Review! Rimmel BB Cream

Do you take your skincare seriously? I do :) I think if you work on 'perfecting' your skin, you can get away with a simple eyeliner and a lipgloss...This is where BB creams come in...the Rimmel BB Cream boasts 9 benefits in the 1 product including: primes, moisturises, minimises pores, conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies, brightens and helps protect. I was excited to try this product because at only $12.95 for a 30ml bottle and with 4 shades to choose from, this could be a cheaper alternative to my current tinted moisturiser (by the Balm).

Initial thoughts?
The shade I had was medium which is a touch too light for my complexion. The consistency of the product was also very thick and creamy which I wasn’t really used to. The overall finish of the product was matte especially on my cheeks and forehead – I probably applied to much around my nose as it started looking cakey even before the powder was applied. On the first day of application, I thought the product looked ok on my skin.

Best way to apply?
On my very first application, I used my hands and massaged the product onto my skin. This helped warm the product out for easy blending. I also tried a flat foundation brush but was left with streaks across my face. Not hot. Lastly I tried a flat top synthetic kabuki brush by Sigma (F80) and it worked like a dream (i.e., better than my hand application)! Took a while for me to figure out how to make this product work for me - I'm glad I tried the kabuki brush cos it really affects the overall finish of the product on my face (and the star rating of the product hehe)!

The product also set very quickly so I would apply it in small areas of my face, i.e. right cheek, left cheek, chin and neck, nose, then lastly, the forehead.

Note: the end of the video below includes a demo of how I applied the product :)

Pros
 * Great coverage
* Matte finish (even without powder it is quite matte!)
* SPF 25!!
* Smells nice
* Natural, good finish
* Inexpensive! $12.95 a tube!
* Stays put for the whole day, although my T-zone got a bit oily by the end of the day with no touch ups.

Cons 
* Quite creamy - this can affect how you choose to apply the product
* Sets quickly - need to work quickly
* If I use a flat top kabuki brush to apply the product which in my opinion is the best method, it will inevitably use up more of the product than if I used my hands
* When I used too much of the product (particularly around my nose), it would get quite "cakey" and highlight my flakey or pores on my nose >.<

Overall Rating
I enjoyed this product once I figured out how to use it and if I ever decide to repurchase, I would probably go a shade darker (this might alleviate the cakey/flakey problem above). My overall rating is 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. Given the price point and the accessibility, this BB cream does not perform too bad at all!

Please see my review of the L'oreal Nude Magique BB cream for a comparison.

Let me know what you thought of the Rimmel BB cream!

 It is really hard doing selfies on timer!! >.<

Just purchased! The clog wedge

Hello lovlies :) Just wanted to share a shoe purchase since I don't buy many shoes at all...These are from Seed and I love them to bits! The leather is so buttery soft and super comfortable!! I can't wait to wear these all throughout Spring and Summer!

Bau Truong, Marrickville

Vietnamese is one of my favourite cuisines - my favs including vermicelli noodles with spring rolls, pho, crispy chicken with tomato rice, chicken rolls and fresh prawn rolls. Bau Truong is not a traditional Vietnamese restaurant, they have an extensive menu and specialise in "modern" and "upscale" Vietnamese dishes to share.

Bau Truong was recommended by a close friend of mine who had already tried the one in Cabramatta and Canley Vale. I went to the Marrickville restaurant with Mum, the hubby and my sister and we all loved the food! I am excited to go back and try more on their menu :) Sorry in advance - I can't remember exactly what the dishes were called...

 Stylish interiors :)

 The hubby's Vietnamese beer. My sister's lychee juice.

 Minced pork and taro spring rolls. Can I just say, these are THE BEST spring rolls I have ever tasted!

 Eggplant - this dish was divine. The eggplant was roasted (my favourite!) and was drizzled with fish sauce and chilli.  Reminds me of eggplant my mum used to cook for us when we were little. 

 Beef cubes on a bed of watercress and tomatoes.  The glaze was so tasty! Yum! My favourite beef cubes would have to be at Bay Tinh in Marrickville.

 Salt and Pepper Squid. Cooked perfectly - so fresh and delicious!

 Flat rice noodle in soy sauce and beef.  This is such a simple yet comforting dish. I loved it!

