The thing I love most about Spring is all the amazing colours it brings. Bright, cheery colours that you can add to your palette, both in your make up and your wardrobe. After attending the P&G Beauty Debate with Sarah from facesbysarah, I’d say I was on the right track for my Spring 2012 colour palette during my New Year visiting!

Experts from the beauty panel predicts several colour trends for Spring 2012 including:
- Sand Dunes: Everything to do with luxurious naturals, nudes.
- Visible Aura: Glossy healthy sheen with lots of natural shine.
- Tango: Bold strong colours like black/daring pink. Lots of lace. Inspired by Latin America.
- Beauty Graffiti: To do with DIY and personalization. Colour splashes in an artful way.

These trends can be incorporated to both fashion and beauty so I decided to pull a little bit of the above 4 Spring 2012 colour trends during my Chinese New Year by getting this very beautiful teal Greecian Slant from The Velvet Dolls and coral Dipped Back Flare Dress from Jipaban! Going bold with colour splashes!

As for my hair and makeup, I decided to go for a more natural, healthy look in tune with the Visible Aura Spring 2012 trend. Light eye makeup and a healthy flush of colour on the cheeks and lips was in order to match my coral dress. Then I top all that off with highlighters on the cheeks and nose bridge for a truly visible aura!

Face of the day
Face
Inglot Under Makeup Base
Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector in Dark to Medium Bisque
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
Burberry Beauty Sheer Foundation Luminous Fluid Foundation
MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
MAC Pinch-o-peach blush
Sephora Sculpting Disk

Eyes
Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette
MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner
Acuvue 1-Day Define Contact Lens in Vivid
Maybelline Define-a-Lash Volumizing Mascara

Lips
Rimmel London Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Pure
Lancome L’Absolu Rouge in 380

The beauty and hair trend for Spring 2012 is all about hair being free to move with a glossy, healthy bounce. So to emulate the clean, freshly washed yet polished look, I ironed my hair out, worked some hair serum for a shiny finish and spritz a wee bit of hairspray just to hold it all down. Dont overdo the hairspray because hair needs to be light and made but not overdone!

Will you be incorporating any of the Spring 2012 Colour and Beauty Trends in your fashion and beauty routines this year? Which ones will you pick?

That’s when I like to turn to what I call my 5 minute make up. Technically, it doesnt actually take 5 minutes but it’s easy enough that it sure looks like it. The focus of this simple day make up look is a a fresh, clean face. You want to look like you got out of bed and look this naturally beautiful every single day. Dark eye rings are a big no-no, so concealer and colour corrector IS. A. MUST.

If anyone were to ask me how to get rid of dark undereye circles, I’d have to say colour corrector or corrective concealers is the secret to getting rid of dark eye circles. Concealer seems like a misnomer because concealer actually lightens instead of changing the colour of dark eye rings. It’s all about neutralizing with colours.

For instance, if you have redness on your face, you’d want to use a green make up base to help reduce this redness, while a purple make up base can help correct yellow-colored skin. So depending on your dark-eye rings (either blue or grey-blue), you’ll need to the get the corresponding neutralizing colour to really rid your makeup face of dark under eye circles. Hip hip hooray to not having two white patches under your eyes anymore!

Here’s a look at the products I used in this simple day makeup video:
Face
Bare Minerals Matte Powder Foundation *
Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector in Dark to Medium Bisque *
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer *
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder
Sephora Sculpting Disk

Eyes
Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner
Maybelline Define-a-Lash Lengthening Mascara

Lips
Bare Minerals Lip Gloss in Chiffon

* must-haves for getting rid of dark under-eye rings

Now, this Fall/Winter 2011, they’ve brought in the Burberry Beauty line to Singapore. Yes, you heard that right, Burberry makeup. On top of being decked out in their iconic trench coats, fans of Burberry can now match their outfits with a Burberry Festive Look makeup.

Of the new items in the Burberry Beauty makeup collection, I thought the Burberry Lip Glow (SGD $39) was something unique. Isnt the iconic Burberry print on the lipstick itself so chic! To the naked eye, the Lip Glow looks like a lipstick and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was one.

But upon swatching the three new trench colour inspired colours – (L-R) Bright Plum, Ruby and Nude Gold, you’ll realise the Lip Glow’s texture is slightly sheerer and clearer than your regular lipstick. Light oils in the Burberry Lip Glow give it fluidity and a smoother and slicker application compared to the usual lipstick. It also reflects light to create the illusion of fuller lips, at the same time leaving lips supple and shimmering with natural highlights.

What really strikes me about the Burberry Beauty make up collection is the very stylish packaging of all their products. Everything, from their eyeshadows, lip products and even foundation, is encased in a metallic grey casing with the signature Burberry checkered print. Definitely make up products you’d want to be seen with if you’re a fashionista clad in your favourite Burberry.

