Roundup: Best of Beauty

2017 came and left pretty quickly for me, no thanks to the demands of my side job in the F&B business! Nevertheless, it was a year of hits and misses for me - so let's get the ball rolling, shall we?

All brands/products mentioned here are acquired in 2017

Best Splurge - Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

With a hefty price tag of RM1,799 - I can safely say that THIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE BEAUTY GADGET I have ever splurge on! Lucky for me, I got it during the Sephora Member Sale at 20% off (still, it's RM1,439.20 after discount) and I managed to force roped my boyfriend in to share half of the cost! I reasoned it's because it helps cut half the blowdrying time and it will make our hair
🌟SHINY🌟

Of course, he succumbed.
And we have never looked back since.
♪(((#^-^)八(^_^*)))♪

Worth the Hype - Colourpop Yes, Please
Credit: elleyajoku.com

At a mere USD16, this palette does pack a full-sized punch! With 2017 being the year of WARM TOASTY COLOURS, Colourpop's Yes, Please definitely steals the spotlight with its ultra-pigmented colours and it's unbelievably reasonable price!

The best part is they ship to Malaysia FOR FREE if you purchase USD50 and above!
ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

Best Unexpected Steal - Daiso x GIRLS'TREND Makeup Brushes
Source: Beauty Exchange HK, aieuonga999

In March 2017, Daiso increased their existing price of RM5.30 to RM5.90 because of our weak Malaysia Ringgit. RM0.60 per item is seriously not a lot, but it is like a 10% hike (if you're a Daiso addict like me, you'll def feel the pinch because I buy 10-20 items each time I step into the shop).

Daiso has been known to have hits and misses in the beauty section and we already know about the cult faves - Makeup Brush Cleaners and Detergent for Puff & Sponge. But here is another new offering from Daiso in 2017 that is slowly making waves in the beauty scene internationally!

Priced at RM5.90 each, these brushes are soft and dense. So far I've only spotted the turquoise (slanted cheek) brush and purple (flat eyeshadow) brush in Daiso Malaysia stores. I haven't seen the fluffy pink one around, but maybe that's because it's priced at 200 Yen (the turquoise and purple are 100 Yen each). If you see the pink brush, please let me know because I'm dying to get my hands on her!

So far, I've been liking the turquoise one and since it's limited edition, I need to get them restocked and also get the purple one before they are all sold out!

Best Surprise Device - Philips VisaBoost Ultrasound Facial Moisturizer

I was lucky enough to have won this device during a Philips event and I never thought much of it as I haven't heard about it before. I have tried beauty massagers in the past (but the price is nowhere close to this) and was never wowed. When I got home, I was eager to try out since it costs RM799 and I'm always game to try out new beauty devices.

Oh boy, I was literally BLOWN AWAY by this little magic thingamajig!!!

By the end of my first try, my face was GLOWING by itself even without the help of facial masks and whatnot.

I can actually see the difference in one sitting of this and what magic I saw after one week of religiously using my hydration serum with it! This device basically helps your skincare penetrate better with ultrasound vibrations (which obviously my human fingers can't do).

You can find out more about the Philips ultrasound facial moisturizer by clicking here.

Best Newcomer (Makeup Brand) - Fenty Beauty

Hands down, no competition. Though H&M Beauty Department launch came close to a second!

If you didn't know, Fenty Beauty launched GLOBALLY on the very same date - 8th Sept 2017. Us Malaysians were in luck because we get to have our hands on Rihanna's God-sent creations on the very same day as everyone else around the world!!!

Best Newcomer (Beauty Store) - Play Up Advance

With over 150 local and international brands, PLAY UP ADVANCE is definitely one to look out for in 2018! Currently they have two outlets, namely in Fahrenheit 88 KL and Paradigm Mall JB. While this store has been compared to Sephora, I'd say it's relatively different in terms of product origins and price range. I would say this store is a crossover between Sasa x Watsons x indie makeup brands from Asia.

Play Up Advance is an initiative of Parkson Unlimited Beauty and I noticed that there are many NEW BRANDS that are directly imported by them in Play Up Advance. Also, I noticed that Play Up Advance is an extension of "Play Up" beauty section in several Parkson stores (so far I spotted in IOI City Mall and Sunway Velocity Mall). It is truly worth the trip down town to discover this hidden beauty gem of KL!

