Style - That Youthful Summer!

A close girl-friend of mine who has been addicted to photography and editing lately took it on her own to jazz up some pictures of us and sent it back to me. The picture below was taken about a year ago when we went for a play at the Fort Canning Green.

I looked so radiant just a year back!!

Looking at this: I thought I looked radiant, happy and was just exuding so much youthful exuberance in the picture. Not that I hate the way I look right now but I think I'm missing some of the mojo that I used to have through the greulling work hours. I was Miss Sunshine back then!!

Seems like no product in this world works better for your beauty than charm that exudes from the core of your being! But of course, that doesn't mean that you stop taking care of your skin or the way you look... It's juat that we probably need to look after ourselves on the inside as well and in that way beauty is not just skin-deep.

Do you agree??

Project 10 Pan (2/10) - RPR My Hydrating Shampoo

Hi everyone, I initially thought that I might be getting away from Singapore for the weekend.... But, plans changed and now I am staying put for the whole weekend. But on the bright side - it's a long weekend for me!! So brighten up, at least I get to rest and blog my way through....

I got to the second item of my Project 10 Pan - RPR My Hydrating Shampoo. It's been forever ad I'm still at my second item!!

Well, if you think this look familiar, that's because I featured the conditioner of the same series in this blog some time back as well.

This shampoo claims to nourishes and strengthens chemically treated or coloured hair with the infused almond milk. I've had chemically treated and coloured hair for the longest time and this product does a fantastically nothing for my hair.

*Looks wistfully at product and wishing against all hopes that it is a miracle item*

Looking back, I'm not sure whether it was because my hair was so badly damaged that this shampoo can only work to maintain the condition and not let it get any worse or that this is really a useless product. But either way, I don't think I'm putting in my money for this anytime soon again.

I finished another item recently as well - It's the Sally Hansen Polish Remover

But I'm not including this as one of the product for my P10P as I feel that I'm cheating a little with this. This is something that I go through really quickly and I don't exactly stock this up like what I do for my skin-care and cosmetics. Anyhow, I've tried polish removers from a couple of brands and I'm sticking to this for a long long time to come.

It's Labour Day today. Have a good rest everyone and I think we all deserve it. :o)

Review: Guerlain Parure Aqua Foundation

Got the latest Guerlain promotional phamplet for their new foundation from a good friend of mine -

Ad Campaign for the newly launched foundation

Luxurious Packaging of Guerlain Foundation

The best part of the promotional phamplet was that it came with free foundation samples as well!!

* Rubbing hand together in greedy glee*

Containing both Padure Aqua and Padure Extreme

So, how did it wear on me?? Let's look at the FOTDs featuring this product before I comment on anything:

The pics were taken with my iphone and so the resolution is probably not as good as my camera. But well, whatever works.... So how was the foundation:

What it claims:

1. Leaves complexion naturally radiant with Ocean Spring water formulation

2. Provides intense, unmatched hydration for the skin

Pros:

1. It really does feel really hydrating to the skin upon application
2. Probably due to the hydration, the foundation feels pretty light-weight as well
3. Skin looks more radiant

Cons:

1. Provides light to medium coverage
2. Sebum control is minimal

Nope, this is not Holy Grail material for me. Don't get me wrong, not that it's bad in anyway but it's just not that great. I have combination skin, so I tend to look a little greasy by noon and the powder starts to cake. Not a very pretty sight really. So right now, it still seems like I'm a lover of my Loreal 2-way cake.

Project 10 Pan (1/10): Origins - A Perfect World for Eyes

Yeah!! A good way to start off my Sunday - 1 item added to the Project 10 Pan (P10P) basket!!

And the product this time round is:

Origins - A Perfect World for Eyes

This is a pretty rich gel for the eye which I like cause it really feels hydrated around the eyes region after application. But a thing to note is, due to it's richness, it does takes a while to get absorbed by the skin. And when I have limited time in the morning to get ready for work, I can't wait. This results in powder caking up around the eye region. But a huge bother but just something to note.

So overall, though I like the product but I don't think I will re-purchase this as I'm sure there are eye creams out there which does the same thing with better absorption by the skin.

NOTD: Periwinkle Delight

Hi everyone, I'm lucky that I survived the past week at work. It has been crazy and I barely have time to rest and much less blog. But now I'm back....

So to start things off, a random nails of the day post:

Colour in question - The Face Shop polish in BL602

The actual colour runs a little darker than the picture since it's taken under natural light, but it's still a really fun periwinkle colour. This bubble-gummy colour helps to jazz up your look without looking too garish but it's definitely not something you would wanna wear to the office.

Yes, I would need to re-paint my nails in while for work tomorrow. But hey, that's my hobby.... :o)

Picture to Look Forward To.....

