Taobao Stuff!

I've been stuck at home with sinusitis and confined to bed rest with lots of medicine that makes me so drowsy T_T Still, I did get up to mischief, because I've sent off for these pretty things from Taobao:


























This was my first time ordering from Taobao, though I've ordered from Gmarket and ASOS before, and I was pretty impressed by the sheer variety of things you can get there. Prices aren't always as competitive as they could be (I think), especially because retailers tend to include hidden costs by hiking up shipping prices. That said, once I stayed awake long enough to put a few things in my shopping cart - hey presto! Can't wait for them to arrive! Links are included in the pictures if you'd like to get one for yourself ^~^


Do you shop on the internet? Which sites are your favourites?

Giveaway: Miko's and Jenwoonani's Giveaway

Miko's having a giveaway, and the Rilakkuma bag was reason enough for me to want to join! XD For anyone who likes surprise bags, this one's your thing! Click here or on the image above for more details. ♥





Jenwoonani's giveaway is too cute! She's giving away the most adorable Hello Kitty blinged-out eyelash case, as well as a bunch of other cool things! Click on the image or click here above to participate!

Review: Etude House Moistfull Collagen Emulsion

So I've heard a lot about Etude House's Moistfull Collagen range. I've never used a collagen product before (even though I've drunk my fair share of collagen-enriched drinks), and was really pleased to get the trial 25ml size emulsion when I bought a nail polish at the Tampines 1 outlet of Etude House, thanks to the really cute, sweet SA there. Perfect timing, too, because my usual brand of moisturiser just ran out, so this served as a nice in-between for the two weeks or so till I could get a new bottle.

There's my cute kitty cat from tic-tac-toe-x posing beside the bottle. Isn't he cute?


The Claim:


The Etude House website states that the "gel textured facial toner removes pore buildup while moisturizing and tightening complexion." All that, and it manages the following wonderful things too, all at the same time:


- Mild, gel textured facial toner improves skin elasticity
- Removes pore buildup while moisturizing
- Baobab Tree + Collagen combination improves dermal structure and moisture retention


The Test:


I have combination skin, veering on oily in humid weather, which is pretty much every day here in Singapore. So I like moisturisers / emulsions / lotions / what-have-you in formulas that aren't excessively heavy. Yet, they still need to keep my skin from getting dry and flaky because I spend most of my days in a fully air-conditioned environment. I was hoping that the Moistfull Collagen Emulsion would step up.

I used the Moistfull Collagen Emulsion every day, morning and night, for two weeks. During that time, it replaced my normal moisturiser (Skin Food's Black Raspberry Young Yang Serum).
What I loved:

Primarily, the scent. When you open the bottle, the scent is just lovely to behold. It smells like a mixture of orange and nectarines, and is just zesty enough to wake you up in the mornings. After using it, my husband said I smelt like a baby, which I think is a good thing!

Second, the emulsion absorbs quickly into the skin, without being too rich, slimy or creamy. The formulation was moist enough to keep my skin hydrated, but didn't rest heavily on it, and I only had to blot my T-zone once at lunchtime (usually I have to blot twice in an average work day). I'm not sure if my dermal structure and pore buildup saw any improvement, but overall I could feel my skin elasticity improving, probably due to the fact that my skin was better hydrated, felt smoother, and when used as a make-up base, my foundation stayed on longer. Result!

What I didn't love:

I couldn't find anything not to love. Perhaps only that the trial bottle was too small!

Overall, I'd say this product would suit girls with combination / oily skin, who don't need too much when it comes to the moisturising department. If you're looking for a product that is easily absorbed, and delivers on hydration and improving skin texture, you might want to give this a try. It's not the newest, most exciting product that Etude House has to offer, but it definitely does what it says it will!

In other news, seems that Etude House has come up with a new range of the Missing U hand creams as well - with Shinee! The ad is 100% precious:




Don't you feel like bringing the lost bees home now? ^~^ Hope everyone's having a lovely week so far!

Inspiration: Catwalk Liner Styles

credit: fuckyeah-hairandmakeup@tumblr
Which one is your favourite? Some are a little far-out, like the Thierry Mugler eye, but others, like Stella McCartney and Paul & Joe are pretty wearable!

Are you more fond of wearing pencil, or liquid liner?

Ill!

