Decleor redemption products

I've been quite blessed to have come across this brand here. This all came about some years ago when there was a credit card promotion for a body massage at a specially discounted price. The spa was centrally located near a train station and I was shopping around for a nice massage place, so everything fit in nicely.

Went for my appt then and was suitably impressed by the service and hygiene standards of the place. Yes, I can be quite finicky abt things that touch my body :) I like that the things used were mainly disposable/for one time usage and that they change the massage bed coverings and towels after each client. Don't be surprised, I've come across shops where they recycle the blanket they cover you with :( That's a big no-no for me btw.

Anyway, I've been happily with this place for some time. Their packages are not cheap but not that expensive. Compared to many other places, I think they're more of the mid-high range bracket. I do a monthly installment payment package which I can use for the entire range of services - facials, massages, waxing. A very very big plus for me is the regular masseuse who has been 'treating' me since almost day One. She was the one who recommended these products below btw.

Decleor skin care is a bit too much for my sensitive skin. They're all natural and made of essential oils and flower essences but well, I just can't use them on a regular basis. I do however, looooove the fragrance of their products :) and their body care range makes me smile.

As I was saying, I got to redeem some products cos of the package. Didn't really have a clue, so was grateful for the recommendations by my masseuse. She asked me some questions, then let me try some stuff and these were wat I returned home with :)


Cleansing water - removes most makeup even waterproof mascara.


Relaxing bath gel - love the fragrance of this. It smells ... just heavenly :)


Essential oil for that fatty thigh ;P It's not sticky, absorbs quickly and I can get dressed almost immediately after application. The smell is a little spicy tho.


This is my fave - SPF8 body milk sunscreen. The SPF factor is not high, so just use this if you're travelling between home and office or home and shopping mall. Wat made me adore this product is the scent AND the little shimmery bits it leaves on my skin. I apply as per any sunscreen product, just spread it out thinly. It leaves my skin moisturised and when the light is right, shows off a very subtle bling ;) Love it!

You can read more user reviews about the spa here, here, here and find it here.

Happy weekend everyone!


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Listening to: 梁静茹 - 属于
via FoxyTunes

Review of SkinLite Masks

I bought some Skin Lite masks while on a lunch time shopping spree some time ago. Haven't had the energy or chance to use them til this past weekend.

Well, was actually dithering a bit over using them too cos the packaging is so pretty ;) I was enjoying myself looking at them. Hiaks.

Anyway, here's a look at the masks I bought. Frankly, I didn't need any reason to buy them tt day but the description at the back helped plus I got 1 free mask for every 2, so ... Does a girl really need any reason to buy something? ;P

Given my sensitive skin, I was a little leary of using stuff for the first time. It was a toss-up between the seaweed mask and the aloe mask finally but I thot I'd try a firming mask. The aloe mask is just supposed to be hydration and not much else I think.

Wat I liked:

• Little or no fragrance.
  I have a thing abt smells, so ... no overpowering scents for me.


• The mask fit my face well.
  I smoothed it on in a jiffy. There were even little flaps to cover over my eyes! :) You could cover your eyes up and have a little shut-eye or just fold the flaps over and go about your business while leaving the mask on. I decided to mask my eyes ;)


• Did not irritate my skin.
  Yippee! That's a major relief. A new (read: cheap & good too ;P) brand to add to my arsenal of masks.

I left the mask on for around 15 mins. After removing, I gently patted my skin wif moistened cotton wool to remove residual essence (maybe I'm just being paranoid abt the sensitive skin thingy but well ...) and that's it.

I thot my skin looked much brighter n softer after the mask. The pigmentation I had on my cheeks were noticeably lighter too. Looking forward to trying out the others soon :)


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Listening to: 周杰伦 - 甜甜的
via FoxyTunes

My orange Rabeanco bag

Introducing my first orange bag :)






I took these photos wif 2 different cameras. Image sharpness and lighting are my main priorities - I tend to have incredibly shaky hands.

