Beauty Bay Shopping :)

I only got around to posting this today, but my order from Beautybay came in last month or even earlier. :p

I got the 1 inch Ceramic Dial A Heat Tong from Babyliss and the 34mm Babyliss Pro Ionic Thermal Brush

I love these two. The curling iron I got is just the perfect size. The ceramic coating makes it really smooth and I believe prtects your hair from heat damage as well. It does not tug at your hair when you close the clamp like most curling irons. It's just very smooth. You also get to adjust the heat settings depending on your hair type.

Some people compalin how this curling iron is too light and that it doesn't feel sturdy. My first Babyliss curling iron has been with me since 2008 and it has worked as well as the first day I used it.

The best part about Babyliss is that they are so affordable and with Beautybay's free international shipping, it makes it all the more worth it. Here in Singapore, these curling irons retail from $75-$100. I got this for much less. STEAL!!!

Trivia for Babyliss: They were the first creators of the curling iron. So there. Go figure. :D

The Thermal Brush on the other hand is perfect for those people who struggle with holding a blow dryer and a brush in each hand. This makes it MUCH easier. Although it's not as strong as your normal hair dryer so you need to be more patient when drying your hair. That's about it. Nothing special to rave about. Just a 2-in-1 hair gadget that works. :)

For Audrey + Lush and Luxe

Woke up early enough to paint my nails. :)

Nothing much to say, I love this combination. And that irregularly shaped glitter/confetti, whatever you call it, is just gorgeous. It looks like foil or gold leaf except it's not gold. :P

Oh, one not so good thing about Lush and Luxe is that you really need to make sure you get the glitter on the brush because it doesn't adhere very well. if you don't check, you might just end up adding a layer of clear polish on your nails.

But that little bit won't stop me. It's too much fun to look at. :D

Review: China Glaze White Crackle in Lightning Bolt and Sweet Hook

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this combo. 

As an individual polish, I love China Glaze's Sweet Hook from the Electro Pop Collection. I like the color and the consistency. A perfect alternative or match with this Spring's mint greens (Although we don't have Spring in Singapore. #WishfulThinking).

Now, the Crackle polish, I hate. I'm not a pro at applying nail polish and I proudly admit to being slow and to doing a sloppy job. If you're anything like me in this regard, this nail polish is going to be a pain for you to apply. 

Once you take the brush out and start swiping it, you need to be fast. If you take time, the polish thickens on the brush and on the sides of the bottle. Turning into what looks like a chalky paste. As thick or even thicker than all purpose glue. And once it reaches that stage and you accidentally apply it on your nails, you'll have that thick gunk on top which no longer cracks and just sits there.

Lastly, I find that this white from China Glaze is not opaque at all. You need to apply quite a thick coat at one go for it to work. If you apply too little, it's translucent and the finish isn't nice. I haven't tried double coating though but I'm not sure that would work with a cackle polish.

Lucky for me, I'm not a big fan of the crackle nail look so I don't have to go out searching for the perfect crackle/shatter nail polish.

Review: OPI My Pointe Exactly

Pardon the awkward three-finger photo. This nail polish is just horrible. I give up.

I applied a layer of base coat and 4 coats of nail polish on each finger. On the last finger, I put a single coat of white nail polish to give it a bit of opacity but that still failed.

At 4 coats, it takes almost forever to dry. I was really looking forward to this collection from OPI. I thought I'd get the jelly, semi-translucent finish without struggle and even get away with converting it into an opaque one with a layer of white polish. But no. :(

It looks really pretty on the bottle and the vendor I got it from does not allow you to test the products, so there.

Anyway, I buy my polishes from D.Y.O.N in case anybody's interested. They sell China Glaze at S$8.00 each and OPI at S$10.00. Probably the best deal you can get in Singapore. Only downside is you can't test the products out.

You can find them on Facebook for the latest additions to their stocks and at the Scape flea market from Fridays to Sundays.

Bellabox

Bellabox Singapore!!!

What's inside:

Caudalie Eye and Lip Creme

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel and $50 Voucher for a salon in Jurong West

A'kin Lavender, Geranium, and Jojoba Hand and Nail Creme

Royal Cosmetics Royal Herb EX Cream

L'egere Shiny Pearl BB Cream

Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum

What is Bellabox? Rather than explain, here's their website. Link! :P

My thoughts:

Packaging is great. Sturdy and pretty. I wasn't really expecting much for $15. With all the products they included inside, they must cut costs somewhere, right? But, no. Even the tissue paper and the pink ribbon tied around it and that little sticker that held everything together, was all very tastefully done and chosen.

They claim on their website that they "handpick" products for you. And they do! Reading the box of the BB cream, it mentioned that there were 2 types. One which is more moisturizing, and another which controls oil. I was thinking that this makes or breaks my subscription. If I get the moisturizing one, that only means one thing. That they did not take my profile into consideration. But, again! They gave me the oil-controlling one. Happiness!

I like how you get a very well rounded combination of products. From make-up to skin care. And that they come in deluxe sizes, too. I never understood how some samples are only good enough to be used once. Clearly, using a product once does not at all give you enough time to tell if it really works for you. Especially with skincare. But if there's one product out there that makes a significant difference from first use, then WHOAH! Ha ha ha

I like the unexpectedness of it all. I like how I get to be surprised with products to try and that I never know what I'm going to get. It's like having a birthday present. Except you get it every month.

Product Review: Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense

This is my new favorite sunscreen! Link!

I'll jump to the pros and cons straight away. No beating around the bush here.

Pros:

• Fragrance-free
• Doesn't make my face oily/greasy
• Doesn't make me break out
• Not sticky
• Does not leave any white residue on my skin once the sunblock dries - I get this a lot when I rub my face once my sunblock dries. Maybe when applying foundation/concealer/any liquid or cream product. I'll notice that I have little white particles sloughing or rubbing off.
• Lasts the whole day
• SPF is high enough to be used at the beach
• Does not leave a white cast after the product dries
• Packaging wins a +++ for me, too because of the flip top cap and that it stands on the cap side so the product will always flow down to the tip especially when you only have a wee bit of product left.

Cons:

• You need to use a separate moisturizer. So that's an extra step in your skincare routine
• A bit pricey at S$68 for 30ml
• Takes quite a while (3 minutes, give or take) to absorb into the skin after I work it in.

I learned from Kiehl's that if you add another "0" to the SPF number like SPF50, that's how long it protects your skin from the sun. So if this is SPF 50, that means 500 minutes of protection.

Avene Cleanance Toner vs Kiehl's Calendula Toner

So the last time I spoke about this product, I said it wasn't really anything special and that it doesn't really do anything for my skin.

I might just be wrong. :|

A week ago, I bought tons of Khiel's stuff and the lady there gave me a deluxe sample of their Calendula Toner.

I was actually pre-decided on getting a full-size toner since I was convinced that the Avene wasn't working for me. Anyway, to cut the long story short. My skin hates the Calendula Toner and I'm currently breaking out like crazy.

So, I guess Avene does work at keeping my breakout level at a minimum. OR Maybe there's no magic toner out there which can help to stop all these pesky pimples from sprouting. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet. Although I could swear I've tried more than a dozen products already. From the lowest to the highest end.

HEEEELLLP