Helloooo fellow skincare lovers! Back with a new post and it’s all about the freshly released Shiseido Ultimune Eye Power Infusing Eye Concentrate.

It’s essentially a serum in my eyes (pun intended), something you’d use as a base before layering on an eye cream.

Foreword 

Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate which released last year, is a product built on the theory of ‘skin immunity’. Where Shiseido labs discovered the key to beautiful skin stemmed from strong ‘skin immunity’. As a healthy immune system is essential for a body to stay protected from illnesses, skin immunity is important for skin to continue looking younger and luminous without giving into aggressors such as stress, lack of sleep, so on and so forth.

****According to studies dryness is the no 1 cause behind compromised skin immunity. And Ultimunes key ingredient ImuMoisture Extract directly addresses this issue by restoring the declined function of the skins Langerhans cells (the cells that control immunity) and maintain hydration levels even in harsh environments. Ultimune Eye also carries a mixture of botanical compounds, Ginko Biloba leaf extract, Perilla extract and Wild Thyme for their anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and  anti-inflammatory properties to further reenforce the enhanced immunity. 

In essence, Ultimune Eye focuses on building skin immunity specifically around the delicate eye area to ensure more beautiful skin, resilient to common aggressors. It also boosts the effects of any other creams you’d be using in conjunction to achieve optimum results. With continuous use, the eye area is proven to feel less dry leading to lesser wrinkles, firmer & brighter skin.

Packaging

The Ultimune Eye comes in a sleek red plastic bottle fitted with a pump dispenser. Easy to use, fuss free and travel friendly. I also like that the amount of product dispensed can be controlled. You could pump out as little or as much as you’d like, ensuring no product is wasted in case one pump is a bit too much for ones requirement.

Formula & Texture

The product itself is a lightweight gel type which feels soothing & cooling when massaged in. It absorbs quickly leaving the eye area hydrated, comfortable and nourished and prepped to accept any further treatments to follow. The light consistency also makes this ideal to use under makeup and doesn’t affect the overall finish of your concealer, specially important if you are used to more liquid formulas (and would normally skip an eye cream). It’s built to seamlessly fit into your daily regime without any disruption.

Observations & Findings

With daily use over a month the most evident change was how much more brighter my under eye looked. Dark circles were noticeably reduced. I didn’t see any improvement on wrinkles as yet and given i’m only into around a months use, there’s still a possibility of improvement although at the time of this review i’ve no indication that Ultimune Eye has ironed out wrinkles in the eye area.

However in general different products take varying amounts of time to show any claimed results and it’s not unusual for a product to start ‘working’ or visibly improving an existing condition after 2-3 months use. Therefore i’m looking forward to seeing how Ultimune Eye continues to transform my skin.

Bottom Line

It’s an extra step to your routine but a worthwhile addition. I personally ALWAYS use an eye serum before any eye creams to maximise efficacy. Some might find this unnecessary step, though I believe every bit of extra help is welcome as maintaining a youthful eye area is of utmost importance to me.

I feel that since the product is for prevention more than correction, it’s something that can be recommended to even the younger ladies (as early as 24). Building up a stronger and more resilient eye area to prevent/postpone the worst of the results of ageing.

Product Information

Ultimune Eye comes with 15ml of product retailing at SGD 98.

Available at all Shiseido counters starting 1st Sept.

*Sample sent for review

Ingredients list

Todays post is all about foundations suitable for dry and normal skin. A chatty entry, just running through a few bases that i’ve been loving for their nourishing and smoothing properties. As you may know I have combination skin with cheeks that are slightly dry and on my search for the perfect base, I came across these gems which would work better for normal, dry or mature skin types. If you fit the description, this post is specially for you!

A. Medium coverage foundations 

These particular suggestions also happen to be hybrids. Foundations infused with skincare which I highly recommend for mature skin types so that you receive some anti ageing action, while looking flawless!

1. Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Fluid Foundation.

A lightweight satin finish foundation that glides on like silk while correcting any redness and minor imperfections with ease. As the name suggests, this foundation is all about delivering a radiant, luminous glow associated with healthy youthful skin which instantly brings life to a dull complexion for a younger and well rested look.

This foundation was my everyday staple before I moved to a warmer climate. It has good sun protection (SPF 25) which made it great for day to day use but didn’t last too well in extreme heat, specially on my oily t-zone. The drier parts of my face do hold up well though, therefore best suited for normal to dry skin types.

2. Lancome Absolue Sublime Rejuvenating Essence Foundation

This too has a similar finish to the Clé de Peau. Coverage wise it’s a solid medium and buildable to a fuller finish. What makes this special though is that it comes with the skincare benefits of Lancomes premium skincare line, the Absolue range. Highly recommend this for mature skin types that are showing signs of ageing. It’s a beautiful lightweight option for those of you who like a skin like finish without compromising on coverage.

3. By Terry Sheer Expert

It was love at first sight. This foundation perfects the skin, colour correcting, blurring pores and imperfections without breaking a sweat. It’s still one of my favourite day time bases. Of course with my oilier skin this does slide off easily if I don’t prep well with a mattifying primer, but the extra work does pay off as this never fails to get me compliments on my very ‘healthy looking’ skin. As with the other two high end options, this too beats $100 price mark since it does contain skincare properties, but as they say, good things don’t come cheap and this is a splurge well worth the money.

*If you prefer a fuller coverage foundation, you can try the By Terry Cover Expert. A bit more perfecting in comparison to this. But just as good!

Here’re all three swatched so you get a rough idea of the formula.

B. Sheer coverage foundations 

1. La Mer The Reparative Skin Tint SPF 30

This one’s more of a tinted moisturiser type base. Very lightweight, offering sheer but slightly buildable coverage. The finish is extremely dewy with luminosity like you’ll never believe! A nice option for glowy summer skin (incidentally it launched right on time for summer! Smart move La Mer.)

I found this lacking the coverage I am used to, but if you already have good skin and looking for something luxurious to splurge on, you might like this! It comes infused with the signature La Mer Miracle Broth promising skin luminosity while visibly smoothing skin and energising it’s natural repair process. It’s more skincare with a touch of colour.

As someone who’s already familiar with their skincare and it’s incredible regenerative properties, you’d see why I didn’t waste any time trying this. The only down side being the high price point and the very narrow colour selection of 5 shades (I use light medium 03). Anyway I like this one and you might too!

2. Make Up Store Ultra Light Foundation (best suited for normal skin)

This is a very light weight sheer foundation. Just a wash of colour while lightly colour correcting the complexion. This would also work great as a sheer base for a powder foundation providing the skin with light hydration maintaining the bare skin effect. You won’t feel like you have anything on to be honest!

A good option if you are new to wearing foundation and prefer a lighter coverage with the added perk of a more affordable price point. Also a nice base for summer time when you don’t want to look like you are wearing foundation but don’t feel comfortable heading out bare faced.

3. Chantecaille Future Skin

One of my all time favourite foundations. It’s ultra light weight and the most skin like base i’ve ever used. Future Skin has a very high water content which makes it hydrating without the rich and heavy feel of an oil based foundation. I’d recommend this for normal to slightly drier skin types (not so much for the very dehydrated and dry ones).

Formula is a lightweight gel/whipped consistency, and recommended that you use a brush or fingers as a sponge would absorb a lot of the product (after all it’s said to contain 60% charged water!). The best thing though is this colour corrects beautifully without much coverage (sheer to medium), leaving the skin hydrated and slightly glowy.

Onto swatches of the three.

C. Full Coverage Foundation

Just one option here as I don’t own any other full coverage foundation that’s nourishing and suitable for drier skin types.

1. Mac Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation

I’ll keep it brief as I have just reviewed this foundation already, which i’ll link HERE. But here’s the gist of it.

Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof foundation is a lightweight, full coverage foundation suitable for all skin types.

This applies smooth without catching onto any dry patches and perfects skin to a flawless finish. It also has excellent oil control properties making it ideal for normal to combination skin alike although nourishing and smoothing on dry skin. An all rounder with impressive staying power, one of the best foundations i’ve tried this year and comes highly recommended!

P.S- If you have severely dry skin with flakiness, make sure you prime well with a moisturiser to make sure application is smooth. Eitherway, it’s something definitely looking into.

With that I conclude todays post. I thank you for reading and hope you found it informative. If you need any additional info on the bases featured here, please feel free to ask me in the comments! Hopefully you found something that suits your needs!

Wishing you a wonderful day! Michelle.

I have to hand it to Shiseido for consistently creating such wearable and good quality products. They are for everyone! I’ve never seen anything too bold, too nude or too bright to the point where it’s unwearable. Everything is created to make women look gorgeous and confident. I for one, am totally smitten and happy to welcome Autumn with open arms just to enjoy these new colours.

The Shiseido A/W 2015 collection consists of 4 new Perfect Rouge lipsticks, 4 Veiled Rouge lipsticks, 5 new Shimmering Cream Eye Colours, a brand new mascara & a Lash Serum.

My favourites without a doubt were the cream colour bases for the eyes. So let’s start off with those!

Of all cream eyeshadows i’ve tried, I find Shiseido to be my top favourite for day to day use. I reach for them regularly as they are so easy to slap on.

The new colours for this season are :

Starting off with packaging as always, these cream shadows come in little plastic pots with a screw top lid. They are so compact and fit into any travel makeup bag with ease. Best of all, they are lightweight so you can pack as many as 4-5 if you must!

Formula & Application

The Shiseido cream shadows have an almost balmy, smooth base. Something that lends itself to applying with fingers, so perfect for lazy girls like moi. I like to layer on colour gradually building up intensity as I go till I achieve the result i’m looking for. I also appreciate that these have enough play time and I never have to feel rushed to blend them, a perfectly smoked out wash can be created with ease.

Once set, these feel comfortable on the lids. Weightless and never tight or dry.

