3 online beauty shops with FREE international shipping!

Beauty Zen or no Beauty Zen any great new beauty site with free shipping has got my attention. We're all familiar with good 'ol Strawberrynet by now (if you're not seriously, check it out. It looks dodgy but has only ever provided me with fast great service). So here are three that I've come across recently for all your beauty junkie needs!

HQHair

A voucher (now expired, sorry) courtesy of Lisa Eldridge turned me on to this UK-based site which specialises in luxury haircare brands but also carries a fair number of makeup brands. I placed an order a week or so ago so it hasn't turned up yet but I was excited to find: 

Seche Vite - the best fast-dry top-coat ever.

Lipstick Queen - Jean Queen, you've got my attention!

The Konjac Sponge Co - Like Syen, I'm sold on it. When I first started using it I wasn't convinced but lately I've noticed my skin's clearer and well... polished. Love it. 

FeelUnique

Admittedly not my favourite site as the layout and brands just aren't that attractive to me. Plus it doesn't ship to Malaysia (sorry!). It does ship to Hong Kong however and when I have a voucher or it's on sale I find myself surfing it for:

theBalm - Time Balm Concealer is a staple product for me and they no longer stock the brand at Sasa Hong Kong. 

Maybelline and L'Oreal - For products such as Maybelline's Colour Tattoo and L'Oreal's Infallible Eye Shadow in shades not available in Asia.

BeautyBay.com

This site is a new discovery for me and an exciting one. It's stocked with brands we can't get here such as:

Cargo! - WOOT WOOT. I pounced on their silicone-free blu-ray Activating Face Primer. Here's hoping it works for me. 

Beauty Blender - Another staple, so good to have a reliable source! 

Holistic Silk - One day, the early sunrise in summer will drive me completely mad and I'll impulse buy this crazy expensive and VERY PRETTY silk mask.

That's it from me! What sites do you shop on and love? Share!

Silicone free wonder: theBalm's Time balm concealer

Is it possible to feel guiltily obligated to your makeup? Deeply and sincerely guilty that you haven't shouted how much you love them to the four winds?

Well this one's been weighing on my mind. 

I love and cannot live without this concealer, yet I've never reviewed it. Why?

Perhaps it's because I keep cheating on it, hoping I'll find a better one. But I never have. 

Maybe it's because I've only just recently, after two years of using it, found my perfect shade (Light-Medium). I've been using Light all along and it's never been just right. 

But make no mistake I love this. I use it on my blemishes, under my eyes,  over liquid foundation and alone under powder for light days. 

It saved my sanity when I left my makeup bag (with my foundation in it) behind on a trip to Shanghai. As a solid concealer it is all shades of awesome for travel. 

I have a two shades of this in my dresser and one tub in my makeup bag so I'm never EVER without it. 

Frat Boy loving. theBalm's, that is.

Hello lovelies,

How's the week been treating you?

I've missed talking about colour for a bit, so this week I'll be reviewing theBalm's Frat Boy blush.

I know the name alone is a little put-offish for some, but if you're able to get past it, it's a really lovely blush to get to know. So read on to find out more!

Breaking News: New palettes from theBalm now in Malaysia!

Guess what lovelies?

theBalm's Nude'Tude and Meet Matt(e) are now available in Malaysia! Looks like my constant prowling about the malls does have its benefits after all. *grin*

Read on to find out more.

Transitioning to fall with theBalm's Cabana Boy (it's not just for summer)

My love for theBalm's blush offerings is officially a mindless devotion. The brain basically goes "Blush? theBalm? Buy!" Why? Because they're affordable, generously sized and oh-so-gorgeous. We at So Loverly adore Down Boy, and Syen and I have gone to lengths to get our hands on the new Frat Boy (which hasn't made its appearance in Asia yet). The only one we struggle a little with is the overly goldy Hot Mama but it's a fun highlighter and I've been eyeing Cabana Boy for just ages.

Initially I was wary because it looks dark which can look muddy on my skintone however, it turns out to be this gorgeous glowy berry blush that makes you look like you've just walked in from the cold and your cheeks are just naturally lovely and rosy.

Which really makes this more a Fall / Winter blush than a summer blush (despite the name), don't you think? However darker skinned girls may find in Cabana Boy their equivalent of my summer fave, Down Boy.

Quick Peek: MAC Pink Cult Blush + the Balm Shady Lady Vol. 2

I know this seems more of a Monday's post, but good news are meant to be shared. The quicker, the better, right?

Also, I was worried that Monday might be a tad too late because these babies might be gone by then. So I'm giving you a quick peek in case you'd like to nab these!


So first up - MAC Pink Cult (Price: RM75)

Monday's Beauty (Holiday Collections) Bits

Hello people! Hope you're this week is starting out great for you guys. Today's Beauty Bits will be snippets of some of the holiday offerings that I've managed to check out over the past week. I've managed to exercise some amount of self-constraint, but got a little naughty too. So read on to find out what I products I succumbed to!

I don't know about the other MAC lovers, but after going through the MAC collection again a little more thoroughly, I found it slightly disappointing. The only eye palette I had found myself drooling lustily over, Sorceress, didn't swatch nicely when I was on the verge of buying. Even the dark purple took work for it to show up, and that just doesn't cut it for me. Not for a palette which costs RM180. I had also wanted the Hocus-Pocus face palette, but as I already have Peachykeen, logic got the better of me and so I walked away. Verdict: I'll pass.

