Lusting it: Sephora Value Sets
As a somewhat vain individual, I have my fatal flaws. Bags. Pretty lingerie. And more recently, makeup. There’s just something absolutely magical about Sephora and how it houses so many brands and by extension, so many kinds of products. Every time I surf the site, it’s like I’ve stepped into candy land, just greedily adding stuff into my cart and feeling dismayed as the bill starts to accumulate and then proceed to click cancel.
It is a depressing feeling to want so many things but not be able to have them. Which is why the value set idea is just brilliant because you get to try so many different kinds of products in small-ish amounts so you can determine which ones work best before purchasing a full sized product. Another reason why I love value sets is cos you get more bang for your buck. It makes much more sense for example, to purchase a Tarte value set than a single Lipsurgence balm or to purchase the Benefit Porefessionally Pretty set because it comes with a full sized Porefessional while throwing in a smaller pot of Erase Paste and Girl Meets Pearl for alittle extra.
And of course, being the lazy person that I am, I like that value sets come in compact sizes or have multiple functions within a box set like the Too Faced Natural Face Natural Radiance Facial Palette. It contains both cream and powder blush, bronzer, concealer and brightener all in one! How convenient!
And sometimes you get collaborations and the latest one is between Benefit and the movie, Snow White and the Huntsman. It is basically a set which contains products that helps you recreate a fair, flawless complexion and rosy lips and cheeks of Snow White. What I’m loving is the pretty little kit that comes with all the products!
And I think we got lucky because all the products in this little set are all of Benefit’s star products! I spot Benetint and BADgal! But if I have to save up for a value set, it will most likely be TARTE’s Achoite collection because I’ve been meaning to try their Amazonian Clay 12-hr blush and the lip lustre so this set is just perfection! Loving the universally flattering coral colour and the floral detail of the lip gloss is so so pretty! Very clever packaging!
And the best thing about value sets? They make a great gift for girlfriends- birthdays, anniversaries, christmas, valentines… and with Mother’s Day right round the corner, I might just get my mom some new makeup along with her favourite L’Occitane hand cream!
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Hits and Misses (Feb 12)
Hi everyone! So these products are the *new* items I’ve added to my regime lately. & the reason why I’m only reviewing these products now is so that I could have the entire month to use the products & see its effects, there’s no better test than frequent and regular use, I’d say.
With my hair feeling really frizzy and uneven lately (I blame the erratic weather), I thought it’d be a good idea to try out L’oreal’s Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo.
This product promises:
48H Anti-Frizz
Smoothes and Nourishes, Sleek and Manageable Result
2 Precious Ingredients: Nutrileum + Silk Protein (known for its smoothness and thermo resistance)
Sounds pretty awesome now, doesn’t it? I think L’oreal has a really good copywriting + marketing team. Unfortunately though, the product really didn’t live up to my expectations at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure my hair became drier and more unmanageable, thanks to my dogged perseverance and determination to finish all the product in the bottles (I purchased both the shampoo and conditioner).
I’ll concede though that it does have a rather nice, mild smell. It doesn’t last long though, so scent wise, Herbal Essences would win hands down.
The final verdict? A definite miss. I needed way too many hair masks to save this one.
When my colleague gave a tiny pocket sized (or PocketBac as it’s called) from Bath and BodyWorks, I thought hmm.. it’s just one of those other small things that I would chuck aside.
Several incidents of sticky hands and random messes later, I thought to myself, this is INDISPENSIBLE! It’s really a great on-the-go solution, for something that’s so convenient and wonderful smelling. With the lovely scent, it’s definitely a mood lifter. & unlike other hand sanitizers I’ve tried previously, this formula is slightly more fluid, which makes it easier to spread.
The one I received was Caribbean Escape (the one in the first picture above), and to my dismay, Bath and BodyWorks isn’t in Singapore! You’d have to go through Vpost or Comgateway to get these cute babies, which retail at $1.50 USD each or 5 for $5USD. It’s a tad pricey, but if you’re a Bodyshop fan, I’ll promise that you’d fall head over heels with their PocketBacs, especially since they’ve got a new Fresh Picked collection!
