Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Helloooo lovelies,

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you who are celebrating CNY! For the rest of you, enjoy the long break this week.

Also, just a little note that Eli (she's half Chinese, half Kadazan. Très exotic, no?) and I will be taking a break from blogging this week. We'll both be too busy stuffing our faces with CNY goodies and cookies. *tee hee*

As for Kahani, she'll be taking an even longer (well-deserved) break, making her way around Middle-Earth. Hope she doesn't encounter any orcs while she's at it. *winks*

See you ladies next Monday!

Cheerios,
Syen, Kahani & Eli

Guessing Game: Lipsticks lipsticks lipsticks!

(Note: Make your guesses before making the jump!)

I have been a bad girl. A very, very bad girl.

And I sure hope Santa is still on his long post-Christmas vacation and not doing his rounds on "who's naughty and nice". *grin*

Since it's Friday, I thought we should have a bit of fun with a guessing game.


The nine lipsticks above are those I have acquired over the last few months. Some purchased and some were gifted (thank you, dearieee! You know who you are!)

What I want you to do, is guess the brand AND the colour. I assure you, the colours are quite true in the photo. If you guess the brand right, give yourself a point. If you managed the shade as well, that'll be another point. So guess away!

No cheating! Now check the full photo after the jump!

Anna Sui Flight of Fancy

The most arresting thing about the fragrance is its bottle - at least in the product shots. As soon as you get it out of the box what you're faced with is...

Disappointment. The cheap, light plastic peacock in particular could have been so much better. While I agree a glass topper would have been asking for trouble, at least a more solid, perspex number would have been prettier and weightier. 

The promise of the fragrance, like its advertisements, is also... well, fanciful:

Flight of Fancy invited the Anna Sui girl to find out who she was through the enchantment of discovery. Night of Fancy was about her exploring mischievous fantasies and the journey of mystery. Now, Anna Sui wants her to break free… Escape the bonds holding her back and do the things she never thought she could.

Well, alright. But what about the fragrance itself?

Cheapie + Goodie: Boots Ingredients Jasmine & Jasmine Rice Shower Gel

After trying and (absolutely) loving Boots Ingredients Coconut & Almond Shower Gel (which I cannot believe I have not reviewed... will do so in good time), I jumped at the chance to try out another shower gel from the Boots Ingredients range when opportunity arose.

While my olfactory functions are not exactly in top form, I can always tell what scents I don't like, and of late, what I do like.

And jasmine is one scent I likey very much.

Monday's Beauty Bits: Lisa Eldridge's must have products

I now want so many more things. Like the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer and Clinique Airbrush Concealer.

Yes, I have concealing issues.

What beauty-maven crush on Ms Eldridge? Me?

Well, maybe. =P

Review: MAC Rose Ole Special Reserve Highlighting Powder

When I first picked up my MAC Rose Ole with-a-mile-long-name, I was convinced I was in love with it.

The powder looked gorgeous, what with its fabric folds and what nots. And after toying with it for a week or so, I hope it's not too late to share my thoughts with you ladies.

As promised, here goes!

Video: How to lose a guy in 10 makeup mistakes

Since I screwed up the dates on the eyeliner brush post, here's a fun video that had me giggling like mad. Thanks Tine! 

Using a paint brush as an eyeliner brush

I was prowling around Cziplee+ and came across some high-quality paint brushes. As I was looking for a good eyeliner brush I decided to give this one a try. It only cost RM8.50 but the handle is so ridiculously long I had to use a pair of garden shears to chop off a length (just after the words).

Even Hippies Hate BO: Smelly No More Crystal Deodorant Stick

Excuse the blurry stock photo. I haven't had time to photograph the actual product under proper lightning yet.


Friends often accuse me of having hippie tendencies; an accusation which alternately amuses and irritates me. Like, seriously, what's wrong with being environmentally conscious, not drinking coffee and occasionally going for the vegetarian option on the menu?

(Btw, if you want to know whether a restaurant really cares about their diners, check to see what their vegetarian options are and how large the portions are. If they offer more than 3 choices, only one dish is centred around mushrooms and the food is good, rest assured that that place truly is vegetarian friendly.)

