The Great Gatsby

I've heard so much about this book but can I confess something? I've never read it. If you have, pls share your thoughts about it with me! :)

Anyways, you know this post isn't about the book right? *grin* I've received an invite to the launch party of the Longchamp Gatsby, happening tomorrow, 11 Sep, at ION Orchard.

Sorry, I was too lazy to take a photo of the mailed invite but this was what I found online.



This is turning out to be a year of surprises and invitations galore where I got myself invited to stuff like product launches and sponsored facials and all. A very big thank you to all you angels out there who made these things possible!! *hugs & kisses*

Well, I took at peek at the Longchamp site for the preview of the Gatsby bag and so far I'm liking what I see :)



At first glance, the Gatsby reminded me a little of Hermes' Kelly and Birkin. But after reading the marketing materials (hey, what can I say, marketing works! ;P) on this, I'm starting to perk up and look at it with more interest.

Here's a write-up of the inspiration behind this new bag from the Longchamp site:
"Longchamp draws its inspiration from the Belle Époque in order to surprise us: elegant and eccentric, this new GATSBY collection pays homage to the golden age of jazz. Inspired by the androgynous beauty of women during the 1920s, this line is distinguished by its refined details and its neutral and masculine shapes which conceal a glamorous leopard-print lining. As you can see, in the image of women everywhere, the GATSBY bags keep their cards close to their chest."

"Nodding to the decadent glamour of the Jazz Age and the androgynous beauty of its heroines, the Gatsby overlays its delicate nostalgia with a very modern sensibility and an utterly contemporary design.

The Gatsby's three minimalist, almost masculine shapes are counterpointed by the sensual look of its leather, a supple, touch-me calfskin with a subtle caviar grain. Its details are elegantly understated, but all the more striking: a geometric brushed gold or polished chrome-finish lock, the Longchamp racehorse in flawless tonal stitching and, above all, a front pocket whose zipper is highlighted by a flamboyant flash of suede.

The lining tells a different story, discloses an unsuspected facet of the Longchamp woman. The luxe digitized leopard print is a secret indulgence she reveals to her intimates alone…."

My first feel of the bag: there's more than meets the eye. At first look, it looks like a classic bag with clean lines and functional designing which Longchamp is known for. Then when you start looking at details, ah, that's where the fun begins :) The inner lining of the bags are in leopard print! Which is such a big difference from the outside. I thought it felt like an elegant lady in a sharp suit but with delicately intricate lace innerwear except in this case, it comes with leopard prints *lol*

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the party tomorrow. Shall try my best to sneak in photos if I can :)


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Now playing: SS501 - Take U High
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Dr Jart in Singapore!

I've heard quite a bit about Dr. Jart, so imagine my delight and amazement when I found out that Watsons has brought in 4 items from the Dr Jart range of products.

Though there was no sign (yet) of the famous Dr Jart BB Cream hydrating spray(?)/mist(?), I was contented for the time being with the range of 2 BB creams and 2 products for acne and blackheads.



Wasted no time in laying my hands on the 2 BB creams as soon as I could today :) Watsons is having a 20% discount on some products til 4 Sep I think. These happened to be under the discount as well, so I was rather happy with my buy. Really looking forward to trying them out.

I found mine at the Watsons at Tiong Bahru Plaza but I think these should be available at most Watsons stores esp those which carry a good range of makeup/cosme brands.

Have fun trying them out :) I'm looking forward to the weekend! Yippee :)

* All photos from Watsons

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Now playing: 苏打绿 - 花茶
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Scrumptious duck

How was your weekend everyone? I enjoyed every bit of mine; the only complaint was that the weekend was too short! ;P

Had dinner at a restaurant which specialises in herbal roast duck. It was scrumptiously deliciously: the skin was crisp, crackling to the bite yet meltingly soft on the tongue, almost dissolving instantly. Ah, I'm almost drooling at the memory of it *kekeke*

As usual, some food photos to share wif you. Have a good week ahead!

