Beauty - Portable Make-Up with Built-In Brushes!

Brush it on this season with a fun palette of colours that come in a portable make-up case complete with built in brushes. These make their debut at The Body Shop's counters this season and the new limited edition collection is aptly called "Brush with Fashion" as this season's look is awash with vivid colour, drama and bold looks that you will need some abandon and a large serving of personality to carry off.

For the socially conscious amongst us, all ingredients used in producing the make up have also been community traded ie. bought from ethnic merchants rather than the big boys out there in a company wide effort to help sustain struggling economies and communities. Also everything including the brushes were produced free from animal testing - two admirable things for which have become The Body Shop's brand sign offs.

Getting all fashionable and edgy, the brand that every teen (including my fab self) grew up in the 80s partnered with The London College of Fashion to create the edgy packaging and a catwalk show that shows off some of the College's ex alumna's fashion creations including up-coming British designer William Tempest. Sorry folks, no sign of Jimmy Choo and Patrick Cox, also incidentally ex-alumna.

Engaging the skills of Nikki Palmer, professional UK based make up artist and ex-alumna, the look for Spring is all about colour and a celebration of the bright and bold.The focus is on the eyes and the season's palette offers gorgeous matte shades of chocolate, fawn and apricot, pearlised hues of white, pink and silver complemented with dramatic matte black with lashes beautifully defined; cheeks are rose-tinted; and lips are dressed in glossy shades of pink and peach.

Watch their catwalk show and four fashion-forward looks created by make-up artist Nikki Palmer!www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=9QB5FYPqfP4&gl=US

The range comprises for the Face, an Illuminating Face Base (S$29.90) in Apricot Glow that adds warmth to your complexion.

For the Eyes, two Limited Collection Palette For Eyes (both S$39.90) - one called Boho Beauty with nude, apricot and browns and the other called A La Mode that shows off pearlised white, pink and silver with intense matt black to add drama to the eyes. Each of these come in a compact of four complementary eye colours packaged with a mini eye definer, a mini eye shadow brush and an integrated mirror. There is also Super Volume Mascara (S$22.90) that has a specially designed brush to make it smudge resistant with a clump free formula.

Lip gloss comes in the form of two best-selling Hi-Shine Lip Treatments (S$18.90) in Pink Cream and Juicy Peach. They each come in a limited-edition pack with integrated brush which allows you to squeeze the gloss through the brush and apply following the contours of the lips.

For the Cheeks, there is a Tailored Cheek Tint (S$19.90) in Hot Pink.

Just in case you want some accessories, there is a Nail File (S$4.90) and Nail Buffer (S$5.90), and The Body Shop's famous Lightening Touch (S$28.90) which features a magic little wand that gives light relief to dark circles and fine lines and instantly brightens the skin especially when used around the eye area after applying foundation so as not to reduce the effect of the ingenious little light-diffusing particles that minimise fine lines and dark shadows.

- Elaine

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Beauty - New Organic Skincare at Watsons!

I personally love Watsons' new range of Avalon Organics Haircare. Now a Organic Skincare range joins the fold of this best selling US brand stocked at Watsons. Reasonable pricing and great smells all at one go make this brand a winner. My personal favourite is the Peppermint Haircare range as I am the kind of gal that needs a strong wake up call each morning so nothing like a mint shower drenching your naked head and butt! LOL!

Two new ranges for Skin have hit the shelves to join the existing Haircare range and they are the Avalon Organics Lavender and Vitamin C Skincare Ranges. From only S$13 to $38.90 (in Singapore), thats a small price to pay to get some all natural radiance for your skin. Designed for sensitive skin and for the environmentally conscious, the formulations are inherently pure, safe and effective, free from parabens, artificial colours or fragrances.

