Beautiful Tips during Ramadhan with BB Cream!

Howdy, Ladies!

Happy fasting to all my Muslim friends~!!! (^_____^)/) 

Taking care of your skin to stay beautiful throughout Ramadan can be a challenge or a concern for beauty enthusiasts. The ridiculous Jakarta heat and fasting may lead you to think that your skin could look dull because your body loses vitamins and minerals.

Based on that concern, i will share some tips to stay beautiful during Ramadan!! :D

1. Don’t skip suhoor

    Prophet Muhammad salallaho alayhi wasalaam said, “Take (the meal of) suhoor because there is blessing in it.” (Bukhari) Knowing the immense reward and that good deeds are multiplied during this month, how could you miss out on something that not only will be a source of barakah but will help sustain you and provide you energy throughout the day. Make sure you have the right nutrients and balanced meal so you can stay positively radiant all through this blessed season of goodness.

2. Keep Your Skin Hydrated

Fasting for long hours along with the hot weather and lack of fluids, might lead to skin damage and dryness, so don't forget to keep your skin hydrated during this season.

Examples :

- Drink not less than 8 cups of water (or more if possible). Other fluids work as well, whether the traditional Ramadan drinks or even a cup of green tea. They can do magic as well as rejuvenate your skin!

- Break your fast with foods/drinks with high hydrating agents such as Aloe Vera juice, Coconut Water (great options that have natural sugars and are super hydrating.)

3. Control your Caffeine and Soda intake

Limit your intake of caffeine in terms of soda and coffee, as they can easily absorb minerals and fluids from your body, which will leave your skin dry. 

4. Control your Sugar intake

It’s quite common to have an irregular sweet tooth during Ramadan, but try to avoid eating too much sugar. Refined sugar, which is in most sweets, is bad for you. Not only does it affect your immune system, but it causes skin inflammation.

5. Be Careful of Dairy Products!

If your skin is sensitive to dairy products, avoid drinking lots of milk because it can enhance pimples and acne. 

6. Sleep Well

When it comes to Ramadan, sleep cycle all over again is a very significant thing. If your sleep cycle is disrupted and you are not giving your body the precise amount of rest and sleep which it needs, this will become a cause for skin problems in the holy month of Ramadan.

7. BB Cream

BB refers to Beauty or Blemish Balm, a multi-functional cream that has both make-up and skincare properties.

Garnier BB cream is an all-in-one moisturiser combining skincare with mineral pigments to even skin tone, illuminate, cover imperfections, with 24Hr hydration and SPF protection. A natural look in just one step, just you at your best~!!! :D

That's it, ladies!

Pretty easy, right?

Hope the tips are useful to you and HAPPY FASTING!!!

See you soon dear beauty enthusiasts~

(\(^_______^)/)

~ Nita Desilia Tannawi (@nitartstudio)

Review : Double Mint Tea Bar Soap by Moporie!

Howdy ho dear Nitartstudio Guests~!

I'm back with another review of handmade bar soap variant

Who loves Mint? please raise your hand!!! i know i do~~~ (^____^)/)

YUP! it's Double Mint Tea handmade bar soap review

Let's see the packaging of the product

Logo and variant name on the front side

Ingredients list on the back

This is how it looked like after i've removed the see-through plastic packaging

Bottom

Top

Pretty-shaped with some sprinkles~ :3

Thickness

Price :

IDR 30.000 (around $3)

Ingredients :

Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Custor Oil, Water, Green Tea, Glycerin, Fragrance, Colorants, Silk

Scent :

Slightly scented, i could hardly smell anything. If i had both of my eyes closed, it'd take me forever to guess it's Mint. I prefer more vivid scent when it comes to body soap so this is definitely not my favorite. However, i asked Rie (Moporie's owner) why this variant doesn't have a vivid scent like the others and it turned out the ones with less fragrance like this particular one are for people with sensitive skin. The other soap bars she made are already suitable for sensitive skin but i guess this one is for those with really, really sensitive skin.

Performance :

Lathers so easily and glides on fine.

Moisturizing level :

The same level with the Blackberry & Raspberry bar which i have reviewed previously. It's OK, not crazy moisturizing but not as drying as most of the commercial bar ones.

Side Effects :

None, doesn't trigger anything bad to my skin.

Recomended For :

Those with extra sensitive skin but still want to experience enjoyable and fun bath time everyday with skin-friendly product without harsh chemicals included~ :D

Do Not Recommended For :

Those who enjoy vivid scent soap bar because of its faint scent.

