Sephora Members 20% off Haul

The Sephora outlet at ION Orchard was hideously cramped last Saturday with ladies holding baskets full of makeup products and some bored boyfriends who probably got dragged to the store to squeeze with everyone else just so their female friends/partners could get a good deal from the 20% discount off all items for 4 long days.

This sale came at the right moment. I went the following day after payday and I asked Sephora to just 'take all my money naooooooooooo!' lol. But I am thankful for the 20% off Sephora Singapore.

SARANGHAEYO :D

So without further ado, here is my haul which I admit is very reserved given my ability to just buy things without considering the consequences haha.

Here's what I bought (prices are normal retail pricing at Sephora Singapore):

1. Marc Jacobs Shameless Bold Blush 214 Promiscuous, $55.00
2. Lancome Lip Lover 355 Framboise Etoile, $40.00
3. Givenchy Le Rouge Lipstick 301 Magnolia Organza, $50.00 
4. Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder Air Sensation 05 Soft White, $89.00

The first item I picked up was this Marc Jacobs Shameless Bold Blush in 214 Promiscuous. I have been dying to get my hands on a Marc Jacobs product ever since it launched at our Sephora stores in April this year but I held back because of the price. But the blushes from this range are just so smooth and creamy - totally my kinda thing!

Because I asked a friend who is now in the US to pick up 2 other colours for me, I decided to go with 214 Promiscuous because it was the colour that caught my eye from the display.

The blush comes in a sleek black compact with 'Marc Jacobs' printed and the clasp is quite sturdy - just press lightly and the compact will open.

It also comes with a cloth cover and a brush which both feels very cheap to me - not good MJ given that I had to pay $55 for it -.-"

Thankfully colour pay-off is awesome so I forgive you Mr Jacobs lol. Take a look at the hand swatches here. The colour is very pigmented, pink with shimmer. You can definitely build up the colour slowly with your brush, just remember, it's called a Shameless Bold Blush for a reason - it will make you seem 'shameless' for attracting so much attention with your bold blush xD

Heavy swatch (L) Light swatch (R)

I have yet to try this on my face but you can see why I fell in love with the colour at Sephora - pinky blushes are my vices! I will try and post a review entry together with the other Marc Jacobs items my friend will be bringing back from the US for me. Stay tuned for that!

I chanced upon the small but sufficient Givenchy area in Sephora by accident. It was by sheer accident that I ended up there because I was looking for my friend Jacelyn and I saw the powder compact by accident.

Ended up picking 2 items from the nice and friendly BA from Givenchy.

Givenchy's Le Rouge Lipstick in Magnolia Organza 301 looked like a bright pinkish red when I saw it in the tube. But upon swatching it at Sephora that day, I couldn't make up my mind with their 205 Fuchsia Irrésistible and this but Jacelyn persuaded me to go with Magnolia Organza because I had way too many purple lip products in my stash.

This is a one swipe swatch - can you see how opaque the colour is? Totally convinced that I didn't waste my money lol. We shall see how it fair against my dry lips ugh. I wish there was a way to do away with dry and flaky lips :/

Givenchy's Prisme Libre Loose Powder Quartet Air Sensation in Soft White 05 was the second item I brought home with me from the brand.

Now this, has been appearing non-stop all over my Instagram feed. I was intrigued naturally! So since I was there at the Givenchy area, why not test this out? OH MAN, when the BA tried the product on my face, I was instantly sold!

It comes in a quartet of powders and the idea is to flip the entire container upside down pressing onto the puff, get the colour and then imprint the Givenchy logos all over before blending/smoothing the product.

Eh, I apologise for the crap lighting while taking these pictures first okay? Anyway, here's the instructions from the box.

Comes with a seal which you have to discard upon opening it

Picking up the product with the puff

So you'll get 4 different colours of powder aimed to correct your skin tone as well as provide the coverage that you need. The BA matched me to 05 Soft White even though I wanted to try the pastel coloured ones.

Print the Givenchy logos (damn cool haha!)

And then pat with the puff to smoothen it

I used the powder as a setting and touch-up powder and I love the instant glow it gave my face.