They even make the effort to stamp the print onto their eyeshadows and lipsticks. I’m put in a spot now because I dont want to ruin the gorgeous print on the Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow (SGD $46) but love the fidelity of the colour and soft satin texture.

I used the Burberry Beauty Sheer Foundation Luminous Fluid Foundation yesterday at a house party and thought the mid to heavy coverage of the foundation was a pleasant surprise considering how the foundation was fairly light on the skin. The texture is a lot more like mousse when pumped from the bottle even though it’s named “Fluid” foundation, but blends easily into a smooth and even finish and on top of that, gives a nice luminous look.

How many of you are Burberry fans? Will any of you be trying out this Burberry Beauty collection?

Burberry Beauty makeup can be found exclusively at TANGS Orchard Singapore.

For eyes to stand out in photos, black smokey eyes was the make up style I adopted because unlike Western facial features, Asian eyes are slightly smaller and less deep set. Using dark eyeshdaow colours makes eyes look more piercing and definitely draws attention to sexy eyes!

So I finally make a make up tutorial video on how to create a black smokey eyeshadow!

Here’s the product list breakdown:
Face
gloMinerals gloProtective Liquid Foundation
MAC Prep + Prime Pro Series Transparent Finishing Powder
gloMinerals makeup Bellini blush

Eyes
NARS Pandora Eyeshadow Duo
Cosmoprof Eye Palette
tokidoki Perfetto Eyeliner
Maybelline Define-a-Lash Volume Mascara
MAC Eye Kohl Liner in Smoulder

Because your eyes are the focus of attention, always balance the entire look out with a light blush and clear lip gloss. Definitely one of my favourite and go-to looks always. What do you guys think?

The recent union of Daphne (@daphnemaia) and Nicholas (@furryphotos) was 60s inspired and the beautiful couple took great pains to theme everything about their wedding to the 60s.

It was admirable and a very beautiful wedding because every single element of the Daphnick wedding down to the smallest detail, including flowers, seating tags, table displays and decorative postcards, was carefully styled to the 60s. Naturally, to complete the 60s wedding, the guests had to be dressed in 60s hair styles and makeup.

From the list of suggestions they gave, I had originally wanted to do an Audrey Hepburn, but was lucky I didnt because the gloves wouldnt have been a pretty sight sticking to my arms no thanks to perspiration. Another style icon of the 60s was Twiggy and I thus adopted Twiggy’s iconic makeup look.

I did some research and figured out how to do a Twiggy inspired makeup look. The focus is all on the eyes. Here’s how to do a Twiggy’s 60s inspired makeup:
- Apply dark eye shadow on the crease and eyelids.
- Define the eyes with thick black eyeliner ending in a wing tip.
- Add dark and voluminous fluttery eyelashes whether with volume mascara or a pair of falsies.
- Blend dark eyeshadow on the bottom eyelids for a smokey eye effect.
- Draw clean bottom eyelashes with a pencil.
- Fill in the eyebrows to get strong eyebrows.
- Blusher is not necessary. So, skip the blusher unless it’s a very light pink one.
- Twiggy’s make up style had nude lips. Conceal your lips before applying lip balm or choose a matt nude lip colour to finish the look.

Instead of staying at the very popular Patong beach, Karon was our choice of accommdation. A little quieter but no less pretty. Even the view from our resort balcony was picturesque. With the beaches looking the way they were, it was an easy decision to make regarding spending most of our time at the beach. Bronzed skin, here we come!

The thing I didnt expect about Phuket beaches was the strong waves that came in. Boy, were we caught off guard when we went a-splashing in the waters at Karon beach. The waves looked like you could surf on them. Well, baby surf that is. But were they BIG or were they BIG. The fun part was trying to jump onto the peak of the wave as it comes crashing into you! Hahaha! The resulting failure is having the waves crash over you and wash you up on the sand like a beached whale. Perfect example of (not-so-sexy) beach hair. Haha!

So since we stayed away from where the realll action in Phuket was, a trip to Patong itself was obviously due. If I’ve got any advice for anyone traveling to Phuket/Patong, either 1) stay in Patong and save yourself the trouble of haggling over the price of a Tuk-Tuk or 2) rent a motorbike for about 300 THB a day and ride your way there. Tuk-Tuks cost 300 THB (~12.50 SGD) one way and honestly, I’d pick the second option because in Phuket you can ride a motorbike without a license this whole haggling/bargaining thing really isnt my cup of tea.

Anyhoo, Patong is a must-see if you havent already been there. The Patong market by day was like your regular street market. Stalls were lined up selling cheap (and sometimes dubious looking) food and random jewelry. Motorbikes and cars whizzed by inches away from your leg hair as you browsed the stalls giving you opportunities time and time again to watch your life flash before your eyes.

