REVIEW: Babyliss' Pro Ceramic Dial-a-Heat Tongs (24 and 32 mm)

Hey Muffins!

I'm finally done with my midterms! HOLA!!! Anyway, as promised, here's a review of the Babyliss' Pro Ceramic Dial-a-Heat Tongs and a little information about the hair products I used for curling.



These curlers come with swivel cords and safety stands. Do be careful about the safety stands because they are made of metal. I wonder why they don't make them out of heat insulators... Anyway, I got myself a heat proof mat so I don't have to make use of the stands (When they are in use, they jut out. I was afraid that I would burn my face with it and there was no friggin' way that I was going to let that happen!).



There are 25 temperature settings. I used '13', holding my hair in the curler for about 20 seconds. It took me about 15 minutes to curl my entire head of hair.



And TADAHHH!!! This was me after an entire day of school and outing. My hair's pretty black so I don't think you can see the curls clearly in the picture. But anyway, the curls remained defined throughout the entire day! (:

Now, onto the hair products which I used. (:



First up, it's the Lucido-L's Designing Aqua Hair Curl Lotion . This is a heat protectant. It smells like the Kao's Liese Juicy Shower Moisturizing Hair Mist; sweet like berries! And it doesn't leave any sort of sticky or stiff feeling on my hair so *thumbs up and spastic smile*!



To ensure that my curls lasted all day, I sprayed Tony&Guy's Beach Curl Spray liberally. This product is strong but it does have a peculiar smell, which you need to get used to (After a while, I actually sort of like it.). Also, it does leave your hair feeling a little stiff. :\ But it did a splendid job in keeping my curls defined. (:



If you have been following me for some time, you would know that I hate the feeling of 'things' on me. Like my moisturizers can't be too thick yada yada yada. So I bought the Lucido-L's Designing Pump Hair Jelly . This didn't leave my hair feeling stiff but my curls didn't last. Towards the end of the day, they were looking all kinds of sad. But but if you're into those really loose kind of curls, then this would be good for you. I like my curls bouncy!

I hope this entry was helpful for you! Should you have any questions, do ask! (:

Anyway, if you detected a mellow tone in my writing, that's because I have my tresses lopped off. ): During the Recess week, whilst studying for my midterms, I got really bored and hopped off to a neighbourhood saloon. And the lady made an awful mess of my hair! My hair's naturally wavy. She snipped off the rebonded bits and put in so many layers that my hair was literally all over the place.

The minute my 2nd paper ended, I headed to my cousin's hairstylist and got my hair straightened and cut. Here's my hair now (It's a photo of Sya, my professor who's going back to Canada on Sunday and me. (: )



So... Yay or nay? :\

UPDATES: I'm still on the ship!

Hey guys!

I'm so terribly sorry for leaving you hanging after my previous entry. School is consuming me at the moment and I'll be back on March 31st, pinky promise! I guess I could have squeezed in an entry or two for the past week but I didn't want to end up with sub-par entries when my head was revolving round the coming midterms. ):

Come March 31st, I will be doing my follow-up on my Babyliss haul and a couple of reviews. On Thursday, I attended the Vichy's White and Dots Party and was introduced to the Bi-WHITE REVEAL range (I got to meet Pearlin, whom I have read so much about from other blogs, and Eunice, whom I have been tweeting to for quite a while now! (: ). I have started using this range and I can't wait to do a proper review for it. Am an aspiring Snow White, yo!

On a less chirpy note, I got one of my worst haircuts on Tuesday. My hair ends are curling in every possible UGLY directions. I have tried Liese's wax but it does absolutely NOTHING. Help, anyone?

I've got to jet now, but before I go, I'm going to link up my sister's blog, Wunderbar Cried The Bird. She writes amazingly (Literature student here.) and her fashion sense is way more daring than mine. (:

If you need to contact me, just drop me an email at sunbathingmuffins@gmail.com or tweet me!

Lots of love,
Charlene J.

HAUL: Babyliss' Pro Ceramic Dial-a-Heat Tongs (24 and 32 mm)

Hey Muffins!

Oh man. I'm dreadfully sorry for the lack of updates. School has been eating me and I'll be pulling a disappearing act soon. Like really soon. :\ I'm active on Twitter though, so do follow if you want to know what's in and what's out for me in the realm of makeup (Umm... Expect some grumblings about school too. Actually, lots of it. Heh!)



Anyway, before I digress further, I was supposed to blog about this a million years ago! After reading Sophia's entry about her Babyliss Pink Porcelain Conical Curling Wand (Read Sophia's review here.), I promptly made an order. 2, in fact. Heh *guilty smile*.

OMG! I want one!!! Where did you get them?
Just like Sophia, I ordered it from ukhairdressers.com. Do take note that Babyliss comes in 2 versions; the US and the UK ones. UK uses the same plug as us, so we needn't spend any moolah on adapters (MOOLAH SAVED!). (:

Umm... How much did they cost?
Each cost around $65. SINGAPORE DOLLARS! I went snooping around forums and most people find the Jose Eber curlers the best. But they cost a hell lot, about $120 plus? Babyliss is touted to be a good brand, so if you can wait, do wait!

