My Favourite Makeup Brushes

Hi everyone. Today I'm going to be showing you my top picks makeup brushes or the only brushes I could ever need for doing my makeup. All of these are drugstore brushes so they're very affordable. Besides brushes, I also like using makeup sponge especially for my foundation and under eye concealing. BeautyBlender is still so expensive to me so I use its dupe. You can get one for RM5 everywhere. As long as the cheaper dupe blends my foundation, then I couldn't justify spending RM90 for a sponge. Maybe one day, though.

I use Real Techniques buffing brush for buffing in my foundation and concealer. This is an all-around brush that you can use for everything. When I'm in the process of doing my makeup, sometimes I would have eyeshadow fallout or my mascara staining my under eye and when I clean it up my base makeup would move so I would touch up my base with this brush from the leftover foundation on the brush.

You would not believe where I got the large powder brush from. It's the Tesco large powder brush that works so good for setting my makeup with loose powder and also for applying blusher. It gives you that soft, blushed cheeks look that I personally like. I kid you not, this brush is the only brush I would use for blusher. Since it's quite large for the apple of my cheeks, I would dip the middle of my brush softly in my blusher and lightly sweep it across my cheeks. I love it. And it's cheap, too.

This Real Techniques contour brush is perfect for contouring and highlighting! I'm not big on contouring but if I do, I'd do it with this brush but I mainly use it for highlighting. It picks up just the perfect amount of highlight. Since it is quite a pointy brush, I use the slanted side for highlighting the top of my cheekbones.

Where to get:

large powder brush - Tesco (if available)

Real Techniques brushes - iHerb.com (RM73 for the core collection, shipping is expensive) OR SHINS (RM150, malls)

I love having crease colour on my eyes. It gives them some definition especially with a medium brown shadow. I use Etude House blending brush for putting the colour on my crease or lid. It is relatively a small blending brush so you definitely need a larger one like this Too Cool For School blending brush. These two brushes are the perfect combination for that blended, easy eye look.

The last brush is Innisfree ECO Beauty Tool concealer brush. Very self-explanatory. I use it to conceal my blemishes and to clean up the edges of my brows. For concealing blemishes, I use a concealer jar and just pat on my blemishes then I blend it out with a sponge or buffing brush. Concealing your eyebrows will give them a nice, clean shape.

Where to get:

Etude House - malls

Too Cool For School - online or certain shops (my housemate bought the kit for me, I have no idea where she got it)

Innisfree - Sunway Pyramid (if available)

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to leave a comment down below. What makeup brushes do you use?

August Makeup Haul

Hi everyone, how are you today? I went out with my boyfriend to IOI City Mall just now to watch Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn is bae, okay! She is so gorgeous despite her crazy ass attitude and horrible makeup. I did some makeup shopping after the movie and lunch. To be honest, I only needed two things though: a moisturiser and theBalm Mary Lou Manizer highlighter. but I couldn't find Sasa anywhere! It's frustrating.

I went to Watsons to get a moisturiser from Simple. I heard great reviews about this product especially because it is suitable for sensitive skin so I picked up Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser. I have oily skin but for some reasons for the past few weeks, my skin has been so dry so I went with the hydrating one instead of the oil balancing.

At Sephora, I was looking for NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream because let's be real: they are always out of stock but today is my lucky day because I think they just restocked because so many shades are still available. I got one in Stockholm. I tried it on at home and it's the perfect nude for me!

I was about to go to the cashier when I saw the NYX Full Throttle Shadow Palette staring at me, pulling me to touch it. So what did I do? I swatched it and oh my, the pigmentation is really good! So I got one in FTSP05 Take Over Control.

Last stop: MAC Cosmetics. To be completely and utterly honest, I wasn't planning to buy anything but I swatched Taupe, Velvet Teddy, Honey Love, Mocha, Kinda Sexy, and a few other lipsticks on my hand that I decided I wasn't going to walk out of MAC without getting a lipstick. I got the Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy and oh I'm in love! I really wanted Taupe or Mocha but they are very similar to my MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in Glamour Era. Honey Love is too pale and Kinda Sexy is too pink for me.

That's it for this makeup haul! Please let me know if you want review + swatches of these products or any products that I own (check out my Beauty categories for more makeup posts.) I hope you enjoyed this post while I go cry in the corner because I'm broke.

Erin Talks: New Template from FearneCreativeDesign!

Hi everyone, how are you doing today? I am supposed to publish my favourite makeup brushes post by the end of the week (according to my blogging calendar, the post was supposed to be published yesterday) but do you know how lazy it is to take out the camera, do the setup and everything? With the cloudy weather hindering the perfect natural lighting needed to take good photos, I'm stuck y'all!

