Hello my lovelies, how are you? I’m blogging from NYC and taking a break to just chill and be still for a day. I wouldn’t say I’ve been having terribly action-packed days but I have been shopping quite a lot and catching up with friends here. I’m surprisingly keeping up with my workout regime plus I’m walking around a lot which is a good thing because I’m eating way too well in this city. 

Just a picture of my delicious brunch of eggs florentine in the East Village on a Saturday morning with Mr BB. So you can see why all this walking and shopping are absolutely necessary.

Anyway, onto my real purpose for blogging today – I would like to show you the contents of my emergency beauty pouch after an “ugly day on the go”. I have morphed into one of those ladies who put on makeup on the train. I really think it’s the best solution when I’m running late because not only would I be on time but I would be made-up! 

This is obviously a work in progress and the main theme I found in the products I chose were either drugstore makeup that I wouldn’t mind trashing around in my handbag, makeup that I hardly reach for and would like to use more of, and reliable staples that would never go wrong in any situation.

Back row from left to right: 

Hada Labo BB Cream in Natural Ochre; Paul & Joe Cream Cheek Butter 03; Nivea Lip Balm; Majolica Majorca Lash Expander; Esprique Mellow Rouge 422; Urban Decay Primer Potion

Middle row left to right:

Canmake Eyebrow Kit; Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder; Visee Blondy eyeshadow palette; Maquillage Single Eyeshadow Trio Palette

Front row:

Hair-ties; Shu Uemura Face Brush

The Hada Labo BB Cream is a great match for my skin tone and has medium coverage so I won’t have to bother with blending or concealing. The Paul & Joe blush is a pretty peachy coral that is an excellent everyday shade, while the Visee Blondy palette gives a delicate neutral eye and you can’t put on too much of it so great for nervous hands and a stressed brain.

The ones that I’m valiantly trying to use are the Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder and the Maquillage Single Eyeshadow Trio Palette. The pressed powder is not very finely milled as my other ones so I really don’t tend to reach for this but I would use it if I had no other choice. The Maquillage shadows actually have a lot of fallout so I think it wasn’t out of convenience that I stuck it into my pouch but I hope to reach for it more though this might stress me out more if I had to deal with fallout on the go.

What type of products do you pack in your emergency makeup pouch? And why do you choose them?
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One of the gripes I have about living in Japan is the lack of affordable good creamy nail polish. You can find lots of shimmery and pearly nail polishes at the drugstore, but creamy, not so much. How I wish Essie and OPI are at reasonable prices here. Essie costs 1890JPY (USD24) and OPI is 2000JPY (USD26) in Tokyo — exorbitant, right?

So I turn to cheaper alternatives like Paul & Joe which is 1500JPY (USD19) per bottle. Jill Stuart is also similarly priced but they only seem to have very shimmery or glittery polish. RMK is another option but somehow their colour range right now doesn’t appeal.

I love this warm light beige colour in 28 that has the right hint of pink and it’s great as an everyday nail polish.

The quality of Paul & Joe is not the best unfortunately. It’s quite runny and I needed three coats to get a fully opaque finish. Now this is quite substandard where nail polish goes — I think two coats is a sign of a good polish. I’ve read other reviews that said the same thing (e.g.:London Makeup Girl) and it took quite a long time to dry. In terms of chipping, it took three days for nicks to appear, which is the same as Essie and OPI for me.

But it is still better than a couple of drugstore brands that I’ve tried here (Majolica Majorca, Visee, and Canmake) which chip or the tips fade the very next day. The Paul & Joe one doesn’t lose colour at all in the three days before it chipped.

My conclusion is that this is something very pretty to have but don’t bang on any high performance from this nail polish. I think Paul & Joe has very lovely shades and it’s probably the only thing going for its nail range — oh, and the bottle of course because it’s so girly and sweet to have on your vanity table.

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Let’s have a bit of fun with photos on the blog, shall we? I’m crazy about photo apps on my iPhone, so instead of having tonnes of photos lined up vertically, I thought a collage would be easier on the eyes.

It’s the middle of November and why not share what I’ve been constantly using this month…

From the top left and clockwise:

Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia is perfect for the transition from autumn to winter in Tokyo. The afternoons are seriously quite warm but the nights are cool. The pear note is quite juicy but not summery like citrus notes are plus the dry down is a gorgeous milky musk. The staying power is not great but an excuse for a perfume fanatic like me to spritz myself with this more often!

Biteki is seriously one of favourite beauty rags in Tokyo — it’s has pages and pages of makeup and skincare which I love to stare at in the bath.

I’ve been smoothing a pump of Morrocan Oil through my hair daily and I just love how it’s not as oily as coconut oil or tsubaki oil but it’s very very very pricey at 3900JPY (plus shipping) so I hope that it lasts for a long time.

Speaking of coconut oil, I may not use this much on my hair but I love it in a salt scrub — best for dehydrated and acne-prone skin like mine.

From left and clockwise:

Dior’s purple travel palette has been my most-reached for eyeshadow palette this month, or rather only-reached for! I’ve been wearing lot of blue, gray, and black clothes this autumn so I love sporting a smokey purple look for my eyes. Detailed review to come soon.

Paul & Joe’s creamy light pink nail polish in 28 was something I painted on my nails repeatedly because it’s so dainty and feminine.

