Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume Mascara review

June 3, 2013, 6:15 pm

≫ Next: 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 5: Taichung Sitou Monster Village 台中溪头妖怪村 and Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市

≪ Previous: Hatomugi Lotion Skin Conditioner review

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What is it: 

Achieve red carpet moments with this amplifying mascara that separates each lash for a net result with its unique 300 bristles brush.

I was first introduced to Elite Models makeup over at Watsons Beauty Day Out. 

For those of you whom are not familiar with Elite, here's a little background information on the brand. 

About Elite

Founded in Paris in 1972, it is the no. 1 modeling agency in the world and home to some of the world's most renowned fashion models. 

Elite models cosmetics is developed to bring the latest makeup trends to the everyday woman. Inspired by runway fashion, Elite aims to provide fashionable, innovative, professional and affordable makeup to help one look and 'be a supermodel in your own way'.

If you haven't already know, I have got hooded/hidden/folded lids and it makes my eyelashes seem shorter than they really are. Although my lashes ain't exactly what you would call short but they grow straight down, hence I can never do without a good eyelash curler. At the last count, I have got a total of 4 eyelash curlers!

Here are my bare lashes before applying mascara.

Bare lashes before applying mascara

Curled and applied Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume mascara on my right eye (or left eye as you see in the picture below).

Left: with Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume mascara | Right: bare lashes

Here's how my lashes look after applying 3 coats of mascaras on both sides.

with 3 coats of Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume Mascara

Volume: ★★★★☆

In terms of volume, I think that Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume Mascara does a good job. It thickens my lashes at the very first coat. 

However, after adding subsequent coats of mascara, it becomes a little clumpy. There's nothing a lash brush can't fix though. I swear by my good old trusty lash brush from Cyber Colors that I got from Sasa (I have got 2 of them) -  not only it helps to separate my lashes and remove the clumps, I use it to soften my brows after drawing them too!

Length: ★★★☆☆

In terms of length, it doesn't lengthen my lashes as much as I would like such as Maybelline Volum Express Magnum Ultra Comb Waterproof Mascara or Kate Volume Mascara FR does.

Anti-smudge: ★★★☆☆ 

By mid-day, I noticed slight mascara smudges under my eye. It can be removed easily with tissue using gentle swipes though. 

At the end of the day before I remove my makeup, I noticed slight mascara smudges on my undereye again. The mascara smudges are quite subtle compared to the times when I use other mascaras.  

Ease of removal: ★★★★☆ 

In terms of removing Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume mascara, I tell you - its such a breeze! Why do I say so? Well, it is because - Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume mascara can be removed with just cleansing water alone! I normally follow up with either cleansing gel or foam just to make sure that its properly cleansed though. 

Overall: 3.5/5

Here's a portrait of me with just Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume mascara for my eye makeup, no eyeliner or anything else except that I had my brows drawn.

I think with just mascara alone, it helps to open up my eyes and make me look more awake.

No wonder Kevin 凯文老师 said in an episode of Queen, 女人我最大 (Nu Ren Wo Zui Da) that he would rather that girls apply mascara alone instead of eyeliner alone if they are in a rush because mascara helps to open up our eyes and make it look brighter.

I hope you like this post! Thanks for reading!

Love,
Patricia

To be notified of the latest beauty news, launches or events, follow me on or like SweetestSins on

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台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 5: Taichung Sitou Monster Village 台中溪头妖怪村 and Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市

June 9, 2013, 5:09 am

≫ Next: Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Range Introduction and Review

≪ Previous: Elite Models Tapis Rouge Cinema Volume Mascara review

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Hi lovelies, I'm back with blogging about my Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 5. Though my updates are slow (travel posts require more time to write compared to beauty reviews), I'm determined to finish this series, followed by my Korea Trip in November/December 2012 and my recent Taiwan Yilan Taichung and Taipei trip in May 2013.

We bought our Taiwan Railway train tickets the day before at NT$ 676, approx SGD$ 28.30 each.

There are different types of train - Tze Chiang Limited Express,  Chu-Kuang Express and Fu-Hsing Semi Express. We chose Tze Chiang Limited Express because Tze Chiang is the fastest of all train classes and also because it has got reserved seating meaning that you get a seat reserved for yourself. It is also the highest class of deluxe express passenger train and has the highest ticket price per mile (most expensive). 

Did you know that Tze Chiang was named after Mr. Chiang Kai-Shek, the former President of Taiwan (Republic of China) issued a speech to his military and civilian compatriots to urged the country to respect the homeland, strengthen self (Tzu-Chiang), respond to change without fear. Hence, Tzu-Chiang is sometimes referred to as "Self-Strengthening Express".

As the train tickets that we got from Taipei to Taichung was for 9am in the morning, we woke up super early and took Taipei Metro to Taipei Main Station from Ximen Station. The metro station is connected to the basement of the railway station. 

Entrance of Taipei Railway Station 台铁台北站

While waiting for our train, I took a picture of this train conductor. I think he's dressed very smartly, no? 

Taiwan Railway Train Conductor

And here comes our Tze Chiang train - easily identified by its bright cheery orange color. 

Don't say I didn't warn you. The trains in Taiwan arrive very punctually and leave after a minute. Our train came at 9am sharp and it left at 9.01am. So make sure that you reach the station early or on time and not late if not you won't be able to catch the train. 

As mentioned earlier, we took the 9am Taiwan railway train from Taipei to Taichung. Check out how crowded the train was early in the morning! It was filled with students, housewives, tourists, the elderly and even businessmen.

We just had to take these obligatory tourist shots. 

Andeline and me on Taiwan Railway train from Taipei to Taichung

Self-shot with Andeline

While the girls were catching up on sleep, I took the chance to snap some scenic pictures for keepsake and to share with you my lovely readers of SweetestSins. I mean, how often am I on a train (excluding SMRT of course) and how often do I get to look out of the train window and see lush green scenery (excluding the view of Lower Seletar Reservoir between Khatib and Yio Chu Kang train station) and old buildings?

I really like the picture that I took of the girl with her yellow umbrella waiting for her train to come below. Somehow, the picture alone seem to convey a lot of unspoken words. 

Spotted a lot of transmission lines, something we don't really see in Singapore anymore.

These old buildings reminds me so much of those in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

Not long after, we reached Fengyuan Railway Station and that meant that we aren't far from reaching Taichung Railway station.

Fengyuan Railway Station 豐原火车站

We finally reached Taichung Railway Station 台中車站 after 2 h 18 mins. 

Check out how orderly the Taiwanese are after getting down from the train. We have got a lot to learn from them!

Spotted this drinks vending machine at the platform of Taichung Railway Station. How convenient, no? 

Drinks vending machine

There's a tourist information centre at Taichung Railway Station hence we went to enquire about how to get to 妖怪村 Monster Village and the girl there told us to take a bus from 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation. 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation isn't exactly near Taichung Railway Station, its about a 9 minutes walk away from Taichung Railway Station. Thinking back, I'm quite proud of ourselves because we managed to find the place without Google maps or anything and with just the directions that the girl from the tourist information centre gave and us asking an auntie for directions at the wet market that we passed by. 

Here are some street view photos that I took while walking from Taichung Railway Station to 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation. 

We passed by this wet market that had live chickens! Its such a rare sight I must say. In Singapore, the chickens that we see in supermarkets and wet markets are all dead and skinned.

We finally arrived at 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation.

南投客運 (台中站) Nantou Bus Transportation (Taichung Railway Station)
干城車站雙十路一段35-8號
台中火車站乘車處－火車站左斜對面神鑑大樓前  (原金沙百貨)

They offer bus routes to attractions such as Sun Moon Lake and Cingjing farm too!

I know you are probably asking, "So how do I get to 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation from Taichung Railway Station?" 

I have included a map below that shows you the route from Taichung Railway Station to 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation. 

Directions to 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation from 台中火車站 Taichung Railway Station

1. Head northeast on 中山路

2. Turn left toward 建國路

3. Turn right onto 建國路

4. Slight right onto 雙十路一段

Click here to view street view map to 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation from 台中火車站 Taichung Railway Station

We got our tickets from 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation to Sitou Monster Village 溪头 妖怪村 for NT$ 165, approx SGD$ 6.90. 

As we still have some time to kill before the bus departs, we decided to have brunch at one of the eatery near 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation. Yes, you heard me right - I said brunch. We skipped breakfast altogether because we thought that we could get Taiwan Railway bentos 台铁便当 either at Taipei Railway Station or onboard train. Turns out that we were too early and they haven't started selling them at Taipei Railway Station and there wasn't anyone selling them onboard our train. Such a bummer right? T_T

公园小吃

3 Gongyuan Road, Zhong District, Taiwan

Our NT$50 fried rice

At least our NT$ 50, approx SGD $2.10 fried rice with pork and pork floss made up for it! Its such a simple dish yet its close to heart because it taste like home. The lady boss was very friendly, she offered us free soup which we didn't take because we were already very full given the very generous serving of fried rice.

After brunch, we headed to Hi-Life (convenience store) to get drinks before we headed up to our bus for the 90 minute journey to Sitou 溪头.

This is how our shuttle bus look like from the inside.

南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation Shuttle Bus to Sitou 溪头

And here's how our shuttle bus look like from inside. Its looks very similar to Freego bus 飛狗巴士 (airport shuttle bus) that we took from Taoyuan International Airport to Zhongxiao Fuxing station. 

It is quite spacious and quite comfortable.

After 90 minutes and going round and round the mountains, we finally reached Sitou 溪头!

This is what greeted us when we alighted from the bus.  

It reminds me very much of Genting. Well, its up in the highlands too, probably that explains the similarity!

Monster Village 妖怪村 is about a 5 minute walk from our drop-off point. 

Once you see these Japanese lanterns, you are a few steps away from entering Monster Village 妖怪村.

溪头松林町 妖怪村 Monster Village

No 2-3, Xingchan Road, Lugu Township, Nantou County 558, Taiwan
南投縣鹿谷鄉內湖村興產路2-3號, 558

Opening hours:
Mon - Fri: 10am - 8pm
Sat - Sun: 10am - 9pm

Entrance fee:
Free

http://www.facebook.com/TheMonsterVillage
http://www.mingshan.com.tw/

About Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町: Japanese style village built in 2011, located near Xitou Nature Education Area. A torii, a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found within a Shinto shrine, stands at the entrance of the village. It marks the transition from the profane to the sacred. Cute Japanese monster statues are all over this small village and red lanterns hang on the eaves. Restaurants and souvenir shops are named after different kind of Japanese monsters. During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, Kubota (久保田) and Katsuichi Matsubayashi (松林勝一) were close friends and worked together in Xitou. Kubota was Japanese and Matsubayashi was Taiwanese (in that period, all locals were forced to use Japanese name). Their friendship lasted even after Japan lost WWII and Kubota went back to Japan. Kubota ran a bakery with his wife and named it Matsubayashi Kubota. However, years later the bakery was destroyed by fire and his wife died. Matsubayashi knew about it by mail and sent some money to Kubota. In 1974, Matsubayashi received another mail from Kubota. Kubota mentioned in the mail that he had a wooden sculpture and wanted to give it to Matsubayashi as a present. They did not manage to meet each other for the last time.  Before Matsubayashi died, he told his descendants to fulfill his last wish. The wooden sculpture is placed in Ming Shan Resort. In order to commemorate their friendship, Ming Shan Resort built Monster Village and named it after Matsubayashi. Meanwhile, a bakery was named after Kubota. Today, tourists can be seen queuing up in front of the bakery at two intervals, 10:30am and 14:30pm for freshly baked bread.

Our spirits were dampened because it was raining when we got to Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町.

Although Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町 is a small place (you only require at most 45 minutes to walk through it), it feels very calming and peaceful especially with the cool weather (about 23-25 degrees celsius) and traditional Japanese music playing in the background.

The main attraction of Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町 is that you will spot these 'little monsters' throughout the monster village. If you are keen on staying in the vicinity of Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町, Ming Shan Resort would be a good option. 

Here is a full list of the stores in Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町.

- 妖怪雜舖
- 利元居酒屋
- 黑心店
- 山大王 包子簡
- 妖怪診所
- 妖雞
- 無爛餃鍋貼
- 佳泰茶行
- 有機芭樂
- 茶生津
- 蕃薯の家
- 妖怪映像館
- 梅珍花生糖
- 大嶽蔬果舖
- 台灣老味
- 精靈屋

There are actually quite a number of stores within Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町 ranging from a bakery, teahouses to stores selling souvenirs, food/snacks such as fried chicken, gyoza, tea, guava, sweet potato, peanut candy etc.

大嶽蔬果舖

妖怪診所

This is the store that we spent most of our time in checking out the merchandise that they have for sale. 

Check out the Marlboro and Pepsi lookalike packaging! 

They have got clinical theme for their packaging as well - think syringes and x-ray machines! 

When I saw the vintage set-up below, I knew that I had to take a picture of it because it reminds me so much of old school provision shops that I used to go to with Grandma when I was younger. I didn't understand why she had to buy groceries from not just one but three different places - the supermarket, wet market and then the provision shop. 

This packaging cracked me up again because it reminded me of Wang Wang rice crackers (旺旺仙贝).

And instead of Salonpas, we have got Salongpass in Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町.

KEC 妖雞

In Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町, they have KEC fried chicken instead of KFC.

Check out this lovely vintage tricycle that I spotted outside 久保田 Bakery (久保田面包店) in Xitou Monster Village 溪頭怪物村/松林町. 

Vintage tricycle

Around 2:20, we went to queue for 久保田 Bakery (久保田面包店)'s 咬人猫面包 (literally translates to as human-biting cat bread).

