Ecojot Flair Buttons (Giveaway)

Note: I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. ^__^ As you already know, I have a weakness for cute+pretty+notebooks. Ecojot is a Canadian brand, that makes a gorgeous range of what they call "100% post-consumer recycled paper products". :D Besides the fact that they are acid-free papers, I also adore their designs. I read Ecojot's blog, Ecojotter, and lust after their adorable colourful notebooks all the time. I still haven't figured out how I can buy them online. I don't think they are available here in Singapore. Anyway, last night I received a package in the mail. It's a gift of 3 little beautiful buttons from Ecojotter's giveaway. I initially intended to put them on my makeup pouch but decided they are too cute and deserve a place in the open, so I've put them on my Jill Stuart fabric tote, which I use to carry my lunch box etc. ;D So adorable! I wish I could hug them. LOL!! Aren't the colours just so lush and delicious? And the designs are so cute too! *HEART* Well, enough gushing. The weekend is here. I just want to laze about! But time is short and I have much to do. My head is still feeling heavy but my cough is easing. The tightness in my chest is also no longer there (thanks to the inhaler I believe). At one point last week, the doctor told me that if I feel breathless, I should just go to the hospital right away. Thank God that I didn't have to do that! I look forward to being completely well. I want to go for Shu Uemura's opening at Ion hahaha, cause I just want to see what the fuss is about, and also I want to see what's in the goody bag. :D Have a great weekend everyone! :D PS: Oh I forgot to say, if you're looking for items from Sasa, they have a website http://www.sasa.com/. I think it's the same company as the brick-and-mortar stores. And Angelicious Creations has a website too http://www.angelicious-creations.com/, where you can buy her designs. I'm not affiliated to these stores, but let Angelious Creations know I sent you her way. LOL. :D © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Angelicious Creations Earrings

Note: I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. ^__^ I had been some eyeing earrings from Angelicious Creations since the start of May this year when I chanced upon them at Isetan Scotts accessories department on the ground floor. However, I didn't buy them because I was afraid of allergies and also, I wanted to wait for a sale. My patience was rewarded this month, when I took the opportunity to grab 2 of my favourite earrings at a 37%+10% discount during the recent Isetan Anniversary sale. Although the butterfly earrings that I initially wanted are no longer available, I'm glad I waited! These 2 that I got are just as pretty! The earrings are made locally by a Singaporean designer who handcrafts everything and makes limited numbers of each design. For some designs, she makes the flowers by hand too. I think they are so pretty, I'd risk allergies for the sake of them. As I've been ill and stuck at home, I haven't had the chance to use them yet. (Yes, I'm sick and stuck at home for the entire week!) I look forward to wearing them when I am better next week (I am convinced I shall get well soon lol!). © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Review: Silk Whitia Pearl Finest Powder Pores Refining Mask

Note: I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. ^__^ I picked this up from our local Sasa the other day. It's currently 50% off the retail price for a pack of 4 masks. Quite a good buy, considering the previous offer was buy 2-get-1 free. I wouldn't have bought this if not for Fuz's great reviews on Silk Whitia's whitening mask. Since she had good results I thought it might be a good brand to try. It's made in Hong Kong but claims the ingredients are from France. The ingredient list is small and a little dubious (like what is "Pearl Finest Powder", hmm?). Haha, I've typed it out: Pearl Finest Powder, Botanical Astringent Essence, Zince Sulfate Heptahydrate, Hydrated Protein, Vitamin E, Vitamin C. The mask sheet is thick (feels more like a fabric than paper), big, stretchy (can cover the entire face - not like some other masks which are quite small), and filled with creamy serum. Overall, the effect is the skin feels tighter and smoother. My pores are visibly smaller! I feel it also moisturizes well. I've used this mask twice and haven't gotten any adverse reactions. No rashes, no breakouts, no peeling skin etc. So, go get it at Sasa if you are interested, while the offer is still on! :D © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Cuteness Aboard!

Note: I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. ^__^ For those who asked, I got the mug from Isetan! :D There's a Sanrio store at the 3rd level of Isetan Scotts. :D

Ok, on to today's post. I recently told Tracy that I also hauled some stationery and promised I'd show her my haul. :D So, today's post is about stationery.

