i knew that there are several local brands launching liquid lipstick lately, and i'm curious about them. i remembered the hype before BLP and RR's launching. i was excited and wanted to buy them, but knowing the price, it makes me refrain from buying them. personally, i didn't have any problem with local brand. i am glad and proud that there are so many local brands coming out with their excellent products. but i have my own policy regarding the price of the product that i bought. i usually put a mark on 100rb for a lipstick or any lip product. being a mom of 3 makes me consider a lot before buying makeup, which happen to be used only at weekends. so no way i would spend more than 100rb for a lipstick. that's why i keep postponing on buying local liquid lipstick.

but then, there's rissa from @lippielust. she reviewed #locallippie every friday. and couple weeks months ago she reviewed just miss ultimatte lipcream. she praised it being a super affordable cosmetic and praised the owner too for testing it on himself. yes, you read that right. the owner is male and he tested the product too! you go, sir! anyway, since i still had so many other lipstick on my drawer, i decided to pick just a couple to try. but then it will be expensive for ordering it online. but last weekend i decided to walk to strawberry just to find out whether they sell it here in surabaya too, and they did! i was excited and grabbed two before thinking twice. hahaha..

anyway, this is the description from their website: lipcream dengan pilihan warna-warna favorite, membuat bibir tampak cantik dan elegan dengan formulanya yang kaya akan pigmen, mengandung vitamin E yang bermanfaat untuk perawatan bibir karena mampu bertindak sebagai antioksidan, yang berarti mampu mencegah kerusakan sel kulit yang disebabkan oleh radikal bebas dan juga waterproof. miliki bibir cantik dengan tampilan matte and tahan lama dengan Just Miss Ultimatte Waterproof Lipcream!

the packaging: it comes in transparent body and black cap. Looking at it at a glance, it seems similar to famous brand packaging, but i can't point one. the wand is attached to the cap. there's only a sticker label that also doubles as the seal. so once you twist the cap open, it will automatically broke the seal. since the body is transparent, you can see the color of the lip cream inside. They also put the shade name on the seal label so you can grab one easily. The applicator has slanted tip. I don't experience any trouble using the applicator. it comes in 5 ml tube, a little bit smaller than my nyx lip cream which is 8 ml in size, but this one is liquid, so it might last longer than nyx.

dolce vita tube and applicator

desert rose tube and applicator

the scent: i notice a subtle sweet scent but i couldn't describe it, pardon my bad nose. all i can say it's not annoying and it's not overwhelming. once you applied it on your lips, you can barely notice it.

the color payoff, the product and the result: originally, there are 12 shades ranging from nudes to reds, pinks to plums, so i bet there's one for everyone. i picked desert rose and dolce vita. but lately, they released two more shades, creme toffee and dusky ruby, both are similar to dolce vita and desert rose.

left: dolce vita on my hand right: desert rose on left and dolce vita on right

dolce vita is a peachy nude, which i think will be suitable for fair to medium skin and warm in tones. it is more orangey than the other nude, the naked fudge. compared to nyx zurich, this one is more orange and brighter. the color payoff is good. the formula is on the liquid side. one swipe is enough, and you have to wait for it to be completely dried before putting another layer or you will risk getting a patchy lips. i also don't think reapplying on the remaining lip cream is a good idea. i suggest you remove the remaining lip cream and put a fresh layer on clean lips. after freshly applied, it will feel sticky when you put your lips together. but the stickiness will vanish once the lip cream is totally dry. it will turn completely matte after dried, and it doesn't transfer. although it does vanish with eating and drinking. but i don't mind. it does a bit drying than my nyx lip cream, but it doesn't too drying that i need to put on lip balm before using it. it will stay on my lips around 4-5 hours minus eating and drinking.

