Yummy Cherry Lips

All you ladies must have experienced this sometime. You know how some days you just don't feel like wearing makeup? When you're not in the mood to be slapping on stuff?

Like say if you're on a day full of errands, and you just want to dust on some powder and go. But you also need something to make sure you don't look too pale?

I would know, because it happens to me pretty often. And so I'd like to introduce you to (yet) another one of my lipbalms - Nivea Lipcare Cherry.

Those of you who know me, will know that I sometimes have very pale lips. Sometimes. No idea why. I've had people walk up to me and ask me if I was sick before. Yes, it can be THAT bad.

So to avoid incidences like that, this Cherry lipbalm is my usual go-to.

Swipe one layer and it gives my lips a very light cherry tint. Swipe on a few layers and it can actually look quite red. It does brighten up my complexion and makes me look like I've got lovely rosy lips. Anybody doesn't WANT lovely rosy lips? No? I thought so. =P


It's also balmy enough to keep those lips from chapping, and believe me, my lips chap very easily. No wonder then that I'm addicted to lipbalm!

I've also used this in place of lipsticks even on some makeup days. If it's tinted lips I want for my look, this lippie works great too.

(Before: Pale, pale lips.)

(After: Lovely rosy lips!)

Just a little warning though, for those of you with sensitive noses. It has a fragrance which I would describe as sweet. But Kahani says "it smells like the cough mixture I had when I was a kid". LOL. So take a whiff if you can. Just so you know.

This yummy cherry can be found at most drugstores for less than RM10 I believe, so it's wallet-friendly enough.

Other fetishes may come and go, but lipbalms are for keeps. =P

FOTD: Going Au Naturel

When I posted my review of Bobbi's Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick, many of you girls requested for an FOTD. And so here it is.

Do bear in mind, though, that the shimmer brick is very natural, as I have mentioned before in my review. If you're expecting high drama from this shimmer brick, then you will be let down.

Trying to capture the "glowy look" in a photograph is also a lot harder than you'd imagine! I'd like to think it really looks better in person. =P

Read on to see what I used for this very natural look.

Face

• Illuminare Ultimate All-day Foundation/ Concealer
  
• ZA two-way foundation (on chin, nose and forehead only)
  
• Skin Food powder for oily skin

Cheeks

• MAC blush in Cubic
• Bobbi Brown Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick

Eyes

• Bobbi Brown Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick
  
• MAC eyeliner in Teddy (dark brown liner)

(The shimmer brick, while great as a highlighter or a wash to wake up tired looking eyes, can look a little light on its own. I think adding a darker shade of brown eyeshadow would complement the look quite nicely.)

(I added just a wee bit of brown liner to add a little oomph to the look. I felt it looked a little plain on its own as the colours are so natural.)


Lips

• Lipbalm
• MAC lipstick in Sandy B

So, what d'ya think?

I Spied Bobbi's Brights Eye Palette!

Ladies, will you check this out! Bobbi Brown is finally giving us colour! Browsing through the Bobbi Brown site, I stumbled upon this 35-soft-matte-shadow palette and for a moment I had to check to make sure I wasn't in the Coastal Scents website instead.

But true enough, it was Bobbi alright.

Isn't it such a lovely palette? And what a refreshing change to the usual Bobbi offerings.

More info on the palette after the jump!

"Inspired by Bobbi at Fashion Week. This collector's edition palette is designed for the woman who wants to play and experiment with bright color. Features 35 soft matte shadows in a colorful shade range that includes everything from pinks and greens to blues and purples. All the shades are new and exclusive to this palette, which features a unique, fold-out design and full size mirror. Available for a limited time." - Bobbi Brown site.

I haven't seen this palette myself. And truth be told, I don't even know if this will ever reach Malaysian shores.

But I will keep an eye out for it. If anyone has seen it, please let us know!

And the question is, what do you think of it? Holler back, girls!

Monday's Beauty Bits

Hey girls, I'm back, kudos to Syen for holding down the fort brilliantly.

I, like several other beauty bloggers (like Connie and Beetrice) have fallen helplessly in love with Daiso. It's retail therapy heaven! A mad variety of beauty stuff, household, organisational fun, and all for a price that won't make you cry after. Expect my next few posts to be very Daiso peppered! (Thanks for the heads-up on this place, Beet!)

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but I adore, ADORE Benetint. I didn't like it at first when I got it, thought it was blah, but I found myself reaching more and more for it. Unlike Posietint it's not a "look" on me. Instead it's a natural-rosy look I can layer over, or leave as is. And it lasts and lasts. I also find it a good deal easier to blend than Posietint. (PS. I've been watching BBC's Pride and Pred and Benetint gives that exact natural English-rose flush the Bennet girls sport).

Warning: DO NOT set tacky liquid foundation with Silk Natural's Tinted Oil Control Primer. You WILL turn orangey brown, and will have to wash it all off and start again. Boo!

