REVIEW: Pony Effect Spray Paint Nail Lacquer

Nail polish used to be my thing, though I was never really good at using it, especially when it came to applying it with my left hand. I was also never good at keeping my nails unscratched, so they always looked ugly within a few days. Sometime last year, I started getting gel nails done, and I was so pleased at how pretty they were and how long-lasting they were compared to my own polish-painted nails! This eventually became my monthly hobby, and I would come up with different patterns and ideas for the lady to copy. Soft gel nails usually only last 2-3 weeks, but hard gel nails can usually last 4-6 weeks (of course by 6 weeks, the nails would've grown out too much and would look very ugly). Recently, I've been in hospital, and my nails had grown out so much that I had to get them cut by myself at the hospital. Eventually, two of them fell off by themselves, and that's when I noticed how soft and thin my nails had become - they were like paper! I knew I had to get all the gels removed, and take a break from gel nails.

This was when I came across these spray paint nail polishes! I originally only wanted to order the silver and blue, but then I realised they came in a set, and I could not purchase them separately. I ordered these from www.minikmall.com for HK$328 (US$41.60) for 5 cans, each can costs HK$65.60 (US$8.30). This set took around 2-3 weeks to arrive, because they said that spray cans could not be shipped by airmail, and needed to be shipped to HK via surface mail.

Pony Effect Spray Paint Lacquer Set (HK$328/US$42)

Colours:

#Secret Code (gold/yellow)

#PingPong Game (green)

#Chic Chico (blue)

#Go Play (purple)

#City Roller Coaster (silver)

The set also includes some stickers for you to decorate your nails with.

How To Use:

1. Apply base coat onto nails.

2. Give the bottle a good shake, and hold around 10-15cm away from your finger.

3. Spray onto your finger nail in a downward motion (towards fingertip). Repeat if necessary.

4. Apply top coat onto nails.

5. Wash away the nail lacquer on the skin with water.

To remove the lacquer from your nails, use your usual nail polish remover.

The Packaging:

They all come in a reflective gold cardboard box with a colour label on the top.

The cans look like this - not girly and pretty as such, and you can only see the colours from the front, but if I were to put these into a box, I would've hoped to see which colours I would be taking out on the lid, instead of having to guess the colour of each.

Here is a swatch of the five colours under natural lighting.

All the colours turned out pretty okay, except for the green. Even after a few sprays, the green still appeared to be thin, uneven, and cheap. The silver, blue, and the purple looked pretty good, though the gold was a bit too yellow for my liking. I actually quite liked the silver, as it's quite bold in colour, and it's unlike the colour of other silver nail polishes. I didn't add a top coating to these, as I wasn't planning to have multi-colour fingers. With the exception of the silver, all the other colours washed off pretty easily. I had to use my nails to scratch away the silver, as it wasn't as easy to wash off.

The next day, I decided to make my nails silver and blue. I added the base coat from Missha, the paint lacquer, and the top coat from Missha. The top coat actually makes the nails appear to be more glossy rather than matte. When I tried to wash off the excess paint on my skin, the blue on the nails washed off too (I didn't even rub it with my fingers). Most of the silver remained on my nails, but a little bit chipped off too.

The Verdict:

The idea behind these paint sprays are amazing, but only if the colours had stayed ON my nails instead of having being washed off so easily under water. I wonder what would happen if I washed my hands with soap and water! I also ended up having a blue sink, and I had to rub the blue off (I started off using nail polish remover, but it took too long and I had to literally scrub my sink, and then I started using my Young Living Thieves Household Cleaner, and it got the job done within a few seconds! These were fun to play with and easy to use (even with my left hand), but I would definitely not repurchase again! Will try again using a different brand of base coat and top coat, but I doubt it would make a difference!

If you want to find more about Young Living products, you can go here.

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

My Winter Skincare Regime

GENIE IS BACK!!!

It's been SOOO long since I've blogged - I did become a little put off by the fact that one of my blogposts was suddenly deleted without my consent, and RSS Feeds stopped working anymore. Since then, I've been really busy with my life with the two kids, trying to find a job, my severe back pain, and MaskGenie. Most importantly, I just lacked the motivation to blog, especially not being able to find something that I really wanted to blog about and something that was worth blogging about.

