A 30-something from sunny Singapore who's tried her hand at lots of things, such as selling skin care & make-up, working in a (boring) corporate setting, trying to carve a singing career, giving private tuition, being a fitness instructor, writing/editing etc...
Besides exasperating her parents to no end, she loves experimenting with new make-up looks, uncovering the best make-up & skin care products, modelling for herself before the camera, singing at the top of her lungs (with preferably no one to hear it), and writing whatever, whenever (as you can already tell).
Hello readers! 2011 is coming to a close, but before that happens, I hope to be able to blog about some reviews and post info on sponsored products I’ve got sometime back in the later half of this year
Also, I’ve won some goodie bags and prizes in FB contests here and there, and attended some events, so I’ll be posting on those too!
Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come SOON:
Yes! A review on some of the products I was sponsored above by K-Pharm: 2 COYO cleansers, and 4 products from the Snail Street line. Most likely I’ll be reviewing both COYO cleansers and 2 products from the Snail Street line: Snail AC Trouble mask & the BB cream.
I might review the Snail Street cream and serum if my dermatologist gives the green light, but not for now…
Next up, I’ll be posting on my tea session with the Bio-Oil people:
We had a very cosy tea session, where I was presented with information on Bio-Oil, and a free bottle of Bio-Oil to review, which I’d finished in 1.5 weeks
In any case, they were very sweet to have hosted me, given me a cute First-Aid pack, complete with Bio-Oil, antiseptic hand rub and plasters, PLUS calendula tea for me to try!
Of course, I’ll be reviewing more stuff from Beauty Bistro, which was featured in last Friday’s URBAN:
Above: 2 pairs of false eyelashes, upper and lower lashes from DOT-DOT, no less.
Lastly, I’d be posting some info given to me by Watsons and Life Nutrition, thanks to lovely blogger Michelle:
You guys gotta stay tuned for this because the supplements sound awesome and they are affordable too! One bottle of deep sea fish oil (45 soft gels) retails for S$29.90, and they are molecularly distilled. Impressed!
The Prizes & Goodie Bags I’ve Won
In late Jul, I won a $150 whitening goodie bag from L’Oreal Paris Singapore, for this winning comment on their FB page:
Here’s the goodie bag I won:
As promised, I’d be reviewing their White Perfect Micro-Vibration Eye Brightener but it’ll prob be posted in early 2012, as I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate this into my already complicated skin care regime
Sometime in Aug, I took part in a Guardian Health & Beauty/LMS Spotlight contest, where 3 winners would walk away with a $100 goodie bag. My winning entry was:
I’m lovin’ my LMS Spotlights!
“I’m in my early thirties but I still break out from spots on my cheeks and T-zone especially when I am stressed and don’t take care of my diet and lifestyle habits (like eating enough fruits, drinking lots of water and sleeping early).
I’ve used LMS Spotlight 8 for only a week now and I’m loving my skin! Although I still get pimples, they heal faster with the redness subsiding more quickly than I could ever imagine!
I’m also using LMS Spotlights for acne scars from my bad breakout in May, and even bought myself the LMS Spotlight 24 yesterday to save time! I can honestly say the scars and redness on my cheeks have faded somewhat with just one week’s use. What’s more, my skin actually feels plumper, firmer and smoother after 1 week. I’m sold!”
And this was what I won:
Not long after that, I took part in yet anotherGuardian Health & Beauty FB contest:
This was my winning entry (one of the top 5 most creative entries, dun pray pray):
And this was the $46 goodie bag:
In early Sept, beauty blogger Beaute Runway invited me to a Palmer’s event, for a launch of some of their new products, as well as to create environmental awareness. And I left with this generous goodie bag, besides making myself a young friend there:
Last but not least, I’d won myself a FairyDrops Vanilla Puff Mineral Powder in Sparkle (4 g), retailing for S$36.90 in Watsons (IKR):
I was the first person to have posted a pic of myself with Dolly Wink products on Watsons’ FB wall:
So there you go! Let me know if you’d like me to review any of the products I’ve featured in this post
Hallloooo my lovelies, today I’m going to review a skin care product—an eye mask from SHILLS:
I’m probably the best candidate for an eye mask review, ‘cos to be honest, my eyes are in serious need of rescuing! Ever since my chronic allergic conjunctivitis started 13 years ago, my poor eyes have been subject to sheer torture in the name of cruel rubbing, tugging, pulling; you name it, I’ve done it.
So it’s no surprise that some of my biggest beauty woes come in the form of dark eye circles, crow’s feet and fine lines around the eye area. Not to mention loss of skin elasticity in time to come… *shock shock horror horror*
Save The Skin Around Your Eyes With SHILLS’ Super Polypeptide Eye Mask
If you look carefully at the ingredient list, this eye mask contains Argireline®, Leuphasyl® and Eyeliss™, besides Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate or Licorice root extract for skin lightening, Sodium Hyaluronate for hydration, and essential oil. What, you ask?
Some background info
Argireline® (click link to read more), by Lipotec, is a peptide specifically designed to fight against expression wrinkles. It has been shown in significant testing to be effective against the development of skin wrinkling, being a topical alternative to Botulinum Toxin A.
Leuphasyl® (click link to read more), also by Lipotec, is a new peptide that reduces expression wrinkles caused by the contraction of muscles of facial expression, especially in the forehead and around the eyes.
In vivo tests have shown that when a cream containing 5% Argireline® solution + 5% Leuphasyl® was applied twice daily around the eyes of 15 volunteers, aged 39 to 63, for 28 days, a decrease of 24.62% was accomplished, with maximum values up to –46.53%.
