I went to try the Korean eyelash extensions (S$75) at Milly’s last Thursday. It was a rude shock after the expectations that I have after reading the reviews of their sponsored advertorials.

Not only does the touted to be better Korean lashes not much better than the ‘normal fake lashes’, most of the lashes fell out by Sunday and those remaining were detached from my eyelid and half hanging off my natural lashes!

I have been doing lash extension for almost two years now and I have never had an extension die on me after only four days. On the average, they last about three weeks - one month.

So I went back on Monday to get them to rectify the ‘damage’ and guess what? I was told that if I had ‘left the fake lashes half hanging off my natural lashes, they would have fixed it for free‘. As it is, because I refused to be seen in public looking like a demented Halloween eyelash disaster, and had removed the tragic survivors using cleansing oil, I had to pay another S$37 to fix something that was not done very well in the first place.

I am not very pleased about it but given that it is another person who is doing the touch up, I decided to give it another try. Well, I generally try to give people the benefit of the doubt as much as I can.

So, I will let you judge from the photos:

2nd ‘touch up job’ done at Milly’s.

Lash extension done by Baoshuang, the lady boss of Vain Beauty (also at Far East Plaza)

They charge S$60 and have a loyalty program where they reward customers with a free lash extension after every 5 times. And no, this is not a sponsored advertorial for them, and they don’t even know that I blog.

The ‘bedside manner’ also made a difference. I have sensitive skin and my eyelid will itch where they would apply the lash glue on the lashline. At my regular place, the girl will help to ease the itch by using a cotton bud to gently swab the eyelid, without me having to tell her to do so.

At Milly’s I had to repeatedly beg the girl to please swab my eyelid before I die of itching. The willingness to go the extra mile for the customer was definitely absent.

I was thinking of trying their hair braiding services earlier but after this experience, I would hesitate to do so.

Friendliness of staff: 6/10
Service level: 5/10
Workmanship: 3/10

*Edit on 7 March 09

I cannot imagine that I will be typing this but the 2nd touch up is another blotched job. The lashes started to peel away from my eyelids (again!) and I would have looked like a demented nutjob (again!) if I had not removed it again myself.

This time the lashes stayed on for a grand total of 7 days. No way am I going back to be sucker punched into paying another S$37 to fix their mistake.

To summarize, the first lash extension lasted 4 days (S$75) and the second lasted 7 days (S$37). A total of S$112 spent on lash extensions that lasted lesser than two weeks.

So yes, I am an extremely displeased and dissatisfied customer.

The Poster girl for Ayurvedic beauty

Recently I have discovered a perfect place to land great ayurvedic beauty buys - Mustafa at Little India, the 24 hour shopping haven for night birds like me.

The best thing is - they are all less than S$10 each and to my utter surprise, performed beyond my expectations.

One of them is a herbal face pack (Jothi Face Pack S$6.90) which is chockful of natural goodies like:

1. Sandalwood powder - protects from uv rays. Pleasant aroma.
2. Turmeric powder - lightening and antibacterial properties.
3. Licorice powder - refreshes and restructures uv damaged skin. Anti-ageing properties.
4. Rose powder - moisturizes and nourishes skin. Anti-ageing properties and pleasant aroma.
5. Manjistha - removes freckles and discolouration on skin. Anti oxidant properties.
6. Lentil flour - works with the other ingredients to remove blemishes and scars. Helps to improve skin texture while cleansing and removing impurities from within.

I added Cucumber powder for additional cleansing and skin tightening properties and Australian blue clay powder (leave this out if you have normal/ dry skin) - to regulate sebum.

Sidenote: Aishwarya Rai uses milk, yogurt and tumeric in her beauty regime too.

Usage:

• For normal skin, add 1 teaspoon of mask powder, 1 teaspoon of milk and 1 teaspoon of a hydrosol of your choice. A good hydrosol for normal skin includes elderflower, lavender, rose geranium, calendula, helichrysum and witch hazel.

