Etude House Color Lips-Fit

I'm back with my Etude House feature of the month, and this April, it's all about the lips! Lips makes for an important feature of our face (besides the eyes), and a dab of color can do wonders to your entire look. For me, it helps me to look less pale and makes me look complete. I can do without falsies, eye make-up, but not the lips. Never the lips!

Etude House has released a revolutionary product called Color Lips-Fit. From a liquid type lipstick, upon application on your lips, it transforms to a powdery matte texture. Fitting your lips seamlessly, without any weight or uncomfortable feeling, tried & tested!

I've gotten the PK003, BE101 and WH901 to try.

PK003 is a girly pink, BE101 is an orangey beige, and WH901 is a clear gloss.
Guess which is my favourite? ;)

Here's the full range that Etude House offers. With the current K-trend, a lot of bold & strong colors are incorporated into this collection.

The applicator for the lipstick catches the product well but do dab sparingly on your lips to avoid too much product only on one side.

A swatch of the colors and the texture when I first take it out of the bottle and applied it on my arm. You can tell the texture looks like a normal tint lipstick from here.

A few seconds or minutes later... It turns into a powdery matte lightweight texture. How cool is that! ;)

(This picture is more true to color)

Swatched it on my lips as well, but not before applying the clear gloss (WH901) to my lips beneath. Do remember to shake the bottles well before use.

I find that the clear gloss works brilliantly beneath and over these Lips Fit Lipsticks! Especially for girls like me, whose lip lines are pretty obvious. I don't get dry lips very often, but they do appear chapped at times, hence a good lip moisturiser is needed to bring out the condition & color of my lips better. WH901 works wonders, really! I loveee it.

PK003 appears a tad more neon in real life, but it's a lovely K-Pink, which of course, stands for a bold girly pink that is all the rage now in Korea!

BE101 is a light orangey-beige, a very unique color that I slowly grew to love. You'll see why after I post the full face pictures ;) And yes, this is my favourite shade!

PK003 on my lips is a tad less subtle on camera and when I apply the clear gloss beneath, so it turns out a brilliant pink here, as shown in the pictures.

The BE101 in a full face shot. The BE101 just seems so flattering! It's such a unique shade of beige and I love it so much ;) Plus, it doesn't pale you out too.

 However, something to note is, this lipstick requires touching up! It transfers to your cups, utensils pretty easily. One way to touch up brilliantly is to wipe your lips entirely clean, and reapply from scratch. This way, you'll be able to wipe off any dead skin on your lips as well and do a nice smooth reapplication and you'll look as good as gold!

Head on down to all Etude House stores to swatch it for yourself this weekend! ;)

xx

Mary Kay CC Cream: A Review

I am a hugeee fan of foundations. If there are two make-up items that I'm extremely guilty of splurging on, it's foundations & liptsticks. I have tons of them at home and it has grown to quite a collection now! :P

I am very kindly sponsored the new CC Cream from Mary Kay! Well, I'm sure you've heard of BB creams, but what about the latest revolutionary CC creams? They have been raging on the markets recently, a while after BB creams were introduced. It may seem a little confusion trying to differentiate the two, but it boils down to very simple facts. 

CC creams are complexion corrector creams that simply colour corrects your skin tone. Like BB creams, CC creams come with a bit of sunscreen coverage, but in my opinion, CC solely corrects color. It does not provide sufficient coverage for blemishes, but it evens out the color on your entire face. Giving you quite a sheer-light finish, if you prefer light make-up.

Now that that's clarified, here's more about the Mary Kay CC Cream!

It boasts of SPF 15, providing minimal protection against the sunlight, and aims to give you the "easy out of the door option without that made-up look". It's light-weight, and slightly moisturizing, and acts very much like your tinted moisturiser.

With 8 benefits, it ensures that it's got you covered in one product. It brightens, protects, corrects with lightweight coverage, minimizes redness, conceals, hydrates, reduces visible signs of aging & defends. Wow, quite a handful huh, hehe! It works by dispensing via a pump tube, but at times it dispenses a little more than required.