Apparently, both peptides show additive effects due to their complementary mechanisms. Read more about the research and tests here
Eyeliss™, from Sederma, on the other hand, helps reduce bags and puffiness under the eyes, as well as smooth the appearance of fine lines by firming and toning the skin around the eye area.
Now, The Review
What’s a review without peektures right? I assure you, there’ll be plenty in this post.
Make sure you’re getting the authentic SHILLS product, with the hologram sticker on one of the sheets:
Open sesame!
As you can see from the photo above, there’s so much essence left that you can transfer it to a Ziploc, and reuse it with plain eye mask pieces… great value for money indeed!
Of course, the best way to enjoy an eye mask is in bed, relaxing:
As you can see, I use this mask 2 ways: on my eyelid as well as my undereyes. I would first place them either on my eyelids or undereyes for 15 minutes, then switch over. This way, my whole eye area gets to benefit
I like how the mask feels on my eyes. I’ve used other eye masks before, that either smell weird or feel weird. But with this mask, it’s nothing like that at all. It smells rather refreshing to me, feels soothing enough and doesn’t sting my eyes in any way, even when the essence gets into them.
The Results
I’ll be showing you four sets of Before & After photos.
The first 3 were taken within 10 days, and the last one about a month after. You can use this eye mask 2–3 times a week, or as needed.
Set 1 (Left: Before, Right: After):
Set 2 (Top: Before, Bottom: After):
Set 3 (Left: Before, Right: After):
Set 4 (Top: Before, Bottom: After):
The last set, in particular, has a very stunning contrast in the Before & After photos.
You can see a very obvious lightening of my dark eyelids and undereye circles. The skin around my eyes looks more moisturized and brightened.
Unfortunately, I can’t speak for how long the results last or whether you get a cumulative effect over time, due to my chronic eye allergy, which causes me to rub my eyes every so often. Hence, depending on many factors that determine how my eyes are doing allergy-wise, I can’t speak for the long-term efficacy of this product.
However, this definitely works wonders if you need a quick pick-me-up for an important event or just to give your eyes a much-needed boost every week!
Yeshhh…. this review’s overdue. I’ll be talking about my experience with DOT-DOT Stylish Auto Eyebrow Sweet Brown from Beauty Bistro, which is currently going at HALF price of S$11.90 instead of the usual S$23.90.
Anyhow, I’ll be posting a “what-to-look-out-for-soon-on-this-blog” after this review or the next, so do look out for it ya? I’ll be reviewing some skin care, body care for scars (ooohhhh….), health supplements, false eyelashes, etc hopefully before the year comes to a close!
Frame your face — Fill in your brows
Now you all know how important it is to draw your eyebrows, right?
For those of you out there who lament about your thin & barely-there brows, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. As for those blessed with thicker brows, that’s not an excuse to neglect them or leave them undrawn. *wags finger*
Eyebrows, when groomed and well-shaped, as well as drawn in properly, give your entire face a finished look and frame your face like nothing can.
So today, I’m gonna introduce a product to you, that’ll help you do just that:
Here’s how the product looks with both ends uncapped:
One end is your automatic eyebrow pencil (which doesn’t need sharpening), and the other end is a spooley for brushing your brows after drawing them in. You can see the maximum amount of product you can get by twisting the nib all the way, in the right photo above.
I actually love that this eyebrow pencil is actually made in Korea. I don’t know why that’s so, since DOT-DOT is a Taiwanese brand, but Korean products are of good quality, so frankly, I’m not complainin’.
So this is me with bare (undrawn) brows:
Depending on you, you may wanna prime your brows first by brushing them upwards and outwards using the spooley end, following the shape of your brows.
Then, I draw my left eyebrow (to your right), moving upwards & outwards following the shape of my arch with short, feathery strokes to fill in the brows (left photo below):
Right photo above: After this, I use the spooley end to brush my drawn eyebrow, again in the direction of hair growth, for a neater, groomed look.
And now, I present to you, the Single-Drawn Brow*ta-daahhhh*:
You can see the difference in both brows—there are gaps in my right brow (to your left), whereas my left brow (to your right) looks more uniform throughout, and has a more finished look.
Now, I’m going to draw in the other brow to complete the look:
After photos:
A comparison of the Before & After photos (left & right respectively) side by side:
For me, I’ve found my drawn brows with DOT-DOT Stylish Auto Eyebrow Sweet Brown have lasted me until the time I remove my make-up. On Beauty Bistro’s website, the product is described as “waterproof” and “sweat resistant”, and can be doubled up as an eyeliner.
What’s more, it comes in 2 colours: Sweet Brown and Bright Grey (click on the links to read more and/or order)!
Ingredients:
Hydrogenated Oil, Carnauba Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Vitamin E Acetate, Black Iron Oxide, Hydrogenated Soy Glyceride, Zinc Stearate, Talc (food grade), Butyl Hydroxytoluene
More than 3 months ago (oops, so pai seh) on 28 July 2011 , I was invited to local leather bag label Tocco Tenero’s Fall/Winter 2011 Collection Preview Launch right outside their Wisma Atria outlet, at Coffee Stars by Dao.
Many thanks to Gidania, from The Media Ministry, who sent me an invite for this event!
What is Tocco Tenero?
The 3-year-old label, which roughly translates to ‘Tender Touch’, prides itself as ‘Replaceable Fashion’, where style, affordability and quality are married together as fashionable designs are produced monthly, crafted from 100% leather while maintaining superior quality at competitive prices of below SGD200.
At a fraction of the price you would usually pay for a full leather bag in other retail outlets, the Tocco Tenero customer is able to switch bags at will and shop without straining her pocket.
Here are some of their designs from their Spring/Summer 2011 collection (click to enlarge the first two photos):
The 5 key characteristics that define Tocco Tenero are: Colours, Versatility, Functionality, Affordability and Quality.
