Favourite beauty reads for the months of June…

Today’s the last day of June, and we’re officially halfway into 2010! *shock*….where did the last 6 months go??

It’s been a pretty hectic month, but I always have time to indulge in posts from my beauty blogging pals and these are some of my favourites…

My Women Stuff shared her brow shaping experience at Shu Uemura with Lisa Yap – judging by the results, I’ll definitely be looking her up the next time I need my brows done.

PrettyBeautiful reviewed the Biore Cleansing Oil Wipes which is much more travel-friendly than toting a bottle of cleansing oil – given my frequent trips back to KL, this would be a good item to look out for.

Lipglosseater has me lemming for the My Lip Stuff Natural Lip Balm in Passionfruit-Orange-Guava which sounds absolutely yummy!

Soloverly brings back memories of my London trips with their guide to makeup shopping in the UK!

RedLusciousLips wonders what’s up with the poster for Mariah Carey’s latest Lollipop Bling perfume – I think Mariah’s a little too in tune with her hippy side!

Askmewhats had a ‘grape’ (heehee!) new nail tutorial modelled after Grimace, and it’s making me wanna experiment on my nails too…

It’s a good thing I have these ladies to read, since I can’t watch TV here – it’s a shame though, as some (not all!) of the local programming here is hilarious…one example would be The Noose, which is a spoof of local news. Just go on to You Tube and search for episodes, and if you’re Malaysian, Singaporean (or Asian for that matter), I will not be held responsible if you split your sides laughing! :D

Sweet Contemplation Accessories Mid Year Sale…

Some of you would have remembered my previous post on Sweet Contemplation Accessories sometime in October last year, along with its opening promotion. Well, for those that happened to miss out on picking out something nice that time, here’s your chance…

From now until 31 July, everything at Sweet Contemplation Accessories is 25% off with the promotion code MIDYEAR2010. If you’re in Australia shipping is free, while international shipping is free for orders over AUD$100. If you can’t hit the AUD$100 mark, it’s a flat rate of AUD$6 so still pretty affordable.

I’d suggest you join up with some friends and make a joint order (the more the merrier right?) – I’ve already made mine with some of my colleagues…can’t wait for it to arrive! :D All the jewelry on the site is gorgeous, plus Tine can do custom orders as well - I already have a few pieces, and dammit if I'm not expanding that collection even further!

Drooling yet? You can hop on over to Sweet Contemplation Accessories by clicking on the link or image above.


** Incidentally, today’s also the last day for my 3rd Blogoversary Clinique Happy or Bonanza Giveaway as entries will close tonight. If you haven’t joined already, better hop to it! :D I’ll be selecting the winners over the weekend, so check back afterward for the results. Good luck to everyone who's taking part!

The Body Shop Body, Room & Linen Spritz...*sniff sniff*...

Having a nice-smelling room is something I absolutely must have – it can be horribly messy, but my room will never smell funky. The only exception is when my mutt Patches sleeps in my room, in which case I usually burn some essential oil or spray an air freshener.

Fast forward to my small room in Singapore, I don’t have access to all my home fragrance oils, not to mention having a burner in such a small space is rather hazardous. During a visit to the Body Shop outlet in Subang Parade, I came across their new range of Body, Room & Linen Spritzes and just fell in love – who wouldn’t love such a multi-tasker?

Description:
The Body Shop Body, Room & Linen Spritz is a scented spray that can be used in several ways to fragrance your home with immediate effect. It can even be used on the skin, and is ideal for fragrancing your linen when visitors come to stay.

The Verdict:
The version I picked was Green Tea & Lemon, which is infused with orange essential oil and Community trade honey to refresh the mind. I love citrusy smells, plus the green tea gave it a more mellow scent which helps especially in the evening – citrus usually wakes me up, and I don’t want to be smelling something extremely citrusy when I’m trying to fall asleep, right?

