Hello again!

Well, a week late but here is that entry that I said I was going to do. Initially I had one thing to announce but it ended up being balled together with another to be one giant life update.

I don't do update entries so much anymore because frankly, I don't have very interesting things going on in my life that often. Plus I typically just stick to beauty ramblings in this space along with sprinkles of life, however a blog is still a blog and I like to just pin down and document little 'milestones' in my life be it small ones like changing jobs (which I did, more about it later!) or slightly bigger ones like the one I am about to unveil.

So first... remember that MBS weekend? Well.. this happened!

Together with 2 very awesome and dear friends, the boyfriend (no longer able to call him that) had planned this surprise and proposed to me - again.

I didn't tweet this because half the time I was still in shock and took awhile to really think and process about what I wanted to share on here such that it gives you a glimpse of us but doesn't bore you with personal details.

But why... again?

No, I didn't reject him the first time but rather I've always told him I'm not a girl who appreciates diamonds so I don't need that extra money spent on an engagement ring (hell, I'd rather save that for a honeymoon!) and I think if we have already planned to spend the rest of our lives together, I don't need a huge event or want him to stress out over how to propose either. I mean, he has already done a surprise 18th and 21st birthday party for me and I thought I had sucked all the surprise out of him.

Thus he had casually asked the question over our anniversary dinner last year (Sept) and I said 'yes'. It was a simple thing and I didn't broadcast it because... there really wasn't anything to broadcast - no ring or photos or flashy stuff to show so I kept it as is. With that we just proceeded to wedding talks, though the whole wedding dinner thing again doesn't appeal to me, ceremonial stuff must be done.

So.. this second proposal came as a complete, total, mind-blowing surprise because... I didn't think he would do it again.

But his rationale is that all girls want to have a proper proposal to remember and I guess as much as I have told him I didn't want anything flashy, I didn't want a diamond ring... girls are girls and at the end of it I was still very touched with his efforts. My pals had filmed a video but I'll just share the screencap to show you the 'setup'.

So that ended up a whole lot longer and more personal than I had intended but I guess simply putting the image and saying I'm Engaged is not doing the boy any justice. In a way, I guess I just wanted to thank him for the initiative and all to still go through with planning this even though he didn't have to.

Him aside, I am also really thankful to the 2 friends who were as worried as he was and made this proposal happen in such a special venue.

Sometimes in life we move too fast to really stop and thnk but thinking back, there are moments where I question what good have I done in life, what sort of karma points I have racked up to know such awesome people be it loved ones or friends. Not just talking about this situation but also lovely makeup pals I have met and some I have really bonded with and have aided me along.

I'm not some philosophical person but Life is really beautiful if you just take a moment appreciate every small thing!

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Okay, mushiness aside, on to a sad reality update.

So May was an awesome month because I took some time-off between jobs, worked on some freelance stuff to still get some moolah but most importantly, caught up on sleep!

I left my position at my previous company (yes, the offizcat one) and am joining a new one in June, which is tomorrow. Boo.

So while I'm feeling a down at the fact that I'll have to wake up earlier and travel to work with the office crowd all over again, I guess life is life and maybe it all wouldn't be so bad once I actually get started with work.

Incase I disappear for a bit after 1st of June, I'm still alive but probably just drowning in work ;)

Thanks for reading this life update and putting up with all the words!

Hello again everyone! Today is officially the last day of my 'freedom' so to speak, but more of that in another post.

In this one, I want to quickly share pictures and swatches of my first ever Butter London polish!

For the longest time I have been wanting to get my hands on these and sure they are available at Takashimaya but everytime I go by there (which isn't too often), I forget to drop by and check that display out. Though it's not like they have a huge range to choose from anyway.

So... enter ArglyDuckling!

ArglyDuckling is a new online boutique with a pretty quirky definition to themselves. In terms of the name, it's explains the general direction that all of us are just waiting to transform into beautiful swans with the right amount of effort and products!

