All things lovely

b'day nails

2011-05-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

So,had the worst b'day period in my life. Tons of work and plenty of unhappiness to share :| I've been sleeping at around 3am every night for the last week or so................ sleepy sleepy.
Anyway, I went with a friend to http://felicitynails.blogspot.com/ a day before my b'day. That was the only 'off day' for me and I had to bring my netbook along to continue my assignments. =.=||
For a classic mani and prdicure, it costs S$35 and nail arts was an extra $20. I do like how cute my nails look :D

manicure: With Loves

pedicure: no name(?) lol~

Harried Post

2011-04-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

:( too many things are going on now in this period of my life. A few weeks ago, my aunt passed away. Then My assignments started piling up and I've to prepare for micro-teaching. My b'day is just around the corner yet I've still got too much work to do. Sigh..........

Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow Suede

1 coat

The application is streaky, just like all suede polishes. When dried, some corners tended to crinkle or shrink a bit so I had to keep repainting until I reached about 5-6 coats for a few fingers. The color is quite unique though and I received plenty of compliments :)

Nordstrom Round 1ct Cubic Zirconia Earrings

These pair of earrings cost USD42 not including shipping. It looks pretty ok, but certainly not really that real :| I bought it cause some pple on the website were saying it looks authentic, like real diamonds. Well, those pple are obviously lying to themselves. Or comparing these to cheap diamonds. Real expensive diamonds look more sparkly cause of the cut.... well, that's not entirely true. It sparkles in the light but there are certain angles where you can tell it looks a bit fake..... but since I didn't pay thousands for real diamonds, I suppose these are ok........ falls below my expectations, and I certainly wouldn't have bought these since I can probably get something like it anywhere....... but it's an ok buy, I guess.

Marimo + gradation mani

2011-03-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

I recently bought 3 Marimo balls :D I bought them from a fair at NTU from http://giveaplant.com/

Awwwww~ They look so cute!

On the website, there's some hogwash story abt the plants being incarnations of a pair of lovers or something. :| I don't believe it but I do think the plants are really cute! :) supposedly the Japanese keep these plants as pets...............

Went to Ladyfinger @JP to do my nails again. Must use up that package quickly so i never need to go to them again =.=
Anyway, this is a gradation mani: opi last friday night, TINS 013 - The Relax Mint, TINS 005 - The Aquamarine.
Frankly, I think i could have done a better job. Especially since It started chipping slightly at the edges right after I went home and bathed =.=|| I think it's cause the manicurist was so stingy with the polish, so the layers were all so thin. Seriously. The more I go to this shop the more angry i get :|

Rescue Beauty Lounge Haul!

2011-03-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

I've dozens of pics to show but just no time to update :| sigh...

Anyway, here are some pics of my recent haul from Rescue Beauty Lounge :) I order 8 polishes(prep, basecoat, Catherine, scrangie, iconoclast, Catherine h, insouciant, under the stars) and the spiced floral body cream.

The colors are all so pretty!!

Spiced floral body cream. It smells Absolutely Heavenly!!

Gelish Sweet Chocolate

2011-03-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

So I went to do Gelish at Ladyfinger at bedok again and it seems the price has increased to $85 for classic mani, gelish color and removal. The manicurist said the previous promotion was over and so the price is now higer. Whatever. I think it's overpriced and the service wasn't very good. Seriously. If the service keeps going downhill, what's the point of buying a package?! The package isn't cheap and there's differential treatment AFTER you've signed on =.=

But Gelish products are nice so I don't mind going to OTHER manicure shops to get better services at better rates. Look, here's the color "Sweet chocolate". It looks like a common brown without light but under light it bursts into multi-colored glitter with predominant copperish-brown shimmer. Very pretty :)

Bling mani

2011-02-23T05:06:00.000-08:00

So I randomly bought a small bottle of glitter from a small store and worked it into my mani for a bling effect :) It glittered like silver foil or fish scales in the sun! So very pretty :)

2 layers of OPI Paris Couture for sure as a french mani base (so bald spots will not show through the glitter)

Sprinkled glitter :)

Ladyfinger mani disaster

2011-02-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

OPI I want to be a lone star

After the 1st 2 visits to Ladyfinger at bedok I felt it wasn't too bad and signed on for a package... I'm seriously regretting it now =.= Several things went wrong when I was there this afternoon:

When I reached at 2.50pm or so, I TOLD the girl that I needed to rush off before 5.30pm and she said it was fine, sure can finish by then.Pedicure was fine, I was ok with the service at that point. But I felt that she filed my soles much less than when I hadn't signed on for the package (talk about differential treatment).