I wandered into Shins at Cineleisure yesterday and had an absolutely glorious time poking around. Among other discoveries (like an amazing selection of false eyelashes, one even looked small and natural enough for asian eyes hmm...), I found that they carried Bloom cosmetics! Anyone have any recommendations?

And finally, after years and years of hankering after the Purseket, I bought a Bag Organiser in light brown for RM29.90 at the flea market outside Cineleisure. Big thanks to my new found bag si-fu, ParisB for her great review!

Tagged: Friendship awards and survey

Thanks to Beetrice for tagging me. I warn you girls though I have little ability to answer a series of personal questions soberly. So take everything with a pinch of salt!

Here we go!

where is your cell phone? Charging by the bed.

where is your significant other? Hmm.. good question. Lemme go check the man-trap in my yard. Brb!

hair colour? Dark brown shading to black

your mother? Playing computer games in her room. No I'm not kidding. She IS!

your father? Downstairs watching melodramatic Hokkien soaps.

your favourite thing(s)? My two bookshelves and everything in them, and my makeup chest too! Yes, yes I cheated and added the (s)

your dream last night? My hair decided to organise a rebellion and take over. It was winning too.

your dream/goal? (new answer 'cos the last one was actually Bee's! I missed this question) To wake up with bigger eyes.

the room you're in? Bedroom

your hobby? Reading. The rest is subject to change.

your fear? Driving in Kuala Lumpur. Yes I really am terrified of it!

where do you want to be in 6 years? Alhambra, Provence, Salento, ANYWHERE but here!

where were you last night? Having dinner with Syen at The Curve after a mad shopping spree at Daiso. LOVE that place!

what you're not? Angelic. *grins*

one of your wish list items? An apartment of my own, with a walk-in makeup and dressing room.

where you grew up? Oddly, although most of my life has been in PJ, the first place that popped to mind was University Malaya. Was born in UH, spent 2 years living in UM, and a lot of time there afterwards.

the last thing you did? Met someone for dinner at 1U

what are you wearing? A black and white bandeau sundress with a pattern of butterflies.

your tv? Don't have one. It feeds on your braaaaaain!

your pet? Two bouncing beagles. One bouncier and cuddlier (Rocky) than his more sombre buddy (Toby).

your computer? A Mac iBook G4

your mood? Getting slightly annoyed at the unending list of questions.

missing someone? Yes.

your car? Outside. Hiding in a bush.

something you're not wearing? Uhh. Shoes?

favourite store? Borders... and now possibly, Daiso!

your summer? This is just silly.

love someone? Not counting family, friends and pets... nope. The man-trap was full of minnows. Had to toss 'em back.

your favourite colour? Like Beet... Purple!!

when is the last time you laughed? 20 minutes ago. I think.

last time you cried? This morning. Emotional sort, aren't I?

are you a b*tch? Of course.

favourite position? **** ********* ***** (censored for PG13 rating)

favourite past time? Reading, or I must confess... primping.

are you a hater or a lover? Oh please. It changes.

are you genuine or fake? Too damned genuine for my own good.

any vices? Yes.

pro life or wire hanger? I take offense at the phrasing of this question.

mccain or obama? Well, Obama won. The point is moot.

pro plastic or natural? Eat more coconuts! (Hey, ask a stupid question...)

dream job? Getting to travel, experience crazy wonderful things, and writing about it.

At last! It's done! And as an act of kindness to the rest of humanity I will not spread this disease further. Plus, I have no idea who else I can tag.

Merry & Blessed Christmas!!!

Dearest readers,

It's our first Christmas here at So Loverly, and we are truly excited to be able to share this joyous occasion with you.

We'll be spending some time with family and loved ones, and taking a very short break. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the festivities, let's also not forget the true meaning of Christmas. 

As 2008 is also drawing to a close, we would like to thank each and everyone of you for having supported us since we started in April this year. We're still a baby, but it's been one heck of a fun-filled seven months! =D

Merry Christmas, one and all!!!

Love,
Syen & Kahani

PS: We'll be back soon!

Looks: All That Jazz!!!

So last Saturday Kahani and I decided to go paint the town red. Well, actually a friend of hers, Elvira Arul, was performing in Bangkok Jazz in KL (she was VERY good, by the way) and we thought "Why not?".

It's been a while since we've had a bit o' fun, and so fun we did have.

Kahani pulled off her femme fatale Frenched look once again, while I chose a purple smokey-eye number. To go with the top, see.

So read on to see what I used to create this look! =)

Face

• Illuminare Ultimate All-day Foundation/ Concealer (this is GREAT stuff as a concealer. Review coming soon!)
• ZA two-way foundation (on chin, nose and forehead only)
• Silk Naturals Tinted Oil Control Primer (I use this as loose powder)

Cheeks

• Bobbi Brown blush in Mauve

Eyes

• MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (eye primer)
• MAC Shadestick in Royal Hue (in my crease as purple base, and in the final step, very lightly over liner on lower lid)
• Silk Naturals eyeshadow in Slate (applied over Royal Hue)
• Cyber Colours black eyeliner (on upper lid and halfway on lower lid)
• Origins eyeshadow in very dark grey/black (in outer V corner, and entire lower lid)
• Stage eyelash curler

(Despite piling on Slate, which is a grey shade, the purple from the shadestick is still very evident, which is just awesome.)