I'm terrible at alot of photo editing software - including the photoshop which everyone is using with such ease. But I recently discovered the ease of photo editing via the iphone.

Yes, the quality of these photos might not match the ones I took from my camera but the editing on my iphone is just so much easier with more effects that's lends a more interesting twist to my photos.

So things to look forward to - More FOTDs, more outfit posts of me and my friends, just more pictures of my life in general!!!

*Note the soft focus!! Hehe.....*

And the girlfriend who is currently obsessed with taking pictures using her iphone:

So enjoy these pictures while I continue to work on my editing skills!! :o)

Hope everyone has had a fantastic weekend.

Products I Don't Like Very Much Right Now!

I think I'm lucky that I normally do like the stuff that I buy most of the times - make-up, skin care, clothes, accessories, etc. But there are still those times whereby I really don't like some of the stuff that I have and these are just some of those at the moment:

Stuff I Don't Like Very Much -

Nivea Lip Care - Pinkish Boost:

This just doesn't work for me - period! The hydration that comes along with this balm is minimal and it just doesn't last. Yes, it gives a nice pinkish tinge to my lips but what good is that when it can't first moisturized my lips so it does't look all dry and flaky? So nope, not falling for this ever again.....

The FaceShop White Tree Ex Sun Block Balm:

The packaging just looks so classy and this sunblock balm is some heavy duty stuff with SPF50! So nice packaging, makeup base with strong SPF protection - no brainer to pop this into my shopping basket I thought.

But, the texture and application is just such a shock horror!!!

The application of this is a nightmare!! I seriously have to work hard to buff this balm onto my skin due to the thick, creamy consistency. It's just so difficult to work with and it doesn't do a great job as a makeup base as well. I really hate using this, but I always make it a point not to waste stuff. So I'm really just rushing through this ASAP!

The Faceshop Gel Eyeliner - Black

Need I say more?? This dried up so quickly that within months of purchase, that it is basically a rock solid hard piece of black tar! Complete detachment from the container and I just feel so cheated cause this is the exact same thing that happened with the purple gel eyeliner from Faceshop too!

Flebeaute Collagenic Mineral Loose Powder - NB23

Well, not exactly a pricey tub of loose powder.... but the finishing is not great either. The powder is not as finely milled as I would liked it too and the finishing tends to look a little cakey. Give it a few hours and some sebum secretion, it starts forming little globules of powder around the t-zone region. And this is when I need to fervently start rubbing away those awful little nodes of powder and do my touch-ups.

No - definitely not buying this again but I still have so much to go through that I'm really starting to think about throwing this away.....

Happiness is Loving What You Have! AKA Control Plan!!

Morning everyone! I finally get to have a proper sleep-in. Yipee!

So yes, I've been pondering on the decision of having a self-imposed ban on my shopping urges for beauty or fashion related items. Pondering and not yet imposing anything on myself because I want to have something in place that makes sense and yet doesn't require me to reach for the skies.

Lovely day it is today BTW..... :o)

So with much deliberation (boy, was it a hard decision!), I decided to only spend on all things light and superficial once I've finished 10 items in my stash. Not an easy feat I can tell you... But anyhow, a decision is a decision!

If you are still in doubt about why I'm having such hard time spending on things I like, I hope the following pictures will give you an idea of the sheer amount I have:

Skin-care items that I'm using daily (minus those I'm currently jamming inside my wardrobe/ boxes, cupboards!)

Part of my perfume collection:

Part of my lipsticks:

Wardrobe that's crumbling under the sheer weight of my clothes:

Second wardrobe in the room that filled stuffed to the brim!!

The Laneige haul that I did with Robinsons and is still sitting on the floor in the room due to lack of storage space:

Well, you can see how much I love retail therapy but I guess I should start to bring it down a notch and only spend on things which I need right now.... Have a great Saturday everyone!! :o)

Shopping within my own stash - NYX Lipglosses

You know the thing about owning too much makeup, skin care or fashion stuff is that sometimes you tend to miss out certain gems that you have within your stash. And this is what I have discovered recently about the Nyx Lipglosses that I have.

Top to Bottom: Pink Frost, Frosted Beige, Vanilla and Baby Rose

And my favourite out of all that I owned - Frosted Beige!!

And the swatch:

When swatched, I know Frosted Beige just seems so boring cos it's exactly like what the name says - frosted and beigey. But on the lips, it really is the perfect nude lipgloss for me. It warms up the bluish undertones I have on my lips and impart this healthy looking glow from within. My puckers looks moisturized, healthy and not in the slightest bit concealer like.

I have been wanting to take some pictures for my FOTD shots including this lip-gloss but just haven't got round to it. Promise that I will make some effort and share the love for this lip-gloss with you.... :o)

Speed on Nails - Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Speed Dry Drops

Hihi!

