On 26 March, I attended CUSkin Bloggers Private Lunch Event. It was also a prize-giving session for the winners of the blogging contest held previously. Even though I didn't take part in the blogging contest because I had many pending product reviews on hand at that point of time, Wendy have kindly invited me nonetheless as I have blogged about CUSkin PH Balancing Facial Mist previously.

The event started off with a demonstration by Wendy.

She first applied CUSkin Repair Balancing Cream which balances oil and moisturize prior to applying BB cream.

A beauty tip to share with you girls: Mix two drops of sunblock with a pea-size of BB cream to allow BB cream to glide on more easily. It will look more natural too!

Other products that were introduced during the session includes the PH Balancing Facial Mist and Pure Whitening Cream. Oh yes, before I forget, the Pure Whitening Cream is best used at night for maximum results.

One of the more interesting product range that caught my attention is the Dr. MK Vitamin U line.

It consists of Dr. MK Vitamin U cream (not pictured), mask and serum.

Vitamin U helps to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Wendy explained that the effect is almost similar to botox, except without the needles and pain.

I have tried the Dr. MK Vitamin U cream and it does feel very rich indeed. You just need very little of it. As Dr. MK Vitamin U series is rather rich in content as well as towards the high-end, you only need to apply the cream or serum at the targeted areas.

Here are some pictures taken at the event.

Kelly (one of the winners of the blogging contest), me and Tiphanie.

All the bloggers whom took part in the blogging contest (except me). Haha.

And we all received a goodie bag which consists of

CUSkin PH Balancing Toner!

Can't wait to try it out after I finish using my current toner.

As a special treat for SweetestSins' readers, CUSkin is offering a 5% lifetime discount for all of you! Just quote PATRICIA-SWEETESTSINS when you order.

Hope you girls like this post.

Love,
Patricia

Being modern ladies whom lead a hectic lifestyle, we only have that much time to get ready in the morning before we head to work or school. And because of that, most ladies tend to skip certain skincare or makeup steps.

My daily routine is really simple. My daily must-haves includes 5 items, namely Shiseido Perfect Whip foam, Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid lotion, Heme 24hr Hydrating Face moisturizer, Biore UV Moist Face milk and Tony Moly Crystal BB cream in Natural.

Step 1:

Shiseido Perfect Whip foam

I start my daily facial routine by cleansing my face with the Shiseido Perfect Whip foam that I lathered using my face wash net. When I first tried this cleanser out in the hotel which I was staying at Hong Kong, I kinda felt cheated because apparently, it doesn't foam well. It was only when I returned to Singapore that I realised that I need to use a face wash net to make it foam!

I like how creamy and foamy this cleanser is. You don't really need to use a lot of product each time to create enough foam for your entire face. Usually a size smaller than a 5-cent coin would create more than enough foam for my entire face. What I love about this cleanser is that it doesn't make your skin feel tightened after using it. In fact, I feel that it kinda moisturizes my face unlike other cleansers which strips my face of its natural oil. The scent is rather light and fresh which I like.

Repurchase: Yes

Step 2:

Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid lotion

After cleansing my face with Shiseido Perfect Whip foam, I would tone my face with Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid lotion by patting about 2-3 drops onto my face until it is fully absorbed. Click here for the video on how to pat the lotion onto your skin.

I really like Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid lotion and am currently using the second bottle that I bought. One bottle lasted me for quite long, say about 7 months. You could also use Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid as a facial mask by pouring it onto facial cotton pads and place it on your face. Its good for moisturizing and making your skin soft and supple!

Step 3:

Heme 24hr Hydrating Face moisturizer

As mentioned in one of my previous post, my favourite moisturizer is Sebamed Clear Face Care Gel. It is probably one of the only moisturizers that I can use during the day as it is light enough. I was quite hesistant to try out Heme 24hr Hydrating Face moisturizer initially because I thought that it would be akin to Aquamoist C Whitening Cream which is impossible to wear in the day because it feels sticky and thick at the same time.

Hence, I only tried out Heme 24hr Hydrating Face moisturizer only after their other two products, 24hr Hydrating Instant Recovery Serum and 24hr Hydrating Detox-White Night Jelly impressed me. And boy, I was so surprised that it did not feel sticky at all. In fact, it is rather lightweight and it is easily absorbed into my skin! In fact, the texture felt more like a lotion rather than gel which kind of reminds me of the highly-raved, H2O+ Face Oasis™ Ultra Hydrator Oil Free Moisturizer that was recommended in the famous Taiwan variety show, Nu Ren Wo Zui Da. It also comes with a spatula for hygiene purposes. Personally, I find it rather convenient.