Purple is my favourite colour, and my preferred type of eyeshadow is cream. So this was a perfect addition to my makeup collection. Cream eyeshadow is my favourite because it’s so easy to apply, stays on the longest and has the most vibrant colour (in my opinion). That said, it is prone to creasing so I was eager to test this one out.
The verdict? It’s a HIT! The main reason why it didn’t crease is because it’s far more “thin” than other cream eyeshadows. I have a couple from Marjolica Marjorca – those last forever but are prone to creasing because of the slightly thick formula. While benefit’s version isn’t as vivid, it’s definitely on par when it comes to lasting power and is easier to apply.
Would I recommend this? yeah!
the pretty packaging certainly doesn’t hurt! :)
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December Hits and Misses
Now that I’m done with my travelogue, I figured that it is about time that I did a post about beauty. The beauty tag is probably one of the most neglected tags for me cos I don’t really experiment much with makeup or facial products. I usually just find something that works and stick with it. But thanks to Christmas, I received some pretty awesome gifts and that’s given me an opportunity to test out some new products and I’ve come up with 5 that are worth mentioning. Some are so-so while others are just fabulous to the point that I can swear by them.
From left: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye, Sephora Tourmaline hair brush, Benefit’s High Beam, Benefit Ticket to Glossytown and Malin+Goetz Ingrown hair cream.
I picked up a sample of the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye as I stocked up on my usual Kiehl’s Rare Earth range and I have been diligently applying this to my eye area every night before I sleep. This product promises to give you fresher, younger looking eyes by morning as it uses essential oils and botanicals to treat puffiness and remove dark circles.
While I don’t think this is a miracle worker by any means (I don’t think my discoloration got any much lighter), I did notice that my eyes are less puffy and some tiny lines are smoothen out. I dunno about you but I feel like puffiness is most noticeable when I smile and looking at my photos the past few days, at least the eyebags are gone but that could be because I’ve been sleeping regular hours again. So out of 5, I would probably rate this a 4 because it treats puffiness and smooths out some fine lines. Also because the creamy texture of the product allows for easy application and absorption without leaving a greasy feel. Oh yes, no millia seeds. Thank god.
Now this sounds like a strange product to be raving about but if you suffer from a head of frizz and flyaways then this is a total dream. I’ve spent so much on conditioners, detanglers and hair masks but who knew that the answer lies in a simple little hair brush. Clearly I’ve neglected that one important step in my hair routine- brushing my hair with the RIGHT brush.
Now I’ve got naturally wavy hair but ever since I permed it like a year or so ago, it’s become mangly and tangly. It got to the point where I didn’t even bother brushing out my hair anymore. Until this christmas when my aunt gifted me the Sephora Hair Brush that has tourmaline (which is some kind of mineral that magically tames your hair cos of some ions thingum. Not sure of the details I’m afraid.) All I can say is that IT WORKS. I got the large brush and with a few swipes, my hair is detangled and smooth with no more knots, frizz or flyaways. It’s amazing. Also the bristles are really gentle and it feels super nice when you brush it against your scalp. It’s like a head massage. This is definitely a 5/5.