Anyway, I bet you notice something different going on with my blog. Well I bought a new template on Etsy called Gigi template by FearneCreativeDesign. I love this template a lot! However, there's a few things I would like to point out about this template:

First. It is not compatible with Blogger Template Designer meaning you have to change the fonts and whatnots manually. If you don't know html coding, I suggest you stay away from this kind of template.

Second. The comment section. There is no commenter icons and border around each comment making it look messy and hard to read. However, I will play around with the coding and hopefully I can resolve the issue with the help of google.

Other than that, I'm perfectly happy with it! I paid RM20.94 (USD5) for this template since it's on sale. The non-sale price is around RM80. Such a bargain!

Below is a screenshot of my blog. It's very clean and minimalistic just like how I prefer my blog to be with masonry/grid-style on the main page. However, if you click on a post, you can see my sidebar on the right which is rare to find with a grid-style template.

Buying blog templates is very therapeutic for me. I'm obsessed with finding templates on Etsy and going to everyone's blog to see where they get their templates. I must say that buying templates is more satisfying than spending money on makeup. It makes me feel good inside because my baby blog is beautiful. I am so happy with my blog right now. Though I will be even happier if I didn't procrastinate and get some posts up this week...

I hope you guys like my new template because I care what you think of this new look. If there is something that you think I should change about my blog, I take it as constructive criticism and please leave a comment. Anonymous pun okay kalau malu.

If you're having difficulties to buy a template such as no debit card or Paypal account, feel free to contact me. I can buy it for you with RM5 service charge :)

Online Shopping with ShopBack.my and Getting Your CASH Back!

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to talk about ShopBack.my, the most popular cashback site in Malaysia. Now, before you click that tiny X button out of my blog, let me explain to you what ShopBack.my is. Do you do online shopping a lot? Have you ever wondered if you can get a percentage of what you just spent back to your account? Then ShopBack.my is the place, my friend!

Let me show you how you can shopback:

Step 1. Make an account at ShopBack.my. Here, use my referral link so you can get RM5!

Step 2. Browse through hundreds upon hundreds of merchants available and get redirected to your desired online shopping site by clicking the Shop Now button. You can find the most popular Sephora coupons, earn Hermo cashback, and shop makeup brushes online on iHerb! Those of you who are a makeup freak like me will know these 3 websites I just mentioned. It’s like you’re feeding the needs to buy makeup while still getting your cash back! It really is an amazing deal!

Step 3. Once your payment is made on the merchant’s side, your cashback will automatically be added to your ShopBack account within a few days so don’t worry if it’s taking a few days to be credited, okay! Once the amount is redeemable, the money can be transferred to your bank account or Paypal.

See how easy it is? You’re not spending money on ShopBack.my site itself. You’re just being redirected to the online shopping sites you want to spend money on via ShopBack.my platform. Hey, you don’t have anything to lose if you signed up, am I right?

For more information, you can watch the video below:

That’s it for this post! Be sure to sign up using my referral link to get RM5 and happy shopping, everyone!

Blogging on A Budget: Inexpensive Premade Templates

Hi everyone. Today I'm going to list down some of the blog templates on Etsy for under RM50. I know that a lot of us don't have much to spend on blog templates since we can actually get them for free or even design one ourselves but to those of you who want to invest in a template but don't have a lot of budget, I'm going to make it easier for you to find the perfect template for your blog. If you're interested to buy any of the templates but you don't have a debit card or Paypal account, I can help you with that.

Most of the shops I listed are on sale hence the low price so grab them while they're still cheap!

*RM16 — MISTERYDESIGNS, link

My top picks: Delevine // La diva // Ruelle // Viscia

RM24 — BESTFORBLOGGER, link

My top picks: Emerald // Chantelle // Laurette

*RM20 — LABINASTUDIO, link

Blue Caves // Belle Plagne // Belmanarola // The Wine Route

*RM20 — FEARNECREATIVEDESIGN, link

My top picks: Clementine // Esmée // Gigi // Tulisa

RM20 — FABFLEURSTUDIO, link

My top picks: Summer Memories // Modern Story // Andromeda // Megan Snow // Beach Life

*RM41 — HARLIEAVEDESIGN, link

My top picks: Swank // Sibiu // Iced Coffee

RM25 — BLOGGERTEMPLATE, link

My top picks: Adelante // Espelette // Camari // Juliette

*RM32 — BLOGSANDLATTES, link

My top picks: Times // Eloquence // Adagio

RM33 — SKYANDSTARS, link

My top picks: The Wanderer // Caroline // Unique

RM37 — VEFIOTHEMES, link

My top picks: Calypso // Nueva // Violin // Beleza // Calysta

RM42 — DEBLOGTHEMES, link

My top picks: North Street Stories // Les Sybelles // Double Treat

*NOT COMPATIBLE with Blogger Template Designer

Product Empties #1

Hi everyone! I didn't get any posts up in the past few days because I have been busy with some stuff I needed to finish but I'm not busy anymore as of now. I have a few posts sitting in draft but I was not feeling them so I thought why don't I do a product empties post because I have never done that on my blog before and it would be fun to make a quick review of each of the products. These are the items that I gathered in the 15 minutes I spent to find them in my bathroom and beauty shelf.

