Wednesday 30 January 2013

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable - Kiss-Proof Lip colour?

Here's my rather late Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain review! =D I'm sure you guys have already seen these chubby crayons (so very Clinique Chubby!) in your local drugstores already but have you given them a try yet?

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain S$18.90

Now, because I already have too many sticks for my lips I only bought 2 colours: 050 Precious and 045 Romantic~ Which are a basic nude and kind of a blushing apple red respectively.


As you can see the swatches look nice and balmy =) I was really really hoping they'd be as moisturising as my favourite Mentholatum Organic lipbalm x(>_<)x

From Left: Precious  --  nothing-on lips  --  Romantic   
Moisturising effect was not a wow factor for me but just alright. Especially with Precious, it made the lines on my lips a little obvious compared to Romantic which was more moisturising and really made my lips look softer! I guess it's a balm I can still in use in Singapore but if in winter climates I'll definately have to layer with my usual balm. Due to the peppermint oil ingredient, there's a nice light peppermint scent upon application that doesn't linger, same with the initial cooling sensation.

Colourwise, Precious wasn't as nude as I'd expected. It lightened my natural lip colour by about a shade and helped even out my dark outer lip, which was nice. Good for no-make or light makeup days. Romantic was instant love. A really easy shade of red to wear and because of the balmy texture, it's very easy to blend and dab or layer to the exact level of colour you want! I dabbed Romantic because I can't carry off too strong a red lip >_<

To test the durability of the balm stain, I left it on for about 5 hours, drank, dabbed and smacked my lips and went for a shower. No touchups inbetween and this it what it looked like:
 
 
From Left: Just after application -- After 5 hours with drinking and shower, no touchups
To me, that's really good staying power! So while I may not repurchase the Precious shade, Romantic is a keeper in my books~

In short, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain is:
  • a very affordable, easy-to-find balm stain
  • sturdy balm stick means you don't need to be too delicate with application
  • balm consistency makes for very very lightweight stain, you won't feel it's there!
  • delivers on colour intensity and staying power (may vary slightly from shade to shade)
  • very slight transfer to the drinking cup, none after my 2nd sip
  • lightly peppermint scented + initial cooling sensation that's pleasant and doesn't linger
  • moisturising factor is alright if your lips don't need serious help (moisture level seems to vary from shade to shade, play with testers to check)
  • fairly wide variety of colours (total of 12, Singapore carries 6 of the 12 I believe)
  • packaged in a firmly capped, swivel up tube. Super easy and portable!
So, when are you getting yours? ^__^


Friday 25 January 2013

All Black Patent Peter Pan

I was dropping by town for a quick errand a couple days ago and thought I'd wear this top I got off the H&M sale racks in Helsinki sometime ago~ Originally priced at about 20 euro, I got it at 50% off! Yay for end-season sales~ I really like the patent leather peter pan collar (abit of schoolgirl flair) and its simple lace cut-out pattern! I don't usually take 'high' collars like this as they make my neck look really short but this was surprisingly alright.

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Paired with my favourite basic black maxi skirt, which has survived about 5 years wear....and the unfortunate gnawing from the mall escalator >_<;;;


Yes it's sheer...and yes I consider a sports bra decent enough.
Please excuse the lack of proper hair and makeup as it was a rushed wham-bam-thankyouma'am kinda day for me ^_^;; In case you haven't already noticed, I'm quite a lazy dresser on the daily basis and the comfort factor is really important in my wardrobe.



Y'know, I think my mane is losing its mind....it used to be just slightly wavy and I liked that 'cos it looked nice and wild-like but recently it's been developing rogue curls/waves in all sorts of strange places....=\

Outfit Breakdown:

Sheer top with patent leather peter pan collar - H&M Divided
Stretch cotton maxi skirt - local budget fashion store
Necklace - Accessorize
Bangles - Bangkok
Slippers - Robinsons

Have a great weekend everyone! (n_n)

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Shedding light on the Sleek Luminaire Highlighting Concealer~

Hello all~ ^_^

The last time I dropped by the Luxola office for the Edward Bess openhouse, I purchased the Sleek Luminaire Highlighting Concealer as I was in the market for an undereye concealer at the time. I only recently got to using it though:

S$17 from Luxola.com; Available in 3 shades with L02 being the middle child

Brush tip + Click dispenser control
The initial pumps came up slightly cakey but was fine from then on.
I haven't had the best experiences with highlighters as they tend to not make much of a difference =( The Sleek version?

