Luxasia Warehouse Sale Haul @ Tai Seng (Makeup, SKincare and Fragrances)

It's that time of the year again.... nope, not the Great Singapore Sale (which in my humble opinion isn't that Great afterall... ; ) ). It's the much anticipated Luxasia Warehouse sale, which is held almost on a yearly basis for 3 or 4 days. This year, its from the 26th of August to 28th of August. Luxasia is the distributor for quite a list of makeup, fragrance and skincare brands in Singapore, thus this is THE SALE that "saleaholics" look out for.

As the sale is held at their warehouse, the location is a little out of the way for people who doesn't live near the east side of Singapore. Nevertheless, if one googled the location, it shouldn't take too much of an effort to find the place.

I had quite a haul that day, and would have hauled even more if my 2 best girlfriends hadn't restrain me with a leash.... good, 'coz when i cooled down i realised those are not really what i wanted. : ) Thank you, gals.

Okie, here's what i hauled that day......

My Haul.

The Guerlain Haul.


4 Single Eyeshadows.


L-R: 182 L'instant Nuit, 181 L'instant Emeraude, 180 L'instant Fume and 160 L'instant Coquin.


A closer look at 182 L'instant Nuit- A rich black with gold shimmer.

A closer look at 181 L'instant Emeraude- A nice olive green with a subtle golden sheen.

A closer look at 180 L'instant Fume- A light taupe brown with a hint of golden sheen.

A closer look at 160 L'instant Coquin- A subtle matte fresh pink. The only matte colour among the 4 eyeshadows.

Guerlain's Parue Extreme Luminous Extreme Wear Foundation with SPF25 PA++ in 13 Rose Naturel.

L-R: RMK's Creamy Makeup Base in 00 and Creamy Makeup Base Mat in 02.

Tangs Orchard's exclusive- REN's Multi-Mineral Pore Minimising Detox Mask.

Guerlain's L'instant de Guerlain fragrance Coffert set- 50ml EDP and 75ml body lotion.

Guerlain's Insolence Fragrance coffert set.

Guerlain's Insolence Fragrance Coffert set- 50ml EDT and 75ml body lotion.

Thierry Mugler's Innocent Angel.

A peep of the unique packaging.

A closer look.

L-R: 100ml body lotion, 5oml EDP and 25ml shower gel.

My damages (original price in departmental stores, estimated):

1. 4 Guerlain Single Eyeshadows at S$10 each, usual price S$5o each = S$40 (S$200)

2. 1 Guerlain Paure Extreme Wear Luminous foundation, usual price S$87 = S$19 (S$87)

3. 2 RMK Makeup base at S$20 each, usual price S$60 each = S$40 (S$120)

4. 2 Guerlain's fragrance coffert sets at S$29 each, not too sure of the usual price but the fragrance alone is in the S$90 range = S$58 (S$180)

5. 1 Thierry Mugler Innocent Angel fragrance coffert set, about S$90 in departmental store = S$39 (S$90)

6. 1 REN Multi-Mineral Pore Minimising Detox Mask, usual price about S$50 in Tangs Orchard(not too sure) = S$25 (S$50)

Total damages : S$ 221 (not too bad, as i went with a budget much higher).

Total damages if haul is from departmental stores : S$ 727 (not the exact figure but more or less there)

Amount saved : S$ 506 (Approximately a 70% off retail prices!!!)

A very worthy haul indeed, its worth all the hassles of finding the place and the beads of perspiration from fighting with the crowd and bad ventilation.

Note: Do check the expiry date for the products, majority of mine have expiry dates in 2012 and 2013, with the exception of 2 eye shadows that will expire in August 2011 (which i am using almost everyday now).

Sightings of brands:

Makeup
1. Stila- Mainly the Smudge pots, lip glosses and some eyeshadows (i heard there are some eyeshadows palatte, but there were gone by the time i reached the table and i reached the warehouse at 10.45am!)

2. IPSA- Only the compact cream foundation.

3. RMK- Single eyeshadows refills, LE Eye duos, the makeup bases 00 to 02, 1 liquid foundation shade, 1 blusher stick (a near dark berry shade) and some nail polishes.

4. Guerlain- 7 Single eyeshadow colours, 1 eye palatte (lavender pink combination), some lipsticks, lip glosses, bronzing compact, some liquid foundations and some compact cream foundations.