I also like that apart from some familiar brands, ArglyDuckling aims to source out cutting edge brands that are not very known to us. So, instead of another online boutique carrying what everyone else has, ArglyDuckling has that little more to offer!

I think the easiest way would be for you to check out the website and find out for yourself!

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But back to my Butter London.

Putting 1 and 1 together, yes ArglyDuckling does stock Butter London on their website and it's a pretty decent selection of colors at that!

I picked out Muggins for myself as I am still in that whole pastel and light phase but the bright colors are tempting and I may just have end up with Butter London #2 in my stash soon.

Muggins is a greyish-pastel-purple that leans purple in some light but grey in others, making it quite a chore to capture on camera.

The polish feels runny in consistency (compared to what I am generally used to), though it builds up quite okay with 2 coats.

For the swatches below, I applied 3 thin coats to give it that more opaque finish and prevent the nail bed from peeking through at all.

While this was 3 coats, it didn't feel thick on due to the runny nature of the polish, so I guess that worked out in the end. It dries rather fast between coats as well so it doesn't take too long to paint 3 coats on.

In terms of color, I am really liking how soft Muggins is yet it still stands out in terms of the pastel purple. Like Dior's Glacier, I can definitely see myself reaching for this shade if I can't decide what to wear!

Butter London retails for S$23 on ArglyDuckling.com, which is cheaper than what we get at Takashimaya. Plus if you spend over S$50, you qualify for free postage!

Aside from Butter London, ArglyDuckling also carries Deborah Lippmann and Laqa & Co Polish Pens.

Thanks for reading and head on over to start shopping!

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

Apart from welcoming their new brand ambassadors, the Brown Eyed Girls, Skin79 also welcomes a new product to their shelves in Singapore!

Nope, it's not a new BB Cream nor is it a powder pact, it's actually a BB Cleanser!

A small part of me is going, FINALLY!

What are BB Cleansers and how do they differ from makeup cleansers or regular cleansers?

Well, here's what I know from before but I can't vouch it's the actual story or 'history'.

These days we have a more thorough makeup cleansing regime with cleansing oils and such but back when BB Creams first made their debut, many felt it was so much like skincare that normal cleansers would be good enough to remove it. Which then brought about the whole idea of BB Creams having their own special cleansers because it was said that normal cleansers didn't clean BB Creams off well enough.

There are still some mentions that BB Creams are hard to properly get off and all but I think almost nothing can phase oil cleansers, in terms of foundation at least.

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That's what I know but if it's total gibberish... I have been deceived!

Either ways, for Skin79, a brand that has so many different types of BB Creams under their wings, it's honestly about time they rolled out a BB Cleanser.

This cleanser comes with a handy pump that they claim is easy to work with. However, I find the oddly large shape something I have to get used to.

Regardless, you press - it dispenses. Simple as that!

This O2 BB Cleanser is a self-bubbling cleanser (that sounds cool) and comes with a whooping 6-in-1 effect.

Though the effects mainly cover things like properly removing BB Cream, lending a brightening effect, clearing up the skin sebum, offering elasticity and moisture, and also being paraben and color free.

So... going back to the cool sounding self-bubbling fact, here's how it works:

The product dispenses like a normal gel and instructions say to spread this over your face and leave it for a minute or two.

You probably don't have to wait for a minute because the self-bubbling does occurs after the gel has sat on the skin for awhile.

Here's the 'bubbling' that was captured. It is essentially more air bubbles forming within the gel.

(click to enlarge!)

While using this on my face I didn't notice the bubbles this obviously, perhaps because this was done on a dry hand? Though you can certainly feel some very minor bubbling occuring when you have this on your face - it's akin to an odd itch.

After all that, I like to rub and foam everything up again before I rinse it off.

Personally I like using this in the shower which is normally after I have removed my makeup for the day. Something about it being a BB Cleanser makes it feel like this could remove leftover makeup residue, if any.

