4 signs that your relationship is OVER.

Before I start, you'd probably like to know why you should even read what I'm about to write.
I don't have a degree in psychology & I'm sure as hell no Dr Phill, but I believe that I learnt from the best teacher; experience.
Everything I write today reveals small bits & pieces of my past relationships.
And hopefully none of you repeat the mistakes I've made.
(Or if you have, at least this will help you recover from it.)

Long story short, I had a lot of dysfunctional relationships. Too many to count.
But all of them never lasted more than 6 months because I knew what I wanted & had self worth.
Till I met my last boyfriend, let's call him Mr X. (Get it? Mr Ex. Badum-tss)
Anyways, he seemed like the perfect guy for me.
He never asked me to change who I was.
Remembered to tell me he loved me almost daily.
Above all, he was kind.
I loved him enough to not only reject all other romantic advances, I was ready to marry him.
In the 5 years we were together, I can confidently say that I never wished that he was someone else.
I was even ready to move across the country to be with him & I knew with every fiber in my being that I will stand by him through anything (bankruptcy, illness, any sort of addiction, etc.)- except one thing.
Infidelity.

Which brings me to sign No1:

#1 He/She Commits A Deal-Breaker

Before seriously going into a relationship, PLEASE determine what your deal-breaker is.
This will save a lot of heartache.
A deal-breaker is a list of things that you WILL NOT TOLERATE.
And I don't mean 'he-leaves-the-toilet-seat-up' issues. I mean serious things.
Here's a list of my deal-breakers:
1. He cheats on me
2. He abuses me
3. He disrespects my parents/brother
4. He steals money from me
Anything else, I am willing to work out with him. So you should have your list too.
And it's always better for you to share your list with your other half.
If he/she does it anyways, then YOU have to hit the brakes, turn off the engine and toss the keys into the Pacific Ocean.
Don't look back.

#2 There's Nobody Fighting To Save The Relationship

Now, let me say this loud and clear, some wars are not yours to fight alone.
If the ball is in his court, let him decide what to do with it.
If your other half commits a deal-breaker, you fight by verifying whether they did do it or not.
Once you have evidence.. it's their move.
There's 3 ways a person could react when faced with accusations:

1. They prove their innocence
They do this by producing evidence themselves.
If they start saying shit like "Who are you gonna believe, me or *insert name of friend/sibling/family*" then sirens should go off in your head. Trust is earned not served on a silver platter.
In my case, I was hoping that he would prove to me that 'she was just a friend'. I wished that he would order me into his car, drive to the "friend's" place and lay everything out. If they were really just friends, that wouldn't me a problem.
So just like in CSI, you accuse and prove yourself innocent with cold hard evidence.
If you're truly innocent, it's not that hard.

2. They admit they were wrong
Everyone makes mistakes.
If they have the balls to tell you the truth, then that's their move.
What you do with the truth, is up to you.
If you're willing to forgive & move on, do it.
Telling the truth doesn't automatically fix things.. It doesn't mean that everything can go back to the way it was. But it sure does save a hell of a lot of heartache.

3. They lie their way around it
If you're unlucky enough (like I was), you'll be on the receiving end of this dipshit move.
Only the true sleazeballs try to weasel their way out.
Now, a person may or may not successfully lie their way out.
It all depends on 3 things:
1. How strong is the evidence of their wrong doings.
2. How good they are at lying.
3, How much you truly trust them.
When you listen to their arguments, listen carefully. If there's a time to play Sherlock, there's no better time than at that moment.
If you catch them in a lie, then it's game over.
People only lie if they have something to hide.
Trust me on this, I learnt this the hard way.

So depending on how they react, decide if your relationship is worth fighting for.
If he's a dick, why bother fighting for him? Let him be someone else' problem. 

#3 Life Goes On As If Nothing Happens

He/she doesn't call.
He/she doesn't seek closure.
He/she simply drops you like a hot potato.
Once, you were the air they breathe (or so they say), but now they seem to do just fine without you..
If this is the case, you were not very important to begin with. (Sorry to burst your bubble)
There's no point pining after someone who doesn't care about you.
Nurse your wounds, then move on.
Because if you really were THAT important, they will MAKE it work.
"Reformed rakes makes the best husbands" It's true.
I personally know some men who were rattled to the core at the prospect of losing the women they truly loved. They made mistakes, acknowledged it & changed.
There's still hope for these idiots.
Some just have to lose what they had to appreciate it.
If you are no longer relevant to them, you need to move on. Do it.
You'll be just fine without him/her too.

#4 YOU Stop Mourning 

If you're ready to 'get back out there' and no longer have that ache in your heart every time you see your former partner, you're off the hook!
At this stage, you're set on finding someone else. What your ex does, doesn't affect you much anymore.
Congratulations! You've officially moved on & your last relationship is officially DEAD.
Grab that shovel and bury it.
You deserve someone better anyways.