Oil-free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested and tested for skin irritancy and allergy. Suitable for and tested on Asian skin. Also suitable for all skin types including acne-prone & sensitive skin.

I was given both Light-Medium & Medium-Deep shades to try, and the Light-Medium shade fits me like a charm. However, the Mary Kay CC Cream provides a really really sheer coverage, hence, you'll still have to add an extra step or two to cover your blemishes. 

Here's a swatch of the Light-Medium & Medium-Deep Shades:

Light-Medium has a slight pinkish undertone, while the Medium-Deep was slightly tanner / yellow.

Gonna show you how the Light-Medium color works on my skin tone ;)

Spreading the color out with my finger... 

It blends in REALLY WELL. I really can't tell where it starts/ends, haha! But yes, coverage is sheer, as you can tell. It's perfect for ladies who like their make-up light!

I've added on concealer & loose powder (light blusher & lipstick), to give that natural, not so made-up look.

It did really help to even out my skin tone and made me look healtier, but I still need my concealer for difficult spots!

Click on the link for more information about Mary Kay's CC Cream.

It's available in 4 shades, and retails at S$37.

To locate a consultant, call 62266888, or visit www.marykay.com.sg 

Thank you for sending over the CC Cream, it's been so fun experimenting to new foundations, something I really have a soft spot for! ;)

Bath & Body Works Singapore

Just last week, Keline invited me to go along with her to the opening of Bath & Body Works in Singapore! :) 

Bath & Body Works is pretty renown in United States, and it's finally here in our shores, at Marina Bay Sands! Fans of the brand would rejoice with the huge selection of products available here.

Such a colorful store! The colors are already making me feel super happy!

Look at their dessert table!!! Keline & I were wide-eyed with their selection of cakes, sweets, and savoury tarts.

Pretty pastel macarons!

Plus they had a rainbow cake toooo. Yums! :))

The array of products they carry. From body lotions, shower gels, perfumed sprays, to candles! They even carry products that help you to relieve stress with aromatherapy, from head to toe!

I am a huge fan of scented body lotions! I own way too many scented hand creams in particular, heehee, soft spot for them! Can you imagine my excitement when I went through the store? I felt like a kid in a candy store! 

Picked out a few of my favourite scents in store after smelling almost every series! Each scent comes with a body lotion, shower gel & fragrance mist. My top few favourites are: Be Enchanted, Paris Amour, and a few others which I really can't remember!

I realised that I like sweet scents most. But it shouldn't be overpoweringly sweet too!

Grabbed the chance to camwhore in store too with the superb lighting, heehee!

Thank you for asking me along, Keline!!! *throws hugs & kisses* So sad that we only have time to catch up during events like these!

We had a go with their photo booth too!! :P Girls & cam-whoring, lol! The picture of us is sightly overexposed here though. Bath & Bodyworks also very kindly gave us something small to bring home. I got the scent that I liked: Paris Amour's Shower Gel (sweet floral scent with fruity notes), Coconut Lime Breeze Body Lotion (fruity & refreshing scent), and Caribbean Escape Hand Sanitizer, all in travel size. Great for bringing them around in my bags or when I travel ;) 

We spent a really long time browsing the entire store because everything looked so good! Hee, we were both late for our respective dinners too because we were shopping & catching up :P Thank you for having us over, Bath & Body Works. I'll be sure to head down to replenish my body lotions, and pssst, these work really well as gifts too! With the extensive selection of scents available in the store, you're sure to find one, (or a few just like me) that you'll love!

Bath & Bodyworks Singapore

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

B2 - 42

Sweater Weather

On the eve of Christmas eve, there was a rare day that was surprisingly chilly. Temperatures dipped till a cool 24 degrees and I felt myself feeling rather cold even at home. It was perfect.

I quickly seized the chance to wear something Winter-ish. I miss dressing up for Winter. Okay, maybe not so much. The layering looks fun & stylish, but it really is a hassle when you're trying on clothes to buy, or feeling the cold in your bones. Nevertheless, having a bit of cooler temperature on our sunny island is always a good respite.

