TAG: The Beauty Blogger

Hey guys! Hope your day is going well 🙂

I was tagged by some bloggers (didn’t keep track of the names but thank you, whoever you are!) to do a variation of tags a few months ago. Tags are a series of questionnaires about your personal life and you’re supposed to repost the questions on your social media account with your answers if you’re tagged to do it. It’s like responding to survey quizzes with Facebook Notes which apparently was the craze a few years back. Now, it’s back to haunt me on WordPress. Hahaha, kidding.

Well, throughout my 5 years on WordPress, I have been documenting my life in the form of product and service reviews. Very seldom would you see me writing extensively about myself here because I’m usually quite uncomfortable with the idea of baring my soul to the world and documenting my every move online (the internet is such a scary place).

But I actually thought that tags would be a fantastic way to unveil bits and pieces of my life without sounding too.. self-obsessed? And it’s about time I take a break from reviews and inject some personal touches to this space of mine. 😉

For this post, I have picked a beauty tag which I’m always very excited to talk about (and ‘coz beauty inevitably forms part of the backbone of this blog). So here goes!

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Lipsticks are my obsession

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Naturally straight. It used to be very straight before I chopped off my hair when I was 15 and people would think that I rebonded it when I didn’t 🙂 Now it’s more wavy than straight because I bun up my hair a lot.

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Shampoo and conditioner I use!

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I get it done at a salon because I can’t dye for nuts.. and my hands won’t be able to reach some parts of my hair.

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

I’m all about convenience when it comes to dressing up and it has always been the case since I started buying my own clothes. Is that considered as a style? But I love anything pink, floral and girly.

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Floral dresses, my ultimate luv

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I… don’t do any mani or pedi.

*gasps*

Yes. I think it’s a complete waste of money and they won’t last more than a day on me anyway!

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

As above, no nail polish unless I’m in a destructive mood to scratch off paint from my nails.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Never!

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

It depends on how much time I have for makeup. Typically 10-15 minutes during morning rush hour (lighter makeup and sans highlighter and mascara) and 20-30 minutes on days I can afford to waste 😉

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What I use on a daily basis!

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Used to be my face until I realised that it’s way faster to do my eyes first! Plus, the foundation that comes after helps to cover up all the annoying fallout!

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Collectibles 🙂

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Highlighters

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I unabashedly admit that I collect makeup so I have tons of unused products at home. Eye palettes and lipsticks are just too irresistible.

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My almost-complete collection of Urban Decay Revolution lipstick

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Some of my unused collection

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

I don’t wear them because eyelashes make a huge difference to one’s look (and I dislike the feeling of them weighing down my lids). I like my makeup to stay as natural as possible and I don’t wish to appear unrecognisable without my lashes 😉

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I rely on mascaras to enhance the look of my natural lashes. I alternate between Benefit and Urban Decay, sometimes using both (waterproof on upper lashes and non-waterproof on lower to prevent clumping). Also not forgetting my trusty Shiseido eyelash curler. I also own a Shu Uemura curler which works as great!

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Yes, as long as I have the time for it. And especially if I am experiencing breakouts.

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Full makeup

12. Do you wear makeup when you’re home alone or with family?

Nope, I’m perfectly fine with my family and boyfriend seeing my no-makeup face. I’m not that self-conscious!

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yes, definitely. I’ve done that a couple of times on days when my skin looks flawless HAHA. And also I don’t mind leaving the house without makeup if I’m commuting by car. But it’s a huge no-no if I’m heading to farther places from home like town by public transport.

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Face products I use to pamper my skin!

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I’m not a high maintenance person so I don’t seek brands like Gucci, Prada or LV. I think my most expensive accessories to date are my Coach wristlets (gifted to me by my cousin and boyfriend), Kate Spade bag and wallet (bought by my boyfriend when he was in US a few years back). My other high-end products are perhaps my more expensive cosmetics from Chanel, Dior and Guerlain.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you’re getting dressed?

