Carousels and Couture

In February 2012, The Body Shop released a set of chocolate-themed bath products in time for Valentines Day. The Chocomania body collection includes a heart-shaped soap, shower cream, body scrub, body lotion, body butter, lip butter, and a bag of hearts. Even better still, the Chocomania collection has been integrated into the usual collections and are available all year round. So now I can stock up whenever I want to instead of waiting for a clearance sale, or a special event.  According to their website, the products "contain fair trade ingredients like cocoa butter, sugar, honey, coconut oil, and shea to help hydrate and protect dry epidermises". The Body Shop has always been so environmentally conscious so I always feel pleased to buy from them. The Body Shop's previous attempts with chocolate hasn't exactly been appetizing (I'm looking at you, cocoa butter and brazil nut) so I was a little apprehensive about how this collection would turn out. But ...

  There was a point in time where I was completely obsessed with The Body Shop. I'd stalk their shops and go to every single sale they held, and come away with bags of products. Body lotions, butters, scrubs, shower gels, they would litter my bathroom and work space. My office colleagues would stop by my desk after lunch and help themselves to hand lotion. And I would love every single one of them, even if I tried them and hated the products. Now I've grown a tad more sensible, and given away the items I didn't like and kept the ones I do like. And one of them is the Papaya Body Butter.   In Singapore, where the weather is hot all year round and winter never comes, body lotions are not really popular. What more body butters, which are even thicker in consistency than body lotions? Even when i was working in a freezing office, and still was exposed to air-con at home, my skin has never needed anything more richer than a body lotion. Which is why I use my body butter ...

  I received this last Christmas, and although I have several other body scrubs, I had never tried this before. I have the mini travel-sized version, which retails in Sephora in Singapore for $5. Scrub 'em and Leave 'em is a cute and catchy name, that perfectly describes the product. It works to slough away your dead skin cells to reveal bright smooth skin. I have to admit that the first time I used it, I did not like it. The large granules was what put me off, and since my other body scrubs were in more accessible squeeze bottles, this tub of body scrub was very troublesome and off-putting. But subsequent attempts helped me realize that it is a really good product. It really scrubs and exfoliates my skin well, and the skin that I have after stepping out of the shower is smooth and glowing. Be warned: it is best used around once a week, otherwise it might aggravate your skin if used too often. Also, I find that my shower area gets quite messy because of the large granules l...

Normally I like my hands to be free when I'm walking around. Whilst shopping, it's difficult to be holding something in my hands when I'm trying to pick something out. While paying at the cashier, I have to balance everything whilst counting my change. Whenever I am holding a bag, I often use the handle strap or sling it over my shoulder for ease of use. But currently I've been obsessed with clutches, large clutches perfect for everyday use, to be precise. It pretty much started with the arrival of Kate Spade's book clutches a while back. Kate Spade released several versions of eye-catching clutches disguised as books with classic titles. Now they've expanded their repertoire to include Emma and Romeo and Juliet. But I really fell in love when they released their Emmanuelle Candy Darling Glitter Clutch in time for Christmas. The beautiful clutch is covered in gold glitter (that does not come off on your hands) topped with a big transparent bow. It was ...

Only for Singaporeans: All taken at the moment, thank you.

Hugo Boss has a history of recruiting handsome Caucasian men with  a huge fan base to be their spokesperson. Actor Ryan Reynolds, singer Jared Leto have starred in television commercials and print advertisements. Now, Maclaren F1 Driver Jenson Button lends his face to the perfume giant, not a surprise since Maclaren Mercedes is sponsored by Hugo Boss. It comes in a translucent bottle with a black cap, and Hugo Boss' signature black and red details. The fragrance itself makes itself known immediately: it is almost impossible to ignore the citrus that makes up the top notes. It is a pleasant fragrance fortunately, and I rather like it immediately. These are the ingredients - Top notes: Citrus, Grapefruit, Yuzu Zest, Pink Peppercorn Middle notes: Lavender, Cardamom, Aldehydic mist  Base notes: Vetyver, Tonka bean and Patchouli It is a normal masculine scent, and even after a few hours I can still smell the scent of patchouli. It is a pleasing scent, so eve...

Juicy Couture has released many perfumes in very beautiful bottles. I love the details they put in when they make the bottles, such as their motifs, gold detailed charms and extra ribbons. They give off such a luxurious feeling, and look great on any table. Even better still, the shops don't just carry paper slips for you to test out the perfumes, they actually give ribbons that you can tie on the handle of your bag. So I have the Viva La Juicy perfume. Obviously, this fuchsia packaging is very loud and bright, unlike Juicy Couture by Juicy Couture, which comes in a pale pink box and a more subdued bottle. This bottle is adorned with a large Juicy charm and a pink ribbon. The floral concoction contains these sweet elements - Top notes: Wild Berries, Mandarin Middle notes: Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Jasmine Base notes: Amber, Sandalwood, Praline, Caramel, Vanilla  Whew! Seems like a whole lot of fragrance in one bottle. But it combines into a great blend of scents for your s...