Leather bags in bright hues are the label’s signature looks. Every collection features leather in various Colours to brighten up any outfit:
The Versatility of a Tocco Tenero bag is based on these 2 key elements: Firstly, it allows the user to tote the bag in several different manners such as Shoulder sling, hand-carry, clutch or strapped across the body. Secondly, it describes the ability of the bag to be arranged in different shapes to add that extra structural dimension to the product and provide the illusion that you have a new bag every day.
Functionality describes how Tocco Tenero bags can be part of your everyday life, easily making the transition from work to play. With more than 100 designs in-store, there’s something to suit every aspect of the modern person’s life.
The delicate combination between Affordability and Quality is achieved by investing time and effort into the research and development of each Tocco Tenero product to maximise the use of material and accessories while minimizing weight during the construction phase, to lower the cost of manufacturing and to provide convenience to customers; therefore allowing for very affordable retail prices.
Comprehensive quality control (QC) measures are put in place and enforced by independent regulators to ensure that quality is not compromised in every Tocco Tenero product.
My take on Tocco Tenero
After attending the mini fashion show put up by Tocco Tenero to showcase its Fall/Winter 2011 collection, I was quite impressed with the amazing range of styles and colours that complemented work wear as well as animal prints (or preens, as some would say, ahem)!
The pictures I took at the event would speak for themselves, but I was even more impressed with this little nugget of info I gleaned from their press release given to me:
“Tocco Tenero tries to do its part for the environment by putting their expertise in leather to good use by ensuring up to 20% less cutting wastage, producing more products with the same piece of leather normally used to produce just 1 bag by other manufacturers.”
WOW! I really like it when I see that companies are doing their part for the environment; I think that going forward, that’s the socially responsible thing to do.
Ok, now that most of the brand info is out of the way, I’d let the pictures do the talking; click to enlarge any of the photos below if you want to see the bags up close (Disclaimer: I apologise for the poor quality of the photos as I’m no photography expert, and the models were mostly in motion):
Now that you’ve caught a glimpse of Tocco Tenero’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection, here’s a little parting shot:
For a graceful blend of the vibrant pace of today’s fashion with the characteristics of traditional Italian culture, such as beauty, sophistication and passion, look no further than Tocco Tenero.
Tocco Tenero bags are priced from $79 to $199 and located at:
#01-33 Wisma Atria
#P1-26 Parco @ Millenia
Before I go though, here’s a glimpse of what they served at Coffee Stars by Dao (I really liked the food!) and my FOTD for that day:
And boy was I in for a pleasant surprise! I was gifted a document holder in black and pink, and a voucher to choose a Tocco Tenero bag from its Fall/Winter 2011 Collection before the end of September this year. It was really generous of Tocco Tenero, thank you so much!
So here’s what I chose for myself:
Here’s how I look carrying the bag in 2 different ways:
The strap can also be slung diagonally across the torso for a relaxed casual look a la messenger bag (I forgot to take a pic carrying the bag that way! )
I can’t resist this; when I saw J Lo in her Papi video, I couldn’t help but think my bag looked a little like hers (and so do our pose!):
Watch her video and see what I mean :
Thank you so much Gidania for the kind invitation once again!
Tocco Tenero Spring/Summer 2011 collection photographs and brand information, courtesy of The Media Ministry
Hi my beauties! Gotta apologise for the LOOOONNNG absence…. I’m hoping to blog more regularly from now on at least!
Anyways, my post today is really about what’s happening tomorrow:
Celebrated singer, actress and TV personality Makiyo, and spokesperson for beauty brand Sophie Monk, will be here in SINGAPORE tomorrow!
In fact, she’ll be at Guardian Pharmacy (Ngee Ann City) tomorrow (4 November 2011), 7 pm, to share her ideas about beauty, her beauty regime and how Sophie Monk works so beautifully for her.
You gotta be there if you wanna learn how to get her flawless skin:
Now that the eye candy’s out of the way, let’s talk about Sophie Monk.
To be honest, I’ve not tried this brand of skin care myself. I’ve seen it in Guardian Pharmacy on various occasions, and its packaging looks very feminine and alluring, from what I can remember. Here’s a little bio about the skin care brand:
Sophie Monk celebrates beauty in women and is fronted by Japanese/Taiwanese celebrity, Makiyo. Its R&D and cute packaging puts it at the forefront of beauty solutions for young ladies wanting beauty, offering solutions for dry skin, acne through a comprehensive and tightly-edited selection of whitening, hydrating, anti-acne products as well as hydrating masks. Sophie Monk retails at all Guardian pharmacies in Singapore.
What TOMORROW’s Gotta Do With Makiyo & Sophie Monk, Really?
If you’re a fan of Makiyo, you can’t pass up this chance tomorrow at Ngee Ann City, Guardian Pharmacy! Simply make a purchase of $50 or more of Sophie Monk products at the event to get her autograph and if you want to take a photo with her, spend $100 or more on Sophie Monk products!
You won’t regret it cos apparently, Sophie Monk is currently loved by models and celebrities in Taiwan and Japan in need of whitening solutions!
Still not quite convinced? Here’s more info on Sophie Monk:
Sophie Monk’s revolutionary formula with natural botanical extracts intercept amped up melanin production and acts like a cluster-buster to remove discoloration and restore clarity that the skin deserves.
Strawberry (like mmmmm….) is a very central ingredient to the products. There is a beautiful, natural scent to it; add to the fact that facial masks and products containing strawberry extracts impart such an amazing glow when applied to the skin.