久保田 Bakery (久保田面包店)

久保田 Bakery (久保田面包店) bakes fresh bread for sale at two intervals (10.30am and 2.30pm) daily. Once the bread is sold out, you can only wait for the next batch if not the next day because they won't bake any more. Not to worry about the supply because the bakery limits each customer to a maximum of 2 咬人猫面包 (literally translates to as human-biting cat bread). 

咬人猫面包 NTD $30

咬人猫面包 (literally translates to as human-biting cat bread) has got ham and cheese filling in it. While it certainly ain't the best-tasting ham and cheese bread that I have tried so far, it did certainly keep us full and warm from the cold rain. 

There's photo taking opportunity at every corner of Monster Village 妖怪村. They have got lot of huge artifacts on display.

Andeline and Shin

I wasn't lying when I said that Monster Village 妖怪村 looks very serene. Don't you all secretly wish that you can live in somewhere like that in the midst of the woods and near Mother Nature?

Mr Postman says hello!

I can't remember the name of this store in Monster Village 妖怪村 but its yet another store that we spent most of our time in choosing gifts for family, friends and colleagues. 

They have got a lot of confectionery such as - 

Chocolates

and other food stuffs such as - 

Cup noodles

Lollipop

Here's my humble haul from Monster Village 妖怪村. Got these partly because of the cute packaging. I know I'm not supposed to buy things just because of the nice packaging but I guess I wanted to get something from Monster Village 妖怪村 especially after spending such long hours to get there.  

妖怪面 Monster Cup Noodles NT$ 35

妖怪巧克力 Monster Chocolate NT$ 100

精靈屋

Check out what I spotted, yet another vintage artifact - wheel cart!

妖怪映像館

妖怪雜舖

山大王 包子簡

They have got foot massage in Monster Village 溪头妖怪村 too!

After we finished touring Monster Village 溪头妖怪村, we took 南投客運 Nantou Bus Transportation shuttle bus back to 台中火車站 Taichung Railway Station.

Back at 台中火車站 Taichung Railway Station, we checked with the girl at the Tourist Information Counter what are the public buses that we can take to Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市. She told us a few buses that we can take and off we went to the bus stop outside 台中火車站 Taichung Railway Station.

We made a big mistake - instead of taking any of the buses that she advised us, we hopped onto Bus 33 (1st bus to arrive at the bus stop) when we saw Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市 on its LED screen.

Interior of Taichung Bus 33 / 台中客運

This was a real bad move because it took us more than 30 stops to get to Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市 and it got most of us real dizzy because we have been traveling on rail and bus for already more than 4 hours before that.

Travel tip #1: 

Always ask for directions and bus routes when in doubt and double/triple check with bus driver before boarding.

We alighted at Fengjia University (逢甲大学) Fuxing Road (福星路).

Fengjia University (逢甲大学)

We wasted no time by diving into Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市 straight to check out what it has to offer. 

After all, Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市 is the largest night market in Taiwan and a lot of Taiwan bloggers raved about how Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市 is the best night market to shop and eat (street food)! 

逢甲夜市 Fengjia Night Market 
Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407
台中市西屯區逢甲路跟福星路交叉口

Public transport - buses:
台中客運 Taichung Bus no. 27, 35 or 
仁友客運 Ren You Bus no. 22, 25, 37, 45, 46

86碳烤雞排
台中市西屯區逢甲路20巷16號 (全家便利商店旁 - next to Familymart)

Opening hours:
Mon-Thurs 3.30pm - 1am
Fri-Sun 3.30pm - 2am

http://0987098715.tranews.com/

What is so special about 86碳烤雞排 is that after deep-frying the chicken cutlet, it is barbecued over charcoal so it retains its juiciness. 

碳烤雞排 Charcoal BBQ chicken cutlet, NT $55

Couldn't resist snapping a picture of these super huge prawns from Thailand.

As we walked down the street, I spotted a shop selling - oyster omelette 蚵仔煎! I love oyster omelette, its one of those local favorites that I will waste my calories on. 

廟東蒜肉飯蚵仔煎
台中市西屯區逢甲路20巷內

蚵仔煎 NT$ 55

I bought the oyster omelette 蚵仔煎 to try but I guess we were too hungry that we gobbled it up even before taking a picture of it. The oysters are very fresh. What makes it different from the Singapore (local) version is that instead of chili sauce served on the side, sweet sauce is drizzled on it and it comes with one serving of vegetables.

We had to leave Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市 around 9+ as we had to take a bus back to 台中火車站 Taichung Railway Station to catch our train back to Taipei. 

Travel tip #2:

Never ever do a one-day trip to Taichung. Its not advisable because it will be too rushed and you can't simply finish walking or shopping Fengjia night market in a day.

When we finally boarded the train at Taichung, we were relieved that we didn't miss our train. We were so exhausted by our one day trip to Taichung from Taipei that we slept throughout the entire journey back to Taipei. 

Check out how empty the train (Taipei Railway) is at night! 

When we reached Taipei Railway Station, we saw on the LCD panel that the last train back heading back to Ximen Station (heading towards the direction of Yongning station) is approaching Taipei Main Station hence we ran all the way from the exit of Taipei Railway Station to Taipei Main Station.

With that, it sums up our Day 5 in Taiwan, Taichung. 

I hope you like this post and do check back for my Day 6 and Day 7 blog post!

Love,

Patricia

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Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Range Introduction and Review

June 13, 2013, 7:55 am

≫ Next: S.E.A Aquarium and Maritime Experiential Museum visit and experience (水族馆及海事博物馆)

≪ Previous: 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 5: Taichung Sitou Monster Village 台中溪头妖怪村 and Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市

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About Garnier Sakura White range

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance product range contains Sakura Extract from Shikoku & Okayama in Japan where the warm weather and fertile soil provide the best conditions for Sakura blossoming.

Containing anti-oxidant molecules, Sakura Extract is rich in whitening actives to inhibit melanin production, reduce roughness and sooth skin with anti-inflammatory actions. Garnier Sakura White is also enriched with Vitamin B3 & Vitamin CG to deeply nourish as it brightens.

Dermatologically tested, suitable for sensitive skin.

Garnier Sakura White series is proven to work on 5 dimensions:

1) Fairness:

Sakura extracts inhibit melanin and brighten skin tone. Expect to see fairer, more luminous skin in 4 weeks.

2) Evenness:

The Sakura extracts helps to unifies uneven skin complexion and skin irregularities to achieve even skin tone.

3) Transparency:

Sakura extracts promotes transparency and deeply hydrates the skin, helping to boost moisture levels and keep skin moisturized all day long.

4) Softness:

Sakura extracts refines pores for silky smooth skin

5) Rosiness:

Less yellow, less brown and more pink!

Within the Sakura White range, there is -

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Gentle Cleansing Foam What is it: Creates a light foam on the skin and penetrates deep within the pores to remove all dirt and impurities, while the gentle formulation leaves skin refreshed and hydrated, revealing a pinkish radiant complexion after each wash. Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Essence Lotion . What is it: Watery translucent texture is light and easily absorbed. Creates a clean and smooth surface that preps the skin for maximum absorbance of moisture. Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Moisturizing Cream What is it: Delicate day cream that glides effortlessly onto the skin and absorbed in a wink. Sakura extracts, Vitamin B3 and CG nourishes the skin and help lighten skin tone and dark spots, refine skin texture, and reduce the appearance of pores. SPF 21 PA+++ is added for sun protection. Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance High Concentrated Mask What is it: Recommended to be used 2-3 times a week. Drenched in Sakura Extract, Vitamin CG and Vitamin B3 that is deeply absorbed by the skin, maximizing their rich hydrating properties, revealing rosy, fair skin from within.

Although I haven't had a chance to try out all of the products from Garnier Sakura White range, I wanted to share my thoughts on two products - Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Gentle Cleansing Foam and Intensive Whitening Mask.  

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Gentle Cleansing Foam

 

My thoughts:

I have been using Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam for close to a month for now and I thought its time that I share my thoughts on it.

On lazier days or when I'm in a rush, I use Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam directly from the tube and work a lather with my hands.

Check out how foamy Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam is just by using my hands to work out a lather!

I usually work out a lather with my face wash net and this is the amount of foam I get.

Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam is very gentle on the skin, I like the fact that it doesn't make my skin feel tight after cleansing. I like the fact that it foams very well when used with a face wash net and that its quite moisturizing compared to other foam cleansers.

What I particularly like best about Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam is its light, refreshing scent that isn't too overpowering. On top of that, I think after cleansing with Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam, my skin feels softer! After 4 weeks of using Garnier Sakura White Gentle Cleansing Foam, I realised that my complexion looked more even and my skin looked more translucent even though I didn't observe any whitening or brightening effects.

Rating: 

★★★★☆

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Intensive Whitening Mask

 

My thoughts:

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Intensive Whitening Mask is pink in color! So pretty right? I was very excited when I first tried it out because it was my first time seeing and using a facial mask in pink! 

I had high hopes for this since it was named Intensive Whitening Mask but I did not observe any whitening/brightening effects. Having said that, I will repurchase Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Intensive Whitening mask if I am looking for a moisturizing mask as its very moisturizing (almost on par with my Hyaluronic Acid facial masks)! 

Rating:

★★★

☆

☆

I hope you like this post! Thanks for reading!

Love, 

Patricia 

Price list:

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Gentle Cleansing Foam $5.90
Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Softening Lotion $17.90
Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Moisturizing Cream $19.90
Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance High Concentrated Mask $21.90/box of 4

Click here to view Garnier Sakura White Tea Party pictures.

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S.E.A Aquarium and Maritime Experiential Museum visit and experience (水族馆及海事博物馆)

June 17, 2013, 9:26 pm

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≪ Previous: Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Range Introduction and Review

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Don't we all love weekends? I do for sure because not only do I get to rejuvenate myself over the weekend, I get to spend time with my loved ones too!

Last Sunday, I brought Grandpa and Mommy to SEA Aquarium over at Resort World Sentosa, Marine Life Park. You have no clue how excited I was to check out those fishes especially after seeing heaps of pretty photos on Instagram, not to mention the fact that I'm very much of a photography enthusiast.

Follow the rest of my post to join me on a virtual tour to SEA Aquarium!

I think we queued close to 45 minutes before we entered the building.

Before we entered SEA Aquarium, there's a long passageway that displays cultures and traditions of different countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Oman and Africa. I later found out that it is actually The Maritime Experiential Museum! The entrance fee to Maritime Experiential Museum is included in the S.E.A. Aquarium One Day Pass. Its certainly a good reminiscence of those history lessons I had back when I was in secondary school!

About The Maritime Experiential Museum Built to house the Jewel of Muscat and some of the 60,000 artefacts salvaged from the Belitung shipwreck, an Arabian dhow wrecked off the coast of Belitung Island. Experience Asia’s rich maritime history and discover Singapore’s past as a trading port. This trip back in time begins along the ancient Maritime Silk Route, which recreates the sights, sounds and scents of the bustling bazaars and where you can interact with the exhibits. See a fascinating trove of precious artefacts from the Bakau shipwreck and Temasek archaeological site that can be found at the Maritime Archaeology Gallery. View life-sized ship replicas of Asian sailing vessels from the docks at the Historic Ship Harbour, and learn more about Asia’s maritime and cultural heritage through the museum’s education programmes.  This unforgettable visit ends on a nail-biting note in the 360º multimedia Typhoon Theatre where visitors ‘board’ a sailing ship and encounter a perilous storm.

We started our visit off by checking out The Souk. 

The Souk

Centuries ago, merchants plying the Maritime Silk Route would call at many different bustling ports and souks*. The sights, sounds and even scents have been recreated with interactive activities and panels, to give visitors an inkling of what life was like in those days.

*Souks refer to marketplaces in Arab cities. Other ports and souks outside of these cities are also featured.

Nutmeg, originally found in Banda Island (Molucca Islands) was traded in Malacca.

Distilled nutmeg is used in cooking, medicines and perfumes.

These little ships sailing floating in the air are actually a visual representation of one of the seven expeditions that Admiral Zheng He, a eunuch from the Ming Dynasty, commanded to the Indian Ocean of a fleet of 27,800 men and over 250 ships!

If you are already wowed by those little ships, wait till you check out this gigantic one - it is actually Jewel of Muscat. I think its very magificient, no?

Jewel of Muscat

 

About Jewel of Muscat Based on the remains of the Belitung wreck salvages in 1998, the reconstructed 9th century Arabian dhow, the “Jewel of Muscat”, features a hull made of timbers from Africa sewn together with coconut fibre ropes and no nails.  The ship made its historic voyage from Oman to Singapore. It was presented as an official gift from the Sultanate of Oman to the Singapore government in July 2010.

After walking further down, I spotted a mini safari amidst the building itself! Check out the life size giraffes and rhinoceros figurines below. This is actually a cross section of the same treasure ship, Jewel of Muscat that you see above.

Can you imagine how they managed to have those animals onboard in the past? The ship has to be really big to have them onboard!

Saw these carpets and I just had to take a picture of them because they remind me so much of my last visit to Lotto Carpets.

Traditional rug weaving loom

Mommy spotted this camel and she was like, "Hey, you ought to take a picture with it." I was quite hesitant initially because I looked god awful - think dark eye rings and huge eye bags that particular morning (slept at 3am the day before, was working on a blog post) but I was surprised by it turned out! At least better that I thought it would be.

Another take with Grandpa

After that, we took the escalator down to join the queue to enter S.E.A. Aquarium. I think we queued for another 45 minutes before we entered S.E.A Aquarium.

S.E.A. Aquarium

8 Sentosa Gateway
Sentosa Island
Singapore 098269

Nearest MRT Station:
Harbourfront MRT Station

Getting to S.E.A. Aquarium via:
Bus:
RWS 8
Outside VivoCity and HarbourFront Station bus stops
$2 for round trip

Sentosa Express:
Go to the 3rd level (Lobby L) of VivoCity shopping mall to transfer to Sentosa Express to enter the resort. Drop off at Waterfront Station.