So I got a tester of this product a while back, and I decided to try it out. There are three versions to this eyeliner, Deep Black (black tube), Real Black (red tube) and Dark Brown (brown tube). Normally the retail size comes in a sleek tube, but mine is a mini black tube. I received the Deep Black version to try out. It's actually more convenient to bring out, cause it takes so little space in my makeup pouch, but it is a little harder to hold compared to the retail-size version. This is a pencil eyeliner (in case you're unsure, there are two types of eyeliners: pencil and liquid). It comes in black, and I like that the colour comes out quite dark, as opposed to some eyeliners that are light, so I have to put on a few coats before it looks nice. It was fairly smooth to use but it did tug at my eyelids a little (total no-no since the eyelid area is sensitive and thin). I think the eyeliner is a little on the hard side, if it was softer it would probably have w...

   Daiso is a great store to shop for inexpensive things. A S$2 store that originated from Japan, they sell all sorts of items like makeup, cutlery, clothes, toys, candles, gardening supplies, pet's supplies, stationery, cleaning goods and other knick-knacks. I believe that different countries would have different prices in their Daiso stores (In Japan it is 100 yen, in USA it is USD$1.50, in Canada it is CAD$2). Of course, for only S$2, the quality of items might be questionable, so buy at your own risk. But there are treasures to be found among the aisles, and one of them is the Daiso Detergent. There are 2 types of Daiso Detergent, both in similar bottles with only a colour and name differentiation. One of them is the Daiso Detergent for Women (to help clean off menstrual discharge on underwear and clothes) and the other is the Daiso Detergent for makeup sponges and brushes, which is what this review is all about. So please be careful when buying it so that you won't ...

  After writing about my Lush reviews, I feel the lemmings for Lush rise again. What I hate is that it is very expensive to purchase from the retail store in Singapore, as they have jacked up the prices. I would probably have to wait till I am overseas to be able to haul a large lot of Lush products. But till then, I'd love to share my lemmings for particular items that I'm excited to try (and perhaps entice you to go out and buy them as well?). Porridge Soap The perennial favorite along with Honey I Washed The Kids. This is possibly one of the most popular soaps that have been discussed. Personally, I don't understand the hype of Honey I Washed The Kids because I've smelt it many times but still don't really like it, but I adore the smell of Porridge. The fact that it has exfoliating oats to smoothen the skin also makes it very enticing. I have heard from those who have tried it that the oats are very messy though, as they are quite large. Rockst...

The cupcake mask was not the only item I bought from Lush. I was also excited to try one of the famous soaps, and ended up picking The Godmother. The official description states: "if pink had a scent, this would be it". I absolutely agree! I fell in love with the smell the moment I first caught a whiff of it. And I don't tire of the smell. I keep some of the soap at my table, and I'll randomly open up the container and take a sniff. I'm currently working on how best to keep a piece of it in my room properly just to keep smelling it whenever I feel like it. The soap also lathers well in the shower, and and leaves my skin feeling very clean. The smell unfortunately, does not last long. A little while later, I could barely smell the scent of the soap on my skin. I also hate that there is a sticky residue left behind even after repeated rinsing. This alone puts me off buying the soap again. That compounded with the expensive price if you get it from the retail ...

So Lush has finally opened an outlet in Singapore (Wisma Atria) and I went to take a look. Since I'd never been to Lush before, it wasn't long before I got completely lost. There are way too many different types of bath bombs and soaps to look and smell especially when it's your first time! But the salesgirl caught my eye and helpfully introduced all of their products. Most of the salesgirls are more than willing to help, so don't be nervous to approach them (try not to get caught up in their enthusiasm and end up spending more than you expected). I ended up with the Lush cupcake mask, meant for oily teenage skin. I may not be a teenager anymore, but I certainly suffer from oily skin with the occasional breakouts. A fresh batch is made every week, so it is recommended to be used within 3 weeks to maintain it's freshness (I must admit, it's been a couple of months and I haven't finished it, but it still works fine). I read great reviews on the Cupcake mask...

  Every time I go for a facial, the facialists will spend most of their time with my nose area, because of all the blackheads accumulated there. I've tried many remedies including home based items (egg whites etc) to no avail. I am still looking for the holy grail to my problem, but so far there are certain products that help and certain products that don't do much. Étude House sells their green tea nose patches per piece, so you can pick out as many as you like, or you can even just buy one or two to try out. I'm not fussy about having a scent while applying the nose patch, but I like the calming scent of green tea that's not too strong. If you're fussy about fragrance-free products, this might not be the product for you. But what I love most is when I peel off the patch and take a look at all the blackheads that have come off. The Étude House nose patch always pulls off so many! Compared to other nose patches from generic brands, some of them don't ...