(Deepest apologies, but pleease don't mind the brows. They're ermm.. overgrown at the moment. *blushes*)

(Note: No mascara. *grin*)

Lips

• Lipbalm
• Maybelline Water Shine lipstick in Kir Royal (looove!)

(And the whole look put together. And oh, this shot was AFTER the partying with minor touch-ups of course. Lasted pretty well, huh?)

So, what do you girls think? =)

Have Yourself a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond ~

Hey ladies! With the holiday seasons in full swing now, I thought I'd share what I've picked up for meself.

Sitting rather smugly on my beauty shelf right now is the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond. When the ads first came out a month or so back, the one thing which screamed "Take me hooome!" to me was this shimmer brick.

It left me no choice. And so the first chance I got to get my paws on this little pretty palette, I did. I HAD to.

This shimmer brick comes in five strips of beige and light bronze shades with gold shimmer. It's a great highlighter, for those of us girls with warmer skin tones. I am not entirely sure how well it would suit the cooler-toned ladies amongst us.

The first time I wore this was when I walked into a Bobbi outlet (in Midvalley) and asked to try it out. The MA (Esther, who was entirely lovely) applied the Desert Rose blush lightly on my cheeks for a light flush and then proceeded to swirl her face blender brush on the palette and dusted it on my cheeks lightly to highlight.

While the shimmer brick might be named Copper Diamond, in no way did it sparkle with chunky glitter. Instead, the end result was a lovely and natural soft candle-lit glow. Kahani protested when she heard, proclaiming that no self-respecting Copper Diamond should be "natural".

"That's what BEIGE is for," said she.

I beg to differ. This baby has just the right balance between the lightness of a highlighter with the oomph of a mild bronzer. Perfect.

Apply it (preferably with fingers I should think) to your eyelids, and you've got coordinated eyeshadows too.

Another aspect of the palette I wish to highlight (pun intended), is that the packaging differs slightly from all the previous shimmer bricks. This one comes in a matte gold case, unlike the others which come predominantly in shiny black cases. But the best part? No more accumulating unsightly thumbprints worthy of CSI status.

Being a shimmer fan, I am definitely happy I picked this up. I've been using this of late, and so far am loving it.

As it's a Limited Edition item, best hurry if you like what you're seeing. But like all other shimmer bricks, this one will also set you back by RM145.


Diamonds never come cheap.

Monday's Beauty Bits

This is my first Monday's Beauty Bits, so do bear with me a little as I try to prattle on the little things in beauty that matter to me. Kahani, who has always been holding the fort for Beauty Bits, is currently out of town for a few days to attend to some personal matters.

Even though I have been on the makeup bandwagon for a little while now, it was only very recently that I realised what a difference a little bit of eye liner and mascara can do to my eyes. My already big eyes seem to get even bigger, almost beyond pop. That's great news for me though, as it's the one feature I love to emphasize on when I do my makeup for night-outs and special occasions. =)

With that said, for the everyday, eyelash curlers alone are my new go-to now to give my lashes a little lift. I have no patience for the liner and mascara for everyday makeup, so it's eyeshadow, then the curler and I'm good to go.

For someone who loves MAC (most of the time anyway), I have been an awfully good girl. I got NOTHING from their Holiday collection. Awfully, awfully good, I tell ya. (Santa, are you listening?) The products looked good, but nothing I HAD to get. The MAC Brunette Blonde Redhead collection, however... now THIS one, I'm looking forward to. The MSFs! =P

Still on MAC, sorry if I'm a little late, but MAC Monogram is already here in Malaysia. While it does look good, I'm not getting anything either as I feel this collection is waaay overpriced. Sorry MAC, but there are limits, you know.

My mom was recently hospitalised for urinary tract infection (but don't worry, she's ok now), which leads me to send you ladies a reminder. Drink your water! Lots and lots of it. They don't call it a kidney saver for nothing, and besides, water is supposed to clear up your skin too. So drink up!

And finally, I am now officially on the Rootote wagon. Many thanks to Kahani who got me this Rootote as my Christmas pressie, and now I am a proud owner of one too. =D Thanks babe!

Tag: 16 Things About ME

So I've been tagged by the lipgloss-eating Jenn. =P

Directions: once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a post with sixteen random things, facts, habits or goals about you. at the end choose ten people (I'll be nice and stick to three) to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. don’t forget to leave them a comment (“you’re it”) to read your blog. you can’t tag the person who tagged you. since you can’t tag me, let me know when you’ve posted on your blog, so i can see your weirdness.