XOXO,
Reina Lum

Leaders' Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch

On my last trip to one of Korea's beauty supply store, I picked up a few things..
One of those was Leaders' Vita Bright Skin Renewal Sheet Mask which I reviewed.
(Click link for review)
In a word, it was amazeballs.

So this time, I'm reviewing the eye mask that I bought on the trip;
Leaders' Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch.

PACKAGING: 4/5
The packaging is comprehensive enough..
I mean, it's obvious that it's an eye mask and you get a basic idea on the benefits of using it. (+Points)
Plus, it does look very clinical & professional. To me, that's definitely a plus point.
I don't trust shady looking products. (+Points)
But again, I have no idea what's in the mask since I can't read Korean. Bummer. (-Points)

PRODUCT: 4.5/5

The trouble I have with eye masks is that you can't really see a significant difference after every use. 

I absolutely LOVE the cool sensation when it's under my eyes, but I have no idea whether it really does help with eyebags/ wrinkles since I don't really have them. Ha!

I just love using eye masks!

So I'm guessing, if I don't have eyebags/ wrinkles when some of my friends do, I must be doing SOMETHING right..

One thing I am a huge fan of though, is the new silicone technology!

(OK, it's not THAT new, but for some unknown reason, you don't really get them here in Malaysia)

I just prefer the silicone masks because it just settles on your skin much better.

It stays put and doesn't slip & slide as you do things around the house. 

It actually shrinks as your skin absorbs the essence in the silicone. 

(Which is quite fun. I like the fact that you can actually SEE the mask work)

PRICING: 3.5/5

To be honest, I have NO IDEA how much a set costs here in Malaysia.

I've been searching for these gel masks for quite a bit now and none are sold at prices that I'm comfortable with. 

I got these in Korea & am mentally flying kicking myself for not getting more.

They were just about... RM 6 a pair. (Less I think..)

A bargain I think from going to the spa for a hydrogel mask. (That would set you back about RM 20)

REPURCHASING: 4/5

If I ever get the chance, I would. 

For the right price, of course. 

But since it's so bloody hard to get here, I foresee that it'll be quite a feat to get them. Gah!

Truth to be told, Leaders just gained a fan for life!

I am so impressed with their products and I'll definitely keep buying (and also trying new products) from them. 

Me thinks a trip to Korea is in order..

Till next time, 

XOXO
Reina Lum

Review: Revlon Colorstay Creme Foundation

Hello friends,

   Recently I have been travelling a lot for work commitment. It is an event where I have to be under the sun for a long period of time. Other than having a good sunblock it is really important for me to have a good foundation that stays long on the skin since I will surrounded by heat and of course taking a lot of photos (Plus I dont have time to do touch ups).

  I have been trying a lot of foundations recently but honestly nothing can beat the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation. Although the setting sprays might be one of the reason that held the foundation well on my skin (reviews coming up soon!) or pressed powder, but personally I think the major contributor will still be this whipped creme foundation.



  To start off, this foundation is in whipped creme texture. It is light on the skin and you do not need a ton of it to achieve flawless coverage. I personally am in LOVE with this foundation for it's texture and coverage provided. You just need a little bit of the product for your whole face. I recommend you guys to apply this foundation with a flat top brush or foundation brush as it distribute the product more evenly as well as more coverage.



  As for the staying power, honestly I think it does stays longer than 24 hours. I wore this foundation from 6am to 11 pm and it stays perfectly well (I know did not test it for 24 hours but I mean who wears foundation that long right?). I am not sure whether the pressed powder helps but I don't think a bad foundation will stays longer than this whipped foundation even with the help of pressed powder.

  This foundation however comes in only 4 shades. I know, I am quite shocked at first for the shades offered. But I guess we have to work with what we have right? I am in a shade "Nude" which is a bit lighter than my skintone, but since the shades next to nude is too dark for me, I went with nude instead. No worries, with a little help from the pressed powder and blusher, it worked well on me.

 The other thing that I love about this foundation is that it comes in a beautiful packaging (although it is not travel friendly). It is packaged in a glass jar and it is decently heavy.



Summary:

Availability : Available at the 3 main drugstores in Malaysia (watsons, guardian and caring). 5/5 
Available shades : Limited. Only 4 shades. 2/5
Coverage : Full coverage. 5/5
Scent : Mild scent. 3.5/5
Lasting power : Long lasting. Can stay up to 16 hours for a person who has a very oily skin like I do. 4.5/5
Packaging : Beautiful glass jar however it is not travel friendly. 2.5/5
Price : A little expensive (RM69.90). 3/5

Leaders' Vita Bright Skin Renewal Sheet Mask

When it comes to the best beauty products out there, I've learnt that the best way to find out is by try & error. Or by a trusty reviewer but most don't have the balls to tell it as it is.