• For dry skin, add 1 teaspoon of mask powder, 1 teaspoon of yogurt and 1 teaspoon of a hydrosol of your choice. A good hydrosol for dry skin includes carrot seed, rose, cornflower and sandalwood.

• For oily skin, add 1 teaspoon of mask powder, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of a hydrosol of your choice. A good hydrosol for oily skin includes lemon balm, neroli, basil, clary sage, chamomile german and yarrow.

Apply paste on face till completely dry. Wash off with cold water.

Being a big fan of BB creams, I was thrilled when I was chosen to be Fr3b’s featured blogger in the Jayeon Miyin Natural Skin Care workshop, where 4 bloggers get to tailor make our own natural BB cream, cleansing oil, body and face soap by custom blending the shade, texture and natural ingredients. (more…)

I’ve been given these two skincare items from Fruits and Passion - this brand is not available here and I think the closest store of proximity to Singapore is in Hong Kong.

Fruits and Passion Avocado Butter

The scent of the Avocado butter (for body) is a delight - it’s pleasant and light. I find the texture a little too heavy for tropical use, but it was great for heels and elbows.

Fruits and Passion Radiance Cream

The Radiance cream (red) is meant for combination or oily skin. There is another version (green) meant for dry skin. The smell is very light and almost undetectable, and the texture light and easily absorbed into the skin without much massaging.

The description on the site says -

This non-greasy essence combines a number of benefits to create healthy-looking skin. It moisturizes, invigorates devitalized skin, and contains hydrolyzed plant proteins that create a protective, firming film. It tones the skin and gives your complexion a shimmering radiance.

The only thing I didn’t like about it is it does not contain SPF or PA.

Shall check out the store when we fly there in August. Somehow I am still more drawn towards Skinfood. The packaging, perhaps?

Lately I have been having a ball with toiletries, what with discounted buys from Naturenu, free skincare samples from fr3b and a gift from Mistress Grace which is not available in Singapore. Let’s not even get started on the BB creams (about 8 of them) which I have been sampling.

Manuka Honey bath bubbles - contains Active 16+ manuka honey, protein rich royal jelly, aloe vera and antioxidant Vitamin E formula. I totally love this and use it when I have the time to soak in the tub - it’s a real luxury for the skin and smells heavenly.

Wild Rose hand cream - infused with rosehip oil, active 16+ manuka honey, beewax and oils of macadamia, sweet almonds and jojoba. I absolutely love the fragrance - it doesn’t have the cheap drugstore chemical kind of fragrance but smells like Crabtree and Evelyn when you walk pass the store - elegant and classy. I use the Skin MD shielding lotion after this - the combination is superb.

Wild Rose Shower Gel - infused with active 16+ manuka honey and pure essential oils to hydrate and soften your skin. There is nothing not to like about it. I use this and the cream above and my Bvlgari Rose parfum (given to me by serendipity) to layer the fragrance.

Lux Bordeaux Wine and Wild Rose shower gel (which was a gift by Mistress Grace) - it doesn’t smell too ‘alcoholic’ as the wild rose balances it out nicely. The result is a pleasantly relaxing andf sanguine fragrance.

Next up to try - Q10 face care, Jurlique complete kit and Skin Food (I have read so many raves about this brand)

*Update* - Bloggers who are interested to review the cream and post a review on your blogs can contact Pete of Skin MD at petegrimaldi@earthlink.net for samples of Skin MD Natural. All he needs is your blog URL and mailing address.

When I was asked to review the Skin MD Shielding Lotion, I was anxious to sample it because

1. It worked wonders for Mandrake, which says a lot as he had tried various different moisturizers and they are all touch and go.
2. My cuticles and the skin around my heels are a tad dry and I wanted to see how different Skin MD would be from the hand creams I had used so far.

I am not disappointed.

Firstly, I like that I don’t need to rub the cream into my skin for it to be absorbed. It is easily absorbed and does not leave that layer of greasiness which I detest.

