Forks and Brushes

I filmed a few clips while having a random wander on Oxford Circus and Covent Garden on Christmas Eve, so I thought I would try to edit those clips together. No, I am not thinking about making videos regularly or doing vlogs, just yet... I thought it could be an interesting video for those of you who are not in London.  It's just for fun... I hope you will find it interesting too! hehe.. 

Wish you all a very Happy Christmas!!!

Sorry for stopping at Blogmas Day 16 , work & life just got better of me that my Blogmas this year was a fail.  Anyway, it is Christmas Eve today so I want to show you what I got myself for Christmas! (Oh yes, I can find any excuse to treat myself! And it is Christmas!!)

As my 200th blog post, I am excited to share the Christmas My Little Box! My Little Box must have a team of stylish geniuses! They just out-do themselves at every box. High expectation on Christmas box and it is a stylish collaboration with Fleur de Force !

This weekend, I....

Limeyard is the latest addition to Ealing ( check out my last post Blogmas Day 10 & 11 for more about Ealing ).

If you have read my " About me " page, you will know that I have a full time job, am working in a law firm in Ealing, West London. It is just an ordinary office job, never has anything interesting happened. However, as it is Blogmas, I thought I would document my route to work & the area. It would be interesting to look back in the future.

Did you take advantage of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales? I did! Debenham had 10% off on all beauty on Black Friday sale but then House of Fraser had 15% off on beauty on Cyber Monday! It was the best discount that I have come across (Bobbi Brown never have discounts), the perfect chance to get the two Bobbi Brown brushes that I have been eyeing up forever! They are the Full Coverage Face brush and the Sheer Powder brush . I am obsessed with powder brushes as powder is a step that I never missed in my routine. Full Coverage Face brush has a short handle which will have better control in application and is great for travelling. I am really excited to use them and I shall report back with a more detail review. Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush - House of Fraser - £30 Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush - House of Fraser - £30

In the colder months, I do love to have a cup of tea in the evening. It makes me feel cozy and relaxing. Twinings latest winter flavours Salted Caramel Green Tea and Caramelised Apple Green Tea are my new favourites!

Due to the limited space, we are having a tiny Christmas tree this year. My sister ( @beautyorbread )  got it from Amazon, it is a 45cm tall tree. The assorted baubles & battery-operated star-shaped fairy lights were from Poundland. Poundland doesn't sound glamorous but I think the baubles and lights worked really well for our tiny tree. The wooden horses were from Tiger.

I was just having a random browse in Superdrug the other day and I saw these! They are Limited Edition Stick On Nails in Snow Globe from Elegant Touch . How cute!!! I just had to buy them!

After I went to Tokotsu Ramen Bar in Selfridges ( post here ) to fulfil my ramen obsession ( another post here ), I was going to head to Duke Street Emporium for a coffee ( more post here ). Thank god I walked down the wrong street and found Smack Lobster Deli !

I am loving this combo! Barry M Aquarium Collection in no 7 Persian and Sally Hansen no 706 Glitter Bomb . 

I got this Origins Best of Both Worlds Gift Set back in Oct. The set includes: GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser 30ml  GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream  5ml  High Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-Enriched Renewal Cream 50 ml (Full size)  Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask  50ml  A Lovely Makeup Bag

This year, I am obsessed with Primark's Christmas pyjama sets. Here are just the four that I bought recently, and I am definitely wanting more!!

Despite I have a whole drawer of foundations, these two are my absolute faves for this autumn and winter – Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place foundation and Benefit Big Easy BB Cream – One for work days and one for the weekends, they are seeing me through week after week recently.

Yes, I will be attempting Blogmas again this year! I will have a blog post up everyday in December until Christmas. Like last year, my blogmas won't be a Christmas only themed, instead it will be a diary style of posts of what I have been up to, the usual product reviews, foodie posts... etc. It will be a mixture of various things so I think it will be good fun. So.... Let's Blogmas begin!! Ho ho ho!!

On my last Foodie Friday #22 Battle of Ramen in London , at the end of it I mentioned I was going to try the new Tonkotsu bar in Selfridges, which I did!

Let's get Cosy with November My Little Box!