Opening hours:
10am - 7pm

Entrance fee:
Adult - $33
Child (4-12 years old) - $23
Senior Citizen (60 years old and above) - $23

S.E.A Aquarium is divided into different sections as follow.

- Strait of Karimata & Java Sea

- Strait of Malacca & Andaman Sea 

- Bay of Bengal & Laccadive Sea

- Ocean Journey

- Open Ocean

- Persian Gulf & Arabian Sea

- Red Sea

- East Africa 

- South China Sea 

- Shark Seas

Honestly speaking, I was quite disappointed by the modest entry point. I was like, "Don't tell me this is it?" Plus, it looked so similar to that of Underwater World. 

These reminds me so much of Nemo!

This cracked me up a little when it says Pipes, Razors, Ghosts, Dragons & Horses.

Here's how the Ghost look like! Its actually Ghost Pipefish.

Razorfish

Circular Aquarium

You probably can't tell from the close-ups above but the Circular Aquarium in S.E.A. Aquarium reminds me of Romeo and Juliet aquarium scene.

Although I didn't meet my Romeo in S.E.A. Aquarium, I was happy to get to know Kenji and Lilian from Malaysia. They were queuing in front of us to get into S.E.A. Aquarium and we started talking. Kenji is a graffiti artist, you can check out his works here, kenjichai.com. Lilian does Marketing too! 

With Kenji and Lilian

We moved on to the Bay of Bengal and Laccadive Sea. 

Fishing on stilts is common to Sri Lanka but this tradition slowly disappeared after the tsunami in 2004.

Check out the super cute-looking (I think its pufferfish) that I spotted!

Its definitely one of the best shots that I took in S.E.A Aquarium that day. Did I mention how much it was of a challenge taking photos in S.E.A Aquarium due to low lighting? Everything just come out blue. -.-" Plus, I doubt flash will make it any better.

A lot of photography enthusisasts have asked me this question - Is flash photography is allowed in S.E.A Aquarium? Well, the disclaimer says, "For the comfort and safety of our animals we ask that you refrain from the use of flash photography."

One thing I liked about S.E.A Aquarium is that there's photo taking opportunities at every section. Despite not being a huge fan of fishes, I was blown away by how pretty these aquatic creatures looked! They look luminous and they swim together in an army in the same direction which is a very pretty and magnificent sight!

These unique-looking fishes in blue and yellow are a pretty sight too!

More colorful and multi-colored fishes to take your breath away.

Over at Ocean Journey, we spotted these playful Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins that love swimming upside down.

Bottlenose dolphins

Giant spider crabs

Now onto the highlight and the best part of my trip to S.E.A. Aquarium - sea jelly or better known as jelly fish. They have got different species such as the trailing long-tentacled lion’s mane sea jelly, the captivating neon blue sea jelly and the larger-than-life moon sea jelly.

Moon sea jelly



Trailing long-tentacled lion’s mane sea jelly



neon blue sea jelly

After that, we headed to the Open Ocean section.

Manta ray (Stingray)

Me with the fishes at Open Ocean

OMG, I look so ghastly white here! I was actually trying to take a selca (self-shot) and this guy whom is a staff in S.E.A. Aquarium came up to me and asked if I needed his help. Kudos to him, we got a nice family shot below.

With Grandpa and Mommy

Ocean Dome in the Open Ocean section of the S.E.A. Aquarium

Grandpa really like the Ocean Dome, he said that its very relaxing just sitting down and looking at the fishes.

Ocean Dome's ceiling

We were greeted by more colorful fishes as we headed for the exit.

Check out the fins of these fishes below. They are super long yet translucent! Very unique I would say!

I can't remember what is this fish called but it looks like a lobster or crayfish to me, except that its in white and brown instead of orange.

This fellow here sure look not too pleased with the avid photographers trying to get a good picture of it.

Life-sized replica of the bow of the Bao Chuan, Admiral Zheng He's legendary treasure ship

We stopped by Fish & Crab Shack (within the building that house S.E.A Aquarium and Maritime Experiential Museum) for some juice and coffee before heading back.  

As the place is quite huge, I think it would be better to set aside more time, probably about 5 hours minimum for both S.E.A Aquarium and Maritime Experiential Museum so that you won't have to rush through it like we did. I think it will be more enjoyable that way. We did both of them in 4 hours but queuing up alone takes 1 h 30 mins already.

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Patricia

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Yoga & Wine at Space & Light Studios

June 23, 2013, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream review

≪ Previous: S.E.A Aquarium and Maritime Experiential Museum visit and experience (水族馆及海事博物馆)

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Last Friday, I headed over to Space & Light Studios over at Tanglin Road right after work for Yoga. I have done beginner level Yoga previously and I love Yoga because it helps to stretch your muscles, improves your posture and most importantly - alleviate stress. Of all, I think the most beneficial part about Yoga is that it helps to improve my posture - I don't slouch as much now!

Our friendly instructors for the day! Look at them - all smiles!

All of the participants listening to the instructor attentively

It was more of a cardio Yoga session that we had. We did various positions like the plank, burpee and even handstand! The instructors are really attentive in the sense that they go around the class making sure that we were doing it right and correct our posture if we aren't. 

Handstand demonstration

The handstand is pretty cool, no? I was quite skeptical initially but then I thought why not give it a try. Turns out that I was able to do my very first handstand (aided of course)! Still lamenting over the fact that it wasn't captured on camera, oh wells.

After about an hour of yoga practice, we popped by next door to grab some wine (I had white and red) as well as some snacks (of which I love the tempeh the most)! This ain't surprising because I love sambal tempeh! I might try cooking tempeh with a dash of honey in the oven next time for a healthier option.

Here's one to the Streetdirectory family

Ending the post with a few pictures taken at Space & Light Studios

Balance, balance and balance.

With the owners, Lynn and Su Mei

Reaching for the wine

Thank you Streetdirectory for the invitation and Space & Light Studios for having me over for Yoga. It was certainly a good workout session.

Space & Light Studios Pte Ltd

308 Tanglin Road 

Singapore 247974

www.spaceandlightyoga.com

Nearest MRT station: 

Redhill

Love,
Patricia

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Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream review

June 28, 2013, 12:17 am

≫ Next: Phillip Wain Zumba Master Class with David Velez

≪ Previous: Yoga & Wine at Space & Light Studios

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I have tried sunscreen lotion/mousse/gel from many different brands but I still like those from Japanese brands the most and Biore is one of them! Hence, I was very excited to try out Biore's latest offering - Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream.  

If you have been following my blog for sometime, you would have read quite a number of reviews that I have written for Biore sunscreen/sunblock.

While I am certainly not your typical Singaporean Chinese girl (I'm far from being called fair), I do not wish to get any darker. I was so tanned after my last Taiwan trip in May 2013 that my colleague was like, "Hey Patricia, you look brown today."

You see.. I wasn't fair to begin with ever since I was a kid and I think that has got to do with Daddy's genes. But I was definitely fairer then. I swam a lot when I was a teenager plus I was from the Red Cross and we spent most of our time training under the sun. I remember back then, Mummy would always ask me to apply sunblock/sunscreen lotion and I couldn't be bothered apart from the times when I went swimming. In fact, I remember I still headed to the beach to suntan and I even slapped on suntan lotion (good gracious!).

A lot of people have the misconception that applying sunscreen makes you fairer or allows you to not get any darker. It actually don't in general. What it does is to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. I have got friends whom uses whitening products like toner/lotion, serum or moisturizer and they tell me, "Why don't my spots or freckles go away and in fact, I got more spots after using whitening products?" Well, the thing is - if you use whitening products, you MUST apply sunscreen if not you will get more sun spots. My advice is that you use moisturizing/hydrating products in the day and leave the whitening products for use at night. That way, you need not worry about getting sun spots.

Most ladies whom don't apply sunblock usually have the same reason - that they dislike the sticky feeling after applying sunscreen. Most of Biore's sunblocks/sunscreens are rather lightweight and doesn't feel heavy on the skin.

The packaging of Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream reminds me very much of Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse and Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream

And since I love how Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse felt on my skin and how it allows makeup to glide onto my face with ease, I was excited to try out Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream to see if it works the same or is even better.

Check out my current collection of sunscreens from Biore!

Biore sunscreens

 



Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream



What is it:

- Whitens and brightens as it protects with naturally-derived Chamomile extract that fights dark spots

- Superior long-lasting Double UV Block protects skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays

- Breakthrough Biore Aqua Rich Technology gives a watery-light texture that refreshes and moisturizes skin

- Easy to apply and instantly absorbed for an invisible, weightless finish

- Contains hyaluronic acid citrus extract to hydrate and soften skin

- Gentle on skin and allergy-tested

- Mild fresh, fruity fragrance

- Suitable for all skin types

Directions:

Apply evenly on face after moisturizer and before applying makeup. For best results, reapply after excessive perspiration. As with all sunscreens, cleanse thoroughly using a makeup remover.

My thoughts:

In this post, I will review not just the latest Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream but Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse as well. This will provide you with some insights on which sunscreen will suit you better.

THE SHOWDOWN!

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse VS Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Cream Whitening

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse

The good:

- lightweight (light texture, doesn't feel heavy on skin after application)

- cooling sensation after application

- doesn't leave a white cast after application

- doesn't feel greasy after application

- face looks slightly dewy after application

- creates a smooth canvas prior to makeup application

- works well with makeup

- when applied on its own, it helps to keep my face pretty much matte

The bad:

- strong citrus scent

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Cream Whitening

The good:

- citrus scent ain't as strong as that of Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse

- works better when used alone (and not with makeup)

The bad:

- more shine on my face after application compared to Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse

- less is more, must blend properly if not there will be a white cast

- doesn't work well with makeup, makes my makeup look patchy after 3-4 hours

- a bit drying

Let me explain a little bit more in detail regarding my experience with Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Cream (Whitening). I normally use sunscreen after my regular moisturizer and before applying liquid foundation. The first few days when I tried Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Cream (Whitening), I only applied liquid foundation and by 9am, my makeup looked very patchy - you can literally see the makeup sinking into my pores. The next couple of days, I set my makeup by applying loose powder after liquid foundation. But still.. my makeup looked patchy after a few hours and my skin started to flake (not sure if it was due to Biore's new sunscreen or due to my facial last week). I stopped using Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Cream for two days and I had AMPM Super Triple HA Serum on day and night and the flaking stopped.

If you're like me whom put on makeup daily (for me its on weekdays), I will strongly recommend Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse. But if you're someone whom don't wear makeup regularly, I will recommend either Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse or Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Cream Whitening.

Price list:

Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream SPF 50+ PA+++ $18.90.

Available at all leading pharmacies and selected supermarkets and hypermarkets.

You might want to check out these posts:

♥ Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA+++ review

♥ Biore Hydra Clear Makeup Remover

♥ Biore UV Moist Face Milk (Holy Grail) - discontinued in Singapore 1, 2

♥ Biore Aqua Rich UV Face Mousse SPF 50+ PA+++ and Biore Aqua Rich UV Gel SPF 30 PA+++

♥ Biore Hydra Clear Makeup Remover review

♥ Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Facial Sheets review

♥ Biore Makeup Remover for Eye & Lip review

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Phillip Wain Zumba Master Class with David Velez

June 28, 2013, 1:06 am

≫ Next: Taiwan Taipei Ximending Daiso Haul and Virtual Tour

≪ Previous: Biore UV Aqua Rich Whitening Cream review

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On 15 June, I headed over to Phillip Wain over at United Square for Zumba Master Class with David Velez. David Velez is a Zumba education specialist for South East Asia. He has been a fitness instructor, personal trainer and modern dancer for over a decade and is known for his creative teaching style & high energy class.

For those of you whom are not familiar with Phillip Wain, it is an exclusive women only gym with female gym instructors. Doesn't that reminds you of UOB Lady's card's tagline - the men don't get it?

Having said that, calling Phillip Wain a gym definitely don't do justify to the amount of services that it provides apart from regular gyms. Why do I say so? Well, read on to find out more!

Before heading to the Zumba Master Class, I went to the Powder Room to get changed. You see, Phillip Wain don't refer to the toilet as toilet or ladies but they call it Powder Room.

Powder Room - Vanity and lockers area

Powder room - changing room

In the Powder Room, there's lockers, changing rooms, shower rooms, toilet cubicles, steam room, sauna, vanity area with girly toiletries such as Q-tips (cotton swabs), cotton pads (cotton squares), body lotion and electrical appliances such as hair dryer. They even have got plugs for you to plug in your own hair styling appliances!

Our Zumba class was held in Phillip Wain's Main Studio. Below are some pictures of the ladies, myself included taken during the Zumba class itself so you can see us in action literally. We all looked so attentive - trying to follow David's instructions and get into a grove.

Zumba class

Me doing Zumba

It was definitely a good workout. I mean, its always good to break out in perspiration whenever you are exercising. I feel more relaxed, less tired mentally each time I sweat it out be it after a run or gym. 


Although it wasn't my first time doing Zumba, Phillip Wain Zumba Master Class was a little challenging for me (because I haven't been running for 2 weeks and Yoga the day before doesn't count!). It was both a mixture of fast paced steps that required good coordination between your arms and legs (I need to work on this!) and good stamina as well as some slow motions that tested my endurance. 

David told us that he wanted to see our smile throughout the class before the commencement of the class. Indeed, I saw most of the ladies in the class doing Zumba with a big smile, not just because of what David said but I could tell that they were genuinely enjoying the class and having fun. I think this is very important because if you're having fun, it makes exercising a lot more fun and you probably won't keep track of the time (like how long more to the end of the class or how tired you are feeling).  

I like how David made sure that we all feel engaged in the class by demonstrating each step to us and counting the steps once for each set and then giving us the autonomy to complete the rest of the set ourselves. It makes us feel that we are in charge me feel that I'm in charge!