The first 2 photos were taken wif a point and shoot while the 3rd one was wif my latest lovely baby, the Canon 450D using this macro lens which the camera shop man highly recommended but which I forgot the name for. Lol. That's how 'proficient' I am in photography ;P Oh btw, colour reproduction is closest to real life for the 3rd photo. It's a nice warm orange colour.

Anyway, a part of my salary each month goes towards this imaginary handbag fund of mine. Of course, given my propensity for love-at-first-sights, this fund is usually empty and I'm running out of hiding space for my handbags at home. Yup, do not let Mama Bean (my mum) see new purchases. It's the cue for another long talk on being prudent with money and all the other wonderful motherly things which mothers talk to daughters abt but which gets totally forgotten when bags are in the picture.

Ok, many long sentences. Sorry, let me try again ;)

It was a case of love at first sight when I saw this bag. I was wandering around the handbag dept at Robinson's when I saw the Rabeanco counter. Couldn't resist poring through the designs they have on hand at the moment. Some were really rather mature for my liking. However, this design caught my eye and I asked for the colours available.

It was a tussle between a nice light beige and this warm orange. The orange won finally as I've quite a few beige bags but I don't have an ORANGE one yet. I'm so glad I bought orange. Read my Mar Jap mags and bright colours were splashed all over the pages. Yippee.

This is a nice size for me. Very roomy with a zipped compartment for my cards n hair clips n keys n wat-nots. Also a small handphone compartment. Lots of space for my everyday things - wallet, tissue, brolly, earphones, pieces of paper, a book (?!) ... haha, my almost entire life YET it's not heavy on my shoulder at all AND it does not look like an elephant on my arm ;P

It's a godsend; I've got brand name bags in my wardrobe which are as roomy or even roomier but need a professional weight-lifter to carry them if I'm to go out n about. Or else, they look like I'm carry my entire household ;P

Another thing which I like are the interesting details in the design. For instance, the little diamond-like crystal at the bottom of the bag charm, the gold hardware like the clasps, the braided detail on the handle which is flat underneath, so it lies comfortably on my shoulder and doesn't dig into it.

Really happy wif this buy. Will be my fave for some time until another baby comes along ;P Hiaks.


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Listening to: 王若琳 - Stages Of Flying
via FoxyTunes

The Face Shop and Skin Food BB Creams

Life has never been the same after I learnt of BB Creams ;P Dramatic huh? hehehe...

Anyway, will like to share about my experiences with 2 BB creams which I've been using regularly in lieu of sunscreen. One thing I do notice: wif the BB cream on, my skin gets less irritated and I don't get the sun-scorched feeling or little angry bumps even after lunch time, when I'm out in the sun around 12 plus. It's a totally different story when I have on sunscreen. Yes, even sunscreen wif SPF 45PA++. Rather incredible, don't you think?

Anyway, these are the 2 sunscreens which I've been using regularly. L to R: Skin Food's Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF20, The Face Shop's The Skin Extra BB Cream SPF20PA++.





The one on the left is the Skin Food cream while right side is The Face Shop.

This is approximately the amount I would use each morning. I usually dot them on my cheeks, chin, forehead and use the leftovers on my nose :) Both are relatively easy to blend, provided my skin's still moist from the moisturiser.

I find that's generally a safe technique for my sensitive skin i.e. I'll gently pat my face dry after cleansing then spritz toner on while my skin is damp. After patting in my toner, I'll warm moisturiser between my palms and spread them evenly over my entire face before gently pressing it into my skin. Then while skin's still moist from all these, I'll put the BB cream on. Seems to work for me ;)

Back to the BB creams. When lightly spread out, the Skin Food Aloe cream has a more pinkish/warm tone while in comparison, The Face Shop's is slightly cooler or whiter in tone.

I find both equally good at oil control and coverage. For someone who doesn't wear makeup much, it's very light on my skin and I don't feel like I've anything on my face at all. As for the finished look on my face, well, it looks like my skin just better. You'll have to take my word for it since I dun have the courage to post any facial photos here! ;P

As mentioned earlier in the post, they do a very good job of shielding my skin from the sun and other irritants. However, I do feel The Face Shop's The Skin is slightly drier on my skin. At the end of some days, I do feel a slight tautness in my cheeks when I leave the office, whereas the Skin Food's BB cream still works fine.

