The Buy to End All Buys

Had to pop by the Benefit Friends and Family sale at Mariott today. Since I got the news from several sources, I thought it must be a sign that I should go! There was very little left for sale. I'm guessing it's because it's the 2nd day of the sale but I still manage to pick these up: Lust Duster in GoGo Girl and Snow Bunny (very shimmery! SG$25plus each), and Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Stiletto (lovely deep plum at SG$18). I think they're quite cheap, normally selling at much more ... perhaps these are going to be discontinued ... Since I was in town, I stopped by Watson's Ngee Ann City to get more mascara and ended up receiving a makeup look from the SA with the BR788 palette. The eye makeup looked very dark and shimmery in person and I liked the colours but I wasn't comfortable with all the thick smudgy eyeliner on the top and bottom. I looked really stern! But I liked how my lashes curled up and the way she used a gold pencil to colour my inner eyes. So I purchased almost everything she used on my eyes: the BR788 palette (which I didn't get the other day), another of the limited christmas mascara that I love so much, the pencil and the Lash Bone mascara base. I didn't know about it, but there was a discount at Watsons for using my Amex card, and I received these freebies (and a pink umbrella too, that I didn't include in this photo) from the Watson's gifts with purchase (umbrella and cotton) and lucky draw promotion (1 draw for every SG$30 spent) that was going on this weekend. "Plush!", the pink box in the photo, is another collagen drink powder. I'm keen to try it! I'm so sold on the benefits of collagen drinks. Seems like it was one of the "better" lucky draw gifts, because the girl said, "WAH!" when my son helped me draw that one. Cool. There was a DJ at Watsons talking about the promotions and also about Majolica Majorca. He repeatedly said, "If you want to look like 15 to 30 years old, you should try Majolica Majorca!!" It made me feel rather silly for trying out MM stuff, like it's meant only for very young girls. And yet, is 30 really in the same category of young as 15?? It doesn't make sense, this age group he keeps mentioning. And he was so freaking loud! Is there no noise control in Singapore shopping centres?? Well, anyway, I'm thinking this ought to be my final purchases for now. I should start an austerity drive in December! And I want to leave my eyebrows to grow crazy, then go for an eyebrow shaping. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

The Body Shop Super Discounts

While at Ngee Ann City on Thursday, I headed to The Body Shop to check out their cheap but good brushes (I personally like them, though I heard some people complain about the brushes). I asked the SA about the 20% storewide discount available and she told me I could get the discount if I purchased a $10 membership. I'd receive a welcome gift worth the same price, so in essence, it's a "free" membership. So since I needed pouches and creams, I took up the membership. All in, I purchased enough items to get several gift-with-purchases. Almost half of the items pictured above are freebies, namely the shower foams, scrubs and mascara. I also received a $10 discount off one item because I used a stamp on the membership card! Overall, this set of purchases put me in a better mood about losing out on discounts lately. I especially love the pouches I got and I've already started using the pouches, relaxing lotion and mini face brush. The SA told me this mini face brush will be more versatile as it can be used for both normal face powders and mineral foundation powders. I think it's worth taking a trip to The Body Shop if you need to do some shopping from there, especially with all the discounts and gifts-with-purchases. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Legere BB Cream & Beauty Credit Color Lotion