I have to plan my OOTD the night before. Otherwise, I would be late for whatever I’m rushing off to.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Rarely. I own tons of handbags but there’s only a handful (no pun intended) that I use regularly because of the size. I need a medium to large handbag to store my barang-barang hahaha.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

I’m nocturnal and I know it’s bad for health 😦 I typically sleep after 4am (latest was 7am) and wake up before 11am. That’s less than 5 hours of sleep each day and I’ve grown accustomed to this sleeping pattern. But what to do, I’m just so busy! 24 hours a day is not enough for me.

18. How often or when do you workout?

I try to do short exercises (sit ups, crunches, stretches, planking) every night before I sleep. I run at least 3 times a week if my schedule allows.

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right handed.

20. How tall are you?

165cm the last time I measured. I hope I’ve grown taller after all the stretching exercises 😀

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Is Cantonese foreign? I have studied basic French, Spanish and Malay but I doubt I can carry a conversation in those languages. I can understand a little though.

22. How many pets do you have?

One, for now. Planning on getting another dog soon (if the co-owner agrees to be more responsible)

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My lovely Chubs the Pomeranian 🙂

23. How often are you on WordPress?

Daily. WordPress is one of my pinned tabs and it’s also my homepage on my mobile Chrome.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

I don’t really bloghop (too busy for that these days) but I do head straight to the comments after reading a post/news article because I enjoy reading alternative views 🙂

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see on other posts?

Not really, I pick up whatever that catches my attention when I go shopping.

Great Singapore Sale is happening right now at ZALORA! Head on to ZALORA now for the best deals and offers 🙂

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

It’s my name, duh! I wanted a name that truly represents me and eventually concluded that it should be my name. So unoriginal but yeah. Hahaha.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

NX-2000 for product shoots and NX-mini for outdoors.

28. How often do you clean your house?

I sweep the floor everyday because my dog sheds a lot! I clean and scrub my bathroom perhaps once every two months.

29. What’s your favorite color?

Pink, definitely!

30. Do you swear?

Nope, because I feel that uttering vulgarities depreciates my self-worth. I’m not as liberal as the youth these days. I just can’t bring myself to swear. But admittedly I do swear when I’m extremely pissed off. Hahaha.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I’m just going to have cupcakes from Five One Degrees and torture myself with a bowl of spicy Korean instant noodles for dinner. 😀

… and that’s all I have for this tag!

I’m supposed to tag a few people to do this questionnaire but I really have nobody in mind. So I’m tagging all of you to do this! Let me know in the comments below if you’ve done it and I’ll hop over to your blog and take a look at your response! Whee, it’s gonna be so much fun!

Thanks for reading lovelies! 🙂

Achieve Your Ideal Body Shape with EnzSerum

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Hey everyone!

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I am now about 5 months into my low-carb diet and so far I’ve managed to maintain my physique despite gorging on food lately (no thanks to all the SG50 dining deals around). Of course, that’s only possible with the help of fat burning/weight-loss products because I’m just too busy for intensive workout as for now.

If you recall, it all started with a strict low-carb diet whereby I would totally abstain from refined carbohydrates like white rice, noodles and bread. Foreseeing that I wouldn’t have time for any workout due to my internship, I initially planned to stick to this diet until the end of my stint in June but sadly, it only lasted for two months because the radical changes I made to my eating habits visibly affected my immune system negatively. I found myself more susceptible to illnesses, falling sick really easily and my period also became really irregular. So I started ingesting little amount of carbs – usually bread – mainly to get my menstrual cycle back on track. But I gradually became more and more liberal in my diet (doesn’t help that lunches with colleagues are always at amazing cafés) and had put some weight back on. It may seem like a measly 2kg increase on the weighing scale but the fats around my waist had in fact thickened twofold (like literally 2 foldable layers of flab, haiz).

