Natural products that are ALWAYS in my make up bag!

If you read my late blog posts, i have mentioned that i am quite depended on a few items from BURTS BEES and KORRES. I can't go a day leaving the house without these stuff, if i forgot just one i can go insane! The Burts Bees hand sanitizer is an absolute dream, it has that botanical fresh smell, it doesn't feel sticky or greasy (i have tried other natural organic brands and most of them leaves that sticky residue on the palms of my hands and I HATE THAT), specially love the sleek packaging and you just cant go wrong with the price (it's around $ 6.79 in amazon.com). 

Now another amazing product from the Burst Bees are the lipbalms, i have been raving about them since forrrrevahhh (read: since i first discovered them around 3 years ago!). I have a few in different shades but these two are among my top ones, the tinted lipbalm line in rose, red dahlia and tigerlily is my ultimate favorites and from the lip shimmer line i especially love raisin (it has the perfect tint!), papaya and watermelon. The different between these two lines, the tinted lip balms are more moisturizing and sheer but it brings out your natural lip color in a better way which is why i love it for an everyday use, like for example the shade in rose gives that subtle rosy effect on your lip and it doesnt look like you're putting any effort into it. The lip shimmer line is a little bit more pigmented, and it has that cooling tingling feel when you first apply it to your lips which i think is pretty lovely especially under summer weather. Although i rotate them every now and then, i personally like the combo of the rose tinted lip balm and the raisin lip shimmer to use daily, i like to add a little bit of the raisin lip shimmer to the centre of my lip just to give that glowy rosy natural shine.I cant believe it has been more than 3 years i've been using Burts bees products and i am still a big fan of them! What's your ultimate favorite daily lip balms, please do share with me! hope you enjoy reading this post. xx

Products mentioned above and where you can get them online:

1. Burt's Bees tinted lipbalm in rose (if you are in Indonesia you can go to this link http://goo.gl/2Eg3q )

.2. Burt's Bees lip shimmer in raisin (if you are in Indonesia you can go to this link http://goo.gl/3VDZ7 )

3. Burt's Bees hand sanitizer (just go to Amazon.com here's a direct link http://goo.gl/sV1MQ )

4. Korres body butter in Fig (just go to Amazon here're a direct link http://goo.gl/uKiRG )

My current make up removing routine

When i was asked to post a skin care routine, i wasn't sure what to share since i have never been a high maintenance with my skin care although i feel i really need put more attention to my "aging" skin (sad but trrrue). But i think for now i am quite happy with the stuff i'm currently using to wash my face and removing my daily or heavy make up at the very least. So i have these three individuals that works differently at their best (for me!), Eu thermale Avene gentle gel cleanser (for your info, i am a sucker for french pharmacy brands), Clarins instant eye make up remover and the all naturals Witch hazel toner. Personally, i don't normally wear a heavy make up on a daily basis or even sometimes i would even go bare just putting moisturizer, under eye concealer and a lip balm (ok i know that's not bare at all hahaha). On a busy day or if i have to go out i do put on make up base like BB creams and other basic stuff, i even do my brow (actually, i always do it). Every time i come home i always always always wash my face, no matter how tired i am but going to the bathroom and get cleaned up top to bottom is like religion to me, i can't stand feeling sticky and tired at the same time. 

So i still like to keep it simple, first step i put the Clarins instant eye make up remover to a cotton pad and gently wipe my eye make up, i try to do it slowly because the eye area is the thinnest most delicate part of our face skin. I actually just recently bought the Clarins eye make up remover right after my Bioderma miscellar solution had finished, reading good reviews about it i decided to give it a go and turns out okay so far it does the job and i love their new compact packaging. Second step is i wash my face with the Avene gentle gel cleanser just to make sure i get rid every last traces of make up left on my face, i probably put a like two pumps on my skin, i rub it against the palms of my hands and slowly rub it onto my face, do like a circular motion massaging it gently. I have been using the Avene gentle gel clenser for like almost two years until i realized, this stuff contains parabens. It really broke my heart because i loved it, it feels really gentle but the fact is not really that gentle if it contains parabens, you know what i mean? So i am currently on the hunt for a best replacement. I already have a few organic or natural ingredient brands in mind like Origins, La roche posay, Ren, Korres, Dermalogica etc (i'll make another blogpost for my skin care wish list) or better yet, Avene improve their formula for the Gentle gel cleanser so i don't have to switch! If you're the kind of person that don't mind parabens this works great, but if you do have others recommendation please let me know!

