LOOKBOOK: LOWRYS FARM x ZARA

Lowrys Farm striped top, Zara jeans
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So many thoughts running through my head now that I can't decide what I want to talk about. The irrational bliss that I'm feeling from watching Korean dramas, my confusion over something rather minor and how I have been thinking about it so much lately (Yes, a sign that the hols are almost here. SO CLOSE. TOO CLOSE.), the fact that I'm always in-between things and am now trying to find permanence in my temporariness, the decision to embrace my very Chinese face and to make it even more Chinese with makeup, the eagerness to welcome the hols but also, the fearfulness of having absolutely nothing to do and wasting my time on earth away...

SO. I'm going to leave you with a song that I have been listening to. It doesn't exactly convey my mood right now but it lifts me up a little each time I listen to it. No matter how low I'm feeling.

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Oceans apart and it's heavy on my heart
Roll and row but my rolling game too slow
I'm happy you know

I'm spending my time watching the ship and the globe
Why beauty's in the simple things
Your sweetness and your elegance
I'm happy you know

Paa pa pa paa pa pa paa papa pa paa paa

Oceans apart and I'm sailing on my dreams
Roll and row but my rolling game too wild
I'm lost in your smile

I'm spending my time watching the ship and the globe
Why beauty's in the simple things
Your sweetness and your elegance
I'm happy you know

Paa pa pa paa pa pa paa papa pa paa paa

Paa papa paa pa pa paap paa paaa

SPOTTED: This Christmas, I wish upon a star.

And... We are just 13 days away from one of my 2 favourite months of the year (The other being August, bien sûr!). I don't know about you, but I feel like time slips past us faster as we grow older. I distinctly remember sitting on the classroom floor in primary school, looking at the date on the chalkboard and slowly counting down to the year end. It took for-ever and it felt so painful. But now, it's like I'm trying to hold on to every single minute that I have. I want to fill my time with things that I have always wanted to do but didn't, because, well, life and procrastination. Heh. Oh yeah. And money too. It's sooooo good to have an income!

Next year, I really want to take up makeup courses and one school that I have been looking at is Make Up For Ever Academy. I very nearly joined one last year, but the schedule wasn't too good for me. Also, it's really expensive. So while I save up for the course(s), let me take a look at things that are cheaper, i.e. Make Up For Ever products. HAHA. What? I need to get acquainted with my future school!

One product that I really want to own is the Rouge Artist Lip Palette. I know palettes can get really messy, especially in Singapore's infamously hot and humid weather (It has been raining a lot though. I hate being wet but the cool air... AHHH!), but they just make so much sense. It's so difficult to just buy ONE lipstick at like, $30?!? And I can't just use one shade until the entire lipstick is gone (Who finishes a lipstick?!?). Okay, I can but I don't want to because lip colours are a form of self-expression, ha (The justifications that a beauty junkie can come up with...). Palettes are compact, they are convenient and they give you choices... At like what, half the price? *beams*

Anyway, here are my top 4 picks from Make Up For Ever that I would like to try this year:

ATM: Dealing with rash

I spent the most of last week holed up in my home because rash decided to visit me where it was most visible. While anti-histamine and oral steroids are the way to go (Also, not scratching lest you get scars.), there are some products out there that can help make our lives less itchy and miserable. Most of us have our go-to products but for those who don't or are looking for alternatives, here's mine: DermaVeen (Sounding so much like a commercial. Heh.).

DermaVeen contains colloidal oatmeal, which is basically oat that has been ground into extremely fine powder. I came to know about this brand from one of the comments on Instagram a couple of years back. Since then, I always have a bottle with me. But I didn't actually realize just how potent it was against itch until last week. I practically drowned my entire face and neck in a thick layer of this pure (pause) white (pause) goodness. It doesn't absorb instantly so it leaves white streaks, especially when you apply too much. But eventually, it sinks in and gives a matte finish. Which is perfect for the face! *victory sign*

My rash is no longer angry and red, and even the usual redness in my face has vanished. Magic? I think so. Haha. Nah, it's just the awesomeness of DermaVeen *nods seriously*. I will definitely be stocking this now and forever, until the day my body turns to dust.

Before I end this post, here are some of my tips when you're dealing with a pesky rash:

1. For a fast relief, visit a doctor to get anti-histamine.
   Rash usually goes away by itself, but the situation exacerbates when we scratch it. For those of us who are dead to the world when our heads hit the pillow and lose control of all limbs... Well, it's better to get anti-histamine to stop the itch pronto.

2. Be a human water barrel.
   If you look closely at your rash, the skin is usually dry and rough. So hydrate yourself as much as possible. Water also helps to flush out whatever toxins you have lurking in your body. Actually, you should already be drinking 8 glasses of water everyday (Mothers are always right.).

3. Spam the godsend-super-lotion DermaVeen.
   As explained above. *curtsies*

4. Fill your head and hands with things.
   While you slowly wait out the rash, do things to occupy your head so that you will stop thinking about/staring at your rash. While there are cases where mental powers made miracles, most of us are, unfortunately, not supernatural beings so... Busying yourself is a way to kill time very quickly.

5. When the rash leaves do-not-forget-me brown patches, spam Sweet Almond Oil.
   I have been experimenting with oils for a long time now, and my absolute favourite is Sweet Almond Oil. It got rid of my eczema marks faster than any other clinically proven creams ever have. I. Swear. By. It.

REVIEW: Ettusias' BB Mineral Cream and BB Mineral Powder

One blog that I have been following since my university days is Sophia's. She gives incredibly detailed and honest reviews. Ettusais is a brand that she has consistently raved about and after reading every single entry twice, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I got myself the BB Mineral Cream and the BB Mineral Powder from the Bugis outlet (Splendid service, btw!).

BB Mineral Cream | 40g for $38.00
Made of 79% skincare ingredients, Ettusais's first lightweight BB cream spreads easily to hide pores, even out skin tone and control oil. Ingredients include Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin and AC-Control Oil, which helps to prevent acne. It also contains SPF 30 PA ++.

BB Mineral Powder | 10g for $38.00
Made of 100% ultra-fine mineral powder, it provides coverage without thick application. It absorbs and removes excess sebum and creates a soft focus effect for baby-like skin. Ingredients include the award-winning Skin Roughness Preventing Powder, that, well, prevents skin roughness from occurring.

I have been using this duo for more than 2 months, and I love it so much that I have been dragging friends to Ettusais counters and getting them to do some serious swatching. Heh. Just like what Ettusais says, this duo is so lightweight that it feels like I have got nothing on, yet my redness, uneven skin tone, yucky pores and even yuckier small blemishes are all cancelled out. Unfortunately, the large ones need a wee bit more help from the concealer (As seen above!), but I don't usually bother (Also seen above. Haha.). I have this on from 6am till about 6pm and of course, some of it is has worn off, especially the T-zone area. But overall, my complexion still looks pretty flawless!

I don't think I'll be straying from this duo anytime soon and definitely will be repurchasing. Thank you Ettusais for the wonderful inventions and of course, Sophia for bringing them to my attention! :D I really recommend them to everyone. And if you find the BB Mineral Cream too heavy for your oily skin or if you want something that can help lighten your skin tone, fret not because they have other variations as well. There's a little chart by the counter to help you make your decisions and I believe the Ettusais girls will be more than happy to answer your queries. :D