THE AUDACIOUS LIPSTICKS BY NARS

I've been hearing some great things about the NARS Audacious Lipsticks and was eager to give them a try. So when I was invited to experience the Audacious lipsticks I didn't spare a second to hesitate!

You may have seen my NARS 20th Anniversary blog post where I blogged about the new goodies that came out for Fall/Winter. This launch still carries on the theme of 'Celebrating 20 Years of Audacious Beauty' with 40 new shades ranging from soft nudes to bright reds and oranges - you'll also spot some vampy hues in there too. 

I was sent 6 to review and here are the arm swatches for them.

When I swatched them my jaw literally dropped from the sight of how pigmented they are. As you can probably see they are very solid and rich in color.

Rita

Grace

Lana

Annabella

(Lana and Annabella can come across as similar when on the lips with Annabella being more pink-fuschia toned)

Silvia

Claudia

(Well prepped lips are highly recommend before applying Claudia)

I also tried out Geraldine (left) and Charlotte (right) - personally think Charlotte matches my outfit but I love the boldness of Geraldine - it's definitely something different and I am on the verge of breaking my shopping ban to buy it.

Formula wise, the lipsticks are creamy upon application with such richness of color which I immediately fell in love with. I ate straight after getting my lip makeover, and the color began to fade but the majority of it still remained. After several hours, however, may lips did appear to be dry which usually occurs with my experience of NARS lipsticks. 

However, I definitely see the improvement of the Audacious line when compared to previous lippies - how the lipstick glides onto the lips and the rich pigmentation is definitely something new. 

I also love the sheen finish that is - not too glossy nor too matte. With a hydrating lip balm underneath, you can easily fake glossy lips and without - well, matte lips! 

Packaging-wise NARS has definitely upped its game with magnetic lids and embossed logo. What's more, the lipsticks can be connected to each other magnetically so you can keep them altogether (if you decide to take more than one out) in your handbag, or even in your makeup collection. No more searching long and hard with 'Where's that other shade?' ringing in your heated ears. 

Which Audacious lipstick is your favorite? Let me know so I can go check them out!

Shop the NARS Audacious range here.

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ONE SWEATER; TWO MIDI SKIRTS

Top: Zipia

Skirt: Zipia (Similar here)

Shoes: Rienda (Similar here)

Top: Zipia

Skirt: Runway Bandits (Similar here)

Shoes; Zalora

I've never been the girl to stick to one particular style. At times I can dress ultra-feminine, other times, I dress like a boy without a care in the world. But there's one thing that remains consistent in my outfits - and that's comfort. I think a knit and a flared midi skirt makes the perfect ensemble for both a feminine vibe but adds to the comfort factor as well.  I paired this casual, cobalt blue knit with two styles of skirts - one is a black pleated faux leather skirt that gives off a 'bad girl' vibe. Whilst the other white cotton skirt is definitely more angelic. If I got to do it again, I'm not sure I would've paired the same shoes though. The Zalora heels in black leather with gold buckle takes the outfit out of its fairytale. Nonetheless, these two outfits are great alternatives where all pieces are the perfect 'throw-on-and-go' without making me look too sloppy! The cobalt blue makes a great everyday pop of color without being too bold, or too boring. Which look would you wear?
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NAILING THE ICONIC RED - CHANEL LE VERNIS DRAGON

Chanel Le Vernis - 475 Dragon

I'll make this post short and sweet. When it comes to wearing nail polish, I never really have one to put in my monthly favorites as I switch up my nail polish color almost every couple of days (yes, it's probably not very healthy either!), and I make sure not to apply the same shade more than twice each month so I could get through my nail polish stash.  But there's one that I've been wearing continuously every month and I always find myself searching for it in my drawers. It is this beautiful iconic red that you can't go wrong with.  One coat will do, and I topped it off with my holy grail Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat - leaving a breathtakingly gorgeous ultra-glossy finish.  If I had to choose my all-time favorite - this would be it, without a doubt! Let me know your thoughts if you own this, or tell me what's your favorite red nail polish? Although I'm pretty much set with just this one, it's always good to know some alternatives!

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EMINENCE ORGANICS: THE STONE CROP WONDERS

You may have seen from my recent September Favourites video that there are a couple of Eminence products I've been loving. Here's a more detailed review of the four products I own from the Stone Crop line!