I asked for rose nail art on my thumbs. The manicurist did my right hand and I thought it was ok so I gave the go ahead for the other hand. BUT I got distracted for a moment while watching the TV show they had on and viola! she managed to screw up. Who in the world draws the nail art in the SAME direction on both hands??! Common sense lar! :( PLUS, it looked different =.= left hand design lines were FAT and ugly. plus position of roses was wrong! it needed to be closer to the nail line :(

I grumbled a bit, but i was rushing for time and I let it go. Smudged my left thumb while taking out my wallet to PAY them. They told me to go back within 3 days to do touch up. Went back after my classes and asked them to do touch up. ONLY for them to say cannot. can only put top-coat for me. WTF! They ownself told me to come back later for touch up then say cannot when I went back. Maybe the damage is serious and they have difficulty 'repairing' lar, but attitude was seriously bad. How can they tell customer no way, i put topcoat for u and that's it. The vibes I was getting from them was that they didn't want to re-do cause too troublesome and they wouldn't get paid. I was furious and insisted they do SOMETHING to repair a bit. In the end, it turns out they COULD and SHOULD redo but once they started on the job they told me just need to add a bit more design no need to re-do. I say anything lor as long as not ugly. LOOK at the pics below!

See before and after. F***ing ugly. The black lines are not crisp. Looks like a kid drew it!!! I was really really pissed but I just packed up and left. can't be bothered liaoz. Too angry to quarrel or scold them. AND, I paid $8 per thumb for the nail art. This kind of lousy nail art I might as well NOT have asked them to do. ARGH!!

ALSO, 1 crystal dropped within 2 hrs =.= maybe crystals aren't supposed to last, but at least should be a day or 2 later bah? lousy glue or lousy crystals? :(

smudge (BEFORE touch-up)

close-up of smudge

AFTER touch-up

close-up of AFTER

compare with nice right hand design. I asked 3 pple and they all said it looks DIFFERENT.


My pedicure. The ONLY tiny redemption in this lousy disaster

OPI Teenage Dream

2011-02-06T03:12:00.000-08:00

This was the color I chose for my CNY manicure :) I was running out of time and decided to skip the original mani I had planned (red with gold konad) :| Anyway, OPI Teenage Dream is a BEAUTY. I didn't expect to like it so much! I'm going to get a backup bottle just in case :D It's a jelly pink with tons of silver glitter and splashes of chunky holographic glitter. Total BLING under the sun!~ It remains a bit translucent even after 4 coats and I don't think it was ever meant to be fully opaque. Still, It's a beautiful color on its own and for layering! :)

1 coat

3-4 coats

With Topcoat

OPI The Show Must Go On

2011-02-04T03:12:00.000-08:00

This was the color I chose for my toes on Chinese New Year 2011 :) Festive reddish-pink with slight gold duo-chrome, this fits the CNY theme of red and gold very well! I went to a manicure shop to get this pedicure done so that I could get a good massage for my feet. The manicure girl at Ladyfinger really filed my feet and the heels of my feet felt much softer/smoother at the end of the session :) I think overall Ladyfinger@bedok is a little pricey and overcrowded, though I still signed up for their package :| ah well, as long as I'm happy with the service.....

Gelish Test Run - 21 days

2011-01-19T06:08:00.000-08:00

For the last 3 weeks I've been testing out a new nail product: Gelish. I passed by Ladyfinger at bedok central and saw the advertisement hanging on the door. It proclaimed that Gelish would last for up to 21days of shine without chips. This treatment cost me S$64.50(GST included) and 1.5hrs. Though not very cheap, I decided that this money could be considered well-spent if it meant 21 days of non-chip polish. The manicurist told me that the polish was less harmful than acrylic or Gel nails as there wouldn't be any filing involved. Gelish polish would create a protective hard layer that would protect my nails. I think the polish name is Midnight Special, though I can't quite remember.........

1st day 28/12/10 :

3rd day 30/12/10:

12 days later 08/01/11:

23 days later 19/01/11:

SEE! Success! :) Perfect nails for the last 3 weeks! No chipped polish or tears in my nails! Wheeeeeeeeeeee! :) Absolutely lovely!

OPI DS Magic

2011-01-05T05:02:00.000-08:00

Sorrry! I have been busy at work and with some family matters :| My aunt is sick and my family spends quite a lot of time going to visit her. I just started NIE too, so I've been too busy to blog..... sigh.........

Anyway, here is OPI DS MAGIC :) really pretty! I took pics of it long ago, but I only just have time to post it up now... lol~

1 coat

2 coats

3 coats

In the bottle there appears to be duochrome but unfotubately this doesn't translate onto the nail. Still, this is a beautiful blue sparkle that glitters insanely even when it's not under direct light. It takes 3 coats to be perfectly opaque. Instant delight for monday blues :D

Nox Twilight Sangria

2010-12-25T01:28:00.000-08:00

My X'mas stash 2010!~

Nox Twilight Sangria (I decided the promo pics for True blood looked better :x )

1 coat

2 coats

I recently went to Bangkok with 2 of my girlfriends. While I was constantly bemoaning the lack of proper nail polish there, I came across this gem! It's the Nox Twilight series. Yay!! I'm no fan of Twilight, despite having read all 4 books, since I think all Bella does is moan about how good-looking Edward is. But I think the book/series is good comic relief :) I only need to flip a few pages/chapters when I'm feeling down, and instantly I can feel my mood perk up. Volia! I'm laughing myself to death when Bella once again lamenta about how Edward is a god and she cannot live without him. sheesh. Bella was an average emo girl before she met Edward, but after she sees him she soon becomes entranced and obessed. I seriously think Edward glamored her into becoming his slave or something. Sorry, but I think I prefer to read BL slash fan fiction abt edward and jacob. LOL.