It feels mild on the skin and is certainly moisturizing because my skin doesn't feel dry or stripped after using this. I didn't notice any film or residue on my face after the wash either.

The bubbling novelty is quite interesting too and I normally slap this on and proceed to rinse my hair conditioner out so I do allow some time to let it 'bubble' without just standing around waiting for it. Though I can't imagine waiting around everytime if I had to use this by the sink.

In all it's a cute product to check out if BB Cleansers are your thing or if you are looking into getting one! It's milder, more hydrating and not as invigorating as Etude House's Baking Soda BB Cleanser, which I used and loved from before, so... it really depends on what you are after!

Skin79's O2 BB Cleanser retails for S$24.90 at Watsons, John Little, Sasa & BHG

I was not expecting this simple post to turn into something this lengthy but thank you for reading!

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

I have recently hauled a fair bit and this may be one of those less guilty ones because... when is sunscreen ever a guilty pleasure, right?

It's a necessity and you could say that after my skin analysis, I have become a whole lot more receptive to sunscreens. I still have my reservations and don't like greasy, sticky ones but from the little description 'Watery mousse water base', this sounded pretty good.

What's more I noticed Kas was using it when she tweeted me the sunscreens she was rotating and it also sounded good from Mag's writeup about it.

So... what was I waiting for?

I went by Watsons to check this out when they had their 20% though sadly this wasn't on discount so I paid the full S$18.90 for it. Even then, S$18.90 is a good price for 33g of product.

I like that it comes in a slick and slim tube; easy to squeeze into a makeup bag and easy to store.

The product dispenses from a tapered nozzle as such.

One queer little fact about it was how it dispensed in tiny 'globs' and has a moussey-cream texture. Don't get me wrong, it's not hard to squeeze out but it has an oddity to its shape.

Though this small bit doesn't show much, you can see the little 'bumps' in it. It's interesting but nothing wrong with, it's just how the cream is.

When spreading it out, it feels extremely light-weight and almost as if I were spreading water. You can somehow feel it's mousse-cream texture yet it spreads extremely easily over the skin.

Upon setting, it does recall some of its sunscreen attributes such as a light tacky feeling on the skin though thankfully this is in no way greasy or oily feeling.

Somewhat a redundant shot but once blended out it leaves almost no trace on the skin - no white cast or greasy sheen.

I have worn this a couple of times, though not many as i had acquired it only last Friday, and I am liking it so far. I dare say I like it enough such that it could rival the number 1 spot with Aqualabel's White Protect Milk UV, which took that spot for a good long time.

Reason being?

While I feel a little tack to this on my face after blending it out, it's subtle enough that I can ignore it and not feel the need to set it with a powder, unlike my Leaders Clinic which blends out relatively light but I must set it, still. Plus this has a higher SPF value than Aqualabel Milk UV and while word is SPF 30 is sufficient for daily usage, I think the scorching sun begs to differ these days. The watery blending period also makes it quite fun to use, right now that is, since it is still 'new' to me.

Regardless, I will continue using this and see how it goes. If I change my mind about anything I will report back but so far so good!

I have to thank my pals Kas and Mag for pointing me the comfy way to sun protection!

What are some of your favorite drugstore sunscreens?

Thanks for reading!

Previously I had shared that DFS Galleria, located at Scottswalk, had experienced a facelift and are introducing a new service called the Beauty Concierge.

Reading the press release, I was curious as to how the Beauty Concierge would play out and as it happens, I was invited down by their lovely PR folks for a tour of the venue and a Beauty Concierge experience.

Starting this off, I will share the new look of DFS Galleria before going into detail about the Beauty Concierge Experience (which is an extremely enjoyable service).

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If you had frequented DFS Galleria before the revamp, you would remember it as a rather quiet place that is hidden away on the second storey. However after the revamp, the beauty section greets you the minute you step through the automated doors.