dolce vita full face swatch

dolce vita lip swatch

desert rose is a reddish-brown/mauve. although light skin might pull this off, i think medium to deep and warm tones will love this more. i once use this a little more opaque than usual, and my husband didn't like it. he said it's a bit too much for daytime. it does a bit darker and more opaque than nyx cannes. the color payoff is also very good. even with half swipe, it cover my whole lips. you have to work faster since this is liquid. once it's dry, it will remain matte and will be patchy if you try to correct it. since i use this mostly as stain, i have to work quickly. usually i will swipe half layer on my lower lips and put my lips together and then smudge the remaining colors to my whole lips. just like the dolce vita, it's sticky when still liquid. it also doesn't transfer after completely dried. staying power is the same, and this one leaves berry stain on my lips. somehow i feel this one is dried quicker than dolce vita. when i tried to get the swatch photos taken, i have to remove and reapply this shade a couple times before getting it right.

desert rose full face swatch

desert rose lip swatch

overall, i like this lip cream. it is cheap with 35 rb price tag. i don't think other brands can beat this. and it does offer a lot of shades, but not too similar. i once want to buy make over liquid lipstick, but i got confused since some of the shades are too similar to each other. it is painful to see different swatches on different skin tones before deciding which one is true. i keep postponing buying their liquid lipstick because of that reason. if the other two shades are available at strawberry, i will buy it. after all, it won't hurt my wallet.

this is the last two freeman beauty travel size that i bought. i want to try it sooner but i got the body shop masks from my sister, which accidentally, both of them are also exfoliating mask. so i have to take turn trying them since i can't use exfoliating mask too soon. unfortunately, by the time i try this mask, they discontinued it.

this is the description from the back of the sachet: this enzyme-activated exfoliating mask revitalizes and reveals your most radiant skin. pineapple extract and exfoliating AHAs clear away dulling skin cells and stimulate skin renewal. skin is revived and refreshed. perfect for normal to combination skin. to use apply generously to face and neck, avoiding contact with eyes. leave on skin for 5-10 minutes. rinse with warm water.

the packaging: i only have the travel size one so it comes in irregular sachet, and it has the same design as the full size tube. it's yellow with the picture of pineapple at front. at the back, you can read the description and instruction written in english.

the scent: usually this is what i enjoy from freeman mask. each mask smells nice, and this one too. although it doesn't exactly smell like pineapple, it does smells fruity and fresh. but synthetic. oh well, it's enjoyable and not too overwhelming.

the product: the mask is a pale yellow gel-like with grains in it. it feels like blended pineapple flesh. since it's a gel-lish mask, you have to put generously on your face. if you don't, it will be dried on your face. now, the instruction doesn't say anything about massaging it, but it feels ridiculous not to massage an exfoliating mask, so i did massage it after putting it on 10 minutes. no hot or tingling sensation. i even feel cool sensation since i use it inside an AC room. pretty weird since all of my exfoliating mask is giving me burning sensation on the first try.

the result: at first i didn't notice anything special. my face looks just the same. but on the second time using this mask, i start noticing my face looks a bit brighter. though not that smooth, unlike other exfoliating mask. the third time, i can see my face is brightened and smooth. and a little bit dry as usual, so i have to hydrate my skin immediately afterward.

it does feel refreshing to use. i like how it gives cooling sensation and not burning hot as other exfoliation mask. but i don't like how i can't see the result from the first try. i might be impatient, but most of the exfoliation mask give me satisfying result from the first try. on budget side, this one is friendly to your wallet. comes in a full size tube with decent price, if you're tight on budget, then pick this one. this is even cheaper than the body shop one. but unfortunately, i think freeman discontinued it. i don't know whether they replace it with something new or not. i think anyone can try this mask, even those with sensitive skin. as for me, i have enough exfoliating mask on my closet already, so i won't be adding this one into my closet.

the packaging

the mask transferred to a clean container

left: before middle: mask on my face right: after - my face is much clearer and brighter, and smoother when i touched it

this time around, i decided to get some makeup too when i was in japan. and besides mascara, i decided to spend my money on eyeliners and eyebrow pencils. i didn't buy any foundation merely because they are expensive. and no eyeshadows either, they're too glittery. no lip products either because i have way too many back home, plus they like shiny sticky lip products, that obviously transfer and that's a big no-no since i still have baby. so, when i was in osaka, i dropped by cosme store, and they put excel eyebrow pencil as their best seller. so the next time i saw it, i decided to grab a one or two. then i remembered that i intend to color my hair so i bought another one that i thought would match my hair.