I think I still prefer good old Anne Rice :D Lestat rox!!!

Anyway, looking at all the colors available: http://twilightbeauty.com/noxtwilightnailpolish.aspx
I decided that Sangria was the way to go :) suits the theme of blood suckers.... erm.... i mean vampires. And that it goes best with the pewter crest on the bottle. After all, I didn't buy the bottle cause the polish is superior or cause I'm a fan. I bought it so i could photograph it and stash it in my polish collection just to say I have it.

Del sol Trick and treat is a Winner!

2010-12-24T01:20:00.000-08:00

Remember how I complained abt my defective Del Sol Rock star nail polish? Well, after I sent an irate email to soap valley (which is the Singapore importer for this polish brand) I received a very nice apology email that promised to send me 3 bottles of del sol polish to make up for it. :) sounds too good to be true? well, here are the pic of the 3 bottles I received.

Superhero, Reckless, Trick or treat (from left to right)

In the sun. Color change for reckless and trick or treat.

1 coat

in the sun

2-3 coats. In the sun.

All in all, I can't complain since these were free bottles. Especially since the staff at soap valley were so nice abt the whole thing. :) Thank you!!

I especially LOVE Trick or Treat!! It's such a beautiful orangey color with holo glitter that I wouldn't care if it couldn't change color. But it does. It changes to a dark purplish-black base with holo glitter. Super pretty! I'm going to buy an extra bottle just in case! :)
Hmmm, I have to say that Superhero doesn't change to the purplish-pink it's supposed to. And superhero and reckless show quite a bit of brush-strokes. still, both are pretty colors, and I wouldn't mind buying del sol polishes again. It's a really interesting change from usual polish. Just be sure to check that your bottle is NOT deffective :D plea with the salesgirl to let u check the product first.

Superhero: 3/5
Reckless: 3.5/5
Trick or treat: 4.5/5 !WINNER!

Crackle nails

2010-12-17T05:34:00.000-08:00

Canmake has recently launched 3 new crackle polishes! It's called Crack Lac and it comes in pink, yellow and navy blue. Surprisingly, it works! You have to follow the instructions and paint 2 layers of whatever base polish you want. Then add ONE coat of the crack lac polish. It starts crackling almost immediately :) I have to admit that it's rather expensive :| S$14.90 per crack lac bottle and S$17.90 for the gel volume. Frankly, the gel volume topcoat is nothing special and you can skip that. The shine is not as glossy as Seche Vite and it doesn't dry as quickly/throughly. It's ok for a topcoat but nothing special, frankly. I'll do a reviw on several gel topcoats soon. I think it's all a gimick, actually. None of them are as good as the trusty seche vite-which has problems of it's own but is still my preferred choice.

From left to right: canmake CL01, canmake CL02, canmake gel volume topcoat

on the bare nail, crack lac only crackles very slightly at the edges.

1 layer of crack lac later....

the crack lac 'melts' a bit when topcoat is put on it. As can be seen, Gel volume is not too shiny :|

Orly OMG

2010-12-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

I got this bottle of polish as part of my birthday stash this year. My cousin's girlfriend gave me to me knowing what a nail fanatic I am. LOL~ This is not my usual preferred range of colors, but the neon intensity is actually quite attractive!

with flash

without flash

As can be seen, Orly OMG is a neon hot pink that turns a coral red-pink when it's out of the sunlight. Very pretty color for a summer look or when you're feeling spunky! :)

Del sol

2010-12-12T02:27:00.000-08:00

I've been quite busy recently. 2 of my aunts have fallen ill and my family is quite busy running various errands for them. My mum and I have been clearing up my aunt's flat so that involves manual labour on our part. It's taken a toil on my brittle nails and I've had to chop them off a couple of times : | sigh......

