Monday 31 October 2011

FOTD: 28 October 2011




Funny face, I know. We were on the way to Dempsey for a friend's birthday party, and the look was easy, breezy, and simple, because the focus wasn't on looking too made up, after all. Here's the breakdown:

Base: Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream in Shade 2

Blush: Barry M Blusher in BL5 Apricot

Eyes: Daiso "Elizabeth" Dolly Wink sort-of-lookalikes (more on this later!) and Holika Holika Eye Charm double eyelid tape (novice skills!), Paul & Joe Eye Colour in 42nd Street (pink shade) and brandless brown eyeshadow (bought for RM5 for a glitter palette)
Highlighter: Skinfood Lime Secret Shine Base in #75 Lime Pearl Gold

Lips: Red Earth Lipstick Intense Gloss in PK229

Haul: Holika Holika

I was in town over the weekend window-shopping with a friend (keyword being "window"), when I paid Holika Holika a visit, upon which I ended up going shopping. They were having a 40% off sale, so here's what I got, complete with pictures, courtesy of my cellphone:



Apple Shine Scrub Foam (S$10.90)
This daily scrub foam containing micro fine scrub particles removes daily dead cell without stimulus.
Face 2 Change Cream Starter (S$18)

Cream starter that prepares a perfect skin before makeup
- Contains mild flower acid, seaweed extract and aquatic & botanical collagen gel
- Contains Argan oil and deep ocean water to provide moist and nutrition from deep layer of skin
- All-in-one product with skin care and primer function


The following were in a grab bag - the whole lot for S$10, which was a pretty good bargain seeing as each item cost between S$2.50 - S$5.


Cherry Blossoms Essence Mask Sheet

Containing essence of cherry blossoms extract that's rich in minerals, it provides water and nutrition to the skin to keep it moist, and clears up the skin tone to make clean and shiny skin.




Eye Charm

No official description, but I used these the other day, and they are pretty effective! No major quiggles (I'm single-lidded), but a couple of non-product-related comments, nevertheless.



Powder Puff

Again, no official description, but it's adorable and soft!




Eyebrow Shaver / Comb with Mirror

Nope, still no official description, but this is a quintessential grooming tool in a hopelessly cute package.


Plus! I got a couple of samples with my purchase. Would have hoped to get more, but they had a gift with purchase promotion that only started from S$80.



HD Skinny Primer Base

Contains silicone elastomer which creates a filler effect by covering pores for smooth skin texture. Makes skin moist and silky to the touch. Corrects skin redness and uneven skin tone for clear and bright complexion.




Peach Girl BB Cream

Rejuvenates a bubbly skin tone with vivid peach color.


Reviews to follow!

Happy Halloween!

Since it's the first minute of the 31st, here's wishing everyone a...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



I saw these spookily gorgeous Halloween nails on tumblr. They're so professionally done! Who says nails can't get into the Halloween spirit, eh? Wish I could paint my nails with such precision! ^~^


Sunday 30 October 2011

Paul & Joe Spring 2012 Collection - "Meow"

I first met Paul & Joe on the cosmetics shop floor of Takashimaya. I admired the eclectic floral patterns on their coats and their gorgeous scent that reminded me of springtime in Paris, while they just smiled and said nothing.

Well, nothing except "S$39 each, please."

***

Hello, I am a Paul & Joe convert.


I love the soft palettes and the lovely packaging, the light fragrances and the overall girly-ness of the brand that makes using the products even more of a joy. I'm an avid follower of
Rougedeluxe, Makeup Stash and the like, who are fans of the Parisian brand, and their reviews of the recent 2011 Fall line made me fall even more in love with the brand after that chance meeting in Takashimaya.
I learnt from Rougedeluxe's blog and the Paul & Joe twitter that the new Paul & Joe Spring 2012 Collection will be launching early next year. What's special about this collection is that the collection celebrates the brand's 10-year anniversary, and it sure does celebrate its coming-of-age in style - with creator Sophie Albou's favourite animal - cats!

B-glowing's Youtube has a lovely comprehensive run-through of the core products in the collection, and if, like me, you love cats, florals, and girly spring colours, I think this collection will be a hard one to miss. ^^

The collection will contain 3 lipsticks, 3 blush sticks, 3 eyeshadow trios, gel eyeliner and retractable blush, finishing powder, and 3 nail polishes, all serving as perfect complements to the spring ready-to-wear line, as the prints used on the packaging have, as always, been borrowed from the corresponding fashion collection.


