Kenzoki Belle de Jour ~ the scent of heaven and Arwen

The aroma of Kenzoki’s Belle de Jour is exactly what the jar describes ~ a face in heaven. Now I think if someone were to ask me what Heaven would smell like, I would offer Belle de Jour.

The scent is deeply inhale-lingly mersmerising. It’s how … Arwen, daughter of Elrond from the Lord of the Rings would smell like. The purity and depth of white lotus, each breath a heartfelt moment of delight, bliss and serenity. It’s a scent I want to rush home to and slather on my face every night.

OK. Enough of that dreaminess. The cream is heavy and comforting at first, then slowly melts into the skin, leaving very little residue. I love this cream. More importantly, Kenzoki gets their scents right. Their scents melt away any frustration, stress or hurt. You feel loved and centred when you inhale this cream.

I can’t believe I wrote all that.

My Beauty Diary Mask – Provence Lavender Mask

These made-in-Taiwan sheet masks made their way to Singapore several months back. Way before they arrived, I had the pleasure of trying them out when another beauty junkie gave me two to try. I fell in love with them immediately, not even knowing their cult status. Later, I ordered the chocolate masks from Sasa.com in Hong Kong (currently out of stock even in Taiwan).

My Beauty Diary (MBD) masks are among my favourite masks because they fit my face really well, give the nicest results and have different formulas to address various skin problems. They don’t cost the earth, either. I chill ALL my sheet masks in the fridge, to get rid of the solution dripping everywhere. When they’re chilled, they tend to drip a lot less when you take them out. Not to mention, the feeling of chilled hyaluronic acid does work wonders for your dull skin.

Having most recently gone through the excellent Bulgarian White Rose masks, I was looking to replenish my empty chiller compartment. Lo and Behold, the Provence Lavender masks sat prettily on the shelf, winking at me. These masks target normal and sensitive skin. The effect is supposed to be “soothing and restoring” while being “relaxing and moisturising” at the same time. It contains lotus extracts, marigold and arnica.

The masks can be bought at Guardian stores in Singapore at S$17.50 (sale price) for a box of 10. The ones photographed in my blog are only 2 pieces per box (special edition). These go for about S$3.50 per box. Good for trials.

MBD Provence Lavender masks

Korean Actress Makeup

In case you were wondering, I have been trying hard to figure out how to dupe the clean look sported by beautiful Korean actresses, for example, the ever dignified and graceful Ha Dan Ah, played by the excellent Yoon Jung Hee.

I try different methods every morning when I put on my make-up. After several hits and misses, I think I have some simple suggestions for those of you who would like to try it out.

Step 1

Based on personal preference, the best base makeup for that poreless, flawless beautiful look in my makeup arsenal is the Bourjois Mineral Matte Finish Mousse Foundation. I wear Shade #81.  It beats liquid foundation, powder, liquid foundation mixed with MAC’s Strobe Cream or BB cream.

Bourjois Paris Mineral Matte Foundation

Step 2

Wear a shimmer brick blusher like Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer. It gives a beautiful, natural glossy sheen to your cheeks.

Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer (launched in 2008)

Step 3

Choose a pearl eyeshadow in nude, brown, chocolate or mauve. At all costs, avoid glitter in your eyeshadows. And keep a light hand when applying.

Paul & Joe pearl eyeshadows in #23 and #16 (older range)

Photo taken from AneCan Magazine (March 2010 issue). See "Shiny", "pearly" and "matte". I picked up Shade 11

Step 4

Wear only intense black mascara and black eyeliner (liquid or kohl is fine). I wear Diorshow and Shiseido FITTIT mascaras and Shiseido the Make-up Liquid Liner or Dior Waterproof kohl in Trinidad (black).

Step 5

Darken eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil. Keep eyebrows as straight as possible, with no arching. Paul & Joe has got good brow pencils. I wear shades in dirty green and grey.