This time, one year ago, I was freezing my ass off in London. It was cold! No matter what I wore, it was still painfully cold. Plus, it drizzles a lot in London too... so... :/ :/ Hahaha. Despite it all, it's still one of my favourite cities in the world with the extraordinary charm it holds.

Top: Lace & Ebony Joycie Knitted Top (Maroon)
Bottom: Lace & Ebony upcoming Leather Pencil Skirt
Shoes: Boots from Madrid

Bag: Longchamp

I am wearing a Lace & Ebony Joycie Knitted Top in Maroon, paired with an upcoming pencil leather skirt which I am swooning about. You know how I'm always keeping versatile items in my wardrobe? Yes, this leather skirt, is really versatile to me. So happy to have found it! :)

If you like the skirt, you'll be happy to know that we're bringing it in, in Sizes S & M, next week to Lace & Ebony! We're gearing up for the Chinese New Year collections weekly too, with my (labour of love) new batch of manufactured items that I'm introducing for CNY! Dresses galore! *inserts heart-shaped eyes*

I am stressed and toiling over laboriously over my manufactured pieces cos these really are my babies, and a push for Lace & Ebony to the frontiers of Fashion. So throw in your support okay? :)

Flash sale is now on too, till the 30th of December!!

It's only about 3 more days till the end of the year, and a lot of reflections on 2013 will definitely be coming up everywhere. It's also time for me to slow down and reflect on 2013, to make 2014 an even better year! *positive thinking mode ON*

(Follow me on Dayre for more personal daily thoughts, musing, pictures (plenty, I promise). I won't be posting a lot of personal & daily happenings on this blog. Leaving it only for Fashion, Food & Advertorials. Join me on Dayre & Instagram for more!)

xx

You'll find me on the other side

I am, always the girl in flats.

I don't feel comfortable in heels, not that I can't walk properly, it's just that the gruelling pain kills me after I wear it on and walk for hours. I don't drive nor cab as often as others might, so I walk, a lot. Heels make me feel more confident, sexy, but after an hour or so, you'll see that smile hiding a painful truth I'm feeling from my feet. How many of you feel the way I do?

I reserve my heels for shoots and special occasions, oh, and my event jobs too. But I foresee a lot more "special occasions" this month!! :P

There's so much I love about a simple ensemble. I wore out recently while having a hectic day running around. The comfortable Rainer Lace Cropped Top (Cream) is an essential I've always wanted to add to my wardrobe. I love cropped tops paired with my many high-waisted bottoms, and also glad to find the perfect neoprene midi skirt that's coming up in the next collection. It's such a lovely combination that gives you much comfort without compromising on the style.

P.S. Also loving the color edit in this series. Nothing better than to chance upon a brilliant edit by just randomly switching things up and playing around with Photoshop. Practice makes perfect, perhaps!

Lace & Ebony is celebrating our 2nd Birthday (YAY my baby is slowly growing up!), and we've a truckloads of surprises installed for you this weekend! Our birthday collections are going to be smashing, I promise! ;) 

I'll share more pictures from one of my favourite lookbook soon! The colors are just so amazing in this one! Actually every lookbook done with Fiona is amazing, except the one when I was really sick + chased out of my ideal location and had to settle, hehe.

Ohohoh, please also find me on Dayre for more on-the-go updates. I think I've found the perfect compromise. This blog for fashion & food updates, Dayre for more personal ramblings, rants, and pictures. Add me up on 'angelamaryann' okay? ;)

xx

Etude House: &Rose Makeup Collection

Advertorial

I'm extremely grateful to be able to review one of my favourite make-up / skincare brands ever - Etude House! It's a huge privilege and I'm secretly very excited because I have been an ardent fan of their BB cream, foundations & masks. Besides being one of the better & affordable brands around, their packaging is always soooo pretty! It's cute & girly and wins hearts everywhere I'm sure! :P

Today, I'm going to share with you two of Etude House's newest products - 'Rosy Tint Lips' & '&Rose Flowering Nails' (Yes, there's a & before the Rose! (: ) I loveee lip products because they are a simple touch to make you look complete. Without lipstick, I can look pale very easily and I don't come off as healthy in pictures. Picture taken below is me with make-up but nothing on my lips! PALE RIGHT!