*Gulp* SIXTEEN things? Oh boy. Here goes!

1. The first thing I want to do when I get my own place is to get a dog! I'm thinking Welsh Corgi. Then Golden Retriever. Then German Shepherd. =)


2. Everyone says I'm my daddy's girl. And darn proud of it. *tee hee*

3. I'm not a vege person. I eat it, but it doesn't mean I have to like all of it.

4. I get a little bothered by people who bite their nails. I just personally find it very unhygienic.

5. I have a bad habit of correcting people's English. Yes, it's a baaaad habit, but I can control myself fairly well now.

6. I actually have a bucket list. As in the things I plan to do before I die. You know, stuff like sky-diving, learning French etc.


7. I'm studying Biblical Hebrew (one of the stuff from the bucket list). It's so not easy! The grammar rules are insane, I tell you. Insane!

8. Travelling is something of a priority for me over the next few years. So many places, so little time and money. The US, Egypt, Israel, UK, Europe(!!), New Zealand's south island... just to name a few.

(Ooh.. this photo's mine from when I paid Kahani a visit in Amsterdam last year.)

9. I also really want to get my own DSLR. Preferably soon. Canon 450D, I'm staring at you!

10. I have always been into the Tudor era of the English history. The colour! The drama! Amazing. Making a stop at the Tower of London when I was in the UK last year was definitely one of the highlights of my trip! =D


11. Two of my favouritest authors are L.M. Montgomery and Neil Gaiman. Different styles, different eras, but both amazing writers.

12. I like my cars and I like four-wheelies. This is possibly due to the fact that the first vehicle I drove around after I got my license was an old, white Mitsubishi Pajero.

(Something like that lah.)

I'm currently driving a little maroon Kelisa, but if my wallet could afford it, I'd run down to a Nissan showroom and get me an X-trail. Or a Murano. But my current ultimate dream car is a Volkswagon Golf GTI. *sigh*

13. (Oh dear, we're STILL not done yet?) I think the pipe organ is one heck of a cool musical instrument. It's huge and it's expensive and it's LOUD.

14. I have seasonal fetishes. At one point it was wallets, then bags, then lipsticks, then blushers. Right now it's hair masks. Yes dears, reviews coming soon!

15. One person I have immense respect for in life is my mom (and not just because it's a cliche answer). One big lesson I've learnt from her is how to say you're sorry if you've made a mistake. Sometimes, eating the humble pie is a lot harder than it looks.

16. I can't cook to save my life. *blush* But I'm learning. Slooowly.

There you have it! Sixteen totally random details about me. Now I tag Paris, Beetrice and Kahani (sorry babes =P )!

Pics nicked from here, here, here and here.

Video: Because Fridays are for frivolity

Maybe you girls have seen this utterly adorable commercial for Silky Girl cosmetics. But I've been away and missed it. I came across it at work while researching Silky Girl's advertising campaigns and giggled so much my colleagues thought I'd lost it. Love the Mak Cik's enthusiasm!

Feeding my Citrus addiction: St Ives Energizing Citrus Moisturizing Body Wash

In the morning when I reluctantly and groggily crawl from my cozy bed, the only thing that gets me going is a shower. So naturally I lean towards zinging, refreshing, and crisp scents to wake me up. Although my adored The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit answers this desire, it is unfortunately rather pricey what with the economy going down the toilet and all.

So in looking for an alternative, I sniffed my way through every single citrus-scented offering the supermarket shelf had to offer (I kid you not) and plumped for this citrus cocktail. The wash contains extracts of Lime, Grapefruit (yay!), and Tangerine, with a hint of mint to add freshness.

If you're not keen on citrus, don't try this out, but if you're afraid of heady scents this is anything but. In fact I catch myself sniffing the gel directly so I can get my yummy citrus hit. And it IS yummy, delightfully and refreshingly so. The was also contains Eucalyptus oil for healthy skin, and an added scentual kick.

I find the gel to be a really pleasant use. It foams nicely and washes off easily leaving my skin comfortable not dry. As I'm prone to bacne I kept an eye out for problems, but I haven't reacted to it, as I have done with other moisturising washes, and it cleanses well enough that I don't break out from blocked pores either.

The pearly gel also has enough slip for me to shave my legs without a shaving gel. One draw back is I find myself using this up rather fast as it takes quite a bit to work up a satisfying lather. Perhaps the fault lies with my need for bubbles, but I used a lot less of TBS's Grapefruit wash.

Although it's cheaper, it's not quite I would really call an absolute Cheapie at RM16 for 400 ml. Also as I mentioned before, I'm blitzing through the stuff! But the scent is downright addictive for me, and it makes me happy, so chances are I will repurchase.

Syen's Top 10 De-frazzling Ideas - Part II

So you girls (and guys) might have read Part I of how I like to unwind. And here's Part II. Again, I'm not claiming originality for these ideas, but it's what works for me. I'd like to think that doing all these will somehow help my demented nerves.

