2017 Favourites

Hello Everyone!

2017 is coming to an end and for some reason, the second half of 2017 has sped past me more quickly than I'd appreciate. I've graduated with a degree, met new friends, lost some friends, seen new places, it's all been a huge adventure as every year is. I was very blessed to be able to travel a lot this year, in fact, I've travelled more this year than I have in the past 7 years. Speaking of travelling, I will be flying again this Wednesday, my final trip of the year will to the Philippines, where my mums' relatives are. I haven't visited them for a good few years, so I suppose it's good to go back for the next two weeks. Of course, I will be posting blogposts and vlogs while I'm there for sure, but probably not as often as I do on every trip. 

With that said, I'd like to do my 2017 favourites this time. I'm not really into the monthly favourites, but perhaps I will consider doing that in 2018 on my youtube channel and do an annual favourites here. I'll see to it, my schedule for 2018 is very unclear and honestly, that is quite scary since I've now ventured into the working world, which is a really volatile place. Right, let's not dampen the mood with the uncertain, let me get on with this year's favourites!! I decided that I'd pick a few categories and chose the top 3 things for that category so that I don't end up with a ridiculous list! 

Make Up:

Of course, I'm starting with something very dear to me. I love make up, and I try (very hard) not to spend unnecessary amounts of money on it. Not going to lie, the temptation is constant and I may just buy anything that tickles my fancy. Then again, perhaps it's good that I'm not the most adventurous and I tend to stick to brands that I'm familiar with. 

Right, let's get on with it!

1. Magic Marc'er Pen Eyeliner in Cocoa-laquer (above) and Blacquer (below) by marc Jacobs Beauty

Don't think any of you would be surprised by this. I absolutely love these. I always have a spare in its box, sitting in my make up box just in case the ones I'm using run out. I've been using for a good few years already, and if you've seen my old #GetReadyWithMe blogposts, you would have seen them. I grabbed the brown one off the shelf the moment I knew of its existence, but I always find myself reaching for the black one. I will be bringing the brown one with me to the Philippines so it gets a bit more love~

2. Naked Palette 3 by Urban Decay

I never expected myself to actually like this palette, or even buy it. Now that I have, I love it and it's probably my favourite Naked Palette out of the 5. I used to love the first one the most, but this one has stolen my heart because it just looks so pretty, and strangely, the colours look good on almost anyone. I used to not like the overdose of pink, but in time I learnt to appreciate the healthy glow it provides to your make up look.

3. Dior Addict Lipstick in 451 Tribale

I actually got this on a whim one day while I was at Sephora, and it ended up being one of my most-used lipsticks of 2017. I love the creamy formula, though it honestly doesn't last, to me this is more of a very pretty coloured lip balm, but it doesn't bother me. It feels comfortable on my lips and doesn't dry out. It was so useful in Japan and that packaging is just lovely, so it's definitely a favourite, and I will definitely buy it again once I've run out.

Skincare:

I think my skincare regime has grown a lot more this year, I now know the importance of a good moisturiser that keeps your skin hydrated without adding on more oil. I've oily skin so that doesn't really sit well in the humid weather in Singapore. I did start to experience a bit of dry skin when I was in Japan, so the moisturisers I used had to be packed onto my skin heavily or else I'd get patchy. 

1. Goodal Green Tangerine Cream by Club Clio

This has saved my skin on countless occasions, in Korea, Japan and even in Singapore. This feels very light and it absorbs into the skin very quickly as well. It does not make me feel oily and the smell isn't overpowering which I really love. I've noticed my skin has felt a lot better when I started using this, even in Singapore, which is great. I love using this at night, after a long hot shower especially. While I was in Japan, this was a very refreshing thing to put on my face in the mornings as well before I put my make up! 

2. Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask by The Body Shop

I haven't used any of The Body Shop products in the longest time and I happened to come across this product during a shoot, we had used this as a prop and I ended up taking it home since it was barely touched. I was hesitant at first because I didn't think I was going to use it, but I ended up giving it a go and it has made it into my favourites. It doesn't smell of much, which is great, I love a good mud mask and it felt very cooling and soothing on my skin~ Needless to say, it does leave my skin feeling clean and soft!

3. Suncut UV Spray by Kose

I discovered this product during the WatsON Trend event (Blogpost and Vlog here) in October and prior to this product, I was using the one by Loreal, which I discovered in the previous WatsON Trend event last year and it was quite a small bottle, didn't last me too long since I was using it daily. I've come to prefer this one because it's a lot lighter, and it also comes with different scents. I'm not all that big on scented skincare, but the scented ones are mild. The one I have is unscented (and I'll probably stick to it) so it doesn't mess with my nose or perfume, which is great! 

Clothes:

I realised that in 2017, I've been going to the studio more than any other place, and I end up wearing dance clothes out because I'd be heading to the studio after. I realised I haven't used much of my casual clothes, I either am glammed up for an event or dressed for the studio. It's a huge spectrum, I know, and I don't really enjoy repeating what I wear to event, well, not back to back at least. Anyway, on with it.