Pros :

+ No harsh chemicals / preservatives

+ Skin-friendly (can be used for those with EXTRA sensitive skin)

+ Lathers easily

+ Pretty moisturizing compared to commercial bars

Cons :

- Cost more

- Doesn't last as long as commercial bars

- Faint scent

Conclusion :

For those with extra sensitive skin, you can put this into consideration, it's safe, moisturizing, fun and sooo pretty! ^___^

You can get this particular product at MOPORIE :

Moporie Website

Moporie Facebook Page

Moporie Instagram

Moporie Twitter

If you missed out my blogpost about the difference between commercial bar soap with the handmade ones and would love to read the Blackberry & Raspberry Bar soap review please click HERE.

That's it for today~

Feel free to drop any comments

Big thanks for visiting dear beauty enthusiasts~!!! (^_____^)/)

~Nita Desilia Tannawi (@nitartstudio)

Drag Queen Make-Up Collaboration as Lady Autumn Crocus!

Hiya Dear Nitartstudio Guests~! 

I'm back with another Art Make-Up creation! *WOO-HOOOO!!!*

However... this time is quite different because guess what,

it's a Collaboration Make-Up Project with the other fella beauty bloggers!

Yay~! (\(^______^)/)

The theme of our make-up collab is "Drag Queen" mixed with dangerous poison in the world

(most of us chose beautiful but deadly poisonous flowers)

and oh, if you guys didn't know what "Drag Queen" is, here's the definition.

According to Wikipedia, Drag Queen is :

"A man who dresses, and often acts, with exaggerated feminity. There are many different possible purposes to drag, personal reasons for doing drag will differ for individual drag queens. It is often done for the purpose of self-expression, performing and entertaining, and can also be mainly important as a creative outlet, a means of self-exploration or a way to make cultural statements."

As for the deadly flower, i chose "Autumn Crocus"

"Autumn Crocus is one flower you don’t want to encounter on your next break. One of the most endangered plants in the world, Autumn Crocus is also the most poisonous. It contains colchicine, a drug used to treat gout. Unlike other toxins found in some flowers, colchicine has no antidote. Autumn Crocus poisoning leads to reduced blood pressure and cardiac arrest."

Without further due...

Here's my Art Make-Up Creation as "Lady Autumn Crocus" for the Collaboration :

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What do you think?

Any comments / constructive criticisms are welcomed so that my next Art make-up creation can be better! :D

Feel free to follow my social media accounts to catch any updates~

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

Don't forget to chck out my fella beauty bloggers make-up creation as well~! :)

Irene Widya as Lady Arsenic

Theresia Feegy as Lady Belladonna

Ellen Tan as Lady Daphne

Amanda Anindita as Lady Lily of the Valley

Thanks for visiting and have an awesome day!

See you soon dear beauty enthusisasts~

(^_____^)/)

~Nita Desilia Tannawi

Review : Blackberry & Raspberry Handmade Bar Soap by Moporie!

Hello dear Nitartstudio Guests~!

Have you ever tried a handmade bar soap before? Nope?

oh well... beware! you probably would want to after reading this post! :P

When i was a kid, i always used drugstore-commercial bar soap/commercial liquid soap (Zwitsal/Johnson's/Dettol/Lux/etc.) which you can afford easily at your nearest drugstore/convience store anytime. Some time later when i became a beauty blogger, i'm more aware of beauty products so i stopped using drugstore soaps and tried various brands (Kiehl's/The Body Shop/L'occitane/etc.). They do have better qualities, give better results and sensations to the skin as well (of course they have to! remembering they cost way more than the drugstore ones...^^")

The thing is, i don't like spending much for soaps, i prefer to spend more on makeup/skincare... then handmade bar soap comes into the rescue, it's definitely one of some available options to keep your skin healthy without ripping off your pocket, i'm gonna tell you why!

Why doesn't most of Commercial Drugstore Soap Bar good?

According to the infos i've gathered, most commercially produced bars contain synthetic lathering agents, artificial colors, and a slew of chemicals we can't even pronounce.

Much commercial soap is made using the cold process method.  However, instead of pouring the liquid into molds once it thickens, they add salt to the mixture.  The salt causes the liquid to curdle.  The curdled soap floats to the top and is skimmed off the liquid to put into molds.  The remaining liquid is mainly glycerin which is distilled and sold to pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies to make a profit.

By removing the glycerin from the soap, the bar soap is more like a detergent.  A detergent is a surfactant that helps water and oil to combine instead of separating.  This allows a surface to be cleaned with water even if the surface contains oil.  Skin contains oil which is removed when a detergent is used.  Therefore, commercial bar soap dries out the skin because it remove the skins natural oils that provide the body protection from weather, viruses, bacteria and other disease causing substances.

In order for commercial bar soap to provide more moisturizing than drying to the skin, other ingredients need to be added to the soap like lotion and cream.  Many commercial soap ads say “it won’t dry your skin” because they added moisturizers.  These additives also contain many harsh chemicals and chemical preservatives.


In conclusion, MOST of the manufacturers have removed a lot of the 'good stuff' that occurs in the soap making process, and replaced it with synthetic lathering agents and harsh chemicals. These plentiful detergent bars are bad for our skin.

