I have a new site! If you aren't automatically redirected, please click here

Dewytree Honey Protecting Mask Sheet Review

2 comments
Hey there pretties! I have blogged for the last couple of days because I was both unwell and busy, coupled with some mood swings, but now I am better and I will try to update daily!

Recently I thought I would invest some money on affordable skin care products because I am frankly worried about having breakouts, peeling skin and the likes! Hence, Dewytree's Honey Protective Mask is one of the few that I picked up from Watsons/ Guardian to try out.

Dewytree honey protecting mask sheet
For those of you who may not be familiar with Dewytree, it is a Korean brand that contains both popular facial masks like Dewytree Honey Moist Black Mask which is literally black. I don't actually like black mask that much yet despite its unique factor, so I just got the normal one instead!

Here's how I find Dewytree honey protecting mask sheet to be like after a single use:

SMELL
It has a nice, subtle scent of honey which is barely detectable, not unless you are actually wearing the mask. Smell-wise, I fully approve of this mask, because the smell is not strong, and is actually pretty pleasant!

MATERIAL
The material is thicker than the silk masks like Lovemore's Water Beauty Series than I am used to, but to my surprise it still sticks to the skin well and is able to hold the essence within the mask well enough to transfer it to my face. Whilst thick, the mask doesn't seem to suffocate the pores on my skin, so thumbs up!

DURING APPLICATION
Okay, here is when I don't actually like the mask anymore. The reason is that unlike My Scheming's Mask that feels cooling, comfortable and almost like there is nothing on the skin, this mask is ITCHY. Yes, my friends. This mask is quite itchy, and I am not sure whether it is because my skin may be sensitive to the ingredients of the mask or the material of the mask, but I really seldom have such reactions to masks.

So you can imagine how uncomfortable it can be in that 15-20 minutes of application: scratch, prod and whimper.

POST-APPLICATION
Frankly, I don't really see much of a difference to my skin. Indeed, my skin looks fuller and more moisturized (like the hydrated look), but come on, isn't that like the very basic thing that masks are supposed to do? Even if I put bananas on my skin for 15 minutes coupled with honey, my skin looks tighter and more hydrated!

OVERALL VERDICT
Not too disappointing, I wasn't really expecting much from the mask anyway since it is just $2.00!

For this mask, I will rate it a 2/5. Sorry Dewytree.

It is a good choice of mask if you are looking for affordable remedies to improve your skin condition for short periods of time, or simply to hydrate dry skin! But do consider the itch factor, since most people won't enjoy such a sensation!

Instead of Dewytree, I would strongly recommend My Scheming or Lovemore's facial mask because my experiences with them so far have been nothing short of excellent! For those of you who are interested, feel free to check out the following posts!



Will be blogging again soon, till next post!

Catrice Cosmetic Review Singapore

2 comments
Recently, I purchased a box of false lashes by Catrice Cosmetics out of pure curiosity! For those of you who are looking for Catrice Cosmetics, you can find their stand at specific Guardian stores in Singapore, such as at Clementi, Jurong East and Jurong Point shopping mall!

The lashes below are Lash Couture - Single Lashes by Catrice Cosmetics! They are retailing at $7.90 per box at Guardian stores in Singapore, a price which I find reasonable, as compared to Dolly Wink lashes which costs a bomb of $20 over dollars!

Catrice False Lashes - Lash Couture, Single Lashes
 Foremost, the design of the box is classy yet simple. The floral edge provides a good sense of diagonal symmetry and I feel that this is something that is actually suitable to carry in the handbag, you know, just in case you need to pop on a few extra lashes for that dramatic look! Compared to the paper and fragile plastics that other lashes tend to be packaged in, this box is definitely more durable and hardy!

Not only so, I personally find that the box has a touch of Anna Sui's elaborate patterns, just that this one is more toned down!

Lash Couture - Single Lashes inside
Would you look at that rogue lash on the right!

This is how the lashes look on the inside! How do you like them?

What I like about the Catrice Cosmetic's Single Lashes
Let's set the attractive packaging aside and talk about the quality of the lashes first. I have tried the lashes once so far and I am surprised and pleased by how soft these lashes are! They are nothing like the cheap packages that I grabbed from Shanghai's brand-less stores which felt stiff, too shiny and this unnatural. These lashes are really soft to touch and in a sense, the softness makes it feel more genuine, like our own lashes!

It is really comfortable. Normal lashes usually have a spine to hold all the little lash hairs together so that we can apply the lash in one stroke. The lash spine is usually uncomfortable, for me at least, since the skin on our eyelids are really delicate as they are much thinner than the skin on other parts of our body! In a way, by separating out the lashes into single "bunches" like the one above, it enables a more comfortable experience: there is nothing poking into the folds of your double eyelid.

It is versatile. By this, I mean that you can actually choose how dramatic you want your lashes to be. Want a more natural, "invisible make-up" look? Trim the lashes down to a length that is just slightly longer than your natural lashes and apply about 3 to the end of your eyes. If you are going for the dramatic look, leave the long fibers on and pop on 5 or more! It is easy to use and you can easily create many different looks by using different number of lashes!