But how long do I have to wait?
Just a week! The first one came 8 days after I made payment and the 2nd, 7 days! The whole transaction is THAT fast and reliable. The curlers were wrapped up nicely. *points below* There was absolutely no damage even though Mr. Postman threw my curlers onto the doorstep. (:

How did you pay for them?
The first one was paid was a credit card and the second was done through Paypal.

Photos?
Next post! :D

GOODIES: Vichy's Essentielles Skincare Range

On Thursday, I went to L'Oreal's office for a skin analysis and to pick up Vichy's latest skincare range. It was the first time that I did a skin analysis and I was quite excited. :D I diagnosed myself as oily (Ewww...), based on descriptions read off the net. But I actually have normal-to-combination skin! My T-zone's oily, of course, but my cheek areas are a tad dry. Also, according to the analysis, I fall into the lightest skin colour range! Yay! :D One thing though, I have the skin of a 26-year old. :\ School kills. *raises eye to ceiling* Haha! XD

Anyway, my point is, reading descriptions off the net isn't exactly a good idea because you don't really know how to gauge. It is much better if you can get a skin analysis done to ensure a more accurate diagnosis and better understanding of your skin. (:

So head down to a Vichy counter and get your skin analysis done now! Go, go! (:
-

Vichy is the top selling skincare brand in European pharmacies. In all its products, it contains the the Mineral-Rich Thermal Spa Water, known for its fortifying and soothing properties. Having been around for more than 80 years, it has come up with various skincare ranges to target different problems. There is Normaderm for the blemish-prone, Bi-WHITE Reveal for the aspiring Snow Whites and a few others.

But Vichy also understands that there are some of us out there who haven't got zits (Lucky you!), who like the skin colour we have now (No whitening, please!) and who really want to age as gracefully as possible (Anti-ageing? Pish!). Hence, the introduction of Essentielles! (:


As aforementioned, it's a very basic skincare range which takes care of your skin's needs. It is paraben-free, hypoallergenic and has been tested on sensitive skin under dermatological control. The key ingredient for this range is the French Rose (Rosa Gallica). Pharmacists have used this for its soothing, protecting and hydrating properties.

The range consists of

Foaming Cleanser (100ml), $11.90
Facial Emulsion (50ml), $16.90
Body Cream-Milk (200ml), $14.90
Softening Shower (200ml), $12.90

I have started using the products and gawd! They smell heavenly!!! (: I'll be reviewing them products soon, so keep watch!

One last thing, one of you will be able to enjoy this range too! All that you need to do is to tag and tell Vichy why you want it on Vichy's Facebook page! Do end off your comment with my name, i.e. Referred by Charlene J., so that I know you're one of Sunbathing Muffins' readers. The giveaway ends on March 11! (:

REVIEW: Eucerin's DermoPURIFYER Cleanser

Back in November 2010, The Sample Store sent me the Eucerin's DermoPURIFYER Skincare Range to review. I had only 9 days to test the products before the deadline for my review was up. To really 'judge' a product, you really need about 2 months. I finished my cleanser a week back and thought I update you guys. (:

(The reason why it lasted for so incredibly long is because I have been alternating this with Cetaphil. Eucerin in the morn and Cetaphil at night.)


Umm... Your bottle looks like it has gone for a battle...
Umm... Yeah... Haha. The stickers are coming off and the lid actually came off *points below*. The stickers are probably because I leave the bottle in the shower. And well, water isn't exactly adhesive's best friend. As for the lid, that's probably my fault for being rough. Heh. :\ But well, I wish the bottle wasn't made so complicated. A tube which you can just squeeze out the liquid would have been fine... No?


So anyway, how's the cleanser?!? Any difference from what you felt before and now?
No, not really. As mentioned in the initial entry, the cleanser is soap-free. It doesn't leave my skin feeling tight and overly cleansed. I do feel that my face is supple now. Anyway, it is basically a very gentle cleanser. (:

Makeup-removing prowess?
Uh... This is definitely NOT for removing makeup. Even when all that I'm removing is a very thin layer of B.B. cream, I still feel the B.B. cream after washing my face.

What about its blemish-fighting prowess?
I was using this cleanser during my exam period, so it's really unfair to pass any sort of judgment on this aspect. I did still get zits, one or two, which is my usual. There wasn't any increase in the number of zits that I was getting but neither was there a decrease.

Will you buy this again?
Nope. This cost $21.20. I think that my Cetaphil works just as well and it costs 7-8 bucks less. (:

RAMBLINGS: The Lloyd Dobler Effect

Say Anything ruined a generation of women. Virtually every chick from age 25 to 40 spends her life desperately seeking Dobler, a sensitive soul who wants to make a career out of loving his girl. In fact, the “Lloyd Dobler Effect,” as this phenomenon is called, is so strong it has spawned several essays and critiques (mostly from men) who cast scorn upon the character and the mythos which cropped up around him.

Yes, I know he’s fictional in every sense of the word, but does that stop me from dreaming of Dobler? Absolutely not. That said, would I turn down a ride in Jake Ryan’s Porsche? Hell no.

-Andrea

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