Retailing in Singapore now are the following ranges:
1. Whitening range
2. Hydrating range
3. Anti–Acne range
4. Strawberry Facial Masks & Little Twin Stars Masks
a. Green Mask Pore Minimizing Double Lifting Mask (contact ear hooks and extra sheet for neck)
b. Purple – Whitening Double Lifting
c. Yellow – V-Shaped Double Lifting Mask
d. Blue – Hydrating Double Lifting Mask
There’s something for every skin type and every skin need! Don’t take my word for it; get down to Guardian Pharmacy at Ngee Ann City tomorrow, 4 Nov, 7 pm to find out for yourself ok?
For more information on Sophie Monk, do visit their website at www.sophiemonk.cc now!
Photograph, poster and information courtesy of Publicist PR Communications
As you can already tell, this makeup finishing powder is special because it has sunscreen protection in it, Sun Protection Factor 30, to be exact! Awesome, if you ask me.
Here’s how the packaging looks like:
The teal butterfly that you see in front is actually detachable and can be used as a mobile phone ornament. I think that’s a really cool idea to incorporate into a cosmetic product, as gals tend to like to dangle pretty things on their cell phones as well
Click above photo to enlarge for the full ingredient list. This product contains mica, which lends an instant glow and radiance to your skin by reflecting light.
Click to read the description of this product.
The cartoon of an Elizabethan princess with those curly goldilocks is too cute to resist!
Let’s get to the review proper.
Here’s a Before photo, after applying BB cream:
I usually dispense some powder onto a piece of tissue paper before using a brush or puff to apply. This loose powder comes in one shade only. As you can see here, the colour of this loose powder is of skin tone:
You can use a powder brush or the velour puff provided to apply the loose powder after foundation or BB cream. Just remember to tap off any excess powder before applying.
Here’s how I look after applying DOT-DOT White Luminance Sunscreen Powder SPF 30 (please forgive my “blah” expression), with the Before & After photos (left & right respectively) side by side:
As you can see, DOT-DOT White Luminance Sunscreen Powder SPF 30 makes my skin look more matte and less shiny, and tones down the “white-ness” of my face due to the BB cream/foundation. Now the colour of my face matches my neck more closely.
I like the fact that it doesn’t make my face look pasty white, and the powder itself doesn’t feel too chalky or talc-like (if you get what I mean) but feels soft & finely milled.
I love the fact that it’s kind to my acne-prone pores and doesn’t break me out (probably the most important consideration for me)!
I am not sure whether it keeps my face matte all day long, but it does give me a semi-dewy finish after a few hours of wear which I personally like. I happen to prefer a dewy face to a super matte face, but that’s just me
Let’s not forget the added benefit of the SPF 30!
Edit:
Scent-wise, it has quite a luxurious scent to it that may be strong for some, but I’ve looked at the ingredients and checked Beauty Bistro’s description of this product, and it says that this loose powder is oil-free, fragrance-free, alcohol-free and does not contain any artificial colouring. I’m impressed!
It’s been a long while since I’ve done a proper review. So today, I’m gonna review a concealer from Taiwanese brand SHILLS called SHILLS Electric Eyes Concealer Cream:
I’m loving the design of the packaging, which reminds me of vintage pin-up girls (kinda like Benefit), with a compact mirror inside to boot! It’s actually very handy and fits snugly in my palm.
Ingredients are listed on the back of the box (click above photo to enlarge) and the 12M in the little container graphic above the “Made in Taiwan” label shows how long you should use this product after opening it: 12 months!
This concealer contains skin hydrating Hyaluronic Acid, and anti-ageing Vitamin E & gingko extract. Gingko is also known for its revitalising, stimulating and firming properties, giving skin a healthier, rosy and more youthful look.
Very promising product!
Electric Eyes, Electric Youth
I use this mainly on my undereye area, as one of my main beauty woes are dark undereye circles. I personally prefer to use a concealer brush rather than my fingers to dab the cream onto my undereye area. DO NOT drag the brush over the skin as the product will separate into ugly uneven lines.
As you can see after concealing my right undereye (on your left), my right undereye area looks noticeably brighter than my left eye (on your right) which has a dark ring underneath:
One thing I’ve noted about this concealer also is that it tends to have peachy rather than yellow undertones to it.
If I’m not wrong, peach toned makeup bases compensate for bluish-purplish bruising or dark undereye circles, even out skin discolorations, and help brighten dull-looking skin.
Other colour correctors like green for example corrects skin redness, while yellow corrects uneven skin tone.
Cream concealers offer better coverage than liquid concealers, as I’ve found. No matter how raved a liquid concealer may be, the fact that it’s liquid in texture just means it cannot beat its cream counterpart in covering up as well.
The same rule applies for liquid vs. cream foundations.
Here’s how I look with the SHILLS Electric Eyes Concealer Cream on both undereye areas in slightly different lighting (the left pic is with natural lighting from the sun, while the right pic is with yellow light from my dresser shining directly at my face):
I thought I’d do a totally frivolous post that’s like from out of the blue today! I came across this Beauty Edition Tag post from one of my favourite bloggers Jen from From Head To Toe not too long ago, and I thought I’d do it too since it seems rather fun!
Jen talked about being indecisive but I don’t think these questions are any indicator of how decisive one is!
Ok here we go!
QUESTIONS:
1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?
Hmmm I would say I’d rather lose all my mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks & lipglosses and keep my palettes and eyeshadows!
This might sound a little strange to some, but I’ve just started collecting a sizeable and completely delightful eyeshadow palette collection this year like my Stila Colour Wheel and Sleek Makeup i-Divine palettes in Original, Acid, Sunset, Monaco and (soon-to-arrive Curacao so to lose all of that is unthinkeable.