Catrice lashes on the eye in the right of the picture!
Sorry, I am cross-eyed and with half my make-up gone when I was trying the lashes at the end of a shopping day. Look at those untrimmed brows, heh.

The lashes on the right eye (from photo) is very clearly longer and more obvious than the other side, since I applied 3 of the single lashes to try out. Honestly, I couldn't feel anything on my eye (even though I could see the increment in the length of my lashes). Comfort is comfortable: can you imagine wearing something that is stiff, uncomfortable and keeps jabbing into your eyes when you blink? I hope you have never had that experience, because I have! My eyes were watering and my lids were sorely irritated at the end of the wear, and because of the irritation, my lid was really itchy. So guys, comfort before beauty!

The lashes are really really affordable. Prices, price, pricing. The price tag is definitely a key consideration when we are purchasing make-up because believe or not, good make up or bad make up expire in roughly the same amount of time, though arguably good make up is better for the skin and all. But hey, lashes are not really rubbed into the skin, so cheap and GOOD ones won't hurt. At $7.90, you get a whole box of lashes that are REUSABLE. Yes, I checked Catrice's site and they stated they are actually reusable, thus explaining their really good container quality. Use it, wipe it, store it!

Catrice Cosmetics Lash Couture - Single Lashes 

The three rows of lashes have different lengths! I didn't notice it tilled I read up about it on Catrice's website, but they actually stated that on the back of the box as well. Woe betide those who don't read the product information...

If you look closely, the topmost lashes are actually indeed longer than the bottom most lashes.

Free Catrice lash glue
I love the fact that it comes with a lash glue in the box, it saves us the trouble of having to look for one!

What I don't really like
Probably one difficult thing about using these lashes, is the fact that these lashes are tiny and really hard to grab. Even harder is the gluing on process because they are so so so small. Hence, use tweezers!

with lashes on the right
Final photo with the lashes. It is dramatic here since I needed to shoot the photos, but I think for a normal daily look, we can totally tone it down!

That's all for today's review, sorry if it is rushed towards the end...catching up with a friend on Whatsapp now and see you all soon!

5 Shocking Truths About Banquets

2 comments
Having worked for several hotel banquets by now, I would say that I have accumulated a slight amount of experience and "know-hows" in banquet servicing. Before I started working for banquets, I actually had a pretty idealized notion of banquets: highly likely to be first class food cooked by experienced chefs, utensils that are germ free and definitely sparkling clean, and the food MUST BE hygienic.

I am most sorry to say that some of the assumptions above are not true.

Please note that the following are just my own conclusions and they MAY NOT be true for every hotel or banquets! Also, regardless of all that's said below, hotels DO actually have a high standard...just that I expected more (heh!)

Below I will share with you 5 Shocking Truths about banquets that you probably don't know.

1. The Food is Not That Hygienic

I am not saying this for any hotel in particular, but for most BUSY banquets. For those of you who have attended banquets before, you will know that roughly 7 courses (sometimes 8, including Louhei) are served by the banquet waitresses in a period of roughly one hour or a bit more. This may appear to be a leisurely process for those of you who are enjoying your meal, but THESE are what the waiters/waitresses have to do:

  • Clear all your dirty plates from each course
  • Bring dirty plates (at least 10, and they are porcelain) to the potentially far-off kitchen 
  • Collect fresh plates from kitchen and bring back to side station
  • Collect the new course of food from side station
  • Portion the food onto the individual plates at the side station
  • Serve everyone at the table
  • Top up everyone's tea/ drinks
  • Run to the bar to get that one or two person white/red wine or soft drinks
  • Run back to the table and repeat from first step
So basically, in that hour or two when you are enjoying your food, your servers are running about endlessly to ensure that each course is served on time. Not only so, some hotels request that the servers should be the one to be pouring out the tea rather than the guest, which means more work. 

Thus, it is definitely hard for the servers to wash their hands after each collection of the dirty plates (which are actually still food that you have just eaten, logically) before they serve you the next dish. Unhygienic? Kind of. I remember myself being OCD and washing my hands after each collection of used plates, and I was really lagging on the serving and my co-workers kept telling me to stop my obsessive hand washing. But know that hotels also have a strict regulation about cleanliness, hence your servers really do try to wash their hands as often as they can!

Trick to having really clean food? Ask for your courses to be served over a period of 2 to 3 hours. That way, the serving and clearing is less rushed and waitresses get the time to wash their hands before they serve each course! 

2. NEVER ask for warm water

Glasses of Water

Or cold water. Or any water as a matter of fact. Since waiters are typically not the ones to get you the water (depending on the hotel), this is usually the bartender's job. For ice water, I once seen my co-worker bartender adding just ice to tap water (which, logically, is cleaner than bottled water impressions aside) for ice water. For warm water, boiling water is mixed with tap water. For normal water, its usually just tap water.

Thank god we live in Singapore where the water is really clean and hygienic, and my friends and I drink from it really often. Can you imagine if this is done in...say China?

My suggestion is to ask for wine, juice or tea. I feel like those are the safest options.