The last step after i make sure my face is all clean from make up i pat on Witch hazel toner to a cotton pad (this specific brand i bought it when i was in Australia but i guess you can use any brands as long as it's pure Witch hazel). Witch Hazel is made of plant, and it can cure itchy skin, stings, irritations and works amazing for other things too but most interesting is it tightens the skin and fight bacteria. That's why although i am not a toner person but i always include Witch hazel water to my skin care make up removing routine to make sure i really clean my face and pores thoroughly! As much as i love make up, but i love my skin feeling fresh and clean even more! xx

Products mentioned above and where you can get them:

1. Avene Gentle gel cleanser 

2. Clarins instant eye make up remover

3. T.N Dickinson Witch Hazel 

(If you are in Indonesia, unfortunately i don't know where to get it but you can get them on Ebay/Amazon if that helps)

Why i still love BB Creams from Holika Holika

At first i thought I should've done this post ages ago during my early days raving about these two BB Creams from a korean brand Holika Holika, but this time is actually the perfect time to spill it out since it has been almost over a year since i discovered this amazing BB Cream. Around early last year i started becoming obsessed with BB Creams, i did a lot of research and went on a BB cream adventure where i read thousands of other people's reviews and tried many of them my self. The brands i've tried which mostly Korean were Lioele Dollish Veil Vita, Lioele Triple the solution spf 30, Lioele water drop spf 27, Missha Perfect Cover spf 42 , Skin79 Triple functions spf 25 (the hot pink one), and then later the western ones like Bobbi Brown spf30 and Clinique age defence spf 30. BUT, when i came across Holika Holika the Aqua Petit jelly, it wowed me! The formulation feels so simple. The reason i became obsessed with BB Creams because i'm not a foundation type of girl, the weather where i live makes it impossible to wear it during the day (and sometimes at night!), it is hot, humid and i just easily sweat under normal weather not unless when i'm in an air conditioned room(yeah i sweat easily it's so gross! hahaha). So BB creams were simply the middle ground to my needs, it has a light to medium coverage, the texture is obviously lighter than a foundation and the formula is suppose to be nourishing to your skin. So after a while hunting for the perfect BB cream for my normal to combination skin, the Holika Holika Aqua Petit jelly was like the answer to my prayers, i finally found my dream BB cream! 

Honestly i fell for the cute packaging at first but then reading other people reviews raving about this product i just had to have it! The texture feels literally like jelly, it is liquidy like it contains more water than other BB creams which is GREAT but it doesn't fall off easily, it actually glides into my skin naturally giving a smooth and slightly dewy finish (but not greasy). The light coverage feels like my own skin but makes it look A LOT BETTER! The watery texture is absolutely what i had been looking for in a BB cream, just perfect for summer or if you are like me who lives in a tropical weather then you will love this!  The bottle is a 40ml which it can lasts me up to three months if i use it constantly. The down side of this BB cream is sadly it contains parabens, which is an ironic to my switching mission to cruelty free skin products. BUUUT i still love it so much it is so hard to let go! I do hope one day Holika Holika will soon improve their Aqua petit jelly formula to a more natural cruelty free and use safer ingredients (please please please!). 

Now the second product from Holika Holika that i also absolutely adore is the Luminous silk spf 42, when the Aqua Petit Jelly is perfect for day time, i found the Luminous silk is better for night time when going out. The texture feels just a tad heavier but still light. It doesn't feel as watery as the Aqua Petit Jelly but when apply to my face it evens out my skin tone since it has a medium coverage and gives an amazing smooth finish. Unlike the Aqua petit Jelly that gives a dewy look, instead the luminous silk gives a silky matte finish which is why i love it for a night out. Another great thing about this BB cream, this one is actually paraben free! So why not make the Aqua Petit Jelly paraben free too right? Anyways, for application, both i prefer using a stippling brush because it helps gives a sheer finish that it still looks natural and i usually don't powder my face anymore after that because i'm already happy with the finish they both gives to my skin. Yess, it is that good!

I know the picture and the lighting is not the best but here's a swatch to give an idea on how the texture looks like on my skin (I am Asian with warm olive undertone and i have a normal to combination skin). 

The left one is the Aqua petit jelly, as you can see it looks lighter and jellier compare to the right one which is the Luminous Silk that's a little bit darker and heavier in texture. Most of my friends who i told about this product also loves and raves about this BB cream so i hope you do too and if you do, leave a comment down below let me know how you go about it! 

Products mentioned above and where you can get them:

1. Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly 

(if you are in Indonesia here's a legit link for you http://goo.gl/wNsM5 and if you're in the states/UK you can also get them from EBAY/amazon or online webstore sells it a lot) 

2. Holika Holika Luminous Silk 

(if you are in Indonesia here's a legit link for you http://goo.gl/mzP0e and if you're in the states/UK you can also get them from EBAY/amazon or online webstore sells it a lot) 

My January 2013 Favorites

I'm so excited i get to do this kind of "monthly favorites" post, now i guess i have officially joined the beauty blogger community (woohoo!). So January has passed, and i have a few new items i got to try. Some were alright, not the best but others i found to be my new go-to. I was in search for a new lotion that's pure organic or at least has more natural ingredients (i am currently slowly switching all my beauty/skin care products to natural cruelty free paraben free products and all that sort of stuff, it's part of my new years resolution!). 

