She Shops Makeup

I know.. I know.. We are into mid-May now so this post is beyond LATE! I have been traveling the past month and have been sick since I got back from Taipei last Sunday :(

Anyway, better late than never right?

I believe the first beauty subscription service was started by 2 Harvard University students back in October 2012 - Birchbox. And within a couple months, they had a venture capitalist invest about 1.5million dollars in their business. This concept of "try in bite sizes before you buy" became all the rave over the USA, Europe, Australia and now... Singapore. Yay!

Personally, I love the concept of paying a small fee each month which allows you to try products you wouldn't normally pick up at the store, especially if they are unfamiliar or part of a new, upcoming brand.

Vanity Trove very kindly sent me their April box. Here's what's in the box:

First impressions: The box was beautifully made and very sturdy. I have since recycled it to store my false eyelashes on my vanity. Love the "drawer" style!

The box was beautifully packed with goodies for the hair, skin, face and even the soul (with the help of a massage of course). The thing about such subscription services is that every box each month has got it's standard items as seen in the card above, but there are also variations, for instance, I noted that my box came with a pair of Star Lash eyelashes while Eliza's box had the Estee Lauder Wrinkle Serum.

2 of my most used products from the box are:

I have been wanting to try products from the Moroccan Argan range for a while now. Saw them while I was in Melbourne but would be pretty heavy to pack them in the luggage all the way to Singapore. I was most excited about this product in the box. Have been using it for weeks now, and I am LOVING it!! The smell isn't great when you first put it on, but because it's a cream and not an oil, it absorbs into the hair pretty quickly and becomes scentless - rather, the original scent does not linger on your hair.

Definitely going to repurchase this when mine runs out!

This is another item from the box that has found a permanent spot in my daily vanity pouch. It does not do much to plump up the lips but I do like the non-sticky texture and the color.

Seriously, how good is this subscription service? For $25, you get some products, some in full size, and on top of that, shopping vouchers and even a complimentary 60 minute spa. I have yet to give the spa a try but I definitely will - Never say NO to spas!

If you are looking for some monthly excitement, to be surprised with a box of beauty goodies, hop over to Vanity Trove's website (http://www.vanitytrove.com/) now and check out how to sign up for the service.

Thanks Vanity Trove once again, for the box.

Hi everyone!

I'll be away for a week starting tomorrow night. Will be heading up to Taiwan with 2 girlfriends for shopping and food. It's gonna be my first time in Taiwan. I've heard so much about the inexpensive skincare and cosmetics. Please leave a comment below with your recommendations!! :)

Just wanted to showcase some of the past nail of the week pictures which I haven't had time to post. Enjoy! :)

ESSIE

Base color - Topless & Barefoot

Embellishments - Essie Spring Collection (from my previous haul)

Butter London

Color - Knackered

I was somewhat disappointed with the outcome of the color. In the pictures below, I had on 3 coats and they were still insufficient to create an opaque finish - I can see the white tips of my nails peaking through :( I wanted to love this color. It looks gorgeous in the bottle though.

China Glaze

Color - Aqua Baby ascent with Gold shatter by China Glaze

I love this color and how creamy and easy it was to apply. The texture of the polish was just right to create a fairly opaque finish even with the first coat. In the shots below, I had 2 coats on.

Ruby Kiss

Color - Midnight Stars

I got this Korean brand nail polish for only $9 at Watsons at 112 Katong and got a set of Nail Art for FREE! There were 6 designs of nail art to choose from and I picked the one with lace because it was the most versatile.

Quick review of this polish: For $9, it was of extremely good quality. It's got a jelly-like texture, making it extremely easy to apply and dry really fast as well. It's got a flat and wide brush, much like the OPI by Nicole range of nail polish brush. The only downside is that it's got a pretty limited range of colors. I have not seen this brand of nail polish at any Watsons other than the one at 112 Katong. So if you are in the vicinity, do check it out.

And the free Nail Art...

Okie, that's all for now. Let me know what you think of the nail polish swatches above.

Also, please please please recommend where to go and what beauty stuff I should get from Taiwan! :)

I was first introduced to this brand by the Pixiwoo sisters after watching a number of their tutorials on YouTube. Because they have normal to dry skin like me, I decided to give this moisturizer a shot. The Lait-Crème Concentrè is a rich moisturizing lotion. This cream is pretty versatile, many make-up artists tend to use this as an all in one moisturizer and primer. It is even said to be good as a make-up remover and as a base for shaving to reduce irritation - which I have yet to try!

