The Kanebo Seasonal Sale 2015 is on next week!

If you haven't already heard, the Kanebo Seasonal Sale 2015 is happening next midweek!

Date: 22 & 23 April 2015 / 10am - 7pm
Where: 83 Clemenceau Avenue #01-35 / 36 UE Square 

My Japanese ex-colleague is all of a flutter~ =D

Past season sales had prices starting from single digits for much of the Kate range and go up to about 70% for the more expensive brands! With my limited spending power now, that sounds really good~ (insert Homer Simpson slobber here)

Still a week to go but~ Happy Shopping Ladies!!

Marc Jacobs Beauty - Lust for Lacquer Full Coverage Lip Vinyl 202 Paint It Review

Ever since I got pregnant, I haven't been buying anymore beauty or makeup products since I decided it would be safer so cut down my skincare regime to the bare minimum and not working also means I'm at home a lot so there goes the need for makeup...*looks wistfully at her mountain of goodies from Japan*

BUT!

Dinner with a girlfriend last week inevitably led to some strolling down the makeup aisle and a romp through Sephora turned up a 30% promo on the Marc Jacobs lippies! Up came last year's temptation to get the Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl (U.P S$39 / 5ml) and so I skipped away with a full coverage version in 202 Paint It~

Pictured with a few other recent purchases =)

Product Description:

Satisfy your lip gloss craving with Marc's color-drenched, champagne-infused lip vinyl. This gently plumping formula wears like no other, while the unique pillowed applicator is an experience that leaves you lusting for more.

Available in 6 full and 6 sheer coverage color palettes, with names inspired by Marc's favorite music. Full Coverage is decorated with a black logo and features a pointed applicator for a more precise application, while the Sheer formula has a silver logo and an oval paddle for an effortless application. 

Extracted from marcjacobs.com

202 Paint It has been described as a terracotta red but strikes me more like a corally pink. A very easy colour to wear, sort of a vibrant my-lips-but-better shade! 

The packaging is simple and sleek, a transparent flat-ish oblong tube with a screw-on top that pops up on it's own after a few turns. Seems sturdy enough and I haven't experienced any sort of leakage so far.

The pointed applicator is pretty sturdy and makes for precise application. The formula is on the light side, like a slightly watery gel and not as thick or sticky as some lip glosses. Gloppiness is a big turn-off for me so thumbs up for that!

Swatches true to colour~

Nice gloss factor!

I had the swatch on for about 10 seconds while I took the shots and it left a slight stain that removes easily with water-based makeup remover.

On the lips, one swipe out of the tube was enough for full on coverage:

A clearer lip swatch - taken in natural daylight

In indoor white light

This is really one of those shades that goes from day to night easily if you're not vamping it up. The plumping effect is quite minimal but my lips are on the full side already so maybe it's just me. There's a minty feeling after application that lasts about 5min that I quite enjoy, nothing too strong. The packaging says 'Champagne Grape infused' but it smells more minty than anything, reminds me of the Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao (Loquat Cough Syrup) we take when we have a bad throat. It's not a strong fragrance so you probably wouldn't notice it unless you put your nose to the tube~

Headed out for a wedding dinner and came back about 5 - 6 hours later with a pretty good stain still on my lips. Only touched up once halfway through dinner for some photos and dabbed my mouth at least 10 times over the evening.

Sorry for the slightly blurry pic but you can see that the stain is pretty decent! ^^ Despite being in aircon all evening, my lips weren't too dried out so I would say there's a slight hydrating effect. After removing the stain I realised there was actually a small dry patch on my upper lip that was completely camouflaged by the lip colour, that's a plus!

So to wrap up, the Marc Jacobs Beauty Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl:

• Easily available at Sephora, slightly pricey at S$39 but you can always look out for in-store & online deals~
• Available in both sheer and full coverage shades, 12 in total.
• Sleek, sturdy tube, transparent so you know when product is low, with custom applicators for sheer and full coverage shades.
• Full coverage as promised, dabs well and leaves a pretty good stain considering this is one of the 'gentler' shades in the the full coverage lineup.
• Has a light watery gel texture that isn't thick or sticky, very comfortable!
• Leaves a refreshing minty feeling after application that lasts about 5 min.
• Didn't notice much plumping effect on me.
• Slightly hydrating, didn't highlight any dry patches or fine lines, didn't bleed either!