Besides, I can really do without mascara and live off false eyelashes *LOL* in its place. As for lipsticks and lipglosses, I’d miss them but I think I can live with just lip balm (tinted lip balm maybe?) if I REALLY had to! And I’m thinking, palettes can include lip colour palettes right? Loophole *LOL*
I’d miss eyeliner though! But I can always use eyeshadow applied wet as eyeliner so there we go… problem solved!
Also, it’s not like I have to give up my blushers or BB cream or foundation, so that’s completely cool for me
2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
Hmmm, I am that kind of person who needs to cut my hair, even if it’s just bangs. So I’d brave the bald head (after all Natalie Portman did too and lots do it for Hair for Hope) and hopefully this question is only valid for one haircut *cross fingers*
I mean, there’s always a wig I could don while waiting for the hair to grow out right? Like so (yes those two are wigs, who cares if that pic was taken eons ago?):
3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
This is a no-brainer. PINK CHEEK will be my answer. Of all the blushers I own, the coral/orange/peach ones are obligatory purchases to balance the pink ones, just for the looks where the coral cheek will balance the gold eyeshadow etc.
So if I would have to pick, it’d be the pink.
4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
At this point in my life, where my makeup collection is rather satisfactory (and I say rather because there would be some stuff I’d still like to get), I would rather buy clothes to beef up my wardrobe. Besides $1000 for makeup is like WHOA! Clothes would do that amount of moolah more justice I feel (due to the fact that clothes in general cost more than makeup per item anyways).
5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
This is a tricky one. Most shades for lipstick would look strange as eyeliner except for maybe dark brown lipstick and most eyeliner colours, even the brighter ones like teal, blue or green would look weird as lipstick colours.
Texture-wise, it’d be weird to apply waxy lipstick on the eyes and I’m sure it’d run all over the place. Like totally pretty. As for eyeliner as lipstick, I’m sure it’d go on or taste weird!
I think I’d go with the eyeliner as lipstick. I’ve always wanted to try peacock blue lipstick but I’d be careful not to put too much of it where I might taste it.
Just in case you think peacock blue lipstick is weird or ugly, suspend your judgment until you see this:
That’s Karen Elson for Kevyn Aucoin, my fave makeup artist who’s passed on. RIP.
6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
Another no-brainer question. Of course Sephora! In Singapore, I think Sephora has a MAC counter so it’s a bit like choosing a subset or a whole set. I’d go for the whole set!
7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?
Another no-brainer. Definitely would rather use only one lip colour for the rest of my life! To ask me to only use one eyeshadow colour will be like tying one hand to my back. Especially when I have so many colours in my palettes now, hallo?!
Despite my split personality when it comes to eyeshadows, I can be quite loyal if I like something. For example, I can eat the same meal over and over ad nauseum, or the same dessert, or date the same guy, or… you get the drift. So I can stay faithful to one lip colour. I think.
8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Haha! For those who know me, would know that I cannot live without bringing a sweater or jacket wherever I go with me, even in hot sunny Singapore. That’s cos I am very bad with the cold. Even in air-conditioning. I can sweat buckets and still be ok, but I will shrivel and die on the spot if I were caught in winter wearing too little.
So it’d be wearing winter clothes in summer for me. DEFINITELY.
9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?
I don’t wear any nail polish usually, so to me it wouldn’t matter but if I had to choose, given my multi eyeshadow personality, I’d say I’d go for bright nails all year round. No doubt about that.
Someone like Angelina Jolie would probably go for dark nails though.
10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
Between lips and eyes, I’d say that I can live with naked lips (although I’d be lost without lip balm especially before bed but that’s just my quirk) for the rest of my life.
So I’d rather give up my favourite lip product. (Besides I don’t even really have one at the moment).
But that said, if I really found an HG lip colour like Estee Lauder’s Earthy Red (which was discontinued long ago), or Revlon MoistureStay Shell, I might choose to give up my favourite eye product. I am thinking I probably can find a substitute for eyeshadow palettes, or eyeliners, or even false eyelashes, but maybe not the HG lipstick shade. So that’d be my complicated stand on this. *LOL*
Update: I just realised this question applies to any beauty product, not just makeup. In this case, I’d definitely forgo the lip product. My lips don’t get chapped too often, but my eyes definitely require more TLC. So there is no contest. My eye skin care would have to stay, and I’d gladly boot out my fave lip product.
11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?
Ponytails are b-o-r-i-n-g. Period. So messy bun is my answer. Besides for certain occupations which I’d probably be gunning for, I’d need a bun. Though maybe not a messy bun. Gosh.
12.) Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
Haha, another no-brainer for me. Scroll up, and you’d know my answer. I hardly paint my nails so it’d be that for my answer.
On the other hand (pun intended), if I were a flight attendant, for example, I might have to give up lipgloss instead and live with lipstick. BUT then again, I could also put on fake nails if I really really had to have coloured nails so I’d keep the lip glosses, which have been my lip makeup product of choice for a long time until I rediscovered a love for lipsticks this year.
13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?
Erm. Sharpie. Well between having no brows, and having sharpied brows, I suppose I’d go for sharpied brows. Better some than none huh. It’d still look weird and I’d probably cry my eyes out at losing my hirsute brows, but it’s better than having nothing to frame the face. So there.
14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
I WOULD RATHER LIVE WITHOUT NAIL POLISH. Period. I have a love affair with make-up! Besides, it’s a lot more bearable (AND bare-able) to have naked nails than a naked face and I think most women would agree!
Now, I’ve done mine. I don’t know who reads my blog but if you do read this, I tag you! And Domokie as well!
Do leave me a comment when you’ve done yours, and I’ll hop on over to your blog to read! Have a happy Monday ahead everyone!
Heylo, everyone (whoever’s reading)… sorry for my long absence from the blogosphere! Been seeing to some personal matters in the interim, which explains the lack of updates.