Aside from getting hit by a blast of cool air, loud and lively music fills the area and honestly does bring up the mood of the place. I find at least, though I know some prefer to shop in a quiet environment.

This counter sits right by the door and is basically the 'promotional area', very much like the one at Takashimaya. It doesn't belong to one brand and changes over time depending on who wishes to promote what.

The new DFS Galleria looks very sleek and has a fairly spacious walkway. The brands in the centre have a good amount of counter space and the brands by the side practice a shop-in-shop concept.

From a glance, it seems like it's a shopping mall with little shops within.

La Mer's beautifully done up space.

Aside from Giorgio Armani (whom everyone knows is at DFS already), I'm also stoked to have Helena Rubinstein! I have been intrigued with their mascaras for the longest time and have only seen this within the airport's duty free.

And of course, right by the door so you can't miss it.

Since this is a DFS outlet, it does stock some travel sets and full sized promotional packs that you often see at the airport (most notable being the Lancôme Génifique sets). Though the prices aren't as much of a steal as the airport (of course), some still work out cheaper than buying the full size alone.

Shu Uemura's Art of Travel

Aside from the travel sets, I was told that counters here have their own special promotion or gift-with-purchase that differs from counters outside.

Moving on from cosmetics, there is also a perfume section where you can find a pretty good range of perfumes, all neatly shelved.

Again, since this is all about travel, you do find mini travel sized packs here as well.

I think that in an overall, with all the sets and special packages, gifting makeup and perfume just got a whole lot easier.

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After my quick tour of the new area, I was brought over to a corner where the Beauty Concierge was tucked away at.

What I gathered in my mind (from the press release) about the Beauty Concierge was perhaps a small open space in the center of DFS but what I saw was a completely different thing.

Upon walking through that small walkway, you will be in a private and enclosed area that is still rather spacious.

Within this spacious yet cozy area, there is a...

make over section

Skin analysis corner

and also a facial massage bed!

To refresh your memories about the Beauty Concierge, it aims to provide a highly personalized experience for customers by offering complimentary and premium beauty treatments / services in privacy.

The Beauty Concierge specialists are neutral parties and not affiliated to any of the brands. They will base their recommendations on what your skin requires, via the skin analysis, and what you are looking for.

Here's a list of the complimentary services offered at the Beauty Concierge:

• Personalised skin consultation
• Signature skin treatments
• Therapeutic hand massages
• Eyebrow shaping
• Makeovers (including the use of airbrush makeup technology)
• Makeup Workshops and Techniques

 

With my visit, I got to try out the skin consultation, mini facial (falls under signature skin treatments) and make over.

Starting off, I did my skin consultation with this machine.

What it does is take various shots of your face (front and side) and analyse that to give you an overview of your skin conditions.

The results or rather the analysis provided is a comparison to your age group (you provide your name and birth year before you start) hence it makes more sense and gives you an idea of how your skin compares to others your age.

So while the skin analysis can be daunting (to know the truth), it is not 'unreasonable' such that younger skin will have a better result.

Just to share, here are the results that I got:

The closer to 100%, the better and like in exams, 50% is the passing mark.

After your analysis, the Beauty Consultant will sit down with you and run through the results with you, explaining each category and also explaining the 'marking' the machine does on your face.

I find this to be particularly helpful because I was wondering why I scored so low for 'Wrinkles' and according to the BC (beauty consultant), the machine captured some baby hairs by the side of my forehead and deemed those as fine lines. Grr!

Though truth is truth, I scored horribly for UV Spots and Porphyrins which means no more slacking off sunblock, more whitening in my life and also more exfoliating / clarifying masks.

Aside from the BC recommended you steps and tips to take if a category is of a concern to you, the machine also recommends various products from the brands available.

Apart from all this, there are also other cool features to this, such as being able to see your skin from a 3D point of view. That is if you were every wondering how your skin looks like on a flat plane. It is also useful for examining skin textures and problem areas.