Safi Balqis White Trilogy Kiwi Scrub: some claimed that this scrub broke them out but thankfully it didn't on me. However, it does nothing to my skin from what I can see but if you have sensitive skin and you're looking for a gentle scrub, this might be the one for you. The beads are very small and they are not rough at all. 

Mistine Egg White Peel Off Mask: I love this product. I already have backup and one tube of this lasted me a good a year and a half. It leaves my skin feeling smooth, reduces the redness on my face and I'm pretty sure it did something to my pores. It also removes your fine hair (read: facial hair).

Nivea Pearl & Beauty Roll-On Deodorant: I was a huge fan of spray deodorant but I read online that you can get cancer from it. Although death is inevitable, I would like to live a little longer. Anyhow, I was using a different brand before and I was in need of a new, inexpensive one because at that time I was still in Shah Alam and you know how it is with students, we are broke all the time so this was the cheapest, only RM4 so I got it. I love it! I feel fresh from morning till night and it smells so good. I rarely get sweaty armpits ever since I use this deodorant.

St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub: a cult favourite in the beauty world. I really like this scrub because my skin felt so soft after using it but the beads are rough. I don't know the proper adjective to describe the beads but if you have sensitive skin like I do, don't ever scrub your face with so much pressure using this product because it will leave your skin red.

Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask: I only had a sample size of this product but I'll feature it in this post anyway. I mentioned it in my skincare wants post so please check that post out. Basically, this is the best mask I have ever tried.

Innisfree Jeju Peach Hand Cream: my favourite hand cream was Hand Food by Soap & Glory but I ran out of it so I went ahead and got the Etude House Missing U hand cream but I didn't like that one all that much. But this Innisfree one is awesome. This particular smell is so good and it doesn't feel greasy on the hand which I really like. Definitely will repurchase.

Etude House Moistfull Aloe Soothing Cream: this was an impulse buy for me. They had some sort of promotion going on. I believe I paid RM120 for this cream, essence, and a bunch of other products and sheet masks. I still have a bit left of this product but I bought it back in 2013 and I do not keep anything more than 3 years so I had to throw it away. Besides, it smells off so I'm not keen on the idea of putting it on my face. If you have dry skin, this is good for you. Oily skin like me? Not really suitable but it does hydrate your skin.

Etude House Black Head Heating Scrub: getting rid of it because I had it for years already. It's a clear gel with black beads which feels warm once rubbed on the skin. It only removed the top layer of my blackheads so I guess it didn't work on my blackhead-infested nose. I don't think you can get this in store anymore, though. They might reformulate the product and name it something else.

Nutox Pre-Cleanser: I talked about this makeup remover on my makeup removers showdown post so please check it out if you haven't already.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts about them?

My Makeup Story

Hi everyone! I was doing my usual blogwalking on Bloglovin' and I came across a blogger who did a My Makeup Story tag and I thought I would do that on my blog and tag a few of my blogger friends to do it too. It's always fun to know how people start their makeup collection because you guys, makeup is fun!

How old were you when you started wearing make up?

I started wearing makeup when I was just 9 years old. My mom would buy me those kids makeup set in a box that has eyeshadows, blushers, and tons of lip colours and also glitters! However, my first ever purchased of real makeup was a Maybelline lipstick. It was pink and shiny and sadly they discontinued it.

How did you get into make up?

My mom! She told me when I was little, around 4 years old I used to wear her red lipstick whenever and wherever we go. If we were eating out, of course after eating some of the lipstick would come off and she told me I would reapply my lipstick not giving a shit that people around me were looking at me. Lol!

What are some of your favourite brands?

Some of my favourite brands would be Maybelline, MAC, and Bobbi Brown. NYX has some great products, too. Essence and Catrice are also worth checking out because they are very affordable (a bottle of foundation for less than RM30? What?!) if you're just starting into makeup.

What does make up mean to you?

To me, makeup is a hobby, not really a necessity. I wear them whenever I feel like it. I'm not one to cake up so many products on my face whenever I'm outside but you do you girl kudos to you for having that much patience and keep slaying xoxo

I use makeup to enhance my features and beauty (if I ever have any to begin with) such as covering the redness on my face with some bb cream, filling out my eyebrows to make them sharp and neat, and putting some lipstick and blush on to give some colours to my face. Sometimes I do heavy makeup but that is for certain occasions that need me to glam up and slay. Otherwise, I'd be happy with just lip balm on daily basis.