   There are three different packs available for the Etude House Sleeping Pack. Blue (brightening), green (oil control and pore tightening) and pink (moisturizing and firming). I tried out the pink one, as I also had other sleeping masks and wanted to compare. Sleeping masks are fairly straightforward. They are used at night either in place of a night moisturizer or applied after the night moisturizer. It works while you sleep.  The next morning there wouldn't be a greasy feeling, but I felt that it needs at least 9 hours in order to be fully effective. Whenever I wash off the mask before the 9 hours are up, I find that my skin is not as moisturized as it should be. I certainly believe that there are better sleeping masks out there, such as Laneige and Bio-Essence. So for this sleeping pack, while it is fairly cheap (S$22.90), I would not repurchase it since there are brands out there that could give me a much better result.

 Bubble up with Liese! Liese is a bubble hair dye is very easy to use, especially since there's a set of instructions for your perusal. You just mix the 2 contents, then apply to your parting, followed by the rest of your hair. Massage well, concentrating on the roots and the inner layers. Previously, I tried out Sweet Apricot but I made the mistake of not massaging it in properly and ended up with uneven hair colour. You can read about that experience here . I also tried out the Cassis Berry hair dye, you can read about it here . This time, I tried out Antique Rose. Liese released 5 new shades to their expanding collection. Most of the older shades are light and bright, so the new shades are darker toned colours, and are specially made for grey coverage. Antique Rose is a shade of deep red, the other shades are varying degrees of brown, ash and black. Obviously I don't have greying hair, but I had light coloured brown hair with black roots. The result I got i...

  These Rohto Lycee eye drops are very difficult to get. They are only available in Japan (freely available in most pharmacies). So when I was in Japan, I searched for it, and the moment I spotted it, I quickly got a box. The pink version is meant for contact lenses, to reduce the redness in the eyes. I LOVE the packaging. The pink box and the cute bottle are very unique. However, I found it hard to justify the price since there's only a small bit of eye drops inside each bottle. I tried it a few times, and every time I came away disappointed. I know that the solution will sting a little, but it was very painful. Also, while the pain subsided, it did not go away. I found that my eyes were even drier than usual after a day. I still have the bottle, and I'm willing to try it out again next time. But form now, I absolutely cannot justify this purchase, and I'm very disappointed with the product.

I heard a review from a good friend who bought the mascara that it was fantastic. I am rather picky with the results of any mascara (After using false lashes, I get very disappointed with using many mascaras that give ordinary results). I don't really buy anything from Benefit, but I thought perhaps I should give it a try. While i was in the US, I spotted a sample size of They're Real! mascara in Sephora. Why not try it? It comes in a sleek unassuming grey tube with a silver cap. The sample size (net weight 4g) is half the normal size, which makes it easier to tote around. The wand size is still large, which makes it a little tricky to apply. However, I was very impressed with what I got. They're Real! is fantastic in lengthening my top and bottom lashes, and I was able to apply it on every bottom lash. There is virtually no clumping as well. It was not so great on the volumizing category, but overall it has become one of my favorite mascaras. Once I have run out of ...

Don't you just love beauty products made by F&B companies? Especially when they make lip balms and lip glosses that are good enough to eat!   The Hershey's Syrup Lip Gloss comes in their signature syrup tube. Unfortunately, they don't sell it in Singapore yet, I got mine at Claire's in the United States at USD$3.50. The first thing that I love is the smell. It smells of chocolate, and me being a chocolate fanatic, it's perfect. It is also not sticky like some lip glosses, and there is a bit of sweet taste when i lick it. However, it gives only a very subtle sheen on the lips. And it is colorless, though I would have liked a little bit of colour on my lips. Overall, i wish i had bought a few more. They would make great presents for people who love chocolate or love makeup or both. The small tube is great for popping into your bag because it's so tiny (net weight 12.5g). If I had the chance, I would have also gotten other Hershey's products such as...

Of course, since this blog is named Carousels and Couture , I have a love for both Cs. Imagine my delight when they were combined in two fashion shows done by fashion bigwigs Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2012 showcased a beautiful white setting, with models sitting on the horses before strutting on the round runway. Marc Jacobs certainly went all out in designing this winter wonderland. Fashion darling Kate Moss closed the show, although I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of her. Watch the show here. The Chanel Fall-Winter 2008 collection was an even more elaborate affair. The two-storey carousel featured humongous versions of Chanel icons in place of the traditional horses. The pearls, bags, cuffs, brooches and other Chanel accessories sure makes the models look like dolls in this large dollhouse. Karl Lagerfeld's attention to details has come to fruition with this masterpiece runway show that has cetainly captured the attention of...

Victoria's Secret has a variety of body lotions, body butters, hand and body lotions, etc. I picked up the Victoria's Secret Sheer Love Perfect Body Luminous Lotion in white cotton and pink lily in the United States for USD$12. There is also a similar purple lotion in jasmine, but I did not buy that (although now I regret not snapping it up when I had the chance). It has a light floral fragrance which is not too overpowering or artificial. The body lotion is also light and easy to massage into the skin, which is great for sunny and humid locations like Singapore. But what I like best about this lotion is that it leaves a glittery sheen on the skin. On the back of the product it states that "Luminous formula is infused with skin-enhancing brighteners". This glossy look leaves a subtle glow on the skin. I would definitely repurchase this, because it is a great light body lotion perfect for the daytime.