Here's my very charismatic and fun Zumba instructor for the day!

Me with David Velez

Its a plus one invite so for members whom brought along their BFF, both the member herself and her BFF received a complimentary welcome goodie bag filled with ATP, vouchers and products (worth $180)!

 

The Phillip Wain drawstring bag is so handy that I use it to put my workout clothes each time I head to gym.

After the Zumba Master Class with David Velez, I popped by Health Juice Bar (within the premises of Phillip Wain) to check out what they had to offer. 

Don't be put off by the name of the bar. If you think they are all about sandwiches and salads, you're wrong. In fact, they have got curry chicken, bak kut teh, fried beehoon and prawn beehoon soup just to name a few. 

Health Juice Bar weekly menu

I had the special dish of the day which is  -

Prawn beehoon soup

Me tucking in to my prawn beehoon

I have never tried beehoon with white carrot and prawns but it was very yummy, not too salty or anything for my liking. In fact, they were very generous with the ingredients. There's like fishcake, white carrots, carrots, prawns and meat.

While having lunch, I looked over the glass panel on my left and guess what I saw?

Outdoor Garden

You can get some fresh air and have your Health Juice Bar meals here too (after the haze is gone of course)! 

And if I turn to my right, its Phillip Wain's Retail Alley. 

You can get your workout wear, skincare/body products and even beauty gadgets here. Yes, you heard me right - shopping in the gym itself! 

Of all the skincare brands available in Phillip Wain, I spotted a few brands that I'm familiar with such Decleor, Methode Swiss and Suisse Programme.

Apart from skincare products, check out what caught my attention (both of them are featured in Harper's Bazaar and Women's Weekly respectively). 

ReFa Pro Platinum Electronic Roller

Celmonze Platinum Customize Intensive Eye Care

As busy ladies on the go, we all need a quick fix sometimes be it a facial or maybe some pampering like spa or massage. You will be glad to know that you can have your facial, spa, massage and even slimming treatments all within Phillip Wain itself!

Waiting area

Treatment rooms

Next, I checked out the Yoga studio.

Yoga studio

I like the fact that their yoga studio comes with mirrors so you can check your posture and see if you are doing it right.

If you're into Yoga like I am, you will be pleased to know that Phillip Wain offers: 

- Iyengar Yoga

- Power Yoga

- Yin Yoga

- Restoratie Yoga

- Hatha Vinyasa Yoga

- Hatha Yoga

- Yoga abs and back

- Yogalates

Last but not least, I went to check out the gym.

Gym

They have got female gym instructors to guide you through during your personal training. 

In short, you can spend almost the entire day at Phillip Wain - workout, eat, shop and go for pampering treatments!   

SweetestSins Readers Special Promotion: $168 for 1 month fitness membership + 1 Personal training session Get a free body composition analysis Call Phillip Wain at 6250 0100 to redeem the promotion Giveaway on Phillip Wain Facebook Page: Win 1 week fitness pass to Phillip Wain simply by liking and commenting on Phillip Wain Facebook page, “I wanna be fit!”.  3 passes to be given away.

Phillip Wain

United Square Shopping Mall

101 Thomson Road 

#04-10/19

Singapore 307591

Nearest MRT: Novena Station

Opening hours:

Mon - Fri: 7am - 10pm

Saturdays: 7am - 8pm

Sundays: 9am - 6pm

Public holidays: 10am - 7pm

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Taiwan Taipei Ximending Daiso Haul and Virtual Tour

July 2, 2013, 7:39 pm

≫ Next: Bellabox June 2013: Wanderlust review

≪ Previous: Phillip Wain Zumba Master Class with David Velez

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西門町日本大創百貨 (Taipei Ximending Daiso)

No. 116, Hanzhong Street,

Wanhua District Taipei City,

Level 5,

Taiwan 108

台北市萬華區漢中街116號5樓

Nearest station:
Ximen station, Exit 6

Directions: Daiso Ximending is located within Eslite 116's building itself. After exiting from Ximen station's Exit 6, walk straight for 100m and you will see Eslite 116.

台灣大創百貨誠品116店位在台北市西門誠品116五樓

乘坐捷運南港線，於西門站下車、於六號出口前方步行約100公尺，既可抵達西門誠品116

Opening hours: 11:30-22:30

http://www.daiso.com.tw/

I don't think I know anyone whom doesn't love Daiso. I can spend hours and hours in Daiso just browsing at what they have to offer!

Whenever I go overseas, you'll be sure that I will definitely check out Daiso if time permits. If you haven't already know, Daiso adapts to countries through their product offering. They have got different products like Korean ramen in Korea which you probably can't find in Singapore or Daisos in other coutries. In Singapore, Daiso is otherwise known as the 2 dollar shop. In Taiwan, its known as the 39NT shop. This time round, let me take you on a virtual tour to Taiwan Taipei Ximending's Daiso store.

You know how Daiso always have got these signages outside their store just before you enter the store? They feature the best selling / most popular products, new arrivals and recommended products.

First, I spotted -



Daiso Eyebrow Fixer

 

It is @Cosme number one selling makeup product under the eye makeup category for 3 consecutive years! For those of you whom are not familiar with @Cosme, its Japan's largest and most popular (and very influential) beauty community site.

I also spotted other interesting eye products such as -

Mascara saver/reviver, eyeliner fixer and fiber eyebrow

The mascara saver/reviver is said to be able to revive old mascaras that have dried up. What the eyeliner fixer does is that it helps to seal your eyeliner after application, thus making your eyeliner last longer and reduces smudging. Of the 3 products, the most interesting one that I found to be was the fiber eyebrow. I mean, I have seen fiber mascaras around in the market but fiber eyebrow? Well, that's something new to me. Fiber eyebrow helps to make your eyebrow look neater and more natural after application. It should be applied after drawing your brows. I really hope the Daiso in Singapore has this because I'm very much of a brows person. Just by drawing my brows alone, it makes me look more awake.

Next, I spotted Daiso's anti-aging line of products.  



Anti-aging firming eye cream, moisturizing eye gel and neck firming gel



As we age, no matter how diligent we are in our skincare regimen, the area around our eyes still tend to reveal our true age. Hence, it is a must to use eye cream/eye gel! For me, I can't use eye cream or eye gel personally because my dermalogist advised me not to due to my syringoma condition. The proper way to use eye cream is in this order - cleanser > toner/lotion > eye cream/eye gel > moisturizer.

Another part that tend to reveal our true age is - our neck. I just turned 25 a couple of days ago but my neck already have got lines! I watched Nu Ren Wo Zui Da 女人我最大 and one of the maestro mentioned that we should apply neck cream if not moisturizer on our neck daily with both hands using upward motions.

When I spotted these lip products (lipsticks, lipgloss and rouge), I was like, "Omg, these reminds me so much of Jill Stuart in terms of packaging!" Jill Stuart is like my favourite brand. I can't imagine any girl not liking it. So far, I have introduced Jill Stuart to my cousins and friends and most of them like the face mist and lip balm.

Spotted more lip products such as lip palette and lip balm. The packaging is all in heart shaped if not flowers. Its so pretty!

Lip palette and lip balm

Rouge gel

Check out the number of different eyeshadow palettes that they have over in Taiwan Daiso!

Eyeshadow palettes

I was surprised to find out that Daiso has got cleansing liquid! Not sure if its like cleansing water but still, I was quite fascinated with the fact that they have got cleansing liquid.

Moisture Cleansing Liquid and Moisture Cleansing Gel

Last but not least, there was lots of hand cream in Daiso. Mommy spent quite some time here checking them out. Mommy is like a hand-cream eater (not literally though) like me.

Hand cream

As the store was closing, we quickly went to check out what other products they had to offer before making a dash to the queue to make payment for our very humble Daiso Taiwan haul consisting of -



Hand cream



I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Patricia  

To be notified of the latest beauty news, launches or events, follow me on or like SweetestSins on

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Bellabox June 2013: Wanderlust review

July 7, 2013, 8:59 pm

≫ Next: Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps review

≪ Previous: Taiwan Taipei Ximending Daiso Haul and Virtual Tour

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Join me in discovering my favourites from Bellabox June 2013.

The Skin Pharmacy Silky Smooth Sunscreen

What is it:

Lightweight without icky feeling. Offers protections against the sun's UV rays. Formulated in Singapore.

Loreal Paris Hair Expertise - Eversleek Shampoo & Conditioner

What is it:

Get sleek, salon beautiful hair without the harshness of drying chemicals. 100% free of drying sulfates and harsh parabens. Uses natural oils and flower extracts to give a wonderful sensorial hair care experience and undeniably beautiful hair!

My thoughts:

Loreal Eversleek Intense Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner is one of the most talked about haircare product on the blogosphere recently. Hence, I was very excited when I saw that it was included in June's Bellabox.

And because it comes in a very handy size, I normally bring it to gym.

I think it does work into a good lather on wet hair. In terms of texture, Loreal Eversleek Intense Smoothing Shampoo is rather rich. It does help to smoothen your hair after just shampooing and before applying conditioner. However, if you have oily scalp like me, your crown area will start to weigh down by the end of the day and make your hair look flat.

I love the conditioner though. It makes my hair straighter, smoother and softer! If you really want to try Loreal Eversleek Intense Smoothing range out, I say... get the conditioner!

Justin Bieber's Girlfriend EDP roll-on

What is it:

Crisp mandarin, juicy blackberry, pink freesia, star jasmine, warm vanilla orchid and luminous musk.

My thoughts:

I don't know why but everytime someone mentions Justin Bieber, I will be like a girl-fan and people around me just don't seem to understand. Well, you can't deny that his songs are nice, no? I remember seeing Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber collection and now, Justin Bieber's perfume!

At the very first sniff, Justin Bieber's Girlfriend reminds me so much of Guess Girl EDT - very sweet and young but slowly into something more grown up and sexy.

To all Justin Bieber's girl-fans out there, although you can't be his girlfriend literally, you can own his Girlfriend perfume.

Veet Hair Removal Cream

What is it:

Veet's cream dissolves rather than cuts hair, so unwanted hair takes longer to grow back than with shaving, and there's no stubbly feel to regrowth.

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel

What is it:

Atoderm Shower Gel has a special formulation that makes it ideal for dry & sensitive skin. It cleanses effectively for all skin types from kiddies to adults. By respecting the skin’s natural pH balance and introducing moisture, Atoderm Shower Gel will never dry skin out. Forget about itching, dryness, redness or irritation, look forward to hydrated, supple and increased protection against allergens.

My thoughts:

I received Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel in my March Bellabox: Spring in your step. You can read my review on Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel here, http://sweetestsins.blogspot.sg/2013/05/double-digest-march-bellabox-spring-in.html

Loreal Paris Extraordinary Oil

What is it:

Miracle oil that can be used as a protectant, nourishing treatment and shine touchup. Ultra lightweight, instant shine as well as deep nourshing protetion, making hair gorgeous and more mangeable.

My thoughts:

I used up the whole sachet after gym. The texture is considered thick for a hair serum so I was quite afraid that it will make my hair feel oily after that but surprisingly it only made my hair super smooth yet not oily. Its packaging reminds me so much of Loreal elseve range that I used to use back in high school.

Luxe City Guide

What is it:

Take on over 30 cities with its wit and humor along with a curated list of the best restaurant, hotels an signs each city has to over.

My thoughts:

I was quite surprised to find this mini travel guide in June's Bellabox. I think its very interesting for a change and will definitely be useful for any future trips to Shanghai.

Price list:

The Skin Pharmacy Silky Smooth Sunscreen SPF 30 50g/$49.90

Loreal Paris Hair Expertise - Eversleek Shampoo & Conditioner 250ml/$14.90

Justin Bieber Girlfriend 30ml/$62 50ml/$75 100ml/$98

Veet 100ml/$11.80

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel 200ml/$13.90, 500ml/$22.90

Loreal Paris Extraordinary Oil 100ml/$23.90

Luxe City Guide $17

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Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps review

July 9, 2013, 1:56 am

≫ Next: Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser review

≪ Previous: Bellabox June 2013: Wanderlust review

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Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps is included in my press kit from Watsons Beauty Day Out. When nail decals (stickers) first came out in 2012, I remember being very excited about it when I saw it at Beautyasia 2012 because they remind me so much of Minx, with the exception that it can be done at the convenience of your home!

You might ask, "So what makes Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps different from its other counterparts?" Well, its texture is of varying heights that makes it look 3D.

After filing your nail plate and cleansing your nail plate with nail polish remover, stick the nail wrap on your nail with the rounded edge facing down.

Step 1: Stick nail wrap on fnger with the round edge facing down



Step 2: Fold the additional length of the nail wrap into half and file off excess with the nail file included

 

Its really easy and fuss-free to give yourself a quick manicure to dress up those plain nails with Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps. No need to wait for it to dry or anything but it can be tricky when it comes to filing off the excess nail wrap as you might end up with some fraying which can be fixed by trimming off with scissors.

Apart from that, as you can see from the pictures below, some of the nail wrap don't fit my nails very well.

I had Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps on for a day before the one on my ring finger came off. I remember it was in the morning when I realised it so I removed all of the nail wraps as I didn't had time to put on a new nail wrap on my ring finger and I had an important meet up the very same evening and I didn't want to risk having ugly less than perfect nails. To me, au natural is better than having something on that looks less than perfect.

Verdict: 

Will I recommend this? Its a yes and no actually. Yes if you're looking for something to dress up your nails quickly for that prom night or dinner & dance at your convenience. No if you are looking for something that last long and wouldn't want to risk having to touch up as and when on the go.   

Have you tried nail wraps / nail stickers / nail decals before? Do you love them or do you hate them? Do share with me your experience with nail wraps / nail stickers / nail decals.