I’ve tried wearing it out as a fragrance during the day as well, and got ‘sniffed’ by some friends at work asking me what I was using (in a good way! LOL…) so it definitely passes the sniff test. I like the fact that it can be used in so many ways, which cuts down on needing separate bottles for each purpose.

At RM43 per 100ml bottle, it’s not too expensive so I reckon I’ll be indulging in this quite often. Oh, and did I mention it came in an entire variety of different scents?

Besides the Green Tea & Lemon, other varieties include Pomegranate & Raspberry; Mandarin & Tangelo; Jasmine & White Frangipani; Vanilla & Tonka Bean; Sandalwood & Ginger; Aloe & Soft Linen.

However, not all of them may be available in Malaysia – if I remember correctly, I saw Pomegranate & Raspberry, Aloe & Soft Linen, and Mandarin & Tangelo at the outlet I went to.

The bottles are all awesomely gorgeous with a different watercolour-like design for each scent. All of the ones I tried were pretty easy on the ol’ schnoz, so who knows, I might just pick up a couple more to try… :D

The Body Shop Body, Room & Linen Spritz is available at all Body Shop outlets nationwide and retails at RM43 for a 100ml bottle.


Rating: 4.5 / 5
Value: $$

Stage Wonderbalm gets me barmy!

Hey ladies, how was your weekend? :D Sorry this post is late, I'd originally wanted to post it up on a Friday night, but my plane back to KL for the weekend got delayed due to heavy rain and floods - instead of taking off at 10.35pm as originally scheduled, it only took off at 12.05am (the time I was supposed to have already been back home!)...finally got back about 2.30am, and promptly KOed.

The rest of the weekend was equally as rushed, but good (explains the happy grin yet feeling like I'm going to collapse), but now I'm just rambling on...so now's as good a time as any to share with you one of the products I’ve carried in my bag for quite a while now.

Every time I hop onto a plane or any air-conditioned place, my lips always get rather dry, which is why I always have some lipbalm with me. Of course, it’s not very easy trying to negotiate with a pot of lipbalm that you have to apply with your fingertips (not to mention how do you get rid of the balm on your fingers gracefully and avoid offering a greasy handshake to a client during meetings?) so I usually slip the Stage Wonderbalm into my handbag. Is it really as “wonder”-ful as it claims? You betcha!

Description:
Stage Wonderbalm lipcare pampers your lips with a comfortable and protective veil that is enriched with natural emollient oils containing Vitamins C and E. Apply a thin layer over lips for that soft, smooth and healthy look, or before lipstick for easy application. Regular application results in a lusciously hydrated pout.

The Verdict:
I’ll admit, it was the shiny red colour that caught my eye first – how could you miss that glossy tube? I also liked the fact that it shut and open with a distinctive ‘click’, thus avoiding any “OMG-my-lipbalm’s-all-smooshed-in-my-bag!!” moments (those who’ve had this happen will know what I’m talking about!)

Texture-wise, the Wonderbalm is smooth, goes on clear and smells divine…Paris described it as a light citrus scent which I’d agree with, since I can’t find an exact word to describe it – the tiniest hint of lemon, yet refreshing.

Even on very chapped lips, the Wonderbalm will give you a nice lusciously moistened pout almost immediately (and even better once it’s had a chance to sink in with regular use). What else can I say, there’s really not much to dislike about this balm. :) Have you tried it, and did you like it?


Stage Wonderbalm is available at all Stage counters in Malaysia and Singapore and retails for RM40 and SG$18 respectively.


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$

** Have you entered my 3rd Blogoversary Clinique Happy or Bonanza Giveaway yet? Better hurry - both giveaways close 30 June 2010! :) Click on the links to find out more.

You’ve heard of Bedazzling, but what about Vajazzling?

WARNING: Not for the faint of heart!

