REVIEW: K-Palette's 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner (Deep Brown)

K-Palette's black waterproof eyeliner has been a staple for me since a very long time ago (Read all my entries here.). I do try out other eyeliners but you know, they just aren't the same. The K-Palette eyeliner doesn't smudge or flake, is completely waterproof, the brush tip is fine and sturdy... And Jane Aldridge loves it. Need I say more?

But just like truth, black can be quite harsh. Hence, introducing the 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner in Deep Brown. Less intense and striking, the deep brown lends a softer and sweeter look to your peepers. This makes it perfect for creating the doe-eyed, Ulzzang look.

The brush is exactly like the black version's. The tip is fine and isn't flimsy, making it ideal for beginners. It is really easy to control how the tip goes and draw a single smooth line.

Initially, I was a tad hesitant to line the windows to my soul with brown. I mean, both my brows and lashes are black so logically (Or maybe not.), a black eyeliner would seem the most 'natural'. But of course, I was wrong (Makeup artists do not tell people that black is harsh and brown is soft for fun.). The brown shade is actually quite deep so it didn't create a very drastic change for me. It wasn't as stark as black and so, it gave me a gentler look. And I thought it was more appropriate for daily makeup. In fact, I have been wearing this out for the past two weeks or so. (:

Also, I have been obsessed with pink lippies lately and I find that the brown goes really well with them. In the above photo, I paired it with Za Cosmetics' Rich-Glam Liquid Rouge (RS481). On most days, I dab a little of Benefit's Posietint on my lips instead.

Here's a top-down comparison between the deep brown and the black (And the pink and red lippies, as well. Haha.). I'm really liking how the brown looks on me and am actually very tempted to try Natural Brown, which is much lighter. Heh. Someday, maybe?

K-Palette's 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner (Deep Brown) can be found in selected Watsons and Sasa outlets at $19.90.

REVIEW: Za Cosmetics' Rich-Glam Liquid Rouge in RS481

A recent survey conducted by Shiseido Research Centre found that more than 75% of Asian women, across all ages, like dressing their lips in a myriad of colours, especially those that are rich and pigmented. However, these often come without much moisture and it's little wonder that 44% of them refuse to sacrifice soft, luscious lips in the name of colour. After all, how appealing can beautifully red but cracked lips get? :\

And so, with this in mind, Za Cosmetics came up with the Rich-Glam Liquid Rouge, which is a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick. The rich colour of the lipstick is interspersed with the gloss. As you rub your lips together, the gloss seeps out to the surface and forms a layer, locking the lipstick colour beneath it.

The applicator comes in a spoon shape. This allows it to collect the right amount of the Rich-Glam Liquid Rouge and deposit it on your lips perfectly, according to their curvature.

And here I am, wearing the shade RS481. It's a pink with bluish undertones. Applied smoothly with the applicator, it immediately enveloped my lips in a slightly thick yet comfortable layer of gloss, colour and most importantly, moisture. The deep lines etched in my lips seemingly disappeared (Even after I had cleaned it off, the lines were kept at bay for a while and lips remained moisturized.). It was slightly sticky but nothing that was too bothersome and I quite enjoyed having it on my lips. (:

Za Cosmetics's Rich-Glam Liquid Rouge will be in stores, starting from January 30th, 2014 at $18.90.

GIVEAWAY
I'm giving away a little Za Cosmetics kit to one reader! :D The kit contains

• A full-sized Rich-Glam Liquid Rouge in PK341
• A full-sized Total Hydration Lip Essence
• A travel-sized Eye & Lip Makeup Remover

All you need to do is to drop me an email at lovecharlenejudith@hotmail.com with your name by December 30th, 5pm. I'll be contacting you via email if you win. All the best! :D

REVIEW: Celebrating Christmas with Grace Cole

This Christmas, Japalang brought in some of UK's finest body care products by Grace Cole for some self-indulgent celebration. They come in three ranges and they are

Miss Cole: An aspirational teen brand, Miss Cole came up with the perfect survival kits for on-the-go girls, bathing your entire body in notes of Mandarin, Passion Fruit, Jasmine, Neroli, Blossom, Vanilla, Patchouli and Musk.

Pure by Grace Cole: The newly-launched Grace Cole's Pure collection celebrates calmness, tranquillity and beauty, with notes of Orange, Mint, Rose, Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Each set comes with quotes of friendship and love, making your selection personal.

Me to You: Tatty Teddy is back and this time round, he's surrounded by fruity scents of Lemon, Raspberry, Jasmine, Strawberry, Musk, Amber and Peach. Each set is packed with bath time treats, smoothing lip glosses and moisturizing body treatments.

