How I Clean My Makeup Brushes

Cleaning our makeup brushes should be a regular element in our beauty regimen. It can be a mundane task but it is an important step to getting rid of the dirt and bacteria that have nestled in the bristles. You know it's time to clean your brushes when you feel a slightly extra build up sitting on your face when you apply makeup. Yeap, it's recommended to clean your brushes every week but since I don't wear makeup everyday, I would just clean my brushes every three to four weeks. But if you suffer from acne, I think it would be better for you to wash your brushes more regularly than an average person. Below are the steps I would take when I clean my brushes:- 

I start with preparing the cleaning utensils: mild shampoo, cloth and shallow cup. I'm using Johnson's Baby Conditioning Shampoo as I find it will leave my brushes thoroughly clean and soft after wash.

Put about 5 drops of shampoo into the cup filled with 1/4 of tap water.

I carefully dip the tip of the brush into the cup making sure that the water doesn't touch the area where the metal meets the body of the brush as to not damage the glue that hold these two parts together.

I start swirling the brush around in the cup and let the water turns cloudy and throw it in the sink. Then I rinse the brush tip under running water until the water runs clear from the brush.

Next, I squeeze out the excess water with a clean cloth while also reshaping the bristles as I go.

Finally I lay out the clean brushes on the cloth and let it dry overnight. I don't recommend using a hairdryer to quickly dry the bristles as I find it will spoil its shape.  

And that's all what it takes to clean my brushes. After all the money we've spent, it's just so important to protect this little investment of ours to make sure the quality remains good for a long time. Also clean brushes are great for your skin too. Hope you enjoyed this visual blogpost and let me know how you keep your brushes clean in the comment section below. 

ღ

Sarah

5 Top Things You Should Know About Foundation

I still remember the first time I wore foundation. It was five years ago and at that time my makeup collection only consisted of pressed powder, eyeliner, eyeshadow palette, blusher, lipstick and mascara. Back then, I wasn't aware of the beauty blogging scene hence the only option to learn about it was by experimenting. Today I'd like to share with you 5 top things you should know when selecting the best foundation for your skin. Lets begin.

1. Skin Type

Foundations come in three different categories. They cater to skins that are oily, dry and combination of both. Condition of skin changes when the environment changes. As for me, I have oily combination skin during summer and dry during winter. So after numerous testing on different types and brands, I've identified two best foundations for these two separate seasons.

2. Yellow toned or Pink toned
Knowing which undertone you have is as important as knowing your skin type. If you have yellow undertone, your skin looks more flattering with yellow toned foundation. Same goes with pink. It just makes a huge difference to your whole appearance. You can refer to this guideline here to find out your undertone.

3. Matt or Dewy
This depends on your preference. Matt makeup is great for photoshoot events such as weddings because it won't reflect the lights around you. Dewy makeup on the other hand makes your skin looks more hydrated and radiant and for some people they would perceive as oily. I personally like dewy make up more. I would go for the matt look for weddings, birthday parties etc.

4. Coverage
Knowing how much coverage you need is also important to get the "purrfect" makeup hehe. If you have minimal problems (redness, acne, scar or freckles) you can go for light to medium coverage to get the smoother even toned look. If you have a lot to cover up (like moi) medium to full coverage is a big yes yes.

5. Consistency

This is one magic formula that makes me impressed with certain foundations. Normally foundations that give full coverage would have thick consistency. But thank you to few cosmetic companies that able to make some of their foundations highly pigmented with quite thin consistency. Shoutout to Loreal True Match and Covergirl + Olay Simply Ageless foundation.

So what are your favourite foundations?

How I Straighten My Hair at Home

Hey guys!

Happy New Year once again. Can't believe it's already 2015 and this would be my second year in Melbourne. As much as I miss home (especially my family), I'm really settling well here and falling in love with this city more and more every day.

My hubs just gave me the green light to search for a new house for us to move. We're currently living in a studio apartment with a separate kitchen at St Kilda. I don’t mind living here cuz the location is awesome, the tram stop is just few steps away from of our building. It’s so easy to get into the heart of the city and not to worry about where to park and the parking fees!

Nonetheless, it’s about time we need a bigger space. We are planning to get pregnant this year and it would be great to have an extra space so that our family in KL can easily visit and stay over. So I would update about that in a different post but today, I’d like to share with you my experience on hair straightening d.i.y. at home.

So Aldi was selling these in the store few months ago. I’m not sure if they still sell them, hopefully they do because I need to buy them asap. It comes in a box and it consists of a shampoo, conditioner, smoothing treatment and gloves (not in the picture).