I'd like to share my personal experiences and make a comparison between Legere BB Cream and Beauty Credit Color Lotion. For a long time, I never used any base and only put on a light dusting of powder to prevent shine. This year, I ventured into using makeup bases because I finally found some which have sufficient skincare benefits to protect and avoid aggravating my silly cranky sensitive skin. Beauty Credit Lovely Q10 Color Lotion The first one I used was Beauty Credit's Lovely Q10 Color Lotion. I purchased it in early February this year when I read good reviews about it. It happened that on the day I purchased it, there was a buy 1 get 1 free promotion, so I got 2 bottles. 1 bottle is now half-used and another still unopened. It was marketed in Singapore as a light tinted moisturiser with benefits of Q10, moisturisation, and sun protection. I liked it then because it was very, very light, provided a natural coverage, and didn't cake up. It provided a good transition for me into using a base. Legere BB Cream The other product I now use is Legere BB Cream. It is the only BB cream I have and it's unlikely I'll need to try any other. When I purchased it, I saw a poster explaining that this BB cream helps to heal the skin problems and scars, on top of protecting sensitive skin from the environment and sun, while providing coverage for cosmetic purposes. I bought it at the end of September and to be honest, I've been using Legere BB Cream daily as my base. I only use Color Lotion when I feel guilty for neglecting it (remember I still have another unused bottle?) and only during weekends. The benefits of Legere BB Cream are astounding for me. After a whole day, the BB Cream still provides good coverage. It does not emulsify nor create a layer of oil on my face. When I clean it off at the end of the day, my skin appears softer and clearer (none of those rashes or flushed redness that comes from environmental irritants). Some old scars and my numerous freckles have also lightened! Comparisons and Swatches If you make a comparison between Legere BB Cream and the very light Beauty Credit Color Lotion, Legere BB cream looks darker and thicker when first out of the tube (it is the brown-looking cream). Beauty Credit Color Lotion is much more runny and is thinner (the lighter one). This is the amount I normally use for both products, perhaps only slightly more for the BB Cream. I don't need alot and this is enough to spread all over my face. Actually the Color Lotion pump usually releases a little too much and I always waste alot. After I spread it out, Legere BB Cream lightens and becomes considerably more runny (BB cream is on top, Color Lotion is below). In this photo, I didn't spread it all out and blend it completely, and I also removed some excess, so you can see how it has morphed and how it can blend. The interesting thing is, once it is blended on my skin, both Legere BB Cream and Beauty Credit Color Lotion blend well but the BB Cream provides better coverage. My freckles and some scars are well-concealed by Legere BB cream. Perhaps from this, you can see why I love my Legere BB Cream. It looks natural when I use it, it feels good (it is light and my skin reacts less to environmental irritation) and it stays on the entire day (it doesn't emulsify like the Color Lotion tends to). Beauty Credit Color Lotion is obviously a completely different product as it is meant to give only a very, very light coverage. The major plus point for me is that Legere BB Cream gives so much more coverage and staying power, yet feels as light and comfortable as a tinted moisturiser like Beauty Credit's Color Lotion. I did hear complaints that Legere BB Cream too dark for some and also does not give a good oil control. I am an NC25 for Mac's powders, so I think I'm darker, so I find Legere's colour suitable for me. Also my skin is slightly oily at the t-zone but mostly dry, so perhaps that is why I find Legere's BB Cream is alright for me. I don't need to use alot of it, and there's still has alot of BB Cream inside the tube I purchased back in September. By the way, these photos of my hand were taken yesterday and I realised my skin has become less dry compared the older photos of my hands! I think it could be due to the collagen drinks I've been drinking! © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Majolica Majorca Eye Makeup

Today, I used my new Majolica Majorco products: MM Frozen Splash Eyes as base (PK705), new MM Christmas edition eyeshadow palette (BR799), the MM Christmas edition mascara (BR777), and MM Jewelling Pencil (BE208) to line the bottom of the eyes. The only old MM product I used was my brown MM liquid eyeliner. As a result, I fell in love with MM all over again. I used to buy alot of MM from Tokyo when I travelled there. Today's makeup efforts made me remember why I loved it. I totally love the Gorgeous Wing mascara! It doesn't clump, it lengthens and curls my lashes, and has subtle shimmer (not stiff glitter pieces, just shimmery). I might get a few more, if it is truly limited and I won't be able to get it later. Although, everything still looks so subtle on me, I have no more self-doubts! Big thanks, to the really clever, sweet-talking SA from MM counter at Ngee Ann City! © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Majolica Majorca Christmas Editions

I was getting very upset at myself for not being able to score good discounts or deals with cosmetics and makeup recently! I really hate paying full-price or more for things that might be available cheaper, if only I knew where to go! However, yesterday, I told myself I'd give me a break from trying so hard! I was getting a little too stressed about such a trivial thing. Hence, while I knew some promo is going to take place today, I bought some Majolica Marjoca items I wanted at full price with no freebies, simply because I happened to be at Ngee Ann city, the Christmas items were available, and I loathed the idea of going back there another time. I do kind of regret not getting the brown-copper palettte though! I'm always like this ...

