Scribble scrabble.
#2077 | the broke student’s guide to Wroclaw solo!
I was in Poland for some work in June and extended my trip to venture off to Wroclaw alone – a place full of promise with a name i couldn’t entirely pronounce. No matter! Adventure called, and I answered. Off to Wroclaw it was!
The bus departs from MDA bus station which is right next to the main train station in Krakow, as well as a giant mall, so theres lots to do while waiting for your bus to depart. Because i lead a terribly exciting life, I found a cafe with free powerpoints immediately, sat down, and started checking my emails.
*Note – the bus ride actually took 3.5-4hrs although it was advertised as a three hour ride. Traffic, I guess.
Total cost: 5.90 x 2 = 11.80Eur / SGD
***Kindly sign up for airbnb at airbnb.com/jemma to get 45SGD off your first booking so that I can also get money off my bookings and therefore fund future broke student guides thank you. ***
Total cost: 89SGD
And Wroclaw is super pretty so walking everywhere is totally enjoyable! Just have to put this out there in case the idea of lots of walking is off-putting to some of you!
And they weren’t joking when they said milk bars were cheap. The only thing though, is that they’re catered to Poles and not to tourists haha so everything on the menu is in Polish. I just randomly pointed at something on the board and hoped for the best. Turns out I got a drink, salad, soup with noodles, main course (pork cutlet) and side (potatoes), all for 14.90zlt. That’s 5.40SGD. Amazing. And everything was really yummy too. It’s not only affordable, it’s also mad filling, because there’s just so much food, so if you start your day off eating here you probably won’t get hungry again till much later at night…
The milk bar I visited was right outside Renoma, the biggest shopping mall in Wroclaw.
Rozowa Krowa
Świdnicka 38, 11-400 Wrocław
Other than milk bars, there are also plenty of affordable food options around the city. I hit up this pub called Pre-war (Przedwojenna) on my first night there, which was so awesome. All the food and drink options were painted on the wall, and the pricing system was straightforward – 4zlt for drinks, 8zlt for food. That’s SGD1.40 for a beer and SGD2.90 for a main… Again, everything was in polish, so I actually mistook the entire place’s concept and thought they were some kind of tapas bar because of the prices. I accidentally ordered two main courses instead of two tiny side dishes as I expected..
Prewar
Świętego Mikołaja 81, 11-400 Wrocław, Poland
Open 24 Hours
The only ‘expensive’ thing I did was splurge on a 12zlt beer in this nice sports bar, 1450 Smokehouse & Cocktail, because the Poland vs Senegal World Cup match was showing on a big screen and I wanted to catch it. 12zlt is pricey for a beer (to me) because I was comparing it to the 4zlt beer I had the night before.. But it’s still SGD4.30 for a beer, yknw? Haha.
Total Cost: I cant remember. Bahaha.
This is an actual thing. It’s almost like Wroclaw’s national thing by now, to be honest. You see these gnomes on magnets and stuff! But yes, these little metal sculptures pop up all over the city, and they’re hilarious. As are the random tourists you’ll see chasing them down at most corners! I didn’t go out of my way to look for them but I did follow the trail of a couple of them, and I was pretty amused everytime I came across another. There are apparently over 400 gnomes in the city now!
Beyond being a fun quirk, the gnomes actually have a really interesting back story – they were created as symbol of anti-Soviet resistance group, the Orange Alternative, as a way of protesting freedom of speech amongst other things. Long story short, it made authorities look like fools every time they tried to clamp down on them, because theyre freakin cute gnomes, for goodness sake! Anyway, the gnomes now are so popular amongst locals and tourists alike that they have their own official website with backstories and dwarf gossip, HAHA. Here it is – http://krasnale.pl/en/
I find modern art in Poland fascinating because it is so heavily influenced by their post-war identity. Wroclaw is especially interesting because it used to be part of Germany (Breslau), and so its identity is steeped in the fact that it was actually on *that* side of history. Wroclaw was actually a pretty pro-hitler town before the war, actually, and it’s something they confront regularly in their documentation of history and art. I went to the BWA Wroclaw Galleries of Contemporary Art and loved it! It wasn’t very big but all the exhibits were well thought out and fascinating.
If you have a student card this will cost 4ZLT instead of 8.
BWA Wroclaw Galleries of Contemporary Art
Wita Stwosza 32, 11-400 Wrocław, Poland
Check out the city museum at their Royal palace
The ex-royal palace has since been remodelled into a museum which houses cultural artefacts from Wroclaw’s history, detailing everything from fashion to furniture, from religious movements to Wroclaw’s involvement in World War II. I was actually really taken by the third level of the museum, which focuses on the post war Soviet occupation. I previously visited the Neon Muzeum in Warsaw which exhibits restored neon signs, relics from the Cold War era in Poland, and this kind of expanded on what I saw there.
Website
Royal Palace, Wrocław (City Museum)
Kazimierza Wielkiego 35, 50-077 Wrocław, Poland
Total cost: 4Zlt/ 1.2SGD
Ending off
*This Broke Student Guide was brought to you by me. Everything you see here was paid for on my own coin, in true broke student style. Enjoy!
x
Jem
#2076 | post-post epilasik thoughts, 3 years on
Hey guys,
So it’s been three years since my life 100% changed for the better. If you think I’m exaggerating, you clearly have not familiarised yourself with the crew, the crew being anyone in the world who has had lasik done before. As mentioned on instagram a couple of weeks back, I blogged about my epilasik procedure three years back and till this day, it remains one of the most popular subjects of the email/DMs I get from readers. It seems that getting the procedure done has crossed most myopic people’s minds seriously more than once, and although I raved about the procedure 3 years ago, I thought it was time to add something new.
Everything I said about lasik before still stands, and if you’re someone who’s still kind of on the fence about it, you can read my previous posts on my epi-lasik journey here:
The Accident (Nightmare, part of the reason why I wanted to do Lasik)
The Operation (Nightmare, part of the reason why I wanted to do Lasik)
Pre-epilasik (Finally deciding to do it)
Immediately Post Epilasik (Research, the procedure, and life immediately after)
Three Months On (After some time)
As you can tell I have journaled my epi-lasik story pretty extensively (starting, truly, from the point where I was done with my long history of eye problems and started looking for alternative options). I wrote most extensively on the research that went into my decision making process in my post epilasik blogpost (linked here), so start with that, but I’d suggest you also read the rest of the posts and also look around online on what other people are saying about it!
Anyway, as I was saying, it’s still something I get asked about till this day, so I thought it was high time I write another follow up post on it, three years down the road. Sufficient time has passed and I can now comment on it from a long term perspective, so here goes.