3. Unsaid drinks cost more
This doesn't apply to all the banquets, but it is also a cost saving strategy (that I actually quite approve!). For instance if the hotel is offering a 1996 white wine and a 2014 red wine, then your waiters are most likely tasked to promote the red wine...since it is more recent, and by logic, cheaper. So I guess you will no longer find it weird when your server asks, "Red wine for you, Sir?"

Similarly, in terms of juice, guava juice costs more (I was told that) than orange. Hence if the guest requests for "juice", you are automatically served orange juice. And, if you ask what juice are available, DON'T agree to the first juice that your server suggests (like orange crush). I mean, if the price of the juice actually matters to you! 

But then again, don't ask for some exotic juice like kiwi or dragon fruit. They probably don't exist in the hotels!

4. Check your utensils and wine glasses
Most of the utensils are washed by aunties and uncles in the kitchen whilst plates and glasses are typically washed by dish washers. Due to the huge amount of utensils, plates and glasses used for each banquet, they are not washed meticulously: in the sense that they are not scrubbed one by one. It is likely that utensils are soaked in soapy water followed by clean water, then wiped. 

However, the better thing is that your waitresses take the effort to wipe EVERY SINGLE ONE of the wine glass and utensils/plates with a clean damp cloth. Even so, it would do you much good to clean each of your utensils/plates/glasses prior to the meal to ensure top most hygiene! Ask for tissue or water to moisten your napkin for cleaning, waiters will gladly give them to you! 

5. Most banquet servers are part-timers

Normally, the cost of EACH person at a table of TEN in a banquet is more than $100. Yet banquet servers are paid very little even though they work themselves to death before, during and after the banquets...

Yes, they are paid a miserable $8 to $8.50 per hour, and they usually have to work for 6 hours at the very least. For ladies who wear court shoes, they can barely walk after 6 hours. Some of the banquet servers are long-termed part time workers, some are students on holidays, hence the quality of the service may vary drastically from banquet to banquet. Typically, even newbies are trained by agencies, hence they are not completely clueless, though they may be a lot more confused and slower in their movements because they probably don't even know their way around the hotel. Yet.

Thus, I am beseeching all those who are attending banquets to be kinder to your servers, especially if they are confused or slow. If you give them angry looks or condescending glances, they will feel really flustered and worried, which may negatively impact their performances even more! Servers really appreciate it when the guests are cooperative, such as not taking too long to finish a course (by long I mean long after everyone else's dishes have been cleared) or helping yourself with the napkin. Sometimes, even an encouraging smile or "thank you" will motivate them to work much harder to making your meal pleasant!


~*~*~
There you go! Here are the top 5 shocking things about banquets you probably didn't know...in fact, I have more! Tell me in the comments below which of the above do you find most interesting and remember to follow me on facebook or google (check sidebars) for more tidbits!

Mia Care Acne Patch Review

Leave a Comment
Just a day ago I was sharing a tutorial on how to create the Chinese New Year look to go with your new outfits! I was mentioning in the post that Mia Care Acne Patch would be a good patch to put over your acne in order for it to heal faster, since we all want our red little spots to disappear as fast as they can, don't we?

Mia Care Acne Patch is available in all Guardian Stores in Singapore!

Mia Care Acne Patch for Day and Night
 I bought mine at a sale from Guardian a couple of days ago, the Day and Night mixed package was being sold at $5.50, so I decided to give it a try.

Here's how the item look on the inside. They even included an easy-to-follow instruction pamphlet inside, useful for first timer users like myself.

Mia Care Acne Patch for Day and Night
Left: 6 patches of Night Care
Right: 12 patches of Day Care

What I like about the product
It is easy to apply. Now, unlike those gel form acne cures that we have to apply with a cotton bud or clean fingers (and having to wash our hands twice in the process), this one you can just pop it on after washing your face in the morning or at night before you go to sleep. It is like a sticker for the pimple: slap it on and go.

It is almost invisible. I am saying almost because under sunlight or brighter light, it is still sort of visible but not very obvious. In a way, it helps to minimize the redness of the pimple (especially those vengefully red and swollen ones) by a fair margin. When I was using it, my mom couldn't tell that there were anything on my face, but then again she doesn't really look at me that much I guess!


bad skin 1
And....
bad skin 2, yikes

You can actually put make-up over the patch. I know, that is something really cool since acne and foundation together usually equates to disaster: many foundation out there are comedogenic and do block the pores. The patch act as a veil over the skin, so you can put on make-up and concealer with ease knowing that your pimple is protected from further inflammation!

It is effective, in a way. I am saying that because it is not entirely effective, but also not completely useless. The first day I used 3 day patches in the morning on each of the pimple I had and 3 night patches when I went to sleep to replace the day ones. By the next morning, the one next to my lip has completely disappeared (it was originally small and in the midst of growing), the one on my forehead is less swollen and no longer painful, but the one on my chin is still very swollen, and if possible, it seemed worse.

Additionally, I seem to come to notice that the night patches seem to work better than the day ones, though I haven't used them long enough to have solid proof. A gut feeling, but perhaps something worthy for consideration when you are buying on limited budget!