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Belly pre-EnzSerum: flabz not fabz, can’t even see the vertical line on my stomach anymore 😥

My body insecurities

Well, granted, I’m not exactly fat (the last time I measured I was a UK10 which is considered a “small” in some countries *chuckles*) but I’m definitely borderline chubby by Singaporean standards (or Asian in general) with lots of stubborn excess fats on various parts of my body – more specifically my arms and tummy. Despite being a rather active jogger since 3 years ago, I had only managed to squeeze into a UK8 dress at the minimum at one point (also caused by poor appetite during my busy days which made me lose a few inches of belly fats). Still, unsightly flabs would still be hanging from my underarms no matter how much exercise I do. I used to shy away from sleeveless tops because of this reason. I would feel so self-conscious in them and too ashamed to wave goodbye or hold on to the handgrips on the train. Although I’ve outgrown this insecurity a little, I still wish for toned arms to look good in pictures.

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Arms Pre-EnzSerum: fatfatfatfatfatfatfat

While running does play a great part in weight management, it is after all a whole body activity and it doesn’t really tone up or burn fats at targeted areas apart from my thighs and calves. Moreover, my ongoing internship makes it impossible for me engage in long vigorous exercise because I’d be too burnt out for anything else by the time I get home. I could only spare about 20 minutes each day for a quick workout (consists of 60 sit ups, 4 sets of 50 crunches, abdominal exercises like plank and etc.) which to be honest hadn’t shown much noticeable results on my concerned areas if not for a fat burning product.

Introducing EnzSerum

So what is this fat burning product that I mentioned? Thanks to JBeauty, I was given the opportunity to try out EnzSerum, a fat blasting serum essence, which can be used in conjunction with my workouts to help slim and tone the body by reducing unwanted fat. What’s amazing about this product is that it allows localised fat loss (burning the fats of a targeted area) which is exactly what I was hoping for.

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Formulated in France, the main ingredient of the product is Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine and it is derived from soy lecithin, a natural ingredient which is absolutely safe to use since it is obtained during the process of soy beans. It is capable of destroying the fat cell membrane and removing the triglyceride to kill fat cells. For those who don’t know what triglyceride is, it’s the end product of digesting and breaking down fats in meals (e.g. carbs) and essentially the main form of fat in the body. It’s not entirely a bad thing because everyone needs some fats to stay alive. But it’s definitely not good if your triglyceride level is sky-high because that may lead to heart disease and could multiply the bad effects of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. [source] It’s like having high cholesterol level, y’know?

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But having said that, this product is not a health or dietary supplement of some sort for lowering triglyceride levels. It’s used purely to combat stubborn fats in your body and can also be a weight-loss supplement for your diet and fitness goals.

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Thighs pre-EnzSerum: not too bad but can be leaner hehehe

What’s more, this product is strictly for external use only so nothing of it is to be taken orally (yay for the sceptics). All you need to do is to apply the product evenly on the surface of your targeted flabby areas and massage until the serum is fully absorbed by the skin. The product utilises the latest Nanotechnology to break down its active ingredients so that it could penetrate the skin cells easily. For better results (I think so la, haven’t tried it yet though!), it can also be used with body wrap for approximately 45 to 60 minutes.

My results

I have personally trialed EnzSerum for 2 weeks and already I can feel the effects of the product. My skin (especially tummy) now feels tightened and less flabby. I use this prior to my workout at night (daily before bedtime) and after my morning shower on my underarms, tummy and thighs.

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Arms

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Tummy

No change in thighs.

But to be honest, 2 weeks is too short a duration for me to realise its full advantages. I believe I would be able to see better results with prolonged use (especially with body wrap). Personally I think it will work way better with exercise (as always!)

Every application leaves a tingling sensation on the skin (something like that of Prickly Heat Snake Powder hahaha) that can last for up to 3 hours so as much as I’m tempted to apply lots of it at one time (not like it’s going to speed up the fat loss process but yeah kiasu is like that), I try not to because I don’t want to feel like I’m being burnt alive. But it provides extra cooling (on exposed areas) on windy days! 😀

Each bottle of EnzSerum should be able to last you for three months (or more if used sparingly hehe).

Why you should get EnzSerum

If you’re troubled by regional fat bulges (belly, waist, shoulder, armpit, hip, upper thighs, back and and unable to reduce fat despite restricted diet and regular exercises like me before, this is the one product you ought to try for a quick, easy and non-invasive way to eliminate unwanted fat.