I haven't been well for the past couple of days - sorry for the dwindle in posts! Here's what you can look forward to on the Blushing Clock:

• Paul and Joe Summer / Fall 2011 Limited Edition Collections
• Holika Holika reviews
• Viccal review
• Lip Ice review
• Korres swatches

Stick around, people!

Deals: Somang Beauty Credit

I was surfing the net today when I came across this deal:



$5 for $10 Voucher + Free Membership & Card + Free Membership Gift + Free Facial Spa Treatment @ sOmang / Beauty Credit (No min. spending)

Sounds pretty good to me - $5 for all that stuff sounds pretty good, actually! I bought the deal to give it a try, because I'd heard of Somang cosmetics (and the fact that Goo Hye Sun endorses it) before, but never really got the chance to find out more about it. I'll keep you posted on the calibre of the products!

About the brand

sOmang” 소망 means “hope” in Korean. Established in 1992, sOmang has become one of the most well-known brands in Korea, and has since become the 5th largest cosmetic manufacturer and distributor, running a multi-million-dollar and multi-award-winning business with its own research labs and factories.

Beauty Credit is developed by Somang Cosmetics, was established in 2004 and is a popular affordable cosmetic and skincare brand. To-date, it has grown its franchise to over 180 outlets around the globe, and has a presence in New York, Los Angeles, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other major cities.

(all information taken from the sOmang website)



The brand is fronted by Goo Hye Sun, the actress of Boys Over Flowers fame. She looks gorgeous in the press shots, with flawless, fair skin and such pretty features. I know that a good part of it is probably Photoshop, but it certainly helps create the illusion that Beauty Credit products are the bringers of beautiful skin!

Most popular products

Coenzyme Q10 Cleansing Oil

A super quick cleansing oil that removes all impurities leaving a light layer of essential oils to hydrate and soften.

Nutritive Royal Jelly Mask
- Give yourself a royal treatment with this moisturising mask!
- Nourishes as well as soothes inflamed or damaged skin.
- Made of 100% cotton.
- Prevents skin irritation.

BC Lovely Shimmer Pearl Body Cream
Brillant Pearl cream produces shine and radiance, leaving a feeling of rich smoothness, with a hint of shimmer. Light textured cream for easy all over body use.

Acerola Albutin Cotton Mask

- Vitamin C-rich acerola extract helps promote collagen production and prevents scurvy
- Albutin prevents formation of melanin that causes freckles and liver spots
- 100% cotton hypoallergenic mask

The deal is time-limited, so all Singaporean ladies should click on this link to get there pronto!

sOmang and Beauty Credit are located at the following places:

sOmang AMK HUB
#01-09/10 53 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3
Daily Operating Hours: 1000 - 2200

Beauty Credit ONE RAFFLES PLACE
#02-16A 1 Raffles Place
Operating hour: Mon-Fri from 1100-1900
Closed on Sat, Sun and PH

Have you used Korean or Beauty Credit cosmetics before? Which ones are your favourites?

Haul: Cotton On Ruffle Socks

I've been looking for some ruffle socks for ages. It's been especially hard going because a lot of times the people who make these kinds of socks don't make them in my size anymore, or the ruffley bits of the sock just end up looking a little bit too tacky for anyone over the age of, say, 5, to pull off. This pained me no end because I really wanted to recreate the ruffly-socks-and-heels look that is a little bit vintage, a little bit girly, and every bit awesome.

So imagine my delight when I found a whole rack of them in Cotton On Body no less, at 3 pairs for S$10! Naturally I got them in three colourways:







Pretty, no? Love their vintage styling ^~^ I fully intend to wear them like this:

FOTD: 13 November 2011 (and new hair!)

Random FOTD today because I went to get my hair cut (and bangs put in!), and attended a family function later in the afternoon. It's been a while since I had bangs - how does it look? ^~^

Items used:

Base / Primer: Holika Holika Face 2 Change Cream Starter, Medibeau SPF40/PA BB Cream

Eyes: Holika Holika Eye Charm, 17 Glitter Eyeshadow in Style Queen, Generic Half Lashes bought in Ho Chi Minh City

Cheeks: Coastal Scents 10 Blush Palette in Pink Swoon

Lips: Benefit Benetint and Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss in 01 Shimmering Pink

How was your weekend?