It does offer a protective layer, especially from touchy hands. I am not sure if you have the same habit as I do, which is to feel really tempted to touch a sore spot on my face: especially one that is on the verge of having a pimple eruption. Even worse, when the pimple is in its stage of growth, I am even more tempted to prod at it with my often unclean hands because the skin will feel so tight and uncomfortable. These actions tend to worsen my pimple, sometimes causing them to turn purple (I presume it to be infection) or just become even bigger.

Thus the acne patch will ensure that your dirty hands or environment have a less chance of coming into contact with the pimple and irritating it further.

What I don't like about the product
It is actually pretty expensive. In just a period of 2 to 3 days, I have almost finished my entire package of acne patches and I only have 3 pimples all together. 2 of them are not even remotely close to healing despite Mia Care's suggestion that they will be gone in 72 hours....

Mia Care Acne Patch: Day and Night 

Not only so, imagine your expenses if you have say, 10 pimples (acne outbreak) on your face. Are you like going to stick a patch on each and every one of them? Not only will you need several packets of the patches, you will probably look weird. One patch is easy to overlook, 10 patches? You will look like you have a novel skin disease.

The removal procedure is actually pretty painful. I am not saying like "knife-cuttingly" painful, but it is definitely more pain than necessary, especially on a tender acne spot, the pain doubles. I also get the bad feeling that the peeling off process may damage the skin on the pimple further (or even cause dry skin to tear off, yikes) and worsen the pimple. For those of you who have tried a black-head remover patch, yes, it's that skin-tearing type of pain. Yeowch.

Overall?
3 out of 5!

It is not too bad, especially if you want to do make up despite your pimples. Okay, maybe you would want to put on make up because of the pimples. I mean, pimples are a serious ego wounder, after all.

However, if you have an acne outbreak, I would really suggest using pimple cream like Acnes Medicated which worked well for me for a while, till the cream turned kinda weird... But for an occasional pimple here and there, patch may be a good consideration!

I have also heard of Nexcare acne patch, but I haven't tried it since a friend of mine who did says it doesn't work...Sluggy Sophia says that the Tea Tree Acne Patch works, so you can consider that too!

Okay, I have finished my post and I hope this has been helpful to you all!

Do drop me a comment below to tell me what kind of acne remedies you have tried and if they work! Till next post, bye!

Chinese New Year Make up and Outfit

4 comments
Chinese New Year is here!! 'Tis the time to be cheerful, fat and beautiful!

In view of the joyous occasion, I spent a literal (mini) bomb on eye shadows from Etude House because they were having a sale!! For every two more expensive eye shadows ($10.90-$11.90) you buy, you get a cheaper one (at $7.90)!

Etude House "Look at My Eyes Jewel"

On top of splurging on beauty products, there are a lot of reasons why we should be happy for Chinese New Year (CNY)...
For one thing, it is the time of the year where it is actually okay to invest in clothes and beauty products. Besides, even though visiting our relatives may be exhausting and tiring, it is also a good opportunity to do all sorts of slightly childish things like....

  1. See who looks prettier
  2. Did anyone from your generation look like they have grown...rounder?
  3. Someone's outfit looks more chic than mine, damn it!

I always feel that it is a boost to ego when you feel like you look pretty good in front of all your relatives, even if they are just relatives and probably don't really care about how you look...

Thus, today's tutorial is going to teach you a radiant and glowing make-up look that will make you look beautiful and at the same time, stand out in the crowd!

2015 Chinese New Year Make-up tutorial
That's the look that we want to achieve! For those of you who scrutinize the photos carefully, you will realize that there is a circular patch on my forehead, and that is Mia Care's Acne Patch which actually works really well, much to my surprise. You can read more about it in my upcoming post, where I will review it in detail!

The reason why I am putting this patch is because using foundation and other make up products on an acne may cause inflammation or worsening of the pimple (like swelling, pus or even infection). By using the patch, it provides a form of protection for the little pimple, I guess?

Okay, from far, it may looks like there is not much change from the other make up, but up close, you can really see the glittering hues of red-orange-pink on the upper eye lid! Look at the photo on the right (with my awkward wink), can you see the lovely hues?

I have labelled the eye shadows below so that you will know which shade I am referring to later on in the tutorial!

Etude House "Look at my eyes" eyeshadow
These are Etude House's "Look At My Eyes Cafe" and "Look At My Eyes Jewel" eyeshadows in the following shades:

  1. Look at My Eyes Jewel OR203: light orangey pink 
  2. Look at My Eyes Cafe PK005: pink 
  3. Look at My Eyes Jewel PK002: Shimmering Rose Gold Scarf 
  4. Look at My Eyes Icing PK001: Strawberry Icing (link unavailable)
Color according to position of eye shadows from left to right.

My impression of the eye shadows?

Beyond wonderful

In short, they are pigmented, they are sparkly but not over the top and they are great for layering on if we want a darker shade! I am not going to bore you by ranting about it now, you can just read my upcoming about these shadows!


Here are the steps to achieving this gorgeous look for this Chinese New Year!

