Review : NYX Slim Lip Pencil Lip Swatches ( 6 colours )

I have found a new love and craze - NYX Lip Liner Pencils. 

I love the finish and their lasting power. All the colours leave a matte finish except Tangeringe, which has a sheen to it. I can eat and drink and the worst that will happen is that they will rub off a bit. The darker colours don't stain my lips so taking them off at the end of the day is a breeze. Love love love it!

As you can see, my lips are quite pigmented so the colours have a different effect on me than they would on someone with lighter toned lips. I hope these lip swatches help you girls, who also have pigmented lips, make a decision when you buy these amazing lip liners.

NYX Lip Pencil 831 Mauve

I think Mauve would be great when you want some colour on your lips but you don't want anything too loud and colourful. This would also work great as a base for colourful lipsticks to really stand out on the lips. Some clear gloss on this and you have beautiful nude lips.

NYX Lip Liner Pencil 840 Rose

I'm a bit on the fence about Rose. It's a beautiful bright pink but I'm not sure if it's a good shade on my skin. I'm going to experiment a little more with this, maybe apply a darker pink lipstick on top?

NYX Lip Pencil 810 Natural

I love Natural! I think this gives a nude lip that doesn't wash me out. Because this colour is really simple, I can go a bit crazy on the eyes to balance the whole look on my face. I know Mauve and Natural look the same on my lips but that may be due to lighting. Mauve has a purple tone to it while Natural is more brown.

NYX Lip Pemcil 846 Tangerine

I have to admit, I am not a fan of the finish Tangerine leaves. I'm definitely in a 'Matte Lip Craze' right now so it doesn't really fit into my current tastes. I do like the peachy tone it has though, so I will keep it for future use.

NYX Lip Pencil 817 Hot Red

Merah mak ang ang ang! HAHAHA I love this shade! I think it looks really good on my tan skin. It doesn't bleed and I think my teeth even look whiter when I have this on. This + black winged lined eyes = Perfection

NYX Lip Pencil 812 Plum

The official lip colour for this Autumn. I adore how deep this colour is. I just fill in my brows and basically do nothing else when I wear this because all the attention will be on the lips so I'm not even going to bother spending time doing anything else LOL This is definitely my favourite out of all them.

I got these at either :

Amazon Japan - Rude Cosmetics . ￥477 each. It's a seller from the US so it'll take a week or two to get your stuff but it's worth it if you plan on buying more than 2 shades.

NYX Japan - Official Store . ￥800 each. Free shipping with no minimum purchase. Get yours here if you plan on getting 2 items or less. Takes 2-3 days to arrive on your doorstep.

Malaysia :

Colour Cosmetics Malaysia - website . Only RM15 each

Sephora - website . There are currently 9 Sephora stores in Malaysia. If you're going to go to Sephora, join their Card Program. You collect points, get discounts and get freebies when they have promotions. Definitely worth it!

Review : KATE Liquid Touch Powder Foundation

From the website : The KATE LIQUID TOUCH POWDER FOUNDATION formula in this foundation spreads smoothly and gives a moist finish. It stays put. It's super lustrous. The secret to irresistible skin.

I have been using this for almost 6 months now. I love it! It really does apply on smooth. It might seem a bit cakey at first but it will melt into your skin. My dry areas are also nicely covered and aren't highlighted like it would with other powder foundations I've tried.

I use the OC-D shade and it fits my skin tone pretty well. This also has SPF20++ so that's a plus. I notice that it doesn't oxidise and turn a darker shade during the day. I definitely recommend this for someone who can't be bothered with liquid foundation but wants an awesome finish to the skin.

Price: ￥2000(+tax)

Review : K-Colly Sweet 17

I've never been interested in trying out supplement products because I am big believer of getting vitamins and other nutrients through a healthy and balanced diet. Until one day when a friend of mine started talking about how K-Colly had helped her tremendously with her skin issues. Her problems started after trying out a local skincare brand that caused her skin to go crazy resulting in huge pimples that were not only uncomfortable but also painful. Of course, she immediately stopped using the skincare products and decided to try out K-Colly. K-Colly helped her skin clear up and in about a month, her skin was drastically better with about half of the pimples and irritations gone.

Because she wasn't trying to sell K-Colly to me and didn't pressure me at all to try it, I wasn't turned off. After reading a few blogposts about K-Colly reviews, I decided to give K-Colly a try.

Here is what I noticed after consuming K-Colly for about 2 months :

- my skin felt softer

- I was having some acne issues around my jaw area and the area is now completely acne-free

- my backne had reduced a lot; the acne that were already there dried up quickly and I hardly got any new ones

- my skin is less oily which results in products staying longer and better on my skin. I wear less foundation and hardly any concealer now yay!

You can consume it just as it is, 1/2 a scoop in the morning and night but it is too sweet for me so I usually mix 1 full scoop with a glass of water and drink this before I sleep.