Which brings me to this little miracle in a packet. 

Shopping in the beauty isle of a Korean beauty supply store can seriously confuse you.

Especially since 95% of the descriptions are in Korean. 

Tip: When in doubt, get something that's a best seller. If people keeps buying them, there's a good chance that it really does work.

Another Tip: Don't bother asking the sales girls (or in my case, guys) unless they are known to give sound advice (But really, not all of them are bad). The thing is, they are pre-programmed to sell you stuff. Often times, stuff that isn't that good.. Ask other shoppers instead! You'll be surprised to see how much your fellow shoppers know. And you can bet that they will give you a frank opinion on a product. 

So a Korean girl said "You should try this. Leaders. Very good".

She was cute. So I believed her. Mehehe.

I bought 3 packets of Leaders' Vita Bright Skin Renewal Sheet Mask.

A box of their hydro eye masks.

And also their Teatree Relaxing Facial Cleanser. 

So here's my review on Leaders' Vita Bright Skin Renewal Sheet Mask:

PACKAGING: 3.5/5

It looked promising enough. 

Even a person with ZERO comprehension of the Korean language could basically understand what it is and what it's for. So kudos for being somewhat accommodating to international buyers! (+points)

But I have no idea what's in it. (-points)

As you can see, the back of the packet explains the product in great detail. Never in my life had I wished so hard that I could read Korean.. (Since I bought this in Korea, it's not really fair for me to -points because of this). 

 


PRODUCT: 5/5
I have never given such high praise on a product before.
So you can bet that this was REALLY good.
The first thing that I thought was interesting was the quality of the sheet mask itself. It was paper thin.
This is a good thing.
It maximizes the absorption of the serum (the serum is not wasted on the sheet itself), it fit snugly on my face (you can't even tell where the mask starts and ends!) and there was quite a lot of essence in the packet.
I ended up pouring the leftover essence bit by bit on the mask as it starts to absorb. Bliss!
When it's all dried, I took it off, did my little patting routine to get all the essence in my skin and I couldn't stop caressing my face!
It was so smooooooooooooooth!
My skin did not magically get a tone lighter or anything (let's be realistic here) but it did make my skin appear more luminous.
The redness from budding acne vanished and the next morning, the budding acne are GONE!
My only regret was that I only got 3 packets!!!

 

PRICING: 3.5/5
I would have given it a 4 if the price I bought it for in Korea is the same price it is sold here in Malaysia. I think I bought it for about RM 6 a pack. (Ps: This was also before the Malaysian currency dropped).
I'm happy to report that some major beauty retailers do sell them. I saw some in both Caring & Watsons, Sunway Pyramid. BUT it was selling for almost RM 9 a pack. Meh.
In my honest opinion, it's still a fair price to pay.
As I said before, an amazing product is worth the extra penny.
What's the point of buying 10 packs of slightly cheaper ones when 3 packs of these miracle packs gives you the same results right?

REPURCHASING: 5/5
Yes. YES. YESSSSS!
In a heartbeat.
I adore this product.

Till next time my beauty junkies!
XOXO
Reina Lum

Beauty DIY: Shape & Maintain Your Own Eyebrows (+ Tips!)

For so long, I have always feared shaping my own eyebrows. 

Because if I mess it up, it's gonna be a mistake plastered on my FACE!

And I HATE drawing on eyebrows. I don't even wear make up to work for god's sake :(

But I've learnt a fool proof way to do it.

So that none of you end up like this...

In response to online requests, 

here's my personal guide to shaping & maintaining your own eyebrows.

I use a 3 step guideline to figure out my natural lines. 

(Natural line makes the best shaped-but-natural-looking brows)

Step 1: Where your brow starts (no more unibrows! Yay!)

Step 2: Where your arch should be

Step 3: Where your brows ends

For a full and detailed tutorial, check out our latest video.

*Here's the full video*

I tried to squeeze in as much tips as I can in less than 8 minutes..

They range from the differences of an eyeliner & browliner to

how to tweeze without torturing yourself!

Oh, and I welcome feedback.

Enjoy!

XOXO,

Reina Lum 

How To Bleach Your Hair From Black To Blonde

Hi peeps!

So people have been asking me how I do my client's hair..

So here's the tutorial!

I hope that this will be especially helpful to those who are not in the same state as I am 

& can't book sessions with me.

For more details & appointments, email me!

(ps: I used Manic Panic Flash Lightning Bleaching Kit (Vol 40) & Virgin Snow White Toner)

Till next time.