What makes Handmade Bar Soap better than Commercial Ones?

When the soap bars are made from scratch, the glycerin remains in the soap, and the artisan can choose to add natural or artificial fats, oils, fragrances and colors to the final product. While the handmade soap may not last as long as the commercial soap, it doesn’t contain as many chemical preservatives or other harsh chemicals. These soap bars generally cost more than the detergent bars you'll find at drugstores but the difference is these soap bars are actually better for your skin.

Ok, let's moving on to the Blackberry & Raspberry Handmade Bar Soap~ (\(^_____^)/)

There's some amount of glitter on the top

The dreamy color and abstract-but-artistic pattern are pretty! *love love*

At first, i had some concerns regarding this product though...

What if this handmade soap performs no different than commercial soap bar?

What if this soap is as drying as commercial soap bar?

Price :

IDR 40.000 (around $4)

Ingredients :

Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Custor Oil, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance, Colorants, Silk

Scent :

Lives up to its name, it smells really Berry-ish (which i personally like). The scent isn't as subtle as i thought it'd be.

Performance :

I thought it'd be needing some effort to lather this soap up but no, it actually lathers easily and glides on fine.

Moisturizing level :

OK. Not crazy moisturizing but not as drying as most of the commercial bar ones.

Side Effects :

As for me, it doesn't trigger anything bad to my skin~ :)

Recomended For :

Those who choose quality over quantity. Those with sensitive skin. Those who are looking for more natural and skin-friendly soap bars without harsh chemicals included.

Do Not Recommended For :

Those who don't want to spend a bit more on soap bars and already feel satisfied using the commercial soap bars.

Pros :

+ No harsh chemicals / preservatives

+ Skin-friendly (can be used for those with sensitive skin)

+ Lathers easily

+ Smells good

+ Pretty moisturizing compared to commercial bars

Cons :

- Cost more

- Doesn't last as long as commercial bars

Conclusion :

All in all, i think this product worth a try for its price because it performs better than commercial bar ones. You might want to consider getting it~ :D

You can get this particular product at MOPORIE :

Moporie Website

Moporie Facebook Page

Moporie Instagram

Moporie Twitter

Thanks for visiting dear beauty enthusiasts~!

Feel free to drop any comments

See you soon!! (^_____^)/)

~Nita Desilia Tannawi (@nitartstudio)

BCBGMAXAZRIA Eau De Perfume by Max Azria Review!

Hi dear Nitartstudio Guests~!

I'm back with a fragrance review :D

Have you ever heard of BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP before?

I bet most of you have! for those who haven't, here's some info :

"BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP is taking the world by storm. With critically acclaimed collections, a loyal elite following and a strong worldwide presence, this fashion powerhouse has evolved into one of the hottest names in the fashion industry today.

Founded in 1989, BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP is the lifetime vision of one man: Founder, Designer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Max Azria. After years of success designing women’s wear in Paris and Los Angeles, Azria decided to pursue his dream of launching a design house that spoke to the modern woman, and BCBGMAXAZRIA was born."

BCBG Max Azria Perfume by Max Azria

This is the first fragrance under the name of the fashion house, created by Givaudan perfumer Stephen Nilsen , and was launched in 2011.

(but only recently launched in Indonesia)

The perfume is a mixture of floral and fruity notes :

Top notes : Kir royal, Black Cherry, Wild Strawberry

Heart notes : Rose petals, Violet, Jasmine, Soft Muguet

Base : Mixture of Iris, Sandalwood, Musk

Packaging

Bottle

The iconic butterfly logo transforms into a blooming flower on the sculptural cap

This is how the cap looks like when it's turned upside down

First Impression

"Oh, the cap is sooo pretty!!! XD"

(prettier in real life compared to above photos, lol~)

The overall packaging is elegant and ladylike. The perfume itself smells very feminine, luxurious, girly and captivating.

Performance

The perfurmer, Stephen Nilsen, said they incorporated high quality ingredients that lasts a day without being heavy or thick, one of those ingredients is musk---it helps hold the fragrance on the skin but unlike the Jovan musk at drugstores, it's very soft.

… IT'S TRUE!!!

BCBGMAXAZRIA Perfume lasts for long hours without making your head dizzy of the heaviness, it's feels soft yet still smells pretty strong but not too overpowering, which is nice.

Pros :

+ Beautiful Bottle and Cap design

+ Smells very feminine yet luxurious

+ Lasts for long hours without being heavy

+ A little goes a long way

Cons :

- Pretty expensive

Recommended For :

This product is suitable for women who are looking for a perfume that screams timeless elegance, feminity, womanhood and romance.

