L’Occitane Ma Crème Nature – No April Fool’s...

A couple of months back, I was introduced to the first natural and certified organic skincare range for L’Occitane...namely the Ma Crème Nature, a moisturising cream formulated with 100% plant-based ingredients. If you’re wondering why I had the April Fool’s reference, it’s because this will be available in a few short days...April 1st.

I have to say, those that like DIY beauty and have a little bit of ‘mad scientist’ in them will like this – since it’s all natural, you actually have to make it yourself at home and store in the fridge! Got your attention yet? :D

Okay, so you don’t get actual olives in the box, but with Olive Tree Extract, Olive Water, Olive Oil and Olive butter (not to mention Shea Butter), I think you’ve got just about all the olive you can handle.

What you get in the pack is an empty 50ml jar, a bottle with the concentrated preparation of olive tree extract, a spatula, tiny whisk (which is oh-so-cute!) a sachet of plant oil preparation and a label – all you need to provide is distilled water (we used Spritzer instead) and a ball-point pen.

How to make it? Well, since it’s pretty hard to make AND take pictures at the same time, a friendly magazine journalist (I’m so sorry, I can’t for the life of me remember her name...*paiseh*) helped us out by being the ‘model’ for this. (WARNING: Following section is photo-heavy!)

First, fill the jar with the olive tree extract up to the marker indicated on the label...


Have a ball of a time shaking it until everything’s nicely mixed up!


Once done with that, squeeze the contents of the sachet into the empty 50ml jar.


Now here comes the slightly tricky bit – slowly pour the olive+water solution into the jar bit by bit, stirring constantly until it’s nice and smooth (sounds like making a cake, doesn’t it?)


Yup, you continue stirring even after you’re done with the water, just to make sure you’ve whisked out all the lumps – plus that whisk is so cute, you probably won’t want to put it down!


And voila! This is what you end up with...a 50ml jar of white liquidy cream!


You can expect the solution to be quite liquidy, but rest assured it will resemble more of a lotion-cream texture once it has been refrigerated. But wait, before you chuck it in the fridge, there’s one more thing to do...


Note down the batch number of the product, as well as the date you mixed up all these products – Ma Crème Nature should only be kept for 6 weeks following its preparation since it is free from preservatives.


If you’re like me and horrible with sticking on labels, don’t worry – the label’s repositionable. Just adjust it until it fits properly (just not too many times, or the label really won’t stick!)


...and you’re done! Stick it in the fridge for 12 hours before using, and keep it refrigerated.

Personally, I like the chill I get from using the cream directly from the fridge – it gives me a nice zing in the morning and wakes me up (not unlike splashing icy cold water on your face). My initial worry was that it would smell like olive oil, but there’s only a faint hint of a discernible smell...which try as hard as I might I still can’t associate to olive oil, so you can rest easy on that front.

Moisture factor-wise, it’s not a bad moisturiser overall, and doesn’t add much oil to my already oily skin – however, if your skin is extremely oily or extremely dry, I’d suggest you try this out first before buying. Each of the L’Occitane stores actually have samples of the Ma Crème Nature stored in its own tiny fridge. :D

And if you don’t have time for the step-by-step instructions above (or just want the cheat sheet!), here’s the easy 4-step way to making Ma Crème Nature...

Also, just because L’Occitane would like to limit waste from their cosmetic packaging, they’ve actually developed an eco-refill for the Ma Crème Nature, which contains pretty much everything except the 50ml jar, whisk and spatula. So do check it out, and let me know what you think of it yeah? :)


L'Occitane Ma Crème Nature retails at RM155 for the full pack (50ml) or RM118 for the eco-refill pack (also 50ml) and will be available at all L’Occitane boutiques from 1 April 2010.


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$

Because you sometimes need to be random... :)

Another Monday already? Damn, where have the weeks been going...I just realised I’ve already been working a month in Singapore (plus gotten my first paycheck in SGD...heehee...let the shopping commence!)

To be honest, I haven’t been going online much apart from in the office – mostly because my time outside work has been spent wandering around Singapore (or commuting!) so it’s not exactly the best place for someone who doesn’t have a data plan...if anyone knows of a good data plan for someone on a SG prepaid (I can’t tie myself to a postpaid plan just yet) please let me know!