XOXO,

Reina Lum

The body shop gloves

Hey readers,

    Did any of you guys suffer rough or scaly skin? Or maybe stubborn scars around your body? Sometimes body lotion, scar serum or body butter is not enough. It takes more than that. 

    In order for products to absorb better, you need something to exfoliate your skin to remove all the dead cells laying on top of your skin. Thus you need an 'exfoliator'. 

    I have always been a fan of exfoliator and believe it or not, i exfoliate daily. I feel more clean and you waste lesser product as you need the tiniest amount to apply on top of your skin. 

   My personal favorite is from the body shop. It act similar to loofah. It does not irritate my skin and my skin feel super smooth the second I used it on my body skin.   I believe it is safe to be used everyday (don't quote me as I am not an expert).

It comes with a lot of colorful colors. And it is really affordable. It retails for rm15.90 and you can get this at any the body shop outlets. And the other good thing about this gloves is it is very durable and holds on for quite some time. But I suggest to change it every 3 months for hygiene purpose.

                                               Love,

                                            Nurul Gan 

Beauty review: Avon Advance Techniques damage repair 3D rescue

HELLO TO ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL READERS,

How's everyone doing? I know it's been a while since I last made a post in this blog. Reason being is due to me trying to adapt into new working place. I apologize for that. Will try to update more frequently for you lovelies out there. 

So today's post will be on my new favorite hair care. As you can see based on the title, it's on Avon Advance Techniques damage repair 3D rescue. It claims to help repair 3 years of damage caused by styling, chemical treatment and brushing.

 I have used this for about a month and a half and can I just say that this is like a miracle in a bottle. I have notice such a great improvement on my hair once I apply this on my hair. I have recently bleached my hair and as everyone and their grandmother knows that it does damage one's hair A LOT especially my hair being damage as it is. 

Thus I have decided to rescue my hair by purchasing this treatment from Avon. May I say this is one of the best purchased I have ever made? It is super duper affordable and yet does pretty much the same job as higher end treatment. 

I applied this from the middle part of my hair to the ends of my hair (mainly concentrating at the ends) while it's still damp. I find it works better on damp hair than dry hair. It smells amazing. I don't know how to describe it but it smells super clean and fresh. You can also apply serum after applying this treatment to achieve maximum result.

Once you apply it, leave it to dry and you might notice the differences on your hair texture. I love how this treatment scent clings to my hair at least for about 3 hours. And the best part is the fact that it is not oily. I have an oily scalp so having to put treatment that is from oil-based might not be the best idea. Thus, this treatment provide the best solution to my prefences and needs. 

Where can you get this? 
Any Avon boutiques in Malaysia. click here for more details on Avon boutiques in Malaysia.

Price:
Regular price is RM27.90. However Avon always have a great discount on their products thus do drop by to any Avon boutiques to check out their latest offer.

Hair type:
Suitable for any hair type. However, it is best on damage and dry hair.

Love,

Nurul Gan

The Ramadhan Diet

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard people complain that they are actually gaining weight rather than losing weight during the fasting month.

Actually, It has less to do with starving yourself and more to do with a (sorta) taboo phrase in our society: COUNTING YOUR CALORIES.

Granted, fasting done right may lead to great weight loss but only if you do it right. With that said, I'll lay down how people usually gain rather than lose weight this fasting month:

Buka Puasa- OMG, I'm so hungryyyyy. I wanna eat nasi lemak with ayam goreng rempah, nasi ambang, nasi tomato, Char Kuey Teow. Oh, and not forgetting the yummy kuih! Seri muka, kuih pelita, kuih melaka! Yum! I'll wash it down with Air Tebu too! What's the harm? Puasa right?

WRONG.
In that one session alone, the average Malaysian consumes 4 times more calories than one ought to during dinner. Whereas when we're not fasting a regular health conscious person would:
1) Eat MUCH less during dinner.
2) Not indulge so much in foods that's loaded with sugar & salt (like those kuih we love so much).

So calorie wise, in a day, you're actually consuming more than you are when you are not fasting.
All those extra calories are FAT.

Another bad habit that we have is that we tend to do less during the fasting period.
It's like a green card to laziness.
(Admit it, I do.)

So here's the basic equation:

You+ More calorie intake - Less calorie burning activities= Bigger you.

I'm not saying don't fast (don't quote me out of context here), but there are right ways to do it.