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Patricia

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Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser review

July 10, 2013, 7:35 pm

≫ Next: Taiwan Taipei Ximending Watsons Haul & Virtual Tour

≪ Previous: Nail Rock 3D Designer Nail Wraps review

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Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser



What is it:

Foaming cleanser infused with gentle action micro-beads to cleanse and exfoliate. Primes skin to receive maximum moisturizing and treatment benefits and helps combat the effects of daily assaults on the skin.

Contains:

- Tocopherol Acetate: Vitamin E derivative with antioxidant properties to provide free radical protection and help condition and restore skin.

- Glycerin: Provides optimum hydration to replenish and revitalize skin's appearance.

My thoughts:

I got this cleanser from Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Blogger Event but I never really got down to using it until recently.

Before I go into the details, I just wanted to ask - how long does a cleanser last you? For me, its about a month or so. When I told my friends about that, they were like, "Gosh, not only are you a toner/lotion 'eater', you're a cleanser 'eater' too!"

If you know me, I don't really fancy exfoliating or scrubbing my face. Hence, the word exfoliating cleanser immediately put me off from trying this cleanser (well, at least for the past 9 months or so) as I was afraid that it might be too harsh for my skin.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser swatch

Contrary to what I thought, the texture of Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser is very gentle and it feels like cleansing milk with gentle scrub beads.


Amount of foam produced by Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser when used with a face wash net



It doesn't really foam unless you use Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser with a face wash net. But then again, if you use a face wash net, you probably won't have much scrub beads left after foaming Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser with your face wash net.

I quite like the after feeling of cleansing my face with Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser as it doesn't make my skin feel tight. It makes my skin very smooth to touch (similiar to how your skin feels when you remove your makeup with cleansing milk and rinsing off with water)!

If you were to ask me which way do I prefer using Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser - directly from the tube or using a face wash net, my answer would be directly from the tube in the day and with a face wash net at night after cleansing off my makeup.

Price list:

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser SGD 42

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Taiwan Taipei Ximending Watsons Haul & Virtual Tour

July 14, 2013, 11:12 pm

≫ Next: Est-lab Sunshield review

≪ Previous: Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser review

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屈臣氏 (西門店) Watsons Ximending 

台北市萬華區成都路15號

No. 15, Chengdu Rd, Wanhua District Taipei City, Taiwan 108

Nearest station: Ximen Station, Exit 6

You will be able to spot Watsons opposite Ximen Station Exit 6 when you exit Ximen Station from Exit 6. Watsons Ximending is just beside Eslite 116.

The Watsons in Ximending is not one one, two but four storeys!!! What's more its 24 hours! Woohoo! And that means I need not worry about having to rush back to Ximending area at night if I were to head off to further places in the day because normally when I step into Watsons, Watsons in Taiwan to be specific, I don't just come out empty-handed. I wouldn't want to lug my buys from Watsons out in the day when I go out so I normally shop at Watsons back at Ximending near my hotel at night. And because its 24 hours, I can even head back to my hotel to leave my shopping bags from the day, freshen up myself a little before heading down to Watsons Ximending to stock up on beauty and skincare products.   

The first brand that caught my attention was Divinia 蒂芬妮亞. Its exclusively available at Watsons in Taiwan. I like how Watsons always have brands that are exclusive to them be in Singapore, Taiwan or other countries.



Divinia 蒂芬妮亞



https://zh-tw.facebook.com/diviniaTW
http://www.watsons.com.tw/divinia/

Divinia 蒂芬妮亞 highest rated product on UrCosme is 輕快眼唇卸妝液 (literally translated as Quick Eye & Lip Makeup removal liquid), NT$199. It was UrCosme's No. 2 Eye and Lip Makeup removal in 2011.

Here are what I found interesting from Divinia 蒂芬妮亞.

1) V-Shape lifting serum 小V臉緊顏露 NT$450

Doesn't this reminds you of Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Lip-drain serum? Only that its retailing at less than 1/5 of the price. While I haven't tried either of the products from Clarins or Divinia, my Uni friend whom worked at Clarins is a fan of Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Lip-drain serum. She says that it does help to lift the face and make it more V-shaped looking. Have any of you girls tried Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Lip-drain serum? Does it work for you girls? Let me know by leaving a comment at the end of this post.

2) Amino acid cleansing milk 溜滑肌胺基酸卸妝乳 NT$189

I have tried Amino Acid products for my hair and I liked it. I went for a facial recently and my facialist was asking me what kind of makeup removal do I use. When I told her that I use cleansing water, she was quite shocked and she recommended that I use cleansing milk instead as cleansing milk contains a bit of oil and it helps to remove makeup and impurities better compared to cleansing water. Although I don't know how true that is, I think I'm still gonna stick with my Biorderma Micelle Solution aka cleansing water at least until I finish using it. 

I don't know about you guys but for me, I like different makeup removal during different stages or period in my life. I started off with using Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil and I swear by it until I had very bad breakouts when I was in Poly and I switched to Cleansing Milk. My favourite was Eucerin Gentle Cleansing Milk. When I discovered cleansing water, my first bottle was Uriage L'eau Demaquillante cleansing water micellar solution, I knew there was no turning back. So far, I have tried cleansing water from brands such as Dr Wu, Caudalie, Avene and Uriage just to name a few.

3) Amino acid facial cleanser 溜滑肌胺基酸洗顏霜  NT$189

As much as I love buying cleansers when I'm overseas, I have no idea why I didn't pick this up when I was in Taiwan earlier this May. You know, its really tough on me writing this post without blaming myself, "Ah, why didn't I get this product back then when I was in Taiwan?" But then again, I wanted to share with you guys what are the products available in Taiwan Watsons so that you guys have an idea of what to buy and expect on your next trip there and maybe prepare/budget how much you are gonna spend on beauty and skincare products (this never ever happens to me haha).



廣源良綠豆洗容素 Mung Bean (Green Bean) Cleansing Powder



I first came to know about the benefits of Mung Bean (Green Bean) Cleansing Powder through a Taiwan drama, 犀利人妻/ Xi Li Ren Qi (The Fierce Wife). Xie An Zhen 謝安真 played by Sonia Sui was a happily married housewife with a kid. She was the typical easily contended housewife and in one of the episode, she was out shopping with a friend or family member whom asked her to get herself some skincare products to maintain her youth and Xie An Zhen went like, "I have my Mung Bean (Green Bean) Cleansing Powder - its super affordable and it does the trick." I remember asking my Mom where I can get Mung Bean Cleansing Powder right after watching the drama and we came across it in one of the Organic store in our neighborhood while we were there stocking up on our organic supplies.

The main ingredients are Job's tears/coix seeds and It contains no preservatives. Its a multifunction product. You can use it to cleanse your face, as a face mask, as a mask or even add it to your cold mask.

I was super super super excited when I saw the following -

 

森田藥粧 天然絲瓜水 Dr Morita Natural Luffa Cylindrica Water



Why am I so excited upon seeing 森田藥粧 天然絲瓜水 Dr Morita Natural Luffa Cylindrica Water? Well, it is because I read from Taiwan Beauty Blogs that 絲瓜水 Luffa Cylindrica Water is good in combating redness on the face and also helps to clean and shrink pore size. Since its only NT$99 (approx SGD$4.20), I grabbed one to try.

Oguma 水美媒聰明購

http://www.oguma.com.tw/

Oguma is a brand that I frequently see in 女人我最大 Nu Ren Wo Zui Da magazine.



Kose Hyalocharge series 高絲玻尿酸淨白



I would have gotten a product from Kose Hyalocharge series to try if its not for whitening as my skin can't really take whitening products now apart from a few brands. 

Kose Cosmeport 高絲蔻絲魅寶

I bought Kose Cosmeport Softymo Hyaluronic Acid Facial Washing Foam when I was in Hong Kong and both Mommy and I love it. You can read my review here, http://sweetestsins.blogspot.sg/2012/06/back-to-basics.html.

Next, I checked out the haircare section. When it comes to grooming, the most important would be 1) face, followed by 2) hair. 

I get a lot of questions on how to maintain long hair. Actually, maintaining long hair isn't as difficult as you think it is. In terms of shampoo, choose a shampoo that is suitable for your scalp. You can have oily hair but dry scalp or oily scalp but dry hair so make sure you choose your shampoo correctly. You wouldn't want to end up with an itchy scalp, trust me. After shampooing, you would want to condition the ends of your hair. For conditioning, you can use either a conditioner or hair treatment/hair mask. Personally, I skip conditioner and I use hair treatment/hair mask after shampooing. If you recall, in some of my blog posts, I mentioned before how fast I run out of cleansers and toner/lotion. Another product that I use up very quickly and need replenishing is - hair treatment/hair mask. I think I use up a tube or a tub every other month! My friends were like, "Are you serious?" 

I love hair masks and hair treatments. And I love trying out brands that ain't available in Singapore so imagine how hard I had to control myself when I was in Watsons Ximending and try not to pick up every other product. 

LUX, Ozawa, Mod hair, Syoss and Living Type

Ozawa and Syoss shampoo and hair treatment

more Ozawa and Syoss shampoo

While checking out the hair products available, I came across this LCD screen that featured Tony 老师 / Tony Lao Shi 's recommendations from one of 女人我最大 Nu Ren Wo Zui Da 's segment. 

1. Pantene Pro-V Natural Care Lift Up Mist Leave On Treatment2. LUX Japan Black Diamond Super Rich Shine Hair Treatment
3. KAO Essential Damage Honey Shea Butter Hair Treatment Mask Nuance Airy
4. Ma Cherie Air Feel Shampoo
5. Asience Shine Therapy Shampoo
6. Mods Hair Glamourous Make
7. VS Moisture Shine Water

Fino, Opal and Magic

I was really interested in getting Fino premium touch hair essence mask as I was attracted to the fact that it contains 7 different types of beauty essence and its by Shiseido. Kinda regretted why I didn't pick this up now. 

I haven't tried Opal personally but I have tried Magicboo whose formula is provided by Opal. You can read my review on Magicboo here, http://sweetestsins.blogspot.sg/2011/08/korean-beauty-haul-recent-hauls.html

Here's a little background on Opal. It is Supermodel, Qiqi's favourite and was recommended on 女人我最大 Nu Ren Wo Zui Da. It is Hong Kong's no. 1 best-selling product for 6 consectutive years.

She's Goat milk shampoo, Living Type Grasse Rose

Wow, I have seen and tried goatmilk shower gel and cream but certainly not goatmilk shampoo! I can imagine how pampering that would be!

Living Type Grass Rose hair products reminds me very much of Kose Happy Bath Day Precious Rose series.

Kracie Resche shampoo and treatment

Kracie Resche hair treatment looks like its worth a try too. Ah, why don't we have more brands in Singapore to choose from in terms of hair products?

Aquair hair products

Sunflower shampoo

I thought that this sunflower shampoo was rather interesting, no?

LUX Bio Fusion, Pantene Clinicare, Kose Happy Bath Day hair products

Schwarzkopf hair products

I also came across this organic brand, Amma Garden that has got repairing and anti-dandruff shampoo!

Amma Garden

The packaging of Amma Garden's products reminds me so much of Sukin! Maybe its due to the fact that organic products packaging are all pretty similar?

The last section that I checked out was - sunblock and sunscreens. A must-have in Taiwan especially during summer! We all applied and reapplied sunblock religiously every other hour because the sun was scotching hot. Even so, my cousin, Bing and I ended up with watch tan-lines. Eeks, hope it goes away soon because it looks so ugly. T_T

Hada Labo sunscreen

Of all the Hada Labo sunscreens above, I have only tried Hada Labo SHA Moisturizing UV Milk before. You can read my review here, http://sweetestsins.blogspot.sg/2012/05/hada-labo-sha-moisturizing-uv-milk.html.

I tested Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel out and I think the texture feels like Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence. 

Biore, Mentholatum Skin Aqua, Nivea and Sunplay sunscreen and sunblock

I spotted my holy grail Biore UV Moist Face milk (purple cap) that has been discontinued in Singapore.  To read my reviews on Biore sunscreens, click here.  

I also spotted Mentholatum Skin Aqua sunscreens that was recommended by Kevin 凯文老师 on 女人我最大 Nu Ren Wo Zui Da.

Cellina and Kose Cosmeport sunscreen

I just realised that I haven't posted my Taiwan Trip 2012 's Watsons haul. So here's my Taiwan Taipei Ximending Watsons haul for both last year and this year, 2012 and 2013.  

2012:



1. Dr Wu Whitening and Hydrating Microinject Mask 2. My Beauty Diary Africa Hydrating Pack 3. My Beauty Diary 2 step America Soothing Pack 4. Dr Wu Basic Care Gentle Soothing Cleanser & Make Up Remover 5. Kose Softymo Mineral Wash Cleansing Foam (Moisture Rich) 6. ampm Super Triple HA Serum 7. MA CHERIE Air Feel Treatment 8. Mod's Hair Aqua Clear Treatment 9. Kose Happy Bath Day Precious Rose Rose Enrich Hair Pack 10. Johnson's Body Care 24hour Moisture Hand Cream 11. Atrix Professional Repair Cream



2013:

 

1. 1028 Deep Facial Cleanser 2. Shiseido Cleansing Foam 3. Kose Cosmenience Junkisei Hydro Express



In case you are wondering why I got two Kose Cosmenience Junkisei Hydro Express, there was a promotion going on if I were to get two. So they went into my shopping basket anyway.




1. BeautyMate Beautymate Hydro Power Collagen Mask 2. Living Tree White Rose Extreme Repair Hair Mask 3. LUX Super Rich Shine Essence Hair Treatment Mask 4. 1028 Deep Cleansing Milk 5. Dr Morita Natural Luffa Cylindrica Water 森田藥粧 天然絲瓜水



If I'm not wrong, 1028 is 小凯老师 Xiao Kai Lao Shi 's brand. My cousin, Lixuan was trying out 1028 Deep Cleansing Milk at Watsons after being drawn to the LCD display that was showing products that 小凯老师 Xiao Kai Lao Shi recommended. She urged us to try. Being a fan of cleansing water, I was quite hesistant initially but upon trying, all of us - Bing, Siling, myself and Xuan included all grabbed a bottle. Although it says cleansing milk, the texture is somewhat in between cleansing water and cleansing serum.