For Part II, here's the countdown to the Top 5 of the list.

5. Engage a masseur / DIY home facial
I kid you not. Ok, maybe not bring a masseur home (although, why not? *grin*) but go for a massage. You get the idea. I remember having aching shoulders one time covering a conference (thanks to kitchen-sink handbag on right shoulder and laptop bag on left shoulder), only to run into a Thai masseuse. God bless her. (It was AT the conference. She was promoting Thai massage!) Five minutes into fiddling with the knots in my shoulders and voila - happy shoulders. I was literally begging for more. Alternatively, give yourself a DIY home facial. Your face, and wallet will thank you for it. And so will your frazzled nerves.

4. Get a pet
Everyone knows this. Pets bring your blood pressure down, your stress-level down etc. They also brings your house down. However, if you're like me and it's not possible to GET one right now, then you'll have to beg, borrow or steal. In my case, it would be Kahani's two chubby, cuddly beagles. I run over to her place every now and then not only to play with her makeup hoard, but also to get cuddly cuddly with her dogs. On a serious note though, according to Kahani, looking oh-too-cute is hard work for 'em beagles. Their hair's turning grey.

3. Write
In the days before ideas #2 and #1 were feasible, this was the option I frequently opted for. Mom won't let me go for that weekend party? Write about it. I once even wrote a piece called "The Caged Bird Died". Oh well. That was then. But keeping a diary allowed me a healthy arena to vent my frustrations, and it also developed my skills to channel my thoughts and emotions through writing. Any wonder then that I keep a blog and write for a living?

2. Retail therapy
Ladies, you hear me! Retail therapy. After weeks (or days) of work, work and work, it's time to hit the malls! I personally believe in treating myself every now and then as a reward for slaving away, be it books, skincare, makeup, clothes, shoes or food. Or bags. Don't forget them bags. What I do is I keep a list of things I need (or want) to get, and when I feel the need to do retail therapy, out comes the list. Which should ideally curb compulsive buying. Ideally. It's somehow just a comforting feeling knowing you're spending your OWN money. However, I still believe in spending reasonably, so this is not to say that you should spend to the last cent, ok? Try.

And oh, Kahani has a theory on retail therapy. She says it's our gatherer instincts kicking in. Passed on from generation upon generation of women. It's inborn, our innate trait. We feel in control when we're "gathering".

*giggles* Don't you just love Kahani? I do.

And finally, my ultimate de-frazzling technique.

1. Travelling
I make time and put aside cash every year to ensure I get to see some part of this big glorious world. Maybe I'm at that stage where I've been bitten by the travel bug, but the year's never quite complete without a trip somewhere. There's so much to see and do out there, that it just seems wrong to only stay home. I like my travels relatively free and easy. I book my flights and accommodation, and that's about it. I take note of what I want to see when I get there, but no fixed schedules for me. No thank you.

If I find a nice cosy cafe somewhere, I want to be able to go back there as many times as I can afford to. And traveling doesn't always mean expensive. When I was in Hong Kong earlier this year, I stayed in a hostel which cost about RM60 a night. And what with cheap flights these days, it definitely doesn't have to burn a hole in your pocket. So go see the world, and hopefully come back a wiser person.

With that said, next stop - February: Australia. =D

So, there you have it girls. My Top 10 Ideas to unwind. Hope it helps.

What do you do to unwind? Holler back. Would absolutely love to hear from you!

Review: Himalaya Herbals Refreshing Fruit Face Pack

My adoration for the Himalaya Herbals Neem Face Pack is such that I now hold all its other products in higher esteem (which as far as the Acne-N-Pimple Cream goes was a terrible mistake. It did nothing. *sighs*) So, when looking for a more moisturising mask to use in between the Neem mask, I of course turn to good 'ol HH again,

This mask is described as a mask for blemish-prone, normal to dry skin. It promises to exfoliate, deep clean, fade blemishes and even minimise wrinkles! With ingredients like Apple, Cucumber, Fig and Papaya it sounded so yummy I snapped it up immediately.

How it works
Primarily, with the inclusion of the acid, Pectin, from apples, this is an AHA mask that exfoliates your skin chemically. So although it is less drying than the Neem mask, it isn't more gentle. In fact it stings slightly when applied and my face looks redder after this mask, and calmer after the Neem mask.

It does contain "Fullers Earth" so it absorbs excess oils, shrinking blackheads and allowing the AHAs into your pores. And as it is exfoliating, it will also help fade blemish scars and (a bonus for some, not for me) it will makes your face fairer by causing your tan to fade faster.

Experience
I was petulantly disappointed that the mask didn't smell like some glorious fruit salad! After all the ingredients did sound so very yummy. Instead it smells...well... like nothing much. Very natural, and not unpleasant, just rather blah.

It rinses off a lot more easily than the Neem face mask does, so it's also good to use when I'm too lazy to scrub and scrub and scrub.

