Carousels and Couture

So how was everyone's Christmas! I had a nice quiet time at home, spending time with family. The end of the year is always the time when I look back and think of all I've accomplished and all that I hope to accomplish in the future. And even though I'm thankful for everything I have, I also do think about what I hope to get in the future. Here's my Christmas wish list of 2012, what's yours? #1. Chanel 2.55 The most classic, coveted bag in fashion. My favourite is lambskin, even though caviar is more hardy. And I love beige, but black is also such a great everyday option. Green might not be my first choice in an investment bag but I really like the colour and details on this Chanel carried by Kim Kardashian. #2. Lady Dior Yet another gorgeous classic, and even though it's not so coveted as the 2.55, I just love this bag too. Maybe partly because Marion Cotillard is the face of Dior, and I really admire her.  #3. Blazer  It's sup

TLDR Review: BUY IT! So worth it! So these lip balms have been raved by so many YouTube beauty gurus that I couldn't resist trying them out. These, along with EOS lip balms are constantly being raved about by beauty gurus. And I'm so glad I bought them! Packaging in the US. Packaging in Singapore. They come in pretty transparent tops in the US but here in Singapore they've just got simple colored tops. I don't really like them because they're hard to grasp when my hands are oily. I've never bought the clear caps before, but if you have, let me know how they're like! What I love about Baby Lips is how it glides on smoothly, and I love that it doesn't leave a waxy feeling. All of them have nice different flavors and smells, so you should probably check out the testers before you buy one. I bought the purple and yellow one (Mango Pie, I love mango), the light pink and blue one (Anti-Oxidant Berry) and the red and orange one (Cherry Velvet). If y

TLDR Review: Definitely buy them. So worth it. If you want soft and smooth hair, this is for you. BUT if you want voluminous hair, this might not be for you because this is not meant to give you volume. Disclaimer: I have Asian hair.  Essential is most famous for targeting the cuticles of the last 15cm of our hair, because that's where our hair is the driest and needs the most moisture. Ever since Kao came out with the Essential Nuance Airy and Rich Premier (in Pink and orange), I have been obsessed with their hair masks. Not only are they affordable, they're really good. Not to mention they come in really cute jars! But I wasn't so interested in the rest of their hair products: the shampoo, conditioner and hair treatment. Now Essential has come up with another range! The Purely Smooth range targets damaged and rough hair and gives a light smooth finish. And of course, this range also targets the last 15cm of our hair, making sure it is smoother and tangle-free. I

   If you've read the post I had about free samples, I hope you managed to get your hands on a Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover sample! I was so excited to see this in the mail that I opened it immediately and tried it out.   This adorable pink bottle contains a generous amount of 20ml. And even though you pour quite a bit into your hands to use, there's still plenty left everytime. I've used this several times already and still have more than half left. I'll be bringing this overseas when I jetset in December, and I'm glad I have this! I used to lug around a big bottle of makeup remover whenever I go overseas in case I don't have enough, but I know this will definitely tide me over. I generally prefer cleansing oils than those makeup remover that need cotton pads, because cleansing oils are more convenient. However, I've previously used a few cleansing oil that was difficult to remove. Even after washing my face, my skin still felt oil

I enjoyed the random beauty quiz, so I thought I'd do a fitness quiz, just for fun. Again if you're doing it too, let me know! What's your favourite activity? Love swimming, but it's always difficult, because the weather is so unpredictable. I hate swimming in the cold water. What do you do to keep fit? Mostly I cycle and swim. Recently I've been going to the gym where I use the treadmill, lift weights and the rowing machine. How often do you exercise? It varies, usually once a week? It used to be more often, about three times a week but it's so hard to make the time and effort. Who's your inspiration? I don't believe in thinspo (thin inspiration), I believe in fitspo (fit inspiration). Definitely Bar Refaeli, she looks really good. What do you do when you need inspiration? I'll watch the Victoria's Secret fashion shows! They definitely make me want to get fit. I also watch the VSX body vodcasts with Doutzen Krous, they'e easy

Can you still call it a haul even though there's only one item? Anyway, I finally decided on a hair color! I was dallying between the Luxurious Ruby Black (which is a gorgeous shade of dark red) and Magical Blue Black. Magical Blue Black is a pretty black with a blue sheen in the light. It's so rare that I couldn't find it in departmental stores or Watsons. Even though I had been set on a red shade, I decided to just try out this gorgeous blue black shade. There's very few reviews on the Schwarzkopf palette hair dyes, especially in Asia. It's a little more popular in Europe, and I guess the dyes are more suited to European hair. So I don't know how it'll work on Asian hair, but I guess I'll find out! Keep reading back as ill post the results of my experience. If it works really well, I'll probably buy the Luxurious Ruby Black shade next time!