I hope you will love this entry as much as I enjoyed re-visiting Watsons Ximending again, only that its virtually this time round. I already made plans as to what I want to purchase in future if I were to go back to Taiwan again.

Love,

Patricia

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Est-lab Sunshield review

July 18, 2013, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Etude House CC Cream Glow and Silky

≪ Previous: Taiwan Taipei Ximending Watsons Haul & Virtual Tour

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What is it: 

Broad spectrum UV block with high SPF factor to provide long-lastng protection against sun burn and photo ageing.

Key ingredients:

SmartVector UV - UV sensitive marine DNA micro capsules ensure that UV blockers & nutri-boosters are only released to the skin upon UV exposure for maximum efficacy.

My thoughts:

My first impression of Est-lab Sunshield was that it has got a very sleek packaging. Unlike the usual sunscreen or sunblock, it comes in a pump tube.

The first time that I tried Est-lab Sunshield out, I was quite surprised that it was white in color when you first squeeze it out from the tube but it changes to your skin tone after application just like CC cream!

Est lab Sunshield swatch

Est lab Sunshield swatch when spread out *Note that this is a heavy swatch*

I wasn't really expecting this from a sunblock because usually at the very most, it would be just tinted that's all.

Below is a picture of me bare-faced with nothing on except for my usual skincare, toner and moisturizer. You can probably spot some scars, particularly under my left eye. I hope that they go away soon. I realised that as I grow older, the healing process for scars takes longer and longer.  

Bare face before applying Est lab Sunshield

I did a half face swatch of Est lab Sunshield by only applying it on the left side of my face so as to be able to make a comparison between with and without Est lab Sunshield. 

Half face swatch - before applying sunshield and after applying sunshield

As you can see from the half face swatch above, you can probably tell that the side without Sunshield looked more dull, yellowish with slight redness on the cheeks while the other side with Sunshield looked more even and slightly brighter. 

Below is a full face swatch of Est lab Sunshield.

Full face swatch after applying sunshield

Coverage:

In terms of coverage, Est lab Sunshield has low coverage. It is quite sheer when applied but it can be layered on to give more coverage. 

I usually apply loose powder on top of Est lab Sunshield on days when I don't require that much coverage to make my face appear more matte as I have oily T-zone. 

On days when I require more coverage, I apply my regular liquid foundation on top of Est lab Sunshield. 

I like how versatile Est lab Sunshield is as it can be used alone for casual days out or on top of my regular liquid foundation on work days.  

Texture:

Texture-wise, Est lab Sunshield has got a light consistency. It is also easy to blend. For Est lab Sunshield, a little goes a long way. Personally, I think its easier to apply a little product at a time then layering more if needed rather than applying more product at one go and then having to blend it out. 

Finish:

Est lab Sunshield gives a dewy look finish.

On weekends, I usually apply loose powder on top of Est lab Sunshield, fill in my brows, apply eyeliner, mascara, blusher and lipgloss and I'm all set to head out. 



Weekend look

 
Est-lab Sunshield is available at Estetica E-shop.

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Etude House CC Cream Glow and Silky

July 20, 2013, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 6: Shilin Night Market 士林夜市, Ximending 西门町 and 太平洋SOGO忠孝馆

≪ Previous: Est-lab Sunshield review

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Hi lovelies, for those of whom whom haven't heard of CC cream yet, it is also known as Color Control cream or Color Correcting cream created and developed in Korea. One of the more-talked about CC cream brand in Singapore is Rachel K. I have blogger friends raving about it. I can't compare that to the Etude House CC creams that I am reviewing today because I haven't tried Rachel K's CC cream personally. For Etude House, their CC cream is known as Correct & Care cream.

One of the more visible difference that I spotted between BB cream and CC cream is that when squeezed out from the tube directly, CC cream is white in color. However, it turns into skin color when blended out evenly onto the skin.

Unlike BB creams that comes in different shades, CC cream normally (note that I said normally because I know of some Korean brands that is only available in Korea have got CC cream in two shades) comes in only one shade. 

Without further ado, let's take a look at the swatches of Etude House CC cream in Glow #01 and Silky #02.

Etude House CC cream in Glow and Silky swatch

Etude House CC cream in Glow and Silky swatch when spread out

Etude House CC cream in Glow and Silky swatch when blended

Etude House Correct & Care Cream Glow

Etude House CC Cream Glow

I have included pictures of my bare skin (sans makeup), a half face and full face swatch below to show you the effects of Etude House CC cream in Glow.

Bare-face (sans makeup)

You can probably tell from the picture above that without any base makeup, there are some scars underneath my eye area and my skintone looks a bit uneven.

Etude House CC Cream Glow half-face swatch

After applying Etude House CC cream in Glow, my skintone looks more even and brighter. I don't know why it looks ashy in the pictures but it doesn't look that ashy in real life. Probably its the bad lighting.

Here's a picture of me with Etude House CC cream in Glow.

Full face swatch of Etude House CC Cream Glow #01

My thoughts:

Etude House CC Cream in Glow reminds me very much of Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer as it makes your skin look dewy (a bit of sheen) upon application. Initially, I wasn't quite used to it when I first had Etude House CC Cream in Glow on because I am more into the matte look. Reason being - I have an oily T-zone and with the sheen, I was very afraid that my T-zone will look oily after a while. I had it on for about 6 hours last weekend and I didn't experience as much shine/oiliness on my T-zone that I thought I will. I only blotted my forehead and nose area once with tissue (normally I blot at least once every 2 hours).

I'm actually quite a fan of the dewy look (think Korean celebrities)! Hence, I couldn't help but to keep checking out my skin whenever there's a mirror when I had Etude House CC Cream - partly due to the fact that I wanted to check if it does make my face appear oily. But the thing is - I actually liked how Etude House CC Cream in Glow looked on me. It makes my face look very well-moisturized, smooth and flawless. My only concern is that I don't really dare to apply it on my undereye area because I have got syringoma and I was afraid that it might aggravate the condition. Hence, I use it all over my face except for the undereye area where I use my good old trusty concealer from ZA.

Etude House CC Cream in Silky

Etude House CC Cream Silky

Bare-face (sans makeup)

Etude House CC Cream Silky half-face swatch

Again, you can tell from the picture above that I have got very strong yellow undertones and uneven skintone.

After applying Etude House CC Cream in Silky, my skintone looked more even and brighter.



Full face swatch of Etude House CC Cream Silky

My thoughts:

The texture of Etude House CC Cream in Silky reminds very much of Tony Moly Party Lover Silky Perfect Primer. If you haven't tried that before, the closest would be silicone primer. It gives my skin a smooth finish upon application. I think it would be ideal for people whom have concerns over their pores size or dented pimple scars.

Etude House CC Cream Silky gives more of a matte finish, similiar to that when I apply my liquid foundation without topping off with loose powder. My colleague commented that the finishing of Etude House CC Cream Silky looks more natural and less ashy on me than when I use BB cream.

For Etude House CC Cream in Silky to last longer, I usually apply loose powder on top of it especially when I'm going to work. I remember there was once when I didn't and I went for Yoga class right after work, the moment I dab my face with my face towel to wipe off my perspiration, it left a beige mark on the towel. I was a little taken aback because whenever I use just BB cream alone, that doesn't happen.

Verdict:

If you were to ask me which CC cream would I prefer from Etude House now that I have tried them both, it really depends at what you are looking at though.

I like the fact that the both of them don't sink into my pores by mid day - some foundations and BB creams does and its really an awful sight, trust me. Plus, I haven't experienced any breakouts from using them thus far.

I would recommend Etude House CC Cream in Silky for school or work as we tend to spend more time out and Etude House CC Cream in Glow for fun nights out or on weekends.

In terms of texure and ease of blending, Etude House CC Cream in Glow is easier to blend and its texture is not as thick compared to Etude House CC Cream in Silky.

Now that I have tried CC Cream, I don't think I will go back to BB Creams (at least for the time being).

 

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台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 6: Shilin Night Market 士林夜市, Ximending 西门町 and 太平洋SOGO忠孝馆

July 21, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush review

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We grabbed breakfast at Yong He Dou Jiang 永和豆漿 again before we headed to FE21 for some shopping. 

Saw these Vespa scooters while walking to FE21 and we just had to take a picture because its so pretty! Of all, my favourite is the white one!

Vespa scooters

We had no idea what was going on when we saw this, only to realised that its TVBS broadcasting live. Check out the satellites on top of each van. 

TVBS 'live' broadcast

Check out Taiwan's post box. Its so cute right? Very old-school looking. If not for the scooter behind, this picture would be postcard quality.

FE21 is about a 7 minute walk from our hotel. It is located just next to Exit 3 of Ximen Station.

FE21 遠東百貨 
(Baoqing Far Eastern Department Store )
No. 32, Baoqing Road,
Zhongzheng Dist, Taipei City 100,
Taiwan

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11:00-21:30
Friday/Saturday:11:00-22:00
Sunday: 10:30-21:30

Nearest station: Ximen station, Exit 3

http://www.feds.com.tw/

I was in need of a decent pair of work shoes and I chanced upon this brand, Fair Lady which had very dainty designs plus its really comfortable because there's cushioning in it! After I started working, I realised that it is very important to get good shoes especially when it comes to heels or even flats because the last thing you want is your feet to hurt (think blisters) due to prolonged wearing of shoes. Hence, I don't really scrimp or save on shoes. Normally I get leather ones so that they won't wear out so easily. My favourite brands of work heels include Itti & Otto, Hush Puppies and Fair Lady.

I knew I had to get this pair of wedge from Fair Lady when I first saw it because its so girly! It has got everything I like - heart charms, velvet ribbon edging and cutesy bow on top!

I got it despite Chuan saying, "Patricia, NT$ 2180, approx SGD $93 is not cheap for a pair of shoes.." because I don't think I can find something similar in Singapore and considering the fact that its leather and it has cushioning inside, I think its quite worth it.  

We headed back to Ximending 西门町 for lunch as most of the girls were craving for 卤肉饭 (Braised Meat Rice / Minced Pork Rice).

We settled for 天天利美食坊.

天天利美食坊
No. 1, Lane 32, Hanzhong Street,
Wanhua District, Taipei City,
Taiwan 108 ‎
台灣台北市萬華區漢中街32巷天天利美食坊西门町

卤肉饭 Braised meat rice NT $25, 卤蛋 Braised egg NT $10, 青菜 Stir-fried vegetables NT $30, 贡丸汤 Meatball soup NT $25

We will always order a plate of vegetables when we have a proper sit down Chinese meal because the vegetables in Taiwan are really fresh and good. Shin loves 贡丸汤 Meatball soup so she always order them without fail. The meatballs in Taiwan is such that its very chewy compared to the ones that we have in Singapore.

Presenting to you.. my NT $25, approx SGD 1 卤肉饭 Braised meat rice. Its cheap and good. I love the pickles by the side. Nom nom nom.

卤肉饭 Braised meat rice

Us tucking in happily!

After lunch, we had a walk around Ximending and we pass by Modern Toilet, 便所主題餐廳. We wanted to get some desserts but we were still full and we were warned by our friends that the food there ain't worth trying.

Modern Toilet (便所主題餐廳 台北西門町店)

台北市萬華區西寧南路50巷7號2樓

No. 7, Lane 50, Xining South Rd, 

Wanhua District Taipei City, 

Taiwan 108

Nearest station: Ximen Station

Just opposite Modern Toilet (便所主題餐廳 台北西門町店) is this parking lot inspired cafe that is donned with traffic light and road signs.

Parking lot cafe

Spotted this super nice graffiti along a random street in Ximending!

After that, we took the train to Sogo (太平洋SOGO忠孝馆 branch) to get Porter International Luxy tote bags for my Mom and cousin.  

Bought the olive green one for Mommy and Navy one for my cousin. 

Next, we headed over to Shilin Night Market 士林夜市. 

Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

No. 101, Jihe Road,

Shilin District, Taipei City,

Taiwan 111

臺北市士林區基河路101號

Nearest station: Jiantan Station

捷運: 劍潭站

Directions to Shilin Night Market 士林夜市: 

Candied Hawthorn 糖葫芦

卤味

Me at Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

In December 2011, Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 Food Court 美食區 moved to a permanent location, the basement of a new building as shown in the picture below.

Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 B1 Food Court 美食區

Its really crowded and you are likely to rub shoulders with the person next to you at Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 B1 Food Court 美食區 but who cares when there's lots of yummy food? 

At a corner, there's a stall that sells beef steak with pasta for about SGD$10 and I spotted a lot of Taiwanese couples there. I remember Pauline Lan Xin Mei 蓝心湄 mentioning in an episode of 女人我最大 Nu Ren Wo Zui Da that Taiwanese couples mostly head to night markets and have beef steak on dates. 

Guangdong porridge

白玉苦瓜 White Bittergourd

I love white bittergourd juice with honey or with pineapple. Its really refreshing especially during summer. I highly recommend trying it the next time you're in Taiwan. And do order the white bittergourd soup with marinated pineapple in restaurants or eateries! Its really good, very cooling!

脆皮卷饼

I have no idea what is this but it looks like crepes to me though. 

虾饼 Prawn fritters

Check out the amount of prawns on the prawn fritters. They just spam the prawns only!

This snow ice store had a super long queue and it was hard to miss spotting the long queue. 

