Review – Nature Republic Argan 20 Steam Emulsion (Moisturiser Solution for Oily Skin)

Moisturiser is a basic need in skincare routine. And I have to admit that sometimes finding the right one will take you ages, especially if you have sensitive-oily-combination-skin, like me. I prefer to use emulsion as moisturiser as it has lighter texture, but still provide the moisture the skin needs. It is also less likely to irritate my skin or cause clogged pores. To read about my skincare regime, click here.

So, I will share the emulsion that I have been using for almost 1 year, Nature Republic Argan 20 Steam Emulsion.

The bottle of emulsion comes with a pump. It is definitely more hygienic and great for easier application.

What does it do?

The Nature Republic Argan 20 degrees Steam Emulsion is formulated with fermented argan oil to provide nutrition and firming effects to the skin. Argan oil creates radiant skin and revitalizes damaged skin. The product is absorbed quickly into the skin to keep it smooth and moisturized throughout the day without the greasy feel.

The Texture

The water-based texture is soft and it feels light on skin. It absorbs quickly to the skin providing the moisture it needs, and leave the skin smooth.

My Opinion

This emulsion gives me sufficient moisture, yet it does not feel sticky nor greasy after application. I could apply bb cream directly on top of the emulsion as it absorbs quickly and it also blends well. And the best part is, the price is affordable (around KRW13,000 ~ EUR12) for 125 ml.

The minor down part is there is slight perfumy-smell. So this emulsion might not be suitable for those who do not prefer any smells in moisturiser. But personally, I quite like the mild smell 🙂

I have been using this emulsion for almost a year, and this has been my second bottle. Yup, I repurchased it because I just love everything about it. I think I will continue to use this emulsion until I find the better one ❤

~Stephanie~

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Kiehl’s Ultra Light Daily UV Defense – “Sunblock without oily feel?”

Summer is at its peak! The Sun shines at its brightest and the heat is at its maximum. This is the season where facial skin needs maximum protection. Be aware of the ultraviolet from the sun , it could damage your skin badly!

I have used some variety of sunblocks, and I have been sticking with Kiehl’s for quite sometime. So, I am going to share my favourite sun-light protection with you guys. *I bought this product myself and the review is based on my personal experience*I have an oily-combination, sensitive and acne-prone skin. Therefore, it is quite hard for me to find suitable products for my skin.

What does it do? (By Kiehl’s)

“Our daily, ultra-light formula intensely moisturises the skin and utilises a high level of sun filters Mexory SX and Mexoryl XI to provide the skin with effective UVA and UVB broad-spectrum sunscreen protection. This moisturizing oil-free lotion helps protect against the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles. Suitable for sensitive skin”.

The texture is light, creamy-yet-watery. It blends well with the skin tone and have natural finish.

My Opinions:

This product is moisturising, it does leave a slight feel of oiliness (acceptable to me) . It has high SPF spectrum (50+++) and cover both UVA and UVB protection. The other thing that I love is it does not leave white cast after application, so I don’t have to worry on cakey-make-up-finish-look. And last but not least, it does not cause acne problem for me.

This product is my summer essential, and I will never leave house without applying it. After moisturiser, apply the sunblock and leave it for -/+ 5-10 minutes for better absorption, then continue with your powder / foundation.

~Stephanie~

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LIEBSTER AWARD

I have been dragging this for sometime as I was quite busy. And now is my time to answer the questions given by my two lovely bloggers Ririereirei and Oliveaolive, Thank you for the nomination girls 😉 Don’t forget to check their blogs as you will find a lot of great posts relating to skincare and many more!

So here are the Rules:

1. Thank the nominator
2. Display award in post
3. Nominate 10 other bloggers
4. Answer the 10 questions

Here are the questions that I should answer:

1. What is your favourite book?

Currently I am in love with $100 Start Up by Chris Guillebeau.

2. How would you describe your fashion style?

I like something simple but elegant.

3. What things make you the happiest?

Erm a lot of things make me happy, but I guess the happiest thing is sitting down and eating nice food surrounded by my family and close friends. Yup, that simple!

