Advertorials: Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liner!

From Audrey Hepburn,

Lana Del Ray, 

to Baekhyun from EXO,

women and even men have been wingin’ it for decades!

Ladies who do their own make-up,

or even if you don't do make-up,
you must have also heard from friends about how hard it is to get the perfect wing liner look.

Now, the symmetrically wing-tip look can be yours with the new Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liner!

The innovative new liquid liner comes with a duo-thickness flat-tip brush.

Similar to a fountain pen nib, the brush is able to create precise thin or thick lines at your pleasure. The brush measures 0.01mm on one side for thin strokes and goes up to 2mm for thicker lines at a flick of your wrist. 

Just one product and in two simple steps, you’ll be ready to take flight. 

Be it a subtle look for work, or bold for playful look for a night out, the Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liner lets you have it all with a flick of your wrist.

Availability:

The Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liner is available in Intense Black. 

Retails for $23.90 at Watsons, Guardian, SaSa, selected departmental stores and major supermarkets.

Advertorials: KATE TOKYO 2015 Spring/Summer

Feeling sexy this Chinese New Year?

Transform into the Ultimate Temptress with KATE TOKYO 2015 February Eye & Lip Makeup Launches.

• KATE BLACK FEATHER LASH, $25.50 

Transform your lashes into jet-black lush, voluminous lashes to complete your transformation into a debonair woman with KATE BLACK FEATHER LASH. 

Featuring an innovative double-sided Resin brush with long and short bristles on each end, the mascara seperates and volumises the lashes in a single coat.

The smudge-, water-, oil- and abrasion- resistant formula is also packed with black feather lash fibres to lengthen lashes while its shape-memorising wax creates and maintain voluptuous curves that curl all day. 

• KATE FLASH CRUSH, $23.50 <Limited Edition> 

The highly popular KATE FLASH CRUSH palette is back for a limited time only to update the immensely trendy metallic zing from the runways. 

Combining a high concentration of glitter with a long-wearing glossy metallic finish, KATE FLASH CRUSH presents an eye-catching trio of colours to choose from.

• KATE SUPER SHARP LINER S(S) 3, $17.00 <Limited Edition>

Dressed in a limited edition design, the KATE SUPER SHARP LINER S(S) 3 has an ultra-thin 0.03mm felt-tip brush to give a precise application even for those new to liquid liner.

• KATE CC LIP CREAM, $8.50 <Limited Edition>

A multifunctional highly pigmented lip cream that not only colours and even-out the lips for plumper-looking lips with vibrant shine, but cares, nourishes and protects it like a lip balm. 

What’s more, the SPF19PA/++, lip colour also protects the lips from harmful UV rays and comes in a portable lightweight stick, perfect for women-on-the-go.

Available in 01 Beat Red, 02 Pink Spice, 03 Nudist Pink and 04 Orange Burst

The KATE BLACK FEATHER LASH will be available from February 2015 at selected FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, OG, John Little, Nishino Pharmacy, Sasa Cosmetics and Watsons. 

The limited edition KATE FLASH CRUSH, KATE SUPER SHARP LINER S(3) and KATE CC LIP CREAM will be exclusively available at selected Watsons outlets from February 2015, while stocks last.

Advertorials: The Body Shop Forbidden Flower

Valentine's Day is around the corner~~
No idea what to give?
This Valentine’s Day, turn heads with The Body Shop Forbidden Flower, the most enticing scent ever with a blend of sultry spices, seductive florals and woody notes.

Inspired by nature’s most controversial flower, the poppy that symbolises love and fertility, the new limited edition Forbidden Flower is the ultimate Valentine’s Day seduction tool. 
Beautiful, intoxicating and dangerous, the Forbidden Flower contains an extract of hand-picked poppies from Ankara, Turkey for an addictive hit of fragrance.

Available in Eau de Toilette ($24.90), Body Butter ($32.90), Shower Gel ($14.90) and Body Lotion ($21.90).

Get a colour rush with The Body Shop limited edition 2015 Spring Trend Make-up Collection.

The collection includes The Body Shop first chubby Lip & Cheek Velvet Sticks ($29.90) that give a rich colouration and velvety matte finish, a Poppy Universal Lip & Cheek Velvet Stick ($29.90) that adjust to the unique pH of the skin into your own individual poppy shade, Poppy-inspired Blusher Brush ($32.90), iconic Shimmer Cubes Palettes ($39.90) and Colour Crush™ Nails ($12.90) for a dramatic colour statement.