Secondly, the lotion works in such a way that it transform the outer layer of skin into a hydrating invisible shield. In order for the skin to heal and return to its healthy condition you have to seal in the moisture and oils that are below the outer layer of skin and protect it from the irritants in the environment.

Thirdly, you have to reapply a conventional lotion regularly to get the benefit. It will come off when you rub your hands or wash them, but a shielding lotion bonds with the skin and lasts for at least four hours. It is perfect for busy working people and mums - like me.

Last but not least, it is even gentle enough to be used on the face. I have slightly oily and sensitive skin. After use, it leaves my skin soft and hydrated - but not greasy. It also works as a makeup primer - I have found that my makeup lasts longer when I use Skin MD.

A few dermatological facts about Skin MD -

1. No animal products or testing
2. Fragrance and colorant free
3. Dermatology tested
4. Non-comedogenic (does not clog pores)
5. Non greasy
6. Hypoallergenic
7. Paraben free

It is not available in Singapore but you can order it here.

Here’s a video showcasing the efficiency of the lotion:

De-luxe bath sampler.

L’Occitane candles.

Silence.

My bathtub.

Shalom.

I ordered Dainty Masks from an overseas spree at $0.85 per piece. It’s available here in Beaute Spring - but they are retailing it at $2.50(!) per piece. I feel so virtuous after saving so much.

Of all the different formulations, this is my favourite:

All In One Collagen Mask

Major Ingredients: Hydro Molecules, Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Enzyme, Vitamins A, C and E, that helps to replenish the loss of moisture, giving you a suppler, firmer and most importantly fairer, younger looking skin.

Effects:
1.To whiten and re-hydrate your skin
2.Prevent wrinkles by increasing skin elasticity
3.To repair and re-conceal wounds and sunken scars
4.To facilitates the recovery of skin metabolism
5.Modulate and stabilizes skin pH

This is a performer. After application, my skin feels and looks visibly brighter and softer. A definite keeper.

• If you like to sample products before buying the full size item
• If you, like me, don’t like to ask counter sales people for samples, lest they look at you with jaundiced eyes
• If you like to pack sample sized products for travelling
• If you simply like samples just because

Then please check out this site for free samples of skincare products . You only need to pay the postage costs, which is fair enough.

I recently discovered Mineral Makeup (MMU). There are benefits from using mineral makeup so being as adventurous as I am in trying new things, I ordered some (ok, more than some) from TSS, Silk Naturals, Everyday Minerals and Lumiere.

The TSS one arrived first as I had ordered these three weeks ago (yes, the shipment for this site is on the slow side). Will update here as I compare the different MMU from the different sites.

**

At first, it was a little awkward to use the loose pigments and it really brought out the OCD neat freak in me. Imagine, all that loose powder flying around in the bedroom, powders around the jar, my clothes etc. You can imagine. However I have figured out my way to apply MMU, that is in the bathroom on my counter top. I used my existing sable brushes to lift the powder from the jar and use my palm as a “base” of sorts: to press the powders on the brush, and to tap the excess powders onto. It works beautifully. No mess, no powders flying around like a war zone.

I guess I am also drawn to the MMU idea, as apart from the cosmetic benefits, it also brings to mind the play of a blank canvas. Everyday, I can decide how and what to put on the blank canvas, that is my face, and the different colours to play on my eyes, cheeks and lips. It’s like art class all over again! I know it’s the same with conventional makeup, but trust me, it’s so much more fun with strong pigments.

And so much choices!! I bought over 60 colours and that’s just eye and cheek colours. OK, so I got a little carried away, but come on, it’s only US$0.50 per sample! It’s like the candy store AND you get to enjoy the candy buffet, all over again.

And so, I was thinking of buying the accessories container people use to contain beads/ craft bits to hold the different colours and even though of labelling the colours with my Brother label printer (yeah, yeah)

But first, to wait for the colours to arrive so that I can sort out the arrangement by colour family…