Sunday 20 January 2013

Random Phone Vanity!

I've resisted the popular smartphones for years, getting by on a comparatively basic Nokia smartphone for the past 3 years. But I recently inherited a Samsung S2 (yes I know~ sooooo outdated~ ^_^v) from my dad when he upgraded to the Note 2 and suddenly, I have casing options!

My previous Nokia had a hand-grafted design from a design booth outside Tokyu Hands in Ikebukuro; Tokyo and I loved that design so much I clung on to that phone for as long as I could~

But anyway, I bought a blingy casing for special occasions! My everyday casing is a beautiful black carved floral design but I wanted something slightly more eyecatching for when I feel like having abit of bling in my hands!


S$29 from Bugis Street ; love my new nail polish from etude house btw! =)

Friday 18 January 2013

Revisiting: L'egere Pure Aqua Pore Tightening Ice Toner

You might recall that I purchased this sherbet-y toner from L'egere during the BHG sale awhile back:

S$27.90 from BHG
( You can read my initial review HERE )

I didn't really think much of it initially and even ventured as far as to say that it might not be worth a repeat purchase especially since it didn't seem to be doing anything for my pores. But I did enjoy the cooling feeling and the fun of spraying this sherbet-y substance into a cotton pad everyday so I bought a 2nd bottle.

2 months on, I'm close to finishing the 2nd bottle (with 2 more bottles in my drawer) and feel that my initial assessment needs some tweaking.

The L'egere Pure Aqua Pore Tightening Ice Toner:
  • still has not done much for my pores, though they have not worsened either =( I am resigned to my crater face fate.
  • BUT has (after its addition to my daily routine) helped to COMPLETELY eradicate the irritating clogs along my jawline! Yes the very ones that have been terrorising me for a good 8 months! And this is why I've continued purchasing~
  • mattifying effect remains the same i.e decent enough for my combination skin
  • product near the spray nozzle turns yellowish if left unused for more than a day or 2 (you'll see it when you spray it), but seems harmless. No side effects on me.
  • unfortunately 1 bottle doesn't last very long, only about a 1 1/2 months? So keep a look out for sales if you intend to stockpile this! =)
I have to say, I'm elated that my cloggy jawline is now cleared T_T You have no idea how much I've anguished over it~ If anyone is interested, my current skincare product lineup is:
These 3 are the basis of my routine these days, with a serum or eye cream here and there plus my beauty supplements, it seems to be working out pretty well~ Yayyyy~~~ =D

The down side is, after finding products that have worked so well for me, it's hard to justify trying/buying other brands or products out of curiousity... >_<

Do you continue trying/purchasing other brands or products after you've found your HG product? Does the search ever really end? (._.)

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Bangkok Weekending~

Popped over to Bangkok over the weekend with my parents and The Husband~ It's been some years since my last visit to Bangkok so I was quite excited for the food & shopping ^__^

First thing I had after landing was, of course, Tom Yum noodles!

So soooo tastyyyy~~~
This was at the new mall in Bangkok called Terminal 21 which is quite fun to walk through 'cos they have a travel theme throughout the mall so different levels have different countries as themes e.g Japan, Rome, Paris etc~

London~

Japan~


Middle East~ (I think >_<  Sorry I forgot exactly which country this was!)
It's a mall with lots of photo ops given the decor which goes all the way from the painting and pillars to huge random installations like a much-larger-than-life maneki neko (japanese fortune cat)!
 
More after the cut!

Friday 11 January 2013

Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Argan Dry Oil - The Other Dry Oil

I guess most of you know about the fantastic Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-usage Dry Oil? But if you've been ever so slightly intimidated by the price (S$40/50ml, S$68/100ml) or are a heavy user, maybe you should cast your sights on Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Argan Dry Oil~

The Nuxe Dry Oil I have is the OR version which is shimmery and I was hoping to get a bottle of straight up dry oil for my hair ends~ A chance romp through the Kiehl's store resulted in this purchase:

S$72 (236ml/8 oz bottle)
I bought this in Finland for about 35 euros, checked for the local (Singapore) retail price which turned out to be S$72.. >_<

A look at the ingredients list shows Argania Spinosa oil to be 7th (followed by a variety of other oils) and Apricot Kernel oil 3rd on the list. Since this is supposed to be Argan Oil, I was slightly disappointed but it's ok given Apricot Kernel oil's benefits~

Some benefits of Apricot Kernel Oil are:
  • Vitamin-rich, especially Vitamin A & E and other essential acids that are good for the skin, especially prematurely aged or dehydrated skin
  • Is absorbed completely with no greasy afterfeel
  • Does not cause allergic reactions, therefore safe for sensitive skin (even baby skin!)
  • Has soothing, moisturising, anti-inflammatory and revitalizing effects on the skin
  • Can also be used to strengthen hair follicles and nourish the scalp

So you see why I have no objection to it being higher on the list?

