happy birthday to me! i'm turning 30 this year.. my husband is pretty weird about getting old. he's the one who's freak out about getting older.. hahaa.. though many women feel being 30 is a pretty milestone in one's life, but i feel the same. but i do feel that i have to take care of my skin and body (read: health) more since i'm not that young anymore. though my birthday has passed and i do get gifts from my loved ones, but a girl can have a wish right? in my case, being in confinement after having my baby makes me spent my times in front of the computer a lot.. reading blogs and all, so my cravings toward makeup become more and more.

mostly my wish are makeup.. though i don't know when i can use makeup anymore..














1. hourglass ambient lighting palette: this is a palette consisting of 3 setting powders/highlighters. though it's a limited edition for 2014 holiday season, but i do hope it's still available. but... recently i found out that it's sold for almost 1 million rp from online shop (hourglass is not available in indonesia), it makes me think 10 times before buying it. and buying a single lighting powder is not an option too since it costs quite pricey too.. but.. this is a gift wish, so why not dreaming that someday, someone will gift me one? hahaha...


2. revlon ultra hd lipstick: the moisture stain has just arrived in indonesia, but i don't feel like buying them anymore. most of the shade are not for me. but it might take ages before the hd line become available in indonesia.. and this wish can vanish somehow..

3. red lipstick: this is weird. i never bought red lipstick since i know i can't use it everyday. but reading that blogs and stuff, somehow i wanted to buy and try red lipsticks. i've bought certainly red from revlon superlustrous line and i don't like it.. it's too vampy for me.. and i want to find the perfect red. so far i've been eyeing fire & ice and cherries in the snow from revlon superlustrous line, and probably love that red to complete the curiosity. as for mac samples, i hope i can try ruby woo, russian red, and lady danger or red. what about you? have you found your perfect red yet? tell me what other brands and shades to try.. i'll put it on my list and i'll update if i can get my hand on them.


4. innisfree eco science eye cream or origins one (forget which one, but the newer one in green bottle): yeah.. i need a new eye cream to treat my puffiness and dark circles, and upcoming fine lines (i'm aging.. so might try to prevent it as early as i can). both are not available here, but i do hope i can try loreal first before deciding to splurge on my wish (both are pricey and no sample).

well.. originally i want to try maybelline fit me matte and poreless foundation, but i read my own post and realize that i don't want another messy foundation bottle get dusty on my makeup stash. plus the packaging is not simple enough for quick use (i have a baby and toddler so makeup time is very minimum) so i give it a pass. oh and i make sure that maybelline age rewind concealer on my buying list next time i have to buy concealer. anyway.. happy birthday for you who also born in march! do you get what you wished for?

this is another lipstick that i bought before i delivered my baby. the other shade that i bought is a neutral lipstick color. this one is more rosy, like the name, rosebud, but still suitable for everyday basis, since i won't be anywhere except home and church for couple months.. if you're interested in other shade that i bought (just peachy), you can read it here.

okay.. this is the description from the wet n wild website:
lips take center stage! this 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, creme finish in one stroke. glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. made with hydrating skincare ingredients: hyaluronic microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts coenzyme q10 and vitamin a&e help smoothes lips.

i forgot to mention before that they also coded the lipstick shade. for rosebud it's 904B. i don't know the difference with the letter, since there are different letters with different shades. just peachy is 903C. i'm glad they put a name on it, but i don't like the number and letter combination. it confuses me. oh well..

the packaging: the lipstick tube is black plastic with transparent plastic cap. and like the other shade, a bit of the lipstick part is popped outside the body so be careful when you close the cap. it also has the color name and number on the bottom.

the color: some bloggers said it's warm rosy pink, medium pink. but on me, it's more on the red side rather than pink. and on me it's bolder than other blogger's swatches. but i have to say it's pretty and still wearable. for pale skin, it's very bright. but for light to dark skin, probably this is a medium pink for you.

the finish: somehow it's less matte than just peachy, and less drying too...

the performance: yes it's drying, but not much. but when i remove it, i can still feel my lips dry a bit. this one glides more smoothly than just peachy, and one swipe is enough to make the color shown. as for durability, haven't tested it yet, but i believe the lighter shade fades quicker than the bolder shade.

overall, this one is better than just peachy, but the shade appears bolder than swatches that i've seen on the web, so i'm afraid the bolder swatches on the web might look horrible on me, so i might stop trying buying from this line. and stick to nyx smlc if i want a matte lipstick. though i didn't say it wasn't nice.. it's okay for a matte lipstick that cheap.. it's a great deal for your money if you don't have a lot of money to spend on makeup but still want to look great. but for me, i don't think this one is for me.