The Lavender line is good for skin renewal and vitality and ideal for all skin types even those with sensitive skin and reactive complexions. It combines the calming and balancing properties of Organic Lavender, with the powerful anti-oxidants contained in Organic White Tea and Grape Seed Polyphenols. In addition, certificated organic herbs, botanicals and lipid-rich vegetable oils provide weightless hydration. Great for irritated skin and trouble spots caused by inflammation, the range offers a Facial Cleansing Gel, Cleansing Milk (which is next to impossible to find in Hong Kong as alot of stores here stock washes that deep cleanse but don't (in my humble opinion) do a thorough job at cleansing). There is also a Moisture Plus Lotion with SPF 18 that contains Vitamin C and E to protect skin from harmful free radicals and UVA and UVB rays for day and a Ultimate Moisture Cream for night.

The Vitamin C line is good for those with normal to oily skin and delivers active protection against aging caused by sun exposure. The antioxidant agent Vitamin C also stimulates collagen production, while promoting cellular renewal and increased circulation.  Their formulation boasts an enhanced antioxidant ‘cocktail’ of Melatonin, Lemon bioflavonoids, Vitamin C and E and White Tea Extract to protect skin from UV damage. To effectively nourish and hydrate sun-exposed skin, Organic Lavender, Organic Borage, Flax and Sunflower Oils, Hyaluronic Acid, and Lipo-Filling Complex were also included to ensure a soft, even complexion with a healthy, youthful glow. The range comprises a Refreshing Cleansing Gel,a Hydrating Cleansing Milk, a Rejuvenating Oil-Free Moisturizer and a pampering Revitalizing Eye Cream that nourishes the delicate eye area to improve circulation and tone for smoother and younger looking eyes.

Available at Watsons' main stores in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia.


- Elaine

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Beauty - Make-Up Tutorials Online

The beauty junkie in me has been having huge fun with make up in the last few weeks. I have been investing in white eye liner, a neutral shade lip liner, a new set of makeup brushes and skin primer and it is all because I recently discovered Michelle Phan and her truly fab online tutorials which are free and just too good not to share.

There is nothing that I like more than to experiment with different looks so bored, jaded and totally tired of what I call my 2010 'look', I decided one late night in October last year to trawl You Tube to get some ideas for a variation of those stunning smokey eyes that you see only in magazines but can never quite replicate in real life, by yourself.

That's when I stumbled upon Michelle Phan. Youthful, doe-eyed, fresh faced and extremely entrepreneurial, this up and coming makeup artist with the Disney princess voice has over one million subscribers and is one of You Tube's hottest exports with a sponsorship by Lancome and her own line of make-up brushes and accessories. She also has what I consider some of the best tips that I have found on-line or anywhere to date, from how to experiment with different looks to how to clean your makeup brushes and properly dry and store them.

So if you are looking for simple, clear and easy to follow instructions then her snappy made-at-home videos which are actually quite professionally put together by her are worth checking out. Just to save you some time trawling through her 100 over You Tube tutorials, here are some of my favourite 'how-tos' for:

Dewy Skin and Polished Eyes for a Simple and Clean look: http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan#p/u/5/9hCMD02t3nc

Seductive Smokey Eyes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zupy7R4uR2g&feature=relmfu

Club Night out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-joBOHlg5J0&feature=related

How to clean your makeup brushes properly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVdciJkmb7o&feature=related

And if those don't keep you sufficiently entertained, her friend Chriselle, a US based fashion stylist has great tips on what to wear and how. My recent favourite is 7 different ways to wear a scarf as it is still relatively cool in Hong Kong. At 12 degrees celcius this week - this is perfect scarf weather indeed! See: http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan#p/u/4/KzPV0iXBANs

- Elaine

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Beauty - Extreme Blotting

Blotting paper is just blotting paper, right? It’s got as much glam potential as a sink stopper right? WRONG!

Tatcha aburatorigami is affordable luxury at its most extreme. It blows the mind how something as mundane as a little pieces of paper to blot our your facial sebum can be made into an item of coveted luxury. But here it is – delicate little squares of finest grade abaca leaf flecked with gold! The abaca leaf is apparently very strong, yet super soft and offers mega absorbency to lift off excess shine. Handmade in Japan, fragrance- and powder-free, with no animal testing involved, it is blots without disturbing your make up.

