Shu Uemura - Face Architect Glow Enhancing Powder Foundation

After a long hiatus from blogging, I am back for a few short posts. But it is not a craft related post, instead, I am going to blog about some new beauty products that I have recently purchased and tried out.

Photo from Shu Uemura USA website

The first product is the Shu Uemura Powder Foundation. I was looking for something that would give me light coverage and fast and easy to use. I really like this powder foundation because the texture is ultra silky and smooth and you can apply it either with the sponge that comes with it or a kabuki brush for a lighter finish. Initially I was using a kabuki type brush because I thought that the sponge would give me a super heavy look but to my surprise, it doesn't!

I'm quite fair skinned so I use the product in Light Beige - 774. My only gripe is the price of the product. The powder foundation itself cost RM 140 but that is just for the powder which comes in a refill format. You would have to buy the case to carry it around with (it comes in either black or white) and that is another RM 50! So you would have to fork out a total of RM 190 for your first time purchase. But I don't regret buying this product because I absolutely love the fine texture of the powder.

Burt's Bees in Malaysia!

Yesterday I was at The Curve and pretty much walking aimlessly for awhile when I stopped and stared at something for a long while because I couldn't really believe my eyes. Right next to Border's Bookshop on the Ground floor of The Curve, were the renovations boards indicating that Burt's Bees ("Burt's") was going to be a new addition to the shops at The Curve!!!

I first learned about Burt's when I went to Singapore sometime last year and walked into Sephora. I bought the Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil just to try out the product. Suffice to say, I am very happy using this product as it keeps my lips smooth and moist. The pomegranate oil is supposed to infuse your lips with antioxidants.

Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

Picture extracted from Burt's Bees website

Basically, the brand is all about using natural ingredients for its products. Currently, half of their products are 100% natural and the company is aiming to to meet a goal of 100% natural formulas for all their products. All products are free from the following:

• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Petrochemicals

Currently, Burt's has the following product ranges : Lips, Face, Body, Hands and Feet, Hair, Baby and Mom, Men, Sun and Outdoor and Gift Packs. Let's hope that when the store opens in Malaysia, most of the products will be available. I would really love love to try out some of their other products, for example their Lip Shimmer products which I was told by the Sales Assistants in Sephora, were one of Burt's best selling items.

I believe the store will be open for business in another month or 2. You can read more about Burt's Bees' products at www.global.burtsbees.com.

Has anyone used Burt's Bees products before? If you have, please let me know which product you love and would recommend to others!

Update : The Burt's Bees store is now open at The Curve right next to Borders on the Ground Floor.

Update 2 : If you buy above RM200, you will be eligible for a loyalty card which entitles you to 10% off on all products for life and a 30% discount on the week of your birthday.

EcoTools in Malaysia

Has anyone ever heard of EcoTools? Well, EcoTools has many products under its earth friendly line but the brand is more well known for its makeup brushes. Why? Because EcoTools brushes are made of natural and recycled materials and much cheaper than other branded makeup brushes and supposed to work just as well. It was all the rage in the USA but unobtainable in Malaysia. I managed to buy a few brushes when a friend went to the USA.

Yesterday, while I was walking around One Utama Shopping Centre, I decided to pop into the Shins retail outlet just to check out if they had anything interesting. And my eyes nearly popped out when I saw that they were selling EcoTools makeup brushes!! I couldn't take any pictures as the shop was very small and had 3 SAs which would probably be eyeing me curiously if I were to start taking pictures.

The pictures below are some brushes that I managed to obtain through a friend in the USA:

Bamboo 5-piece brush set - Baby Kabuki, Mineral Powder Brush, Concealer Brush and Eyeshader Brush

Bamboo 6 piece brush set - Blush Brush, Concealer Brush, Eyeshading Brush, Eyeliner Brush and Lash and Brow Groomer

EcoTools Powder Brush

EcoTools Foundation Brush

I managed to purchase the first 3 items at a total of about RM125 after conversion. Here, the price of the 6 piece Bamboo Brush Set was retailing for RM85, while the Powder Brush was retailing for about RM50. I must apologise for forgetting to check the price of the 5 piece bamboo brush but seeing that the price of my 3 items from the USA is only equivalent to the price of the 2 items in Malaysia, I'd say it's way more expensive to get in Malaysia.

The makeup brushes are made from synthetic bristles which are 100% cruelty free and bamboo handles that have a low impact on the earth's resources as it is a highly sustainable plant. The silver part of the brush is actually recycled aluminium. Although the bristles are synthetic, I must say that the brushes feels truly soft and luxurious. I personally like the eyeliner brush and the concealer brush. For eyeshadow, I prefer a more dense makeup brush. The blush brush works really well in picking up blush powder as well. I found the baby kabuki brush to be too sparse to work effectively and I think one which is more densely packed would be a better kabuki brush.

