REVIEW: Too Faced's Pink Leopard Bronzer

I bought Too Faced's The Bronze & The Beautiful last year. In fact, it was featured in my very first haul entry! But silly me only played with it a couple of times and in it went into the dark recesses of my cupboard. It was only recently that I decided to blow the dust of the box.



The Bronze & The Beautiful contains 3 bronzers;

Snow Bunny: A skin perfecting winter bronzer
Sun Bunny: The cult favourite of medium bronze
Pink Leopard: Illuminating tropical tan

and a flat kabuki brush.


Without flash


With flash

I'm an avid fan of Blair (a.k.a. juicystar07) (I really don't care if her real name isn't Blair or if she did a nose job. I mean, she does pretty awesome makeup tutorials!) and she used to really like the Pink Leopard. So that was exactly the one which I dived into.

According to Too Faced's website, the Pink Leopard contains golden bronzes, gilded pinks and neutral fawns. You're supposed to get the much coveted and super sexy sun-kissed glow, like you just came back from an African Safari!


Without flash


With flash

Those who have met me know that I'm pretty fair and I like being fair. Asians. Haha. So I was pretty skeptical after I blew the dust off. But I didn't have anything else to do, so I decided to 'just do it'. And golly gee!!!

Okay, I don't know if I looked like I just got back from Africa but you bet I had THAT glow! I didn't even have that fabulous a tan when I was on my junior college's soccer team!

The colour doesn't go muddy on me and it blends perfectly with my fair skin. I like to pair this with Urban Decay's Polyester Bride as a brow highlight. Okay, I know. Weird matching; bronzer and brow highlight?!? But my everyday eye makeup is pretty light. It is only when I apply Polyester Bride that my whole face glows even more (Like is this even possible?!?)! I am guessing it's the contrast between the two of them but whatever it is, I look really awake, full of energy and it's like I swim every single day! XD

So unless you hate shimmers, Pink Leopard is going to garner as many muffin points for you as it has for me! :D

This set is available at Sephora for $63.

RAMBLINGS: BIG SIGH.

(I make small ticks by the side of paragraphs when I comprehend them perfectly.)

Thought process during online Calculus lecture:
Okay. Got it. Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Good good. Tick.
Tick.
Understood that. Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
(pauses) Ummm huh?!?
Umm...
Oh shit.
Untick.
Untick.
Untick.
...
Oh feck it.

Yeah, the lecture's still playing in the background.

RAMBLINGS: At the dinner table.

(Today's.)
Dad: Josh, there's papaya in the fridge.
Me: Ew. I hate papayas.
Dad: Charlene, there's papaya in the fridge. *cheshire-cat grin*

(I have a chronic pee disease. You'll know if you're with me before a paper.)
Me: I don't want to eat the fish.
Bro: You should eat the fish because...
Dad: Fish don't pee.
Bro: That was what I wanted to say!

Dad: Hey! I bought soya bean.
Me: Oh okay, thanks! (pauses) You bought the BEANS? *guffaws*

(Yesterday's.)
Me: Dad, I need soy milk for my Hershey syrups.
Dad: Drink them straight from the bottles.
Me: *stares at Dad* Siao arh?
Dad: Drink them bit by bit. *guffaws*

Dad: Why don't you attend lectures?
Bro: They are useless. During Chemistry lecture, I was doing my Physics homework. Someone behind asked me sth about the lecture and I could explain it to him.

LOOKBOOK: Because girls wear their hearts on their skirts.

Today's theme was 'Outrageous'. The initial plan was to wear a black asymmetrical skirt with inner mesh lining that sticks out, a white tee and an awesome black, gothic flower necklace. But the innate desire to blend into the crowd binned that idea.

Still, I stuck out. Of course.



F21's black lace tank top
Topshop's black cropped top
ASOS PETITE Knitted Heart Print Skirt
Random black knee-high socks



I think I looked like a Londoner. Or at least, I felt like one. I think it's the whole knitted skirt thing and long sleeves. (Think: Wet, gloomy London weather. Except that I'm in SG and the weather was nothing like that.)

REVIEW: Cure Water Treatment

Cure Natural Aqua Gel is big in Japan, having been ranked among the crème de la crème of skincare products on the popular Cosme website for a couple of years. The Cure staff has to deal with the opening of cartons of Cure Natural Aqua Gel everyday and as a result, suffer from dry hands. Not surprising, definitely. But what's surprising is that when the management found out, they came up with Cure Water Treatment *points above* for the staff!



I have been using mine for a while now, so it's probably left with its last couple of breaths. :\ Anyway, the Cure Water Treatment gives me the smoothest skin possible! I bring it to school whenever I remember to because the colder-than-Arctic lecture theatres dry up my skin so bad it gives me hands of a 60-year-old. ): I just need to squeeze a small drop from the tube, spread it over my hands and voilà! Hands that a 22-year-old should have! *BIG SMILE*

One thing to note though is that this product contains paraben as preservative and silicon. I definitely would not recommend it to be used on the face but I have heard of people who have done so.