this is the description from sasa website: powder & pencil eyebrow ex is a 3-in-1 eyebrow makeup too, which can perform as eyebrow pencil, eyebrow powder and eyebrow brush. its innovative design and wonderful makeup effect makes it to be the no.1 best eyebrow makeup product of @cosme in japan. you can create natural and beautiful eyebrows with it.
3-in-1 function:
- eyebrow pencil: pencil with soft texture can easily fill in the gap of the brows and refine the eyebrow shape.
- eyebrow powder: powder with natural radiance enhances the 3D effect of the eyebrows.
- eyebrow brush: soft and spiral brush allows the hairs look more natural and smooth.

the packaging: it comes in transparent plastic box. there's number and shade name at the corner of the box. they also put a picture of the colored brow, which a little helpful to get the idea of what color you will get. and a bit instructions too about how to use the product. at the back there's more text, but again, everything is in japanese.

the outer plastic box notice how they managed to give illustration, shade number and name and the instruction how to use the product

the color: i was hoping that this one is reddish brown, considering that i will color my hair to rose tea brown, but when i swatch it, it's a more golden brown. i was afraid that it might be too light for my new colored hair. the pencil is quite opaque, while the powder is lighter and somehow a bit shimmery.

the product: it comes in dual ended pencil just like the one that i have from face shop. one end is the pencil, one end is the brush or spoolie. both has transparent cap so it's easier to figure out which end has what. the pencil is elliptical, quite pigmented and creamy. since it's very creamy, it's easy to wiped off. and since it's creamy, somehow it feels like a soft chalk, and i make a dent pretty quick, so i don't think it will last long if i use it daily. the spoolie is fatter than my face shop one. i like this one better. since it's bigger, it's easier to brush my brows using the spoolie. and it's softer too so it doesn't prick me. the powder is hidden in the shaft. you have to twist the body so you can reveal the sponge. the powder is deposited in the sponge. you have to tap the sponge to your brow to use the powder. the color of the powder is very soft, and easily removed too. which makes me wonder, how will it help create 3d effect?

top left and middle: the pencil part (it's oval shape) bottom left: the powder sponge bottom middle: the spoolie right: the whole product

the result: i like how the pencil is creamy so it's easy to use. although the shape is new for me, so i have to learn to use it. it can't draw precise hair unlike eyebrow brush, but at least it colors my hair okay. the powder however, doesn't give any difference. whether i use it or not, i don't see the difference.

left: swatch on my hand both the powder and pencil right: on my eyebrow

overall, i like this better than my face shop. it's easier to use and blend since the spoolie is bigger. but i don't see the usage of the powder. which is disappointing because the reason that i bought this stuff is the powder. the label 3-in-1. price wise, it's average. more expensive than face shop. but the color range is broader. it has 8 colors selection to choose from, unlike face shop and etude which is limited to only 3-4 shades. so, i'm okay with this. although i was hoping i didn't grab that many. probably will give one to my sister. definitely try it if you're beginner. this is beginner friendly. pencil eyebrow lover. but if you like eyebrow gel better, then skip this. this might fall short to you.

i was planning to do my own makeup for my sister's engagement party, so i decided to hunt for new foundation. i also wanted to try contour cream, since a lot of tutorials that i watched on youtube mostly use contour cream. i want to see the difference with my contour powder. i also want to get another highlighter, but after watching all the swatches, i decided that pass on the greatly-raved megaglo highlighter. i was afraid that the famous precious petal is too dark for me. so i decided to skip it and just bought the foundation and the dual end contour stick.

again, at first i thought the dual ended one is better option since it's like having two products in one. but i was hesitating mid way. most tutorials use concealer to highlight the face and use contour cream to contour. i was thinking perhaps i should just buy the contour cream. they have separate contour cream from the same megaglo line. they have 3 different shades, but i can't decide which is the appropriate shade for me, so i changed my mind and get the dual ended one.

this is the description from their website: contouring made easy and portable! this amazing highlighting and contouring stick is dual-ended for precise application to easily enhance your features. the contouring shade helps define and chisel while the highlighter illuminates your best features.