LOL…I’m going to venture to the ‘other’ side today with something I came across online that I just couldn’t help but share with you all – Vajazzling. And yes, I can imagine all the perplexed/ dubious/ amused/ shocked looks on your faces wondering what the heck Vajazzling could be. Well, to put it plainly, Vajazzling = Bedazzling for your nether regions.

Whatever will they come up with next? :p All it took was for Jennifer Love Hewitt to mention that she’d done Vajazzling during her appearance on the George Lopez show, and the news just spread like wildfire (you can find the video of her interview on YouTube if you really want to see it).

Apparently now if you’re in the US, you can get your bikini area adorned with crystals after waxing. And before you think I’m just kidding around, you can check out this post by Bryce Gruber on The Luxury Spot who actually recorded her Vajazzling experience photographically (above) as well as on VIDEO (below).

I’m quite amused by the whole process – first the entire area’s waxed, followed by the application of Swarovski crystal patterns. Jennifer Love Hewitt mentioned she got Vajazzled in hot pink crystals for the show, and I had to laugh when she mentioned ‘it looks like a disco ball down there’.

It’s a bit ironic though, that one of the reasons listed for getting yourself Vajazzled is to show off to your man…but then, you’re advised not to engage in ‘rough activity’ (whatever your interpretation of THAT would be!) to avoid the crystals falling off – kind of defeats its own purpose, no? For those a bit shy to ‘bare all’ at a salon, there’s even DIY Vajazzling kits available. Scary thing is, I even came across some guys who did “Man-jazzling”…I’ll leave you to figure that one out…*shudder*

Bizarre or brilliant? I’m bewildered AND amused at the same time…

L’Occitane Peony Makeup Collection hits our shores…

Has anyone noticed L’Occitane has brought in its new makeup collection Peony? If you’ve seen a burst of pink at your local L’Occitane outlets, it’s there…side by side with their new Peony fragrance range.

No prizes for guessing what flower this entire range is modelled after – the Peony of course! (got it wrong? Oh dear…) I must say though, although I’m not particularly a big fan of pink (the overuse of it by some people in the past has killed my liking for the shade) I’m quite taken by the look of the Peony range, particularly the eco-friendly cardboard packaging.

But I digress – back to my two cents thoughts on the makeup collection! :D

Peony Faceolour Powder Duo (RM60 each) – available in 3 shades. These remind me somewhat of the Stila eyeshadow duos but with prettier packaging. Personally, I’m really liking the look of that aubergine hue in Jolie Therese…

Blush Like a Peony Lip & Cheek Tinted Water (RM60) and Peony Lip Balm (RM53). Why am I reminded of Benefit’s Benetint when I see the Tinted Water…does anyone else share my sentiment? The lip balm on the other hand would be great for using to layer under/ over any existing shade of lipstick, seeing as it has tiny pink & gold shimmer in it.

Peony Lipstick (RM56 each) – available in 4 shades. These lipsticks are meant to be semi-sheer, which I like in my lipsticks. Colour-wise I would probably be more inclined towards Paeonia. I’m surprised there are no corals or peach shades in this range though.

Peony Liquid Shine Lip Colour (RM56) – available in 4 shades. Good news for sticky gloss haters, this is a non-sticky gloss. I likened the texture to that of Revlon’s Superlustrous lipgloss, although with a fair bit more glitter. I love this particular selection of shades…can I has all of them, pretty please? :)

Peony Facecolour Powder (RM60 each) – available in 4 shades. Besides its obvious use as a blush, the Facecolour Powder can also be used as eyeshadow as well an all-over powder to brighten complexion. I felt the colours were a bit light in general, particularly Helene which to me looks like more of a eyeshadow base or all-over colour rather than a blush. The rest are okay, but dark-skinned girls may have a problem finding a colour that suits them.

Peony Illuminating Powder (RM111). This is the “fix-it” powder for the collection – green to correct redness, mauve to correct dullness as well as pink and white to brighten the complexion. Again, this reminded me of a product from another brand…NYX’s mosaic powder (although much prettier with its flower motif). I find this a little pricey…I might be biased, but I’d splash out a bit more to get Guerlain’s Meteorites (roughly RM185).