One perk of flying back to KL every few weeks is the access to the duty free area...even if it is at the Changi budget terminal. I’m actually pretty impressed by it – there’s quite a huge range of stuff available, and quite decently priced (other than the food). This 3-pack of Origins Peace of Mind was actually going for about SGD$40 or so – the exact price escapes me. After conversion it works out to just RM32 each (retail price in KL is RM48 each) so my mum’s a pretty happy to make me pick this up for her...and yes, she’s a big user of this ‘expensive hong yao’ :D

Last Thursday was also Twestival in both Singapore and Malaysia – from what I heard, Singapore trumped Malaysia in terms of funds raised...but then again it was all calculated in USD so given the exchange rate, I reckon Malaysia still raised quite a bit! I didn’t quite manage to go for the event since I had to go for another event, but contributed to it through my colleagues – and twisted their arms to bring me back a badge...whee!! Did any of you go?

Oooh...and this comes to the best part – going for the Sephora sale at Suntec a couple of weeks back. Some of the other ladies that came for Chippendales had been ogling over Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream while we were wandering around Ion Orchard beginning of this month, but didn’t buy...and I’m pretty happy too, cos I managed to snag them for a cool SGD$8 each! (I think retail is about SGD$15 or so) *sniffs happily at fingers*

And since we’re coming to the end of March in a few short days, I thought I’d share my favourite posts from the ladies that are just as mad as I am...fully approved by both my mad mutt and her sister! (hey, my dog has good taste like that okay...missing her loads while I’m in Singapore!)

My Women Stuff shared the 8 tips she learnt from makeup artist Robin Flanagan – I definitely need to take heed of #1!
RedLusciousLips gave some good tips to determine if you’re wearing too much makeup – everyone has their own opinion on it, what’s yours?
Askmewhats shared the launch of Ipanema’s Colourful Sea Collection – and promptly brought back all my lemmings for pretty sandals...
Soloverly went all zingy with a citrus lipbalm roundup – if you love citrus as much as I do, this will be a most handy guide!
Lipglosseater gave a little peek into her new place (I’m so jealous!) as well as some lovely swatches of the MAC Spring Colour Forecast Collection
Skindeco went to Facial First for microdermabrasion with some awesome results - got me wishing I’d gone too!


And that’s all she wrote, folks! I’m going to be headed back home for the long Easter weekend (Good Friday is a public holiday in Singapore!) and will be meeting up with some of the ladies as well as getting a long, long list of things completed...can’t wait!! :D

L’Oreal Dermo-Expertise UV Perfect Long Lasting UVA/UVB Protector...

In the past month or so walking around, I’ve found that I’m in the sun a lot more often than I’d actually like. Nothing bad about getting my daily dose of sunshine for that all-important bit of Vitamin D, but skin damage is another matter altogether.

Although I’ve been relatively lucky to get my sun mostly in the morning (walking to work) and perhaps a bit in the afternoon when I go out for lunch, suffice to say I had to bump up my SPF (I was using SPF30 previously), and the tube of UV Perfect I got a couple of months back fit perfectly (for lack of a better word) into my new skincare regime.

Description:
L’Oreal Skincare Laboratories have created the new L’Oreal UV Perfect Long Lasting UVA/UVB Protector – enriched with a powerful anti-oxidant complex – for an inside/ out protection against brown spots, skin darkening and premature aging. Tailor made for Asian skin, the XL Block provides optimal UVB (SPF50) and reinforced UVA (PA+++) protection. Can be used at the end of your skincare routine, or as a daily moisturising makeup base.

The Verdict:
The UV Perfect is available in three shades – Transparent (white), Anti-Dullness (purple) and Even Complexion (tinted) which is the one I got. I’ve been using this in my morning routine (since by the time I get back home it’s dark!) for the past three weeks or so, and must say I’m pretty happy with the results.

When I first saw the apricot shade of the sunscreen, I had my doubts as to whether it would leave streaks...but after working it into my skin all I was left with was just a slight sheen (which you can see on the right side) and very lightly evened-out skin ready for my makeup.