Apologies to Beauty Bistro and thank you for your kind patience & understanding, for this overdue blog entry!
Ok, let’s get to it, shall we?
Judy Lin 林叶亭 graced Singapore with her lovely, charming presence
Over the weekend of 24–26 June just over a month ago, Beauty Bistro had flown celebrity beauty & fashion stylist Judy Lin 林叶亭 from popular Taiwan beauty talk show 女人我最大 (Lady First) to Singapore, to share coveted beauty tips & tricks using Taiwan SHILLS products, at various venues like Jurong Point, Tampines 1, BHG Bugis and Guardian @ NEX.
The event was jointly sponsored by Debio Singapore Pte Ltd (which owns Beauty Bistro), John Little (for Jurong Point), Sasa Cosmetics (for Tampines 1), BHG and Guardian Health & Beauty (I always thought they were called Guardian Pharmacy).
Opening event @ Jurong Point, 24 June 2011
I’m sure Judy 老师 touched down to a very warm welcome from the Jurong Point audience on the first day of the 7 show line-up over the 3-day event!
Apparently, Jurong Point was the hottest location among the four, perhaps due to the high traffic of the mall, as well as the setup that allowed a lot more people to mill around and watch Judy 老师 in action.
Here are some snapshots of the show at Jurong Point, 24 Jun, 6–7 pm:
Whitening segment, where Judy 老师 is about to wield her magic massage technique with her precious piece of jade on this young lady!
Judy 老师 performs 刮痧 (gua sha), a massage technique she herself uses on her face daily for a firmer, lifted facial appearance while emcee Nick explains on the side.
Bloggers’ Event at Tampines 1, Jun 25, 12 pm & 3 pm
This was the event I attended, so I’ll talk more about each individual segment of the show and the SHILLS products Judy 老师 used.
I had helped Beauty Bistro coordinate with the 50 bloggers who’d RSVPed for either or both shows (though we sent invites to about 100 bloggers), with about 25 seats per show specially for the bloggers directly in front of the stage. Besides getting to see Judy Lin 老师 in person and learn from her secrets of looking youthful well into her 40s, the lovely beauty bloggers walked away with a goodie bag each of two SHILLS products of their choice!
Some of the luckier bloggers were volunteers for the slimming, hair volumising, skin whitening, pore clarifying or anti-aging segments, so they also walked away with the SHILLS products Judy Lin 林叶亭老师 used on them in her demonstrations.
Slimming is a biggie (pun intended) among ladies in Singapore. With the increasingly sedentary lifestyles led by most women working in offices, coupled with long working hours and demands of family, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to carve out regular time, and not to mention, energy for exercise. Stress also has a way of shuttling fat to the middle, thanks to cortisol.
SHILLS Miracle-Lift Body Contour Control HOT (click link on the left to read more) is a slimming cream that works best when massaged with an anti-cellulite roller (Judy 老师 recommends massaging while watching TV) and slim wrapped, as it contains L-Carnitine that breaks down stubborn cellulite, 157% more caffeine (than the previous formulation) and Peruvian Uncaria Tomentosa to firm and tighten skin, with soy isoflavones for improved skin elasticity, Vitamin C for whitening, among other beneficial ingredients.
Here, Ms Judy Lin 老师 demonstrates with lovely beauty blogger Vivian how to maximise slimming using SHILLS Miracle-Lift Body Contour Control HOT with SHILLS Miracle-Lift Anti-Cellulite Roller as well as slim wrapping:
ANOSA Fit Patch (click link on the left to read more) is an improved formulation of the previous ANOSA Slim Patch, containing 105% more L-Carnitine (for greater slimming results), evening primrose oil, borage oil, caffeine, raspberry & strawberry extracts (for skin tightening & firming), and comes in large pieces that can be cut to custom strips to fit around the navel, or even applied in a criss-cross manner on your arm, for 6–8 hours per use or overnight, like so:
Lucky guy gets to walk away with a box of ANOSA Fit Patch, which he’ll most likely pass to his girlfriend offstage *wink*!
At the event, the slimming bundle that included the SHILLS Miracle-Lift Body Contour Control HOT, ANOSA Fit Patch, with a FREE GIFT of the SHILLS Miracle-Lift Anti-Cellulite Roller, sold at a special price of S$69.90 (UP: S$88.80). From what I heard, this slimming bundle was a real hit with the shoppers at the event!
I, for one, am hopeless with doing up my own hair. Ms Judy Lin’s reputation as a hair guru precedes her, although she represents the epitome of beauty, be it her skin, figure, fashion, or hairstyle. It’s no wonder most of us couldn’t wait for her hair demo segments of her 7 shows, and many bloggers had volunteered for their hair to be personally done up by the guru Judy 老师 herself!
Lucky dude who gets to go onstage again for his hair to be “tousled” by The Guru :
Here, Judy Lin 老师 was using SHILLS Dust It (click on left link to read more about it) which is a miracle volumising powder that helps you create up to 3 times your normal hair volume with its strong hold, long-lasting power and non-sticky finish for light-as-air hair! I personally thought powder was a novel medium to style hair with; I mean I’ve heard of powder shampoo and all that, but not really a powder styling product. I honestly think such a product would be good for oily hair/scalp. This product is especially suitable even for guys who like what I call “debonair hair”
SHILLS Magical Hair Volumiser with Camellia Extracts (click on the left link to read more) smooths and protects your hair, restoring hair strength and vitality. What’s more, it contains rich vitamins like Vitamin B5, nutrients and herbal ingredients that help regulate excess scalp oil, with excellent antibacterial properties as well.
