Mascara Mondays - Dasoda Mega Volume Mascara!

It's been awhile since my last mascara review and I figured I should get started on some of the items from my Tokyo beauty haul ^_^ In effort to be relevant to my location (i.e Sunny Sweaty Singapore), I picked one that's widely available at the alt beauty corner in BHG, Sasa and Watsons~

 

This is the Mega Volume Film-type mascara from Dasoda~

Priced at S$25.90

As you can see from that proud golden (=\ looks yellow in the pic) sticker on the top, this mascara was No. 1 (Mascara category) in the 2011 (May 1st - July 31st) @cosme ranking!

Back of the box:

Because I bought this in Japan, there isn't the usual English translation we get in Singapore but what it basically says is:

1. Volume Fiber and Volume Powder (Silk Powder) provides high impact lashes

With just one stroke, give your eyelashes a shot of volume. Sparse, fine or downward lashes get transformed in a flash!

2. Specially-designed 'Spoon' mascara brush to maximize volumizing effect

Mascara brush's bristles length, curve and elasticity have been designed to fully impart volume to lashes. Also the newly developed mascara liquid adheres very well to the brush thus enabling thick voluminous lashes with just 1 stroke.

3. Removes easily with warm water & facial cleanser

No need to use mascara remover, just warm water & facial cleanser will remove this volume mascara cleanly from your lashes therefore it's safe for users with eyelash extensions.

At the end of the info, there's illustrations for application. As with many Japanese mascaras, Dasoda's Mega Volume comes with instructions how to fully utilize this specially designed 'spoon' brush wand~

Let's have a look at said brush shall we?

The idea behind this spoon design is that the concave side is able to hold a large amount of product whilst the rows of longer bristles on the convex side can separate the lashes beautifully~

I was expecting it to be more curved given the illustration on the packaging but...it doesn't really bug me ^_^

With a quick 1 layer application

I was abit worried about clumping at first because the liquid is quite creamy to look at... But look, no clumps! The separating side of the brush works! \( ^o^ )/ By the way, I applied 2 layers on another day but not much difference, just slightly longer lashes.

Close up:

 

 

At the end of the day, I took another shot to see how it held up without any touchups.

 

 

 

Whilst the length and volume is still there, the curl has unfortunately not held up as well as the Gafixx Skinny Silhouette mascara. And having seen yet another tearjerker movie that day, I'd teared up a little and rubbed my lower lashline....you can see how I've lost the product there. But like I said, the length and volume on my upper lashes are still there so it's seems doable in our humid weather.

 

Pls bear in mind that the product doesn't market itself as the sebum-proof, sweat-proof, cry-proof, rain wind and hail etc-proof type of mascara.

 

So in short, Dasoda Mega Volume Mascara:

• Affordable drugstore brand, easily available and in a pretty posh chrome red and black packaging.
• Specially-designed brush allows for specific action i.e volume or separation
• Provides easy, clump-free (even on my short lower lashes) application with no irritating fibers wandering into my eyes at any point of the day, even during and after my little cry.
• Lives up to its promise of volume as even 1 layer makes a lot of difference
• Curl might need some help after half a day (curler pls~)
• Product doesn't hold up well IF you cry BUT doesn't leave you with ugly black smudges...
• Considering our humid weather, it seems to be quite reasonably sebum & sweat-proof judging from the amount of product left on my upper lashes at the end of the day.
• Removes easily with warm water as promised =D

 

All in all, Dasoda's still a decent volumizing mascara but compared to Gafixx, the curl-keep factor kinda pales in comparison..but the latter has a rather clumpy formula too so it sorta evens things out I guess =P

 

Hopefully they'll have the water/sebum/sweat-proof versions in future though cos I do like the brush! =P



Tokyo Beauty Loot (Image Intensive!)

Today, I thought I might share some of the beauty items I bought from *ahem* multiple trips to Matsumoto Kiyoshi (aka MatsuKiyo), one of the biggest and my favourite drugstore in Tokyo!

These are mostly items that I haven't gotten round to using yet. Emptied higgledy piggledy on the living room floor, this it what it looks like:

Ahhh....makes my heart flutter~ =P

First up, the weather in Singapore has been simply horrible recently, muggy with a capital M-U-G-G-Y. So of course, I remembered to pick up some refreshing powder sheets! You remember my previous review on the Biore Powder Sheets? Well I thought I'd try out other brands this time. Rose-scented, I couldn't resist! Plus, the formulas include Persimmon, Aloe Vera and Raspberry essences for that added skincare element!

Top L - R : French Bath Soap and English Garden Rose powder sheets / price forgotten >_<
Bottom L - R : Morning Facial Masks from Mandom / 399yen each

Morning facial masks from Mandom! The pink is for Moisturising and the blue, Tightening. Each mask contains 7 times the usual amount of facial toning lotion and contains ingredients like Coenzyme Q10 in the moisturizing mask, Yukinoshita (I think this is geranium, good for toxin draining and depigmentation) and Hamamelis (witch hazel) in the tightening mask.