See little bumps and ridges? Apparently machines are even more ruthless than my sense of touch.

After this, the therapist asked what sort of a treatments or concerns am I looking at and I instantly mentioned my UV Spots. Hence she proceeded to do a Brightening mini facial on me using products from Shiseido's White Lucent range.

The mini facial consists of a stimulating and relaxing facial massage followed by the BC patting and rubbing the skincare products in for me.

How I wish I had someone to pat and rub skincare in for me on nights where I am too tired to bother with my regimen (but still do anyway)!

Though the massage is relaxing, the loud and lively music from outside does drift in along with the occasional renovation drilling but from what I know they are looking to do something about that. It didn't bother me too much since it was a quick session.

 

After the mini facial you can up-and-go or opt for a makeover / makeup touch up service.

Since I was meeting some friends, I wanted a light touch up though the makeup artist was excitedly introducing and sharing products that I ended up with a proper full face of makeup.

Ah well, at least the make over experience was such fun!

And the final look, though the lighting isn't quite the best.

Products Used:

FACE
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in No. 4
Giorgio Armani Loose Powder in No. 2 (to set)

EYES
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill in No. 11
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom
MAC Pro Longwear in Carefree
Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Black Plum
Lancôme Le Crayon Khôl in Black Ebony
Lancôme Artliner in Noir
Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Black (WP)

Blush
Bobbi Brown Powder blush in Slopes 17

Lipstick
Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani in Beige 101
Giorgio Armani Gloss d'Armani in Pink 500

As I was in casual jeans, the makeup artist (Siti, if I'm not wrong) thought to give me a light look yet still with a little oomph since I wanted subtle smokiness.

I ended up lemming quite a few items she used, such as GA's Rouge d'Armani in Beige 101, which unfortunately was out of stock.

I never looked to Bobbi Brown eyeshadows prior but the one she used, Black Plum, is a gorgeous deep brown with an aubergine edge. I can't seem to get that one out of my mind yet!

 

In Conclusion
I had a very enjoyable and insightful experience at the DFS Galleria's Beauty Concierge and the skin analysis really taught me where to look in terms of my skin concerns. I would highly recommend everyone to go for the skin consultation to see if you are really using the right approach in terms of caring for your skin and if it is meeting your needs. While the BC said I can continue on with hydrating products, I think I need to start introducing whitening products into my regimen and also be a whole lot more disciplined when it comes to using sunblock!

The make over service is also a good way to be introduced to new brands if you let the make up artist do their thing! They are very helpful and Siti followed me out when I wanted to check out some of the items she had used. She also introduced me to a few other things and created some lemmings (ahem GA Face Fabric) but all my rambling aside, this is truly something you should check out for yourself!

The Beauty Concierge services are complimentary and by-appointment only.
Call +65 62298107 to book an appointment.

Also do check out the newly revamped DFS Galleria if you haven't already! I dropped by twice and didn't manage to leave empty handed both times... more about that soon!

 

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure:
Session was hosted by DFS Galleria and Mercury PR, special thanks for their hospitality.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

This is going to be such a quick and short haul entry that it's almost like a 'post and run' but I wanted to put this up and hope that the promotion is still going on!

I wandered over to Watsons with Mag and Monica the other day to check out the Essence duo polishes (which are wiped out at Ngee Ann City) and ended up spotting these 'new' designs.

I don't know how new they are but according to Monica, some of the designs (not the one I picked up) are their Easter specials and features cute little polka dots and birds.

I contemplated on those but ended up getting this picnic-mat styled design.

Incase bright colors aren't quite your thing, this picnic-mat design comes in black and white too.

 

Like I said, very quick post because I don't intend to wear these stickers yet and I still have an unopened pack of 8 in another design.