A point to note though, is that I have oily skin at the best of times (oil slick at others!) and although the formula doesn’t help with the oil, it doesn’t contribute much to it either so I guess I can forgive it for the effects and reducing the amount of makeup I put on. :)

I also found that while my skin takes to it brilliantly during the day, having it on any more than 13 hours for two consecutive days will have my skin protesting in the form of tiny oil seeds – horrors! That is not to say that I can’t use it (because keeping it within 10-12 hours a day my skin still handles with grace), just that I have to revert to my other skincare routine when I know I’m going to be working late or staying out, which are usually planned anyway.

Love it or hate it? Probably swinging more in the ‘love’ direction, since it does do the job rather well...I just have to keep an eye on how long I have it on!

You can also check out Connie’s take on the Anti-Dullness formula here, or Paris’ thoughts on the Even Complexion formula here.

L’Oreal UV Perfect Long Lasting UVA/UVB Protector retails at RM33.90 for a 30ml tube and is available at all L’Oreal counters.


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$$

Oh the perks of the job... :D

It’s Friday!! And apart from the day getting off to a really nice start, my office also got the coming month’s magazines...and guess who scored all the freebies! :D (see, I knew I loved working here for a reason...*grins*)

Best part is, there was no ‘cut out and redeem at XYZ’ needed, all of them were pasted in or on the magazine...heehee...

So let’s see – I got samples of Asience Shine Therapy shampoo and conditioner, Kleenex hand sanitizing moist wipes (with the oh-so-cute Winnie the Pooh), Ginvera Green Tea cream samples, Himalaya purifying Neem face wash and L’Oreal Revitalift Milky Foam. Love!

Have a good weekend peeps...I’ll be trying to head down to the Kate Spade sale (thanks for catching that PB!), so let’s see if I manage to pick up anything good! :D

Steam Cream – Heavenly or Hype?

There’s been a lot said about Steam Cream in the blogosphere, particularly in the past couple of months. But is it really as good as most are claiming, or just a lot of hype?

Well, curiosity got the better of me (plus those tins with the pretty designs were just too much to resist!) and I ordered one for myself just to see what the fuss was all about. Since Paris and Xin had gotten theirs from Soap n Sorbet and the site had quite a lot of choice in patterns, I decided to hop on there as well – and the Flower Garden tin just called my name!

Description:
Steam Cream uses only the highest quality fresh, natural, traceable and vegan ingredients it can find. Freshly made by hand, it boasts soothing ingredients such as Oatmeal Infusion, Lavender Oil, Orange Flower Water, Blue Chamomile & Rose Absolute, Steam Cream is suitable for all including sensitive skin types. Moisture retaining ingredients (Almond Oil, Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil) coupled with its pioneering steam technique creates an easily absorbed, hydrating, and light-textured cream that can be used on the face, body, hands and feet.

The Verdict:
Steam Cream comes in a sturdy aluminum screw-top tin (which I’m thankful for by the way – I’ll explain later!) and come with various designs printed on the tin. The Flower Garden was just so pretty I HAD to get that one.

The first few times I opened the tin, I had to be pretty careful so as not to have the cream dripping out from the sides or the inside of the cover (especially if kept in a bag where it keeps rolling around). As I’ve taken it on a couple of trips since then, I’m also thankful for the screw top since I’ve had the misfortune of having the cover of flip-top bottles open up in my bag – just imagine the mess (and believe me, you don’t want to have that happen in an expensive bag...or any other bag for that matter!) No problems with this one though, as long as you're careful when opening it, and remember to screw it back tightly.

However, as far as its application goes, I kinda like it! The cream itself is pretty thick, but thankfully absorbs quite rapidly without greasy residue. The smell is supposed to be a mixture of Lavender, Chamomile and other essential oils, but its Lavender component stands out.

Personally, I found that I couldn’t deal with the mess on the inside of the tin every time I took it out from my bag (plus the design on the tin cannot take a rough beating or the pattern will wear off) so I decided to keep it on my work table instead to use during the day.

All things considered, I can see why it’s such a popular product. Although rather pricey at $26 for just 75g, it’s on par with the likes of Crabtree & Evelyn or high end hand creams so in the end you’re getting what you pay for. I guess it’s a little piece of heaven after all!