I am basically a writer - meaning, I tend to express myself better in writing (those who have met me in person will know I'm not really chatty at all). I tend to write alot and I also make alot of lists, including shopping lists! LOL.

On top of that, I am also a sucker for sweet and cute things. Hence, I have alot of notebooks. I went through a phase where I liked Moleskin alot, but I had to cut down on that very expensive addiction. I have since substituted it with cute notebooks and notepads (for my lists).

Recently I found cute notebooks and notepads from Daiso. I had to pick up one of each design. I think you can tell, I tend to go for stuff that are mostly pink/red stationery/accessories. I think it's to make up for the lack of colour in my clothes. :D

From Daiso. The inside pages are decorated too! (So worth it! LOL!)

Also from Daiso. I picked up these notepads at the Isetan Anniversary Sale from Isetan stationery department. Worth it, with the 10% discount. All the papers are decorated and so cute! I get so happy writing lists on these papers. It makes even my boring job interesting when I write my to-do lists on these papers. The one of the right-most is from Daiso, the Rilakkuma and Kireizukinseikatu from Isetan stationery department. To tell the truth, I picked up some folders I'd been eyeing for a long time too. At 10% discount as well. I don't know what I'll put inside those folders. And some cute mechanical pencils too. I'll show them to you in another post if I get round to photographing them. :D © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Health Update & New Cuteness

Note: I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. ^__^ Just when I thought I was getting better I got a runny nose and fever over the weekend. I wanted to be stoic and go to the office but when I woke up this morning, I had a very bad nose bleed. Had to go see the doctor. While at the doctor's my nose bled all over the public toilet sink, and I scared a couple of girls! I think it looks kinda scary haha. All that blood. Anyway, I'm contagious and the doctors said I must stay away from people. Especially vulnerable people like small children and old people who have existing illnesses. So, I'm staying at home and if I'm not better on Wednesday, I have to go back for a checkup again. :P Enough of the sickness talk. Let me show you something cute. I've been wanting this Hello Kitty mug eversince I saw it early this month but something made me hold out for it. Eventually, I managed to get it at a discount! I didn't realise it would come with this cute tin box! Here's the much-lusted mug. It's a tall mug and wider than most mugs. Check out the "Hello Kitty" wording at the handle! :D I intend to use this in the office, hence I needed a cover for it. You know, cause people would come over to the desk and talk and I don't want stuff falling into my drink! LOL!! So I got this cover from Daiso. I tried to search for a red cover but Carrefour and Daiso didn't have any. This was the only cover that Daiso had, that was large enough for the mug. I think it turned out to be quite a nice cover after all, isn't it? I think it's supposed to be a sunflower. :D © Copyright. All rights reserved.

What's in My Bag?

Note: I'm changing my way of blogging. I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, and subjects me to snarky comments, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. Thank you all for your get well wishes! I am getting better, thank God. Strangely, the doctor says I might have some asthma! How did that happen? Today's post is about what's in my bag. I carry too many things in my handbag, but when I sorted through the stuff, I found I couldn't let go of anything. Quite a few of these things, I find I need them when I don't put them in my bag. Talk about Murphy's Law at work. Add to that my need to compartmentalise things and I have a seriously heavy bag to carry! I put things into individual pouches so that things are sorted like-with-like. All this weight works against me when I'm shopping, because I have more things to carry and I get so tired! Let me show you the contents of my bag. This weekend, the bag of choice is a new Lesportsac that I got at a 30%+10% discount from the Isetan Anniversary sale (16-17 Jul 09 additional 10% for Isetan card holders). This bag is a traveller's tote and comes with an additional matching pouch in the same print. First, the pouches and other stuff. Now the contents of the pouches, laid out next to the pouches. The logic behind my compartmentalisation: Eg. the Coach pouch? I put other papers like receipts into that. And the coin pouch is for a tonne of coins that I need for the internal office bus shuttle service that brings us out to the train station. I don't want the weight of the tonne of coins to spoil my pretty wallet. I'm beginning to suspect it's the coins that create all that weight! Somehow, I manage to squeeze all these into smaller bags as well, like the LV Tivoli PM or any other bag of a similar or smaller size. The good thing about Lesportsac is that the bag itself weighs next to nothing. I'm planning to use them for my travels in future. Obsessive Compulsive, you think? I'd say so myself, no worries. Do you see anything I should ditch from the bag? Let me know. :D Oh, by the way, the pouches don't seem to add much weight so I wouldn't ditch the pouches, cause I've done the no-pouch way and the things jumbled up together in my bag drive me nuts! © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Today's "Beauty" Purchase

Note: I'm changing my way of blogging my hauls. I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, and subjects me to snarky comments, so I'm no longer going to put in prices.