One of the two sets which I received is the Bathing Lovelies from the Me to You collection. It contains a 170ml body wash, a 100ml body lotion and a body ball. And I just finished using them last night. (: The wash and the lotion both had the same sweet, fruity scent that wasn't too saccharine. I love the wash especially because it left my skin feeling silky smooth and moisturized.

The other set is the Relaxation Rituals from Pure by Grace Cole. Just like the former, it contains a body wash, a body lotion (Both of which are 100ml) and a body ball. This set's scent is a little more feminine, evoking the image of an idyllic English garden. It makes the perfect gift for the princesses in your life. (:

Grace Cole's Christmas sets are available at selected Sasa Cosmetics Singapore and BHG Singapore, starting from $8.90 to $32.90.

SPOTTED: Labels Against Women | #WhipIt #ShineStrong Pantene

Gender bias has always been an issue in the workplace and early this year, it made headlines because of Sheryl Sandberg's global bestseller 'Lean In'. The book took a close look at the reasons why women are still struggling to make progress and encouraged them to overcome it.

More recently, a study conducted by Pantene in the Philippines found that 70% of men still think that women need to downplay their personality to be accepted. This insight from the Filipino culture served as an inspiration for the above video, which depicts the hidden double standards in the workplace.

Do watch the 1-minute video and help spread the message! (:

ATM: Yves Saint Laurent and other favourites

Face
Yves Saint Laurent's Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation SPF 19/ PA++ in B30 Beige

Eyes
K-Palette's 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner (Super Black)

Cheeks
Korres's Zea Mays Powder Blush in #15 Natural

Lips
Yves Saint Laurent's Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 104
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In September, I attended ION Orchard's Blogger Beauty Brunch (Click here to read about it!) and received my first Yves Saint Laurent products; the Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation SPF 19/ PA++ in B30 Beige and the Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 104. I have been DYING to try the latter and each time I'm at the airport, I find myself at the shelves swatching a million colours, trying to decide on one and then, giving up altogether because I'm 'late' for my flight. I like to be really early, just in case. Haha.

Anyway, the Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation SPF 19/ PA++ provides full coverage and I find that I don't need the concealer at all. It gives a really flawless complexion, though I find it a tad too heavy for daily usage. As for the Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain, applying and wearing it was like a dream come true. The shade is actually the one that Cara Delevingne has on in the Yves Saint Laurent beauty campaign. :D

LOOKBOOK: All Would Envy x Swallows

All Would Envy top and Zara skorts
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Silhouettes of swallows are whimsical things and girls flock to such prints so much so that the online shops kind of overdid them. I mean, they are pretty much everywhere and I have got like 4 tops and 1 dress filled with black/ white shadows of these birds. Why not ponies? Or hippos*? Beats me but these nondescript (Like, literally.) birds seem to have magical powers that make me feel girly (But not too girly.) in a mature and classy way. No?

Anyway, All Would Envy is one of the few online shops that I frequent now. The clothes are simple and girly (In a mature way.). And my shopping experience has been nothing short of pleasant. Charlotte, the owner, always replies to emails promptly and seems really nice. For my first purchase, I asked for a meet-up and it was done conveniently at my train station. Also, I had the loveliest time chatting with the lady who came down to pass me my parcel. (:

The next launch is happening tonight. I have my eyes set on a gorgeous red faux-leather jacket and a pretty mint top. BUT I have gym so... Got to figure something out somehow. :\ Anyway, make a date with All Would Envy here at 8pm! Happy shopping! :D

*The hippo was my favourite animal when I was 7. Back then, my form teacher made us file every single worksheet we had. I hated punching holes in them because my hole puncher was tiny and I had to fold every piece of paper in half so that the holes would be precisely centralized. And 7-year old me thought how nice it would be to own a hippo because then, I could just place all my worksheets in its mouth, get it to clamp its teeth and have my papers punched all at one shot!

REVIEW: SGshop - Singapore Most Reliable and Cost Effective Taobao Agent

Ordering from Taobao hashad always seemed like an impossible task to me. Even though I underwent 14 years of Mandarin classes and sat for 3 major exams, my command of the language leaves a lot to be desired (Big sorry to all my 老师s!). BUT Taobao is THE place to go for affordable clothings... Actually, everything! That website has got everything that you need or want and it is a pretty big shame if language is your only barrier to them.

BUT BUT then, the Internet is brilliant and the people behind it, even more so. Introducing... *drum rolls* SGshop, an agent for several Chinese websites! And of course, one of them is Taobao. :D

I had the opportunity to give SGshop a try (Thank you Nicole from Street Directory!), so let me take you through the ordering process and show you just how easy, quick and fuss-free it is!

