Nail colour: Christmas 2011 + tutorial

Christmas is just over and I wanted to post some pictures of the nails of how it looks like. Basically during Christmas, you would see festive lights everywhere you go. So the nails ought to SHINY! :P

So here is a few pictures of my nails:

As can be seen, the colours used were purple and gold. I did not paint it red and gold as I thought that it would be too cliche. So yea~ The gold shimmer nail polish just seems to give my nails a bit of a glow making it look like it has a tinge of purple in it!

So without further ado, here's how I created this look! Basically I am just showing you the colours of the nail polish I used to create this look. Feel free to use other colours and experiment with it! :D

Step 1: After applying your base coat, proceed on to apply your base colour. In my case, the base colour would be purple. The purple nail polish that I used is from Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri collection in Pronto Purple.

I bought it at Watsons during some sale where it was buy 1 get 1 free. Since Sally Hansen's nail polishes are known to be slightly on the pricier side, I decided to get 2 colours during that sale. One of which is this!

Step 2: After the base colour have dried up, proceed to apply whatever shimmery nail polish colour that you have colour the initial base colour. The shimmery gold nail polish that I applied is from The Face Shop in GL111. I guess GL stands for glitter?

The Face Shop sells quite a wide range of nail colours at affordable prices, hence you might want to check the range out if you do not like to spend much on nail polishes. Do feel free to test out the nail polish before buying it in case the colour does not come out like what you would expect it to be. They allow testing to be done and there are even nail polish removers by the side for you to remove the nail polish after trying it on your own nails. But please don't be a cheapo and paint your nails there k? haha~

Step 3: This step is optional, but to portray more of the 'festive lights', I added another layer of glitter on top of it. The glitter I used was bought from Korea, with glitter stars and dots in it. The stars signify the beauty of the festive lights at night!

Step 4: Apply the top coat and you would have the final product! Its a relatively easy nail tutorial but still manages to give off the feeling that you have went for a manicure! haha~ Oh yea, not forgetting to mention, both the base coat and top coat that I used was from OPI - Start to finish.

Remembering to apply base coat is important so as to prevent your nails from being stained by the nail polish. Top coat on the other hand can be skipped. At the expense of lesser shine and nails being chipped more easily. But it is not as important as applying the base coat if you are in a hurry.

Oh yea~ Most stores now have post-Christmas sales ongoing to get rid of their Christmas stock? So you guys might like to check them out before the offer is over? That's all for now~ Till the next time!

Christmas Hauls (Part 2): Sasa, Daiso, etc

Here is the second installment of my hauls during the Christmas season! Its a little late due to me procrastinating. However, I believe that everyone managed to get suitable Christmas prezzies for all their loved ones!

Without further ado, let me start of with my buys from Sasa! First and foremost are 2 bath sets. During this period, many stores would sell bath products at 'sale prices', therefore this is using a good time to get some products for both your friends and yourself.

I prefer the second set more as it has a wider range of stuff and is more presentable as a whole. However, since I'm taking them out of their boxes and splitting them up equally, it does not really matter to me whether or not they are presentable or not.

Seeing that I have already decided to buy the 2 packages, the salesperson was nice enough to help me wrap them up (Yup, they have gift wrapping services!) while I look at other products in the store to see what else they have to offer. She also gave me a brochure with all the offers they have currently which was very sweet of her. So these are the other products that I got! A smokey eyeshadow make-up quad for $9.90! A steal! Plus 2 sets of fake eyelashes that I can't rmb how much they cost.

Zooming in to the smokey eyeshadow make-up quad, the thing that caught my eye the most was that it showed you how to apply the various different eye colours at the back of the quad. This makes it a suitable quad for those who have just begin learning to apply eye shadows! This quad comes in 4 different combos. Can't wait to try it. Will review this after trying it out!

Moving on, I also went to Daiso to purchase some Christmasy looking bags that I can place the bath products in. My friends and I had a Secret Santa Christmas exchange picnic where we bought a present for the person that we picked. However, we could still buy prezzies for the rest if we liked. So the bath products are what I bought for the rest of my friends. I placed them in cute looking Christmas bags from Daiso!

The good thing about it is that they are all 2 dollars! A steal considering how cute the bags are! As can be seen, I also bought an eyelash curler as my old 1 is like I said, pretty old! hehe~

After which, I proceeded on to NTUC to look around. And this was what I got for my other Christmas exchange party! The cap was $20. Since I had no idea who was going to pick my gift, I played safe by choosing a universal gift that everyone loves unless you are a chocolate hater that is! Cadbury assorted chocolates for only $15 ++ and 2 candy canes! **yums yums**

Last but not least, one of my friends introduced me to this site where I could get branded cosmetic products at a cheaper price due to them having imported them directly from the producers or sth. And this is what I got for my "secret santa" recipient!