阿忠冰店 Ah Zhong Snow Ice Store

Chicken and Pork Skewers 鸡肉猪肉串

After checking out Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 Food Court 美食區, we explored other lanes and we came across some food stalls.

山猪肉香肠 Wild Boar Sausage NT $35 each

These wild boar sausages are really good. Chuan, Shin and I all agree that its very juicy and chewy and that its better than normal sausages.

Look what we spotted in the midst of the night market!

Singapore cruise aka Singapore hawker fare

After that, we came across a stall selling 甜不辣 and I got so excited because Abi told me that the 甜不辣 in Taiwan is very good.

甜不辣 NT $40

Basically, 甜不辣 consists of fish cake, fish balls, tamagoyaki etc, similiar to that of Japanese oden especially that instead of soup, its drizzled with sweet sauce that taste like satay sauce.

We headed back to Ximending 西门町 for some last minute shopping.

Andeline bought fried chicken from Ji Guang Delicious Fried Chicken to try. 

Ji Guang Delicious Fried Chicken 繼光香香雞 西門店
No. 121-1, Hanzhong Street,
Wanhua District Taipei City,
Taiwan 108
台北市萬華區漢中街121-1號
Opening hours: 11:30 - 23:30
Nearest station: Ximen station, Exit 6

Its really crispy and good. I think its better than the chicken cutlet that we tried at Raohe Night Market.

Chaipresso is yet another shop that we frequent for pearl milk tea. 

Chairpresso Ximending 好口杯

After that, we headed to Eslite 誠品116 for some shopping.

Eslite 誠品116

No. 116, Hanzhong St,
Wanhua District,
Taipei City, Taiwan 10846

Nearest station: Ximen station, Exit 6

Chanced upon this brand, Nemmis - a Taiwan brand and they have got really adorable bags. I picked up the bag below. Its a classic and I love classics.

NT $1928, aprox SGD $82

Again, the price tag ain't exactly wallet-friendly but considering that its leather. I think its well worth the price. Did I mention how much I'm a sucker for anything leather when it comes to accessories like bags and shoes?

Me with my shopping bags

Orbis

Orbis reminds me very much of Fancl in terms of packaging as well as it having no preservatives (referred to as mutenka by Fancl).

These quail eggs are our favourite snack. We have them in the noon or before for supper. They are topped with sour plum powder which gives it extra flavour.

鸟蛋 Quail eggs, NT $20 for a stick of 4

My shopping haul for the day and my luggage

I managed to pack everything into my luggage and two hand carry bags. I had to get the grey one from Shilin Night Market if not I wouldn't be able to fit in all of my buys because my luggage is already full and the other hand carry bag in blue that contains all the food that I bought is full too. 

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading. 

P.S: I'm left with one more post for my Taiwan Trip May 2012 before I finish this series and I can move on to blog about my Korea Trip Nov 2012. 

Love,

Patricia

You might want to check out these posts:

✰ Taiwan Taipei Accomodation/Hotel: ECFA Hotel Wan Nian 愛客發時尚旅館萬年館 review

✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 1: Taipei Ximending and Shi Da Ye Shi

✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 2: Ximending, Taipei 101, agnes b cafe, Wufenpu and Raohe Night Market

✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 3: Sogo, Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe and Miramar Entertainment Park

✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 4: Danshui Old Street, Taipei Main Station and Ximending

✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 5: Taichung Sitou Monster Village 台中溪头妖怪村 and Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市

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Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush review

July 22, 2013, 8:45 pm

≫ Next: Blisshouse review

≪ Previous: 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 6: Shilin Night Market 士林夜市, Ximending 西门町 and 太平洋SOGO忠孝馆

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Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush

What is it:

Soft nylon brush that generate smooth foam. Deep cleansing the grease in the pores and exfoliates.

For people with sensitive skin, its not advisable to use more than once to prevent dry skin.

Use in the evening or once every 2-3 days. Do keep the brush clean and dry to prevent it from eroding or being mouldy.

Materials:

Polystyrene, polypropylene and nylon

I went to Daiso Ion Orchard the other day wanting to pick up a new face wash net because my current one is wearing out. They didn't have the face wash net in store so I checked out the other random stuffs available and I ended up picking up Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush.

Although I know of electric face brushes like Clarisonic Mia, Olay Pro-X, Elishacoy 3D spin cleaner just to name a few, I never really jusitified spending that much on a face cleansing tool. I must admit that when I saw 小凯老师Xiao Kai Lao Shi recommending Clarisonic on  女人我最大 Nu Ren Wo Zui Da, I was a little tempted to get a face cleansing brush because the girls were raving on how soft it feels on the skin and how effective it cleanses. 

Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush (close up)

Let me share with you how I use my Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush.

First, I squeeze about a 20-cent coin size of my regular cleanser onto my palm.

Then, I work out a lather by running my Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush under the tap to make it a little damp before swirling it in circles.

See how much foam it creates! Its so fuss-free that I don't have to rub my palms together for a while before it works out a good lather!

After creating as much foam as desired, transfer the foam onto your face and cleanse your face with Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush in circular motions.

Me using Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush

 My thoughts:

I really like how gentle Daiso Cepillo Facial Face Brush felt on my skin. Plus, it helps me to work out a good lather with my cleanser. It doesn't irritate my skin or make my skin feel tight. I would recommend using this with your regular cleanser instead of face scrub as the latter might be too harsh on your skin.

Best of all, its really affordable (only SGD$2).

Daiso is my favourite shop to go whenever I'm in need of retail therapy, it gives me instant gratification without being guilty of overspending. Plus, I'm bound to discover interesting new practical stuffs each time I'm there.

Have you tried any face cleansing brushes be it whether its electric a not? Do share with me your experience with them and your awesome buys from Daiso that you think I definitely must check out.

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Patricia


You might be interested in:

♥ Taiwan Taipei Ximending Daiso Haul and Virtual Tour

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Blisshouse review

April 30, 2013, 8:01 am

≫ Next: [Double Digest] March Bellabox: Spring in your step & April Bellabox: Beauty Goodness

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Blisshouse Singapore

Thanks to Streetdirectory for holding its Bloggers Party at Blisshouse themed restaurant at The Central, I got to check out the place as well as try the food and drinks they serve in-house. There is no doubt that most girls will be swooned by its girly, romantic yet simple exterior and interior decor. If you are into themed cafes/restaurants like me, I'm sure that Blisshouse Theme Restaurant  will remind you of a cafe with a similiar theme - Fullhouse Singapore that was in Singapore not too long ago.

One of the activities that we had that night at Streetdirectory Bloggers Party was - making our very own beaded handmade bracelet! 

Beaded Handmade Bracelet in the making!

I can't remember when was the last time that I last did beading. I think it was 5 or 6 years ago when I started my brainchild, AmberJewels. Speaking of that, time really flies, no? 

What's an event without food? After all, food brings people together. 

Tapas

Although we only managed to try the tapas this time round, Blisshouse Theme Restaurant doesn't just serve tapas alone, they have got main course, desserts and alcoholic drinks as well! Check out Blisshouse Theme Restaurant menu for more information!

Did I mention how pretty, girly and romantic Blisshouse Theme Restaurant is? I think its perfect for hen's night, solemnization, 21st birthday party or birthdays in general, dates and even girls' night out! 

Blisshouse is so pretty that I can't help but to snap a picture after another.

Pretty white roses which depicts purity and innocence

Love the Victorian style velvet sofas!

Doesn't this remind you of bridges in gardens/parks?

Entrance/exit of Blisshouse

Apart from the common dining area, Blisshouse have got a few private rooms. We were hosted in one of the private rooms. Let me take you on a virtual tour to show you how it looks like from the inside. 

This set of white fixture as well as the accessories and displays are so European-style and commonly seen in Korean dramas in Korean homes. If anything on the shelves catches your fancy, you can actually bring them home because they are for sale! Don't we love this dining cum shopping (2-in-1) concept? 

If you're into paintings, you will appreciate that Blisshouse has got quite a few paintings in its premises. The first one below is my favourite! 

Cherub

If paintings aren't quite your cup of tea, what about some good old music on a gramophone?

Vintage gramophone

Or maybe a classical piece like Pachelbel - Canon In D on a white grand piano?

If that wasn't fairytale-like enough, we all know almost all fairytale ends with a happy ending - of which most of them say, "The prince and the princess got married and lived together happily ever after". 

What's a wedding without a gown?  

I was told that these wedding gowns in Blisshouse are designed by a local designer! Time to show some support for our own local designers.

If you are the crafty type and that I meant - into handicrafts, not underhand means that crafty. Pun intended! On Sundays, there is Jewellery making course at Blisshouse itself!

Blisshouse Theme Restaurant

The Central #03-21, 

6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 

(S) 059817
http://www.blisshouse.com.sg/

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading. 

Love,

Patricia 

To be notified of the latest beauty news, launches or events, follow me on or like SweetestSins on

[Double Digest] March Bellabox: Spring in your step & April Bellabox: Beauty Goodness

May 1, 2013, 8:57 am

≫ Next: 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 3: Sogo, Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe and Miramar Entertainment Park

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March Bellabox: Spring in your step

Don't we all love double digest? I used to look forward to Dad coming home from work trips because he never fail to bring back Archie's double digest for me! Its always a bonus when he gets me the double digest!

Vichy Bi-white Med Whitening Replumping Gel-cream 

 

What is it:

Vichy combines the highest tech in skin brightening and whitening with protective Peony essence and five different essential good for your skin oils.

This is probably one of the product that I haven't tried in my March Bellabox yet because I'm now on another whitening product. I used to love Vichy Normaderm series during my poly days. I can't remember how many times I repurchase Vichy Normaderm series each time my cleanser, toner, moisturizer and pimple cream run out. Its really good for acne/pimple prone skin and it did help in oil control, hence I love it. Will update you guys again when I try out Vichy Bi-White Med. Hope it works as well as Vichy Normaderm series!

Dr Ci: Labo Super Cleansing EX 

 

What is it:

Gentle, highly effective makeup-removing cleanser with skincare benefits, removes all traces of makeup without drying or damaging your skin.

My thoughts:

I'm not sure if I'm the only one whom experienced this, but Dr Ci: Labo Super Cleansing EX made my face stung when I was using it to remove my makeup. I seldom experience any skin reactions to products though so I'm not sure what could have caused this. 

Dr Ci: Labo BB Perfect Cream 

 

What is it:

Packs a punch of moisture, brightening, whitening, sun protection, makeup retention, smoothing and foundation coverage.

My thoughts:

For a BB cream, I must say that Dr Ci: Labo BB Perfect Cream has got high coverage. I was looking forward to try this out since I love Dr Ci: Labo-Aqua Collagen Gel Enrich-Lift-EX. When paired with Candydoll Mineral Face Powder, my skin look almost flawless! I had Dr Ci: Labo BB Perfect Cream on today with Candydoll Mineral Face Powder and my colleague was like, "Hey Patricia, why did you do today? Your face looks so smooth and flawless!"

My only gripe about Dr Ci: Labo BB Perfect Cream is that its a little too pink for my skintone. But there's nothing a bit of loose powder can't do though.

Rojukiss Pure Vita C Dual Mask 

 

What is it:

Special delivery system that keeps Vitamin C at its freshest and most effective. Skin is bright, light and firm with the inclusion of Collagen and Arbutin. Fold along the dotted line and push the lotion towards the mask to saturate the mask with it.

My thoughts:

I think this mask is rather interesting in the sense that you fold the mask pack into half and push the lotion towards the mask to soak the mask with serum. While my face did look more moisturized, I didn't really observe any visible brightening effect.

Mox Botanicals Lip Balm 

 

What is it:

Truly restorative ingredients that keep your lips young and fresh. Ingredients include black plum & fig, coconut almondine and yakima valley peppermint.

My thoughts:

This reminds me very much of Vaseline, especially in terms of texture and how it felt on my lips. The coconut scent in this is rather strong though.

Price list: 

Vichy Bi-white Med Whitening Replumping Gel-cream $59
Dr Ci: Labo Super Cleansing EX $50
Dr Ci: Labo BB Perfect Cream $67
Rojukiss Pure Vita C Dual Mask $26.70 (exclusive at Bellabox.sg)
Mox Botanicals Lip Balm $19

April 2012: Beauty Goodness

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel

 

What is it:

Atoderm Shower Gel has a special formulation that makes it ideal for dry & sensitive skin. It cleanses effectively for all skin types from kiddies to adults. By respecting the skin’s natural pH balance and introducing moisture, Atoderm Shower Gel will never dry skin out. Forget about itching, dryness, redness or irritation, look forward to hydrated, supple and increased protection against allergens.

My thoughts:

I won't blame you for not knowing Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel but I'm sure most of you would have heard of the brand, Bioderma because it is famed for its Micelle Solution (cleansing water aka makeup remover).

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel leaves me feeling fresh after a bath. Its not drying on the skin so you won't feel that your skin is tight even if you shower with hot water.

Twistband Headbands

 

What is it:

Made of soft elastic that keeps hair out of your eyes, in the most comfortable, chic way you ever had, doubles as bracelets.

My thoughts:

I have a couple of twistbands which I have been using for quite a while. I think that they are good for people whom would like to tie up their hair but yet do not want to leave any 'dent' marks on their hair.

Personally, I don't have this problem because no matter what I use to tie my hair (be it the super skinny rubber hand that sells by the pack). it doesn't leave any 'dent' marks behind. I suppose this is due to the fact that I have got rebonded hair.

Nuxe Crème Fraiche De Beaute Cream

  

What is it: 

Plant milks, aloe vera sap, white almonds and orange flowers combine for the ultimate in skin cream.

My thoughts:

I'm quite amazed at how Nuxe products smell similar. I have yet to try this out but I will definitely update you guys when I do! 

The Skin Pharmacy Collagen Building Serum

 

What is it:

Includes key, natural ingredients that increase your skin’s most vital components to keep it looking young, fresh and beautiful, welcome back elasticity and firmness.

