Watsons Private Member Sale (30 May 2012) Haul Post

Yesterday, Watsons held a private sale for its members from 12 noon-11pm at 26 of its outlets. I was alerted by the EDM that arrived in my inbox, and headed down to the Watsons store at Causeway Point (Woodlands) to check it out with my mom. We came back with a huge haul! I only took pictures of my half of the haul though. Check out close-ups after the jump!

ManGlaze Mayonnaise Swatches, Review, Nail Art and Discount Code!

Recently, I bought ManGlaze Mayonnaise from the awesome Annette who owns Shoppe Eclecticco. I have a special discount for all my readers, courtesy of Annette, so do read on to find out more after the jump!

11 Questions

Here's a shoutout to the lovely Valerie of VriePolish who tagged me in 11 Questions. I didn't even know that I'd been tagged until I chanced upon her blog one day while scrolling through my visitor list. Nevertheless, thank you!

Rules

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.

2. Answer the questions the blogger has left for you, and add 11 questions for the bloggers you have tagged to answer.

3. Choose 11 people and link them to your blog.

4. No tag backs.

Find out 11 things about me after the jump!

Best of Switzerland 2011 - Photos and Travelogue

Hi dear readers, I'm sure most of you have noticed by now that my blog has recently gotten an upgrade! Okay, sort of. I've reworked the design and layout so it looks more vibrant and interesting, and the feedback has been very positive so far. The picture of the white butterfly in a patch of lavender was taken by me when I went on a short 3 week language immersion trip to Switzerland. That was the first time I'd 1) been to Switzerland 2) seen a lavender patch, so this picture really takes me back to those happy memories!

I've mentioned before that I'm going to be in Switzerland from this September to next January. In case you're curious about the kinds of photos and updates you'll see when I'm there, I'd like to share a few photos of Switzerland with you today. Consider it my way of giving you a glimpse of my photographer side. I'm a pretty avid photographer, but honestly, I barely survive on a point-and-shoot (all photos below are taken with a Canon IXUS 120IS). Am probably going to invest in a better camera soon, before I head for Switzerland again, so get ready for even nicer pictures!

Scenery, Landscape and Buildings

Fribourg, Switzerland

I stayed in Fribourg for 3 weeks and learnt a lot about this quaint little city. Some beautiful sights in Fribourg that I saw, including the famous Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas (pictured below).

The pictures below were taken at Schwarzsee, a village in Fribourg. We went on a day-trip to Lac Noir (translated from French as "The Black Lake") and took a cable up the Swiss Alps and walked for a good 4 hours, admiring the view. The lake was so still and clear that you could see the reflections of the mountains in it - a truly beautiful sight!

More pictures and descriptions of Swiss scenery, food and animals after the jump!

Shopping at Daiso: Haul post of bargain buys and pretty prints

I've shopped at Daiso, the budget chain store originating from Japan, much too often to count. This post is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how much I've spent on things from Daiso. From stationery to skin care products to nail polish and gardening equipment - Daiso has it all.

I started shopping for stationery at Daiso because of the wonderful variety of paper products and letter writing sets they carried for a mere 2 SGD each. In fact, everything sold there is only 2 SGD. Affordable? Yes. Of good quality? That depends. Up till now I still haven't gotten around to buying any Daiso skincare products. 2 SGD for something that goes on my face? Nuh-uh, I'm no skincare snob, but I have my reservations. The nail polish is not too bad, but some of them look very icky in the bottle, so I buy Daiso nail polish very sparingly.

Anyway, today I'll like to share with you some of the products I bought from Daiso recently. For 2 SGD apiece, these lovely little things are sure to brighten anyone's day!

Milani Lip Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Gloss Pencil in 05 Hot Flash Swatches and Review

Something's smokin' hot in here, and no, it's not Singapore's disgustingly warm and humid weather. It's Milani Lip Flash in Hot Flash! 

The above picture is a shameless attempt at getting you to read this post. After my posts about Dentiste' Plus White Nighttime Herbapeutic Toothpaste and Mini Babybel Emmental, I did promise you something else that would make your teeth look better. Milani Lip Flash in Hot Flash really gives you bang for your buck - great pigmented colour that lasts long, statement-making lips and whiter-looking teeth because of its blue undertones. I believe it works well on most skin tones even though it leans blue. I have rather yellow undertones but managed to pull off this blue-red quite well. More after the jump!

How to snack healthily - Mini Babybel Emmental Cheese Review and Pictures

Remember my previous post on Dentiste' Plus White Nighttime Herbapeutic Toothpaste? Today's food post still revolves around oral care and will be about cheese, which helps you build strong bones and teeth!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love cheese? I love trying all kinds of cheese (except goat cheese), and thoroughly enjoyed myself in Switzerland when I paired cheese and wine (absolutely divine), ate cheese fondue countless times, and basically went crazy with the cheaper slabs of cheese sold in the local supermarkets. In Singapore, cheese is way more expensive, and I'm more used to eating the more affordable cream cheese La Vache Qui Rit ("The Laughing Cow" translated from French, and incidentally produced by the Bel group that produces Babybel cheese snacks too) and those Kraft cheese sheets that my mother buys. Those are good for a quick snack, and I never really explored other brands or craved for other types of cheese snacks. Until I met Mini Babybel.

Mini Babybel is a French brand of cheese snack that I'd just recently discovered, thanks to my mother, who bought it back for us to try. There are 4 flavours sold at NTUC Fairprice Finest (at Clementi Mall) at the moment and they are priced at 5.25 SGD per pack.

This is the Mini Babybel Emmental variety, and is basically emmental cheese (35%), water and salt. There are 5 cheese snacks in each net, and each is wrapped up like packaged soap, with a diameter of about 4 cm and a thickness of about 1 cm. Notice that there are only 4 in my pictures - I ate one before realising it was blog post worthy, heh.

