Review: essence all about matt! oil control make-up base

I've been trying this product on and off for about a month now and weirdly I'm still undecided about it. In between, I've also been trying The Body Shop Skin Primer Matte It (bought 50% off of course) and my feelings for both products are about the same.

For now.

Anyway, this will just be short and sweet (hopefully!)

This is the essence 'all about matt! oil control make-up base'.

essence all about matt! oil control make-up base

PRODUCT INFORMATION

This product is a long-lasting, pore refining base that will keep your face matt with a smooth finish, and is lightweight. You can wear it alone or under makeup and you are advised to apply it thinly. It contains 20ml of product and has no SPF. This product is made in Italy and should be used up within 12 months. The price in Brunei is BND4.90.

Back of the tube (you can zoom in)

Under the all about matt! range, there are other products as well, like a foundation, an oil control paper, a loose and a compact powder. I have the loose and compact powder which I use interchangeably. I didn't buy the foundation because I have a lot of foundations opened :x

I had high hopes for this primer. I've read a lot of good things so when I saw it at Paloma, I just went for it.

How do I feel about it?

It keeps my forehead matte BUT my nose is still shiny somehow. I would say it also depends on what you put over it. 

Has a small tip, which is good

I've tried applying it thinly, applying it liberally and the results are about the same. What's good about it is that it doesn't ball up that much if you put too much accidentally. On its own without makeup on top, it doesn't keep my face from being shiny at all.

Pore refining is so-so, doesn't really blur much.

Comes out white-ish

It spreads easily, it feels a bit tacky (but you can barely notice it). It does keep my makeup on a tiny bit longer but the oil control was just not that impressive.

On its own.

On my hand, it made it smoother and a bit matte.

If I use the white powder over it, it lasts a lot better. So maybe if I try it with the foundation from the same range, it'll work a lot better.

But that's for future testing.

What's good about it compared to the TBS one is that it immediately makes my nose matte.

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PROS:

- Affordable.

- Locally available.

- Makes foundation stay on longer.

- Very lightweight.

- Doesn't clog my pores.

- Smoothens face.

CONS:

- Oil control isn't very good.

- Contains only 20ml of product.

- It needs a powder to make it stay matte longer.

- Doesn't blur the pores much.

Rating: 4/5 (I've changed my mind because this base is actually very good to me)

Will I buy this again?

YES. But I wanna buy the all about matt! foundation and try it with this.

Do I recommend this?

After they discontinued this, I changed my mind because it's actually a VERY good base in comparison to the expensive bases i've tried.

Where can you find this? 

Locally from Paloma :)

Other countries might have drugstores that carry essence as well.

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But no worries, I'll give this a go again once I buy the foundation and see if it'll work better with it.

'til then, take care!

-Nisah-

Review: Etude House Face Conditioning Cream

Hi guys! It's August and it's been AGES since I've written a post or a review.
I totally forgot how to write one.

For this particular product, I'll try and make it short and sweet.
To sum it up: I LOVE THIS!

The product I'm reviewing is the Etude House 'Face Conditioning Cream'.

Etude House Face Conditioning Cream

PRODUCT INFORMATION

This is a 3 in 1 product that acts as a moisturiser, primer and also sunscreen! It contains 75g of product and has SPF25 PA++. It is housed in a squeeze tube. This product can be used on its own or under makeup, as it is advertised as the perfect adhesive for makeup. This product is made in Korea and should be used up within 12 months. The price in Brunei is BND21.90.

The translation for it on eBay. Excuse the Engrish lol

When I bought this, I asked about the other variant, which is the Face Conditioning Cream Light. I believe that that's meant to be more for oily skin? I might be wrong but there's not really much information around. Well, Etude doesn't have it yet.

Anyway, I went ahead and bought this on a whim. I saw Bubzbeauty raving about it and I know she has oily-combination-sensitive skin so I thought it'd be safe for me to use. Etude was having a sale that time too and I really needed a good product for my dry cheeks and oily T-zone!

I'm so glad I bought this.

To start off, I have a foundation that oxidises on me like crazy, so I never wore it. I went ahead and used this on the first day of Eid under the Revlon Colorstay Foundation. My face never looked better. Due to my recent hormonal breakouts and clogged pores, this product was a saviour! The foundation didn't even oxidise! And it barely moved!

Even using it under a BB cream that doesn't last long, it made it look nice, less cakey. I also noticed less fading...other than the area under my glasses and some areas I didn't bother covering properly (dark spots).

Depending on what foundation or BB cream I use, the oil control varies. For the Colorstay, it lasted about 5-6 hours without much oil, even my cousin commented my skin looked like healthy skin! For the BB creams I tried it with, one was about 3-4 hours an the other got oily just very slightly around the nose at the 2 hour mark. But all in all, my skin still looked presentable.

Since I have an oily T-zone, I apply it all over my face after toner. A little product goes a long way. The cream doesn't leave a noticeable white cast over my face. It leaves my skin smooth and plump, and slightly sticky, perfect for foundation to adhere to.

It doesn't really conceal my pores, so I do need a separate pore filler but I'm not complaining much.

I think I've found my holy grail primer (for the time being).
FINALLY!

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PROS:

- Fantastic primer to make foundation last long.
- Oil control is good enough for me.
- Makes skin plump and smooth.
- Very lightweight.
- Doesn't clog my pores.
- Locally available.

CONS:

- Price is slightly high for the amount of product you get.
- Would have preferred a pump.
- The squeeze tube is too sensitive (easily squeezed).
- (EDIT) Somehow it doesn't work well with EH face products :/

Rating: 4.5/5 (First primer that doesn't clog my pores!)

Will I buy this again?

YES! I am curious about the Light variant though!

Do I recommend this?

Yes, but that depends on your skin needs.

Where can you find this?

You can buy this locally from Etude House Brunei.
You can also find this online :)

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Hopefully that helps you out.

I'll take photos later hopefully if I wake up early lol.
I feel slightly sick.

'til then, take care!

Eid Mubarak :D

-Nisah-

Review: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Hi guys :D
I've been neglecting my blog for a bit u.u; I'm sorry.

Ramadan has started, so happy fasting to all Muslims :D
I hope my stomach doesn't act up during this month!

Anyway~
Going back to the topic, I'm gonna be reviewing Urban Decay's Primer Potion (UDPP) in 'Eden'!
I keep reviewing eyeshadow bases LOL.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in 'Eden' (The packaging)

Product Information:

This is it – THE most legendary primer in the beauty industry. Eyeshadow Primer Potion is coveted by makeup artists and makeup junkies alike because it guarantees more vibrant eyeshadow that lasts for 24 hours and NEVER CREASES! Once you experience its powers (plus how smoothly it glides on – an added bonus) you'll never want to live without it. Original formula dries down invisibly, while Eden, Sin and Greed are shades that can also be worn as shadows or highlighters!

Now this extraordinary elixir comes in an easy-to-squeeze tube so you can control how much you apply. You also get more primer in every tube – 11 ml instead of the original 10! 

Fill Weight: 11ml e 0.37 US fl oz

UDPP in 'Eden' (Front)

This is Urban Decay's #1 Best Selling product. It used to have a more unique packaging but the new squeeze tube is more user-friendly. They claim that this primer potion stays crease-free for 24 HOURS! Has anybody tried that claim out?

This is priced at USD20, and is RM75 at Sephora Malaysia. I bought this from there (through my older sis). That's equivalent to BND30 at the time I bought it. It contains 11ml of product, and a little goes a long way, so it would last you a while.

Other than this shade, the UDPP comes in 3 other shades: Original (Nude - Dries Invisibly), Greed (Shimmery Gold) and Sin (Champagne Shimmer).

'Eden', the one I have, is a 'nude matte finish' primer. It's a nude/skin tone finish, and works to even out your lid colour.

UDPP in 'Eden' (Back)

As a primer, it helps make your eyeshadows more vibrant, and makes it stick, hence it'd last longer. It is waterproof. If you're wearing shimmery shadows, the shimmer will disappear if your rub it but the colour will stay. It stays crease-free for me but it's really not my favourite eye primer It actually creases on me faster than my cheap essence one. Even with Urban Decay shadows. **

SWATCHES
Used a M.A.C shadow

I like it, but I DON'T love it.

Here's why:

It's SOOOOO hard to BLEND! It's almost impossible for me.
If it's already so hard to blend on the hand, imagine blending it on your lids.
My lids didn't enjoy the treatment even though it is a good primer.

What is this patchy mess??

UD claims that it glides on smoothly - well, NOT EDEN!

I'm pretty sure the other shades would be smoother.

It's a shame because there are not many primers with a nude matte finish, I'll tell you that. I do have some primers with this finish but really, there are not many primers that can even out your lid.


This was my first Urban Decay product, so I feel a bit sad. I reach out more to my other primers over this one!
That's the reason why I'm gonna sell this on my Pre-Loved Products Blogsale.

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Here are the Pros and Cons:

PROS:

-Has 3 other shades.
-Makes eyeshadow vibrant.
-Waterproof (they don't claim it as such, but it is).
-Using a normal facial cleanser will not remove the primer, only the eyeshadow itself.
-Doesn't crease **
-Evens out eyelid colour.
-Eyeshadow sticks well to the primer.
-Now comes in a convenient squeeze-y tube.
-Has 11ml of product.
-A little goes a long way.

CONS:

-Expensive.
-Hard to blend.
-Not locally available (*).
-Creases on me faster than my essence primer. At 4-5 hours**
-Only available at certain online shops or at Sephora.

*You CAN find it locally but it's sold for BND50+ at Shop@Sarah's I think (it's not an authorised reseller) OR you can also buy the replica from a seller for BND18. Mind you, they claim it's original. Some comparisons say it works about the same.

Rating: 4/5 (Blending is a B*tch)

Will I buy this again?

No. At least not this shade. I might try the original one.

Do I recommend this?

It depends. It's so hard to blend for me. But it IS a good primer.

Where can you find this?

Urban Decay's official site (for those who live in the US), they also teamed up with another site to provide for international customers but it's a bit complex?
At a Sephora branch.
Some authorised or unauthorised online sites.
Locally at Shop@Sarah's at limited quantities.

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I hope you found this review helpful!
If you did, leave a comment.

Have you tried this?
Do you like it? Do you hate it?

'til then, take care!

-Nisah-

P.S: Blogsale for new/unopened makeup and skincare will be up soon!

**Edited.

An Oily Experiment

I was bored yesterday, so I decided to do an experiment. I've seen this a lot on bloggers so I decided to use an oil blotting paper like them and see how oily the things I've been using (or avoiding). From this experiment, I can safely say that I'm surprised at how oily the primer and one of the BB Creams are, despite how small of a swatch used!!

Well, just look at it!!

I've labelled it here. I hope you all can see it!!

This is after 30 minutes to an hour?

This is after a while longer. Wow.

As you can see, the Peach Sake has very little oil. But despite this, it still makes me oily after maybe, 4-5 hours? Or less. I don't count. But interestingly enough, using the Rose Lemon is fine for me.

It doesn't break me out.

I think the primer breaks me out. I should check again.
The Ginvera one I think, it broke me out but again, need to check that again.

Sasatinnie...it's too light for me to use.

So yeah, I guess experimenting like this helps to see how much oily your foundation/BB Cream/primer has!!

Do try it out.

And here's some useless photos I took today.
I actually wanted to use my clear contacts but didn't have time.

Here I'm using my SkinFood Tomato Suncream, Rose Lemon BB Cream, Rice Concealer Tip, Peach Sake Perfect Concealer and then my SilkyGirl Pressed Powder. For the eyes, just SilkyGirl Gel Liner in Black and for the lips, Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart.

Yes, my face still needs heavy coverage ):
I've edited the lighting here but didn't have to edit noticeable blemishes and whatnot.

No shadow day, coz it'll crease anyway.

Without glasses.

I have my eyes on either SkinFood's Mink Mocha eyeshadow quad or SilkyGirl's Bare Classics. Either that or an imitation Naked Palette.

I'd post a pic of it but they don't have nice photos of either D:<
Damn.

LOL me and my neutrals.

Well let's face it, with my skin tone it's hard to be colourful. I might as well sell my 120 palette to someone who can actually use all colours!!!

And I'll stick with my neutrals.

Okay,  I'm tired.

G'night!!

-Nisah-

Favourite Products of The Moment!

I think it's appropriate to list some of the go-to products I have right now. Sure, some of them are only quite recent but it felt as if I've been using them for a while lol.

Some of them may need more evaluation (especially the spot gel) but so far, I have no problems with it, and I might even just like the packaging.

Basically they are the things I keep using for the last 2-3 weeks?

And I'm basically loving them.

Here are the products!

Six items I'm currently loving!

SkinFood Rice Concealer Tip Shade 23

Love on first application. It makes my life easier to conceal my dark acne scars without being too cakey!. As opposed to my 20 Concealer Palette, this is more easier to apply and doesn't take time like the palette. On the undereyes, they aren't too dry and on the blemishes, not to harsh. It doesn't inflame them either I believe but then this isn't an in-depth review. I just love this. Works as an eye primer too I believe.

Suiskin Alp's Pure Mist

I don't really get what this is. It's a mist, yes, but what does it exactly do? I use it instead of toners when I'm lazy, I spray it all over my face after applying cakey makeup and it makes it less cakey. What I notice is that it kinda makes my pores look smaller? I'm guessing it's the Witch Hazel. I didn't think it was useful at first but now, I wish it's unlimited because it IS quite expensive.

SkinFood Parsley & Mandarin Spot Gel (For Troubled Skin)

I dislike the smell but I like the feeling of it on my face. I'm not seeing miracles yet but I did read it takes time for it to fully work because it's detoxifying the face from bacteria and such. I do see some fading to the scars but then I've been using TheFaceShop's Brightening Rice Water Cleanser Foam (Migamsu) [I used to not like this at all but now it's like a nice feeling during a shower] too so that might be the case. Either way, I like it for now.

Kanebo Blanchir Superior Cream Cleansing

I know, I'm supposed to be using my Etude House cream cleanser but I like this one more! Plus it's just a sample size. I'll be back to using the EH one soon enough. I like this a lot. I don't know why exactly but I guess for one, it doesn't break me out. So that's good.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart

MAJOR LOVE goes to this product. Loving it so much I practically carry it everywhere in my bag. Sure, it's  not as moisturizing as my Vaseline Lip Therapy but this works. Plus it has a nice tint to it. It's only really red if you layer it like hell and it just adds a sweet touch to a simple look. It makes me look healthier somehow too. It's a red that suits me, finally.

SilkyGirl's Silky White Lightening Pressed Powder SPF 25 in 03 Natural

It's oil-free and it's my exact skin tone (okay, a little lighter). I stopped using this for a while because I thought it caused me to break out but in actual fact, it didn't. Sure, this powder does smudge due to my glasses but it's just when I wear glasses. It's an okay powder and I do like it. It'll last me a couple of months and I'm fine with that. I've been using this more since I'm not using my BB Cream nor foundation for a while. Just concealer and this.

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Well, that's it for now!!
I'm really liking all of these.

I might do a more in-depth (or as in-dept as I can get) review on them one of these days.


Hope you enjoyed reading that!

'til then!

-Nisah-

Oh, SaSa Haul + Revlon Lip Butters!

Speak of the devil!

Another SaSa haul under such short notice!
I thank my mom for this :) she can be so strict and nice with me! Of course, I'd want to repay her soon .

This is what I got :D Or rather, what she got for me:

sasatinnie Sakura BB Cream, theBalm's Face Primer, sasatinnie  Creamy Satin Blusher (freebie)

I've always wanted to try cream blushers!

It's in 03, Sugar Rose (not sure if we get to choose what colour)

It's such a pretty colour :) I love it.

Today was the last day of the CNY Celebration Sale, and I decided to get the primer and the BB cream under such short notice. My mom told me that the sales assistant (Miri Branch) said that the offer is finished, with the free blusher thing, but she brought the flyer with her (courtesy of moi) and showed her the free gift thing that came with the BB cream. Hah, if it was me, I'd just cower and not fight for my rights. Thank goodness for mommy power.

I decided to get the primer because goodness, I have oily skin ): so yeah, hopefully it won't break me out and actually help keep my oily under control. I tried the Daiso silicone primer and well...I dunno if it works or not LOL.

But I'm not gonna use these yet until my skin gets better.

Btw, the primer says that it only lasts 6 months. How...valid is that? And does it start counting to its death from the time I try it out? LOL. So yeah.

That's all from SaSa today :D

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On another note :)
I got me another Revlon Lip Butter, this time, in Macaroon!!!

I have it on right now, and to quote my sis "How come your lips look so perfect??"
I have to say, I'm taking care of my lips nowadays, but sadly, pretty lips won't look pretty with a flawed face.

I got Cherry Tart last week and have been in love with it since!
I decided to get Macaroon in hopes of a toned down red.

Left: Macaroon Right: Cherry Tart

 It's so cute :D

See? LOL

Weirdly though, Macaroon makes my teeth look more yellow than Cherry Tart does XD;
I guess it's because I've been drinking tea all day, stained it.

We have four out of the eight shades available to us in SEA, my sister has Peach Parfait and my mom has Lollipop.

I guess I'll use these often :)

Hehe.

'til then!

-Nisah-