Just a short write up

Have been gone for the whole of 2015!

Decided to come back and write a little.

2015 is has been rather great to me. Decided to take up a degree course and juggling between work and assignments. Guess age does matter to me when it comes to study!

Life of a student really sucks (the low on cash part)...  not to mention being a super impulsive buyer adds up to the burden.

All the stress is making me lose like A LOT of hair. I've tried to reduce the number of time I wash my hair daily, tried to rinse in a cooler temperature and NOTHING works.

I had super dry ends and super oil scalps - the worst combination ever.


Anyway, I bought this rinsing vinegar from Yves Rocher at Bugis BGH (retail price: $18.00) because of the 1 for 1 promo on perx app. Have tried it for about 6 times now, but I did not really see it make significant any difference to my hair except for that really sweet and long-lasting smell after using it.

Has anyone trued and it worked like miracle for them? I desperately need to do something before going bald.

Ending off, just want to say that my 3 months of being on salad diet and weekly running finally show some result.  I lost 4kg! Well, at least I feel happy about it.

Just a comparison of me in March 2015 and November 2015. Shall continue to work hard to hit the 55kg goal.

(Just being random, but I started watching Naruto (yes, I'm super slow) and my favorite character is Orochimaru.)


(Credit: narutobase.net)
 
Okay bye!

Catch up

Lots of things to catch up on.

Came back from my Japan company trip not long ago. We went to Nikko and Tokyo! Pretty excited about this trip because, I'VE FINALLY BEEN TO JAPAN.

Well the 3D2N trip wasn't really that awesome but who cares. As long as I get to visit Japan, that will just be enough.

We took the past midnight JAL flight and visited Nikko first. Our ryokan( Japanese style Inn) was  called Kinugawa Grand Hotel. The surrounding of the hotel is rather empty I would say, there is basically nothing around for you to shop. So we just onsen ourself all the way and we are too tired to go anywhere either. Well at least to me, getting to sleep on a decent bed is a blessing after having to sit up straight sleeping throughout the 6hrs flight.



I didn't experience bathing in a public onsen this time, still finds it awkward to be fully naked in front of other people and not to mention most of them were my colleague. I went for the private onsen housing 1-3 people per session.

And of course, going to onsen means wearing Yukata! (Y)



I picked a pink Yukata with usagi prints and matching it with a red obi. In the dressing room, they assigned Japanese ladies to help us put on the Yukata. Even for such a simple costume, it requires lots of precision and strength to put it on. And when I say strength, they really used lots of strength to make sure your Yukata is nice and tight!

Next day, we headed off to visit the magnificent Kegon Fall and the Tokugawa shine.

The weather up on the fall is super chilly!

Tokugawa Shrine

Steps after steps after steps. Now I know why Japanese are so healthy!

In the late afternoon, we are finally done with Nikko and headed for Tokyo!

A three hours journey to reach our hotel in Shinjuku, Keio Plaza Hotel.

After settling down, it's free and easy time for us. Let the shopping begins!

My colleague and I went to Ikebukuro straight. Well if it's your first time in Japan, please follow someone who is familiar with their train system and station. It's just too big to know where you board should be boarding your train. Unlike in SG, if u missed a station, u can't simply get off at the next station and cross over to the opposite platform to take the next train back. Lucky for me, my colleague is like the guide for the day, and she knows Japanese!!

In Japan, their drug store is totally different from SG. Say if you want to buy items that you can find in our local Wastons  store, you can find it over there as well but they have tons of other items available for sale as well. Like contact lens and high end cosmetics brand like Shiseido.

The whole stretch of street is filled with mostly of such shops and they sell pretty much the same things, which means it's also easier for you to compare the pricing.


For us, we actually went to every one of these shops which are in sight of us. And I just grab without looking at the price. Japanese brand are so so much cheaper there. Sometimes you are even paying less than half of what you pay in SG. So take what you want or you'll regret!

We didn't bother to have dinner at all that night, we shopped for almost 6 hours straight in just these little drug stores and we call it for the day. My arms were aching from carrying all the shopping bags and we headed back to our rooms. Well, in the end we had instant noodle for our dinner, which is nice too.

And in the last day of the trip, we did our final shopping in Shibuya and around our hotel area. We went back at around 1300 to pack our luggage and left the hotel for the airport at 1430.


 If you are looking to buy Japanese snacks, the airport is the right place to get most of them. From Tokyo Banana to interesting flavored kitkat and not forgetting their Royce chocolate. So being sweet tooth, I bought like almost 5000yen worth of snacks.