With the 30% promo, this was a really good deal! I love me a lightweight full coverage lip gloss anyday, and in such a pretty colour no less =) Well worth checking out!

Philosophy - Kiss Me Tonight Intensive Lip Therapy Review

I've been an avid lip balm user for almost a good decade now, ever since I started working and was in air-conditioned environments for extended periods of time. My best buys have been Mentholatum Organic, Maybelline Baby Lips and currently UltraSun UltraLip, thankfully all drugstore brands =D And of course the lip masks from The Face Shop have been great too!

But you know how it is with us women...can't help sniffing around the stores for new products to play with~

While it's not a new product, the reviews I read online were almost 100% positive so when I spotted the Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight Intensive Lip Therapy on Luxola during their many sales, I thought, why not?

S$23 / 9g from Luxola

It's a small screw top pot, not unlike the usual balm pots in terms of size.

Ingredients list:

Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, hydrogenated polyisobutene, glycerin, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, flavor (aroma), beeswax, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, c18-38 alkyl hydroxystearoyl stearate, hydrogenated castor oil, c12-16 alcohols, irvingia gabonensis kernel butter, octyldodecanol, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, hydrogenated coco-glycerides, tocopheryl acetate, beta vulgaris (beet) root extract, melia azadirachta leaf extract, palmitic acid, retinyl palmitate, eclipta prostrata extract, moringa pterygosperma oil, hydrogenated lecithin, phenoxyethanol.

Product description:

Kiss Me Tonight is an intense lip therapy that keeps lips soft and in perfect kissable condition with an ultra-creamy formula. It works on contact soften roughness, relieve dryness and sooth seriously dry lips. This luxurious lip treatment helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, adds shape and definition, and restores a healthy rosy appearance.

Apply to lips at night. Can also be applied throughout the day as needed.

The texture is similar to vaseline but more smooth or buttery.

It applies very smooth, isn't sticky on the lips and smells lightly of minty vanilla, nice!

It's colourless so it doesn't add anything except a glossy sheen to your lips. If your lips are dry this does help sooth it and over regular use, softens the lips. Unfortunately, that seems to be all it did for me. #sadface

The before & after pics were after 1 overnight use and the next morning, despite the name of the product, I don't think The Husband would've liked to kiss me (^ - ^;;) because there was this slightly white-ish layer on my lips that needed rubbing off aka overnight exfoliation.

From L - R : Before, During and After

After rubbing off the dead skin, I was like (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ that my lips looked even worse than before. I really thought I would behold juiced up lips like when I use the lips masks from The Face Shop. Sigh.

After a little over a week's daily use now, I still don't see any difference in the fine line department. My lips are softer and feel smoother but aside from that....not the overnight miracle I was expecting after all those glittering reviews I'd read online.

So now I just use this as an overnight exfoliator and a daytime gloss or base for lip colour since it does make my lips feel softer & smoother. But as far as the fine lines go, I've given up on getting any fantastic results. Not anytime soon anyway.

So in a nutshell, Philosophy's Kiss Me Tonight Intensive Lip Therapy:

• is an affordable and easily available option in this Philosophy's product range.
• comes in a small sturdy plastic tub, pretty & very convenient except you need an applicator if you don't want to stick your fingers in.
• product's texture is nice, like a buttery-er version of Vaseline, and very lightly scented mint & vanilla.
• a light peach in the tub but applies clear, giving a nice sheen to the lips.
• applies well, smooths and soothes dry chapped lips and makes for a pretty good base for lip colours.
• performs well as a lip balm, 1 application and no dry lips even after 12 hours in aircon! (but no SPF aww..)
• behaves like Vaseline if used overnight i.e exfoliating, but didn't leave my lips feeling particularly moisturised.
• after 1 1/2 week daily use (overnight & daytime), lips feel smoother & softer with less dry patches.
• didn't make any difference on the fine lines yet (T_T)
• if purchasing, do note that full results might take some time to surface.

