Confused by La Roche-Posay? We’ve demystified it: here’s what to use for your skin type | Beaut.ie

Confused by La Roche-Posay? We’ve demystified it: here’s what to use for your skin type | Beaut.ie

Love this! I have never tried any La Roche-Posay products before, but I've heard how good it is for the skin. Admittedly, I didn't want to take the plunge because of the highly foreign and confusing words on the bottles. This is it! The solution to solve confusion!

Read more »

Surprise Find! Nicely Packaged Cotton Pads and Q-tips!

I realise this is going to be a very "white" post because all the photos are of white products. =PP

So I was striding down the aisles of Watsons yesterday, something I haven't done in a long while. I just had that feeling that there's going to be something new and interesting, and I was right!

It was like hitting jackpot when I saw these wonderfully packaged clean white essentials of the bathroom!

You know how, if you do go to a gym like California Fitness or True Yoga, there's always the standard display of cotton pads and cotton buds for all members to use after their bath... ... I really like the luxurious feel of having a well-equipped bathroom at home. And this is it!

The point of this post is really not so much to review these products. Rather, it is to introduce them as beautiful items to go onto your dresser!

Watsons Cotton Puffs and Pure 'n Soft 2 Way Cosmetic Cotton Makeup Buds

Available: Watsons, $2 each


Volume: 25 pcs of cotton puffs, 80 cotton buds


Star Properties: Beautifully packaged. Thick cotton pads. Two way cotton buds.

Watsons Cotton Puff Instructions and Precautions
(I have no idea why Watsons call these the cotton puffs, because they are not fluffy balls. I find that it is more apt to call them cotton pads, so I will use cotton pads from now on, and only refer to them as cotton puffs when I am officially naming the product.)

The cotton pads are lint-free, which I suppose, means that these pads will not fluff out on you, and have those funny strings of cotton sticking all over, especially when I use them to clean off my nail polish. (Not sure if you get what I mean, but basically lint-free is better.)

It claims to have superior absorbency, which I haven't tried, so I can't vouch. But I can see and feel that each cotton pad is much thicker than the standard Watsons or no-brand ones.

I am very impressed that they bother to tell you that you can use this to apply cleanser, toner or nail polish remover. I mean, do we not know that??

Even more impressed by the caution for us to keep this out of reach from children. Not to mention instructions for us to store it in a cool, dry place.

There are specifics that this is 60mm by 60 mm big. Very strangely, this has an expiry date of 3 years from manufacture. I never knew cotton pads expire!

Besides all these, they have instructions in Mandarin and Thai too! Really amazing packaging.

Cover
It comes with a really cute cover, which makes that luxurious feel of having a custom made box on your dresser, that you can open up and reach for a luxurious feel cotton pad. haha.

I already have another cotton pad dispenser which I got through my facialist 6 years ago. That was the time when you can never find this dispenser in Singapore. Nowadays, you can find similar dispenser at MiniBits, where they sell those black coloured Anna Sui-like stands at an exorbitant price that I refuse to pay, though I have been thinking of getting a second dispenser for a long while.

That pretty much explains why I am raving about Watsons selling this!

Height Comparison

On the left, is my dispenser gotten through my facialist whom bought it from Korea. It is a lot taller, and has a hole at the bottom, so I refill from the top, but use from the bottom.

This is really my life-saviour because it saves the hassle of taking your cotton pads from those super big extra value packs of cotton pads! Not to mention, those packets are ugly.

On the right of the photo above is how the Watsons box compares to my original dispenser. It is a lot shorter, so you will have to refill more frequently.

Size Comparison

As mentioned, these lint-free cotton pads are actually 60mm by 60mm, meaning they are square. But the standard cotton pads that come in big value packs are rectangular. So as can be seen from photo above, if you refill the the box of lint-free cotton pads with normal ones, you'd get a bit of gap in the box.

But I am fine with it, because I really like the box!

Pure 'n Soft 2 Way Cosmetic Cotton Makeup Buds

Instructions:
Same thing, they have a description of the buds, usage instructions, caution, storage and materials.

They also print other details like the addresses of the distributors in Singapore, Thailand.

The plastic is a No.5 PP, which means it is hard and durable plastic.

Cover
I really adore the way this container opens up. So cute.

If you look closely, the tip of the cotton bud is pointed, which makes it better for cosmetic purposes as compared to standard round tips one that you can get in bulk.

In fact, I've coincidentally found a video that teaches how to use this pointed tips!

Thanks to Clumps of Mascara, because I have all along thought that pointed tips are a waste of money, and pretty much the same as round tips.