My only grouse was that I disliked how the puff got dirtied by my liquid foundation and it was just a turn off for me. I gave in to my OCD and washed the puff that very night because of how grimy it was.

So I wish there was a better way to apply this - maybe I should really use a quick setting foundation or wait longer before patting the powder over my face.

(cr to Lancome's official website)

Now for the final product I picked up at the sale, it is Lancome's Lip Lover in 355 Framboise Etoile. I apologise once again for shit pictures. I couldn't capture the actual product without it turning into a reflective mess and had to just use the picture from the official website.

Nevertheless, here is the hand swatch of the product.

355 Framboise Etoile is described as a berry pink shade and the line of Lip Lovers from Lancome  is supposed to be "An intense lip color that hydrates and gives lips dewy, non-sticky shine. "

Hand swatch of 355 Framboise Etoile

Well, I haven't tried it on my lips yet but this colour is really intense. In fact, all the colours from the line are very intense! I had a hard time trying to get the swatches off at Sephora that day.

The formula is non-sticky, it had very smooth application and the applicator is akin to a doe-foot applicator but instead of it being rounded, it has 2 flat surfaces.

I liked how the top part of the Lip Lover has a click mechanism with the bottom half to give users a secure lip product. Very innovative I must add, so thumbs up for you Lancome! :D

Alright, that's all for my Sephora haul. I am going to the TANGS 12% rebate sale tomorrow hehe and I just received a box full of NARS products from the US.

Maybe I will do haul posts for those when I have the time, so till then, thanks for reading! :)

Dior Backstage Studio Haul

Hey all! Dior Backstage Studio located at ION Orchard Level B2-44/46 had a special 10% discount for DBS/POSB cards with $120 nett purchase last Saturday.

My lovely and friendly Dior BA sent me a picture of the sale details and I promptly went down to get some stuff.

I mean it's not everyday a freaking luxe and atas (slang for high-ended) brand like Dior has a sale right? #makingexcusesonly

And honestly to hit $120 wasn't difficult with a brand like Dior. I wanted everything in the store lol!

So here is my modest haul - I went home with only 2 items, the rest were freebies actually haha!

Here's my first item, Diorshow Eyeshadow Mono Transat Edition in 541 Pavillon.

It's part of Dior's Summer 2014 collection and my third item from it haha! I contemplated it when the collection launched here but I couldn't justify the price. I almost never buy single eyeshadows because I believe in quantity haha! If I paid almost another 50%, I could get myself a 5-colour eyeshadow palette! so no way was I paying for just one colour. So I held back then. But with the discount and that to die for rope-like pattern, I jumped on it! It is really too precious to not get it to be honest. Woes of a makeup addict lol.

Comes in the signature sleek Dior compact casing

Protective cover + 2 eyeshadow applicators which I never use

541 Pavillon in my opinion looks very peachy and a muted orange in the pan. When I swatched it with my finger, the pigment came off smoothly like butter. These eyeshadows can be used wet and dry as per Dior's usual eyeshadows.

While some Dior eyeshadows can be a total dud, this is a clear winner! Look at that colour!

Hand swatch in normal lighting with no primer

The colour came out as a peachy, gearing towards the bronzy side, with micro shimmers.

And here's the thing: the rope pattern is too thick to be wiped away so.... I can has awesome rope-like eyeshadows for a long long time!! :D

If you dislike strong eye colours, I would suggest getting this and pairing with a brown colour for an everyday look! Or you can put on a bronze or copper shade for a night look.

I think I will wear this tomorrow to the office haha.

I picked up another Dior Addict Fluidstick in 872 Mona Lisette. I already own 575 Wonderland which I don't have a review for (oops! will work on it heh.) so I wanted to go back for this because this was the first one that drew my attention back when this line of lip products was launched.

It was a personal preference then but the BA on that day persuaded me to get 575 instead because it just got restocked that day when I popped by and also one of the four 'IT shades' which are constantly out of stock. And this time round I went for this first thing!

872 Mona Lisette

Dior embossing on the outer casing

Applicator

872 Mona Lisette is a deep pink colour that is very much cool toned. The formulation is a thicker than gloss like product but with the intensity of a lipstick and you'd have to apply more layers to get an opaque lip colour. I usually put on 2 coats because the formulation is quite runny initially and takes time to 'set'.