For some reason, many of the products in this collection reminded me of products from other brands, but to be fair it happens quite often. Overall I’d say it’s a very pretty collection with bonus points for the packaging. L’Occitane has also come up with a little quiz on its Malaysia website to help people find their perfect Peony look – you can try it out for yourself here.

L’Occitane’s Peony Makeup collection is available from 1 June 2010 at all L’Occitane boutiques. Plus if you’re in Malaysia, there will be a Peony Roadshow at Midvalley Megamall from 21st – 27th June at South Void 2 in front of Zara where you can pick up some special buys like Peony Body (RM250) and Petite Peony (RM138).

Every purchase of a Peony Face Colour Powder and Lip Colour (excluding lipbalm) will get a free Peony makeup pouch, and if you purchase above RM350 inclusive of a Peony product, you’ll receive a 4-pc gift (plus an additional Peony Tote Bad and 75ml Beauty Milk if you purchase above RM450).

*phew*…that was a long list. Have you tried out the new Peony makeup yet, and what are your thoughts on the collection? :D Come on, share your thoughts!


** Have you entered my 3rd Blogoversary Clinique Happy or Bonanza Giveaway yet? Better hurry - both giveaways close 30 June 2010! :) Click on the links to find out more.

Banana Boat Aloe Vera with Vitamin E SPF30 Sunscreen Lip Balm...

A while back, a rep from Banana Boat sent me a couple of items to try out, which included this lipbalm. Knowing my penchant for lip products, it’s no surprise which one I dug into first. :D

Description:
Banana Boat Aloe Vera with Vitamin E Lip Balm SPF30 is very water resistant, helps prevent sunburn and protects your lips from harsh ultraviolet rays. This all-season lip protector seals in moisture to sooth and protect against dry, cracked, or wind burned lips.

The Verdict:
I’ve always had a thing for lip products, I reckon. From my forever-growing stash of glosses to lippies and lipbalms, I have some firm favourites that I’ll always go back to by default (and surprisingly, many of them are of the more affordable variety…hmm…) Sorry, companies can tout the amazing properties of their products all they want, but at the end of the day for lipbalm? It boils down to how it feels on my lips and how I feel when I wear it. Price-wise, this definitely won’t break the bank as it’s less than SG5.00 (~RM12.00) per tube.

For those wanting to tote this around, you can definitely rest assured that this is not going to suddenly uncap and smoosh itself all over the inside of your bag – as long as you close it properly, that is. Just press until there’s a firm ‘click’ when it’s capped back, and the formula holds up pretty well for our tropical climate.

Most lipbalms are small enough to fit into a back pocket or in a small pouch, and this is no different. One thing you will definitely notice with this lipbalm though, is the smell – I’ve tried asking colleagues and friends as to their opinion on the scent, and haven’t been able to find two that concur yet. One said it smelled like banana, another said ‘some sort of sweet’…you get the idea. To me, it smells exactly like…jellybeans!

Weird, huh? Anyway, the main thing I liked about this is that it comes with SPF30 – but it’s probably only available in this part of the world. Despite it being made in the USA, I couldn’t find any SPF30 varieties online, just those with SPF45. Regardless, SPF30 is quite decent for moderate daily use.

On my lips, the first application went on a little waxy and hard, which I’d attribute it to being a brand new tube. On subsequent uses, the balm does soften just the slightest bit to make application easier, but the texture will remain slightly more towards the waxy feel than the usual lipbalms that have an oilier texture. The Banana Boat lipbalm is meant to be waterproof, so this makes sense.

As for waterproof-ness, it holds fast. I could still feel/taste it after an hour splashing around in the pool near my flat, and it actually forms a perfect base for long-lasting lipsticks since they have a tendency to slide off if you use an oil-based lipbalm.