And finally, it's time to head home~

Some of the items I bought in Japan:


Jill Stuart Blush in no. 8 - you just can't miss not getting this b

Sailormoon Eyeliner - available in our local Watsons store

Eye coffret contact lens

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil 450ml

Some other hauls

NARS Matt Sheer Foundation 

Mask and Ettusai powder

That's it for today. Till next time~

I just need a day of rest...

Have been working since last October. Really need sometime for a long break....

Looking forward to next time Cosplay event~

AD: Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Lotion

I guess most people would have been familiar this this brand - 'Hada Labo'.

This product did indeed live up to its name of "1 sold every 2 seconds in Japan". With the slogan of "One Drop Locks Up an Ocean"; this lotion is indeed the No.1 Hydrating product you will reach out for when your skin is screaming for moisture.

Recently I was given a chance to review on Hada Labo's award winning SHA Hydrating Lotion from Sample Store.com.

A quick summary on how the website operates Sample Store.com; they are Singapore's first and largest Tryvertising platform.

Basically, they give people a chance to try on the products before actually purchasing them in the first place from the retail store itself, pretty much through the "sample before you buy concept".

If you are a long term user of Sample Store, you would notice that there was not only did major changes done to their website layout, but also to their product packaging.

 

Okay, back to our featured product.

So it was my first time trying out a hydrating lotion since I wasn't sure if it would work for people with oily skin. (I tend to keep away from product with the word "Hydrating".)

Anyway, I gave the product a try and turned out to be GREAT!

After washing my face, I applied toner and proceed on pad to the hydrating lotion on my face. There wasn't even a need to apply moisturizer after that. My skin felt really supple and hydrated.

The best part is, it actually helps with oil control! Ironically, when your skin is producing oil, it's a way of telling you that it's losing moisture. To keep your skin from drying out, it produces oil.

Moving on, I found another way to utilise this product to its full usage.

Let's say you are out on a vacation and your skin is drying out pretty badly, you can actually use the this product as a mask. To make this mask, it's super easy. All you need is a few cotton pad and your Hada Labo Hydrating Lotion.

Step 1:


Take your cotton pad and soak it with a generous amount of the Hydrating Lotion.

And it should look like this:

Step 2:

Divide the soaked cotton pads up into several pieces depending on how big of the area you wish to cover.

Step 3:

Apply the cotton pad onto the dry areas.

 

Leave it on for about 10-15 mins and remove the cotton pads when done.
Gently massage the remaining essence onto your skin in a circular motion.

And you are done!

This should keep your skin hydrated for the day~

***********************************************************


Want to redeem free samples of Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Lotion?

Visit the link below:
http://www.samplestore.com/product/details/800/0/name-hada-labo-sha-hydrating-lotion

*Redemption starts from 29th October 2013




 That's it for today. Till next time~

Cassandra  

Review: Benefit Stay Flawless Primer

 

 

 

One of the ways to keep your make up stay throughout the whole day is to prep your skin properly.

 

 

And of course that goes without saying, you skin care before make up:

 

 

1. Tone

2. Serum

3. Moisturize

 

 

Besides that, putting on a primer is also one of the key point.

 

Benefit have release their Benefit Stay Flawless Primer which claim to keep your make up looking flawless for up to 15 hours.

 

 

For someone with oily skin, having my make up staying for more than 3 hours without budging is a big deal which is why I rush to get this primer the day it was release at Sephora.

 

It retails for about S$50 if I remember it correctly, around the same price point for some of the primers found at Sephora.

 

 

I can't help but to compare the Stay Flawless primer with their POREfessional primer.

 

Both have silicon in their ingredient list and is colourless. (Using the travel size primer from the "How To Look The Best At Everything" kit.)

 

Let's zoom into the details of both products:

- Packaging: The Stay Flawless Primer comes in a stick form while the POREfessional primer comes in a "Gel" like consistency. If you are someone who is very particular about the hygiene of your make up product, do that note of the Stay Flawless primer's packaging.


- Consistency: The finish of both primers are different. The Stay Flawless primer has a matt finish, almost to the point where it is kind of difficult to blend out while the POREfessional primer has a smooth and silky texture.


- Lasting Power: When it comes to the Benefit's primers, it doesn't seems to make my foundation last any longer that 3 hours. Anytime after that, I will have to blot and touch up my make up.

Will I re-purchase both primers?

I would say most probably if I have the extra money. They are both quite a decent primer and would work great on people with normal to combination skin. Especially living in Singapore where the weather are mostly sunny, you won't want your make up to slip and slide.


That's it for today. Till next time~

Cassandra  

Updates #2

Phew... Finally had some time to write a post.