That's the name of the place. The whole place was decorated to resemble a Chinese inn in ancient times with the wait staff's uniform fitting into the theme as well.

Chinese spinach poached in soup, with herbs and dried fish. I forget the name of the fish but they were deliciously crunchy.

Steamed fish slices with Chinese red dates and mushrooms. Soft yet firm to the bite, the sauce added just that extra dimension of taste.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the duck. I think the picture sort of says it all.

And for dessert, I had a herbal jelly type of thingy which can be rather bitter but is oh so good for complexion and health. Pour on honey on top and enjoy spoonfuls of the cold jelly goodness :)


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Listening to: Lee Seung Gi 이승기 - Will you marry me (feat. Bizniz)
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Sheer indulgence

Got the opportunity to do a guest review on the luxurious and aptly titled Sheer Indulgence Facial at The World of Organic Skincare, thanks to Aichaku of Beautification. Below is an excerpt of the review which is posted on her blog.

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Thanks to Aichaku of Beautification, I got to sample the luxurious and aptly titled Sheer Indulgence Facial at The World of Organic Skincare.



Firstly, some facts:

The World of Organic Skincare is located at 468 River Valley Road, right opposite Valley Point Shopping Centre. Their number is 68380168 and other than facials, they also provide a whole menu of other spa services like nail treatments, massages and yes, even Brazillian waxing.


The World Of Organic Skincare distributes 2 organic skincare brands: Living Nature, which is free from synthetic ingredients and preservatives, and Organic Apoteke, a line of organic cosmetics and skincare based on ayurvedic principles.

I was hosted by the director of The World of Organic Skincare, Lawrence Chee and my therapist for the Sheer Indulgence facial was the lovely Mei Lin who is also the GM.

The facial:
The session started with my filling up a form, listing my typical skincare routine and my concerns regarding my skin. Mei Ling used this as an assessment tool for my facial as The World Of Organic Skincare customizes their facials according to different skin types. The only thing in common is the manuka honey mask because it is very gentle and suitable for all skin types. On top of that, I really like the fact that all their products are pumped out on the spot at the cocktail bar according to customers’ needs; nothing is pre-prepared.


As I have sensitive skin, Mei Lin recommended that I use the Enzyme mask and the Hydrating mask rather than the Kaolin clay peel. The Kaolin clay peel is an exfoliating treatment which has the added benefits of brightening overall skin tone, with firming and lifting properties to boot.

The facial started with makeup removal and cleansing. I had the option of testing out both the milk cleanser as well as the foaming cleanser. What was interesting to me is that the foam from the foaming cleanser actually comes from a plant called gum-digger's soap. No chemicals or foaming agents were used to create the suds which is rather magical for me :)

Read abt the background and the rest of the review here.

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Updates on 24 Aug:
I've received some enquiries on the price of the facial and other details. Have checked with Lawrence via email and this is his reply:

The Sheer Indulgence Facial costs $138 and lasts about 75 minutes because of all the products and procedures used during the facial.

"A couple of ways to get a better deal...
1) buy $150 worth of products to be a Privileged Customer and get $150 worth of Treatment vouchers plus discounts on future purchases (15% on products and 20% on treatments) - this is like getting a free Sheer Indulgence :)
2) Go for the package (for the moment, I think it's buy 6 get 3 free)....we usually don't push this unless the customer enquires, but it is another great deal and something we offer customers who enjoy the facials very much."

So there you have it. Do feel free to check them out if you're interested (contact details are at top of post) and have fun!


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Now playing: The Fray - Look After You
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Nanoce BB cream

I bought this some time back but hadn't had the chance to use it. As you know, I've been enamoured of my Lotree for some time. It's difficult to get out of a comfort zone esp when it's been working so well for me. Plus the fact I've sensitive skin makes that much more difficult to venture out in new territory.

But I finally did n got some pictures of the process to boot! :) I'm feeling proud of myself kekeke.

Here's my picture review of the product. Be warned tho: scary photo ahead.