If you could only wear 4 products on your face, what would they be?

That would be Laneige BB Cushion, Shu Uemura hard brow pencil, Maybelline HyperCurl mascara, and MAC Mineralize Rich lipstick in Glamour Era.

What is your favourite thing about make up?

I love that makeup can transform your face into anything that you want to. I love that we can try out so many products to find out what works better on our skin. And I like that we can collect a ton of lip products and they still won't be enough for our collection lol. There's just so many colours, nudes, reds, pinks, purples, to suit one's preference. It's amazing.

What do you think of drugstore vs high end make up?

Price tag does not define the product. I have drugstore items that work amazing and I also have some shitty expensive products that are just, NO but I try to make them work anyway because they're pricey. It all depends on your preference and budget, honestly. With RM200 you can buy at least a palette at Sephora but at the drugstore, that 200 ringgit can buy you a lot!

What is the one make up trend you've never understood?

Probably contouring and baking. I honestly think contouring only works for people with chiseled face, doesn't really work on my hey-look-at-my-chubby-cheek face. And baking. I mean, why? Such a waste of precious loose powder.

I tag Lenne, Syaza, Claudy, and whoever reading this that might find this interesting.

Alternative Way to Follow Blogs

Hello everyone! I got a question from a blogger who wanted to join my giveaway but can't because she got an error when trying to follow me using my Followers widget. Most of you may not know that we can follow blogs from Blogger Dashboard itself. It is very easy to do!

First of, go to your blogger dashboard. On the left side, you can see an Add button below Reading list. Click on that button.

A popup that looks like in the screenshot below will come out. You can paste all the blog urls you want to follow there. Click Follow and that's it! I hope this helps!

UPDATE: Apparently you can only use your dashboard to follow blogs only if you're following less than 300 blogs. Honestly I'm so tired with Blogger and its whole followers system. Why can't they just upgrade their system like Wordpress and Tumblr? Kenapa kena menyusahkan.

Top Picks: Perfumes and Mists

One thing that I can never leave home without is — not my phone — but spritzing about 10 pumps of perfume all over my body. When I say body, yes that also includes legs and everything because to me perfume is much more important than caking up on all that makeup on your face. I love nice smelling men and women and to me that makes them even more attractive. #myboyfriend #Iwannasmellhimfortherestofmylife

I have tried quite a number of perfumes and to be honest it is very hard to choose my top picks but I'm going to give an honorable mention to perfumes that don't make it to my top picks at the end of this post. I'm also going to feature my favourite body mist scents from Victoria's Secret because let's be real here: body mist makes your perfume last even longer.

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One (link)

This is — hands down — my most favourite scent out of all. My signature scent. My holy grail. My I-would-kill-you-to-get-this kind of perfume. I bought it back in 2011 after drooling over the sample I got a few months before. I saved up for it, I was 16 at that time, and it was RM216 for a 30ml bottle. Do you know how much it takes for a teenager to be spending that much money on a nice-smelling liquid? A lot. I loved it a lot. It has lasted me for a good 5 years and I still have a bit left. This perfume is too precious for me that I only used it during Eid or special occasions but unfortunately, I found out that Dolce & Gabbana discontinued this perfume. It is time for me to send hate mail to D&G customer service. Like seriously. I don't know how to describe the scent but think about a woman who is already a CEO of a multimillion company at a young age going to a cocktail party in the evening wearing a dusty rose dress that looks elegant but still sexy at the same time. She's fun, but mysterious. Funny, but poise. You know what I mean?

Escada Moon Sparkle (link)

I have searched high and low for this perfume in Malaysia but to no avail. My mom had this years and years ago and I always sneaked into her room and sprayed some of this perfume on my clothes. I forgot what it smells like because it was a very long time ago but Moon Sparkle is the kind of perfume that I will always remember because the scent is very me. Too bad it's also discontinued. Hate mail #2: Escada.

Escada Especially Escada (link)

First of, thumbs up to Escada for making some dope perfumes. I have a thing for perfumes which have rose note in it. However, it is very different from Rose The One that I mentioned. Especially Escada is more sparkly, fun, and fresh whilst Rose The One is more mysterious and elegant with a bit of fun. Think about a young woman living alone in a loft in New York City who works at a fashion magazine. She's cheerful, she loves dresses and cupcakes, and on weekends she likes going to the club with her friends. She's in love with her job and she's making sure that she lives life to the fullest of her ability.

(Sidenote: I can definitely make a Wattpad story out of this.)