I was not blown away by the immediate results this mask gave. My skin did feel smoother but not radically so, and at least it wasn't dehydrated. But over time I find that this mask's exfoliation properties helps increase the efficacy of the Neem mask and other facial treatments I care to use. It has also helped fade the brown marks left by bad blemishes.

Conclusion
Although not an outstanding can't-live-without-it favourite, at RM24.90 this large tube does make a great buy. It's a good staple to have in my beauty arsenal and it definitely helps clear my skin up - if more gradually than my impatient self would like.

Monday's Beauty Bits

I've finally given the honey mask a try. I found a small jar of Manuka honey in the larder, and happily slapped it on my cleansed face (it was sticky!). After an hour I rinsed it off to see no great change. But I understand this is one of the slow but gradual things. The next morning a whacking great pimple on my chin, that was threatening to be whackinger and greater, started to beat a retreat. So perhaps the honey mask is working! If it continues to rock, I'll give it a full review.

I REALLY like the Dove Hair Fall Therapy mask! I bought the 'mini me' tub for RM2 and am now desirous of the full-grown, 'mummy tub'. This knocks my beloved L'oreal Elseve Intensive Shine mask outta the park! I need so much less, and my hair is full, moisturised and thick without being greasy or weighed down. Awesome!

Sadly, although it makes such a nice moisturising gloss, I shall have to stop using my tube of Palmer's Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Cocoa Butter Lip Balm over Benetint and Posietint. It dissolves the stains so they don't last. Boo! I have to now use Burts Bees as a balm and top it off with a clear Lancome Juicy Tube.

I'm rather horrified at the Hello Kitty for Mac collection. I hate that darned cat! What do you girls think?

And... I'm feeling guilty because I bought another RooTote! But I couldn't t help it, I was in love with this Floral tote since I saw it on Karen Cheng's blog. So when I saw it on Tiny Tapir I pounced first and thought after. *blushes and runs away*

Guest "Duped": Nivea Visage Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Repair Night Cream

The incomparable Eli treats us to our very-first Guest "Duped" Review! Not only has she found a cheaper version of Nivea's impossibly-long-named cream, she's found a cheaper and BETTER version. Read on!

Nivea’s Australian/ New Zealand television campaign for their Q10 range had my sister giggling like a 3 year old a few years ago. It involved asking a bunch of women with different nationalities what their beauty secret was (the answer was “Q10”). The last was a Frenchwoman who exclaimed, “L’ amour!” before adding, “And Q10.”

As I already have “L’ amour”, I decided to give the Nivea Q10 Night Cream a whirl over winter. My skin peeled badly last winter so I wanted something extra rich this year. I wasn’t impressed. Nivea Q10 did everything a basic moisturiser was supposed to do and kept my nose from peeling all winter but it didn’t do anything extra for my skin.

I was wondering what to buy next when a friend casually mentioned that our local Aldi had brought in their skincare line. My ears pricked up.

(Aldi is a European discount supermarket chain along the lines of Macro and Carrefour in Malaysia. Their products are generally of pretty good quality and really cheap. They are a godsend to poor ANU students on a budget and their chocolate chip cookies are amongst the best things to have happened to Canberra.)

The Aldi’s Siana day and night creams won a few UK beauty awards this year and have been flying off UK shelves ever since. I was very, very curious.

Sadly, Aldi Australia is only carrying their Lacura skincare range (Aldi has two skincare lines: Lacura and Sianna). I decided to give the Lacura Night Cream a go anyway. It was a lot cheaper than other night creams available and had both retinol and Q10.

Does anyone here still remember the old Hazeline Snow cream which used to come in a glass container? Nearly everyone’s grandmother, mother or favourite aunt used to have a jar on stand-by around their dressing table. When you poked your finger into a new jar, the cream would crinkle up like stiff whipped cream before softening around your finger. I used to find it fascinating.

Lacura’s cream texture and smell is almost exactly like Hazeline Snow. It brought back childhood memories of poking around my mother’s and aunts’ dressing tables and of cuddling up against my grandmother after her bath. I nearly bought another jar to give my grandmother for nostalgia’s sake after my first use.

Lacura Night Cream is the best skincare product I have picked up during my 3 years in Australia. It sinks in well into my skin, has refined my pores and caused my blackheads to disappear. I even tried using the cream on a recent back-acne breakout and it cleared up beautifully after a few days.

My mother has sweetly requested that I get 2 jars for her this Christmas.

Both creams come in 50 ml jars but Nivea’s Q10 Night Cream costs AUD 17.99 while Lacura’s version is AUD 7.99. I am sticking to the cheaper version, thank you.

Note: Good grief, now I want a jar of this miracle stuff!

Video: Fridays are for Freaking Out

This is an utterly demented video. The kind that's like a car crash - you're horrified but you can't take your eyes away. Only someone on crack could produce this, not to mention star in it! She must be high. NO ONE grins like that while attacking her locks with a huge hairdryer and oodles of gooey product. No one!