Anyhow, this posting is for those of you who might have wanted to try out EcoTools brushes but never got the opportunity to try it out. I can't be sure whether all Shins outlets now carry EcoTools so just pop into the one at One Utama New Wing to avoid disappointment!

Have you ever tried using EcoTools brushes? If you have, let me know your comments!

Totebags Galore!

Has anyone ever heard of the brand Rootote? It is a brand which was created in Japan in 2001 and it's called a Rootote because each bag has a convenient side pocket called a "Roo pocket" (as in kangaroo, I think). There are also convenient pockets to hold all your gadgets and stuff inside the bag. For those who are afraid to use bags with no zip enclosures (like me), you can put your purses and such in the Roo pocket as it is a cleverly hidden pocket with a zip enclosure at the side of the bag. To see what I mean, please visit Rootote.com.

Here are some pictures of the Rootote bags :

Cosmetic Pouch

The prices for the totebags ranges from RM50 to RM125 for limited editions. The cosmetic pouches retail for RM45. The bags made from polyester materials are priced at RM50 and the cotton canvas ones are priced from RM55 onwards. I have seen these and I feel that the material that is used for the totebags are strong and durable, perfect for everyday use. And the above are just a fraction of the designs that are available.

You can find the above bags at :

Life & Style Co.
P2-L1, Tropicana City Mall
No 3, Jalan SS20/27
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan

The shop also sells other brands of totebags such as Funtote (from the USA) and Envirosax which are environmentally friendly designer shopping bags. Everyone should be encouraged to use these bags as their contribution in saving our environment!

Enjoy!!

Sephora in Singapore

This post is about my recent visit into Sephora Singapore at ION Orchard during Merdeka Weekend. This is actually not my first visit to Sephora as I had already visited the Sephora in New York about 10 years ago. Only then, I was much younger and wasn't really interested in cosmetics so, did not think that Sephora was a big deal. Hahaha.

Anyhow, I was not allowed to take pictures of the inside of the Sephora store. Yes, I was a geek and asked the store people if I could, and they said 'no'. So, here's a picture of the store front.

It is actually a very spacious store and I hope that in the future they will choose to bring in more brands. For now, they have the following brands (I will try to list the brand names from Memory):

• Sephora (in-house brand)
• MAC
• SK II
• Pop Beauty (UK brand)
• Smashbox
• Too Faced
• Clinique
• Clarins
• Kose
• Bare Minerals
• Bliss
• Burt's Bees
• Makeup Forever
• Dr.Hauschka
• Federik Fekkai
• Nvey
• Dior
• Sisley

There's more but that's about all I can remember. They also sell perfumes by a lot of brands so Sephora is not only for skincare and cosmetics. :)

Basically I was only interested in Burt's Bees and Bare Minerals products as I have heard good things about it and wanted to try Bare Minerals foundation powder. There were many sales assistants around and I would say most of them were very polite except for the one that attended to me at the Bare Minerals counter. Anyhow, I bit my tongue and walked away with only one product (if she had been nicer to me, perhaps I would have walked away with more). Hahaha.

I apparently have yellow toned skin so the SA matched me with the mineral foundation in 'Light'. I have been browsing bare minerals online but was quite shocked when I saw the size of this thing up close. The above only contains 2 grams worth of powder and costs SGD48 (about RM 118). Although on the upside, it provides you with a sun protection factor of 15 (i.e. SPF 15).

I must say though that after trying the mineral foundation, I really love it. It gives my skin a natural finish with some coverage and on the overall, you get a glowing look. If you want light coverage, use a normal powder brush to apply it on your face. However, if you want a little more coverage, then use a kabuki brush to really buff the powder onto your face. The only downside is my pores becomes a little bit more apparent than normal but no one has commented on that fact yet! ;) I will be going back to Singapore in October and thinking if I should try something else from them. Hehe. You can read more about Bare Minerals cosmetic line by Bare Escentuals here.

I also got some brushes from Sephora's own line of brushes. First was the angle brush for cheeks, then another flat round top brush for either blusher, bronzer or powder and a crease contour brush. The brushes range from SGD20 to SGD35 and they are made of natural hair (whatever that means). Hahaha. But they are very soft although I haven't used it yet...Still too new. Hehehe.