 Crispy chicken in tamarind sauce. The skin was crispy and the meat so tender. When dipped in the tamarind sauce, it was heaven (I think everything should be dipped in that tamarind sauce...).  One of my favourite dishes of the night!

 Dessert time! Banana pudding and coconut icecream. The pudding was moist and dense and was complimented nicely by the fresh coconut icecream.

 Upclose of the banana pudding :)

Chargrilled banana in salted sago and ginger and lemongrass icecream. Was not really a fan of the icecream...the chargrilled banana was very tasty and the salted sago was an interesting mix. I love sago but not loving the salt!

The bill came to about $150 - definitely more expensive than your traditional Vietnamese meal but this was no ordinary meal! I am looking forward to the next time we return to Bau Truong!

NOTD! L'oreal Color Riche Le Vernis

Happy Friday everyone :)

Here is the colour I am currently wearing! It is the L'oreal Color Riche Le Vernis in 209 Ingenuous Rose. The L'oreal Color Riche Le Vernis nailpolishes were recommended by a friend and I decided to pick one up during the Priceline 20% off sale a couple days ago (I bought a few other polishes but will save that for another post!).

The nailpolish bottle is quite small at 5ml and will only set you back by $6.95. The brush is actually quite thicker and flatter than the standard nailpolish applicator brush which is very convenient - just one swipe will cover my entire nail!  I found the nailpolish to be very easy to work with.  This colour applies like a jelly than an opaque cream but after two/three coats, it is quite opaque! The colour also remains quite shiny which I love! I will definitely purchase more from this range :)

What do you think of the colour??

Makeup and Hair: Natural look for special occasions

It's not often I get the opportunity to doll up my sisters! So when my little sister mentioned she was going to a 21st birthday on the same day that she would be over at my house, I suggested I do her hair and makeup! For the makeup, she wanted a natural look with soft brown colours.  She almost always has her hair parted in the middle with loose curls.  So for the hair, I wanted to give her a polished look while at the same time still keeping those loose curls.

Let me know what you think :)

 

For the final look, she wanted her fringe down rather than pulled back which is shown in the last photo :)

OOTD: Pastels, Florals and Fur

This was an outfit I wore to a friend's birthday lunch at Pancakes on the Rocks in Harbourside. They do ahhhh-mazing pancakes!! I ordered the standard pancakes with whipped butter...so delicious! Reminds me of Denny's in Oahu :)

What I'm wearing!
Jeans - J Brand
Top - Zara
Faux fur coat - Melbourne markets
Bag - Botkier
Shoes - Freelance
Watch - Michael Kors

Priceline beauty haul!

Hi beauties :) I have a mini priceline haul to show you guys! Currently, there are some pretty good deals on offer for specific brands so I do recommend going in-store to check it out.  Have you guys seen the new Priceline website? You can also purchase the products and check out what's on sale on their website.

 I fell in love with all these colours (L-R: Lilac Lace, Burgundy Crush, Royal Blue)! These were only about $5-$6 per bottle! I will do some swatches of these colours on my nails as I paint them on. I've tried the burgundy crush colour and it's darker on my nails than how it looks in the bottle - it is actually a plum-wine-red. Love it! Only one fault - it has chipped on one nail and its only the second day of wear :(

Love these colours!! The two Rimmel lipsticks (Asia and Vintage Pink) was buy 1 get one free and the Max Factor (Maroon Dust) was $7 off :)

My brief thoughts on the lipsticks - I love the colours, especially maroon dust! The textures of all the lipsticks are very creamy and moisturising which is the type of lipstick I prefer :) Very happy with these purchases!!

OOTD! Floralness featuring Forever New and Romwe

I am in love with these pants. So IN LOVE!!! And how cute is the top! Thank you Romwe !!

What I'm wearing -
Heels - Therapy
Pants - Forever New
Blouse - Romwe
Bag - Mouche
Watch - Botkier
Earrings - Swarovski

Bridal makeup trial! Divya

I was excited to do Divya's bridal makeup trial because she has pretty facial features :) Here is a before and after shot of the trial. 

She will be wearing this look to her wedding reception. I wanted to go for a glamourous feel with neutral smokey eyes and she wanted a colourful lip!

Please let me know what you think!

OOTN! Anniversary dinner

This is what I wore to my anniversary dinner at Ocean Room :) I wanted to wear something simple and elegant and because the dress was black, I thought the neon necklace would give a pop of colour!