I compiled some questions from readers, and here they are, answered:
What’s the total cost and recovery time?
Before you can do the procedure, you have to do an evaluation, and the prelasik evaluation costs $37.50.
If from there they say you’re ok to do the procedure, then you can continue. Epi-lasik, the procedure I did, costs 3,888SGD for epi-lasik surgery for both eyes, initial set of medications, and post-op reviews for a month. It’s GST inclusive!
Is it covered by insurance?
No, cos its not considered a medical procedure.
Can I pay for my procedure with medisave?
Yes, conditionally. IF your eyes have a power degree difference of 300 and above – eg. Right eye 600 degree and left eye 250 or something – then MOH lets you claim up to SGD1250 per eye from your medisave! This is because it’s considered a medical condition, a degree difference so big is an imbalance of power, which is quite funny and totally useful for money purposes. It’s still subject to approval though, as with every thing in singapore. The clinic will submit the claim for you, it sounds like a relatively fuss free process.
Did your myopia come back?
Nope. I’ve never had a problem with my eyes since then, and I actually dont do anything special to take care of my eyes anymore haha. When I first did my procedure, I was so paranoid that I wore shades whenever I went into the sun, I didnt watch TV late into the night, and I didnt use my phone in bed at night. Now, although I dont purposely do those things extensively, I definitely dont take as much care as I used to, but my eyes are still fine. I should probably practice better eye care habits though.
What was your degree before and after?
My degree was 450/500 (L/R), and now I have practically perfect vision. I say practically cos I havent been to an eye shop to test it in a year, but I still see everything perfectly, so for all intents and purposes my eyesight is ace.
Is there any post-op warding?
Nope, it’s a day surgery and you’re in and out in about three hours. You have to stay home for the next few days while your eyes are recovering, but you dont actually stay overnight in the hospital at all.
Is there any post-op medication?
Yes – I got a bunch of different medicated eye drops to be used in three/four hour intervals. You mainly use it in the first week or so, after that you can switch to using normal eyedrops whenever needed.
What are the follow ups like?
For my clinic (ClearVision Singapore), they did three follow up sessions several months apart, with the last one being one year after the op.
How did you choose the clinic that you ended up doing the surgery at?
I did a lot of research on my own for about half a year before deciding – Everything is detailed in my blogpost here.
Clear Vision Singapore
6 Nutmeg Road
Nutmeg Court
Singapore, 228337
How much time should you set aside for yourself to recover after the surgery?
I would say minimum 4 days at home, after one week you should be more or less functional, but you should be careful for the next few months. Dont go swimmin in the sea or anything for at least a month, obviously. But I think my life basically went back to normal after a month, and I didn’t have to take super extraordinary care of my eyes or anything like that after.
Did you experience dry eyes whilst wearing contact lenses, and do you experience dry eyes after lasik?
I dont know if I had dry eyes per se, but I definitely used a lot of eye drops when I was on contact lenses, especially during long days in air conditioned environments, or when I was on shoot. On top of that, I also experienced a lot of red eyes and discomfort whenever I had alcohol at night. All that went away after my epilasik procedure, and I hardly use eyedrops now, so no dry eyes for me! Of course this is my own experience and everyone else’s might differ, so I’d say check with your doctor before doing it to see if your eyes are suitable.
Does it make a difference to your recovery if you have a pet at home?
Well I didnt go hug my cat or rub my face in her fur or anything like that, but living in the same house as her seemed ok and didnt affect my recovery much.
Does epilasik make a difference if you’re looking at a computer all day for work?
Yes! I used to get these nasty migraines, especially towards the end of the work day, when I was wearing contact lenses. Now I dont get those anymore, and my eyes dont feel as tired as they would be if I were filtering computer work through the film of contact lenses.
Can you drink alcohol while recovering from surgery?
YES! Hahahahhaha
Additional benefits of Epi-lasik in the past three years:
– Not having to touch my eyeball ALL THE TIME, trying to peel a contact lens off my dry eyeball after a long day or stick it into bloodshot eyes early in the morning is incredible. I have gotten zero eye infections in the last three years. ZERO. I really believe this is because I am no longer introducing foreign bodies (aka my finger and whatever dust/dirt its picked up over the course of, yknw, being alive) into my eye every single day. This is really incredible because I used to get eye infections all the time and it was the worst!
– If youre a spectacle, not contact lens, wearer, you can FINALLY wear fun shades! haha.
– I can swim without fear that chlorinated water is going to get into my contact lens and induce an eye infection!! I never got around to ever buying swimming goggles with prescription, so I was basically always swimming half blind since I swam with contact lenses once and my eyes were down for 2 weeks after.
– Travelling is just a dream when you dont have to worry about dried out eyeballs on the plane, leaving your specs behind in the plane or Airbnb, forgetting contact lens solution… just generally, it makes everything so much easier. There was once in Seoul when I was walking around and my contact lens fell out of my eye. That was it for the rest of the day and I had to cancel the next two hours of plans so I could rush back to the hostel to get another pair of contact lenses from my bag because theres no way your day can continue when youre half blind – it’s a very dizzying experience to have clear vision in one eye and blur vision in the other. It happened to me overseas, but I imagine even in Singapore if you lost a contact lens or something, you’d still have to go home in the middle of the day. Bah.
– Also travel related – I dont get as sea or car sick as much anymore!
– No more stumbling half blind when you have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee. Or post-shower. Omg for some reason I was always losing my glasses in the evenings, and after the shower I would be panicking trying to find my stupid glasses so I could see when I also needed the damn things to help me see so I could look for them.
– Extreme sports like diving and snowboarding become way, way better.
I wrote The Broke Student’s Guide on getting your Padi Open Water Diver’s License a couple of years back, and since then I’ve dived on maybe six different occasions, including one week-long liveaboard in the Maldives and a recent clean up dive in Singapore waters as part of FRANK by OCBC’s sustainability efforts. I cant imagine what it would have been like with contact lenses on now that I’ve dived with clear vision – the thought of sea water getting on my contact lenses while underwater makes me shudder because damn, that stuff is a breeding ground for bacteria.
I recently went on a snowboarding trip which I wrote about here, and again, the benefits of perfect vision made themselves so apparent.
I fully recognise that diving and snow sports are extreme sports and so not everyone will be interested in them, so maybe this isn’t the most relevant across the board. But it’s one of those cases that I didn’t take into account when considering the epilasik procedure, and so a pleasant surprise!
———————————-
So yes, three years later and here we are..