{My brows were done in a hurry, so they are not up to scratch}

EOTD and Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer on cheeks. No mascara at time of photo. I was rushing for work

Keep the face matte, not dewy, and save the glitter for another look. I hope you’ll find this useful!

Kenzo Amour

Panic

n.

1. A sudden, overpowering terror, often affecting many people at once. See synonyms at fear.
2. A sudden widespread alarm concerning finances, often resulting in a rush to sell property: a stock-market panic.
3. A sudden stop of the heart upon discovery that Kenzo Amour perfume has been discontinued.

I blinked a few times at the SA at the Kenzo counter at Takashimaya, my mind frozen for minute. She repeated the dreaded words. “The perfume has been discontinued. The only stocks of Kenzo Amour left are now the 50ml bottles of eau de parfum, direct from Paris.”

Ah…..Kenzo Amour, the most romantic perfume on the planet. Why, Kenzo? You came up with an awesome brainchild and since then, the other Amours just did not live up to expectation.

If you’re like me, dismayed at the bad news, take heart. At S$103.00, you can still get the Christmas coffret which comprises the 50ml Kenzo Amour EDP and a 100ml body lotion in the same scent. The SA must have felt a little sorry for me, because she gave me generous samples of Kenzoki skincare and curtsied 3 times as she handed me my bag of purchases.

Kenzo Amour Coffret Box

Kenzo Amour EDP 50ml, 100ml body lotion and GWP Kenzo Amour Florale miniature

Kenzoki skincare samples, including their panacea product, Belle de Jour

closeup of Kenzo Amour Florale miniature

A male friend once remarked “Of all the scents that you wear, this (Kenzo Amour) is the nicest.”

With a sad droop of the head, I agree too.

Chloé Eau de Parfum Intense

Chloe Eau de Parfum Intense

I spotted Chloé Eau de Parfum Intense at Tangs during lunchtime. After testing it out for the rest of the day, I figured I really like the scent. I decided to get it the very next day.

Now,  I certainly don’t claim to be an expert in perfumes, notes and such stuff. But like wine, I do know good quality stuff when I come across it. The scent is a more womanly version of Calvin Klein’s Escape, meaning, it’s like Escape plus more vanilla, more rose and more syrupy sweetness. Yet it is not biting, startling or choking upon the very first whiff. It goes easy on the skin and mine lasts way into bedtime, despite a ferocious end-of-the-day shower at midnight.

This is how www.escentual.com describes it :

“A new way to wear Chloé: purely chic, intensely feminine and mysteriously seductive.

The fragrance starts with the fresh and fusing note of pepper.

Its romantic scent envelops you with the floral facet of the rose petals.

Its sensual base then warms you with the entrancing tonka bean and the delicateness of honey.

The bottle of the Eau de Parfum Intense is embellished with a grey-coloured ribbon.”

I feel more feminine and (dare I say it) poised when I wear it. It’s for days when I need to keep calm and sane (which essentially means, Mondays right through Fridays!).

This will be one of my favourites for a long time to come. The 75ml bottle which I got is priced at S$176.00. A real extravagance, considering Prada’s latest offering, L’eau Ambree at Tangs is only about S$130 thereabouts.

GWP : Chloe pouch in gunmetal grey, Chloe (not the Intense) shower gel, body scrub and body lotion. The SA threw in 2 fragrance vials (not photographed) too.

Christian Dior Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in MYSTIC SMOKYS #004 and Extase Mascara in #90

The long, agonising wait for Dior Extase Mascara is finally over and … *heave* …here in Singapore!

EXTASE mascara in #90

When I learnt about its arrival on our shores, I sped off at lunchtime yesterday to pick it up. The SA at Tangs apologised frantically, saying another SA was just getting the new stocks out of the storeroom. While waiting for the precious mascara to make its royal journey from the storeroom, I swatched all the new Dior Spring 2010 quints. Lucky me got to swatch brand new, virgin eyeshadow testers, haha.