The Two Ends

As can be seen, one side is pointed, while the other is like a paddle, resembling those sponge-tip applicators that you get in eyeshadow palettes.

I pretty much think that you're supposed to use the paddle end to apply the eye shadow, and the pointed end to clear off imprecise application. Not sure it will work though.

But really, gone are the days that cotton buds are limited to ear-drying after a bath! Nowadays, there all sorts of cotton buds, and the Japanese ones are especially creative, as Viva Woman introduced here.

Storing It
There it goes, into my card case that fits inside my makeup pouch! It can fit 10 of these!

Cost
These are sooo cheap, at $2 for one box. I think it's worth just buying the box alone. I have been searching high and low for a good and cheap cotton pad box, and am really glad I found it.

So this is all! How about yourself? Do you place cotton pads and cotton buds on your dresser so that you can reach for it everyday? If yes, what containers do you put them in? Or do you just leave it in the packets?
Any great value for money discovery you made at Watsons? Feel free to share and include the link in my comments box below!

Yours truly,
Jyoan
PosiNice

Read more »

LOTD: Staple White and Why It Makes MoneySense

I really like white a lot, and I have a lot white tops, white skirts, white dresses, white shoes, and bags. When I have everything in the same colour, it makes it so much easier for me to coordinate. I only need to pick one non-white item, and everything is settled, as in the look of today.

LOTD: Staple White

My top is from Bega, bought last year. They have it in royal blue and red too if I don't remember wrongly. They are really affordable, and this material is almost crease proof. 

I don't choose plain whites though, because I have this "boring" streak in me, and I can't stand anything that is the same and repeated for long.

I need to know that there is change, and that everyday is different.

As for my pants, I don't buy new ones often because I am not a pants person. I'd really rather wear skirts and dresses as much as I can help it.

So I have a handful of staples, like this one, which is in soft dark brown.

My pants are from G2000, bought way back in 2006. And the heels are from PedalWorks, pretty costly, but I really love the soft base in PedalWork shoes, so I always go back for more.

Top this outfit up with the white heels, and that's it! That's what I mean by looking well-coordinate effortlessly.

A sales assistant once told me that she can tell I like white because only people who like white will buy shoes in white, since white is a colour that gets dirty easily.

Personally, I think it's fine for shoes to be in white, because the heels wear down so easily these days that my shoes spoil within 3-6 months! It's either the heel, or the sides would come apart. So before the white gets dirty, the shoe has spoiled. LOL.

Tip of the day: When trying to decide whether to buy a piece of clothing, think back if it will coordinate well with at least 3 of your other clothes in the wardrobe.

The reason why I am a big fan of tops and bottoms as opposed to shift dresses, is because I know that with a pair of dark coloured pants, I can buy tops in all colours of the rainbow without worrying if it will ever match. This really gives me the bang for my bucks, because like you see, I have been wearing this pair of pants on and off since 2006! Yet I can go ahead and shop from blogshops or pushcarts, picking up really cheap tops all year round, and keeping my wardrobe really fresh without burning a hole.

That's it! Have a nice day.

Yours truly,

Jyoan

PosiNice

Read more »

Majolica Majorca Eye Quads

I haven't reviewed any products from this brand even though I have quite a good number of items from them. But I think I've finally used whatever I have enough to make a comprehensive review on them.

I will start of with the eye quads, because these were the things that I bought from Majolica.

Majolica Majorca Eye Quads

PK 383 Pink, BL 381 Blue, GD 886 Gold. See how MM codes their palette in a recognisable way? PK for pink... ...

Available: Most Watsons


Volume: 4g


Star Properties: Gradient colours. Made in Japan (really? oh wow!)

The Gold One

This is the one that I had difficulty using at first, because it is hard to find browns that suit my skin. Browns always make me look like I have extra dark eye circles, and sometimes muddy. So as you can see, I didn't touch much, mostly used only the 3rd brown on the bottom left.

The Blue One

This is a palette that is way too light for my skin tone. And the deepest blue in the bottom right is way too dark!!

I bought this because my very first blue palette was really bad, and I thought it is because of the price, since I got this brand called In2it, that is so cheap at $14. Majolica is way up, at around $30.

But I was quite wrong. Blue just doesn't seems to work for me. And I even went on to get a Kate palette just to confirm that I really can't work with blue.

The Pink One

haha, judging from the sponge tip applicator and the markings on this palette, can tell that this is most go-to palette. In fact, this has been sitting in the eye palette pocket of my Essentials Pouch ever since I got it, which is around 2 years already.