I’m super super glad I did epilasik 3 years ago and it’s truly been one of the best decisions of my life. I think you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who’s done the procedure and doesnt agree. Epilasik is basically magic – being given back the gift of sight is really a thing to behold. I cant imagine why someone wouldnt want to do it given how amazing it is – the only thing I can think of is cost, and to be fair, it’s a big upfront cost. But as I mentioned in some of my previous posts, if youre paying regularly for contact lenses, the math works out. You do save money in the long run, and its not just that – it’s like owning your vision instead of simply renting it. My only regret is not doing it earlier.
If you have any more questions about the epilasik procedure, you can always call or drop ClearVision an email and they’d be better suited to reply questions on the more technical aspects of the procedure. And I hope this post was helpful for those of you considering doing epilasik! But man – it really comes down to this. Perfect vision is awesome.
x
Jem
#2074 | Skincare Sundays: The Broke Student’s Guide to Skincare
Hey guys!
Back again with yet another broke student’s guide, this time about skincare. As mentioned many times, I was relatively late to the skincare game, and a big part of this was lack of awareness (social media has kind of, shoved the whole skincare thing in our faces these days hasnt it?) and lack of money (my impression of skincare my entire life? Expensive.) But recent years have led me to recognise the importance of skincare, and also love the routine, and I kind of wish I had started earlier if only I’d known the budget skincare options available to me back then!
I really believe that preventive is way better (and cheaper) than remedial when it comes to skincare, which is why you should start young. You dont even need that much stuff in your sub/early-twenties. It’s totally possible to have a sustained skincare routine on a budget. The most important steps are cleansing, moisturising, and sunscreen. I currently follow a more comprehensive 10 step routine, but I think if youre a student getting started on skincare, you only really have to stick to the three steps of cleaning, moisturising, and sunscreen.
Disclaimer: I am not paid via cash or product to write anything in this post, and I dont earn from any clicks or referrals, etc. Photos here which dont have my face are grabbed off Google’s Image Search.
Okay! Lets get started:
BASIC SKINCARE: Cleansing
– Micellar waters are really great for cleansing thoroughly and gently without leaving gunk on your face. I use them as a first step in double cleansing, before a dedicated face wash, but many people just use them on their own. They normally go for pretty decent prices and in big bottles – Loreal does a giant 400ml bottle of its Biphase Micellar water for $20, Garnier and Simple does it for $15, and most brands have their own variation of the Micellar water too. Those are retail prices but drugstores frequently run promotions and you can often get them for much cheaper – I just checked the Watsons site and the Simple Micellar water is on sale for ten bucks. And if you’re willing to pay a bit more, I have heard very good things about the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Solution ($41.90). The greatest advantage of Micellar waters is how it removes waterproof makeup while still being really gentle, and one bottle can technically last you a pretty long time because it depends on how often you wear make up etc. Most Micellar waters also come with some additional skincare benefits, and you will be able to find micellar waters that are suitable for specific skin concerns too.
I did an ad for the Loreal BiPhase Micellar water in March, it’s August now and Im not even halfway through the bottle yet
– Garnier has a series of multitasking face washes. Garnier is actually an excellent drugstore brand for cleansing, and their latest Micellar gel face wash is great for removing make up and cleansing the skin in one wash while not tugging at the skin. It’s just been released but their UK Amazon page already has over 300 really good reviews.
– If you have sensitive skin, you can check out the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, which is something I grew up with and used whenever I had onsets of heat rash. It’s so gentle that you definitely need to use a make up remover prior to this because it wont cut through heavy make up, but it’s perfect for people who dont wear make up or who have sensitive skin/acne/eczema. Ten bucks from iHerb! Cetaphil in general is a great basic skincare brand for younger people because of its budget and specific catering to gentle skincare, but when you get older you might want something with active ingredients in it for that extra oomph.
BASIC SKINCARE: Moisturiser
– I would spend some time in the Muji Skincare dept, which is really a very underrated section in Muji. Their cleansing oil is a pretty decent dupe for anyone who cant bear to shell out more than a hundred bucks for the Shu Umeura cleansing oils, and their toning water is light and very hydrating, supposedly also doubling as a day moisturiser. Really nice for Singapore’s weather too, when you dont necessarily wanna be slathering oils or creams on your face before heading outdoors. (I tend to favor gel, water, or jelly textures for day moisturisers in SG)
– Hada Labo is another really underrated brand that does great skincare for awesome prices. They have a day cream and night cream. I’m particularly inclined towards the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel, 50g for $25.90 – one of the more affordable Hyaluronic Acid products – and great for combination skin. It’s also a good dupe for the Belif Aqua Bomb. Often on sale at Guardian online, now it’s going for $17.35!
– If you have sensitive skin or heat rash issues, look at Curel, which is a Japanese derm brand and focuses on ceramide care. I’m using the Curel Face Lotion 2 which goes for $28.80, and their Moisture Milk which goes for $32, both of which are lightweight textures catered for southeast asian weather. I also gave a Curel moisture cream and face lotion to a friend who had perpetually red cheeks because I suspected it was due to a low level allergy to his skincare (he insisted it was just his skin), and it cleared right up, so he’s a Curel Convert now. Haha.
You can find it in Watsons or Lazada.
I have also endorsed Curel several times before, as well as interviewed a dermatologist for the brand
– You can get the Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original for $4, and it’s great for both wound care and lip care.
BASIC SKINCARE: Sunscreen
– Sun damage is the worst, so sunscreen is super important! In Singapore’s humid weather I personally favor watery textures, so Biore’s UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ 50g ($18.90 for 50ml) or Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Watery Gel Daily Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ ($18.90 for 80g) are my favorites. They are also very affordable options, compared to the skincare brands that do their own sunscreen.
PS. I actually featured in an ad for the Biore product last year! So you can see how it lasts through the day, video wise.
– Look at the online stores for discounts. Watsons Online often has bundles that make your purchases cheaper, like right now I think if you spend $50 you get a $10 coupon off your next purchase. Guardian Online has 10% off your first order, and also runs sales – now the Sunplay sunscreen is going for $13.90 instead of 18.90 – AND free next day shipping for orders above $40.
– Another way to save money is to get sunscreen that also doubles as a primer or sheer base. L’oreal actually does a pretty decent one, it’s the L’Oréal Paris UV Perfect Even Complexion SPF 50 PA++++, and it goes for $20.90 ($16.70 at Guardian now on sale). For a more high end option, there’s Supergoop’s mineral matte sunscreen, which has zero white cast and is really nice! They’re not going to replace your foundations, but they’re good for just evening out skin tones and giving sheer coverage.