An 'autumn-y' necklace that suits her to the T and an Estee Lauder flora pouch! Absolutely love it! Delivery only took 2 working days and you are able to choose what period you want it to be delivered. Will definitely buy again from that site!

Here is the link for the site: http://sg.bestbuy-world.com

My next post would most likely be my L'oreal warehouse sale hauls. Till the next time~

Christmas Hauls (Part 1): Lush, The Face Shop, Forever 21

Been blogging lesser lately due to me trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. Been going to the gym in the morning after which, I would go about doing my everyday routine (eg. meeting friends, slacking at home etc.) and after which, sleeping early due to being tired from gym-ing and what not. So have not been sparing much time for blogging. After all, this blog is just a place for me to relieve my stress while doing what interests me! :)

As said, I have been going out quite often with friends to shop; mainly to get Christmas prezzies and also, giving myself the excuse of splurging during this festive month! :P

First and foremost, I went to the newly opened Lush outlet at Wisma Atria! Was close to hyperventilating when I first heard it was going to open an outlet in Singapore. It was to the point that I would stalk its Facebook page to get details on the actual day it was opening. However, I only went there on the third day as I HATE squeezing with dozens of people on the first day. In addition to that, they had a cocktail party theme! More reasons as to why I refused to go on the first day! haha~

On the the third day I was there, most fresh face mask and some other products were out of stock. Lucky I was not that interested in the face masks (YET) as I have a TON of others at home. Will try to finish some of them first before buying those from Lush.

Anyway, back to the main topic. Out of those that were out of stock were the extremely large bottles (500g) of SNOW FAIRY: a shower gel for both the body and hair. So basically you can use it either on your body or your hair; whichever way you like. I suppose the 500g bottles were sold out as this is only a seasonal product (only during Christmas period) which is why everybody is stocking up on it.

I myself decided to buy a 250g bottle after much researching. (It was highly raved about by LOADS of people) It was also more economical to buy the bigger bottle for $20. sth dollars instead of the 100g ones for $10. sth dollars. [If you calculate by proportions]

Here is a picture of SNOW FAIRY that I bought:

All I can say is... I HATE THIS PRODUCT FOR NUTS! I totally can't stand the smell! Its too strong. When smelling the product in the shop, it didn't smell THAT strong. It could be due to the overwhelming smell of all the products in the shop. (Will talk about that in a while) But basically, I do not like this product. The description says its supposed to smell of bubblegum. It smells a little like bubblegum but more like really sweet barley? (Not that I hate barley) But you know the smell of very sweet candy? The kind you can smell from a distance when your friend open its wrappers? That is exactly how it smells like. Its smell is too overpowering that I get a headache.

So this is a MISS for me. I would either give it to my sister if she likes it or give it to my friends!

I bought another 2 products from the shop; Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb & Space Girl Bath Bomb.

Here is how Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb looks like:

I've already used it so I just grabbed the picture from the Lush website. Basically, it just 1 blue robot which makes your bath water blue in colour. (Put it in your bath tub and it fizzles when in contact with water) It has lavender in it which makes it very good for those in need of relaxing after a long day at work. Mine broke into half when I took it out of the bag. But it works just fine broken.

Price: ~$5.70 (?)

Here is how Space Girl Bath Bomb looks like:

This on the other hand makes the water in your tub purple in colour with slight shimmers. The shimmers are really small so there is no problem cleaning your bathtub after that as it just washes down with the water.

Price: ~$6.95 (?)

So that's basically all I got from Lush but I will definitely be going there to buy more products as the price is not SUPER expensive. Its reasonably priced. However, the smell of the shop itself is very overpowering. Even though I love Lush, I feel that the overpowering smell is due to the fact that the shop is quite small, however, the products were close to overflowing in the shop making there very little space left to walk. (It isn't the case for Lush outlets in the US as they are usually very large and airy, allowing there to be ventilation)

One thing the staff at Lush could do is to put coffee beans on standby for those who have their nose blocked by the overpowering smell. This prevents people from making "wrong" purchases (like yours truly here).

On to stuff that I bought from The Face Shop. I just bought 'ONE' package from that shop. Which consists of: Raspberry Roots Sleeping Mask, Aqua Water Drop Pack & 2 face masks. (random)

I went there with the original intention to buy a nose pack that was highly raved about but kinda got 'derailed' from my original intentions. It all comes in a pack together, with both sleeping mask being 50mL each. (It will last a very long time! Trust me!) I've only tried the Raspberry sleeping mask twice, but so far.... IT WORKS WONDERS! The day after waking up, your skin will feel as smooth as silk!

It makes a good Christmas prezzie for your close "girlfriends" as it is not only good, but affordable.