Though these Sally Hansen stickers really are good to have around for quick (and lasting) nail fixes and I bought these at 20% off at Watsons! Which makes it about S$14-ish as opposed to the usual of S$17.90.

Though I wandered into Guardian another day and saw the same promotion, S$14-ish for the same designs so... there you go!

US still has a much larger range of designs and have even put out toe nail decals already, not that I will be jumping on that ship but... I wish we got more over here!

 

Ah well, hope everyone is having a good Monday. Thanks for reading!

It really is the season for letting your lips do the talking and it's hard to deny that now as Lancôme looks to roll out 27 new shades in June with their upcoming Rouge in Love line.

This line has been launched in the US way ahead and created a frenzy of it's own. If you have been stalking the US swatches and waiting for it to be launched here, well... word is that the formula and even colors we are getting differs.

We will be getting the 'Asian version' of the lipsticks in 27 pearlescent and glossy shades while the US received 21 shades in a more cream-finish formula (at least what I gather from the swatches).

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The 27 different shades are classified into 3 categories, or rather 3 different moods for your day.

You know how we often have certain lipsticks that we wear 'during the day' or for a 'casual evening out with girlfriends' or perhaps that sultry one for a 'party through the night'.

Well that is exactly the different moments and moods that Lancôme wished to capture with Rouge in Love's 3 categories.

Jolis Matins - the morning, a beautiful day
Boudoir Time - cosy catchups in the late afternoon
Tonight is My Night - the magic of the night, moments to be seized

Each 'moment' does carry a healthy range of shades so you will still be able to find reds within Jolin Matins and lighter corals with Tonight is My Night.

The overall tone does get more sultry through the moments but there are still enough shades to pick one that best represents you!

Denoted with the letter 'M' within the name.

Jolis Matins shades - Fresh, natural and radiant with a hint of pearl particle to instantly get you in the mood and start your day!

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Denoted with the letter 'B' within the name.

Boudoir Time shades - Punchy shades that are electrified with intense pearl particles to charm while you chill.

--

Denoted with the letter 'N' within the name.

Tonight is My Night shades - Sultry, seductive and enchanting with an infusion of golden pearl particles to mirror the twinkling of city lights.

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While the above isn't the best representation of the colors, it does give you a rough idea of the 'tone' within each moment.

I managed to get the chance to preview all the 27 shades in person and while I didn't swatch every single one of them, here are some of my favorite picks or colors that really appealed to me.

I know, here are only 7 sad swatches from the lot of 27 but have no fear! Evonne had done the tedious task of swatching all 27 shades, so do hop on over to her entry to check them out!

I will share more information about the lipstick wear time and lip swatches in a later post but this is merely a brief introduction to this extensive lipstick collection that will be available to us coming June!

The lipsticks will retail for S$40 and if you feel too overwhelmed to make your choice now, the good thing is that this range will be permanently available at Lancôme counters!

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Long entry aside, Giveaway time!

Lancôme had generously offered to giveaway deluxe-sized samples (cute little Rouge in Loves!) to 3 of my readers!

All you have to do is watch the following video clip directed by Adria Petty and set to music by Brigitte for the promotion of Rouge in Love.

After watching, simply answer, "Who is the Popular Actress featured within the video?"

Comment below with the following in order to qualify!

• your email address
• your answer to the question

 

This contest will run till 31st May, open to those residing in Singapore only.

I will randomly choose 3 winners from the mix of correct answers and notify you all again after! Good luck!

 

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure:
I am not affiliated to Lancôme and all opinions expressed are my own.

Hello everyone!

It seems I may have disappeared from the online realm for awhile. I could actually count the number of tweets I made over the past 3 days, which is typically quite impossible given my usual twitter spam.

Right now, I've managed to take a breather from life and draft up this quick review (haven't done reviews in awhile too)!

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I received a travel sized bottle (30ml) of Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes, which is essentially an eye makeup remover.

