Hi hi ladies

I've been away from Onsugar for the LONGEST time, and I really want to apologize for being MIA from all the fun. I've been receiving your smses and mails, and I really want to thank you all for keeping in touch.

For now, I'd like to leave a short explanation as to why I've been so distant. Firstly, I've been having several personal/family issues lately that are keeping me extremely emotionally worn out. I was also quite down about not being able to find a job for the last couple of months. But I've since been offered a position (yay!!!) in an organization, so I've needed to prepare for my first day of work next Monday.

Thirdly, I was away on holiday in Indonesia for the last week. The holiday was fantastic, and I would really recommend Bandung as a holiday destination. However, upon my return, I discovered that someone (most likely my friend's maid) had stolen US$300 right out of my wallet that I had kept in my bag. Not only was that an extremely violating experience, the money was actually given to me by my dad as a gift. The thief left US$200 behind, which angers me greatly, because I see it as an absurd, conciliatory gesture. I can't even bear to use my wallet now (a beloved present from Mr C) because it reminds me that someone helped herself to my possessions. Till now, there is no hope of getting that money back and I'm still deeply upset about this issue.

Fourthly, someone banged up Mr C's car a few days ago. It's been a few days and the driver is uncooperative and extremely shifty about covering the repair costs.

I hope you all understand that I won't be posting much or be particularly sociable yet. Onsugar is a really fun and fantastic place, and I'd like to keep my bad mood and negativity separate from it.

A friend said that I've already used up all my bad luck for this year. I sure hope so ;)

Hope you guys had a truly fabulous Christmas & New Year's :)

Cheers and love,
Charlene

What a tiny haul compared to my last one, right?

First row, left to right:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser
I visited the Philosophy counters at Siam Paragon and Central Chidlom... IMO, it's not worth it to buy Philosophy in Bangkok. You'll be quite disappointed. The range is limited, and the stocks look quite old. Plus the prices are INSANELY marked up. But I bought it this bottle of Purity in the end cos there were a couple of discounts going on. No regrets though, cos I LOVE THIS. Mini review coming soon :)

Sweetie Dude Hand & Nail Cream in Melon Milk
I think this is a local Bangkok brand. I didn't want to get it at first cos the product seems a little dodgy... but Mr C told me to use it to decorate my nightstand since the packaging is so cute. *shrug*

Boots Botanics Eye and Lip Correction Serum
BEST. LIP BALM. EVER. Mini review coming soon.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
Love also.

Random brushes from Platinum Fashion Mall

Second row, from left to right:

Gino McCray Eyeshadows

Berli POPS Melon Mellow Smoothie Lip Balm
I picked this up from the Gourmet Market at Emporium. This is a very cute range of "food-centric" products. The line consists of lip balms, glosses, foundations and face wash.

Maybelline The Magnum Volum Express
I bought the wrong shade! Woe.

Freeman Facial Enzyme Mask Pineapple
Fabulous. Mini review to come soon!

Close up of my melon-y goodies.

These eyeshadow singles + duo are from Gino McCray. I bought them at the Beauty Buffet at MBK, but I believe that all BBs have the exact same stock.

I discovered - much to my joy - that there are BB outlets even within the BTS stations now! There's quite a decent sized one at Emporium Shopping Mall, which is a stone's throw away from my place. Yay!

The eyeshadow duo was about 280฿, the singles were 2 for 320฿.

The pigmentation of these are spectacular. These swatches are 1 swipe over bare skin.

However, the blues stained my skin, even when I used my regular Shiseido Aqualabel Deep Cleansing Oil.

Plus I'm a bit disappointed with their performance. I tried blending 19 Olive Blue over a gold eyeshadow, and it got extremely muddy and the blue faded after a while :( Maybe I have to use it directly over a primer next time.

But urgghhhh how beautiful are these colours ;_______;

Further down my road (I live in an AWESOME area of Bangkok) is a heavenly mani/pedi place. It's called Take Care Beauty and there are outlets even in Siam Paragon. A normal manicure and pedicure costs about S$40.

