LBBB - Stardust Edition

I am such a sucker for Beauty Boxes! I love StyleXStyle boxes because they are not on a monthly subscription basis which automatically deducts money from your bank account. Rather, you could actually get an idea from their teaser adverts as well as hints from their website as to what products you will get, before deciding whether to fork out that SGD19.90 for it. 

Well, you might already have seen this unveiled by other bloggers, but today I will be sharing it for those who haven't! 

Stardust Edition is a collaboration between John Little and Mediacorp, to bring you the best beauty buys from Korea and Japan. 

Stardust is a beauty corner located in John Little (a departmental store), in Marina Square and Jurong Point. If you want to find out products from SANA, Canmake and many other brands which you will see below, head over there to test some of their products out!

Remember my previous beauty box Asia Style Collection Box? This is anotherrr box of goodness! There is a repeat of 1 item, which is the beauty drink you will see in awhile!

Sorry about the blurred image, I did not realise it haha.. Everything is imprinted in gold, which makes it have an overall luxe feel. 

Just a quick review on their delivery, I was promised a delivery on the 16 August in the afternoon, however the product only arrived today (17 August) in the morning. Although it was delayed, I would have appreciated it if there was at least a notice shared.. Because sometimes our whole family will be out on Saturday mornings.. 

This special box does not have all the products listed at the back of the card, if you're wondering ;)

Another box full of products, filled to the brim! The box felt heavy when I carried it, so I was really excited to unbox it~

ZA's latest addition to their family, not thaaat new, but I have not try them out. Great size to try out, unlike those satchet samples which I can't really tell if the product worked or not because they are waaay too small. 

Ichikimi's Hair Treatment which I have already tried this a few times as I received it from other beauty boxes. They are awesome treatment, and did I mention before? It smells aweeeesome! As if you have flowers in your hair ;)

Canmake glitter nail polish! How did they know I am lacking of that, because my old glitter nail polish dried out?

I must say, their Gel Top Coat is awesome, and this must be yet another wonderful product. Can't wait to decorate my nails~

This is the beauty drink that I have received a few times, and I always recommend chilling it before drinking.. or simply adding some ice to it. It is a very concentrated drink, which I find it too sweet, so I usually like to add ice to it. 

As usual, frequent usage of such products will then allow you to determine it's effectiveness.

SANA Soy Bean Cleanser is highly raved in Japan, and I have yet to try this out.. Why why why, even though I loved their cosmetics! Excited to try it out~

Dark eye circle patches, wonderful, because I have been having some issues with them. I have tried this brand before, they are quite decent, but the effect is not long lasting... you must use them on a regular basis to see improvement in your skin alright~

I have never heard of this brand before, but it's a Korean brand... Hmm, probably will try it out and see if it is going to irritate my skin. And probably update when I do so, because I have so many facial mask sheets to clear... and I haven't been doing them ;P

The "cousin" of my favourite sunscreen - the Biore Aqua Riche Mousse... This is the watery essence. I have tried this at one of the Watsons stores in Singapore, and this dries matte and non-sticky! I can vouch for it!! I am excited to try if this works similar to my mousse sunscreen hehe.. 

Wow wow wow, fake eye lashes in a box?! This costs freaking SGD20++ I believe! Just this product alone, I have recouped my money that I have paid StyleXStyle, as ridiculous as it sounds like!

I've throw away my first pair of eye lashes, and now I am excited to try these out! They have wonderful texture, and the elastic band is very soft, unlike those cheap lashes that I tried out haha..

I noticed that this seems like a free gift, because usually they sold lashes without lash glue. But I have the Starlash's black eye lash glue! Stay tuned to upcoming tutorials, which I might just showcase this beautiful baby~

Overall, this is a wonderful beauty box! Probably the best in Singapore at the moment, it beats the rest hands down! Check out what other's are saying about the items received in their Stardust Edition! 

For the month of August, it is Shiseido's products. And you may check out a full review over here (QuarterACentury, by Audrey), as I did not purchase it.. Go over and say that Celly thesnowflowerrr sent you haha xP From what I see, it is a box full of goodness, and I really wish I had gotten myself that box too.. *greedy!*

If you loved the items and want to get yourself a box, head down to their website: 

styleXstyle.com

What's your favourite product in this box? 