The two I have for review are VI 730 (Garnet) & BE 728 (Clay)

Clay is a sophisticated warm grey with very fine golden shimmer. A colour most likely dismissed as boring. I on the other hand find it unusual and almost something likely to be seen on a runway. One of the more unique shades for A/W.

So far been loving this as a light layer on the eyes finished off with just a touch of mascara on rushed days. It corrects the redness on my eyelids instantly making my minimal makeup look more polished.

Garnet is a neutral toned dusty violet. This too infused with a fine shimmer which gives it dimension with it’s golden sheen. I would wear it as an all over lid colour with well concealed under eyes (especially the inner corner that tends to have the most red/purple pigments).

It’s a nice alternative to a smokey eye. Something you can even wear during the day and not feel like you have heavy eye makeup on.

Onto some swatches!

…and a closeup in direct sunlight.

Next up, lipsticks!

The Perfect Rouge Lipsticks are my top picks from the lipstick selection. Housed in a luxurious black casing, these elegant lipsticks pack a punch. The pigmentation is rich and very smooth as they glide on like silk. The end result, a glossy vivid lip.

I find these to wear comfortably for a good 3-4 hours. Lips never feel dry or parched. In fact they feel mildly hydrated though out.

Colours released for A/W 2015 are as follows,

The two I have for review are Cocoa Rose and Empress. Both stunning shades which swatch opaque in one swipe!

Veiled Rouge Lipsticks are the less pigmented cousins of Perfect Rouge and come packaged in a slimmer, longer holder.

Opacity wise they are sheer to medium, buildable coverage and wear approximately 2 hours before fading.

The shade range for the new season is as follows,

I received Honeydew and Enchantment. Both luxuriously hydrating on the lips and perfect for everyday wear. If I had to pick a favourite, it’d be Honeydew. Mostly as it’s a unique shade, but also beautiful worn.

Onto swatches.

Lastly, here’s a look I created using the Shimmering cream shadow Garnet softly blended out on the entire lid, paired with a plummy stain courtesy of Empress! A tonal look that compliments the cosy season to come.

Overall thoughts on the collection

If I had to pick just one product, it would be the cream shadow bases. These creams are wonderfully easy to work with, last long (I’m talking 8-9 hours wear time with no creasing!) and wearable throughout the year regardless of season. They make excellent eye bases too and can be layered with eyeshadow for even longer lasting colour!

Lipsticks as always, a winner! Specially when they are new shades for the season. Personally I like the Perfect Rouge best, I find the extra coverage with EXTRA hydration an unbeatable combo! If you enjoy a glossy lip, you really can’t go wrong here. The more you pile on, the glossier it gets <3

The only miss from the collection would have to be the mascara. Unfortunately it did nothing to volumise my lashes and therefore a deal breaker for me. If you are looking for curl rather than volume, this should then suit you perfectly.

Product Information

All products currently available at Shiseido counters.

(Veiled Rouge SGD40, Perfect Rouge SGD43, Shimmering Cream Eye Colour SGD32)

*Mine were samples sent for review by the ever so kind Shiseido team!

P.S- Lash Serum review to follow, stay tuned :-*

Of all new collections i’ve seen so far, my top favourite has to be NARS. It’s just too hard to ignore the gorgeous novelty packaging and great quality products Mr François Nars creates each season.

As always, the colour story is nothing typically festive but just wearable, AUDACIOUS and far from anything we’d anticipate. In a good way ;-)

But before we get started here’s a little blurb on this new collaboration!

TWO ICONOCLASTS. ONE FANTASCENE.

Visually pleasing and great value for money, this collection has something for everyone. I’m also loving the provocative imagery seen throughout the collection and have noted down several pieces which would make great gifts for my girlfriends which I know they will love!

Starting off with my favourite item, the NARS Killer Heels Mini Lipstick Set.

(Left to right we have, Fire Down Below, Joyous Red, Mayflower, Little Darling and the best seller Jungle Red)

I don’t own many of the NARS regular lipsticks for a comparison on formula, however when swatched the pigmentation and texture noticeably varied between shades.

Little Darling was more on the sheerer side, while Joyous Red and Fire Down Below swatched with better payoff.

Another favourite was the Magnificent Obsession Red Lip Set packaged in a little black chest.

The Velvet matte lipstick and Velvet lip liner swatched so intense and creamy, it was a very happy moment! (this one’s going on my Christmas list!).

*If reds aren’t your thing, there’s also A Woman’s Face Nude Lip Set containing their best seller Dolce Vita in Velvet Matte Lip pencil & lipstick form. The liner included was Patong Beach.

Next up, the One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette. Possibly the largest palette i’ve seen by NARS.

This comes with a contouring duo, bronzer and 4 blush options (2 new shades). It’s one mighty palette!

Everything swatched rather well and definitely something worth investing in if you are on the lookout for new cheek palettes.

P.S- the contour duo Paloma should work great for anyone with a light to medium skintone. Deeper skintones, not so much.

NARS Despair Cheek Palette

Comes with 3 brand new blush shades and a highlighter (existing shade) Nico.

My favourite of the lot was Esoteric. Swatching beautifully, this peachy orange flush was something special! Think, NARS Taj Mahal for fairer skintones.. (less scary too!)

Next up, something for the eyes! The Tearjerker Eye Kit,

This set contains two kohl liners and an Audacious mascara. Both pencils went on smooooth, like butter!

For all Dual-Intensity eyeshadow fans there’s the Dead of Summer Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette. Truth be told, this was high on my must-haves list. I am a massive fan of the Dual-Intensity formula (blogged here) and this LE palette contains 3 new colours!

Left to right we have, Studly, Stag Film, Subra (existing shade) & Blackmail.

Of the new shades, Stag Film was my absolute favourite. One of those typical neutrals I gravitate to on a daily basis.

The Colour Collection

Killer Shine lipsticks

Besame Mucho – Deep rose-beige

No Shame – Red plum

Redemption – Metallic pink champagne

Killer Shine lip gloss

Provoke – Deep iris purple

Fast Life – Iridescent dusty rose

Special Force – Wild strawberry 

Single eyeshadows

Never Too Late – Olive green with gold shimmer

Mortal – Iridescent pearl white

Stud – Soft pewter bronze

Nail Polish

Black Fire – Shimmering slate blue

Hard To Get – Metallic bronze gunmetal

Night Creature – Metallic Iris Purple

Dual-Intensity blush

Vengeful – White-gold highlight, Shimmering brick red

On to swatches!

The Killer Shine Lipsticks were a high gloss formula, swatching smooth with good colour payoff. I found an unlikely favourite, Redemption. Surprisingly silky for it’s shimmery finish.

Besame Mucho & No Shame (both cream finish) performed well too, highly recommend this LE formula for those of you with perpetually dry lips!

I found all three Killer Shine Glosses highly pigmented with vivid colour. If you own NARS Priscilla lipgloss, these were along the same lines.

The clear favourite in this batch was Stud. It swatches so smooth and vibrant, it almost looks metallic! Highly recommend you pick this one up if you are a sucker for neutrals like myself.

Vengeful fills the warm red void in the Dual-Intensity blush range and I love that it performs just as beautiful as it looks! The gold highlight shade is stunning while the warm brick red will help you transition smoothly into the colder season.

First impressions & top picks

The entire collection swatched pretty good and the quality was on par with what is expected of NARS products.

The lipsticks were well pigmented and creamy, the eyeshadows had good payoff (Stud was mind blowing pigmentation and texture wise) , the glosses were incredibly well pigmented and bold and the LE Dual-Intensity blush was incredible!

If I were to pick favourites, i’d recommend the blush Vengeful the star buy. A close second would be the Stud, which had an almost creamy consistency and swatched like a dream!

That concludes my preview of the upcoming gifting and colour collections. I hope you found my hurried swatches useful! I did my best to get as many as I could while I had the chance :-)

Collection info & Pricing

This collection is set to launch in Singapore Nov 1st. There’ll be some Sephora exclusives (noted below) while the majority of the collection available at Tangs Plaza.

Price list for Singapore

Limited Edition Killer Shine Lipsticks – $40

Limited Edition Killer Shine Gloss – $40

Single Eyeshadow – $40

Nail Polish – $35

Dual-Intensity Blush – $68

Despair Cheek Palette – $120

Dead of Summer Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette – $85

Magnificent Obsession Red Lip Set – $85

A Woman’r Face Nude Lip Set – $85

Tearjerker Eye Set – $55

Humoresque Audacious Lipstick Coffret (5 full sized Audacious lipsticks Raquel, Juliette, Anna, Fanny & Charlotte in a box) – $220 (retailing exclusively at Tangs)

One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette – $120 (retailing exclusively at Sephora)

Killer Heels Mini Lipstick Set – $85 (also a Sephora exclusive!)

Back with another holiday preview and this time it’s MAC!

If you’ve been following MAC holiday collections over the years you’ll know it’s usually one mother of a launch; and as always highly hyped and much sought after. At last weeks preview I had the opportunity to run through the new releases and swatch some collections for you. So you are well prepared by the time these launch later this month and won’t miss out on the best deals!

This years holiday collection too will be a staggered release, with the colour collection Magic of the Night launching first, followed by the Enchanted Eve Holiday sets & lastly Irresistibly Charming Holiday mini kits.

Magic of the Night (Launching Oct 22nd Tangs, 30th Islandwide)

In Extra Dimension Skinfinish S$59

Oh, Darling (Metallic gold)

Shaft of Gold (Deep bronze)

Colourdrenched Pigments S$41

Night Thrill (gold shimmer, frost)

Ascent of Glamour (cobalt violet-blue, frost)

Tonight’s the Night (deep blackened teal, frost)

Moon is Blue (royal blue, frost)

No Taboos (blackened blue, frost)

Pearlglide Intense Liner S$35

Petrol Blue 

Black Swan

Lipstick S$34

Please Me (muted rosy tinted pink, matte finish)

All Fired Up (bright fuchsia matte, retro matte finish)

Evening Rendezvous (deep reddish purple, matte finish)

Dark Side (deep burgundy, amplified finish)

Lip Pencil S$34

Redd 

Nightmoth (blackened plum)

Seen here’s Oh, Darling, Colourdrenched Pigments & lip liners.