Not really a beauty purchase, but ain't it pretty? My new inhaler. Well, it's free cause I'm under my husband's company medical scheme, so it's not really a purchase either. Anyway ... :D Those who follow me on Twitter will know I've been suffering a long never-ending cough. My doctor finally said I need to be put on an inhaler. I hope it works. Would love for this cough to be over soon, cause I want to haul stuff from Isetan Anniversary sale tomorrow. LOL! © Copyright. All rights reserved.

On Becoming A New Guerlain Fan

Note: I'm changing my way of blogging my hauls. I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I'm feeling this exposes my spendings abit too much, and subjects me to snarky comments, so I'm no longer going to put in prices. I am slowly but surely becoming a Guerlain fan as a result of all the discounts that the brand has been offering of late. After I purchased Meteorites in Pearly White and Meteorites Voyage at a nice price, I found I really like the experience of applying Guerlain products. The Meteorites powder is lightly scented with an unmistakeable signature Guerlain fragrance and is such a pleasure to use everyday. I read in forums that some people find the Meteorites powder does nothing for them. For me, on the other hand, I notice a significant difference. When I use Pearly White, I find it works very well to highlight my features. It also has a nice light-reflecting effect that hides imperfections in my skin, without extreme shimmer. I have not tried my Guerlain Pearly White compact yet, but I look forward to using it.

Last week, I added to my Guerlain collection when I headed to the CK Tang Guerlain counter to get the Summer Fling set. It was a special offer which was on from 10-12 July, consisting of a Perfect White UV Protector + KissKiss Lip Gloss + Meteorites Pearl Powder No.3. The set was available at a S$62 discount from the usual total price of all the items. You can select any KissKiss lip gloss colour for the set and the very nice SA helped me choose No. 864. The SA also told me Meteorites No.3 can be used for a bronzing effect or for contouring. I have been using as a contouring powder.

KissKiss Lip Gloss No. 864 and Butterfly Kiss Limited Edition mascara

While I was there, I was also informed there's a 50% discount on eye makeup, excluding some mascara, liners and the Summer eye palettes. So I picked up a Limited Edition Spring 09 palette and a Butterfly Kiss Limited Edition mascara, which is a combination of black and sparkly violet.

Spring 09 eye palette and Meteorites No. 3

In addition to the 50% discount, I got a S$10 discount each from the palette and mascara because I used the CK Tang beauty vouchers that I have. I also used my rebate $ in my CK Tang card and "saved" quite a lot when I made this purchase.

Even though I bought everything at promotion prices, the SA gave me a gift-with-purchase (GWP). This was unlike the Guerlain SA at Takashimaya, who told me I can't get a GWP because I purchased Meteorites in Pearly White and Meteorites Voyage at a promotion price. *sulk* In general I find the Guerlain SAs in CK Tang better than the ones at Takashimaya.

4-piece gift-with-purchase and Perfect White UV Protector

On Sunday, I went back to CK Tang to get 2 more palettes in Rose and Violet. Much to my regret, by Sunday there were no more Limited Edition palettes left! And I also picked up another mascara in violet (not pictured). Similarly, I utilised some rebate $ and a couple of S$10 beauty vouchers to reduce my actual cash spendings on these items.

Rose and Violet Palettes

Guerlain is a reputable brand and doesn't come cheap. So, overall, I'm so happy to have obtained these Guerlain items at great discounts. There were some speculation and suspicions about why Guerlain's giving so many discounts lately. I personally don't think there are any defects to the products. Otherwise, by normal industry standards, the products should be recalled, not sold off at cheap prices. I could think of no other reason except an attempt by Guerlain to reach more people in these tough economic times.