It seems that a good number of people are not fond of wearing pink because it supposedly makes people look like they just cried overnight. And I also heard from Youtubers that Asian eyes that, especially those so-called hooded ones, like mine (which is actually called Tapered Double Eyelids), shouldn't wear pink. As pink really makes the more fleshy hooded eyes look even more swollen as compared to say, those with deep set eyes (which normally looks more boney due to more prominent brow bones).

But, I think makeup is a really personal affair, and I've never gotten sarcastic remarks about how I look like I cried whenever I this. In fact, I always get compliments when I wear pink! It is more the green shade that I feel makes me look like a witch from Wicked.

So yes to pink palettes!

Swatches:


The Pink One

All the Majolica's eye shadows are very sheer in my opinion. I think it's the same case with Shu Uemura too, because they are reportedly from the same company.

But in a general sense, Japanese colours are on the sheer side, and Western ones tend to go on the stage-makeup heavy side.

My favourite colour here is really the 3rd pink. I tend to use it for other looks, not necessarily with the whole palette.

The Blue One

See how light that second colour is? It is almost a white, and never fits in my crease. It makes my entire eyes look like they pop out, with no definition. And the dark blue is not at all a lashline colour. (In MM's palettes, the darkest shade is supposed to be used as eyeliner.)

The Gold One

I am very fond of the 2nd shade in the gold palette, because it is a good highlighter shade for my skin, with that pale yellow. It's really my go-to highlighter because the pale yellow matches pretty much any other colour scheme. I can actually use the pink palette, but top it off using pale yellow to tone down on the pink-ness.

In general, MM's palettes are really great for highlighter colours, because the amount of glitter is wonderful. If you're doing a black smokey eye, and want to up the game with glitter, I highly recommend just swiping a little of any MM colour, can be the dark brown for neutral smokey, dark pink for sultry, dark blue for a starry starry night feel. These are really super glamourous if paired nicely.

I hate the dark brown here though. Really muddy colour for me.

Staying Power
Now, we've reach the point that I have big gripe with.

All the swatches were done using a lot of powder. I really tried my best to pile on and on so that it appears in the photos.

I am sorry about the background.

But my major gripe is that, ALL MM eye colours never stay for long!!!

All I did was use my other hand to rub. And it's really all gone.

Can you imagine what it was like to use these back in the days that Singapore didn't have Sephora??

Sephora was a dream come true because it brought us two all-time best eye bases, like the Urban Decay Primer Potion, and Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Before UDPP became famous, L'oreal and Maybelline never had eye bases. I believe NYX doesn't too. Not sure about MAC, but MAC is not famous for eye bases at all.

And it was really UDPP that helped me get these MM Palettes back on track. Or else, I'd probably think they are all useless and waste of money and try others. But no, now, I am still using them, because UDPP helps the shadows to stick on for longer.

I used to bring out the palette in my makeup pouch so that I can touch up in 3-4 hours time. LOL, now you understand why I said the pink one has been sitting in my makeup pouch for the longest time. =P

Cost
I do think these are costly. But really, 4 years ago, MM was arguably the best you can get in a drugstore (at least they are made in Japan). That was the time Watsons and Guardian only carried L'oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, ZA, and SilkyGirl. No such thing as Rimmel, Canmake, Cezanne, Gosh, LaSplash, Bourjois, and DollyWink.

And Sasa was not as well stocked as now, with Cyber Colours, iNuovi, and theBalm.

Nowadays, if you ask me what can be bought with the same budget as for MM, I'd point you to Sasa, because that's really where all the mid-tier products are, meaning, products that have the quality of counter brands, and that bit more expensive than drugstore, yet much more payoff than drugstore. Personally, I don't like Revlon/Maybelline palettes. L'oreal's are slightly better. And I can't stand ZA. Silkygirl is starting to get overpriced.

Majolica Majorca is still like the Queen in Watsons because of their vanity table booth, and really high pricing for drugstore, with a single blush costing $25. And MM seldom have discounts.

My Verdict: Okay Nice 3/5.
If you don't have it, don't have to get it. If you have it, like me, then it might be good to take it out again and rediscover its use, when paired with other brands.

The sheerness is not for me. Neither is the over-glitter. The last dark shade is too dark, while the rest too light. Great for highlighter. I like to use the 3rd shade with other eyeshadows.

How about you? MM was the raved brand in that time, so have you got any of their products out of curiosity? If yes, are you still using them? Which would you recommend, and which would you not?

Read more »

Instant Perk Me Up: Bourjois Contour Clubbing Waterproof Eyeliner

This is something that I've using on and off since I peeled off the plastic in January. It really makes my eyes pop, without much effort. And it is really great when used with a brown neutral look, when I have not much going on on my lids.