My holy grail hair products - Protane Naturals Keratin Treatment, Shampoo & Conditioner

Application tips:

* The night before you apply the straightening treatment, lather your hair with loads of oil that's good for your hair. I recommend vitamin e oil, coconut oil, or sandalwood oil. I'm not a fan of Argan oil though, it dries up my hair badly.

* Tie your hair up in a bun and wrap with a towel and go to sleep. If you find this troublesome, you can do this step in the morning and leave it on for at least 2 hours before you start the treatment. 

(I find this step is essential to avoid your hair being severely dry after the treatment.)

* The next day when you wake up, your hair would've absorbed all the minerals and nutrients from the oil and you can wash and rinse your hair with the shampoo given. Towel dry to remove excess moisture and separate hair into sections and clip up.

* Shake the smoothing treatment well and put on the protective gloves provided. Starting at nape of neck, use 1 inch sections of hair and apply the treatment starting at base through to the ends. Comb solution into hair. Repeat procedure, saturating the entire head.

* Do not feel the need to finish off one whole bottle. Some people have thick hair they would need more product then those who have less.

* Allow the treatment to sit no more than 10 minutes. The 10 minute treatment time starts from when the treatment is first applied on the hair. If you have long hair and it takes longer than 10 minutes to apply the treatment, rinse hair commencing from where the treatment was first applied. 

* Rinse off the smoothing treatment and wash your hair with the shampoo thoroughly.

* Comb through / detangle hair and remove excess moisture.

* Apply the conditioner, leave in for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly . For better results, wrap hair in a hot towel.

* Blow dry hair until dry, then section hair and go over each section 3 times with a hair straightening appliance. Don't forget to spray some heat protectant before doing this step.

* Don't wash your hair for at least 3 days till your next wash. I waited until the 4th day.

* On the day you wish to wash your hair, I recommend lathering some oil onto your hair for at least 1 hour. Like I mentioned before, I love sandalwood, vitamin e and coconut oil for the hair. It really helps to maintain the shiny looking hair and make it less dry and brittle. You can also add 3-4 drops of this oil after you blow dry your hair make it more moisturised.

* Also don't forget to use a hair treatment mask once a week to further moisturise your hair.

And that's it, it seems like there are so many steps but it depends on your hair situation. Having a naturally frizzy hair has been challenging for me and people like me need to put an extra effort to make it look healthy and manageable. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments section below, I'd be happy to answer them. Till then, see you in my next post!

Models Prefer Color Portfolio Cosmetic Kit

Normally I'm not a huge fan of a "all-in-1" makeup palette but I had to give this an exception when I swatched some of the eye shadows in the store.

This kit comes with 64 shades of eyeshadows, 32 lip glosses, 8 blushes / bronzes and small brushes. The eye shadows were quite pigmented for the price I paid which was $18. There are just a lot of warm earth tone colors to play with and I can't wait to try out different looks with these selections. My only complain about this kit is that there are not much products in the lip glosses pans. One pan can only provide about two times of applications so if you like a certain color you have to find it elsewhere. But if you're like me, you'd like to experiment with different kind of colors but wouldn't want to spend $10 bucks for a blue lipstick, then maybe this makeup kit is for you.

 

I'm going to play around with this beautiful baby soon. Hope to see you again in my next entry. And don't forget to add me in my Instagram. I'll be posting more make up looks, swatches and mini reviews in it. Till then see you next time =)

October Favourites and Least Favourites

So October has been crazy for me. There were sales everywhere! I bought a lot of drugstore makeup that had 30-50% discount. I spent hours at the makeup section trying out three to four shades of foundations on my face, trying out lipsticks in every colors, do swatches for all the eye shadows. And I had to hide all my purchases away from hubs cuz you know. Saving myself from a huge lecture. He still doesn't know how much I spent this month till this day though. Haha. That's it I'm banning myself from shopping till Boxing Day. I just hope I can make it through this time.   

So as a pledge to write honest reviews and such, not every makeup you buy will give you that feeling like you've made the best choice. Sometimes when you test at the store it looks great on you, but when you go home and try it out again, you feel like you've made a mistake. There goes your money down the drain. So instead of making glorifying comments on monthly favourites, I thought why not add in the least favourites as well so we can educate each other to become better consumers huh? 