I realised BRTC is on sale at most Guardian Pharmacy outlets. Maybe I'll check it out after I've finished these :)


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Listening to: Olivia - Only With You
via FoxyTunes

Discounts on hairstyles!

Yippees! :) I was just thinking abt changing hairstyles while dressing my poupee this morning. And there you go, an announcement stating half priced hairstyles and hair colours.



I'm trying to decide between these 2 styles. The one on top is more like my real life hairstyle while the other is more of wat I'd like to try if I could get away wif it in my office ;P

Ah, which one?? Decisions, decisions....



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Listening to: JP Nataf - Mon Ami d'en Haut
via FoxyTunes

Bakerzin macarons

Remember this macaron promotion? This is one of my favourite desserts :) It's crispy yet soft to the bite. Sweet but not cloying... It's just heaven... *happy sigh* When the flavours are right, that is

Well, I was determined to try out Bakerzin's macarons since they're having a promotion this month. If this is a good place for macarons, hey, the more the merrier :)

These were wat I got:

Clockwise from bottom left: blueberry flavour, Yuzu (or 'Japanese lemon' as the waiter called it) and rose.

I've to say, the first bite did not disappoint. It was light yet crisp to the bite. However. I regret to say the filling grows sweeter and sweeter wif every bite. I could only stomach up to half of each and had to palm them off to my un suspecting frens ;P Oops.

The yuzu flavour is my favourite out of the 3. It is still sweet but I feel the slight tartness of the lemon managed to temper it a little, so that it was easier to stomach. As for the other 2, the flavours were very subtle. All I remembered were they were so sweet. Hahaha.... well, guess that wat desserts are for - to leave a memory of sweetness??


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Listening to: Emanuel Ax, Isaac Stern, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma - Fauré: Quartet In G Minor, Op. 45 - Allegro Molto
via FoxyTunes

Rabeanco bags

I know this is supposed to be a beauty blog (sort of). But hope you won't mind if I start sharing my latest crazes, shopping sprees and food trips?

Bags has been something close to my heart all these while. Other than skincare and now make-up, one of the things which I actually look forward to spending my money on is handbags. LOL. Frivolous, right?

Anyway.

I first got to know this brand, Rabeanco, at BHG, of all places. For a dept store, I find it rather unbeatable for its range of merchandise and oftentimes quirky finds.

I was attracted by the shapes and colours of the collection on display. I find they're very daring in their use of colours, very forward thinking in their shapes and the way different colours are mixed together in one bag, whew! I always find something interesting whenever I pop by their counters.

Bought my 2nd Rabeanco bag last week. My first orange bag ever. Hehehe... will post up photos of it here and in my PoupeeGirl when I can. My first Rabeanco bag, which got me somewhat on the road of no return, is an aged leather one, shiny teal/turqoise in colour. Told ya the colours were eye-catching ;)

Here's the brand philospohy of Rabeanco from Rabeanco.Com:

RABEANCO is an international lifestyle brand offering smart, affordable luxury that embodies the ultimate in elegance, sensuality and creative expression of women. The brand's backbone is an extensive line of functional designs bags that combine stylish, stand-out designs coupled with top quality leather and meticulous craftsmanship.

RABEANCO realize that the brand vision is marrying function, fashion and sensual material to make the bag looks and feel superb. Its design promises to empower women of today with a renewed symbol of femininity that is both practical and spontaneous. It offers a wide spectrum of colors and detailing, catering for different lifestyles and silhouettes at the spur of the moment.

RABEANCO represents an uncompromised attitude towards handbags manufacturing with the highest standard of quality and creativity.


I was told the bags are much cheaper if you purchase them direct from Hong Kong. Well, for people like me, who don't really know when the next Hong Kong trip will be, it's great they can be found in most major stores in most cities around the world ;)


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Listening to: 苏打绿 - 四季狂想
via FoxyTunes

adorned with Grace Minerals

Came across this online store while surfing. I was initially attracted by the name - adorned with Grace Minerals. Grace and minerals. Hmmmm :)

This is the description from their own site:
At adorned with Grace Minerals (TM) we realize that the beauty inside is just as important as the beauty on the outside! Our colors are formulated to be colorful and richly pigmented, yet natural and subtle enough to enhance your God-given beauty.

