Rimmel - English Rose

Hi my lovelies!

Yes I know I've been MIA for so long that I might as well have disappeared off the face of the earth (but the question is, would I then be floating in (cyber) space?).... apparently not blogging for several months have turned my jokes really lame as well! And what makes it worse is that even Mr.Woolu noticed the lazy cat was my only post since three months ago. But my real concern is that Mr.W reads this?! Well... if that's the case - /shout out - Mr.W, please slowly let your eyes wander to the right side of the page where it says WISHLIST /end shout out.

Anyway I am back (not with a vengeance though)! I've been nagged so much to post something  that I swatched a polish purchased over the summer (around the same time as Plum Seduction). I'm still on a conquest to find the perfect rose polish. With asian skin tone hands I find wearing any shade of red not as flattering. I think overall Rimmel's English Rose is mediocre.

I like the formula because its thick and not streaky. I also really like the brush, which is wide and flat so you an cover your nail in 1-2 strokes. Maybe I just made a poor color choice, because I've definitely left this collecting dust. You can find Rimmel polishes in most drug stores and will cost around $3-$5 depending if sale discounts are available.

I can't promise my next post will be soon.... but if you want to catch my daily rantings, you can find me on twitter under the ID: superwoolu. 


♥ the one who puts super in superwoolu

Revlon's Plum Seduction

I am always on the hunt for a cute summer nail color and the other day I stopped by Rexall and picked up Revlon's 917 Plum Seduction. I can only describe it as a very flirtatious and color popping shade. The nail polish has a creme finish to it and is a mix of magenta, fuchsia and purple in a bottle.

(clumsy paint job... but nothing that a shower cannot fix! :p)

I've never been completely gaga in love with Revlon's nail polish formula and this one has not changed my opinion either. The formula is very watery so the first two coats will only leave your nail polish in streaks. The watery formula may be overlooked in pale shimmery shades but for nail polish with a creme finish.... *thumbs down* It took at least three coats for the shade to turn opaque, like in the photo.

I definitely really like this color and looks super cute in photos. The total damage was only really $5.99CAD and lots of patience.... so, has this plum shade seduced you at all?

NARIS UP Nose Pack Peeling Mask Review

What it claims: This nose pack peeling mask helps deeply loosen pores. Easily removes pore cloggers from loosen pores. The ingredients are gentle to your skin and can remove the dirt in your pores or the remains of your makeup without undue stimulation. As it is absorbed, it freshens your skin and restores it to a healthy condition.


I bought the 20ml sized tube and it's tiny!!! It's even smaller than a sample! This will not last more than a month if you use it twice a week. 

The mask leaves the tube in globs and sometimes it's difficult to control how much comes out because it's so dense. The texture is gooey to touch but will wash off with water, or you can wait until it dries and then peel it off. 


Caution.... disturbing photos ahead.....










warning..... 








More warning.....








Okay, you've been warned:

If you (dare) click to enlarge the photo, you can see that my nose harbours quite a lot of white and black heads. If you glance at the after photo (you don't even need to closely observe because it's so apparent), you will see that none of the blackheads left my nose. The mask simply ripped out the hair on my nose and got rid of some white heads. I already did this mask post a 30 minute steaming hot shower. 


I decided to be forgiving and try it a second time, 10 minutes after I ripped it off my nose. Observe the results below:

Both times it ripped out hair!! I've concluded that this mask will remove white heads but blackheads are too stubborn for it. 


The Good:
♥ cleans out white heads
♥ affordable, but not if you want to use it consistently
♥ can purchase easily online or asian beauty store


The Bad:
♥  rips out hair
♥ doesn't clean out blackheads
♥ there are probably other products out there that are more effective


Repurchase: Nah.....


I got this on sale for $5.99 on Sasa, but it is also available on Imomoko for $7.99. You can also try the NARIS UIP Eggshell & Charcoal Mask, which is a peeling face pack for removing blackheads, but I've seen bloggers use it on their nose too. 

This big mess is the damage from my last post and which the NARIS UP Nose pack was part of. I'll continue picking at this and review the items I've purchased (:


Have a lovely weekend all! ♥

Vasanti Tinted Lipbalm is LOVE!

My fellow blogger Macnunu has tweeted that Rexall is having a 50% discount on all their lip products. Too bad I already picked up my Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude for $10 several days ago! But, I couldn't help buying some more Colorbursts. I mean who can resist a sale! If there is a nearby Rexall to you, I recommend dropping in and browsing through the selections of drugstore lipsticks!

What I wanted to talk about today is Vasanti's tinted lipbalm. Because of the Rexall sale I picked up one of their lipbalms to try out. Vasanti Cosmetics is owned by three Canadian women and became an organization in 1998. Apparently, this cosmetics line was originally created to cater to women with more "exotic" looks. I don't want to define"exotic" so interpret as you please =P Vasanti also claims their products are not tested on animals (yay!).

