Christmas and presents

I haven’t been around much during Christmas for the past 3 years.

And the reason why am I not in town during Christmas is because my dear mom prefers spending it overseas where there is winter.

After pondering about it a little, I realized that it is true – it is not enjoyable to celebrate Christmas under the sweltering summer heat no matter how many presents I have under my Christmas tree (based on the assumption that I really have a decorative Christmas tree in home, and that I have a practice of putting presents under it).

In year 2010, I spent Christmas traveling in a little van for 8 hours.

In that 8 hours that I was traveling to and fro Ximen Ding (Taipei) to Xin Zhu, all I remember was stepping into the van from my Hotel in Ximen Ding, waking up at Xin Zhu market to eat the famous Gong Wan (Meatballs) and the Xin Zhu Mi Fen (Vermicelli), then waking up at my Hotel at Ximen Ding again.

I wouldn’t call that a meaningful Christmas, because all that happened that day was me getting indigestion and being unable to sleep at night.

If I were in town during Christmas, I would probably be celebrating Christmas in a more meaningful manner – attending a girls & booze pajamas sleepover party or playing poker and drinking booze at a chalet. Before I make myself sound like an alcoholic, I would like to declare that I am a teetotal. Well, almost, because being inebriated isn’t my style. Just kidding. No, I’m actually serious. Kidding.

But what a meaningful Christmas is to me is not just about how I spend it, regardless of which location in the world I go, but to feel happy on that day itself. Although spending Christmas in a van kinda suck, I stayed happy the whole time because I was shopping non-stop during the 2 weeks I was away.

That means that I didn’t only celebrate 12 days of Christmas, I celebrated 14. Two weeks of shopping? I am definitely happy, which makes Christmas meaningful for me.

Last Christmas, I was in Singapore because I came back from Hong Kong on 24th December, and only left for Bangkok on the 28th December. I thought its been a while since I celebrated Christmas here, so the occasion was gonna be wonderful.

Boy, was I wrong. But being the very magnanimous person that I am, I am going to forget all unhappy issues and focus on the happy ones.  And what can make me happier than receiving fabulous gifts? I am getting excited and am frantically typing away as I think about my new babies.

Lo and behold, I am going to post up some of the cosmetic and skincare items that I received for Christmas:

#1. Clio Professional Kill Black waterproof brush liner – Available at Watsons @ $25.90

Review: This brush is extremely easy to manipulate and it glides on smoothly on my eyelids. It is not difficult to achieve the cat eye effect as seen on the picture above. The colour of the eyeliner is not as black as gel liner, but it is perfect for lazy days because I am getting really sick of washing my gel liner brush after usage.

 

#2. Sponge to roll on my BB cream / liquid foundation.

I haven’t used it yet, but I do have similar products like this. This baby is great for blending BB cream or liquid foundation without leaving any streaks on the face due to its round texture. It is also a great substitute for a stippling brush, which creates a flawless finish for base makeup.

#3. Face masks from Taiwan.

Errrrr, you guys already know what’s this for. Shall skip the description.

#4. L’Oreal Infaillible eyeshadow in Gold Mine. ($11 at Chinatown! Cheaper than Watsons/Guardian/departmental stores/overseas!)

This was sold out everywhere and my sweet Santa secretly got it for me. It is too pretty to be used, so I shall keep it for a very, very special occasion before I open it. This particular eyeshadow is also waterproof and lasts for long hours. I love it! <3

 

#5. KATE eyeshadow

I think the people around me have already established that I have a penchant for Earthy-tones. Also, like a typical Singaporean, I prefer to keep my eyeshadow neutral because people always have nasty comments about brightly-coloured eyeshadow. (Never mind their lack of appreciation for art and beauty, it’s not right for people to insist that it is ugly because opinions are subjective.)

This shimmery palette highlights the inner corner of my eyes beautifully and creates a “popping” effect. Loveeee itttttt. I can barely sit still now. It’s 2am but I feel like playing and mixing colours.

***

I am still swooning over my new stuff. Thank you all lovely people!

Do you guys swoon over makeup as much as I do?