I talked to the SA there and they were all very friendly and patient. All 3 of them, who came over on their own accord and chatted with me. I liked one in particular more than the other 2. So, I opened up to her and I moaned to her that I felt quite a failure because even though I do put on makeup, it seems like I don't have any on at all. I asked her advise and asked if it's because I'm choosing the wrong colours or the wrong products. She explained that she can see I do have makeup on, but because it's very light and natural, it's not dramatic and hence not obvious. She called it a bare-faced style. However, it is not a bad thing because such type of makeup does not look harsh and helps to brighten the eyes and freshen up the face. So, it's not an issue of choosing or doing the wrong thing. It's just an issue of what look one wants to achieve! If I'm looking to have a natural fresh look, I'm not doing anything wrong. Thus explained, I felt that I actually did achieve my goals with makeup and felt comforted. Hahaha. She's a very clever SA! She really knows how to talk sweetly! I did a search and found there's a Singapore Majolica Majorca website. Maybe we can look forward to more Singapore-related information online. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Japanese Cosmetic Counter Brands: Shiseido

When I was in my early twenties, I tried Shiseido, Kose and Kanebo with disastrous results. Their brand staples made my skin peel and breakout in rashes and acne, so I avoided these skincare brands like a plague. I developed a deep-seated fear about the extra ingredients that go into these products to make them work their miracles. As time went by, I also realised I had sensitive skin. My skin reacted quickly to the environment and certain skincare or makeup products, either by turning red, getting bumpy or itchy(with peeling) . My eyes are also very easily disturbed by irritants and can get very watery and red, which was also why I stopped wearing contact lenses. Hence, later, I also tried Ettusai and Fancl skincare, which are touted for their "natural" ingredients. Ettusai wasn't that great but I stayed with Fancl for some time as its products were soothing for my skin. However, I felt it didn't "add" anything to my skin ie. they were not marketed for their visible skin improvement benefits such as anti-wrinkle and super protection, so I fell off from Fancl as I aged and started going for the cheaper but equally "natural" Korean skincare brands. I also got good results from using western brands like Origins. Lately however, I've been on a quest to investigate and rediscover skincare from Japanese counter brands like Kose, Kanebo and Shiseido, especially after I found some makeup gems from Kose and Kanebo. Overall, my skin also started getting drier from aging and especially after childbirth (I'm not sure about the childbirth connection, maybe it's a result of stress from working and raising a family? Haha!), so I thought I should look for more "powerful" skincare with more active ingredients that would aid my skin. So this past month, I've gone on "visiting trips" to various Kose, Kanebo and Shiseido counters, with the intention to see and discover, but not buy. I'd like to tell you about my experiences. Since it will be quite detailed, I'll split the reports into several posts. This first post will be about my experiences with Shiseido. Shiseido On the whole, through my reading, I was convinced Shiseido could be the brand for me, particularly the eyecream, I read good reviews about the Bio-performance range, (I've been mentioned it quite a bit on my posts), which claims to target the problems that I experience lately. But due to the higher prices and my deep-seated fear of these brands, I felt I needed to try some on my face before I plunge in to buy them. I visited 2 Shiseido counters: Tangs Vivo and Robinsons Raffles City. Shiseido Tangs Vivo At Tangs Vivo, the SA was courteous but exuded a vibe that told me she didn't seem to think I needed or maybe I couldn't afford her products. She answered my questions but kept looking about when I spoke to her. I asked her about Benefiance range and she told me I don't have enough wrinkles for it. According to her, it's a very rich and oily, not suitable for me at all. I persisted and tried to get her to tell me about the gift-with-purchase offer that was going on, and she showed it to me then said, "It's worth getting." I had to ask her why, and she told me I can get to try the Skin-Corrective Programme as 3 portions of it were included in the gift package. She didn't bother to explain to me about the other sample bottles of White Lucent skincare in the gift package. I was quite disappointed. When she recommended me Bio-performance eyecream, she didn't even bother to let me try the product from the counter samples. She also looked away from me and told me with a blunt voice, "No samples", when I asked her for some to try at home. Shiseido Robinsons Raffles City I was at the Shiseido Robinsons Raffles City counter yesterday. The SA was welcoming and friendly. However, similarly, she didn't bother to explain her products to me nor offer to let me try the counter samples. But she was sweeter when telling me there are no samples to bring home. Conclusion about Shiseido Overall, I was very disappointed with Shiseido. I had the intention to buy Bio-performance Eye Countour Cream, but there was something about my shopping experience that made me feel hesitant to purchase. Somehow, usually, I am able to pick up vibes easily but I'm not always able to pinpoint the meaning of the vibes. So in the case of Shiseido, I sensed something that told me I shouldn't plunge in to buy the products. I felt maybe the SA thought the creams were not suitable for me and were trying to hint to me I shouldn't get them. I'm not sure if I'm right. But in general, they were standoffish and uninterested. This is different from past experiences I had with Shiseido SAs at Isetan Katong and Isetan Orchard. At both these places, I went 2 years ago, the SAs were interested and engaging, even though I ended up not buying either. Well, what is it about Shiseido that stops me from buying their products? I'm not sure. I can't say it's just about price, because I've plonked down much more money on things without much thought. While I try to be prudent, sometimes I can be equally impulsive when I get a sense that something is good and I can buy it. I'll write about Kanebo and Kose in another post. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Purederm: Anti-wrinkle Gel Patches

IchigoBunnie asked me for the ingredient list on the box of the eye gel patches that I wrote about in my entry Diary of My Fight Against Eye Wrinkles. I thought it's a good question. And since I really like this product as it is cheap and effective, it deserves a post of it's own. Here's the ingredients list: Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyacrylic Acid, Kaolin, Cellulose, Polysorbate 80, Titanium Dioxide, Methylparaben, Aluminium Hydroxide, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Panax Ginseng, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Disodium EDTA. Manufactured by: ADWIN KOREA CORP. Price: It cost me SG$12plus for 6 pairs of patches and can be found at Watsons and Sasa in Singapore. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Today's Shopping Report

I seem to have misread the information about the Robinson's sale. When I went down after work today, I found out the cosmetic counters are not participating in the store wide discount. Fortunately, Polar was there accompanying me and she comforted me. We also saw discarded plastic wine cups all over the place but couldn't see where the wine was being served! Well, I did get to check out the limited edition brush sets from Bobbi Brown and Shu Uemura. Shu Uemura's Mika Limited Edition Portable Brush set had very excellent brush fibre. Bobbi Brown's Copper Diamond Delux Mini Brush Set had a very lush and sophisticated looking pouch. However, I decided I didn't like any of the sets at all because I found all the face brushes extremely small. I also checked out Bobbi Brown's full brush set and I liked it, but not so much that I would pay more than SG$300 for it. I also concluded I liked Shu Uemura's face brush best but at SG$90plus a piece, I didn't think I should get it, since it was beyond my budget. Overall, I liked Shu Uemura's brushes the most, and if I could find some courage to do it, I'd buy the Shu Uemura face brush. After looking at the brushes, I headed to the Kose counter and looked for Eye Fantasist BE352 and BE871. The SA told me these were not available and likely to have been limited editions. Oh oh. *sad* I felt I must buy something, since I was already there, and I ended up buying SP056 Ice Cream because it had a pinkish tint on my skin. I might need to look at alternate sources for buying this addictive product. SG$38 seems a little much, especially when I realise I could buy it at a cheaper price online (hopefully I can get from online shops where the products are "real" and "fresh", ie. not fake and not outdated stocks). I also bought some manicure items, which did have a 20% discount. I think I bought them to comfort myself that I did get some discount! I looked around further but I couldn't find any BB cream or drugstore type mascara which would have been discounted also. I completely forgot I had originally intended to look at shoes though. Additionally, today, I purchased some mineral makeup samples from an etsy store. The store received some great reviews, especially about the eyeshadow, which is said to have high colour intensity. I can't wait for my samples to arrive! © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Candidates for a Brush Set

Robinson's is a having 2 Cardmembers' sale nights this week. TANGS is having a 2 day sale too, with one day being a Cardmembers' closed door special day. I plan to RUN down there! Maybe even take a half day off. I don't care! 20% off regular products at Robinson's means I can get some things that I want without having to sensibly control myself and put off buying them. TANGS' is just a 12% rebate, but they have some brands that Robinson's doesn't. I'm compiling my Want List, trying to prioritise. I couldn't possibly buy everything ... *sad* Among the huge list of things, including more liquid eyeshadow and eyeliner, I'm considering a brush set. The usual suspects (MAC, Shu Uemura and Bobbi Brown) are selling brush sets for Christmas. My main desires from a brush set:

• Big and dense powder brush
• Dense and fluffy blusher brush
• Eyeshadow blender brush
• Eyeshadow liner brush
• A pretty but utilitarian pouch (ie. able to include a compact, a stick of lipgloss and probably a palette inside too)

I actually have 3 out of the 4 above brushes that are useful and cheap. So, really, I should just look for a nice pouch and a big, dense powder brush separately. But I do have some desires for either the Shu Uemura portable Mika set (for the 2 big brushes and the cute pouch). Or the Bobbi Brown Copper Diamond Deluxe Mini set (also has 2 big brushes and a cute pouch). I heard the Mac set isn't that great so I might give that a miss. To buy or not to buy, and then, what to buy. Still thinking hard about this issue. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Amino Collagen

I observed that my skin is slightly more "plump" and "dewy" after drinking my Meiji Collagen C for a few days. But actually, I'm not sure if it's psychologicial and also it may be due to my renewed effort in using paper masks regularly. I also don't know which areas to photograph to make some sort of documentation of improvements. Still, I feel it's a nice thing to add to one's diet to preserve one's "youth". Anyway, while shopping at Watsons, I decided to pick up some more collagen drinks from Meiji but a different type, Amino Collagen refill pack (I thought I could just put it in an airtight box), to stock up and see how it improves my skin and hopefully my hair over the next few months. It was on sale but still very expensive, at SG$50plus. After I bought it, I read it is actually very very cheap in Japan! *heart broken* And I also read some people bought it at very much cheaper prices from an online source, called Beauty Box. Nevermind. It is still cheaper, than buying the bottled collagen like those from Fancl. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

The Attraction of A Desirable Image

I've never put Dior makeup or skincare on my personal radar. One day, Monica Belluci gazed at me from the Dior makeup counter. Her eyes contained knowledge and her face the epitome of a lush, full woman. I want to be like her! That's when I started thinking about Dior makeup and skincare, but I'll probably take some time before I plunge in and buy something. And I want that bag. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Diary of My Fight Against Eye Wrinkles

04 November 2008

Ok, here's a photo of my eye. The skin is so dry and wrinkly! I have on some eye makeup and concealer, and I can see the folds of dryness very clearly! And more than a couple of deep lines too! OMG!! *CRY* I had been faithfully using eye cream since my twenties, so I was super horrified to see the dryness there. Must be my eye cream from The Face Shop isn't working so well. I was unaware that the dryness had gotten so bad!

10 November 2008

While I was at the shopping centre, I wanted to check out skincare products. I was at Watsons, and I was feeling really tired. I could feel that my eyes and skin were super dehydrated, so I decided I would like to get an eyemask. I decided to look for some eye patches and found a cheap pack at Watsons, Purederm Anti-Wrinkle Gel Patches, which costs about $12 for 6 pairs. I put on my sleeping face mask and a pair of the eye patches now. It feels sooooooo sooooothing ... I don't know how it will be when I wake up tomorrow (instructions say to wear it overnight). I hope it makes my wrinkly, dehydrated skin much, much better in the morning. I hope that will help my dark circles too. While doing research, I read about hyaluronic acid. And guess what? The eye patch I'm wearing has hyaluronic acid in their list of ingredient! Interesting. 12 November 2008 I wore the eyepatch overnight as instructed and the next morning, my dark circles were lighter and my wrinkles looked less crepey. Now, two days later, my regular eye cream seems to be absorbing better and my eyes are looking less tired. Interestingly, these cheap gel patches contain the important ingredient (hyaluronic acid) that is found in the Shiseido Bio-performance range, which is so much, much more expensive! I am thinking I need to get a better eye cream and I read alot of good reviews about the Bio-performance Super Eye Contour Cream. This cream seems very expensive to me, at SG$90plus, because I tend to go for drugstore brands or cheaper Korean alternatives in an effort to be a prudent family woman (mom trying to be thrifty). I need to do a bit more research and shopping around.