Bourjois Contour Clubbing Waterproof Eyeliner in 45 Blue Remix

Yes, this colour is so reflective under the light that you see the flash in the picture. Looks like the godmother's magic wand now!

Available: Raffles City Watsons, Century Square BHG, and other Bourjois counters


Volume: 1.2g


Star Properties: Ophthalmologically tested. Made in Germany (which the same as Make Up Forever!!)

Packaging
This came in simple plastic wrap around it, which again reminds me of Make Up For Ever's eye pencils. hahaha. Good enough, because anything more than that, will all be instantly thrown away.

Tip
As in photo below. It came sharp, but slightly blunt in the picture because I tested it once before this.

Now, it's even more blunt because I've used it quite a few times. Soon it will need sharpening.

Colour
Colour is as seen on lead, it is a Teal (Turquoise would be much lighter, more greenish). I really like the way the colour is exactly the same as that on the entire pencil too! But Make Up For Ever's is all black, except for the tail end that indicates the colour.

Two Ways to Use It
1. On the bottom lash line

This is the traditional way of using brightly coloured eyeliners. And teal is arguably the best colour to pair with black colour on the top lash line. It really stands out, compared to others like purple or gold. I am saying this after playing with the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide set back then in 2009... ... And really, none of the other colours seem to pop that much.

I saw a female student busy applying her teal eyeliner in the school washroom, and she totally reminded me that I have an unused super pretty Bourjois liner in my stash. So I thought this is time I revisit playing with bright coloured liners.

However, putting the bright colour on the bottom lash line means you can't see much when the eyes are closed.

2. On the top lash line
This is best done when the lid colours are neutral, like what I've done for today. What I have on my face is the entire BalmBini face palette that I reviewed recently.

That gave a really classic office look. And this eyeliner makes your look pop for a dinner date! Just bring along the Bourjois eyeliner. NO WONDER it's called the Contour CLUBBING Waterproof Liner. LOL, I actually only just understand this as I was typing. =PP

With the colour on the top lid, one can still see it when eyes are closed.

Oh my gosh, I am so loving theBalm blushes! There I went again, layered DownBoy over HotMama. I've never layered blushes. Never do even though I've read about this technique, because I thought all my blushes are good enough alone.

Over here, I am doing different eyes on the same face, because I wanted to show you what this eyeliner looks like. And I thought, instead of just providing a swatch, I'd use it in a look (because naughty me didn't take good close up shots on all the other times I actually wore it out).

In reality, like I've said, I have been using this on and off, and even with my Chanel Spring look, and it matches almost every look. Really gorgeous colour.

Texture
I have no problems gliding this down my lids at all. In fact, I think it is better than Make Up For Ever's. And it is on par with Urban Decay 24/7 Liners.

Waterproof
In fact, I would say that this is better than Urban Decay because it really lasts.

The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide are way too soft and really smudge big time, which explains why I've never worn those colours out. It's really a waste of money because I bought the entire set of pencils, only to find that they smudge so much I can't use it on any look that I want to wear out. I can only use it if I am just playing around at home... ... which I did in this look, Birds and Berries in Sweet Sweet Night.

Price
I admit that this is rather expensive, at $15.80, if I remember correctly. I mean seriously, $15.80 for a pencil? It did sound ridiculous to a male.

hahaha. But I am guessing most of you are females, and really, $15.80 for a full length pencil is worth it. It is more worth it if the pencil comes in a beautiful sparkling teal. And extra worth it because this is made in Germany. I'll blog about the MUFE pencil, and prove that Bourjois Contour Clubbing eye pencils are worth every single cent IF you need coloured eyeliners.

I am inclined to bring up the Koji Springheart eye pencils again for basic black, navy blue, browns. haha. Cheap and good.

My Verdict: PositivelyNice 5/5!

Read more »

FOTD: Sea, water, bubbles and foam

I have been wanting to a blue look as I've been watching Chelsea in the Barclay's Premier League. But I have put it on hold until now because it is really hard to find a Royal Blue eyeshadow!

haha, I can't believe that even Make Up For Ever and M.A.C doesn't has an exact royal blue.

But I am not complaining, because as luck has it, I recall that I have a stash of unopened eyeshadows from Nature Republic, and I bought a deep blue one... ... not to mention, I also bought a matching seafoam blue, and two highlight colours. And I am going to use all of it today!