When I first saw Smelly-No-More in Guardian a few weeks ago, I was both tempted and discouraged to get it. On one hand, I was really curious to see if the whole salt crystal thing worked on cutting down BO. On the other, I knew that it would invite another crack from my friends on my perceived "hippie-ness".

Of course I bought it in the end. Curiosity always wins out.

Rediscovering an old love: Lip Ice Sheer Color

I used to LOVE this in my university days, something Syen remembered. So when someone passed her a brand new tube, she passed it straight on to me. At first, recalling colour tide-marks and a no-flavour I wasn't that keen on trying it again. But one day on a whim I picked it up and found it pleasantly changed.

Monday's Beauty Bits: Drugstore Prowling!

Happy Monday babes!

Okay, maybe your Monday isn't so happy, but hopefully some of these info will brighten your day up a little. Mine could use some cheering up too. Meh.

• For those of you who've been cursing ZA for discontinuing their 2-way foundations (regular and True White range) *cough me cough Kahani cough*... perhaps ZA has indeed heard us? A zoom through Watson's and Guardian yesterday saw HEAPS of True White range refills, albeit in a new packaging. Product details looked the same though. Price: RM33.90 for refills.
  
  (For those of you wondering why we can't just be content with the new Skin Beauty 2-way foundation with hyaluronic acid, the answer is - Nope. Tried it, doesn't work as well. I oil up way too soon compared with the old formula.)
  
  
• Revlon and L'Oreal have new lipglossies/lipsticks! An example of the L'Oreal lipstick can be seen here. I had picked up Juicy Strawberry (sheer red), and Shiny Grapefruit (sheer warm peachy-pink) and I'm loving 'em. Price: RM39.90 but both drugstores are on CNY sale now, aren't they? *grin*
  
  Revlon instead has new Colorburst glossies. Check them out here.
  

Going Red...

Tis the season to be going red, it would seem.


When the makeup blogging sorority here in Kuala Lumpur decided to meet up (over sushi) at the start of this year, there was but one rule - RED lips, missy.

Good & Bad Posietint Dupes: 2True Lip & Cheek Tint & Etude Fresh Cherry

On the left you see my battered, empty bottle of Posietint that I bought over 2 years ago from the UK. I figure anything I can use for 2 years and use up every single drop needs replacing. So I recently hauled one from the US with the girls. But even when buying from the US spending RM98 doesn't exactly make me happy. So I shopped around for cheap dupes while I was waiting for the new Posietint to arrive. 

The two I tried were 2True Lip & Cheek Tint & Etude Fresh Cherry Tint in Shade #2

2True is a budget English brand that I got a friend to bring back for me. At only GBP1.99 I figured it was worth a shot. The bottle is glass, like Posietint, as is the nail-polish-like brush.

When I first hauled the Fresh Cherry Tints in Shades #1 and #3 this one was sold out. So when I found them back in stock I not only bought one and a backup for myself, I bought some as Xmas gifts. I'm now known as the crazy Tint lady there. It's only RM25.90 each and comes in a handy plastic bottle with a dove-wand applicator. It's not recommended for use as a cheek tint but is perfect for lips.

Review: Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Serum

My skin was looking a little off a few months ago.

There wasn't anything wrong with it. No breakouts, no rashes whatsoever but it was just as I said, my skin looked off. Kind of like when you are coming down with a cold.

"Hmm," I mused. "Maybe it's because I stopped using serums."

With that in mind, I trotted off to the nearest Watsons to buy the cheapest (and non-dodgy) serum I could find.

Loving: MAC Cham-Pale Paint Pots!

So last week saw me running to the MAC store... no wait, actually the hubs did the running for me. *tee hee*

Alright, nevermind who did the running, the point is I got meself two new paint pots from the MAC Cham-Pale collection. My first paint pots too!

And boy am I loving them very, very MUCH.

Monday's beauty bit: Evening makeup for post-LASIK patients

Pardon the expression, it was one of those no-good-photo-days

It's been over a week since the LASIK operation and the liberty of a life without glasses or contact lenses has been amazing. Every morning I wake up bewildered that I can see, or panicking that I'd gone to sleep with my lenses in. Everything's been peachy keen with the exception of ONE thing.

No eye makeup.

Worse. No eye makeup for crazy New Year's Eve night out.