Now onto swatches!

Both Oh, Darling & Shaft of Gold swatched smooth with intense payoff making them the star buy of the collection!

*Swatched these with the help of some Mac Fix plus so they show up better. On their own they do tend to be a little sheerer and flakey (especially Night Thrill which had a very smooth flakey consistency).

My picks from the collection were the two new shades, Dark Side and Evening Rendezvous, since I already own Please Me and All Fired Up.

Of the pencils, my favourite was the Pertol Blue Pearlglide eyeliner. It swatched so smooth and silky with intense vivid colour!

Touching on the lip liners, both Nightmoth & Redd are repromotes, both swatching slightly dry.

Next up, a bit of eyecandy as I take you through the holiday sets!

Starting with my favourites, the Mini Patentpolish sets & Lipstick x 3 kits.

Judging from the height, the Mini Patentpolish sticks were around half the size of their regular counterpart. Personally I love minis AND Patentpolishes, therefore this particular set was a must have! It also comes in a Nude option too. (retail price S$65)

The shades included in the Pink set are – Pleasant, Fearless, Patentpink & Kittenish.

The Nude set includes – Revved Up, Innocent, Mojo-Maker & Sultana

The mini lipstick trio was also a handy little number. I LOVED the pink version. It includes the popular MAC pink, Saint Germain also Let’s Rendezvous and Wined + Dined.

This Mini lipstick x 3 is also available in a coral set, which includes – Pure Zen, Coral Bliss & Lady Danger. (both retailing at S$55)

Next up, the Pigments & Glitters!

This years glitter kits come in 3 colour options. Purple, Gold & Blue. Purple of course was my favourite and contained one matte pigment- Rich Purple, two regular pigments Pink Opal and Kitchmas & a Fuchsia glitter. These sets are priced at S$65 each. Ideal for gifting!

Now on to, Face Compacts. There were two, one warm and one cool.

Both contain three eyeshadows, a beauty powder, two lipstick options and a cream colour base.

These will be retailing at S$110 each with my recommendation being the Cool option. Perfectly curated to deliver a smouldering holiday smokey eye!

Lastly, there’re the popular eyeshadow x 6 kits that release every year. This time around we have them in the three colours, Navy, Warm & Mauve. Each retailing at S$90.

Discussed above was merely a portion of the massive gifting collection. I only featured a few that were available for preview! However I hope you found it a useful read and enjoyed the swatches!

Lastly, thank you for stopping by. I wish you all a great week ahead :-)

It seems Estée Lauder has released yet another variation of their best seller Double Wear! Have you seen this around yet? The product itself is a genius idea of packaging liquid makeup, fuss free and spill proof for on the go application. No, it’s not another cushion compact, it’s something BETTER! An ultra hygienic, new and improved version of a portable foundation. The next generation of liquid compacts if you may.

Double Wear To Go promises 8 hour wear at the push of a button. Makeup willing to keep up with a modern woman’s busy lifestyle, be it rushing off to work after a morning gym session or dropping off the kids at school with only 5 mins to put on your makeup in the car before you get to work.

Starting off with packaging, this compact sports a sleek design small enough to fit in a small makeup bag. Inside you’ll find a sponge for application and a clickable button to dispense the liquid.

Overall the packaging is well made and sturdy. I like that.

Dispensing & Application

The product arrives with a sticker, which peels back to reveal the dispenser. Clicking on the button then dispenses a drop of foundation which is applied with the sponge provided. I really love that the wet sponge doesn’t come into contact with the foundation and sits on the ‘resting deck’ which can be sanitised or cleaned easily!

Formula & Texture 

Double Wear To Go is a luminous, light -medium coverage foundation. It goes on smoothly without catching onto or emphasising dry patches or flakiness. Really loving how hydrating this feels on the skin and ideal for mature and dry skin types. Also good for winter when the air is cold and dry. This should provide adequate moisture throughout the day!

Reading through the press kit I also found that,

•  Estée Lauder Double Wear To Go contains a Tri-Moisture Complex of Hyluronic Acid, Glycerin and Muru Muru butter to immediately infuse & lock in moisture while helping to improve skins hydration over time.
• It also contains a Skin Smoothing Complex of Argireline and Milk Thistle Extract working to help minimise the the appearance of lines and wrinkles and even out skintone to create the perfect canvas for effortless makeup application.
• For radiance and luminosity, Estée Lauder DW To Go also comes infused with ingredients that capture and reflect light for a youthful look.

Longevity

This does live up to it’s claim of 8 hour wear. I didn’t see it moving around throughout the day and it survived just over the 8 hour mark on my oily skin.

Overall I needing just a few blots at regular intervals (around 3) to keep it looking fresh.

Bottom Line!

I believe this is a great product provided it meets your coverage needs (It’s a little lighter coverage in comparison to the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light and also dewier). Most importantly if your busy lifestyle requires ‘makeup to go’ , this is something definitely worth checking out.

Shade Range & Colour Matching

This foundation comes in 11 shades (internationally there’s 18 available) and is broken down to three undertones. Warm, Neutral and Cool. I obviously fall into the Warm category with my shade matched to 4W1 Honey Bronze. The colour was slightly too dark for my skintone although on the plus side I didn’t experience any oxidisation so that problem was not amplified.

Either way, make sure you get your shade matched at your counter! That’s always the best way to go!

Now a little info on the special packaging my compact came in ;-)

For the launch of this new foundation, Estée Lauder Singapore has collaborated with popular fashion illustrator Grace Ciao to create 50 limited edition hand drawn compacts adorned with her whimsical fashion illustrations. You can choose from three designs, the Modern Romantic, Hollywood Glamour and Classy Chic (Mine’s the Modern Romantic version).

To get your own, just drop by an Estée Lauder counter, get a shade match and pre order one (through 15th-28th Oct) on their Singapore FB page.

Price & Availability

This foundation is set to release in Nov retailing at SGD 68. Available at the Estée Lauder Ion Boutique & and all counters islandwide.

Lastly thank you for reading! I hope you found my quick review informative.

xx, Michelle.

If there’s one thing that never fails to put a spring in my step it’s some good ol’ retail therapy. It truly is the best pick-me-up after a stressful week or just about any time when you are feeling down or bored.

I shop whenever I get the chance. Specially so/more! when it’s at a discounted rate. So Duty Free shopping to me is like a trip to a shrink! It’s an instant fix, picks up my spirits and I get to ‘save some money’ restocking my precious night cream that would probably pay a college students rent!

The sucky part is that most of us don’t get to travel enough (or at all) to take advantage of this Mecca of shopping destinations. So Shilla has come up with a concept of shopping duty free regardless of wether you fly or not!

I was invited to experience this concept and enjoy a spot of shopping. My verdict. It’s pretty awesome!

The prices are cheap, and you get to shop GST free (more on that later)! On top of that, you also get access to all those cute duty free exclusive sets that are veeerry attractively priced! And you don’t even have to fly anywhere!

I found the best stocked items were the perfumes. This is but one wall stocked high with all the new releases!

I spotted My Burberry, which is actually one of their latest. So I took a moment to capture it’s luxe packaging.

Apart from the perfumes there was body & hair care by L’Occitane, Korean beauty products (which are a Shilla speciality, being a Korean company and all), skincare from brands such as Clarins, Elizabeth Arden etc. and a selection of makeup.

Since I was treated to a shopping spree, I decided to pick up some essentials I know and love. first counter, L’Occitane.

They had most of the Amande range stocked, so I went for the shower oil and foot cream. Both well loved and repurchased often.

Here’s another unique product I came across. Horse Oil skincare. All the rage in Korea! Not something i’ll be trying in a hurry, but it’s an interesting find… I guess.

They also stocked popular snail creams n things (i’ve never tried these either!), a wide selection of face masks (i’m a fan of Leaders, in case you needed a few pointers mask shopping) and also a few fun skincare items by Tony Moly which is actually a well known Korean brand. I took my chance and picked up the Egg pore soap. Attractively packaged in.. wait for it. An egg carton! :-D

Anyways here’s everything that made it’s way to my little shopping basket. I think i’m set for a few months at least!

How to save! 

To get the lowest possible price on all your purchases, make sure you pick up a Changi Rewards Card at the cashier counter. It can be instantly activated by registering online (2min job I promise!) and you save 7% whenever you shop. No GST! The card also accumulate points for various other perks. Which you can read more about on the Changi website.

Special perks just for you!

From the 5th Nov onwards shoppers can also enjoy a free 5pc mask pack worth $55 and a voucher with $120 spend. Changi Rewards members will qualify with a $100 spend. (For more info, follow Shilladutyfree.sg on FB)

Happy Shopping!

I hope you found this little post an interesting read :-) And do let me know if you have already shopped here and what you found to be the best buys. To me it was all the L’Occitane. Way cheaper than in the city. I also had to take advantage of the Clarins DF exclusives sets. Definitely something to grab while you are there!

P.S – Do keep an eye out for the Instagram giveaway happening… Soon ;-)

Long gone are the times of dark little counters in department stores where us neglected beauty enthusiasts had to shop for our precious potions. The new trend is spacious, stand alone boutiques by our favourite brands with better and bigger selections of products!

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to stop by the new Origins concept store at Ion, an interactive retail space perfectly designed to represent the brands identity. It was quite an original concept so I figured you’d like to visit it too (hence the post)!

