daffnee: 2017

june favourites 2017.

1.7.17

Did I just go and do that thing where I disappear for a couple of months without warning? Rhetoric question, you don't have to answer that. But apologies - honestly, I don't know where the past two months went? I have a couple of projects in the making, and hopefully, I'll be able to share them with you guys soon. But in the meantime, let's put that all behind us and focus on what we're going to talk about today - the makeup favourites for June 2017.
Between the 30C summer days and constantly bending over my iPad/sketchbook, I've been opting for the 'bare face, top knot and glasses' look for the majority of the month. But when I do decide to pull myself together and wear some makeup, the innisfree Water Glow Cushion Foundation is always my base choice. Not only is it extremely lightweight, comfortable to wear (aka - I won't want to claw my face off after 5 minutes outside), and has pretty good coverage, this is the only base that will allow me to forego powder in the summer. It's glowy, it's easy to use, and the dozen of cases you can choose from are flippin' adorable. The only gripe I have with it is the shades tend to run on the lighter side. That said, I do think that they're expanding their shade range, slowly, but it's happening.
I'm one of those people that will opt for a full eye look whenever I put on foundation, meaning eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. But it doesn't mean that it has to be complicated - I've been reaching for the Sephora Crayon Jumbo Liner in Taupe every time. It's literally one of those 'scrawl and finger blend' eyeshadows - no one will know the look only took you 3 seconds. Plus, they are not kidding when they say it has a 12-hour wear time and is waterproof - this eyeshadow stick has never failed me - rain or shine.
I've been ditching the bold and matte lipsticks the past month and have been opting for the lowkey bright and creamy lip colours. The IOPE lipstick in #46 is a beautiful red-toned coral shade that is so so moisturising. It's light and easy to wear but packs a punch of colour without being obnoxiously loud. The second one - I never thought I'd own a Tom Ford lipstick as well, it's ridiculously expensive. Especially considering that I have near 100 lipsticks. But then one of my best friends surprised me with Twist of Fate as a late birthday present and well...let's just say I've been pleasantly figuring out how to use this lipstick without smudging away the TF engraving. I'm also trying to convince myself that it's just an engraving but at the same time, it's not? Who said beauty bloggers ever made sense.
Last but not least, I'm throwing in a skincare product to mix things up a bit. My pores have been clogging like it's their new hobby - I blame it on the humidity, pollution, temperature, sweat, oil, and bad sleeping habits. I've dug out the Aesop Parsley Seed Clay Masque again after months of abandonment. I've been more of a sheet mask kinda girl in the past year or so - but you can't beat a good ol' clay mask when it comes to cleaning those pesky pores. This clay mask was the golden kid once, but I feel like barely anyone talks about it these days? Or maybe I've been away from the beauty blogging game too long. But you really can't beat this clay mask when it comes to deep cleansing. Although, full disclosure, I've been wanting to try the innisfree volcanic clay mask for a while now.
Overall, June has been quite the month - what have you been loving in the past month?
With Love, Daphne x

favourite concealers.

13.5.17

As someone who first had horrible acne and then started wearing evidence of sleepless nights under their eyes, concealer is an essential part of my makeup collection. I've lost count of the concealers I've tried over the years and I don't think I've gotten around to finding my perfect concealer. But I've stuck to these concealers for a while now and I'm able to say that I'm willing to repurchase all of these again.

For the coverup of desert-like evidence of netflix marathons The 3CE Waterful Concealer has been my favourite concealer for the dehydrated undereye area. The watery texture almost hydrates the undereye area, perfect for the days when I've skimped on applying eye cream (which, if we're honest, is most days). This thin concealer packs more coverage than I thought it would. I use my fingers to pat and blend this concealer, resulting in medium coverage. It's easy to layer and build up coverage, but I usually leave it as it is. It's not a concealer for the days when my undereye area is threatening to embody the black hole, but it's my go-to concealer on a daily basis.
For the black hole kinda days Aka the days when my dark circles are threatening to look bleaker than my bank account. I always bust out the Bobbi Brown Corrector no matter the day of the week, but we're strictly talking about concealers now so I'm going to pipe it on my favourite and most essential makeup product. Anywho, the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer is my go to concealer for my undereye area when I've stayed up way too late for way too many days. It's slightly thicker in texture, but easily bendable. It wears beautifully for the whole day and will have your back even when sleep doesn't.
For the quick and easy 2-in-1 highlight-concealer The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer has been my favourite concealer which doubles as a highlight. It's medium coverage means that it's not the most desirable concealer for the days when the shadows under the eyes are eerily dark, but it's hydrating AND wears beautifully as a highlighter. I suppose this is partially because the shade is so light. That said, another reason I love this concealer is because of the applicator - there's something therapeutic about this sponge applicator, and no, I haven't completely lost it. Yet.
The do-it-all The Urban Decay Naked Concealer is my do it all concealer. I have this in two shades - both can be used as an undereye concealer and an all over concealer, depending on if I've gotten any sun or not. It's a medium coverage concealer that's slightly leaning on the fuller side of the spectrum, This concealer is also particularly great on the days when I've skimped on skincare and my skin is acting up being dry and all - how dramatic.
The do-it-all 2.0 For the days when I've mistreated my skin and it decided to throw a fit of acne and dark circles resembling the dark pits of hell. The Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer is the Supergirl to tackling these pests. The slightest amount is needed to cover up all acne/redness/dark circles. It's slightly drying compared to the rest of the listed concealers, but nothing that cannot be treated without some moisturiser/eye cream beforehand.

