Bobbi Brown's Foundation Test

Foundation is a rather important aspect of makeup. It helps to hide redness, and dark spots, as well as even out the skin tone, creating a fresh canvas to build the rest of your makeup.

This is a simple test to figure out if your foundation suits you.

Apply a swipe of it on your cheek. Then grab a small mirror and step outside into completely natural light. Look to see if the foundation is visible. If it is hard to see on your face, your foundation works. If the swipe is obvious and visible, it's time to get a new foundation.

For more posts in my Quick Beauty Tips Series click here: AllForCyan Quick Beauty Tips

Choosing The Right Foundation

Oily Skin:
The best thing to look out for is a foundation with an oil-free formula. To even out redness and blotching on your skin, get the heavy formula foundation. If you wear moisturizer, use a foundation with a mattifying formula, because you don't want your face to look greasy.

Normal To Dry Skin:
Get a stick foundation or a creamy liquid foundation. When in hot, humid weather, using a liquid infused formula will make your skin look and feel better. If your skin feels dry, use a slightly heavier moisturizer.

For more posts in my Quick Beauty Tips Series click here: AllForCyan Quick Beauty Tips

My Advice On Shopping + Helpful Tips !

Hello everyone, today I will be talking about one of my favourite subjects, SHOPPING.

I can't deny my love for shopping, on a bad day (or any day, actually) walking into a store makes me feel ten times better. And when I find some good deals or things I really like, I feel as though I've won the lottery, the angels start singing in my head, and sometimes I do a victory cheer or even a happy dance. I know this sounds so crazy, it's just that I really, really love shopping.

However, sometimes after I get home and the excitement has died down a little, I realise that I bought the item on impulse, I just buy it to experience that joy and to make myself feel better, even though it might not be something I actually need. I've made so many impulse buys in the past, and I absolutely regret having done so. Due to the fact that those aren't the clothes I need, or I probably already have something very similar to it, there comes the additional trouble of deciding what to do with it, often times these impulse buys just end up in the unwanted pile. What a waste of money ! 

Have you encountered a situation like this? If so, here are some tips on how to become a smart and savvy shopper, and how to avoid impulse buys.

Make a list.

In this first step you have to know what you have in your closet, be sure to go through EVERYTHING and make a list of the things you don't need any more of. For example, if you already have some great jeans that you love, put it down on a list to remind yourself that you probably do not need anymore of those items. After creating the list, keep it in your bag when you go shopping, and before purchasing something be sure to check the list, so you don't get something you don't need. If the item is written on the list, put it back on the rack, and walk out the store !

Set a budget, and stick to it !

If you have a problem with over-spending just like I do, be sure to set a budget before going shopping. I often end up regretting having spent too much money because I couldn't resist getting all those cute clothes I saw. However since I've started giving myself budgets for shopping trips, I find it easier to keep within the limit.

Go shopping with a friend who can help you resist your urges

I like to go shopping with my friends because they can help talk me out of buying something that I don't need, they also help me to stay focused and not get sucked into sales where I feel like I have to buy all the good deals because sales are my weakness, I just can't resist deals, and clearance sales, even better !

Avoid sales

Like I've just mentioned, sales are terrible for me. I get urge to peruse EVERYTHING until I find a good deal. And when I've found a good deal, I challenge myself to find another good deal, and so on.
If you are like me, it is better for us to avoid sales. If you see a sign with 50% off or even 70% off, turn around and walk in the other direction, trust me I know how excruciating that is, how does ANYONE walk away from a 70% OFF SALE ??

But I assure you, in the long run you will feel happy having made the right decision to walk away from the sales.

Do not focus too much on trends

My mother always tells me: "Trends will pass. Get clothes with designs that will last." 

Classic pieces and essentials are things that will always look great, and most often these are the things that won't have to get rid of. It is absolutely fine to dabble in trends, but not too much. Trends fade and past. and all of a sudden, that item won't be "in" anymore,  you'll start wearing it less, and eventually you'll forget about it. I know that it's hard to believe, but trust me, this is what I've learnt from when I was completely obsessed with following trends. Try not to become like me, because you'll end up with a huge pile of unwanted clothes.

This is the end of the post, I hope you found these tips helpful. I will be doing more posts like this is the future, so be sure to check them out if you liked this post. Thank you for reading and I will talk to you in my next post ! 

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Style Inspiration: Lily Collins

Without a doubt, Lily Collins is one of my favorite actresses as of current. Although I have to admit that this is partly due to the fact that she plays the lead character of my favorite series, The Mortal Instruments. Nowadays, when fashion trends greatly influence what society wears, individuality is elusive. However, I find that it prevails in Lily, her style is casual but manages to remain very put together as well as polished. It's the kind of style that you can just throw on without a second thought, and you'll look amazing. Isn't that what we all hope to achieve? Effortlessly yet looking good. And that is what sparked off this Style Inspiration post.

