Random Happy Buys From Singapore

So, couldn't resist blogging about new purchases... I think that's my favorite type of post to write. Haul posts! Must really restrain myself though because married life = new responsibilities. I have a budget to balance with the hubby! And one of us can't keep spending on things that will go down the drain (ie: soap suds).

Starting with a picture to depict what I bought in Watsons that garnered me a free Vanity Trove beauty box. The answer? Not much.

I was actually looking for things to use during my holiday because I stupidly forgot to pack a lot of beauty products from my house to my husband's new house. Hence, when we packed for the trip, I was missing a lot of stuff. I *did* think about buying stuff around his area to go on the trip, but I knew that I would probably be buying more beauty stuff in Singapore, so I might as well kill two birds with one stone. My husband was appalled at how much these few items cost me! One is the Biore Marshmallow whip face wash (that I actually bought before but still haven't used until now! **gulp**). This one is for dry skin though, which was what I had in SG! My skin was flaky and dry because of all the make-up the MUA piled on my face during the wedding. Grr...

Also bought a 3 pc set of color eyeliner, gel eyeliner and mascara from Clio. Apparently a best-selling brand in Singapore (as voted by Cleo Singapore users). I was actually more curious about the color eyeliner and the gel eyeliner (in pencil form!), but there was a special offer for this pack of 3, so I just grabbed it. Also bought a smallllllll Canmake peach blusher because I can't do without blusher! Also can't do without body moisturiser, and the most enticing product on the shelves was Body America body butter in a green apple scent. Not bad product, will be reviewing after this. ;)

The ribena is just there to push my total purchases into the SGD$80 range to get the free Vanity Trove. Yes, that's how much I spent on my first day in Singapore. Sigh... carelessness never pays! (Honestly, if I remembered to bring my stuff, I probably would not have bought the Biore, the Canmake blusher and the Body America body butter cos that's really pricey! However, all 3 are pretty good products, so at least no buyer-regret.)

Later that evening, bought these two bottles of Dial from Carrefour in Suntec City. We usually frequent that place because that's where NCC is! Loving all these new different types of shower gel "flavor". :P (I always say flavor cos it looks good enough to eat! :P)

Got 3 fruity lovelies from Freeman, cos they were going cheap in Guardian. Plus, I've always wanted to try stuff from the brand. I usually don't get it because they use "spread masks" instead of sheet masks, but a lot of people are hyping spread masks more cos it's more economical. I definitely agree to that statement, but it's also so boring! Hahaha. For the price I paid for a Freeman tube of facial masks, I could probably only get 2-3 sheet masks! And I'm guessing the Freeman one would probably last for months!

To emphasize my point, I also bought this Kiki Lala 2-step mask from Guardian. The price of the mask is probably 70% the cost of one of my Freeman masks. :$ 

Also bought the Guardian magazine. Yes, Guardian also has an in-house magazine like Watsons! I don't know how long it's been circulating, only noticed it during this trip. Lots of freebies, I like! From Ginvera BB cream to Colgate mouthwash and toothpaste, a packet of Goat's milk powder (random!) and hair loss shampoo for people with greasy hair! Lol, so specific!

Happiest haul time of all ~~~ finding Lush!! It's located at Wisma Atria and I seriously followed my nose to the shop! Personally do not find the assistants as helpful as the ones in US / HK... they only started treating me nicely when they saw that I was already going to buy a few items. And they didn't give my husband free soap sample (like in HK! Hahaha...). I repurchased Dream Cream as I had been planning to, got Celestial (face moisturiser) - they didn't have Creme Anglaise, but I doubt I would've bought something so pricey anyway! Got a huge bottle of American Cream - my most favorite conditioner ever ever!! So so happy with this! HK didn't have it cos they sold out!

Got a slice of Karma soap, another bottle of Dirty Springwash for my husband and was recommended Eau Roma Water by the SA. I don't usually use toner, but she said it would help Celestial absorb better, so I bought it. It's not too pricey anyway...