I look forward to the day that concealers won't be an essential part of my makeup collection and routine. But until then, I still love buying and trying out new concealers - so let me know if you've tried any of these concealers before or what are your favourite concealers? With Love, Daphne x

april favourites 2017.

6.5.17

I used to love writing monthly favourites - they were my favourite posts to write. But now, quite frankly, the idea is quite daunting. Back in the day, I had a constant influx of new products - it was like I was trying to build my own makeup empire. And I was succeeding. However, current day Daphne is a lot more restrained from buying makeup - and she's also getting boring with her makeup process, sticking to the same products and almost the same look.

That said, I'm hoping that through relaunching this monthly series, I'll be able to rotate through my makeup army more often and rediscover some old favourites.

It's funny how I say that I'm restraining myself from buying makeup, and there's only one familiar face in my April favourites. But I blame it on Korea. Most of these products showed up in my Korea haul, so let's start with the familiar one before we move onto introducing the newbies.

I am completely and utterly smitten over Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy Matte Lipstick in Unattainable (review). It's a plummy-red shade that's been whipped out all four seasons and is currently my go-to bright shade. It's a satin finish but with the staying power of a matte lipstick. Plus, this Estee Lauder lipstick has a magnetic lid which makes it all that more satisfying.

I flirted with a lot of different concealers in the past year, but I think I've finally settled down with the 3CE Waterful Concealer in 01. It's an extremely lightweight concealer that's almost hydrating - in other words, under eye concealer heaven. As if this wasn't enough, the wear time for this concealer is amazing. It's gotten me through 12-hour work days with my concealer looking better than how I'm feeling. Plus, it comes in a squeezy tube, which is probably my favourite concealer method for the under eye area.

Another 3CE product that made its way into my favourites is the Pot Eyeshadow in Baby Latte. I imagine this is what melted metal looks like on the lids - and this is my conclusion after I applied this pale gold eye shadow with fingers. Imagine how gorgeous it would look when applied with a damp brush! I would say the one thing that's slightly annoying about this eyeshadow is that there definitely is fallout - however, it's something I'm willing to overlook purely because of how gorgeous it wears.

I've been wearing the granhand. Fragrance in Kissin since the day I got it in Korea. It's quite the gender neutral scent, and with notes of pepper, sandalwood, and amber (as I gather from the website), this scent is like being buried in a blanket fort while sitting by the fireplace. Plus, can we talk about the packaging - the hemp labels and simple product details allows the product to stand out from other fragrances and brings that 'down to earth' vibe that matches perfectly with the scent. Also, they stamp your name on the bottle. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't like customised packaging??

If you're following me on Instagram, then you've probably seen this nail polish pop up multiple times in my instastories. I was on the desperate hunt for a rainbow holographic nail polish after seeing it all over Allison's social media. And of course I'd find it in Korea. I didn't know about WAKEMAKE before this trip, I wasn't even sure of the brand name until I did a google search. But their Nail Gun nail polish in VVIP (Silver) is exactly what I was looking for and more. The rainbow holographic is so beautiful without being tacky, and has a futuristic touch. I normally don't apply nail polish when I'm on vacation as I can't deal with chipped nails - but I just had to try on this nail polish and it stayed on for 3 full days before there was minimal chipping. What's better? The shine was incredible and lasted the whole time I wore the nail polish. Definitely my favourite nail polish at the moment.

Last but not least, a lifestyle favourite. I have a major caffeine problem, and while I'm not a coffee snob (my only requirements: black coffee that doesn't taste like sink water), I refuse to be in near vicinity of instant coffee. Then I found KANU instant coffee. I picked up a box of the instant Americano when I was in the supermarket, not expecting anything at all and just hoping that I would be able to swallow the end product. But boy oh boy, was I pleasantly surprised. If you gave me a cup of this coffee and told me a barista made it, I would've believed you and asked you for the name of the cafe. I'm kicking myself for only buying the 30-pack box and am already researching where I can buy it online.

All in all, April has been quite a month - what has been some of your favourites from April?

With Love, Daphne x