These lip products leave a faint stain on your lips after they go away but can be easily removed with makeup remover not to worry!

Hand swatches under normal lighting

872 Mona Lisette is clearly much more muted than 575 Wonderland but deeper in colour. I like the purple undertones it has and just very nice to wear to work. I was obsessed with wearing 575 Wonderland when I first bought it and I think 872 Mona Lisette will be no different lol.

Comparison with 575 Wonderland (L) and 872 Mona Lisette (R)

Now onto the freebies!

The nice BA gave me a mini, sample-sized 5 colour eyeshadow palette in 809 Petal Shine! Hehe.

I just found it so freaking adorable! Just how awesome is this mini palette?! (inserts googly eyes with hearts)

It was just too precious for me to swatch so I left it alone lol. To admire hehehe. I wonder how mini my brushes should be when I attempt to use this.

Comparison of the mini sample with a full-sized 5 colour eyeshadow palette

I was just like... this looks like a parent and its mini-me version lol! Wouldn't you agree with me? :D

I also received a sample of the newly released Dior Addict It-Lash Macara in 092 It-Black.

This mascara was launched last week and when I was at the Sephora Members Sale on the same day, Dior staff were actively promoting this as well.

Now I am not a huge fan of branded mascaras. To me any drugstore mascara would suffice because mascaras dry out easily and I do not believe it paying so much for it. Oh and did I mention I have very short lashes too? LOL. So my lashes aren't thick and luscious ones hence I don't like to 'waste' money on high-ended mascaras.

The sample came as a mini tube with the applicator part of the lid of the tube.

Dior's claims for this line of mascaras:

Dior Addict It-Lash mascara creates long and curved, doe-like lashes as it coats for a smooth, radiant finish. The formula is supple and easy to layer for intense volume, and it becomes insoluble after it dries for long-wearing color—thanks to its unique latex gel polymer. The chubby mascara brush and easy-to-use handle makes this mascara super wearable, and allow it to coat lashes simultaneously along the full length and the entire fringe area.

It comes in 4 new shades - black, pink, purple and blue. I'm really looking forward to using it soon and see if it lives up to its name of creating volume for my lashes. 

Alright, that's the end of my haul. I will post my Sephora haul in another entry so look forward to that.

Thanks for reading :D

Dance & Review:Miam Miam @ Bugis Junction

As you all know I've been actively going for Kpop dance classes over the past couple of months. At least once a week la hor so better than nothing. Still perspiring and 'exercising' lol.

While I am not the best dancer, I like how dancing makes me feel - carefree with no restrictions. I used to be quite shy about dancing, I remember being super nervous when I first attended my first class at CJ. It was a SHINee combo class and Jojo was teaching 'Juliette'.

I was just perpetually self conscious of how ridiculous I would look like, just fumbling over the steps and not getting used to learning choreography.

After several years of going for classes on and off, now I have learnt to let it go *interjects 'Let It Go'* and lose myself in the music. Who cares if I cannot catch up or look stupid haha. The satisfaction I get from mastering a Kpop song really makes me very happy.

And it allows me to spend time with my friends which I like :)

So I attended a Kpop workshop last week at Seven Dance Studio. The ssaem (short form of 'teacher' in Korean) was Klime and the bff had attended his classes before while I was in Europe so while I have heard of him, I have never attended his classes before.

And that 1 hour really killed my thighs LOL! We were learning EXO's 'Overdose', not my first choice of song but it really is one of the latest songs released.

Wah, really pushed myself throughout that hour and I paid the price for it.

I couldn't walk the next day and only recovered a good 4 to 5 days later.

Oh wells, maybe that explains my perpetual hunger these days lol (simi logic pls). Anw, after the class, we were just camwhoring like mad >_<

Wae I no have makeup OTL

10.05.14: A Day To Remember

Wohoo super hardworking me! HAHAHA. More blog posts hahaha because the bf has gone back to Taiwan and I am free at nights (yes, no social life sad die me).