PS. My friend who works as a makeup artist doesn’t recommend Banana Boat, because he says it doesnt absorb properly into the skin.
BONUS SKINCARE ADD-ONS
– If you’re into Korean Skincare, online retailer Hermo often has slashed prices for Korean beauty brands, and it has free shipping for orders above $25, which isnt hard to hit at all! EG. I just did a check and the Cosrx pimple patches are going for $4 from the original price of $10. The only thing is, you have to wait for shipping times, and popular products sell out really quickly, especially when Hermo puts them on sale. Hermo also has products from non-korean brands but the prices arent as attractive.
– The Loreal clay mask series is very affordable, as is the Innisfree ones (but I’ve not tried those yet). If you dont mind waiting for shipping to arrive, I’ve also recently heard about the Aztec Secret — Indian Healing Clay which you can get on iHerb, an online health retail website which carries a lot of discounted or affordable items, for TEN BUCKS per nearly 500g.
– Tea Tree Oil works wonders for drying out acne as long as the surface of the skin is unbroken. It’s one of those products that works super good as long as you know what youre doing – it’s a very powerful spot treatment, so do not spread it all over your face or mix it into your moisturiser. And DONT use it with skincare that has active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, retinols or Retin-A, salicylic acid! I use it on occasional pimples, mosquito bites. You can also use it on fungal infections like ringworm or nail fungal infections (dunno what its called). My house has always had at least one bottle of the Thursday Plantation brand oils around, but The Body Shop does a potent one as well for $15-20 depending on your online retailer.
If you’re travelling soon or have friends who dont mind helping you purchase stuff on their travels, look out for the following products:
– The Ordinary, a UK based brand, produces really great little bottles of skincare for super affordable prices. Just do your research though – it’s formulated for mainly european weather, and some of the products have ingredients that arent as effective in Singaporean humidity. I personally like the Caffeine eye solution for periods of late night work, but the value of The Ordinary really kicks in when buying their acids and oils, which can be pretty pricey from most other brands. The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 retails for £5.90, the Kim Kardashian endorsed Advance Retinoid 2% goes for £8, and the 100% Plant-Derived Squalane which can be used for face or hair goes for £5.50.
– You can get many things cheaper just across the border – including Biore make up removing wipes, which I bought for a third of the retail price in Singapore. Watsons Malaysia truly is a wonder to behold.
– Brands are normally cheaper in their home country, which means La Roche Posay and Avene are cheaper in Europe, Biore is cheaper in Japan, etcetera. Just take note if you’re headed to those places!
– Korea has lots of great drugstore cult brands that go for great prices, and Cosrx is a popular one. Their Cosrx Snail Mucin is said to be a dupe for the SK II facial treatment essence (as is the Missha Time Revolution Essence). Korea is such a skincare-obsessed place that if youre headed that way, definitely do a search online beforehand of the brands and products to look out for so you dont get overwhelmed while in town!
– Glossier only ships within the US and canada, so if you’re headed there, take the chance to check out their pH balanced Milky Jelly Cleanser that goes for US $18.00/177ml. I’ve tried it while staying at a friend’s place and it leaves your skin feeling great, and even works to remove make up – though only non-waterproof ones. For waterproof make up you still need a proper makeup remover!
Fin:
Aight guys, hope that was a helpful boost to get you started on your skincare routine – and I hope it also proved that you dont need to wait till youre earning big bucks to get started on a decent skincare routine! Although there are many premium products on the market that do amazing things to your skin, there are also many drugstore products that will get you on an effective and sustainable skincare routine. Remember, good skin is awesome, but so is not being bankrupt. All the best, guys! x
x
Jem
#2073 | Betrayal!
My life the past month has been characterised by the identity of the wait-ee, I have, essentially, been living in a bubble of anticipatory exhaustion, waiting for life to sort itself out. Things beyond my control have crash-landed into my life this month, certainly life has been fluctuating on the emotional scale lately via said events beyond the horizon of my control, there have been a lot of such extreme emotions, joy, grief, mourning, elation, excitement, exhaustion.. and then this morning I woke up unable to breathe. Nothing romantic about it, it’s not like i woke up breathless from a scary dream or struck by epiphany. I literally woke up with a blocked nose. Finally my body has betrayed me. The final frontier: the physical. I am sick. Time to pop a panadol and go back to bed, with a bit of sour relief and also, disbelief, because the solidity of a body suggests reliability, and the one thing i can grasp and hold on to has turned around and given up on me as well..
As you can tell, the drama queen in me comes out in full force when sick: feather, furs, heels, and all.
x
Jem
#2072 | Samsung Note 9 – Hands on, First Impressions, and MOVING FROM THE IPHONE
Hey guys,
So I just got my paws on the Samsung Note 9 last night, something I’ve been super excited about ever since my Note 8 was unceremoniously smashed my a straggly haired backpacker in the Hong Kong International Airport last month.. Anyway. I set it up within the hour of getting it and here we are, good to go:
I’ve been using the Note 8 for a year now, and I’ve also tested the Samsung S9 for a prolonged period of time, so I am pretty familiar with the Samsung system. I switched from the iPhone 6s+ to the Samsung Note 8 last year because my iPhone kamikaze-d on me the day the new iPhone x was announced. I have long believed that Apple deliberately kills old phones to force you to buy new ones, something which many reports last year also raised, but I was willing to ignore it for a long time. For my phone to not only self-destruct on the day of the announcement, but to also wipe my contacts across both my phones, was the kicker for me. It was clear that my phone was attacked through iCloud, which I pay for. I’m not using the free version of their subscription, I literally give Apple money every month to secure and back up my data and they just screwed me over with my own money. That realisation was what pushed me over, I think, and what finally made me decide to migrate to Android.
So before I go on, I’m just going to put it out there that I currently and always have used two phones, ever since year two of university. This initially happened by accident – it was because I was using a Windows phone and my best friend gave me a blackberry for my birthday (Yes he is very generous, which I know and am eternally appreciative of), and at the time I also had two phone lines because of some work thing. Anyway, I stopped using my second number, but had gotten used to multitasking on two phones, so when my sister got a new phone and gave me her old iPhone, I gave my Windows phone to a friend’s mum who needed a new phone at the time. So I was using the blackberry primarily, and the iPhone 4 on wifi. And then from there I’ve just always used two phones, and sometime last year I got another number for work on Circles Life, and so I was using an iPhone 6s which I bought at no-contract retail (a real heartache) and an iPhone 6s+ which was a gift.