It all started with the Stone Crop Hydrating Mist, which my friend gave me as a gift in a big beauty box for my birthday. From then on, I was addicted and attached. In the beginning I wasn't quite used to the scent, but after a couple more sprays I was hooked, which leads me to my second bottle now. 

The Hydrating Mist is a calming, soothing toner that hydrates the skin at the same time. This is an indispensable product for me, particularly after using an acid toner (I use the Biologique Recherche Lotion P50). This is gentle to the skin although it contains Salicylic Acid which helps to remove impurities from the skin.

 I generally think this product just calms my skin. In terms of achieving an even skin tone, I don't think it has the power (although my hyperpigmentation can be classified as very, very stubborn). Otherwise, this is great for a daily hydrating and soothing toner for those with sensitive skin. Highly recommend! 

One of my new favorites is the Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer which I believe would be a saint during the winter time. It is in a thick consistency, and Eminence recommends to add/spray a bit of water and then move on to massage the face with it. I feel like I am at a spa every night when using this, mainly due to the smell and the gorgeous consistency of it when massaging onto my skin. It's very silky and smooth, and again very soothing and moisturizing for the skin. Although feeling like I have an overnight facial after using this, this does make my skin oily in the morning. Nonetheless, I still love it and am quite frugal when using this. A little goes a long way, my friend.

Now on to my ultimate favorite out of the line - the Stone Crop Masque. 

This has really helped to clear up my irritated patches on the sides on my jaw during that horrible hormonal breakout that I do not want to be reminded of. Like the Whip Moisturizer, I take a small amount with the complimentary spoon and add/spray a bit of water so that it becomes a more silkier, lighter consistency. The best thing about this is that you only need to leave it on for 5-10 minutes and you will feel it dry up. Add a bit more water, and it becomes great to creamy and milky again. For someone like me who simply cannot sit still whilst having a mask on, this mask is perfect as I can still make myself busy whilst pampering myself. I saw a huge difference after using this the first night, and this has gradually embedded into my evening skincare routine, just because I feel like I'm giving myself an effortless overnight facial. 

To be honest, I wasn't particularly impressed with the Stone Crop Serum the first couple of weeks. But gradually, it became one of the products I must apply in my skincare routine. Without it, my skin starts to act up again with a few irritations here and there. I feel that this helps to soothe my skin and create a barrier to protect my skin. I also love its light consistency and doesn't make my skin feel oily or suffocated. 

All in all, I am extremely happy with the Stone Crop Line, and would repuchase any of these products in a heartbeat.

#FOODIE IN SAPPORO

If you follow me on Instagram or my vlog channel you may know that I spent a few days in Sapporo with my family, and had the best #foodie trip!

Spending hours and hours at the 24-hour store Don Quijote

Otaru

Needless to say, the entire trip we literally stuffed ourselves with food! I've never really been on a trip where it revolved around food, where after one meal we would find our next edible target to stuff in our stomachs. Ramen, kani, o-toro, uni (oh, the uni!) and even little decorative cakes - all of which tasted scrumptious. 

So our first day we arrived quite late in the afternoon, having got our car that we rented and a quick rest at our hotel to freshen up, we found ourselves at Kani Shogun for dinner. Kani Shogun specializes in crab feasts, from whole crab, to crab porridge, to crab sushi and it was awesome. How to profess my love for crab? By eating it, surely. 

The next day we headed off to Otaru which was a nice little town for souvenir shopping, food-tasting and sightseeing. The Otaru bridge was a wonderful sight and reminded me slightly of Annecy. At Otaru, there were plenty of little shops filled with Japanese snacks, and my favorite was definitely the multi-layered ice-cream (grape was the bomb). We found ourselves digging at the bottom where the grape flavor was and the ice-cream eventually began to topple over. There was a lot of walking involved at Otaru, but it was good to walk off the huge uni sushi bowls we had for lunch. They were absolutely divine and in Hong Kong, you'll be expected to pay over double the price. 

On our third day which was our last full day in Sapporo, we went to a fish market where they would also have restaurants upstairs for you to devour the fresh seafood. There were rows and rows of displays of live crab, all of which I wanted to take home with me! In the afternoon we went to Odori Park, which was rather picturesque. Sat down for tea at Sapporo Sweets Cafe in Aurora Town after almost 45 minutes of searching, did some shopping there as well as at Daimaru, one of the largest department stores. Finally we finished off our day with a spot of Ramen, which is a must-have in Japan!

Have you been to Sapporo or Japan before? Let me know what was your favorite thing about your trip! Because I'm clearly planning my next one :P