that TENDER Lunasol GLOW...

The only coffret this season which made me go "I NEED TO HAVE IT!" Lunasol's Tender Glow collection features a soft contrast between neutral browns and glowy, translucent pinks which will give you enough sparkle to dazzle this holiday season. <3

BIG thanks to the fiancé for getting this at Lotte DFS! Review and swatches to follow. *cuddles with furry coffret*

I am so glowing this Christmas! :P

♡,

G

Nailaholic HK Haul!

Went on a business trip to Hong Kong earlier this month but still managed to sneak in some brisk shopping at Causeway Bay with my blogger pals Jenn & Rach where I bought mostly nail stuff, hence the entry title. hee hee!

got my first few bottles of crackle/shatter nail polish from China Glaze and OPI then a couple of Zoya's and mini box sets.

feminine & elegant nail appliques

star and bow accent nail appliques

cute nail decals!

french tip style nail appliques 

pearls in a variety of sizes!

kawaii Hello Kitty and My Beauty Diary (Black Pearl, White Truffle and Earl Grey Tea & Macaron) Masks!

I threw the boxes away so I can randomly stuff 'em into my luggage. LOL.

DollyWink liquid eyeliner (my favorite!), eyelash applicator and a couple of blotting papers.

I hope you enjoyed the peek! My haul posts are definitely going to slow down now that I'm planning our wedding. Oh how bittersweet! :P

See you around!

♡,

G

L O V E

Hi everyone!!! *waves profusely* Its been a month since my last post and I truly miss being a diligent blogger! If you follow me on Twitter or if you're a Facebook friend of mine, you would probably know the big news... but don't fret if you're feeling a bit out of the loop because I'm announcing it here anyway.

Lurvey & I are ENGAGED!

He popped the Q and I said YES! So exciting! I feel so blessed to have a loving fiancee who is willing to spend a fraction of his fortune on our big day. LOL. kidding aside, I realized its so much fun planning and gathering supplier information. It's a whole new world! at least for me and Lurvey. <3 

who's in the mood for flashback photos?

Times Square, NYC

Ocean Park, Hong Kong

Sofitel, Manila

Lusso, Greenbelt 4

I'd like to thank our dear friends for supporting us and sharing happiness and love since our dating stage. We had lots of ups and downs, spins and curves, but in the end I know that all roads lead to our joyful life together.

Hoping you all had a sweet November just like me!

♡,

G

L'Oreal Color Infaillible Eyeshadows Swatches

This post is dedicated to my dear friend / enabler Lynn C. in hopes of turning tables and making her want these little pots of pigments. :P

L'Oreal's answer to Armani's Eyes To Kill Silk Eyeshadows, the Infaillibles succeeds in living up to its promise of infallible, indefectible wear, giving off high pigmentation and dramatic richness of shades.

I got these on promotion for SGD10 each at Changi T3 Duty Free, the other shades were already sold out.

I love the packaging, so practical and user friendly. You can see what shade you are holding on either side of the pot.

swatches:

left to right: 014 Eternal Black (black shadow with purple glitter), 012 Endless Chocolat (deep brown), 009 Permanent Kaki (pearly army green), 007 Unlimited Sky (pearly sky blue), 006 All Night Blue (dark blue with blue shimmer), 005 Purple Obsession (smoky purple)

I like using my smallest fingers (ring and pinky) to get and apply these shadows as I find it easier to blend, control and prevent fallout that way. I also find it quite enjoyable touching the shadows as they feel velvety soft like they can actually melt in your fingertips. 

Infaillibles (upper) vs. ETK's (lower)

I'm happy to report I don't have duplicate shades as the Infaillibles are like solid shots of color with shimmer you can pick out while ETK's are more complex with the hybrid (pearl and shimmery) finish marbled into the pigments.

So, which formula lasts longer?

rubbed gently with wet cotton, the L'Oreal Infaillibles faded quickly while the ETK's obviously need more rigorous rubbing to wipe out entirely. Quality wise, Armani takes the cake (and more of our ca$$$h too!) 

I don't really believe that the Infaillibles are dupes to the Eyes To Kill Silk Shadows as they look different when swatched and the colors are much simpler. I think a better explanation would be L'Oreal was inspired by Armani to create a more affordable line of highly pigmented, soft as butter shadows. Because clearly, Armani is on a league of its own.

Overall, L'Oreal's take is highly respectable and of top-notch quality despite being a drugstore brand. I'm very happy with my little collection, but I still feel I need the lighter shades (white, beige and pink) for blending. *beautybloggerwoes*

Thanks for reading!

♡,

G

Bugis Village Finds!

Singapore's Bugis Village is known for its great bargain shopping which is a totally different realm from the sassy malls of Orchard Road. My eyes widened at the sight of incredibly low-priced trendy clothes and accessories! Just ask Luna. ^_~  

I had so much fun hunting for quirky, kawaii accessories that I feel the need to share 'em with you lovelies! Here are some of my bargain picks:

3 for SGD10 rings

bunny ears ring ala Louis Vuitton

vintage looking home-maker bunny carrying an easter egg. How cute is that?

big brass bow! this doesn't photograph too well, but it sure looks attractive when worn!