Beauty Talk: Remedy to Dark Underarms

Hello beauties,

Most of us would opt for sleeveless tops for the summer, as the weather has turned warmer and we would like to allow our "pits" to get more ventilation~ Some of us might be a little apprehensive to wear sleeveless tops, or to even raise our arms above our shoulders, because we fear that others might see our dark underarms... or in Singapore, we readily refer to it as armpits hehe. 

You're not alone.

Image Source: Health Regards

I have also been troubled by dark armpits, because the past few years, I have plucked the courage to wear sleeveless and noticed a "shadow" when I raise my arm, which never goes away even if I shine direct light onto it. I am writing this based on my experience as well as what I have done for myself to help improve the appearance of my armpits, and not forgetting extra research as I am not a professional in this ^^

Top Causes of Dark Underarms
1. Dirt
I know, it sounds like, EEK! Dirt!? You mean the accumulation of dirt can cause a darker appearance, can cause such DARK armpits? YES. Our armpits, as compared to the rest of our body, have an accumulation of skin that is folded. This allows it to be more vulnerable to dirt collection, as we might not be able to remove the dirt thaaat easily.

2. Clothing
Our armpits are always in contact with our clothing, especially when we wear sleeved tops or even jackets. Avoid wearing tight clothes as the constant contact of your clothes with your pits will cause friction - which may lead to the darkening of your armpits (this applies for other areas as well, e.g. your butt cheeks etc.).

3. Deodorant
I remember Michelle Phan talking about this, that the built up of deodorant on your armpits which are not removed properly could also result in darker armpits. Furthermore, according to Healthkart, the chemical compounds in strong deodorants could also be one of the reason for darker underarms as it leads to pigmentation, resulting in permanently darker armpits. 

4. Shaving
We are concerned about the appearance of our underarms, and definitely having "hair" there could be quite unsightly. So we shave, pluck or even epilate them, however shaving could cause irritation to the underarm if it is done too frequently. This could also cause scarring or inflmmation that causes underarm skin darker than the original - Let's Go Healthy

Other causes of darker underarms could also be attributed to your genetics, and diabetes which you can find out more information from Healthkart here. 

Remedy for Dark Underarms
1. SCRUB SCRUB SCRUB
For the layer of dirt that sits on our skin could be our dead cells or dirt from the air, we will need to exfoliate our skin by scrubbing. 

There are a few options you could choose from:

Source: D'Atra Paris Belal

1. Scrub Gloves

I personally use this glove daily, to scrub all over my body. This helps to ensure that I do not allow any dirt or dead cells to stay on my skin. Not only does it helps to keep the skin clean, it also makes your skin smoother! 

Remember those annoying bumps which you might get on your butts (butt bumps), using this helps you to also reduce the appearance and occurrence of them. 

2. Body Scrub

Another option that I personally vouch for it, because it really helps to brighten my underarms, and leave it smoother as well. This brand of body scrub is my personal favourite which I got it from Batam's Hypermart (Travel With Me here), which only costs me around SGD2-3 for the huge tub, and SGD1++ for this tub you see right here.

3. Professional Body Scrubs / Spa Sessions

If you're looking for a relaxation and a wonderful massage and body scrub, I would suggest for you to go for a spa session. I go for this yearly, as I think it would be too costly to do it frequently. And I have only gone to Eska's spa in Batam

2. NATURAL DEODORANT

Try to use lesser deodorant, but if you cannot do so, opt for natural deodorants that are better for your skin! I personally don't use deodorants, unless I am sure I will be perspiring a lot, or when I have an important event to go for. I don't even apply it when I exercise, as I do not want to block or clog up the pores and obstruct their freedom of "breathing" haha...

Source: The Daily Green

1. Choose Deodorants that Uses Natural Ingredients - Alexandra Zissu

Read the article for The 9 Best Natural Deodorants written by Alexandra Zissu, which does not contain parabens, fragrance and any other irritating chemicals. One of them which I found it more acessible is the deodorant by Burt's Bee.