If I had to find something to gripe about this, it would be that this lipbalm can’t be used ALL the time. Granted, it seals in moisture, but at the same time it doesn’t provide any of its own either. On a long term basis, you can see where this might be a problem. During the day, it’s fine for me as I drink plenty of water but at night before I go to bed, I prefer to use one of my other more emollient lipbalms or plain petroleum jelly to avoid my lips drying out in the airconditioned room.

So, do you have a favourite lipbalm with sunscreen? Have you tried it, and if so, did you love/hate it? Let me know! :)

Banana Boat Aloe Vera with Vitamin E Lip Balm SPF30 is available at most personal care stores and retails for approximately SG$4.95 (it’s about RM11.90 in Msia if I remember correctly).


Rating: 4 / 5
Value: $$$

** Have you entered my 3rd Blogoversary Clinique Happy or Bonanza Giveaway yet? Better hurry - both giveaways close 30 June 2010! :) Click on the links to find out more.

What happened to the Birkins?!?

By now I think most of you would have heard about the flash flood that hit Orchard Road in Singapore this morning. I’m mostly stunned by it since I’ve never actually seen a flood so bad in Singapore yet (plus the fact that my office isn’t really too far away from it!) but since we’ve had plenty of flash floods back home in KL – try every time there’s any heavy rain for more than 15 mins – it didn’t really have too much impact on me.

That is, until I saw this photo a while ago...

The water’s definitely over a metre high since there are steps leading down to the entrance of Starbucks and Massimo Dutti (and Starbucks’ outside seating area is completely submerged). But that’s not the big deal.

For those familiar with Orchard Road, you’d know that the shop a couple of doors away from the Massimo Dutti is none other than...HERMES! What’s more, when I was walking along that stretch with Paris and Pinkelle a couple of weekends back, we saw...BIRKIN bags in the window!!

So nevermind the Starbucks, what happened to the Birkins?? (I don’t think they’re about to have a ‘flood damage’ sale, right?)

Beetrice’s Reviews turns 3 – bonanza giveaway!

Having fun with the Clinique Happy giveaway? Well, keep the comments coming because I’m not done yet. :)

I said previously I had another giveaway, this time it’s from me to one lucky reader. Remember this photo a week back?

That’s right, I’ll be giving a big goodie bag (worth over RM1,000!) to one lucky person which will contain ALL of the items in the photo above:

Full-Sized Items:
- L’Oreal True Match Foundation (+ Hyaluronic Acid) in G1 Vanilla Ivory
- L’Oreal White Perfect Transparent Rosy Whitening Radiance Boosting Double Essence
- Paul & Joe Protective Dual Powder Foundation in #01
- Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer in #02
- Maybelline Clear Smooth Aqua Gel Foundation in #14 Sand
- Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse
- Benefit Her Glossiness A-List Lipgloss in ‘Talk to my Agent’
- Stila Lip glaze stick in Brown Sugar
- Office Silk Luster & Moistening lipgloss in #K03
- Stage 5-shade Shadow Palette in Scandal
- Maybelline Eyestudio e/s quad in #GD-1 Autumn Spirit
- Revlon Matte Lipstick in #008 Cocoa Craving
- Kleancolor Roll-on Shimmery Eye Powder in #736
- L’Oreal Dermo Expertise Revitalift Milky Foam
- Bioxil Advanced Wrinkle Lifting Eye Cream
- Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy 100g
- Bio-Essence Bio-Energy Eye Bag Vanishing Serum
- Boots Carribean Cocktail Skinny Dipper Bubble Bath

Miniatures/Samples:
- Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips
- Garnier Light Gentle Clarifying Foam & Moisturising Cream set
- Fimalaya Purifying Neem Face Wash
- Clean & Clear Deep Action Refreshing Cleanser
- Ginvera Green Tea Day & Night Cream
- Ascience Shine Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner

** As a bonus, I’ll even throw in a couple of extra items when I send out the package (haven’t quite decided what else to put in yet)

So there you have it – stoked yet? Read on for the entry details!

