Jipi Japa Featherweight Flats

Whenever I'm traveling, I like to bring one fashionable (mid to high heeled) and one comfortable (flats) pair of shoes. Because honestly, I want to look good in photos. Who doesn't? I'm definitely one to endure mild pain for fashion. (hello i'm G, and i'm a fashion victim.)

Long story short, I went to Hong Kong and wore my most comfortable lace up wedged heels on the first day and my feet were killing me by late-afternoon. Bought a pair of Ipanema ♡ accented slippers just to make it through the night and by the next day my Pink Nike hi-cuts were not THAT comforting anymore. So I decided to search for a pair of ballet flats and found myself inside Jipi Japa at Langham Place.

"Jipi Japa is a comfortable and casual ladies footwear brand launched in Hong Kong in Fall/Winter 2006. It is originally a Spanish word pronounced as ‘Hepe Hapa’. Jipi Japa aims to become a key player in the footwear industry with the distinctive positioning as a comfortable and yet stylish footwear brand."

I couldn't agree more. Please say hello to my aching feet's savior:

sorry for the dusty sole, i've been wearing it a lot. The rubber sole makes me feel like i'm walking on sunshine ohhh! *apologies for bursting into song* 

They're lightweight and stretchy = comfortable, it puts my Tory Burch Reva flats to shame (and at half the price!) Plus it looks simple and cute, I can easily pair it with most of my clothes and bags. I will happily visit and purchase another pair when I go back to Hong Kong.

got any favorite brands for trusty ballet flats? Do share! :)

♡,

G

Melliesh All in One Mineral Powder

The Melliesh "All-in-one Mineral Powder" set is one of the two base makeup offerings released for Yui Kanno's brand. It comes with a 5g jar of mineral loose powder and a synthetic stippling brush with a pink handle.

The japanese gyarus are getting more clever in luring beauty junkies into buying everything they peddle don't you think? This set retails for HKD170 (approx. USD22) which I think is quite reasonable for the quality of the powder + brush set.

the small jar comes with a sifter cap to avoid spillage and it gives more control on how much product you want to take out of the jar.

 a natural beige shade with slightly yellow undertone and some coverage, it compliments my skin very well and leaves a semi-matte finish once blended into the skin.

It gives off a soft and smooth, natural look and prolongs the wear of foundation / BB cream. I tried it to set the Nanoce BB cream and it was a match made in heaven for me. Sadly, I have realized (and accepted) that I am allergic to mineral makeup as small bumps would instantly appear on my face when I wear anything defined as "mineral makeup". Although I have yet to distinguish which particular ingredient is causing this, for now its safer to stay away from it. A shame, because I like it very much. *locks it in the blog sale stash*

The stippling brush included is surprisingly decent and usable. The synthetic hair is soft and it does a good job in applying the loose powder. I also think it adds appeal and value to the set. Just be sure to wash the brush before letting it touch your face!

♡,

G

BB Craze: Nanoce BB Moist Cream No. 2 Healthy Ochre

One of the most popular BB creams in Japan, Ishizawa Lab's Nanoce BB Moist Cream is described as a "natural moisturizing cream for all skin types". 

I picked up the darker of only 2 shades, 02 Healthy Ochre which is a good match for my yellow toned, NC30 skin tone.

A little goes a long way,  a tiny drop (.5 cm) is enough for the whole face. 

Consistency is very smooth and creamy which makes it blend easily on the skin. Although its looks very yellow in the photo, its actually a good match for me because like most asians, I have yellow undertones. Being an all-in-one product, I figured it would be nice to take when traveling. Saves up space in the cosmetic case since I wont be needing separate sunscreen, primer, foundation and concealer. It feels moisturizing too. But I wouldn't dare to depend on a BB cream for skin care functions.

It gives off a semi-matte with a bit of a glowy finish (if that makes sense at all), leaves no grayish cast and can last all day (12 hours) if set with powder. It doesn't settle into fine lines, has good oil control and does not cake easily when layered. It offers medium coverage and can be layered to conceal blemishes for a flawless yet natural look.

Now for its weakness, Nanoce BB Moist Cream is not available locally, I got mine in CitySuper, Hong Kong for HKD248 (approx. USD32) which is quite expensive for a BB cream. I also dislike the screw-cap as I tend to drop and lose things. 

But overall, its a high-quality BB cream. I would likely repurchase if ever I run out of it. I would recommend this if you have normal-combination skin like me. 

Hurray for Friday! Have a fun weekend ahead!

♡,

G

Dior Addict Lipstick in 322 Beige Perfection, 333 Nude

The new Dior Addicts are high-shine, lightweight, moisturizing lip colors similar to CHANEL's Rouge Coco Shines.

I got 322 Beige Perfection and 333 Nude because my collection needed more natural looking lip colors. These retail for HKD230 (approx. USD29) each which is very close to the US price.

packaging comparison: top, old Dior Addict vs. bottom, new Dior Addict

I actually prefer the old Dior Addict packaging because its simpler and the duo-chrome effect is more obvious. The new tube, confused me at first. In the Dior counter, I tried twisting and pulling what I thought was a cap, but that was just my excitement, I later learned that you only have to pull the "knob" gently out of the duo-chrome DIOR tube just like the old one. Silly me.