4. Why did you start blogging?

I have passion in skincare and beauty, and I think it would be great to write and share it with people. I love writing too. So yeah, that’s why I started blogging.

5. Where would you like to travel most?

I would love to go to Japan again, they have amazing views and culture! And of course to eat the delicious fresh sushi and sashimi ❤

6. What is your favourite childhood memory?

All my childhood memories are treasures for me, I can’t pick the most favourite one 🙂

7. What is a skill you would like to learn?

I would like to learn more about make-up stuff.

8. What does a perfect day look like to you?

It’s simple. A sunny day and an outing with my favourite persons.

9. Who is your favourite character from a movie/tv show/book?

My answer is still the same, it is a disney animation, Mulan. She impersonates a soldier in a time when women were forbidden to even speak in public, to protect her injured father from going to the war zone. She shows the loving, strong and independent sides of a woman.

10. What is a beauty product you would recommend to others?

Sunscreen. It is a very important beauty & skincare product that I would definitely recommend!

So, below are my nominees:

1. Katie Scarlett

2. Shxkin

3. That Weird Girl Official

4. The Poppyseed Bee

5. Kitchieloves

6. Franiwa

7. KatesFashionandBeauty

8. Babbajazzleblog

9. Beginnerbeaute

10. A Girl With Pink Cheeks

My Questions to the Nominated Bloggers 😉

1. What is your favourite food?

2. Name of your first pet.

3. What is your must-have skincare or beauty product?

4. Where is your best travel destination that you would like to go again?

5. What is your favourite season?

6. What is the beauty advice you will pass to your daughter?

7. What is the purpose of your blog?

8. Who is your most inspiring character?

9. What is your favourite lipstick brand?

10. What skill would like to learn if you are given a chance?

If you have already done this, please feel free to disregard 😉

~Stephanie~

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Friday Obsession – Nail Design & Inspirational Quote of the Day

“The secret of getting AHEAD is getting STARTED” – Mark Twain

Have a great weekend everyone! Today’s colours are gold, black and white. I painted my nails with the combination of those colours. Simple design is created by me, so that it won’t be so difficult to paint. Yup, I know that it is still messy. I will work harder to design it better ❤

Let’s start our weekend with big dreams, and… remember to get started! That’s the key of every successful people. No matter how great your ideas are, if you never get started, it will stay in your mind forever 🙂 So, start it now or never!

“If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning and getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started” – Drew Houston

~Stephanie~

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How to Revive Your Dry Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

For those who have Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner, after a while, you might encounter that this gel dries off easily. I really loved this eyeliner , but until half usage, the texture gets drier and it gets harder to apply. Since then, I have been keeping my-half-used-eyeliner inside my drawer and decided to move on to another brand.

Until two weeks ago, I decided to give it another try (I tried to fix it before throwing it away).

These are what I need:

– Baby Oil / Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (I use Vaseline as I have one with me)

– Stick for mixing (I use hair pin)

These are what I do:

– Take some of the Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (the quantity depends on how much and how dry your eyeliner is). Start with little, as you could always add more later on.

  

– Mix it with the hairpin. Make sure you clean it properly (I cleaned it with alcohol before starting to mix them).

– Clean and tidy up the bottle. I am sure it looks pretty messy after the mixing 😉 and it’s ready to be used again.

My Comments:

It works! Of course the texture is not as perfect as the new ones, but it is useable and it is still great for me. I have been using it for 2 weeks, and it does not dry-off until now. The texture is a little bit oilier (I admit I put a little bit too much of Vaseline, and that’s why I recommend to start putting it little by little). But it works next-to-perfect for me 😉

Overall, I am glad I give this eyeliner another chance before throwing it away ❤

~Stephanie~

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My Favourite Acne Treatment Products – Say Bye to Pimples!