FOTD: Sea, Water, Bubbles and Foam

What I used:

(From left, clockwise) Nature Republic (NR) Star e/s single in SBL707 Royal Blue (traditional), NR BL702 Seafoam Blue, NR No. 4 Pale Pink, NR SWH003 Off White, Maybelline Gel Liner, SHEENe Moisture Colour Lips in P1, Benefit Sugarbomb, Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Neo 3, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese.

Really excited about this one, because if you look closely, tell me the Nature Republic Star Eye Shadows don't remind you of this: Guerlain Les Aquas, by Paris B of My Women Stuff. =D

Pretty excited to know that I actually have the colours in my stash to create a similar look. I am not saying they are dupes of Guerlain, because I don't own any Guerlain, and I have no idea what Guerlain Eyeshadows are like. But as far as creating a Sea look, I think we can definitely get the required colours from other brands. =)

Unfortunately, all 3 Nature Republic Stores have closed down. Their cosmetic is affordable, and made in Korea. All 4 eyeshadows you see there, are super high quality ones. I need only tap my brush inside 3 times, and it was enough to produce the intensity you see below. As pigmented as Chanel, I swear.

Alright, let's now look closely at the eyes.

1. Using your favourite shadow packing brush, apply Royal Blue to entire lid, up to crease.
2. Using the same brush, apply the black from e.l.f (below) to the outer V of the eyes. Don't worry about blending yet.

3. Using a flatter crease brush, apply seafoam blue into the crease. Don't worry about blending.
4. Using a Q-tip or fingers, apply the Off White on the brow bones, and inner corners of the eyes.
5. Using a blending brush, dab a bit of Pale Pink, and use it to blend the crease colour up to the brow bone.
6. Blend out the black on the outer Vs.

Apply Maybelline Gel Liner on the upper lash line, and into half of the lower water line.
Use the remaining pigments on the Maybelline brush to shade in the eye brows.
Curl the lashes and apply the MM Lash Enamel.

Almost there!

Apply Benefit Sugarbomb which is a really light and barely there blush for me, but I chose it because of the shimmer, which will make the face look fuller and dewy.

Then apply the SHEENe Lipstick, which is almost nude colour for me... ... because the eyes are rather dark already.

And done!

I thought this eyes really suit my nail colours well.

That's all for the sea breeze feel! I felt like that really brought me back to Phuket!

Yours truly,
Jyoan
PosiNice

Read more »

LOTD: That Girl in Pink

I saw so many videos and blogs about creating a chocolate on sweet pink look for Valentine's day, that I decided to try it out. I did this on Monday, and actually stuck to my reliable Chanel Spring makeup for Valentine's Day, since that is really sweet enough, and Chanel really gives that super polished stain matte finish.

Face

I think my attempt to replicate chocolate on strawberry is very successful! Managed to adapt the colours to something that suits my skin tone, because brown is a super no-no for my skin colour!

I was kind of not very fond of neutral colours up until recently, when I took the plunge to go all out and try neutrals, trying to find things that work for me, because I've grown up, and not supposed to look a baby-doll all the time (except for V-day). And I found that I can actually pull of some browns if I use a proper brush to pat it on lightly.

As you can see, I didn't use too much brown. Chocolate on strawberry is just suppose to be a look which feels really sweet, and the brown is dabbed on lightly on the outer-V of the eye.

For highlighter, I used that light yellow from the brown palette (below) too, instead of sticking to pink base highlighter. SuRpRiSiNgLy, light yellow works well with the purple based pink on my lids!

I used all these: (hehe, so happy that I used all drugstore products without deliberately thinking.)

(From top left) Majolica Majorca (MM) RS 354, MM GD 886, NYX in PB 07 Natural, Sephora Lip Attitude Chic in C02, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 608 Cottage Cheese, Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black in Very Black.

Eyelid Colour: MM RS 354 Medium Pink in the middle
Outer V Colour: MM GD 886 Deep Brozne from bottom right
Crease Colour: MM RS 354 Light Pink from the left
Brow Highlight: MM RS 354 White Base colour from top, and MM GD 886 Light Yellow from top right

Quick Comment
Honestly, the Maybelline Unstoppable Mascara is just dumb. If you do such a sweet look for a sweet occasion, and want to look like doll, get the Sasa Superdolly instead. I just used Maybelline because I was experimenting for this post. And really, I have problems using up that mascara, because it's too lousy to see daylight even on normal school/working days.

I will do the NYX product review when I can confirm its existence in Singapore. I am putting it on hold because I went out to check the NYX retailer on Monday, wanting to get more Round Lipsticks and their Smokey Eye Click It Palette, I realise they don't sell the brand anymore. And it's a great pity for Singaporeans.