1. Eat dinner as you would if you weren't fasting. Yes, that means cut out all those unnecessary kuih and sugary drinks. Perhaps if you want to, add 1 sugary item just for a little treat. 
2. DON'T eat till you're too-full-to-move in one seating. Actually, drink first (Our bodies give out the same sensation when we are hungry and thirsty. So people usually confuse thirst with hunger.) Drink and chillax for a few minutes, then you can start eating.
3. When eating, it's too tempting to gobble everything down in one seating. This is where copying the prophet's actions will also help with your waistline! Eat in stages. Have some rice and go do your prayers. When you're done, you'll be surprised to find yourself already full and won't eat as much.  
4. During sahur, try not to 'fill up your tank' in hopes that you won't feel hungry throughout the day. and later SLEEP. Your body will still convert food to to energy regardless of what you're doing and if it finds that you're not using the energy, it converts it into fat which is harder to break down..

Hope this answers your burning questions about the topic.

Remember, the key is not how MUCH you eat, but how much calories you're consuming. 

Eat healthy & clean peeps!

XOXO,

Reina Lum

Guide to Bleaching & Coloring Your Jet Black Hair. Part 3: The Coloring Session

If you've missed part one & part two, here's the links:

Guide to Bleaching & Coloring Your Jet Black Hair: Part 1: The Salon Disaster
Guide to Bleaching & Coloring Your Jet Black Hair: Part 2: The Bleaching Session

Right after drying off my hair, (Tip: DON’T use heat to dry your hair at this point. In fact, for the first week, stay away from the styling tools! Let your hair rest and regain it’s moisture level. Using heat tools will only strip it away) I simply rubbed in Manic Panic’s Semi Permanent hair dye into my hair.

Here’s the consistency of the hair dye:

It’s basically a crème based dye and you can simply massage in into your hair and leave it in your hair till you get the effect you’re looking for. Yes, you heard me right. Leave it on as long as you want. This dye is vegan so it’s even used on children.  The time spent in your locks will only effect the intensity of the color. Here’s a great plus, it also moisturises as it colors! So after rinsing, you don’t even have to condition!

As for colors, I used Purple Haze on the most part of the bottom of my hair and Mystic Amethyst for my ends. Here’s some pictures to show you how my hair turned out!

I twisted my hair in tight coils just to show you how healthy my hair remained even after the bleaching and coloring.

And you can pretty much tell the real color of my hair by contrasting it to my skin.

Overall, I’m stoked with the results!

It’s semi permanent and would last up to 4 to 6 weeks on your hair but the large jars have a lot of product so you can just reapply when you need to. I personally think it’s a plus for those who can’t commit to extreme hair color permanently, especially to university students whose Uni still dictates the ‘acceptable’ color of your own hair. Meh. 

But hey, even the ‘permanent’ colors wash away so I can’t really see what the difference is. The only downside is that Manic Panic is not available in Malaysia. I had to import it via Avant La Mode’s Personal Shopper service. If you ever wanna get any of Manic Panic’s products, Just email avantlamode@gmail.com. Or visit http://avant-la-mode-pre-order.blogspot.com/search/label/Manic%20Panic

I hope this helps babes!

XOXO,

Reina Lum

Editor of the Fashion Reps

Guide to Bleaching & Coloring Your Jet Black Hair. Part 2: The Bleaching Session

So lets pick up where I left off..
If you missed Part 1, click here.

Anyways, once my hair got back to it's usual sheen, I opened up my new Manic Panic Flash Lightning Bleaching Kit. They provide the full kit that includes everything you might need for a bleaching session. 

The kit includes:

1. The Bleaching Powder
2. Liquid Developer
3. Mixing Tub
4. Applicator Brush
5. Gloves
6. Hair cap
7. Directions Leaflet

Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of me bleaching my hair (was way too excited) but you basically just need to mix the bleaching powder and developer until it forms a creamy mixture. I went a step further by using aluminium foils to make sure that everything remained neat & tidy. Here’s some tips:

1. Use the gloves. The skin on your hands will thank you for it.
2. Do a test patch. Take a small amount of hair, preferably the inner parts of your hair so that if anything bad happens, it won’t be so painful to part with the few strands of hair. NOTE: Any half decent salon should also do the same. I have no idea why it’s not properly implemented in Malaysia’s salons when it’s a policy in most salons in the US!
3. Don’t empty the whole of the bleaching powder and develop it right away. (This was a mistake I made. *Sobs*)Use half first to see how much you really need. I found that I don’t need the whole packet even if I wanted to bleach my whole head!
4.  The instructions say that it’s safe to leave the bleach in your hair for up to 90 mins. It’s true. But if you’re not comfortable with that, use a hairdryer and blast some heat on your hair (this works even better if you have wrapped your hair in aluminium foil as it’s a great conductor of heat) The heat helps to speed up the whole bleaching process.
5. With that said, if you wanna bleach your whole head, take note that the bleach works faster on your roots due to the heat coming from your scalp. So make sure you do your tips first and do your roots later.
6. Be sure to check the progress of your hair every 15 mins. Once your go off the edge, there’s no coming back peeps!