So I thought I'd just create and do a random beauty quiz! Let me know if you're planning to do it too! What beauty-related item would you never use? Previously I thought I'll never wear nail polish or false lashes, but now I do! But I'll probably never take beauty supplements, because I don't really think they're safe. What is your makeup must-have? Lip balm (which I don't really count as makeup). So it'll be blush! What would you not leave home without wearing? I have to draw my eyebrows, otherwise they're so thin. Minimum I'll wear is some powder and blush, and some eyeliner if possible. How often do you wear makeup? I used to wear it almost everyday, but now I wear it maybe twice or thrice a week? I like to let my skin breathe. Describe your go-to makeup look. Some foundation and powder, pink Canmake blush, I'll do my eyebrows with an eyebrow powder, three shades of eyeshadow (nude highlighter, light brown, dark brown), some

There's a church in Notting Hill, London, that was built in 1823. The church has an ordinarily-classical looking exterior, but a redevelopment project was underway in 2004, transforming the place. Take a look for yourself. It has a modern look to it, these pictures are taken from http://www.dosarchitects.com.         How amazing is that? I would love to live here. It is so beautifully modern, with a stylistic touch to it. The glass stairs might look scary to travel up but cool to look at. I simply adore the monochromatic colour scheme with a touch of pink and purple. Especially since those are my favourite colours. Perhaps I should redesign my room/house to look something like this.

A meme (pronounced me-em) is an Internet sensation that goes viral. It comes in the form of photos, videos, catchphrases, and more. There are several websites dedicated to these memes, such as Memebase.com and 9GAG. The first one I thought I'd feature is one of the most recent ones that have tickled the world. It is an original fresco of Jesus Christ entitled "Ecce Homo" or "Behold The Man" that hung in a church in Borja, Spain. The left features the original fresco, the middle shows how deteriorated it became due to age and moisture, and the right shows the 'restoration' of the fresco, with a decidedly monkey look.     Authorities initially thought it was a case of vandalism, till an elderly woman stepped up to claim responsibility. She said that she had attempted to restore the fresco, as she was upset with the deterioration of what was her favourite painting. She tried to paint over it, but ended up with a half-beard. The Internet quick

Went to IKEA a couple of weeks back, and guess what I finally spotted? These IKEA Moppe chest of drawers used to be extremely popular, because they're so handy in storing all sorts of things, from makeup to stationery to bottles and tubes of products. I'd been looking for these but IKEA Tampines and IKEA Alexandra were always out of stock. I really wanted to get them to reorganize my makeup, because they're just scattered everywhere on my table. Eventually I figured I should just give up and take a look at other options, like this Muji acrylic drawers. These clear acrylic drawers are really pretty and they come in 2-drawer, 3-drawer and 5-drawer versions. And since they are clear, it is really easy to see your makeup and pick out what you want. But the drawers are kind of thin. It's really hard to store larger items, like my Chacott loose powder, or my blushes. And they are quite expensive too. The 2 drawers are S$23, the larger 2 drawers are S$29, the

Guess what arrived in the mail this week! I love getting letters, and I especially love getting packages of things I've bought or samples that came in the mail. Remember the post of free samples I did recently? View the post here . Well, I've gotten two of the items this week! The Biore Aqua Jelly makeup remover! Am so excited to try this out, because I've tried the Biore makeup wipes and I love those. And I like how handy this bottle is, it is a cute pink bottle that holds 20ml, which I think is quite generous. It's definitely great to use when traveling abroad. The other item that I found in my mailbox is the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser sample. It comes with a brochure detailing the other products in the Cetaphil line, including moisturizer and sunscreen. I've already used this a couple of times, but I'll use it a bit more before I write a proper review on this. Watch out for it soon! So far, I'm really liking this very much. All in all, I

Ahh, the Burberry trench coat. The perennial classic synonymous with the brand Burberry, just like their iconic check patterns. This season, I walked into the Burberry stores and fell in love, just like every single time. Burberry's new fall collection introduces their classic trench coats in 2 lovely colours: Mahogany Red and Military Navy. They are called the Mid-Length Cotton Blend Trench Coat.     How could you not fall in love with these? They are cotton blend coats, made from 96% cotton and 4% elastane. The belted waist gives definition to the silhouette and they come up nicely to just above my knees (I'm short, so it makes a nice 3/4 length coat). The colours are magnificent as they complement the autumn season, but these winter coats will surely last you through winter nights and cold spring days.The material gives off a slightly glossy look, but not a shiny patented feeling, but neither does it give a dull look to your appearance. And of course, if you pr

Remember the post on free samples I did a little while back? You can view that here . I received an SMS asking me to come down to one of the Biotherm counters to redeem the Biotherm Aquasource Hydrating Jelly. The girl was very nice and offered to show me some of the other moisturizing products since I'm not familiar with Biotherm. I love the Biotherm packaging colours, cause the blue shades are so pretty and immediately make me think of fresh springs and moisturizing. It is a 5 ml product in a tube, and is packaged nicely in a box. The box explains how skin loses the most water at night and therefore needs optimal hydration. As it is meant for night time use, I only applied it on at night. I like how it is in a tube instead of a tub, because I hate dipping my fingers into a tub and using a spatula is very tedious. Another plus point is that this is suitable for all skin types. I've been having some dry and dehydrated skin issues, so I hoped that this product would be abl