This is how SGshop's website looks like. You will first need to create an account (Just click on 'Register' on the bar at the top.). This takes only a couple of minutes. And then, the shopping begins. :D

There are 6 steps altogether:

• Step 1: SHOP and pick your itemitems (Who am I kidding.) from various Chinese websites.
• Step 2: Tell SGshop the URL of each item and submit your order.
• Step 3: Bid some moolah goodbye (But it is for the 'greater good'. *nods*).
• Step 4: SGshop deals with all the Chinese characters *shudders* while you sit back and chill.
• Step 5: Bid a litte more moolah goodbye (Just a little more!) for shipping and delivery charges.
• Step 6: Wait for SGshop to deliver your items right to your doorstep!

Step 1: SHOP and pick your item(s) from various Chinese websites.
Hop on over to Taobao and search for your items. Unfortunately, we can't escape the Chinese characters here but there is a thing called Google Translate (Thank you, Google.). Alternatively, just run a search on Taobao hauls on Google (My heart is yours.) and you should be able to find some links. :D

After spending hours picking your items and then, a few more hours re-picking them, copy the URL of each item's page.

Step 2: Tell SGshop the URL of each item and submit your order.
Head back to SGshop's website and paste the URL at the top. A pop-up window will appear where you can fill in the details of your item, like the colour, the size etc.

Once you have filled in all your items, proceed to 'Place Order'.

You get to choose how you want your items to be shipped, at various charges.

Step 3: Bid some moolah goodbye (But it is for the 'greater good'. *nods*).
For me, cash was topped up earlier so the amount was deducted from my SGshop account. You can make payment using ATM Transfer, Internet Banking or Paypal/ Credit Card.

Step 4: SGshop deals with all the Chinese characters *shudders* while you sit back and chill.
Once your payment has been verified, SGshop will go ahead and do the ordering for you. You can check the status of your items under the 'My Orders' tab. :D

Step 5: Bid a litte more moolah goodbye (Just a little more!) for shipping and delivery charges.
When your items have arrived at SGshop's warehouse, a SMS will be sent to notify you. If your items are out of stock, a SMS will also be sent. Proceed to SGshop eagerly, select your preferred delivery method and make payment for additional charges.

Step 6: Wait for SGshop to deliver your loot right to your doorstep!
On the day of the delivery, the delivery man will send you a SMS to check if you are home within a certain time frame. Besides home delivery, you can also choose to collect your items at MRT Stations during certain timings or collect them personally from SGshop's warehouse.

from here.

from here.

If you scrutinize the photos above, I had initially ordered a sweater but that went out of stock so I got another bag instead. I can't exactly remember how long the entire process took, because I waited for both items to arrive, but I think each took less than 3 days to reach SGshop's warehouse? The bags were packed splendidly and came in pristine conditions (No scratches, rough edges or anything like that!).

Overall, it was a really good experience shopping with SGshop. The convenience, the simplicity of the entire process and the fact that I didn't have to decipher complicated-looking symbols... I give it two thumbs up and I would definitely be using SGshop again to get my Taobao stuff. :D

P.S.: From December 1st to January 15th, SGshop will be providing free service fee. Do head on over to their website here to learn more about what SGshop can offer you. Happy shopping! :D

EVENT: Official Launch of Guardian Plus

November marked the official launch of Guardian Plus in Takashimaya Shopping Centre. The cutting-edge flagship store provides shoppers an experience like no other. There are over 20, 000 health and beauty products and the place is decked out with the latest technology gizmos to help you with your needs.

The best thing of all is that Guardian Plus won't be just another drugstore with the same ol' brands. They are bringing in new brands and one of which is the highly anticipated Boots. The No7, Botanics, Mark Hill and Champneys ranges are all available at Guardian Plus.

And being ever thoughtful, there is also a dedicated team of 4 in-house pharmacist-trained specialists; a pharmacist, a nutritionist, a health advisor and a beauty advisor. They provide consultations for a nominal fee in a private area. Basic screenings are also conducted.

I have dropped by the place a couple of times (And bought a couple of items... Heh.). The Guardian staff were all incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and ever ready to help. It was a really nice shopping experience for me. I was also delighted to see beauty kits that I spotted on ASOS.com and the prices were actually quite alright. However, I thought the Revlon styling tools were priced much higher but they could be from the premium ranges? Anyhow, it's still good to see new brands and products being brought in. (:

Guardian Plus is located at #B2-15/23 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, right beside Singtel. (: