I've been seeing a lot of hype over MUA and Makeup Revolutions new Lip lacquers on Insta/YT so I decided to finally give them a try!
I don't typically use lip lacquers so I wasn't really sure what to expect since I don't own any to compare.
MUA (Make Up Academy) is a relatively cheap drugstore brand that can only be found in Superdrug in the UK. Their Velvet Lip lacquers are priced at £3 which is such a bargain compared to other matte liquid lipsticks.
The first colour I bought was TRANQUILITY which seemed to be a brown/nude shade.
MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Laquer
MUA Luxe - Tranquility
MUA Luxe - Tranquility
The shade seemed totally different on my lips.. I'm not sure if it's because my natural lip colour but it appeared much lighter and more of a pink nude instead of brown?
Halcyon is a bright coral nude which seemed like a nice daily lip colour.
MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Laquer
MUA Luxe - Halcyon
MUA Luxe - Halcyon
Yet again, the colour is totally different in comparison to the swatch. It came out quite a bright pink on my lips. I wonder what colour these turn out on other peoples lips..?
The texture of these lacquers are super comfortable to wear and dry to a matte finish. It feels slightly drying so I would recommend using a lip balm underneath before you apply it. I really couldn't complain about this product since it was only £3, and I found it to be very decent for its price! I am just slightly wary of the colour range, so Swatches are definitely a must!
NEXT: Makeup Revolution Retro Luxe Matte Lip Kit. These have been getting a lot of hype on the internet since the beginning of the year and I have finally got my hands on one! It was pretty hard to decide which colour to go for since Superdrug didn't have any testers out, so I just based my decision on the colour swatch on the outer packaging..
The lip kit comes with a lip liner and a lip lacquer, both in the shades REGAL. But as you can see from the pictures, the lip liner is a slightly lighter-coral shade compared to the lipstick; which can be worn by itself or with the lacquer to create two different looks. The shade of the lip lacquer is very
accurate to the swatch I did on my hand and shows up as a bright blue-toned red on my skin tone.
The texture of the lacquer is a lot thicker than the MUA velvet lacquer, and is also pretty sticky too. I found it quite hard to apply the lipstick evenly on my lips because of the stickiness, and it was actually very obvious since some of the areas appeared darker from applying a thicker layer..
Many people complained of the stickiness of the lacquer, but I found that once it had dried it was Matte; and not sticky at all. And does not feel sticky at all? Maybe people did not let it dry properly, or simple applied too much?
I have to give this lip kit a hands up for staying power because this lipstick did. not. budge! It was actually quite hard to remove from my hand too! So the long wearing factor is definitely better than the MUA which removed very easily and needed re-applying often.
CONCLUSION> If you are looking for comfort - go for MUA. If you want a long lasting lip that you don't need to think much about - go for Retro Luxe. But do keep in mind that the colours for both of these ranges are very confusing and deceiving, so definitely get a swatch if you can!
I have finally moved into my new house!.. we still haven't bought all the furniture yet but its about 70% done :)
The past month has been up and down and very exhausting.. I have probably made about 10trips to Ikea already and we still plan to go again soon for some more bedroom items. I've been so behind on my schedule lately that its starting to make me feel uneasy. Every time i think about what i wanted to do that day but never got a chance to, I feel like I've wasted the whole day.. and the feeling is so suffocating..
Maybe I need a new planning system to keep me on track, or to just jot everything down so I'm not as overwhelmed. I'm hoping that when the house is 100% done, i can focus my energy on what my mind wants to do! :) Just need to be positive and get things done! :D
On the up side though, we just got this new beauty!!! <3
IT'S SO PRETTY! 😍 😍
I had always dreamt of having an Audi and I can't believe I am now driving one. I am super happy and grateful for everything! There has been so many good things happening in 2017 already, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has to offer! :D #GRATEFUL
Valentines day is tomorrow and we haven't planned anything for it LOL. We usually just spend it in the house and cook a meal together! Super chilled :) I was also meaning to do a valentines makeup look; but.. yeah..you all know the jist ':D I'll probably just do a get ready with me instead ;)
Anyways, I hope you have all had a super start to 2017, it's already February and time is definitely flying super fast! Make the most out of it y'all! Time is precious! :)
Have a lovely valentines/Galentines day beauties! :D
Hello everyone!, today I bring you my first impressions of the SkinnyMint 28 Day Ultimate Teatox program, priced at £39.90.