After about 60 mins, I rinsed off my hair. And the results: Dirty Blonde Hair! The exact color that I wanted! More amazingly, my hair remained the same quality as before! 

It didn’t feel like straw. Considering the fact that my first round was such a disaster, this was a nice surprise. I was expecting some sort of damage.. But I went on with caution anyways and made sure I really took care of my locks. 

Better safe than sorry right?

Anyways, after bleaching, your hair becomes porous (the same effect you’ll get after swimming in swimming pools) so that’s the best time to color your hair! But if your goal is to go blond, simply condition your hair to seal your hair shafts. 

TIP: Although it’s really tempting to shampoo the bleach out, DON’T! Just make sure you’ve rinsed your hair thoroughly and condition/mask it for repair. Shampoo will simply strip away what’s left of the natural moisture in your hair, leaving it drier. 

NEXT CHAPTER: THE COLORING SESSION

I hope these tips help!

XOXO,

Reina Lum

Guide to Bleaching & Coloring Your Jet Black Hair. Part 1: The Salon Disaster

Before I start, there’s two things you’ll need to know about me & my hair:

1. I have virgin hair. That means I have NEVER bleached, colored or even chemically straightened/permed it before. (Even though I REALLY wanted to for so long.)
2. This year, I have bleached my hair twice. Once in a salon & the other time using Manic Panic’s Flash Lightning Bleaching Kit.

Here's a picture of my hair. 

The picture was actually from last year so it's actually slightly longer now ;)

So here’s the thing.. I thought that bleaching my hair in a saloon would be the ‘safe’ thing to do. Plus, I have zero experience with coloring and bleaching my hair, best leave it to the professionals right? WRONG. I went to quite a ‘reputable’ salon in Subang, out of respect (and some legal reasons too) I won’t blatantly mention the name of the saloon here. But the saloon used a bleaching mixture marked with Chinese characters and was told not to worry. Pfft!

Here’s a friendly tip, ALWAYS demand to know what they are putting on your precious locks. ALWAYS. Even if you have to yank the damn thing out of their hands, DO IT. I learnt this the hard way. 

Anyways, long story short, in just 40 minutes they almost fried my hair! They even had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to bleach it again on that very same day to get my hair to turn strawberry blonde! (I need it to go MUCH lighter than the dark brown it was at the time. I was aiming for purple hair.) At that point, my hair already felt like straw. It was stiff and looked so fragile to the touch. Like hell I’ll let them do another round!

Thank god I did a little research before I went to bleach my hair.

Here’s another tip: Let your hair rest! The best is to let it rest for two weeks to a month between bleaching sessions. Loads of professionals recommend this method. It may be a slow process, but it is the safest. What’s the point of doing this if you fry your hair beyond repair in the right? 

The reason why saloons would rather bleach your hair 3 or 4 times in a row on the same day or just a few days apart is because it saves THEIR time & energy. Plus, it’s a sure fire way to make sure that you shell out RM 100 per bleaching session IN THEIR SALLON.

On another note, (This applies to a select few. To those who have been ranting that bleaching don’t give them the results they want right away. Siapa makan cili, rasa lah pedasnya).

What do you expect?? To go from jet black hair to platinum blonde in just one session? Come on people.. Get real. I can’t say this enough (call it tough love) but no matter how good a bleaching kit is, don’t expect miracles. Put a little logic in your beauty regimes! Even if you buy the best, most expensive skin lightening products, you don’t expect it to transform your sawo matang skin to albino-like in one use right? It takes time. So Chillax.

Okay, enough ranting..

After more research, (Another tip: RESEARCH. Google is your best friend! Find out the best brands. How to get them and any hair care regimes that might be useful afterwards.) I finally found a product that sounds promising. I first found Manic Panic’s Flash Lightning Bleaching Kit but after reading the 50th review on it (Yes, there’s THAT many reviews on it online), I decided to get their Semi permanent hair dye too!

So after a whole month of tender loving care (I went ahead and bought repairing ampoules for my hair and made sure I used my hair serum daily. It was the most work I have ever done for my hair!) my hair went back to all it’s former glory. *Hoyeah!*

NEXT CHAPTER: THE BLEACHING SESSION

Till next time my lovely readers.
XOXO,
Reina Lum

Hair Care Tips: Hair Ampoules

As some of you might know, I am on the road to having pastel purple hair. *Suppress excitement!* 

And since I have virgin (never before treated) jet black hair I have no choice but to bleach my hair first.

Yeah, yeah.

I know what it does to your hair.

But having bleached hair does not mean that you're sending your locks to predetermined doom. 

You just have to know how to take care of it.

My personal favorite go-to products are HAIR AMPOULES.