Invincible Zinc Face and Body Sunscreen SPF 30+ UVA - UVB

This is a staple product for me. I don't ever, EVER leave the house during the day without slathering this on my face. If you haven't read my earlier posts, I mentioned that I have very bad freckles going on. I've been wearing sunscreen religiously for the past few years and little did I know I was wearing the wrong type of sunscreen (chemical), which actually can worsen my skin problem. So I found this product at a local pharmacy store, and gave it a try. Even though it claims to rub in well and dries clear, I find it to be not true. It still leaves a white caste on my face like how titanium dioxide does, which doesn't bother me at all since I know it sits on top of the skin to block the sun. 

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Waterproof Powder in Nude

Got it during a sale at Chemist Warehouse. Love that it's big (means more product in it) and they're generous enough to put a mirror in it! In terms of the waterproof properties, I haven't really tested the product long enough to support the claim. But I think I've worn it 3 to 4 hours before I see any oil seeping through. I shall do the test soon, I promise! 

Mac Fix +

My first impression of this product was who would pay AU$27 for a bottle of water just to spray on your face? After reading a lot of reviews and did a LOT of contemplating within myself, I actually caved in and bought myself one. Just because I longed for that glowy dewy look that everyone is raving about. And thank god, it does the job! And I've been using it everytime I wear makeup, and I have a feeling the bottle can last me for at least two years. So not feeling too guilty about it!

Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer in Medium Beige

The best drugstore concealer to cover up those little dark freckles spread all over my cheek bones. There's no other concealers in my drawer can do the job as good as this one. I only use this for that kind of purpose, not to highlight or prep my eye lid. I use water-based concealers for that.

Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzing Powder in Sun Baked 

Love the size of this bronzer. I know it will last me forever. And it has a nice smell too. Reminds me of baby talcum powder. I also use it as an eye shadow on days when I want to have minimal eye makeup (like doing grocery shopping).

Okay, here comes the second part of the post which is..... 

The Least Favourites!!! =(

Revlon Colorstay Stay Natural Makeup Foundation in Natural Beige

I don't know what to say about this. Revlon used to be my favourite foundation of all time. It was the first foundation I've ever bought and people actually thought my skin was flawless and thought I didn't have anything on my face back then. They changed the packaging now, it comes with a pump (which is great!) but I have the feeling the formula is a little bit off unfortunately. My skin feels itchy after few hours wearing this. The finishing looks great on photos but in real life, it doesn't look like 'skin'. It does look like I'm wearing foundation. And the consistency feels a bit thick too. Wished it was lightweight but still able to maintain its full coverage. It would've been perfect for me.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Blushed

Reviewed the lipstick over here few weeks ago.. The color is simple, it goes with anything and it doesn't accentuate the color of my teeth (I'm a daily coffee drinker, what do you expect?) My only complain is wished it's more pigmented on the lips. And the color from the label doesn't match the outcome of the lipstick, so I'm a bit disappointed on that. 

Loreal Paris Revitalift Magic Blur

Bought this for $20 I think. It's just an ordinary primer, you can get the same result with a cheaper alternative like Elf for $12. It does give a smooth base for makeup but did nothing major to blur out the fine lines I have under my eyes. 

Maybelline Fit me Blush in Light Nude

It's okay but it didn't blow me away. I recently purchased a blush palette from BH Cosmetics which I think was better value for money and I get more blush pans and options for almost the same price (without shipping). But yeah, the packaging is cute though. Travel friendly. That's all.

That's it for this post, I hope it's not too boring for you to read. And I hope this mini review is somewhat useful for you. If you like this post, feel free to comment below. I would love to know your thoughts. Till then, thanks for reading and see you soon! Oh and have a nice weekend!!

Bh Cosmetics Haul!

These are the items I *naughtily* purchased from the website. The prices are just too good to be true but the shipping cost to Aussie was about $15. No other words but URGH! It's not fair!! But after watching countless videos of these stuffs on Youtube, I just know I had to get them. I spent about $44 including shipping for these items which is not too bad right? No? Sigh.

I think I'm done with eyeshadow palettes for now. I might look into Australia's brands at Priceline. Some are still quite pricey though, I just have to look out for their promotions. Hopefully the quality is at par with Nyx and Bh Cosmetics.