Review: Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner

So, finally I have a review to share! It was raining cats and dogs when I was in Malaysia over the weekend, and I got the bright idea of doing a test on waterproof eyeliner. I'm a big fan of eyeliner, and never leave home without my handy-dandy gel eyeliner from Tony Moly (mentioned in my previous FOTD post). That said, I've been let down by eyeliner in the past, and am always on the lookout for more awesome, long-lasting formulas that are kind to the skin.
I came across the display for Make Up For Ever's ("MUFE") Aqua Liner, which was released in Asia this summer as the lynchpin for the "6 Summer Looks" booklet.

Now, I love MUFE displays, because they always look so professional and shiny, not to mention that you get to play around with the testers as much as you like without getting a snooty SA peering down her nose at you like you're a pleb who really should run along now if you're not going to make a purchase. ;~; It's refreshing to find a store that actually encourages experimentation, don't you think? ^^
Lovely, glitzy display. If you squint, you'll see the "RM84" price tag just below the testers. That's about SGD$34, although I honestly can't remember how much they go for in Singapore - let me check that out! In any case, the Aqua Liner range claims to be waterproof, smudgeproof - practically lifeproof, which is a tall order for any kind of eyeliner. Everyone knows that pencil liner smudges, liquid liner isn't good for anyone without a steady hand, and gel eyeliner can be fiddly at best, so Aqua Liner's claim sounds real good on paper. When coupled with hands-on-heart declarations of affection from the blogosphere, I decided I would have to go and experience the Aqua Liner phenomenon for myself.Aqua Liners come in 15 shades, and each has either a matte, iridescent or diamond finish. Just look at all the pretty colours in the image above! The display had all the colours out, so, naturally, I went for the brightest ones that caught my eye first. Behold:
From left: #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue, #9 Iridescent Fuschia,

#1 Diamond Gold, #13 Mat Black, #8 Iridescent Electric Purple, #4 Diamond Lagoon Green

The Claim:

MUFE claims that "This eye-catching, highly pigmented new collection of waterproof liquid eye liner was developed to outperform even in the most extreme environments." It contains acrylic copolymer, which is a hydrophobic macromolecule that forms a flexible film to lock water out, and has 50% more polymers than traditional eyeliner eyeliner formulations. To top it all off, Aqua Liners contain essential amino acids derived from apple juice for high-color intensity and bold pay-off.

The Acid Test:

Remember my post about walking in the rain? That was the test - a whole 2.4 km of smoky, sweaty, rainy conditions, that really put my eyeliner swatches through their paces. It was raining heavily the whole evening, and as I was browsing and eating (sometimes, with shame I admit, at the same time), the swatches got quite a battering.

What I loved:

The eyeliner applies like a dream. Application is smooth, sleek, and incredibly precise, which is quite a tough call for a lot of liquid eyeliners. This is because Aqua Liners have a foam applicator instead of a conventional brush, meaning that the former can pick up product and distribute it evenly in one, smooth stroke instead of you having to make a couple of haphazard ones. Coupled with the unique formula which combines high pigments and polymers, those with steady hands can get a clean, thin eyeliner line without much fuss. The handle of the applicator is pretty ergonomic, too, and fit easily in my hand without feeling clunky or awkward.

I also loved the colours - they were vibrant, opaque, and were true to the shades depicted on the eyeliner bottle. I liked how the ones with sparkle (in particular, #1 Diamond Gold, had tangible bits of glitter in them, and as you can see, #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue delivered a neon pop of colour which would have looked killer if I had applied it to my eyes. I only swatched each colour once, and the colours were so pigmented, I didn't need to do go over it again.

The eyeliner dried quickly - I had barely made it to the lipgloss stand (which was just two steps away) before the swatches had dried and were practically unsmudgeable (I did try). Removal was also easy, because the eyeliner rubs away with soap and water without leaving any ugly smudges and streaks. Champion!

What I didn't love:

It didn't survive the pasar malam. The eyeliner stuck fast when I was safe and dry indoors, but once I got caught in the rain (it was pretty heavy, but I had an umbrella) and started coming into contact with oil, grease and dirt, some colours didn't cut the mustard. See the swatch below:


This was after four hours of hanging out in the rain. As you can see the blue-green based shades (#5 and #4) bled right through, seeping into the fine lines of my hand. I can imagine this getting pretty messy if this happens on your eye. However, the other colours held fast. In particular, the #13 Mat Black impressed me with its staying power as it remained pristine and held up to the trials of the day.