Nanoce BB cream

My sensitive blotchy skin after moisturiser but before using any makeup

This is the amount I used for my entire face. It's not as creamy as Hanskin or Lotree but I find that a little goes a long way. Coverage-wise, it is lighter than Hanskin Super Magic BB.

Et voila! The result. I thought it did a rather good job of covering my blotches.


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Listening to: Lisa Ono 小野リサ - It Don't Mean A Thing
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Interesting pastas

I'm beginning to enjoy August more and more. Not just it's nearing the end of the hot and humid season but also, somehow there're more things to do, more things to see; people are just more alive in August.

Tried a couple of new pastas this weekend. And as usual, I couldn't do without an ice cold blended drink :)

Scrumptious fish fillets with penne in a robust lobster bisque sauce. I really like the fish - crisp, firm yet easily forkable - it's really light for summer.

This is an interesting take on the normal carbonara - turkey ham and mushrooms in a carbonara sauce. Not too heavy even if it's a carbonara sauce, I think they used less cream or maybe it's a non-fat cream in the white sauce?

Mixed berry granita. Tart n refreshing, I could return again just for this. Perfect for the seaside or the pool if you have one ;)


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Listening to: Shinhwa - Barem
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Rimmel extra super lash

Just a short, quick post to gush about my latest mascara ;)

I bought some Rimmel mascaras quite a while ago. Haven't had the chance to use them or post any reviews yet.

Finally took out the waterproof extra super lash building mascara this week and today's my 2nd time wearing it.

I LOVE it.

For some one who rubs her eyes a lot, this mascara is a godsend. It goes on easily; something about the brush makes it catch my tiny Asian lashes well. It builds up well; I got really long n defined lashes. It DOESN'T flake; believe me, I rub my eyes more than I really should, but I still do it anyway. And it stayed put.

Best part of all, it comes off easily with makeup remover. I've a bone of contention with mascara removal with the Majo Majo ones but with this one, it was a breeze. I put eye makeup remover on cotton pads, place them over for lashes for abt 1 min, then gently swipe. Et voila! Everything goes off. I wash my face as per normal cos I don't like the oily residue of my makeup remover but that's it :) Easy peasy.

At $13.90, I think this is quite a steal plus if you have the Watson's card now, you get some points too ;)

My 2 cents worth. Have a good weekend everyone! Was on course the past couple of days. Gimme some time to catch up with all your blogs n your lives :)


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Now playing: Yuri Sangja - 사랑해도 될까요?
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Fish head steamboat

This is turning into a food blog ;)

Can't help it, I've been eating really well recently. Good food, nice company, quaint places - wat more could a beanie want?

Went out wif some frens tonight to a little steamboat place near KK Hospital. Let me know if you'd like the address and stuff. My fren drove, so I was blissfully unaware of my surroundings. Lol.

Liked the place alot as they were rather old-school: for one thing, they still served their steamboat in those metal pots with charcoal in the middle. The fish was fresh and the soup really addictive. Take a look at the pics and see if you agree ;)

The fish head steamboat which came in this traditional pot. Look at how milky the soup is.

Loads of fish chunks, seaweed and veggies. Yummilicious.

The shop's signature beancurd in seafood sauce.

Not sure if you can tell from the picture but the beancurd was really soft and yielding to the bite.

We also ordered prawn paste chicken and stir-fried veggies.

Total bill came up to around $80 for 5 people, inclusive of drinks. I thought that's rather value for money, don't you think?


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Listening to: Lisa Ono 小野リサ - It Don't Mean A Thing
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It never rains but it pours

First the beauty stuff :)

I've been lazy recently, just comfortably going abt my daily skincare/makeup routine without putting much thought to it. Have not been shopping for a while - was supposedly on a shopping diet which seemed to have worked for a bit. Downside of it tho: I tend to pull out all stops when I really do buy something.

Case in point: Was browsing Sasa this afternoon for an eyelash curler. I seemed to have misplaced it somewhere, somewhere which led to me wearing mascara without curling my lashes first. Do I hear a collective gasp of horror from my makeup sisterhood in cyber space? ;P Yeah, that's how far I've gotten, lol.