Origins was one of the very first skincare brands I indulged in just as I was getting into a ‘proper’ skincare routine. Visiting the store that day, seeing some of my old favourites made me feel rather nostalgic. It was like a blast from the past, but in more fancy surroundings! Nothing like the tiny little counter in Sephora on Broadway! I was happy to see Origins making it’s presence felt here in Singapore. The new store is pretty amazing.

Origins is all about plant derived skincare. An approach backed by scientific research, where the best of nature is sourced from sustainable regions from all around the world, then converted into precious active ingredients we find in their skincare. The store concept plays around this idea by bringing it to life for an interactive experience for their consumers.

Notice the green house effect they’ve created right near the entrance? It represents the company’s strength, plant based skincare :-D

Almost every corner is filled with fun and interesting installations. And this very interesting mood board caught my eye. Depicting key ingredients of their skincare in a non boring manner! How clever! A quick way to learn a thing or two about the creams we massage into our faces on a daily basis.

All around the store are little corners like this to intrigue and interest you. Engaging the consumer like never before!

Within the store, I found another eye catching installation taking you through the process of raw materials converting to the final product.

So far, my tour around the ‘facility’ was a fun experience and there’s always friendly staff around to answer any questions. I did end up leaving with a few new things to try out! More on that on another post.

A little shopping guide.

As with many other brands, the best way to sample skincare is trying their masks first! And one of my favourites is the Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. An essential to draw out impurities from deep within your pores. It’s actually the number #1 selling mask in the US.

If you need more options, this wall of masks is bound to leave you with plenty to pick from!

Another excellent product to try is their well known Plantscription Anti-ageing Serum for hardcore skin regenerating benefits. It’s one of the newer additions to their skincare line with 15 sold every hour around the world!

For the frequent flyer, I found this exciting bin display right near the cashier! Perfect to grab a few masks last minute. Now you have access to travel friendly tubes and sachets of all your favourites!

Nearing the end of my tour, did you enjoy your virtual guide? If you are new to the brand do drop by the store. It’s located one level below the MRT level (B2) just near the escalator. You can’t miss it.

A quick consultation will only take little of your time and you’ll leave with a generous sampling of Origins trial sized minis to enjoy!

They have an entire wall of samples to pick from, just for you! <3 :-D

Origins concept store is located at Ion Orchard, B3- 55/56. 

Bobbi is back with her annual holiday collection and it’s a cool edit of delicious neutrals studded with shimmering jewel tones. Inspired by her recent trip to South Africa, this years collection is perfectly curated for any occasion the season throws at you. Be it a softly smoked eye or a bright pout. Bobbi’s got you covered!

There are two major lines within the holiday collection. Firstly the Sterling Nights colour collection which includes her seasonal mix of products and the gifting collection consisting of palettes and value kits which are excellent for.. well, gift giving.

I’ll take you through both, with a bunch of swatches and also a list of products I believed were the best of the bunch! So sit tight, take notes, and most of all, enjoy the delicious photos!

Starting off with the iconic Bobbi Shimmer Brick. This season we have a gorgeous pink version up for grabs!

It’s a mix of pink and rose gold strips (oh so perfectly on trend!) to deliver that shimmering rosy glow! This swatches very smooth and imparts a healthy dose of pigment. Not for the faint hearted. The formula wasn’t glittery though or chunky, and I liked that it was quite fine. The glow can be controlled depending on the brush you use. You won’t be left with massive glittery bits I promise!

Here’s a swatch.

As you can see, all the colours swirled together creates an almost lilac toned pink halo. Sooo GORGEOUS!

Next up, another favourite. The newish Art Sticks.

For gifting there’s a perfectly curated set of three. With Brown Berry being the new shade.

Personally I love these jumbo lip pencils. They are HIGHLY pigmented and the colours always appear true to colour on the lips.

Also swatching these three glosses one go. Available as a set of three.

Next up! Brush sets!

There are two on offer. The Mini Brush Set perfect for your makeup bag and the Travel Brush Set which contains full sized brushes to take with you on vacation. Both come packaged in a silver leather case and a metal clasp opening. Very well made and such a luxurious gift to own.

Moving on to palettes, there’s quite a number to choose from ranging from SGD 64 – SGD 126. So you have something for every budget. Unfortunately I didn’t swatch them all. But I did get swatches of the largest one, the Deluxe Cheek & Eye Palette.

I must admit, most eyeshadows in this particular palette lacked good pigmentation. Only the blushes in my opinion were truly up to par with the regular range. I can’t comment as to how they would apply with a brush, but here’s a look at how they performed swatched.

The shimmer shadows did apply better than the matte shadows which I thought looked rather dry. However an eye primer should help loads with this palette.

And a closer look at these super cute mini sets.

Now moving onto the colour collection consisting of many exciting new products!

I have swatches of almost everything minus the palette seen here. (Do drop by here, for some gorgeous swatches of the eyeshadow palette!)

First up, my favourite. The brand new liquid Face Highlighters.

I’m loving the feel of the packaging. It’s glass and very compact! (probably not ideal for lugging around in your makeup bag though) Plus the clean black with the simple Bobbi Brown logo looks so exquisite.

Here’re swatches.

According to the press release these are meant to be applied directly onto the face (after foundation) or mixed with a moisturiser/foundation for ‘buildable radiance’. The light reflective pearls impart a natural fresh sheen for that dewy, healthy, fresh look.

Also new to the Bobbi Brown portfolio are these baked Sequin eyeshadows. The celestial themed names seem fitting for these magnificent marbled beauties.

They swatched with good pigmentation though seemed slightly dry to the touch. Overall I believe they’ll look even better over a primer and give it better lasting power.

Saving the the best of the colour collection for last. The lipsticks!

I found it soo hard to pick favourites as EVERYTHING swatched with great pay off and was silky smooth.

The unexpected pop of orange came as a sweet surprise and Nude a perfect shade nude with a hint of rose for Fall. You can’t possibly go wrong picking up any one of these to be honest.  I highly recommend!

Lastly, before leaving you with the price list for everything seen above, I hope you enjoyed this post and found it a worthwhile read! Do let me know which products caught your eye.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,

xx

Michelle

Sterling nights collection

Sterling nights eye palette – $125

Sequin eyeshadow – $51

Face Highlighter – $63 (Exclusive to Ion and Tampines BB counters)

Lip Colour – $50

Holiday gifting collection

Deluxe Cheek & Eye Palette – $126

Mini Lip & Eye Palette – $64

Lip Gloss trio – $70

Art Stick trio – $86

Eye Shadow palettes (5 shadows) – $89

Shimmer brick – $74

Mini Brush Set – $168

Travel Brush Set – $288

Availability – At counters today! (1st Nov)

Welcome to your very first demi-post. This is actually a supplementary blog entry to an Instagram skincare post that just went up. I didn’t have the patience to write a loooong caption over there so all the reasoning behind my current capsule skincare routine will be documented here.

Firstly, I’ve been having a bit of a ‘good skin moment’ after a massive hormonal breakout (ok, slight exaggeration here) few weeks back. So I got back into a lot of my go-to’s to make sure my skin get’s back to it’s normal, healthy glowy state.

Overall my skin is pretty well behaved (touch wood). My only concerns are tackling dehydration, fine lines and also evening out my skin tone. Also I am of a combination dry skin type FYI.Cleansers

My cleansing routine always starts with Bioderma (micellar/water cleanser) followed up with an oil or a balm cleanser (double cleansing is a must in my opinion if you wear makeup on the daily).

The usual suspects are SK2 Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil or the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm. Between the two, the Omorovicza is my absolute favourite it’s great for all skin types (even sensitive skin) and I consider it more skincare than a cleanser. Basically cos it’s NOT JUST for removing makeup and dirt, which is why I use this as a second cleanse after my Bioderma has removed a majority of my makeup. It’s more of a DEEEEEEP cleanse so there’s no residue dirt or anything that would clog my pores.

Most people find a balm cleanser annoying, it’s a pain to get off in a hurry (you definitely need warm water and a wash cloth) and this one’s freaking expensive. BUT, whenever my skin is in a bad state, I make sure I switch to this to ‘heal’ it. (full review here)

The SK2 cleanser is my second in command. If my skin isn’t particularly fussy, I use this. It’s my favourite of all oil cleansers (i’ve tried quite a few) and I find it very gentle, taking off makeup with ease. The mild rose fragrance is also a plus. Helps you get into wind-down mode before bed.

For removing eye makeup my holy grail is the Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover. This takes of everything (even stubborn waterproof makeup like mascara) super fast and I love it. Always have a back up ready for when I run out.

Toner

These days (and for the past year) my go-to toner is Serozinc by La Roche-Posay. It’s a bit of a pain to source since it’s only available in France but I have quite a few back ups from my last trip to Paris and I’m really happy to have a good supply. This is basically something to spritz on after cleansing, before you pile on your skincare. The active ingredient here is Zinc Sulfate & Sodium Chloride. It basically kills any bacteria and soothes skin. I also use this whenever my skin feels itchy or sensitive and this instantly calms it down. Also if you are prone to breakouts it’s a good product to have at hand as it purifies skin and stops bacteria breeding in your pores. Acne flare ups can be cured twice as fast and great for those with fussy skin.

Eye Care

There are currently 4 products in rotation at the moment. It’s basically a La Prairie mix and Shiseido mix. I tend to alternate these over the week and both are combinations that have worked for me in the past.

I use the La Prairie combination for hard core anti wrinkle action + brightening and the Shiseido for extra hydration, wrinkle prevention and building up skin immunity (this is where Shiseido Ultimune Eye comes handy)

Between the two my under eyes are doing well. And it’s the best products i’ve found so far.

Night Serums

Whenever my skin has a B**** fit I turn to my HG serum combo for tackling blemishes, evening out skin tone, plumping, brightening AND reducing acne scaring. This basically covers it all. The duo is Lancome Visionnaire and the Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate.

I have reviewed them both here. Highly recommend this combo for keeping skin looking healthy and youthful.