Another unexpected Christmas gift from a friend is Benefit’s High Beam. Now I’ve always been a blush-mascara-lipgloss kind of girl so I didn’t really know what to do with a highlighter. So in order not to waste this product, I started experimenting. Adding alittle into my daily moisturizer for that added glow, blending it on the cheeks, nose bridge for greater definition and on the cupid’s bow to emphasis on the pout. It’s pretty easy to use. Just a few light strokes with the brush applicator and then I blend it with my fingers. Only issue I have is packaging. Not loving the fact that I have to double dip the same brush applicator into the pot cos it seems kind of unhygienic and it seems awfully troublesome to clean the applicator after every use. But I guess that’s still cleaner than having it in a pot like my Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge where you apply the product using your fingers. All in all, a pretty good product with a nice subtle glow. But you do need to have some kickass finishing powder on to prevent your skin from getting all oily when the day is done. There’s a fine line between dewy skin and oily skin and I think I still need to find that balance. 3/5
Number 4 is yet another Benefit product. In fact it is a value set from Sephora called Ticket to Glossytown and it comprises of 6 glosses with really cute names. As a whole, these glosses are good quality. They smell like raspberry, it goes on really nicely, easy to blend and the colour payoff is pretty decent. I also love the brush applicator as it gives more precise application. My only gripe is that each lipgloss in this set is really small. It is literally a sampler set but I guess it’s good to test out all the colours so you can buy the full size in future.
My favourites are the hot coral pink- Spiked Punch and the coppery shimmer- So Frisk Me. The coral is not as shockingly bright as in the tube itself but it gives a cheery colour to my lips. I can imagine that this would look lovely with NARS Orgasm blush. So Frisk Me is this exotic coppery brown colour (I can’t quite describe it) and it looks nice for more intense looks. Like I can imagine pairing this with a brown or violet smokey eye. I would say that as a whole, the colours are all very wearable. The only colour that looks weird on me is Kiss You but that’s probably cos I’m an Olive Fair. So final verdict? 4/5. Repurchase is highly possible.
Last but not least, I have to introduce you guys to Malin+Goetz’s Ingrown Hair Cream. I know, this isn’t exactly a beauty product but for any self-respecting woman who shaves or waxes, this is one cream that I can’t do without. It helps sooth any irritation associated with hair removal so everytime you get a razor bump or an ingrown hair or just itchiness, this will come to your rescue. It really works. I had an area with an ingrown hair and after two applications, my skin stop hurting and the hair grew out normally.
After a bikini wax, it is recommended to apply it once a day after a shower (apparently its not only a cure but also a kind of prevention method). Just rub it on clean skin and leave to dry. It has a very nice scent (can’t describe it as floral or fruity, just a clean soothing scent. Maybe cos of the camomile?) But in any case, I love this stuff. 4/5. One mark taken off cos it is pricey ($48 at Strip) for such a small 0.5oz tube.
Have you tried any of these products? What’s your verdict?
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What’s New in Makeup
Musings of a muse is my go-to blog for all things to do with makeup and skincare. She not only showcases the latest trends and products but gives really detailed reviews to boot. While browsing through her site recently, I came across a few makeup items that got me really tempted to head out to Sephora.
One of them is Benefit’s new lip and cheek tint. I know I said that I was completely in love with Bobbi Brown’s pot rouge but Benefit’s Cha cha tint looks sooooo intriguing. It’s orange in colour! My first thought was, oh no! It’s oompa loompa orange! How terrible! But then I saw the swatch on The Muse’s site and it’s a pretty peachy, orange! At first, I thought this was only suitable for tanned girls who want a bronze-y, peachy glow. But The Muse herself is rather fair and the colour looks gorgeous on her so perhaps I would give it a go. Bad news however, is that this only becomes a permanent product in June which is like, eons away. Oh well, I guess we could either wait, or turn to the wonderful mystical powers of the internet and online shopping! (I favor the latter option. Can’t help it. I’m impatient!)
Another thing to add to the shopping cart this Summer is Smashbox’s new palette, the Softbox Eye Palette. This actually looks alot like Urban Decay’s Naked Palette only that the number of colours available is somewhat lesser. But that being said, I do feel that Smashbox’s new palette has very wearable colours. I especially love sugar. It’s such a sweet pink and I’ve never really tried pink eyeshadows on the eyes. I always thought that it somehow made your eyes look swollen and unflattering but this candy pink might just be the right shade that I’ve always been looking for! I also like the different shades of brown. Very work appropriate. And with 8 different shades and textures to play with (matt, sheen and shimmer), I don’t see how I will get bored with this. And according to The Muse, it gives a beautiful soft-focused look on camera so this definitely sounds like a keeper!
