Gosh, I really needed that holiday in Hokkaido. It didn’t seem that long ago that I was on an airplane but this one was true relaxation (compared to my whirlwind year-end trips that leave me exhausted). And I never get tired of looking at snow — coming from the tropics, snow means it’s romantic, quiet, and cosy.

I know my blog has featured lots of organization-type posts (here and here), so let’s do a simple haul post to rave and review what I’ve been using that I got from my Sydney-Singapore trip. I got a mix of old faves and new products.

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf oozes sexy vanilla appeal. I especially love the dry down that reminds me of woolly sweaters and cupcakes.

This one, Lolita Lempicka Forbidden Flower, isn’t brand new as I got it in a swap on MUA — I received it while I was away. I’m a huge fan of Lolita Lempicka fragrances and I’ve got the original Lolita Lempicka and the L Fleur de Corail. They are all musky and full of vanilla type fragrances…

I’ve tried many different Japanese lip glosses but I always like Lancome’s Juicy Tubes the best. I don’t like applicator type ones as I always prefer using my fingers and the consistency is never too sticky and all these shades flatter my lipsticks well. I’m boring when it comes to lip gloss, I know.

Speaking of lip products, I nabbed this pretty pink brown Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Pearl 420 Blushed lippie. The slightly frosty shade makes this a chic but wearable lipstick for day and night.

I finally got myself some under-eye concealer from MAC (Select Moisture Cover NW25) — I’m definitely way more into skincare than makeup but I was inspired by a friend who did my makeup when I was a bridesmaid in Singapore. It was his recommendation that I got this shade.

Good Skin Labs Serum-365 was mentioned in my updated skincare routine here and I thought it was worth another mention as I’m enjoying the non-greasy but hydrating effect this serum has on my skin. I think it’s great to use on its own in hot and humid conditions, and it’s also awesome as a product to put over my two moisturizers in winter which acts as a primer for mineral foundation.

I think I’ve found a liquid foundation that doesn’t break me out and has medium coverage and it’s Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light SPF10 (Intensity 2.0) liquid foundation. I would use sunscreen with this product because I think the sun protection is a little low and if I’m going really casual I’ll skip the loose powder. I might also lightly dust (very very lightly) on some Nanoce Mineral BB Powder just to take the slight shine away and to make my powder blush application a little easier.

It looks natural on my skin and doesn’t have a made up look. It also fades the appearance of scars and acne which is fabulous. But I wouldn’t wear this for a formal night look because it doesn’t have a finished quality to it.

Which brings me to the next product — I suspect that Estee Lauder’s Nutritious Vita-Mineral Loose Powder would give a very nice powdery look to the liquid foundation but this shade (Intensity 1.0) is waaay to light for me. I look like I have reddish eyes when I wear this (scary!) and was quite upset that I got the wrong shade. This is one of the pitfalls of duty-free shopping: making decisions in too short a time so I could catch my flight. The SA insisted that I take Intensity 1.0 and not 2.0 (even though my liquid foundation was 2.0) and I was also convinced by the harsh white lighting that it was my shade as well — not when I returned home to Tokyo. Argh, lesson learned. If anyone wants to swap for this product, let me know! I only used it ONCE.

Over Christmas I was gifted these yummy travel-sized products:

I actually got this from my fiance’s mother and these Thalgo products are so precious I don’t feel like using them. They smell amazing…like the sea and flowers and soap. I’m not familiar with this French brand but recently Gwyneth Paltrow raved about the French products she swears by over at Goop so my curiosity is piqued, indeed.

I might bring this along to Melbourne with me since I’ll be staying at beach house for a few days before a friend’s wedding in the city. I’m usually a shower gel girl but I always go for soap (it’s a solid!) when I travel.

That’s the Spa Wisdom Polynesia Monoi Oil and Lotus & Frangipani Body Puree, plus an exfoliating towel. I’d already used up the Coconut and Lime Shower Gel in Sydney — it smelled incredible and perfect for summer.

I love the little straw case that The Body Shop products came in…especially the blue round dangly pendant.

So I got mostly good products and just one disappointment for this trip and I can’t wait to haul again when I go to Australia this Saturday!

What is your classic go-to beauty product you never get sick of?

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