There are reviews out there on Vasanti's Liquid Cover Up which is already a really popular product. However I decided to test the waters with their tinted lip balm. I picked up Bahamas, which is a brownish plum shade and according to Vasanti's site is one of their top sellers. Vasanti's tinted lipbalm uses ingredients like vegetable oil, seed oil, beeswax, shea butter (which is why it's very moisturizing), mango seed butter (sounds exotic and yummy), BUT it does contain paraben.

♥ PROS:
-very moisturizing!
-moderate selection of colors
-almost no taste at all
-glides on really smoothly like butter
-made in Canada... =D

♥ CONS:
-pricey at $15 when tinted balm from burt bees is 1/3 of its price (but get it 50% on sale now at Rexalls!)
-not widely available -- it's available at Rexalls/SDM for CDNs and at Ultas for Americans.
-contains paraben, so if you're allergic.... avoid :(

This is how it looked on my lips (with nothing else on my lips). Top is no flash and bottom with flash. I don't know why the color looks so vastly different but (reuploaded!!) it's definitely more pink than coral and more purple than pink ha! The color on your screen may not be a true representation of what it will look on your lips since my lips are fairly dark in nature but all I can say is that it makes my lips so soft! 

Has anyone else tried Vasanti before? Also who has picked up Revlon's Colorburst lipsticks!? I have Soft Nude, Soft Rose and Carnation. But Blush is sold out! *cries*

Oh Anna...Annabelle♡

I purchased my very first Annabelle product... I bought the Annabelle liquid eyeliner in Titanium because my Rimmel professional liquid eyeliner in ebony black was drying up.

Description from Annabelle website: A liner that is precise, smudge-free and easy to use - our liquid eyeliner is exactly that, with its fine felt-like tip and its long-lasting formula that dries quickly and stays put. The small tapered tube gives up as much as 830 applications! It is an eye makeup 'must' to properly define and contour your eyes.

There's 0.08 FL oz / 2.5 mL of product in the bottle for $8CAD, which is comparable to my Rimmel at 3.1mL at $8 or $9 (I cannot remember). As described on Annabelle's website, the eyeliner does sport a felt-like tip.I find that a felt-like tip gives more support than my Rimmel one which is a very thin brush. So the Annabelle brush definite gives more support, but draws equally as precise lines even though it may look thick in the photo!

Titanium has a purple/grey metallic sheen to it and is decorated with specks of white/blue/red fine glitter. Even though it's metallic it looks dark gray on my eyes because I draw a really thin line.

The product claims to be long-lasting and smudge-proof.... but....

It's not very smudge-proof!!!!! I lightly rubbed the area of my hand where I swatched and the glitter started to come off.... My Rimmel was more tolerant to the smudging and did not budge as much.

It's also not very long lasting!!!! I put my had under water and rubbed it lightly and BOTH the Annabelle and Rimmel came off (ﾟдﾟ;)...... I did not even bother testing it with my makeup remover because we all know what the verdict will be....

Despite all the fall backs of this product I really like the color! I don't find the price overly bearing, so I just have to make sure if I'm wearing it, I prime my eyes really well... (with the sketchy eyeliner primer I got from Taiwan and which I can no longer read the name of because it has fully rubbed off....). I don't recommend this to anyone with lots of eyelid oil (like me) since this will definitely give you panda eyes after 2-3 hours, maybe less if you end up rubbing your eyes.

Overall verdict:
Product: ♥♥♥♥♥
Price: ♥♥♥♥♥

Packaging: ♥♥♥♥♥
Repurchase: Sitting on the fence, we'll see if any other products catch my eyes

Mario Badescu & Korean Cuisine

Last month I signed up for some Mario Badescu samples because there was a huge hype on this line of product and I was curious if whether or not its reputation holds up. 

I filled MB's questionnaire and the samples I received was catered to my skin type. I received samples of moisturizer, mask, a scrub, toner and a special eye cream. 

(some samples received are not photographed here)

I have not been consistently using the mask/scrub (or rather, it's avoidance) because it is a littlle unhygenic for me to scoop it out with my fingers out of the little jar... however I am hooked on the moisturizer!!

I received the Hydro-Moisturizer with Vitamin C and it's definitely hydrating. I have normal skin, but lately because of the harsh and dry weather, my skin is lacking freshness and is in need of some pampering. On MB's website, the moisturizer is described as a "lightweight, antioxidant moisturizer suitable for normal, combination skin. Vitamin C formula restores clarity and health to tired, dehydrated skin. Non-greasy".

The ingredients are: Deionized Water,Propylene Glycol,Carnation Oil,Squalene,Isopropyl Myristate,Glyceryl Stearate,Myristyl Lactate,Cetyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid,Cetrimonium Bromide,Methylparaben,Stearic Acid,Propylparaben.