Watsons has recently started selling these jelly strip beauty supplements from Otsuka Group and they are disgustingly overpriced at S$16 a box. I bought these for 399yen at MatsuKiyo which is only about S$5!! Each box only contains 7 strips so S$16 is really quite pricey imo... I shall buy more next time!

Available in Placenta C (orange), Collagen C (pink) and Hyaluronic Acid (green, not pictured), these are basically beauty supplements to consume on the go. I ate the Placenta C jelly strips while I was in Japan and they tasted like mango~ Yum! I think these are good for when you're having a hectic work week or haven't gotten enough rest and don't want it to show on your face~

Next up, my favourite beauty product: mascara!!

Beauty/Skincare shopping in Japan, it's easy to spot top sellers because they always have these proud stickers on them!

 

These stickers tell you about the product's sales ranking on platforms like Yahoo shopping, Rakuten, Amazon Bestsellers etc.

Click and read on! =D

Mascara Mondays - Gafixx Matsuge Gatchly Slim Silhouette!

It was some months ago when I bought this Gafixx Matsuge Gatchly Skinny Silhouette mascara during a BHG sale and because I have too many mascaras already open, it had to wait until now to make an appearance >_<;;

S$25.90 at BHG (also available at Sasa I believe)

 A peek at the back of the box info:

Fake eyelash effect? Really?

I was drawn to the promise of false eyelash effect and I love those mascaras that can be removed with just warm water~ =) But when I opened it, I was a little ummm...put off (for lack of a better word) by the straight wand, as I'm used to thin curved wands, and the slightly thick appearance of the liquid...

But the straight wand was easier to wield than expected! *sigh* That shows that one should step outside the comfort zone every now and then or you might miss out on a gem!

Check out the results:



Top to Bottom: Eye lined and lashes curled -- 2 coats of Gafixx Matsuge Gatchly; curled

Yes I know....my 'before' picture looks like I have almost no lashes >_<;; But I think the results were really nice! I think Gafixx makes my lashes even longer than my previous favourite (Browlash EX Volume Lash Fiber)! The Enamel Black colour of the mascara also makes the lashes stand out more. I think the main difference (aside from length) is the thickness of my lashes after application. Gafixx, having a thicker formula, makes the lash bulkier and thus more obvious. So if you prefer a more natural, 'lighter' look, Browlash is better~

You might have noticed that the mascara promises ultra-light weightless hollow fibers that maintain their curl all day. I had the mascara on for about 10 hours, both indoors and out with no touchups, no curling, pushing with my fingers, nothing. (Plus a tearing up at the movies..) To give myself a surprise I didn't check the mirror for the entire time I was out, yep not even in the washroom. DEDICATION!!! =P Anyway, this is the result at the end of the day:



Still curled!

^__^ yay~ It held up very well and I'm duly impressed~ Previous mascaras I had that gave the thicker lash effect had a tendency to get weighed down at some point of the day and I'd have to give them fresh coats or curlings but with Gafixx, I think I can rest assured for the day out!

In short, Gafixx Matsuge Gatchly Skinny Silhouette mascara:

• priced like most Japanese drugstore mascaras a.k.a affordable
• sold in a dept store and dedicated makeup store i.e good chance of sales~
• not really false eyelash-looking, but gives an extremely marked improvement even to fine sparse lower lashes like mine, so thumbs up!
• as promised, maintains its curl for a good 12 hours (I believe it can last all day if left on~)
• the straight narrow wand takes a little getting used for lower lash application but is otherwise not an issue
• the slightly thick formula means you might get a tiny clumping problem but nothing a lash comb can't solve =)
• comes off nice & easy with warm water

Would I buy this again? There's a good chance I will because of the awesome curl retention and considerable lash improvement~

Have you found any good false eyelash effect mascaras? =D

Wanna be Forever Young~ =P

I'm not going to lie. I like falsies. I think they're fine, and a girl can use 3 pairs at the same time if she wants. No hating here. ^_^ I seldom use mine though. But I'm guilty of buying boxes of them whenever I get the notion that I want to put more effort into my makeup!

I just broke out a box that's been parked in my drawer for months! Glad I managed to get them on in just 1 try and that they're quite natural though thicker than what I used before~

Love the flushed look my Blush by 3 (Sleek Makeup) palette gives~ LOVE! Love the natural lip from L'Oreal's Shine Caresse~ LOVE! Love the enhancement to my lower lashes from Maybelline Lashionista~ LOVE! lol lots of love in this post hahaha~

This was also the first time I used the Kiss Me Heavy Rotation Perfect Eyeliner which didn't disappoint! No smudging despite being both outdoors n indoors for the next 5 hours~ Blush by 3 held up very well too~ No touchups (not even lipstick after dinner) for the 5 - 6 hours I was out and this is what I beheld when I got home:


Barely a budge from my makeup! ^__^

Products used today are:

Details:

• Kate Powderless Liquid for Cover - Ochre-D / OC-D
• Sleek Makeup Blush by 3 - Lace (used Crochet, first shade from the left) Review coming up!
• Maybelline Lashionista
• Kiss Me Heavy Rotation Perfect Eyeliner N - 02 Deep Brown
• L'Oreal Shine Caresse - Venus
• Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick - Sundown
• Hollywood False Eyelashes - TP008

In case anyone was wondering how the Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick fits into the whole equation, I used it as a lipliner that day, lining my outer lip then dabbing inwards before blending with the Shine Caresse. ^__^ It's my attempt at mimicking a youthful pout =P Did it work?