Till then, see you in my next post =)

June Favourites

Hello purrpurrs,

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been so busy for the past few weeks. I just got myself a couple of casual work here in Melbourne. It's nothing fancy but at least I have some income and I can spend without asking my husband for money. But when ordering online I still need to ask for his permission, I don't know why. It's not like he asked me to but I know he get pissed off if I buy so much stuffs. Anyhoo, since we have just entered the beginning of July, I thought of writing a list of my favourites for the month of June. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

Whipped Volume Mousse by David Babaii

After doing a lot of research, reading product reviews and doing comparisons, I got myself this baby at Priceline and I am pretty much satisfied with the result. It is lightweight, doesn't give a sticky feeling, and it doesn't weigh my hair down. I use this mousse particularly on top of my head when it can look pretty flat on second or third day after washing. I had an experience with another hair volumizers product, it's in powder form but it makes my hair so stiff and sticky so I'm glad this doesn't do that.

Handmade False Eyelashes, Aliexpress

Falsies. This is a new thing for me. I've only worn falsies on two occasions all of my life. Once on my best friend's wedding (when I realized thick long lashes don't really go with my eyes) and the second time on my wedding. I am very picky with falsies. It's because I have bulging eyes and I realized thick long lashes makes me look super weird. I can go without but I longed for that natural long subtle eye lashes... and I was so glad I found this product online! And the price.. you can't beat the price.. 10 pairs for US$4.79. I'm really happy with this product & price so definitely will repurchase.

Vitamin E Skin Oil by Derma E

Love love love! I use this oil like a face serum before my moisturiser and I also use it for my hair. Since its winter in Melbourne now, my skins get really dry and this oil does its job! I have tried Rose Hip oil prior to this but Mr Hubs complained that it smells funny. So now before I purchase anything I will always give it a smell first and this oil doesn't have any scent. For my hair, I pour 4-5 drops into my hands and give it a good rub to release some heat and comb through my hair concentrating towards the ends with my fingers. I personally think it does a better job than other serums I bought at Priceline. But still can't beat Elianto Organic Olive Essence though. That's like my holy grail hair essence ever. 

Silicone Face Mask, Daiso

   

Yes... again.. another Daiso stuff. I bet you guys are getting bored of me raving so much about Daiso huh? Okay but this time no more make up stuff alright? I love this mask cuz now I can do facial and do house work simultaneously. I think this is a great invention, especially for those who can't find time to sit back and relax for a good half an hour without getting disturbed (by husband, kids or pets..) So all you have to is once you put your liquid mask on your face, put this on, tuck that big loops behind your ears and it will hold the mask for you. And the best part, the liquid doesn't vaporize so your face will fully absorb all the nutrients. Isn't that great?

Anyway, that is all for today. Hope you guys enjoyed this entry and see you in my next post! :)

P/S : If you'd like to have a chat with me, add me in instagram @sarah.powderpurrfect or twitter @ssarahs9. Take care & be safe! :)

xoxo

Sarah Purrpurr

Daiso AUD$2.80 Cosmetics - Are They Worth It?

Going to Daiso is like going to Disneyland for me. I get very excited and can just stay in the store for few hours and look at each one of the items. They make solutions for any little problem that you can think of. Sometimes you end up buying things that you don't really need just because you think it doesn't hurt your pocket so much. You can find anything there from beauty, health, kitchenware, organizers, snacks, sports equipments and so forth. However, I do find that some items are great for the price and some are not. This includes cosmetics.

Recently, I purchased few eye shadow items to test out the quality and I was very surprised that some 

are quite pigmented. If you're getting the palettes, I recommend the four quad and below, as anything above will leave you with chalkiness and powdery eye shadows. 

Four Quad Eye Shadow Palette 

Dark Brown Cream Shadow Stick

Swatches

As you can see the colours came out very pigmented and shimmery. It doesn't show a huge sign of chalkiness which is really great for the price. These four harmonious "earth tone" colours are perfect for everyday look and it's not too glittery for those want to stay humble and down to earth. The swatches of the four quad palette look slightly paler than the cream stick shadow though but it is expected as the colour alone is worth AUD $2.80. Plus, it glides on easy onto your lid and quite waterproof. You can expect it to last throughout the day without creasing, flaking and fading.

Next is the 6 eye shadow palette (which I'm not really fond of)

Hmm. The photos can speak for themselves right? The only colour that I can accept is no 4 as I don't have it in my eye shadow collection. But look at the highlighter (no.1). It's unbelievably pale. I really wish I hadn't bought this, I'd rather spend it on another cream shadow stick.

My only complain is the stick can be a little bit fragile. Avoid dropping or throw them around when using it. If you're not careful it might end up looking like this..

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Sigh! But for $2.80, what do you expect?

Hope you find this useful. If you like this review, please comment below I would love to hear from you. Thanks! :)