What I'm wearing: 
Dress - Sheike
Necklace - Diva
Bag - Botkier
Heels - bonbon

Ocean Room, The Rocks

Highly recommended by a close friend of mine, I “surprised” the hubby with an anniversary dinner at Ocean Room. I was horrible at keeping the location a secret…

The Ocean Room is located at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at the Rocks, a short stroll from Circular Quay station. When we entered the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was the elaborate décor. The ceiling was stunning and unfortunately I forgot to snap a picture of it that night (boo). The ambience was relaxed and intimate. We were ushered to a table right by the windows although in retrospect, there wasn’t that many people dining that night (it was on the Thursday of the long weekend).

There are three menu’s to choose from, a la carte, the petit tasting course and the full tasting course. We went with the full tasting course which had 12 dishes!

My cocktail and the hubby's sake

First Course: “Namagaki” – freshly shucked Sydney rock oyster, spicy sangrita cloud, tomato air.
I actually have never eaten a fresh / natural oyster before. I prefer steamed Chinese oysters. But this oyster was surprisingly delectable!

Second Course: “Ochazuke Modern” – cold-drip dashi and premium gyokuro green tea, Koshihikari rice crust, flamed seared latchet, umeboshi sorbet, wasabi dust.
The presentation was interesting and the rice crust tasted like rice bubbles. I thought the flavours really went well together.

Third Course: “Maguro Tartare” – sea salt cured tuna, sesame scented, dark & white balsamic crystal, toasted nori and ocean pearl. The waiter presented the dish and said we had to wrap our own sushi rolls haha. I couldn’t really be bothered so I ate everything separately. I LOVED the nori and the balsamic crystals with the tuna were very tasty. Surprisingly I enjoyed the ocean pearls, which melt in your mouth.

Fourth Course: “Ocean Shinjo” – house-made fish cake, tiger prawn and calamari bean curd parcel.

Probably an average dish for me. I enjoyed the ginger-ness of this dish but didn’t really like the bean curd parcel itself.

Fifth Course: “Secret Hotate” – steamed Western Australian scallop dumpling, Ocean Room’s XO sauce, red sake vinegar and soy

One of my favourite dishes of the night. Simply nomnom. I could have eaten a full bowl of this!

Sixth Course: “Raita’s Sashimi Collection” – seasonal sashimi selection

If you love sashimi, you’ll love this. I adore the presentation and wide selection.

Seventh Course: “Dobin-mushi Taraba King Crab” – taraba king crab & dashi consommé, young chrysanthemum leaf, char-grilled shimeji mushroom

This was the BEST consomee I’ve ever tasted. I also loved how this was presented. Amazeballs.

Eighth Course: “Saikyo Miso Cod” – signature grilled sweet miso cod fillet, ginger risotto, orange miso sauce

I did not want to share this dish with the hubby (who gobbles up his dishes as soon as they are placed on the table). One of my favourite dishes of the night (and possibly ever). The fish was cooked to perfection and the flavours complimented the ginger risotto. Risotto was nomnom.

Ninth Course: “Agedashi Mapo Artisan Tofu” – golden silken tofu, Japanese inspired mapo sauce, umami-rich flavour.

I thought this was pretty average. The sauce was very salty and flavoursome so definitely needed to eat it with the tofu.

Tenth Course: “Two dimensional Jack’s Creek Wagyu 8+ Marble Score” – table smoked char-grilled fillet, slow braised wagyu meat pie.

Again, another interesting concept. The wagyu steak was char-grilled right in front of you! when you take off the cup and smell it, its very smoky! The wagyu fillet was melt in your mouth goodness. I thought the pie and potato crochet were pretty average.

Eleventh Course: “Edo-Mae Nigiri Sushi” – three authentic Tokyo style nigiri sushi

There was no soy sauce as the fish were already flavoured.

Twelfth Course: “Nori and Shoyu Angel Cake” – vanilla and soy infused cream, soy caramel, spiced vanilla ice cream
Looks can be deceiving.  The presentation was imppecable but it didn't taste good...probably the only disappointing dish of the night.  A pity because I love dessert!

All in all – apart from desert, there are some pretty stunning dishes.  This is my favourite degustation I have eaten, ever! Highly recommended :)