Anyway, I'm taking a break to Bangkok for 4days! :) see the hat above? I'm going to wear it while on vacation! It's 1 of those impulse buys from long ago, so I MUST find an occasion to wear it :D I wonder if the thai locals will think I'm some country bumpkin lol~

Anyway, I just bought 2 Del Sol colors from Sasa today. The colors are supposed to change while in the sun. At S$11.92 (actually S$14.90 but with 20% discount), I expect there to actually be spectacular color change. Unfortunately, Rock Star, the blue glittery polish, fails terribly. I think my bottle was a dud. The polish simply refused to turn green even though I stood under the hot bright sun for a good 20mins =.=|| so disappointing. The blue glitter itself is ok, but nothing spectacular in a market awash with tons of beautiful blue polish. I only paid this much for a UNIQUE color changing polish, not any normal lousy polish. I can get normal polish for less than S$2 a bottle =.= What a waste of money. Sasa doesn't offer refunds, but I'm still going to go back to make my complains known! They can keep my money, but I'm going to complain about their defective products! At the very least, a company should test it's products to make sure it works BEFORE putting it on the shelves. 2/5

This pic is slightly yellow tinged, it's definitely a blue not a greenish blue. Compare skin color with the pic below and u can tell it's a different color.

Sigh, at least Ruby Slippers works beautifully~ The silver polish turns a slight pink under even the slighest sunlight. In direct bright sunlight it turns a pinkish red that's really pretty to behold! At least Ruby Slippers was a win. This polish is actually worth the $$$ I spent. 4/5

trinket craziness part 2

2010-12-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

And yes, a resumption of my insane internet window shopping!

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=6700

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=11952

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=10975

omg =.= swarovski imitation

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=11182

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=6934

this pretty winged piece is so tiny and dainty!

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=6594

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=11137

lol. I think this is adorable

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=7905

mickey mouse!

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=8393

I love mother-of-pearl

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=10129

Tinklebell!

1st attempt at Water Marbling

2010-11-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

Okok, so I'm too late for the OPI Water Marbling contest but I just couldn't take all the hype and really needed to try out Water marbling :D

This is not really my 1st attempt. My last attempt was a big FAIL 'cause the polish kept hardening before i could even make patterns >.< I think it has to do with the humidity of Singapore and the winds. This time I tried Water marbling in open air. When it didn't work, I closed all the windows and effectively locked myself up with the poisonous polish fumes =.= This took me a good 30-45mins to complete and it was MESSY 'cause I used Vaseline instead of tape around my fingers. I think I'll use tape next time.

As you can see, OPI DS Glamour didn't really show up in my water marbling :x I think solid, vivid or dark colors work best for marbling. Surprisingly, OPI The color to watch became a subtle background color for the mani even though it'a a light shimmer color. Interesting :D

P.S. In the last 2 pics, I've topped the mani with 1 coat of OPI Text Me Text You for a glittery effect :)

Colors I used:
OPI
The color to watch
Suzi says feng shui
DS Glamour
Play til Midnight

ESTESSIMO TINS 403 - Rich Topaz

2010-11-17T23:34:00.000-08:00

I wore these colors to my school's Staff Dinner :) The theme was gold and silver, a night of stars. ESTESSIMO TINS 403 - Rich Topaz -->This polish is a subtle holo that shines like molten gold when under light :) Like all holos, it glitters with a myriad of colors that reflect the rainbow. Very pretty color that suitable for party and work.

And this is the pedicure color I wore with my sparkly peach heels :) The base color is 1 coat of Missha KH01 which is a metallic moss green. It 's a very subtle light green at 1 coat. I then layered Misa Confection Section twice over KH01. This polish is full of iridescent glitter that shimmers in all sorts of colors. Finally, I added a layer of Canmake 17 which contains large and small iridescent glitter. After topcoat is added, this pastel glittery pedicure is finished :)

LOvely trinkets

2010-11-09T03:12:00.000-08:00

I'm in the midst of choosing trinkets for myself and I thought I would share some of the stuff I'm looking through :) This is only part 1, the stuff I've decided I'll NOT buy~ LOL~ I'm not affiliated with this website at all and I definitely get ZERO profits from showing u these pics >.< This is just a random internet window shopping that I'm considering. :)

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=11163

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=8863

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=8488

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=9247

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=9244

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=8768

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=24508

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=7552

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=9662

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=10296

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=11043

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=11636

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=24603

http://www.okba.kr/list.asp?id=10303

I'm baaaaack!

2010-11-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

ok ok, so maybe I wasn't all that busy. I just simply felt the bliss of slacking. The last week was filled with showing movies to the kids. On average, I watched Transformers 3 times in a day =.= Damn megan fox. All the boys say they're her boyfriend. "Cher! Pause that! pause pause!!! wah! megan fox got nice boobies. Kiss kiss kiss! sigh,..... why she never kiss me" OMG =.= Of course I didn'tpause, but the raging hormones of teenage boys..... sigh. I watched Transformers 1 and 2 until I was sick of it.
aNYWAY, The school holidays have currently started for the kids, so I'm free free FREE!!!!!! No nasty kids to handle :) Wheeeeee!

Here is another polish I wore to school. It's so sparkly it makes me happy! I must have been a magpie in a previous life. lol. This took 5-6 coats to build up the depth of glitter. It's never ever going to be opaque so don't even try. The number of coats depends on how much glitter u want.

