Ho Ho Ho! A CANMAKE Christmas Set!

It's the lovely time of the year again! I love christmas period because of the cool (albeit rainy) weather, the beautiful christmas decorations around the country and the festive sale. Watson's, one of my favourite places to wander into, has created little goodie bags of joy in recent years.

I chanced upon the CANMAKE christmas set while in a Watson's just recently.

A closer look!

A zip-lock bag stuffed with goodies for just SGD10! Heh! I wanted to get this for basically one reason – the Shimmer Jelly Eyes. The liquid eyeshadow is just a brilliant product! I have swatched it once or twice before and was pretty sure it was a good product, but the price tag was not so friendly. It was about SGD15 and way too expensive (for me) for a single eye colour. And so when I chanced upon this set for just ten bucks, I seized it!!

Here's a peek of what came along in the bag.

Canmake christmas set!

• CANMAKE catalogue. Beautifully designed catalogue with a glimpse of everything they sell. The whole thing is in Japanese except for the products' English names, so...
• ShimmerJelly Eyes in 05! Woohoo!
• Colorful Nails in no. 26. A festive glitter polish with an orange base
• Perfect Serum BB cream (2 sachets). Pretty packaging, yet to try it out
• Glossy Holic Lip in 03, an orange-based clear lipgloss. Claims to have UV protection and Lip balm all in one!
• Nail Art stickers (not a product of CANMAKE I'm sure). I have no love for frilly nail art so I won't be touching any of this sadly

Here's a swatch of the ShimmerJelly Eyes, the Glossy Holic Lip gloss and the nail colour!

Glitter polish on top of a bright red 

Swatched!

The eyeshadow swatched and then blended out. It is incredibly smooth to blend out, means that there wont be patches, and sets to a budge-proof state. LOVE. The lipgloss feel smooth on the lips, not sticky. 

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any sets still available in Watson's! :D

Till next time,

HL

And so... I went on a cruise. Holiday makeup kit!

The Star Virgo... a trip to nowhere with my parents and my boyfriend. The whole 3D2N trip was generally uninteresting with few highlights. Well, the trip was sort of paid for, and I got to spend time with my loved ones, that was great. The 'Greek-themed' cruise was kinda awkward as everything stayed the way it was since the past 15 years I'm sure.

I was pretty excited before the cruise, to show you guys what I brought along to the cruise, makeup-wise.

This is what I brought to the trip, quite minimalistic huh. For me, I try to bring as few items as I can on as I don't tend to put on a lot on a holiday. Also, it is pretty heavy to carry loads of products. So these are the products that are on my 'essentials' list.

A reliable foundation (Healthy Mix)
A cream eye shadow (Maybelline Color Tattoo – Bad to the Bronze)
My trusty Missha undereye concealer, 
Favourite blush (Sleek – Suede)
Good old MAC Soft and Gentle MSF
Trusty liners (Urban Decay 24/7 & Essence liquid liner)
Standard matte dark brown eyeshadow by Revlon
Mascara of the moment – Essence I <3 EXTREME
My new eyeshadow primer from Essence. 

Hope you enjoyed the post!

Cheers,
HL

An ESSENCE cosmetics review/haul

Essence is a very affordable (aka cheap) European brand of cosmetics that is not only great for people new to makeup, it also causes less concerns on the wallet. The first 'counter' that I had come across in Singapore was in Ngee Ann city's Watson's. Most, if not all the items are under SGD10, and some even far below SGD5!!

For the price, you can't expect everything to be fabulous. But Essence carries a few worthy products to rave about and some not so outstanding ones.

One of my favourite products will be the I LOVE EXTREME mascara!

It has a really thick brush and a semi-dry consistency that coats your lashes effectively. Its formula is very black and intense and really gives the drama. It is not waterproof, but does not smudge if you don't rub your eyes or anything along those lines. I do, however, notice that it comes off a little from my lower lashes throughout the day. I have since switched to the Dolly Wink for lower lashes.

Retails at Watson's (Ngee Ann City) for SGD6.10. 

Next up, stuff I bought from the Essence warehouse sale last weekend.

From top to bottom: Colour & Shine lipstick pencil, Liquid eyeliner, Eyeshadow primer, Lip Stain

I spent a total of SGD8 on these four products. It was rather disappointing as the sale did not include most of their staples. However, I really like the liquid liner (SGD1)! It has the usual brush tip, but the formula dries matte. Unlike most liquid liners which dries shiny, this gives a gel liner sort of effect. It's not waterproof/budgeproof, handle with care!