Sasa Hand Cream

 

What is it:

Rich, luxurious hand cream with shea butter that keep hands beautiful and supple with an added ingredient that offers UV protection.

My thoughts:

I wasn't expecting too much from this hand cream, after all it is only $3.90. Surprisingly, I quite like the scent. It reminds me of the almond jelly that my Mom always make! Although this hand cream isn't as thick in texture compared to my L'occitane, Crabtree & Evelyn or The Body Shop hand cream, I must say that it moisturizes rather well still. It does feel a bit sticky right after application but it goes away after a while. 

Kilo off Herbal Slimming Tea

 

What is it:

Help regulate digestion, stop extra water retention, help overall circulation and provide major detox benefits. Can be drunk hot or cold! Made with 100% organic French herbs.

If you are into baking, then you are in for a treat this month because Bellabox provided Laurent Bernard Chocolatier Chocolate Souffle recipe in April's Bellabox!

Price list:

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Gel $13.90/200ml, $22.90/500ml
Twistband Headbands 3 pcs/$12.95
Nuxe Crème Fraiche De Beaute Cream $70/50ml
The Skin Pharmacy Collagen Building Serum $59.90/15ml
Sasa Hand Cream $3.90/50ml
Kilo off Herbal Slimming Tea 20pcs/$16.90

In March, I attended Bellabox Blogger Event held over at Antoinette @ Penhas. Click here to check out the pictures taken at the event.


I hope you like this post! Thanks for reading.

To be notified of the latest beauty news, launches or events, follow me on or like SweetestSins on

台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 3: Sogo, Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe and Miramar Entertainment Park

May 5, 2013, 9:32 am

≫ Next: Korres White Tea Gel Cleanser review

≪ Previous: [Double Digest] March Bellabox: Spring in your step & April Bellabox: Beauty Goodness

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On Day 3, I was the first to wake up and I felt super hungry so I went across the street from our hotel to Ximending to get Mcdonalds breakfast while the girls were sleeping. They have got pork mcmuffin 猪肉满福堡 in Taiwan Mcdonalds! I got myself pork mcmuffin 猪肉满福堡 along with a cup of hot chocolate 热巧克力. I think part of the reason why I got up so early was due to the fact that I was anticipating the Watsons 屈臣氏 sale that was on that day (got insider news from the security guard working at Watsons 屈臣氏 and he gave us his Watsons member card no. for further discounts). Did I mention that the Watsons 屈臣氏 in Ximending is 24 hours? How awesome right?

After the girls woke up and washed up, they got breakfast (either Mister Donut, or Yong He Dou Jiang) before we started our day out.

We passed by the 85度C outlet in Ximending. Its apparently one of the best (chain store) cafe, said to have the best cakes in Taiwan.

85度C (咖啡, 蛋糕, 烘焙專賣店)
台北市萬華區漢中街151號

Nearest station: Ximen Station, 近西門捷運站
http://www.85cafe.com/

After that, we took the train to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station.

We went to Sogo (太平洋SOGO忠孝馆 branch) to shop for a while where Andeline got a Porter bag for her sis.

 太平洋SOGO忠孝馆No. 300, Section 3, Zhōngxiào East Rd, Daan District, 
Taipei City, Taiwan 106

Directions: Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, exit no. 4
http://www.sogo.com.tw

Highlights: OL wear and cosmetics

There's two Sogos in the vicnity. One at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station 忠孝复兴站 and the other at Zhongxiao Dunhua 忠孝敦化站.

As soon as Andeline got her sis the Porter bag, she sent her sis a picture of it but turns out that it wasn't the one that her sis wanted so Shin and her went back to Sogo to do the exchange. Chuan wanted to check out the underground shopping mall (East Metro Mall) over at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station 忠孝复兴站 that links to Zhongxiao Dunhua 忠孝敦化站 so I accompanied her.

While walking to the underground mall (East Metro Mall), check out what we spotted at the connecting linkway from both Zhongxiao Fuxing Station 忠孝复兴站 and Zhongxiao Dunhua 忠孝敦化站 train stations!

These pop-up art are so pretty and artistic, no? They are 3D and they even have got LED light! This goes to show how creative Taiwan is as a country. Plus, I think it helps to brighten up commuters day while transiting, no?

When Chuan and I passed by 日藥本舖 (復興) Japan Medical (Japanese drugstore), I was ecstatic! I love Asian skincare and makeup, especially Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese ones so imagine my delight when I found a Japanese drugstore in Taiwan!   

日藥本舖 (復興) Japan Medical
復興門市-捷運東區地下街7-1櫃
http://jp-medical.shop.rakuten.tw/

They have got medical supplies, supplements, skincare products, makeup as well as snacks imported from Japan. Some of the brands that they carry include Rohto, PDC, Bigen, Paon, Sunstar and Lion.

They even have got hyaluronic acid, horse oil in their shower gels and shampoos respectively! Although most of the products ingredients list are in Japanese, you need not worry because they have got mini labels that translates it into Chinese!

For makeup, they have got Candydoll, Naris up, Sana, Kameria which I'm sure most of you are familiar with as they are available in Singapore in places like Watsons, Sasa and John Little. 

The underground shopping mall wasn't too bad. Chuan got two maxi dresses at about 10 bucks each and I got two tshirts at about 7 bucks each.

We were famished by then so we walked over to Hello Kitty Sweets to meet Andeline and Shin for lunch.

Hello Kitty Sweets

Hello Kitty Cafe
台北市大安路一段90

Opening hours: 11.30 to 22.00
Tel: 02-2711-1132
(min order of NT300 per person, 10% service charge)



Directions:

Head east on 忠孝東路四段/台5線 toward 復興南路一段 Turn right onto 大安路一段

  Or use exit 15 of the East Metro Mall. The cafe is along the alleyway just outside. 捷運板南線忠孝復興站3號出口步行3分鐘

Once you enter Hello Kitty Sweets cafe, you will be greeted by these super cute and adorable Hello Kitty cakes that just scream, "buy me! eat me!" at you. Tell me how to resist them?

Even the signage and booth that reads, "Please wait to be seated" is so cute! Omg right?

I definitely recommend that you make a reservation in advance via phone if you wish to visit Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe. We waited for about maybe 5 minutes to get in although we made prior reservations for lunch.

We paid NT$442 (approx SGD18.50) for a set meal (Hello Kitty Sweets Meal 套餐 is available from 11.30-2.30pm for lunch and 5-9pm for dinner) which consists of a salad, soup of the day, hello kitty bread/bun, appetizer, main course, dessert and drink. Click here to view Hello Kitty Sweets Menu.

We were all full even before we started on our main course. We were saying that this has got to be the most filling meal that we had while we were in Taiwan! While this meal at Hello Kitty Sweets is certainly more expensive than that of our regular meals in Taiwan, we all agree that its worthwhile for the experience, especially in terms of photo-taking opportunities at every possible corner in Hello Kitty Sweets with the iconic Sanrio character - Hello Kitty. Plus, the food wasn't that bad afterall, well - at least not as bad as the reviews that we read online.  

For drinks, you can choose from coffee, red tea, lemon tea, coke, sprite and fruit juice. I chose fruit juice.  

Fruit juice 果汁, a la carte 单点 NT$90

Salad 沙拉, a la carte 单点 NT$60

Soup of the day 每日主厨浓汤, a la carte 单点 NT$60

Kitty bread/bun (Kitty 餐包), a la carte 单点 NT$40

We ordered different appetizers to share. 

Italian roasted beef 意式牛肉, a la carte 单点 NT$100

Smoked salmon 烟熏鲑鱼, a la carte 单点 NT$100

Foie Gras 香煎鹅肝, a la carte 单点 NT$100

Here comes our main course!

White-sauce Mushroom Chicken Bread Bowl 白酱蘑菇鸡肉kitty面包盅

Curry Chicken Pasta 咖喱鸡肉意大利面

Tomato-based Seafood Pasta 番茄海鲜意大利面

Smoked Salmon Creamy Pasta 烟熏鲑鱼奶油面

For desserts, its mango pudding in the shape of none other than the star of Hello Kitty Sweets - Hello Kitty itself! We were saying its too pretty and cute to be eaten!

Mango Pudding 芒果布丁

We took the chance to take more pictures within the premises of Hello Kitty Sweets before we left because its so 梦幻 (girly, dreamy, fantasy-like)!

After lunch, we took the train to Houshanpi station to Wufenpu again to do some shopping.

Chuan bought the famous 'Taiwanese hot dog' aka Dachang Bao Xiaochang 大腸包小腸 which loosely translates to small sausage in big sausage. It consists of grilled pork sausage wrapped in a glutinous rice sausage filled with peanut powder, cucumber, Chinese parsley (cilantro), pickled mustard greens and Chinese basil.

大腸包小腸 Dachang Bao Xiaochang

Shin bought 包心粉圆 to try. Basically, 包心粉圆 is adding red bean to 粉圆 (Tapioca ball). It originates from Yilan (Ilan) by this couple whom loves the combination of tapioca balls and soya bean curd. They thought that tapioca balls by itself was kind of boring so they tried adding all sorts of fillings to it but it turns out that red bean has got the best taste of all. The popularity of red bean stuffed tapioca ball has spread throughout Taiwan, thus you can find red bean stuffed tapioca balls easily in Taiwan now.

Red bean stuffed tapioca balls 包心粉圆

Got my daily must have - Papaya milk from this stall at Wufenpu. I usually rotate between papaya milk and milk tea.

We walked to Houshanpi station after that and took the train to Jiannan Road station 劍潭站 and walked to Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園. 

Alternatively, you can also take the shuttle bus to from Jiantan Station劍潭站 to Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園.

Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園
Nearest train station: Jiannan Road station
Opening hours: Dept store and supermarket: 11.00 to 22.00,
Ferris wheel: Sun to Thurs 11.00 to 23.00, Fri and Sat 11.00 to 24.00

Shuttle bus to Miramar Shopping Centre 美麗華 at 劍潭站 Jiantan Station

Last shuttle bus from Jiantan Station: 22:15
Last bus back from Miramar to Jiantan Station is 22:30.

Don't you find Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園 familiar? Like you have seen it somewhere, maybe countless of times before but just can't seem to recall where? Well well well, if you are a Taiwan drama fanatic like me and if you like Rainie Yang, there's no way that you would have miss her dramas such as Why Why Love 換換愛 which was filmed in Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園! Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園 is also the filming location for other Taiwan dramas such as It Started with a Kiss 惡作劇之吻 where 江直树 and 袁湘琴 celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary as well as Love or Bread 我的億萬麵包.

There's a supermarket and departmental store in Miramar Entertainment Park apart from the iconic Ferris wheel.

Having said that, let me take you on a virtual tour around Miramar Entertainment Park.

Touristy photo

Of all, this is my favorite picture of Miramar Entertainment Park Ferris Wheel!

We came across these Harry Potter jelly beans that have strange flavours such as rotten egg, pencil shavings, centipede just to name a few which Chuan and Ande got some as gifts and for themselves.

Harry Potter jelly beans

On our way out, we came across this hair salon for kids. Check out the seats - they are toy cars instead! How cute right? I can imagine the fun that these lucky kids get while having their haircut!

I can't remember but I think we either skipped dinner altogether that night or we had our beef instant noodles back in our hotel. 

Got Meiji Hokkaido Milk Monaka from the Family Mart opposite our hotel before heading back to recharge for the next day.

Meiji Hokkaido Milk Monaka

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Patricia

You might want to check out these posts:

✰ Taiwan Taipei Accomodation/Hotel: ECFA Hotel Wan Nian 愛客發時尚旅館萬年館 review
✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 1: Taipei Ximending and Shi Da Ye Shi
✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 2: Ximending, Taipei 101, agnes b cafe, Wufenpu and Raohe Night Market
✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 3: Sogo, Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe and Miramar Entertainment Park
✰ 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 4: Danshui Old Street, Taipei Main Station and Ximending

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Korres White Tea Gel Cleanser review

May 7, 2013, 7:02 am

≫ Next: Eyemazing 101 by Jun Komori review

≪ Previous: 台湾吃喝玩乐 Taiwan Trip May 2012 Day 3: Sogo, Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe and Miramar Entertainment Park

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What is it:

Formulated with vegetable derived soap substitutes, the White Tea fluid gel deeply cleanses and refreshes, without dehydrating the skin. While the gel is very easily rinsed off, yet the Oat proteins' moisturizing layer remains on the skin.

An active combination of oligominerals provides energy to skin cells and hydrates the skin. The White Tea liquid gel is fine-lathering to avoid over-stripping the skin. The selected combination of 100% natural cleansing agents ensures excellent tolerance by the eyes and the skin.

Directions:

Rub gently into wet skin and rinse off with plenty of water. Use once or twice daily. 

Ingredients list:

White Tea extract (Camellia sinensis), Oat proteins, oligo-minerals, glycerine, Aloe vera.

Dermatologically tested, Opthalmologically tested, soap free

My thoughts:

Although Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser was part of a customized skincare set sponsored by Korres last year, I haven't got a chance to try it until recently (and yes, I blame that on my huge stash of skincare products). For those of you whom are not familiar with Korres, its from Greece and they place emphasis on natural products.

Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser has got a nice light, natural and calming scent to it. It lathers up a little when I rub my palms together but it definitely don't create as much foam as cream cleansers.

I have got combination skin and I don't experience any tightness in my skin after cleansing my face with Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser. Instead of the very clean feeling that I get when I cleanse my face with other cleansers, Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser leaves my skin feeling moisturized.

Rating:

★★★★☆

I hope you like this post. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Patricia

Disclaimer: Although product featured in this post was sponsored, the content above consists of my honest opinion as always!

To be notified of the latest beauty news, launches or events, follow me on or like SweetestSins on