In short, this was more of a repurchasing of oldies but goldies instead of a haul of completely new products. I don't really mind because I didn't see many new things that I haven't tried before there. Hahaha. My husband liked the Grass shower gel though. I was so adamant that he does NOT get it. It really smells like someone had just mowed the lawn and you roll around in the grass clippings. NOT my thing!

On my 2nd last day in Sg, I popped by Robinsons and out came my wallet again. Bought Spring Water shower gel from Dial (this is the one I used in US last time and liked so much. Still like the scent!), two bottles of Theramed (don't diss this toothpaste til you've tried it!) and the OPI New York City Ballet nail polish. I don't usually wear nail polish (I think I keep mentioning this!) and I've got tons of new nail polish thanks to Yuberactive... however, I wanted something that looks more subtle and polish. I've noticed the NYC Ballet set some time ago, but never felt inclined to buy it. I think it was the holiday shopping spirit that overcame me...

I was literally SHATTERED to see the glitter polish was actually, well, shattered too. I only found out when I tried to slide the bottles out and polish my nails ASAP. It was so difficult to remove, and I realised that there was a strong smell of acetone. It was only when I ripped the box out from the other side that I saw that the bottle was a goner.

Was so sad cos it's not a cheap purchase! If it was a cheapie box set, I might've just said what the heck... cos I hate going through customer service. My husband kept motivating me to just do it, so I got it exchanged. It was NO PROBLEM AT ALL! The staff at Robinsons was really helpful. :) And when I got my new set of nail polish, I really pried open the box then and there to ensure that everything was intact.

Woo... now my shopping hunger has been satiated... now to just wait for the credit card bills. Gulp!

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Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel

Hola! Finally got some time to blog, so I'm writing more and schedulling entries! I talked about "My Citrus Life" a while back, and now it's time to review the products that I'm using. Well, it's about 1/3 gone, which I suppose is a fair amount of time to test a product before reviewing it. Starting with --- my daily shower accompaniment - Body Shop's Sweet Lemon shower gel!

 

Bought this when it was one sale for 50% off. Don't remember how much exactly, but probably between RM25-RM30, which I feel is darn cheap for a Body Shop shower gel which is 750ml! However, the scent is just not zesty and invigorating enough for me. It really is a "sweet lemon" smell. More like a lemon gummy. Yes, the citrus is there, but it's more candy-like than anything else. For that, I feel pretty disappointed with this shower gel and would not repurchase it again. 

The reason for the "sweet" smell? Apparently this shower gel contains community fair trade honey from Ethiopian beekeepers. The beekeepers build their hives using whatever they have on hand. You could find them making hives out of old baskets, clay pots, grass and bamboo. This is apparently better for the bees (healthier for them!) and is more sustainable than other methods of beekeeping which will involve logging activities. So feel good when you are using this product! You are helping the Ethiopian beekeepers. =p

Aside from the lack of zestiness, the other that gets to me is that I have to use SOOOO much of this product to get a good lather and to actually get a nice-smelling aroma wafting around the toilet. I think I use 5 pumps of this shower gel PER shower! That's 10 pumps a day! No wonder I am using so much of it so fast. Maybe you think I have a huge area of skin to wash... but I say that when I try to "save" and use only 2 pumps... I just don't feel clean and fragrant enough. And then I will "shower" again with another 2 pumps or so. So might as well just have 5 pumps in one go. 

All in all, probably a good buy in terms of cost and in terms of the feel-good factor (helping beekeepers, hahaha!), but not a repurchase as I like tingly, zesty fragrances that perk one up in the morning (more lemon rind please!) and a nice, thick lather. 

Is that too much to ask for?