Lunar New Year

It’s eve of the Lunar New Year once again. I am not sure how many people actually look forward to this occasion, but I sure am having mixed feelings.

Part of me feels excited about dressing up (trust me, I know some girls’ main purpose of celebrating the Chinese New Year is to doll up and look good), and part of me dreads the visiting because some relatives just don’t have good things coming out of their mouths. And as usual, I have to bite my tongue before I talk about one’s husband’s China mistress, or how loser another relative’s 30 year old jobless daughter is.

This year, my cousin who is the same age as me has decided to bring her boyfriend to visit our relatives. Of course I have to be prepared to counter such market spoilers. If the relatives asked where is my boyfriend, my reason this year would be ‘mummy doesn’t like my Indian friend’ and hopefully this would allow them to think about racial issues while I switch the topic to ministerial pay.

But the purpose of this entry is not about annoying relatives, but to share some tips on makeup that won’t make you look like a smudged idiot by the end of the day.

I have been really lazy, and I couldn’t be bothered to dye my hair or paint my nails just because I could get more compliments out of it. But as I am typing this, I have a good mind to colour block my nails using pastel colours this Chinese New Year.

Having makeup done properly suddenly occurred to me when my dear friend decided to party tomorrow night. That means I have to make my makeup last for a good 16 hours. I know I can reject her, but not when I’m feeling this down and a good friend could just be the solution(a great distraction?) to my problems.

So, here goes.

First and foremost, to make your makeup last longer, you probably would need waterproof ones, like those the girls from the local synchronized swimming team uses. This formula should work for at least 5 hours, if not the full 16.

Foundation – You may wish to try the compact foundation from Paul and Joe ($67) as many people I know swears by it.
Eyeshadow – To make eyeshadow stay and not crease (if you have deep set eyes), use Urban Decay’s primer potion ($30).
Eyeliner – My favourite waterproof eyeliner from M.A.C ($27). Washing my face with cleanser wouldn’t get rid of it even.
Lipstick – Stila long wear lip colour ($36) to minimize touchups.
Concealer –  Definitely Amazing concealer (You can find this at Sephora at $45)
Hair – Go with L’Oreal Elnett hairspray. This baby wouldn’t let you down.
Mascara / falsies – Use the new Maybelline The falsies volume express. This is the bomb. ($17)

Having the above would save the first half of the day. What about the second half?

That is where you whip out your mirror and makeup kit like you’re a bride.

#1. Be sure to bring blotter.
#2. Use loose powder, or compact foundation to reduce the shine on your face.
#3. If your falsies are tearing off, use glue and re-do your lashes.
#4.  Concealer gone? Touch up!
#5. Re-apply lipstick every few hours. (Don’t try using Nyx round lipstick)

And that should keep you looking fresh all day long!

Updates: Here’s my pastel colour block nails that I am gonna wear this Lunar New Year!

Have a very blessed lunar new year! xoxo

Playing makeup with sis

I love to play makeup.

My friends always promise to come by my place to play makeup, but we end up watching movies or slack instead.

Thankfully, I have a sis who is willing to let me doll her up. She’s like my huge barbie doll, and she can even fit into my clothes.

(I don’t know why would anyone agree to be my model because my curling iron would damage their hair, and removing makeup is such a chore. By the time sis reads this entry, there’s no point crying over spilt milk.)

Here are pictures of mildly curled hair and a light smokey effect for her Asian eyes:

 

Don’t ask me where are her clothes and hair accessory from. I have no idea.

xx

Overdue: M.A.C glitter and ice :(

I think I’m a very lazy person. And by the time I want to blog about a particular collection, I would then realize that it is already 2 months old and a new collection would be out.

One such collection is the M.A.C glitter and ice collection. By the time I got down to writing this entry, winter (that’s what this collection is about) is over and the posters at M.A.C stores are currently changed to Daphne Guiness for M.A.C.

Anyway, I first caught sight of the glitter and ice posters at Sephora, ION Orchard and loved it!

Johnny Weir couldn’t look any more gorgeous in the poster. In case you didn’t know, he is a figure skater and is an Olympic athlete.

