z.ky: Skin Profile

As I will be reviewing BB creams and other skincare products, I thought it'd be helpful to describe my skin type. So if we have similar type and flaws, you can be reasonably sure that you'll get the same results I get from various products! Hopefully this helps :)


Note: I do not have blue skin.

Skin type - Combination skin:
Moderately oily nose and chin, normal to dry cheeks and forehead. Becomes normal and dry respectively in the wintertime. Needs extra oil control for the nose, chin, and surrounding areas in hot weather.
Problem areas:
Dark circles underneath eyes, dark shadows around eyes, visible pores on nose, redness around nose. Dry patches appear under tearduct and on eyelid occasionally. Fine lines directly underneath tearduct.
Good points:
Texture is very smooth, have never experienced acne - no scarring present.
Makeup routine:
I only use concealer for my dark circles - I hate the feeling of foundation, so I never use it. I use oil-blotting papers or tissue paper to blot away any excess oil during the day.


November 2011 Skin Routine:

Day
Pond's Flawless White Visibly Lightening Daily UV Cream SPF 15/PA++ (available in Asia only)
Pond's Flawless White Light Infusing Under-Eye Cream (available in Asia only)
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum

Night
Pond's Flawless White Re-Brightening Night Treatment (available in Asia only)
Pai Echium Organic Eye Cream

I'm in the process of switching out my skincare routine for more natural/organic, paraben- and silicone-free products, starting with the Pai eye cream. The Pond's whitening range was excellent before it was repackaged/reformulated as Flawless White - it used to come in a white and navy container. Now I find the day cream a little too reminiscent of pure suncream, while the night and eye cream are good but not mind-blowing. I have a review on the Pai Echium Eye Cream coming up, but first up is Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream!

z.ky reviews: Maycare Double Eyelid Eye Tape

For a couple of dollars, I bought a pack of Maycare double eyelid tape - for fun, since I have hidden double eyelids already. That is, the outer edge is visible, but overall not very dramatic or overly visible. There's no point in showing pictures of my eyelid, as everyone's eyelid shape is different. In addition to that, you can achieve different effects depending on the positioning of the tape; apply it higher for a more dramatic effect, but beware that it may cause the skin of your eyelid to fold over and lose the effect. Experimentation is key!





The pack contains 72 pairs of tape, nicely presented, including a plastic applicator similar to the one included with double eyelid glues.

From looking up other brands of tape, this one seems to be relatively discreet - it's not thick, doesn't have a strange pattern/airholes, nor does it leave any residue. It will last at least half a day (I took it off after that amount of time) and is quite comfortable - similar to wearing (well-applied) false lashes. I haven't tried using it with make-up on, but I imagine that I would first apply the eyelid tape, then stick to eyeliner and mascara only.

This is what I've gathered from my research on double eyelid tape brands:

- Nexcare: Most breathable.
- Eye Charm: Seems to have good reviews.
- Wonder: Not as big as Eye Charm, but more natural.
- Maycare: Moderately natural, inexpensive.

z.ky: First venture into Officewear

L - R:
shirt: Penneys (I bought this approximately six years ago and never wore it!)
bag: Penneys, €13.00
flats: New Look, €24.99
trousers: Dunnes Stores, €20.00
pencil skirt: Forever 21, €17.75
skirt: Penneys, €15.00

REVIEW: Etude House LUCIDarling Fantastic Nails in Mocha Brown (Shimmer #4)

Thinner than regular polishes, so it definitely needs at least two coats. However this is a plus point for me, as the consistency is very smooth and it dries very quickly - I prefer two thin coats that dry quickly to one thick coat which is hard to manipulate and takes ages to try (and is more likely to smudge!).

The colour is perfect, getting a brown polish has always been in the back of my mind but I only ever see chocolatey goop in stores. The shimmer really helps this to not look like goop. This was cheap, too - about €4.36, and the seller threw in some samples!

Gorgeous shimmer! Pictured: two coats with a crappy Collection 2000 clear coat.