For days I need a boost of hydration, my go to is Hydraluron serum by Indeed Labs. I haven’t reviewed this yet but as a quick intro, it’s great for layering before night or day cream for combatting dehydration. A super product at a fantastic price point (drugstore skincare from Boots).

Night Creams

I don’t have too many that I rotate but from all I’ve tried these two are my current go-to’s that work well over my serums.

First up the Omorovicza Rejuvenating night cream. LOVE this stuff. It’s basically a slightly richer night cream that plumps up and deeply hydrates skin. If you have dry, combination-dry or normal skin, THIS IS FOR YOU. But of course like all Omorovicza products this too is pretty much of a luxury purchase. However, I LOVE it and recommend it to every one!

Next up, an Estee Lauder cream I haven’t talked about yet.

Nutritious Vitality 8 Radiant Moisture Creme is fairly new to my routine (in comparison to my Omorovicza) and have been using it on and off for the last 3 months. This is a new release by EL for building up skin immunity/radiance and works great over any serums you may use. First up, I believe this is actually a day cream, BUT is slightly richer and thicker in consistency so I love it for night time use since I have combination skin. This cream smells soo good (a fruity delicious smell I can’t get enough of) and absorbs easily once smoothed in. I always end up waking with plump, nourished skin and HIGHLY recommend you try it yourself. Amazing product at a good price. (Full review to follow)

Peels & Exfoliators

To maintain fresh skin without dead cell build up, I try to use a chemical peel or some exfoliation at least once a week. This is a great way to ensure your nightly skincare penetrates well.

My HG is the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant. I’ve talked about this before and it’s a great product that takes off any dead cell build up with ease! I feel the name ‘Gentle’ cream exfoliant is slightly misleading as this is potent stuff. But as long as you follow instructions and don’t leave it on longer than recommended you should be fine. I recommend this to everyone except the severely sensitive skin types. A wonderful product for weekly use.

The next exfoliant I have quite recently added to my routine is the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. It’s this yummy jelly like mask that removes dead cells in a more gentler manner. You can use this up to 2-3 times a week depending on how often you feel like your skin needs exfoliation. It smells like roses, soooo calming and a delicious treat for sluggish skin. (P.S- mine’s a smaller version and not the full sized product in case you were wondering)

Brightening & Hydration Masks

All skincare routines should include a brightening mask and hydrating masks and my recent go-to’s have been by Skin Inc. A brand i’m just discovering. So far i’m loving everything i’ve tried and the stand out products have been the Pure Deep Sea Hydrating Mask (great as a sleeping mask or a primer under makeup for dry skin types) and the Get Glowin’ Brightening Mask. I’ve got a longish review planned for this weekend so stay tuned for that. But without giving too much away, the brightening mask is a must try. Seriously, go buy it NOW.

That concludes my chatty skincare entry of favourites. Hope I didn’t bore you halfway but certainly better than killing you with a long caption on IG so yeah >.<

P.S- Thank you for stopping by and hope this entry proved a good read!

xx,

Michelle.

This Christmas, Tom Ford comes out with a limited edition collection inspired by his newest fragrance release, Noir Pour Femme.

Packaged in glossy black, with hints of art deco style detailing, it’s the perfect extravagant indulgence we needed this Christmas!

The Noir collection consists of,

Night Sky Cream & Powder Eye Colour

Lash Tips Mascara (2 shades, Pure Cobalt & Burnished Gold)

Waterproof Extreme Mascara in Noir

Eye Defining Pencil in Navy Black

Matte Lipstick in First Time

Nail Lacquer in Blackout

Starting off with the star of the show, here’s a look at Night Sky. A dazzling combo of rich navy blue cream shadow paired with a glitter infused powder shadow.

I found the overall formula of the cream slightly different to those of the past. A lot more translucent in nature and prone to sheering out. The best way to apply this was to layer on bit by bit, building up the colour. As always I used my fingers, switching to a fluffy blending brush just to smooth out the edges.

To deepen the base of the cream shadow, this micro glitter infused powder shadow is the perfect pairing. Although swatches seem slightly dry, this went on like a dream with hardly any fallout.

I love how the glitter catches the light and sparkle in flashes of turquoise and pink. Absolutely STUNNING!

Overall this duo wears well without creasing or any fallout. However the cream shadow worn alone didn’t hold up longer than 2-3 hours. The slippery base melts and slides off causing noticeable creasing, be sure to set it with the powder!

L-R : Night Sky cream shadow and powder layered, Night Sky cream shadow, Night Sky powder shadow, Navy Black eyeliner, First Time lipstick

Moving on to the matte lipstick First Time.

A gorgeous, wearable ‘nude’ lipstick with a hint of peach.

Unlike the swatches, this pulls more pink on the lips. It’s a match made in heaven for your blue smokey eye!

The colour goes on opaque as you’d expect and is mildly drying on the lips (noticeably more drying in comparison to the TF matte lipsticks from the permanent line). If you are prone to chapped, dehydrated lips maybe give this a miss. Or! You could prep with a balm before application so you enjoy the colour without sacrificing comfort.

Next up, the gorgeous Eye Definer Pencil Navy Black! The first thing to catch my eye when the promo images came out.

It’s a stunner!

As seen above (and in swatches) this limited edition pencil comes infused with micro glitter. Very festive and a nice finishing touch to a neutral eye look. (I didn’t pair this with the Cream & Powder eye duo, sticking to a black liner instead)

The regular liners by Tom Ford are my go-to’s. They are perfect for smudging close to the lashes for definition and wear all day once set with powder. They don’t do well on the waterline though so I tend to use these exclusively on the upper lash line or just the outer corner of the lower lash line, ALWAYS setting with a powder.

Next up, mascaras.

Pure Cobalt and Burnished Gold are two new additions to the Tom Ford portfolio. Designed to be worn just on the tips of the lashes for a hint of colour, these are add a fun flirty element to liven up your holiday makeup.

The wands are much smaller in comparison to the regular TF wands and are perfect for precision application.

Swatches!

*P.S – Pure Cobalt looks less vibrant when worn on the lashes, providing only a hint of navy blue. 

Also new, the Tom Ford Extreme Mascara that now comes in a waterproof version. I noticed no flaking or smudging when worn (even after an unplanned nap!) making this my new favourite mascara for the season! The extra fat wand bulks up the lashes with ease and also holds curl well. On the flip side…. a bigger wand means slightly tricky application, specially so if you have shorter lashes.

Recommendations!

Other than minor blending issues, the star buy in my opinion is the Cream & Powder Eye Colour Night Sky. I love how sexy this looks on the eyes with deep smokiness and that unexpected twinkle of glitter. Plus I feel this was the best value for money!

If a bold audacious eye isn’t for you, the lipstick First Time will make a beautiful addition to your lipstick collection. With the added perk of limited edition TF packaging. Something we always get suckered into ;-)

Collection info & Pricing

Tom Ford Noir collection is set to launch 15th Nov at the Tangs Orchard beauty counter.

Cream & Powder Eye Colour – SGD 94

Lash Tips Mascara – SGD 75

Waterproof Extreme Mascara – SGD 65

Eye Definer Pencil – SGD 52

Lip Colour – SGD 80

Nail lacquer – SGD 52

Isn’t it amazing how skincare has evolved over the years? From simple routines of cleanse, tone and moisturize , we are now at the stage of customized solutions. You can actually buy a specially mixed potion just for you!

Leading the pack is Skin Inc. with their now globally popular custom blended serums. Each mixed to address your individual skin concerns. Taking personalized skincare to the next level.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity of trying out some of their products and I am happy to report back with some positive news!

Luckily for me, it seems Skin Inc products agree with my fussy skin and it’s been nothing but an amazing journey of discovery so far.

The purpose of this post is basically an introduction to the brand for those of you who are keen to try something new and also talk about how Skin Inc has benefitted my skin. All in the hope you’ll find something that works for you too. And maybe you’ll have one less skin concern to worry about!

Talking about skin concerns, mine are pretty simple (I think). I look for anti ageing benefits, hydration for my dry areas and overall brightening. Not too much to ask right? I didn’t think so ;-)

To tackle these problems I started using the Skin Inc Get Glowin’ Brightening mask and Pure Deepsea Hydration mask.

The Get Glowin’ mask is a fast acting brightening mask for instantly luminous skin. It lifts any dullness and over time maintains the glow. You could start off with a week of intensive masking, let’s say every other day (3days a week) and then follow with a weekly treatment to maintain. I find 10 mins of this mask does wonders for my complexion and I’ve finally found a way to even out my annoyingly darker forehead to match the rest of my face!

Here’s what it looks like in the jar. Just a white paste with no noticeable smell.

The next product that makes a regular appearance in my routine is the Hydration mask.

LOVE this stuff. The texture is a lightweight gel and super comfortable on the skin. I use this as a sleeping mask, sometimes as a primer (if I’m using a matte foundation) and also as a lightweight moisturizer if I feel my skin’s feeling fussy. It’s truly a wonder product. The ultra light formula is oil free and all the hydration is delivered by a cocktail of Hyluronic Acid, Soy bean extract and deepsea Okinawa water that’s rich in nutrients.

This product comes in several sizes and the smaller tube is great for travel. I never leave home without it.

P.S- this makes an excellent pre flight mask too. Just slap this on, some concealer and you are good to go! It’s been my favourite travel companion these days and my skin never feels dehydrated or tired when I land!

The Skin Inc Ritual

Other than the two products I’ve been using and loving, I’ve just started on some new goodies. This is actually a complete Skin Inc ritual consisting of a peel (gentle enough for 2-3 times a week), a custom anti ageing serum topped with the Pure Deepsea hydrating mask to finish off.

I’ll report back on long term results later. But for now, I’m happy they are settling in nicely into my routine and soon you’ll have a post on how custom blend serums work!