Would I repurchase? Probably not. It's works ok but isn't the intensive treatment I was hoping it would be.

Do you have any intensive lip therapy or treatment products to recommend? I'd love to get a headsup!  =)

New In Town - Inglot Cosmetics & the Freedom System lipstick swatches!

A couple of days ago, Polish brand Inglot Cosmetics's first store in Singapore opened its doors in Wisma Atria B1! I don't get out much but like it was meant to be, I had to run some errands yesterday so I popped in for a look! Located along the same row as Lush, facing CottonOn Body, you can't miss it. Oh and also, 10% storewide till Sunday! =D

Once in, a friendly makeup artist (a pretty Malay girl rocking the Inglot blue lipstick, envious much!) came up, introduced the brand to me and escorted me over to the lipstick wall as I was hoping to get a nice pigmented nude (brown, not pink) lippie like my beloved Edward Bess Ultra Slick in Sundown. She was friendly, patient and not too attached to me if you know what I mean so I felt quite comfortable.

Look at all those lippie shades~


Lipstick prices range from S$22 - S$26

Unfortunately, the lipsticks didn't have what I wanted (the nudes were either too sheer for my lips or too frosty sigh) so we tried the Freedom System individual lip squares and found a very nice match in No. 25! =D Yay!! Since they were really cheap (only $12 each), I decided to put together a day to night palette~ Armed with a magnetic board, I set about picking my colours...

Sooooo many shades!!

Inglot also has face powders and concealers ranging from S$22 - 26 as well as a wide variety of shades in the eye and lip colour dept for your Freedom System palettes at S$12 apiece!

So anyway, I ended up with these 3 shades and after adding the Freedom System magnetic case (Starts at S$10 for a single, S$12 for double, S$13 for the trio case...etc) my total was S$44.10 after the 10% discount! CHEAP!!

My Custom Day to Night Freedom System Palette!

After all that excitement (cheap thrills or what lol), I was pretty hungry so I popped over to Domani Cafe at Takashimaya for some brunch (my first and only meal that day) before heading home ^_^ I don't care what people say, I like the food here. Can't remember what the item was named....Sunny something? But it's the only brunch item with the egg, bacon, smoked salmon (which I replaced with more bacon) on toasted muffins ^_^

Explored my purchase while waiting for the food to come:

Simply packaged individual colours and the sleek magnet casing

I really like the case. It's reusable, feels sturdy and the magnet is strong enough to keep that nice frosted lid in place yet not so strong that you need to struggle to open it. Swiveling from either end (as below) is the easiest way =)

Freedom System 3 case - S$13

From Top to Bottom - Lipstick Shade No 30, 25 and 11

The lip colours clip in firmly to the magnetized casing.

From Left - Lipstick Shade No. 30, 25 and 11.

No. 30 looks like it might be a natural sheer red but swatches a slightly coral red-pink. Really pretty!
No. 25 is a nice and pigmented brownish nude, close enough to my Edward Bess Sundown shade!
No. 11 is a lovely warm red that had impact but wasn't too in-your-face. Love!


From Left - Lipstick Shade No. 30, 25 and 11.

Inglot really has a sh!tload of colours for you to pick from so if standard palettes are not your thing, you should definitely try Inglot! The fact that it's so budget-friendly doesn't hurt either!

I lip-swatched No.30 last and left it on while I went in search of brunch. It stayed on through my shopping and then my drink but there was only a stain left after my meal so touchups are required after eating.

Why should you pop by Inglot?