Instead of the liquid-like formulas that I am used to when it comes to eye makeup removers, this dispenses like a gel and functions somewhat like a cleanser.

This mineral-oil free product says it is gentle enough on the eyes such that it doesn't irritate sensitive skin yet still potent enough to crack down waterproof makeup.

If anything, I find this aqua blue blob really adorable.

That is about the amount I used for one eye with this demonstration but you can squeeze out a little more if you wish.

So how this works is that you rub the gel over your eye (dry hands, dry face) and watch as it breaks down your eyeshadow, eyeliner and also your waterproof mascara.

To properly remove my eyeliner I had to rub this very close to my waterline and lashline which resulted in a small bit of it getting into my eye. Though I didn't notice any stinging, any discomfort or even blurry vision (which sometimes occurs with my oil cleansers).

The end result isn't very pretty but as you rub, the gel seems to get 'absorbed' and 'dries up' which means you have a time frame to work with the removal process but generally it's good enough.

Alternatively, the bigger the dollop, the slower it takes to 'dry up'! It doesn't end up feeling greasy or oily on the skin nor does it feel stripping.

As you can see below, it does properly remove my mascara and also my liner. I happened to be using a Majolica Majorca mascara at this time and we all know how much of a pain that can be to remove.

All that's left to do after using this on both eyes is to give your face a good wash. Hence the whole black smear around the eye area doesn't bother me since I normally wash my face with a cleansing oil after removing my eye makeup.

Here's the end product after cleansing the face:

There isnt any leftover mascara on my lashes nor are there any smudges from the liner. I didn't cheat with using the cleansing oil to get at those areas either.

Conclusion
In all, I really like this for how it works and the fact that it does work! It's quick and easy to carry around incase you are traveling and don't want to fuss with bringing cotton pads. For those who use their cleansing oils to remove eye makeup, perhaps this could be an additional step to you. Though personally, I like using a separate eye makeup remover since most cleansing oils end up giving me that blurry eye effect too.

I would recommend this for those looking for a gentle yet effective eye makeup remover - especially so for resilient waterproof mascara lovers!

According to makeupforever.com, this retails in 2 different sizes - 30ml (as I have here) and 100ml.

I haven't been to a Sephora of late to check out the price of this but I will update this post once I find out!

 

What are some of your favorite eye makeup removers?

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

Well, apologies for directing attention to Hello Kitty once more for those who aren't fans but I thought I would share my thoughts after having tried this mask out.

One thing is for sure, it really doesn't make you a sparkly pretty kitty after but it's still good in other ways.

Description:
Strawberry Essence to help tighten large and visible pores; Collagen and Royal Jelly Essence help keep skin hydrated for that soft and glowing complexion.
(information from the box)

So while the description provided is pretty short and sweet, it promises to tighten visible pores, hydrate the skin and give a glowing complexion! That sounds pretty good to me yet at the same time seems to be the general promise of most face masks.

Except? This has Hello Kitty printed all over it.

Here's the ingredients listing again for those who are interested. I'm not quite sure which is the Strawberry Essence, Collagen or Royal Jelly Essence with all the code names involved so I can't decipher the percentage that is within the mask.

(click to enlarge)

Sadly the mask itself doesn't come with an adorable Hello Kitty print within nor is it shaped like the Kitty but if it helps, it is Strawberry scented.

It's a sweet and gummy sort of Strawberry scent, yet not too sweet that it is sickening. Though I must admit that at the start I did think 'whoa, gummy...' since I am used to the pleasant, soft and hard-to-classify scents from other facial masks.

The mask itself comes entirely soaked with essence and when I say soaked, I really mean soaked!

It's not soaked to the point that it would cause a mess to remove with the plastic insert but I was conscious about not pressing on the mask too hard so I don't squeeze the essence out.

Fabric-wise, it is of a comfortable thin-ness such that it clings and contours well to the face.

