metamorphosis

moved

2010-07-27T08:25:00.000+08:00

hey all!

i have moved to butterflywings.onsugar.com

do join me there!

hugz,
farrah

screwups...

2010-07-21T13:06:00.000+08:00

Just when I wanted to post again, blogger and my work computer do not
like each other. Just putting up a short note using email posting from
my phone to say that i will be back very soon!

Next post will be a review on maybelline's BB cream :D

Evie Sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2010-07-20T18:31:00.000+08:00

Evie and her Animal Sounds

2010-07-20T18:29:00.000+08:00

Evie Says Hi!

2010-07-20T18:25:00.000+08:00

for sale to loving home!

2010-06-28T12:48:00.001+08:00

i'm clearing out my stash, plus have lots of nyx round lipsticks to sell off, so do take a look at my list and see if you are interested in any of my items! all prices include normal postage and i'm willing to do discounts for multiple purchases! leave a comment if you want something :)

please help! my makeup boxes are too full and my pockets too empty!!!

NYX Round Lipstick - $6.50 each (all brand new)
Margarita
Tea rose
Atlas
Raisin
Chaos
Mars
Christie
Thalia
Brown sugar
Mauve
Chloe
Taupe
Gardenia
Ulysses
Hestia
Pinto bean
Orion
Narcissus
Dido
Milan
Topaz
Georgia
Hades
Gaea
Doll
Hope
Rose bud
Decadent
Indian pink
Frosted beige
Watermelon
Heather
Fig
Iris
Saturn
Hebe
Eucalyptus
Sash
Sky pink
Baby pink

NYX Round Lip Gloss - $7 (brand new)
Ballerina pink
True red

NYX Megashine Lip Gloss - $8 (brand new)
pop
chandelier
african queen
gold pink

Fyrinnae Eyeshadow Samples - 1/4tsp in 3g jar $2.50 (swatched 1-2x with clean cotton swab)
tabloid
rebellion
javan rhino
arctic fox
hypercool

Everyday Minerals Eyeshadow Samples - full 5g sifter jar $3 (used 1-2x each only)
snow flakes
mystic night
morocco
rare silk
plane view
movie night
baby bath

M*A*D* Minerals Multi-Use Minerals - 1/4 tsp in 3g jar $2.50(swatched 1x only with clean cotton swab)
vibe
twisted
timeless
spruce
spirit
shivers
really
peridot stone
kunzite
illegal
fog
evocative
chartreuse
desert rose

Depotting Your NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils

2010-06-06T11:23:00.002+08:00

i've heard great things about the nyx jumbo eyeshadow pencils and they're next on my to-buy-and-try list when i can scrounge up some extra cash for it. i did hear that they were a little bit clunky and that having to use a special sharpener was a bit of a minus point so now that i know that i can put them into little jars to use like paint pots my fingers are that little bit more itchy to go ahead and click on "buy".

here's the video i watched on youtube that showed me how to depot the nyx jumbo eyeshadow pencils.

review: oil of olay total effects

2010-06-05T16:43:00.001+08:00

dinosaur years ago, when i was a teenager, i slapped on oil of olay on my face. only in those days it was called oil of ulan in singapore. then i moved on to clinique, garnier then neutrogena. i started using oil of olay again late last year and i am just so extremely happy that i did.

Price

SGD22 at lots of places in Singapore. Extremely good value for money. It is slightly more pricey than some of the other drugstore brands like Garnier and Johnson's and Johnson's but based on my experience and the results I got from it, very very worth the extra $$$ when you compare it with the much pricier department counter brands. Look out for the special box packages that come out ever so often. I got my current bottle of moisturiser packaged with a full size Total Effects Shower Cream for just SGD19. That's a bargain! I've seen box sets of the moisturiser packaged with a full sized tube of cleanser and a tube of regenerist serum, for just SGD22. so yeah, the box sets are definately a good bargain.

