Irene Li is an executive for her family’s paint manufacturing company. Outside the corporate world, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family and friends and luxury. She is also an ex-beauty blogger.
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When Grace asked me to be a glossy girl, excitement quickly turned to panic. What products am I going to feature? How do I chose? I decided to narrow it down to my most reached products and those I consider as my holy grail. I try to cut down my impulsive buying (hoarding) and make a conscious effort to finish a product before buying again, but it’s a hard. VERY HARD. I admire girls who are courageous to go all natural during the day, but I like how makeup can even out my skin tone, enhance my eyes and give me colour. It’s a good way of cheating what nature gave you!
Skincare/Shower/Haircare:
PHILOSOPHY’S PURITY MADE SIMPLE CLEANSER – To be honest, I can be pretty lazy so I keep my cleansing regime very simple. Purity takes off the day’s makeup without making my skin dry or feel ‘over-washed’. On nights when I have more makeup on, I use SHU UEMURA CLEANSING OIL for a more thorough cleanse.
For scrubs and exfoliation, I use the CLARISONIC MIA or BEYOND BELIEF’S ABH EXFOLIATING FACIAL SCRUB (Available online or Sally’s – SO I hoard!!). The scrub is comparable to CLARIN’S GENTLE EXFOLIATING REFINER but at a fraction of the price and it seems like it’s the EXACT SAME PRODUCT (smells exactly the same!) I cannot be bothered to spend more than I should! In my years of buying and trying new products, my advice is to stick with what works well with your skin, regardless the brand.
In the morning, I wash my face with LUSH ANGELS ON BARE SKIN. It’s a kaolin clay based cleanser with lavender and crushed almonds. It’s very gentle and I LOVE the scent.
CAUDALIE CRUSHED CABERNET SCRUB – I am OBSESSED with smooth skin, so I love keeping exfoliating scrubs in the shower. I discovered this from Janthina Fong’s glossy – so thank you Jan! It’s supposed to have “slimming action” too but uhh, no, it doesn’t have any slimming effects on me at all. :X I guess you can get away with Swiss Ive’s Apricot scrub, but everyone needs a little luxury every once in a while.
DESSERT ESSENCE JOJOBA OIL is an all-around product. I use this as a hair and scalp treatment, extremely dry skin and my cuticles. When I feel like indulging, I mix this with my lotion and slather it on. Your skin will thank you in the morning.
AVALON ORGANICS THICKENING SHAMPOO – I’m all about hair products that are nourishing (since my hair is so abused!) so I’m slowly trying to switch to all natural or at least products with more “health” benefits. I had issues with falling hair a few months ago, and this Biotin infused shampoo helped a lot.
I alternate with KERASTASE BAIN STIMULISTE GL to prevent product build up and I condition every other day with PALMER’S RESTORING CONDITIONER. Since I colour treat my hair on a regular basis, I stay away from heat – which means I never blow-dry or use a flat iron. I’m lucky that my hair is fine enough to get away with air-drying.
I love these acrylic drawers from MUJI! They are aesthetically pleasing and I don’t have to rummage through drawers to find what I’m looking for. The top shelf holds my perfumes. My favourite ones are Jo Malone, YSL, Chanel and Juicy Couture (I know, I know). I need to find a new way to store my brushes because it’s kinda disgusting being so exposed like that. If you guys have any ideas or recommendations, leave a comment!
Daily Makeup/ Skincare:
ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR – I use this 2x a day after I wash my face before my sunscreen or moisturiser. This helps tone down the redness around my cheeks and nose. It works great as a base for my makeup too.
KIEHLS MIDNIGHT RECOVERY CONCENTRATE – I thought it was a serum, but it’s actually oil, so I use it as my moisturiser. I haven’t used this long enough to determine if I will repurchase but so far, so good. It’s an OK product. There are a TON of positive reviews for this product online, so you might want to check it out.
LA ROCHE POSAY ANTHELIOS XL SPF 50+ TINTED MELT-IN CREAM – I never used to wear sunscreen (except when I’m out in the sun the whole day) but getting older means being more conscious about healthy skin. I love this because it’s targeted for dry skin but doesn’t leave a white greasy film like most sunscreen do.
JOUER LUMINIZING MOISTURE TINT – I’m really into the natural, healthy glow look so I replaced my foundation for this amazing tinted moisturiser by JOUER. It’s pretty sheer but you can build it up for coverage. If I want a more polished look, I dust a bit of GIORGIO ARMANI LUMINOUS SILK POWDER.. Make sure to buff it into your skin properly – caked on powder is never cute.
NARS BLUSH IN DEEP THROAT - is a less shimmery version of Orgasm, which is more appropriate for the office during the day. MAC BLUSH IN DAINTY AND NUANCE are peachy and flushed hues which I think look best for my skintone.
TOO FACED SHADOW INSURANCE – This is comparable to URBAN DECAY PRIMER POTION but the previous packaging for UDPP was a bitch (They changed it now) so I tried TFSI. It works just as well. You want your eyeshadow to last all day/night? This is the product for you. Works especially well if you have greasy eyelids.
CHANEL AUTOMATIC EYELINER – Liquid eyeliner is easy to work with if you’re used to it and if you have a steady hand. If you’re a newbie or have shaky hands, I suggest a pencil liner like this amazing one with intense colour pay off from SALONE. I only use black eyeliner, but dark brown works well especially during the day. Mascara (not picture) is a must, and I prefer drugstore brands like L’oreal, Covergirl or Maybelline. I toss out my mascara 2 months after I open them, no matter what because of the incredible amount of bacteria that lives in the little tubes. Eye infection – not cute.
NAKED 2 PALLETE – It’s a great neutral (all shimmery with 2 matte shades) palette to use for day and transcends to night. You can do a lot of day-to night looks and the value you get for the quality and number of shadows (12 shades!) is pretty damn amazing. I’ve had this for 2 years now and I use it pretty much every day. If you’re starting to experiment with makeup and want quality eyeshadows that are easy to work with, this is amazing for your starter kit.
LUCAS PAPAW OINTMENT – I discovered this Australian product about 5 years ago from a beauty blog that I frequent. It’s a great lip treatment I slather on before I go to bed at night but I’ve used this on my cuticles, dry patches and under my eyes. I think this is locally available via Digital Traincase.
NARS LIPSTICK IN ROMAN HOLIDAY – This is a great everyday colour. Works really well with my skin tone and doesn’t wash me out like other nude lipstick. It’s also very moisturising! CHANEL COCO ROUGE SHINE IN BOY is a recent discovery and I love it for every day use. I am not a fan of the scent though. 
Nailcare:
Nail polishes are one of my favourite beauty items because it’s pretty much impossible to mess up – except those horrid nail art that are popping up everywhere and are now a trend. My favourite go-to brands are Orly (the best formulation!) China Glaze (The best brush), Butter London (Unique Colors) and most recently Chanel (Do I need a reason?). I think nail polishes are one of the products where you have to be brand conscious. Cheaper brands will damage your nails leaving yellow stains and making them extremely brittle. Allowing your nails to “breathe” every 2 weeks will help keep your nails healthy. I need to follow my own rule because I am one of those girls who feel naked without nail polish.
Favorites:
Butter London “All Hail McQueen”
Butter London “Wallis”
China Glaze “Purr-Fect Plum”
Orly “Pure Petunia”
Chanel “Dragon”
as told to divasoria