There's a section of the salon which sells various nail supplies. They have PA, OPI, Color Club, Orly, Tins, Seche Vite, Nail Tek... and I can't remember what else. Prices aren't cheap.

The address is listed on the packaging, as seen in the picture above. The closest BTS station is Phrom Phong. You exit on the side where Emporium Shopping Mall is, then go down the staircase on the side opposite from Emporium. Once down the stairs, turn left and keep on walking along the main road.

I bought these two on 20% off. 013 the relax mint on the left, 049 the dreamy magic on the right.

These eyeshadow and face brushes are from Magique at Platinum Fashion Mall. All were under $20. The eye brushes are great - soft but still firm enough to blend well. Plus they're non-scratchy :)

The black angled brush was by far my favourite - soft and very dense. But it shed like crazy when I washed it ;___;

This is the address for Magique.

Sorry for the enormous delay in posting this, but life can't stop biting me in the ass at the moment.

So who won my recent giveaway?? :D According to Random.org, it's...

Eyelashwishh/Fatin!!
Congratulations babe :)

Since this giveaway was SO well received, I actually asked my bestie to help me grab a runner-up prize from Bangkok a few weeks back. So congratulations to Icefrost/Michelle, you'll be receiving a brand new tube of Soap & Glory's Scrub Your Nose In It :D the makeup blogette has a review/giveaway of this product here.

I was rushing out of the Watsons at Tampines 1 today, when this little beauty sprung up in the corner of my eye...

CRACKLE NAIL POLISH, OMG!

It took me ages to decide which colour of CANMAKE Crack Lac Nail to get. I think I want them all. Tsk.

Basically this CANMAKE nail polish series comes in "sets"... there's Step 1, which consists of 3 base colours (hot pink, pastel green and pastel purple). Then there's Step 2, which consists of 3 crackle colours (hot pink, pastel yellow and navy blue).

You can opt to buy them separately and mix-and-match as you please, but the packaging gives you an idea of what to pair the polish with. The base colours are S$8.90 and the crackle colours are A WHOPPING S$14.90.

Since I was feeling a tad emo, I picked up the Gel Volume Top Coat at random. And then I got a mild heart attack at the cashier, when I discovered that the Top Coat cost A SERIAL KILLER WHOPPING S$17.90!!!

Dang Watsons and their failure to stick price tags on everything.

One day, Cinamoroll and Panny took a walk across Bed Island and discovered something interesting...

...

Could this marvelous gel actually help Cinamoroll to get rid of the persistent dots on his head?!

Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel works by specifically targeting the dead skin cells, dissolving and removing the cornified layer of dead skin on the top most epidermis layer. This gentle yet effective exfoliating action zeros-out blackheads painlessly and helps remove deep layers of dead skin. When the dead skin barrier is removed, the new skin underneath is revealed, allowing your skin’s healthy radiance to glow from within. It also helps in oil control to help you stay shine-free the whole day!

How Marvel Gel Works

The skin undergoes metabolism and results in the build up of dead skin barrier on daily basis. Exposure to pollution and dirt every day together with the improper removal of makeup and excess sebum will also cause the pores on your skin to be clogged up and results in the formation of whiteheads and stubborn blackheads. In other cases, bacteria infection might also cause inflammation of the skin, leading to skin problems like pimples and acnes. The dead skin cells barrier also obstructs the absorption of skincare products applied subsequently, putting them to waste. In addition, your makeup would not be able to glide on smoothly and might even appear cakey. Thus it is important to remove the dead skin barrier daily for a healthy glowing complexion free from blackheads!

Cinamoroll loves the tube! Easy peasy squeezy. Plus the metallic cap is pretty :3

The Gel is light green and smells like... freshly cut grass. It spreads easily and doesn't take much rubbing before it turns into flakes...

After using the Marvel Gel daily for 2 weeks, I was ready to tell Cinamoroll all about my experiences with it... Ginvera says that the Marvel Gel has 10 Amazing Efficacies, so I thought I'd review it claim by claim...