The usual Paul & Joe attention-to-detail is apparent here, from the packaging, to the look of the lipsticks and blush sticks (with little pawprints and cute kitten heads!). All Paul & Joe cosmetics are made in Japan, and their lipsticks in particular come encased in an eco-friendly cardboard tube, that miraculously withstands a good deal of bashing about in handbags and make-up bags.


Furthermore, the collection, aptly dubbed "Meow", looks set to deliver a palette of cheery, wearable springtime shades, which I think looks set to delight the brand's loyal followers and new initiates alike. Paul & Joe's motto is to embody the Parisian values of enjoying life, and the cosmetics certainly do evoke notions of little indulgences that make it easy to be fashionable. ^^


One of the standout products in this collection is the eyeshadows, each of which come in three different variations (from the video I think the colour combis are green, pink and brown) and textures - satin, suede and silky. The palette reminded me a little of Holika Holika's Hello Holika! blush palette, which also features a playful kitty on its hind haunches. That said, the two palettes are undoubtedly suitably distinct, but might work well together, no?



The blush sticks also look very collectible, because who wouldn't love a blush that has a little kitty face and top hat? I know I would!



A couple of product pictures (all ridiculously cute) have been making their rounds on the internet. Can't wait for the collection to make its way to our sunny shores!







Images from Twitter, and Biteki.

Thursday 20 October 2011

End-of-year Weather!

The weather in sunny old Singapore has been fickle of late - sunny one minute, and rainy the next, but humid all the time, and it doesn't show any sign of letting up. That's thanks to our tropical equatorial climate, plus the tail end of the monsoon season joining forces to irrigate the land, and all. These rain / shine moments aren't just any kind of sketchy weather - they're unpleasant, uncool (when your new shoes are ruined by rain), and unpredictable - they're almost like a bad relationship, actually!



So what's a girl to do in times like these? The thing is, just because the weather is going mad, doesn't mean your skin has to. (Neither does your wardrobe, for that matter - just because you're in the tropics doesn't mean that sloppy dressing should be the order of the day!) Hence, here we go: 5 easy-to-follow rules that I remember to think about whenever the weather decides to pull a fast one on me. Because no one wants to end up looking like they're doing a good impression of a prune, it's something I thought I could share here, too. ^~^


1) Always, always moisturise (even the odd bits no one else sees)

Moisturising is a tall order at the best of times, when you're beat after the trials of a long day. Furthermore, when you're like me and stuck in an air-conditioned office or classroom for the better part of the day, having changeable skin is pretty much a foregone conclusion too. This spells sad times for elbows, knees, lips and hands, because they'll be the ones bearing the brunt of the extreme weather. If moisturising isn't in your beauty ritual (and I mean it when I say "ritual"), start doing it now! It makes your skin softer, and more resistant to outside influences by reducing the evaporation of moisture from the skin (remember, we want to keep prune city at bay).


This means moisturising even when you're at your most tired, paying particular attention to all extremities (hands, elbows, knees etc) and any other dry spots that may show up from time to time. Even though the weather is hot, I'd say use a creamy moisturiser for your body, and a light one for your face. For lips (because we can't forget those) , your favourite lip balm will do just fine. I like Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter and the Body Shop's range of Body Butters to lend a helping hand in the oft-neglected body moisturising department.


2) Heels are your friend



What? I hear you cry. That's right, in rainy, schleppy, unpredictable weather, the one thing that keeps people happy is keeping their feet dry. Don't believe me? Well, then picture this - you're on the way to town, and everything is a-ok, until you step in a puddle, and you have no choice but to walk the rest of the way to your destination with soggy feet and unidentified pond organisms nesting between your toes thanks to the dirt of the street that the water has mixed with.


Yep, not so nice. The moral of the story is, when the weather gets tough, the tough wear heels! Heels elevate your foot and (well, most of the time, anyway) protect your feet from the outside world. This means rainwater, mud etc and your feet? Never the twain shall meet. Your average ballet flat or flip-flop, in this case, just doesn't cut the mustard, because your feet still get wet, or muddy, or worse still, your calves get drizzled with backsplash., which is just a little bit nasty. With heels, there's a much reduced likelihood of you having to scrape grainy street residue from the soles of your feet.


Not to mention, heels make you walk taller, and with more confidence. What's not to like? It might sound scary, or crazy, for that matter, and it might take a bit of getting used to, but once you settle into the prospect of wearing heels and recognise how snug as a bug your tootsies feel, no matter the weather, you'll never go back. Trust me on this one. ^^


p/s: Bad image, I know, because the shoes are suede-y and wouldn't stand a chance in a heavy downpour. But it just goes to show that not all heels have to be big and bad, they can be nice and manageable too! Just don't get suede heels as your wet-weather shoe.