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Monday Masks : Dermal Red Ginseng Collagen Essence Mask

I've been using lots of masks and totally falling behind in keeping my beauty blog updated. :x One of the main reasons could be me using a LOT of masks when my wedding was coming up, and I wasn't blogging much then either. So, I end up with a backlog of entries! At the same time, I continue to buy and use sheet masks, hah. It's neverending! I thought my husband would "control" me more by asking me to stop buying stuff. But just the other day we passed by this new Korean skincare store and he actually encouraged me to go in and check the products out! He said, "Hey, look they have a deal on sheetmasks. You like those, don't you?" *fainted* Will blog more about the masks and the store later, but anyway, that was totally shocking for me. Plus, when I was there, I fell in love with one of their argan oil hair serum. O_O Must restrain self!

Anyway, am here to review the Dermal Red Ginseng Mask. Have had pretty good time with the Dermal masks, as I have reviewed before here. Was pretty keen to try the "red ginseng" as it's not something you usually see being promoted in masks! Well, this one is suitable for all skin types and is apparently good for FIRMING and BRIGHTENING. Technically, I reckon I'm still young, so I don't need the "firming", and brightening is more of to even the skintone and not so much about bleaching your skin / turning yourself 2 shades lighter. Dull skin (from lack of exercise, sunlight, and the ilk) could do with a booster shot of brightening essence!

As with all Dermal masks that I bought, it also contains COLLAGEN and VITAMIN E which helps to increase skin elasticity. Again - not sure if it is effective when absorbed through the skin. I think it's better if you actually take collagen pills / drinks.

 

The fit of the mask is quite good, in my books. However, this mask is definitely not for me! I couldn't stand the "medicinal" smell of the ginseng! It made me smell like my grandma! Skin felt slightly more moisturised after using, but nothing significant in terms of brightening. Will not be a repurchase for me for this particular scent, but will definitely buy other "flavors" in this range. 

Did a bit more research and found out that Red Ginseng is more suitable as a facial aid for AGING skin due to it's antioxidant properties. Now I know that taking care of your skin's AGING should start when you're young (when you're old, it's basically too late for tears), but test results apparently show the best results for red ginseng on women age 40 and above. Yes, even for skincare and not taking it orally. Perhaps you could consider it if you are in this age range!

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My First (Free!) Vanity Trove

So while I was in Singapore, I was lucky enough to run in to this Vanity Trove x Watsons promotion that they were having. Basically, buy up to SGD$80 of stuff from Watsons (doesn't matter what it is) and you will get a FREE Vanity Trove beauty box. In case you do not know what Vanity Trove or beauty box subscriptions are, basically, if you pay a staple amount of $$ every month, this company (Vanity Trove) will send you a box of beauty-related samples each month. It may not necessarily just be skin /hair care. It could be make-up as well! I think it depends on what you state is your preference when you are signing up. I never signed up for it because I didn't know how good it could get, so I was happy that shopping at Watsons allowed me the chance to get a sample box for free!

This is how the box looks like. I really, really cannot wait to open it! *glee* And my husband was so **ho hum** ... he will never understand my obsession with trying different types of skin care / beauty products. He will stick to just one product, possibly the rest of his life. ;P Today he was just trying to influence me to buying the same hair gel as him! Lol...

What greeted me after I opened the box. The faux grass layering at the bottom of the box is a nice but IMHO, unnecessary touch. Give us more stuff! I don't care if the "present" doesn't look pretty!

A sample of 4 different products from DHC, all made from the goodness of olive oil. I like the brochures that come with the items, so you can learn more about the stuff that you will be using. I actually carted all of it back to Malaysia for more intensive study. Hahaha... 

Black cotton face mask from SexyLook. I am not sure if it's the same one as the one Xiaxue just advertised about recently... (lazy to double check). I think hers is from LoveMore, and I'm not sure if these are sister companies or not. Anyway, black face masks are apparently now the trend? :)

The "moisturisers" picture... stuff from Palmers, Hada Labo, Watson's own in-house brand of masks and Bio-Oil. Stuff that I've thought about trying but never bought.