2. DIY

Do it yourself! Deodorant uses some of the commonly found items that you can find them in your kitchen, and one of them is corn starch powder which can be found in deodorants and your powders. It is a wonderful product to help absorb oil and perspiration. Furthermore, it will not stain your clothing. Do not apply excessive, as it will have a whitish appearance for awhile ;)

Or you may try out this receipe from Wellness Mama - Healthy Homemade Deodorant 

And these are the ingredients that you'll need:

3 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil

3 Tablespoons of Baking Soda

3 Tablespoons of Shea Butter

3 Tablespoons of Arrowroot (Optional)

Essential Oils (Optional)

3. WAXING
Instead of shaving, opt for waxing, as it will help to prevent the chances of irritation to your skin. Or epilate, as these options will help you remove the hair from the root, and this results in a brighter and whiter looking underarms! Yay! Waxing may be very painful, so use an epilator if you are that afraid of the pain.

4. DIY MASKS 
There are plenty of DIY masks out there to share with you how you could brighten or lighten your dark underarms, but here are a few that I have tried and want to recommend it to you.

1. Lemon Juice
Lemon is a natural bleaching agent, and it effectively lightens your skin. I've used this on my pits, my elbows, as well as directly on any acne scars before. And it works fine! 

HOW TO? You can simply apply it directly to your armpits the night before, and shower the next morning. However if you have sensitive or very thin skin, apply it for 10-20 minutes and cleanse after - to avoid skin burn!

2. Mixture of Lime and Cucumber - Let's Go Healthy

Mix 1 teaspoon of lime juice (lemon juice works too), 1 teaspoon of cucumber juice and a pinch of turmeric powder. Then apply the mask onto your underarms, leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. - I have not try this, but I believe it works because of the use of lime or lemon, is definitely going to work hahaha.. 

Do give these tips a try and let me know if they have helped you significantly lighten your armpits or not. I realised that these must be done on a regular basis to ensure that the armpits are "clean" and free of dirts. 

For the masks, I only use them when I have an important occasion coming up, otherwise on every other day, I would do a body scrub or simply alternate with my scrub glove. 

I hope you have found this interesting! And if you'd like to read more of such beauty articles, do let me know! Do you have any beauty issues that you would like me to address as well? Leave me a comment down below~

For the brighter pits yo~ Peace out!

Makeup Tutorial: f(x) Rum Pum Pum Pum Sulli Inspired Makeup

It's another Kpop inspired makeup tutorial!!! 

Have you seen f(x)'s latest music video! Well, it looks like the typical f(x) kind of music video, with a lot of vibrant colours, and some new special effects. I found this song very catchy and have watched the MV for a couple of times.

As usual, the girls sounded lovely! And I especially love Amber's voice in this song! But my bias as always is Sulli~ And today I brought you my favourite girl's makeup tutorial! She has this sweet little Droopy Cat Eye Wing, which was really sweet and elegant at the same time! With that pop of lip colour which was definitely nothing special, but it made the look very youthful and fresh!

Source: Tumbler, couldn't locate the user who uploaded this =(

Source: f(x) Facebook

This time around, I have created it in a video format, and I hope you will enjoy it! Instrumentals are from Noraebang Kpop, and the video is edited by Windows Movie Maker, nothing fancy but I really hope you will enjoy it!

Products Used
1. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum #51 Vanilla
2. MicaBeauty Waterproof Long Lasting Eyebrow Pencil #04 Henna
3. Sleek Au Naturel Palette (Toasted, Bark, Taupe)
4. Majorlica Majorca Jeweling Eyes PK722
5. Maybelline Hyper Diamonds BR-2
6. SANA Super Quick Liquid Eyeliner
7. Skinfood Pearl Creamy Under Eye Pencil - White
8. SANA Super Dolly Powerful Mascara
9. SANA Lip Concealer
10. MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm #03 Sunburst
11. MicaBeauty Lip Colour Pot - Vibrant Berry
12. Canmake Cream Cheek #03
13. H&M Lipgloss - Vanilla Kiss

I am actually exploring to purchase a good camera to record HD videos, and great closeups as well as focus. Anyone able to advise me on this? I am a total noob at gadgets at times! Especially photography gadgets! Well, because the current digital camera and my mobile phone just doesn't cut it out for HD videos, that's why still images are still used.