In this blogpost, I'd like to talk about the products that I'm using now, after having switched to products suitable for the super dry winter climate.

Since November, I've been slowly incorporating richer products into my skincare regime. I've been using products from CNP Laboratory since summer, and it has really helped to boost the water level in my skin. During the home care facial that I had at Shiseido's as a part of the birthday special they offer for VIPs, they used a special device to check my skin, and they found that my face was highly hydrated (all thanks to the CNP Laboratory products I had been using), but my skin slightly lacked collagen.

When winter was approaching, I realised that CNP products were not moisturising enough for my skin (even after switching to a heavier face cream), so since then, I have been incorporating Shiseido products into my regime, though the first night I started using them all (I was too excited to try them all), I broke out on my forehead. This didn't stop me from continuing with Shiseido products though, but I did stop for a few days before slowly adding them back in. During the days that I broke out, I used these products:

CNP Laboratory Hydro Intensive Toner

LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence

CNP Laboratory Dual-Balance Waterlock T/U Serum

CNP Dortoray Intensive Hydrating Cream

I also used a few Dr. Morita masks to help calm my skin and soothe the breakouts.

After recovering from the breakouts, I slowly added the products into my regime, sometimes adding the emulsion, sometimes adding the toner, until my face felt stable and okay with adding them in.

I'm currently using up a random cleanser from Memebox - Awesome Aqua Whip Hug Foam Cleanser. Nothing special, doesn't clean very well and quite drying for the face especially in this weather. Will not repurchase.

 Currently using up another Memebox toner - Tosowoong Timeshift Skin Toner. It's more like a gel rather than a watery type of toner, not so moisturising, but it cleans very well and makes the cotton pad brown after swiping it on my face and neck. Will not repurchase. During the days after my Lipodermis treatment, I use the CNP Laboratory Hydro Intensive Toner instead, as my skin is very delicate then. Will consider repurchasing since this is very moisturising and gentle.

I don't always use an essence anymore (I used to use the IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning religiously, but stopped during summer), but when I remember to, or when my face reminds me that it's extra dry, I'll use the DM Intensive Hydrating Essence. The essence itself is great, leaves a slight sticky feeling, but the pump sucks. My sister-in-law gave this to me, but I don't know if I'll repurchase since it is kind of pricey. When my face is super dry, I'll apply the IOPE Essence before applying the DM one. This is my second bottle of IOPE Essence, but I'm not sure whether I would purchase a third one, since I don't use it as often anymore.

When I know I'll be putting on makeup the next day or when my face really needs that extra water boost, I'll use the Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate before using my usual serum, followed by the Ultimune Eye for the eyes. I realised that my makeup does adhere better, and my face is less dry after using the Ultimune line, but they are kind of pricey, so I'm not sure whether I would repurchase. I don't use these everyday, so I'm hoping they'll last me for a while before my next repurchase.

As for the serum, I have the most expensive serum that I've ever purchased - Shiseido's Vital-Perfection White Circulator Serum. I started with a deluxe sample, but finished that, and opened up the full size. I use two pumps of this on hubby's face, and his face reacts very well to it (did I mention that he breaks out using most products but not this one?), but I did break out on the first two times of use. I use 1.5 pumps on my face, massage it into my face, and a few times more on my cheekbones (where the hyperpigmentations are). May consider repurchasing but I'll need to save up for it.

I admit I've been lazy with eye creams lately, I think it's because CNP Laboratory products can all be applied around the eyes, so I've been too lazy to apply other things, but seeing it's winter, that's when lines start to appear, so I decided to do something about my dark eye circles and fine lines. I was looking for Christmas presents at Fresh when I decided I want something for myself too, so I got a Christmas Set that came with a Black Tea Eye Cream, a Black Tea Cream, and a Black Tea Sleeping Mask. Despite it being an eye cream, it's very light and easy to blend. It doesn't cause milia. The full-size product is really expensive, so I'm not sure whether I'll repurchase, but if it does do something for my dark eye circles and lines, I will consider saving up for it. Before I started using the eye cream from Fresh, I tried a sample of an eye cream from Shiseido that was really rich, but felt nice and smooth after blending, and really did seem to do something for fine lines, but I bet it's really expensive just by looking at the packaging.

