DIY: Clear Pink Nailpolish

There's a shade of clear pink nail polish - you know, the blue-based kind that almost looks like a french manicure but not quite. Like healthy glossy nails.... but not quite. And without swatching on every single shade around they really are hard to find!

So when I came across a tip online (which for the life of me I cannot find now, so sorry lovely DIY person whoever you are), to mix a pink polish with a clear nail polish, I filed it away in my "must try someday" database. Well I was cleaning out my nailpolish stash when I came across this failed top coat by Revlon and a cheapie RM5 hot pink nail polish by Elianto I bought for a Eurotrash party that never happened.

Thinking, "Well, what do I have to lose," I mixed a tiny amount of pink in with the top coat, gave it a hard shake and.... magic.

It's the PERFECT shade of clear nail polish. I may even buy a nicer top coat / clear nail polish to mix the pink in with because all the defects in the Revlon top coat are still present. It takes forever to dry (but not as long as when it's over several layers of another polish) and even when dry to touch can be soft enough to gain hatchmarks when I'm asleep. A topcoat of Sally Hansen Dries Instantly definitely helps though!

This is with two coats of polish, it's a hard colour to photograph and looks much pinker in real life. But you can still see the whites of the nails - and they look whiter! Being natural-ish it takes chips well, but being almost entirely top coats, it lasts forever. Whee!

So instead of chucking that lurid pink shade you never wear and that top coat that turned out meh, give this a go!

Spotted: Guardian Grapefruit Shampoo & Conditioner

Guess what's shown up at last? The delicious smelling grapefruit shampoo and condi by Mannings (HK ) / Guardian (MYS)! It smells the same and at RM15.88 costs pretty much the same as well.

Now I know I didn't recommend the shampoo very highly as its' too heavy for my hair, but bear in mind I have pretty damned greasy hair and most girls who prefer gentler shampoos may love it.

I picked up the conditioner today by the way hoping it will impart its scent (unlike the shampoo which washes away, boo!) when used after Happy Hippy or Clairol Herbal Essences So Shiny with Grapefruit gifted to me by the lovely Beetrice. Only she knows where to get it in Singapore - apparently it's a China exclusive! I'm road testing it and so far, so good!

Review: Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Lotion

Mum knows my routine. The first place I head for (after my grandmother's place) whenever I get back from Australia is a pharmacy. I'll hop in, browse around and walk out with a bottle of Cetaphil and shampoo.

This time, she raised an eyebrow when I walked out of Guardian.

"What happened to your bottle of Cetaphil?"

I looked down at the Hada Labo bottle in my hand. "%(@%#@! I forgot!"

At the top of my beauty-products-to-buy-in-Malaysia list was a bottle of Hada Labo Moisturising Lotion. I was sold the minute I read ParisB's review. It sounded perfect for my oily dry skin. My fingers were itching to try it out so when I finally got my hands on a bottle, Cetaphil flew out of my mind.

Verdict? My skin loves this stuff. I am sold on the whole super hyaluronic acid hype now. The lotion isn't moisturising enough on its own -- I usually have to seal it in with another moisturiser -- but combined with the other products in my arsenal, it really does help with my oily-dry skin. Ever since I have started using this morning and night, my skin produces less oil and I don't have to use oil blotters on a good day. In fact, my pimples have subsided since I have started using this.

The pat-pat-pat application is a bit of drag, especially on days when I am in a hurry as I end up pulling a slap fest instead. My father stopped in his tracks to ask if I was doing penance for Lent when he saw me slapping my face vigorously.

You only need to use one or two drops at a time to cover your face. A drop more makes your face quite slippery and takes ages for the lotion to soak in.

Priced at RM40.90 for 170 ml, I think it's a pretty good deal. I have used about 14ml for the past 3 weeks (I apply it on my neck as well) so I am guessing that a bottle of Hada Labo Moisturising Lotion would last for about 10 months. Double that if you only use this for your face.

Would I buy again? Oooh, yes. This goes in my personal Holy Grail list. Let's just hope that Hada Labo sticks around in Malaysia until I need a second bottle.

Of brushes and combs ~

Every girl knows the importance to having the right hair brush or comb in her arsenal of hair-styling tools.

What kind of brush you use, or what kind of comb you'd need would need, would depend entirely on the type of hair you have, and of course, what you're going to use the brush for.

I once had a guy friend ask me, "What's the difference between a comb and a brush?"

A simple answer would be that while a comb can do a great job of parting the hairline, or detangling the hair, it could hardly do the styling-duties of a brush.

There are also great benefits to brushing. It helps blood circulation on your scalp, and apart from getting rid of the day's dust from your hair, brushing also spreads out the hair sebum from the roots of the hair to the tips, which can help produce a healthy sheen. Sounds good, eh?

My hair, thankfully, is rather low maintenance so there aren't many styling tools in my arsenal. Just two brushes and a wide-tooth comb! Check them out after the jump!

