Carousels and Couture

TLDR Review:  Buy the Dewy Moisturizer, it is my current holy grail. DON'T buy the Milky Moisturizer, I regretted it. My skin is oily/combination.  When Xiaxue posted an advertorial on the new pink skincare range that Za released, I thought the entire range was soo pretty I wanted them all. But back then I still had a huge stash of moisturizers I was trying to use up, so I resisted the temptation. In the end I finally got the Dewy Moisturizer... And I can't imagine life without it anymore. My skin has never been so good! The Milky Moisturizer on the other hand, was very very disappointing. Za has several moisturizers for different needs. The dewy moisturizer is for greasy skin and the milky moisturizer is for flaky and greasy skin. Not only that, Za also has the Deep Moist Cream and Amino Mineral Refreshing Gel. I stood at Watsons debating to myself because I had no idea which one to get! They're all a pretty shade of pink too, which is nice. I ended up getting...

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...

   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...

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.

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...

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...

  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...

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...

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 ...

   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.

  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.