The 10 Amazing Efficacies

1) Helps soften the cornified layer and gently remove the dead skin barrier to instantly reveal a brighter finer complexion.
My face definitely feels soft and smooth after use... and I've noticed that my complexion does look somewhat brighter

2) Effectively removes blackheads easily and painlessly in just one step.
I have very stubborn blackheads, and this failed to eliminate them in one step/usage.  It took 2 uses for my blackheads to look significantly smaller and even then, I didn't feel like my pores were especially deeply cleansed... But I do appreciate that this helped to painlessly diminish the appearance of my blackheads.

3) Regulates and helps control sebum secretion for a shine-free complexion whole day long.
Didn't have this effect on me.

4) Whitens and evens out skin tone. Effective in helping to fading pigmentation, spots and acne scars over time.
Although my skin tone definitely looking somewhat brighter as mentioned, 2 weeks is too short a time to see if it can successfully fade away all my spots.

5) Refines and contracts the appearance of pores to reveal finer, smoother skin.
Nope, no difference in pore size :(

6) Deeply cleanses pores and helps prevent the onset of skin problems like pimples and blemishes.
My skin feels squeaky clean, but it didn't really help prevent a huge breakout!

7) Helps remove oil seeds

8) Changes dull and rough skin to a smooth complexion, allowing makeup to glide on easily and adhere better to the skin.
Yup, it gets rid of my flakies very very slowly. It's not like common manual grainy scrubs, which lift the dead skin around, so you're left with a big patch of flakies. This one actually does feel like it melts into the existing dead skin and peels it off gently.

9) Helps stimulates skin metabolism, skin looks younger and more supple
My skin does look a bit fresher, but maybe it's cos it looks brighter/whitened?

10) Allows better and faster absorption of skincare products that is applied subsequently
Didn't really notice a huge difference in rate of absorption, but then again, I've been using my Clarisonic prior to using the gel (I've stopped while testing it). So  someone with worse off (if it's possible) skin than me might feel a huge difference.

All in all, the Marvel Gel is a brilliant daily mild exfoliator. I've been using it daily and experienced no aggravation or breakouts whatsoever. It keeps skin feeling extra clean and pure, but failed to completely remove all my blackheads/flaky skin in one fast step. There IS a difference, but it's small and slow to appear. And 2 weeks later, my pores are still pretty clogged. Is it worth the extra minute? I guess long-term maintenance would be the key to pretty skin  with this gel :) But for me, it doesn't live up to many of it's claims (and a lot of the efficacies seem somehow.. repetitive and forced?)

Could this miracle serum roll away Panny's dark circles??

Discover the miracle of the Jade Dark Eye Circles Roll Away

Jade is a very good massaging medium as it contains trace minerals that is beneficial to the skin. Through massaging using the unique Jade ball, energy will ‘transmitted’ to penetrate into the skin for a brighter eye contour over time. Blended with additional Bio Energy ingredients such as Bio Energy Fluid, Bio Rice Fermentation essence, Royal Jelly as well as various precious herbal extracts like Ginseng and Pomelo, the Bio Jade Dark Eye Circle Roll Away deeply nourishes the skin around the eye contours while helping to “roll away” the dark circles effectively.

Jade – Not just an ornament, but an effective ingredient

Jade is precious gem common in the East. Besides using it as an ornament, it is also believed to have additional beauty and health benefits due to the ample amount of energy within. Therefore, it is commonly used as a massaging tool to enhance health and beauty, especially on the face. According to ancient Chinese medical book, “Jade has cooling properties. It can help to ‘dissolve toxins’, nourish skin, improve circulation, eyesight and energize the brain. Due to the emission of energy, Jade is believed to have unique purification and calming properties as well. “ In modern scientific studies, Jade is found to contain trace minerals that are beneficial to the human body. Through massaging using Jade, this energy can in turn be “channeled to the skin and body” to help nourish and beautify the skin.

The serum comes out easily from the roller, and it has a soothing (but strong) floral scent that lingers for ages. The serum spreads and sinks into skin easily, and is invisible once on. Best of all, it doesn't sting even if it gets into the eye (I tried!). You only need a bit at a time, so the 15ml tube will likely last you forever. But since the serum flows out so freely, it's easy to overapply!