10 Easy Steps
  1. Apply moisturizer or a toner as base, then apply your favorite foundation to provide even coverage. For this tutorial, I am using IOPE air cushion.
  2. Then, apply concealer to the under-eye area as well as to the redness around nose and blend it out well using your ring finger or a small brush.
  3. For the eyes, I am using Number 4 (Strawberry Icing) as a creamy base for the eye lids. Apply a sufficient amount of the eye-shadow by lightly brushing the color onto the eye lids once, then going over it again if necessary! The color should cover only till the top of your eye ball (meaning the point where you can feel your eye ball)
  4. Using Number 2 (from Look at my eyes Cafe), dust some of the pink color onto the shimmery base provided in step 3. For this, try to apply it as close to the lash line as possible, such that when you open your eyes, the color cannot really be seen.
  5. Dipping a clean eye shadow brush into Number 4 (rose gold scarf), give your eyes more depth and length by blending the color into the outer triangular corner of your eyes, and dragging the color out a little to create an extended liner look, only that this is achieved with eye shadow rather than liner. Remember to blend inwards towards the center of the eyeball in order to achieve a gradient-ed hue.
  6. Finally, pick up some of the orange color from Number 1 and apply it along the outer corner of the lower lash line, and apply Number 4 along the inner corner of the eyes for the extra bling!
  7. Using a liquid eyeliner (I am using Silky Girl's) to line your eyes, following the natural curve of your lash line and extending it about 1 cm beyond the end of your eyes. 
  8. Curl your lashes and apply mascara.
  9. Contour nose and cheeks, though this is optional.
  10. Pop on your favorite lip stick or balm (I am using HibisKiss) and you are done!
Tadaa!


For the dress, I am wearing one of the auspicious red dresses from H&M's Chinese New Year Collection 2015. It is on sale at just $17.90!

I chose this one with sleeve because someone commented my upper arm looked fat and flabby, which was like a major confidence killer. Hence, byebye to sleeves for now...till I tone up my arms!

Alternatively, you can choose any of the following dresses also under H&M:

H&M Bandeau Dress

Looking for a sexy and chic outfit for this new year? Bandeau Dress from H&M may just be the right dress for you! I would say that both the black boots in the photo or strappy stilettos will go well this this dress. Though, if you are feeling extra bold, why not pair it off with knee high cream or black boots?
H&M Drape Dress
 Elegant, classy and with the right amount of sass. H&M's drape dress is not only perfect for the New Year but also a good choice for any important night out. Knee high boots are not recommended here before for one thing, the dress is long and for another, the aforementioned boots may dent the classiness that this dress exudes. If red stilettos are a bit over the top considering the redness of the dress, why not tone down the brightness with pink/cream pumps or heels?

H&M Lace Dress
Intricate lace details on the long sleeves as well as on the body of the dress give a unique twist to what is originally a simple dress. Personally I always feel lace details always suggest a sense of sophistication and sexiness that may be more refined than overt revelation. Peek-a-boo lace? Hell yes. Pair it off with simple black heels to complete the charming edgy look.

With this, we have come to the end of our Chinese New Year Make-up and Outfit tutorial! I hope you have enjoyed this post and also learnt something about dresses and make-up!

Thanks for reading and do drop us a comment down below telling us which is your favorite dress among the three and why! :)

Till next post, ciao!

HibisKiss Tinted Lip Balm by Crazy Rumors Review

2 comments
Sponsored Review

Range of HibisKiss Tinted Lip Balm by Crazy Rumors
Many of us have probably been using lip balms for the most of our lives without understanding why exactly are lip balms so important. Indeed, we all know what lip balm marketers always tell us:
"They moisturize and protect our lips."
That statement is not incorrect, but it also prompts the question, why is lip care so important?

Let me tell you why.

Lip balm are essential in lip care because of the skin on your lips are unable to secrete sebum, a type of naturally occurring on on the rest of your skin that prevents your skin from becoming too dry. Without the presence of sebum on your lips, the lips on the skin becomes dry and chapped, prompting us to lick them in an attempt to moisturize the lips with our saliva.

Now, you might not know this, but licking your lips is also ironically contributing to your dry lips! This is because when your saliva evaporates from the surface of your lips, it will take away what's remaining of the moisture in the lips, thus leaving it even drier than before!

For the doubtful few, I assure you I am not making this up. In fact, read all about it on Howstuffworks here. See, I actually do my research and not just make up some pseudoscience to persuade you to buy a cart full of lip balms!!

HibisKiss Crazy Rumors 
Thus, today I am going to share with you HibisKiss tinted lip balm by crazy rumors. In short, it is both a lip balm AND a lip tint, hence enabling us to achieve the dual function of moisturizing the lips and giving it an alluring shimmer with just one stick!

Like the Hurraw Lip Balms that I have reviewed previously, HibisKiss balms are available on Pucker.com.sg!

For those of you who are familiar with Crazy Rumors but not as familiar with HibisKiss, the latter is actually a subset of Crazy Rumors, a lovely lip balm brand that also offers interesting lip balm flavors like Crazy Rumors Red Velvet and Grape Bubble.


Crazy Rumors HibisKiss Range
For their HibisKiss range, like the name suggests, it has the sweet scent of the flower hibiscus. Don't worry, it is definitely not overwhelming - just a subtle whiff that makes the lip balm so much more tantalizing as compared to the common smell of petroleum in some other lip balms.