Packaging

I like the jar in that it isn't skinny-ass neither is it a fat and squat jar. It sits quite comfortably in my hand. The bottle itself is slightly translucent, so you can see how much you've got left in the bottle by holding it up to the light. Would have been nice to be able to check it more easily though. The pump part can be slightly flimsy though. The first bottle I got was very sturdy. This second bottle that I'm on, the pump came off when I opened it for the first time and although it works, it feels wobbly when I press down. But no real complaints here, I'm not someone who gets real fussy on the packaging unless it compromises the product quality or results in a lot of wastage.

Consistency
The consistency is very even, I've yet to encounter any lumps or graininess in it whatsoever. It's quite light, not too heavy a cream or too watery either. It absorbs quickly without getting sticky on the skin, leaving skin feeling silky smooth and soft. Using this moisturiser as a base to prep my skin up for my usual mineral foundation, my makeup has never looked better or lasted longer.

Overall

I love love love love this moisturiser. My skin has cleared up noticeably, I don't even get those tiny whiteheads on my chin that used to plague me endlessly. I still have the regular PMS pimple but my skin is super clear and soft the rest of the time. Even hubby has noticed and commented on it. He's even started swiping mine now that his usual Neutrogena is finished and I can see an improvement in his skin condition as well. Must try!

school's out!

2010-06-04T22:21:00.000+08:00

so, although the school holidays officially started a week ago, us teachers had to go back to school for one week to finish up all our outstanding work before being let off for 2 weeks of holidays. sec 4 students still had lessons too for this one week, so it basically was a normal working week for most of us. i don't really want to get involved in the whole debate on whether teachers in singapore are overloaded, but i hope that most people will at least correct their perception that teachers have a lot of free time. in the june holidays, out of the four weeks, teachers only have the middle two weeks as protected time. the first and last week of school is reserved for workshops, meetings and miscellaneous work that needs to be done. a lot of us end up doing work during the two weeks still, simply because there's just so much work to be done that the first and last week are not enough. a lot of us are preparing stuff ahead of time because the minute school starts we slowly start falling behind with everything that needs to be done.

okok, enough of my whining. i need to keep reminding myself that i'm in this for the kids. and that makeup keeps me happy.

so back to makeup related posts! i've got lots of colour swatches waiting to be posted, plus a few youtube videos that i wanted to share with you guys. and i'm re-embarking on becoming a red-hot mama. my lack of discipline so far is shameful, i know so you guys are gonna have to help keep me motivated!

school holidays!

2010-05-30T17:52:00.000+08:00

yay! school holidays are finally here! time for me to catch up on playing with my makeup and posting up my experiments here. thanks for being patient, loads of posts coming up soon!

purple and green reigning

2010-05-13T10:12:00.000+08:00

i've been on a purple and green kick this past week. this look was done using the ultrashimmer 88 palette. did i mention i use that one a lot more than my matte? i just hate how the matte eyeshadows look so chalky on me. i'll do the same look in mattes to show you how bad it looks on me sometime next week :D

Lime Burst - an eotd using 88 ultrashimmer palette

2010-05-11T14:42:00.000+08:00

eyes were done using the ultrashimmer 88 eyeshadow palette.

Face:

Everyday Minerals Start to Finish Kaolin Powder in Sunlight
Everyday Minerals Mineral Foundation in Golden Medium (Semi-Matte)
Everyday Minerals Concealer in Spring
Everyday Minerals Blush in Flannel PJs

Eyes:

Lid - Lime green
Outer V and Crease - Sea green
Highlight - Antique gold
Base - Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy

Lips

NYX Round Lipstick in Peach

I was just in the mood for green today and I went straight for the bright lime green colour on my palette that I'd never used before just for fun. Work has been busy and stressful these past few days due to the exam period so I needed to just do something to lift my spirits for a bit.

pure luxe eyeshadow: cocoa

2010-05-10T12:41:00.000+08:00

the colour is exactly what the name says it is! it's like i spilled milo powder on the back of my hand :D

nyx round lipstick: creon

2010-05-09T16:26:00.000+08:00

Evie the Builder

2010-05-09T01:09:00.002+08:00

this is what my little one gets up to! time for me to invest in a good set of building blocks for her :D

nyx round lipstick: chloe

2010-05-08T16:16:00.000+08:00

starburst inspired!

