I feel a little guilty for buying more beauty stuff, but they really were cheap. I talked a little bit about MUA nail polishes in a previous post (Beauty Review 1.0) and so I wanted to compare it with two new polishes. They were both the same price, but the packaging is different and although the amount isn't stated on the bottle, it appears to be less. So I purchased Koala Bear (Grey) and Pistachio Ice Cream (turquoise; mint). I find the consistency to be a little thinner then with the other polish.
I only applied one coat and it looked great! With the Pistachio, you need at least two coats, but three would look better and have more staying power. Koala Bear is my favourite of the two, but problem is that I has to put FOUR coats in order to not see my nail underneath. For such a small bottle, I'll run out in no time! I will still continue to purchase these polishes though as the finish is really smooth and it is extremely easy to apply. It's also fast drying. I was halfway through and had to attend to something so I just ran my fingers through running water and viola; dry.
First let me start of with saying that I was very happy with last months' box (although I read some reviews and a lot of people were disappointed). The design of the box was Paranakan inspired and I quite liked it. Inside were quite a number of items and it had a full sized product which was hand cream that smelled lovely. I felt it had a better mix compared with some of their other boxes. I wanted to do a review on it, but before I knew it, this box arrived!
I can't say that I was impressed with this months' box. Thinking about it; it looks like I paid $20 for a box of freebies! I understand that it is difficult for the people at Bellabox to please everyone, but I feel that if the box had more variety than more people would be happy with it. Firstly, the theme was "Pink Me Up" and based on their write-up, they were going for "perk me up", but added a twist (maybe so that it would sound more towards beauty and that they could make the box pink?). This just ended up confusing the majority who were probably expecting more "pink" products. You think pink and you do think of more make-up products compared to wellness and skin care products. Personally, I think that other subscription boxes like Glossybox and Ipsy bag are more make-up orientated and Bellabox is more for skin care. I received a face mask, eye mask, facial peel and scrub!!!!! Along with this was an anti-ageing lotion, face mist, BB cream and a collagen drink. A theme more towards a "Fresh Face" would have been more appropriate.
Based on their pink theme, I think the September box would have been better if there was a variety of skin care and make-up, hair care products with that added "pink" factor. The scrub and mask are fine (maybe it will give you a glow ha ha), the lip scrub was a good idea, but not everyone received it. I think some received a lip gloss instead, but I didn't get either. No nice pink lips for me I guess, but some quick suggestions from me to add to the scrub and mask are a pink nail polish, a rose water cream - perhaps the smell might make you think of pink roses :) and also maybe those hair ties in three different shades of pink. For the bonus item, a small pink heart shaped bar of soap. What do you think?
I do hope the next box has something for everyone! :o)
Here is a list of the items I received and what I thought of them. Updated as and when I try them out.
Dr Morita EGF Platinum Mask - After use I felt tightness around the mouth and forehead. Fresh scent. Dr Morita Eye Mask (Bonus) - Not sure if I will use this La Clinica GLY C Refine Micrro Dermabrasion Facial Exfoliating Scrub Enavose Invisible Sunbrella UV Mist SPF 45 - Looking forward to using this. Like the non-spill packaging. Dr. G Total Active Dual BB Cream SPF 50+ PA+++ - Recoliv Beauty Collagen Wish Formula JJOYY Bubble Peeling Pad Vaseline Healthy White Perfect 10 - Smells lovely!
This is so true! No matter the hurt and pain you're going through, you need to push on and hope for a better tomorrow. Other times, you just have no choice. People might be depending on you, looking up to you to show them the way. Always take time to say a little prayer and know that "If God puts you to it, He will pull you through it". Sometimes this is hard to see, but in time, everything will be clear.
As I write this, I find myself taking deep breaths and I'm not too sure why... I've always been a worry wot and I need to learn to lift everything up to God. I need to do everything that I possibly can and leave the rest to Him.
I went ahead and purchased a keyboard cover for my Mac. Which is weird because I was actually contemplating selling my laptop to switch to Windows. Using Mac can be very frustrating especially when it comes to editing photos. iphoto just isn't as great as photoshop. Transferring photos is also a pain. Anyway, back to the topic. My new keyboard cover! I'm loving it and I couldn't wait to type on it so thought I would blog about it. (The little things make me happy)
I ordered pink, but it is actually more of a metallic light purple colour and I think I like it better. No more boring black keys. I purchased it from Amazon and after reading the reviews, I was a little worried that it wouldn't fit right. A lot of the problems others had that the functions keys didn't align properly. Thankfully though, mine fits perfectly.