The Body Shop Cushion Pin Large Hairbrush (~RM35)


This one really looks like a cushion with pins all stuck onto it, hence its name. TBS says this brush is best used for brushing and styling mid to long hair and especially good for penetrating thick hair. It's also my favourite hairbrush as it's soft enough to not scratch my scalp, and I feel like I've just given my hair a nice polish every time I'm done brushing.

Foxy Wooden Quill Brush (~RM35)


Picked this one up in Greece because I couldn't resist the name. It's alright, but the quills are a little hard, so I have to be careful when brushing. A previous favourite of mine was a Miine wooden quill hairbrush I picked up from Watson's (in Phuket) for only 70 baht (RM7)! That one was a real joy to use. When I'm back in Thailand, will surely go a-looking for it.

Wide-tooth comb (can't remember price)


I've had this comb for a really reeeally long time. And I simply love it. I use it to part my hair and to comb out tangles. When I travel, sometimes this is all I bring with me as it's all I need to get my hair right again.

And just in case you were wondering, my hair routine is uber simple. Washing and conditioning, towel wrap to dry it a little bit, part hair with wide-tooth comb and air dry. Once it's dry, just apply a teeny weeny bit of Frederic Fekkai's glossing cream, a good brush and I'm done! Shiny, shiny hair. *winks* No styling, no hot irons.

Now spill it. What's in your arsenal?

Monday's Beauty Bits

Remember syen's scrubby thing from Daiso? Well guess what? Squirt a lil cleanser on it and it scrubs off the tenacious Himalayan Herbals Neem Mask nicely. Rinse off most of the mask first andgo to it!

Speaking of masks, you don't really need to invest in a seperate exfoliating mask. Just dampen your face and spread a thin layer of your regular facial scrub - preferably containing salicylic acid - leave it on for a minute then gently scrub for 30 seconds before rinsing. Of course, if it burns, don't leave it on!

Of late I've been too lazy to use a pencil, liquid or cream liner. Instead, using a tiny and dense brush, I pat a dark eyeshadow directly onto just-applied MAC Paint Pot. It's not as long lasting as a liquid liner but it isn't bad! Stands up to oil really well and if it smudges, it's easy to clean up.


The handcream in my bag at present is the trial sized version of Clean & Clear Clear Fairness. It's non greasy, smells lemony and has spf15. Not bad huh? You can still pick up the tiny sizes for about RM3 so it's also wonderfully cheap. I'm curious, do you tote a cream around? What is it?

Great Time Saver: St Ives Exfoliating Apricot Moisturising Body Wash

I am not a morning person.

Anyone who knows me, knows that. Which brings me to a slight problem.

I love my morning showers, but I always seem to be in a rush. If I can sleep in for just an extra five minutes, I will. But I like to shower in the morning before I head out too. And sometimes, a little scrub while I'm in the bath wouldn't hurt either.

So what's a girl to do when she needs a morning-perk-me-up-showercumscrub-but-dang-I've-only-got-five-minutes? Well, meet my answer: St Ives Exfoliating Apricot Body Wash.

A body wash that contains apricot extracts and jojoba beads, it cleanses and provides a lovely mild and gentle exfoliation at the same time. If you have sensitive skin and find that body scrubs are just too harsh for your delicate skin, this might be a good option to check out too.

My skin always feels great after a rendezvous in the shower with this. It is moisturising enough that my skin feels comfortable, without any hint of dryness.

Of course, it also doesn't hurt at all that this body wash also has a delightful fruity scent which helps me wake up just a little bit more. Until I have caffeine in my system, I never fully awake.

For about RM16 for a 400ml bottle, I think it's very reasonably priced.

This body wash reminds of two-in-one coffee. So I get my morning shower, with a nice little scrub, and I still make it out of the shower in five minutes. Not bad, eh?

Of course, no one's stopping you if you want to take more than five minutes with it.

Crazy awesome tinted lip balm: Lanolips in Apples

Calling this crazy pigmented lippy a tinted lip balm is doing it an injustice. It's more like a very moisturising lip gloss. Very moisturising!

Containing lanolin (yes it's from sheep and so isn't vegan friendly), it's thick, smooth, and glossy.It can be sheered out to give lips a natural tint, or packed on with a lip brush for evening glamour.

It won't last as long as a red lipstick of course but it's a joy to reapply. Oh and it even has SPF15. Aweesooomeee...

In case you're wondering, it's scentless and tasteless so it doesn't smell sheepy. =P

My one issue with this gloss is that it doesn't even TRY to have an applicator. I've always preferred glosses with either a brush or doe foot applicator but this one doesn't even have a slanted or rounded tip. It'a a tube's tip. Period. For sheer application I have to use my finger, and for a brilliant, true red, I use a lip brush.

It's a pressie from Eli and costs AUD$13.90 - pricey but it really is quite lovely. I'm angling to get a pretty pink shade now.

(PS: sorry ladies I wanted to upload a swatch but wretched internet not cooperating! Will do it when I can!)