We specifically formulate for those with yellow-based skintones although many of our colors are versatile enough for all skintones to enjoy. Also, our products are made with the most basic and healthy ingredients you can find on the market avoiding animal-based products, dyes, irritating fillers such as talc, cornstarch, or bismuth oxychloride so your skin can stay as pure as nature intends it to be!

Please note that none of our products are tested on animals. In fact, we currently have a select group of people who sit on our Consumer Panel that work as our testing ground for new and unreleased products and some of you may even get an occasional sample with your order for some of these coveted "gems" we have a surplus of!

We also make sure that the cosmetic brushes we sell are Cruelty-Free. Our Premium series of brushes are 100% vegan-approved!

They've a very comprehensive selection of mineral makeup online. The colours look amazing, with a very wide range for the eyeshadows. Shipping seems pretty reasonable. The thing I like best: they've sample sets and LIMITED EDITION sets :) Ok, so I just have this thing abt limited edition things....

Check out adorned with Grace Minerals here.


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Listening to: Hillsong Music Australia - Grace
via FoxyTunes

Shop, shop, shop - SkinLite Masks

Was rather upset over something at work today. Went out for a breather during lunch time to regain some inner peace and sanity.

As usual, went shopping. LOL. Sasa was having promotions on some products AND a overall 7% GST rebate discount storewide. I got some SkinLite masks which are retailing at $1.95 each. There're 6 different types - I got the Royal Jelly, the Aloe, the Seaweed, the Moisturising/Lavender and Green Tea Essence Masks. There's also a Cucumber Essence Mask but since I've dry skin type, decided to pass on that one.

The even better part? You get 1 mask free for every 2 masks you buy ;) I think it's a really good buy - a quick search on eBay shows it retailing at 5 for US$9.95.

Go check it out! ;)


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Listening to: Lisa Ono - Stay All Night
via FoxyTunes

Hello Kitty and more at PageOne

Went window shopping at PageOne during the weekend. Oh dear. Oh dear. I've discovered another shopping haven to fritter away my precious salary.

There were tons of books of all kinds and all subjects under the sun. However, wat really caught my interest was the stationery dept. It can rival that of Kinokuniya and Borders IMHO.

Take a look at the photos and see if you'd agree with me or not. I mean, hello - My Melody and Hello Kitty sticky tape?! Cookie mirrors? Miniature food/toys/daily items as erasers? Well, bring em on I say ;P


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Listening to: 周杰伦 - 扯
via FoxyTunes

Bakerzin macarons @ $1 each

I know, I know, this is supposed to be a blog on beauty and stuff. But just had to share this. Macarons from Bakerzin will be sold at $1 each until 28 Feb 09. I think I'll check it out after work later. Woot!


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Listening to: Olivia - How Insensitive
via FoxyTunes

Botejyu

I've been hanging out at Liang Court more often these days. Today's dinner is at Botejyu - a Japanese chain of restaurants which specialises in okonomiyaki.


Sharing some photos of my dinner and an interesting article on the Okonomiyaki diet ;P I wouldn't mind such a diet actually (read abt diet here). The food there is delicious!

Today's special - Seafood yakisoba 'shio' flavour. Flavourful noodles, fresh seafood, lovely vegetables

See how generously sized the prawns and cabbages are?

House specialty - Moonlight okos. A mix of belly pork, seafood, potatoes and cabbages in the batter mix. Feel free to top up the sauce or bonito flakes from the condiments tray at the table ;) There's also a seaweed seasoning and chilli powder. Yummilicious.