These are the color swatches for Crazy Rumors' HibisKiss tinted lip balms:

HibisKiss color swatches

From left: Pearl, Coral, Breeze, Tropical, Sunrise and Sunset from HibisKiss range
Having tried HibisKiss lip balm in pearl and coral in the past week, I realized that every cent that you spend on this stick of lip balm is worth it.

Why?

For one thing, unlike the Watsons Collagen Balm (that was originally one of my favorites as it didn't have any smell, so I liked that) that formed tiny little yucky balls of pink mush when it comes into contact with saliva and friction combined, this balm does not have such an uncomfortable situation happening. 

Not only so, lip sticks without the balm effect tend to dry out the lips and in my case, cause the skin on my lips to peel, which is extremely unsightly because flaky red bits of skin is a really unattractive sight on any day.

As for HibisKiss, it provides a good element of moisture to the lips on top of being very pigmented, hence a few easy swipes with the balm and your lip preparation for going out is all done!


From my personal point of view, there are days where doing the gradient lip make up is suitable for the occasion, like for prom or a party, but on some days, such an elaborate lip make up just seem too over the top. Thus, using HibisKiss' lip balm in any of its shades will be allow you to have healthy lips with a slight shimmer, but still help to keep you looking casual and dressed down.

Not only so, one of the best thing about HibisKiss is probably how you can choose how pigmented you want the color to be! Each application (just one swipe) add on a light layer of the lip balm to your lips, hence you can choose let your lips go sheer and almost nude with just one application, or a more obvious and catchy look with 3 or more applications.

Thus, unlike some lip sticks that give you an intense color whether with one application or many applications, this versatile balm seems like the better alternative!

Check out some of the other customer reviews here:

Rave reviews for Pucker on HibisKiss tinted lip balm
Head over to pucker.com.sg now to find a shade of HibisKiss tinted balm that suits you!

Brought to you by pucker.com.sg
Meanwhile, why not join in our current ongoing giveaway that includes one Hurraw Lip Balm in earl grey flavor and one HibisKiss tinted lip balm in sunrise shade? Find out more about the giveaway here and remember to join it on Live and Dictate's Facebook Page!

That's all for now lovelies, drop a comment in the comment section below to tell us what is your favorite color for HibisKiss Lipbalm and your favorite way of wearing it!

Hurraw Lip Balm Review

2 comments
Sponsored Review

Hurraw Chocolate Lip Balm (left), Hurraw Earl Grey Lip Balm (right)
Some time ago, I tried to get you all to guess what were the two things that we are going to review very soon on our Facebook Page and I am guessing that not many of you managed to figure it out!

Hence, today, I am going to share with you guys my very own Hurraw lip balm review, which is kindly brought to you guys by Pucker lip care! For avid fans of Pucker like myself, you would know that they have recently migrated to pucker.com.sg, but the old URL will still direct you there regardless!

1. Hurraw Lip Balm has 22 different Flavors
Yes, really, I am not even exaggerating.

Here are some of our favorite flavors that is easily available at just $8.90 (use hurraw lip balm promo code "puckerup" to get an additional 15% off!!).

Hurraw Lip Balm Flavours
Coming in third among all the different flavors that Hurraw offers is Hurraw Black Cherry lip balm, which is has a delicious and authentic cherry scent that reminds one of fresh spring. Not only so, the black cherry lip balm is also tinted, meaning that it not only moisturizes the lips but also offers the lips a lovely, healthy tint that is beautiful yet subtle.

For the second place, I would award it to Hurraw Chocolate lip balm simply because their chocolate scent smells that good. The smell of chocolate is definitely not easily to imitate and I am definitely impressed by the mildly sweet chocolatey smell of the chocolate lip balm!

Yes, the smell of the chocolate lip balm is so good that even hamsters, known for their good sense of smell, go gaga over it!



In the first place, we choose Hurraw Earl Grey lip balm flavor because it is an unprecedented flavor in cosmetics and absolutely unique! For fans of earl grey tea which has a fragrant and tantalizing scent, you would love every swipe of Hurraw's earl grey lip balm!

I suppose this is one of the perks of switching to using Hurraw lip balms because you can never get bored of it: there are just so many scents for one to try and test out that by the time you finish the last scent, new ones are probably out on the market for you to enjoy!

Hence, for those of you who are tired of the mainstream lip balm flavors, it is time to say bye bye to the boring lip balms and welcome Hurraw's amazing  range of flavors instead!

2. Hurraw lip balms are gluten free and organic
Hurraw chocolate and earl grey flavors
You probably don't know this, but gluten is bad for you. Yes, hence Hurraw has made it a point to create the one lip balm to give your lips the best possible care, by incorporating every detail that most other lip balm manufacturers have missed out.

Not only so, Hurraw lip balms are free from paraben, petroleum, preservatives and they don't even have artificial coloring and flavours.

Can we say WOW?

For those of you who are not familial with paraben, it is a chemical that is linked to cancer trigger, yet plenty of lip balms and other make-up products continue to use it in the ingredients.

Hurraw lip balms are so meticulously created with the finest ingredients that it is hard to believe that such goodness can exist in such a small tube sold at an extremely reasonable price! For the long term benefit of your lips, investment in such a product is not a choice, but a must!