I will probably continue consuming K-Colly but I am on my last bottle and I haven't found a stockist in Japan so I might have to stop for a while until I buy more in Malaysia HAHAHA

Anyways, if you have also tried out K-Colly, please feel free to leave your experience in the comment section below.

Getting A Job In Japan - Helpful Videos & Next Stage Asia

In addition to the preparation steps I've listed in my previous post (click this) you might also find these videos helpful. There are a lot of these kinds of videos on Youtube if these aren't to your liking.

These videos are from Next Stage Asia(link), a recruiting company that helps Japanese companies hire foreigners to join them. Create an account and they'll personalise updates for you based on the information you give them. They become like a bridge between the companies and you. This site caters to both students and working professionals. They also hold seminars in Tokyo to help you better understand the job hunting world and prepare you for it.

I did sign up for this in addition to Rikunabi and another recruiting agency that I'll discuss in a later post.

If there are any additional information that you would like to share, please feel free to comment below :D

Getting A Job In Japan - The Prep

As I'm sure many of you have read/heard, getting a job in Japan is a little different than how it's done in most countries. Japan's rigorous and, often times, exhausting practices are infamous. In this post I'll give a few advice about how to go through it and InsyaAllah get a job in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The job search season comes in full swing in December during your third year (if you're doing your undergraduate studies) so prepping would probably begin sometime during October. I actually started my job hunt a tad late because I had personal matters to attend to.

Preparation

1. Financially
Start saving a few months before you plan to start your job search. You will be travelling a lot whether to company briefings(会社説明会), job expos or interviews. All of this might not cost as much if you happen to live a stone's throw away from huge cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, where most of the aforementioned things take place. Take into account the travel expenses(交通費) and accommodation, should it be necessary. Companies usually(though not always) only pay for your travel and accommodation expenses during the final interviews. I think I spent close to ￥100,000 altogether, maybe more actually.

2. Mentally
2.1 SPI (Synthetic Personality Inventory) Tests
Most companies have tests as one of the first hurdles you have to overcome. These tests are usually the SPI Test, although some companies might have their own version of the test but it is very similar to the SPI Test. You can buy books that will help you prepare. Make sure you buy the most recent edition because the tests have undergone changes quite a few times over the years. Some websites offer free SPI practice questions. Google it.

2.2 Language
If it isn't obvious enough, you will be doing a lot of talking and writing during your job search. Having a strong grasp on the Japanese language will be a great advantage. Make a great impression on the interviewers with your communication skills and fluent Japanese. When filling out your forms, have a teacher or Japanese friend help you out. Get their input on your grammar and content.

2.3 TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)
When filling in your forms, they will usually ask for your TOEIC scores too. If you haven't already taken the TOEIC then do so a few months before you start your job search because it will take a month for the results to come out. Oh yeah, TOEIC-IP ( the ones you did at college/university that was administered by your college/university) cannot be used.
Regarding the JLPT, some companies will insist that you take it while some won't. Because the JLPT only takes place twice a year I would recommend taking it just in case, anyway. Having an N1 level JLPT will further reassure your future employers that you have a strong command of the language and will be able to adapt and assimilate seamlessly into the company.

3. Documents
If you're a transfer student (編入生), some companies will also ask for exam results during your college (高専) years so have those ready too. I asked for 4 copies of my exam results and subject credits when I graduated from college because my college and my university are quite far from each other and I didn't want to go all the way to Ibaraki from Gifu for a slip of paper (-.-")
Personally, I have yet to come across a company that also wanted my SPM results, but having them on hand would be safer, just in case, you know.

Also, talk with your seniors about their own experiences and learn as much as you can from them. Now would also be a good time for you to start thinking about what kind of company you want to work with, what jobs you would be interested to do and where, geographically, you would want to work.

If there are any other preparation tips that you would like to add, please feel free to comment down below.

ps/ Below is the schedule for job hunting during 2014/2015 for 2016 graduates. It seems they've made more room for students to participate in internships, club activities etc by delaying the company briefing. Take that as a hint to use that given gap of time to brighten your resume with some extra-curricular activities.

Photo from MyNavi 

My Honeymoon in the USA (New York, Florida, Washington DC)

In this post I'm just going to give a rough outline of my itinerary on the trip. We actually managed to do most of the things on the list whoop whoop! Our second day in Washington DC was kind of messed up because the night before a freaking snow storm happened. It made for a very beautiful morning but it did result in a lot of places being closed the next day. Thank God at least one of the museums in the Smithsonian was open or I would have bleeding cried right there and then.

Oh, I'm super lucky that because my little sister is currently studying there, so I just let her plan everything and she became our tour guide. We paid her with Kinder Beunos and IndoMee. Apparently it is really hard to find Kinder Beunos over there. How depressing, those things are delicious!