So for the past year, I’ve been using the Samsung Note8 as my primary phone, but my secondary phone is still my 2 year old iPhone 6s (which I strongly believe is one of the best iPhone models) and it’s running fine cos i havent updated the OS in years. I use the iPhone for the photo and video editing apps because all my paid subscriptions were already loaded on the iOS store, but other than that I use the Note for almost everything else.
Fresh out of the box the Note 9 is a thing of beauty. I remember the feeling I had last year when I unboxed the Note8 – I wanted to cry because it was so beautiful but also because I just knew it was a fingerprint magnet (and it is). The Note8 a phone that requires commitment, and because I am not the type of person to carry a microfibre cloth around with me, I have just been rubbing the screen on the back of my jackets. LOL.
But I get the sense that Samsung has changed the screen type of its phones ever since the Galaxy S9, which is significantly less of a fingerprint magnet. This might be a new kind of coating or something, which means it’ll wear away as time passes, but I’m glad the same screen reappears on the Note 9 as well. It’s not as smudgy, making it a joy to type on. And, it’s the biggest screen Samsung has put out yet, a 6.4inch one, which I’m really happy about because I read books on my phone a lot and the bigger the screen the easier on the eyes.
As physical forms go, the Note9 is a thing of beauty. I actually used the Samsung Edge 7 two/three years ago and I really liked it, because Samsung understands aesthetics. The curved sides of the phone are aesthetically phenomenal, and I love that the phone is nearly bezel-less (unfortunately, no manufacturer has figured out how to make a phone that completely conceals the camera and audio receptors yet, but one day). There are a few phone manufacturers that I believe create truly beautiful phones – Samsung is one of them, Oppo is another, and I also like this relatively obscure Japanese phone maker that hardly operates out of Japan called Docomo. I actually bought and hacked a flip Docomo phone once, when I was 16, and while the sim card incompatibilities brought me much pain, I was perpetually in love with how cute the phone was. Thus my priorities are laid bare.
That’s not to say that I hate the form factor of the iPhone – I actually quite like the iPhone’s matte feel, which I personally think makes it easier to type on as compared to the Samsung, which is slicker and so, slipperier. The iPhone keyboard also has a larger space bar, so the transition from apple to samsung means a whole load of typos for the first couple of weeks. Minor things, but things that matter.
The Note series also comes with a sPen that you can click in and out of place, it slots neatly into the bottom of the phone. This was the main draw of the Note series over the Samsung S series for me – I doodle a lot on my pictures, and so having a pen would make this infinitely easier. And it does – since getting the Note8 last year, I havent touched my wacom tablet! The pen also beeps if you leave it out of the phone or bring it too far away from the phone, so that’s a pretty good precaution for preventing against losing it.
Besides the less smudgy screen, there are quite a few differences between the 8 and 9. See:
– The Note 9 has a way stronger battery than the 8. It comes with a 4,000mAh battery, which is 21% bigger than the Note 8.
– The Note 9 has the same camera as the S9+, and the S9 had a freakin amazing camera. Seriously, I was impressed by the 8, but when I used the Galaxy S9 I was blown away. The Pro mode (which debuted with the S9) is fantastic for capturing low light scenes, like dusky sunsets, and it’s come to become my primary go-to camera.
The phone features a dual 12MP rear cameras with a primary dual aperture lens which shifts between F2.4 (for more detail in well-lit shots) and F1.5 (for low light). It’s not the best on the market, I think that goes to Huawei, but this is still pretty damned good.
Minimal editing needed!
No editing – straight off the Note9 auto mode
Besides Pro and Auto, there’s also an inbuilt hyperlapse, live focus (essentially portrait mode) and panorama mode in the native app. The camera has other cute functions like a super slow-mo video and AR Emoji camera, but I’ve used those exactly.. 1 time in 6 months. Haha.
– The camera is also kind of a smart camera. With the Note8, it prompted you to wipe your camera lens if it detected smudges. With the 9, it apparently also has a Flaw Detection feature that can also spot if you’ve got problems with blinking eyes, blurred images and backlighting, prompting you to retake the photo.
– There’s also a big storage upgrade – the Note 9 now has a minimum of 128GB with an 6gb RAM. It goes up to 512GB with an 8GB RAM. And of course, you can top this up with a microSD card, so if you play your cards right, you might be looking at a phone with 1TB storage on your hands.
– STEREO SPEAKERS!! This was debuted on the S9. One of my complaints of the Note 8 was its disappointing sound experience, with one speaker near the bottom of the phone which is easily and frequently blocked by one’s fingers when holding the phone. This has now been rectified with dual stereo speakers by Dolby on the Gen 9 phones, which makes Netflixing a much more pleasant experience. You feel this immediately if youre moving from the 8 to the 9.
– My other main complaint for the Note 8 was the fingerprint sensor placement, which was next to the camera, meaning you often touch the camera lens instead of the sensor, which is really surprisingly bad design given that everything else on the Gen 8 phones were so aesthetically oriented. Happily, the fingerprint sensor has moved downwards, to below the camera, making it easier to reach with one hand given how big the phone is. It’s the same placement as the S9 and Google Pixel phones. I really like this!!!!
(Related blogpost: The Note 8 vs Google Pixel 2XL)
– Extremely quick unlocking with the face + iris scanner. This is also on the S9, but on the Note8 you only have an iris scanner. Essentially, for the Note9, the phone uses a combination of face recognition and iris scanning to unlock your phone when you raise it up to your face. It was quick on the S9 but I find it even quicker on the Note9. Fast and accurate face recognition is a feature you can find on most new phones though, like the iPhone X, which just goes to show how amazing technology is getting. What a time to be alive!
– The bluetooth enabled S Pen is a real game changer. I’ve long said that the pressure sensitive stylus (made by Wacom!!) is the deal breaker for Samsung’s Note series and the biggest thing that guarantees a loyal following. Many Android phone makers compete year after year to come up with better phones, and it’s easy to see how an Android user might be easily tempted to switch from one brand to another each time they renew contracts. But there is no parallel on the market for the Note series purely because of the S Pen. I use the stylus so much it’s essentially a third arm for me now. And with the Note 9, the stylus is bluetooth enabled, meaning I can use it as a camera remote control. You can also use it to control music or slides (if youre fixing the phone up to a projector for presentations) but the camera remote is the biggest thing for me!