Super super excited to try on the whole range! The colors look really good and I've always wanted to try bolder colors like, Orange & Burgundy! Not my usual lip colors.

The full range of shades available! From Red to Orange, Fuchsia, Pink and Beige

A poorly done swatch of the colors, hehe

So... here's a better illustration of the colors + a description for you!

I've chosen 3 colors to swatch on my own lips to show you the colors better!

The colors are #2 Sunny Flower, #5 Baby Peony, and #8 After Blossom

The first color I tried on was #5 Baby Peony! It is such a lovely pink I couldn't resist!!

There's a sponge applicator and I didn't quite fancy the sponges because you have to make sure your lips are really clean before application which makes reapplication after mealtimes not so convenient. BUT... With these lip tints, you hardly need much reapplication!!

I AM IN LOVE WITH THE PINK!! It's really girly & pretty!

The lip tint goes on really creamy to form a velvety texture on your lips. I'm quite surprised that a lip tint would come in a cream texture but this is a good thing. No more sticky feeling! This goes on like second skin on your lips, truly! I prefer lip tints & lipsticks to lip glosses because I don't like how sticky glosses can be, and how hair easily sticks on your lips with glosses, but no such problem now, hehe.

Removed the first color thoroughly and on to the next - #2 Sunny Flower

It's a gorgeous vibrant orange color. A crazy popular color with Koreans and I've long wanted to try it on myself. Here's my chance! ;)

The color goes on really well! I've always thought that it'll fare better with girls with fairer skins, but I thought it didn't look too bad on me, right? Hahaha! I really love how pigmented these tints are, and like I've mentioned, minimal reapplication is needed. Unless you really licked it off your lips during mealtimes, or wiped it all off vigourously.

The last color I've picked to try, and also the boldest/darkest color - #8 After Blossom

It didn't go on as dark as I expected it to, but it still gave me a feminine and slightly sultry look. I can see myself pairing it with darker colored clothes and it'll make it work so well together (:

I absolutely adore the whole range of lip tints and I'm not just saying it because I'm sponsored. I truly am a fan of lip products and these are one of the best ones I've tried with an extremely affordable price tag! The colors are varied nicely and it's well pigmented, providing you with a good color for your lips. I love how it isn't sheer like how some lip tints are. This gives you a true color while adhering to your lips like second skin! <3

(P.S. You can also apply this as a cheek tint! Dispense a small amount on your finger and very gently dot on your cheeks, blending it quickly with your fingers!)

The next product to feature would be the &Rose Flowering Nails:
Watery Rose (left), Velvet Rose (right)

Watery Rose Set comes in 2 colors (Rosy Blossom [L], Dewy Rose [R] + 1 White lace nail sticker sheet.
You can create a gradient nail easily without it creasing!

Velvet Rose set comes in 2 colors too! Rose Garden (L), After Blossom (R) + 1 Black lace nail sticket sheet

Hydrated Silica formulated in the base naturally removes the glossiness of the nail color and leaves it velvety matt on nails. You need not layer it on top of a base coat or finish off with a top coat to let the velvety texture show!

I've personally haven't had the time to sit down to paint my nails because of the huge workload over the week (L&E flash sales/collection launches which call for massive manual workload), but here are some inspirations from Etude House to get you started on your nails!! I can't wait to try ;)

I've hope you enjoyed this Beauty review from Etude House's new collection very kindly sponsored by Cozycot (Thank you so much, Ying Xiu!!) and sorry for the incessant postings of my face hahaha!

The lip tints are a must-buy, I love them so much I've really been wearing it a lot when I'm out these days! Lots of thumbs up for these ;) Collection is already available in stores!

xx