This collection is inspired by ice-skating, but I took notice of Johnny’s armpit hair and discoloured nipples more than his skate shoes. Oh, I’m a terrible person.

This entire collection is about glitter, and I am amazed how these cosmetic companies find something ‘new’ to market every season and make people excited to buy.

Here are more pictures to the collection:

Mineralized eyeshadow.

If I could use up whatever that’s left at home, or have too much spare cash, I wouldn’t mind splurging on new products every season. Tsk.

Glitter, glitter, more glitter.

 

 

 

 

 

Swatches of some of the colours – Such Flare, Double Spin, Soft Sable and Eloquent Air

If this whole collection is in my room now, I would be a very happy girl! Any sponsors?

Haul from Hong Kong

This is my first haul post on this blog, and I am really excited about it.

I was excited when I made my purchase, I was excited when I took pictures of the items, and I am definitely excited about writing this entry.

When I was buying my cosmetic and skincare products from Hong Kong, I was eager to have my old skincare products replaced for 2012 because using the same products will cause my skin to be immuned to it, thus making it not as effective as new ones.

But damn, I’ve been using my little jar of 50ml moisturizer for more than a year and it’s nowhere near empty. Time to slap cream on every few hours!

So here’s some of the skincare and cosmetics which I bought from Hong Kong.

Majorlica Majorca Honey Pump Gloss Neo in BE 133

This gloss costs $12.90 in Singapore (available at Watsons) and I got it for HKS44, which is about SGD 7.50.

The reason why I bought this cause I went for Majorlica Majorca’s Glass trick workshop with my little baby sis recently and she wanted it so much. Since it costs a fraction of the price, I think that is quite an incentive for me to buy.

Calvin Klein creme eyeshadow in Gold Velvet

Bought it for about SGD10 after discount. The original price for this product is Hk$135, which is about SGD 23. I haven’t seen this in Singapore yet but it’s approximately USD$20 overseas.

This is a great buy, because it’s a good substitute for the L’Oreal infaillable gold eyeshadow which I didn’t buy, and I got it at an awesome price.

Revlon bedroom eyes eyeliner

I haven’t seen this product around in Singapore too. But a quick check online confirmed that it retails for about SGD 13.

But guess what? I got it for approximately SGD 1.80. Less than 2 bucks!

Recently, I have been using a lot of gel liner. But sometimes I use liquid liner because it’s less of a chore as I need not wash the brush.

Estee Lauder eyeshadow in Sugar Biscuit Satin and Chocolate Bliss Matte

Once thing I dislike about Estee Lauder’s products is that the cover always gets scratched easily and it looks pretty obvious. My Bobbi Brown products get scratched on the surface too when placed in my makeup pouch, but it does not look as obvious as Estee Lauder’s products scratched. In comparison with the products in the market, I gotta applaud Chanel for having the most scratch-resistant casing.

Since this new baby costs only SGD 3.10, I don’t have grounds to complain.

This product is not sold individually so there’s no price for it. However, it usually comes together with mascara, and other products like lipstick or skincare and sold as a travel set.

Elizabeth Arden Hydrating Mask - SGD 11.70

Dr MJ BB cream – SGD 4.85

Sophie Monk Beauty Mask

I remember heading to the 7-11 to buy some magazines (apparently HK sells magazines from Taiwan too. Yipee!) and passed by mannings (which is Guardian in Singapore).

I stopped by and picked this up cause I heard about a lot of people raving about this after Makiyo came to Singapore to promote Sophie Monk’s products. And since I have gotten everything else at a better rate, this must be cheaper in Hong Kong.

Sometimes I really wonder why is this brand Sophie Monk, because when I first heard about this brand, I thought it’s the actress from Sex and Death 101. Lol.

By the way, I can’t recall how much is this sold in Guardian, and how much I got it for.

Bifesta (cleansing express)

It retails at SGD 16.90-18.90 at drugstores in Singapore, and SGD 10 in Hong Kong.

Of course I bought and brought 3 bottles home!

Aquamoist Toner

SGD 22 in Singapore, SGD 12 from Hong Kong.

And I brought 2 bottles back

Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel

This is sold in Singapore for SGD 20.90, and I got it for SGD 18.