Jade Dark Eye Circles Roll Away

Rolls away dark eye circles over time
My eyebags definitely looked slightly lighter upon first use. The circles faded slowly over 2 weeks, but haven't totally disappeared. The change is significant enough for me to believe that it works though.

Brightens & firms eyes contours
There's an immediate tightening effect after application, but I can't really tell if it firms a lot since I don't have very saggy skin.

Helps prevent and minimize the appearance of eye bags, crows feet and fine lines
My fine lines looked less and less visible over time and there was a significant decrease in puffiness. 

With a more nourished and revitalized eye contour, eye makeup application becomes easier!
The serum remains tacky for a long time after application, but it doesn't ball up under make up... in fact, my concealer stops sinking into the fine lines around my eyes!

I really love the jade ball the most... it stays cool and refreshing even on the hottest of days - no need to store the serum in the fridge where it might get forgotten!  Plus the jade has antibacterial properties - there's no need to fear that it gets contaminated with use. It's also firm and rolls easily and smoothly.. the overall experience feels like a gentle and relaxing massage.

Well Cinamoroll, I have bad news for you... I don't think the Marvel Gel is super good at getting rid of blackheads (words from a Clarisonic convert), but I really love the Jade Dark Eye Circles Roll Away, Panny!

I think that the Roll Away lives up to more claims than the Marvel Gel...

*muahahahahaa* Here's happy Panny!

But... uh oh...

Poor Cinamoroll is doomed to have a spotty head!

***

Hehe hope you enjoyed that post. My legion of stuffed toys are always staring at me while I take product photos on my bed, so I grabbed the most appropriate 2 to join in the fun :)

As always, skincare reviews are hugely personal, so while all my views are my own (and since this is a sponsored review), you can see if the Marvel Gel actually works for you by redeeming your free sample here...

There will be a facebook contest held in Ginvera's facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ginvera.sg) from 29/11 - 27/1. Everyone can join, all you need to do is to post your review of Ginvera Marvel Gel on the Facebook page.

The prizes up for grabs are 1 set of Ginvera Jade Eye Roll Away and Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel.

3 winners with the best review will be selected each week.

Cheers and good luck! :)

Speaking of geeky eyeshadows, here's another bunch of 'em from Geek Chic Cosmetics.

And yep this post is for my fellow TB fans, Charlene J and Daphne. I know they'll appreciate this particular collection... which is named Fang Banger's Quartet lol. There're swatches on the website itself, but here's another link to more swatches and a review.

For the record, Mr C won't allow me to get this, cos in his words, "it's just packaging!!"

Purity Burns

Viking King

Blood Bond

Eyes of the Werewolf

I'm really getting into indie makeup lately. I wanna try Fyrinnae next! Does anyone have recommendations?

I was pretty surprised that there's so little information available on how to care for Clarisonic brush heads... or at least there doesn't seem to be an official, concise guide on the Do's and Don't's. Maybe the general consensus is that the brush is disposable anyway...? Hmm.

There's a little guide on the Clarisonic FAQ actually...

Once a week, wash the brush head and the handle separately using warm soapy water to remove any residue buildup. The handle is sealed and fully waterproof. NEVER attempt to open the brush handle for any reason. To dry the brush after use, rub the brush head against a towel for 5-10 seconds while the Clarisonic is powered on. DO NOT use abrasive cleaners or chemicals to clean any part of the Clarisonic. DO NOT put any part of the Clarisonic in a dishwasher. 

UNPLUG the charging cradle before you clean it. After unplugging the cradle, wipe it with a soft, damp cloth. DO NOT immerse the cradle in water.

But it doesn't seem enough for me. Some of you may be fine with it, but I wanna really make sure that my brush stays as pristine as possible. After all, I'm rubbing it into my face every day....

So I did a quick Google search and found some helpful tips and advice from the Essential Day Spa forums - here and here.

This post is just a pictorial demonstration/reiteration of what's already been said on EDS.