the packaging: it comes in a box. the box has description with picture and instruction about how to use the product. the stick itself is similar to nyx's which has launched their product earlier. way earlier than wet n wild. it has contour stick to one end, and the other has the highlighter stick. each one has transparent plastic cap so you can see which end has what. although they also put name on the neck of each end. all you have to do is twist the end to get the stick out. the contour stick has round tip, while the highlighter has tapered tip. i don't know why it has different tip. will it help the application? i don't really know.

the box notice the graphic illustration that give suggestion on how to contour and highlight

the color: the highlighter is matte white cream, it doesn't have any shimmer or glitter. it's lighter than my skintone, which is perfect for highlighting, but somehow it doesn't work well on my under eyes area. so i think i'll stick to concealer for my under eyes. as the contour stick, it is medium brown, slightly warmer than i was hoping for. so i have to be careful. if i applied too much, i will end up looking muddy. but it's okay so far.. it warms up my pale face without looking too orange. my catrice contour powder is cooler.

mine is light/medium shade

the product: both are creamy. it's easy drawing the lines on my face without difficulty. although i think the highlighter is slightly drier than the contour stick. both can be blend easily too. too easy i think. sometimes i have to re-do my nose contouring because it disappears after blending it. the round tip is also too big for me to draw thin line on my nose's side. but i can manage sometimes if i was too lazy to grab a brush.

top: the dual sided, there's a text informing which side is contour and which is highlight bottom: contour tip (round) and highlight tip (pointed)

the result: both works well, blends nicely. i can blend it well using my sponge. i've tried using air puff, and although i can blend my contour stick, i have difficulty blending the highlighting cream.  on my face edges, the contour cream can gives the contouring effect that i need from one drawing, but on my nose, sometimes i have to apply it twice because i blend it too much that it disappears.

left: swatch of the stick on my arm right: the comparison between the stick and the powder (notice the contour powder is cooler and the highlight stick is not shimmery)

this is a good product. for the price and the practicality. i can bring it with me everywhere i go. i can blend it with my bare finger, my sponge or my air puff (although it's slightly more difficult, but i can manage). but lately, i've been reaching my concealer to highlight, and not touching the highlight stick. which make my purchase slightly useless. somehow it slightly confirms what i originally thought before buying it, that i only need the contour stick and not the highlighting stick. will i recommend? if you're looking for contour/highlight product for travelling and on budget, then yes, grab one. but i don't think it's suitable for everyone since there are only two shades available, light/medium and medium/deep. if you have problem with dark under eyes, and need concealer, then perhaps you should just buy one contour stick and use concealer for highlighting, so don't buy this product. it will be a waste since you will only use the contour side and not the highlighting side. anyway, whether to buy or not, it's really up to you, it's not that pricey anyway.

this is one of the gift set mask that i got from peter thomas roth. to be honest, i got the mask set because i'm curious about several masks, namely the black moor mask, the gold mask, the pumpkin enzyme one and the rose one. i don't quite care about the rest. but each mask comes in tiny tube, i just hope one tube can give me good impression. so let's see about this one.

the description from their website: the ultimate luxurious anti-aging treatment, this rich mask is infused with pure 24K gold and colloidal gold to help improve the appearance of firmness and impact an opulent glow. known from the time of cleopatra to have powerful anti-aging benefits, 24K gold helps firm, lift, brighten and calm the appearance of skin. caffeine helps skin appear firmer and tighter while peridot, an exquisite gemstone rich in magnesium, reenergizes and helps reduce the look of aging and stress. hyaluronic acid and glycerin deliver intense hydration for a more lifted appearance. this lavish, pampering treatment helps to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving skin looking silky smooth, firmer, radiant, revitalized and youthful.

the packaging: this is a 6-pieces set. each mask comes in tiny tube, color coordinated according to its type. the gold one is obviously cold. the tube is made of see-through plastic, so you can see the remaining mask inside. each tube is sealed which is impressive since lots of gift set or samples don't get the same treatment as the full size one. there's description at the back of each tube.

the scent: i don't think it has distinctive scent, but even if it does, it doesn't smell weird or too fragrant.