My love to Charlotte Tilbury's products is just unstoppable!! When I thought her latest launch of the Supermodel Look Collection ( my blog post here ) was the last launch before Christmas, things just get even better!! How could anyone resist the Mini Lipstick Charms Trio and the new Signature Makeup Bag in "Rose Gold & Crimson Night" ?

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup has a very special place to me – It is the first makeup brand that I actually met the founder and creator, Charlotte herself . Other brands like Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier or Aerin Lauder, although they are actual people, their names are just brand names, we probably would never meet them in person, unless you are an influential editor or blogger in the beauty industry. However, with Charlotte’s products, I actually met her and chatted to her, AND her products are indeed incredible! So whenever she has new launches, the news really excites me! Her latest launch, to be in time for Christmas, is the Supermodel Look Special Edition Collection .

I haven't heard of HJ Manicure before, not until I stumbled across them on Instagram, entered their prize draw (which I'd never win anything), and I did win a bottle of their nail polish!

I know the feeling... Washing brushes is probably the worst part in our makeup routine, but we just have to get on with it. My way to make it a bit more enjoyable is to buy a fancier yet effective product. I found the Vegan Brush Shampoo by London Brush Company is so good!

It is Jade from Leading Lady Beauty who introduces me to this nail polish. Well, not the exact same one. In fact Jade mentioned the Models Own Northern Lights shade , which is pinky purpley glitter, but I couldn't find it. Instead I found Southern Light .

If I had to pick my most desirable palette for 2014, I think the Hourglass Ambient Lightning Blush Palette is definitely the one.

I am from Hong Kong and in Hong Kong, ramen places are as crowded as Pizza Express in the UK. In the past months, London seems to have caught the ramen bug too! I am overjoyed - what's better to have a bowl of hot broth noodle goodness in winter?! Today I want to share 4 of them with you. There are veterans but also new kids on the block. At all the visits, I ordered their basic/ standard/ original tonkatsu as a controlled comparison.

I don't have too much problem with my brows. They are fairly bushey, each strand of brow hair is quite long & strong, so my main aim is to brush them through, so that they look dark but natural, tidy & polished throughout the day. Benefit's Gimme Brow does all those in seconds!

I have been wanting to try the Alpha H range for ages, so when I saw this 4 piece Skin Balancing Collection on Cult Beauty, I was really excited as all the products appeared to match my skin need at the moment!, Banishing blemishes, controlling excessive oils but keeping skin hydrated so to restore the oil/moisture balance, getting rid of dead skin cells to brighten up complexion… everything is what I am dreaming for! What made it even more exciting was the cult product - Liquid Gold toner was part of the set!  

Every beauty blogger seems to love Tangleteezer. Perhaps my hair is quite thick, I found the teeth of Tangleteezer too short. They just glide on the surface, do not detangle my hair at all. I then tried the Wet Brush, which Anna said it is better than Tangleteezer . The teeth of the Wet Brush are definitely longer, but they are too soft. When I apply a little pressure when brushing (like you do), the teeth just bent, so again the brush doesn't brush through my hair. Luckily, I accidentally discovered an alternative in Primark!

The arrival of October's My Little box was certainly the highlight of my working week. After the brilliant box of last month , I have been really looking forward to the next box. "What theme would it be? An autumnal pumpkin themed? Breast Cancer Awareness pink theme?" When I opened the wrapping brown box, Ooooo! This month is a collaboration box - My Little Box by the iconic Diane von Furstenberg!

When most beauty bloggers switch their nail colours to autumnal reds and wintry darks, I am obsessed with vintage pink at the moment. After searching high and low, I have found the perfect shade – Essie’s Innocent .

In light of the continuing pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong (coded as the “Umbrella Revolution”), as a Hong Konger (despite I live in London), I don’t feel right to carry on posting the usual content on this blog. Instead I am taking a short break from blogging this week to send my thoughts and support to Hong Kong.

My skin was in trouble with blemishes lately… I guess it’s down to the transitional weather – one week it was summer, then it suddenly got much cooler, then it warmed up again! When the weather couldn’t make up its mind, so as my skin… In the past I tried the Origins Super Spot Remover which every beauty blogger raves about… However, it didn’t agree with my skin. My skin is not that sensitive, but the next morning, it left a red mark around the blemish after I dotted on the solution, and the spot didn’t seem to have gone down anyway…

The three items on my Forever Repurchase List are:

On our weekly fix to Oxford street, +Cynthy Chui  & I popped into Boots to try out No7 Match Made Lipstick Service . 