Items needed

Hydrogen Peroxide Solution (3%)
A small container, just big enough to fit your brush head
Your brush head (just call me Captain Obvious today)

I purchased the Hydrogen Peroxide Solution at Watsons for S$3.50.

I've read other tips on EDS, where the most common suggestions are the 6% HP concentration, alcohol or just plain baby shampoo or hand soap.

I chose 3% over 6% because it was the only one available at that outlet (heh), and cos hydrogen peroxide is bleach. I don't exactly want to be dowsing my facial tools in strong concentrations of bleach.

I didn't use alcohol because I read somewhere else that alcohol can degrade the plastic. I'm not sure how true that is, but I'm not willing to take a chance. Those brush heads cost S$42 a pop!

And as for baby shampoo or hand soap... Like I said, you'll be using your Clarisonic almost every day. Personally I'd want to give it a really good deep clean once in a while, especially if it's spending 99.9% of the rest of the day out in the open and ESPECIALLY if you're going to leave it in a mouldy bathroom. Plus psychologically, I need something stronger than normal soap :(

Alternatively, I've read that some people use...

• Antibacterial soap, which might be more effective than normal soap
• Makeup brush cleanser
• Apple Cider vinegar
• Nursery sanitizer
• UV sanitizer

Step One
Submerge the brush head in your Hydrogen Peroxide solution.

I've read posts on EDS where women dilute the solution or just spray it directly onto the bristles. Since I wanted to really clean my brush, I let it soak in just enough solution to completely cover the bristles and a little bit more.

Step Two
Wait a while, then rinse the brush head.

Since I'm not sure if there are any ill-effects to soaking the brush in hydrogen peroxide, I only left my brush head in it for 5 minutes. I've read that other people do up to 10. It's all up to you, I guess. 5 was all that I was comfortable with.

Step Three (optional)
Submerge the brush in hot - but not boiling - water.

I was still a bit paranoid and iffy about cleaning my brush with bleach. So I soaked it in very hot water after rinsing it clean of the hydrogen peroxide. I didn't use boiling water, because it might actually cause the plastic to warp.

This is actually what the Sephora SA recommended I do with my brush... she apparently takes the brush head off after each use and leaves it in a cup of hot water until she needs to use it again...  Hmm... like dentures.... Anyway. Personally, I would keep my Clarisonic dry after every use.

This is what I do on a daily basis...

After each use, I uncap the brush head. Then I take a dry towel/tissues and GENTLY squeeze the water out of the bristles while reshaping it at the same time. Then I dry the handle completely.

I then leave the entire unit to dry overnight in front of my air conditioner. You don't have to do that, just leave it in a relatively dry place.

The whole reason I'm so careful about drying the whole Clarisonic is cos water can collect behind the brush if you don't store it properly... And someone on Makeupalley found out the hard way when she changed her brush head after 4 months of use and discovered that there was mould growing behind her brush D:

Whew ok, hope that helps. If you have any questions/better suggestions, drop me a comment please! :)

My conversation with Mr C went like this last night;

Me: LOOK! SOOOO CUUUUUUUUTE!!!

Mr C: *looks*

Me: THEY HAVE FACES. AND NAMES.

Mr C: But... it's just stickers.

Me: PRETTY.

Yup, that just about sums up this collection (irrational lust over smooth packaging or not).... It's so PRETTY!!!!!!

ETA: I am guilty of forgetting to put up the link to Shiro Cosmetics' Etsy store... but now here it is!! Go see the other eyeshadows in her collection. Unfortunately (or not) I don't have a thing for Pokémon or Zelda. The extent of my geeklove ends at Terry Pratchett... so if she had shadows named Death, Nobby, Sybil, Susan or Tiffany, I'd have snapped up the lot by now. That said, screw the shade names, they're all just gorgeous.

This update's largely written for Hazel, whom I'm currently trying to tempt ;)

The Clarisonic unboxed...

While I was eagerly awaiting my Clarisonic to finish charging, I lived vicariously through the many reviewers on Makeupalley.

After the reading all the glowing reviews, I was MISERABLE. I was thinking; "ohmygawwwd I've been cheated!!!"