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Review: Daiso Sponge Cleaner

For a shop that sells mass market things in abundance and at low-low prices, it is certainly amazing that Daiso is able to create a "scarcity mentality" in shoppers. I've personally experienced this "scarcity mentality" several times. In the past, when I did alot of crafting, I noticed Daiso was always running out of items that were used by crafters. For example, someone posted a tutorial on using Daiso pulp coasters for making mini-albums. Suddenly, within a few days, pulp coasters were out of stock in Daisos all over Singapore. People came online to forums to lament their inability to find these coasters and some confessed they bought multiples (read double-digit numbers) to "stock up".

Recently, on one of my regular forays to Daiso, I came across the famous Daiso sponge cleaner and decided I should pick one up. I had first read about it on local online forums and blogs, and it seemed like a great cleaner at a cheap S$2. But it had been out of stock for so long and the Daiso SAs were also always kind of clueless when I asked them about it. They seemed to be unaware of the existence of such a cleaner. I almost concluded that it was an urban-myth item!

I'm a clean-freak. I wash my sponges and brushes every weekend (and clean out my entire house too, but that's another story). I've always been irked by the fact that my usual liquid soap/baby shampoo is unable to wash off all traces of makeup on my sponges. Usually the sponge will retain some colour from the makeup no matter how diligently I clean it.

It turns out the cleaner is truly fantastic! With the Daiso sponge cleaner, all traces of the makeup are gone from the sponge. I read that this cleaner is quite harsh and could destroy some delicate sponges/puffs. So, I don't use it for my brushes. But I'm really happy with the way it wipes out all makeup from the sponges.

Look at this ickky sponge, filled with one week's worth of powder.

And look at how brand-new it has become after a wash with just a few tiny drops of the sponge cleaner! (Any colour deviations you see on the sponge is shadow cast by the light. The sponge is completely clean and clear of makeup.)

Since I discovered how good it was, I told a colleague about it and she wanted me pick up a bottle for her. However, for several weeks, I could not find any of this sponge cleaner at the 2 outlets I regularly visit (Vivocity and Plaza Singapura).

Yesterday, I popped into Daiso to pick up some stuff and diligently kept an eye out for the sponge cleaner. Woot! It was in stock!! And you know what? This scarcity mentality got to me, and I picked up 2 bottles! 1 for my colleague and a backup for myself. Hahaha. So, this is how Daiso makes people spend more than they really need to. :D

Do go get this cleaner at your nearest Daiso. If you are as much of a clean freak as I am, you'll enjoy washing your sponges with it. Good luck with finding a bottle!

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Review: Sato Healing Foot Pad

I wanted to share with you this new find from Watsons: Plasters to soothe your swollen feet. They feel and work like the fever plasters for kids' foreheads. There is a jelly-like consistency and gives a very cool relaxing feeling. I tend to use them only for my ankles when they feel heavy and big. They work quite well to reduce the swelling. I just stick them on and prop my legs up, before bed time. The only bad thing is it's not sticky enough, so you need to sit still when they are applied on legs. You can check out your nearest Watsons store for them. :D Here's the ingredient and usage information. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Weekend Hauling & Give-Away Winners

The stuff in my bag has been driving me crazy running all over the place. I seem to need to compartmentalise things (OCD haha). So, I picked up some cute items today for my own use - to put coins, keys and cards, etc. I think that they are so cute, I have to go back for more. I'm planning perhaps they could be Christmas gifts. They are not too expensive at all and rather well made. I'm surprised that I ended up with red and black stuff that are mostly items from Ruby Gloom, Emily the Strange pouch, and Nightmare before Christmas. Here's a view of the designs on the other side of each item. One of the Emily the Strange items is a photo locket. I got this small bag for carrying my lunch box. :D Also got these notebooks from Muji and Daiso for my various projects, and decorated them with stickers (doll ones I got from Korea and the apples are actually cards from Daiso). I intend to stamp titles on the covers. Oh and I bought some cheap shoes too, I'll photograph them another day. I forgot to do it. LOL. Over the weekend and while I was sick recouperating at home, I restarted my crafting engines. I decided to also restart my crafting blog called Aichaku Creates. :D Finally, I've been thinking of how to randomly assign 3 give-away winners, but in vain! So, I've taken the easy way out and decided to give the 3 give-away prizes to the first 3 commentors in the last blog entry! So, the winners are Shopn'Chomp, eclecticsatire, and izumi!! Please contact me and let me know your address? It's a very small give away and totally random. I'll do a bigger one in the future. :D Thanks to everyone, for reading my blog and have a great week ahead! © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Tags and Random Giveaway Announcement