• I put this moisturizer to the test while I was in Melbourne. My theory is - if this cream is able to provide my skin with enough moisture throughout the day despite the cold and dry weather in Melbourne, it will work anywhere. And, of course, it did work like a dream!
• This is one of those moisturizers that is not very thick and creamy and it is perfect for day use especially under your make-up.
• It is very hydrating and the hydration does last about 12-16 hours. I wouldn't say it lasts 24 hours (like how it is advertised) because, you should be putting on another layer of moisturizer at night before bed :)
• What I love most about this moisturizer is how quickly it absorbs into the skin, leaving the skin supple and smooth without the oily, sticky feel of moisturizer over the skin. Hence the reason why it is perfect as a primer.
• Double up as a primer if you have generally good skin and does not require a primer that fully conceals your pores and lines. I find that this worked very well on my laughlines.
• It is said to be suitable for all skin types. And I believe so, having read some reviews of people with combination to oily skin raving about this product.
• Finally, the packaging - I love how it comes in a squeezy tube rather than a jar. It's so convenient and hygienic.

• There is virtually nothing bad to say about this moisturizer. Months ago, I would have put the unavailability as a negative. But this product can now be found in Singapore - Parco Bugis and Millenia Walk stock them and prices are very reasonable.

Love it!! Go out and get it if your current moisturizer is running out. I can't quite remember how much I paid for it but I believe there's a 20-30% off at Parco Millenia when I got mine so I paid around $36.

Hey everyone!

I have so much backlog, ranging from my past hauls to nail of the days, to reviews, etc, waiting to be posted. After much prioritization and pondering, I decided that my haul today is much more exciting and I want to share it with you guys!

I went to Sephora Ion earlier this evening with the intention to pick up only the Urban Decay Dew Me Makeup Setting Spray as mine had run out. It is now my holy grail makeup setting spray. Of course, I had to walk past the Philosophy counter on my way to the cashier.

I think you can probably guess the rest of the story.

Spent a good 15minutes hovering around 2 of the 3 Philosophy sections. I was so tempted to get the Turbo Booster C Powder along with the Hope In A Jar moisturizer to help brighten up my dull skin. But since I have unused moisturizer sitting on my vanity and refridgerater, I decided against it. I kept reminding myself I should only get what I need and so I did.... I think... :)

Here's what I picked up:

Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 cleanser for face and eyes

"this multi-award winning 3-in-1 cleanser removes face and eye makeup, gently cleanses the skin, tones and lightly hydrates. It also contains a proprietary blend of extracts for a unique, fresh scent"

My current Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil is entering it's final week of use, so I thought the timing to give this cleanser a try couldn't be more perfect! I was never a fan of 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 products, not even for hair shampoos. So, I have to admit, I do have my doubts about this cleanser.

First impressions: Have just tried it earlier to remove my makeup and cleanse my face. I would say it does remove face makeup very well. However, it doesn't seem to work as well for waterproof eyeliner and mascara. Perhaps it requires a few more tries although it kinda stung my eyes when I was attempting to remove my eye makeup. I was however impressed with how well it cleansed my face. It was really really clean!! Detailed review when I've used it for at least a couple weeks.

Price: $34 for 240ml

The Microdelivery Peel - in-home vitamin C/ peptide peel

"this two-step in-home weekly peel rapidly resurfaces and replenishes skin with vitamin C and skin-firming peptides. It also dramatically rejuvenates sun-damaged, hyperpigmented and aging skin"

I have been using the CURE exfoliant (from Watsons) once a week and am always on the lookout for a new product. Although I have Peter Thomas Roth exfoliating pads in my refridgerator! I was told this works like a dream and it is as good as the microdermabrasion procedures done by doctors.

First impressions: Have not used this yet, will do so tomorrow night after tennis. The Philosophy promoter tried it on the back of my hand and the moment she washed off the peel from my hand, I was sold! You know how it is always almost impossible to tell how a product works on the back of your hand apart from it feeling baby soft? Well, this one did really cause my skin to appear brighter almost instantaneously. More updates after I've tried and tested it further.

Price: $109

Official Launch of Philosophy at Sephora will start this Friday.

Current Promotion:

GOODIES WORTH $60

- Philosophy pouch

- Travel size 90ml of Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 cleanser

- Miracle Worker miraculous anti-aging concentrate

- Hope in a jar oil free gel moisturizer

- Satchel of Eye Hope multitasking eye cream for dark circles, puffiness and lines

On the whole, Philosophy products seemed pretty reasonably priced.

What are some of the products you have tried and what would you recommend?

Thanks for looking!