Cos... how can aaaaaaaaaaaalllll of these people have such amazing, life-changing experiences with their Clarisonic?!!!?!!??! I was almost certain that the Clarisonic company paid off 700+ people to rave about the product. Clever buggers.

Also, I took statistics/research methodology... and I don't trust ANY kind of "scientific study results" published by makeup/skincare/etc brands. *cough* This coming from a girl who'll buy anything if it's got fabulous packaging.

Truthfully... after my first (finally!) use, I was completely down in the dumps. I didn't feel the fabled, magical transformation after the first use. I didn't have baby-butt skin, or a poreless complexion... I just felt........ a little bit cleaner, that's all. Nothing a good manual exfoliation couldn't accomplish.

*cry*

But then.

I noticed a change in Mr C's skin on his second use. His skin went from rough and dull to (seriously) luminous and smooth. And from then on, his skin just kept improving and improving... his pores look smaller, his face looks brighter and his skin is just so freaking sooooooft!

The visible change is taking a bit longer for me... Maybe cos I have good skin already? Lol. As if. I just think that I haven't found my perfect system yet - my current cleanser is too drying for me (but it's ok on Mr C) and I need to figure out my optimum personal timing/speed.

But I'm not saying that I don't see any change at all.

My skin tone is better. It's becoming glowy and bright!

My skin is getting insanely soft and smooth. I know I said that my cleanser is drying me out... so I have really soft but simultaneously flaky skin? :( Need a new cleanser ASAP! Lemming for the Philosophy Purity cleanser which is supposed to be divine with the Clarisonic.

My skincare sinks in extremely well. Usually when I wash my face in the morning, I feel some leftover product residue that failed to sink in overnight... but I don't feel any residue lately.

My skin is incredibly clean. It's almost as if an entire layer has been lifted off my face. I suddenly feel uncomfortable wearing my usual LF because it feels TOO MUCH! for my skin. And at night, I even feel quite sensitive to my skincare working/tingling on my face.

My skin is getting clearer... a feat which I previously thought was impossible.  And I have to say... the Clarisonic really does clarify and unclog VERY WELL. The stubborn blackheads and white heads on my nose and chin are slowly disappearing - they've been there for years, so I thought I'd have to live with them forever. And I also have random bumps which usually takes months of intensive and expensive masks to unearth, but they're now actually emerging within a matter of days.

I'm actually a bit embarrassed to tell people that I'm using a Clarisonic... because they'd zoom in on my face... and the biggest change that has happened since I've started using the Clarisonic... is that I'm breaking out right now. It might be due to hormones. But at least 1) the breakout clears up much faster than usual 2) it happens in my clogged up areas. So I believe that my Clarisonic is helping me clear my skin, and doing so very quickly! It feels SO GOOD to see all the uber giant blackheads going away.

I initially bought the Clarisonic to help me clear the bumps on my face, because I'm extremely self-conscious about them. I'm super glad to say that Clarisonic = MIRACLE WORKER when it comes to cleansing.

I feel like I should have just bought the Clarisonic months ago... it's certainly more effective at giving me better looking skin than my Laneige/Guerlain masques and numerous foundations.

All in all... these are pretty encouraging results for only having used this device for a week. I'm quite confident that I'm well on my way to gorgeous skin! :)

If you're still on the fence about skincare in general, I'd really urge you to start now. I used to have really nasty skin, and thought that foundation could cure it all... but piling all that foundation on just made me look even worse. Now that I have relatively better (but far from perfect) skin, my makeup goes on so much better and looks better too. I'm really speaking from a "been there done that" stand point when I say... look after your skin!!

Of course, if you already have perfect skin, then I hate you because I just spent a bomb on a Clarisonic to get pretty skin like you.

"buy me... buy mee... buy meeeeeeeee"

ETA: And... well... as much as I love my Clarisonic, I wouldn't recommend it to EVERYBODY. Because, if you already have decent skin, it's not worth spending your money on. Skin care is a highly personal thing, so you'll really need to assess your skin's needs to see if it's truly worth the hefty price tag. For me, I have zero regrets.