And here is a rather blurry video of Anna Sui 011. It's like a shower of sparkling multi-colored glitter on your nails. :) Really pretty!

This an interesting bread I found at a Tampines foodcourt at the bus interchange. It's supposedly Rose Bread. S$1.30 per piece. It does have some rose aroma when u bite into it but it's not overwhelming. The filling is very slightly cream rose scented cream and there are bits of red cherry-like preserved fruit that taste of rose syrup? Quaint but not something I would fall in love with and swear by.

Rose Bread.

Cream filled center with slightly aromatic pieces of preserved rose?

Cheers! :)

Dire straits

2010-10-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've been really preoccupied at work this week. I've realized that it's quite depressing to work with kids/students. Life has been more or less smooth sailing for me, so I can't understand the malice that some of these kids emit. Some are good kids, willing to make an effort to learn, but quite a few are uninterested in an learning. They may come from dysfunctional families, but that simply does not excuse their behavior. Some of them simply swagger up to a teacher, ANY teacher, and spout vulgarities/insults. We most definitely did not do anything to deserve such animosity. I have never even seen some of these students before. And they are not afraid of any disciplinary action since they already spend plenty of time in detention. It's not just 1 or 2 nasty kids, but almost a few in EVERY class. I understand that there are schools which house students of lower academic abilities who come with their own emotional baggage and attitude problems and I should not expect too much out of them, but this is too much. This kind of disrespect is very unbecoming. The kids of today are displaying a culture of disrespect. They do not respect neither seniority, be it age or position. Many years back, a teacher could punish a student thoroughly. Nowadays, disciplinary threats do not avail since over-zealous parents will raise hell over the slightest things. I really am at a loss with how to deal with unruly kids. A Senior teacher told me we must be "like Buddha" and be unruffled by any unruly behavior. In short, I am supposed to put on a Stoic Face and calmly take all the insults that the kids dish out at me.

The future looks bleak. I wish we were able to implement strict measures and discipline all those wannabe hooligans. They actually think it's cool to be a delinquent. I really pity the kids who want to learn but are stuck in a situation where others destroy their learning environment.

Just the other day, I actually broke down and cried after a whole day of being insulted. It seems the classes here make most trainee teachers cry at least once before their contract is up. They actually seem quite proud of it........... I'm not going to give up. These kids think they can lord it over me? Yes and No. Of course I'm not going to totally give up on them, but i'm not going to rise to the bait anymore. All I'm going to do is put on a Stony Face every time they tell me crap. I actually pity them... They just don't understand that it's not my future at stake, it's theirs. They may think they've won, but the fact is they're only just starting to embark on a future where sooner or later, they'll reap the consequences of their actions.

I resolve to emulate Christ in the face of insults.
Breathe in, breathe out. Zen. Total peace and calm in the face of a typhoon.

And yes, a teacher shouldn't be too obsessed over her nails, 'cause that is considered vain/materialistic/bimbotic but this really is part of my weekend pampering process where I retreat to lick my wounds and recuperate from cutting insults.

And here are my work appropriate nails, OPI Fiji Weejee Fawn. It's a very neutral pearly nude. It's perfect for a classy chic work-look.

Random nail polish pics

2010-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

comparison to OPI absolutely alice. AA has a much darker base with only gold glitters.

hmmmm.... i have no idea what these are? no idea at all!

Lush haul :)

2010-09-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Lol~ I've been busy with my new job recently. It's been very interesting and slightly frustrating. I'll try to update more often :D Anyway, here is the stuff I ordered from Lush. Lush is not easy to get hold of in Singapore, so this is a new experience! This was my 1st lush spree and so far I'm very pleased with the gorgeous smelling soaps!

List of the stuff I ordered:

Honey I Washed The Kids Soap
Karma Soap
Rock Star Soap
Fair Trade Foot Lotion
Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter
Imogen Rose solid PERFUME

so far I've only tried out the perfume and lotions. The Imogen Rose solid PERFUME had a very heady scent. It's very..... exotic smelling, much heavier than what I usually like. I have to be honest and say I don't think it smells like a rose. Smells a bit like the strong scented kind of perfumes that some Muslims like to use. It's not bad, just needs a little getting used to due to the unexpectedness of it's un-rose like scent :) 3/5

The Fair Trade Foot Lotion was supposed to have a slight spearmint tingle. Unfortunately, there was none. it smells minty, looks a pretty pink but is slightly more watery than I expected. Usually foot lotions are more creamy than hand lotions, but this one was very liquid. The moisturizing factor is only ok, but since my feet are quite dry I prefer The Body Shop Spa wisdom Africa Honey & Beeswax hand and foot butter. 3.5/5

The Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter was the one product I was really looking forward to. After hearing raves from Laquerized and other nail divas, I was convinced it was the perfect cuticle moisturiser to save the day. I have to say, it's nice but it's not really the miracle worker I expected. My OPI avoplex high-intensity hand & nail cream works just as well for me. Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter was good to use but I think it's more or less the same as my usual cuticle moisturiser : | 4/5

