One of a Kind: Kai Perfume Oil

The first time I smelt Kai, fishing it out of a friend's purse with curiosity, I was intrigued but not necessarily impressed. It seemed so simple and unpretentious, yet potent and enveloping. I had no idea of its cult status, availability or price, just that my friend bought her tiny vial from the US. Fast forward a year or two, and it's obsession. It started with sniffing it each time I stepped inside Mecca Cosmetica, and slowly but surely, my love grew. It smelt better to me each time I spritzed the perfume or applied the rollerball. Despite many longing gazes at the shelf where all the Kai products were displayed, I just couldn't get over the price. To my sheer delight, I was fortunate to have received the perfume oil as a birthday gift.

I've never been a huge fan of gardenia perfumes, but Kai is invariably described as a gardenia scent. I don't think it's as sweet, creamy or heady as pure gardenia — there's hints of other white flowers and a certain greenness to it that gives it more softness and depth. It evokes summer nights. I find it mellow and inviting while also having a brightness and uplifting quality. Clean, not overly sweet, not soapy, nothing cheap-smelling or artificial about it. Just floral essence melded with your skin.

This should be fairly unremarkable and nothing unique, but surprisingly, it's been near impossible to find something that smells exactly like, or close to Kai. If I could track down a cheaper alternative, I would be onto it in a second. The price is beyond exorbitant (I mean, $78 for the 3.6ml perfume oil?!) and the only online retailer I could find that ships to Australia is Kiss and Makeup NY. I'm seriously tempted by the 50ml EDP ($122), but I'm holding out until I finish at least half of the rollerball. In the meantime, you'll find my nose glued to my wrists each time I dab some of this glorious stuff on.

Salt-Crusted Blue

Mariah Carey and OPI. Two of my favourite things colliding in unexpected ways. This collaboration was tailor-made for me. Despite my love for both, to be honest, I wasn't blown away by any of the polishes in the collection. A Butterfly Moment was tempting, but a little too safe and unspectacular for me to shell out $20 on. Pink Yet Lavender reminded me way too much of Teenage Dream. And I wasn't quite sold on the Liquid Sand polishes. They were something I didn't mind trying, but wasn't particularly drawn to. Enter this pack of 4 x 3.75ml mini polishes featuring all four Liquid Sand "stage shades" that I received as a birthday gift. It was the perfect opportunity to see if my tepid feelings could be converted to love.

The shade I was most excited to try was Get Your Number. It seemed to be one of the best reviewed and hyped polishes from the range. I might get around to swatching the other polishes later, but this post's all about Get Your Number.

Get Your Number is a sparkly, bright medium blue with a Liquid Sand finish. The best description I can give is that it looks like a thin layer of fine salt crystals glued to your nail. The effect is uniquely three-dimensional and the bumpy-but-smooth texture is a genuine novelty. I was expecting it to be rough to touch, but it's actually not that bad (OPI Save Me is a thousand times worse). The blue base is matte but the glitter on top is iridescent and pebbly. It makes for a strange but compelling combination. This is definitely not an understated or conventional polish. The bling factor is strong but not exactly reflective, and unlike most glitter polishes, I don't find that it's any more shimmery or vibrant in direct sunlight compared to the shade or artificial light. I used three coats here without a top coat, though two would've been sufficient. Staying power seems like it'd be extraordinary because of the unique texture that really sticks to the nail and locks in each layer.

Gummy Tint

I wasn’t going to buy the new L'Oréal Shine Caresse Lip Colour (said to be a cheaper dupe for the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain), but I stopped by Priceline last Wednesday and thought, well, it is my birthday. With a buy 3 for 2 offer being further incentive (though at $23.95 a pop, Australian pricing is still a joke), all I had to worry about was the right shade selection. In the end, I narrowed it down to the nude Lolita (101), purplish pink Marilyn (103) and coral Princess (200), much like 90% of my existing lip product collection. The more subdued and neutral Lolita just edged out Romy (102), which seemed a bit too warm for my complexion. Eve (400) looked too purple, Bonnie (501) too tawny-brown. The vampy plum of Milady (402) and deep cherry red of Juliet (300) would be my picks if I wore darker, more dramatic colours more than five times a year, but as usual, I opted for more safe, wearable shades.

l-r: Lolita (101), Marilyn (103), Princess (200)

l-r (first row, then second row): Lolita (101), Marilyn (103), Princess (200)

The Shine Caresse Lip Colours are described as a cross between a lip gloss and lip stain. I never gave much thought to what that meant, until I tried them and realised that if you don’t like lip gloss, these might pose a problem. I find they leave a sort of sticky, mask-like sensation on my lips that isn't exactly drying, but is far from comfortable. The main issue I have with these is that rather than being really liquid and smooth like a gloss, once you apply them, it feels like a thin layer of viscous paste has set on top of the lip. There’s a lot of resistance if you try to press your lips together to blend the product, and little bits of dried up gloss ball up and cause uneven patches on the lip. Really strange. My lips felt ten times better after I generously applied some Korres Mango Lip Butter to two coats of Princess.