the lipstick bullet and shade name and number at the bottom

swatches on hand (left without flash, right with flash)

left: bare lips middle: without flash right: with flash

top: bare lips middle: without flash (it's closer to reality) bottom: with flash

no.. i won't making monthly favorite posts since i don't use new products that much and recently i've been staying at home mostly so i don't do makeup much. but being a mom with frequent breastfeeding and pumping makes me cut my skincare routine to minimum.. i'm still struggling with time management, so i just slapped my face with moisturizer in the morning and afternoon, and at night if my baby and my toddlers slept early, i'll continue on with my night regime, but if they were cranky.. well, i just wash my face and go to bed.

talking about hand cream, i always think that hand cream is a waste of money.. why use separate hand cream when i use my body butter/ body lotion religiously after bath every day? i do have pretty dry skin especially on my hand and foot, moreover in air-conditioned room, so body butter or body lotion is a must for me. but lately, i found slapping body butter or body lotion is harder since i took bath very quickly and sometimes when i finished, my baby's already waking up and demanding for milk. and when i remember to use it, my skin is pretty dry and dry skin doesn't absorb well..

plus i'm breastfeeding and pumping and cleaning the pump myself, so i find that my hands are drier since i wash my hands or using soap frequently to clean my pump and it dries my hand even more.. so lately i found the benefit of using hand creams. i remembered the first hand cream that i used is the crabtree & evelyn rosewater. i got the whole rosewater line as wedding gift. the hand cream is in aluminium tube, so the lesser the product, the harder it is to get the product out and the tube is cut here and there since i roll the tube to get the product out. so i didn't finish it as the hand cream dried because of the cuts on the tube.

but my sister gave me 3 hand creams from crabtree and evelyn as christmas gift, and the packaging is different. this time the tube is made of plastic so it's easier to use. this time i have 3 different scents but i forget the names.. will update later. and trust me, now i know why using hand cream is important. it moisturizes my hands and lately i've been slapping it on my heels as well.. hahaa.. but i don't see any improvement just yet, but i feel my hands become less drier now. recently i've finished my second tube and i'm buying new hand cream from the body shop.. will update on that later too..so right now, i found hand cream is another must buy in my list. what about you guys? do you have favorite hand cream too?

*update: what i got from crabtree & evelyn are rosewater, summerset meadow and evelyn rose. i like rosewater, though it's floral scents but not too much. summerset meadow on the other hand, my sister like it that's why she bought it, and at first i thought it was nice too, but that was when i was pregnant. now, i think it's a little bit too much.. too fragrant for my taste. as for evelyn rose, i have no saying yet since i haven't use it.

the first series is nature republic fermented series. i've tried the emulsion and have no luck. it gave me breakouts. so i don't know that to expect from this toner. this is the description from en.koreadepart.com (somehow i can't find the first line from nature republic's website):
the first line includes fermented yeast extract and herb complex. naturally fermented ingredients revitalize skin. moisturizing, tightening, cleansing dead skin cells, and controlling sebum. 7 types of organic herb extract pacifies and cares skin. includes 87% of fermented yeast ingredient. cleanses dead skin cells and waste. helps next products' absorption.

okay.. now onto the review.
the packaging: it's similar to other brands' fermented line, white bottle with brown cap. the sample packaging is the same as the full size version packaging, only difference in size. the cap is a screw cap top, which i don't have problem with, but i prefer flip top or pump for easier access.

the smell: it smells nice. it doesn't have fermented scent. it has a little scent of alcohol, but it doesn't linger.

the product: it's a clear watery toner. it's easy to absorb.

the result: with etude house toner, it doesn't seem to pick up sebum sometimes. but this toner, erase sebum too though i've washed my face before. i have to agree with the controlling sebum part, it helps with my other sebum control regimen. as for the other effect such as moisturizing, tightening etc, i have no saying since i only use it several times.

since my son poured half of it, i don't know how many times usage you can get from 4 ml sample. all i know, you can use it multiple times. and from that several usages, i don't experience breakouts unlike the emulsion. but will i buy it? i don't think so.. i'll look for another toner. if i want to get fermented things, i'll buy the essence or ampoule essence instead of the toner. but if you're into the fermented thing, you'll want to try this. as for price, i don't know the comparison with other fermented lines from other brands, but i suppose it's cheaper than missha's.