And as far as things to get used to go, you could do a lot shabbier than the Note9. The phone is truly a monster. Beyond being gorgeous, the phone is also insane in terms of what it can handle. I do find (and i think that this is true of most android phones) that the more you use and adapt the phone to your patterns of behaviour, the more the phone performs the way you want it to. When I first started using the Note8 last year, a huge issue for me was battery life, but after I turned off the Always On Display (which means the screen always displays a clock, even if it’s been locked and put away for awhile) and auto-brightness, the battery life lasts quite a long time. I could go a full day without a midday charge, which I think is pretty good since I’m a relatively heavy user. Things like that.
– Obviously, the earphone jack bears a mention, in an age where they are gradually going extinct. The phone also comes out of the box with AKG tuned earphones which are anti-tangle, and the earphones are really, really good. It’s a nice surprise to get such good earphones for free with the phone, and I think this will satisfy most casual music listeners. And if you’re not a casual listener, chances are you probably already have a pair of really good headphones that you can just continue using with the Note9’s earphone jack anyway.
– The Note 9 also comes out of the box with a standard protective casing, which is a basic clear case which will do nicely to protect your phone till you get another case. It’s got enough grip to stop the phone slipping out of your hands too. I dont really see a huge need to change the case either because this lets you show off the pretty colors of the phone if you opted for the copper gold or ocean blue variations.
– One of the best things about the Note9 is also how it turns into a personal assistant of sorts for you. I’m not talking about Bixby, the Samsung equivalent of Siri, because I found that super annoying and turned it off the minute I figured out how. I mean the fact that the phone is built for productivity, which makes the neurotic side of me really happy. The widgets let me have my mail and to do list on the home screen, as well as a dual city clock and weather report (you cant do this on the iOS unless you jailbreak it, and for someone who travels frequently, this is ace). They also show me at immediate glance how much data I’ve used for the month, what my upcoming appointments are, that kind of thing. Love it! iOS has something similar with their latest left locked-homescreen widget panel, but its still quite new so it’s not as refined yet.
– The edge display also lets you pair apps to multitask together, which is really awesome. Already the multitasking function that allows you to open and run two apps side by side is great, but the app pairing on the edge display is fantastic because if youre already habitually using two screens together (your notes + school documents, for example), then this allows you to start both in split screen with one swipe, which is pretty neat.
– The phone comes with the office suite, so you can run Microsoft word, excel, etc, all off mobile. This is very useful for people who work on the go.
– The huge and VERY high res screen means watching Netflix on the go is insane, and also, I get a better reading experience out of my mobile Kindle app, especially since the phone comes with a blue light filter option that makes it easier on the eyes.
– And lastly, the amount of precise doodling you can do with an inbuilt pen is awesome. See above re: S Pen being a game changer. For freelancers like me, the benefits of the sPen isnt just limited to creative expression, it also allows me to sign on contracts and send them back immediately, instead of having to print, sign, and scan back contracts. Dealing with contracts is something I do on a near-daily basis, so this feature has legitimately changed my life better and is SO useful. Nuff said.
*Speaking from my experience transitioning from the iPhone to Samsung last year*
The fact that I was using both the Samsung and the iPhone with two separate numbers meant that I felt my brain nearly cleave neatly into two, switching from iOS to Android and back nearly fifty times a day. Honestly, after the first week I called my boyfriend and I was like I WANT TO CRY I CANT GET USED TO ANDROID I MIGHT GIVE IN AND BUY AN IPHONE AND HATE MYSELF FOREVER FOR HAVING WEAK FLEXIBLE MORALS. (See above re: refusing to give apple money for destructing my 6s+) I was mad frustrated because I kept making typos, I couldn’t understand how to change the clock display, and for the life of me, I COULDNT FIGURE OUT HOW TO COPY AND PASTE TEXT. It was driving me mad, I felt useless, I felt old and felled by the new fangled movements of technology which had upped and left me in the dust. I thought: let me tuck my morals away, quietly get an iPhone, and shut up for the rest of my life. But no. Both a sense of loyalty (my friend had gotten me a phone, I at least had the obligation to stick it out and figure out if I could love it) and pragmatics (getting a new phone when I had a perfectly fine one would be prohibitively expensive, and the broke student in me was wilting at the idea).
Transitioning is hard, and I’m saying that both literally and figuratively, based off the internet’s tales. Anyway.
The part where I come in with personal experience is here: it’s hard, but it’s rewarding. The Note is a phone I’m sure android users will love off the bat, but for a seasoned iOS user, it takes about two weeks of daily intensive use before you love it – and it’s a gradual love, a slow simmer. I must admit that I started out a skeptic, because I thought that no amount of impressive hardware or technical statistics would be able to impress me when the apps I needed were all from the iTunes app store. I dont need a fancy phone, you see, I just need one that works for the purposes that I need. But the Note8 was a monster of a phone: its capacity for multitasking, organization, and its absolutely sick camera kills me. It really does. Because of the way I started out using the Note8 (subconsciously convinced that I wouldnt be able to adapt from iOS to Android), I was super perplexed and confused when I started liking it, I was like, what are all these feelings?! A bit dramatic, but you get what I mean. And the Note 9 is even better.
My attitude towards the Note now is the same as my attitude towards the infamous iOS 8 change – you may feel incredibly strongly about something, but for better or for worse, you’ll get used to everything in the end!
The Note 9 is coming in with a really good pre-order deal from now till August 21st, where you get the 512GB version for the price of the 128GB one with a pre order. This is great because pre-order deals normally throw in extras like wireless chargers or headphones, all of which are nice to have, but not essential to the phone itself. A storage upgrade is fantastic, especially for people who are heavy users or trigger happy photo takers.
Still, the phone is expensive. It’s retailing at SGD1398 which is slightly more than the Note 8, before telco deals. And when considered together with the fact that the Samsung’s 10th generation of phones is just a year away..
The Note 8 and S 9 phones are already very, very good phones. I think if you’ve gotten either one within the past year, you might wanna hold out till the 10s come out since theres a good chance the 10s will be a big deal. The new features are awesome but I’m sure they will still exist with the 10 phones. But if you’re in the market for a new phone (perhaps if youre upgrading from a 6 or 7), and are the kind of power user which the Note 9 is catered for, then you’ll be very happy with the 9 I’m sure.
Overall I’m actually super happy with the Note 9 – I adored the Note 8 and I’m certain I will love this one as much, if not more.
The days when new phones cost a hundred bucks with a basic student recontract line seem far away and a dream, almost. Anyway. The flagship phones from all the big players all cost a pretty penny today, and if you’ve decided to get one, you’d best make sure it’s a solid investment. Whether a phone is worth the price often depends on your priorities, and for me, anything that maximizes my productivity is a solid win. It’s just such a big plus point that the Note9 does this while being absolutely gorgeous, too.
x
Jem
Disclaimer: I was seeded the Note 9 as part of a media drop and am not paid for this post.