5. By Terry- 1 eyeliner (it was lying on the table pitiful by itself, so i gather the rest of the stuff must have been taken)

6. Lancaster- Duo Blush and bronzing compacts in 2 shades.

A very worthy haul indeed not to mention worth all the hassles of finding the place.

Skincare

1. REN- Mainly the masks, facial wash, hand wash and some lotions.

2. Jurlique- Some essential oils, face lotion with SPFs (not much if i recall correctly).

3. Bvlgari- Some Facial lotions, creams and serums containing precious gemstones.

4. Guerlain- None sighted (Saw people posting the skincare they hauled, so i guess i was too late when i reached the table)

5. Other sighted brands but did not approached the tables-Carita, Lancaster and La Prairie.

Fragrances

1. Guerlain- Quite a few fragrance coffert sets, as well as single bottle fragrances and 1 Insolence Parfum.

2. Thierry Mugler- Lots of Eau de star, Innocent Angels, Cologne and Alien but no Angel : (

3. Salvatore Ferragamo- The Incanto series are almost all there as well as some men fragrances.

4. Bvlgari- some of the range are there but no bundle set seen.

5. Issey Miyake- bottles of 25ml of Eau de Issey and the latest scent at much lower price than departmental stores.

6. Hermes- Kelly Caleche sets, Eau des Merveilles, Amazone, Terre d'Hermes, Eau d'Orange Verte and Un Jardin sur le Nil.

6. Others- JPG, Stella McCartney, Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely and Covet, Van Cleef & Arpels's First and the CK's.

Review: OPI Tickle My France-y, Barefoot in Barcelona, Over the Taupe and You Don't Know Jacques

Never say never.

This is what i have learnt from my recent OPI Nail Polish haul from a shopping spree with my girlfriends. I was never a nail polish kind of gal and even if i were to choose a colour to wear, BROWN would never be one of the top choices. I have naturally olive tan skin tone, so the idea of wearing brown on my light to medium dark skin tone isn't one of the most flattering idea around.

Of course, this is untill this recent OPI spree, and i realised Browns are indeed my kind of colour, especially those that tends towards the neutral spectrum. They work for my skin tone, even made my stubby fingers seem more slender.

Okie, i will cut it short this time.... Introducing my OPI Browns......

From L-R: Tickle My France-y, Barefoot in Barcelona, Over the Taupe and You Don't Know Jacques.

Tickle My France-y.

Barefoot in Barcelona.

Over the Taupe.

You Don't Know Jacques.



Over the Taupe for attending my Brother's Convocation.


Colours from Left to Right: Tickle My France-y, Barefoot in Barcelona, Over the Taupe, You Don't Know Jacques and Tickle My France-y.

My Favourite Combination.

I didn't realise that i have picked 4 browns out of the 10 that i have chosen for the shopping spree and they looked like they are in harmony when the 4 bottles are placed side by side together.

Tickle My France-y is the lightest shade of brown among the 4 and it is actually very neutral which i believe would suit all skin tones. If i remember correctly, it is one of the colours released in the OPI La Collection de France Collection. This colour is quite sheer with 1 application (looks very natural), it would take about 2 applications for the colour to appear opaque.

Barefoot in Barcelona from the OPI Spain Collection is a light brown that has quite a fair bit of red in it, so i would say this would look more flattering for fairer skin tone. 1 application is sufficient to achieve a nice coat of colour.

Over the Taupe from the OPI Bright Pair collection is part of the OPI permanent collection, it has a close resemblance to Chanel's Particuliere (I was told). However, i do not have Chanel's Particuliere to do a swatch comparison here. Nevertheless, it is a unique colour that is a little mousy (for lack of a better description) but with a touch of elegance. This is my favourite out of all 4.

You Don't Know Jacques is also from the OPI La Collection de France Collection just like Tickle My France-y. It is a nice mushroom brown, a little like chocolate with a slight touch of gray. This is a unique colour too, it is my 2nd favourite among the 4.

Application-wise, OPI nail polishes generally performs well, smooth application with no streaks at all. 2 coats to achieve the opaque look.

I would say, i love all of them, especially if worn together (see the last picture).

Priced at S$23.50 for 15ml at Sephora Singapore and S$23.55 at Metro Paragon. Otherwise, start a spree with your girlfriends, its well worth the hassle.

Review: The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo and Conditioner

I just received an email from The Bodyshop regarding the upcoming Eco-conscious Rainforest Hair Care range a few days ago, and i was quite keen on sampling the product after having read descriptions of the range on the email.