Ingredients: Oatmeal infusion (avena sativa), orange flower water (citrus aurantium amara, aqua), almond oil (prunus dulcis), cocoa butter (theobroma cacao), glycerine, stearic acid, triethanolamine, organic jojoba oil (simmondsia chinensis), lavender oil (lavandula augustifolia), chamomile blue oil (chamomilla recutita), orange blossom absolute (citrus aurantium dulcis), rose absolute (rosa damascena), neroli oil (citrus aurantium amara), cetyl stearyl alcohol, *coumarin, *geraniol, *citronellol, *limonene, *linaloal, perfume, methylparaben, propylparaben.
*Occurs naturally in essential oils.


Steam Cream is available online at SoapnSorbet and retails at SGD$26 for a 75g tin.


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$

Clinique Juiced Up Colour – Spring 2010...

It’s almost the end of the spring season, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the weather outside – it seems like the spring showers are only hitting Singapore and Malaysia now, swinging between torrential showers and blistering heat.

Yesterday after going out for a meeting, I got caught in a torrential downpour that err, was extremely windy and ‘spattery’. That aside though, I still arrived at the office feeling pretty good since my light hand with makeup hadn’t faded!

The products I used were actually from Clinique’s Spring 2010 Juiced Up Colour collection – the All Over Colour in Mixed Berries and Fresh Picked Eyeshadow in Fresh Picked Pear.

Allover Colour in Mixed Berries was one of the items that I could barely bear to ‘defile’ simply because it looks so awesome. I found out though, a good way to force myself to use it was to make it one of the only two blushes in my bag when I came to Singapore – voila! No choice but to start using it... :D

All the three individual colours are pretty on their own – I’ve also found that the lightest shade can be used as a pretty brow highlighter too! Once swirled together they create a nice soft glow (pic below)

I used it together with the Fresh Picked Eyeshadow in Fresh Picked Pear, which is a pale gold and green with a satiny sheen in a super-cute pear pattern. The eyeshadow itself is quite easy to pick up with either fingers or brush, although personally I prefer using my fingers.

However, I found that the colour of the eyeshadow is quite sheer when I use my fingers – using an eyeshadow brush works better if you like more intense colour, but I happen to like just a ‘wash’ of colour instead of eye-catching shades...particularly at work!

As you can see from the swatches above, they’re slightly on the sheer side but still quite pretty. Love this for the days I just want a hint of colour without having to fuss too much! :D

This is what I ended up with both Allover Colour and Fresh Picked Eyeshadow applied – apologies if it’s not really clear in the picture, but the lighting in my office doesn’t make for very good photos. :s Mind you, this was after surviving through a downpour, so I reckon it’s not too bad. Your thoughts?


Clinique Fresh Picked Allover Colour (RM115) and Fresh Picked Eye Shadow (RM75) are both limited edition items and part of the Clinique Juiced Up Colour – Spring 2010 collection, now available at all Clinique counters.

Nivea Fruity Shine Lipbalm in Pomegranate...

Hi hi..how was your weekend ladies? I went back home for the weekend, and oh, my stomach – mum outdid herself by making roast pork and prawn mee for dinner. Maybe I should move out of the house more often if this is the treatment I get...hmm...just kidding! :D

Anyway, while I was looking around Guardian yesterday, I spotted a new variant of Nivea Lipbalm – Fruity Shine! It looked pretty interesting, plus I happen to love pomegranate, so I ended up picking one to try.

Description:
Nivea Fruity Shine in Pomegranate with Fruit Extracts and Shimmering Pigments combines long lasting moisturisation and an exciting fruity pomegranate scent to replenish moisture, leaving a touch of delicate colour on soft and smooth lips. This new formula combines rich almond oil, jojoba oil and shea butter to keep your lips as soft and fresh as they can be. Contains SPF10 protection against UVA and UVB rays.

The Verdict:
OMG...the pomegranate scent reminds me of The Body Shop’s pomegranate shower gel (although tastes much yummier of course!). I’m also loving the hint of colour – it’s somewhat similar to the colour of Nivea’s Star Fruits Pink Grapefruit balm (which I adore) but just a tiny bit more intense.