Next to the liner swatch would be the eyeshadow primer. I have been wanting to try using an eyeshadow primer. This actually works quite well. My eyeshadows, when swatched above this, appeared more pigmented and stayed on longer.

Now to the not so awesome products.

The lipstain works really well, the colour's great, but it reallllllyyy stains... However, I can't bring myself to love the taste of it. It just tastes bad! Let's just give it another go, maybe I'll like the product enough to ditch my distaste for the smell.

The lipstick pencil is kinda poor as well. The pencil itself is really soft it breaks everytime I use it, and a clump of product gets stuck inside the pencil when I sharpen it. Boo. Smells like cherry.

Overall I do think Essence is a great brand, especially with other great products like their lip liners, and stayon eye liners. I guess the warehouse sale was just to clear unsold and unpopular products!

Until next time!

Cheers,
HL

FOTD: Simple eyes, cheeks and popping lips!

Face of the day

Base

Shiseido AQUALABEL white foundation

mix with

RIMMEL match perfection foundation

Eyes

Bourjois Ombre a paupieres eyeshadow (05 Brun Irreel)

Essence I LOVE EXTREME volume mascara

Cheeks

MAC MSF (Soft and Gentle)

Lips

NYX Soft Matte lip cream (San Paulo)

 

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cheers!

HL

My New Makeup Stash

I recently did a sneaky and brought over my sister's extremely cute and lovely Cath Kidson storage bag! I have been having trouble storing most of my makeup (especially the ones that I use most often) and of course, being the messy girl that I am, everything is always everywhere.

Now I chuck everything into this pretty bag and dig from it whatever I need!

There are slots for brushes and a huge pocket for everything! 

Cute pink interior with many tiny polka dots! And a matching blush from Topshop! Catch my review here.

Apologies for the lack of posts, I'm having my exams (last paper on Tues yay!).
Will be back with a couple of product reviews :D

Cheers,
HL

Starálfur // A Good Beginning

We're just 4 hours away from Sigur Ros's concert!

It's a little rainy and damp right now - perfect weather for the band's hollow, atmospheric soundscape and Jonsi's warm vocals. I can't wait!

But first, here's a scene from Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (which is a little sad show) coupled with my favourite Sigur Ros track - Starálfur. Works like magic.

Imma pack my brolly and head out in my old, old sneakers. It's gonna be a really hypnotic and muddy affair tonight. 

Off to get some beer!

Tiffany ☂

喜欢做梦的日子

sunday.rain.cakes.dreams.nostalgia

// Drawn to Nostalgia exhibition by Jacqueline O //

dröm//dreams

they say it best - "for everything starts with a dröm"

we all need a space to dream.

i think it's wonderful that we have a little dröm store here on our sun-dried/rain-drenched shores.

Singapore is notorious for bulldozing the old in the name of progress and we've lost more than we'd gained. this place is a sweet reminder of the days of childhood playtime and sentimental adventures, of the days that had quietly slipped away. 

whoever thought of combining a cake shop with this whimsical little space is a genius. 

little dröm store //  k-ki sweets

7 Ann Siang Hill  Singapore 069791

Tiffany ☂

How I transfer foundation to a pump bottle!

I have been avoiding using my Clinique Superbalance for one reason – its packaging. It comes in a pretty and frosted glass container and a metal screw on lid, and what irks me the most is that whenever I want to use it, I have to pour the foundation out. It's a hassle to control how much to pour out and when to stop!! It's a great foundation but most of the time, I find myself reluctant to reach for it.

As you all may know, Daiso is a cheap-product wonderland, and this is where I found this baby. I have come across this particular vacuum pump a couple of times but was hesitant to buy it as I was doubtful how effective it could be. And luckily for me, I decided to try it. And I'm so glad I did!

My Clinique foundation has moved house! Heh, it's now sitting in this pretty minimalistic vaccum pump that holds 15ml. Weird, isn't the clinique bottle 30ml...? Anyway, this is super easy to use. I simply push down the plate at the base of the bottle from the inside, pour the foundation in and pump till product comes out.

Sadly, there is still foundation stuck to the insides of the original bottle. It is now standing upside down, waiting for its third pouring.

Oh yes, this plastic vacuum pump bottle is totally reusable!

So... my advice to those who are irritated by their foundation bottles without a pump (yes, most other clinique ones, Revlon Colorstay Foundation you too), get this right now~

Cheers,
HL

Review: RIMMEL MATCH PERFECTION SPF18

RIMMEL – Match Perfection Light perfecting Radiance Foundation SPF18

Updated review can be found down below!