Do Not Recommended For :

Fragrance is mostly about personal taste, therefore in my opinion, there's a big chance that women who are more into fresh, light, sporty scents would not enjoy this perfume.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Eau De Perfume is available in Fleur Bleue's counter in Matahari dept. store, Metro Pondok Indah, Metro Taman Anggrek and SOGO Alam Sutra, For more information, you can go to their Facebook Page HERE.

Thanks for visiting dear beauty enthusiasts~!

Feel free to drop any comments below

Take care and see you on my next post!

(\(^______^)/)

~ Nita Desilia Tannawi (@nitartstudio)

Gyunyu Shizen Gokochi Facial Cleansing Bar Soap in Green Tea by Cow Brand Review!

Hello guys!

i'm back with a skincare review~ :)

Do you love green tea? if yes, then you shouldn't miss this one out!

Have you ever heard of "Cow Brand"? 

"Cow Brand is a long seller brand in Japan with a history of over 100 years. Cow Style signifies daily life with peace of mind through Cow Brand products with the catch phrase "Life with Cow Brand Soap", and provides a lifestyle based on Japan quality (ease, safety, good quality) and Japan taste (material, scent, texture)."

When i first heard of this particular brand, i was pretty confused why on earth they named it as "Cow Brand" lol~ XD so i dug out a bit and found out that according to them :

"The Japanese culture has been synonymous with perseverance, humility and exemplary work ethos. For this reason, the Japanese believe in the old saying ‘Work as slow but at a steady pace as the cow’. This is where the origin of the Cow Brand philosophy comes from. To us, our cow symbol means more than just a trademark. The cow never moves backwards and will only march forward with great energy and perseverance. It is also gentle and docile, yet vibrant in nature – making it pleasant and likable to all. For all these reasons, we believe that the cow is a true reflection of our work philosophy. And with this philosophy in mind, we aim to continuously move forward and satisfy the ever-changing needs of our customers by delivering innovative, yet superior quality health and beauty products."

Cow Brand's product which i'm about to review right now is Gyunyu Shizen Gokochi Facial Cleansing Bar Soap in Green Tea.

There are 2 variants available : Charcoal and Green Tea

Packaging

There's nothing memorable about the packaging except it looks very Japanese.

Product

The foaming net is rolled with a piece of paper which contains information in Japanese which i could barely understand. However, at the back side there's an English sentence : "Made In China" lol i thought all of this soap parts are originally made and assembled in Japan~ XD

This is how it looks like after the rolled paper has been removed.

The soap itself is covered by a thin (almost see-through) paper. The size of the soap bar is regular like many others, as you can see at the pic above (with the palm of my hand as comparison).

Pretty Japanese words carving on top of the soap bar.

Easy steps for creating the foam just in case you guys are wondering~

After you have a generous amount of foam, then it's done! 

Color :

Dark Green. The color is too vivid for my liking since this is a skincare product with a direct touch to the face skin surface BUT having that said, i also believe Japanese beauty products are high quality, therefore they don't contain harmful ingredients (in this case, colorant).

Scent :

When i first opened and sniffed the soap bar, it was such a let down GAAAH~~~ :( because i didn't smell any Green Tea scent, which i found so confusing remembering almost all of my fella beauty bloggers told me how vibrant, delicious, nice the Green Tea scent is! >__<  if i had my eyes closed, i wouldn't have find out what scent it was since there's almost no scent whatsoever.

After wetting and lathering the soap however, there's a faint scent of Green Tea, then i realised the Green Tea scent kind of grew stronger everytime the soap is used, but yeah... as a big fan of Green Tea, i have to say the scent isn't anywhere near my expectation...

Does it really work as it claims?

1. Rich, creamy and bouncing lather.

 I'd say yes. The soap lathers up in such a short amount of time and really easy to produce nice, rich yet VERY SOFT foam which i like.

2. Removes dead cells and dirt of whitehead

I've been using it for a month and haven't see any improvement in these factors so i'd say no.

3. Makes one step brighter

I'd say no. This claim didn't work on me.

4. Makes clear complexion

Oh well... i can see my complexion is a TINY BIT clearer but nothing too significant / noticeable so i'd say no.

Recommended For :

This is a decent product for Green Tea scent lovers. Sniffing the calming scent of Green Tea while doing your facial wash will definitely make it more fun/put you in a better mood.

Do Not Recommended For : 

Those who want to see improvement/significant result of their skin. After using it for a month i decided to stop using this product.

Conclusion of Overall Performance :

I was excited to try this particular soap not only because of its Green Tea scent but also because most of my beauty blogger friends love this product. Oh well, i gotta say otherwise. I do not love this product simply because it doesn't work according to its claims and not even improve my skin towards betterment whatsoever. Having that said, this product might works for your skin though.

O.K, that's it for today!

Thanks a lot for visiting dear beauty enthusisasts~!

See you soon... (^____^)/)

~Nita Desilia Tannawi (@nitartstudio)