I haven't had the time to cut my soaps into smaller cubes to use and try out, but they all smell heavenly! :) I'm pretty pleased with my Lush haul even though not everything met my expectations :D I'll still continue to buy Lush! :)

OPI Burlesque haul

2010-09-15T02:35:00.000-07:00

LoL~ Today was the 1st day of work and all I was required to do was stare into blank space :x It turns out today is intro day and so no work was assigned. I hear this is called the honeymoon period before hell on earth is unleashed :|

Anyway, this just came in the mail today, so I thought I would show it off. I ordered the 6 glitters from the OPI Burlesque, 2 Orly cosmic fx colors and ESTESSIMO TINS 016 - The Splash Blue.

Without further ado, here are the bottles:

with flash

ESTESSIMO TINS 016 - The splash blue, orly Space Cadet, orly Galaxy Girl, opi Sparkle-icious, opi Show It & Glow It, opi Simmer & Shimmer, opi Extra-va-vaganza, opi Glow Up Already, opi Bring On the Bling. (in no particular order)
P.S. I already swatched all the glitters and they're really pretty! BUT, is it safe to post OPI Burlesque swatches? I'm not really keen on getting warning letters.... =.=

OPI The color to watch

2010-09-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

V-shaped white dotted nail art

The Color to Watch

This polish is really pretty to look at. It reminds me of frosted bluebells. It shimmers a pale silvery purple/blue, almost like a metallic but not quite, with flashes of blue and reddish-purple microshimmer. It take 4-5 coats to eliminate VNL but 2-3 coats gives it a slightly sheer paler finish that makes it look more delicate though there is a slight VNL. This color reminds me of wintery shades, delicate and cool.

1 coat

2 coats

4 coats

sometimes more is too much. lol~

The men just don't get it

2010-09-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

I went for a hair perm this morning and extorted money from my dad to pay for it. He handed S$50 to me and went back to reading his newspaper. I paused.
Me: "Erm... this isn't enough."
Dad: "Eh? Not enough?" he hands over another S$50.
Me: "Still not enough" ---> 囧 face
Dad: "WHAT?! How much does hair perming cost?!"
Me: "About S$230-300, i think."
Dad: *heart attack*

LOL~ He grudgingly handed over the money, but when we met for lunch he was still sulking. My mum and I think it's absolutely hilarious~ The guys normally pay S$10-30 for a haircut and so they don't understand why girls have to pay so much for hair treatments and other hair services. In fact, my mum and dad like to go to a small salon @ bedok central where haircuts are only S$3.80. This scrimping makes them feel happy since they come from a generation where the traditional notion of saving money is a valued Chinese virtue.

Yet, this is also a gender sensitive issue as men are less frivolous. When I mean less frivolous I mean that some guys will buy 3 colors of the same shirt so that they don't have to continually shop to find something suitable. Girls, on the other hand, will most probably do a lot more shopping to find various pretty clothes. 1stly, society places a lot more emphasis on a woman's appearance. 2ndly, men are supposedly more practical/logical while women are more flighty/emotional creatures. Let's face it, a male will most probably buy a few expensive branded items (e.g. Car, Power suits, Pen, ...) while a female has infinitely more items to spend on (e.g. clothes, shoes, make-up, ...). This doesn't mean that men spend less then women, just that the nature of what they spend on is different. A car is definitely more expensive than make-up. Yet a car is a singular object, a one-time splurge, while make-up consists of multiple objects that are cheap separately but add up to a considerable sum in the long run.

All this is nothing new, just a random rumbling : D Anyway, we have the Castledew 9143 swatch below. This polish is a frosty light pearl pink that's nothing new. It was a little streaky in application and I do not recomend layering as the base is milky/streaky so it isn't suitable on dark colors. It contains a pink and white shimmer that's not very obvious since the overall effect is that of a frost/pearl. It's work appropriate though and very pleasing to look at. A staple for everyday :)

1 coat

4 coats. (smudged thumb by accident while taking photo)

Castledew 9301 swatch

2010-09-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is what I usually would term as a b.o.r.i.n.g color and ignore, but I'm going to start work soon and I've been looking into pastel colors that are work appropriate. LoL~ Below is Castledew 9301 which is a pale lilac with very subtle blue and pink micro-glitter/shimmer.

1 coat. Extremely sheer.

compare both bottle shots for shimmer color changes

4 coats to get rid of VNL. subtle glitter.

In the bottle, the glitter is more noticeable and pretty. However, on the finger it dries to a rather dull finish. The glitter is not very noticable unless viewed in close proximity. Rather disappointing actually. The lilac base color is still pretty and feminine, but I feel it lacks a spark to make it unique. For S$8 I truly expected better.