Best Makeup Collection - Colourpop x My Little Pony

I was torn between this set and Fenty Beauty's debut launch but I gotta say, this MLP collection takes the cake because of its a nostalgic reminiscence of my 90's childhood memories!!

Personally, I got the Eyeshadow palette and all 3 Eyeshadow single pots. They are still available for purchase on the site, and they do ship to Malaysia for free when you purchase a minimum of USD50.

GET IT BEFORE THEY'RE GONE, esp if you're a unicorn at heart.

Best Local Liquid Lipstick - Kamelia Cosmetics

I've tried several local liquid lipsticks and I conclude that Kamelia Cosmetics Mermaid Matte Liquid Cream has one of the best formulations around. It doesn't smudge or go on patchy, and it is long lasting (transfer-proof)!

It is also reasonably priced (around RM35 each) so if you're looking for a good one, Kamelia Cosmetics it is!

Best Travel Palette - The Balm Bon Voyage Vol. II

I have brought this palette with me Hong Kong and all my staycations in 2017. I received this as a Christmas present from Sasa in 2016 and this palette is really versatile as there are a variety of eyeshadows, blushers, a highlighter (I suspect its Mary Lou Manizer), a bronzer (maybe Bahama Mama) and 2 lip colours in one handy palette.

I have saved a lot of luggage space and weight thanks to this palette!
❤⃛(ૂ❛ัᴗ❛ัૂ)

Best Launch Event - Etude House Sunway Pyramid

Every week, there are beauty events happening that sometimes I see the same familiar faces over and over again. But the event that stood out for me in 2017 would be Etude House Concept Store launch in Sunway Pyramid, which took place in Aug 2017. There, I saw new and old faces - and it was quite the party because they flew in Korean oppas and makeup artists specially for the launch. Etude House was previously under a different distributor and when Amorepacific (Korean beauty giant) took back the license, they made sure that they relaunched Etude House with a bang.

Other worthy mentions would be Urban Decay Naked Heat launch and YSL Beauty launch (tho I wasn’t invited but judging from the pictures it was such a beautiful event with beautiful people).

Best PR Effort - Hashtagcity for Innisfree Valentine’s project

I received a bunch of "love letters" from a secret admirer named "i" for a couple of days leading up to Valentine's Day last year. I know it is a PR initiative but I had NO CLUE who this "i" was. It was then revealed that "i" stood for "innisfree" and they invited me for a secret date party at a very beautiful, new cafe.

Since I had a last minute emergency, I'd hate to miss what Innisfree had installed for me so I had my good blogging friend - Jessica to go on behalf of me. She took many beautiful pastel pictures on that day and I updated them on my IG Stories.

Hashtagcity always go the extra mile for their clients, and I think that's what most PR departments/companies should aspire to be.

Best Beauty Brand of The Year - Clarins

If I were to only pick ONE skincare brand, I'll choose CLARINS. Clarins is the one and only skincare brand that works for my dry sensitive skin, even for its whitening and anti-aging range.

Frankly, I would break out easily whenever I use products with strong ingredients, targetted for whitening or anti-aging purposes. After a few applications, my skin would start to show its undesirable effects, but that is until I tried Clarins Double Serum and even their White Plus range.

I continued to be wowed almost every month with their new launches and recently, new makeup that they made available in Malaysia!

That wraps up my BEAUTIFUL 2017!

Other worthy mentions I should include here are my first overseas media trip with Mary Kay to Hong Kong for Dream Beautiful 2017 and local media trip with Clarins to Lexis Hibiscus, Port Dickson for the launch of Body Fit.

We, Malaysian beauty bloggers also lost a beautiful blogging friend, Fiona of Street Love suddenly towards year end (Nov) due to viral infection and she was such a great loss to the community.

In 2018, I hope to be able to create more beauty videos - basically to revive my Youtube channel that I've abandoned. If you like to keep in touch, I update my Instagram @gracemyu more often so you can follow me there for more regular updates!

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Wishing you a sensational 2018!

All opinions expressed here are solely my own and is not sponsored in any way.