I ran into Shu Uemura too, hoping to find their Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine lipsticks (glossy finishes in lipstick form always appeal to me), but all I got was a super-blank look from the SA. What I found out instead was, that the tsumori chisato holiday collection is out. No swatching done (Shu usually swatches beautifully anyway), but a quick look at the collection told me it was not for me. Verdict: I'll pass. (Anyone who does know anything about the Supreme Shine lipsticks, however, I'm all ears!)

The Body Shop, now is a different story altogether. Christmas offerings this year include their regular Cranberry range (called Merry Cranberry) and the new Black Velvet Apricot. But what I really, really dig is their Nutmeg and Vanilla range. I took a whiff, then whiffed and whiffed again. The scent is just divine, for a vanilla-mad girl like me. If you like vanilla, you'll want to check this one out. Serious. The body lotion and body scrub have my name written all over them. Verdict: Come to momma!

I haven't seen this in the Sasa outlets, but getting my grubby paws on a theBalm booklet, I noticed that there are in fact TWO Shady Lady palettes. One in leopard print (which me and Kahani both caved for), and then there's another one - in Zebra print. Looking at the pictures, it looks like several shades overlap, but I'm guessing Shady Lady Vol. 2 should include shades like Just This Once Jamie, Mischevious Marissa, Racy Kacy and Sexy Stacey. Verdict: On the look-out.

And finally, Bobbi Brown. Ah Bobbi, your Chrome Holiday Collection has left me absolutely drooling. And a mighty big collection too, I might add. I checked out the Earth Metal Lip & Eye palette, which looked gorgeous, but chickened out at its RM240 price tag. I didn't dare go near their Chrome Palette. But what snagged me was her Pewter Chrome Eyeshadow. At RM75, it's super-pricey but it's so super gorgeous I just caved. *Sigh* And while I was there, I also got snagged by her Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Maui. That cost me RM115. But it's beautiful I tell ya! Verdict: Came to momma!

Get Down Boy!

Oh the thoughts that run through the mind. I know what you're thinking. And don't even try to lie. *tee hee*

If there was ever a blush designed to get you at 'Hello', this my dear friends, would be it. Meet the Balm's Down Boy blush.

The latest (I think) to join my (already bursting) collection of blushers, this one has definitely wiggled its way up to the top of the well-loved and frequently-used list, to join the likes of MAC Pinch O' Peach, Springsheen, and Cargo Blu_ray. Purchased a month back or so (from Sasa Selective in 1 Utama), this finely milled blush is almost my go-to now when I'm in the mood for pink.

(It appears cooler in the photo than in person.)

The wonder of it is that it's neither precisely warm, nor precisely cool. It somehow manages to just straddle itself on the fence of being a gorgeous neutral pink. To me, anyway. So pair it with the lippie of your choice, and I'm sure it'll slide either way just fine. *winks*

Devoid of shimmer, it manages to perk up a pale complexion and gives you a healthy pink flush. For my NC25/30 skin, two swipes is all I need for a gorgeous glow which lasts a good decent couple of hours. You know, blushed without screaming blush.


It reminds me of very much of Dandelion, but better. Why? Because this actually shows up on my skin. Perfect.

Packed nicely in a practical, slim cardboard body, it comes complete with a mirror too, which makes it perfect to be toted around for touch-ups. And the wide pan makes is really easy to pick up the blush evenly. Benefit could definitely learn a thing or two here.

At RM65 for a (huge) pan of 9.9g, I'd say it's priced midway. Not a cheapie, but not quite high up there either.

So. You gonna get Down Boy? *grin*

My daily delight: The Balm Shady Lady Eyeshadow Palette

Meet the one palette that has successfully quenched all longings for any other palette. No, I'm not kidding! With nine superbly useable, long lasting, pigmented shades in a creamy powder formula that resembles Shu Uemura, it's hard to want anything else!

Palette
Ok I'm not a fan of the hoochie leopard print with the sillhouette - but the slim sturdy design witha lovely large mirror can't be faulted.

Shades
With 3 liner shades (matte), 2 highlighter (shimmer), and 4 mid-tone crease shades (satin) this pallete is wonderfully thought out! From sweet and pretty to daily glow to dark and smokey this palette makes it all possible. So far I've created a warm natural day look, a sweet and sexy purple and dark blue, a fresh green and gold, a smokey silver and blue... The combinations are endless!

Here are just 3:

>Lucious Lani, Curvi Cami, Risque Renee

Lucious Lani, Shameless Shana, Cought in the Act Courtney

Jet-Setting Jennifer, All About Alex, Jealous Jordana

For swatches, check out this great post at PrettyB!

Formula
As mentioned the creamy smooth blendabiity of these shadows rivals Shu Uemura. So easy is it to blend together that I have started using 4 even 5 shades on my eyes on somedays. It brings out the latent artist in me. ;)

Over a primer the shadows last all day with slight fading of the shimmer. One gripe I have is the liner shades on my lower lids does smudge somewhat on my oily skin throughout the day. Easy enough to clean up, but I'd rather it lasted like Bobbi Brown's Espresso eyeshadow. Maybe it's the trade in for blendability because even the liner shade is wonderfully easy to blend in to deepen and shadow.

Conclusion
I can't be happier with this palette - a great buy for RM120. My only worry is Luscious Lani, the most perfect shade of warm highlight pink, is running out faster than the rest. I may have to get the mono!