3. Hurraw lip balms are not sticky or oily

Having tried all sorts of lip balms and lip care products over the years, I have found sticky and oily lip balms exceptionally annoying. Why?

Because they are extremely uncomfortable on the lips, which are probably more sensitive that the skin on other parts of your body. Having the sticky and oily sensation is one major reason why many people find wearing lip balms a bother.

After using Hurraw lip balms for almost one week since I received it, I can't help but fall in love with how non-sticky and non-oily this lip balm is.

No, I am not saying this just for the sake of publicity.

Whilst in the past I have always found putting lip balm on a vexing thing to do, now I would automatically reach for my beloved stick of chocolate scented hurraw lip balm whenever my lips start to feel dry.

To me, the smell is an added bonus because you guys who have read most of my review posts would know that I am bat-shit crazy about smells. Like I said, no one want to have heavy chemical scented lip balms because it is simply too horrible for extended use. Yet, such chemical smells are unavoidable in many lip balms because of the use of petroleum, an ingredient that Hurraw does not include.

4. Hurraw lip balms are cruelty free and organic
Photo credits
For animal lovers like myself who are against the notion of animal testing in the cosmetic industry, you will be absolutely delighted to know that Hurraw lip balms are vegan and cruelty free!!!

Vegan means that no animal products are used in the production of the lip balm, such as beeswax, a popular lip balm component. On the other hand, cruelty free assures us that the lip balm are NOT tested on cute helpless animals like the bunny above.

The whole procedure of cosmetic testing on animals is a grotesque process that is too painful to watch, hence by using Hurraw lip balms, you are indirectly saving these adorable rabbits (a common test subject) and supporting animal rights! :D


5. Hurraw Lip Balm is on sale on Pucker.com.sg
hurraw lip balm promo code
Many of you, especially those from Singapore, may be looking for a good website to shop for cosmetics and lip balms from but are not sure which online store to buy them from, because frankly, there are a lot of cheats out there. Serious.

Now, Pucker.com.sg is a completely reliable website that you can choose to get amazing products with premium quality from because of one special reason:

They offer refund and exchange if you are unhappy with your purchase within 7 days!


Tell me how awesome is that!

That's Pucker's Promise to you customers who shop on their site! There is no cheat, no hidden terms and conditions to trick you into buying from them! Click on the link above to read all about their promise to consumers and never worry about refunds and exchanges again!

Hey, and such amazing services are not limited to just you Singaporeans! Pucker ships their products worldwide, meaning that even those of you who are living overseas get to enjoy such great services too!

Not only so, shipping within Singapore costs ONLY $1 and for purchases above S$25, you are entitled to FREE REGISTERED MAIL!

That is exactly how fantastic shopping with Pucker is!

~*~*~*~

We have come to the end of our Hurraw llip balm review, and here is the time for giveaway!

Giveaway: Hurraw earl grey balm and HibisKiss sunshine color
To stand a chance to win, simply follow the instructions below to take part in the giveaway!


Terms & Conditions
  • This giveaway is opened to residents of Singapore only. The contest will end on 28th of February and winners will be announced by 1st of March.
  • One winner will be chosen to receive both lip balms as well as a surprise gift!
  • You must like Live and Dictate, Pepper Sung and Pucker on Facebook to qualify for the giveaway. 
  • Liking, Sharing as well as tagging friends on Facebook will earn you additional points that increases your chances of winning!
  • To increase chances of winning, subscribe to Live and Dictate's blog via Google Friends' Connect (right side bar)
  • The decision of author of Live and Dictate is final.
  • You will be responsible for the use of the lip balms: any irritation or side effects caused from ingredients will not be held responsible by any of the aforementioned parties.

That's all! Leave us a comment below to tell us what is your favorite lip balm brand or taste! Do remember to leave behind your email address as one lucky commentator will also walk away with a surprise gift!

Valentine's Day Make-up Tutorial

Leave a Comment
Sponsored Review

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! On this special day, I am sure a lot of us would love to look beautiful for our special other!

Many of us know just the PERFECT look to make our eyes big and alluring, but in the midst of all the dolly-eye contacts and aegyo-sal, there is something else we tend to overlook: our lips.

Yes, our lips are actually just as important as everything else on our face, if not even more important! This is why, for today's look, I am bringing to you Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss by Australis, a popular Australian brand that Pucker.sg sells for a really reasonable price!

Here are some of the lip gloss colors that I will be using for today's make-up tutorial~

 Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss
Also, introducing Australis' popular Velourlips matte lip cream, which is simply gorgeous. You will see why I am raving so much about them later!


For foundation, I am using one of my favorite CC creams, UV Aqua White. It an amazing CC cream that allows perfect coverage of flaws and provides one with a polished, refreshing finish that makes the skin look both hydrated and moisturized.

UV Aqua White CC Cream

For the eyes, I am trying out these Shiny Eye Shadow pens that I have recently picked up at Daiso, out of curiosity.
Daiso Shiny Eyeshadow Pens
 For a more detailed outline of the eye make up, you can refer to my upcoming post. For today, I am really just going to focus on the lips, because you know, on Valentine's Day, you want sexy, healthy looking lips to engage in some smooches maybe? 〜( ̄▽ ̄〜)

Here is my completed Valentine's Day look, sans lip gloss/ color. Even though my skin is really glowing because of the lovely coverage, I still look sickly because of the pale lip color.