It's a really hot day out here and I've been spending loads of time with the family for the whole of this week. And this is when I really can take a breather from work and sit down for some blogging.....

I have been hearing about speed dry drops for manicures for the longest time but yet I've never taken the plunge for some reason and also partly cause my girl-firends will always pull me back whenever I'm ready to drop anything of that nature into my shopping basket.

Anyhow, I was perusing the aisles of Watsons and I ended up with this!!

The Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Speed Dry Drops

Once you get through the packaging, you get to replace the bottle of insta-dri with a dropper that comes along in the box.

What it Claims:

• Dry any nail colour to touch in as little as 30 seconds
• Completely dry manicure to a smooth hard finish in just 5 minutes
• Deeply conditions cuticles and nails

What it Does:

I was thinking of a better way to do this but it seriously just does whatever it claims. I get a really nice polished manicure minus the wait, and of course the smudges or dents. And dare I say that my manicure dries smoother and shinier than if I'm to use my OPI Nail Envy as the top-coat.

I would say that this is really a must-have for those girls out there who are obsessed about their manicures but could never seem to get it right. This is a saviour right here, right now!!! :o)

Review - MUFE HD Primer

I know reviews should only come after extended usage and also after noting it's performance on those severe road tests but I really can't help it for this product!

Make Up Forever - HD High Definition Primer in Mauve #2

It Claims to:

1. Improves the skin's appearance and primes it for make-up application.
2. With the ingredient Argatensyl, the primer smoothes out the skin, minimize lines and pores
3. The sperical Silica particles and Phycosaccharide gives a soft, elvety finish for even make-up and long lasting hold
4. Energizes skin cells, moisturzing and bringing radiance to the skin
5. Oil-free

The Road Test:

1. Using it with the recently accquired Za 2-way cake which I've been less than impressed with on how cakey it looks on my skin for a night out
2. The same make-up combination as above but having it on for more than 14 hours straight and out in the open with no air-conditioners and it's one hot day when I did that!

The Results:

Road Test 1:

I'm actually really impressed with how the 2-way cake looks on my face with the primer on! The 2-way used to look really cakey when used on it's own, but with the primer, I looked like I had really good skin. And yes, pores were minimized and I didn't look like an oil slick after a few hours of wear.

So yeah! But that's only for road test No. 1 in a controlled environment!

Road Test 2:
I'm not going to go anywhere wearing make-up without this primer from this point on!

I was out running family errands for something that happened in the family with make-up on since 10am in the day and I only got to the end of the day at midnight.

*Cue - Ran to the bathroom to check out the make-up after a long day*

I know that sounds really superficial, but hey, I'm not going to be one happy Joey if I knew I had been going around the chores with a face that has melted! But I digress - the make-up was still intact. Yes, probably not as fresh as it had looked in the morning but seriously with the heat, I'm more than satisfied impressed with it! And this was without any touch-up at all. Coupled with the fact that the application was a breeze (primer just glides so smoothly onto the skin), I'm a believer!!!!!

And on a totally random note, I've been loving how I've been wearing my short hair. This is just so much more reminiscent of my character than the long curly hair that I've had for the longest time. The change in hairstyle was a risk that has really paid off!!

Hope everyone cherish their family and really treasure the time you spend with them...... :o)

I'm Sorry... I can't help it.

Morning! Technically speaking, it's already past noon time but I'm just up from a late night of clubbing at Pump Room. That's still my all-time favourite place to go to for a night out with the girls, but I'm suffering the after-effects of the late night now. Yawn....

Anyhow, to continue with my love for the Ahava products - I bought more last month!

I bought 3 more items from Ahava which were actually part of my lemmings since I first stepped into the store but I controlled it till now!!

*Feeling really proud of the self control that I have exhibited!! Hehe!!*

First up, the Dead Sea Liquid Salt -

This liquid salt contains an intense concentration of Dead Sea minerals which promises to reset your skin's inner balance the natural way. The restoration originates from the product's ability to detoxify our cells, thereby strengthening it's defense system and improving its metabolism. In short, it's part of the anti-aging bandwagon which I'm hoping on here!!

And products from the Mandarin Cedarwood range -

I fell for the sorbet caress and the butter salt from the range. Honestly, the Mandarin Cedarwood fragrance contained within the products aren't the most heavenly smell I've ever come across, but the scent is soft, lingering and just oh-so-relaxing without over-whelming all your senses (I have had my own bad bouts with strong scent). In addition, there is this huge label on the tub that says "Rich in natural anti-aging ingredients'' and so I'm there in a heartbeat!

I have used the butter salt once and it felt soooo good! But reviews should definitely come with more usage! And I've not started on the body butter yet. Trying to go through more of the older products right now before coming to this cause those are started to see signs of age.... Not good at all! But with that, I'm definitely looking at purchasing the exact same set of products but in their Green Apple scent. Oh.... That smells really delicious....

Look at what Ahava has done to me???

It's Actually Happening!!

Hi people!

Woke up early in the morning today to get to work (yes, on a Saturday) and was going through my normal beauty routine in the morning when something happened! I finished my day cream people!!

I finished the Su Hyang Snow Maximizing Gel Cream from The Faceshop. Gosh! What a mouthful of words for a cream. This is the second tub that I've finished and I must still say I'm a very happy user of it.

This range of products is derived from traditional Korean herbal therapy with wild song-i mushroom extract and it promises to bring clarity and brilliance to your skin. Due to the use a nano-technology in the manufacturing the Su Hyang Snow series, this is among the premium skin-care range in The Faceshop - A tub of the maximizing gel cream can set you back SGD53.90.

This cream has a really light texture and is quickly abssorbed into the skin upon application. I would have continued to use this if not for the recent exposure to Laneige products. Laneige is another Korean skin-care brand and it has a similar price point with The Faceshop. I have been pretty impressed with sleeping mask that I've tried and is keen to experiment more on the brand - hence, probably going to start switching myself over to Laneige a little at a time.

On another note, other honorable mentions of products that could potentially be reaching the end of it's life within these few days:

Vichy Chrono-Active Pore Refining Care

The Faceshop - The Skin Extra BB Cream

Origins - Firming Moisture Treatment with White Tea

It feels really good when I used up my products as it meant money well spent!!! :o)

Aawww..... Colours!!!

Mini nail polish haul from a fleamarket store and John Little Spring sale:

Top to Bottom: Here Today.... Aragon Tomorrow, Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, Yoga-ta Get This Blue

Left: Natural Light                                                     Right: With Flash

Bourjois So Laque! - Rose Lounge/ 28

L.A Girl Disco Brites Polish (Top-Bottom): Deejay, Disco Ball, Funkadelic

L.A Girl (Top-Bottom): Punk (Rock Star Collection), Polish from the Matte Collection

I probably don't need to comment too much on the quality of the polishes from OPI, but those from L.A Girl do aim to impress considering their price point. however, that's based on one trial with the polish from the Matte series. I won't be too sure on how the others might deliver.

I have been really safe with my colour choices on my nails lately as I tend to be very conscious of myself during work due to the high stress environment. I haven't really recover from the whole ordeal yet really. What do you girls do? Do as you please without a care in the world or be mindful that you don't have more things on your hand to deal with?

I want those GAMS!!

Happy Easter everyone!! I slogged through last night working till 4am. Not fun at all and I'm still groggy from that last ditch effort to finish all the work that I need to do. But that's over and done with and I can do whatever I want for the rest of the day now!!

I just recently made some purchase from The Faceshop and here they are:

They are the Orange Mint Purifying Foot Scrub & Orange Mint Foot and Heel Cream!! I have loads of heels that go sky high but my feel really suffer when I wear them. So much so that all I have worn recently is ballet flats and some really sloppy dressing.

*Looking down sheepishly*

Well, attempting to turn that around right now..... Wish me luck!!

Hidden Immunity

Before I start, I probably should also qualify this post by saying that all the items that I'm featuring in this post are purchased before I've imposed a shopping ban on myself but I've just been too busy to post this up on my blog. And now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on to the fun stuff!!

Chinatown in Singapore is well-known for cheap toiletries as well as skin-care products from well-known western brands being peddled in the form of small sample bottles. The benefits of purchasing in the form of small quantities are aplenty

• You could try something out for a week or so to know if it really works before commiting to put your cash in for the real deal
• These small bottles of products actually work out to be more value for money than your normal over-the-counter prices
• And it's so easy to just throw it into your over-night bag or your travel bag to tote around. You never have to rush out to get a travel size product just so you don't start lugging a ton of stuff around.

The STUFF:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion - 4 bottles of 30 ml for SGD39.90

I've used this before but I actually didn't really like it. It felt greasy and I looked like an oil slick if I don't blot it off! But I just thought to myself now that my skin condition has improved, I might just give it one more try. And of course coupled with the fact that it's cheap!!

DIY Facial Mask Sheets - SGD0.20 per piece

Just some random purchase that I did to be ued in conjunction with the Aloe Vera lotion that a friend has brought back from China and yes, coupled with the fact that it's cheaper compared to elsewhere again.

Random Korea Eye Patch - SGD1.30 per pack

I bought 3 different types of eye patches - Q10 for firming, Crsytal Whitening for reducing dark eye circles and Uric Acid for detox.

Olive Organia Water Drop Essence Hand Cream - SGD4.90 each

It felt really good when applied. It's creamy texture actually turned into this light consistency when massaged into the hand and was easily absorbed.