Castledew 9545

2010-09-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

Castledew is a korean cosmetics brand. Like most korean cosmetics, it is sold very cheaply in korea but the price is greatly marketed up when exported overseas. I've heard that the nail polish sells for abt 3000won back in korea, which is about S$3.50 or so. Unfortunately, Castledew is sold for at around $8-9 a bottle at Beauty Language stores. $igh~

1 coat, natural light

2 coats on all fingers except pinky

with flash

Castledew 9545 is a rosy pink with light greenish-silver shimmer. It takes on a somewhat subtle duochrome effect in certain light. It's a very pleasing color that suits any outfit :) I have several more castledew swatches coming up soon! Do stay tuned! lol~

OPI DS glamour

2010-08-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

I know OPI DS glamour was released a long time ago, but I absolutely love holographic nail polish! The OPI DS series contains several of my favorite nail polishes of all time and I think it's incomparable to any other polish! I bought 3 bottles of OPI DS glamour just so I won't be in danger of running out of it EVER.

OPI DS glamour is absolutely stunning in bright light. It is supposedly a medium blue holo but in certain lights it has a purplish cast. It leans towards blue yet itsn't totally blue. It can't be classified as purple but it most certainly can be considered a blurple, a fusion between purple and blue. LOL~

1 coat

2 coats, no VNL

In natural light

Like most other holos, OPI DS glamour only reveals a sheen of prismatic glitter in natural light. However, the sun's rays uncover a glorious spectrum of rainbow colors. It's as if OPI DS glamour glows in the light. She isn't shy and is almost agressive in displaying her beauty.

Pedicure at PINC

2010-08-29T02:14:00.000-07:00

ESTESSIMO TINS is a Japanese brand nail polish that is usually filled with glitter and bling! It costs abt S$14 when u purchase several bottles from dollupnails.com (it's more difficult to buy than OPI as it's not widely brought into the market here) I love it 'cause it always contains insane amounts of glittery goodness!

ESTESSIMO TINS 030 - The Silky Night

Gosh! Just look at it! It's like the night sky! Full of glittery stars! :)

I went to the Tampines Century Square PINC branch with my friend Hazel last night for classic pedicure :) I had been dying to use the S$50 voucher that I got for my birthday in May. Service there was excellent, much much much better than going to those lousy shops like Milly's @ Far East Plaza. The staff was meticulous while doing my nails and there was none of that insane never-ending chatter from staff who can sometimes be over-zealous/over-enthusiastic in promoting their treatments and polishes. Classic Pedi prices start from $33 onwards, but Tins polishes cost a dollar extra and there was some sort of anti-septic treatment or something that cost $4 extra so in the end my pedi cost S$38. My feet felt happily moistured and softer after the perfect pedi! lol~

Their website: http://pinc-nails.com.sg/
Store locations: http://sg.88db.com/Beauty/Manicure-Pedicure/ad-798747/

natural light

with flash

blurred to show the insane glitter!

Shimery grey comparisions

2010-08-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Polishes being used in comparison:

OPI Baby It's coal out here

OPI Lucerne-tainly look marvelous

OPI Brand new skates

From thumb to pinky: 1 coat each of BICOH, LLM, BNS, LLM, BNS

2 coats each

3 coats each

As can be observed, OPI Brand new skates and OPI Lucerne-tainly look marvelous looked quite similar in the bottle, except that BNS had golden shimmer while LLM was more a shimmery silver. The base color of BNS is certainly 1 tone paler and has a more jelly-like finish. In terms of opacity, BNS took 3-4 coats to eliminate VNL while LLM too only 2 coats to become opaque. LLM reminded me of a gunmetal grey shimmer, a greyish silver version of Color Club what a drag. The finish was definitely much smoother though. In all, I prefered BNS as it was more unique though LLM is also a pretty polish.

Etude House Dear Darling Nails Wh004

2010-08-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

This particular polish captured my attention when I was browsing around at Etude. Under the bright lights in the shop, this polish swam with psychedelic colors. Retailing at S$11.90 a bottle, this Korean brand polish is a real beauty.

It was like an oil spill, rainbow colors merging together in a mesmerizing black pool. Reds, purples, blues and greens come together in a black base, reminding one if a dark peacock who slyly hides his beautiful tail feathers. Showy and subtle all at the same time. This polish coyly winks under bright light in a myriad of flashy colors.

From left to right: 2 coats, 2 coats, 1 coat, 1 coat.

Most of the time this polish seems merely a blackish perhaps greenish goth color. Yet, isn't this peacock beautiful?

Color club too violet

2010-08-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

This polish was just sitting around collecting dust for ages. I had ordered it many months ago but when it finally came i decided i hated it. It's a very pretty sheer purple that's perfect for layering. It came in a mini bottle and it has holo glitter! What's not to like? It doesn't come with a metal ball inside it to shake the polish out evenly so the holo glitter likes to stick to the bottle sides. I have no idea why, but I felt instant hate when I realized this =.= OMG. I sometimes freak myself out with my insane ideas.