Lolita and Marilyn are really quite sheer, with Princess being the only one that gives a vibrant pop of colour. I found that they require two coats for opaque coverage, as it often looks patchy and not pigmented enough with just one. Lolita is a rosy, slightly mauvey brown with fine gold shimmer — one of those “my lips but better” shades that is daytime and work-appropriate. Marilyn misleadingly looks like a bright magenta in the tube, but appears more like a watered down, pinkish berry shade. Princess is a vivid coral red. The stain they impart is nowhere near as intense or long-lasting as the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. You can wipe it off with your hands and it’s practically half gone.

What I do love about the Shine Caresse Lip Colours is they impart a wet, glossy look that reminds me of a translucent candy that’s been sucked on. The finish is a juicy, jelly-like stain that isn’t overly shiny, which is unlike any lip product I've tried. L'Oréal have done well with the gold packaging and teardrop-shaped applicator, which is reminiscent of higher end brands. But overall, I can't say I'm a fan. They lack staying power as a stain, are much sheerer than expected, but above all, are just not comfortable on my lips.

Most Worn Things: Summer

How is it almost the middle of March? The past three months have come and gone in a blink of an eye. Thanks to Cherie for tagging me to take part in this fun post reflecting on my most worn things this past summer.

1. Nail Polish
Revlon Whimsical. Though that would probably be at most only 3 times. Because of how much nail polish I have, I don't tend to wear the same shade over and over again in a short period of time. (Plus, I need to preserve this one bottle for as long as possible.)

2. Hair Product
Easy question, because Pantene shampoo every 2-3 days is the extent of my hair care routine. Usually, I can't even be bothered to condition. I literally don't do anything else with my hair, though I have been dabbling in Morrocanoil, which I bought on sale around Christmas. I use it on my ends after I've washed my hair, or the morning after (I always sleep with my hair wet — one of my many terrible habits). I'm not sure how I feel about it, mainly because I don't use it with enough frequency, and don't really pay attention to the state of my hair except whether it's clean or not. I have noticed when I put the Morrocanoil in it, my hair is more manageable and appears smoother, healthier, better-looking. Or maybe that's just what I want to see?

3. Bag 
Still my Mulberry Alexa. But I've recently switched to a navy Longchamp Le Pliage Medium Long Handle Tote because it's just so much easier. The Alexa was constantly overflowing and weighed a tonne. I need something that I can just chuck a lot of useless stuff into and be able to carry on my shoulder comfortably.

4. Shoes
These leopard print loafers I bought from ALDO in New York. I usually wear a pair of flats to death until it's time to buy another.

5. Clothing Item 
Nothing to do with summer, but probably a pair of black Zara work pants. I wear them at least 1-2 times a week. My wardrobe is spectacularly dull because I can't be bothered to think about what to wear most days. I just wear the same things over and over again to work, and the same (different but more casual) things if I’m going out on the weekend.

At home, I practically lived in this shapeless paisley cotton tunic all through summer. For a person like me who wants to expend as little effort as possible (mental and physical) to get dressed, it was the perfect garment. No buttons, no fastenings, you need only to slip it over your head. Super lightweight and thin (but not see-through), it also kept me cool in the heat.

6. Accessory
I rarely wear jewellery except some random rings I have lying around and the House of Harlow 1960 Double Sunburst Station necklace.

7. Foundation 
I was using Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow until I bought Rimmel Wake Me Up, which I started to mix with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum as the shade I bought was too dark.

8. Bronzer and/or Blush
I went through a short-lived period of regularly using bronzer in an attempt to contour, but kind of gave up on it in the last few weeks. I liked the Bourjois Délice de Soleil Bronzing Powder and was close to putting it in a monthly favourites. As for blush, I'd say NARS Deep Throat. It's just easy to reach for because it goes with pretty much anything. I wore this to a friend's wedding in December, on laid-back weekends with more minimal makeup, and as a go-to blush during the working week.

9. Lip Product 
I'm going to narrow this down to something with colour, because clear Maybelline Baby Lips is just too boring. Truthfully, it's Korres Lip Butter in Mango or the underrated, now discontinued Revlon Protective Liptint SPF 15 in Pink Rose which lives permanently in my handbag.

10. Mascara
It's a toss up between CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume and more recently, Max Factor Masterpiece Max. I'm not really in love with either, but there's only so much a mascara can do for me with monolids and short lashes. They're both reliable everyday mascaras that perform reasonably well and don't have any glaring issues.

11. Eyeshadow 
Surprise, surprise. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. But I also really loved Laura Mercier African Violet from the Lingerie Eye & Cheek Palette.

12. Fragrance
Lady Gaga Fame, though being terribly fickle, I'm kind of over it now. There were also my usual picks for the daytime, Liz Claiborne Liz, Estée Lauder Pleasures and Elizabeth Arden Pretty.