The beauty box crowd has just got better, with the new contestant to join the UK - My Little Box from Paris! My Little Box is hugely popular in France. When I first saw their website, I instantly felt in the love with the oh-so-romantic very cute French illustration. Each month has a different theme – My Little Weekend Box, My Little Sunset Box, My Little Party Box… They have some of the top beauty brands as their partners , By Terry, Essie, Diptyque, Marc Jacobs, Sephora, just to name a few. With their success in Paris, they decided to launch it in the UK at the beginning of this month. And I have just received my first box in the post! ( *SPOILERS ALERT* – Stop right here if you are waiting for your box ) However, if you want to compare notes, then please read on…

If you have missed the Nars “And God Created Woman” palette at the end of last year , now is your chance to get your hands on one!

Since Charlotte Tilbury launched her own makeup range a year ago , her products have right away become the most lust after products. The most “wow” piece would have to be the famous Filmstar Bronze & Glow . Not only the products are amazing in quality, but also the gold vintage packaging is lush!! I would love to carry it round with me but it's slightly big for handbag & it's not like I need to top up bronzer & highlight throughout the day. I was thinking, "if the size can be smaller, handbag friendly & with products that I can use on the go, that would be a dream come true" And recently my dream did come true! The answer is Filmstars on the go Palette .

I think I am getting obsessed with Tarte at the moment (see my posts here , here   & here  ). As if I haven’t bored you enough, I have yet another Tarte product that I have been using every single day lately… and that is the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara .

For those who has an eagle eye and has visited Superdrug recently, you might have noticed a new makeup stand called “ MakeUp Revolution ” and/or “ I ♥ MakeUp ”.  MakeUp Revolution is a new budget makeup brand who launched in London in March 2014. The price of their products are super competitive, from a nail polish that costs £1, to a 32 colours eye shadow palette for a mere £8! When +Cynthy Chui   and I went to the pinnacle of Superdrug at March Arch London, I had to pick up a palette to test it out.

Let me introduce you to my new favourite foundation: the new YSL Fusion Ink Foundation . I have been using it for a solid 2 weeks now. I just can’t help myself but keep reaching for it every single day!

Ever since Sephora is shipping to the UK and QVC starts stocking Tarte’s products, Tarte has never disappointed me at all. Recently I was looking for  another Tarte product to try and I was intrigued by their BB Tinted Treatment 12-hour Primer .

Last weekend was an arty crafty weekend for me.. On Thursday I went to the opening evening of Christiaan Nagel’s giant mushroom & fishes exhibition . On Sunday, I went to yet another crafty exhibition! To be more precise, I went to the CUTEST CORNER SHOP EVER!!

For me, Tarte is the most attractive brand ever since Sephora starts shipping to UK. Yes, QVC UK stock them, but the range, variation and the stock are very limited. I have already tried their Airbrush Foundation , which I am loving so much! Next on my list are their famous Amazonian Clay blushes and their buttery eyeshadows. And I have been thinking, “if only they are all in one neat palette so I can buy one and try them all?!” Someone somewhere must have heard my prayer and created the Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ! The ”Rainforest After Dark” Collection is Tarte’s Fall 2014 release. This palette is probably the focal point of the whole collection.

When I finished my favourite brow pencil (which is the Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift 3-in-1 pencil ), I was looking for a new one to try and I came across Pixi’s 2-in-1 Natural Brow Duo Pen .

Summer is really here, for oily skin like mine, it has been a struggle to make my makeup last for even just a few hours… However, I have recently found a combo that gives my skin a flawless finish and has made my makeup stay all day!

Benefit have always done fool proof make up with fun cute packaging. Their latest release is the They’re Real Push-Up liner . They claim “ It’s the FIRST EVER lash-hugging gel liner pen! The custom AccuFlex tip HUGS yours lashline for bigger-looking eyes in seconds. The closer the line, the bigger the eye! ” I had high hope on this pen because it sounds like the dream tool for people like me who can’t seem to master the skill of lining. Basically it is twist-up gel liner pen with an angled rubber tip. The angle and the shape of the rubber tip is “suppose to” make the lining really easy and fool proof, we can even attempt a winged liner!

Another year of IMATS completed, did you go and what do you think of this year?