Luckily, this madness only lasted till yesterday, when i decided I might as well give it a try since the color was too pretty to reject just because of my insane obsession with polish metal balls. lol.

From left to right: layered over OPI black onyx, layered over OPI the color to watch, 2 coats Too Violet, 1 coat Too Violet.

From left to right: layered over OPI black onyx, layered over OPI the color to watch, 2 coats Too Violet.

Anna Sui 209

2010-08-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Anna Sui has recently launched 5 limited edition colors. This new range consists of flakie polishes in white, blue, purple, peach and chocolate brown! I'm going to show a swatch of the Anna Sui 209 which is a purple based polish with greenish-blue flakes. It's a beautiful colored, but very sheer. 4-5 coats is needed to attain bottle color and even then, VNL can still be seen. I recommend layering it over black or a similar colored purple polish. It comes in the signature rose detailed bottle with rose scent and retails for S$24 at all Anna Sui counters. Since we don't have Nfu oh flakies in Singapore, I say this is a great alternative! 3 Cheers to Anna Sui!

From left to right: 1 coat, 2 coats, 3 coats, layered over black.

with flash

Thumb: 1 coat 209 over OPI the color to watch. Pinky: 2 coats 209 over OPI black onyx.

Baby it's coal outside + Anna Sui 101

2010-08-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased 3 bottles of Anna sui polishes, so the next few posts will be on these pretties! :) Retailing at S$24 a bottle, it's pretty expensive but the cute packaging and rose scent is a refreshing change from the 'normal' shapes of OPI/China glaze/Orly/... I really fell head over heads in love with Anna Sui 101 which consists of a ton of small blue-green glitters and medium sized dark blue circle glitters.


1 coat: thumb + pinky. 2 coats: index + middle + ring finger

1 coat: thumb + pinky. 3 coats: index + middle finger. 2 coats: ring finger

blurred image to let u see the different colored glitters

Lol~ Pls ignore the stubby toes, I've been doing a lot of walking these past few days and my feet are worn out :p When layered on a blackened base, 101 is truly stunning! I was totally mesmerised by the sea like shimmers of grenn, blue and purple. I totally feel like going back to get a back-up bottle! :D

Gorgeous sea-like coloring on black base

close-up of 101 layered on BICO

Zoya Kotori

2010-08-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

For a long time, I had been in love with the beautiful swatches of Zoya Kotori from various bloggers. However, it isn't that easy to get hold of Zoya polishes in Singapore. When I finally managed to get hold of several bottles from Doll up nails, I was elated!

After trying out Zoya roxy and Kotori however, I feel a little let down :| I do like Kotori, but I don't love it. It's pretty but not as attention grabbing as I would like. I expected it to have some sort of "inner glow" of blue sparkles, as if some the God of Nail Polishes had bestowed glorious divine force/power onto Kotori. Unfortunately, no such thing. Sigh~

Yet, Zoya Kotori is a beautiful polish. She is a whole galaxy of blackened blue shimmer contained in a clear base. She's not loud or attention grabbing, but she does subtly entice you. She sings a siren song, slowly mesmerising you with her shimmering nightgown of glittering blue dust.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

without flash

With flash

under indirect sunlight

1 coat Essie matte about you

2 Funky french mani's

2010-08-14T03:41:00.000-07:00


Skittles mani

Ok, so I was trying to enter my "Just Tips" mani for the polish hoarder disorder's challenge and I decided that I might as well show a previous mani that I did. It's a red french mani using a Japanese polish, Estessimo tins #406 Passionate Ruby. If anyone wants to see the full entry, this is the link back to my previous blog entry on LJ.

Next up is my actual entry for the challenge, which is a skittles french mani! :) All polishes used were Canmake polishes, which is having a discount at watsons now (S$5.90 per polish instead of S$8.90).

Polishes used (in order, from left to right): Canmake Colorful Nails 21, 20, 27, 28, 23, 17

I started by using a base coat, then stamping konad patterns on with metallic colors like China Glaze. Then I painted french mani tips with the canmake colors and added a topcoat when i was done.

As per perferance, one can add nail art stickers/crystals/etc to the nail (see 1st pic left hand). Or alternatively, you could just do the skittles mani and skip the konad. Then do 1 coat of Canmake polish 17 which is a clear polish with suspended large hex glitter(see 1st pic right hand). It sparkles like crazy in any light :)

1st Post

2010-08-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

YES! Finally made the switch from LJ cause I got so frustrated trying to change certain alignments.

Anyway, this is good since I just graduated and am going to start working soon. A new blog = A clean start, A whole new outlook on life, New beginnings! :)

Hopefully I'll be able to organize this blog more cleanly. The previous one was waaaaay too messy =.=

I'll try to post at least once every 2 days since it's the holidays still until work starts on sep 13th.

Tralalalalalalalalah~ until next time~ :)