I have collaborated with SkinnyMint to test their product out since I have never tried any Teatox tea's before and was really curious as to what benefits I would get whilst drinking it!
The Teatox is formulated from natural ingredients and uses their natural properties to help detox your body and give you other benefits such as decrease in bloating, increase in metabolism and boost your energy (Just to name a few).
The 28 Day Ultimate Teatox program is a 2 step program.
1 - Morning Boost, which is drank every morning with/or before breakfast for the whole 28days.
2 - Night Cleanse, which is drank every Other night starting from day 1 as a detox.
Here is an image taken from the SkinnyMint website of the list of ingredients in the 28day program and their benefits:
Morning Boost & Night Cleanse ingredients.
I will be recording my experience of both tea's on this blog post and update on a weekly basis about any changes in my body, side effects and any benefits I have been having!.
Monday 9th Jan 17::
Morning Boost
9.30am // I drank the Morning Boost teabag before breakfast today and my first impressions of this tea was: It is easy to drink and smells fragrant of oranges. It is more on the bland side of teas compared to what I am use to drinking, so I added in a slice of lemon to give it a hint of taste and it definitely tastes better with lemon in my opinion!
10.30am // I'm not sure if it is the caffeine in the Morning Boost (not recommended to drink after 5pm) but I felt an increase in my energy levels probably about 30-60mins after drinking it. It feels like an actual "Boost".. like I was charged up? And I managed to be very productive and filmed 2 videos after feeling this kick of energy, Loving this affect!
Night Cleanse
10.00pm // It is super late now since I fell asleep earlier whilst putting Elyana to bed..XD But I managed to wake up and drink my Night Cleanse!
The teabag has a strong fragrance of Ginger and tastes mainly of ginger and peppermint. The peppermint leaf gives your mouth and throat a tingling sensation and the ginger makes the tea a bit spicy to drink. I personally really like the tea and prefer the Night Cleanse over the Morning Boost!
WATCH MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SKINNYMINT!:
Day 2 :
I went to sleep shortly after drinking the night cleanse so I didn't wait to see if there were any affects.
9:00am // This morning I drank the Morning Boost with some lemon again like yesterday, but I drunk it whilst eating breakfast today. I also noticed that my stomach is a lot flatter than usual, even after eating breakfast, it isn't bloated. Looking at the ingredients, I think the cause may be the Night Cleanse since it has the Peppermint and Senna Leaves which says decreases bloating. *THUMBS UP!*
About 15mins after I felt the slightest of cramping (which is a known effect of the cleanse), but it wasn't severe at all and didn't make me feel like I needed the toilet in any way.
But when I Did go to the toilet, I felt a bit constipated..? I'm not sure if this is due to the tea, or the fact that we went to a buffet last night..LOL. But i will see if it carries on throughout the week and update you on it.
10:00am // Feeling the "Boost" from the Morning Boost tea again, but not as strong as yesterday.
I won't be drinking the Night Cleanse tonight since it is meant to be drank every other night; therefore I will update you all again about my teatox journey in 1weeks time!