Have a good weekend everyone! xoxo

2012 Best Finds - Top 8

In a few hours, 2013 will be upon us! A New Year: new beauty finds, new fashions, new foods, new friends (maybe) =P At my age, one doesn't make friends easily. But I digress.

 

Here's a look back on my favourite finds this year! Almost all the items have repeat purchases so you know I really like them~ Just click on the product names for the respective reviews!

(Note: Item listing is in no particular order.)

1 - The Konjac Sponge *click*

For replacing unneccesary cleansers in my routine and starting my skin on the route to recovery and balance, clog-free!! And so cheap!

 

2 - Biore SaraSara Powder Sheets *click*

The best wet tissue with a fragrant powdery finish for muggy days, post-workout or for a quick freshen up before stepping out!

3 - Mentholatum Organic Certified lipbalm *clickity click*

After trying to many different brands and methods, finally a lipbalm that keeps my lips moisturised and chap-free in all climates, even the -20degree winter~ Best part is it's organic too!

 

Check out the other 5 candidates after the cut! ^__^

Expiration Ambiguation - How to tell when your beauty products expire?

Before you know it, Sunday will soon be upon us so it's CONFESSION TIME!! ψ(｀∇´)ψ

After a chat with some fellow beauty junkies, I found that there is an area of concern that needs addressing because it is too often forgotten.

Now, I'm not just talking about the shelf life but also the life of the product after it's been opened. Most products already have the manufacturing date printed on the product packaging and most of these will also have the expiration date (shelf life) stated as well. But what if they don't?

Makeup for Heroines : Impact Framing

I'm sure you are no stranger to Heroine Make. This popular brand has been in Singapore for some years now but I think this is my first product from Heroine Make!




Heroine Make Impact Frame & Curl mascara S$23.90

Are we surprised at all that it's (yet another) mascara?

Sale Loot!

Chanced upon a 1 day sale at my neighbourhood BHG last week and I popped in after realising the 30% to 50% discount. The aLT beauty corner stocks a fair range of Japanese and Korean beauty/skincare products so I figured it would be worth squeezing my way through.

The range at my neighbourhood branch is less impressive compared to the ones downtown but still, the discounts were decent. Emerged 30min later with these:



From Top:
Kaiketsu Shirokuma-kun Reusable Undereye mask (S$12.90)
& Pure Smile 3 Pc Aroma Mask (S$6.90) Prices before discount.

The Shirokuma-kun Masks seem to be quite popular and this 1 set pack is designed for multiple usage and, wait for it....INFRARED RADIATION. This pack is supposed to have immediate effect after leaving it on overnight, sounds spiffeh! Watch out for the review~

The Pure Smile mask caught my eye because it was a 3 piece set i.e 1 pair of undereye sheet, 1 face sheet and 1 neck sheet. It also came in various fragrances like Rosewood, Sweet Orange, Lavendar, Bergamot and Peppermint among others. All the masks are formulated with collagen hyaluronic acid and aloe, the main differences being the aroma essence used. I bought Rosewood and Peppermint for myself (combination - oily skin) and Bergamot for my mum (dry skin)~

Also:



From Left: Sana Gafixx Mascara (S$25.90) &
Legere Pure Aqua Pore Tightening Ice Toner (S$27.90)
Prices before discount.

The Sana mascara I bought because....well....I like mascaras! =P The Legere toner was a chance find as the Legere skincare was just a 4 or 5 product range that was in a rather unnoticeable corner. I have a girlfriend who's been raving about it to me so I figured, at 30% off, why not~

Did you pick up any good deals over the week? =D

Nothingness to Somethingness with BrowLash EX Volume Lash Fiber!

I know falsies have by now taken the world by storm (=_= not the best news for people like me who have toes for fingers, can't get them falsies on without struggling for a good half hour at least) but I still love my mascaras and this particular one from BrowLash (although not a new product) is fast becoming one of my favourites~



 

Retailing for S$24.90 at Watsons, it's not too overpriced from it's original 1,575yen pricetag, making it that much easier to pick off the shelves ^_^  The BrowLash range has been a permanent fixture on the Watsons shelves but buried among all the other Japanese drugstore brands, it might blend into the surroundings abit too well.

The same range includes a Lash Sculpture Long Separate mascara (130% more length!) that I wasn't too inclined to try as it uses a comb type brush...  But anyhoo, this is one of the mascaras with no testers available so I hope this review will come in useful to some readers. Shall we then?