• Loads of colours for all your eyeshadow and lipstick needs, pigment powders, gel liners, don't forget their new (huge) range of breathable nail enamel!
• All lip, eye and nail colours come in a variety of finishes; matte, normal, glossy, shimmery, sheer, you get the idea!
• Definitely swatch, both on hands and lips, as pigmentation & finish differs quite abit from colour to colour. Inglot has disposable applicators at the displays so it's easy to do a quick lip swatch!
• Budget friendly with lipsticks and face powders at S$22 - S$26, eyeshadow and lip colours for the Freedom System palettes at S$12 each and Freedom System cases sold separately starting at S$10.
• 10% off storewide till 5 Oct 2014, my 3 lip colours + case only cost S$44.10!
• Freedom System cases feel sturdy, come in 2 styles (magnet with frosted lid or regular closure with mirror) and different combinations depending on your choice of products.
• No.30 stayed on for shopping and drink but required touchup after a meal. Does leave a stain though so you're not left with a totally naked lip.
• Formulated with castor seed oil, shea butter, beeswax and apricot kernel oil, it's fairly decent in the moisturising department. No SPF though =(
• My selection of colours were more of a gloss finish so didn't emphasise the lines on my lips and were not drying.
• Only 1 outlet at the moment, kinda cramped, wish it was bigger~ Show 'em some support so they can open more branches!

I wanna hit pan soon just so that I can go back for more hahahaha hopeless shopaholic I know! Hope you guys enjoyed this quick review! Did you get anything on your visit? I'd love to know if I missed anything good! =D

The Tokyo Affair 2014 - Matsumoto Kiyoshi Beauty Loot

Before I left for Tokyo I promised myself that there would not be a repeat of last year's frantic squishing of luggage, desperately trying to fit all my shopping into my bags.....and I did so well this year, that I came back with barely anything! Of course, it also helped to think of my overflowing 'beauty drawer' back home~ XP

Maybe it was because I was there with my husband. I didn't spend as much time browsing and only made 2 trips to the drugstore as opposed to...well...I dunno...8? =P

Let's start with the stuff in sachets!

From left: Choosy lip masks, hot bath salts, whitening bath salts

I'm a big fan of these hot bath salts, feels so good after I soak & sweat buckets! By the time I took this photo, I'd already used 4 packets of bath salts....totally regret not buying more =( But if I get desperate, there's always Nishino Pharmacy or Meidi-ya I guess~

These hydrogel lip masks look yummy and were available in soooo many colours! Everything from nude to reds, pinks and orange shades. They can also double as nipple masks. Yep, NIPPLE masks. I haven't tried them yet though.

Choosy lip masks in Milk and White Pearl (about 100 - 120yen each)

Dual use lip & nipple gel patch!

Formulated with Collagen, Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid, this hydrogel lip pack goes on after the lips are thoroughly cleansed. Leave on for anything between 5 - 30min and then gently peel off lips. Depending on which mask you choose, there are also other ingredients in the formula such as argan oil, grapefruit essence, jojoba seed oil, honey and aloe vera~

炭­酸宣言(tan san sen gen) Sparkling Water Pack - 388yen

 

This water pack supposedly will help expand the capillaries in the skin, allowing more oxygen to the skin. From my understanding, it basically improves circulation, activating skin cell metabolism whilst cleansing the pores, improving elasticity and moisture.

 

From the instructions I gather one should mix pack 1 with water then mix in pack 2, at which point a creamy foam will form. Next, immerse your face in the foam for as long or as many times as you want then rinse off with the remaining carbonated water (I'm presuming this is after the initial chemical reaction settles and the foam dissipates.). Pat dry and you're ready for makeup!

Next! Makeup!

(By the way, I am immensely proud that I didn't come back with like 12 different mascaras circa 2013. *fistpump*)

I got a few really basic items like lip gloss and nail polish from Kate cos it was just SOOOO cheap, as always~ And Maybelline Baby Lips in Sweet Beige! Why don't we have this colour in Singapore? Or have I been somehow blindsided again. =\ I actually also bought a lip concealer stick from Canmake...but....I...can't find it....=___=

Kate gloss & polish - 400yen each, Canmake eyebrow liquid - 540yen, Maybelline Baby Lips - 540yen

And then the new Cool BB Spray with UV from Esprique~

Esprique Cool BB Spray - 2,268yen

 

Cooling BB Spray formulated with hyaluronic acid, collagen and mint essence.....I played with the tester a little bit and only felt a little bit of the cooling effect, maybe it'll be more apparent when used over a larger area. Simply spray on a sponge and apply~

 

And that, is it for makeup. Amazing right?!??! Talk about downsizing!