We used Google Docs to plan things out. Made things super easy. Everyone could see the plans and edit as they pleased. Thank you Google for making planning a holiday with someone half a world away so much easier.

Below are screenshots of our plans. Enjoy and I hope it'll help, no matter how small in your adventure plannings.

I should tell you that the whole theme of our honeymoon (and sister adventures LOL) was inspired by Gossip Girls. My sister and I love the show and seeing the spots that were in the drama in real life are squeal-worthy moments I will treasure forever. I thank God that He gave me a husband who loves me enough to go on a honeymoon which had a Gossip Girl theme LOL

You can click on the photos for a better view, the words are a little small. Apologies.

Qatar Airlines Review :
The check in was smooth though the lines were long because there weren't many counters open. The seats were fairly tight, but the highlight of the flight has to be the food. Everything was delicious! We had a transit in Kuwait and it was the first time I have ever set foot there. While the airport was large and I think recently renovated, it could have been way cleaner and handled guests better (there were people smoking in non-smoking areas!). On our flight back to Japan, we again had a transit in Kuwait and our flight was delayed by a whole day. There was barely any announcements and they did not have anyone manning the counters where we should have gotten our coupons to spend on food in the airport due to the delay. Overall, definitely would not fly with them again.

If you have any questions regarding my travels, just leave a comment or contact me through FB/Line/Twitter and whatever else you can think of. Thank you :)

Review : Clarins White Plus Pearl-to-Cream Brightening Cleanser

Photo from Clarins SG

The claim : The first beauty step towards immaculate skin. This cleansing cream takes the form of a fine, abundant mousse that combines a pleasant texture with the high efficacy of a formula rich in purifying and clarifying plant extracts.

My thoughts : I love this cleanser when it starts to get colder here because my skin starts to go from oily-combination to dry-combination. This cleanser won't leave a tight and plastic feeling on my skin like some cleansers do. My skin feels soft and moisturised after using this. My dry spots become smoother and softer too. It's also pretty good at getting makeup off, though I've never tried washing off waterproof makeup with this. 

I can't say I noticed any brightening(or whitening) effect while using this but that was never my intention when I bought this, anyway.

I definitely recommend this for normal to dry-combination skin. I feel like it would be too creamy for oily skin but that's a personal preference. It also smells lovely, not too scented. This is a high-end product so the price is a little steep but this will last you for at least 4 months, easy. You only need a small pea size of product to get a beautiful creamy foam.

Price : RM115 at Parkson

Universal Studios Florida - Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I remember reading a news update about how Harry Potter would come alive at the Universal Studios Florida but I never imagined that I would have the chance to actually step foot there. One more thing has been checked off my bucket list. Alhamdulillah :)

Love at first sight

Review : Rice Milk Soap and Tokyo Love Soap Premium

*Thoughts are my own. What works/doesn't work for me might have different effects on other people.

I wanted something new as my body soap so I decided to try the Tokyo Love Soap Premium and K Brothers Rice Milk Soap.

My experience with the Rice Milk Soap (RM5~10 depending on seller) :

First of all I want to say that I love the smell. It smells, well, like rice but with a floral hint to it. Whenever I use it, my whole bathroom will smell of it. Free perfume for my bathroom hehehe. When I first started I using it, I liked the effects. My skin became smoother and smelt nice for quite a few hours. However, after a week of using it my eczema started acting up (I get eczema on and off). This soap made my eczema worse. The area of skin with eczema would sting when the soap bubbles touched it. So, of course, I had to stop using it.

The fancy box

What the soap looks like

My experience with the Tokyo Love Soap Premium (RM65~90 depending on seller) :

After I stopped using the Rice Milk Soap, I started using this. This soap did not aggravate my eczema at all. There was no stinging or tingling sensation on the area of my skin with the eczema rash. This also smells awesome, it smells of roses! This didn't dry out my skin. I also noticed that my skin became a bit fairer and really smooth. The scent would last almost throughout the day. No need for deodorant! 

Review : Clinique Derma White Brightening City Block

*Thoughts are my own. What works/doesn't work for me might work for you.

Front and back view

I've been using Clinique products for about 4 years now. They were vital in helping my skin recover from the weather shock when I first moved to Japan. One of the things that I tried in their range was the Clinique Derma White Brightening City Block.

First of all, this product has a very strong chemical smell. You know that thick plastic-y smell that sunblocks have? Well, that is what it smells like. I seriously don't like the scent. Even though though the liquid has a yellow undertone, upon application it will leave a white cast on your skin so be careful not to use too much or you'll end up looking as pale as a ghost.

I like the fact that it has a high SPF but the consistency is too thick and oily for my oily-combination skin. I feel like after a few hours, the product just starts slilding around on my face and my face ends up looking patchy and blotchy, especially on my T-zone.

Left : consistency of the product; Right : what it looks like after blending it out a bit

I think this product would be better suited for those with normal, dry and dry-combination skin but not those with oily and oily-combination skin.