I look great!
...NOT!
 And here is the solution to great looking lips!
Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Lamba (on top) and Polka (bottom)
Using these two colors, I can create the popular Korean style gradient lip colors!

Although I am choosing the colors above to do my gradient lip color, you can choose any of the following colors to create your own look!

Colour Inject (from left): Lambada, Polka, Fandango and Burlesque
The good thing about these lip gloss/ stain is that they smell amazing! With the subtle and natural scent of lychees that do NOT threaten to drown you in their scent, this is definitely the go to scent that cosmetics should have! Especially those on the lips!

Not only so, these lip glosses are non-sticky, moisturizing and long-lasting.

Do you know why it is so good?

Because it contains Kakadu plum which actually contains a really high source of Vitamin C, which is also well known for their brightening effects! This means that when you use this lip gloss, it is also helping you to brighten lip tone! We all prefer brighter lip color to duller ones right?

Nay, I didn't know that, I found it on the link above on Pucker's page and I was like both surprised and amazed! I have never heard of such a cool element before.

We want our lips to look something like that:

Gradient Lip Color (Photo Credit)

LOOK ONE: Sexy Gradient Lip Colour

Firstly, using concealer, conceal all of your lips using a gentle dabbing motion and wiping off the excess concealer. This is particularly useful for those with naturally dark lip tones, as the concealer will help to show your lip color better!


Australis Colour Inject Lip Gloss & Stain - Polka
Following that, I am using the Australis Colour Inject Lip Gloss & Stain - Polka on the center of my lips for the darker shade. Then using my ring finger, I gently blend it outwards such that the colour goes from the darker shade closer to your inner lip, to a lighter, almost not visible shade to the outer lip.

It is such a lovely colour! Can you see how much healthier my lips look already?

Then, I apply the Lambada tone from the same lip series on the outer lip area to give it a nude but healthy shine.

And, tadaaa! We are done!



Alternatively, if you are the type to prefer a more matte finish as compared to a glossy finish, you can consider Velourlips, also by Australis!

Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in Rio-D
Unlike most of the lip creams that I have tried so far that smells strange (like chemicals), this one too has a sweet and refreshing scent! Just one sniff and *clicks finger* I am a life-long fan!

And for those of you who are supportive of animal rights and no animal testing, then you have come to the right place! Both Velourlips and Colour Inject by Australis are cruelty free! Not only so, they are also vegan! How cool is that?

Ahh I am holding it upside down. 
I am using the vibrant orange-pink shade called Velourlips Matte Lipcream Rio-D, which is a striking shade that is both eye-catching and full of attitude!

Tired of the good girl "nude lip" colors? Why not go wild with Rio-D's brighter, more attention grabbing shade for a change? After all, the classical pinks and reds are really common, so why not be a trendsetter with this almost neon orange?

Here are two photos of myself with gradient lip color, using the Rio-D shade in the middle


Can you see the pretty orange shade in the center?
Because I use a whitening and anti-wrinkle application on my phone, the lip color came out HALF A SHADE lighter. Yep, only half a shade, so for those who are hesitating because of the "dramatic" color, have no fear! It is a really beautiful and bold shade for all our gorgeous and daring princesses out there!

In fact, here is how my lips look like with no filter (but really good sunlight!)

Yes, I am aware my skin doesn't look that good without filter. I am exposing my bad skin for you all.


Look at that beautiful matte color. I can't even.

Gradient lips with Velourlips Matte Lipcream Rio-D

If you don't want to have lips that are gradient in color, you can of course choose to apply it to your whole lips! Can you tell that I changed my eye-makeup slightly to suit this more rebellious look? Look at the extended eye liner hehe ヾ(´▽`;)ゝ

Now, don't say that I never warn you, but the shade is really really bright if you see me in person! It is lighter here because 1. This photo has been brightened by the sun + my phone 2. My phone generally cannot seem to capture colors that well. (◑‿◐)

However, the color is simply FANTASTIC for photoshoots as well as selfies, because it makes our lips really stand out, giving us the sexy edge.

Velourlips Matte Lipcream Rio-D

Now that we have covered both the sweet and sexy looks, let's move on to our final look: the natural look! For this look, I am using Australis Color Inject Fandango to create the natural orangey-red lips that is not too over the top or too boring. It gives us enough freshness and a unique element without making us seem like a wayang show.

Australis Color Inject Lip Gloss and Stain in Fandango
Yes, I am totally loving this shade.

So so much.

Chic and sexy lip color makes one look great!
All right! So we have come to the end of our lip make-up tutorial with three different yet equally alluring lip colors! Once again, I would like to thank pucker.com.sg for giving me the chance to try out such a fantastic line of lip cream and lip glosses and to make you guys this really fun and easy tutorial! As for the eye make-up, please anticipate the next tutorial!

Yes, I am camwhoring for nothing really. Heh ^^


Which one do you like most? Share with us in the comments below and tell us if you prefer lip gloss/stain or matte lip cream! 

Thanks for reading and look radiant for 14th February!