Price: $15.90 (plus they gave me a mini candy cane! :P)

Last but not least, I went to Forever 21! (All on the same day!) And I bought an UMBRELLA! haha~ Not just any umbrella but one that has the FOREVER 21 logo on it! EXCITED!

When closed, it looks like this:

Gotta love the handle! Its so cute! the handle can be extended to a comfortable length. So don't worry about it being to short!

It also has a cute yellow cover where you can keep your umbrella in after which!

The thing I like about the cover is that its not like many other umbrella covers that only fit the umbrella just right only after wrapping it really tightly and nicely. This is slightly looser. Which means that even if you do not fold it properly, you would not have a problem trying to squeeze the umbrella into the cover. And best is that the cover will not slid off too! YAY!

I love the signature colour of yellow and black for this umbrella! Just gives a very sunny feeling even though its raining. It same when folded but when opened, is quite large! Able to cover 1 person perfectly!

Price: $5

That's all for today~! Will continue writing part 2 of my hauls tomorrow after I go check out the L'oreal sale at *scape tomorrow! :P Excited much! To know more details about the L'oreal sale happening, check out the following link below:
http://livinginsingaporetoday.com/19404/loreal-christmas-beauty-sale-2011/

Beauty tip for December

Try not to shampoo your hair regularly, maybe like once every 2 days. (or once every day if you are not able to adhere to this) Washing your hair too many times actually strip your hair of essential oils which would result in your hair being dry.

When shampoo-ing your hair, try to concentrate more on your scalp as compared to your roots. On the other hand, in the case of the conditioner, try not to apply it to your scalp and concentrate on your roots instead. By applying conditioner to your scalp, you are actually weighing down your hair.

(Think about it this way, imagine using shampoo to get rid of the oil in your scalp. However, putting conditioner to your scalp is actually like re-applying that "oil" to your scalp which defeats the whole purpose of shampoo-ing your hair!)

Review: EverSoft WHITE Night Repair Cream

Introducing.... EverSoft WHITE Night Repair Cream..... (Available at Watsons)

EFFECTIVE-NESS:

Honestly speaking, I do not really like this night moisturiser. It does little for people with dry to combination skin. Having dry to combination skin myself, I feel that this does not hydrate my face enough late in the night. Hence I would always have to reapply so that my face would not feel "tight". And even after using it for about 2 weeks, result are not very visible to me. So yea~


PACKAGING:
The packaging is good where you are able to scoop whatever amount you like out. However, I feel that its hard to close the cap properly. It takes a few times for me to actually twist the cover close as its cap always appear slanted. I'm not sure whether the problem lies with me or the fact that the cap is designed weirdly. The whole container is also really light even with 40mL in it. It might be good for those who are travelling as it does not take much space in your luggage and is really lightweight. However, other might find it "cheap" looking? It all boils down to one's personal preference.


PRICE:
Price is reasonable though. Its around $10~ plus/minus for 40mL.

Would I Buy it again next time? No.

Beauty tip for November

To ensure that maximum amount of moisture is locked into your skin after your shower, be sure to apply moisturiser to the areas of concern within 10 minutes after you have come out from your shower.

Beauty tip for October

Have blisters while wearing your new heels? Need plasters? Throw them away! Vaseline is here to save your day!

Just apply some to the areas of your feet where you feel that blisters would form and WALAH! All would be fine!

Review: Good Look hair spray

After watching many YouTube videos on hair tutorials, I decided to buy a hair spray to help in the staying power of my hair. So off I went to Watsons to buy a hair spray. After contemplating on which hair spray I wanted, I decided to give the hairspray from GOOD LOOK a try!

What it claims:
1) Brilliant shine
2) Long lasting hold
3) Easy to brush and wash out
4) No stickiness

It is suitable for all hair types and consists of vitamin E in it. It also states that it conditions and revitalize hair. Looks promising and since it has vitamin E in it, why not give it a try?

Pros:

It holds true to what it says for point 3 and 4. Not very sure about the shine part. As for the long lasting hold, as long as you do not re-comb your hair, it will hold relatively well. Best part is, its one of the cheapest hairsprays! If I do not remember wrongly, its below $10.

Cons:

The smell is slightly off putting. I can never get used to the smell of it whenever I spray it onto my hair. Every time I spray it, I will have to hold my breathe. However, the smell is not as strong once you have sprayed it onto your hair. So if you are not particular about the smell, this is good enough. The hold is only relatively strong. So if you are looking for sprays that are really strong, this is not the 1 for you.

L'Oreal's promotion

There is currently an ongoing L'Oreal promotion at all Watsons outlet where the 2nd item bought will go for only $2. So for all those who loves L'Oreal products, be sure to check them out soon as the promotion ends on the 17th of October.

Con: The choices given are limited. From what I know, you are not allowed to mix and match the products. You are only allowed to buy the 2nd item allocated to the first product that you are buying. Which is like totally meh~

Anyway, it would be best to check out what is on promotion first before going down to check it out in case the product that you want is not included in the promotion.

