id bareMinerals Foundation Review

I got this on eBay a while back and this is what I whack on my face every morning before I go to school, if I haven't overslept at least. 

It came in a cute little bag with a ribbon :)

I got the shade Golden Medium and this comes with SPF 15, which I love. Some protection is always a plus. I've been using this for a few months now and it hasn't broken me out. When I fist apply it to my skin, it can look a bit too powdery but after a minute it'll kind of 'set' into the skin and leaves a natural matte finish. I have normal-combination skin and when using this my T-zone still gets shiny but it's nothing that a blotting paper can't fix.

                                         

Application : I use a kabuki brush. On school days, I don't wear primer and instead just some sunscreen underneath.

Coverage   : Medium. 

Finish         : Natural matte.

Pros :

- blends easily

- doesn't cake up

- comes in lots of shades

Cons :

- no major setback that I can think of

Price : Can't remember around ￥3200, I think.

Note : the new packaging comes a more controllable sifter so it won't get all over the place and makes it more convenient for travel.

If you have any comments about your personal experiences using this product, don't be shy to share in the comments section :)

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation Review

I've never used a foundation before opting instead to just stick with my mineral powder foundation but lately, I've been wanting to give them a try so I bought this. 

Note : Seeing as how it's Summer right now and was Summer during the time I used this foundation, my skin in combination-oily. I don't really get acne anymore though my skin does have a few tiny bumps and minor discolouration. 

I bought shade 53 Light Beige, which was the darkest shade the store had. There were only 3 shades anyway. Such a disappointment. It doesn't match my skin tone perfectly. I come off like 2 shades lighter but because my setting powder is my correct skin tone, the end product looks okay. Even though it is a gel foundation it doesn't look matte so if you're like me and have oily-combination skin, setting powder is a must. I love how this foundation smells. It says that it has vitamin-rich fruit therapy so I guess I'd describe the smell as being sweetly fruity. After a few hours, I notice that it'll get patchy around my nose area. I've been using this for about a month now and it hasn't broken me out. 

Application : I use a stippling brush. I wear a primer underneath to help it last longer.

Coverage   : Medium
Finish         : Dewy

How it looks on my skin after a strokes. It'll look better once blended out evenly

Pros : 

- blends easily

- smells awesome

- hydrating

- comes with a good pump

Cons :

- not recommended for oily skin, better for normal/dry skin types

- can start to get patchy around T-zone area

- only comes in 4 shades in Japan and they all kind of look the same, which I think is just ridiculous 

Note for girls who wear scarves : Setting powder is a must because without it the foundation will rub off on your scarf/hijab. 

Price : ￥2100

If you have any comments about your personal experiences using this product, don't be shy to share in the comments section :)

Sleeping in Tokyo on a Budget

I live and study quite close to Tokyo so I do travel there pretty often. I'm currently a student so I'm not exactly swimming in cash. In this post I'll share my experiences in a few hotels/hostels in Tokyo and I'll recommend some.

Keep in mind that Japanese websites are mostly in Japanese. Try using the Google translate option when you right-click or get someone who can read Japanese to help you out.

1. Iriya Station Hotel
This is the link to their page on Jalan.net -> click
When I stay here, I take their Student Plan(学生限定) which is ￥2980 a night. This is probably the cheapest hotel room I've ever stayed in Tokyo. The room is typical Japanese small but still comfy. You get your own toilet and shower in the room. It doesn't come with breakfast. Check out is at 10:00am. Keep in mind that if you get out later than 10:00am, the elevators might not be functioning. They probably do this because Japan is really particular about electricity usage during Summer. This happened to me. I had to carry my 30kg bag from the 7th floor. I died several times on those stairs.

2. Khaosan Tokyo Guest House(s)
I've stayed in the Khaosan Tokyo Original and Khaosan Tokyo Samurai. Both places were clean, beds were comfy and close to train stations. The staff are friendly, helpful and can speak English. Prices range from ￥2000 per person/per night to ￥4000 per person/per night depending on which one you choose and what type of room you want. Not all of them have female-only dorms. Some are shared. A few have private rooms for 2 to 4 people. Basically, highly recommended.

3. Sakura Hostel Asakusa
Mixed and female dorms are available. Clean, comfy with English speaking staffs. Prices start from ￥2940. Only a 5 minute walk to the closest train station. They also have branches in Ikebukuro, Hatagaya and Jimbocho. Click here -> other branches

4.  Hotel New Tochigiya
I've personally never stayed here. It's 6 minutes walk to the nearest station. A Japanese tatami room for 1 with no toilet and shower in the room is ￥2800 per night. There's also capsule rooms but it's for men only.

For those of you that want to try to spend a night in Japan's famous capsule hotels, they're not that hard to find. Most capsule hotels cater only to men. I've found a few that either cater to women only or have a women only floors.

1. Capsule Hotel & Sauna Ikebukuro
They cater to both men and women. Women get their own floors. Lockers, shower rooms, toiletries are all provided. ￥2800 per person/per night. 6 minutes walk from Ikebukuro Station.

2. Hotel Siesta Ebisu
They have male and female capsules. Women get their own floor. ￥3300 per person/per night. 30 seconds walk from Ebisu Station.

3. Capsule Hotel 510 Shinjuku
Women only capsule hotel. 3 minutes walk from Shinjuku Station.

If you have any recommendations or questions, feel free to post in the comments section below.

The Body Shop Lily Cole Shimmer Cubes Palette 24 Review

Before I went back for a bit of a holiday in Malaysia, I went shopping in Shibuya, Tokyo and I dropped by The Body Shop there. I was tired after a few days of sightseeing so I decided to try their facials(will have a post of this up later). After the facial was over, they even do your makeup using The Body Shop makeup items. In my opinion, their mineral powder foundation is nothing to rave about, their concealer/highlighter didn't provide enough coverage for my panda eyes but their shimmer cubes eye shadows were awesome.

Palette 24

Pros :

- you get a lot of product for a reasonable price

- the colour payoff is satisfactory. It's not as pigmented as MAC eye shadows but I think that's a good thing because sometimes you can put too much and look clownish.

- it lasted throughout the day. 

- the packaging is cute

Cons :

- the powders are not as soft to the touch as MAC eye shadows

Look at how much product you're getting !

The colours on my fingertips

Price : I bought mine in Malaysia so it was RM79. In Japan it's ￥2940.

Verdict : I like it and would recommend it.

Plus, here's a video with a tutorial using all four of those awesome colours.

If you have any comments about your personal experiences using this product, don't be shy to share in the comments section :)

The Search for Someone Like Me

I am 22 years old (at the time of this post), come from Malaysia, am of Malay ethnicity and also a Muslim. My skin tone is olive/medium tan/yellow-based and I have normal-combination to oily-combination depending on where I am at the moment and what season of the year it is. I live in Japan now so my skin tends to get drier during the colder seasons.


Since coming to Japan, I've started to get into beauty and fashion. Due to the fact that I had very little knowledge in both subjects I searched the Internet for someone with similar skin tones, face shape, tastes style-wise etc to get some inspiration and knowledge from that person.

When I scoured the Internet, most of the blogs that were written by Malay girls about my age were in Malay, a combination of English and Malay or English(but with heavy sprinklings of grammatical errors. I can't stand these). However I did stumble upon a few girls that had not only impeccable English but also impeccable taste.

While searching for a blog that would mirror all the things that I love in a beauty and fashion blog, I found that it's very hard to find a person that could fulfill all the needs that I have. This is why I've decided to start putting up a few posts regarding beauty and fashion in the hopes that I can help someone just like me, someone in search of a person like them.