Syen's Top 10 De-frazzling Ideas - Part I

There's quite a lot going on in my life right now (nevermind what), and if anyone has the right to be frazzled and fidgety, I believe I do. To stay mentally sane, I've been thinking of ways to help calm those high-strung nerves down.

And so I came up with my Top 10 De-frazzling Ideas. I'm not claiming originality, merely sharing with you on what works for me, just in case any of you are also about pull your hair out of your roots.

So for Part I, let's start with the first five, shall we?


10. Scrub a dub dub
I like Lush's tagline - "When in doubt, take a bath". It's one of the cheapest ways to unwind, and it works everytime. There's just something about cleaning the long day off that helps give me a wee bit more of a peace of mind. And while I'm at it, whipping out The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter scrub works wonders too.

9. Curl up with good book / good movie
On days when I have slightly more me time, I love curling up on the couch with either a good book or a good movie. Kinda like escapism, ya know? My favourite (movie) picks for this purpose are either romance flicks or comedies. There's nothing better than to have a little cry (to get all that stress out), or to expand those lungs. And if the fiance is present, all the better. 

8. Cook porridge
Not literally! It's the Chinese way of saying chatting heaps over the phone. I know some people who do destress by cooking, but not me. So yea, pick up that phone and yack your heart out with an old friend. Talking about problems with friends who understand really, really does help. Mich, Em, Wengster and (esp) Lex, here's looking at you.

7. Clean up
This might not work for everyone, but it does for me. Sometimes. It gives me time to think while keeping my physical body occupied. And it makes whatever I'm cleaning spotless at the end of the day. Two nights ago, I HAD to clean my dressing table top. So now, not only is it clean and neat, I can also find all that makeup without going cross-eyed. It's also nice to know that despite everything else in your life going a little off tangent, at least one spot in your life is somehow, still in some order.

6. Hit the sack
You can take this literally, or otherwise. Screaming and doing punches into the pillow does help relieve some stress, but I'd rather not work myself up like that. Instead, I do some stretches (to ease those back muscles) and then settle in to recharge. On my off days, I sleep easily 10 to 12 hours (because I NEED to). People notice the difference after that. Being well-rested equals a calmer, happier me.

Do stay tuned for Part II, where I'll share my 5 favouritest ideas.

PS: The pic was nicked off here.

Coastal Scents & US Haul!

At last, my Coastal Scents package arrived, AND my makeup mule who I asked to smuggle makeup back from the US & UK has coughed up my merchandise! ; )

Want to know what I got?

1. Coastal Scents: Silica Powder (it's even cheaper than PureLuxe and I got a massive amount!)
2. Coastal Scents Sable Blender Brush supposed to be a dupe of my dying MAC 224 - it doesn't seem dense enough so I'm not convinced.
3. Sephora: Philosophy's Amazing Grace Perfumed Oil Roll-on (US$25) handy dandy version of my favourite fragrance, and a wee bit goes a long long way.
4. US Drugstore: Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial (US$8.49) after hearing all the rave reviews on it, I had to try it out.
5. US Drugstore: Maybelline the Colossal Mascara (US$7.49) a dupe for the legendary Dior Show mascara? Only one way to find out!
6. UK Boots: Rimmel Lasting Finish 16 Hour Foundation in shade 200 Beige (£6). This isn't out here yet but after reading the incredibly positive reviews on MUA, I had to try it out.
7. Coastal Scents: Gel Liner in Grapevine it's supposed to dupe MAC Fluidline, we'll see. I also hear purple is the way to enhance a brown eye, but this purple looks rather light for a liner. However, the nice people at Coastal Scents also gave me a freebie gift of a "Natural Formula" eyeliner in Boysenberry which looks like JUST the dark shade of purple I want!
8. Clinique Superfit Foundation in shade 01 Shell (US$20) Ooh I can't wait to try this one out. Tine's review had me champing at the bit!

Note: When I was writing this, Coastal Scents site was down. I will update with links and prices when it's up and running again.

Review: Dove Hair Fall Therapy Treatment Mask

Hey ladies! It's good to be back! =)

Okay, back to business. After whining on the lack of love for this hair mask, I chanced upon the Dove Hair Fall Therapy Treatment Mask.

I found it in a little Guardian near my place, and I believe this is a new range. I wasn't too keen to buy it initially. But that's because my eyes first fell on the HUGE 300ml tub, and I wasn't sure I needed another tub of hair mask that I would use once or twice and then let sit in my closet. 

Until my roaming eyes saw the little (and oh-so-very cute) 50ml tub. It's like a mini-me version of the big mama tub. Now THIS totally makes sense.



(The white tub isn't the big mama tub, but it's the same size. So cute isn't it? Mini-me!)

It claims that it "intensively repairs and restores hair for average reduction of hairfall from 100 to 2". Of course, the caveat is that this is from 98% reduction of hairfall due to breakage based on lab tests versus a non-conditioning shampoo.