I like how her style mostly involves a pair of skinnies. Which is great, because everyone owns pants as compared to designer bags which not everybody can afford. This makes it so easy to recreate her looks because she makes use of really basic pieces that everyone has in their closet. I've noticed that she likes to throw some nice jackets/coats over basic pieces such as the skinnies and tanks/t-shirts.

Something I like to look out for when recreating celebrity outfits is practicality. Because I'm a normal person with a normal job and a normal life, it won't be feasible for me to go about everyday life in a structured dress that cost $500 as well as sky-high stilettos. It just doesn't make sense because I'll have to take the bus or the train, I'm pretty sure my feet will be aching at the end of the day, and what if I spill coffee or rip the dress on a sharp object when going about my job? It's just not practical for a normal person like me.

However, Lily's style is so much more practical, functional, and also very comfortable. I look forward to trying out her style because I feel that it's suitable for normal people like me who can't really afford too many nice designer stuff, and would rather wear an outfit that is comfortable and practical. I don't know about you, but sometimes I find it hard to dress comfortably and look stylish at the same time.
Lily's style is the perfect embodiment of that, her outfits look comfortable, and she looks amazing !
And that is why my style inspiration is Lily Collins.

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment below because I would love to know what you think about this post.

Love,
Cyan

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(photos from Google, and their respective sources)

Christmas Favourites

Merry Christmas! It's that special time of the year again. Today I am here to share some of my favourite items this Christmas !

As the weather gets colder, it is important to keep your lips well protected and moisturized. Here are a couple of my favourite lip products.

 Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose from Watsons

I am a huge fan of anything scented, and this smells amazing. We've all experienced those products that smell nothing like the description, however, this Nivea Lip Butter smells exactly like raspberry and roses.



Aside from that, it also does a good job at keeping my lip moisturized. A downside to this lip butter is that it creates a white tint on my lips. To counter this effect, I like to apply a bright lip colour over it. For this festive season, I like to use this really pretty bright pink lipstick from Etude House.

 Princess Etoinette Lipstick from Etude House

Doesn't this lipstick have the prettiest packaging?? I have to admit I was drawn to this partly because of the packaging, I feel like a princess when I'm using it.

Moving on to the product itself, it gives really good colour pay-off. And it lasts well, there is no need for constant re-application. And that is what I look out for in lipsticks.

The next item is a recent purchase. I have been on the hunt for Bath And Body Works candles for the longest time. Here in Singapore, we don't have a Bath And Body Works outlet, which makes it exceptionally difficult for me to get a hold of their products. I finally manage to find a store at SCAPE (level 1) selling their candles. Needless to say, I went into the store like a maniac, and pretty much freaked out. However, the candles are extremely pricey. This one I bought cost $24 SGD. Which is a lot more expensive compared to Bath And Body Works candle pricings for the US.

 Pumpkin Caramel Latte candle from Bath And Body Works

This smells like Starbucks. You know that amazing scent there is when you walk into a Starbucks outlet, and it gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling. And it makes you think of the most delicious frappes and lattes? I can't describe what it is, I can only try to paint a picture using the feeling it invokes. Ahh, you HAVE to smell this candle. (And even my friends agree it smells like Starbucks)

Up next, is some tea I found recently. Just the other day, I was at Sushi Express with my friend, and we decided to get some of their tea.

In this cold season, nothing feels better than a warm cup of tea. I like to drink my tea with added milk, as well as on its own.

 Light Oolong Tea from Sushi Express 313 Somerset

These taste really good, and they're inexpensive too. One box costs $1.50 which is an amazing deal. And you know me, I'm always on the lookout for good deals.



 Pink Peach Hand Essence from Korea

If you read my Korea Trip Beauty Haul, you might recall me talking about this hand cream.

Besides keeping your lips well moisturized this cold season, it is essential that your hands are well protected as well. Moisturized hands lead to pretty hands, leading to simple marvellous nail photos on Instagram, haha.

 Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Eau De Parfum from Sephora

Another item I've talked about before in a previous post. This is the Taylor Swift Wonderstruck perfume I am absolutely in love with. It seems perfect for this Christmas season because it smells like magic in a bottle. And don't you agree Christmas is the perfect time for all things magical?

To read my thoughts and opinions about this perfume, you can check out this post here: http://www.allforcyan.blogspot.sg/2013/04/secret-scenta-review-on-taylor-swifts.html

Okay, that was the last of my Christmas Favourites, thank you for reading !

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !

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