Argan oil on the other hand....I have to concede that there's no way Argan oil will cost just 35 euros for more than 200ml given that it's not commonly found and its extraction is a very, very, (did I mention very?) very labourious and complex process even with the inclusion of machines.

Benefits of Argan Oil include:

  • helps prevent or reduce signs of premature aging of the skin due to environmental stress
  • is a non-cholesterol oil with a higher moisturising index compared to shea butter and olive oil
  • has sebum-regulating properties
  • with antimicrobial properies, it can also help in the treatment of acne, eczema and psoriasis
  • helps strengthen hair and improve texture
  • if used in massage, its anti-inflammatory properties are good for sore muscles and soothing arthritis
So how does it perform?

From left: Fresh out of the bottle >> massaged into skin (notice the decreased dry lines?)

Just a personal note: It was quite a learning curve figuring out how much to use for hair. Just a couple drops too much and my hair would end up looking greasy so it took some trial & error to get the portions just right. But all in all, I'm convinced that the Kiehl's Argan Dry Oil can be a pretty good substitute for Nuxe's Multi-Usage Dry Oil if you're not a fan of floral scents or are a tad price sensitive~

Monday 7 January 2013

Seeing Red?

In about a month's time, it'll be Chinese New Year~ Money in, money out, you know how it works =p For many years, CNY was just a great excuse to go out and buy new clothes and shoes~ But this year, with a bursting wardrobe of BNWT items, I got myself a new lipstick from H&M instead! And because it's CHINESE New Year, it had to be red~

LipStick by H&M in Up All Night (4.95euro)
Bottom Left: 2 layers, 1 layer and 'just dabbing' shade swatches
Red lips have become quite the fashion/beauty staple these days~ Ranging from the Hollywood Glam to Punk to Kpop stylings, pretty awesome. I like how it looks on others but never gotten the gumption to try it myself. You see, I have rather thick lips that I prefer to play down thus my preference for nude shades. But I thought it would be fun to try something different...after all, you never know! And for just 4.95? (Plus colleagues egging me on in the background) Why not?


Honestly, I'm undecided. From some angles it looks ok but mostly it looks too much for me, like it's lipstick wearing me~ And is it just me or does it make me look old??!?!  My parents got a shock when they walked in the door and saw me with a red lip. They bade me to never scare them like that again =_= Guess I have to play around with it a little more....

But about the H&M lippie:
  • very pigmented but came out a tad lighter than I expected
  • pretty good staying power, doesn't stain the cup rims if you blot after application
  • slight touch-up necessary after meals
  • comes off easily with lip makeup remover (I use L'oreal Gentle Lip & Eye makeup remover)
  • petite price, definately wallet-friendly!
  • comes in a range of colours from nude to natural to deep red
If I was going to get yet another nude lipstick, I probaby go for H&M 'cos it's so cheap I wouldn't need to use sparingly like I do with my Edward Bess nudie >__<

Have you checked out the H&M makeup range? Got any favourites? ^__^

Thursday 3 January 2013

Belated Happy New Year All!

Happy 2013~ =D Did you have an awesome New Year's party?

I was away on work so no party for me T_T But I managed to squeeze some time for lunch at Sushi Tei (one of my fave places these days) with a couple of girlfriends before I left~ Didn't think at the time that I would be posting pics so I only took 1... >_<


Note the 2 little piles of delish on the left. I love love LOVE the Crispy Ebi Mentai Mayo (Deep-fried prawn & shitake mushroom with cod roe), ordered it every single time since it appeared on the menu~ Looking forward to more yumyum for my tumtum in 2013~ With hopefully zero consequences! =P

It's only been a short 2 months into Cottonball Crusade but the new year heralds a slightly changed direction for the blog. I've decided to broaden the scope a little bit so that it's a little more like a 'Personal blog with a main focus on beauty' instead of just review after review after review. There is an actual person behind the scene you know~ So apart from the usual beauty stuff that I've been posting, in future do look forward to small side servings of food, fashion and other such randomness~

Hope you guys out there will continue supporting! Here's a warm hug and all the best for the new year! xoxo