The Body Shop Raspberry / Japanese Cherry Blossom / Moroccan Rose

The Body Shop has so many perfumes in their fragrance range but these 3 are definitely my favourite. I used to wear Raspberry in university because it is affordable so I don't feel bad for using it everyday and I basically smelled like fruit so no complains there. Japanese Cherry Blossom — like the name suggested — is very florally. Some might find it a bit overpowering which I do sometimes but nonetheless it's a fresh, soft, floral scent. Another rose perfume because I love rose scent so much, the Moroccan Rose. I gotta be honest, it's a little pungent and spicy, very old-ladylike but I don't care because I like it. Just imagine a sexy Moroccan woman with a strong smell bathing in rose water. 

Victoria's Secret body mist Coconut Passion / Ravishing Love / Pure Seduction

I love their body mists to bits! My cult favourite is definitely Coconut Passion, a vanilla and coconut scent. If there is one fragrance that I can bathe in forever, it will be Coconut Passion. Don't get me wrong, the other scents are absolutely lovely but their smells are quite generic. Coconut Passion does not have that generic, florally/fruity smell the others seem to have. But, VS's mists last the whole day on my body I absolutely love using them before going out.

Honorable mentions: Flora by Gucci, Issey Miyake Pleats Please, Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy, Lancome Hypnôse (my first ever perfume!)

I hope you enjoyed this post! Do you guys have any signature scent or favourite fragrance that you wanna share with me? Leave a comment down below!

Lip Cream Wish List

Hello my lovelies. It's the month of Eid and I wanna wish happy Eid to all of my readers. I hope you have a blessed Eid with beloved ones. I haven't been able to have a post up in the past week as I've been busy visiting my relatives and to be honest who has the time to update, anyway?

Lipsticks are essential in everyone's makeup collection. Without lipstick, I might as well have "NO I AM NOT SICK" pasted on my forehead because I look super pale without it. My skin and lip colour are exactly the same so I always get the "are you sick?" questions from people who saw me without lipstick for the first time.

I am going to show you a few of lip creams that I have my eyes on. I love liquid lipsticks but they can be a bit drying for me so I tend to go for lip creams as I get the matte effect that I want while still having some moisture on my lips.

FAME COSMETICS SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM

FAME Cosmetics is one of the popular Malaysia local brands of lipsticks. They first released 5 shades and added 2 new shades recently. My top picks are: Nude, Gossip, and Violet.

LèRVE COSMETICS MATTE LIP CREAM

LèRVE Cosmetics is founded by Datin Alyah and honestly I wanna buy all of the shades available because they are so gorgeous! My top picks are: Maroon Vogue, Coral Pink, and Nude Bombshell.

NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM

I'm pretty sure everyone in the beauty community has heard of this product before. I love this lip cream a lot! It smells nice, affordable, and the moussey texture makes application easier. My top picks are: Istanbul, Cannes, and Milan. I already have Antwerp and San Paulo.

ELIANTO BRILLIANT RICHE LIP COLOUR

I have seen mixed reviews about this product all over blogsphere. Some claimed to have loved it, while some claimed they didn't but what's more important is my trying the product itself and judging it based on my user experience. I love it. It's very affordable, in fact, all of the lip creams I mentioned in this post are affordable with everything around RM30. My top picks are: 02 Blooming, N01 Tender (new shade) and N02 Sweet (new shade). I have 04 Sexy.

I hope you enjoyed this post and kinda have an idea on how to start your lip cream collection. I will do reviews of these lip creams once I got my hands on them so be sure to follow my blog for latest posts!

July Mini Haul

Hello my lovelies. Today I went out with my family to pick up some stuff that we needed for Eid. I needed a pair of shoes because I lost two pairs already from 1. tearing; and 2. they broke. We went to The Mines for the shoes and everything else from Alamanda. I thought I would do a mini haul of the stuff I got. I hope you enjoyed this post!

BELLE green necklace

It was on 90% sale so I had to get it. Besides, it matches my outfit for Eid. (yes I'm wearing green this year just in case you're curious.) It's a very interesting statement necklace. I'm hoping they don't tangle by the time I needed to wear it.

NIVEA Creme body moisturizer

This Nivea creme moisturizer is probably the best moisturizer I have ever used on my body. It's rich and thick and very moisturizing. And the most important thing is it's not greasy at all once it's absorbed into the skin.

THE SHOE COLLECTION black sandal

I've had my eyes on this design for a long time but I've never been around to getting it. Since I lost two pairs of shoes, I thought it would be fitting to get a new pair that I can wear with any types of outfit. I'm very picky about my shoes so I really hope this new pair will not disappoint me (or tear on me while I'm out wearing them) (yes, it happened last week while I'm out with my boyfriend)

LADY MIDNIGHT (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

This one has been on top of my book wishlist for two weeks and I had to get it. It's under The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. There are 4 series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles with ten books already out and another 5 books TBA. I have all 10 books which comprises of The Infernal Devices (3 books), The Mortal Instruments (6 books), and The Dark Artifices which is Lady Midnight. The second book is coming out April next year. The fourth series which is The Last Hours is set to come out next year also.