I can only describe the consistency of the cream as watery-like and non-greasy. I really like that it feels so light on the skin and has not been clogging my pores. Also I like the fact that it's scentless. The only thing I wish it had was SPF! The cost of a normal 2oz bottle is $18, which I can still afford.....BUT I'll most likely try out their other moisturizers with SPF (nothing against the sun, but I don't like to tan!)

I've also used the MB eye cream daily, the Special eye cream V, described as: rich and creamy formula made with essential oils and antioxidant Vitamins A and E. Best for dry and mature skin types. Simple, effective and gentle for sensitive eye area". I'm not sure if I have mature skin (O_o).... but it definitely keeps the area around my eyes moisturized. It actually feels a tad bit "greasy" and stays that way until the rest of the day! I guess that's how it maintains the moisture. I feel that it works great for when your eyelid goes wonky, you know those days when you get THREE creases instead of the normal two/double eyelids. The cream actually  minimizes the multiple creases.

Cho Won Restaurant:

17 Drewry Avenue, North York

Mr. W and I decided to try another korean restaurant instead of our normal favorite, Nak Won up in Richmond Hill. We tried Cho Won Family Restaurant, which is located at 17 Drewry Avenue. The intersection is Yonge and Cummer (which becomes Drewry) in North York. The atmosphere and food is decent, but for those in the GTA vicinity, I do not recommend going on Friday nights because you will not find parking and there will be a rather long line up all the way out the door....

When I first entered the restaurant I thought the place was the tiniest place on earth, because it seemed like it could only seat 8 people (and these 8 customers would not even be sitting comfortably), but my eyes were deceived. The restaurant actually has two parts and Mr. W and I managed to score ourselves a table on the inner part of the restaurant, otherwise I would have been so upset to have waited 45 minutes before getting seated!

The prices are normal and not extremely expensive in comparison to what you would normally get (but in comparison to Nak Won, I think it still pales in comparison!). You get all the normal korean appetizers and it's relatively fresh.

We ordered a Udong vegetable hotpot

Kimchi pancake

The Kimchi pancake was done well but portions are huge! The hotpot soup base tasted a little salty and very similar to chicken instant noodle soup base. I got terribly sick of the taste after several bowls, so I definitely recommend sharing any hotpot dish from Cho Won among at least three people. I'm not sure if I will be returning to this restaurant mainly because of the turnover rate and mediocre dishes. To be fair, I did not order  their best dish, the Bimbimbap, so perhaps I will give Cho Won another try.

What's your favorite korean dish?

Pretty in Pink....?

 

(credits: google images)

I rarely do make up reviews, actually, come to think of it I don't do them at all. Partly because I don't have the money to afford a large collection, and secondly I'd do a crappy job at it. But I do know what colors I like and what colors should look decent on me. One type of beauty product that I'd like to keep a part of my life in vain is nail polish. I love this stuff - I don't wear it often, but I love it. I don't particularly enjoy the smell, but all those colors of the rainbow!

When I was younger I had the habit of biting my nails until I self developed an overbite. BUMMER. So, my mom forced me to wear nail polish and at some point I think encouraged my addiction. I purchased bottles and bottles of these toxic and flammable things, filling up my shelves with rows and rows, and more rows of it. They eventually dried up, because instead of wearing them I simply looked and admired their beauty. Nail polish did reasonably well on curing most of my nail biting habits, though I'd still occasionally find myself without part of my nails when I am nervous, bored or in exam mode.

Today, I only purchase light and pale colors since I cannot imagine going goth at work. Though I know grey is the new trend, trends can make or kill you especially if it's a dark color. I once wore this brooding red to work (previous trend) but ended up chipping it after several days. Unfortunately upper management noticed too and chewed me out on it. As such, I only wear pale pink, purple or clear colors now. So the other day I purchased the Revlon ColorStay Bonding Color in Always Sheer Camisole to be adventurous (my horoscope told me so).

In my opinion, I would NOT purchase this product again. Why? At $5 a pop, it does not slide on easily. It streaks after one or two coats and if you put any more on, it becomes almost white. How is that ALWAYS Sheer Camisole?? Throw me a bone here! Maybe it's because I am cheap and skipped out on the 2nd bonding step where you are suppose to use Revlon's clear coat nail polish. But am I going to spend another $5 for that stuff when I have a $2 Sally Hansen sitting at home? NO. I still do not believe that using the 2nd bonding color will solve the streaking problems. I think this is just a poor product in general. Now I'm not claiming that the other colors in the series are just as bad. I haven't tried them, so I have no opinion, but I can only conclude that Sheer Camisole is not qualified for my nails. The packaging (the bottle) is decent since it's dainty and all, and the color is a cute pink, but my gosh, it must be my hideous nails producing this big mess of a result if it's not Revlon's.

Product: 2/5
Price: 3/5
Package: 3/5
Repurchase: No