Sometimes I get hungry in between meals especially if I've had a light lunch or lunch is going to be late. My mid-morning snack was a small tub of yoghurt. I love the ones by Emmi. Just the right portion size and very refreshing. Today I had the Pineapple and it was sweet with that tarte bite. As with all their yoghurt, there were bits of pineapple in it. I can't decide whether I like this better or the pink grapefruit. They are both so yummy!
By 5pm I was craving for an iced coffee :) I usually only have hot coffee at home, but since discovering that Starbucks sells packets of iced coffee, I don't have hot coffee past morning anymore.
When I started this blog, I wasn't entirely sure what I should primarily make it about. I did go back and forth with the idea, questioning myself (would I stay committed? would I find myself staring at a blank screen night after night? would it matter?) Yes, I could have jumped on the bandwagon and started a mummy blog as they call it, but I just wasn't comfortable with that. Putting her pictures out there; putting myself out there. There will definitely be posts about her, but I guess in the beginning, I just didn't want more people judging me. I had so many people around me telling me stuff and instead of giving their advice and letting me make the decision, they wanted me to do what they said and felt that my husband and I didn't know anything. It was not pleasant. Anyway, sometimes I do wish that I had written everything down from the moment she was born, and I feel a little sad when I see others' monthly updates. When it comes down to it though, I know I will never forget every little milestone or cute smile my daughter gives me, or what we all went through together. Everything is etched in my heart. God gave me a miracle and she is my world.
I therefore decided that I shouldn't limit myself. I should write about anything and everything. It would be a place for me to jot down my thoughts, ideas, maybe be a little creative and
also to help and inspire people out there the way others' blogs have
inspired me and helped me smile through the hard times.
So many people turn to the internet to seek answers and I hope that at least one person reads my blog and gets the answer they are searching for. It would make it all worthwhile.
I thought that I might blog about my diet once in a while to help me make an effort to eat better since I'm usually so busy that I don't feel like spending whatever free time I have cooking and washing up. Which means that I usually go for quick meals that might not be so healthy (such as frozen pies or tin food). I'm starting to get better and really have a love for salads at the moment and those are real quick to prepare.
Normally, people would start with what they had at the beginning of the day, but well, I forgot to take a picture of my breakfast and my lunch does not look very appetising because I took it when I was halfway through. Sorry, better pictures next time. So.....let's start with dinner :)
Dinner
Minced chicken with onions, red capsicum and spinach with Yorkshire pudding covered in mushroom gravy. This was delicious! I will definitely make this again. It doesn't take very long to make and is even faster if you have pre-prepped veggies in the fridge. For the gravy, I cheated and used cream of mushroom soup and then added a little extra seasoning to give it that gravy colour.
Snack
Pink grapefruit yoghurt - This has bit of grapefruit pulp in it and is so refreshing. Prefect during hot weather.
Lunch
Lettuce, tuna and red apple. I would have added some cherry tomatoes, but was pushed for time and normally I use green apples, but I ran out. This is one of my more lazy, quick salads. If I had more time, and my family were eating as well, I would usually prepare a full chicken Cesar salad with boiled eggs, corn, cucumber, tomatoes and an assortment of leaves such as spinach, purple lettuce and wild rocket. Oh boy, I'm starting to feel hungry :)
Breakfast
Sorry there isn't a photo, but I took a while to post this and I kinda forgot what I had. It was most likely toast with peanut butter or oatmeal :)
I have to say I felt pretty healthy that day. Each meal was filling, but not to the point where you just have to sit a while before doing anything else or feel that you don't have room for a cup of tea or coffee.
I've always liked arts and crafts, but must admit that I'm not all that good at it. I do like to reuse items instead of throwing them away, such as using a metal buckle with a pretty pattern on it from a pair of old sandals to make a necklace. The trouble is that I usually lack a bit of technical know how and most important, the tools to carry it out. Unlike other countries, craft items are pretty expensive here.
I love reading others' blogs about all the diy projects they have done. There are certainty lots of creative people out there. This always inspires me to follow through on all my unfinished projects.
I'm currently sourcing for cheap materials so hopefully I will have my own diy tutorial up soon.
Below is my personal opinion about a couple of items that I have either been using for a while or just discovered.
KIEHL'S - FACIAL FUEL EYE DE-PUFFER
I don't normal rave about eye products as I've yet to find one that can get rid of the dark circles. What I can say about this though is that I find it really moisturising. This product does not claim to lighten dark circles. It is meant as a de-puffer and to relieve tired eyes.I didn't think too much of it when I first started using it, but the moment I switched to another eye cream, I notice that my under eyes were darker and that I looked more tired.