Etude House is a Korean brand which is affordable with cheerful packaging and design! I'll definitely try more of their products if I get the opportunity. I really want this Petit Darling top coat:

These are the samples I received along with the polish:

• Missha Super Aqua Oxygen Micro Essence Peeling mask
• Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream

Will do separate reviews of the Missha samples later!

z.ky: Melancholia hits Dublin

As usual, a review without spoilers.

Melancholia is uncomfortably moving, almost profound. My inexplicable dislike of Kirsten Dunst was cushioned by the always wonderful Charlotte Gainsbourg, and melted away completely during the second part of the movie. The small main cast (Dunst, Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, and Cameron Spurr as their little boy) and ending were genius. The sparse nudity is touching and natural rather than sleazy. The music blew me away - it's such a breath of fresh air when movie soundtracks feature mostly or only classical music (and NO cheesy credits song).

Despite the limited showings and lush imagery, this movie is not overly "artsy" or pretentious. Action movie buffs will squirm in their seats while romantic comedy fans will have their ideals rattled. Don't take it too seriously or search too deep for meaning, and you will have a wonderful, even if shaken, experience.

Favourite scene:
The conversation between Claire and Justine, during which she mentions "All life on Earth is evil." Could have been taken straight out of Donnie Darko...it's that level of tangibility while touching on the topic of mortaliy: life is short, and how it's in human nature not to recognise it until it's too late.

Most shocking scene:
After the horses calm.

Favourite aspects:
The hair and make-up was divine. Reminded me of the finish in Black Swan. The location was beautiful, too - it was shot in Sweden, including Tjolöholm Castle.

Least favourite aspects:
The slow-motion intro stretched slightly too long for my taste.

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Irish filmgoers: this movie is not being shown outside of Dublin. Within the city centre, you can see it in the either the IFI or The Screen Cinema - I recommend the IFI for its interior. Catch it before it's gone!

Specsavers

So big and clear.




Hello!




Corporate.


Daily contact lenses for astigmatism: got a 5-day trial. If they're made in the US, why is the text in Japanese?

my little airport 奇人的離職 Lyrics English Translation

my little airport - 奇人的離職 (A Wonderful Person's Departure) English Translation

Chinese lyrics: my little airport
English translation by z.ky. Do not reproduce without permission.

Up until the end, you still want to leave,
I never urged you to stay.
Up until the end, you still want to break up,
I'm behind you, watching you leave, taking your puppy with you.

I'm afraid that you no longer like me, I'm afraid that you no longer speak to me, I'm afraid that you have another pretty girl, I'm afraid that you want to leave me, I'm so afraid that I cannot sleep, it will be over soon.

Up until the end I never spoke up, I just looked down.
Up until the end I never jumped off any buildings, I just wept.
Regarding love, regarding friendship, I will ignore it, ignoring you as you drift away.

I'm afraid that you no longer like me, I'm afraid that you no longer speak to me, I'm afraid that you have another pretty girl, I'm afraid that you want to leave me, I'm so afraid that I cannot sleep, it will be over soon.


Note: Bittersweet French again - "j'ai peur que tu ne m'aime plus, j'ai peur que tu ne me parle plus, j'ai peur que tu as une autre belle fille, j'ai peur que tu veux me quitter, j'ai si peur que je ne peux pas dormir, ce sera finir bientot.".

Glitter Gradation nail + DIY Lightbox

First of all, I dug out some old polishes (apparently too old - it damaged my nail!) and tried a gradation effect:


2 coats Anna Sui in black, 1/2 coat Arezia black with glitter particles, layering with Lizzie iridescent glitter in clear polish.

I promise I'll put more effort into editing in the future!! I upgraded to Photoshop CS5 recently, and it's still bare bones, meaning no custom brushes or anything.

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In attempt to improve blog content, I've been looking extra hard at my favourite blogs, and one doable thing that stood out was photo quality. I don't have the best camera and I can't afford to upgrade to my dream Canon DSLR, so I thought about equipment instead - how about a lightbox for product reviews?

This was the guide I used, however I also found variations: using fabric or tissue paper to cover the sides, different arrangements of lighting, and one using foam boards instead of a cardboard box.

Result...


