Archives for April 2015

The Perfect Cleansing Water from Biore that makes a good makeup remover for all over

April 29, 2015 Paris B 31 Comments

I was browsing the shelves of Guardian pharmacy one day when I came across the Biore Perfect Cleansing Water. This was about a year ago (that’s how far back I’m backlogged LOL!) when I was messing around with different cleansing waters, and I went “Hey? Biore has a cleansing water too?” So, since it wasn’t terribly expensive, I picked up a bottle and stuck it in my “To-try” cupboard. Yes, I have a cupboard. Skincare, it’s a disease 😛

I have an interesting observation though. The one I have here is called Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Cleansing Water. However, I have seen reviews online for a similar product labelled Biore Makeup Remover Micellar Cleansing Water. Are they the same thing? Can anyone verify if they are?!

Either way though, I have to point out that this Biore cleansing water is a little more specific than the French cleansing waters, like Bioderma or Caudalie that tell you that it operates as a waterless face cleanser. This one is being marketed as a makeup remover, albeit a mild and gentle on skin one, and rightly so, to my mind.

I broke out this bottle when I had used up the last drop of my Dr. Brandt cleansing water (I’m actually finishing up a lot of products these days before moving on), and much to my surprise, I found that I quite liked this. That’s very healthy for my wallet too, so I’m not complaining!

For a Bare Pop of colour, the new Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer lipstick surprises

April 27, 2015 Paris B 18 Comments

Those of us who do our makeup shopping online would be familiar with the lament of not having proper swatches of colours to work from. When I was invited to give the new Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer a go, I was offered a selection of colours online. I didn’t really have their names so I picked something that looked “berry-ish” a colour I knew I’d wear daily and often. As much as I love my red lipstick, I’ve not been wearing them as often as I should.

When it arrived, I had a bit of an “Oh crap!” moment when I saw that contrary to what the online picture showed me, the shade was not a berry red as I thought, but a colour that verges on being “nude” or “neutral”. If there’s one thing I shy away from more than chocolate, it’s nude lipstick. (Look, I can’t be the only person out there who doesn’t like chocolate right?! 😛 )

The shade is 02 Bare Pop and in tube, it looked like a neutral, slightly pink-browned shade, with tiny little sparkles. My heart sank. If there’s something else I can’t handle, it’s lipstick with sparkles.

But my job, as it were, is to try the formula, so I gritted my teeth, pursed my lips and slicked Bare Pop on. It’s kind of hard to explain how it happened, but much to my surprise, Bare Pop has found its way into my daily lipstick pouch!

Yeah, I think I look pretty bad-ass in my Ray Ban Cockpit Aviator Sunglasses

April 23, 2015 Paris B 22 Comments

When I had my eyes zapped with a laser (read my experience here) it was partly because of convenience, but a part had to do with vanity. I wanted to wear pretty sunglasses dammit! 😛 Anyone who’s had to fork out lots of money for prescription sunglasses can tell you how that feels (and back in the day, they are never as pretty as those you can buy off the rack) and secretly, I’d always hankered after a pair of aviator sunglasses. I know, blame Top Gun LOL! 😛

But one of my side-effects of undergoing lasik is light sensitivity. For me, wearing sunglasses isn’t purely for vanity. I need to wear sunglasses when I go out in the day because my eyes are just too sensitive to the light.

So, coming back to aviators. I’d always wanted a pair, preferably with polarised lenses. But every pair I’d ever tried (Ray-Ban does the popular ones) looked weird on me. The large tear-drop style of lens just didn’t sit well on my face and trust me, I have a big face. I should be able to handle aviators!

But one day, I came across a newer, slightly more updated design of the Ray-Ban aviator online which they call the Cockpit Aviator RB3362 and on a bit of a whim, I picked it up. The online reviews (there aren’t many) say that it’s smaller and somehow, more suited for Asian faces. That’s me! 😀

The Dramatic Melting Rouge that completes your glowing Maquillage

April 20, 2015 Paris B 22 Comments

I was asked once before, what got me hooked on wearing lipstick and my answer was “Japanese lipstick”. I measure every lipstick I wear against the yardstick of a Japanese brand lipstick because their textures embody everything I ever want in a lipstick – lightweight, creamy, moisturising, glowy and flattering. This was before the Western brands started coming out with the Dior Addicts and Rouge Cocos we are familiar with now. Trust me, the Japanese brands got there first, and every now and again, I feel the need to revisit my first loves.

While it may seem like I have a strong focus on Western brands, the only reason I’m even wearing makeup today is because of Japanese makeup. I’m a huge fan, but it’s hard to keep up when information is very low-key and hard to come by, and quite often new releases look the same as old releases.

But if there’s one thing I have to say about Japanese brands as well, is that they are given to the dramatic when naming products. The newest Japanese brand lipstick I had the pleasure of trying recently has the rather fanciful name of Dramatic Melting Rouge and is by Shiseido Maquillage.

Ok, I confess to not being a big fan of Maquillage. I played about with a few products when the brand first came about, but I was never very impressed, preferring to stick to the Shiseido mother-brand; so I’ve pretty much forgotten about it over the years. These new lipsticks however, do have me wanting to take a second look at them because yes, they are pretty amazing products.