Sooooooo let's see, I had a very awesome Saturday 2 weeks ago :D It is so awesome that I am actually dedicating 1 whole entry to it leh.

I finished BTD class *open party poppers* *\O/* *\O/* *\O/*

Yes, despite it being such a pain on my joints and that horrible scorpion move lol I actually managed to get up during the filming of the video. Thank you Jojo for being such a good instructor! :D

I always enjoy going to her classes because of the way she teaches haha. And yeah thanks Wanjun for dragging me into this class. I think I sorta lost some weight but put it all back thanks to the snacking in the office, oops!

Isetan Scotts was having a Japan fair and I got to know that Koyudo brushes were for sale there! So having skipped out on them in February because I was dead broke then, I decided to go there with the bf after BTD class before my hair appointment.

And luckily I did! Because I met one of my favourite Youtubers :D You'll see below.

But first lemme talk about the Koyudo brushes booth,

The Koyudo brushes are really so soft! I had the opportunity to play with each brush and slowly decide which ones I wanted. Motako-san even laid out some blushes and powders for you to try on the brushes and see the effect for yourself, which is something I really like.

The Hakuhodo fair at Takashimaya which I went in March didn't have such services although the booth was packed with sales assistants to help you select your brush choices.

Here's what I went home with from the fair:

- Fu-pa 01 (black handle)

- Fu-pa 14 (brush in the box)

- PBT Liquid foundation brush (pink handle)

I also bought the brush cleanser to clean the Koyudo and Hakuhodo brushes - I figured since I spent so much money on the brushes, might as well maintain them in their pristine condition as possible.

And now for the final part of why I am so thankful I actually went to Koyudo at that time - meeting Rae from www.theaeviewer.com or Raeview on Instagram and Youtube!

So thankful to have finally met one of my 'idols' because she lives in the US and what are the odds that I would even be able to meet her ever, let alone in my own home country? :)

She has inspired me to really pursue high-ended makeup brands and I have always followed her Youtube videos and blog posts religiously. Rae was actually browsing through quietly at the Koyudo booth when I noticed her because I saw her tattoo around her wrist. And then it hit me that it was really her! 

I mean, just that morning thanks to Instagram, I found out that she was actually in Singapore. I never thought that I would have the chance to meet her on the streets in Singapore because I'm quite the 'suay' person.

Ya, so anyway the bf egged me on to ask her for a picture because he saw me gushing like mad how much I really like Rae and I'm glad I did ask her for a photo op in the end.

Thanks once again Rae, hope to see you back in Singapore soon :D

Headed for our haircut with my usual hairstylist, Jaren. I have been a loyal customer of his since my poly days, wherever he goes like to different salons, I will definitely follow suit because I like how well he is able to cut my hair the way I like it.

The bf also needed a haircut so Jaren cut his first while I got my hair shampooed.

Did a hair treatment because of how badly damaged my hair is thanks to subjecting it to daily blow-drys.

Amazed by how soft my hair feels after the treatment lol. But alas, now that almost 2 weeks has passed, the damn humidity in our weather has killed it once again. Boo.

Happy with our haircuts and then the bf and the hairstylist actually went on to discuss Tower of Saviour. Apparently Jaren plays it as well omg. That game is the bane of my life! GRRRRRRRR. 

Here's them exchanging IDs pffft

Passed by the LINE pop-up store outside Wisma Atria. I love LINE alot if you know me personally, it's the only app that I use with my close friends i.e. the bf and the gzbs and XZ+Carol. The stickers are to die for!! I wish they came out with Woodstock only stickers though, sure buy one me! LOL.

 

Anyway, the queue to enter the store was damn long but we still queued. Went out empty handed cos all the merchandise were damn expensive wtf! Took the pics with the mascot figures though so yay!

Dinner was at Koh Grill & Sushi Bar with Grace and Trevor. Plan was to go Sentosa initially but by the time I finished with my hair appointment it was almost 6pm so... nope, postponed till Vesak Day haha!

 

Ended the night with dessert at Haagen Daz. Went home to KO and still gushing about meeting Rae lol.

So yup, that's all about my epic Saturday! I need to cherish this memory man haha.

Alrighty, till the next entry bye :D