 

As for the night cream, first off there's the one from Shiseido - Vital-Perfection Sculpting Lift Cream. It is rich and moisturising, not oily, but its perfumey scent is really strong. After realising that my face was okay with using such rich creams, I decided to take out my long lost favourite, the IOPE Super Vital Extra Moist Cream. I used to love this cream, but there was a time after I gave birth to my second child, that I couldn't use anything heavy on my face, otherwise I would breakout. I tried it again, and my face loves it again. The only problem with this cream is that if you take too much of it, it does feel a bit oily. I now use the little spatula I got from CNP Laboratory to scrape the top layer of the cream a few times to get what I need, and this ensures I don't get too much, because you really don't need a lot! Out of the two creams, I think I prefer the IOPE one, as it's actually more moisturising, and the scent is more acceptable. As for the price, Shiseido is more than double the price of IOPE! Plus, I still have two more deluxe tubs of the IOPE, so I won't need to repurchase in a while!

I also have another cream sample that I use - A-True Darjeeling Black Tea First Anti-Wrinkle Cream, but because it is actually quite light, so I use it in the mornings instead. Light in the day, heavy at night. The A-True cream actually smells like black tea which is really nice and relaxing. Probably won't repurchase though, since Memebox products are quite hard to source.

Every night, I apply the Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy followed by the L'erbolario Shea Butter Lip Balm. I absolutely cannot live without this lip balm - this is my second one! I used to have serious flaking lips, and nothing would help except this lip balm! They recently ran out at the shop, so I got their Natural Glossy Lip Balm as a spare, but it's nothing like a lip gloss that you normally think of, nothing in the cosmetic sense, instead it's like a tube filled with different essential oils, and is super moisturising to the lips! It has a slight flowery-herbal scent, but nothing synthetic.

In the mornings, I keep it simple. I wash my face with cold water. That's it, no cleansers or anything, just plain water. Then, I follow with my Tosowoong toner, CNP Laboratory Waterlock T/U Serum, Shiseido Vital-Perfection Emulsion, and CNP Doctoray Intensive Hydrating Cream or A-True Black Tea Cream. The CNP Laboratory Dual-Balance line is my absolute "go-to" for summer - I used the toner, serum, and cream from the same line during summer, whilst hubby uses the A-Clean line!

Next, I apply my CNP Doctoray Real Perfect Sunblock which has a UVA PA+++ and UVB SPF 50+, AND it has a slight tint to it (I blogged about the summer edition before, but that's the post that got deleted), but I really can't tell you enough by words how much I love this! My face is matte and oil-free all day long!

If, for some reason, my skin feels dry during the day, then I'll use a mist spray - I swear by the Recipe By Nature Spray Essence Water, but if I'm wearing makeup, I'll use the Recipe By Nature to prep my skin before applying makeup, and the CNP Laboratory Quick Soothing S.O.S. Mist over makeup. I've lost count of how many Recipe By Nature mists I've used, but it's definitely a lot, and the great thing is that it's free from mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, synthetic dye, triethanolamine, and parabens! The S.O.S mist is great as not many mists can be used over makeup, and this one can because the particles are very small, and won't leave droplets over your face after spraying. The S.O.S mist also smells of rose, but it's not overwhelming or annoying.

Other products that I use every now and then:

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner
I actually like its predecessor more (I blogged about it here), but this one is still pretty good and convenient to use. Not suitable for sensitive skin.
CNP Laboratory Deep Enzyme Powder Wash (click here for the review)
Absolutely love this powder wash - it's very gentle, yet it cleanses and minimises pores.

CNP Laboratory Anti-Pore Black Head Clear Kit (click here for the review)
I absolutely swear by this blackhead set, and would definitely recommend it to others! After using the first mask, all the impurities really float to the top, and it doesn't require much effort to squeeze out the blackheads using a blackhead extractor!

Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask
Started using this recently. There's no need to apply night cream before using this mask, only requires a thin layer, and leaves face feeling super moisturised - probably will not repurchase due to the high price tag.

I also use lots of different masks - sheet masks, sleeping masks, and wash-off masks.

That's a lot of CNP Laboratory products as well as the newly added Shiseido into the family! I must say that my face really does look flawless and has a glow after incorporating Shiseido products into my daily skincare regime! I also have a Lipodermis treatment done every 3-4 weeks, and I've noticed that my skin is back to being flawless, as well as my pores being slightly minimised. The only downside to these treatments is how painful they can be - it's like a facial scrub, but much more intense, and much more painful! Will talk more about them later in another post.

I used to be reluctant to use and eat products made in Japan, especially after the radiation leak, and having heard several stories from friends and families about the side effects and things that happened to their close friends after visiting Japan and everything, but nonetheless, one day I decided to try some of their makeup products since I've heard many good things about their products, and that's when I received some of their skincare samples to try, and I absolutely fell in love with the results! By the way, I love their makeup products too, but those will have to wait for another post.

As you can see, the Shiseido products that I have are mainly in sample sizes. Shiseido gives out many samples to try, and I have yet finished them all, so I haven't purchased anything in full size other than the serum. The only thing I don't really like about Shiseido's products is probably the perfumey smell and the high price tag to them, but other than that, Shiseido is awesome and I'd definitely recommend this brand to friends and family! Shiseido always comes out with these trial packs, and they're a great way to be able to try everything! Shiseido HK also has a VIP programme, so that's even more samples to try, as well as having birthday treats and discounts! What's more is that they even have samples for loose powder and other makeup items! Look below at the photo where the tub on the left is the loose powder in its full size, and the one in the middle is the deluxe size, and the deluxe also comes with a small puff inside the container! This loose powder is the best I've used, like seriously!

Okay, so that's a fairly long post with lots of products and lots of photos. I hope to see you guys soon in my next post, which hopefully won't take another 6 months to write.

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

If you guys have any questions about the products, please comment below :)

REVIEW: OSEQUE HIGH-END TOUCH SPF34 PA++

This product has been continuously showing up on my Facebook news feed, so as a beauty blogger, I knew I had to get it!

This is the Osèque High-End Touch in shade 21 Light Beige. This product was also mentioned in the "Get It Beauty 2015", hence its popularity.

The Osèque High-End Touch comes in two shades:
#21 Light Beige#23 Natural Beige

Volume: 30ml

Product Features
Soft and fantastic colour
Soft moisturisation all day long
Colour which improves the beauty of all types of skin tone
Youthful skin with dazzling sparkle
Contains new material RonaFlair® (sapphire structure)
Fine wrinkle hiding effect using light diffusion
Expression of 3D facial features
Moisturising and nourishing makeup
Contains propolis, fermented bifidus lysate
1 bottle of essence for reinforced nourishing powder
Makeup and skin care at the same time
Convenient applicator
Roller type for easy and convenient application on curvy facial features
No lumping even after multiple applications
Sebum control for maintenance of balance
Moisture upon application, with fluffy finish
Sebum control for refreshed makeup all day long
Whitening care with blemish elimination
Wrinkle care for firm skin
Sunlight and UV ray blockage (SPF34, PA++)

Major Ingredients

Lorna flare (synthetic sapphire) , propolis extract, non-seafood appetiser for fermentation, six kinds of plant callus culture extracts (green tea, cactus, rice, tomato, carrot, lotus).

It comes in an elegant and sleek, black plastic bottle with a roller applicator. The lid (and even the shape of the bottle) reminds me of Chanel's products.

The roller applicator is perfect for lazy people like me, as there's no need for foundation bases or brushes or sponges anymore; however if you don't like the idea of using a roller on your face, you can easily pop off the applicator and apply it with your hands or usual applicators.

When you press the button on the side a few times, the foundation will leak out, so that you can easily roll it over your face. It does, however, get a little messy if you press the button too many times, and too much foundation squirts out at once. Sometimes, the foundation doesn't roll onto the roller applicator, so you may need to use your finger to wipe it off the applicator to put onto your face, then to use the roller applicator to blend.