#2071 | World Lipstick Day! Favorite Lip Products
Hey guys,
So the other day whilst we were on shoot, Roz picked up my handbag and casually asked if I made a habit of just carrying a brick around. Honestly, how heavy my bags get has long been a mystery to my friends and I, right up till Roz followed up with asking if she could borrow a lipstick before we started filming..
I started pulling lipsticks out of my bag left and right and trust me no one was more surprised than me. We counted a total of nine lip products in my tiny crossbody. My producer couldn’t believe it, she asked, are you a vending machine or what. And to nobody’s surprise suddenly my bag was significantly lighter. Ohhh.
Anyway, it’s world lipstick day and it seems I am a bona fide lipstick addict. So here are my favorite lip products on rotation! I more or less decided to write this on the fly, so I didn’t have time to swatch all the products. As a result, all the photos here are pulled from a quick google images search, and I take no credit for them! Also, I wish I could include more products because honestly, so many brands have great lip products. This is by no means an exhaustive list. But here are the ones that have truly impressed me over the years:
1. Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in 01 Honey
I only recently started using Clarins because I always thought it was a more mature brand. I now see that that impression stemmed from the fact that all their strengths are rooted in solid, classic skincare practices. It’s something I’m appreciating more now, especially since I’m increasingly looking for makeup that has skincare enhancing properties. I’ve tried a bunch of products from Clarins over the last couple of months, and the ones that stood out were their SOS primers, shaping facial lift, and the water lip stains. All of them are products designed to enhance rather than stand out, so you’ll find that they’re reliably good in making you look like a glow-ier version of yourself.
Anyway, my absolute favorite product from Clarins thus far is their lip comfort oil, which is so lush. It contains jojoba and hazelnut oils, and works great on its own or as a top coat. I do a lot of camera work, and I find that the sheen, while pretty irl, looks amazing on camera. My favorite is the honey shade, which smells like a dream. Your lips definitely feel protected and moisturised after, and I find it makes for a great mid-day lip moisturiser for people who work in air conditioned office environments.
+ points for great packaging (super gorgeous metallic top with clear body.)
– points for not very hygenic applicator (it’s a doe foot applicator, which means if you’re using this as a top coat, you’ll see it being stained by other colors over time.)
2. Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in 610 Addiction
This has been a mainstay in my handbag for a really long time.. maybe too long, I feel like it might actually be expired. Haha. Anyway, the Ultra HD matte line is so great – it’s a matte liquid lipstick that really stays on forever, with a really intense color payoff, and the 610 Addiction shade is just so flattering too. It instantly makes your skin tone look cooler, and the dark pink is (i find) a more interesting look than an outright bold red.
The Revlon Matte Balm is also very good, as is their Superstay Lustrous range. Actually Revlon as a brand is just damned good, especially for lip products. The best thing is, Watsons is always having random buy one get one sales for Revlon products, so I’ve gotten the Matte Balm for as low as $10 a few times already.
+ points for sexy bullet packaging, the frosted glass style matte body really stands out
+ points for great value for money
– points for not being very hygienic with the doe stick brush applicator
3. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
This isn’t really a lipstick, but you can mix it in with your lipsticks or use it as a primer, even. The lip sleeping mask has long been one of Laneige’s bestsellers, so it’s not like this is a hidden gem or anything, but it still bears a mention because it’s so damned good. It comes in a thick, silky consistency, which doesnt feel greasy at all. Apply a layer before you sleep and you’ll wake up with baby smooth lips, which stays nice and moisturised even post-morning cleanse. I bring it on flights with me all the time too, I find it really helpful because flight air is so drying. I like the apple-lime flavor, which approximately no one else likes, but the original is the most popular.
+ points for uniquely cornering the market in this genre – I think this is the only product that comes to mind when you’re thinking of an overnight lip product
+ major points for being so damned good
– points for not very hygienic application style – it comes with a little brush, but realistically, theres nowhere to keep the brush so it gets lost really fast and youre always dipping your little finger in the pot to get the product out anyway.
4. Laneige Stained Glass stick in 02 Rose Quartz
This is a recent release from Laneige, and i feel it’s one of their better lip products. Laneige is one of those brands that has consistently good products, including some majorly underrated ones like their quad eyeshadow palette, their silk intense lipstick range, and their eyebrow cushion cara. But the thing is, although they have great products all around, people tend to overlook korean brands in favor of their western counterparts when it comes to bold looks. Whereas when it comes to the soft, girly looks, none of the western brands can really compete with Laneige (and other korean brands).
This particular line is impressive because despite looking like a balm, it’s really a stain – the initial payoff is a smooth jewel like shine, which over time fades to leave color-stained lips. The watery finishing is very natural, it looks as if you just had a cold drink. It also smells amazing, and there’s zero tug when you apply it. It’s a good alternative to the dior lip glow – also a great product, but pushing it slightly at $48. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t like this – it’s a great product, very classy and understated, even for non habitual lipstick wearers.
+ points for cool metallic bullet packaging
+ points for the quartz like gem at the end so you know what color youre getting even before opening the product
No minus points
4. Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Bitten, Baby, and Babe
I’ll admit I have a soft spot for the crushed lip color range because I hosted their launch last year as their resident #girlcrush. Hoho. But yes, I have a lot of love for this product as well. In the same way that the Laneige glass stick looks balmy and works like a stain, the Bobbi Brown CLC looks like a lipstick but works like a balm. The finishing is really pretty too, it’s very casual and cool, like lipstick that’s been blotted and lived-in already. Because of this, you actually dont need a mirror to apply the crushed lip color, just swipe and bite your lip, and youre kind of good to go.
It’s the very definition of wearable – it sits comfortably on your lips without any of that waxy feel that comes with intense pigment. The product does not bleed at all, so it’s perfect even without a lip liner. I really like the packaging too – it’s a simple black bullet, with a color band running through the middle so you know exactly what color youre getting. Because of its effortless finishing, I find it works best in rose to nude shades.
+ points for smart packaging, with the color band
No minus points
5. Maybelline’s Color Sensational INTI-MATTE NUDES in Hot Sand, Purely Nude, and Beige Babe
Maybelline is another drugstore brand that is not-so-secretly excellent. I’ve found them to be really good for mascara and lipsticks, and their Their Inti-Matte range is actually fantastic. I do really badly with nude lipsticks, they usually wash me out and make me look really ill. I’ve only been able to wear nudes from four lines – maybelline’s inti-mattes, urban decay’s heat capsule collection (fuel), revlon’s super lustrous line (bare affair), and sephora’s house brand lipstories series (brunch date).