16th Jan 2017::
Hello guys! I am back with an update on my SkinnyMint progress! I have been drinking the tea for 1week now, and I have stuck to it pretty well apart from I missed 1 Night Cleanse tea mid week, because I fell asleep again.. ':)
I am currently drinking the morning boost, without any lemon or honey, since I have grown to like the flavour of the tea and don't find it as bland as I originally thought. :)
I've noticed more significant effects of increased metabolism because I am ALWAYS HUNGRY! Lmao! I have to admit that I hardly ate before I started this program.. what I mean is I never stuck to 3meals a day. But now I enjoy eating 3 or more meals (smaller sizes) a day without the bad effects of bloating!
The night cleanse does a great job at keeping your stomach flat! I do still feel the mild cramps the day after I drink the night cleanse; but like the first time I tried it, it was nothing severe.
I know that during the program it advises you to eat healthier and exercise.. well.. I haven't stuck to that at all! >_< Reason being that I am currently moving houses so I snack a lot, and my family is also over from HK, so we've been out for family meals etc..
23rd Jan 2017::Wow 2 weeks are over and I'm on my 3rd week of the tea already! I was originally afraid that I wouldn't stick to it because it was such a long program; but it has become a part of my routine to drink the Morning Boost now! I like to change up the taste by alternating the lemon and honey with the Morning Boost, it definitely helps if you get bored of one drink easily! :)
The Night Cleanse has been slightly more difficult to remember since I have bad memory.. but I have managed to take it religiously every other day too. It still has a strong effect on my body after each drink which I have been really enjoying; because lately I have been eating so much rubbish, and I feel the Night Cleanse really helps to detox my body of all the bad toxins! It also helps me unwind at the end of the night because I like to drink something hot before bed (usually green tea!) But The Night Cleanse has no caffeine which is an extra PLUS since it won't keep me awake at night, and I actually think it has made me sleep better instead!.. Not sure if it's due to the Lemon grass/Orange leaves since they are a relaxant/sleep aid ingredient within the tea?
Looking forward to another week of this!
30th Jan 2017::
Hellooo, Jodie here again with another weeks' update! The past week was a bit different than the rest since I was on my period for most of the week. My menstrual symptoms usually include fatigue, weak legs, cramping, back aches and moodiness.
I still experienced all these symptoms but my weak legs and cramps were more intense. Which is most likely due to the Night Cleanse since I do usually experience slight cramping after the drink anyway.
The Morning Boost didn't help much either with the bloating that I usually get during my cycle; but I wasn't expecting it to either since my body is totally different when I am on my period.. so I wouldn't think the Teatox would work the same as it usually does.
One positive thing that my hubby noticed is that my teeth have gotten whiter! :D I use to drink several cups of tea a day, but after starting SkinnyMint I stopped drinking the other teas and I'm so surprised it hasn't added any yellowness to my teeth! ^__^
6th Feb 2017 - FINAL UPDATE!::
Wohoo! I have finally finished the SkinnyMint 28 Day Ultimate Teatox Program!! :D :D
It has been such a fun journey drinking this tea everyday and I feel like I have experienced all the benefits that were possible from this amazing Tea!
During this final week me and my family have been ill.. So I have been drinking the Morning Boost with some honey added in, to help soothe my sore throat and also add some taste to the tea. This has been working really well since honey has antibacterial properties! :)
Here is a photo comparison of when I started the tea and after finishing the tea!
It may not be a huge difference but my stomach area has definitely gotten flatter and more toned! And this is the result of me eating a lot of junk as well.. so I can't imagine how my body would've looked if I had stuck to a healthy diet throughout the 28days!
Since I have been drinking this tea for such a long period of time, I feel I can finally give you all a list of all the benefits I have experienced during this 28day Program!
PROS:
Increased Metabolism
Energy Boost = More Motivation
Body Cleanse (Detox)
Less Bloating
Slimmer Figure/Face
Whiter Teeth
CONS:
Cramping
Taste
Can be difficult to remember to drink the Night Cleanse
As you can see the Pros definitely out weigh the Cons! I would endure the minor cramping to experience all the benefits from the tea; and the taste is no biggie with a bit of lemon/honey added in! :)
Tip:
If you are experiencing strong effects of the Night Cleanse i.e. Bad Cramping. It may be because you are soaking the teabag for too long!. It is recommended to soak it for only 1-2mins since the longer you soak it, the stronger it is.