The Body Shop limited edition Forbidden Flower Body Range and Spring Trend Make-up Collection will be available from 5 February 2015 onwards.

Advertorials: Love, Bonito CNY Pop-Up Showcase

Chinese New Year is just around the corner!
Still figuring out what to wear?
Or do you......

Visit Love, Bonito's pop-up showcase at 313@Somerset!
This January, homegrown leading fashion e-retailer, Love, Bonito, will launch its first ever Chinese New Year pop-up showcase in the heart of town at 313@Somerset.  

What to expect:
A selection of contemporary Oriental Art Deco apparel, all very wearable pieces for the much celebrated Chinese New Year. This capsule collection is pocket-friendly priced between S$32 and S$59. 

• Covet Lavisia Lasercut Dress, $58

Intricate workmanship at its very best, the Covet Lavisia Lasercut Dress boasts immaculate detailing that emanates effortless femininity and sophistication in a single frock. Fashioned out of neoprene with a subtle mandarin collar, the dress is perfect for making a lasting impression in the midst of Lunar New Year festivities. 

• Covet Florinda Floral Romper, $49

The bold, zesty Covet Florinda Floral Romper features a beautiful floral tapestry that lends a touch of elegance to its structured silhouette. Cinched at the waist with an origami pleat finish, the contemporary print translates to wearability even after Chinese New Year.

• Rozaria Floral Romper, $42

Featuring a foldover front, the Rozaria Floral Romper exudes simple elegance with its classic, wearable floral design. Woven out of jacquard with two handy side pockets to boot, the romper is perfect for Singapore’s temperamental climate, whilst allowing for easy stashing of your red packets. 

• Covet Sidona Jacquard Midi Skirt, $45

The lovely Covet Sidona Jacquard Midi Skirt comes in gorgeous, opulent shades that would add a festive edge to any basic top. Crafted out of jacquard, this statement skirt features subtle lace embroidery for a distinct oriental touch bound to turn heads everywhere. 

In addition to the Chinese New Year Collection, shoppers can also expect off-the-rack apparel and key accessories from both its staple line and its more luxe sister label, Covet, at the pop-up showcase, catering to ladies looking to dress up for other occasions. 

Customers who shop at the pop-up showcase will enjoy complimentary express courier which will allow them to receive their purchases the next working day. Isn't that great! No need to carry your items around if you are intending for more shopping!

Late shoppers need not worry as the pop-up showcase will be opened through the Chinese New Year holidays. Friendly retail assistants will also be on-site to offer styling advice upon request, while look books are conveniently accessible on the iPads for customers to seek inspirations. 

The Love, Bonito Pop-up Showcase
313@Somerset
313 Orchard Road #04-32
From 18 January till 28 February 2015.
Operating hours: 10am to 10pm daily 

Advertorials: Bimba Y Lola Spring/Summer 2015

The cooooooold winter~~

Well, I know there is not winter in Singapore...
But because I am currently living in Taiwan,
I get to experience 'winter' here,
though it is not as cold as the rest of the other countries around...

Looking forward to summer?

Get whisked away on a Tropicana vacation with BIMBA Y LOLA’s capsule Soft Collection leather goods this Spring/Summer 2015.

Tropical landscapes, exotic wildlife and visually arresting fruit paint the collection and serve as vivid references to Brazil’s carnivalesque atmosphere, unique mixed-race culture and famed beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana. 

These prints also hark back to the era and effervescent style of iconic Carmen Miranda, which brilliantly contrasts with the serenity found in the minimalistic lines uncovered in Brasilia’s architecture, as reflected in the collection.

BIMBA Y LOLA combines cleaner, simpler silhouettes with neoprene and stretch cotton fabrics for a dynamic fashion showcase that unveils a fascinating study in contrasts. Geometric prints artfully create a colour block effect, and alternate with beautiful prints of toucans, polka dots and exotic women for a tropical collection reminiscent of feisty, Brazilian women.

The fiesta is raring to go. Spring/Summer 2015 brings together bold colour, novel flavour, raw nature and distinctive Brazilian tradition for a resonant collection. Tropicana is created for independent, intellectual women who seeks out fashion as an imaginative means of escape, who derives joy from establishing her sense of self, whilst adding a slice of fun and youthful exuberance to her everyday life.

BIMBA Y LOLA’S S/S 2015 Collection is in stores from February 2015.

Advertorials: New Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask

As we age, our skin loses elasticity. It takes longer for it to bounce back into shape. Sleep marks take longer to disappear in the morning than they did when we were fresh-faced teenagers.