There were two things that I expected to be in my bag today but they were not. The first one is my MAC charged water skin hydrating mist. I got ready in a hurry and I forgot to set my makeup with a setting spray. I was hoping to use the mist in the car but I realised it wasn't in my bag by the time we hit the road. The second thing is a pen. I was pumped to write my name, phone number, and the date on the new book I got but the pen was not in my bag, too. Lesson learned. I'm putting everything I possibly need in my bag to avoid future disappointment and you should, too.

Part III: Free Blog Templates

PART I | PART II

Hello my lovelies. I'm doing another part of free minimalistic blogger templates for you to use on your blog. I do not own any of the templates, I am just nice enough to google them and post them on my blog for those of you who do not want to spend money on templates. I hope you enjoyed!

DEMO | DOWNLOAD

DEMO | DOWNLOAD (the owner took down the free template, contact me if you still want it)

DEMO | DOWNLOAD (link below video)

DEMO | DOWNLOAD (second yellow link tab)

DEMO | DOWNLOAD (second yellow link tab)

DEMO | DOWNLOAD (second yellow link tab)

Note: for templates from non-English websites, you will have to figure out the installation process yourself. The easiest is to use translate.google.com.

Erin Talks: Central Intelligence and Makeup Routine

Hello my lovelies. I have quite a few things I wanted to chit chat about in this post in which I have written down the points in my dear bullet journal in case I forgot anything. First thing first: movie of the week. Last week, we watched Central Intelligence at Alamanda but we missed the first few minutes of the movie because we came in late. The movie was funny but there was nothing bizarre about it. If you want to watch it, go ahead, but if you don't, you're not missing out.

Book update: I finished a few books during the weekend! I finally finally finally reached the end of City of Glass. I started the book back in September 2014 and only managed to finish it a few days ago. I felt terrible. And then I picked up Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick. I read the first book back in 2013 and I reread it again yesterday before I can continue with Crescendo. I am now on page 116 of Crescendo and let's hope I can finish it by tomorrow.

Have you guys checked out the new Spotify Family Plan? The old plan was RM22.90 (1+1), RM29.90 (1+2) and increment of RM5 for every user. But right now, they changed the plan to RM22.40 for 1+5 family members! You're basically paying 20 ringgit something for 6 premium plans! Aaah such a bargain! I still have 3 slots left in my plan.

I am currently learning Danish language using two apps that you can download for free. Why Danish? One day, I will make a blog post about my obsession with Denmark and how it all started. Anyway, the apps I use are Memrise and Duolingo. I prefer Duolingo but both of them are really good in my opinion. Duolingo is much harder but you learn a lot more than Memrise. I am now 1% fluent in Danish (the app says so based on my test) and one day, I will be 100% fluent in it. Jeg elsker det så meget!

I changed up my makeup routine to a simpler one for a more natural look. I abandoned my foundation and went with Laneige BB Cushion which is my holy grail product that I have repurchased a few times in the span of two years. To set it, I use Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder to mattify the dewy finish of the cushion #oilyskinproblem. For mascara, I use a non-waterproof one by Essence Lash Mania Reloaded because I hate taking off waterproof mascara. For brows, I shape them with Shu Uemura Hard Pencil and set it with a Bobbi Brown brow gel. I set my makeup with NYX matte setting spray for the final touch. As for lips, I use a lipstick/lip balm from Sendayu Tinggi that changes the colour of your lips according to your blood colour. Bogus claim, I know, but I only wanted a sheer tint on my lips and that said product does it.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

TV Series I Have Completed

Hello my lovelies. I am quite reluctant to have this post up because I'm afraid that nobody would be interested to read it but I'm just going to post it anyway. If you haven't known already, I am a TV series trash. I love finding new TV series and I enjoy finishing 3 seasons of TV series in a week. To be honest, I enjoy TV series more than I do movies. The more the season, the better. My dad watches TV series a lot, too. I lowkey think I got the TV series addiction from him. Like father, like daughter though..

The site I use to stream movies/tv series is 123movies.to.

1. Awkward. (2011-2016) - 5 seasons

An unpopular 15 year old gains immediate, yet unwanted, popularity at her high school when the student body mistakes an accident she has for a suicide attempt.

I kid you not y'all, this show is one of my favourites to watch and I'm so sad that it has ended. It revolves around Jenna Hamilton and her high school life of being an outcast. She loves to write on her blog and she wants to be a writer one day. She has a best friend, Tamara or T and the love of her life is Matty McKibben. She always finds her way back to Matty no matter how far she wanders. If you're looking for a stress-free series, this is a good one and the ending is satisfying.

Favourite character: Matty McKibben

Least favourite: Sadie Saxton

2. CSI: Cyber (2015-2016) - 2 seasons

Special agent Avery Ryan works to solve crimes as a CyberPsychologist for the FBI.