Ever since then, I have been using Heme 24hr Hydrating Face moisturizer after toning my face prior to sunscreen application.

Repurchase: Yes

Step 4:

Biore UV Moist Face milk

If you remember, I mentioned that one of the ways to fight aging to to apply sunblock everyday in one of my previous post.

For me, I apply sunblock without fail everyday. I think its necessary to protect my face from the harmful rays of the sun. I really like this sunscreen because it provides a powdery finish. I find that it keeps my face matt and I don't have to blot my face that much when I apply this. The best part is that it doesn't sting unlike the Neutrogena Fine Fariness Brightening UV Lotion that does when I apply it on the area near my eye.

Repurchase: Yes

Step 5: (optional)

Tony Moly Crystal BB cream in Natural

You will be surprised, but I have been wearing lesser makeup these days. Reason being - I am more into skincare these days. If you were to compare our face to a painting, proper skincare is essential as having a good piece of drawing canvas. Without a good piece of drawing canvas, no expensive paint would create a good piece of drawing.

On those days when I need a more coverage, I would apply Tony Moly Crystal BB cream as it has the most natural color among all my BB creams. If not I will stop at sunblock.

That's all for my post on my daily top 5 must-have products. Notice that I only focused on skincare? Well, that is because I intend to let you girlies tell me what would you love to read/see next on my Top 5 Must-have column. Just comment in my tagboard or my Formspring if you have any ideas alright?

Hope you like this post!

Love,
Patricia

Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me, except for Heme 24hr Hydrating Face moisturizer and Tony Moly Crystal BB cream which were sent to me for review purposes.

Available in Tony Moly Stores at $49.90

Tony Moly Party Lover Silky Smooth Primer swatch

I like the fact that the primer is transparent, as some make up primer or base which are beige in color tends to be too light or pinkish for me and it looks very unnatural by the time I finish off with liquid foundation and loose powder.

And I was sharing with you girlies earlier that I was amazed by what this primer could do. So what is it that this primer could do? Upon application, it makes my face really smooth and it makes any application of products be it BB Cream or liquid foundation glide on so well! It really lives up to its name - Silky Smooth Primer! It is also slightly moisturizing as well and gives my face a bit of the dewy look which I like!

Besides, it made my makeup stay on for the entire day till early evening, even though it was a really hot day and I was out since early in the morning. It would really good for work/school since you girlies will be out for almost entire day and great for clubbing as well since all those moves/dancing is likely to make you perspire and you need not worry about your makeup melting away.

I love BB Creams. I have 4 of them, with Tony Moly Crystal BB Cream being the 5th one as well as my latest addition to my collection.

We all know that some BB Creams are so thick that it looks very unnatural after applying it. And I dread that, because I am not a

geisha!

Tony Moly Crystal BB Cream swatch

In fact, it is kind of between 2 of my BB Creams with one being very moisturizing and the other having a good coverage. So now I guess, I wouldn't have to mix those 2 BB Creams together anymore because I found my new HG BB Cream which is none other than Tony Moly Crystal BB Cream!

Just to re-highlight what a make up primer could do for you girlies.

Judging from the photo, you could see that the part where I applied primer is much smoother and has a more consistent finish compared to the part without primer.

So, make sure that you girlies apply make up primer so ensure a smoother finish as well as to ensure that your make up stays on longer!

Different ways to wear BB Cream:

1) You could just apply BB Cream after your 3-step skincare (cleanse, tone, moisturize).
2) Apply BB Cream as a primer before liquid foundation and loose powder
3) Apply BB Cream and finish off with loose/pressed powder

There is no best way to wear it. You just have to try and experiment which is the best for you. For me, its the 3rd. I normally apply BB Cream and dab a little of pressed powder to set it.

Before I end this post, here is a face swatch of me wearing Tony Moly Party Lover Silky Smooth Primer Crystal BB Cream as well as a FOTD (it was scotching hot when I took this picture!).

Products used:

1) Tony Moly Party Lover Silky Smooth Primer
2) Tony Moly Crystal BB Cream
3) Kate High Coverage Pressed Powder UV
4) Oriental Princess Popping Cheek Blush Puff in Peachy Red
5) Revlon Color Burst Lipstick in Peach
6) NYX Round Lipgloss in Sorbet

I hope you girlies liked this post! Do leave a comment if you have any questions and I will respond to you shortly.