Being a Khiels product, it is a little pricy, but it lasts a really long time because as with all eye creams, you don't need a whole lot. This can last me two months. It is a roll-on, twist applicator so goes on very thin and even and also no contact with dirty fingers!
This is advertised as a skin perfecting catalyzing serum
What I like about it :
- pump bottle; more sanitary than a jar that you stick your fingers in
- gel form and glides onto your skin
- a little goes a long way
- your skin feels velvety smooth after
- my skin looks clearer prolonged use
What I don't like about it :
- expensive
- it's a serum and not a moisturiser (one extra step needed for clearer skin)
Overall I really like this product. I couldn't stop touching my face after I first tried it because it felt so soft! Since this is a more expensive product that was actually a gift, I didn't purchase it after it was finished, but soon found that I was breaking out more often. Even my boyfriend noticed that my skin looked better when I was using it and he said it was worth the price. I usually try to get mine duty-free :)
MAKEUP ACADEMY - NAIL VARNISH
This is my favourite nail polish for the moment. I have been looking for this colour for a while now and was ecstatic when I found out it was only £1 at their online store. It's sort of a taupe, mushroom colour although it's listed on the website as beige! It is shade 19 and comes in a 6.2ml bottle. Browsing the website today, I didn't manage to find it, but all of their other nail polishes look amazing and right now they are having a 3 for 2 sale on all MUA products!
GARNIER - MIRACLE SKIN PERFECTOR
A moisturizer with a BB finish, SPF 26 and PA+++
What's listed on the back of the tube (my opinion in brackets)
- more radiant (slightly because my skin looks better)
- more even-toned (not unless you apply more product)
- with less dark spots (do dark circles count? if yes then a little)
- with less visible imperfections (again, only if you apply more of the product)
- reduces redness (yes, a little)
- smoother (no, its a little sticky)
- more hydrated (well it's not drying like other BB creams I've tried)
- with less visible lines (yes)
- with less visible pores (yes)
- reveals its healthy glow (no)
*oil free and fragrance free*
This
BB cream is very sheer and light and that's why I find that it doesn't
really cover imperfections, but if all you have a few tiny spots, it
will pretty much do the job. For big blemishes, you will have to use a
concealer. Also, this is only available in one shade so that's why it
can't cover up too much. Hence, it's not suitable for every skin tone.
I
do find that sometimes I need to dust some powder over it because it
feels a little sticky at first. The weather is pretty hot where I am
though. I'm not one that likes to use foundation because I always feel
that it's too heavy and I do have sensitive skin so if I wear foundation
everyday, I start to break out after a while. Other BB creams that I
have tried are much thicker and very drying. This is nice and light for
everyday wear and definitely looks more natural on me, so despite the
fact that it doesn't do all that it claims, this is still on of my must
have items.
I do hope that this is helpful for some of you who are thinking of purchasing any of the above products.
For those of you that don't know what Glossybox is, it is a monthly subscription (you have the option to purchase it just the one time to see if you like it) where you receive about 5 make-up, hair or skin care products from various brands. They are usually sample sizes, but from the reviews I've seen, there is usually at least one full-sized product. If you're like me with no time to scan the beauty counters, this is ideal. What this also means is that you can see if the product works for you before actually forking out lots of money on something and seeing it go to waste.
Glossybox is currently available in the US and the UK. I've read that there are plans to bring it to Singapore. This was about a year ago though and no word yet. My guess is that the company is probably doing some research to see if there is a market for it. You can register you email with them via this website http://www.glossybox.com.sg and they will let you know when it arrives. I gather that this is their way of finding out how many will actually subscribe when they eventually bring it here, so please go enter your email address now so that we can get it here!
I needed a place to put my baby's clothing, but didn't really have space for a wardrobe as she is sleeping in my room at the moment. I found a drawer unit at Ikea that fits just perfect and wasn't expensive. A taller version is also available, but the shorter one works for me as I use the top of the shelf as a table top to place a water bottle and clock.
There are six shelf slots and therefore you can sort of design your own by choosing the size and colour of your drawers. I opted for a small medium and large each. In the top draw are small items like a thermometer, nail clipper, suction bulb etc. In the middle, I've placed her bath and face towels, muslins and even socks. Finally in the bottom drawer are her clothes. I do have some additional outfits that I have hung up elsewhere.
What I like about this unit is that when I eventually get a wardrobe, this can be used used to store toys!
Oh, I also put some corner guards on to avoid painful knocks. These were also from Ikea.
I hope this was helpful to some of you that might be looking for cute extra storage.
Tip : You can paint the wooden unit to fit in with your room decor and have just a single colour for the drawers :)