That said, I think for the price, you don't get a whole lot of product (each eyeliner is 0.058 oz), so it is pretty expensive. In particular, if you're after a good, strong blue / green eyeliner with staying power under more extreme conditions, you might have to continue your search because they do tend to bleed. However, for regular use, I think the MUFE Aqua Liners more than live up to their claim. Just make sure you're 100% sure they won't run if you're going to be wearing it to the beach!

Here's the complete list of Aqua Liner colours:

• #1 Diamond Gold
• #3 Iridescent Emerald Green
• #4 Diamond Lagoon Green
• #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue
• #6 Iridescent Navy Blue
• #7 Diamond Black Purple
• #8 Iridescent Electric Purple
• #9 Iridescent Fuchsia
• #10 Iridescent Red
• #11 Diamond Burgundy
• #12 Mat Mocha
• #13 Mat Black
• #14 Diamond Multicolor Black
• #15 Iridescent Anthracite
  

And so there you go! Be a fan of MUFE Singapore at their webbie, and for more information, visit MUFE's main website.

Which brand of eyeliner do you swear by? ^~^

Ingredients List:

Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Laureth-2 Benzoate, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Ammonium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Polyacrylate, Coconut Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Mica, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, [??? CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77000 (Aluminum Powder), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), CI 77400 (Bronze Powder), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)].

Stressed!

What with work woes and things not going according to plan, today's been a trying day. :(
What do you do to cheer yourself up when you're stressed?

Inspiration: Girls' Generation

A song that's been on constant replay for me of late is "The Boys" by Korean girl band, Girls' Generation, and what's not to like? Girls' Generation (or SNSD, the acronym of their Korean name, So Nyuh Shi Dae) are fashionable, beautiful, and pretty dab hands at the old sing and dance routine to boot. I've been a fan for a few years now, so naturally I rushed to see their new music video when it came out. Needless to say, in true SNSD fashion, they didn't disappoint.

SNSD's new album is equal parts gutsy and girly, and isn't afraid to show off the fact that the girls have since blossomed into young women in their own right. The styling and makeup reflects this as well, and all 9 (yes, 9!) girls have their own distinct style that is an extension of their distinct personalities. No doubt every girl will see a bit of themselves in a SNSD girl.

And oh, the makeup. With the exception of Sunny, who had a strong smokey eye and incredible eyeliner, the rest of the girls had golden, shimmery eyes, flawless complexions, and feathery, long lashes. Gold was swept under the lower lashline with liquid liner and fake lashes to highlight sparkly eyes, and cheeks were contoured for cheekbones that could cut glass. Lips were kept glossy and pink or nude, while eyebrows were kept natural but groomed. These looks would fit right in with the Christmas and New Year party season that's coming up. Inspiration photos below.



Tiffany



Taeyeon



Hyoyeon



Sooyoung



Jessica



Seohyun



Yoona



Sunny



Yuri

Perhaps I could do a tutorial on how to recreate the look? Let me know which girl's makeup look you would like to see!

All HQ MV stills courtesy of angelsky@ssf ♥

Giveaway: Maii's First Giveaway

Really psyched about this giveaway - the items are so pretty! Click on the image above to link straight to the giveaway, and good luck! ^~^

FOTD: Kuala Lumpur

So... how is everyone? Hope that those who were able to made good use of the Hari Raya long weekend! I have a little bit of a confession to make - after I returned from my work trip to Shanghai (which just about took everything out of me), the husband and I decided to go on a short trip to Kuala Lumpur with my parents, and younger brother.

To put things in context, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is just a couple of hours' drive away from Singapore, where we live. This weekend seemed like a nice chance to nip over the border for a spot of good food, good shopping and good company. Three whole days of it!

I'm still in the process of taking pictures of what I got on the trip, managed to get a couple of good / interesting deals! In the meantime, here's my FOTD for last Saturday. The day's activities involved trekking along Malaysia's longest night market (or pasar malam) in the rain, and trawling the malls for bargains, so it called for easy, breezy makeup that would last the whole day.

Items used:

Base / Primer: Holika Holika Face 2 Change Cream Starter, Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream in Shade 2

Eyes: Koji Eyetalk, Tony Moly Backstage Gel Eyeliner Daiso Lashes (Volume Type) #11

Cheeks: Benefit Coralista

Lips: Etude House Milk Screw No. 3 Berry Milk topped with Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shine (gives you sweet breath, too!)

Highlighter: Lioele Marbling Blusher Shining Aurora #1