Well, since I am home and "quarantined" because of pneumonia, I think I shall be do some tags. :D I completely forgot about this tag, until I was rereading Haru's blog for her views on Guerlain's Pearly White Meteorites, which I was thinking of buying. Then, I saw this tag. So sorry I took so long to reply to this questionaire! I wrote these answers during lunch time at work on a Tuesday I think. :D Rules: 1. Respond and rework: Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own. 2. Tag eight other people. What is your current obsession? Self improvement & finding new directions. :D What is your weirdest obsession? Probably cleaning. What are you wearing today? Black sleeveless dress & brown Italian pumps. :D What's your favorite comfort food? I think curry or potatoes, but mostly it depends on my mood. What would make today special? If I could get off work early and go shopping? LOL. What would you like to learn to do? Earn alot more money! So I can go do more shopping! What's the last thing you bought? Sato Healing Foot Pad from Watsons. There was a 20% discount and it says, "Let's tighten the swelling foot" and "A firm refreshing feeling for sore, swollen legs!" on the cover. LOL. What are you listening to right now? Nothing - just plain silence. Lovely. What is your favorite weather? Spring. I wish it were Spring all year round in Singapore, instead of Summer. What is your most challenging goal right now? Charting new directions and focus in my life. What do you think about the person who tagged you? Haru is so sweet and lovely. I felt it was easy to chat with her and look forward to meeting her again. We just met once, a few months ago. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be? This is hard. I'd say, probably Tokyo. If you could swap lives with anyone for one day who would it be and why? Paris Hilton. Cause I wanna be pretty and frivolous and have a grand time! LOL!! If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Seoul. Hahaaha, I wanna eat good nangmyeon! I miss it badly! Which languages do you speak/did you learn? English, Mandarin and Malay. I tried learning Thai, Japanese and Korean, but never got far. :D Which language do you wanna learn? I think I'm giving languages a break for the moment. What do you look for in a friend? Easy-going personality & comfortable companionship. :D Who do you want to meet in person? Neil Gaiman!! He's an awesome writer and has a great personality too (I get this based on the personal stuff he posts online). What's your favorite type of music? Angsty or emo music is kinda my secret drug. I'm a closet rocker and an indie music fan. What's your dream job? Writing all day long, on any topic that I want. If you had $100 now what would you spend on it? I'd probably get more skincare or makeup. Things you wish you could change in the past? Wish I could be take things less seriously and be light-hearted. Fashion Pet Peeve? Must we all weigh 40kg and wear 9 inch heels to be hip and trendy? Do you admire anyone's style? Not really. In general, I just admire people who are confident and carry themselves well. Describe your personal style. Conservative. OK, I better call it classic style. Haha. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Cherry Garcia and Green Tea Milk. What's your favorite makeup brand? I favour the various makeup lines from Kose, Shiseido and Kanebo. What makeup do you use a lot? If alot means regularly, I would say, BB cream, mascara and eyeliner. I seldom pile alot of thick makeup on my face. Do you get enough beauty sleep? Yes or no? Why? I think not, cause I have dark circles. Why did you start your (beauty) blog? It was for fun and to discuss stuff with fellow bloggers online. What do you think is the best feature about yourself? Maybe my height? And actually I like my eyes alot HAHAHA but they are usually hidden behind thick glasses. My husband said he likes my eyes cause they are soft and brown. Made me think of puppies and perhaps dumb cows! But nevertheless. LOL. The 5 beauty products you use most often. 1. Hanskin BB Cream 2. Serums & moisturisers 3. Sunscreen 4. Masks 5. Eyecream Innerchild also tagged me for this award, thank you!! :D The Adorable Blog Award Rules:

• Include the award logo in your blog or post.
• Nominate as many blogs which you like.
• Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
• Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I'm sure many have been tagged already? I'd just love to tell my blog followers that they are all tagged. At this point, I'd like to thank everyone who reads this blog! Thank you for giving me the support! Haha. Hence, I decided I'm going to do a random give-away. In the next few days, I'll use a method to choose 3 random winners from my blog followers. I'm keeping this giveaway to the first 100 followers in my blog. I'll announce the winners and random gifts at the end of this week. ^__^ Keep a look out for it! ^___^ © Copyright. All rights reserved.