Cristalle 21 Skin Solace serum (in a plastic? case), which is really unique (read: strange). Kinda scared to use it! Sunscreen lotion that came in oh-so-useful because I was going to the zoo and Universal Studios and I totally did not pack any sunblock! I was actually thinking of running out to the nearest pharmacy again to grab a Banana Boat, but this nifty little packet did the trick. Separate blog post coming up just to rave about it.

A sample size packet of MJ fruit smoothie mask (just enough for one application I think... the usual packet is usually enough for multiple applications!), a Neutrogena deep clean face wash in grapefruit (love love love citrus scents!) and a Pure Beauty moisturiser. Another Watsons in-house brand!

Voucher for 15% off Zalora... but the Singaporean site only. Drop me a comment if you want the code! First come, first served.

And then my husband was nagging me to go for the happy hour in Swissotel, so I just dumped everything into the picture and snapped. There's stuff from Biore, Uriage, L'oreal, Rachel K, etc etc. Never fear, I will definitely review each item I got!

Meanwhile, is this a great introduction to Vanity Trove? Well, I think this box doesn't do the company justice because there are too many "mini samples". I heard that the real Vanity Trove sends in much bigger samples, but maybe less products. If you expect me to pay RM60 for this box, then definitely it's not worth it. However, getting it free with my Watsons purchases definitely made this a sweeeeet deal as I like to try many different types of products. Sorry, but definitely can't recommend the beauty box subscription to you based on this. However, would love it if Watsons and Vanity Trove collaborated more in the future!

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Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment

So I bought the Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment as part of my mission to eliminate all blackheads from my nose. I remember buying the face wash (finished ages ago) and toner (still using now) and this warming treatment at the same time. All in all, it cost me about RM70+ for the whole set. And this warming treatment is supposed to be an additional step in your skincare routine. You only get 6 pieces of 5g tubes of warming treatment, so you don't have to use it everyday! You might think it's very little, but you don't use much each time, and honestly, it's kinda crap in my opinion so I forget to use it. Which explains why I currently have so much on hand.

You might be asking .... why did you even buy it in the first place? Well, I have to say it's because I will try anything once you say it will get rid of blackheads. Secondly, because it seems so cool! This warming treatment is pretty unique. It says that once you put it on your skin, it will warm up to 40 degrees celcius. However, they are kinda vague as to how this will help? The instructions basically say, "Use the gentle power of  warming sensation to help eliminate blackheads." Er... yeah, very helpful. So how would that differ from say, using a warm washcloth? Perhaps one would say, it's less troublesome... but let's see if really does help, aye? FYI, I had a facial session with Cellnique again recently, and they told me they REALLY advise against customers pinching out their own blackheads as we are usually "rougher". I don't know if they're just sayin', cos I don't feel her being any more gentle on my blackheads than I am...

The tube is REALLY small, and it can be easily hidden inside my fist. ;)

 

Unhelpful suggestions / instructions, in my humble opinion. 

Clear liquid that really does warm up really quickly once it reaches human contact. Hence I was very, very "stingy" when taking this photo. I didn't want to pool out too much and let it go to waste! The "warm sensation" fades off really quickly. Although you can't see it in this picture, I do feel that the liquid is a little bit grainy. Exfoliating properties? 

This is a picture of my nose BEFORE the blackhead treatment:

 And this is a picture after :

Personally, I don't feel like it made an amazing difference. If there's any difference, it's probably just how it looks like after a normal cleansing. Plus,  the more I look at this enlarged picture, the more I feel that there's still dirt trapped there! And yes, my nose is a little red because I couldn't resist pinching out some dirt.

After all, warming sensation could be based on the idea that our pores open up when it is warm and pores shrink when it is cold. Technically, the warm sensation should be to open up the pores so we could clean out the dirt better? So should this treatment be used before "operating" on one's nose? To me, it didn't make a damn difference how much easier it is to squeeze out dirt before or after... it's my nose, man. It's gonna hurt if I pinch parts of it.