I also bought a lip balm from Burt's Bees and another eyeshadow palette from Pop Beauty. I would say that the eyeshadows from Pop Beauty are pigmented and very smooth to the touch. I have not used them yet so I can't comment on whether it's long lasting or whether it goes on nicely.

I just wished that Sephora brought in Urban Decay because I really love the eyeshadows and eyeshadow primer potion! We can remain hopeful. :))

Feel free to leave me your thoughts on Sephora Singapore!

New Collection by Edera Jewelry

Clemence Earrings

Anya Earrings

Thetis Earrings

Delphine Petit-Four Earrings

I was so excited when I found Edera Jewelry as it was exactly what I had been looking for. Edera Jewelry is the brainchild of Ivy Long, who has been creating unique and meticulously handcrafted jewelry for ten years. Her signature craft involves meticulous interweavings of silk, gold and silver thread, embroidery, semi precious stones, vintage beads and handcrafted chains.

Edera Jewelry has created 4 pieces exclusively for Serenity Gemz (as pictured above) and is currently not available for sale anywhere else in Asia. For more information about the individual pieces and for the prices, please visit Serenity Gemz.

You need only to have a closer look and see all the work and love that has gone into the weaving and beading of these creations. Truly an exquisite, one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art.

Benefit Powder Pop! Palette

This posting is about my impulsive purchase recently from Strawberrynet.com. I found out about this website from a few friends and also some literature that I had come across. It is a website that sells skincare, haircare, perfume and also cosmetics. This is a Hong Kong based website and it ships FREE WORLDWIDE for most items. If you are a loyal customer, your discount on items increases with the number of times you purchase from them. My package came in about 5 - 7 days from the time I ordered it.

I recently purchased the Benefit Powder Pop! Palette from them as it was only retailing at USD15 and it had 3 shades of the Benefit Powder, namely Dandelion (a brightening face powder), Hoola (a bronzing face powder) and Dallas (an outdoor glow for an indoor gal face powder). But when the item finally arrived, it was much smaller in size than I thought. Each square that you see in the picture only measures about 3 cm x 3 cm. It also comes with a miniature version of the actual brush but since it was so small, I wanted to try using my normal face brushes. Alas, the square is so small that my other brushes simply cannot fit in it to pick up the powder! Hahahaha. So I guess I'll have to settle for using the small tinny bitty brush!

Giorgio Armani - Foundation, Concealer and Powder

I recently visited the Giorgio Armani cosmetics counter at Pavilion Shopping Mall in KL as I have heard and read many good comments about the brand's foundation and powders. I first tried the Face Fabric Second Skin Nude Makeup with SPF 12 on the back of my hand and the moment you touch the cream, you want to buy it!! No kidding....Smooth as silk and immediately transforms to the smoothest powder form! It is designed to make you look as if you are not wearing any makeup and because of the 3D Micro-fil technology, it gives your face an even smoother complexion. Face Fabric is for light coverage and comes in at least 8 shades I think, and retails for RM165. I am definitely putting this in my 'to buy' list after I finish my tinted moisturiser that I'm currently using from Laura Mercier.

The other foundation I tried was a more liquid form called Luminous Silk Foundation for light to medium coverage. This one does not finish in powder form but is also very light to touch. It is an oil-free fluid and also has the same 3D Micro-fil technology as Face Fabric and gives you a natural glow. Luminous SIlk Foundation also retails for RM165 and comes in at least 6 shades. I think I will get Face Fabric before I try this one out.

The other amazing thing about Giorgio Armani is it's powder! Loose or compact, its texture is simply super smooth!! You have to try it to believe it! The loose powder retails for RM160 while the compacts are slightly more expensive, with the compact that has some anti-ageing properties retailing at RM219....I will definitely buy this when my Guerlain Meteorites has finished. :)

My sister who went with me bought a loose powder and a concealer for undereye dark circles (although the concealer can also be used for other parts of your face). The concealer comes in a small sleek bottle with an applicator in the shape of a long thin brush. After dabbing bits of concealer under the eyes, you are then supposed to use a brush to spread the concealer evenly. My sister said that she felt the concealer gave good coverage while still feeling 'lightweight'. This is also on my 'to buy' list when I finish my concealer! Hahaha.

Body Shop's Grapeseed Glossing Serum

Do you have dull or frizzy hair? Because I do and I was very happy to have been introduced to Body Shop's Grapeseed Glossing Serum by my sister sometime last year. Over the years, I have tried many glossing and smoothing serums to try and help tame my frizzy hair, most of which were really expensive. However, this particular glossing serum which only costs RM49 for 75 ml, works wonders. This is normally how I use it : After washing and towel drying my hair for a bit, I will blowdry it with my super powerful salon hairdryer. Hahaha. But just to the point where you hair is still damp. Then I take 2 pumps of this serum and smooth it all over my hair. Then continue drying your hair and voila, no frizz! Absolutely love it! Hahahah. You can also use this on dry hair but I find it works better when you work it in on damp hair before drying.