Let me break it down for you;

PROS:

1. Hair Ampoules comes in different types. Some are leave on while others needs to be washed off. And just like any other hair care products, you can buy those suiting your hair problems. 
2. These are the SAME treatments that you spend a small fortune on in salons.
3. They are amazing coz of it's nano ingredients. Translation: It penetrates your hair much better.
4. After using it for less than a month, my bleached hair returned to it's manageable state. Which is amazing considering I mistakenly used crap bleach for my hair (I'll write about that later). 
5. They (personally) give much better effects than most of the treatments I've tried. 

CONS

1. They also cost a lil more than your average serum/leave on conditioner. A tiny bottle might set you back RM 10 to RM 50 each depending on the brand you prefer. But then, salons will charge you up to RM 50- RM 300 per session. So either way, you're saving $$$.
2. They come in glass/air-tight casings for a reason.. You have to use them up within 3 days. Max. This is mainly because of the 'nano' nature of the ingredients. Ingredients like oxygen and protein dissipates or breaks down upon exposure. So the fact that they dissipate quickly is both a pro and a con >.<
3. They are bloody hard to find in physical shops. Unless you happen to live near a reputable hair care supplier, you'll have no choice but to shop for it online. Even online, it's quite hard to find. 

Currently, I'm using two by Sensation Professional Therapy Specialist.

They have quite a range so I only chose the 2 that I needed most.

Here's how tiny they are:

The first one is a moisturizing wash-out multi ampoule (pink). 

So you basically mix this in your conditioner or hair mask to get better results.

Obviously, you have to rinse it out after.

Mine's already on it's third use. 

You can tell that the ingredients are starting to dissipate even when in the bottle. (look at the walls of the bottle)

My second one the leave on ampoule (lavender). 

This is a miracle worker. 

Just pat it on your lackluster hair and you'll see immediate results.

This one is almost gone too. AND I'm on my second bottle!

Not surprising since I carry this in my bag where ever I go.

With the first bottle, I even stuffed the ends of my hair in the bottle to soak up every LAST drop of goodness! 

I know I'll do the same with this one too. Haha. 

Till next time my hair care lovers!

XOXO,

Reina Lum

Hair Care Favorites 2013

Hello everyone!

     It's been a really long night (and morning) for us yesterday. We have been really working hard on this video, trying to figure out how to best showcase the products and how to execute it. But it's worth the time.

Here's the products that have made our list:

1) Kerasys itching relieving shampoo
2) Fuente Vita Voltage Shampoo by Shiseido
3) Avon advance techniques damage repair 3d rescue
4) Essential Shine Serum by Yumi Professional 
5) System Professional Straightaway by Wella
6) L'oreal silk & gloss fixing spray

We really hope you guys find it helpful and enjoy this video friends. :)

Love, 
The Fashion Reps

Review: Daiso's Pure Moisture Mask Sheet

We've all heard about Daiso.

I myself am a huge fan of Daiso (I often go just to marvel at all the random things the Japanese come up with!) 

And I have to admit, some of the things they sell are well worth the RM 5.

So when I saw that they also have sheet masks, I thought "What's the harm in trying right?".

And for the record, I am a HUGE fan of sheet masks. 

Find good ones and they will work wonders on your skin!

So I picked this up (There were about 3 choices for you to choose from) and it's only RM 5 for 2 sheets.

PACKAGING: 3.5/5

The packaging looks legit enough. 

It says it's made in Korea and all. 

As usual, the English directions makes me laugh but that hardly gives me warning signs because some of the best brands from Korea/Japan display horrible English on their products (Tip!).

PRODUCT: 2/5

So after a shower, washing my face and putting on some toner, I took the mask out of the fridge (just for a slight chill coz I just like it that way) and used it as per usual.

The consistency of the essence was a little bit too runny for my liking. 

Too much like water.

Sticky water. (>.<)"

After 3 or so hours (I know,but I just like to leave it on longer coz it doesn't bother me), I took it off and massaged the residue essence into my skin. 

I didn't see or feel any visible changes right after (which is also normal) and went to sleep.

The AFTERMATH of the product was horrible. At first, small zits started appearing. 

But it went away as fast as it came.

I thought that it was just a one off effect so I tried it a second time.

BAD idea. Though my skin didn't act up that much but whiteheads did appear. (I believe the Malays call them 'jerawat nasi'). Plus, a zit appeared on my left cheek too! *Cries*

I immediately went into 'repair' mode and used my trusted brands and skin care routines to get my skin back to the way it was. 

It did in about 4 days. So there's really no permanent damage.

REPURCHASING: (Personally, hell NO.) 0/5 

Yes it's cheap. But so are other better performing brands. There's a possibility that it just doesn't work well on MY skin but why risk it? 