When I review, I hope to be able to provide you with a better option to buy other than eBay... ... So wish me luck on finding a shop that would import NYX again!

Outfit

I got this pretty cheap off a blog shop. So everything here is quite cheap cheap. =)

To my absolute great big horror, this isn't really what I saw from the photos. See that big hole in the chest area? I didn't know that the top doesn't have buttons, and is really just a pullover style top.

Ended up having to buy myself a proper spaghetti stripe to wear inside. I bought the bra-top from Uniqlo, and it's good, other than being a bit transparent.

Anyhow, I do like the vertical stripes on this top, and the length of it. Long enough so I can wear it as a dress. =)

That's all! Hope that it gives some inspiration and sweet feel for your next sweety outing!

Yours truly,
Jyoan
PosiNice

Read more »

I am Outed by a Probot!

When I first saw the review of this nail polish, I was very doubtful, as I cannot believe that custom blended nail polish from Singapore can be good. haha, we are well known for weird things like having someone who types SMSes the fastest, having the best Cup Stacker, etc. But nail polish? Last thing on my mind.

But anyway, I went ahead, took the plunge and order just one bottle. I used this for Valentine's Day, and I am loving it!

Outed By A Probot

Oh my gosh, so pretty right! I wish I have all the colours!!!

Available: Order from http://sgnails.com.sg/products/outed-by-a-probot, $25


Volume: 15ml


Star Properties: Super wonderful special, very special colours, with glitter.

Packaging
I like the simple sticker that which tells you the name in a glance. You know irritating it is to pick up a nail polish, and then flipping over to read that miniature font on the bottom. It's okay if I only have on bottle. But when I have so many similar pinks, that's it.

Brush
I am impressed that the brush can easily reach the sides of my nails without spilling polish all over my skin.

Texture
Amazing texture. It goes on easily, doesn't streaks, absolutely dries in an instant. I mean, look at my ring finger with the long nail (decided to cut the rest, as they are getting in the way of keyboard and touchscreen phone typing), looks like I did it at a nail salon rightz??? =DD hehehe.

Super awesome polish.

SG Nails, I want more!

Colour
This colour I chose is one that I find really special. The most special in the entire website, because I have never seen such the lightest blue polish before. And I was so worried that it wouldn't match my darker yellow skin. But it turned out really well, and look every bit as special as the feeling I got when I look at the photo on the website.

However, I'd have to admit that I didn't get this shade on first coat. I got a much lighter shade. I am not sure if this happens because my shade of light blue is really too light.

BUTBUTBUT, the wonderful thing is, I actually was tempted to stop at first coat, because the lighter shade looks like salon-style gradient nails!

I pretty much predict that this bottle of paint can do gradient nails puuurr-fectly. I will try it next time, take a picture and show! =)

Glitter
The only tiny gripe I have with this is that I see quite a lot of large glitter specks in my bottle, but when I painted, some of my nails didn't get it. Ended up, I had to dip back and deliberately try to scoop more, so that I get a large glitter speck. (In the photo, you can see the speck on my little finger and forefinger, but I didn't manage to get any on the middle and ring fingernails.

Cost
Expensive. You see, nowadays, I can get OPIs from bazaar sale at $8. But I must say, I think if you're looking for a glitter nail polish and don't want to be disappointed, I really swear by SG Nails!

Personally, I've got other glitter polishes, and I think they are crap. I find that glitter polishes under $10 is just crap.

Shipping
The strange and heartwarming thing about this little website is that they will send you the product first, and you need only do a bank transfer when you've received your bottle in good condition.

I do suppose this means that you can actually test the product and if the consistency is crap, perhaps, just perhaps, you could request if an exchange is possible.

But I didn't. I think in Singapore, we normally trust our own people quite a lot, like trusting people not to steal my belongings... ... So I sent them the payment immediately when I saw my bottle is not cracked (comes in bubble wrap and instructions *_^).

Anyway, as far I know about Singaporean sellers, you would be blacklisted without a second chance should you decide to default on payment. So for good practice, do prepare the payment as soon as you click order, don't wait till the item arrived... ... haha, because this can be costly if you go for 3-4 bottles at once.

What I think you could buy this for:
A GIFT! This would make a fantastic gift for nail-loving female friends. Given that some of the more popular colours are OFTEN out of stock (SG Nails, here this? T.T), you could always tell your girl-friends that you specially order this way before their birthdays or Christmas, or etc.

This would make a lovely polish to share during those girl-house visits.