If you are keen on trying the masks i’ve mentioned today, Skin Inc currently has a special value set,  Mask-to-Perfection. It’s basically a trio of two full sized products (30ml) of the Pure Deepsea Hydrating mask and the Get Glowin’ Brightening mask along with a 20ml Pure Revival Peel.

It’s basically a perfect set for a weekend at-home spa experience! I actually ended up purchasing an extra for a friend :-)

(SGD 148 |value- SGD195)

Product Info

Skin Inc products are all formulated Paraben & fragrance free.

Available at Ion Orchard #B3-43 and Sephora Singapore/U.S.A

Hi there! Just a few more days till the Tom Ford Noir collection launches in Singapore so i’m back with an in depth review on the pièce de résistance. Night Sky.

Night Sky consists of one navy cream base infused with electric blue micro shimmer and a satin navy blue powder eyeshadow speckled with pink and turquoise micro glitter.

In comparison to cream shadows released in the past, Night Sky is just as pigmented and as high quality as you’d expect from Tom Ford. I love how it can be built up to an intense colour (as deep as seen in the pot), or sheered down to a translucent grungy wisp of blue.

It’s all in the application.

On the topic of application, I found Night Sky to require a lot more time and patience than any other TF cream i’ve worked with. It goes on slightly uneven as the cream feels a lot more emollient and tends to sheer out while blending. The best way to go for an even result was to layer on gradually building up intensity. For this I used my fingers (as I always do).

The powder shadow as you’d expect, compliments the cream base perfectly. It conceals any unevenness, adding depth and decadence to this smokey look!

(Left- cream shadow on it’s own, Right- cream & powder layered)

On a side note, I also noticed layering the powder shadow on top of the cream significantly prolongs the wear time. As on it’s own the cream shadow was highly prone to creasing and didn’t last longer than a couple of hours on the lid.

Now on to some application tips and a look featuring Night Sky.

I found that starting with a clean lid worked best. Skip your eye cream and primer. Anything layered under this will only make it harder to work with.

As mentioned before, start with very tiny amounts of product, building as you go. I went for around 4 layers in the look you see below.

To soften the edges of the cream base and create that true smoked out effect I took a neutral toned silvery grey (I used the Silvered Topaz quad) and ran it around the edges. A small step that makes a huge difference. Attempting to smoke out the look using just the cream shadow is a process i’d rather not spend time on. So that was my shortcut!

Here’s the final look.

I decided to take the festive route and add a silvery white shadow on my lower lash line to keep things fresh.

I also skipped eyeliner adding just a bit of tight lining for definition and to thicken up the lashes. This keeps the blue lid in full focus.

Here’s a quick look at some of the makeup used.

Lips – Tom Ford First Time

Eyes – TF Silvered Topaz Quad, TF Night Sky, TF Extreme Waterproof Mascara in the colour Noir & the Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

Cheeks – Tom Ford Frantic Pink blush

In addition to the above mentioned products, I also used Dior Swan Mono Shadow (as the silver liner), Tom Ford Mood Light highlighter, Kevyn Aucoin lip liner in Natural & Clé De Peau Foundation.

Here’s one more look at the eye makeup before I conclude this post.

I hope you found this review informative and an enjoyable read! And please do leave a comment down below if you have any further questions regarding Night Sky :-) I’ll answer them ASAP.

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday,

Michelle.

After last years successful release, Tom Ford is back again with his irresistible clutch-sized Boys, and best of all they are here to stay!

I had the pleasure of meeting them in person at a press preview, so I took plenty of photos and swatches to enable you and help you decide which one’s you’d like to take home!

Here’s a look at the glorious 50, sitting pretty in their new home!

This years collection consists of 25 old Boys with an additional 25 new fellas.

In case you missed out the last time, the popular colours are back, so you can grab them without any danger of it selling out :-)

*Please check out this post for a detailed review on the ones I picked from the first release!

For those of you who did manage to grab your favourites, the 25 new Boys are definitely something to consider. These come in a new pearlescent, metallized finish. Designed to be worn on their own or layered with one another.

Without further delay, hear’s a look at the new collection!

25 new Boys, ranging from golds to nudes, to reds and berries! The selection as always is mind blowing with something for everyone!

Onto swatches!

Row 1

Please note that everything swatched here is around 2-3 passes for maximum intensity, just so you see the colours clearly.

Row 2

Row 3

Row 4

Row 5

First Impressions

I found almost all the new shades contained a certain percentage of shimmer or micro glitter as expected. However since many of you have been inquiring, i’m happy to report that NOT ALL 25 come in that high metallic finish.

Some shades such as Tony, Roberto and Kingston had very little or fine shimmer. Good news for those of you who prefer a more satin finish.

Pigmentation wise, most of these swatched with semi opaque coverage in a single swipe. With an exception of the lighter shades needing more layers. Overall I like the formula of these and feel they are worth the luxury price tag!

Recommendations

My favourites from the new range were mostly pinks and rosy nudes. I liked that they had a beautiful sheen to them and applied smooth and even without any streaks.

Left to right there’s Louis, Austin, Jake & Daniel.

Other than these I also loved, Kingston (Row 1), Drake (Row 2), Egon (Row 4) and Roberto, Theo and Jay from Row 5.

Collection information (relevant to Singapore).

The Lips & Boys collection is set to launch on the 4th December at the Tangs Orchard Tom Ford counter AS WELL AS the Tom Ford Boutique at Marina Bay Sands Shoppes.

Each lipstick will retail at $50 and will include a novelty lipstick box (seen below) when purchasing a set of three of your favourites :-)

This year there’s also another larger box set of 10 containing pre selected shades, Ian, Beau, Julian, Addison, Leonardo, Demsey, David, Egon, Daniel & Theo which will retail at $500.

P.S- If you are feeling spendy, or looking for a generous gift for someone special, there’s ALSO a magnificent lacquered box set containing all 50 at $2500!

Now wouldn’t that be the perfect Christmas gift?! <3 Me thinks YES!

If it’s luxury beauty you are looking for, Clé de Peau is sure to satisfy. It’s one of those brands that never disappoint with it’s quality matching the fabulous packaging they come encased in.

The holiday collection is no exception, with my current obsession being the new nail polish trio; mesmerizingly beautiful with three perfectly curated shades for the holidays!

It all comes in a fancy box adorned with the mask motif! Talk about #giftingperfection!

Clé de Peau doesn’t carry nail polish in their regular line so I was curious to see how this limited edition product performed.

But before we get down to the review here’s a little background info about the beautiful limited edition packaging these come in.

Everything from the motifs adorning the box to the products were custom designed for CdP by renowned jewellery designer Joji Kojima. In case the name doesn’t ring a bell, he’s the creative genius behind Lady Gaga’s chainmail mask from back in 2009 for her Fame Monster campaign. Check this link!

Right! so back to the product review, starting off with packaging!

These nail polishes come housed in a beautiful glass bottle with the signature Clé de Peau jewel shaped exterior.

The plastic cap (as with most luxury nail polishes) comes off to reveal the brush.

A traditional old school applicator, square cut with longish bristles. Initially I found it slightly difficult to get close to the cuticles as I’m now spoilt with the new rounded applicators by Dior or YSL. However after getting re accustomed to the shape I found it easier to get a neater job done!

Formula

I was pleasantly surprised to find it had such incredibly good pigmentation that I only needed two thin coats for an even, streak free finish. Something I yearn for in metallic nail polishes!

Here’s what the silver lacquer looks like applied. Love, love, love this shade.

Seen here is two coats and a top coat. I find that the top coat adds a nice glossiness and allowed 4 days of wear with very little chipping only at the edges.

Next up a dark warm blood red. This was the trickiest of the three. It applied slightly streaky on the first coat, dragging, with some uneven spots. I remedied this with a generous second coat which gave an even coverage.

In the end I did like how intense this looks applied, it instantly made my hands seem fairer! Overall the streakiness didn’t show in the final result. And I am pretty pleased with the look and glossiness of the red. It didn’t quite need a top coat, though I went ahead and slapped one on anyways.

The khaki metallic green shade which is rather unique in my collection applied similar to the silver. The finish was streak free and opaque with two coats.

LOVE this one as well and definitely something interesting to wear during the holidays in place of a traditional red. The sparkle of green makes it extra festive although you don’t see the green unless you get quite close. I still find it pretty unique and did get a few compliments on this!

Overall Thoughts

The formula did impress me I’ll give you that. And for the price of SGD 90 I find this a good buy (if you normally splurge on luxury polishes) as most high end polishes retail for much higher.

Except for the brush which I felt wasn’t anything to write home about, the overall colour mix and presentation makes this a great gifting option (luxury stocking stuffer maybe?) or as a special treat to oneself.

Other Info

This trio is currently available at all Clé de Peau counters at SGD 90.

Mine was a sample sent for review by the lovely Clé de Peau team. Thank you Juit Wen & Nora! <3

If you haven’t been following MAC releases closely, now’s the time to pay attention. In January it seems there’s a STUNNING collection out for spring. The limited edition Ellie Goulding collaboration.

If neutrals and rosy pinks are your thing. You’ll probably end up wanting every single product seen here. It’s just gorgeous!

From the packaging to the formula, it was an A+ from me and I’ll be honest, I am liking this way more than anything else i’ve previewed in the recent past. All very wearable and sooo MEEE!

This collection consists of,

2 palettes – Halcyon Nights & Halcyon Days (SGD90)

2 Patentpolish Lip Pencils – Innocent & Revved Up (SGD40)

2 Cremesheen Lipsticks – Only You & Without Your Love (SGD34)

2 Plushglass – Explosion & Goodness Gracious (SGD40)

Lustre Drops – Pink Rebel

Fluidline – Blacktrack (SGD31)

Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash (SGD38)

Veluxe Brow Pencil – Strawberry Blonde (SGD33)

Powder Blush Duo – I’ll Hold My Breath (SGD51)

2 sets of lashes – 20 Lash & 30 Lash (SGD26)

3 Brushes – 209 Eyeliner (SGD43), 129 Powder/Blush (SGD70), 217 Blending brush (SGD46)

The packaging is just, WOW. Everything’s in glossy black with rose gold detailing. Something sure to appeal to everyone!