The clubs and their signs were the ones that amused me the most, especially the Husband Day Care Centre. Patong is synonymous with sex and judging from the position of the banner, husbands placed in the day care centre are gonna gogo for the A-go-go. It’s more likely that husbands will be hankering to be put in the day care centre than be willingly dropped off.

But that’s not even the fun part. The fun begins when night falls and the clubs come alive. Bar top dancing, booty shaking, but the sexciting ping-pong shows happen behind closed doors.

We didnt stay for the shows obviously, but instead took a trip to the beach. In comparison to Karon beach, Patong beach was a lot more crowded and infinitely busier.

We didnt do any of the aerial sports, but opted for water sports, like snorkeling, at the three Khai islands, Khai Nok, Khai Nai and Koh Khai Nui, off Phuket. That was where we got upclose with some of the local residents.

Each of the three Khai islands are a beautiful sight. Whether it was because of the colourful (rentable) umbrellas or the setting sun, awesome shots are a must.

With such a beautiful scenery, of course you’ll have to do the customary swimsuit shot.

Half of the days were spent on the beach while the other half was spent at the numerous markets and malls. Yes, there are several (okay maybe just two) malls in Phuket: Jung Ceylon and Central Festival.

I tried makeup shopping at these places but they didnt have anything interesting or the brands that I wanted. Bangkok has NARS, but sadly not Phuket. So thankfully, I brought my own makeup for the trip! Yay!

In the eye department, I trusted MAC for their mascara, concealer and eyeliner. MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved, MAC Fluid Line and MAC Zoom Lash to keep my peepers pretty for shopping trips.

Unlike my Hong Kong travel makeup kit, because Phuket’s sun is like no other, you’ll need sunblock for your face on top of slathering sun protection on your skin every 2 hours. So, BioTherm’s BB White D-Tox BB cream was my weapon of choice, giving light coverage and sun protection for a really natural face of the day.

And why do I say Jung Ceylon in Patong is a better mall than Central Festival? For one, it has more things you can shop for. Secondly, it’s not as far and probably wont get conned into paying 500 THB traveling to Jung Ceylon. Last and definitely most importantly, you get awesomely cute shoes at Jung Ceylon! I have no idea what to wear them with, but arent they the cutest? Haha!

Months later, I find myself at a flea market where $10 nail polishes are simply too hard to resist. I pour through the colours and what do you know, Mermaid’s Tears in a full sized bottle! At half the price in retail shops! So, uhhh.. I picked up three bottles. Just for good measure.

The colour palette of this random set falls in the more pastel colour scheme despite being from different collections. OPI Kyoto Pearl, from the OPI Soft Shades collection, is a pearlised white that comes out sheer on your nails. I figure a good 3 coats should do the trick.

Then, there’s San Tan-tonio from the OPI Texas Spring 2011 collection, that reminds me a whole lot of a favourite suede bag that goes with practically anything. Instead of the usual sheer pink neutral nails, I figured I’d try something different with a light brown colour. It was a tough choice choosing which 3 of the lot would go on my nails. Eventually, Mermaid’s Tears won because of all the good things I heard about it from fellow nail polish aficionados.

Two coats of Mermaid’s Tears was all that was needed to achieve this rich seafoam green. Application was smooth and the creme texture was painless to apply. Although the colour is a little richer in the photo swatch, in reality it’s a slightly softer, more pastel, sage-like colour. In fact, it seems like a lighter version of the green in my blog theme! Haha!

The softness of OPI Mermaid’s Tears is what gives this colour its sophistication, yet the vibrancy of seafoam green will certainly catch your eye. Fuss-free, just paint and go. You’ll love this OPI nail polish so much you might even shed a tear like the mermaids did. OPI Mermaid’s Tears is legendary much like the mystical creatures it was named after. This green is a dream.

My fate with tokidoki was sealed the moment I met Simone Legno, creator of tokidoki, in person at last year’s Singapore Toy Comic and Games Convention. This year, my life and small collection of tokidoki is (temporarily) complete because Sephora Singapore has kindly brought in tokidoki’s limited edition 24 Karat makeup and Kat Von D for the holidays.

The special edition tokidoki 24 Karat edition makeup is opulent and edgy; the latter being a consistent in all tokidoki designs. But the gold and black… Now that’s something new. It was a no brainer when I saw the tokidoki 24K Pittura Brush Set among the rest of the other 24K makeup. Shiny gold and black brush handles with magnificent detailing, I had to have ‘em. Plus, those charms! Ohhh… They charmed SGD $59 straight out of my wallet without hesitation.

So the story goes like this. I was told by the Singapore beauty bloggers that the 24K Pittura Brush Sets were sold out everywhere in Sephora Singapore. Walking into Sephora ION, I was told the same by the sales assistants in the shop when asked. I was overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. I really did want those brushes.

