L'oreal Star Magnet Vernis Magnétique/ Magnetic Nail Colour

Guess what startled me when I popped into Watsons yesterday?

Ingenious.

An instant reminder of Lancome Le Magnetique, last year's limited edition nail art-cum-lacquer, this offering from L'oreal seems to be a veritable dupe of it.

Considering that Lancome is under the L'oreal umbrella, I am inclined to believe that this would work as well as the original.

Priced at S$12.90 each, there are currently four colours offered at Watsons:

Magnetic Copper
Magnetic Grey
Magnetic Purple
Magnetic Silver

I bought Magnetic Silver, which is a shimmery slate with a slight purple cast...and beautiful metallic blue shimmer. Check out this blog post from Polishaholic for photos of this polish and the star effect!

According to another blog, the range has three other colours not (yet?) sold here. I'd love to see Chocolate in person!

Lunasol Party Coffret 2008

This holiday set from Lunasol was undoubtedly designed to woo the modern woman. The items in the coffret are wearable, yet offer shine and sparkle to amp up your look.

Elegant and utterly feminine, it comprises:

• A clutch

• Lighting for Eyes in EX04 Soft Silver Lighting

• Geminate Liner in EX02 Soft Silver Brown

• Contrasting Cheeks N in EX01 Soft Silver Rose

• Nail Finish in EX16 Soft Silver Lighting

The clutch

A foldable, metallic bronze clutch, this chic accessory is easy to use and has two main compartments – the main compartment itself that closes with a snap button and a zippered one at the back. This is so much more useful than the box – as stylishly simple as it was – from last year’s coffret.

Lighting for Eyes in EX04 Soft Silver Lighting

It contains:

• A shimmery clean beige

• A shimmery rose with hints of mauve

• A velvety cool-toned deep chocolate brown

• A sparkly silver

This eyeshadow quad is an excellent apply-and-go set. I like how blendable and complementary the colours are. You can achieve a neutral or smokey eye with this; it is that versatile. A characteristic of the Lighting for Eyes series, this also contains a sparkly silver to add twinkle to your eye look. Perfect for Christmas!

Geminate Liner in EX02 Soft Silver Brown

A rich chocolate brown, this applies intensely and sets very quickly. I reckon it would last on the lids as it took me a while to wipe it off. It is not very sparkly but there are soft specks of shimmer in it.

Contrasting Cheeks N in EX01 Soft Silver Rose

A soft, satiny rose, this one seems complementary with most tones of eyeshadows. This is a very pretty blush; it is a pity there is only a small pan of it. It would be a hit as a full-sized item! I especially like its velvety texture – it was a pleasure to swatch.

Nail Finish in EX16 Soft Silver Lighting

Although this is my least favourite item of the coffret, I do concede that it is a pretty, sparkly item that acts as a foil to the (seeming) subtlety of the eyeshadows. It is somewhat glittery but gives off a metallic effect at the same time.

At S$99, this holiday coffret is value for money, considering that a regular Lunasol eyeshadow quad is priced at S$77!

Sephora in Singapore

Perhaps some of my makeup wishes will be fulfilled this year. Walking past where the Coffee Bean outlet used to be at Ngee Ann City, I saw a black hoarding bearing the magic word 'SEPHORA'.

Now, I've already been to the lacklustre Sephora counter at DFS – it only carried items from the Sephora brand. That was a letdown for local makeup lovers, who had high hopes for it before it launched.

However, this new Sephora store seems to hold makeup promises with the phrases 'Famous Luxury Brands' and 'Exclusive Brands from Around the World' boldly displayed on the hoarding.

I doubt that the range will be as extensive as that in the US but I certainly hope that Urban Decay makes it here!

Gransenbon in Singapore at last!

I went to Watsons at Ngee Ann City yesterday to take a look at – okay, who am I kidding? – TO BUY the much awaited Gransenbon blushes!

Tucked away in an unobtrusive area, the Gransenbon display stand was hard to find, to say the least. Although it is a few steps away from the Majolica Marjorca counter, the simple cardboard display stand faces the drugstore brands along the wall and not outwards, hence the difficulty in locating it. You could easily miss it.

However, look for the Canmake and MJ counters and you ought to find it more easily. Gransenbon shares a counter with and is adjacent to the K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo waterproof eyeliners (now available in a limited edition pink!).

No one was at the display at all (I attribute this to its not-immediately-obvious position). After a leisurely examination of the blushes, I picked the ones I wanted, including the last two Cherry Fromages. I am certain that Watsons will replenish the stand, so fret not. :)

Here are swatches of the blushes available at Watsons so far.

At S$29.90, they are almost the same price as in Japan, as a result of the rising Japanese Yen. Thanks to Iris’s heads up regarding Watsons's latest promotion (a S$5 voucher given with every S$50 spent using NETS, valid for a year and can be combined in usage), I managed to offset the cost of these blush lovelies!

More information and photos on Rouge Deluxe!

It's here!

Gransenbon has finally launched! Get the scoop on Rouge Deluxe!

Saranghe!

Each time my language maven friend travels to Korea, she would return with something pretty for me. She has blessed me with six special makeup lovelies this year alone!

During her last trip, she custom-purchased three Etude House items for me. I had to do a little research on Lotus Palace to decide what I wanted (*waves* to Kathi!) and am thrilled with what I finally received.

She purchased the Face Designing Brightener and the Perfect Brow Kit, as well as the brand’s fibre optic brush, the Dual Fibre Cheek Brush. The first two come from the Etude House Autumn 2008 collection, whereas the last is part of the regular line.