This product is also unfortunately not available for sale (Because it really is meant for the Cure staff.). )': BUT BUT BUT it is given out during Cure roadshows for free!

(I'm not sure when the next roadshow will be held but the Cure fanpage does keep you in the loop of their happenings. (: What I do know is that Cure will be doing gondola displays at the end of March in 32 Watsons outlet so you may want to keep your eyes peeled them for any promotions and of course, the Cure Water Treatment. I know I will!)

P.S.: Just in case you're interested in the ingredients, here they are:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/ Peg-10/ 15Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Methylparaben, Sodium Citrate, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

UPDATES: What's up with Sunbathing Muffins?

Hey Muffins!

I just want to share 2 pieces of fabulous news with you!

First up, I won the Best StyleMyself Blogpost of the Month! Click here to read my post!





You can now see my banners *points above* on StyleMyself for a month! It's the first time Sunbathing Muffins has an advertisement so I'm really excited! Thank you Jenny, from Oasis Interactive, and StyleMyself!

The next piece of news is this...



Regina told me about this last week and as soon as I got the chance, I went down to Tampines 1's Sasa and snapped a picture! Yes, it's in Sasa! I'm not sure if other outlets have this as well but YAY!!! *jumps up and down* Haha. It really means a lot to me, even if it's just a small feature. At least, I know that my work is appreciated and knowing that's better than a massive makeup haul! XD

Anyway, I'm into the 4th week of school and the load's already the size of a mammoth so I'm back to working on Sunbathing Muffins once a week. Should you need to reach me, just drop me an email (Email address to your right!) or tweet me! :D

Lots of love,
Charlene J.

RAMBLINGS: The flame is to explode and not, implode.

tanky-tequila@tumblr
This is what my forest looks like now. The light's going out.
-

This week has been frustrating, academically. I haven't got the slightest idea as to which language the professors are chanting in. I know they are from China, with intelligence following like waterfalls but that metaphor also applies to the way they speak, sentences without any vestige of the existence of punctuations. The MAS 315 professor, especially. You can actually hear the 'Huh?!?' resonate throughout the entire lecture theatre each time he is done with a slide.

And I'm still waiting for a professor to tell us the difference between population and sample. How can you not do that for Statistics? Even if it's assumed knowledge, someone has to say something about it in some way, no matter how insignificant!

They just throw us all the technical stuff; formula after formula. No one bothers to explain the 'story' behind the, say, Binomial Distribution.

Math shouldn't be just words; empty and making no sense at all. It should be a story.

All these dumbass machines, characterized by their studying method (i.e. 死背。 I'm not so certain if the second character is right.), kill studying.
-

But what's more frustrating is that my initial flame is beginning to implode. And stupid me is dealing it the cowardly way; hiding under my blanket, doing everything else but study and pretending that everything will be okay tomorrow.

The 'tomorrow's will come to an end, dear Charlene.
-

Parting words: You didn't slog your ass off for the past gawd-knows-how-many-years to settle for an average degree. Magic doesn't happen. Hard work does.

LOOKBOOK: CNY was as red as it could get.

This was the look I sported on CNY Eve. I was trying to go for the vintage look with the curls and hairdo. The curls were achieved with the Babyliss Pro Ceramic Dial-a-Heat Tong (32mm).

Makeup was my usual;

Missha's B.B. Cream
Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon
CoverGirl's LashBlast Fusion
Urban Decay's Polyester Bride (Highlighter)
Too Faced's Papa Don't Peach (Blusher)
Maybelline's Dream Matte Powder in Fair



This was the dress I wore on the first day. It's a Mina Flower Print Dress (ASOS) and I love it so so SO much! The dress comes in only one size but it fits perfectly (I'm a UK6.). It's very comfortable and there's an inner lining inside, so it isn't the least bit sheer. (:

Alrighty, got to hit the books now. Toodles! (:

REVIEW: Maybelline's Dream Matte Powder

left: Fair (Light 0-1), right: Ivory (Light 2-3)
What are these?
These are pressed powders to keep the oilies away!

What's the packaging like?
It's a compact that flips open. The bottom can be swiveled out to reveal a mirror and a puff.

Which shades have you got?
Fair (Light 0-1) and Ivory (Light 2-3).



Hmmm... How do I make a decision between these two?
Fair has yellow undertones, whereas Ivory has pink. But really, when you blend them out, there is no difference.

Show me?



What do you apply these with?
EcoTool's Bamboo Powder Brush and the puff that comes with it.