3) Never leave home without...


No, that would not be your American Express card, no matter what the ads might say (although it might help pull you out of a financial pinch, a rectangular piece of plastic isn't going to help your poor skin much!). What I mean is in times like these, a girl should never leave home without an umbrella and a cardigan. The best thing is, getting dressed for the inclement weather can be fun, too! Even office ladies can always be prepared, come rain or shine ^^

Singing in the Rain



The more I look at these lovely umbrellas and cardigans, the more I want to complete an individual set for each. Think that'll be my project whenever I next get a moment!

4) Put your face on

What's like your skin, but better? Simple answer: Make-up. Modern make-up is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, sunscreen and a bunch of other things that claim to make your skin better, brighter and more youthful with every use. Not to say that you should believe all of it (because, let's face it, a good bit of money does probably go into advertising), but if you find something that works, stick to it. It couldn't be worse to confuse your skin by using a dozen different products all at one go.

By make-up, in this case, I mean foundation, or using a base to even out skin that sometimes is a little dull and lackluster, or needs some heavy-duty cover-up. I have friends who aren't fans of make-up, but what's not to like? Base, especially good ones like Skinfood's Aloe Sun BB Cream, which has SPF 20 and is right up the alley of sensitive-skinned people (like me!), makes skin look airbrushed, giving your skin a much-needed boost where necessary. Not to mention it acts as a barrier between your skin and the outside world. All you need is a good cleanser at the end of the day, and you're good to go. Not to mention, a little base goes a long way (a couple of smears is all you need).

5) Keep hydrated and get enough sleep

I think this might be far and away the hardest rule to abide by. As a generation we are constantly busy, and constantly trying to keep busy, even when we aren't. It gets hard to stop and smell the roses, much less get enough sleep, when it comes down to the crunch.

I'm a big tea drinker, which means that unless I have a water bottle at hand, I'd much rather reach for a cup of tea than load up on some H2O. This, unhappily, means that my body is less hydrated than it should be, and results in my throat feeling like sandpaper, when it shouldn't be. That, coupled with the fact that I already don't get enough sleep, makes for a very sad Ting indeed. Not to mention that your immunity is probably lowered, and the bad weather makes you susceptible to a cold. :(

The way to beat this can be done in two steps. One, get a water bottle. An ordinary mineral water bottle will do, or if you're shallow (ahem, ahem) like me, then you can get one with a pretty pattern. Once you fill it up, stick in a place that is easily accessible, and most importantly, near you. Reach for it whenever you get thirsty, and you'll feel the difference in less than a week. Two, settle down, grab a plushie (Domo-kun does just fine!) and get some shut-eye.



Ta-da! Not that hard, right? There's nothing more important than feeling at ease, and I feel that changing up your routine just a little bit can make things swing for the better - be it by turning around bad habits, or making life that much easier. So if any of these strike you as interesting, go for it and give them a try! Hope they'll be as useful for you as they are for me :3

Friday 14 October 2011

Tick, tock, goes the clock...

Hey there!


If you're reading this, you've probably somehow stumbled upon The Blushing Clock. What is a blushing clock? There wasn't too much that went into it, but primarily I thought the words sounded pretty nice together (and don't they?).
So, what is the purpose of this blog? Like many other girls out there, I have too much makeup than I have facespace to make use of, which results in me having drawers full of the stuff - beautiful, lovely stuff, that doesn't get put to good use when they could be living lives to the full - being utilised, and admired, and above all, loved!
So what I decided was this. This blog will be my chance to make use of all the stuff that otherwise would probably get lost in my mountain of possessions, and at the same time let me share my thoughts on said stuff with the blogosphere at large. This means that you can find out what's good, what's bad, what works and what doesn't, from the comfort of your own home. ^~^
I don't claim to be a professional by any means, but years of trying to find things that work for me has made me somewhat a little more confident when it comes to skincare and makeup. I've had my fair share of fashion faux pas, but hey, live and learn, right?
With this blog, you can expect a little bit of everything. Beauty and haircare news and reviews, how-tos (and how-not-tos!), and probably fashion and the odd cutesy thing that catches my fancy (and it's likely that there will be a lot of cutesy things. I'm a sucker for all things cutesy!). So, if you like what you see, stick around! It'll be fun. ♥
That's about it from my end, but you're welcome to have a look around, and hopefully you'll like what you read enough to come back next time ^^
Lots of love,
Ting@The Blushing Clock