 

Earth Day at school. That hippo was quite ferocious, but it was a great day.

Class of 2012!

So...if you ask me now how high school went, I would have to say it was amazing. It didn't suck, it didn't suck at all. I became friends with the greatest people that you could ever meet and I would do anything to spend more time with them. I miss each and every one of them so much and it's only been a few months since we said goodbyes.

Guys, I wish you the very very best of luck! I love you and thank you for making high school experience the best time of my life. Don't forget to keep in touch :')

Hope my little story didn't bore you to bits and it is now 5 o'clock in the morning...I better go to sleep.

Have a great day. BYE!

An-An

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