So I swung by Daiso this week, and resisted the temptation to buy everything. Daiso is really a treasure trove! Even if you have no intention to buy anything, it's pretty easy to get suckered into buying at least one item. Plus, it's so easy to justify to yourself because "It's only two dollars!". Well, it's just as easy to accumulate your purchases. Once, I saw a girl buying over S$100 worth of products. What could she have possibly bought? Then again, if I had an unlimited amount of money to spend on Daiso, I'd probably be buying that many products myself. Anyway, I found the display selling wet wipes, and I was amazed. Usually I buy mine from Watsons when they have a bundle on offer, and usuallythey're about S$4-5 for 30 pieces. But Daiso was selling 50-150 wet wipes for only S$2! The difference in amounts is because of the packaging that they come in, and the quality of wet wipes. There are large boxes with 150 pieces, and there are smaller box

Just a simple post musing about my hair. I've been thinking about changing my hair colour yet again, since my black roots are beginning to show. It is definitely an unsightly look, and I really hate the contrast of my brownish hair and black roots. Previously, I have used the Liese Cassis Berry hair dye to try and get it red, then the Liese Sweet Apricot hair dye for a shade of light brown, then the Liese Antique Rose hair dye for another shade of red. I love having red hair, but unfortunately, my hair doesn't really take well to red pigments and I end up with brownish hair instead. I have a friend with the exact opposite problem: instead of brown hair, she ends up with reddish hair. I envy her hair so much because I am getting very tired of brown hair and I really love beautiful red hair. I've been contemplating trying out a different brand to see if I can get a shade that will stay on my hair. Other than Liese, I have also tried out the BeautyLabo hair dye in Candy

August is almost over (with about a week left) but here's a list of the products I've managed to complete! Generally it's very difficult for me to finish a lot of products, probably because I like to switch it up now and again. For makeup especially, I've found that whenever I do Project Pans, they take months to complete. I honestly don't know how some people can blaze through so many products within a month, and use up about 15-20 products every month. How is that possible? Anyway, most of the products are hair care products, which I have been paying special attention to. My bathroom space has really been clogged up, so it's a relief to be clearing some of these things away. Clockwise from top left: Essential Ultra Honey and Shea Butter Hair Mask (pink), Loreal Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Hair Mask, LUX Super Rich Hydro-Nourishing Conditioner, Clear Dry Scalp and Itch Control Shampoo (travel-size), Soap and Glory Scrub Em and Leave Em Body Buff (travel si

With the perpetual summer heat in Singapore, Starbucks has introduced 2 new drinks to their menu to keep us cool. Made from green coffee extract, they are the Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus. After much debate, I decided to forgo my favourite Caramel frappe and try out the Very Berry Hibiscus. According to the Starbucks website, the Very Berry Hibiscus contains tangy blackberry and hints of hibiscus. "Shaken with whole blackberries and a boost of natural energy from Green Coffee Extract, our handcrafted Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers™ beverage is a low-calorie afternoon recharge that tastes nothing like coffee." I tried out the Tall size, which was S$5.50, the same price for most of their drinks in the Tall size. It was a colorful pink-red, and there were a couple of big blackberries and some smaller-sized blackberries inside. True enough, I didn't taste any coffee at all, it was more like a fruit juice refresher. It was mostly a blackberry taste and I did

Like most girls, I like movies that involve fashion. So movies like the Devil Wears Prada rank very highly on my favourite movie list. I stumbled upon this movie and watched it because of Hilary Duff. I don't love her, but she's alright, and she was good in Lizzie McGuire so I thought I'd like to see her tackle this. It also stars True Blood's Michael Mcmillian, Kyle XY's Matt Dallas and The OC's Chris Carmack. Beauty and the Briefcase collaborated with Cosmopolitan magazine to produce a story of a girl who goes undercover in the world of business to write an article about dating 'men in suits' and finding love in the business world. It's a predictably thin plot, and the chances are, you can guess the ending before you reach the end of the movie. Warning: There may be spoilers ahead, so if you prefer to watch the movie without being spoiled, it is best that you don't continue reading. There are a lot more minuses than plus points in this

The baby mania hasn't been slowing down in Tinseltown. It seems like almost every female is getting pregnant in Hollywood, be it supermodels, actresses, or reality stars.   Gisele Bundchen has finally confirmed that she is expecting and is 5 months along. The Brazilian supermodel is married to football star Tom Brady and already has a son, firstborn Benjamin Rein Brady. Gisele was coy when she was pregnant with her first son, and she initially refused to confirm or deny her second pregnancy. But pregnancy did not stop her the first time round. Whilst she was pregnant with Benjamin, she took her pilot's license, and continued fulfilling her numerous advertisement contracts, usually allowing them to photograph her body in loose-fitting clothes or just her face. She is also a fervent advocate of keeping fit, saying "I did kung fu up until two weeks before Benjamin was born, and yoga three days a week." Megan Fox