Summer is in town! It’s beach-time and party-time! 🙂 However, this is also the season when my skin gets oilier and pimples start popping out! Oh Nooo!!! Well, luckily I have my two favourite remedies so that I will not freak out ❤

1. KOSE JUNKISUI REFRESHING SPOTS SERUM

This has been my favourite spot serum for 2 years. I have been re-purchasing it 2 times 🙂

What does it do? (by Kose)

A targeted treatment for acne and breakouts that helps rid skin of pore clogging toxins, while balancing the production of excess oil. It also helps minimize acne scars for a clearer complexion.

The texture is watery and it absorbs quickly to the infected area. The sponge attached to the bottle is for ease of application, so the serum will not be wasted. The only downside is when the serum starts running out, it gets harder to apply directly to the infected areas as the serum could not run down to the sponge properly. Other than that, it’s just perfect for me 🙂

My Opinion:

There is no reason not to love this serum. I apply it to the infected area before any other skincare products morning & night. And it works like miracle 🙂

2. INNISFREE BIJA ANTI-TROUBLE SPOT ESSENCE R

This is my first bottle, and I have been using it for the past 4 months. This product specially targets major breakouts (Innisfree has another range of Anti-Trouble Spot Essence W to treat minor breakouts).

What does it do? (By Innisfree)

Natural Jeju torreya spot essence for redness on your troubled skin. Outstanding healing effect of the torreya seed oil for troubled skin.

The texture is quite thick, and it dries easily giving white/grey-matte-powdery-finish-look. It could be applied under make-up, as it helps to cover up the redness.

My opinion:

This is a great product for my big pimples. Normally after applying Kose Spots Serum, I will apply this cream on top of my other skincare products, morning & night. It really helps to reduce the size of my big pimples (usually it takes 4-5 days to subside, if it is a really big pimple :O) The best thing is, it can be used under make-up due to its matte-powdery-finish.

Well, I could say that these two products are my must-have pimple treatment! I will always have them with me, even tough when i am travelling. With these products, SAY NO TO PIMPLES 🙂

~Stephanie~

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MyLipAddiction.com Giveaway Time 💋

Amazing giveaway from Cat! Check out her blog and you won’t miss out 😉

SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGERS AWARD

I was nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award by my amazing blogger, A Girl With Pink Cheeks. Thank you very much for the nomination. Check out her blog and I am sure you will get something amazing from there 😉

This is my first award, and I really like being connected to all of the bloggers who love writing as much as I do ❤

« The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award recognises the unique voices of women bloggers around the world. »

Rules:

• Thank and link the blogger who nominated you.
• Answer the 10 questions your nominator has provided.
• Nominate 10 other bloggers.
• Create 10 questions for your nominees and notify them of their nomination.

Here are my answers to both series of questions:

1. Favourite perfume for this summer?

I love Miss Dior. The mixture of freshness and elegance makes it perfect for my summer 🙂

2. Have you ever seen an opera? If so, which one(s)?

Sadly no, I am not an opera person. I prefer concert or musical.

3. Your go-to red lipstick?

Lancome is my fav for red lipstick!

4. Where did you spend your last holiday?

Last month, I went on road trip to Germany and Switzerland. The sceneries are amazing, and I would love to go again ❤

5. What is your first beauty ritual in the morning?

After washing my face, I would immediately use toner (alcohol-free) and essence to prevent my face from dryness.

6. Favourite restaurant ever?

Currently I am totally in love with Smeagol, Argentinian Grill Restaurant. They have the best steak in town ❤

7. What would be your best beauty advice to your daughter?

Put on sunblock! I wish I had known the important of sunblock earlier….

8. Who is your favourite female fictional character (could be books, movies, series,…) and why?

I would say I adore Mulan (Yup! Mulan is a Disney animation movie where the plot takes place in an old Chinese Dynasty era). I really like this show since I was a kid 🙂

The female character brings up loving, strong, intelligent and independent sides of a woman. She impersonates a soldier in a time when women were forbidden to even speak in public, to protect her injured father from going to the war zone. With her best effort, she learns the skills needed and conquers the war together with the male teammates.