I LOVE THIS: 6/5!
Absolutely worth it when you feel like getting away from monotone OPIs. I am very impressed with the brush, non-streaky paint, and superbly quick dry, because my experience tells me glitter dry sloooowly. You see, this feels like I am applying OPI, but with the glitter.

BIG THUMBS UP, SG NAILS! <3<3<3

Wishlist: Purely Logical (Apple Green), Regeneration (Orange), Cold and Calculating (Midnight Blue), Antisocial Media (Bright Blue).

Read more »

Yummy Tresses in Strawberry Smoothie - Another Valentine's Buildup

I had this weird streak in me to want to try everything since I was a kid. And the magnification of this trait right now, seems to come in the form of anything beauty, which is probably what led to this blog!

And so of course, when a casual comment from a friend came by about how she uses Johnsons & Johnsons Blueberry Shampoo, I just had to get it! Oh wait, but I didn't just got the blueberry shampoo, I simply had to pick up this other pinky pink pink thing, the L'oreal Strawberry Smoothie one!

L'oreal Kids Strawberry Smoothie Shampoo

Look! It's just too cute, isn't it? If you were a pink-lover, you'd sure get your hands on this, like me!

Available: Watsons, ~$6 (they had a discounted price for 2 when I was there)


Volume: 265 ml (I just realised that this isn't all that cheap because the volume is small. haha, but it doesn't matters.)


Star Properties: Extra Gentle 2-in-1. No Tears! No Knots! No Split Ends! Extra softness, burst of strawberry. (More in picture below.)

 haha, to be honest, I actually think all these specifics are laughable. But oh well, I guess I am the laughable one who bought into it by looks alone, without reading all these.

The Ingredients List:

Nothing special, I am not expecting to see natural or organic ingredients on this. =P

Packaging
Needless to say, I like the way this shampoo looks, and other than the smell, the pink colour is probably why I bought it, as there are other flavours, like a yellow one for Mango Smoothie, which I intended to buy if I find this good.

Fragrance
You see, the very reason why I went out looking for this in the first place, is because my friend swears that you get lasting fragrant hair throughout the day. So naturally, I must say that I really, really, really, really love the smell of strawberry smoothie, and I was so addicted to it when I smelled it in Watsons itself. I couldn't stop bringing the bottle to my nose, looking like a lunatic.

There! Can't help myself.

Texture

The Strawberry Smoothie is extremely flowy, and I actually wonder how children are suppose to use this on their own, because they'd probably let it flow all over the hands, right down to the bathroom floor, and that's it! Byebye, smoothie is down the drain. LOL.

That said, I do prefer this flowy texture as opposed to adults' shampoo, that's often thick and difficult to spread over my hair. With this texture, it has basically just flows right down and right through my long and thick hair!

So yes, thumbs up for this!

Foam

I am really glad that this shampoo doesn't foams up much! This feature is essential for a kids shampoo because the more it foams, the more it's going to get messy in the bathroom, with bubble flowing down into kid's eyes, and kid screaming their lungs out.

haha, this scenario is very real, as I was a kid once, and I know. It happened with those Kodomo shampoo that I used, more than a decade ago. But I was a good kid, I didn't scream. I merely called for mummy, who's always there at bath times, so she can reach for the shower and wash the bubbles off (because I was too short to reach the shower, sob).

However, it foams up a teeny bit, just right amount. I am really quite impressed by the quality of children's shampoo.

I only poured a little bit here, in case I can't control and let it all drip, because I was trying to take pictures with the other hand too. =P But in reality, I need to use one big handful, for my long hair to feel clean enough.

Formula

Anyway, I do agree with L'oreal that the shampoo should have less surfactants and so less foamy, because it is better for children. I remember always feeling a bit of sting when I use those high foam products. Yes, so maybe children's scalp are a lot more sensitive. =P

After Wash

My hair feels really clean, despite this being a kids' formula.

But in terms of smoothness, and non-tangle, I'd have to say, adults' formula like L'oreal Anti-frizz, Pantene, Ascience, are really better. I mean, this shouldn't be a surprise, considering the price and the amount of ingredients, with Ascience often touting strange Asian herbs, etc.

Nevertheless, I am quite satisfied, because what I am really looking for is a lasting fragrance in my hair. And I do not want to buy separate hair mist to keep spraying.

Cost

The low cost of this is one of those big attraction factors, even though this bottle really only contains half the volume of product that a standard adult bottle of shampoo would.

I love this: 3.5/5

I really like the fragrance. But I am judging this based on how it would be suitable for teens and adults, so I'd have to be honest, and let you know that unless you really love strawberry smoothie smell, there is no need to switch out your adult shampoos, as this is not an equivalent.