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Subscribe to my feed via email or in a feed reader. You can do this by entering your email in the box on the right side of the page and clicking “Subscribe”. (Please note that you have to verify your subscription, or it won’t be activated)

AND...
2. Leave me a comment on this blog post – tell me where you’re from, your email address and what you have to say about the site. Making this really random - it can be what you like about the site, what you'd like to see more/less of, any suggestions for the layout, anything! Just keep it constructive, can?
Example: Hi, I’m from Malaysia, and I'd like to see more makeup reviews of local brands. My email address is beetricesreviews[at]gmail[dot]com.

BONUS ENTRY:
You can get an additional entry by linking to this blog post on your site. No need for a full post, just a link and passing mention is fine. Please email me the link to the relevant post (together with the name you made your original comment with so I know who gets the extra entry!) to beetricesreviews[at]gmail[dot]com.

See? Easy peasy! :)

TERMS & CONDITIONS:
1. This giveaway is open to ALL readers. :D
2. One entry/comment per person please. Be nice and let everyone have a fair chance, okay?
3. Keep it clean and spam-free. Comments with SEO terms, advertising links, derogatory terms and such will be deleted and disqualified.
4. Anyone can enter regardless of whether you’ve won anything here previously.
5. Please make sure the email in your comment is the same as the email you used to subscribe, otherwise I won’t be able to track it. Incomplete entries will also be disqualified.
6. Winners will be notified via email. If I do not get a response within two days, I will select another winner.

CLOSING DATE:
Closing date for this giveaway is 11.59pm on 30 June 2010 Malaysian time (GMT +8.00), after which all comments will be tabulated. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter.


Of course, even if you’re not participating (although you’re most nicely encouraged to!) do feel free to spread the word. Let’s spread the happiness around, shall we? Thanks a lot, and good luck to all!

Ooh I love 'peace offerings'... :D

One of the reasons I’d been so busy the past few weeks is because one my colleagues had been on two weeks leave – went gallivanting off to Las Vegas and Tokyo (yeah, two ends of the earth!) and a lot of activities and projects just HAD to happen during the time she was gone.

However, she’s back to work this morning...I reckon she brought the rain too, since it was absolutely POURING on my way to the office. But the gloomy morning was perked up by this package sitting on my table...

I got a Roo-Carriage in a pink and black lace pattern! The usual ones I’ve seen so far back home have been made from canvas/ PVC and are pretty heavy, but this one has a thin layer of foam in between the cloth which makes it very soft and light, but yet sturdy enough to hold its shape... *love*

But that’s not all...the pockets and compartments of the Roo-Carriage were stuffed with little things as well. There were samples of this brand ‘&face’ (which is apparently a range under the Shiseido brand) that’s only available in Japan and Pocky with a super cute dog design to hang over a bag corner.

Some other Coffret D’or Kanebo samples, a Hello Kitty mask (LOL!), a tiny weird bar of green tea soap (I think) and......a couple of limited edition items from Majolica Majorca! :D

Not are they just awesomely shades of purple, but held shut with a purple elastic band as well. The first was a lip and eye set – two glosses and two eye shadows.

The second one was called Blooming Dream Eyes which is a e/s quad in shades of lilac.

For someone who’s only known me a couple of months, most of her choices were bang on target...or is it because I’m THAT predictable? LOL...

Beetrice’s Reviews turns 3 – Clinique Happy giveaway!

As I was saying in my previous post, some nice brand people have pitched in with some lovely stuff for the site’s 3rd blogoversary, and the first giveaway is sponsored by none other than Clinique!