9. Name a makeup or beauty « crime ».

This is my bad habit, I am very lazy to wash my make-up brushes! I know… I will be more diligent 😉

10. Which book are you currently reading?

The $100 Startup, a book by Chris Guillebeau. This is a really inspiring book!

Nominees:

1. Babbajazzleblog

2. Flannelbeauty

3. Styled with Joy

4. Megan Has OCD

5. Diva Everyday

6. Classic Maggie

7. Black Lace and Glitter

8. Obsessive Digressions

9. fromSandyxo

10. Inspired Elegance

Questions:

1. Name one make-up / beauty product that you could not live without.

2. Where is your dream travelling destination?

3. What is your all-time-most-memorable-song?

4. Who is your real-life most inspiring character? (actresses/ politicians/ businessmen, etc) and Why?

5. What is your beauty secret?

6. Name your favourite make-up brands.

7. What is your favourite me-time activity?

8. At what age did you start your first make-up?

9. What did you do last weekend?

10. What are the most current beauty / skincare products you purchased?

If you already did this tag, feel free to disregard, unless you really love writing and love to do it again 😉 Thanks for reading!

~Stephanie~

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Pamper Yourself with SIMPLE -HOMEMADE -JUICE

Happy Friday everyone! Finally it’s weekend, time to rest and party 🙂 healthy drink on this weekend? It’s always good to pamper yourself after long week of works / studies.

Eittsss…. remember that fruits also help in maintaining the radiant-looking-skin so that ones could have the perfect glowing make-up! (Read about how to get healthy-looking-skin here). So, let’s do it! Today I m going to share a very simple juice that I  make everyday 🙂

Ingredients: Apple, Pear, Orange & few Strawberries (any fruits of your choice) ❤

Directions: Cut into small pieces, put in the blender machine, add water & blend!

And here it is…. the healthy-and-tasty-juice ❤

It took me less than 10 minutes to prepare. Wanna start a healthy lifestyle? Try this at home. Simple, easy and it’s really delicious 🙂

~Stephanie~

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BRUGES – The Romantic City in Europe

What could be more romantic than strolling at a small-charming city surrounded by scenic historical, architectural and fairytale-like-backdrop with canal and river full of swans? A very relaxing city with exquisitely decorated cafés and local shops selling homemade stuffs such as lacey products to delightful chocolates?!

No, this is not an imaginary city. BRUGES is indeed a very lovely small city located in northwest Belgium. I visited this city in late April 2015, where spring was around the corner. The weather was quite chilly, but still perfect for relaxing stroll along the river, café and restaurant hopping.

The city is quite small, making it just perfect to walk from one point to another ~ The Markt, Church of Our Lady up to Minnewater ~ (trust me, you won’t get bored coz lots of unique little shops along the roadside). Besides gorgeous scenery, this city also offers the tourists sweet treats and savoury meals. One thing for sure, Bruges is a Chocolate Heaven for those who loves it 😉

Countless shops selling delightful and uniquely crafted homemade chocolate.

Belgian waffles, Belgian Fries, Belgian Hot Chocolate… I will never get enough of them! The Old Chocolate House has one of the best hot chocolate and handmade chocolates I have ever tasted. Belgian Mussels (the must-try-local-food) is obligatory if you visit Belgium. I had mine at Poules Moules (the huge portion is served with yummy-awesome-Belgian-fries served with Mayonnaise! so delicious yet so sinful) ❤

Delicious flemish beef stew & baked fish @ Bierbrasserie Cambrinus. Juicy beef and rich-creamy baked Salmon? make your pick… both on generous portions.

If you would ever visit Belgium or the neighbouring country, stop by Bruges and spend 1 day there. It’s worth the time and journey 🙂 And… here I share the rest of the pictures

   

   

                       

These pictures surely capture the view of the city. But the atmosphere and experience itself are indescribable. Bruges is indeed a very beautiful and romantic city! A hidden gem of Europe.

PS: We went on a relatively gloomy day but still had so much fun. Imagine how it would have been on a sunny day 🙂

~Stephanie~

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