I wouldn't say this mask is fragile but cloth being cloth, once soaked it has a tendency to tear if you are as careless as I am. The mask has a slightly smaller eye hole than I am used to so while shifting it around to get comfortable I made a tiny little tear on the right side (farther back in the image above).

Ignore the scary eye veins but you know how normal masks can fit one and a half of an eye with their holes, this fits one eye perfectly.

The following were some post-mask effects I noticed:

• The face felt nicely hydrated and smooth
• Because the mask is so soaked, there was a lot of essence on the skin after, I definitely cannot imagine someone just rubbing and leaving that amount on!
• Skin felt refreshed, partly due to the uplifting scent too
• pores feel temporarily smoothened out (a post-mask thing)
• Skin looked brightened (post-mask thing)

 

In conclusion, this was actually a pretty nice mask to use and I grew to like that gummy strawberry scent. It was cooling and refreshing on because the mask was so well soaked and it certainly hydrated my skin well.

I liked the pore smoothening and skin brightening effect after though it probably wore off the next day but I certainly have good thoughts about this mask, enough to use it again!

You can find Sexylook's Hello Kitty Strawberry Perfect Glowing Silk Mask at Watsons outlets!

Thanks for reading, do you have a nice refreshing mask that you turn to?

Hello everyone!

I have a piece of not very makeup related news to share sometime this week (and no it's not Diablo 3) but while I prepare the best way to announce or mention that, here's a LOTD I had done using the Kate Cosmetics Real Create Eyes Palette that I had recently received.

Phew, what a long sentence!

I started the look with a mind to follow the step-by-step application method listed in the pamphlet but mid-way through I somehow reverted to my preferred application method (in terms of color placement and all). Oops. Guess some habits die hard!

The colors give an almost translucent look to them while still carrying a soft pigmentation, enough for definition but not too strong that it is harsh. What I like most though is how the Clear Jelly and the main color (green in this case) carries very pearlescent shimmers that really enhances the look.

From afar the shadows don't appear very strongly though they do brighten the eye area.

Products Used:

BROWS / FACE
K-Palette Liquid Brow Liner (with powder) in 01
Skin79 Gold BB Cream
Cezanne Powder Foundation

EYES
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Kate Real Create Eyes Palette in GN-1
28 Color Palette (crease and highlight)
Clio Professional Brush liner in Black
MAC Powerpoint Liner in Engraved
Dollywink Mascara in Volume

CHEEKS
MAC MSF in Redhead

LIPS
Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in N5 Nude Beige

Highlighted products were provided by companies/distributors,
I was not obliged to use/feature them in LOTDs.

Side-tracking a little but aside from putting the spotlight on Kate's Real Create Eyes Palette, I am also wearing Make Up For Ever's Rouge Artist Natural in N5 Nude Beige (mentioned here). This lipstick is fast becoming a favorite of mine since I reach for it so often these days.

Bringing it back to the Kate palette, here's a rough diagram of how I placed the colors from the palette:

White opacity - Clear Jelly (A) applied all over lids.
Champage shade - Shade C applied on the inner lids
Light mint green - Shade B dabbed on the centre of the lids
Darkest brown - Shade E to give an outer-v definition.
Grey brown - Shade D blended up from the lash line

 

Overall I do like this palette and I think for GN-1 at least, shade B really does make it a whole lot more awesome with the pearlescent green dimensions. The Clear Jelly itself carries some shimmer and pearly effects but I wouldn't use it often. While I personally didn't experience any creasing during my wear, perhaps oilier lids might find the Clear Jelly to cause creasing for them.

The very fine shimmer particles did migrate a little to the under eye portion but since they are so fine and small flecks, it really didn't bother me. I did not notice any fading in the intensity of the look on the lid over time.

As I had mentioned before, these shadows are lovely to own and if you are a fan of such translucent, pearly and soft shades, these Real Create Eyes Palettes from Kate Cosmetics are worth a look!

Thanks for reading!