I personally think they could have done a lot better with this series, to be honest. I did enjoy watching it but not as much as I did with the other 3 CSIs. It's a fresh new concept from the usual solving homicides that you see in the 3 CSIs. From this show, I also learned that what you do on your computer can easily be accessible to anyone who knows how to hack. Scary, no?

3. Gossip Girl (2007-2012) - 6 seasons

Privileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no secret from the ruthless blogger who is always watching.

If you haven't at least watched an episode of this series, I mean, what are you doing with your life?! This series is da bomb dot com. I have nothing else to say to you. The dramas, the fights, seeing them rich kids are so satisfying. 

Favourite character: Blair Waldorf

Least favourite: Jenny Humphrey

4. House M.D. (2004-2012) - 8 seasons

An antisocial maverick doctor who specializes in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way using his crack team of doctors and his wits.

Dr. House can be an asshole sometimes but he is very witty. It is impossible for a doctor, no matter how good the doctor is to be solving all of the cases successfully but that is what made the series very fun to watch. I started watching it back in 2013 while I was studying foundation in science and medicine interest me.

5. Jane by Design (2012) - 1 season

A case of mistaken identity has a dateless high school outsider living a double life as a twenty-something career girl in the fashion world.

I am baffled that they canceled such a good show after a season! If you're into fashion and still want that touch of high school dramas, this is a good one to watch. However, with only a season, you will be left with an insatiable feeling of wanting more of Jane Quimby and Billy Nutter. Will they be together in the end? We will never know because they canceled the show!

6. Suburgatory (2011-2014) - 3 seasons

When single dad George Altman finds a box of condoms on the nightstand of his daughter, Tessa, he doesn't know what to do at first. Eventually, he decides to move with Tessa from a New York City apartment to a house in the suburbs. It's culture shock in the beginning, especially for Tessa, but the big-haired moms and caffeine-chugging kids slowly start to become endearing. George's knee-jerk reaction may work out better than he had imagined -- experiencing the transition together helps dad and daughter grow closer.

This show is also canceled but the ending is somewhat satisfying for Tessa and Ryan. I got the same vibe watching Awkward with this show because it also revolves around high school and a girl who's trying hard to fit in the suburbs.

7. The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014) - 2 seasons

Carrie Bradshaw is in her junior year of high school in the early 1980s. She asks her first questions about love, sex, friendship and family while navigating the worlds of high school and Manhattan.

Can we just take a moment and appreciate how hot Austin Butler is? If you're familiar with Sex and the City franchise, The Carrie Diaries tells about the life of Carrie Bradshaw during her teenage years. The setting is like a modern 80's and I love seeing Manhattan as New York is my second favourite place to travel to. Carrie likes to write, too. I guess I have a thing for characters who love writing as I, myself, love to write.

8. White Collar (2009-2014) - 6 seasons

A white collar criminal agrees to help the FBI catch other white collar criminals using his expertise as an art and securities thief, counterfeiter, and conman.

If you love watching crime-related TV series but want to steer clear of homicides and people dying, this is the show for you. I love it so much and Matt Bomer is such a heartthrob. The chemistry between Neal and Peter is out of this world. They are the epitome of bros.

Erin Talks: The Conjuring 2, and Random Stuff

(was going to put The Conjuring 2 movie poster here, already searched it on Google image but then I saw VALAK. How about Valak, no I taknak?)

I haven't sat down and write an update on my blog for a really long time. My posts are either pre-scheduled or only down to specific contents. I have a lot of posts in draft but I just haven't got the time to edit them. But hey, you need a certain mood to write, am I right?

Anyway, last Wednesday was our movie date for this week. We watched The Conjuring 2 at IOI City Mall and before the show we got our weekly dose of overpriced coffee and this week we went to dal.komm Coffee just in front of Starbucks. It's a bit pricier than Starbucks and the coffee cup is much smaller so I don't know how I feel about that although the coffee was quite good. I got a caramel macchiato and he got.. well I forgot. Psh. He always tries my drink and I rarely try his.

Our movie was supposed to start at 10 pm but that night they mixed up the tape I guess and they played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. There was a bit of ruckus happening but at 10.35 pm, they played the correct movie and all is good, the ruckus died down. We got the twin seat in Maxx Atmos and supposedly the sound system is better than the normal cinema. To be honest, I didn't really care about the sound system because all I care was how I wanted to get out of the cinema just 5 minutes into the movie because it is scary as heck.

I thought I had the guts. My bae didn't like horror movies but he had more guts than I do. Let's just say I used his arm as my shield. No kidding. I hate the jump scare. And I hate Valak. One thing that I would like to complain about the movie is they never really explain what Valak is and why is he/she dressed like a nun. That's the only downside I have about the film. I rate it 8/10.