Since it’s a happy occasion and the site turned 3, Clinique has generously sponsored not one, not two...but THREE bottles of Clinique Happy for this giveaway. :D *I think I hear cheering in the background*

Clinique Happy was one of my first purchases back during my student days. I still remember the little GWP I got with that purchase – my 50ml bottle of Clinique Happy came with a small box that contained a miniature Clinique Happy together with some ‘Happy’ cards and envelopes. Yes, pretty stationery makes me happy like that. *grins* Which brings me to my question...

I’m generally a pretty happy person by nature, but I’m usually at my happiest when I’m spending time with my dog – I’ve had her since she was born (she’s 10 already!) and there’s never been a dull moment with her antics.

So that’s the question I pose to you today for a 30ml bottle of Clinique Happy fragrance – read on for the entry details!

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Subscribe to my feed via email or in a feed reader. You can do this by entering your email in the box on the right side of the page and clicking “Subscribe”. (Please note that you have to verify your subscription, or it won’t be activated)
AND...
2. Leave me a comment on this blog post – tell me where you’re from, your email address and what makes you happy! :)
Example: Hi, I’m from Malaysia, and spending time with my dog makes me happy. My email address is beetricesreviews[at]gmail[dot]com.

BONUS ENTRY:
You can get an additional entry by linking to this blog post on your site. No need for a full post, just a link and passing mention is fine. Please email me the link to the relevant post (together with the name you made your original comment with so I know who gets the extra entry!) to beetricesreviews[at]gmail[dot]com.

See? Easy peasy! :)

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

1. This giveaway is open to ALL readers. :D
2. One entry/comment per person please. Be nice and let everyone have a fair chance, okay?
3. Keep it clean and spam-free. Comments with SEO terms, advertising links and such will be deleted and disqualified.
4. Anyone can enter regardless of whether you’ve won anything here previously.
5. Please make sure the email in your comment is the same as the email you used to subscribe, otherwise I won’t be able to track it. Incomplete entries will also be disqualified.
6. Winners will be notified via email. If I do not get a response within two days, I will select another winner.

CLOSING DATE:
Closing date for this giveaway is 11.59pm on 30 June 2010 Malaysian time (GMT +8.00), after which all comments will be tabulated. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter.


Of course, even if you’re not participating (although you’re most nicely encouraged to!) do feel free to spread the word. Let’s spread the happiness around, shall we? Thanks a lot, and good luck to all!

Beetrice’s Reviews turns 3 – with a couple of giveaways!

It may be Monday, but I’m definitely not feeling blue – just came back from a weekend trip back home for a friend’s wedding, plus I’ve got some great stuff in store for all you ladies. :)

Trivia: Did you know Beetrice’s Reviews turned 3 last month?

Yup, it’s true...this site is already three years old – gosh, where did the time go? It’s been a lot of fun, best of all getting to meet a lovely group of bloggers that has been rather bad for the wallet (we're so bad/good in egging each other on in shopping!) but oh-so-good for the soul.

It’s also led to me meeting some really nice brand people (well...and a few not so nice, but we shan’t focus on that part). Thanks to one of those brands, I have not one, but two giveaways to celebrate the site’s 3rd blogoversary, and the first one will be coming up after this post!

What started out as a hobby a some years back has gone further than I thought it would go – I started blogging on a personal site some 6 years back, and the reviews site came about after I realised my review posts were even more frequent than my personal posts...LOL...

But enough about that, let’s get on to the good stuff shall we? *wheeee*

Something awesome this way comes...

Wondering what it is? Let me give you a little hint...



All details will be revealed next week... :) Enjoy the weekend ladies!

Repurchase: Clinique Vitamin C Lip Smoothie – Mangothon…

Some of you would remember me writing about the Clinique Vitamin C Lip Smoothie in Goodness Grapecious last year (read my previous view here) which I really liked other than the opaque click tube. Well, it lasted me a good 6 months before abruptly coming to an end (you’ll know once it’s done as you’ll have problem clicking it any further).