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Settling In

Yikes! Really have been neglecting my beauty blog yet again. However, it's not that easy settling in to a married life. You really start thinking more of your other half than of yourself. I used to like working late, but now I rather go home and cook for my husband and then spend the rest of the night catching up on work (instead of say... blogging?) than to work myself to the ground in the office, and then come back to bum in front of the PC updating stuff. Yes, my blogging life suffers, but all these seems to inconsequential in The Big Picture. I really love my new life in my new home, and I love playing superwoman at the part. Yes, I have to cook, clean, wash, do the laundry AND still go to work day in and day out. Husband, you are so lucky, you hear me? ;)

Honestly, I am more into cooking nowadays as I get to experiment daily. Last time, I was banned from the kitchen by my mom, so I couldn't experiment much. Plus, no one to eat my cooking (aka experiment results) other than my brother. Now, I have a husband who does that! I hate to promise, "I will update more beauty stuff soon...", but I think this post is mainly to tell you that YES, I do have loads to update, just that I never get around to doing so. You know how much beauty-related stuff I have to blog about?

Husband and I bought and assembled the above set of drawers specifically to store all my beauty-related products! Yes! Can you imagine an entire drawer-full of make-up? And another entire drawer full of perfumes, and "daily moisturisers and essentials?" Well, admittedly the bottom drawer is partially empty, but only because I use his other cupboards to store totally un-opened, un-used products!

I am so happy after we got the above drawers (just completed it during the 2nd day of Raya holidays), my mood really did go up 100%. I was getting a bit grumpy because I felt like a "visitor" in my own home because there was no space for my things. But yes, husband to the rescue. Love you, hunney! :)

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What I Am Using Now (My Citrus Life)

Sorry for being MIA! I had been busy planning my wedding - church and chinese wedding. Everything is so hectic, and now I have a new life with my husband. My free time is thinking about what to cook for him, and other than that, there's work! So blogging is really not a big thing for me now. I am trying to be a Superwoman, and be able to do all that is expected of me, but at the same time, trying to just get settled in and relax. My husband's condo is so nice that I perpetually think I am on holiday and staying in a hotel! It still hasn't hit me that I'm married and that this is my home too!

Since I'm still in "holiday mood", won't commence the proper beauty reviews. Instead, here's a short update on all the cool products that I'm using now. :3 Some of them are super new --- I bought it when I was honeymoon-ing, and for someone who ALWAYS uses the chance to use samples when I'm on holiday, I totally forgot to pack anything (a lot of things are still in my parents house!) and I wound up buying a lot of stuff that I already have. My husband is complaining that when he opens his cabinet, it's like a pharmacy shop with all the shower gels, face wash, etc etc. Wait til I show you my latest shopping hauls! :O

Anyway, with no further ado, here's the cool stuff I've been using in hubby's house :

 Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo in "Citrus Lift". Got this from Singapore last time!

Body Shop's Sweet Lemon Shower Gel that I bought during a Body Shop sale. I tell you, when I was on my holiday, I saw so many good deals in Body Shop that I really had to restrain myself from shopping til I drop! There were buy 1 free 1 shower scrubs, travel essentials, etc etc. Sigh, if only my husband has more cabinet space! :p

Ouh, don't mind the water droplets on the bottle! I have always been drawn to the Organix packaging because it looks very professiona and luxe at the same time. I didn't buy a shampoo set, but only the conditioner because I realised that I have more shampoo than conditioners at the moment. Why? Probably due to the pharmacies always have shampoo discounts but not shampoo + conditioner sets. No regrets buying this on it's own though, cos it's that good! Will definitely write a review on this. ;)

And finally, Johnson & Johnson deep action daily pore cleanser. Not citrus at all, but definitely something that  I am using daily. Don't really like it though I thought it had so much potential. More deets in a proper review!

Yes, there is way, way more stuff that I use on a daily basis, but some of them I have blogged about before. Anyway, wish me luck in this new chapter of my life and hope to be a more consistent blogger when I have settled in to a proper routine. :)

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