The Fruity Shine claims to have a moisture store formula which is supposed to leave your lips nicely moisturised for much longer. I found I had to reapply it frequently, but I’d attribute that partly to the fact I couldn’t stop sniffing at it. :D

From experience, Nivea’s lipbalms are generally pretty decent – I’ve yet to find a real dud (although I hate the Star Fruits Cherry one simply because I think it smells like cough syrup...it’s a personal thing though) so this was technically a ‘safe’ purchase.

There’s also Strawberry, Cherry and...Dragonfruit flavours in the ‘Fruity Shine’ range, although I’ve yet to spot the rest of the flavours on the shelves – guess we’ll just have to wait and see eh? I must say I’m rather curious at what the Dragonfruit one is like!

Nivea Fruity Shine in Pomegranate is available at major care pharmacies in Singapore (haven’t seen this back in Malaysia yet) and retails for approximately SGD4.00.


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$$

Singapore: Charles & Keith Warehouse Sales...

I finally attended my first Singapore warehouse sale! LOL...

Yup, I actually went to check out the Charles & Keith warehouse sale in Paya Lebar yesterday after work to see if I could pick up a few bargains. No pictures though, since there were a lot of signs prohibiting pictures, plus it was just too crowded to fiddle with my camera.

I must say, they were quite well organised – people were let into the sale area in groups, given a shopping bag to use and although massively crowded, moved along pretty fast. Nothing can be done about the pushing and shoving amongst the people there though, but at least the experience was quite pleasant overall.

As for the stock on sale, prices start from SGD$5 upwards with a selection of shoes, belts, sunglasses, boots and belts from Charles & Keith, as well as a selection of men’s shoes from Pedro.

HOWEVER...sizes are a big thing to note. The majority of stocks are in single sizes, and I noticed a LOT of size 41 and size 36 so if your feet are that size you’ll be able to buy a lot!

As for me, my feet can range anywhere from 38 to 40 depending on the cut, so I didn’t have that many choices. I did pick up a pair of off-white crocskin mules with a 2” heel for just SGD$9...*grins*

The sale ends this Sunday and the map above is pretty accurate, so if you’re in the area or looking for something to do this weekend, do check it out yeah? :)

PS: I’ll be flying back to KL for the weekend tonight...can’t wait!

inuovi ivoluxe lippie love...

I was first introduced to inuovi early last year, which finally got me sorted on wearing false eyelashes, and during one of their previous sales I picked up a ivoluxe lipstick which funnily enough, I only started using a month back. :D

Description:
inuovi ivoluxe lipstick is moisturising intense colour for lips that plumps up your lips for a seductively full and luscious look. Intense and wet shine colours with 3D lip plumping complex glide onto lips like silk for a full and glossy effect. Contains Evening Primrose Oil, Squalane and Sweet Almond oil.

The Verdict:
The shade I picked up was Flirt, which is a light pink shade with a hint of glitter. Now that no longer have the luxury of toting huge bags to work (no more car!) I had to seriously streamline the contents of my makeup kit – which means that this baby has the job of moisturising my lips as well as working as a lipstick.

I have to say, I actually quite like this – the colour’s rather sheer, but as I don’t really wear strong colours for work it serves my purpose. What’s more, it contains Evening Primrose oil so my lips look and feel smooth even after it’s worn off. I haven’t tried any of the other colours, but you can also check out Connie’s take on it as well.

inuovi ivoluxe lipsticks come in 40 shades and retail at RM55 each at all inuovi counters and standalone stores.

Incidentally, inuovi Malaysia is currently having their warehouse sales which were supposed to end tomorrow, but I was just told that the sale is being extended to Saturday per the above flyer. Discounts are up to 90%, plus a free lipgloss palette if you spend above RM50. I’ll be doing my inuovi shopping by proxy through a friend this time, so no impulse buying for me!

Has anyone gone for the sale already, or planning to go? If so, do share what you got or are planning to get yeah! :D

Off to a right interesting start in Singapore...

Sorry for the sporadic posts people...the adjustment to getting stable internet connection to blog has been rather intermittent, plus I was such a ditz – I could have sworn I packed my camera transfer cable before I left, but it’s nowhere to be seen amongst the stuff I brought so had to borrow a friend’s card reader for the time being to get my photos out.