SHILLS FLUFFY FIX Maximising Hair Volume Spray‘s non-sticky, humidity-resistant formula helps you create beautiful bouffant hair, without collapsing. It can be used on top of other hair products to enhance their effectiveness. How cool is that?!
On to the final segment of the 12 pm show—something most women weaned on a media diet of how beauties should have fair, flawless skin would be keen to know! After all, Judy Lin 林叶亭老师 is the perfect ambassador for skin care; she might not be the fairest around, but she certainly doesn’t have any pigmentation or freckle problems that some of us younger than her already face! Moreover, her skin still looks supple, radiant, lifted… in other words, simply young.
(Above) Kicking off the whitening regime with SHILLS WHITE Anti-Dark Spot Whitening Serum, which contains active ingredient Tranexamic Acid that inhibits melanin formation, to lighten pigmentation or age spots, reduce dullness of skin and even skin tone.
(Above) Judy 老师 about to apply SHILLS WHITE EX Whitening & Brightening Cream that contains melanin-inhibiting Tranexamic Acid, whitening ingredient Arbutin, grapeseed extract, chamomile extract and liquorice extract, all with anti-aging properties.
(Above) Judy 老师 slathering on SHILLS Moisturizing & Whitening Cold Gel Mask, which is a perfect cooling, refreshing facial treat that also leaves your skin hydrated, smoother and fairer!
(Above) Emcee Nick also had the SHILLS Moisturizing & Whitening Cold Gel Mask applied on his face, and his skin indeed registered a boost in hydration levels, as indicated by the skin moisture meter afterwards!
(Above) The last step in the skin whitening regime would be to apply SHILLS SPF 42 PA++ Sunblock Whitening Hydra-Foundation 21 to continue the skin whitening, repair & hydration process, together with the essential benefits of sun protection against harmful UVA & UVB rays, in a natural foundation base. The product comes in a compact that can be turned and locked tightly to keep out moisture.
Pore Clarifying segment, Tampines 1, 25 Jun, 3 pm
After a break for Ms Judy 林叶亭 during which she also had an interview session with selected bloggers, Judy 老师 returned for the 3 pm session which featured a slimming segment similar to the one during the 12 pm show (so I won’t be talking about it again), a pore clarifying segment and finally an anti-aging segment to round off her Tampines 1 shows on 25 June 2011.
I have personal interest in the pore clarifying segment. I don’t have weight woes, nor serious pigmentation issues, and while my hairstyling skills are lacking, they don’t really bug me as much as my comedo-prone skin which is still susceptible to pimples especially during the time of the month.
You can tell it’s a blogger event when the ladies work their cameras furiously
Lovely blogger Carol was the chosen volunteer for this pore clarifying segment. As you can see, she’s got a black mask, called the SHILLS Purifying Peel-Off Mask applied on her T-zone, after having had the SHILLS Black Gel Deep Sebum Softener removed beforehand to soften the blackheads & whiteheads prior to masking.
Time to remove the peel-off black mask from bottom up, and see all the sebum, blackheads and whiteheads extracted onto the black mask itself! Remember to close up your pores with SHILLS Pore Minimizer Clarifying Toner after extraction, to ensure pores stay small and fine.
Another beauty blogger Verlyn was also invited onstage for the pore clarifying demo. Do click on her name to read her blog entry.
Finally, to top off the daily regime, Judy 老师 showed everyone how to even dull skin tone and further reduce pore size with a black charcoal sheet mask SHILLS Black Bamboo Charcoal Whitening Mask Sheet:
Of all the skin care, hair & slimming bundle sets on offer during the Judy Lin 林叶亭 event that weekend, I was really keen on the pore clarifying bundle set, as it seemed to work really miraculously on the volunteers during the demo! I mean, all those comedones extracted as proof on the black peel-off mask that was being passed around and the look of satisfaction on Carol’s face after the charcoal mask was removed: see it here!
FINALLY, we come to the closing segment of the show—the anti-aging segment! It’ll eventually be of interest to me LOL, but this new range launched by Beauty Bistro at the event is recommended for ladies from early thirties onwards, as aging starts then.
Prior to demonstrating the SHILLS Pure Gold Miracle Anti-Aging Series, lovely Sharon had to remove her make-up using the series’ signature SHILLS 8hrs Moisture Cleansing Oil containing NO MINERAL OIL, only natural botanical ingredients that mimic our facial sebum like olive oil, jojoba oil, etc PLUS the series’ luxurious signature nano gold particles for anti-aging.
In the pic above, Judy 老师 explaining the benefits of SHILLS Skin Recovery Essence, which contains nano gold particles, collagen, cactus extract, chamomile extract, Vitamin E, etc for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, giving you supple, radiant and hydrated skin! Below, Judy 老师 let Sharon try the SHILLS Skin Recovery Essence on her hand before applying on her face:
The anti-aging regime is then completed with lightweight SHILLS Skin Renewal Cream, containing deep-penetrating nano gold particles that combat aging, plus seaweed collagen, Vitamin E, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil etc, that work together to firm and calm delicate skin, so that you wake up to baby smooth skin every morning!
All in all, it was a really informative and eye-opening experience, to watch 女人我最大 (Lady First)’s Taiwan celebrity beauty & fashion guru Judy Lin 林叶亭 in her element onstage, dishing out her secret red-carpet tips to “commoners” (ok lah beauty bloggers are not considered commoners) like you and me. She was definitely inspiring to watch, and to emulate! If only we can all look like her in our forties… at least she left behind some golden (pun intended) beauty nuggets for us all to nibble and act on for our benefit!
Thank you Beauty Bistro for all the hard work behind the event, and for this awesome opportunity granted to all beauty bloggers, including me!