I thought the palettes looked really nice with their double decker design and quite compact if you plan on keeping them in your makeup bag for day to day. The colour mixes are also very wearable with a powder and cream option to choose from depending on your preference!

Here’s a look at Halcyon Nights. This contained 4 eyeshadows and one Cream Colour Base.

Top to bottom there’s Starry Eyed (frost finish), You My Everything (matte), Saddle (matte), Hanging On (satin).

*The cream colour base included in this palette is This Love (not swatched here).

Here’s Halcyon Days. It comes with 4 Cream Colour Bases and one Medium Dark Blot Pressed Powder.

Top to bottom we have, Wish I Stayed, Every Time You Go, Tint & Root Cream Colour Bases.

Next up, Lip products.

The Cremesheen lipstick in the shade Only You was the first thing to catch my eye. It’s a gorgeous muted mid tone peachy pink. The kind of shade that’s great for day to day wear which you’ll get tonnes of use off.

The Powder Blush Duo I’ll Hold My Breath is just a perfect everyday mix of a medium warm bronze (satin) and a peachy pink (matte).

Lastly a look at the two Patentpolish pencils releasing with the collection. You can check out my initial review on this formula here.

Overall Thoughts 

I am super impressed with this collection. It’s one of those rare moments where everything was a must have for me.

If forced to pick favourites it’d have to be the palettes and the blush duo. Both swatched awesome without any duds which can sometimes be a problem with limited edition MAC collections. Not the case here though!

The powder duo wasn’t as soft as i’d like and was harder pressed, however I still loved it for it’s novelty embossing and packaging. It wasn’t a bad product though just to be clear. Very much in line with the normal MAC blush formula IMO.

From the lip products I truly loved Only You. Quite a dupable shade which you probably have a 100 of, though I totally am smitten by it. The finish compliments the colour perfectly and I see myself wearing this regularly if not everyday!

Launch dates & Collection info

This limited edition collaboration is set to hit the counters (Singapore) on the 1st of January.

Available at MAC Bugis Junction, Ion Sephora, Ngee Ann City and Tangs.

Move over holiday releases, it’s time for MAC Spring! And today on le blog, the much anticipated Faerie Whispers collection!

As with all MAC releases, we already saw bits of leaked photos ages ago. Some at fashion week with artists using the new collections backstage and also some by MAC staff who clearly couldn’t keep a secret. Now that the official embargo is over I can finally share my swatches and thoughts on this new collection! And luckily, early enough before the global launch so all my readers (from both the east AND west) benefit from this post ;-)

As you’d have noticed, the hype was mostly surrounding these brand new Foiled Shadows which came out with the collection. Metallic shadows that can be used wet or dry.

The packaging was nothing fancy. Just the regular MAC packaging with a novelty embossing. Overall I really like the final look though, like crumpled paper!

Initial swatches of these (taken at the press preview) weren’t all that wowing if I were to be really honest. There was barely any colour payoff and the shadow seemed to have hardened up. Apparently the swatching set was used earlier, wet! and that was probably why. I’d assume shadows that are meant to be used wet or dry wouldn’t have this problem, but who knows.

Moving along, here’re the swatches from the preview.

*Please note, Sweet Illusion & Fairy Land will not be released in Singapore.

Fairy Land – Warm champagne

Fly By Twilight – Taupe

Sweet Illusion – A pale silver with a pink base

Feminine Wiles – Light lilac Pink

Joy Toy – Golden copper

Enchanted Forest – Warm rich brown.

Faerie Fayre – A deep warm brown with red tones.

Onto some more swatches taken in better lighting ;-)

I found the Foiled shadows swatched considerably better with the brand new press samples I received. The product was soft and lightly pressed with good pigmentation.

Touching on application, these go on evenly without any patchiness. They virtually blend themselves. I noticed slight fall out when used over a primer and recommend doing your base last. Overall the quality was quite nice. Just wish the shades were something new. If you know what I mean.

I found two favourites among my trio of press samples. Faerie Fayre and Sweet Illusion with it’s interesting pink base with silver shimmer. I particularly enjoyed Sweet Illusion which wasn’t quite so dupeable as the others. I also loved how it twinkled a lot more in comparison. Perfect for that inner eye highlight!

Now onto lipsticks!

The Faerie Whispers collection contains 4 lipsticks.

Among the Fireflies (cremesheen)  – A neutral toned brown with slight mauvey red undertones.

A Sprinkle of Magic (frost) – A warm peachy pink with gold shimmer.

Midsummer Night (cremesheen) – Mid tone coral nude.

Gossamer Wing (lustre) – A translucent beige.

My favourites were Among the Fireflies and Midsummer Night. I found both rather unique in terms of colour.

Here’s a closer look at Among the Fireflies which seemed to pull cooler and grey on me. If you’re all about that 90’s lip. This is for you!

Overall application wise I loved how smooth and evenly this went on. Just 2-3 coats for near full coverage. Also very comfortable when worn.

Here’s one more swatch of Among the Fireflies, again in better lighting.

Also seen here’s one of 2 blushes that released with this collection. Cheek Pollen (an almost coppery nude). Apart from the irresistibly adorable name, this was one of the best products in this collection as far as product performance and formulation went. The blush was very finely milled and had excellent colour pay off. I loved how well this blended, diffusing product evenly. It also wore very well. Over 7 hours without any fading. LOVE!

Unfortunately I don’t have a swatch of Spellbinder. Instead here’s a closer look at it.

Next up, there’re two powders. One an Iridescent Pressed Powder, Sparkling Rose (seen top left corner) and Pearl Sunshine (bottom left). A soft peach Beauty Powder. Both swatching silky with very good pigmentation. I’d say they make great highlighters for a subtle day time look. Of course Pearl Sunshine for deeper skintones.

On to swatches.

Lastly here’s 3 of the 4 Cremesheen glass.

Calypso Beat – a neutral pink with pearl

Enchanter – a copper red with golden pearl

Softly Lit- a sheer pink with pearl

Over Indulgance – a neutral brown (which wasn’t available at time of preview)

All three swatched well without any patchiness. But I didn’t pick out any as press samples to give you a proper opinion on these.

Lastly, a look I created with the samples at hand.

On the eyes I used Faerie Fayre (outer corner) along with Joy Toy with Cheek Pollen as blush. I skipped the lipstick and instead used Only You from the Ellie Goulding collection, blogged here.

Collection Info & Price list

Beauty Powder, Iridescent Pressed Powder – SGD 44

Foiled Shadow – SGD 39

Lipstick – SGD 31

Blush – SGD 39

Cremesheen Glass – SGD 36

Faerie Whispers launch January 1st at all MAC counters in Singapore.

Release date for the U.S – 23rd online and 26th in stores. 

With less than 10 days to go, i’m guessing there’s a mile long list of things to get done. Gift shopping, mad baking, spring cleaning and holiday decorating galore. In my opinion gifts are priority though, after all we don’t want to be the sad lot running all over town in ridiculous traffic, battling thousands of others on Christmas eve! It’s good to get it done and over with as early as possible. Everything else can follow after!

So today, i’m here to share a bunch of gifts I gathered for stocking stuffing. All super cute and also useful gifts that won’t break the bank :-)

(click to enlarge)

Most everything seen above is $25 or under with the exception of just two. You are bound to find options for a variety of budgets!

Etude House was my first stop for gift shopping. This year they truly outdid themselves with the cutest holiday treats.

1. Ginger Cookie Contour Maker – The cutest thing I bought this season and I ended up with multiples. This one retails at $ 24.90. Just under the 25 mark! The overall quality is lovely and doesn’t feel cheap. I love it!

2. Pudding Tints – Lip gel tints that came in 5 flavours. They are stains that last all day.  The best part was the packaging though, wrapped in a box complete with a bow just like Christmas pudding! Price – $13.90.

3. Bling Me Prism – Even though these weren’t from the holiday collection, I really loved how cute and fun these cream eyeshadows were. They come packaged like a lip gloss, with a wand for application. Overall the quality was phenomenal, they last ALL DAY and retail at just $11.90. BUY ALL.

Next up, Stenders. The one stop shop for affordable yet awesome gifting! Nearly everything they sold were cute thoughtful gifts with the holiday soaps being my favourites!

4. Blueberry Snowflake soap – Intricate and festive, this would make a pretty treat for your gal pals or even the men in your life. There’s also a Goat Milk Angel soap too ($9) for that perfect festive touch.

5. Damascus Rose soap – For the girls who love rose scented body care. Retail price – $9.

6. Coffee Lip Balm (contains 60% natural Shea Butter + coffee oil) – This one’s perfect for the guys. I love that it’s a unisex fragrance and make a thoughtful gift for men who keep stealing their partners lip balms. I bought one for hubby ;-) Retail price – $10.

Sephora shoppers on the look out for gifts below 25, i’ve got you covered too! Here’re some nifty things I received in a press package :-) + a few I picked up as well.

7. Let it Snow Handcream – A lightly fragranced hand cream packaged in a snowy blue tube. This one retails at $10.

8. Mini Hot Water Bottle – I ended up buying multiples! A cute blue patch that can be used as a hot or cold compress. The festive print makes it even more stocking friendly imo! Retails under $8 I belive.

10. Sephora Colour Around the World eye and face palettes – This one’s a sneaky addition which can be broken up and stuffed in 4 stockings! Each named after a city (Paris, Rome, Rio, NY) they contain 4 eyeshadows and a blush to create a look. Retails at $52.

11. Sephora Kiss Me Balm – Tinted lip balms in cute egg shaped packaging! Perfect gift for those younger gals just getting into makeup. Price, $14.