Annyeong then~

Makeup Tutorial: 2NE1 Falling In Love CL Inspired Makeup

I have been loving 2NE1's latest music video - Falling in Love~ And I really enjoy watching music videos, because I get to see a close up of their makeup, as well as their face! 

Today I have CL's makeup from their latest music video, because I am in love with her edgy and dramatic look! Park Bom on the other hand has a very sexy and cutesy eyes which will definitely electrify everyone haha. I love all of their makeup, but I decided to do CL's this time, stepping out of my comfort zone of a natural makeup!

Here's a snippet of the makeup that you will be watching, check out those metallic lips!

Don't forget to scroll down for the list of products used for this tutorial! 

List of Products Used

1. Erabelle Eye Brow Pencil in Grey

2. Hello Kitty Duo Eyeshadow

3. Maybelline Hyper Diamonds BR-2 - Gold eyeshadow

4. Sleek 601 Au Naturel Palette Conker (shimmery brown), Bark (matte brown), and Nougat (matte white).

5. SANA Super Quick Eyeliner - Black

6. SASA Super Dolly Powerful Mascara

7. SANA Super Quick Lip Concealer EX #01

8. Paul Frank Liquid Lip Smacker

9. MicaBeauty Shimmer Powder #04 Baby Doll

Thank you for watching, and I hope you found this tutorial useful! 

Please comment down below, which is your favourite makeup from the music video! And if you want me to do a makeup tutorial on it, please let me know too ^^

Review: Konjac Sponge

I have owned this for quite some time already, and I have already used up both the round ones (black and white), and I am left with the huge oval Konjac sponge which is meant for face or body I believe. 

So here I am gonna share with you my experience with Konjac sponge and let you in about this interesting sponge. Why not simply wash your face with your hands...?

The Konjac
Amorphophallus Konjac, the Konjac Potato is a perennial plant, native to Asia and sometimes known as Konnyaku (I know what you're thinking.. Konnyaku Jelly haha!). Konnyaku or Konjac potatoes are cultivated for food in Japan and Korea, but wild forms grow naturally in many parts of China, Korea and Japan. These are growing wild at very high altitude, and therefore are pure and polutant-free.

Konjac was originally introduced to Japan as a medicine in the 6th century, and was recognized for its health giving properties. It is also used frequently as a thickener and jelly, and is often present in noodles.

For over a century, the Japanese have been using the konjac vegetable as a beauty treatment for their delicate skin. As the Konjac is an alkaline which is loaded with goodness of protein, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vit. A, E, D, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and folic acid...etc. Thus Japanese have really good skin!

One interesting fact. Konjac can also be eaten, but these Konjac sponge should never be eaten alright!

http://www.konjacspongecompany.com/page_2383984.html

How to Use
Use it as part of your cleansing routine, day and night. Lather your facial foam on your palms and apply it on your face. Then using the konjac sponge, gently massage your skin in circular motions - be sure not to be too harsh or you might tug your skin and get premature wrinkles ;)

When I am using the konjac sponge, I am just gently moving the sponge around my face /body without pressing or pressure.

The Verdict
After the use of the konjac sponge, it always leaves my skin feeling less bumpy and smoother. It gently exfoliates the top layer of dirt, allowing your skin to be ready to absorb your moisturiser or other serums after your face is cleansed.

I enjoy using it daily. However I will discourage people with severe acne, cysts and irritated skin to use this because the gentle exfoliation daily might aggravate your acne condition as it did for mine. Long story cut short, I had no problems with the sponge until one fine day when I had horrible outbreak of acne and some huge pimples. And the use of the konjac sponge did leave my skin softer, but I believe it did not aid in the healing of the acne and may irritate the red skin. Professional acne websites also discourage excessive exfoliation and use of scrub beads in the cleansing routine.

The GOOD
1. Leaves your skin feeling smooth and clean
2. Does not irritate your skin - but make sure you be gentle
3. Affordable, one piece costs around SGD 8 or so?