Why do we absolutely need this? Its soft, ‘plant-like texture’ means we don’t need to fiddle with stiff, scratchy cheap blotting paper that looks more like baking paper; and for a touch of frou-frou, it’s a little ‘Geisha’ beauty legacy. Apparently, these ladies discovered that the handmade paper used by gold artisans to protect the metal as they hammered it into thin leaves, was great for taking oil off delicate skin. And so the rest is history, as they often say.

The gold doesn’t flake out on your face, we are assured – but that’s a shame isn’t it? A little too precious just to blot and toss. Post-blotting art and craft, anyone?

S$15.60 for a packet of 30 sheets

Pure Tincture Simple Organic Beauty Boutique

1 Raffles Place #04-22B

http://www.puretincture.com/

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Beauty - OPI's Funky New Nail Colours

Badly needed one super sleek ultra-pampering manicure and pedicure for the New Year? Before you go to the salon, drop by Watsons in Hong Kong or Singapore and pick up Nicole by OPI, the range of hottest and funkiest nail colours to hit the shelves.

Free of DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde, the brand stays green by using only recyclable glass packaging in their nail polish bottles. Check out  over 85 nail sticks and lacquers with funky and daring names such as ‘Indigo-go!’, ‘Carpool Mama’, ‘Stolen Kisses’, ‘Ink a Dink Pink’ and ‘Razzle Dazzler’. Opt for Nicole by OPI nail sticks for quick touch-ups on-the-go, with colours packaged in handy nail polish pens.

Your star struck tween will be happy to know that Justin Bieber has collaborated to design a new collection of nail polishes, the Justin Bieber ‘One Less Lonely Girl’collection which will come in dark blue, bright red and lavender, among other shades. Recommendations include ‘One Less Lonely Glitter’, ‘Make U Smile’, ‘I’ve Got Bieber Fever’ and ‘Eenie Meanie Marry Me’. To think that Justin Bieber knows anything about  nail polish except for the colour green, really goes past me …!

- Elaine

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Beauty - Must-have Miracle Masks!

How did we do it? When I was in my 20s, I partied all night, smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish and yet the next morning woke up with skin still reasonably fresh, eyes dewy and body all ready to go.. yes, you say.. its youth. Would you be shocked if I tell you that the fountain of youth might still exist and if you don't look, you can't find. So here is a fabulicious secret which I urge you to try and tell me what you think. 

I have to credit my beauty store junkie friend Connie for these two fabulicious finds. She reads, buys and tries and I trawl the stores with her in Hong Kong, happily experimenting with her. Which brings me to these two great products - both masques that you must and I mean MUST, absolutely, BUY! 

SKIN BIOTICS Nano Gold Turnaround Mask with 8 hour collagen renewal is sold in Mannings in Hong Kong and presumably at Guardian in Singapore as the chain are one and the same. This awesome product (now on offer at HK$269) is my new 'swear-by' product and I use it almost every alternate night especially after I have had one late night, too many, which these days is often enough. 

How to use: Apply a thin layer (about the size of a HK or SG dollar coin) on to the surface of your freshly cleaned face just before you go to bed.  You can even spread it onto your neck area and leave it. 


Wake up the next morning and I guarantee that the crows feet, open pores, tired wrinkles, panda eyes are mysteriously GONE! Your skin will look baby fresh, dewy just as if you woke up from a long refreshing nap. You will notice a thin gel like layer forming over your skin which I assume is the collagen at work renewing and regenerating new skin cells. 

METHODE SWISS Thermal Oxygen Overnight Moisture Mask is available at Sa-Sa in Singapore and Hong Kong. I got mine for HK$300+ here in Hong Kong with equally good effects. This leave-on mask contains, coral, seaweed, algae, plankton and sea fennel and Swiss thermal water which soaks into the skin giving it advanced moisture instantly improving your appearance. Within 4 weeks, the product promises a more radiant and revitalised complexion.