2010-05-07T09:36:00.000+08:00

almost every blog that i've been visiting these past few days has had at least a mention of the "starbust" look. no idea what that was as i hadn't had time to go look for the tutorials on youtube. this morning, surfing my usual beauty blogs for inspiration for today's eyeshadows, i came across fr0nd's version and decided that i'd go for it.

colours are used are all mineral eyeshadows.
-Beauty from the Earth: Raspberry
-Mad Minerals: Illegal
-Fyrinnae: Finnegan's Wake
-heart.pf: daisy (fyi heart.pf is my brand, i custom blended this colour for myself when i realised i don't really have a basic yellow in my inventory)

base used is fyrinnae's pixie epoxy (rave review on that incoming)

and this is is how it turned out

not as bright or crisp as the original look intended but i was in a bit of a rush, doing this in about 5 minutes. colours from bottom to top are raspberry, illegal, daisy and finnegan's wake. side note: not really happy with the illegal at all!! i think i'm never buying from mad minerals ever again. all their colours are disappointing and refuse to pop no matter how much i put on, whether i pat it on or brush it on, applied over base or no base.

i like how it turned out in the end, although i will work on seeing whether i can reproduce the original. and maybe try a few different colour combinations next week.

happy upcoming weekend everybodeeeee!!

pure luxe eyeshadow: baby bluz

2010-05-05T09:03:00.000+08:00

very pretty sparkly baby blue. frankly one of the nicest mineral pastel blue eyeshadows that i've seen in awhile.

pure luxe eyeshadow: cashmere

2010-05-04T12:22:00.004+08:00

a dark chocolate with a little bit of a grey undertone. works well as a eye liner.

nyx round lipstick: circe

2010-05-03T16:25:00.001+08:00

Prepping the Canvas: Intro

2010-05-02T21:33:00.000+08:00

Masterpieces can't be painted on crappy canvases!

For two years, I've been wearing makeup on an almost daily basis for work. And in hot humid Singapore, it's a challenge to get my face to last through the day with minimum touching up. When I first started out, I had a horrible skin care regime (Read: occasional facial wash, picking at pimples, no toner or moisturiser). And of course, I started breaking out quite badly in those annoying little bumps all over my face, my skin started getting overly greasy due to increased sebum production and my makeup just melted after a couple of hours.

So, through trial and error I've learnt some ways that help my makeup stay on longer, while my skin remains clear (barring the monthly PMS pimple). I'll be sharing over the next few weeks what I've been doing so far and hopefully you guys will find something that you could either help me improve on or that could help you!

See you soon!

pure luxe eyeshadow: frolic

2010-05-01T12:15:00.000+08:00

a pity that the cornflower blue doesn't show up on the skin, it ends up looking like a bluish grey.

pure luxe blush: blushing bride

2010-04-30T09:13:00.000+08:00

very pale silvery-pink blush for that innocent-girl look

nyx round lipstick: castle

2010-04-29T14:04:00.001+08:00

nyx round lipstick: brown sugar

2010-04-28T14:00:00.001+08:00

nyx round lipstick: chaos

2010-04-27T16:17:00.000+08:00

nyx round lipstick: atlas

2010-04-27T13:58:00.001+08:00

nyx round lipstick: femme

2010-04-26T15:22:00.000+08:00

nyx round lipstick: fig

2010-04-25T15:24:00.002+08:00

nyx round lipstick: earth angel

2010-04-24T15:20:00.000+08:00

nyx round lipstick: doll

2010-04-23T15:19:00.000+08:00

nyx round lipstick: ceto

2010-04-22T15:16:00.001+08:00

nyx round lipstick: athena

2010-04-21T15:13:00.000+08:00

the watermelon!