12. Skin Inc Facial in a Flash! – for the jet setting pal. This comes with three components for a complete at-home facial. What’s not to love?! (there’re three sets to choose from depending on skin concern. Collagen for wrinkles & fine lines. Licorice for sensitive and irritated skin. Vitamin C for enlarged pores and oily skin) Retail price – $39

13. Sephora Masks – Face masks are a great way to add a few extra treats without much effort. I particularly love these eye masks by Sephora. They are packaged in cute acrylic cases that contain 5 each. Great for even dividing among a few stockings! ($3 each)

On to a few goodies I picked up from L’Occitane. This years holiday collab with Pierre Hermé was a match made in heaven for any L’Occitane loving lady. I grabbed the Jasmin Immortelle Neroli range, my favourite from the three limited edition lines!

14. Hand Cream – One of L’Occitanes star products. These hydrate well and absorb immediately. No greasy hands! Retails at -$15.

15. Lip gloss – Available in three LE fragrances. Retails at $48 for a trio.

16. Shea Butter Soaps 100g – Make stylish gifts for just about anyone! Mom would love some french soap right? Retails at $9.50.

Last but not least, cute gifts from Jo Malone! No stocking stuffer guide would be complete without their gorgeous cracker!

17. Christmas Cracker – This contains three Jo Malone favourites. Blackberry & Bay Cologne, Lime Basil & Mandarine Hand & Body Wash and a Peony &  Blush Suede Body Lotion. All in travel friendly mini sizes! LOVE!

That concludes my little guide for today! Stay tuned for more gift ideas tomorrow! ;-)

If there’s one gift I always save for the last, it’s my husbands or dads. They are by far the hardest to shop for. Each year I feel like I have truly run out of creative gifts ideas and suffer planning my purchases.

This year however my shopping was done well in advance and I have the opportunity to show you what I plan on gifting to these special people in my life. So hopefully you’d benefit by this post too!

As you might have noticed, I kept the colour scheme very safe. Navy, black and shades of grey which are basically fool proof.

First up is accessories.

1. Monogram or solid coloured scarves in cashmere or light weight fabric make useful gifts. My favourites are Ferragamo and also Burberry. They make quality scarves which last forever!

Here’re some links. (all from Mr. Porter and directly shoppable! )

Burberry checked ombre scarf  which i’m particularly loving! , Hugo Boss navy and grey scarf , and a dressy Hugo Boss two toned black and grey scarf.

If you are looking for cheaper options. Here’re some I found at Zara all available in Singapore.

Striped black and white scarf, solid mink scarf, solid grey scarf + hat pack.

For something more extravagant, Tom Ford makes some gorgeous scarves as well. You can check them out in store. (Boutique at Marina Bay Sands the Shoppes)

Next up, body care.

The secret to buying body care for men is making sure the packaging looks manly. Something very basic without loud labels is the way to go. My favourite for gifting is Aesop. Their shower gels make the best gifts and come in a variety of fragrances. All under the price of $35.

Another great place I found to shop body care is Stenders, and while browsing I found two things for my hubby. The Chocolate Body Scrub and a Coffee Lip balm. It’s no secret that all men love chocolate and a chocolate scrub is sure to be enjoyed! This smells just as good as it looks ;-)

If you fancy treating your man to some luxury skincare, the Givenchy Le Soin Noir range is PERFECT! I’ve already gifted the cleanser to my husband and he loves using it. the product itself is black (like a thick black goo, very sexy and manly) which foams up lightly and doesn’t dry out the skin. I also love how this smells. Nothing crazy floral or girly you can rest assured, more of a sexy unisex scent. Retail price – $148 (Available at Sephora Ion)

The eye cream is another luxe treat if you’re looking to spoil your man. This one’s a nourishing lightweight gel cream that fits perfectly into a mans grooming routine. Nothing too greasy or heavy that he’d fuss about. He’ll also enjoy keeping the solid glass jar on his side of the vanity ;-)  Retails price – $285

Next up, some new fragrance options. I narrowed it down to a very luxe option and a not so splurge-y option.

Tom Ford Venetian Bergamot for a zesty hit of bergamot paired with ylang ylang, Magnolia, Gardenia and a hint of black peppercorn that adds a spicy warmth. The perfume smells divine as you’d imagine and utterly exotic. Something for a man with expensive taste ;-)

Retail price $330.

Next up in the fragrance department is the new Dior addition, Sauvage with hottie Johnny Depp as the face of the fragrance.

This one’s more masculine with heavy smoky notes and a core of bergamot. Something bound to be enjoyed by a more mature man. The packaging too looks very sleek and expensive. Perfectly Dior!

As a massive Kikki K fan, I set out to look for something more masculine, stationary worthy of a man. And this beautiful notebook makes a stylish gift for the creative types who’d like to scribble down ideas or designs.

The finish is absolutely stunning and comes with a snap tab to secure it shut. Retail price, $59.90.

P.S- They also have loads more monochrome stationary and homeware which a guy would gladly receive. So a trip to the Ion store will be worthwhile!

Last but not least a few manly stocking stuffers.

One’s your main gift is sorted a few edible stocking stuffers will be most welcome. Some slabs of fine chocolate, tied with a ribbon. A little package of bite sized brownies dressed up with a personalised tag. Assorted nuts in a hand decorated jar. There’s lots of great, simple gifts that can be made to look merry and holiday appropriate. You only need to jazz them up a bit ;-)

Best places to shop for some gift worthy yummies is Dean and Deluca. They also do some drool worthy hampers with wines, spices and cheeses. So you’ll have a bountiful gift basket to spoil that man with!

One more gift guide for this season and it’s all for the girls! I rounded up some beauty, skincare and home décor for a balanced set of options.

The 1^st rule to gifting is always giving something you’d genuinely like to receive. Something extra special. As everything seen here!

Overall I abstain from gifting makeup as much as possible. With exceptions made for palettes (has lots of variety) or kits keeping within the brands I know the recipient enjoys.

The palettes & kits that caught my eye were,

1. Clé de Peau Holiday Coffret – A stunning limited edition palette for someone VERY special. The packaging is exceptionally beautiful with a masquerade theme this year and come with an eyeshadow quad a red lipstick and a mascara. Retails at $240.

2. NARS Steven Klein Despair Blush Palette – A selection of 4 blushes (3 new & LE)  with a mini brush. I love that the packaging isn’t Christmassy which makes this a timeless piece. A great gift for the girl that seems to have everything and sure to be enjoyed for it’s sheer beauty. Retails at $120.

3. Clé de Peau Body powder – A shimmery highlighter for the body which could instantly be put to use for all the parties leading up to Christmas!  Retails at $150.

4. Make Up Forever 15 Artist Shadow Palette – A great mix of neutrals & pops of colour. Unfortunately when I stopped by Sephora, the tester was no where to be found. However I still wish I got myself one. It’s great value for money! Retail price, $116.

Beauty tools & gadgets always make great gifts. Hence why companies come out with loads of brush sets specially this time of year. I spotted a few beautiful brush sets at Bobbi Brown and also Make Up Forever. Both excellent quality with the added bonus of festive appeal. If you swing by those counters today, do check them out. Sets always come handy for travel.

5. Bobbi Brown Travel Brush Set – A beautiful silver leather cased set of 6 brushes (full sized) for the face and eyes. This ones’s a slightly splurge-y pick but makes a wonderful gift for that jet setting friend (or yourself) ;-) Retail price – $288

6. Make Up Forever Cult Brush Set – A compact set of 5 brushes in a festive red pouch. I checked them out in store and was surprised how lovely they felt to the touch. A steal at $135.

7. Beauty Blender Makeup’s Best Friend Set – Contains two regular Beauty Blenders, a micro.mini Beauty Blender and a mini Rea.activate liquid. Good value for just $68. I got one for myself!

Skincare is also a popular choice and I love giving ‘the gift of good skin’ to friends & family. In general I prefer picking up curated sets as they have been carefully selected and packaged with gifting in mind and usually good value. Here’re a few that caught my eye.

8. Charlotte Tilbury The Gift of Red Carpet Skin – was a gift to myself this year and it’s been such a great buy! I know my friends would love to receive this too. Retail Price – $59

9. Skin Inc Mask to Perfection – A set of Skin Inc’s best selling masks packaged in a festive silver case. I love this set for value for money and also that it’s beautifully packaged for gifting! ($145, valued at $195).

10. Shiseido Snow Beauty – This powder doubles up as skincare and comes packaged in a gorgeous limited edition snow flake design. A beautiful gift for someone who appreciates collectible packaging. Retail price – $90.

11. L’Occitane Jasmin Immortelle Gifting trio –  A set of hand cream, lip gloss and soap. (L’Occitane Singapore is currently having a 10% off discount on selected Christmas sets today. Now’s the time to swoop in!) They have plenty of options for gifting!

Lastly some gifts for the home.

12. Kikki K But First Coffee Mug – I picked this one up for myself as I adore the minimalistic design in simple typography. Also makes an appropriate gift for any coffee drinker :-) Retail price – $19.90

13. Jo Malone Candle Trio – Another great gift for the girl who has everything (hoping she hasn’t bought this already!). The set contains, Blackberry & Bay, Pine & Eucaliptus and the popular holiday release, Roasted Chestnut. All smell amazing! Retail price – $180

Store Locations

Clé de Peau – Tangs Orchard

Jo Malone – Tangs, MBS Shoppes, Takashimaya

Kikki K – Ion Orchard

L’Occitane – Tangs, Ion Orchard

Shiseido – Takashimaya, Tangs, Paragon

Charlotte Tilbury – Net-a-Porter, Selfridges

Skin Inc – Ion Orchard & Sephora

Bobbi Brown – Tangs, Ion Orchard

Beauty Blender – Sephora

NARS – Sephora, Robinsons, Tangs