"Highly Biodegradable. No Silicones. No Sulphates. No Parabens. No Colourants."

This Eco-conscious range is a first for Bodyshop and that sounds really good and natural, hair care that sounds right up my alley, thus i went to the nearest Bodyshop store the very next day to obtain a sample of it.

The Eco-conscious Rainforest Hair Care Range.

Moisture Range of Hair Care for Dry Hair-Shampoo, conditioner and i think Hair treatment.

Radiance Range of Hair Care for Coloured Hair-Shampoo and Conditioner.


Shine Range of Hair Care for Normal to Dry Hair- Shampoo and conditioner.


Balance Range of Hair Care for Oily Hair- Shampoo and Conditioner.

The Satchet that i received.

Rainforest Shine Shampoo- 8ml.

Rainforest Shine Conditioner- 8ml.

There are a total of 4 lines catering for all hair types, i guess there is something for everybody.

As for me, i received a satchet (8ml each for both Shampoo and conditioner) from the Rainforest Shine range which is meant for normal to dry hair type. I don't really know if different people will get to receive different samples from different range, maybe only the Rainforest shine satchet samples will be given out (perhaps most of us have hair types that falls under that category and so the standardised sample given).

Texture of the Shampoo-a clear transparent liquid.

Texture of the Conditioner-a milky white cream-like gel.

Packaging-wise, as i do not have the final commercial product in my hands, based on the picture in the promotion poster, it seems to resemble the long-ish bottle from the Well-Being range.

Personally, i prefer shampoo that comes with pump- easier to handle, no more slip of the hand.

Now, scent-wise the Rainforest Shine Shampoo is one of my favourite, it is subtle, perhaps event a hint of sweetness and grass. It smells absolutely divine! The conditioner's scent is a toned down version of the shampoo. Very natural spa-like. It doesn't linger around much, so its both good and bad, depends on how you see it.

The texture of the shampoo is a little more watery that the others that i have used, perhaps its due to the formula and i do notice that it doesn't lather as easily as others, the reason could be due to the "No Sulphates" rule. That didn't bother me abit, just that i will be finishing a bottle of shampoo at a faster rate. The consistency of the conditoner on the other hand is like those of others in the market, its a milky white.

After 1 usage (i figure 1 satchet is just sufficient for 1 usage- that's why its called sampling), personally i felt that the shampoo is one of the gentler version among the existing shampoo range, such as the Nettle Oil Balancing Shampoo, Olive Glossing Shampoo and the Ice Blue Shampoo that i have used in the past. It's quite mild.

The conditioner on the other hand, doesn't felt like the others that i have used in the past, my hair is not so "slippery" and "silky" (maybe due to the absence of silicones), having said that doesn't mean the quality of the conditioner is not there. I like the way that my hair smoothens in a more natural way that i know isn't due to the excessive chemicals contained in the conditioner.

All in all, i would say this is a product range that i will definitely be eagerly waiting for its launch.

I need to test drive it for a longer period of time, to give a truer and fairer review of it, but as of now, personally i like it as a whole.

So, i will be waiting for its lauch on 30th of August 2010 in Singapore!

Priced at S$16.90 for 250ml (both Shampoo and Conditioner, not too sure about the hair treatment item from the Rainforest Moisture range for dry hair)

However, it will be available at a introductory price of S$12.90 on the launch date- 30th August.

List of Ingredients:

List of ingredients of Rainforest Shine Shampoo.

List of Ingredients of Rainforest Shine Conditioner.

Upcoming Promotion for the Launch of the Eco-conscious Rainforest Hair Care Range.

L'Occitane Haul @ Ion Shopping Centre !!!

In celebration of their 1st Anniversary at Ion Shopping Centre, L'Occitane had a special in-store promotion for the Ion outlet for 3 days. It was never in my plan to pay a visit to the Ion outlet as i figure it would be very crowded as it is rare for L'Occitane to have such irresistable offers in Singapore and not to mention i am currently on a skincare and makeup ban (a self-imposed ban).

However, after a unpleasant experience at the IPSA counter at Tangs Orchard which damped my mood for the day, i thought might as well pop by L'Occitane to have a look.

Well, a look turns out to be a haul... as you can see yet it is not just any good offer but a really good one.

Let me tell you why...