16 November 2008 I used the eye mask overnight again last night and my skin softened considerably. While checking out products at the shopping centre, I found Loreal had released a new range of products under the name Derma Genesis, which contain hyaluronic acid (seems like the super ingredient!) Since I have many desires and still must try to be thrifty in this crazy economy, I decided to buy the Loreal eye cream from this range to try out as a cheaper option to Shiseido. Oh and look, it is also called Eye Contour Cream, just like Shiseido. I hope it works.

22 November 2008

I used the eyepatches a third time (on 19 November) and have been conscientiously applying the Loreal Derma Genesis eyecream morning and night. On some nights,the eyecream is not moisturising enough and I have to add some of my old oilier Wrinkle Stop eyecream on top of using Derma Genesis. I felt maybe I was wrong to have purchased Derma Genesis, especially if I have to use another eyecream on top of it some nights. So I decided to take a photo to do a stocktake of the situation. I was surprised to see, that despite my misgivings, the skin around my eyes have visibly improved and especially at the lids, there is much more moisture and plumpness compared to 2 weeks ago! This is my eye without any makeup and no concealer. The dark circles seem to have lightened too! I'm quite sure it's both the eyepatch and the eyecream that have made a big difference to the skin around my eyes. However, I can't put the eyepatch on my eyelids but my eyelids have improved considerably, so I'd hazard a guess that the Derma Genesis made the most difference.

While the results are better than I expected, I am still undecided if this is the best option. I might still need to check out Shiseido and beg for a sample. If Derma Genesis requires another night eye cream on top of it, is it really the best solution? I have to think on this a little more and observe the outcome a little longer.

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Weird Eye Makeup Tutorial

By the way, don't you feel this is such a weird eye makeup tutorial? It's in Chinese (from a popular Taiwanese TV programme) and shows how to make eyes look equally large. See how the teacher tells us to draw the eyeliner: She's doing it on the top of the eyelid, which seems really unnatural to me. I've got a colleague who does her eye makeup this way, and when she closes her eyes, you can see a white patch between the liner and the edge of the eyelid. Is this really an acceptable way to draw your eyeliner? I can see this teacher is telling us to fill in the space with dark eyeshadow. Still, I wonder though, © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Blue Eyeshadow

This set of blue eyeshadow palette colours, together with another blue one from Bourjois, is the only eyeshadow that is clearly visible when applied on my skin. And normally it brings the most positive attention when I wear it (normally, other times, people also don't realise I've got any eye makeup on at all). It's a relatively cheap Japanese palette by La Pensee (I bought it from John Little and I'm sure it's even cheaper in Japan). It's also quite smooth when applied. Not too powdery at all, so I do enjoy using it. I notice these colours are much more vibrant on me, compared to the other palettes I've been using. I wonder if I've been wrong about my skin tone all this time and choosing the wrong colours for my makeup? © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Air Arrange

I want to talk about Air Arrange today. It might be the best hair styling product I've experienced in my life. I first read about it on Bittenbefore's blog (she's actually the person who got me interested in beautification all over again, keke). I chanced upon it on my weekend shopping trip. When I saw it on the shelf, I grabbed it. My hair is sparse and also wispy, so I found that Air Arrange is best used sprayed closer to the roots. It is able to hold my hair UP! And it stays all through the day, yet is soft and light enough for me to lightly brush and rearrange my hair. Even after rearranging, the hair spray retains it's power, and gives my hair volume and height. I imagine Air Arrange can produce a really natural and volumous look, for another person who has alot of hair! I think this is really a great product. Overall, Air Arrange also doesn't seem to hurt my hair or scalp at all, which is very important to me. My hair didn't start falling out from the "weight" of the product, as it did in the past with some other sprays . It also doesn't create any oiliness, which is very important for me, as I have an oily scalp. I use Air Arrange together with a couple other products I bought that day and I've been pretty pleased with the outcome so far. I also think, on the whole, my hair condition is slightly better also because of the shampoo I found on the same day and started using. That shampoo doesn't have any SLS and I will talk about that shampoo in another post. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Collagen C Drink

I bought this yesterday, as a collagen supplement for my skin and hopefully my hair too. It tastes yummy. Somehow, I feel it is better to drink collagen than to pop collagen supplement pills. I'm not sure how right I am.