Besides hastening the breakdown of fats (the primary use of EnzSerum), it also helps to increase your body’s metabolism rate and skin’s elasticity and tighten your body into the highly desirable ‘S’ shape. When used long-term, it reduces cellulite and moisturises your skin. Other benefits include water retention reduction, orange peel skin elimination and skin nourishment.

Here is the list of the ingredients and their functions:

Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine – destroy fat cell membrane and remove excess triglyceride (unwanted fat)

Coenzyme A and Vitamin BT (Carntine) – gently eliminate fatty acid and excess fat and reshapes the body

Carnosine – counters the effects of free radicals, provides oxidation, glycation and anti-aging properties

Borage Seed Oil – used to treat eczema and nearly any kind of dermatitis or rash

Gotu Kola Extract – decreases inflammation and blood pressure in veins, increases collagen production

And yup, that’s about it! 🙂

Give EnzSerum a shot if you want a trim body fast and (almost) effortlessly!

 

EnzSerum

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REVIEW: MAC Huggable Lipcolour – Soft Talkin’, Play It Soft, I’m Game, Dramatical, Flaming Lips & Bare Hug

“What time is it? Summertime! It’s our vacation!”

Are you guys old enough to know where I got the above quote from? *nostalgia mode* The last movie aired more than 6 years ago! Isn’t it amazing how time flies by? Just like how it was only a few weeks ago that I reviewed on the last MAC collection for Spring. In the blink of an eye, summer is upon us! And so are some of the new MAC releases for this season 🙂 Let’s talk about the first one!

First unveiled in Winter 2013, the MAC Huggable Lipcolour collection featured a range of limited-edition creamy lipsticks formulated to provide a lasting, glossy finish that would leave lips smooth and sculpted. This amazing formula was inspired by Asian trends and could last for up to 6 hours.

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MAC Huggable Lipcolour 2015

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The Huggable Bear!

This May, more than one year since the collection first flew off the shelf, it’s back by popular demand for a limited time only! With 12 huggable hues to choose from, these lipsticks promise a rich and glossy shine that boosts collagen, and a unique gel base that melts upon contact, allowing each shade to glide on effortlessly with a feather-light moisturizing finish. [source]

The 12 colours available from this collection are Soft Talkin’, I’m In, Bare Hug, Play It Soft, I’m Game, Fashion Force, Dramatical, Flaming Lips, Glamorized and Love Feeling.

There was a preview for this endearing collection at Sephora ION outlet last Friday (slated to be launched on 15 May 2015) and being on the Singapore MAC mailing list entitled me a pass to the event. Technically since it’s not a closed-door event, anyone could enter. But then registered attendees were served glasses of fruit punch and champagne 😀 The event was joined by the huggable bear above (so cute!) which was so popular with the ladies, I didn’t have a chance to take a selfie with it. 😦

Bare Hug wasn’t available for sale and preview at the event which explains why I had to buy it off the US site. Having said that, all 12 shades will definitely be available on its official launch day.

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Overview

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Official swatch

The nude hues on the top row are simply gorgeous! In fact I kinda like all the shades in this collection. But I don’t have the deepest of pockets so I gotta narrow my choices down to 5 or 6 😦

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These are my choices! With another one (Bare Hug) on its way from the States! (UPDATE: Bare Hug review added towards the end of this post!)

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My swatch (Bare Hug is not in this picture because I didn’t have the product at the time of first publication)

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Packaging

At US$20, I expected some differentiation to the box. Perhaps some not-so-conspicuous images of teddy bear (since the theme for this collection revolves around huggable bear) printed on the box would be lovely 😀 Of course, the hike in the price this time ’round is largely due to the sleek metallic packaging of the lipstick tube (which I feel, to be honest, isn’t sufficient to warrant a US$4 increment).