I just managed to clear up the remaining stuff at work and now I'm finally free! (^-^ )v

Anyway, I just came back from Thailand last week and I'm already starting to miss that place.

Just a day before the trip, something hectic caught up as bf is down with fever and he sprained his ankle. There was a debate whether to cancel the trip or to postpone it.

We called up agoda and requested for a change in the check-in date for the hotel. The staff is really nice, he managed to help us with our request to postpone the dates. Unfortunately for the flight, we are unable to make any changes as it was too last minute.

But by night time, bf was saying that he recovered and was able to continue as previously planned. We tried to call up agoda to ask if we could change the check-in date to the original plan but was told to wait for the next day as the hotel is not picking up the call.

In the end after a terrible mess. We managed to get a deal from the hotel to upgrade it to a suite. Lucky us!

And off we go to the land of smiles!

We fly there via scoot. Everything on board is great. The only thing is their flight. Basically, they only have 1 timing per day and you kinda wasted a day because by the time you reach Bangkok, it's already night time.

Upon arrival, the first thing I did was to rush over to get my SIM Card! Then we took a cab to our hotel for 700 baht.

We stayed at Baiyoke Sky Hotel. At first when I went to read up on the review of this hotel, it's quite bad. So I did not really had any high hopes for the hotel, just hope that it's "clean", that's all.

Luckily, the hotel wasn't as bad as I thought it would be . It's pretty good actually! Especially the location. Pratunam market is just below us and the walk to Platinum fashion mall is just a 5 mins walk away.

What I like best is their buffet breakfast.

 

 

If you are looking for a short getaway. Try going to BKK! Everything is cheap there, even their Taxi!

The best part is if you love shopping, Platinum Fashion Mall is a must for you to go. You will literally buy things without thinking.

Didn't really take much picture this time because most of the time my hand is carrying something.

That's it for today. Till next time~

Cassandra    

VanityTrove Nylon by VanityTrove

A few days back, I just received my Vanity Box from Vanity Trove.

 

The products that are featured is super awesome. Ranging from Skin Care products to Hair Care Serum. When I saw the content, it's a must for me to get it. Price is reasonable for the number of product you get @ SGD$35.

 

 

Biotherm Purefect Skin Kit Trio!

 

 

This 3 steps skin care consist of a anti-shine purifying gel, Micro-exfoliating purifying toner and a pure skin effect hydrating gel. A few months back, I managed to get samples of this trio set from the Biothem counter, it is indeed a skin care product made for the people with oily skin. It's a bit drying but still works!

 

 

 

Lancôme Advanced GÉNIFIQUE Youth Activating Concentrate

 

 

Won't need this since I haven't reach the age to use Anti-Aging product, especially when I have super oily skin, will be passing this to my mum.

 

 

 

 

Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense

 

 

Have yet to give this a try but I heard good reviews of this product. Looking forward to see how it will work for me. Kiehl always makes promising products!

 

 

 

Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil

 

 

If you have yet to give this a try, this is one of the best cleansing oil. I use this on days where I pile on heavy make up. Just a hand full is enough remove all the make up, including waterproof mascara. This thing works like magic!

 

Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited Lip Gloss

 

 

Didn't try anything other than their eyelash curler from Shu Uemura. Got to figure out how can I pull it off since I don't really look flattering with cherry pink lips.

 

 

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Oléo-Complexe

 

 

Apparently, for someone with oily scalp, I don't really like the idea of applying oil to my hair. Even if it's only to the root, I'm still sceptical about the results. Will give this a try to see if it work for my dry ends.

 

 

Redken Smooth Lock Shampoo & Redken Smooth Lock Conditioner

 

 

I will bring this 2 bottles along with me when I go for my Thailand trip in September. Hope it works well!

 

 

 

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation





 

It's either you like it a lot or you simply hate it. This sheer coverage foundation is suitable on days where you wish to achieve a natural look. Gives off a subtle glow to the face.

 

 

Full List of products:

 

- Biotherm Purefect Skin Kit Trio

- Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited Lip Gloss
- Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil
- Lancôme Advanced GÉNIFIQUE Youth Activating Concentrate
- Lancôme Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara
- Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioao (Not featured)
- Kerastase Elixir Ultime Oléo-Complexe
- Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense
- Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation
- Redken Smooth Lock Shampoo
- Redken Smooth Lock Conditioner

 

 

If you are keen to give this edition of the Vanity Box a try, you can visit their website: https://www.vanitytrove.com/p/vanitytrove-nylon

 

They ship super fast and the price includes registered postage.

 

 

That's it for today. Till next time~

Cassandra