1. MLP Crop Tops from OMgoing

I think you guys know My Little Pony has been a thing for me for quite a while now (yes, I watched the movie - loved it, I've the EZ-Link card too, if you're wondering) and when my friends at OMgoing told me they had MLP items up for sale, I HAD to get some. I'm not the bravest with leggings, so I went straight to the crop tops. My favourite of the mane 6 is Rarity, but I did come to like the Fluttershy one so I got that as well. I did wish that I didn't size up (I got a size M) because they are a little lose, but I did my own minor adjustments to them and they're perfect now~

2. Sonata black mesh blend Leo

I've probaby used this leotard more than any other ones I have. This one's from Sonata, and I think it's part of a slightly more expensive collection. If I'm not wrong, it only comes in black and white. I did get this at a sale, and I didn't expect it to be my favourite too. I was worried about the mesh detailing because that tends to make my skin rash sometimes, but thankfully, the one on this leotard didn't! It's a basic halter with a keyhole back. I love halter necks and open/low backed leotards because the movement is most comfortable for me. This is also made with a lycra (I think) sort of material, which is more comfortable than the typical cotton ones, and it isn't too shiny either which is great!

3. Harry Potter Windbreaker

I know I've only had this for a few weeks but I fell in love with it the moment I saw it in USJ, I was so obsessed with it I didn't really want to hang it in my closet once it was washed. It keeps me warm and I just love everything about it. I love the Hogwarts crest on the front and back and the fleece on the inside. It's not the softest outerwear that I own, but its one that I reach out for besides my Sugglife hoodie. 

Random/Misc: 

For this last catergory, I decided to list down 5 items instead of 3. I didn't really feel these items belonged in any of the other categories, hence I decided to put them here. 

1. Morcoccan Oil Hair Serum

I've used this for years, even before I've started blogging, and I was super happy to see them being sold at a cheaper price in Japan than in Singapore, so I had to get more. I love how this makes my hair feel, and I've not found a successful dupe for this. I always find myself going back to this and as far as I know, nothing has made my hair smell and feel better! 

2. Biore Powder Wipes

I've been using these since I was in Secondary school, and I've always been using the green (citrus scented) ones, which have been a favourite. I haven't tried the peach scent in this packaging yet, but I definitely am looking forward to opening it! I don't usually open a new packet until the one I'm using runs out because I realised leaving them opened for too long will cause them to sort of dry out. I did leave one untouched in a bag for a few months, and much to my dismay, it had dried out with a few sheets left, so that was a waste. 

These are the best things to use after shoots or dance, it smells amazing and it makes me feel very refreshed because of the powder formula that it has. It's not like the ice-type wipes from Gatsby which are pretty good too, but the powder formula makes a huge difference in how I feel! You don't feel sticky and you definitely will smell better than you do after you've perspired a whole lot!  

3. Wear Moi Plutons

I think some of you may have expected me to put in my favourite pointe shoes but I think I've yet to discover my absolute fave (my current faves are my green shank Gaynors, if you need to know). However, I've definitely found my favourite soft shoes this year. I've been fan of leather soft shoes, never liked how the canvas ones felt so I've steered clear away from those. I discovered these at Sonata, and I'm glad I did. 

These make my feet look nice and they are so comfortable These are currently my second pair, I will probably have to buy another one next year before exams though! My favourite thing about these are the absence of that silly elastic/thread bit that you use to tighten the shoes at the throat (I think that's the term). I hate that thread bit, I hate them more in pointe shoes which was one of the bigger reasons I turned to Gaynors at the beginning before I found out that they were infamously known as a cheat shoe - I don't care anymore. Also, I do appreciate the cross-styled elastics I find that they look nicer for some reason, I sew my pointe shoe elastics like that too~ 

4. Vegan Burg

I think this one was pretty obvious. Whenever I go to W's, I have to order this, I think much to his dismay, because neither of us are vegan but I really love this for some reason. My absolute favourite is their Avocado Beetroot (surprising, I know, since I'm not the biggest avocado person), which is my standard order. I haven't really had anything else in a good while. 

Apparently, there's a new one which is their Trufflebello burg, which I will probably give a try once I'm back from the Philippines, though I'm sure I'll probably go back to the Avocado Beetroot one.. Fun fact, I've never actually set foot into the physical store, I've always ordered it on food panda, which I realised is strange, because I think I've had this almost once a month at some point. Perhaps it's time to plan a trip down to their physical store!

5. De Ardor Lashes

I think this was another obvious one. I've been getting my lashes done here for a good long while now and eyelash extensions have saved my face on more than one occassion, especially when I'm not in a make up mood. I just chuck something on my eyebrows and I'm good to leave the house, still looking alright. I tend to change the style of my lashes every now and then, I go for something more natural if I know I've got shoots or auditions within that month, and I go for something a little more va-va-voom when I've an event or on holiday that month (like now..)! Mine tned to last no less than 3 3 weeks before they start thinning out which is fantastic!

With that, I conclude my 2017 favourites! 2017 was quite a roller coaster, especially in the earlier months, but I suppose that's all part of life and I'm glad to be where I'm at now because I've made progress (no matter how small). I suppose 2018 is time for me to continue pushing, if not, pushing harder! I hope you guys enjoyed this blogposts and have had a great 2017, I'll see you in my next post!

xx

Shayne