One bad experience is enough for me, thankyouverymuch!

PRICING: 4/5 

Bad results aside, I have to admit that for sheet masks, these are WAY cheap. But really, why not just add a buck or two and get the great results you crave??

Till next time.

XOXO

Reina Lum

TAG: would you rather

Hello everyone,

 Happy Sunday friends. We hope you guys are having a good start for today. Here we have just posted our first new video on our YouTube channel (click here). We hope you guys enjoy it and have a great day friends.

love,

The fashion representatives

TOP 3 DRUGSTORE FOUNDATION

Hi everyone,

This should be the first post made in this blog so I am going to make it as simple and short as possible. This will be the first product review written by us and I hope this post will make a good start. 

Many ladies out there who are on a tight budget or price conscious will most likely choose to buy make-up products from the drugstore. In Malaysia there are 3 main drugstores which are Watsons, Guardian and Caring. So here, I am going to review my "TOP 3 LIQUID FOUNDATIONS" from the drugstore. Although harga liquid foundations dekat drugstore lebih reasonable and offers more value for money, tak semestinya the quality of the product lebih rendah dari high-end products. 

So here, I am going to list top 3 liquid foundations from the drugstore which offers good quality with reasonable price. 


1. Revlon Colorstay Foundation. 

This may not be a surprise for people who are active in the beauty community. This foundation is all over blogs, youtubes and other social medias. It has high coverage, comparable with high-end foundations like MAC Studio Fix Fluid. 

Suitable for people who have oily or combination skin. Stays on well on the skin. Boleh tahan lebih dari 8 jam (based on my experience). Price wise, it's affordable, not to say it is the most murah foundation you can get in the drugstore, but for the quality it is worth the hype product. 

Summary:

Availability : Available at the 3 main drugstores in Malaysia. 5/5 
Available shades : Limited. Only 6 shades. 2/5
Coverage : Medium to full coverage. Depends on how you apply it. For full coverage you can use flat top synthetic brush. 4.5/5
Scent : Mild scent. 3.5/5
Lasting power : Long lasting. Can stay up to 8 hours for a person who has a very oily skin like I do. 4.5/5
Packaging : No pump which rise hygiene issues. 3/5
Price : Reasonable. 3.5/5

2. Loreal True Match Foundation.

This is also a liquid foundation that has gone viral over the beauty community. At first I am a little sceptical with this foundation thinking maybe this is another overrated products out there. But oh boy was I wrong. This is a foundation that covers up amazingly. Lagi-lagi I have post acne scars yang takes a very long time untuk hilang. So in the mean time, liquid foundation is my saviour. 

Similar to Revlon colorstay, it is comparable with high-end products yang price-nya melampau-lampau. Fortunately, this foundation comes with a pump which makes my life much much easier. It is also long lasting but frankly speaking, it does not last as long as the Revlon colorstay. Nonetheless, it is still a good drugstore liquid foundation.

Summary:


Availability : Available at the 3 main drugstores in Malaysia. 5/5 
Available shades : Limited. Only 9 shades. 2.5/5
Coverage : Medium to full coverage. Depends on how you apply it. For full coverage you can use flat top synthetic brush. 4.5/5
Scent : Mild scent. 3.5/5
Lasting power : Long lasting. Can stay up to 6 hours for a person who has a very oily skin like I do. 4/5
Packaging : 5/5
Price : RM 50 ++ ( Can't remember the exact price ) Reasonable. 3.5/5

3. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Honestly I find this foundation to be underrated. I have never heard any beauty gurus on youtube who have talked about this foundation. This is a full coverage foundation which did not require you to go for second layer as it can be a little bit heavy. So for those of you who prefer lightweight foundation, then this foundation might not be for you.

But as for me, since I am always on a hunt for a full coverage foundation, this has to be on this list. It stays on very well on my skin and I find out that the longer I use this on my skin, the better my skin looks like. I hate when foundation looks good on my skin when I first applied and looked really bad on the next few hours. 

This foundation comes with a pump as well which is always a plus for me. However, after you apply this foundation, you will have to let it sit on the skin for few minutes before applying the setting powder as it takes a little longer to set on the skin. But other than that, I do recommend this liquid foundation.



Summary:


Availability : Limited. As far as I know it is only available in Watsons and Guardian. 3.5/5 
Available shades : Limited. Only 7-8 shades. 2.5/5
Coverage : Full coverage. To achieve the full coverage you can use flat top synthetic brush. 4.5/5
Scent : Mild scent. 3.5/5
Lasting power : Long lasting. Can stay up to 6 hours for a person who has a very oily skin like I do. 4/5
Packaging : 5/5
Price : RM 45 ++ ( Can't remember the exact price ) Reasonable. 3.5/5

Love,

Nurul Gan