Love,
Patricia

Eucerin Gentle Cleansing Milk

And I was torn between sticking with Eucerin which I have been using for about 2 years (ever since my skin took a turn for the worse during my senior year) or to get another brand. As you all know, I love trying out new brands and products. So I walked into Watsons and checked out the options I have. It was definitely not Eucerin because it was out of stock. Nivea Cleansing Milk was one of the most affordable at only $9+ for 200ml! To me, Nivea has always been known for their body lotions and I was definitely surprised when I realised that they do have cleansing milk. Checked out DHC Deep Cleansing Oil again, but was skeptical because I prefer cleansing milk to oil. Following which, I checked out Aqualabel too but they only had cleansing oil as well.

Feeling disappointed, I headed over to The Face Shop and went straight to the section where they placed their cleansing products. And something caught my eye.

The Face Shop Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Emulsion,
available at all TFS branches at $22.90

You might be wondering why did it captured my attention. Well, because it says rice water. And we all know that rice water is beneficial for youthful looking skin. Try and recall SK-II commercials where the grandma's hands look as though as it belonged to a young lady because her hands were soaked in rice water all day long.

Furthermore, the sales associate told me that this is their best selling cleansing milk. Even though most of the time I don't really believe them, I only trust my own judgement. Why do I say so? Well, because I came from a retail background and I know how pushy sales associates will get just to make you buy so as to fulfil their sales targets and therefore it spells commission for them. So girls, we must not just be shoppers, but smart shoppers!

After using The Face Shop Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Emulsion thrice, I find that its comparable with my Eucerin Gentle Cleansing Milk. I really like the smell of it, its very light. I also like the fact that it felt very gentle on my skin and at the same time, its able to remove all the impurities of my makeup. In fact, I think it made my skin looked better. I don't know if that arises due to the switch of cleansing milk, or the fact that I switched my cleanser.

Previously, I was using my Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel which worked very well for my skin which was prone to breakouts then. But recently, I felt that its a little too drying for my skin even though I still experience oiliness in my T-zone. I did not have time to shop for a new cleanser, hence I just grabbed whatever I have in my bathroom. FYI, I have a lot of cleanser in my bathroom ranging from Nivea Deep Pore Control Cleansing Foam, Sebamed Liquid Face and Body Wash and Bio-essence Deep Cleanser (just to name a few).

Bio-essence Deep Cleanser

I was surprised that Bio-essence Deep Cleanser does the trick by not stripping off the natural oil in my face by making it feel tight which most cleanser does. And it did keep my face moisturized after I washed it. I was surprised because I did not think highly of Bio-essence previously. I always thought that it caters more to mature women but boy, I was wrong, so wrong. In fact, I am impressed with another two Bio-essence products which I tried recently as I had samples of it.

The first one is

Bio-essence Bio Multi-Effect BB Cream

This BB cream is a little thicker compared to the rest of which I have tried before. In fact, the shade was a little too light for me when I first put it on. But after a while, it looks more natural.

As this BB cream has pink undertones in it, it makes one look more radiant. I remember a friend commented on how radiant I looked when I used this BB cream when I met her early in the morning.

This is like the first product which I want to get from Bio-essence badly and totally changed my perspective of the brand.

The second item is..

Bio-essence Hydra Water Soluble Olive Cleansing Oil

Wow, this is really something I have never come across before in my entire life. Yes, I have tried cleansing oil and cleansing milk. But the both of them together? No, never.

This cleansing oil turns milky after you massage your face with wet palms. Isn't it amazing? I did not like cleansing oil because I prefer the texture of cleansing milk. But now, this is an evolution by combining both of them together. And I can remove my mascara with this without having to use a separate eye makeup remover.

Lastly, do check out Yiruma playing love me. He's really good at it.

Have you girls ever come across any products be it online or in magazines and you just want to get it so badly? Well, I'm guilty of that.

These are the lovelies that I wanna get the next time I go shopping! Haven't really been shopping much lately, especially in town where there are more selections.

1) Urban Decay Naked Palette

I was like OMG when I saw this online. Its just so pretty. What's good about this is that its has got neutral colors which I like to work with and I think its much better and prettier than the 28 neutral Coastal Scents palette which I have initially wanted to get. It even comes with duo-eyeliner pencils and a bottle of UDPP! Now, there's no reason why I shouldn't get it. I am gonna put it on my shopping list!

2) Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Denim

This eyeshadow is from Bobbi Brown's Denim & Rose collection. Its in a pretty shade of dark blue which I think is easy to carry off the look. Think smokey blue eyes for a change! Added to my shopping list as well!

3) Shoes

I need more shoes badly. It has been raining very often out of late. I don't know but I seem to prefer wearing heels or wedges when its raining because it refrains my feet from getting wet.

4) Bags

Okay, I probably don't need another bag. But I just want more variety to mix and match my outfits with.

I think that is all for the moment. I will update again if I realised that there is more.

Anyway, I changed my mind about the Dr. Wu Diamond BB Cream. I experimented with it and realised that its the application that makes it so undesirable previously when I used a foundation sponge to apply it. I realised that when I use my bare fingers to apply it like how I apply my moisturizer (rubbing it onto my face), it results in a flawless finish. However, right after application, it still makes my face look grey. But after a few minutes, it brings about a subtle glow!

As you can see, yours truly has been back on a cooking frenzy which would probably last for just a while. You know I haven't been cooking a real meal for eons. And I seriously doubt I can do a good job on that.

Yea, as I have mentioned in my older post, I love making soup because they are as easy as abc. A friend once said to me that my SO would be very lucky because he would have nice soup to drink everyday. While I beg to differ because he would probably get tired of drinking soup every other day since I would be making it every other day! Laughs.

Anyway, I made vegetable soup the other day using just celery, carrot and tomatoes. Did I mention how much I love celery and tomatoes?

First, get all the ingredients ready.

Once again, throw them all into the cooking pot and you're almost done.

Okay, probably not because I decided to add in beech mushrooms at the very last minute to make it more chewy. Well, women are always fickled-minded, not? You need not add any salt/sugar or soya sauce. Just drink it like that. Its flavorful enough, trust me.

And you get to enjoy your very own homemade vegetable soup! I simply love the taste of it. What say you?

Okay, you are probably bored of my cooking related posts by now. So I shall reward you with some beauty related information now (because that is the reason why you came here for, no?)

So these are some stuffs which I picked up from Watsons a while ago. Notice that I don't post my purchases real-time, as in as soon as I get them? Well, because I have other commitments and taking pictures and resizing them do require a little bit of time. Oh, while we are at this topic, I must say that its a love-hate relationship with my digital camera. I hate how it fails me sometimes especially when I take pictures at night even with the flash on, but yet it produces beautiful quality during day time even without macro mode or flash and I don't even have to edit the lighting and contrast!

These are the stuffs which I got.

Dr. Wu Super Diamond BB Cream, Neutrogena Fine Fairness Brightening UV Waterlight Lotion and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Disco Ball

I bought the Dr. Wu Super Diamond BB Cream after seeing in it NRWZD and Kevin recommended it. I have used it twice but I felt that its quite drying on my skin compared to other BB Creams which I have used before. I also didn't really like the fact that it makes me look gray. It could be probably because of the way I used it. But on the first day I tried applying the BB Cream only, and the second time I applied a little pressed powder to set it. I would probably give it a few more tries before I come to a conclusion. Have anyone experienced the same problem like I did? On a side note, I saw Laneige's new BB Cream in Metro ytd. I want to try it so badly! But it costs like $49? At $39.90 for Dr. Wu's BB Cream, I already thought that it was expensive. But $49? I guess I probably won't fork out that much for a BB Cream because I would be able to use that amount of money to get a very decent foundation from mid-high end make up brands.

As for the Neutrogena sunblock, I'm totally loving it. I use it as a makeup base, or even after my 3-step skincare on days when I go without makeup. Its not greasy which I like! But, do be extremely careful when applying it because if it gets into your eyes, it stings badly, like big time!

Lastly, I'm totally loving the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear series. Disco Ball is my second bottle from the series. The first one which I got was Cherry Red which is a sexy red and it simply reminds me of SIA girls' nails. Disco Ball sparkles like literally disco ball. The sparkles are like AB crystals. So pretty!! And, it doesn't break your wallet at a mere $7.90 or $7.50. I can't remember. Do correct me if I am wrong. I don't know but I simply love Sally Hansen's nail polish. If you have been following my blog, you should know how much I adore Sally Hansen!

I am adoring nude lips at the moment. To achieve nude lips, apply a thin layer of concealer on your lips (you could use lip concealers or the normal concealer by dabbing it on or with a lip brush for a more refined look and apply your favourite nude gloss on it).

Products used:

1) Mac Select Moisture Cover
2) Canmake Nudy Glow in 03

Till then! ♥