Anyway, I was in Sasa. Decisions, decisions. So many eyelash curlers in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours ... aaacck. Believe me I stood before the display rack for quite some time. In the end, I got these:


hahaha...

On a fangirl note, there's this Taiwanese drama serial, Black & White, which I've been watching on and off. The story is a straight-forward cop-and-robbers kinda stuff, not breaking any new ground here. I watch it more for the eye-candy in the form of Vic Zhou and Mark Chao. If you like Hana Yori Dango or the Korean Boys over Flowers/Boys before Flowers, well, Vic Zhou is one of the original Taiwanese F4 who filmed the Taiwanese version of Hana Yori. He's the guy in the character of Hanazawa Rui :)

Anyway, I happened to be at the same shopping mall where there was a fan meet-and-greet for the main cast of Black & White.

Look at that crowd. It was drizzling but the fans were there. Had to rush off for a prior appt tho, else I would have hung around a bit to try and get my very first fangirl moment in action ;P and to see how these stars look like in person of course. Oh well.

Have a good week ahead everyone!


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Now playing: SS501 - Fighter
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Welcome to August

And it's got to be the hottest month ever. The heat is sweltering but I'm so grateful for my Lotree BB prime control base (or the equivalent of a bb cream from Lotree). I forget that I'm wearing anything tho I may be sweating buckets.

Anyways, haven't been doing much in the makeup dept recently due to the heat. I have however been stuffing myself wif good food ;). Need the air-conditioning! And wat better way to enjoy the cool air whilst inhaling some yummilicious food?

I have a thing for dim sum. Took the opportunity during this long weekend for a nice leisurely dim sum lunch. The only picture I took as I was too busy eating ;P This is a prawn and mango roll with wasabi sauce. Delightfully light and crispy!

Dessert from dinner last nite. Something sweet and cold for a hot summer night. This is yam wrapped in black glutinous rice skin, coated with grated coconut. It's like heaven in my mouth really.

Saw this at some restaurant when I was having lunch the past week and couldn't resist. H1N1 or Influenza A or swine flu or watchamacallit is very much on everyone's minds these days :(

Btw, time flies. I'm already at my 101 post! Wow :) Have a happy weekend everyone!

Stay safe, stay happy, stay healthy. Hugs to all.


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Now playing: Someday - 알고있나요 (Do You Know)
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Say hello to my latest summer dress

Thanks to the many online ads as I go about my daily business, I've been greatly aided and abetted in doing some serious online shopping. So much for being on a shopping diet; I think I completely forgot about that since my Guerlain purchases.

Since the temperature has been climbing steadily recently, I was on the lookout for a nice (read: cheap & pretty) summer dress for the weekends. Came across Dmure.com while surfing one blue Monday and was attracted by the dresses available on the site. For ladies who're more inclined towards Japanese and Korean fashion, this is a nice place to check out esp if you're new to online shopping.

There's a size chart, payment terms are clearly laid out, shipping fees are free for people residing in Singapore (yay!) and they also provide larger images of the items sold.

I placed an order for the Suzanne Floral Maxi Dress on Monday. An invoice arrived in my inbox within 2 hours and I was asked to make payment before my order is shipped out to me. Payment was fuss free via PayPal and I liked the fact that PayPal had a verification status on this seller. Yes, it doesn't guarantee a lot of stuff but hey, it made me feel better anyways ;)

Maybe I just live in a small place ok? Order was placed on Monday and I got my dress on Wed. Yippee! I'm glad. Here're some pics of my new dress. Do you like it as much as I do? ;)







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Now playing: 장윤주 - 오늘, 고마운 하루
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Food glorious food

The weather has been sweltering recently. I've taken to drinking more icy stuff. Appetite tends to go off in weather like this but thankfully, there's always nice toasted sandwiches with loads of cheese :)

Enjoy!