The Dior Extase mascara in #90 Black is worth every penny. I wore it today. It hardly smudged for more than 12 hours of wear,  just a little. It has very little curling power but lots of volume and dark, soot-black pigments. To get around the curling problem, first coat your bare lashes with a curling primer or curling mascara. Then use the Extase to build up the volume. It took me just 2 full coats of Extase to achieve the super sooty lash look which I adore. The brush is really good because it reaches all the lashes in a swipe, even the lashes at the end.

For the quints, I loved the new all biege-brown earth palette and thought I would get that. Then I fell in love with the Extase Pink Palete in #804. Gorgeous! However, I decided it could look too sweet on me, when I am still very much in the ’sophisticated’ look mood.

I was in a fix. Oh dear, all the palettes looked yummy. Then I saw the mesmerising deep dark violet shade in the Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow in Mystic Smokys #004. I could not stop gawking at it.  Terribly, terribly beautiful. The other shades are (according to Sephora) gunmetal grey, icy pink in the middle, ivory with gold flecks and a dark neutral brown. I could wear this for work or for a social event.

Cover

So I got that as well and did an EOTD (Mystic Smokys & Extase Mascara) today. All pigments and colour pay-offs in the new Spring 2010 e/s palettes are luxurious and sophisticated. You will never look out of place wearing a Dior eyeshadow.

Mystic Smokys #004

EOTD using Icy Pink, Deep Violet and Ivory shades

Palette’s Sweet Street

I like to dream of a perfect world where pink macarons line the streets, red roses overwhelm Parisian cafes and Japanese make-up counters in Singapore never say “sorry ah, out of stock!”

Reality however dictates otherwise.

Ah well. I can afford to dream a little, can’t I? Enter Palette’s Sweet Street, whose designers (hailed from San-X) also gave us Rilakkuma and company. In moments of great stress, I do not light up ciggies or drown my frustration in alcohol. I simply head out to a bookstore and select lovely stickers. My personal collection of stickers is still growing. If you think stickers are meant only for young children, think again.

“I have quite an impressive sticker collection…more than three boxes filled with sticker albums” ~ Jamie Cuaca, owner of the Manolo Blahnik store in Singapore and well-heeled socialite. [Item 6, write-up under the Nokia Phone picture]

I present… A Perfect World… =>

Palette Sweet Street & Rilakkuma

PSS

PSS

p.s. My perfect world also includes a lifestyle like Jamie Cuaca, haha. And like I said, dreaming of it wouldn’t hurt a single bit

Spanish Diary

Sangria is one of my favourite alcoholic drinks. I don’t drink it often, only when I make a little pit-stop at Que Pasa, a little Spanish tavern-esque watering hole in Singapore. Que Pasa has a very good sangria, and its delicious tapas combined make things very celebratory indeed.

CUG’s Spanish Diary is made of Swarovski crystal circles set in gold-plate; various coloured Swarovski bicones (light pink, amethyst, baby blue) and freshwater pearls. Topped with 14K gold-filled French hooks.

A little Spanish indulgence at $45.00.

Spanish Diary by Night

Spanish Diary by Day

Dentelle

The gold-plated ribbons are pretty enough to be worn alone, in all honesty. However, freshwater pearls add movement, which I think is important for earrings, and to brighten up the look when worn against long dark hair.

Dentelle retails for SGD$33.00, complete with 14K gold-filled French hooks and findings.

dentelle

Perle Blanche

Sometimes when we decorate a cake, we use strawberries, cream and little silver icing balls. Don’t the little icing balls lend a touch of glamour to it? In the same way, a tiny drop of pearl can be the icing on the cake, on top of a quiet, demure look. [I blame all beautiful Korean actresses who sport quiet pearls for this post ! ]

SGD$26.00 [Freshwater pearls and silver French hooks and findings]

perle blanche