The Inti-mattes range are, firstly, all matte nude shades, but more than that, they’re all warm tones, so they’re very flattering. The formulation is really creamy, so you dont get dried out lips – which is normally the problem with strong mattes. If you’ve already got dry lips I would suggest layering a lip primer (or the laneige sleeping lip mask) underneath it anyway.
The only thing is, I find their color swatches to be pretty inaccurate. The product itself is great, but many times I’ve chosen a lipstick based off the printed color swatch and found the actual product to be a totally different color. Sometimes the difference is really too big to be ignored haha. So I would go to the store and try it out instead of buying it online!
+ points for punny name
+ points for great value for money
– points for inaccurate color swatches
6. Urban Decay Bad Blood Matte Revolution Lipstick
I’ll have to admit that I no longer have this because I was on my second or third tube which melted in my handbag after leaving it in the sun.. and I’m trying not to buy new lipsticks until I finish the ones I’m currently using. But as far as red lipsticks go, the UD Bad Blood has always been the most iconic red lip for me. It’s a universally flattering deep red with a cool undertone, and the matte formulation is surprisingly non-drying. Urban Decay’s strengths have always been in pigmentation, and this one gives you a great color payoff with just one creamy swipe – no need to slowly build the color up. It’s also doesnt get patchy through the course of the day, although the color does bleed a tiny bit. All in all I feel like this is the red lipstick for me, and I’ve already repurchased it several times.
+ points for great price point for a cult product
+ points for long lasting formulation
7. MAC’s SIN lipstick
Despite the Taylor Swift Ruby Woo hype, I actually find that MAC shines when it comes to their darker lip colors. SIN is a cool toned deep burgundy berry, and it’s a very sexy shade. It’s easy to apply because of it’s intense pigmentation, which gives you great color payoff in one swipe! It’s definitely a darker, bolder color than the Revlon 610 I mentioned above, but it’s not unwearable at all. I’ve grown up using MAC lipsticks because they’re one of the first brands you reach for when phasing into “adult” brands, and they’ve been consistently reliable.
*Mac is also giving away a full sized lipstick with any purchase today, in honor of lipstick day.
+ points for intense pigment, and all round iconic colors
– points for being drying, combat with lip primer or moisture balm before.
– points for not being able to tell what color youre using before you open the product, all the MAC lipsticks come in the iconic black and silver bullet so if you have more than one you wont be able to tell which is which when the cases are closed.
8. 3CE MOOD RECIPE #221 Mellow Flower
I honestly bought this in Korea because of its extremely gorgeous packaging. 3CE really knows how to market – I’m lowkey in love with all their models, and every time I see a new post from them on instagram I just want to stab myself for not being a korean. But it’s a hit and miss brand for me – I’ve tried several products from 3CE previously which I didnt like, leading me to feel like they’re more a cult brand than anything. Still, I cant help but reach for their products whenever I’m near their booth in the duty free store..
This product was really a sleeper hit for me. It reminds me of the Kylie Jenner lip collection with its sultry mauve shades meant to emulate a certain moodines, and it has a great formulation that goes on smoothly. It’s pigmented, though not as intense as the Urban Decay or MAC pigments, which means you can actually blot it out for a blurry effect. This color in particular is somewhere in between a pink and a red, and the final color kind of depends on your skin tone. For me, I find it’s a bit orangey-red (although you dont find that description anywhere on their main site), but you’ll see from their official website that it can come off cool-red or pinkish too. The kicker? Everytime I wear this, someone asks me what lipstick I’m wearing. That’s got to be a good sign.
+ points for cool name
+ points for aesthetic packaging
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So those are my favorites! To be fair, I’m also including some lip products that I did not like so you know what worked and what didn’t work for me. Some of the following products are really highly raved about too, which just goes to show that there’s no one size fit all for beauty products.
Do not like:
Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink
I love Maybelline, but this line just did not work for me. It’s a liquid lipstick line with extremely saturated colors (and I actually love the packaging because it’s matte with a huge color swatch out on the front), but I really disliked the application. It doesnt dry quickly, and when it does, it settles into the lip lines, giving a kind of stretched out, dry look. I find it has kind of a patchy finishing as well as time goes by. To be fair, it is very long lasting, which is what its name promises. But overall it just didn’t work for me.
Colorpop Lippie Stix
I kind of hate the Colorpop lippie stix although I think the Ultra Matte Lip is really good. It smells funky and I’ve always found it to be a bit chalky on the lips. And when I apply it I always feel like I’m a child at risk of eating some crayons and getting food poisoning for months after. Anyway, Colorpop’s main draw is its price point, but I feel like there’s no point paying any money at all for a product that’s so weird when there are so many good alternatives.
Etude House Dear My Glass Tinting Lips Talk
Etude house has so many great products but this is just not one of them. It has a super cute interchangeable packaging, but that just makes me wish it followed up with an equally cute product. In reality when I put this on I just felt confused. It’s not an outrightly bad product, but it doesnt feel comfortable on the lips either. It claims to be a lip tint, but it’s super sheer, so it’s more like a balm? The sheer color also made me feel like there’s such a thing as a product being too buildable – you have to go over it again and again to get a pigment close to the promised swatch, and after all that fuss, the product doesnt stay on for long (which to be fair, is true of most glossy lipsticks). Also, the name is too long.
FENTY MATTEMOISELLE in up2nogood
It breaks my heart to say this because I adore Rihanna, and I love what she’s doing with her make up brand. But this is a classic case of loving the message more than the product, because nothing from Fenty has worked for me so far 🙁 I hated the foundation, felt impartial towards the highlighter, and the lipstick also didn’t impress. I found that the colors weren’t flattering, and application was just alright, a bit uneven, which required blending out.
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This post has gone on for a bit too long, but there you have it – my hits and misses. I’m sure I’ll discover more products that I love and hate along the way, but for now, these are the ones that have stood out to me. Feel free to send me recommendations if you have them, and if you’ve tried any of the products above and liked them, tell me too so it doesnt feel like I’m perpetually shouting off into the void. Yeah? Yeah.
Happy World Lipstick day, yall!
x
Jem
Camera Info
I shoot on a Nikon D750 with a 35f/1.8 lens, a Fujifilm x100v, or my Samsung Note 20 Ultra. Pictures are edited in Lightroom Mobile or VSCO