Dentiste' Plus White Nighttime Herbapeutic Toothpaste

First things first. Seriously? Herbapeutic? I never knew that such a word existed until I started writing this review. But trust me, don't laugh at this toothpaste. It is the most awesome toothpaste I've used to date. I never knew I could get excited about toothpaste until this! (therefore the post). More details on my experience after the jump!

My first Nuffnang cash out and cheque

After 9 long months of displaying Nuffnang ad campaigns on Cherchez Beauté, I managed to earn a small sum. It's not very much, but I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I received the cheque in the mail. At least my blogging efforts are gradually paying off, though it will be a long time until I can vie with professional beauty bloggers. *wistful sigh* Blogging for a living is hard work, and if/until I reach that stage, I'm going to enjoy my sporadic blog posts and reviews about things I love. That's what the whole point of this blog is about anyway! But I must admit, a little pocket money as an incentive never hurt ;)

Essence Glossy Lipbalm in Pink Dragonfruit

More Essence love to share with everyone, but this will be a shorter post. Essence Glossy Lipbalm in Pink Dragonfruit is a delightful, cheap bargain buy that works as a quick pop of colour/touch-me-up when you're on the go. It's more lip gloss than balm because it is very glossy, but it's also very moisturising. Swatches and details after the jump!

Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lip Gloss Swatches and Review

Today I have a few essential (I'm too punny) make up must-haves to share! I first discovered Essence, a German brand, when I was in Switzerland for a three-week language immersion programme. Fell in love with their Nail Art Twins (I have Chuck and Blair) and tried some of their lip glosses and eyeshadows too. When I visited Malaysia last year, I bought a ton of Essence products!

I love Essence products because they are affordable and perform relatively well as drugstore make up. Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lip Gloss is no exception. I got it in three colours: I Like Cotton Candy (adorable name!), Candy Bar and Trendsetter. Swatches and description after the jump!

Tokyo Milk Honey & The Moon No. 10 Parfum Review

What is Tokyo Milk?

Tokyo Milk - such a quaint name. It's just the kind of name that would appeal to me, and it certainly didn't disappoint. When I first came across the line, I was intrigued by the Victorian aesthetic that inspired it. The day I discovered their online store was a glorious day for a beauty junkie like me. Beautifully designed, the Tokyo Milk online store features its beautiful and whimsical products, which are handcrafted by Margot Elena. The range includes perfume, lip products, body and bath products, candles and even stationery decorated with images of beautiful and timeless Victorian ephemera - perfect for the modern woman who is still a little in love with the Victorian aesthetic. The tasteful touches of whimsy and beauty present in Tokyo Milk products truly elevate them into what Margot Elena calls - "Objects to Desire".

How my love affair began

To quench some of my desire to own these lovely works of art, I did some research and ended up being drawn to this particular Tokyo Milk perfume called "Honey & The Moon No. 10". The combination of two ideas: honey, with its natural sweetness, and the moon, with its romantic appeal, seemed perfect for a whimsical and sweetly scented perfume.

A google search on the name landed me this lovely song, also called Honey and the Moon. I wonder if the perfume was inspired by the song or if it been a lovely coincidence. Associations aside, I knew I had to have Honey & The Moon No. 10. I don't usually use perfume, but I was drawn to this one like a moth to flame. Read on to find out how I managed to acquire this perfume!

The Subtle Shimmer Giveaway Prize and other updates

Hi everyone! I know, I know, it's been a while since you heard from me. I've been out and about! I watched Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night (at Fort Canning Park) last week, and it was a really great show. Adrian Pang stole the show with his clownish antics as Feste, the fool, and his singing probably melted more than a few hearts. The set was also beautifully done, with "real sand" (as my friend was so fascinated by) on the left of the stage, near the prop of the ship.

Stage set of Twelfth Night at Fort Canning Park

The funniest moment in the show was probably poor Malvolio strutting out in cross-gartered yellow stockings. Tell me no one finds that even vaguely acceptable. I never knew how much fashion could offend, until that night. Then again, I've seen my fair share of fashion faux pas, but add yellow and you have a complete disaster.

In addition to that, I just watched The Avengers (courtesy of Nuffang Singapore) yesterday and am still reeling from the awesomeness. Oh Robert Downey Jr., my heart stopped when I thought you almost died. Oops spoiler alert.

Blog-wise, I'm currently working on this long post for my favourite perfume of the moment, so bear with me for a bit. I promise more posts really soon! Here's a short post about a giveaway I won. I was so glad when the prize arrived in the mail - I hardly have any mail for me nowadays given the horrendous state of my personal liquidity.

Recently, Susan from The Subtle Shimmer hosted a giveaway and I happened to be one of the lucky winners! I won Cult Nails Swanbourne, which seems to be a brown crème with golden glitter, and a ring hand-made by Susan with Ozotic 526, a black holo polish. What a wonderful prize; it really made my day.

Such lovely packaging to rival Cult Nails'

Susan wrapped everything in the brown packaging that reminds you of the burrito packaging of Cult Nails Swanbourne! She also included a tiny little name card with the contact references of her online store, Star Trinkets, that sells hand-made nail polish accessories. Lovely touch.

Cult Nails Swanbourne

Nail polish ring made with Ozotic 526

The nail polish ring, with a diameter of 20mm, is a little too big for my tiny fingers to handle, though the black holo is seriously stunning. I'll be swatching Cult Nails Swanbourne soon as I handle the huge backlog of swatching to do. I'm signing off for now, but be sure to check back for my post on my favourite perfume of the moment.

P.S. If you like honey and/or sweet summery scents, you're in for a treat.