the product: it's gold cream with gold sparkle, baby.. feels getting midas touch every time i use this mask. it's easy to spread to my whole face. the instruction say to put it thickly so it won't dry out. the first time i use it, i tried to put it thickly, but it's quite hard to layer it. but i learn the trick. you have to squirt a lot then spread it and not squirt a little then add more later. i put this on for about 15 minutes. since the black moor stains my washcloth, i try to avoid using washcloth to wash off the mask, including this one. but unfortunately, the mask forms a layer of slippery film that's difficult to wash off. i have to rub it to wash it off my face.

the result: the tube is small so one tube might only last for about 3 uses. all i can say that this mask moisturizes my skin, a bit brightening, but i don't see anything else. i don't get breakouts from using this mask either. since this is an anti-aging mask, i think it needs more than 3 uses to see the result.

i'm not saying that this mask is a waste. all i'm saying is the sample is too little for me to see the result, especially an anti-aging one. i think you should use this long term to see the result. but i've read a lot of good reviews about it, so don't be discouraged yet. as for me, the full size one is way out of my budget, so there's no way i'm buying this stuff. i'm quite happy that i get the chance to try this mask, and hope that i get the chance to try it long term, but there's no way i'm buying it or asking my husband to buy it for me.

the tube

left: before

my husband liked the result from using babyfoot, so he told me to buy some more. unfortunately, he was surprised knowing that it was sold at Rp.150.000,- here in indonesia. quite expensive. so he decided not to buy more. so i was told to search something else, something as effective but cheaper. so i remembered tony moly and holika holika had similar product. so i went online and found holika holika. i bought 3, kept one for myself and then gave the rest to my in laws.

the outer box

the foot-shaped sachet and plastic socks

the condition of my feet before. i have calluses and dryness around my ankle and on my soles.

day 4-5 starts to peel off

more peeling

even around my nail bed

still going on even after a week

around my toes too

i'm not the type of person that shops easily. when i need to buy something, whether skincare or makeup, i will spend lots of time browsing about it. reading and watching lots of reviews before deciding. that's why i love reviewing sites. it makes my life easier. the problem with some of the website is mostly they are written by users. so each people have their own opinion about the product. some of them will just review it based on their experience, while some might explore more and talk about ingredient and why it will work. but not so many people did depth review. most of them will just say that it's okay, it works, it doesn't work, which is not too informative. on the other hand, i hardly find reviews that is being put together by a bunch of expert.

another problem finding a review is the kind of product itself. i can find any reviews about makeup, moisturizer, masks easily, but not eye cream. one of the reason is some people think that eye cream is just an expensive moisturizer, marketed for sensitive eye area. and it's more expensive than regular moisturizer. they just think it's only marketing trick. while i do believe that i should take care of my eyes area. it's one of those area that show aging signs, so i don't want that. hence, the eye cream is necessary in my book.

but it's expensive like i've said before. thankfully, there are samples being sold online. unfortunately, most of them are korean or japanese products. and most reviews site usually reviews western products. that's why you will find mostly japanese and korean eye cream reviews in my blog. because that's the one that i could get my hands on, tried on, and then review it here. the problem is it takes time since i have to try all the samples for several months before coming to a conclusion. another problem of asian products: the ingredient list sometimes can't be found in english, so i have no idea what ingredient make it work or doesn't make it work.

fortunately, someone reached out to me and told me about review.com. although this website is not necessarily an exclusive beauty-related review website (it does have reviews for things like mobile phone, solar panel, and even vitamins!), but it is very helpful. you can choose the category that you would like to know about. some categories will give you recommendation based on your answers from several questions. but if you don't like the recommendation, you can scroll down and see the other contenders in that category. and let me tell you, they have experts interviewed too. and they don't just put one winner, but they put several categories and pick one winner for each categories. as for eye cream, why don't you head on their website to see their ultimate eye cream guide yourself? here's the link.

what i like about their review is that they categorized all the eye creams according to its purpose, to tackle wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles. then they tested the eye creams and pick up the winner and runner up. they even give us the rundown how they get to pick the winner. from cutting the skin irritants, checking the right packaging for each ingredient, to picking the main ingredients suitable to tackle the main issue. those detailed selection is very informative. it's not based from someone's experience only, but also science-based. oh, for AB skincare lover, unfortunately this website only covers western products, so hopefully the experts and editors from reviews.com will expand their selection and include several ab products too.