HOW am I to get by without any eye makeup? I'm not blessed with great eyes, no eye makeup means no EYES.

After a good wail and moan and overcoming of temptations to cheat, I gave in and decided to work the look and go with a strong lip. Looking up some catwalk looks I tried a matte red lip (too scary) a shiny red lip (less scary but still, vampirish), fuschia lips (better but not for the dress) and finally settled on strong berry-rose lips.

Quick Peep: MAC Rose Ole + Paintpots! (Cham-Pale Collection)

My first Spring purchase of 2011. From the MAC Cham-Pale Collection!


I've been wanting this Special Reserve Highlighting Powder in Rose Ole since I first laid eyes on it. And ladies, I'm more than happy to announce that it's here!

More photos after the jump!

New Year Resolutions for 2011

We do this every year, ladies, so spill. What are your New Year Resolutions for 2011 and have you managed to keep them so far?

I kept mine to three:

1) Stay fit i.e. keep my heart rate up. Was actually doing a pretty decent job through 2010 until work piled up. I slacked off and paid for it during a work trip where we had to hike through the Crocker Range for 4 days. I collapsed on the 3rd day and had to helicoptered out as the nearest road was a 2 hour walk from the village we stayed in.

2) Be more tidy.

3) Actually finish off all my skincare products before buying something new. By which, I mean, finish the 3 sunscreens, 3 moisturisers, 4 foundations etc. before buying a new bottle of sunscreen/ moisturiser/ foundation. Of course, my itchy fingers and fertile mind starts arguing that buying something like toner is fine since I don't usually use toner. Grraarr.

What are your New Year Resolutions?

Guest Review: Apronbay's Brazillian Wax

What's that you say? So Loverly has been taken over by mad Brazillian waxers? Why yes it has! HELP HELP! Actually, this guest post was from a voucher So Loverly received from the previous Apronbay experience. As soon as I got it, I passed it to the Beauty Dodo of the infamous wax experience and told her GO! TRY non sadistic luxury waxes! And she went. Bless her. Here's her review and she's as entertaining as ever. 

I really should have handed over this review to my sister, who wanted to give getting a Brazillian a try. In my humble opinion: if the wax does not hurt, involve hairy (pardon the pun) waxers or squirming on some newspaper, it is not worth writing much about.

However, as Kahani put it, it would be nice to experience a nice Brazillian for a change. So off I went.

Apronbay is located at 6-1 Jalan Telawi 4 in Bangsar – which is perfect when you are trying to squeeze shopping (Blook, Cats Whiskers, Gossips), massages (Sifu Reflexology for the young and good looking masseuses, Thai Odyssey for their half-hour half body or full hour whole body massages – I get bored after an hour), ice-cream (Baskin-Robbins, Haagen Daas) and catching up with friends.

I was surprised to be greeted, smiling, in a really clean and well conditioned room. (You have to remember that I am used to grumpy waxers or waxers who tell you that they have seen lots and lots of everything) For those of you who seek sweetness and light , this was the correct ambience. I appreciated two things: that it was brave enough to be painted white (shows the dirt) and clean (impressive), and it felt girly without being too girly.

Monday's Beauty Roundup: Dec 2010 (+ a Lust List)

So. What's 2011 like for you so far?

I've had a pretty good weekend myself. Catching up with friends, spending some time with the family... it's been good.

Anyway, I know this seems a little passe, but before I go forth and tell you what I'm eyeing from a few Spring collections *grin*, here are what the ladies have been up to in Dec last year.

• My Women Stuff: Want some photography 101? Paris shares a few pointers.
  
• Askmewhats: Nikki shares her makeup tips for the BIG day.
  
• Beetrice's Reviews: It's pink, it looks like a tampon, but it's a gun??? =P
  
• Prettybeautiful: Oh looky what a beautiful palette Xin's got.
  
• Lipglosseater: If you live in Penang, and you're makeup mad too, Jenn has good news for you.
  
• Skindeco: Connie talks about blush and more blush here.
  
• Red Luscious Lips: Hot mama Yani rocks this diabolical shade of red.
  
• Beautyholics Anonymous: Makeup regrets? Tine shares her list of products that didn't quite make the cut.

And now for the Spring collections that I'm rather tempted by!