 

In misc goods, I got a couple bottles of these clothes fragrance sprays! They smell SO GOOD! I spritz some on to clothes I'm gonna be wearing the next day or sometimes on my work clothes when they need freshening up. Again, something I regretting not buying more of.

 

Flair Fragrance - 299 yen (so cheap!!!)

And for my daily aching legs~

 

Night Aroma Cooling Sheets - 498yen & SlimWalk compression socks - 1,831yen

Now the cooling sheets were a godsend for the trip because they adhered really well and the cooling effect was really soothing on my aching calves~ I simply slapped them on every night and only removed them in the morning =)

 

The SlimWalk compressions socks/stockings were also pretty great because I have the first ones from Scholl and they were abit hot for Singapore....it's pretty gross to be sweating in them. These new ones are a summertime release and are designed to release any trapped heat, keeping you cool...and compressed! =)

 

Wow, that was really....not a lot of stuff! =\ *feels overly self-censored* I really need to establish a middle ground.... Well, hope you guys enjoyed this short post!

Pucker up quick! - Mini-review on Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm

Greetings from Tokyo! (^---^)v The weather has been really nice, despite a slight shower earlier yesterday~ Averaging ard 27ºc I think? Quite perfect! Especially when there's a nice breeze most of the time~

I packed my new Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm this trip and have used it the past couple days. The colour is really nice, buildable too! I have the matte balm in Unapologetic, which is a pretty darn bright shade of rose pink. Paired with a light eye, it's not as overwhelming as I'd thought! And also not as drying as I expected a matte lippie to be~ (I still have a layer of balm first though, my lips tend to go slightly dry in cool climates~)

Revlon describes this lippie as:

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm offers velvety color with balm-like moisture. Infused with a Triple Butter Complex of Shea, Mango and Coconut Butter. This retractable chubby crayon requires no sharpener.

Hope you can see the colour ok~ It's my first time blogging from my mobile so the controls are a little icky (^--^);;

As you probably can see, it's not super duper matte, more towards a velvety finish. I blot off after application and top it off with a layer of Edward Bess nude lipstick over my cupid's bow so that my lips don't look super pouty.

The staying power of this shade is pretty good! After blotting, there will still be some transfer after a meal but the colour remains obvious though not as bright a shade as before so I only touched up after meals.

I'll do up a proper review when I get back! I only have 1 - 2 light layers of Unapologetic on thus the not-so-bright rose pink pucker but it is definately buildable for heavy impact.

p/s: Loving my new green-based ash hair colour! Who says those little neighbourhood aunty salons can't do a good job? The aunty who did my hair was excited cos it was her first time attempting this colour...she was so happy when it came out alright.....and I was helping them clean out their stock of green dye too apparantly lol XP

What's In The Bag - Tokyo Time!

It's that time of the year again! Off for my annual pilgrimage to the Land of the Rising Sun, Makeup & Fashion~

I really wanted to put in an entry before I left so I thought I'd share the contents of my makeup bag and accessories. Yeah yeah I know, this has 'filler post' written all over it >_<

Accessories first, I don't wear as much hardware as I used to back in the day but it's still an important part of my wardrobe...and these are my picks for the trip!

Unfortunately I can only tell that the 2 studded bracelets and chainmail-ish necklace were from H&M, the rest were from all over the place like Far East Plaza, online stores and previous trips. Oh excluding that Pandora bracelet up in the corner (^_^;;)

Really dig my 'good for a bit-o-luck' token that I got from a little store in Kichijoji last year~

And in the makeup section, I made a tiny pile.