I don't know about the 100 to 2 claim, but I will give it this much - my hair did seem to fall less.

Just so you know, I have an oily scalp and I do have some hairfall problem (especially at one period right after I highlighted my hair, which REALLY freaked me out). However, that problem is very much reduced now, heartiest thanks to Biotin. =P

Product wise, it's very thick and a 20sen dollop will easily do the job for my hair (which currently reaches until the err... middle of my back). I applied it to my hair after shampooing, focusing on the lower half. Left it in for about 5 minutes (sorry, I have no patience for treatments which require 20-minute waits), and then thoroughly rinsed it out.

I applied a wee bit of John Frieda to the ends too, and the end result was oh-so-soft, smooth and shiny hair. Lovely.

The product itself smells great, with the typical Dove scent. If you hate it, then this might not be for you. But I like it, and the fiance couldn't stop sticking his face into my hair. It was not funny.

I've seen the mama tub around at most Guardian and Watson's, going for around RM27 (me thinks), but I've only seen the mini-me version at very few outlets. For only about RM3, I think it's a real steal.

And don't be surprised though, the mini-me version is packed to the brim with all the Dove goodness that it should be able to last at least 10 treatments. More than enough trials for you to decide if you want to invest in the big mama.

Also, I love the fact I easily pack it along when I'm a-travelling.

I'm very sorry but I really couldn't find anything online regarding the ingredients. If anyone can shed some light, please do so in the comments section.

Overall, I am loving it so far. But I am still unsure as to whether I'll be getting the full-sized version, even though it's really in the affordable range. There's just this itch to always try out something different.

Then again, I could always get this one, AND still try out the others (like this one). *grin*

What say you?

Monday's Beauty Bits

Right ladies, a full week later, and we're back!

I've been hearing amazing things about Olay's Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum. Despite its rather redundant name I've heard everything from minimising wrinkles and fading blemish scars, to turning combination skin into NORMAL skin! Has anyone here tried it? What do you think?

Just in time for Christmas shopping, Tiny Tapir has just received a shipment of 15 new Roo Tote designs! I immediately snapped up a tote in Flora (Floral is actually the real name I believe) which I fell in love with the moment I saw it on Karen Cheng's blog.

I can't wait for my Coastal Scents order of Silica Powder to arrive. Since I wiped out my sample from Pure Luxe, I've been going around conscious of my definitely more oily face. Hurry up you wretched package!

This review on Skin Deco has me craving Majolica Majorca's Skin Lingerie OD Control primer like no tomorrow. Darn you Watsons, bring it on over to 1U as well! KLCC is too far. *pouts*

Short Hiatus

Dear loverly readers,

I hadn't planned this, but I think So Loverly may go through a short hiatus for the rest of this week. I've just gotten back from a camp in Gopeng to find work piled up, a best friend I havent' seen in 5 years visiting from Oz, and a general lack of laundered clothing. Syen is also up to her ears in work, and neither of us have the time or energy to stock up on posts.

We'll be back next week. Promise.

Love,
Kahani

Monday's Beauty Bits

Some of you eagle-eyed gals spotted my goof when this appeared last Sunday night. Ah well, there's new stuff, I promise!

I have a new favourite daily-combo. Silk Naturals' Rare Berry lipgloss (a pretty strawberry red colour that makes my lips look stained) with their Lovelace blush (apricot shimmer & Nars Deepthroat Clone). Amazing! It looks fresh and pretty without being pinky-girly. Makes me look glowy and awake. Love love! Will probably stock up on Rare Berry as its LE, and buy another sample of Lovelace. =D

While browsing I spotted Mad Minerals Powder Sunscreen (US$2 - US13)! Great for oily gals who can't find a light enough formula for themselves and want to dust it on. The only other one I've heard of is by Peter Thomas Roth and is pricey (US$30). The active ingredient in this is titanium dioxide - a physical, wide-spectrum sunblock. Two caveats though, it will give your skin an ashy appearance if used too liberally so using it under foundation is a good idea. And if you're mica-sensitive this isn't for you either.

When I'm truly frazzled I like to give myself a manicure. Just finding the time to sit still, watch a show, and make my nails pretty soothes me instantly making me feel more relaxed. Nail polish is my therapy in a bottle.

Finally I've found a volumnising shampoo here. Available in Sasa, TiGi's Superstar Shampoo and Conditioner are only RM70 each for a massive tube. Also, they're sulphate free. Has anyone tried these? Reviews on MUA are mostly positive and the product apparently smells of strawberry yoghurt. I'm also looking out for their Catwalk "Sexed-Up" range - but only because that product smells of raspberry lemonade (YUM) and the bottles aren't hot barbie pink!

Thanks to Beetrice, I've discovered that Cats Whiskers boutique has a BLOG. And a newsletter! My poor poor wallet... all the pretties! It's bad enough the boutique in Damansara Perdana is directly opposite my office. Now I'll have regular reminders to visit. Lol!