What do the products claim to be?
"Air-Soft Matte Perfection. Oil-Free. Won't Clog Pores. Dermatologist Tested."

So... Air-soft matte perfection?
YES! On lazy days, when I can't be bothered with my B.B. cream (It's Missha, by the way and it's awesome!), I just brush this on and my complexion looks completely smooth and almost flawless!

Almost flawless?
Yes, well, this product doesn't provide much coverage. It does cover the slightly red patches on my face but for blemishes, I will need my B.B. cream for that.

Oil-free?
Hell yeah!!! For a school day that lasts around 8 hours (From the moment I step out of the house to the moment I step into the house.), I only need to blot once, or twice the max. It keeps my face completely shine-free and non-reflective!

Won't clog pores?
I started using it in December. I haven't noticed any clogged pores or anything like that.

Dermatologist tested?
Umm... You have to trust them on this.

Where do I get these?
Local drugstore haven't got them... BUT you can get them online at under-twenty20 for 10 bucks each! (:

RAMBLINGS: The beginning comes from an end.

I decided to replace 'Sunbathing Muffins' on Blogger with a personal blog. Blogger 'Sunbathing Muffins' was created because I was experiencing login problems on Onsugar and wanted a backup. But now that the problems have been resolved and I'm getting kind of jaded with my own personal blog, I decide to make a mishmash out of the 2.

'Sunbathing Muffins' will have beauty-related stuff only. As for 'Love, Charlene Judith', it's going to be all about me. Completely self-indulgent, self-wallowing... Everything me. And those beauty entries uploaded to 'Sunbathing Muffins'. It's probably going to be a lot about school, seeing that my whole life revolves around it now, many epiphanies that are quickly forgotten... The usual.
-

The CNY break was a revelation in many ways. Fingers crossed that when morning comes, I wake up with the revelation etched deep in my mind, as fresh as ever.

One 'major' decision that I have made is to tighten the rope round my neck and do the Final Year Project (FYP), instead of Internship (They are mutually exclusive. FYP is essential to be awarded first-class honours.). My GPA is a few points shy of being in the first-class honours range at the moment. I was adamant about doing Internship because I really did not think that my GPA would see any increment in the remaining semesters. Also, I really want to get the hell out of university (I really do not care much for my degree. At all.).

But the professor in-charge seems to think that I am capable of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Professor Adams' reply was the deciding factor, I guess. He wrote a very detailed and encouraging email. So I'm going to pack away my toys and work my ass off for the remaining semesters (Starting from tomorrow. Ha.).

Because if I'm going to do FYP, I sure as hell make certain that the first-class honours is mine.
-


goodbyedepression@tumblr

"The old-fashioned kind of love that leads to a shared home, a shared mortgage, Christmas trees, and children."

'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' is highly additive. Don't read it before bed because then, you won't get sleep.

"One more chapter. Just one more!"

UPDATES: I light firecrackers.

Hey Muffins (:

Before it officially rolls in, I just want to say

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, SWEETS!

I don't know about you, but Chinese New Year always seems so insanely warm to me. Maybe it's the new clothes. Haha. But I do hope you have an awesome time with your family and friends (and have a good break too)!
-

If you follow my tweets, I'm actually on a makeup ban, all the way till October. I know, it's insane of me to agree to such a ban. But umm... I broke it yesterday. So it should be 'I WAS on a makeup ban.'. I got myself the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary 24/7 Eyeliner Set (Of course it had to be an Urban Decay product!)! *jumps around*

Anyway, I lasted a month where the ban was concerned so that should count for something, no? Heh.

Skincare wise, I started using the Clarisonic Mia last Friday and I have been 'masking' a lot too. I HAVE to tell you guys to go get the My Beauty Diary's Bird's Nest masks! They are supremely moisturizing and they brighten up my face real good (I say 'real good' because I haven't exactly been sleeping well but I look as if I have.). A more detailed review will be coming up soon!

I have also created a Formspring account so you can go type in the questions that you have been dying to ask me! Haha! I'm just kidding. (:

And if you're into films, go check out my sister's blog! She writes film (and book) reviews and she does fashion posts as well (She's a lot more daring than me in the fashion department!).
-

This has been a really wordy entry! Reviews will be coming up next!

Lots of love to my 74 Onsugar readers! :D
Charlene J.

LOOKBOOK: Rain and boots go jolly well together!

I woke up yesterday to an incredibly wet morning. While most people would want to lie in bed all day, I was insanely excited to get up and prepare for school because I could wear my boots!!!

(Okay, I know boots don't equate to rain. But it's rather 'attention-seeking' in school. Otherwise, I will be in boots the entire of my life!)

F21's lace tank top
F21's plaid shirt
Topshop's black jeans
Americaya's boots

TADAHHH!!! The boots in all of their awesome glory!!! XD