The Osèque High-End Touch comes with skincare benefits too ~ anti-wrinkle, whitening, and SPF34, so it's not just an ordinary foundation! 

How To Use
After using your usual moisturiser, press the switch on the container, and roll the roller puff evenly onto the face. Press the switch several times so the contents are squeezed upwards. To wash the puff, old the puff and pull upwards to detach.



If you have trouble getting the foundation on the corners of your nose, you can try dabbing the applicator onto the area instead of rolling it on.


If anyone is interested, I did a tutorial & review video on the Osèque High-End Touch. I just realised that it's a pretty long video (oops!).

COMPARISON: OSÈQUE High-End Touch vs. JENNY HOUSE Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation

In the first photo, I only applied the Osèque High-End Touch onto the left part of my face. If you look carefully, you will see that my dark eye circles are less dark, but it didn't really change the colour of my skin. There are no obvious differences yet. 



In the second photo, I am applying the Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation onto the other half of my face.



If you look carefully in the photo below, you can see that my dark eye circle is concealed better on the right hand side. I do have quite a few moles (as shown in the photo above), but the small one below my eye is not as obvious anymore. The Jenny House Stick Foundation does a better job at concealing dark eye circles and small moles.

On the left: Osèque High-End Touch

On the right: Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation

As you can see, with the photo on the left, the pores on my nose are not obvious, whereas with the photo on the right, the foundation seems to be stuck inside the pore. The Jenny House Stick Foundation is obviously more dry, as it is, after all, not a liquid foundation, hence sinks into the pores, so until the nose starts creating oil, the pores will still appear to be powdery. So, in this case, the Osèque High-End Touch seemed to do a better job at making the face appear poreless! As for the fine lines under the eyes, I think both give similar results, but Jenny House's Stick Foundation is slightly better, due to the better concealing function.

Overall, I think the Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation still wins. The reasons are:

1) It's in the form of a stick, so it won't leak or spill, so it will be easy to carry around.

The button on the Osèque may accidentally be pressed when put inside your handbag, so it may leak.

2) The design is really convenient, as my hands don't get dirty your hands at all.

The Osèque can get quite messy, and you may need to use your hands to apply the foundation onto your face, before using the roller applicator.

3) It gives more coverage, so I don't even need to use a concealer unless I have a pimple or something big to cover up.

The Osèque gives a more natural look, so its coverage is very low.

4) It leaves my skin matte even after a whole day outside.

The Osèque doesn't make my face oily, but the finish is more dewy.

5) The retail price is much cheaper than the Osèque (Jenny House is selling for USD25, whereas the Osèque is USD33).

Overall, the Osèque High-End Touch is a good product if you don't need much coverage - it gives a natural look for everyday wear. The colour stays and doesn't wear off until you wash it off with makeup remover. It is very light-weight, isn't drying for the face, and makes your face look brightened. The bonus is that it contains many natural ingredients, as well as a serum included, so that it is not only a foundation, but also a skincare product. The main downside of this product is still its applicator, as it can get a little messy.

Rating: 8/10

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

MaskGenie Giveaway!!!

UPDATE: Winners have been announced on the Rafflecopter app!
Congrats to Judy Menacker and Pegi Hoffman!!!

Thank you for everyone's support in MaskGenie for the past few months!!

To thank everyone, we have decided to do a Giveaway, where we are giving away TWO PRIZES to TWO WINNERS!!!

Annie's Way has kindly sponsored us with two Annie's Way Trial Sets to give away as part of our prizes, of which, both come in beautiful Annie's Way pouches. We will also add in an assortment of Asian masks to give to each of the winners.

Each Annie's Way Trial Set includes:
1 x Willowherb Herb Balancing Jelly Spray 12ml
1 x Gigawhite Whitening Jelly Spray 12ml
1 x Calendula Softening Jelly Spray 12ml
1 x Lavender Relaxing Jelly Mask 35ml
1 x Annie's Way pouch

HOW TO ENTER:

• Enter via Rafflecopter.
• All entries will be verified and anyone who has multiple accounts will be disqualified!
• Qualified entries will then be randomly drawn.
• I will notify the winner within 24 hours after the contest ends. The winner will then have 36 hours from then to contact me with the following information: their full name and mailing address.
  If the winner does not contact me within 36 hours, another winner will be drawn, and the original entry will be null and void.