I’ll leave you with some more pictures at the Jurong Point event (slimming segment) later the same day, 25 Jun, 6 pm:
And do check out Beauty Bistro’s online store: they are currently having a S$4.60 (choose a Sguard Rock-On Mascara from Japan or QB Ladies 7day Deodorant Cream) National Day promotion for any regular item purchased. Offer ends 29 Aug 2011!
Hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed attending the event and learning firsthand from Ms Judy Lin Ye Ting 林叶亭 herself! Have a great weekend ahead
I bought quite a number of beauty products over the last coupla months, so I thought I’d organise my thoughts & purchases aloud here:
Facial/Eye Masks
1) Silk Whitia Hanfang Moisture Hydrating Mask (1 sheet)
2) My Beauty Diary (MBD) Natto masks (3 sheets)
3) MBD Platinum Nanocolloid masks (3 sheets)
4) Love More Rose Crystal & Tourmaline Moisturizing Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
5) Love More French Provence Lavender Nighttime Whitening Mask (1 sheet + 1 box of 5 sheets)
6) Watsons Lingzhi Eye Masks (Buy 1 box Get 1 free, 12 pairs in total)
7) SHILLS EX Peptide Lifting Eye Mask (2 boxes of 7 pairs/box) Love More Electric Ore Firming Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
9) Love More White Crystal & Platinum Whitening Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
10) Love More Alps Spring & Phytoncide Moisturizing Mask (1 sheet)
11) Love More Camellia & Tourmaline Whitening Mask (1 sheet)
12) SexyLook Super Moisturizing Duo Lifting Mask (1 sheet) UPDATE on 4 June, 2011:
Imagine my delight when I saw these babies sold by the sheet on the display rack at the front of Sasa NEX:
13) SexyLook Rejuvenating Duo Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
14) SexyLook Ultra Whitening Duo Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
15) SexyLook Intensive Firming Duo Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
16) SexyLook Extra Brightening Duo Lifting Mask (1 sheet)
BB Creams
1) L’egere White Multi BB Cream (SPF is not listed)
2) Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream with SPF 30 PA++
Eye Make-up
1) Marie Beauty Eye Cream false eyelash adhesive
2) Darkness glue for false eyelashes
3) PALz brand false eyelash adhesive
4) Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 01 Black
5) Maybelline Hyper Diamonds Eye Color Palette in GY-1 (greys)
6) KATE by Kanebo gel eyeshadow in BR-2 (brown), WT-1 (white) and BG-1 (blue-green)
7) Lioele Real Stick Eyeshadow #4 Olive Drab (warm shimmery green) False eyelashes from Ardell in #125 & Girls Aloud Lashes by Kimberly Walsh UPDATE on 4 June, 2011:
9) CANMAKE ShimmerJelly Eyes in 02 Sugar Milk Tea, 03 Strawberry Parfait and 04 Frozen Melon
Blushers
1) CANMAKE Cream Cheek in 01 (light peach pink), 06 (nutty brown) and 07 (warm pink)
Lipstick
1) Candy Doll Lipstick in OC, Vanilla Beige (nude)
Quite the haul huh?
Quick reviews/comments
I’ve got something to say about My Beauty Diary masks as well as some Love More masks I’ve tried… mostly bad experiences. Both MBD masks felt itchy and stinging on my skin (I gave away 2 of the Platinum Nanocolloid masks cos it felt so stinging on my skin and I suspected it caused 2 hugeass pimples afterwards). While the Love More Provence Lavender and Rose Crystal & Tourmaline aren’t so bad, they started feeling a bit uncomfy after a while (I can’t sleep with the mask on my face overnight). Nothing much to say about the Silk Whitia one, it just felt uncomfortable throughout.
Though the best experience I had was with the Love More Provence Lavender that prompted me to buy a whole box but I’m kinda regretting this now… It’s come to a point where I dare to put an eye mask on my eyes, but not a face mask for fear of it breaking me out and feeling just itchy and uncomfortable. Funny thing is, I wouldn’t classify my skin as sensitive… That’s why I don’t dare to buy a whole box of 5 face masks, I need to try a new mask sheet by sheet.
Eye-mask wise, the Watsons Lingzhi one had a tad brightening effect but I didn’t like the smell. I really like the SHILLS EX Peptide Lifting Eye Mask, look out for a review on it soon!
Some of the make-up boo-boos would have to be the Marie Beauty Eye Cream (works well but smells vile), Palz eyelash adhesive (same formula as DUO adhesive but takes many tries to stick well), KATE by Kanebo in BG-1 (I really wanted to like this but unfortunately it doesn’t look like a blue-green on the skin, just shimmery white/silver), CANMAKE Cream Cheek in 01 (too light so doesn’t show up well on my skin) and 06 (still not sure whether this works better as a cheek contour or blusher) and the Candy Doll in Vanilla Beige (cannot be worn on its own, will look like a corpse; can still be salvaged when mixed with another lip colour).
The hits would have to be the KATE gel eyeshadow in BR-2 (really love this, I’m glad I got this!), Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 01 Black (downside is you can’t leave the stuff in its brush cos the brush will turn hard & it will hurt to use it on the eyes, not sure if it’s cos the liner contains glass?) and Maybelline Hyper Diamonds Eye Color Palette in GY-1 (the pigment goes on well but the powders look hard in the display testing pans so still kinda tentative about rating this) for now!
I haven’t tried the Darkness glue, my Lioele Triple Solution BB cream, the last 9 facial masks in the list above, my KATE gel eyeshadow in WT-1, and all my CANMAKE ShimmerJelly Eyes but I can’t wait! (I’m having high hopes for both BB creams, the Darkness glue and the CANMAKE ShimmerJelly Eyes!)
Love More Electric Ore Firming Lifting Mask (1 sheet)