*oh. and sorry for no picture. turned out i forgot to snap picture of it before throwing it away*
update: i found the pictures among my other picture in my phone! yayyy...

top: the packaging of the sample bottle bottom: the screw top and opening of the bottle

as i told you before, cleansing foam is something that i will not commit.. i'll try different cleanser available.. as long as it's cheap.. hahaa.. though i like both etude house baking powder cleansers, but i'd like to try another foam. this one is on my list before i decided to try the etude's one first. so when i bought from roseroseshop, i decided to get this one.

the description on the bottle: deep cleansing facial foam with black formula containing charcoal thoroughly cleanses impurities, makeups residue and sebum insides pores with its maximum absorption and rich foam.
directions for use: dispense an adequate amount and lather fully with water. massage gently onto the entire face and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

the original line comes in 5 types, olive, black sugar, green tea, pomegranate and charcoal. but when i search on their global website, there are only newer version . the newer one still targeted for oily to combination skin, with pore and black head. the description of the newer version: fresh type for clear skin. a cleanser for oily and troubled skin, perfect for clear skin with pores. contains charcoal powder, which absorbs impurities from skin, and provides more freshness with bamboo, blood orange extracts.

the packaging: it's packaged in a big tube, 170 ml. but i see under the sunlight, that it's only half tube.. so probably the tube can be smaller since it isn't full. you can't be wrong when you purchased it since they put the picture of the main ingredients in the front of the tube. plus they have english directions.. so don't worry about not being able to understand it.

the smell: it has subtle scents but i can't determine what scent it is. all i know it reminds me of drugstore foams, but i can't remember which one. or men's facial foams. but since it's nice and not too overpowering.. i like it.

the product: it's a greyish silver cream that lathers easily. some bloggers said that it has microbeads in it, but so far i can't see nor feel it so i can't say for sure. if they do have beads, then it's a lot smaller than the one from etude's since i can't feel anything.

the result: i can say it cleans very well but not drying my skin. some bloggers said that it has whitening effect, but i don't experience it. as for the cleansing power, i haven't tested it yet, but i will update about it soon. (still trying to sneak the time to try products and review it while breastfeeding my newborn and playing with my toddler)

overall, this is a good cleanser that can be in my cleanser rotation. though it's designed for oily combination skin, i think dry skin can use it too since it isn't too drying. but probably not for very dry skin.

the facial foam tube

top: the flip top bottom left: the aluminium oil (korean products have seals, always) bottom right: the cream coming out is the foam

okay yes..i make some last cosmetic buying before i delivered my baby. though i promised to finish some of my lipstick tubes before buying another lipstick, but i can't resist it.. i decided to buy some wet n wild megalast lipstick and some mac lipstick samples. actually i wanted to plunge and buy several wet n wild or several samples, but that's a lot of money to spend and i don't know if i will like it or not, so i decided to be wise and try a couple before deciding which one to buy from next.

this is the product description from their website: megalast lip color
lips take center stage! this 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, creme finish in one stroke. glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. made with hydrating skincare ingredients: hyaluronic microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts coenzyme q10 and vitamin a&e help smoothes lips.

there are 26 colors to choose from, but i decided to pick only 2 for now.. and this time i'll review the first one, just peachy.

the packaging: the lipstick tube is black plastic with transparent plastic cap. i thought the lipstick part that pop outside the tube body is just for show, that i can twist the body to make it disappear.. but turn out, the lipstick part is taller than the tube body, so if i'm not careful, i can hit it when trying to close the lipstick. ouch.. and there's the lipstick label at the bottom, with the shade name and number on it.

the color: it's a subtle nude peach, slightly toward orange than pink. i can say that it's very similar to what it's like on the tube. for paler skin, this color might look pale on you, but if you want to find nude color, probably this might be one to try. on medium skin, this will look great.. on darker skin though.. i'm not sure.. might be too pale or might not show up at all.

the finish: though the web said that it's a semi-matte finish, for me it's matte.

the performance: though some said that this lipstick is not drying, but for me, it's very drying. i have to use lip butter or lip balm underneath. though i agree that it glides smoothly. but if i didn't use any lip balm or lip butter, my lips will look chapped even though i had scrubbed it before. the 4 hour lasting time... i'm not sure about it, but since i eat and drink when i use it, i'm pretty sure that it didn't last that long if you're eating and drinking. since the color is pretty light, it fade gracefully, not forming a line or feathering. but i'm not sure about the bold color though..

overall, for a price that cheap, i'll say that this is a nice matte lipstick, but not for me. i don't like it since it makes my lips dry. but if you like matte lipstick and don't have lips that dry easily, then i suggest you should try it. this particular shade is very popular though.. since many bloggers said that it will suit to many skin tones. for me, if i want matte lipstick, i'll stick to nyx SLMC though.. but if you're on tight budget, then spend on these instead.

left top: the lipstick as a whole left bottom: the lipstick top is taller than the tube body right: the label on the bottom

hand swatch left: without flash right: with flash

left: bare lips middle: without flash right: with flash (i think this one is close to what it will seen in person)

lips swatch top: bare lips middle: without flash bottom: with flash