Wandering about Sephora, I browsed the other tokidoki 24 Karat makeup and even considered just getting the SGD $15 24 Karat Mini Eyeshadow Palette because I am a makeup whore it is a limited edition set. But lo and behold, a peek at the bottom shelf revealed the 24 Karat Brush set nestled between the tokidoki Mini Rollerball Set and the 24 Karat Skate Deck Palette. You cannot imagine my happiness when I saw the set. I grabbed one set (even considered getting two), tweeted the news and re-contemplated the second set. Haha.

Some of the other beauty bloggers have commented about how distracting the dangly charms at the end can be when you’re applying your make up. They jingle and they jangle as you sweep your make up over your face. And it’s true. I found that out myself while trying the brushes but thought the movement was rather cute, a playful reminder of tokidoki and its fun factor.

In fact, as a testament to how playful tokidoki can be, the charms can be detached from the Pittura Brushes and linked up to make a bracelet. tokidoki jewelry!

All 4 star brushes in the tokidoki 24K Pittura Brush Set, the Ciao Ciao Star Powder Brush, Latte Eyeshadow Brush, Adios Star Smudge Brush and the Unicorno Eyeliner/ Lip Brush have synthetic fibre brush heads encased in beautifully detailed black and gold handles, topped off at the end with their respective respective detachable charms.

For almost SGD $15 a brush, the brushes didnt disappoint. They were incredibly soft to the touch and picked up pigments well. With the Adios Star Smudge Brush you can contour the outer corner of your eye and it performed just as well, but not better, than my Sigma 12-brush kit.

Although the Ciao Ciao Star Power Brush and Adios Star Smudge Brush are my favourite brushes of the lot, the tokidoki 24K Pittura Brush Set wont be your go-to set if you’ve already got a professional brush kit you rely on. I, for one, cant bear to use it because it’s such a gorgeous set. A definite must-have on your Christmas Wish List if you’re a tokidoki fan. Cross my heart.

I used to use mascara bases (remember the time when mascara bases came with the mascaras on double ended tubes), but then stopped using them when I switched over to falsies. Now, it looks like bases are making a comeback again, especially since most are fortified with all sorts of nutrients, making them both a mascara base and an eyelash nourishing serum.

For instance, the Chanel Beaute De Cils Nourishing Mascara Base has meadowfoam oil bonded to silicon to give it repairing, strengthening and smoothing properties. The DiorShow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum & Primer is a nourishing serum treatment, with a unique cell-conditioning complex made up of hydrolyzed soy proteinson, on top of being a mascara base.

After trying 8 different mascara bases over the week, I swear my lashes have grown that teensy wee bit longer. Must be a combination of all the goodness from the different mascara bases. Yay! Although all of them performed particularly well, I did have my favourites. Can you guess which ones they were?

Click to enlarge

Christmas is coming and I had the great honour of getting a preview of the pretty MAC Glitter and Ice Collection early last month. The best part was learning how to create a MAC Disco Tech Look with MAC Senior Artist Beno Lim using the Glitter and Ice collection. A big thank you to TANGS Singapore and MAC for the awesome makeup tutorial!

When you look at this brand new MAC makeup collection, it will send shivers down your spine. In a good way of course. It is silvery, glittery, pretty, wintry, icy… everything relating to a white Christmas! I am thoroughly enchanted by the moving swirly bits on the Ice Parade Snowglobe eyeshadow palettes. It’s just like someone took them ice crystals and put them in a snow globe for you. Now, you have a portable snow globe in your purse.

The new MAC Glitter and Ice Collection is unlike the usual MAC makeup because for one, it’s white! I love everything white because it gives you such a clean feeling. Gimme gimme gimme. As with all their Christmas collections, the Glitter and Ice collection is no different. They launch the entire works for the holiday season including lipsticks, Dazzleglass, Technakohl Liner, Mineralize Eye Shadow, Paint Pots, Beauty Powder, nail polishes and falsies in the lineup.

If you liked the makeup video using the MAC Glitter and Ice Collection, here’s a closer look at the collection itself. Pay close attention to the makeup swatches because you could just win $150 worth of MAC products to glam up your Christmas look!

MAC Glitter and Ice Paint Pot Swatches

MAC Glitter and Ice Dazzleglass and Lipsticks

MAC Glitter and Ice Technakohl Liner Swatches

MAC Glitter and Ice Mineralize Eyeshadow Swatches

I am thoroughly in love with these MAC Mineralized Eyeshadows. They are silky soft and glide smoothly onto your skin for that wintry, icy look. My favorites have to be Snow Season, Hold That Pose!, Fresh Ice and Frozen Ice. Even the names are delightfully icy. Haha.