Therefore, adjust the soaking time to suit your own body and take the teabag out of the cup after soaking so it will not get stronger as you drink it! :)
Remembering to drink the Night Cleanse for hard for me because I have a bad memory, so I mainly looked at my calendar and worked out which days I needed to drink the night cleanse. If you have good memory, I'm sure you can give this a skip! XD
Check out my final review below on my channel! :D
So that pretty much wraps up my whole review for the SkinnyMint 28Day Ultimate Teatox Program!
I hope you have all found this review helpful and I would Fully recommend giving this Teatox a try! :D
Hello lovelies! I am so excited to show you all my new cut! What do you think?? :D
I finally decided to cut my hair short! It's been 7years since I've had my hair this length and I kind of regretted it last time; so I was reallyyy nervous cutting it this short again incase I didn't like it.. but I am totally in love with it!! <3
A little bit about my hair history:
I've practically always had long hair
My hair is Fine, but I have a lot of it
I typically cut my hair every 6months-1yr
I use to cut my hair only in Hong Kong
I have never really liked my hairstyle when cut by western hairstylists
The first time I visited Faces Hairdressing was back in September 2016, when I needed a trim for my Wedding because it was too long and shapeless. I was specifically looking for a hair stylist that had experience with cutting asian hair, or an asian hair salon; just because I've had a lot of bad luck with Western Hair salons! And especially since I was cutting it for my Wedding, I was very worried it would go wrong. Faces Hairdressing was recommended to me by one of my friends so I knew it had to be somewhat good, i just didn't know HOW GOOD!
Faces Hairdressing is a family run business and the Senior Hairstylist/Owner that cut my hair both times is called Wilson. Wilson has had plenty of experience cutting and styling hair for celebrities whilst working for top hair salons back in Hong Kong (!). *I was super stoked when I found out he use to work in HK; because it is sooo hard to find a HK trained hairstylist over here in the UK!
The whole family is very welcoming and attentive to all their clients and I always felt like I was very well taken care of.
Back to the present!..
I didn't get a proper haircut the first time I went in September, just a Trim. But I knew after that one time I would definitely be going back for a full cut, because their service was so amazing!
Wilson can easily identify a persons hair type whilst washing their hair, and then alter his cutting method to suit the customers hair type in order to achieve the best result for them.
I have also learnt a lot about my own hair from him! BIG Plus!+++
Whenever I went for my hair cut in the past in Western Salons, the maximum time I was ever in there was 20mins. For a Cut. (Super fast)
The first time I went to Faces, I was there for 1hour for a trim.
This time around, my hair cut lasted for 2hours.. lmao. It would've typically only lasted 1hr but his next appointment had cancelled, so he took his time and really paid attention to my hair and spent more time on me. I was so surprised and grateful because he was giving up more of his time, and even taught me how to style my new shorter cut!
WATCH MY HAIR TRANSFORMATION!!
Now you may all be thinking, "Oh he sounds too good to be true, you must've paid loads.." NOPE!
My haircut only costed me £28!! Yes.. £Twenty-Eight! It's a no-brainer; I have found THE salon; and I don't think I can ever trust anyone else to touch my hair again!
I'm pretty sure by reading all this you all know that I HIGHLY recommend Faces Hairdressing in Doncaster! Don't be a skeptic and go give them a try if you're looking for someone that really knows what they're doing! :)
Good morning alll!, I have been sat at my laptop for the past hour watching time tick past..what a waste of a morning! >_< I originally planned to make a new years video since I haven't wished you all a Happy New Year yet!, but I just can't face the camera in my current situation..looking like a zombie.. with greasy hair ToT..