Kose Eye Fantasist, Kanebo Lunasol and Coffret Dor Report

I have no photos of my eyes for this report, because I realised the camera phone isn't able to pick up the colours at all, even if I wore heavy eye colours! (And I don't have time to take nice photos in the morning with my DSLR ... rushing to work) ... And also ... I'd prefer to avoid showing my face or any parts of it ... But I wanted to make some personal comparisons and evaluations about the eyeshadows from Kose (Eye Fantasist) and Kanebo (Lunasol and Coffret Dor Party Palette) that I bought the other day. I've included some swatches on my arm for sample. I'm beginning to think maybe I've bought colours which might be too light for my skin tone but for my eyes, I feel colours that are too dark darken them even more ... Hard to find a balance ... (Also, my skin tone is not as yellow and dark as it seems in the photos here. I can't seem to adjust them to get the acurate colour ... but the yellow light helps to bring out the eyeshadow colours a little more.) On to the reports ...

Kose Eye Fantasist (Moonstone/BE353) For both times I used the eyeshadow palettes, I used Kose Eye Fantasist (SG$30plus) liquid eyeshadow (shown above) as a base (I was inspired by Bittenbefore!). The Kose SA recommended me Moonstone/BE353. She told me my eyes are too dark and need something to brighten them. I really found it helped to brighten my eyelids and give them a "lift" as the colour is neutral but bright enough and there is very subtle shimmer that lasts through the day. I found that with this as a base, eyeshadow colours were more "visible" on my lids, compared to other times when I did not use any base, even if I did use concealer to hide my dark circles on my eyelids. So it was a good thing to have bought Eye Fantasist as a base ! I'm so in love with it, I have decided I need to go back and buy 2 more colours I was eyeing. Maybe next month, as I've busted my personal "beauty" budget already. Kanebo Coffret Dor (Sweet Dressy - Limited Party Palette Christmas 2008) Next, I will talk about Coffret Dor Sweet Dressy Palette. (Eyeshadow on the right, lip glosses on the left). It costs SG$50plus. After alot of indecision, I bought Coffret Dor's party set because I really liked the case and I liked the idea of having lip colours together with the palette. I chose the Sweet Dressy purplish-pink palette in the end, because I thought it might be useful to try more "colourful" and sweet colours instead of my usual muted/natural eyeshadow preferences. I used the eyeshadow on Tuesday and I found the colours helped give me a light and fresh feeling. I might have piled on too much eyeshadow though, because I found my eyes very irritated by the eyeshadow powder. It floated into my eyes through the day and I had watery eyes the entire day. As for the lip colours, they are very sheer and moisturising. However, even though I'm a lipgloss user (I dislike the feel of lipsticks), I still find the Coffret Dor lip glosses are too light and lack staying power. I do like the colours but I think they might be a bit too "young" (bright+shimmery) and light for me. I also think I should have gone with the Noble Dressy combination instead as I originally intended. But overall, it's a good option to have, perhaps for use on weekends, casual Fridays or on days when I need some cheering up. Lunasol Winter 2008 Limited Party Coffret - Eyeshadow Palette In comparison to Coffret Dor, I truly *LOVE* Lunasol, which is the 4-colour palette eye shadow from Lunasol's Limited winter release Party Coffret 2008. Firstly, when I used the Lunasol eyeshadow palette today, I found the colours more suitable for me. I love the subtleness of the colours, which make me look fresh yet, not overly madeup. The eyeshadow is very fine and goes on smoothly, not powdery at all, even though it is a powder eyeshadow. I had an intention to look for better eyeshadow that doesn't hurt my sensitive eyes, but I never realised something like Lunasol is possible. I might have been just buying too much cheap eyeshadow. I confess right now, that I am completely sold on the quality of Lunasol. This quality was not so evident when I tested the shadow on the back of my hands, but is completely evident when I apply the shadow to my eyelids.

The party coffret is selling for SG$90plus for the whole set of eyeshadow palette, liquid eyeliner, blusher, nail polish all contained inside a gold purse (There's a picture of it in an older post below). Overall, I find it very worth while, because an eyeshadow palette from Lunasol is already SG$70plus.

