Colour Me Beautiful

After missing out on MAC’s Manish Arora Eye Palette collection—which is considered the beauty stash loss of the year, Shu Uemura’s Mika Ninagawa Holiday Collection 2008 is something not to be missed.

A comparison of Shu Uemura's Palette (upper) and MAC's Palette Shades (lower)

I am looking at the beautiful eye colour palette offerings. Although the Adorned Marguerite combination is the one I will get, I can’t keep my eyes off the other two-namely Midnight Winter Sakura and Secret Luscious Rose.

But like what the economic figures reveal, it’s a time of needs not wants that should be driving purchases in recent times. I can’t practice that though but all I can say is “Moderation is the key”. =P

More Product Information of Shu Uemura's Eye Palette:

MIKA HOLIDAY COLLECTION EYE COLOR PALETTE - ADORNED MARGUERITE Express yourself with this limited-edition eye color palette in Adorned Marguerite. These vivid colors create a sweet and innocent makeup look. This palette includes seven pressed eye shadows and one easy to spread cream liner. A double ended applicator (sponge tip and eyeliner brush) is also included.

Benefit's Launch In Singapore

Benefit's finally launching in Singapore.

It will be available on 28 June 2007 at C.K. Tangs Orchard. Time to check out their "Some Kind of Gorgeous" to see if it's suitable for my skin tone!

Homing in on the Men's Market

Takeshi Kaneshiro is the face of Biotherm Homme for the Asian market. This is the first time the French skincare brand has appointed a spokesman for its men’s products.
It’s about time. The average man on the streets is moving away from his basic ‘soap and water’ regime and including sunscreen, eye care and a hardworking moisturizer to his skincare routine.
Is spending some time slathering on a face cream too gay for men? No way.
Your skin is the biggest organ of your body. Man or woman, you have to feed it well.

Here are some great picks for you guys:
1. Biotherm High Recharge—Latest product to take away signs of fatigue. Good for night owls.

2. Hydra Detox Yeux ($62 SGD, 15 ml)
Eye gel with oxygen booster to detoxify the skin and get rid of dark circles and puffiness.

3. UV Defense High Protection Fluid ($64 SGD, 30 ml)
Non-greasy formula. Even guys need sun protection.

4. T Pur—Anti-shine Moisturising Fluid ($57 SGD, 50 ml)
Absorbs and regulates excess shine while keeping skin moisturized.

5. Abdosculpt—Body Firming Gel ($69 SGD, 200 ml)

This one’s good for keeping your body in great shape guys!
Body treatment designed to work on localized fatty deposits of targeted areas of the body: the stomach and love-handles. A concentrate of active natural plant ingredients for better results to promote the elimination of fat and the reduction of dimpled skin.A non-sticky, menthol scent fluid gel which is instantly absorbed. After one month's treatment, skin is visibly better toned and firmer.

Takeshi for Biotherm Homme. What say you?
I say eye candy for female Biotherm fans but…seriously, it’s pretty impossible for his male counterparts to watch him without feeling a tinge of envious jealousy. After all, only a handful can look this good, even with some skincare help. ;-P

Tis the Season to Be Jolly…

December, Christmas, Holidays, Rainy season…

I love the Christmas season.

Nope, there’s no winter holiday for me this year.

Nope, I don’t have exciting parties to attend.

But, this is the season for all the beauty companies to come up with the most fabulous Christmas sets. Must have, good value coffret set buys, gorgeous gorgeous make-up palettes! So irresistible, even for someone who doesn’t wear put on make-up on a regular basis.

And print media is flooded with all these advertisements that are so difficult to ignore. I ended up poring over them.

And deciding which ones I can afford from my limited budget. Which ones are more practical? Which ones give me more mileage on my dressing table?

Christmas is the time when we want Santa Claus to exist and drop us a bag full of M.A.C. Holiday Sets.

So here they are:

M.A.C. Holiday Formal Black Suedette: 6 Intense Eyes $72 SGD


Description:

A black metal compact with lush suedette fabric detail and black bead chain featuring six Eye Shadows and a 213 SE application brush. Features the artist-selected shades to create an intense-looking eye: Smut (muted black flecked with red shimmer), Phloof! (frosted off white), Gallant (deep grape with pearl), Nightbird (rich aqua with green pearl), With A Twist (bright light green with gold), and Till Daybreak (dirty rosy pink).

My thoughts:
Love this set. M.A.C. also offers other palette offerings in Lace (Warm Colours), Pleat (Cool Colours) and Velvet (Smoky Colours). I find that this one has the prettiest and widest range of colours. Still…I won’t use it often. So…how???? (ponder, ponder, ponder)

And the more practical Holiday Sets are those brush sets!!! $98 SGD each. Bloody steep!!!