If you guys didn't know; I actually got food poisoning since NY Countdown, and I am still ill from it! Can't stomach anything without feeling nauseous, so like this blog title, I am currently just on a water diet.. Booo :( I guess it will help detox me and start fresh for the new year and begin eating healthily? xD Hopefully I will get better soon though since I have been behind on my uploads, and its not a great way to start a new year! So I do apologise!
Aside from my depressing side of New Year, how was everyone else's celebrations? :) I've noticed a lot of people celebrating at home this year which was nice to see. They were spending time with their families and also get to drink in the safety of their houses (omg..my motherly instinct is creeping out.. :o) We actually did exactly the same thing (before I was struck down with sickness) and just chilled at home with a few friends. I have to admit it was pretty dryyy at first (LOL) since we were watching snapchats of our other friends out partying!, but it got pretty good when we started playing the mouth-guard speaking game thing! *lmao* and then an app version of Cards against Humanity; It wasn't the official game but was still pretty damn funny! xD
But now that I think back about it, I definitely much preferred the night that we had compared to a night out partying! Maybe its an age thing?, or the fact that I'm a mummy now?, but it just doesn't appeal to me anymore to go out at midnight in the freezing cold; get cramped into a venue and drink until you vomm..! >_< Not that everyone does this when they go out, but this is what usually happens to me..haha!. It was fun back then and I do wonder how I managed to wake up hangover free/go to uni at 9am! :')
I guess I just wanted to write a post to remind you all that having fun is good; but remember to stay close to your friends and never take drinks from strangers! Also make sure you're in safe hands of people you trust to get you home. Nothing worries your family more than not hearing back from you after a night out.. so a simple text can also do wonders! :)
I hope everyone enjoyed their celebrations and are ready to get back to reality (what a lie! xD)
But like the saying goes: Work Hard, Play Hard! ;)
Have a lovely day guys and speak to you soon!
Lots of love,
x J x
Another year has gone and we're all saying goodbye to 2016! I say this every year but 2016 has definitely flown past and I really wonder where the time has gone?..
I remember back in February was when me and Chung deciding to get married at the end of this year.! :o So I guess I was kind of swamped with all the preparations since I only had 6-8months to plan the whole wedding! I was just like "it'll be easyy". "That's plenty of time!"
Oh how wrong was I!, I don't remember being that stressed since my final year of university Lol! But it's definitely a good memory, though I'm not sure I would go through it all again in such a short period of time, and I surely don't recommend it either for anyone thinking of getting married asap! XD Not saying its not do-able, but just don't expect it to be a breeze :)
So many great things have happened in 2016 and I am definitely looking forward to what 2017 has to offer! We have so many exciting things planned for this year and I will share them with you as the year progresses :)
Here's a few pictures to sum up the end of 2016! ^__^
Feb16 - Chinese New Year
Feb16 - Valentines Day
March16 - Geneva for my Brother's design concept
March16 - Elyana's 3rd Birthday
June16 - Strawberry picking
July16 - Scarborough
Sept16 - Copenhagen STEN Do
Sept16 - My Surprise Birthday
Sept16 - Chung's 30th
Sept16 - Pre Wedding Photoshoot
Oct16 - First time meeting our niece
Oct16 - We tied the knot!
Oct16 - Honeymoon in Phuket <3
Dec16 - Christmas Day with this Elf :)
Dec16 -With my Elf
Dec16 - Chung & Elyana getting piggybacked
Dec16 - Xmas Meal
Dec16 - Xmas Family Photo
Dec16 - Bakewell Day Out
Dec16 - Traditional Bakewell Pudding
Dec16 - My favourite Sushi ever
Jan17 - Starting 2017 calming Elyana down of Fireworks
I hope you all had an amazing 2016, I surely did and look forward to an even better 2017! Happy New Year everyone, enjoy every minute because it won't be long before we say goodbye ! :)
Thanks so much for reading!