3 for SGD15 connector rings! 

who doesn't like stars?!

a curly mustache connector ring for my bestie! LOL.

and my favorite...

another trinket added to my little box of gorgeousness. :)

 Given the affordable price, I don't expect these to last me a lifetime, these are fast-fashion accessories after all, the kind of quality you can get from Forever21 and H&M. 

I hope you enjoyed the eye candy!

♡,

G

TOPSHOP Cream Blush in High Five

I have been wanting to try TOPSHOP makeup for a while, so I took the opportunity to purchase them with discount in Kuala Lumpur. Thanks to Stellar! (FYI, we have TOPSHOP boutiques in Manila, but they don't carry the makeup line *frown*)

I like the simple, no frills packaging; both the box and plastic case feel solid and strong, not flimsy at all. 

The cream blush retails for RM33 (Approx. USD11)

HIGH FIVE is a matte vivid pink which looks scary in the pan, but shows up nicely when blended on the skin. I know its not a unique shade, but the sweet looking flush got me into putting it in my basket.

swatch:

blended, heavy swatch ~look ma, no shimmer!

The cream to powder texture feels velvety and smooth, it glides on with ease, and remains blendable even after it dries which is great characteristic for a cream blusher. Once set, it stays on for at least 9 hours, humidity and twice a day blotting considered. It fades a bit, which makes it look even more natural. I would recommend this to those who have smooth and clear skin as cream blushers tend to enhance imperfections (they just seem to intensify redness of zits or darkness of scars even when concealed properly).

I was tempted to get the Fall collection lipsticks but resisted, and now I regret it. LOL. Please bring the makeup line in our shores TOPSHOP Manila!

♡,

G

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Silk Eyeshadows

Giorgio Armani premieres a new approach to shadow - Eyes To Kill Intense. A new color dimension inspired by the very roots of Italy; its earth, volcanoes, marble and rare stones.

Employing the breakthrough Colorfil™ technology, very intense pure pigments are combined with lightweight pearls to create a silken soft texture.

Hands down, the most amazing eyeshadows I've ever tried, Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill eyeshadows are the smoothest, most pigmented ones in my collection. I have been a palette lover ever since I started collecting makeup as I find it troublesome to mix and match eyeshadow shades on my own. But as you can see, I'm quite addicted to these single color pots. One swipe on the lid was all it took for me to hand my card over to the lovely Armani SA. Ah me~

As of date, I have 7 shades out of the 16 readily available.

2 Lust Red

3 Purpura

5 Gold Blitz

6 Khaki Pulse

7 Sweet Fire

14 Gold Spirit

15 Copper Impress

swatches:

15 Copper Impress, 14 Gold Spirit, 7 Sweet Fire, 6 Khaki Pulse, 5 Gold Blitz, 3 Purpura , 2 Lust Red

The texture of these shadows is silky smooth, they glide on like a dream, and stays put the whole day even without a primer. They don't crease or flake. All shades look nice worn alone but blend really well together as well which makes it ideal for a smoky eye look. Given the soft and smooth texture, I did not observe any fallout after application. Aside from price (HKD250) and availability (got mine in Armani Chater House, Hong Kong) setback, I really can't think of anything that will make these shadows inferior to other eyeshadows. I highly recommend these outstanding little pots, every beauty aficionado should check them out! :)

I'm already looking forward to the holiday ETK's! I'm curious if the Gold and Silver shade will be ultra sparkly!

Have you tried the super popular ETK's? What's your favorite shade?

♡,

G

A STELLAR Day Trip to Kuala Lumpur!

One of the perkiest and most fabulous ladies I know on Blogger, Stellar Vixen aka Joo lyn was one of the ladies I was very excited to meet in person. I tell you, Malaysia tourism should hire her, she's an exceptional host! Every bit of my day trip to Kuala Lumpur was filled with upbeat chats and  amusing sights!

First stop: a photo op at the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world! G & Stellar, we finally meet! ♥

after all the posing under the intense sunlight, we had an authentic malaysian feast at Madam Kwan's to satisfy our growling tummies!

nasi bojari, the chicken was really savory, it was tender and moist hmm, I'm getting hungry!

laksa aka curry noodles

belacan kangkung, similar to our local "kangkong in bagoong", but tastier! yumyum :D

spicy sambal! really good stuff!

our generous hostess ♥

cosmetic shopping!

we tried on lipsticks at the Cle de Peau counter. Stellar rocked the orange shade!

at Suria KLCC

KLCC Park

we also had afternoon drinks at the Sky Bar, Trader's Hotel. Stellar made sure we had a wonderful view of the KL skyline. Awesome!

you can see KLCC's kiddie playground and pool from the bar. Its a refreshing view from all the skyscrapers.

Last stop, SEPHORA at the Pavillion!

this is my supermodel friend K who traveled with me from Singapore. She delighted Stellar with her mad skills in posing for the camera! I'm sure I will get a BBM rant if she reads this. LOL! :P

Here's my SEPHORA loot!

Topshop haul, got a significant discount with Stellar's member card. Wheee~

Yay~ now I can finally try their cream and powder blushers! The nail colors were inspired by my mood that day... fun, cool, classy and trendy!

I am definitely coming back to Kuala Lumpur and will stay longer next time! I'm sure there are loads more to conquer in this fine city. 

Thanks for reading!

♡,

G

ps. I just switched to the DISQUS comment system, please feel free to rave/rant if there are any issues you might encounter. Thanks in advance!