Since I loved Goodness Grapecious, I hopped down to the local Clinique counter just to try another variant, and came away with the Mangothon which is more of a peach shade.

Comparison of the two hues – apologies for the tiny smear of the Goodness Grapecious shade. Like I said, the end of the tube came to an abrupt end. :D

In hindsight, I think Goodness Grapecious suits me better, plus the grape smell is amazing. Don’t get me wrong, Mangothon has a light mango-ish scent and a hint of flavor which is great. It’s just a matter of preference, but at the end of the day I use it primarily for the luscious pout it gives me…*smacks lips*

Quite dissapointed in SG magazine content...

With all the available sites online available to get beauty information from, I admit to still being someone who likes having the glossies of print magazines to look at. However, with what I saw recently in the local magazines, I'm starting to have my doubts. Just take a look at the recent June issues of Cleo, Harper’s Bazaar and Singapore Women’s Weekly which all had mini magazines.

Notice how the cover pages seemingly focus on different topics (plus the fact that each of these magazines is supposed to be targeted at different demographics of women)

The shock for me came when I noticed that the first few pages of the mini-mags were all the same…and extended ALL the way through! All they did was change the cover page, but otherwise the content was EXACTLY the same.

Apart from the cover page, the editor’s note was different…I know all three magazines are owned by the same publishing house, but this is a bit much. Whatever happened to editorial integrity? I can imagine pulling some similar content, but a blatant cover to cover?

Getting back in the groove...of shopping, that is!

I’ve been pretty tied up with work the past few months, but the past weekend was just too good not to post about – trust Paris and Pinkelle to bring out the shopping demon in me! :D

The Great Singapore Sale, or GSS is something that I used to look forward to every year, particularly the trip down which saw me lamenting about the ringgit’s lack of buying power (I still lament!) but also meeting up with relatives down south. Come to think about it, I’ve missed the last two years *oh the horror* simply because I was either overseas or just too skint broke to go.

Anyway, the GSS has just only started (we’re currently going into week 3) and weekends along Orchard are just bliss for any freebieholic around. Just to give you a taste of the things we picked up along the way...

Skin Food bribed us with chocolate and a voucher in a small pouch to be redeemed in the store for a sample – clever ploy to get us into the outlet, and we each walked away with a sachet of Black Sesame Hot Mask.

Sephora gave out these adorable Harajuku Lovers fragrance fans (I know Xin’s going to drool over this) when you sampled their fragrances – the Lil’ Angel one smells pretty good, and the test strip is now making my handbag smell yummers.

This was probably the most amusing one – Jurlique had sent up a makeshift store outside Tangs along Orchard, and was giving out organic apples with their flyers...creative or what?

I’ve noticed that Singaporeans are very big on tissue, so it’s no wonder that many brands have resorted to making their own branded tissue packs – I picked up four over the course of two days (one used up already)

This is for Connie – S$5 Coronas, anyone?

LOL, now before you think that I didn’t do any actual shopping, I’ll just share a couple of purchases with you – ninny me forgot to take pictures of the three dresses I bought (you’ll see them soon enough since I’ll be wearing them for a friend’s wedding this weekend) but here’s just a taste of what’s to come...

Picked up a couple of OPI polishes at Millenium Walk for just S$14 each – they had a flea market in conjunction with 8 Days’ anniversary, so there were a lot of knickknacks...I even managed to pick up a brand new copy of Dan Brown’s Digital Fortress at just S$7. Brilliant stuff!

Of course, having Paris around as the ‘tourist’ also meant that we managed to get the GST waiver...I picked up a pair of Fitflops I’d been hearing about for ages, plus a definite splurge to mark my time here in Singapore...

Yes, it’s from Tod’s...anyone wanna guess what I bought? :)

The Great Singapore Sale is still going strong until end July and the deals are pretty good this time around, so if you want to drop by Singapore and channel your inner shopaholic, gimme a holler yeah?