The sides are unfinished as I have no suitable material, and I laid a tissue on top for now :s

With this ghetto and incomplete setup, here's what I achieved with a bottle of Curious by Britney Spears (impromptu review: it's nice and very wearable, more floral than sweet, but it just doesn't suit me...):


The colour turned out yellow, I think I poked the lamp through the side instead of filtering it through the tissue. There's a weird unintended yet not unwelcome vignette effect. I used my sister's Cyber-shot for these (my own DSC-T30 ran out of battery).


This one is much better, again there's an unintended vignette effect. More lights would be useful for getting rid of the shadow at the bottom.


Anyone have other tips regarding lightboxes and product photography?

New header + Stats

The header I designed sometime before summer is finally up! (Version 1, that is!) Not that the promised overhaul is now capped, not at all - you also may have noticed the ads in the sidebar and below the most recent post - due to reasons which make me squee (outlined below), I've decided to implement AdSense, partly out of curiosity and partly to exploit this whole blogger phenomenon thing. (What?) Hopefully they're not too intrusive, as always I'm hungry for feedback.
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According to StatCounter, [ flyktighet ] is now the top source for LMF lyric translations, so thanks to my readers for the hits. I'm including some stats for fun!

• Google is the most popular search engine used to find flyktighet.
• The most popular keyword is "lmf lyrics" - the most popular translation is LMF - WTF, which is the most popular page after the homepage; my translations rank #1 on Google for searches on "LMF - WTF in English".
• The keyphrase "LMF lyrics" rank a respectable #5.
• Pinyin lyrics are sometimes requested - if that search becomes more popular, I will consider romanising lyrics.

Fanart of Nedroid Picture Diary

Reginald hearts Beartato by ~yamitoyume on deviantART

OOTD & HOTD (Haul Of The Day)

top: from my sister
leggings: UNIQLO
scarf: H&M boys

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IS THIS A HAUL I SEE?!

Yes. I needed a dependable pencil liner for one thing, and I thought I deserved a shopping trip before class starts again (well. It's already started).



Boyfriend-approved duvet cover set - hopefully you can get the pattern from the pic. It was on sale!



Cream jumper from Penneys - my obsession with nude-coloured items has diminished, but this looks so cuddly and warm that I couldn't resist.



Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black) - got a reward card too! 10% off everything in Debenham's right now. MINI-REVIEW: Not as black as I'd hoped, but it does glide. Put it on my waterline and hand just to see how long it'll last - will report back later! Usually I pat black shadow over liner on my waterline which makes it last forever, but it's not really good to do with contact lenses.



Carmex, strawberry-flavoured - I've always been fascinated by the strong smell of Carmex, but I'm happy enough with my Chapstick. However, strawberry... MINI-REVIEW: Slightly glossier than Chapstick, with the signature tingly feeling. Not sure about staying power yet, but I'll report back! Feels nice, no stickiness or wetness at all.

Maybelline New York Pure Cover Mineral Concealer in Natural - this was recommended by StyleSuzi, and I picked it up as I've never tried mineral make-up before and my L'Oreal True Match is running out (and expiring). MINI-REVIEW: Very blendable, buildable too. However the coverage doesn't seem to be as good as L'Oreal, though it is slightly more reflective. It's quite lightweight, think I may have picked a too-light shade. Works moderately well, but not a HG product; it's also NOT waterproof. Thinking of trying concealer by Origins next.


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THINGS I HAD MY EYE ON:
- The Sanctuary Warming Charcoal Detox Mask: I've been on the lookout for a clarifying mask, and clay and charcoal seem like good choices.
- Botanics eye cream with almond oil: don't remember the full name, but lately I've felt that my Pond's Flawless White eye cream just doesn't cut it.
- NIP + FAB Dark Circle Fix: I'm dying to try this out as I have terrible dark circles. Sadly the Boots I was in didn't stock it.

I was being frugal, and I never buy anything without first consulting Makeupalley and my favourite beauty bloggers (feature coming soon?).

LOVES OF THE MOMENT:
- electric blue.
- glitter nail colours (move over, crackle glaze fad!).
- Classique X by Jean Paul Gaultier - my teeny sample bottle is running out...help!

Jung Yup (Brown Eyed Soul) - Nothing Better piano cover