Kiehl's: Ultra Facial Cream

Went to US last June and bought this from one of the Kiehl's outlets. Was not really knowledgeable about Kiehl's product (other than knowing that it is a REALLY FAMOUS brand) but went into the store anyway since my friends wanted to buy some products. Since my friends were all raving about their products, I decided to give 1 product a try.

And that was KIEL"S ULTRA FACIAL CREAM!

Since the weather there was like about 14 degrees and I have really dry skin, I decided to pick this up! Low and behold! Its really does what it says! It keeps skin moisturised and supple throughout the day while feeling really light on the skin. This is ideal considering the weather in Singapore is super hot and humid. A good buy if you ask me. It will probably stay in my normal skincare routine for a really long time~

Con: It is twice the price in Singapore($51) and compared to in the US($24).

Hansaplast: Anti-Insect Spray

Feel like going for a hiking trip? Don't know which insect repellent to choose? Personally, I would choose:

HANSAPLAST ANTI-INSECT SPRAY!

Review: After using it like countless of times for my ODAC trips, I can safely say that it is SUPER effective! Other than that, it contains quite a large amount of 100mL (which can last a REALLY LONG time) and SMELLS GREAT! I always put a great emphasis on the smell other than the effectiveness of a product. You don't want an insect repellent that smells bad when you are not able to bathe in a forest right? So that about explains it all!

Cons: Does not come in a small bottle. (Not that I've seen any though)

Vinhy Laboratoires: Thermal Spa Water

Went to Watsons a few days ago and found this on sale!

I almost hyperventilated when I saw this and grabbed it without thinking! Its more than half the price off and for an established brand like Vichy, I felt like it was a steal.

So it says that it does all that is stated below:

Other than soothing the skin and keeping it hydrated, the other BEST properties of it is that it actually helps to set makeup! Which for me is like OMG!!!! I would recommend this for people who usually wear makeup and stays in air-conditioned places for a long time. TRUST ME! It will really help your skin feel better!

So go to your nearest Watsons outlet and get it while stocks last! :D

Mentholatum Acnes: Medicated Sealing Jell

Ok! So I've made a post just the week before complaining about the MAJOR breakout that I had! It always happens when the stress gets to me. So it kind of sucks in a way~

So after researching for a while, I decided to try out Mentholatum Acnes: Medicated Sealing Jell. Even though I have always seen this displayed on the shelves of Watsons, I never really looked at it clearly.

So this is how the packaging looks like:

And this is what is says it does:

Its main purpose is to regulate skin conditions and prevent the formation of acne.

This is what it looks like without the packaging:

Point to note: If ANY product you bought does not have a sealing tape, you have got to be cautious in putting it all over your face as it MAY have been contaminated. This is if your product come in this tube form.

So I tried it for a week! And I'm glad to say that it did WONDERS for my skin!

So this was how my skin was before I used it:

On the 2nd day:

It can clearly be seen that the blemishes have been flattened out! In just a day!

About a week later:

Its mostly all gone! This was even when I applied makeup on my face every single day!

The verdict: It works like a miracle cream for me. This cream SAVED my life! If only I had used it sooner!

The only con is that it has a really medicated smell to it. So if you do not like the smell of a medicated ointment, I would not advise you to get it~ However, since it works for me, and I not really affected by the smell, THIS IS THE CREAM FOR ME! :)

Loreal Revitalift: Double Lifting Eye

Saw them promoting this on 女人我最大 program. Even though the difference after application on the model was subtle, the effect was immediate. So I decided to give it a try to see whether it really works! Even though they never really zoomed in on the product they used, I could tell what it was from the colour of the product itself what it actually was!

Introducing...

LOREAL REVITALIFT: DOUBLE LIFTING EYE CREAM!

Basically this is what it looks without the packaging!

Its red on 1 side and white on the other side. So basically what you are supposed to do is to apply the white colour cream to the bottom of your eye and the red colour cream to your upper eyelid!

So this is the result after applying it for the first time:

BEFORE: AFTER:

Review: As can be seen, it really does work. Even though the camera angle is slightly different, my double eyelid which usually goes inwards became more prominent after the first application. After application, you can feel a slight tingling sensation which actually tells you that the cream is doing its job. So don't be too worried about the feeling. I usually apply it with cotton buds (q-tips) as you are able to control the strength at which you apply it and the areas that are difficult to get to.

PS: Using your fingers to apply may not be ideal as some may get into your eye. So do be careful when applying this eye cream!

Beauty tip for September

If the moisturiser that you just bought is too thick for your face, just add a few drops of water and mix it together before applying on your face!

An alternative would be to use it on other parts of your body as a moisturiser! :D