Icy fruity strawberry & peach ice blended drink
Cheesy toast sandwich with olive oil veggie dressing


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Now playing: 盛曉玫 - 有一天
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Guerlain 2009 Summer Look Workshop

So, I attended the Guerlain workshop yesterday :)

There was a fairly big turnout, maybe around 30 participants if I'm not mistaken? The presenter was a trainer with Guerlain whose name I couldn't quite catch. The presentation started off with an introduction to the House of Guerlain - their history, their philosophy on perfumes, makeup and skincare.

Then it went on to showcase the summer collection. I've to say, the containers/packaging of the summer collection is LOVE *hearts* If you've used Japanese, French and cosmetics from various different places, you know how each brand reflects a certain cultural design aesthetic and sensibility? Well, Guerlain is pure French - thoughtful, whimsical, delightful.

Anyway, a volunteer was requested from the audience after which the trainer proceeded to showcase the various products from the summer collection. The products used were also passed around and I had the chance to test out the texture of various things as they came by. The textures were delightful for the creams and gels: light, not sticky, absorbs quickly and with a light fragrance. Now, you know I'm not a fan of scented stuff, so I could do without the fragrance but otherwise I was really tempted to break my shopping diet ;D

After the demonstration, we were invited to several different tables where mirrors and products were already prepared. Tissues, cotton buds were passed around for ladies who wished to remove their makeup and try on the summer collection.

I wandered around the various standees looking at the products on display. Had a tiring day and was abt to call it a night when my eyes rested on a small table by the side. There were testers available though no one was around to do any show and tell. Managed to get some questions through to the trainer as she passed by and realised this was the Terracotta collection.

I was very impressed by the design aesthetics and product textures of a few things which I tried. Being on a shopping diet, took some time before I convinced myself and surrendered to the siren's call of "Buy, buy, buy" ;P Finally narrowed down the list to 3 ;)

Here are the photos of what I got, the goodie bag and some photos from the evening. Enjoy!



Testing out the blue Kohl eyeliner for the summer range


Guerlain's summer collection


The colours for the summer KISSKISS stick gloss


My goodie bag


Samples galore - can't wait to try them out


The stuff I bought from the Terracotta collection


L-R: tinted lip balm, mineral eyeshadow in Holy Smoke, mineral eyeshadow in Paradise Sand


A thoughtful touch: a mirror hidden in the cap of the lip balm


The eyeshadow applicator got me: looks like a little cotton stub, oh-so-easy to apply


To find out more about Guerlain, click here.


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Listening to: 이승기 (Lee Seung Gi) - Let's Go On A Vacation
via FoxyTunes

Oh WOW

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

I'm actually going to attend some beauty thingy!!!! *rubs eyes and looks at the email invite again*

Okies, for the more experienced beauty bloggers out there, it may be a small thing n they may be inviting like tons of people n stuff, so cool it girl. But for a noob like me, it's quite a big deal. Esp when I wasn't expecting it.

Let me backtrack a little. Y'all know I get email updates from Cozycot ya. So I got a little excited when I received a news update that there's going to be a makeup workshop for Guerlain where we get to check out the summer collection and maybe have some hands on? I'm like, yes, I wanna go!

So, emailed my registration. And guess what? Got an email reply which I reproduce here in its entirety:
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Dear Cotter,

Thank you for your registration.

Selected cotter will receive an separate email confirmation from CozyCot. Attendance is strictly by email confirmation. Walk-in will not be entertained.

With love,
CozyCot Crew
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Oh ok. So how does the selection go? Do I have to be like one of the really "subscribed-to" bloggers or something? With this in mind, I basically forgot abt this event. To be plain, I thought no way I'd get selected.

So, here I am, on a Friday afternoon in the office: doing wat I need to do at work, waiting for my weekend, checking my emails. Then I got this:



Woot! ;) Maybe I should print this out in case they sent it to the wrong person?

I wonder if I'm allowed to take photos? hehehe...

Now I'm really looking forward to next Fri too.

Have a great weekend everyone!


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Listening to: Lisa Ono 小野リサ - Caravan
via FoxyTunes