And my favourites would not be complete without a BB cream and this month’s fave is the Ettusias Mineral BB Cream which gives me a flawless, dewy complexion and somehow helps to control my skin from getting too oily. This is definitely worth a full review of its own.

And I can’t forget my Urban Decay Naked Palette! I had a really terrible morning as I woke up with rashes all over my face but the postman rang the door bell around 11am and delivered this to my doorstep. I was so happy to receive it and have been experimenting with different looks. I feel like I don’t really need to buy neutral colours for a while because the range in this palette is quite a amazing.

What are your faves this November?

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Between the time I filmed this video and uploaded it, I actually got more BB creams and liquid foundations :O So these videos do not reflect my entire collection but I think it would’ve been pointless to include the new ones because I haven’t test drove them long enough.

It dawned on me why some beauty fanatics are especially crazy about base makeup — it’s the never-ending quest to achieve flawless skin and coupled with the fact that no product would EVER be an exact match for your skin tone makes the chase even more fervent, plus your own skin changes with time (and even more so if you live in a place with changing seasons), so what suited you 12 months ago may not be the right one for you now.

Put your hand up if you are nuts about base makeup!

PS: Just TEN days more till my 3rd Anniversary/Birthday giveaway ends (lots of my ultimate fave Japanese beauty products to be won and THREE winners will be picked; go get your tush over there)!

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Hello my lovelies, is this heat a killer or what? I’ve definitely put on hold my mineral foundation regime which refuses to set properly on perpetually damp skin. Sad but a great excuse to go get more cosmetics….

On top of BB cream or liquid foundation, I don’t put on loose powder on most days (I only do so when the A/C in on which I’m really trying not to use too much of this summer; read here on why) so dusting on a powder blush is also problematic. I’ve taken to smearing on a cream blush but I’m not so fond of the dark pink hue I have at moment. This cream blush was a gift-with-purchase sample from a Bobbi Brown haul I did almost two years ago in San Fran, so I was like, “It’s time to make an investment!”

These Paul & Joe cream products have made my life so much easier now…

This is 03 in their Cream Cheek Butter range…

You don’t need a lot to get some colour on your cheeks and I love the soft coral shade…I have to warn you that it does have some fragrance but it’s a quiet floral scent which I don’t mind at all.

Paul & Joe packaging is so pretty that it makes me feel so feminine using their products. I might try the Canmake cream cheek blushes that everyone raves about but I’m a bit afraid it would break me out because they are so cheap I wonder if they use nasty chemicals in them….Anyone to debunk my silly fears?

Now these are my summer faves right now — Paul & Joe Eye Glosses. I used them six or seven years ago religiously but stopped when they finished and now I remember why I loved them. They are in such lovely shades and they become matte once they set.

The swatches are in the same order as the eye glosses pictured above: 01, 03, 04, 05.

I got all that were available at the counter I went to but didn’t see 02 which is an orange shade that Fuzkittie used in her Paul & Joe tutorial recently. My ultimate fave at the moment is 05 because the dark blue hue is so chic and applies as a soft dark blue rather than an intense blue like in the swatch. The gold sheer shade it is paired with glides on beautifully on my yellow-toned skin and I feel like I could look “made-up” in a real jiffy with both these lip and eye cream products.

Both products really stay put on my face and I look and feel fresh at the end of the day. Oh and don’t forget Majolica Majorca mascaras do not budge in any situation – lol! There you have it, my arsenal of cosmetics to beat the heat…

What do you use to prevent makeup meltdowns?

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As I mentioned, the month of July is full of travel and I’m saying hello from Daydream Island in the Whitsundays, which is a group of islands north of Brisbane in Australia. I’m totally digging my heels into the gorgeous white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and gorgeous fresh fruit here.

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of where I am…

I mentioned that I bought a Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV 02 a month back and after using it consistently for three weeks, I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan. Last winter, I found that my skin had many creases when I put on just liquid foundation and loose powder and read that a primer would help decrease the look of fine lines emphasized by foundation.

I chose this product because it was number one last year in its category on Japanese cosmetics ranking site, Cosme.

Yeah, I’m a sucker for ultra-girly packaging.

My thoughts: It has a thin liquid finish that sits well under my foundation and loose powder. My crease lines were reduced by 80 per cent so I’m very pleased with this product. Usually I have fine lines from my nose to my cheeks when I smile but with this primer, I don’t suffer from these at all. Yay.

The fragrance is a light rose scent which thankfully I love. I hate wearing makeup when I don’t take to the fragrance and it follows you every second of the day so it’s important to me what a product smells like.

Would I buy this again? YES! It’s affordable at 3,600JPY (USD37) and I only need a tiny bit daily so I can forsee this lasting for at least six months. Does anyone have positive reviews of other primers?

Here are the freebies that came with my purchase…

A small satchet of cleansing milk which I probably will use while travelling — I’m more of a cleansing oil girl so this doesn’t excite me very much.

Ooo, this one looks interesting: Protective Powder Compact Foundation. I’ve not tried it yet but will do so to see if this is something I would switch to.

Alrighty, time for me to head off to my couch again. We’re going to watch Avatar at the open-air cinema on the beach and munch on dinner from the pub next to it. Just gotta love being in an Aussie resort. Don’t forget to take part in our fabulous Summer Giveaway — you’ll get a chance to win a tin of Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger, a Vit C mask set (5 pieces), and a Hanayuki Gel Cream perfect for summer and has collagen essence!

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