First of all, with any purchase nett S$80.oo, one could get a full sized Golden Olive Luminous Body Cream free (usual price S$75.oo for 250ml) and with any purchase of the Verbena range except for the soap, you can enter a sure-win lucky draw, whereby there is a wooden cart outside the store and there are, i think 4 locked wooden crates on the cart. There is a small basket with some keys in it, all you have to do is just to pick one and open the crate/box that the key fits, and whatever is inside is your gift.

Interesting, right?

Its a little gimmicky but i fell for it anyway, especially i have always had a fondness for L'Occitane's products.

So there, i bought the Immortelle Eye Balm (which i need to use like right now, honestly) and the Citrus Verbena Revitalizing Mist which can be used on the face and the body.

As luck would have it, i picked the key to the biggest wooden box which holds the full-sized Golden Olive Shower Cream (250ml). Yeah! Lucky!

My Mini Haul.

Immortelle Eye Balm- S$64.00 for 15ml.

Citrus Verbena Revitalizing Mist-S$41.00 for 125ml.

Luminous Body Cream with Olive Extracts (Retail price S$75.oo for 250ml) and Golden Olive Shower Cream (Retail price S$35.oo for 250ml).

My purchase came up to a total of S$105.oo and my free gifts' value came up to be approximately a S$100.oo (retail price).

So i say, it's quite worthy a haul, isn't it?

Review: Burt's Pore-refining Mask with French Green Clay

I was never into drugstore beauty remedies (due to my somewhat sensitive skin condition), i am really cautious about trying on things that looks interesting enough to stir the adventurous daredevil in me, yet the prudent skeptical me said coldly "Do you really want something interesting to happen?".

More than often, i was in a dilemma, torn between wanting to try new stuffs yet in the meanwhile having to worry about the possible side effects that it might bring about. So, i did some researches on my part, be it through forum, blogs review, anything possible sources of information, before i part with my money willingly for the purchase.

This Burt's Pore-refining Mask with French Green Clay was a present from a friend last Christmas. As usual, i did my homework on the researching of this product, there are a lot of raves from forums such as Makeup Alley. Since i have finally used up my last tube of Origins Clear Improvement Mask, i figure this is a good time to try out Burt's Pore-refining mask.

The simple cardboard box that houses the jar of mask.

Packaging-wise, the Green Clay mask is housed in a fuss-free thin cardboard box which comes with a small plastic scoop (for you to mix the powder with water later on), and the Green Clay mask actually comes in the form of powder. Interesting : ) I rather like the aluminium or tin cap of the jar, it has a rustic feel to it.

The green powder fills up 3/4 of the Jar.

The Mask comes in a light green colored powder form which is very fine in texture. Upon smelling it closer, it has a noticeable minty green tea kind of fragrance. It does possess a rather antiseptic cleanliness feel to it which i don't really mind at all.

A closer look at the green powder mask.

Application instructions and tips given.

Application-wise, according to the instructions printed on the side of the carton, i am supposed to add enough water to a tablespoonful of the mask to create a thin paste to apply on my face. The question is how much water is enough water? After various application and quite a few trial and error, i say just a add a little water each time, stir it then add some more as you go along to obtained the desired consistency (which is a slightly runny but thin paste). Besides that, 1 tablespoonful is actually way too much (just right for 2 people), so i wasted quite a bit of the mask on my first try, besides covering my entire face and neck i still have enough for my sister to try it on. 1/2 a tablespoonful or slightly a little more is definitely enough to go around.

The carton also stated a few other ways of mixing the mask, i might decide to try them later.

Upon application, the mask (already mixed with water) has a strong medicated minty scent that might prove to be too strong (really strong-i am in the bedroom and my mom in the living room can smell it) for those who are not used to strong scented products. One would expect the mask to be harsh then, yet surprisingly there isn't any stinging on my face but a refreshing cool minty feeling which i simply adore.

I rinsed off the mask approximately 10 mins later using my Bodyshop soft facial sponge which makes the removal of the dried mask effortless. My pores looked cleaner, clearer and perhaps a little smaller (observations after a few usage), my face doesn't appear flushed or irritated (as stated on the carton), my moisturizer is absorbed faster than usual. I would say its a good gentler alternative to my Origins Clear Improvement mask which has a subtle scent compared to Burt's Pore-refining Mask with French Green Clay.

Would i buy it in the future when this jar runs out?

You Bet!

Priced at S$15.00 for 28g. Available at Sephora Singapore- Ion Shopping Centre, Takashimaya Shopping Centre and Great World City Shopping Centre.

Main Ingredients:

List of Ingredients- All natural and mostly of plants origins.