Soft Talkin’

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Soft Talkin’ is a warm peachy nude. (US$20 / S$35)

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Soft Talkin’

Soft Talkin'

Soft Talkin’

Soft Talkin'

Soft Talkin’

Soft Talkin'

Soft Talkin’

Since I was at the physical MAC store, I had every opportunity to swatch the colours before deciding to pay for them. So I really have no idea what actually got into me that led me to purchase the lightest nude from this collection which obviously doesn’t really show on my lips except to give it some shine. Perhaps I bought it because I was fond of the colour of the bullet. It’s such a sweet warm peachy nude and it’s a shame that it doesn’t appear to be like that on my lips 😦

On the other hand, it really felt emollient and the application left behind what looked like a protective sheen that clings comfortably on my lips. Huggable indeed 🙂

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Swatch comparison against other nude colours. You can tell how emollient it is as compared to Satin and Cremesheen shades like Myth and Shanghai Spice.

Play It Soft

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Play It Soft is a bright coral red. (US$20 / SG$35)

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Play It Soft

Play It Soft

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Play It Soft

Play It Soft

Play It Soft

Play It Soft

Play It Soft

This colour is mega love. It makes me look like I have really healthy and hydrated lips because of the warm-toned pink that’s not too over the top (it’s not really bright despite the description). But I would recommend this shade for its great consistency 🙂 Plus, don’t you think it appears like it has lip glass applied over it?

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Swatch comparison with some shades I own. 5-Alarm is close, but darker and more opaque.

I’m Game

I'm Game

I’m Game is a creamy raspberry. (US$20 / SG$35)

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I’m Game

I'm Game

I’m Game

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I’m Game

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I’m Game

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I’m Game

I was contemplating between this and Glamorized because both are what I’d consider to be the attention-grabbing kind of brights. I only picked this because I felt this isn’t as scarily bright as Glamorized. (But to be honest I almost wavered when the emcee of the event commented that it would be the first shade to sell out. That’s enough to make a kiasu (grasping) Singaporean like me to buy it. But thankfully I resisted and walked away!). It actually looks pretty alright on me.

The finish is comparable to Play It Soft, perhaps equally commendable. Similarly, it has awesome coverage and consistency and it also gives me lips a very healthy shine.

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Swatch comparison. Strangely it looks sheer on my hand but more opaque on my lips! It’s usually the other way round haha.

Dramatical

Dramatical

Dramatical is a bright cherry red. (US$20 / SG$35)

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Dramatical

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Dramatical

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Dramatical

Dramatical

Dramatical

Dramatical

Dramatical

Oh no, yet another classic red! But this has slightly more blue undertones.

I feel that among all my red lipsticks (excluding my Matte ones of course. Those are irreplaceable), this is the best because of the finish and the colour isn’t too glaring or in-your-face. I do see myself wearing this more often than the others. Light-weighted with such smooth application, it just feels like it’s part of my lips. Plus it deserves some bonus marks for not making my lips flake over time!

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Swatch comparison with other reds!

Flaming Lips

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Flaming Lips is a deep creamy red. (US$20 / SG$35)

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Flaming Lips

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Flaming Lips

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Flaming Lips

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Flaming Lips

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Flaming Lips

In contrast to Dramatical, this has yellow undertones and is sheerer. It doesn’t apply as evenly as the others because some of the product tend to settle heavily in the middle and accentuating the lines, making my lips look cracked at that area (you can tell from the pictures above). Still, it wore very comfortably on me because it feels very hydrating over time.

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Comparing with Dramatical and a Lustre shade (Call the Hairdresser!)

Bare Hug

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Bare Hug is a creamy soft peach/orange. (US$20 / SG$35)

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Bare Hug

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Bare Hug

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Bare Hug

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Bare Hug

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Bare Hug

Adding on to my list of favourite MLBB lipsticks is Bare Hug! The semi-opaque finish allows your natural lip colour to show through and on top of that give life to your pale lips without having to overdo your makeup.

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Swatch comparison!

To sum things up.. Well, it’s confirmed: I’m a new fan of the Huggable formula. I thought I was gonna hate it because nothing good comes out of sheer lipsticks. But I’m awfully wrong this time! 🙂

That’s all for this review! Let me know your thoughts through the poll below:

 

Thanks for reading! ❤

MAC Huggable Lipcolour is now available on MACCosmetics.com and will be on sale from 15 May 2015 at local MAC stores.