The lovely highlighter with the starburst imprint reminds me of my beloved Hyper Real Pressed Powder, while the shades in the sturdy brow compact are perfect for me. I love brow compacts and this is truly one of the nicer ones out there. According to Kathi, the brush works well with the Face Designing Brightener. We can never have too many skunk brushes…I’m glad I chose this; I’m so pleased with its quality and size!

Prior to this, my friend had gifted me with two eyeshadow lovelies: Niobe Crystal Flower Duo Color Eyes in Lime Green and Etude House Orgel Light Eyes in 06.

The Niobe is a baked eyeshadow (love!) in a shimmery medium green and a semi-matte light green, while the Orgel Light is a stunning trio with a unique colour combination. I am taken by the packaging of both items. They are utterly feminine – the Niobe with its opalescent case printed with flowers and the Orgel Light with its princessy feel.

She also found me Skinfood Black Bean Eye Brow Pencil in 2 (not pictured because it’s on my makeup counter; I’ve been using it!). The pencil has two ends – the product itself, on one and a firm spooly brush with which to tame the brows, on the other. This is a pigmented deep grey-brown shade, so I have to be careful to use gentle strokes for a natural finish.

고맙습니다, 친구!

Gransenbon, where art thou?

A friend's text message and a call to Watsons conveyed the disappointing news that Gransenbon has yet to arrive on our shores.

According to the Watsons representative, it will be available soon but she could not give me a date as yet. She did say that its arrival was confirmed, seeing as it is that the brand has appeared in the Watsons Christmas catalogue.

As the catalogue bears the date range '20 Nov – 24 Dec 2008', we can expect Gransenbon to be available any time between those dates!

Benefit Friends and Family Sale

Good news for local Benefit fans – Tua Lobang has announced that Benefit Cosmetics will be having a Friends and Family Sale on the last week of November.

Tua Lobang is known for its tip-offs on local sales and deals, so do check it out.

Literally translated, this hybrid Hokkien-Malay phrase means 'big hole' (tua = 'big' in Hokkien, lobang = 'hole' in Malay) but often refers to great recommendations/tips. Read this, for further explanation on this quaint connotation!

Review | Makeup Tools | Sponges | Beautyblender

Beautyblender’s patent-pending elliptical shape makes application foolproof by allowing you to access hard-to-reach areas with stunning ease. Its suede texture is sensual to the touch and its unique curves fit the contours of your face, leaving your make up dazzling and undetectable. Beautyblender is latex free, non-allergenic and odor free.

– Beautyblender

The Beautyblender sponge is, without a doubt, one of the best beauty gadgets in my stash. Don’t be fooled by its size and seemingly frivolous pinkness – this little Pink Egg, as it is sometimes affectionately referred to, is a makeup wonder.

Not only is the velvety texture of this pliable tool softly pampering as it caresses your skin, many makeup products (powder, cream or liquid) – foundations, tinted moisturisers, tinted sunscreens, face powders, highlighters, concealers, tanning lotions – all blend seamlessly into the skin with the Beautyblender. No streaks, no mess.

Its elliptical shape allows you to reach corners and manoeuvre makeup for awkward angles. Its tapered tip is perfect for inner eye area access, while its slanted plane is ideal for the sides of the nose and for cream blush application. The rounded base itself is excellent for layering and blending product.

Wet the sponge and it expands to two times its size. You can cover a greater area, without compromising on the finish. Moistening it gives your foundation more slip, helping it to meld beautifully into your skin. Emollient products work wonderfully with it. These products have a tendency to streak but the sponge effortlessly smoothes out any unevenness. Interestingly enough, powders also work with this sponge, imparting silky smoothness to the skin.

For best effect, stipple the product by bouncing the egg gently on the skin’s surface. In fact, you are more likely to achieve a flawless finish when you use the stippling method with other sponges or tools.

Another asset of the Beautyblender is its ability to cover blemishes by using the pointed end. Stipple and twist to work makeup into the problem spots, carefully feathering out the edges for a clean finish.

One of my favourite ways to use it though is as a makeup eraser. The tip (usually with some residue foundation already on the sponge) cleans up the undereye area beautifully after eye makeup application! I am especially grateful for it when doing smokes. ;)

The material of the Beautyblender is such that products mostly sit on its surface, with minimal seepage into the sponge. This is rare as most tools absorb product, leading to a fair amount of wastage. Amazingly, it manages to deposit the right amount of product on the skin every time, despite this.

What I really love about the Beautyblender though, is how easy it is to wash and the tactile experience of washing the sponge. We’ve all wrestled with cleaning makeup tools, some more tiresome than others. The Pink Egg, however, is a JOY to wash – its buoyancy and suppleness make it a delight to squeeze and rinse, while product washes out effortlessly!

It is recommended that you clean the Beautyblender with the lavender-scented, soy-based Blendercleanser for optimum maintenance. However, I typically wash it in a solution of facial foam and water. If it is really soiled, I would wash it with Daiso's liquid cleanser for sponges. The latter always gets product out in a flash!

Not only does it wash well, the sponge springs back into shape easily, swiftly returning to its original form after the excess water is squeezed out. The rich pink shade does run with the first few washings and your Beautyblender will fade over time. Nevertheless, this does not affect its performance.

It has often been compared to the slightly more affordable Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge, nicknamed the Blue Peep. I will be receiving the latter soon, so we’ll see how the Blue Peep measures up to the Pink Egg!

The Beautyblender may seem pricey at US$19.95 but this tool will become indispensable in your stash, as it has in mine. I’ve used mine for about a year and although it has seen better days, it still works well!

You can find the Beautyblender at several online and brick-and-mortar stores. Amazon and Dermadoctor sometimes carry sets of these for less, so look out for them.