Conclusion Overall, I found my favourite combination in Eye Fantasist as a base and Lunasol eyeshadow for colours. While I like the freshness of Coffret Dor's colours in the party palette I bought, I might not be buying anymore Coffret Dor. I think I will keep my money to buy Lunasol in future. I will talk about the hairsprays I bought in another post. I do have some reports on them! :D

Singapore Freebie Samples Site

I found this great Singapore site which sends free samples to Singapore addresses if you send the delivery fee. If you would like to join, please use this link which is my unique referrer link, so that I can get points for referring you! http://www.fr3b.com/referral_program.php?referrer_token=6bb6106b8f3b63c6ded1d2f300192a35 When you click on the link or the image, you will be directed to Fr3b's registration page. Registration made through this link would allow Fr3b to know that I have made a referral and points will be awarded accordingly. Yeah! Win-win! :D With my new craze for trying (key word is "trying") to beautify myself, I'm definitely going to look for makeup and skincare samples right now! I saw many BB cream samples available. Even though Legere BB cream is working very well for me, I'm tempted to send for BRTC BB cream sample because Blanki told me it's a really great BB cream.

Shopping And More Shopping!

I went shopping yesterday determined to buy some Japanese cosmetics but though I spent more than 2 hours walking about trying the colours, I ended up not getting any. I did have a thought I might still go back and try out Lunasol and Coffret Dor again, just to satisfy my yearnings. I don't understand why I am so hesitant. (But there's a later development from today ... which you can find out if you read on ...)

Anyway first, about yesterday though. I found a good concealer and powder surprisingly, from Mac! Why do I say surprisingly? I say that because I always thought Mac is not suitable for me, because it seemed so American-focussed and I thought their colours will be more for Western skintones than Asian. But I was totally wrong. I went to the Mac counter after checking out Japanese cosmetic counters and Bobbi Brown, so I was thinking, I will try my luck with Mac. Interestingly, I spent only 2 minutes talking to the counter girl about concealer and powder, and in my heart had already decided I will buy those colours she recommended. Even before she let me try them on my face! So, when she said, "Let's try on your face," I had full confidence it will be a match and truly, they were good matches, plus the concealer is both moisturising and conceals well. I used both this morning, the powder over my Legere BB cream and felt my face looked very smooth, finished yet natural (I apply with a brush). I'm now a huge Mac fan and convert. I believe I will keep buying these base products in future as they are both good and not that pricey for the quality and great finish they produce. And will probably explore their colours too in future. In addition, I cut my hair and bought some hair products in the effort to try give my hair some volume. I can't help my hairloss. It runs in the family on my mom's side, we all lose hair early, but I could try to do the best with what I have. I bought velcro rollers to roll my hair after I showder in the morning, to create some volume. I am trying to avoid heating products like hair dryers to hopefully keep whatever hair I have left, in a healthy condition. My hair dries very fast anyway, due to the lack of it. LOL! I also bought hair spray that I saw on Bittenbefore's blog - Air Arrange! And more stuff... here's a photo of all the things I bought yesterday! I overspent, truly! (How could I have spent so much on so little???) I have to say, the clay(?) shampoo is really good! It doesn't foam very much but cleans off everything without stripping the hair dry. It says alot that I've found this a good shampoo, because I have really oily scalp but limp and dry hair that's really a terror to manage (bad hair days everyday). This shampoo doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate. Maybe that's the key. Anyway today, I was so stressed at work, so right after I completed all my work at the end of the work day, I ran out of the office and drove straight to Takashimaya. Then, I immediately bought the Kose and Kanebo items I fought against buying yesterday ... And though I feel I've spent waaaaaaay too much, I feel so contented now ...

2008 Winter Limited Editions from Macquillage and The Body Shop

I went walking at Vivocity during lunch today. Stopped at the Shiseido counter to view the skin care and makeup. Then went to The Body Shop to check out the makeup too. I tried on some colours and took photos of them with my handphone. Here's Macquillage's 2008 Limited Edition eyeshadow ... I was almost tempted to buy them but fortunately I didn't because on hindsight, the colours don't look all that great on me (by the way, sorry for scary hand photos, I do know that my skin is very dry). The texture however is very nice and the boxes are very pretty. Each palette costs SG$70plus. And here's The Body Shop's Limited Winter Colours. The salesgirl let me try some colours from both palettes. I didn't buy them because the colours are too intense and glittery for me. I also found the eyeshadow too powdery, which I know will cause problems for my sensitive eyes. However, I think they will really suit a young person going for a party and the price is very reasonable at SG$39.90 per palette.