Bounce back to youth with the NEW Drops of Youth™ Bouncy Sleeping Mask, the latest addition to The Body Shop best-selling youth-enhancing range.

The lightweight youth-enhancing mask has a uniquely bouncy, memory-shape texture that moulds itself like a second skin. Designed to be left on overnight without washing off, it seals in other skincare products for smoother, more hydrated and fresher skin.

Packed with powerful Edelweiss stem cells that possess exceptional skin renewal properties, the Drops of Youth™ Bouncy Sleeping Mask protects the skins collagen and Hyaluronic Acid levels which are vital to firm, bouncy, skin. The youth-enhancing mask also contains Community Fair Trade Babassu Oil to help retain the moisture in the skin, and Adenosine, a known pro collagen active and caffeine, to help circulation.

To maximise the efficacy of the Drops of Youth™ Bouncy Sleeping Mask, The Body Shop has engaged its first independent Global Skincare Expert, Dr. Terry Loong, to specially design a unique massage technique that stimulates the lymphatic system for better circulation and absorption of the mask.

 Drops of Youth™ Bouncy Sleeping Mask is available at S$44.90.

Sponsored: New Essential Moisturising Frizz Free Range

Waking up to a welcome a bad hair day is one of the worst things anyone can face.

To be honest, I have very unmanageable hair. If I ever forget to apply conditioner or serum after a hair wash, my hair will be like

Understanding the needs of us girls and our hair woes, Essential (a popular hair care brand from Japan) offers a wide range of products to help repair and care for our hair.

Ever heard of the term combination hair? You may be more familiar with the term combination skin, however combination hair?

The concept of ‘combination hair’ is similar to that of ‘combination skin’, where hair condition from the same person is not uniform from root to tip. People with combination hair usually have oily roots and dry ends.

Most of us are faced with the dilemma of combination hair type, just like combination skin type that we are all familiar with, where the needs of our hair roots and ends are vastly different. 

I bet most of us do not have one haircare product which can solve both oily roots and dry ends. 
Using a rich moisturizing product to care for dry ends, will usually result in a heavy and oily scalp because of the product buildup on their scalp.
Using a light, clarifying product for oily scalp will cause the ends to be even drier.

Thus, people with combination hair may find themselves having to rotate between using a rich moisturizing product and a light clarifying product to achieve a balance. 

The new Essential haircare range promises to smoothen your locks and helps you achieve healthy and manageable hair! 
The brand new Essential haircare range is specially formulated with the new Microfine All Smooth Essence and variants that contain the Sebum Cleansing Technology.

Essential’s new range comes in four different variants: 

• the Nourishing Breakage Defence (Orange range) for weak and damaged hair

• Moisturising Frizz Free (Pink range) for dull and rough hair

• Light Finishing Volumizing range (Yellow range) for limp and flat hair; and

• Deep Cleansing Care range (Blue range) for with oily scalp and dry ends. 

Before choosing the right range, you may want to ask yourself 2 questions.

1. Do you have oily hair roots/scalp?
2. Do you have dry/damaged hair ends?

And the results~~

I did the 'test' myself too, and I got myself the pink range~

Infused with the new Microfine All Smooth Essence, the new Essential haircare range coats each hair strand evenly with a protective veil, delivering nutrients to repair damaged hair. 
Its uniform veil locks in moisture and repairs the dry, damaged hair ends without causing the hair roots to be sticky and heavy. This new formulation also soothes the damaged hair cuticles from root to tip. 

I can now run my fingers through my hair effortlessly even during shampooing. 
I can now comb my hair without having to use too much force, (you know it's bad to keep having to pull your hair because your comb is stuck in it)
No more knots!

With strong, healthy and tangle-free hair, styling your hair has never been easier! 

With the optimum combination of Smart Cuticle Care & Sebum Cleansing Technology in the Light Finish Volumizing and Deep Cleansing Care variants, you can now achieve moisturised hair ends while maintaining a refreshed, breathable scalp! 

The NEW Essential haircare products are available at leading supermarkets, hypermarkets, western pharmacies & personal care stores at the following prices:
- Shampoo SGD $4.50 (200ml) / SGD $11.50 (750ml)
- Conditioner SGD $4.50 (200ml) / SGD $11.50 (750ml)
- Treatment SGD $0.00 (180g) [Sorry but I do not have the price for this at the moment.]
- Hair Mask SGD $9.90 (200g)

Sounds too good to be true? Try it yourself!

Like Essential on Facebook (www.fb.com/Essential.SG) and follow Essential on Instagram @essentialsingapore for latest news!