How to use: As with the Skin Biotics mask, clean face and neck and use the same amount (dollar coin size) of the product which is white with blue grainy bits which are actually Vitamin A and E which are absorbed into the skin on application. Do this just before going to bed. Wake up and voila! Now go try!!! 


- Elaine

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Buys - Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas!

A ton of press releases on gift ideas have come our way, from practical to just plain frivolous. It has been a near impossible task trying to categorise them by price and function so instead I picked my top 10 favourites. If you have not thought of something that you want for yourself, loved one, close friend or boss then hopefully this list gives you some nice ideas: 


WHAT'S IN YOUR STOCKING? ...

GIFT #1 - Tickets to Perth, Western Australia for the family. Available at: Singapore Airlines Family Playtime or visit the Best of Perth Travel Deals. It may be somewhat of a warm weather welcome with Winter in reverse seasons in Australia but you can't deny the charms of this laid back city with its great outlying countryside, good wine, great food and just a lovely atmosphere that makes a retreat there so much more relaxing than spending it in bustling built up Hong Kong (at least for me). Highlight events include the East Perth Picnic in the Park, IGA Christmas Carol Pageant and the Christmas Nativity Event at Forrest Place in the City. Check event listings and dates out here.

GIFT #2 - You really do not want a gift that you can't use so I thought the 'Ta Da' Gift  was a pretty good idea. The TA DA Gift (available only in Hong Kong) is essentially a gift experience that is pegged to how much you want to spend - think HK$500 onwards. Beautifully packaged in a high quality glossy gift box, it has a gift card with a phone number to a concierge service where you can arrange to redeem the gift. 

Select from 6 different categories  of gifts for eg. a Zen gift is all about the spa, pampering and relaxation, a Life gift includes gifts like a Thai boxing class or Horseback riding experience,  a Delicious gift is all about gourmet goodies, an Excite gift spells kayaking, war games and the likes, an Escape gift lets the lucky recipient take a break from the norm, and gain a whole new perspective on Hong Kong via an outdoor camping trip or a sailing trip to an off shore island. And of course if budget is no issue, the Ultimate gift offers the crème de la crème of experiences and can go up to HK$15,000. All in all, there are over 200 different choices of activities and things to do, give and receive. See: The Ta Da List!

GIFT #3 - Holidays are the time for catching up on beauty sleep and my bedroom could use this cool gadget called the i.relax ZEN Aroma Diffuser available at all Oregon Scientific stores, SOGO and SEIBU in Hong Kong. You simply plug in your ipod or mp3 player and you get soothing music, mood effects via a a soft glowing night light and a diffuser that gives off different light fragrances, all coming together for a good night's sleep. Product details here! 

GIFT #4 - As an Apple advocate, I have to say I would not mind unwrapping this one from under the tree. We hear that iLife '11 is out as its the new OSX Lion! 


iLife '11 gives Mac users even better ways to create and share photos, movies and music. There are more slideshow templates, a chance for you to make Hollywood style movie trailers, a faster and better People Finder to locate your cast for your photo and video projects along with new templates for you to custom make your own books and cards. Available at HK$488 as an upgrade for existing users. See: Apple Store


If you liked the Snow Leopard OSX then the Lion promises to be mighty and will give you a better and louder roar. Inspired by many of the iPad's software innovations such as offering new ways to discover, install and automatically update desktop apps. It also introduces Launchpad, a new home for all of your Mac apps; system-wide support for full screen apps; and Mission Control, which unifies Exposé®, Dashboard, Spaces® and full screen apps into an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere.  Shipping next Summer, start getting into the queue! 

GIFT #5 - In the market for a phone? Vertu and BlackBerry have both launched new ones. The newest BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone is the first  smartphone to come with the new BlackBerry 6 operating system, that has a rich new user interface, a fast and powerful WebKit-based browser, broadly improved communications plus multimedia capabilities, and an incredibly useful Universal Search feature. It is also equipped with a high quality 5MP camera with 512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage. Additional features of BlackBerry 6 include expanded messaging capabilities, a dedicated YouTube app, simplification of the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and integrated access to BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. 