Unfortunately, recently I went to Body Shop just to check if they still sell it in Malaysia and I couldn't find it. Since the sales people were all busy, I couldn't find out whether they don't stock it anymore or whether it was just out of stock. I found it on the UK website and it only cost 6.85 pounds. Much cheaper than when I bought it last time. So, if you know anyone living overseas, try this product out. >_<

Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Mascara

This is another favorite makeup product of mine at the moment.  How did I chance upon it? Well, about two months back, I met up with a good friend and commented on her lashes.  I asked her if she was wearing fake lashes because, even though I knew she had long eyelashes before, it just seemed extra long to me on that night.  She responded that she wasn't wearing fake lashes but instead, was using Bobbi Brown's newly launched Perfectly Defined Mascara. I was amazed and checked it out as soon as I could.  I tried it out and couldn't believe it.  Although I have super short and sparse lashes, I could see the difference when I tried on this mascara.  It lengthened and curled my lashes.  The product information does not state that it is a waterproof mascara.  Instead, it mentions that it is smudgeproof, does not flake and lasts all day.  I will also add that it does not clump which is also very important.  Lastly, you do not need special makeup removers as the mascara will come off if you wipe it off with a piece of cotton soaked in warm water. However, it will not come off in one clean swipe.  Instead, you will see bits of mascara coming off, much like small black flakes on your piece of cotton. :) It retails for RM75 at all Bobbi Brown outlets in Malaysia which I will admit is a little pricey but I recommend this product to anyone who has been looking for a great mascara.  

Urban Decay Primer Potion and Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

This is one of my favorite products at the moment. It is one of Urban Decay's best selling items and lives up to its reputation. This eyeshadow base will make the colours of your eyeshadow more vibrant and long lasting and best of all, your eyeshadow will no longer crease throughout the day! I tried and tested this when I was in Macau. I put on my makeup early in the morning, went into Macau town and walked under the hot and humid weather, and come time to cleanse my face at night, my eyeshadow was still looking great! Unfortunately Urban Decay is not available in Malaysia. I got mine from a seller on eBay. In the US, it is retailing for USD17 (which translates to about RM60). I managed to buy this for my sis and a friend for approximately RM50 in Macau! Don't know why it's cheaper than in the USA. I recommend this product to anyone who ever had problems with creasing of eyeshadows.

My second favorite product is the Shu Uemura eyelash curler which retails for RM60 in Malaysia. Let me first say that I have very small and droopy eyes and my eyelashes cannot be seen with the naked eye! (you might catch a glimpse of my eyelashes through a magnifying glass). Previously I was using a drugstore brand for my eyelash curler and suffice to say, I couldn't ever really curl my lashes. I am very happy to announce that I am now able to curl my eyelashes with this wonder curler. I'm not entirely sure why this one works better but I think it's because of the way it is angled. Check it out at any Shu Uemura counter or stores.

Simple Facial Cleansing Wipes

The postings in this blog are going to be about random matters.  Right now, I am writing about facial cleansing wipes by 'Simple'. These facial wipes are 100% alcohol free, 100% oil free, has no perfume or colouring and is supposed to remove all make up inclusive of waterproof mascara. I started using this product some years back as I am a truly lazy person when it comes to removing make up and I prefer a one-step process.  I stopped using it after I realised it was too expensive to use on a daily basis and reverted to other forms of cleansing options. 

I recently picked it up again when I was going on my travels as I thought it would be convenient, rather than lugging around bottles of cleansers. I find that it is a very effective cleansing wipe and takes off make up easily.  The only setback, I feel, is that the material used for the wipe is quite rough on the skin. That is my only complaint on this product. Just wished that the manufacturers will use something softer for the skin....

Why I Started This Blog

Ok, so why did I start this blog? Well, basically, I am a Minister of Domestic Affairs @ stay at home wife and I have no children, so basically I have a lot of time on my hands. Today, I asked a friend of mine what she thought about me starting a new blog just to ramble about daily life and stuff and she encouraged me to do it.  Was thinking for a title and she actually suggested 'Nothing Better To Do'.  My initial reaction was 'Ew, so lame' but after awhile, it started to grow on me and I AM doing this because I have nothing better to do. So this is the birth of my new blog...