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Listening to: 梁静茹 - 01.崇拜
via FoxyTunes

More goodies from Dr Hauschka

After trying the Dr Hauschka travel kit, I realised my skin loved it ;) I've to qualify, some of the products do smell rather medicinal but in a nice way. It's like I'm using the actual oat or bran or herb on my skin. Except this comes handily packed into tubes for me :)

So, before the AcmaMall promotion was over, I ordered 2 Dr Hauschka items. These are my faves of the entire range and the price online was cheaper than at the stores or even elsewhere online, so... Hahaha.... trying to justify all these purchases.

Come share my joy of unwrapping! ;)








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Listening to: 萧敬腾 - 疼爱
via FoxyTunes

Saizeriya

More food photos this time. The time is coming for a diet soon. And don't start me on the things I'm planning to eat when in Taiwan... muahahaha... I can't imagine how all I'm going to shave off all these unwanted fat cells.

Anyway, Saizeriya has arrived in Sg! :) It's been there for some time but finally got the opportunity to dine there over the weekend.

I love the homey atmosphere in the restaurant and the service was great. Here're some pics I took while waiting for the food to arrive.


The menu - bright and cheery :)


I was deciding between the risottos and spaghettis when I noticed this at the bottom left corner ;P


Yummy corn soup and salad was included in the meal set. LOVE the corn soup - a little sweet; very fragrant.


This was what I ordered - mushroom spaghetti in cream sauce.


Another look at the spaghetti. Yum!


The mains at our table.


Since I'm not a fan of fish, I didn't quite like the tuna pizza. Thot it was quite fishy. The fish lovers at the table were lapping it up tho ;P



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Listening to: Andrew Lloyd Webber - It's a Pig!
via FoxyTunes

Fish & Co

There's a 1-for-1 promotion now going on at Fish&Co. It's rather a good deal: if you pay with a Citibank credit card, you pay only the price of 1 pasta when you order any 2.

A fren and I happened on this while out for dinner and we managed to save some money ;P


I thought this was very cute. A nice touch to the restaurant theme, don't you think?

My fren ordered a mushroom spaghetti in pesto sauce.


I had a prawn fettucine in chilli cream sauce. The fettucine was a little too overcooked for me but the prawns were very fresh and the chilli cream sauce was delicious.



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Listening to: 周杰伦 - 珊瑚海
via FoxyTunes

Shopping!!

I went shopping on Sat. Heard so much about John Little and all its marvellous beauty goods from aichaku. Had to take a look for myself. I kid you not, it's a beauty junkie's paradise.

There were so many things to see. I just had to capture them on my trusty phone cam. I think the camera did pretty well, didn't it? ;P



This was the thing that triggered me off into taking these photos. It's a little standee by Bourjois and it is CUTE! All the items there are in mini size - lippies, eye makeups, powders, bases, blushers, nail polishes. I was beside myself in excitement ;P


Here's a closer look at the lip glosses and nail polishes. You can use the lip glosses as a handphone accessory. How handy is that?


These are the mini mascaras and eyeshadows *in love*


I thought these cases looked a little Paul & Joe ;) Was wondering what they were though?


Took a closer look and realised it's a eyeshadow pact. It comes with a handy sponge applicator and you could put up to 3 colours inside. Another thing goes on the wish list hee...


This trip also introduced me to a brand called Lord & Berry. Have not heard of this brand before but I was impressed by it products. One of its impressive products has to be its new range of flat pencils. Eye pencils, lip pencils... all in a cool, sleek and flat package. Wow.


This nearly made me lose control and open my wallet. These are pencil lip glosses. Yup, GLOSS. I wondered how the colours would turn out and took to trying out every single pencil in the range.


Here are the swatches. If I hadn't seen the pencils for myself, I would've thot these were conventional glosses aka liquid or from a tube. Yet another thing for the wish list. Hehehe...

What I did buy in the end tho, were these:

A 10g sunscreen from Lioele and a mask from Dermal.


Pomegranate mask with vitamin E and collagen. Helps to firm and moisturise. Cost: $1.90


Lioele sunscreen SPF45PA. Cost: $7.50 :) The texture feels light on the back of my hand, the scent is sweet and the packaging is lovely. I had to buy it. Hee.




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Listening to: 周杰伦 - 菊花台
via FoxyTunes