322 Beige Perfection

322 Beige Perfection is a shining rosy pink. The formula feels a tad gritty because of the micro shimmer, but I can definitely feel the improvement from the old Addicts where the shimmer can really be felt as they are slightly bigger. I really like this shade, it looks pretty but still natural. The shiny effect makes my lips look plump.

333 Nude

333 Nude is a milky peach kind of nude which I find really flattering on my NC30 skin tone. It is tricky to find a pretty, nude lipstick because it tends to wash out complexions. But this one enhances my overall look, not over empowering, not hard to match with eye and cheek colors. So far the second most beautiful nude lipstick in my collection (Guerlain Rouge G Gardenia is numero uno). The texture of 333 actually reminds me of YSL's Rouge Voluptes, so creamy. Its definitely a winner in my book!

left: 322 Beige Perfection right: 333 Nude

The lipsticks have a "melt in your lips" texture which feels luxurious yet comfortable. My only gripe about the new formula is that it tends to dry and chap my lips after a few hours of wear which is ironic since these are supposed to be moisturizing lip colors. I would  recommend exfoliating the lips before wearing to minimize chapping.

Short Comparison for Dior Addict and CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine:

Pigmentation: Dior = CHANEL

Moisturizing ability: Dior < CHANEL

Price: Dior < CHANEL

Shine: Dior = CHANEL

Velvety feel: Dior = CHANEL

Longevity of wear: Dior > CHANEL

Shade selection: Dior (56) > CHANEL (25)

Hope this helps. Thanks for reading!

♡,

G

HK "Gift To Self" Haul

Shoot. I've abandoned my blog again. Apologies my lovelies! You know how it is when real life gets in the way of blogging duties ya? ;) I got a lot of requests on Twitter to share photos of the stuff I got during my recent trip to Hong Kong. Its been a while since I did a haul post, so I figured I'd give it a go. 

OMGee. I couldn't just tell you how much fun and destructive it is (for the wallet) to shop with a fellow beauty blogger.  I have to SHOW you.

*waves hello to Jennifer*

here's a group pic:

close ups:

I'm running really low on my current Aqualabel skin care so I took advantage of the reasonably priced box set + enhancer at SaSa :)

also stocked up on my favorite bubble hair dye because selection is better and its so much cheaper in Hong Kong with all the promotions during the July SALE.

Sweet Apricot and Dark Chocolat

My Beauty Diary LE Masks and Sweet Teatime Set :)

I'm so excited to try these, the packaging is so darn cute!

Orbis UV Cut Sunscreen and Foam Esthe pack:

the sunscreen is the new version I've been told, hence the new packaging color.

loaded up on essential and portable brushes, the price difference between Hong Kong and Manila is huge especially for Shu Uemura brushes (my favorite brand).

I finally have S.U. 18R and the MAC 187  (my first MAC brush)! *happy dance*

base makeup, all powders were recommended by my dear friend/ evil enabler J. :P

The Nanoce BB moist cream was not on my "shoplist" but I was surprised when I saw it at CitySuper so I grabbed it. I've been wanting to try it for the longest time because of Nic Nic's good feedback and HG status. Go see her FOTD's to see what I mean. :)

Make Up For Ever:

I've been testing the black one, my review will be posted soon.

BeneFit:

liquid pearl luminizer, brightening makeup base and a foaming wash (sample)

Blushers:

JS Milky Strawberry and BeneFit Sugarbomb

Dior Addict Lippies in 322 and 333. 

Natural looking shades in the beige family. <3

Eye makeup:

you didn't think I was going back without some DollyWink cuteness did you? ^___^

also, I caved in and finally got a Helena Rubinstein mascara at HKIA Duty Free. xD

last but definitely not the least, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows!

OMfrigginGee. I feel like doing a blog sale, sell all my e/s palettes and just collect all the ETK shades. Serious!

I hope you enjoyed the haul post as much as I had a blast shopping for them. *evil laughter* hey, its my birthday haul! lol. the lamest excuse. I know.

Have a great Monday!

♡,

G

Liese Mocha Orange

Ola chicas! I can't believe this is my first blog entry for July. Apologies for my long absence! I'm doing my best to keep up. <3

Anyway,

My dark roots were already annoying to see so I looked at my stash for my backup bubble hair dyes, I chose Mocha Orange after browsing google images.

this is my previous hair color, its Liese Ash Brown which can already considered as "very light color hair" as you can see on the chart. 

Its also quite flattering for my yellowish skin tone.

Now you can see the Mocha Orange shade. I left the bubble dye on for 30 minutes and got this result:

please don't mind the pesky, won't be tamed strands. xD

Its looks really bright under sunlight:

Its a very pretty "summer" shade, do you like your hair lighter during hotter months/seasons? Obviously I do. What do you gals think? 

If you want to see detailed instructions for Prettia/Liese bubble hair dye and previous hair colors just look it up on the search tab. ;)

Happy hump day!

♡,

G