Lesson learnt. When in Hong Kong, don’t buy drugstore brands that you can get locally. Get the high end brands and there will be more savings!

Schwarskopf Osis + Dust It Mattifying Powder

I have been dying to get this because it works better than most hair wax. A little of this goes a loooong way, and is perfect for keeping my flat hair volumized.

I have seen it in the little shops near AMK Hub that sells lots of FMCG products, and it costs about SGD 26.

Guess what? I got it for SGD 16! <3 <3 Gotta love Hong Kong.

Shu Uemura eyelash curler

Last but not least, I got this award-winning eyelash curler to replace my old one. This eyelash curler from Shu Uemura does not only crimp my lashes perfectly, it will never ever crimp my flesh and make my curling lash experience painful.

SGD 32 from departmental stores in Singapore, and SGD 17 from Hong Kong!

***

There you go – my haul from Hong Kong.

Now you know what to do when you hit Hong Kong the next time round.

xx.

 

Back to Singapore!

I am back!

Just in case you were wondering if I posted up some entries while I was overseas, the answer is no, I didn’t. Although I had internet access in Hong Kong and Thailand, (and even replied to some of your emails) I didn’t spend my vacation writing entries.

In fact, I had the entries scheduled to be published to ensure that the blog does not die off while I was away.

Although I have these ‘emergency entries’ saved, publishing them earlier means that I will have more and more backlog entries. Le sigh. I will try to get my new entries up as soon as possible. Because makeup and skincare changes every season, and by the time I have them updated, it will already be history.

I was in Hong Kong from the 20th December to 24th December and it is my third consecutive year going to Hong Kong in December.

As usual, going to Hong Kong during winter means that I can’t buy wearable clothes back because the weather in Singapore is too warm, and wearing winter clothes (that’s what that’s sold during December) is just not practical.

Most Singaporean girls like myself love going to Wang Jiao Zhong Xin 旺角中心 to hunt for bargain clothes. But going there during winter means I see jackets and outerwear everywhere.

This grey jacket is one of the two apparels that I bought in Hong Kong. SGD7 from Wang Jiao Zhong Xin (旺角中心):

(Cropped my face again cause I’m a terribly shy person. Teehee.)

Since I took pictures of my daily outfits, I just have them uploaded here:

(LOL with the mosaic face, I can pass off as a xxx in one of Lianhe Wanbao’s gossip stories)

I’m actually quite ashamed to post these pictures up because I wear the same thing for winter every single year (down to the shoes!). Haha.

Okay, I know the above pictures has nothing to do with this blog because I usually talk about cosmetics and makeup.

So I’m going to get down to posting up my looks while I was in Hong Kong.

Look #1.

Base – BB cream from Hanskin
Blusher – Bobbi Brown in Apricot
Lips – Etude House LUCIDarling gloss in Red
Eyeshadow – Bobbi Brown’s Maple Sugar and Beige Linen
Eyeliner – Gel liner from RedRougeRally’s makeup shop

Try to ignore the camera. Makeup style for that day was lazy and very amateur, and it is what we usually see on typical Singaporean girls.

Look #2.

Base – BB cream from Hanskin
Blusher – Bobbi Brown in Apricot
Lips – Nivea lip balm
Eyeshadow – Bobbi Brown in Beige Linen and Cavier (black)

Look #3.

Base – BB cream from Hanskin
Blusher – Bobbi Brown in Apricot
Lips – Nude Silky Girl lip gloss
Eyeshadow – Bobbi Brown in Cavier

Lids look so uneven here. I swear the eyeshadow looks balanced out of picture.

Look #4.

Base – BB cream from Hanskin
Blusher – Bobbi Brown in Apricot
Lips – M.A.C in House Wine
Eyeshadow – Bobbi Brown in Cavier, Navajo, Pebble, Chino and Maple Sugar
Eyeliner – Gel liner from RedRougeRally’s makeup shop

***

And for the other day, I didn’t wear makeup so it’s pointless to post, right? After posting up these looks, I realized that my face is shown anyway. So much for being shy

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

In my next entry, I’m going to blog about my beauty hauls from Hong Kong. Stay tuned!

xx