That aside, the first week’s down...I can SO see all the predictions I made in this post coming true already – shopping wise, it’s been ermm...rather dangerous. Will have to exercise a lot more restraint when it comes to shopping, that’s for sure!

The first magazine I bought in Singapore was L’Officiel – not for anything else, but because Paris told me about the free Ed Pinaud eyeshadow quad that came as a free gift with the magazine! (Paris can apparently now influence me to buy stuff even ACROSS the border! *gulp*)

The shade I got was #5 – Blue Black. Haven’t tried it out, but not bad for a SGD$5.90 magazine, no? The magazine contents are not bad as well, so I’m not too fussed. There are 6 choices available, but before you ask, no I’m not going to be going mad collecting all of them, considering the magazine is fast running out, plus there’s no way to tell the shade of the quad until you open the magazine’s packaging.

I got this on the tail-end of the usual CNY promotions at a 7-11 in Chinatown while out with the girls after dinner. It came with every purchase of 2 bags of Lays or Ruffles chips, and was available in red or gold – no doubt the general agreement was that the gold was much prettier!

The pouch is meant to organise angpows (hence the three long compartments), but the girls reckon I could use it as a brush roll instead – what do you all think? :D

Last but definitely not least was the close to the weekend with the group of girls taking our first international trip (well, we’re all originally Malaysian, so that counts, right?)...and what a way to make a splash with Chippendales! Nekkid men oh how hawt...I’ve got such a thing for Bryan Chan now (the only Asian in the troupe) Girls if you’re reading this, we SO have to go for the US version yeah...must must must!! :D (by the way, I love how our ticket number was #69...*wink wink*)

Incidentally, Singapore is smack in the middle of a warehouse spree – Charles & Keith, Pedro and Kate Spade are just a few of the ones I want to hit! And if not, I’ve also gone to quite a few outlet branches of brands like G2000, Cotton On and Levi’s that have some rather lovely finds... :D

Something tells me I’m gonna like the shopping here in Singapore (but my wallet isn’t!)

Lancome O My Rose! Spring 2010 Collection by Aaron de Mey…

In recent years, has anyone noticed Lancome’s makeup collections getting more eye-catching? This year’s Spring collection is no different – we didn’t get the entire collection in-country, but what we did get was certainly rather pretty. :)

The ONE product that stood out to me among all the products was the Pop n Cheeks (RM115) in Coral Flirt with its gorgeous assymetrical rose. Even though the shimmer on the surface of the blush fades, the underlying colour is still pretty nice. I’ve heard that for some the colour doesn’t show up much, but after trying out at the counter I like the lightly flushed effect.

Now, on to the other products in the Spring 2010 O My Rose collection...

The Pop n Palette (RM140) eyeshadow quads are another gorgeous item in this collection – Paris has done a great review on the Pop n Petrol here, so I shan’t go too much into it, but definitely very wearable with not too much shimmer. The other shade shown on the right is the Pop n Copper.

La Touche Pro (RM125) comes in both light and medium shades to provide light coverage and even out complexion. The texture of this is actually quite smooth and blends quite well, so it might be something to keep an eye on. I’m thankful my skin hasn’t acted up badly enough to require concealer in the past couple of months, but you never know…

The rest of the collection isn’t half bad, although I do wish we’d gotten the Baby Kiss as well, just because it’s so cute with its glossy mini-box.

Le Crayon Khol in Pop Petrol (this is part of the in-country collection at RM68), Hypnose Drama and Flash Retouche

La French Tropez Manicure in B.B. Sand and Pop Petrol – Personally I like the colour of the B.B. Sand which would work probably look quite sweet layered over a red or deep blue polish. :)

Le Khol Gloss in Pop Petrol, Swinging Copper and B.B. Sand – Lancome recommends using this as a block of colour before sculpting the look with powder shadow to play on the matte-shine contrast…I admit I’ve not tried this before, but it could turn out quite nice, given that copper and aqua green are strong but flattering colours for most.

Ink Artliner in Pop Petrol


Colour Fever Gloss in Coral Delight, Shivering Pink, Orange Scopitone and B.B. Sand.


La Laque Fever in Swinging Copper and Coral Bliss – can be used alone, or works well with Baby Kiss

Is there anything in this collection that you really love / hate, or wish they had / hadn’t brought in? :D