=D

For base makeup, I brought:

• ClearLast Pore Smooth Base UV (purchased from Japan last year, probably gonna finish the tube this time)
• Clinique Even Better Foundation
• Kate Powderless Liquid for Cover
• Dasoda MG Mega Liquid Concealer

For eye make:

• Sleek Makeup Blush by 3 (Ok this one's for the face obviously =P)
• Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express
• Maybelline Hypersharp Liner
• Too Cool for School 1 Day Tattoo Eyebrow

And lastly, lips:

• Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick (in Sundown, it's my perfect perfect nudie lipstick)
• Ultrasun Ultralip SPF30 lipbalm (first time I've had the word 'ultra' thrice in 2 lines haha)
• Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar Stain Gloss
• Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing Lip Gloss
• Revlon Colorburst Matt Balm
• Sleek Makeup Pout Polish SPF15

And that's the small part of my packing that I wanted to share today~ =)

Hope I'll come back with a more manageable haul this year, looking forward to share them with you guys when I get back! =D *poof!*

What's in The Bag - Luxola Party Goodie Bag

I know it's been awhile since I got this but I would still like to show the contents of the Luxola End of Prohibition Party door gift held a couple weeks ago ^.^

In a roomy bling-y silver pouch were~


#luxolasg!

Here's a clearer look at the respective items, I haven't tried them so I'll just attach a short description of the products according to their product write-ups~

In the skincare category, we have:

From top, then left to right then bottom:

• Harnn Oriental Herbs Hand Cream - Ultra rich, firming & highly protective hand cream with essential oils, Coenzyme Q10 and Hyaluronic Acid.
• Dr Hauschka Blackthorn Body Oil - For use as a massage oil or body moisturizer, helps prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
• 66°30 Extreme Cycle 6-in-1 Face Fluid - For men, an ultra moisturizer that calms shaving irritation, protects and repairs skin.
• Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid - A non-alcoholic powerful skin resurfacing lotion that helps to jumpstart skin metabolism, reduce open pores and fight wrinkles, pigmentation and sun damage. (Winner of the Harper’s Bazaar Beauty Hot 100 2013)
• VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 30 - A light cream type sun+light screen, skin lightening, full spectrum, indoor and outdoor protection. Non-Comedogenic and 100% fragrance, paraben, preservative, dye and phthalate-free. It's also Halal and Vegan.
• Mekhala Soothing Tamarind Facial Cleanser - Unique formula that includes organic tamarind and honey nourishes and brightens the skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines. Also able to remove makeup without drying the skin. Free of artificial fragrances and preservatives, parabens and sulphates.

I'm most excited to try the Alpha-H Liquid Gold given it's many good reviews.

It's supposed to work very well on those pesky little clogs and zits that pop up every now and then too~ But I also read that it works best on skin that is at a neutral pH so.....given that I use a few products that contain salicylic acid, I'm not sure it'll work as miraculously on me...=\ But! We shall see (^_^)v

And in the makeup category, we have:

Clockwise from left to right:

• Color Show by Maybelline Lipstick in 107 Pink Paradise - True-to-color intense lip color that promises to stay on the lips even under hot and humid conditions.
• Sleek Makeup Pout Paint x 2 in shades 162 Milkshake and 154 Mauve Over -  Intense lip pigments designed for mixing but can also be used on its on for strong, long-lasting color.
• Sleek Makeup Pout Polish in shade The Afterparty - I think this is Pink Cadillac on the website though. Check the review HERE.
• Color Show by Maybelline Crayon Kohl Eyeline in Noble Purple - Full-on colour pigments for the eyes in a smooth kohl texture. Bold colour that doesn't budge.

Quite excited about the Sleek Makeup lip colors but I haven't gotten to them yet due to a recent spree of pink lip pigments....you'll probably see them quite soon. Watch this space! lol

Oh! I also got picked for the lucky draw and won this travel size Sun Ocean EDT from Paris-Bahamas!

So happy cos I never win stuff! Just don't have the lucky wishbone in me I guess?

Isn't the bottle cute? The cover's filled with real pink sand from the Bahamas! Concocted with exotic coconut, frangipani and vanilla, this is truly a beachside summer in a bottle~ When I smell it, the image of lounging under the sun at Sentosa (or a better beach) comes to mind!

I believe this is my first What's in The Bag sort of post? Even though it isn't really MY bag that I tout around but all the same, hope you enjoyed a peek! (^--^)///