I finally tried the Samyang Ramen you guys! I know I'm 2000 and late but it has gotten so famous that I felt eager to tried it myself. Pedas sangat ke ramen tu, oh please.. Guess what? It is spicy to me. It was so spicy I crawled my way to the fridge to take an ice and literally rub it all over my lips and tongue. I love the taste, it is delicious, I just hope that they would tone down the spiciness just a bit. Not much, just a bit.

What have you guys been watching on TV these days? I spent my week catching up on Arrow, The Flash, The Vampire Diaries, and Pretty Little Liars. I also started watching Containment and Orange is The New Black. I have mixed feelings about OITNB because the whole premise is not my cup of tea but somehow I kinda enjoyed watching it because it is hilarious! Although I would appreciate less lesbian sex though.. Check out my TVShowTime profile to see all of the tv shows I'm following.

As far as music goes, I am enjoying this boyband playlist on Spotify. I love all the bands, I love all the songs. I play them everytime I'm on Spotify these days. 90's boybands are the shit, man. Even One Direction and Coldplay can't beat them. Tell me what's better than Backstreet Boys' As Long As You Love Me and Westlife's My Love? Tell me.

Anyway.

The most depressing news this week goes to...

Jeng jeng jeng...

I BROKE MY EYEGLASSES AND I AM BLIND WITHOUT THEM.

I used to think that I can't live without my MacBook. But after I accidentally broke my glasses into two a few days ago, I take that statement back. Without my glasses, I am nothing. Without my glasses, I couldn't enjoy being on computer. Without my glasses, I get headache and nausea all the time. I am living off of contact lens and I can assure you contact lens are only nice to be worn not at home. I need my glasses back, man. I can't do life without my glasses.

TO BE CONTINUED.. (IN A LATER POST A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW.)

Now playing: NSYNC - Falling

A Review: JF Skin Solutions Anti-Acne Soap

Assalamualaikum and good afternoon earthlings!

I am going to do a review of a face soap I have been using for a few months. Before going into details, you should check out my skincare routine where I talked about my skin condition and all about my acne problems.

So basically I have hormonal acne since 2014 and although some of them have cleared up already, sometimes I still get a few pimples popping out of nowhere. Before trying out this product, I used Dnars soap on my face but that didn't work that great when compared to this JF soap. I would still get acne with Dnars soap and although it wasn't that bad, it annoyed me because I would still have pimples no matter how I took care of my skin.

You can get this product at Guardian or Watsons for around RM10. Yes, it is cheap and works well!

The product claims 3 effective actions:

1. It relieves the clogged pores and impurities.

2. It cleanses the pores from germs and bacteria and also reduces the excessive oil.

3. It protects and prevents skin from further possible problems. 

The product also says that it contains volcanic sulfur as a natural active ingredient. The soap is also uniquely developed as a skin care soap to help in the treatment or prevention of skin problems.

Skin problems can be of various kinds. Here are some of them and how these problems be treated with the help of this soap. 

1. Acne 

The Keratolytic effect helps in relieving skin's clogged pores and its impurities. The active ingredients cleanse the skin from dirt and excess oil. 

2. Oily Skin 

Helps in controlling and reducing skin's excessive oil and related problems. 

3. Bacteria 

Helps in giving anti-septic effect on skin, hence, discouraging the tendency to fungal, bacteria, or other skin hygiene problems.

It's a yellow bar soap that you can cut into 4 parts to get maximum use. It is recommended that you use this only twice a day, morning and night, because it can be a bit drying and also because it contains volcanic sulfur and I suppose it's not good to be used multiple times in a day.

I freakin' love this soap. I think it's safe to say that I haven't had any breakouts/pimples ever since I used it daily except for period acne but I rarely get period acne and if I do, only one would pop out each time. So can you imagine how good this soap is for my skin? It prevents new pimples from coming out, too. It dries up your pimple overnight without getting dry, patchy areas like you would with OXY 10. Now don't get me talkin' about that crappy OXY 10...

PROS:

• cheap
• available at the drugstore
• one bar of soap can last you months!
• treats pimples and oily skin
• no new pimples coming out thank GOD
• you can use it on your body (body acne), can treat fungal infection (such as panau, kurap, and scabies), and as shampoo to fight dandruff
• safe to use. the first time I used it, my mom actually got it from a clinic that only uses good medicines/products and the doctor is great. how do I know this? I worked at this clinic after SPM lol.

CONS:

• it is drying so make sure to put on moisturizer/day cream and night cream, okay!

VERDICT:

I swear by this product. It is my holy grail and I don't think I will be using other facial cleanser. It doesn't break the bank and despite of still having hyperpigmentation from previous acne breakouts, my face is now free of pimples and I couldn't ask for more. I give it a 4.5 stars!