Finally, a foundation with SPF that is not too drying for my skin. I was intrigued by a few good comments on the makeup blogosphere and thought, this could be the one to beat my Healthy Mix (by Bourjois). Asos.com is selling the foundation at about SGD$10, a really good price! I went on and got it immediately. My awesome purchase of the Healthy Mix at SGD$12 from ASOS–best bargain ever. 

I was actually really interested in trying out the Wake Me Up foundation, also by Rimmel, as it has been likened to my Healthy Mix! But I had no such fate. :(

Let's get on with it.

The packaging, first and foremost, meh. I dislike foundation bottles that are made out of glass. It is deadweight, and a hassle to carry around but the plus point is its pump. Overall design is minimalistic. The foundation itself is light, as mentioned on the description. It is quite fluid and one full pump brings out a lot of product. I myself managed to use about 3/4 of a full pump for a generally okay coverage. 

I have been having a couple of stressful and sleepless weeks because of deadlines and more deadlines! Pardon the death-like before photo ><

Before: a ghostly face. FOTD for school

Ahh, the after photo is much better. Note that I did not choose a darker shade. Perhaps I chose a darker colour? The photos just came out a little different. The foundation felt a little harder to blend into my skin compared to Healthy Mix, it has quite a strong scent, but it just smells like.. foundation. The effect is to my surprise, quite dewy. I had to put some setting powder on to not look too shiny. I felt dewy and a bit oily throughout the day, not sure if its a good thing or not. Will update with more wears.

I used:
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 200 soft beige
Urban decay 24/7 Eyeliner (Black)
Chanel Poudre Universelle
Sleek Suede Blush

Apologies for the hiatus and thanks for tuning in! :D

Update 2 months in!
I do realize that this foundation oxidizes quite quickly into a more pink undertone. Perhaps I should have gotten a shade lighter! I also feel that the dewiness does not go away throughout the day, leaving my face a tad sticky. I tried powdering it but in hot and humid weather, the foundation tends to feel like its sliding off. Nowadays, I do mix it up with other foundations to get a better match in colour and a slightly less dewy finish. :)

Cheers,
HL

NOVEMBER

Img creds: 1. SWF/2. KIMBRA/3. FUGUE/4. VOTE/5. little dröm store/6.ARTSYFACT taken by amasou-umasou
/7. MAAD/8. POLAROID LAND 210 by pinkshirtsncarwrecks/9. LANEWAY/10. SIGUR ROS

It's assignment week now, which explains the sluggish updating (partly influenced by the weather eh?). There's so many things going on and I can't wait for work to go away so that I can head out without feeling guilty.

What's happening:

• Singapore Writer's Festival runs from 2 to 11 November! Check out the list of happenings going on! (And don't say Singaporeans can't write without checking out what they have to offer okay? heh) I'm rather keen on going for the launch of Bang My Car x Spectre by BooksActually.
• MAAD Pyjama at red dot museum takes places on 9^th November, 5pm to Midnight. Be ready for the endless bouts of creativity bursts.
• United States Presidential Election 2012! Which happens... today! That's fast. I follow the campaigns and debates purely because it's super entertaining! It's really fascinating how quickly lies can be debunked and how facts can be reinterpreted and used in a wholly different context. I have no idea what are facts and what's fabrication. Everyone says a different thing about the same thing! Anyhow, I'm hope Obama gets reelected. 
• Politics aside, Icelandic indie icons Sigur Ros comes to Singapore! That'll sure be a audio-visual experience. I can't wait for goosebumps. Click here for one of the saddest songs ever written.
• Yoga Lin does Fugue in Singapore the next day! Probably one the most hypnotizing voices in the Chinese music industry, his new album was Ace. I loved it. 
• Drawn to Nostalgia exhibition by Jacqueline O. happening at little dröm store from 1^st to 30^th Nov. Cute.
• Up and coming Keong Saik Road is practically screaming "VISIT ME!!!" Oh yes I would, very very soon. I can't wait to pay ARTSYFACT a visit. 
• This darling came in the mail last week! Can't wait to run a roll through it. 
• Laneway hits our sunny shores again! The line-up is POOF FANTASTIC!!! You have no idea how happy I was when Kings of Convenience was confirmed in the artist list. YEAH!
• Oddly addicted to Kimbra's Cameo Lover. I'm a little slow. She'll be here for Laneway too!

Long list of happenings! Take your pick! Also, I miss Huiling here! Where is she? :(

Jumbo Post! (I tend to blog on Mondays, I don't know why)

Tiffany ✌

Vintage // World Savage

If it isn't obvious already, I'm going through a nostalgia phase... which to be honest, I never got out of. I've once read a quote on nostalgia that goes "I don't believe in nostalgia. It has no future." It's both duh and snap, but nostalgia is here to stay. 