The BAD
1. Must be used frequently, otherwise it will harden and break
2. There's an expiry date, which is at the bottom of the packaging, embossed.
3. Will aggravate acne or cystic skin, which I will discourage using this daily 

Overall: 4/5 
Great for mild exfoliation daily, however if you do not use regularly, it will dry up and break =( 

Where To Get
Luxola - http://www.luxola.com/brands/the-konjac-sponge-company
Qoo10 - http://list.qoo10.sg/item/SHOPONLINELAH-COM-KONJAC-SPONGE-100-NATURAL-FIBER/405904500
Smoochiezzz Warehouse/ Events - http://smoochiezz.com/index.php?route=events/events

So... Do you use any facial cleansing cloth or sponges to aid in your cleansing routine? What is your skincare routine, please comment & share it with me ^^

Look of the Day - Something Wild

Ni hao. This means hello in Mandarin. 

Just a simple look of the day with a bold eyeliner. I only have been out of home with this eyeliner for a few hours, it is just not me to put on such thick eyeliner ._.

And the irony is that I did not apply a full foundation, yet I have such bold eyeliner. Haha~

The poll results on my right hand side can be quite shocking, some people have requested for Outfit of the Day~ Gosh you probably don't know what I wear on a daily basis, I go for comfort as opposed to style. Of course, there would be days that I would dress up~ for the occasion. Anyhow, let me see if I could do 1 soon ...

BYE!! :P

Treatment for Sunburn

And if you haven't been able to protect your skin from those harmful UVB rays and you got yourself a sunburn or a tan... Here's how you can salvage your skin ^^ And find out more about Sun Protection with Sunscreens here!

Treatment for Sunburn

Aloe vera has always been the first thing that comes to my mind when I get sunburn, because of its soothing and healing properties. As aloe vera gel contains lidocaine, it aids in sunburn treatment. However it can be very sticky or expensive (Jorubi is my favourite Aloe vera and it is about SGD19 per tube, check out my review here). 

So how about trying out other natural remedies which can manage this task as well?~

Using standard black tea bags can help to soothe sunburns. This method was suggested by a nurse, and it is a great alternative home rememdy when you forget to apply sunscreen. So here are the steps to help you rid that painful sunburn~

All you need

Bathtub

Pitcher

Water

Rag

Three tea bags of black tea

How to

1. Fill the pitcher with warm water and soak the tea bags in it until the water is almost pitch black. 

2. Soak the rag and apply it onto your skin

3. Most importantly, DO NOT WIPE IT OFF!

Leave the black tea to be absorbed by your skin. Re-apply if necessary when the black tea has been fully absorbed, but do not wash it off. Applying this before bedtime will give the black tea some time to work its magic ^^. Wash it off in the morning and the sunburn should have substantially subside or disappear. 

Once you feel you have sunburn, make sure to apply the tea as soon as possible! It will allow the tea to be be more effective. Also, the combination of cool water and tea can help soothe the skin and speed recovery! 

Make sure you don’t miss the most commonly missed spots when applying. What’s your go-to treatment when you’ve been out in the sun one too many hours long? Share it with me, so I can learn something too~ Fire away!!!

Source:

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-single-most-effective-way-to-get-rid-of-a-sunb/step3/Healing-the-wound/

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2010/05/apply-black-tea-to-effectively-treat-a-sunburn/

LOTD: Being Simplistic

This is probably one of those days which I feel extremely lazy to put on full foundation... and simply want to dash out of the house to meet my friends! 

All I have on is gel eyeliner that is set with black eyeshadow, and then a pink magic lip tint which was very moisturising and lasted almost the whole day (check out my full review here okay!). 

And after a long day, only my eye bags appeared worse. Because I did not even conceal please, haha.. Although the shape of the eye brow is pretty alright, there's a hole in my brow~

And the lip after a long day, still with a little bit of pink tint left. And it looks really dry, because I haven't been drowning myself with water. No lip balm reapplication through out the day as well. At least it did not crack~

Notice how the images have a lot of funny background. But I guess you don't mind right. Anyway my skin has been acting up lately - DRY, ACNE, BLACKHEADS. All the bad stuff that you probably don't want in your skin. However I have been alternating between having foundation (or bbcream) or nothing on at all. The above few images showcases my bare skin with face makeup at all. So it's a little uneven and bumpy. 

Anyway, be confident in your skin... <3