While doing research, i bumped into this AHAVA skin care, where they use natural active dead sea minerals as their main ingredients. Then i remember once my mom was telling me about how good and amazing dead sea minerals are for our skin, they have the main supplement for maintaining a healthy skin. So i ordered it online from id.strawberrynet.com. The honeysuckle and lavender scent is lovely, it doesn't have that strong scent since i'm not fond of lotions that has scent that can overbear your personal smell or it beats your parfume, now this one doesn't actually do that. It feels light and velvety, very moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy feeling afterwards. I think it's great use for summer or for someone like me who lives in a tropical weather and the 400ml bottle is such a great deal. I say this is my current favorite for body lotions! 

As for my hair, i'm sure i'm not the only breastfeeding mum that experience hair loss and i was kind of freaking out at first so i did a little research to cure my little problem. They say biologically, our body is releasing some sort of hormones to regain the vitality back, the hair loss is actually a sign of "renewal" so that new roots are replacing the old ones that's why we have hair loss. But of course i feel i could help encourage this renewal process by actually taking care of it, and again i was curious to find out more about another french brand PHYTO that caught my attention. The first thing that i like is of course the ingredients they use is plant based which is just perfect! I don't know what is it with french brands but most of their pharmacy brands are so gentle and chemical free, i found my self drawn into more and more of their products, i mean, what's there not to love? 

Generally, my scalp can get oily but my ends are pretty dry so sometimes after i wash my hair it gets frizzy during the day it is so annoying i ALWAYS keep a small comb in my bag if i forgot to bring it i instantly panic. Anyways as a starter, i decided to try out PHYTO creme de jour. The texture is like a light cream and it does feel a bit like a serum, you just need like pea size and it goes all the way focusing on my ends. The smell is slightly herbal (you can instantly feel its plant-derived). The thought that this thing is silicon free, sulfates free, and it seems to be non toxic it just fits to my liking. I finally found a hair product that is gentle and actually 'takes care' of my hair. I am definitely going to continue trying out more of their products! 

The KORRES lip butter glaze is my recent favorite among my other lip balms from this line, it's nos doubt i am highly addicted to everything about KORRES. The mango butter lip balm jars are amazing but i was never fond of dipping my fingers in lip balms i always feel it's a little disgusting and non hygienic. So when i found out the wild rose lip balms also come in a tube, why not give it a go? It's definitely a January favorites. For the other products i loved last month was the MAC lipstick in fanfare, the color just looks easy and natural for me, REVLON nails in minted, BOBBI BROWN shimmer brick which honestly i very rarely use but last month i tried to play more with it. The last one of my recent moisturizer purchase is the LA ROCHE POSAY hydreane legere (another french pharmacy brand), after a month of using this product i'd have to say i like my AVENE hydrance optimale SPF 25 hydrating creme better (another french pharmacy brand!). The La Roche posay hydreane legere feels a tad heavier than the Avene and the downside it doesn't have spf which the Avene does. So i guess once i finish i'm definitely going to repurchase the Avene again, but the La Roche Posay does the job for now. So that was my January favorites!

Products mentioned above and where you can find them online:

1. AHAVA lavender & honeysuckle botanic body lotion

2. PHYTO Creme de jour

3. KORRES lip butter glaze in wild rose

4. MAC lipstick in fanfare 

5. BOBBI BROWN rose shimmer brick

6. LA ROCHE POSAY hyreane legere

my lazy kinda weekend

In the midst of a busy life, sometimes not doing anything at all is such a bliss. Surrounding myself with the nicest things life, my bed, good friends, books and a good cup of coffee with the perfect froth. Isn't it just lovely?

Be Thankful for what you got - William DeVaughn

Anais Nin and endless flashbacks.

It started with a cliche and a quarter life crisis, something Anais Nin said (which repeatedly over and over again in my head), "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage". After the past 5 years living in the mundane, i finally have the courage to pick up the pieces and start a new blog(i had one but so embarrassed by it i decided to delete it, please don't judge me! LOL) As officially my first post, this blog is simply a form of action, an action to constantly remind my self that it is never too late to be who you always wanted to be and do the things you always LOVE the most. As cliche as it sounds but heck yeah, i wanna live a life that matters, it gives more meaning to life and trying to make sense of it all. Thanks to amazing people around me keeps my sanity intact. So here it is, THE MAKE LIFE PROJECT. 

Photography. I started exploring through the view finder when i became a student at Edith Cowan University. Started off doing conceptual photography i always had eyes for pretty things so in between assignments i would find my self experimenting in fashion. This girl was one of the first models i ran into in early 2005 (and shoot i forgot her name!), she was so nice she offered to help me out on a hot summer day for a spontaneous trial shoots. She was such a sweetheart.