Starting Date: 12am on Saturday 11th April, 2015

Ending Date: 12am on Saturday 18th April, 2015

(HKT +8H GMT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OTHER INFORMATION:

By entering this Giveaway, you are agreeing to the following terms:

• The winner is responsible for verifying the products and their contents and to determine the suitability of those products for their own needs. geniesfavproducts is not responsible for the actual products and ingredients inside the products.
• This Giveaway is only open internationally.
• The winner is responsible for any custom and/or import duties in their country. geniesfavproducts and MaskGenie are not responsible for those fees.
• You must be 18 years of age or above, or must have the express permission of a parent or legal guardian to enter and receive the prize.

I joined the Blog Hop Giveaway held by The Glitter Chic. To see the other giveaways, please click on the button below:

For more information on MaskGenie, please visit our website:
http://www.skinilove.com

Good Luck!!!

REVIEW: KRACIE MOISTURISING FACIAL MASK EXTRA MOIST

MaskGenie Challenge Mask 9: Kracie Moisturising Facial Mask Extra Moist

This mask came in a thick cotton mask with a unique pattern and texture, no scent, and soaked in a lot of essence. The mask was quite big for my face, and it even covered under my chin area, and I had to overlap some parts to make it fit better on my face. My nose was not covered at all again. It's a 5-10 minute mask, so it's perfect if you just want a quick fix. After removing the mask, my face seemed to be slightly red, and there was some essence left for me to massage in. My face felt soft and moisturised, and I didn't need to apply any heavy moisturiser afterwards; however, the next morning, I realised my nose to be quite dry and flaky (not sure whether it was the makeup or the mask - I usually have super dry skin after using makeup, but it's rare to see it dry and flaky even having used a mask the previous night).

Rating: 7/10

REVIEW: MY SCHEMING BIRD'S NEST COLLAGEN HYDRATING MASK

MaskGenie Challenge Day 3: My Scheming Bird's Nest Collagen Hydrating Mask (Taiwan)

There was a lot of essence in the mask and it was dripping wet when I took it out of its packaging. This is a 20-30 minute mask which gives you plenty of time to relax, but also not so great if you don't have much time to spare before you head to sleep. There's not much of a scent, so that's good if you have sensitive skin or an itchy nose. The fit is great except for the nose area (it doesn't cover the sides of nose again). After removing the mask after 30 minutes, there was still a lot of essence left on my face, and it took me a while to massage it all in. It did, however, leave a slight sticky feeling on some parts of my face. My face felt tightened and hydrated (I ended up using less products in the rest of my skincare regime that night too).

Rating: 8/10

REVIEW: BEAUTY MATE 3D MULTIPLE REFINING & REVITALISING SNAIL MASK (LEVEL UP)

This is the second mask that I'm trying for the MaskGenie Challenge!

MaskGenie Challenge Day 2: Beauty Mate 3D Multiple Refining & Revitalising Snail Mask Level Up (Taiwan)

There was sufficient amount of essence - it wasn't dripping wet, but it was enough to last 10-15 minutes. The good thing about this mask is that it is fragrance free, so it's particularly good if you have sensitive skin! The coverage is okay - the area below my nose and above my mouth was too long, so I had to push it up to avoid it touching my lips, and again, the sides of my nose were not covered. I was slightly disappointed to see that the mask was not a 3D one as claimed in its name. After removing the mask, there was still a lot of essence left on my face, and as I was massaging it into my face, I felt that the essence was very water-like (not sticky or thick at all), and it absorbed quickly into my skin too (like how water would). There was no sticky feeling left on my face afterwards, and surprisingly, I realised that the milia on my chin weren't bumpy anymore (this was very surprising, because they seemed impossible to get rid of)! Despite the wonders of the mask, my face felt slightly dry afterwards and desperately needed to apply moisturiser.

Overall Rating: 8/10