Holiday/ Formal Black: Fringe: 5 Basic Brushes


Description:

A black satin cylindrical clutch with flap closure, beautifully detailed with a beaded fringe trim and surprising midnight blue lining. Features a range of five essential brushes for lip, eye and face: the 129SE, 219SE, 239SE, 266SE and 316SE. (Size: Each brush is 5 inches)

Holiday/ Formal Black: Pleat: 4 Face Brushes

Description:

A black satin cylindrical clutch with flap closure, beautifully detailed with tux-style pleated trim and surprising midnight blue lining. Features a range of four essential brushes for the face: the 168SE, 187SE, 190SE and 194SE. (Size: each brush is 5 inches)

Holiday/ Formal Black: Ruffle: 5 Eye Brushes

Description:

A black satin cylindrical clutch with flap closure, beautifully detailed with ruffle fabric trim and surprising midnight blue lining. Features a range of five essential brushes for the eye: the 209SE, 212SE, 217SE, 252SE and 275SE. (Size: Each brush is 5 inches)

Holiday/ Formal Black: Satin: 5 Basic Brushes (Box)

Description:

A black satin covered box with signature M·A·C logo plate. Features a range of five essential brushes for the lip, eye and face: the 129SE, 219SE, 239SE, 266SE and 316SE. (Size: Each brush is 5 inches)

Holiday/ Formal Black: Prêt a Porter Brush Collection (should be more than $98)

Online Exclusive:

A black satin brush roll appliquéd with black beads and beautiful velvet fasten. Elegantly hosts a collection of eight essential brushes. For the face: the 129 Powder/Blush, 187 Duo-Fibre Face and 190 Foundation. For the eyes: the 213 Fluff, 219 Pencil, 224 Tapered Blending and 266 Small Angle. For the lips: the 318 retractable Lip Brush.

M.A.C. brushes or Bobbi Brown Brushes? Suggestions anyone out there??


Bobbi Brown Deluxe Short Brush Set $130

Description:

This best-selling set features the Short-Handle Brushes Bobbi uses most often. Set includes (pictured left to right): Eye Shader, Foundation, Face Blender (perfect for applying Shimmer Brick), Eye Shadow, Concealer, Eye Brow, and Ultra Fine Eyeliner (for precise application of Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner) Brushes. All brushes housed for portability in a soft, black faux-leather case.


I think the skincare coffret sets are a better deal. At least they wouldn’t go unused on the dresser.
Especially this one. Personally, this is the most practical set, as I really need an eye gel for all the late nights spent in front of my computer. Most value for $$ buy.

Clinique All About Eyes Gift Set $72 SGDAll About Eyes

Description:

It’s all about glamour. Five Clinique must-haves in a pink velvet pouch: All About Eyes 15ml. A Colour Surge Eye Shadow palette of six shades. Deluxe travel-sized High Impact Mascara in Black. Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips 50ml. Colour Surge Lipstick mini in Pure Posh.

I have a dream…

A nightmare, that is.

I dreamt that I had eyelashes so long that I could not handle them anymore. I was shocked at my state of follicle abundance and was trying to find a pair of scissors to trim them. But first, a comb to untangle the mess.

What a hair-raising sleep!!!

I guess it must be my subconscious on overdrive.

The bizarre beauty treatment of this week is: EYELASH TRANSPLANT!

Fret not if you have stumpy lashes.
No longer do you have to waste time (sleep time that can be used to REALLY make you look beautiful) gluing fake eyelashes to your lids.
Eyelash extensions need so much monthly maintenance, and you hate the thought of your bank account bleeding away indefinitely to keep up your expensive indulgence.

Enter eyelash transplants.

Using procedures pioneered by the hair loss industry for balding men, surgeons are using "plug and sew" techniques to give women long, sweeping lashes once achieved only by glued on extensions and thick lashings of mascara..

And just like human hair -- for that is the origin -- these lashes just keep on growing.
"Longer, thicker lashes are a ubiquitous sign of beauty. Eyelash transplantation does for the eyes what breast augmentation does for the figure," said Dr Alan Bauman, a leading proponent of eyelash transplants.

"This is a brand new procedure for the general public (and) it is going to explode," Bauman told Reuters during what was billed as the world's first live eyelash surgery workshop for about 40 surgeons from around the world.

Under the procedure, a small incision is made at the back of the scalp to remove 30 or 40 hair follicles which are carefully sewn one by one onto the patient's eyelids. Only light sedation and local anesthetics are used and the cost is around $3,000 an eye.

The technique was first confined to patients who had suffered burns or congenital malformations of the eye. But word spread and about 80 percent are now done for cosmetic reasons.

For many women, eyelash surgery is simply an extra item on the vast nip tuck menu that has lost its old taboos.

More than 10 million cosmetic procedures -- from tummy tucks to botox -- were performed in the United States in 2005, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The figure represents a 38 percent increase over the year 2000.

Erica Lynn, 27, a Florida model with long auburn hair, breast implants and a nose job, had eyelash transplants three years ago because she was fed up with wearing extensions on her sandy-colored lashes.

"When I found out about it, I just had to have it done. Everyone I mention it to wants it. I think eyelashes are awesome. You can never have enough of them," Lynn said.

Bauman, who practices in Florida, does about three or four a month. Dr. Sara Wasserbauer, a Northern California hair restoration surgeon, says she has been inundated by requests.

"I have been getting a ton of eyelash inquiries ... If I had $10 dollars for every consultation, I'd be a rich woman."

The surgery is not for everyone. The transplanted eyelashes grow just like head hair and need to be trimmed regularly and sometimes curled. Very curly head hair makes for eyelashes with too much kink.

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Together people, 1 2 3, Ewww…

So this is the cause of my scary dream last night! I just cannot imagine giving my lashes their monthly ‘haircut’. Or looking like this:

Sometimes, I wonder, when will the pursuit for physical perfection ever stop? Is it a simple case of pure human vanity? Is it a continuous effort to increase our self esteem or is it just an inability to live with our Real selves?

The story above is taken from Yahoo! News.
For the full story and video clip, click on this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061024/hl_nm/life_eyelashes_dc