The last thing that caught my eye was the NARS Forever Yours gift set. We all know how expensive NARS is. It’s famous Orgasm blush is $27 which is about $5 more expensive than say a Bobbi Brown or Shu Uemura blush. So I guess if you take this into account, this gift set becomes pretty worth it because you get a medium size Deep Throat lip gloss, a tube of Orgasm illuminator and the Aigle Noir Soft Touch Shadow Pencil. Basically, for $49 you get all the makeup essentials you need to create a gorgeous day time look. The only problem is that I have soooo many lip glosses and I’m not quite keen on getting another one. But then again, the look wouldn’t be quite complete without it. Oh well, decisions decisions. What makeup products have caught your eye recently? Have you tried any of those that I’ve mentioned? Are they worth the purchase?
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Finding Mr Bright
In lieu of Valentine’s Day, Benefit has launched a new little kit, cleverly named, ‘Finding Mr Bright’. Like it’s previous little kits, ‘Realness of Concealness’ and ‘Her Name was Glowla’, ‘Finding Mr Bright’ is a one-stop kit that promises to give you that illusion of bright luminous skin.
So what do you get for $36? You get 4 of Benefit’s popular fake-its. They are…
And along with that, a full instruction manual that teaches you how to achieve that look.
But for girls out there that need visual aids, well, Benefit has kindly created a video to show you how to do a mid-day freshening up tutorial.
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Benefit BADgal Lash
Whoops! Sorry this post came so late! I know that Ruth and I have purchased the Sephora Sampler a long time ago and we’ve been kinda slow with the reviews mainly because we wanted to try the products out for a few months before actually giving comments.
After multiple applications over a long period of time, I’m pretty much done with this tube of Benefit BADgal Lash.
Promises to… give sexy, sultry and pure unadulterated black lashes. The famously big brush lays it on thick for full, voluminous lashes.
So did it live up to it’s promise of full, voluminous lashes? Yes I have to say it did. I have rather fine lashes so they aren’t very visible and I think the drier formula of the BADgal Lash actually accentuated it and made my lashes look fuller.
Lengthens: Not really. I don’t think this mascara is made to serve this purpose. Definitely more for volumizing.
Volumizes: Yup. Fuller, more defined lashes! And I also like how it makes my lashes really carbon black!
Holds Curl: Pretty well I must say. I didn’t even have to use an eyelash curler.
Smudges: Not if you put on a hardy eyeshadow base to coat your lashes but if you don’t, then it will smudge alittle (especially the lower lash line) so be sure to bring some concealer for touchups!
Waterproof: This isn’t the waterproof formula but I thought it lasted quite well (4-5 hours). I tried splashing my face with water and it didn’t come off immediately. You definitely still need makeup remover for this.
Feel: Not as natural or feathery as Superficial Lash.
Brush: FAT brush. Definitely the fattest brush head I’ve come across. See picture for comparison. The bristles are more spaced out then Covergirl’s Lash Blast but the tiny tiny bristles are compacted together so I guess that’s why it gives the brilliant illusion of voluminous, full lashes with each swipe.
Would I repurchase?: I have to say that I actually prefer Hourglass Superficial Lash to BADgal in terms of the overall package and formula but price-wise, this is way cheaper (USD19) and usually, if you spent a certain amount at Benefit online, you get BADgal free. So I guess I might get it if I was hauling for Benefit but is it at the top of my priority list? Holy grail mascara? No. not really.
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Bodyshop Haul
Seeing that I had Bodyshop vouchers as mentioned here, imagine my utter and complete inability to resist walking into the Bodyshop store today! As a shopaholic/shopahaulic, it’s my personal motto to shop smart, so I had already done my prior research on the instore offers & promotions available, to get the most bang outta my buck. Lucky for me, the shop manager said that using the vouchers together was not going to be a problem so I whipped out all four of them & promptly used up three vouchers. whoo!
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Our Quirky Loves