It has its perks, and drawbacks.

However, if you want to purchase a shampoo for your child, niece/nephew, or younger cousin, I'd say, why not? I think this makes a really great gift to the family. Super cute and attractive, pretty and all. The quality is really not bad for a kid shampoo, because this does well as a normal shampoo for me. It only pales in comparison because I've been using highly-formulated smoothening shampoo (which you wouldn't want to use on little children) for years and years.

It is well priced for kids, because I believe they wouldn't need as much as I do, which is one big handful of liquid.

Read more »

How I Store My Makeup - Travel Edition

I finally got down to blogging about this. =P

Aright, for those who have read my posts back in 2010, you would realise that I was residing in Malaysia for a few months. So during that time, I had to have some makeup with me, but I of course didn't want to shift my entire collection over, given the weight and inconvenience of lugging it onto the plane.

So I took the plunge and went ahead to get a Sephora pouch I've been eyeing for a few weeks back then.

How I Store My Makeup - Travel Edition: Sephora Makeup Bag

Available: Sephora, $40 (unfortunately, I didn't know that Sephora comes out with makeup storage items on a limited basis, and I've been going back to look out for this every now and then, but have never seen them being relaunched for over a year already. So I am really sorry that I didn't feature this earlier. But if you can find this online, or anything similar, I high recommend that you grab it, for those times when you travel.)

Volume: 1 bag, 4 pouches.

Star Properties: I like that it is black and gets dirty less easily. I like that there is the handle for carry and for hanging at the back of your hotel room/bathroom door. I like how it has this many compartments, 4 is just right for me.

 Closed-up look from the side. It is squarish.

I really like how this bag is rather hardy, so I can sort of throw it around, and squeeze it in the luggage.

And then when it is opened up, it looks like this:

It has 4 compartments, and I dedicated the top one to lip products, second to eyeshadows, 3rd to face products like compact powder and blushes, and the last to longish products, meaning all mascaras, liquid eyeliners, pencil liners, and even brushes if you like!

So this is just a close-up to show roughly, the size of the pockets, and which items would fit nicely inside. So  if you look closely, that yellow thing with the "G", that's my Garnier compact powder which I've never used. It's the size of a standard powder foundation. So yes, even that can fit flat and nicely inside!

 haha, if you notice, I don't have much inside now, because I've already cleared many things out over the last one year, since whatever I put inside were mostly my essential go-to products or holy grail. The leftovers are those I haven't quite use for a very long while.

Then this is the close up to show you the zip. And at the top there, is the velcro that is used to hold the bag together in a square bundle.

The other thing that I haven't mention is the way Sephora uses a mesh bag, so that all your items are roughly visible at a glance, which is so super important to me, since I really don't like to memorise where my things are, even though I've already allocated a slot for each type of product.

I love this: 5/5
No complains about this product. It was a pinch when I just bought it. But after fully utilising it, I thought it was all so worth the price.

Alright, so that's all. I do actually have other hang-up toiletry/jewelry bags that I want to show you gals. But till the next post, byebye, and have a great weekend ahead!

Yours truly,
Jyoan
PosiNice

Read more »

A Handwritten Note of Love - Valentine's Day Idea

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, people these days are just way more connected to each other than a mere 10 years ago. But connection came with a price of poorer one-to-one communication and less in intense communication. Ask yourself, when was the last time you handwritten something to a someone with the purpose of simply celebrating your relationship (be it parents, friends or partner)?

I am guilty of this. So as we move towards Valentine's Day, the day that in my opinion, is not so much to celebrate just boy-girl love anymore, but the day to celebrate meaningful relationships,  how about, let's all make a HAND note of appreciation? =D

Here's an example, and it was written with you, readers, in mind! <3<3<3

I was really excited that day, after receiving my parcel, and the first people I thought of were those positively nice people online. =)

And here's my haul, still in the plastic. I haven't ironed any. But when I wear them, I'd be sure to post LOTD! =)

Disclaimer: I am not advertising for Hvv. I paid for my own products. It was merely a musing from the excitement. If you're interested to know if the quality of Hvv's items are good or not, do stay tuned to my LOTD cum review. =)

On hind sight, I noticed that I said, "I <3 giveaways". haha, and I realise that my blog has never had a giveaway.

But really, would you like one? Will there be a proper response?

******

So, in this coming Valentine's Day, whether or not you have a boy/girl partner to celebrate love with, remember to write a handwritten note, simply use your handphone, and post it online! I am sure that friend would appreciate it greatly, especially if the both of you can never find time to meet!

Yours truly,
Jyoan
PosiNice

Read more »