There is no doubt that you can't afford to lose a Vertu and their new Constellation Quest smartphone offers unparalleled luxury services and business tools with prices starting at S$9,900 onwards for the Brushed Stainless Steel with Black Leather (available early 2011) to the Yellow Gold, Sapphire keys version with Black leather at S$35,000. With the price tag comes a 24/7 Concierge service and an exclusive vertu.me email account. 

GIFT #6 - For that home party, present the host with a special collectible. Two  come to mind - the first is Mumm on Ice a.k.a G.H.Mumm Cordon Rouge, a special edition champagne launched for the holiday season that comes with a carrier tote that transforms into an ice bucket. Available in Hong Kong on 1 December at Wellcome and Jason's Market Place at HK$348. 

The next is Jacob Creek's new Sparkling Rose Moscato. I am a huge fan of muscat grapes and sweet wines, especially white. Yes, call me a peasant but I say that there is nothing lovelier than to sip icy cold moscato when you are chillin'. This one makes a good girlfriend gift not only because of looks but also quality and it has won a host of awards at the Australian wine shows. A value for money gift, available mid December from only HK$99 to HK$109 at selected outlets and retailers. Both drinks also available at selected outlets in Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai in the same period.  

GIFT #7 - I am tired of my boring old black luggage. So this release caught my eye. You are guaranteed to see your bright and bold coloured luggage come down that conveyor belt at the airport if you get any of these eye catching buys from  American Tourister this season. 

Two models, soft case Westlake (in 7 colours) and hard case F'Lite are being launched. Fully tested, these babies have passed the Drop, Jerk, Lock, Wheel and Tumble Test so whats there not to like? 

GIFT #8 - Impress that client or the boss with a trusty hamper. For lavish think H One and Sevva in Hong Kong, Cova in both Singapore and HK and The Link Home in Singapore. They have mastered the art of wowing the Taipan. 


At HK$988, this Appagamento hamper basket from H One comprising Pear Balsamic Vinegar, Black Truffle with Cheese Fonaue, Aged Parma Ham, homemade goodies including Chocolate Truffles, Cookies and Christmas Stollen, amongst others and a bottle of Prosecco, Zeta di Zardetto 2007  is not as expensive as I would have expected. Hampers go up to HK$8,888. Orders at (852) 2805 0638.  H one is at Shop 4008, Podium Level 4, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong.

At Cova in Singapore and Hong Kong, look out for 3 new cake designs, the Dolce Penguino (S$52 for 1 kg), the Chocolate and Cherries Logcake (S$48 for 1 kg) and the delightful Santa's Car (S$58 for 1kg) made from chocolate sponge mixed with butterscotch and gianduia cream.  Hampers abound at Cova where you can choose from 4 different prepacked designs or custom make your own. Prices start at only S$98. Call +65 6733 0777. 

7 beautifully packaged Hampers await at Sevva, mainly tableware gifts including French handcrafted silver and gold cutlery, napkin rings, exotic sugars, teas and honeys. Call +852 2537 1388 or go to Sevva. 

At The Link Home in Singapore, get your lovely ornaments custom packed into an elegant gift or choose from any of their exquisitely packaged hampers and gifts. 

GIFT #9 is the trusty Coffret Set. The prettiest by far this year are the ones from Crabtree and Evelyn. My favourites were the Vanity Cases (From S$85) and Hat Boxes (from S$95). The queues in Hong Kong rival the ones in LV and Chanel - just for a chance to get a whiff of the lovely smells coming from inside the store. 

GIFT #10 - And finally ... If you have not already bought the all in one latest Nespresso Latissima that we earlier recommended then this is definitely THE time! And to top it off three new limited edition flavours join the ever growing cache of gourmet tastes. Gift a few tubes of Vanilla Variation with its rich and velvety aromas of vanilla and the mellow flavour of the Livanto Grand Cru,  Caramel Variation, that evokes the creaminess of soft toffee and Almond Variation, a melt-in-the-mouth blend that evokes the mellow taste of Amaretti biscuits.


- Elaine

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