Sponsored Review: Bruschette Maretti

I am back to introduce a new snack to you guys, Bruschette Maretti!

    


Product by leading snack manufacturer in Europe, Maretti, these oven-baked bite-size bread circles comes in four distinct flavours: 
Tomato 

Mixed Vegetables

Mushrooms & Cream

and Pizza

Made with authentic ingredients, these snacks are easy-to-carry, suitable as a on-the-go snack or an office companion, or for parties!

For those who know me, they will know that I am a very picky eater, and also not a very adventurous eater.

I don't usually try new food, especially if I have not heard of the brand, or seen it before.

By now, you should be curious, so why did I decide to try this? Because it is sponsored? So I am "forced" to try and say nice things about it? 

All I can say is, when it comes to food, no one can force me to eat anything.

To be honest, I did not want to try it in the first place. So my mum decided to bring one set to her office.

Turns out her colleagues love it! They even called to ask me where can they get these, and went out during their lunch break to buy it.

So, I decided to open 1 and try.

Being the not so adventurous me, I opened what I thought was the safest flavour: Pizza.

Verdict: It is super delicious! It is crispy but not those (oh gosh, it is so hard I think my teeth is going to crack) kind. 

It is flavourful, but not to the extend whereby you will get sick of the taste, and also not the salty type of flavourful. It is hard to fine a snack that is so flavourful. You know, usually these snacks are not evenly "marinated" (its just a term, but I am sure you know what I mean (; )

What's more, it is really healthy. Even though it is crispy, it is non-fried with zero cholesterol. This makes it a healthier alternative as compared to fast food, or chips, ideal for those who possess a sophisticated expectation of quality towards food.

There is also no artificial flavours and colours added.

Bruschette Maretti is available at NTUC Fairprice Extra and Finest stores, selected Giant stores, Isetan supermarkets, selected Buzz kiosks, and SPC stations.

Bruschette Maretti retails at $2.35 each.

Advertorials: Lapalette F/W 2014 Collection

I am not sure if you have heard of the Korean brand Lapalette.
Its a label well received by KPOP idols and Korean celebrities like:

Girls Generation's Yoona

Actress Kim So Hyun

Miss A's Suzy

and is currently endorsed by the Jung sisters (Girls Generation's Jessica and F(x)'s Krystal):

Having hit the Singapore shores in 2011, Lapalette has brought a new wave of K-Fashion to the local scene.

After its successful flagship store opening at ION Orchard in December 2011, Lapalette is
available at Suntec City, Vivocity & Tampines Mall.

Best-known for its signature styles such as the horse icon, the brand houses a unique range of sophisticated bags and accessories inspired by delicate hand-crafted ornaments and vintage collections such as wooden dolls and musical instruments, which are reinterpreted to inject a contemporary twist.

Available in 29 stores across Asia, Lapalette has proven to be very popular amongst Korean pop stars and celebrities. The brand also frequently collaborates with global designer brands to create special collections.

MOST BY LAPALETTE
A premium product line that focuses on producing modern, minimal & classic unique pieces. This collection line features a recent collaboration with super model ‘Hyoni Kang’ to produce a series of accessories that was launched and showcased at the ‘Who’s Next’fashion show in Paris, France.
The brand also recently introduced the latest ‘Perky’ line that features premium & trendy clutch bags.

 

CUPCAKE BY LAPALETTE

Features the Corinth line that was inspired by the ancient city of Greece. This collection line produces fun, unique and whimsical accessories using genuine leather.

 

 



CORINTH LIMITED EDITION

A reinvention of the main line, Corinth’s Limited Edition collection features unconventional designs highlighting the use of specially dyed Italian leather & studs that provides an overall luxurious feel. The limited edition series comes with label numbering that makes it more exclusive and premium. Available in stores in Singapore in August.

 

 

LAPALETTE BY LAPALETTE

Features the Wave Candy Horse collection that focuses on color play and Lapalette’s iconic horse motifs that is available in a cross bag, shopper bag and backpack version.

 

STORES IN SINGAPORE

2 Orchard turn ION Orchard #B3-36, S(238801)
Opens daily from 10.00am - 9.30pm

3 Temasek Boulevard #02-368/369 Suntec City Mall S(038983)

Opens daily from 10.30am - 9.30pm (Mon-Thurs, Sun) / 10.30am-10.00pm (Fri-Sat)

 

1 HarbourFront Walk #01-K22 VivoCity S(098585)

Opens daily from 10.00am – 10.00pm