While gallivanting one weekend, we found World Savage! It reminds me a lot of the vintage stores in East London - a little grungy, a faded shades of yesterday's neons, it was hard to resist. 

Massive collection of male shirt in lovely patterns! 

Another one to the list!

Tiffany

Halloween!

How was your weekend? We had a great one dressing up for Halloween! It's our first and we did it simply because we wanted to paaaarrrrrrty! Till date, we still have no idea why people celebrate Halloween but heck, it was good fun! Huiling dressed up as the very elegant Audrey Hepburn while I sewed my own quintessential red cape for Red Riding Hood-dom. (Oh, you have heard about the modern incarnation of the wolf being LRH herself right? Wicked!) I'm not sure whether it's appropriate to call Justin's extravagant costume 'Shakespeare', but well, you get the idea. 

I can't wait for next year. I'll be an evil SIA girl. Ha!

Finally, the end of monday!

Tiffany 

SAGA

Adenanthera pavonina／相思豆／Saga seeds

Whenever I'm near the National Museum, I'll tiptoe to the back of it's grand facade to pick some saga seeds. 相思 can be loosely translated into lovesickness, but it's actually much more nuanced than that. In chinese, 相思 actually means keeping each other in your thoughts. The special thing about these seeds is this - they never lose their fiery red shade and it stays hard as a rock for as long as it lasts. Pretty apt description for unyielding love aye?

Long weekend this week!!!

Tiffany

THERE IS THUNDER IN OUR HEARTS

I'm a tote bag kind of girl. 

What's not to like about tote bags!? They are light, they can hold A LOT of things and they come in all kinds of prints! With the right print, it can really send a message. And no, they are not ugly, (and certainly not inferior to any other bags just because they're cheap!) They are the bag equivalent of every girl's best friend - the kind that won't judge you ever for looking sloppy on a bad day. Branded bags, on the other hand, are real princessy bitches. #justsaying

I've been looking around for a new tote for months and I finally settled for this by fieldguided (who just married recently. Congrats!)

I wasn't expecting much but the bag came in a beautiful package...

Ribbons and roses..

... and a handwritten note! So sweet!

Needless to say, I'm really happy with the tote! :)

Mid-week Madness!

Tiffany

Tiffany's OOTD

My Outfit-of-the-Day (OOTD) just 2 days ago! Had a great time at The Wedding Dress exhibition (which is ending soon!) and went to a couple of vintage stores around Arab Street. 

I bought those funny-looking pants & eyelet top from Modparade. I thought it'll be a nice patterned-vintage piece, but the real item reminded me suspiciously of a divorced item from a previously loving pair of pyjamas... it's made of that material :/ A rather disappointing purchase, but I wore it anyway. (At least it looks okay in pictures... right?) On the other hand, i'm really pleased with the eyelet top that I bought from their boutique at Haji Lane! I'm going through a bit of a vintage-clothing phase lately. The lovely tote bag is from fieldguided, which I'll blog about in a short while!

(p.s. OOTD posts are so silly! I know.)

Moving on to Tuesday (again)!

Tiffany

A Chanel makeup collection

I have with me a few Chanel makeup items in the house. The Chanel items have this luxurious piano black and gold that really makes them look elegant, lush and expensive.

I have with me a loose powder, the popular Vita Lumiere Aqua, and two lipsticks in different formula. The clickable lipstick tube just feels oh-so-gooooddd!

Items credited to my sister. 

Cheers,
HL

想把你拍成一部電影

I've always had a penchant for lanky, bespectacled boys. I guess that's part of the reason why I liked  宇宙人. 

Back in 2009, they burst into the chinese music scene as a bunch of spandex-suited Funk power rangers. It's hard to take them seriously when you're promoting your stuff in that outfit, but I'm glad I gave their debut album a spin. Surprisingly, it was one of those rare few album that I throughly enjoyed from beginning to end (except for that cartoonish space invader theme song made to accompany their ridiculous costumes.) The rest of the album was refreshing and upbeat, blending funk and rock like lemonades in summer, and it made me smile.

I've been replaying the video of their new single - '想把你拍成一部電影' the whole day. There's plenty of 500 Days of Summer references (bittersweet heartbreak, split-screens and sketching checked) familiar memories of those sweet and fuzzy first dates. (Plus, the female lead is so pretty!) A light, mellow tune for your monday night. I hope you like it!

Moving on to Tuesday!

Tiffany