2010-04-20T13:03:00.001+08:00

hubby calls this look the watermelon! a bright, almost lime, green on the inner lid, and fuchsia pink on the outer lid. done using the Coastal Scents ® Ultra Shimmer 88 Eye Shadow Palette.

chocolate raspberry!

2010-04-19T14:57:00.000+08:00

a look that i did last week using the Coastal Scents ® 88 Color Makeup Palette. mauve over the lid with chocolate brown over the top of the lash. a very very muted look for me, as i tend to go a lot more for bright colours and shimmer.

pure luxe eyeshadow: bikini

2010-04-17T09:07:00.000+08:00

shimmery pink with a orange/peach undertone that goes very well with both warm and cool skin tones.

pure luxe eyeshadow: disco

2010-04-16T12:43:00.000+08:00

very pretty hello-kitty kind of pink! for fun frivolous days when i want to just be bubble-gum cute.

the lavish sidhe started a wildfire!! a btfe and fyrinnae look

2010-04-15T10:23:00.001+08:00

thanks to Ricca for suggesting the orange and green look when I was stuck on ideas for eye colour yesterday! colours used are mineral eyeshadow from Beauty from the Earth (btfe) and Fyrinnae. The base used is Johnson's baby lotion as usual!

about face/tss eyeshadow: call me fish girl

2010-04-15T10:05:00.002+08:00

a very lovely shimmery blue in the bag, it's a shame that the colour payoff wasn't great and ended up a washed out baby blue on the skin.

nyx round lipstick: b52

2010-04-15T08:46:00.002+08:00

matte medium brown-rose. i love the colour with my warm olive toned skin, it's a good neutral for me. but it's probably too dark to be a good neutral with lighter skin tones.

pure luxe eyeshadow: fetish

2010-04-14T12:14:00.000+08:00

this looks to be a very coppery brown colour in the jar and gives the impression of being metallic but as you can see on the skin swatch, it applies as a orangey-brown shimmer, not metallic at all. i'm not sure about the name fetish though, unless maybe it's about chocolate sauce smeared really thin *teehee*

nyx lipsticks!

2010-04-14T09:04:00.000+08:00

I just got in some NYX lipsticks and I love love love love them! I'd been reading about them online for awhile, and there's some pretty mixed reviews about them on the web. After eons of considering it I went ahead and got some since they're so awesomely pocket friendly!

the formula of the lipsticks are super creamy and moisturising. i usually need to slather on the lip balm over my super dry lips before i wear any lipstick or else the skin of my lips just start flaking off. i didn't have to do that at all with these lippies! i just put them on straight away on unbalmed lips with no problems at all!

another thing i'd been reading online about the lippies were that they didn't last long at all. some reviewers reported the colour fading off after only half an hour. my take on it is that they lasted pretty long for me.

this photo above was taken just after fresh application (colour i'm wearing is B52 by the way). you can see that my usually chapped lips don't appear dry at all!

the second photo was taken after 4 hours of teaching and then eating lunch. apologies for the different exposures i was in a bit of a hurry taking these. the top picture is an accurate representation of the colour for b52 by the way, not the bottom one. what i really wanted to show here was the difference in coverage. bottom photo shows that the colour has worn thin but is still detectably present. i've bought lipsticks which cost a lot more and yet wore off completely over much less stress!

overall, i find that the nyx lipsticks are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous and so worth buying. absolutely no more drugstore brand lipsticks for me! why would i want to get one at say Watsons when i could get 2 or 3 nyx lippes for the same price? i'm going to go mad buying more, so look out for swatches in upcoming blog posts!

perfume haul!

2010-04-06T14:21:00.000+08:00

today was a mega perfume shopping day! about a week ago the staff welfare committee in school sent out a price list from a distributor offering pretty good rates on a lot of branded perfumes. i'd been eyeing a new perfume for a long time.

the first perfume i ever bought (or rather my dad bought for me on my request) was Ralph By Ralph Lauren For Women. a very light fruity and flowery smell that got me hooked from a scratch-and-sniff sample in Seventeen magazine. then i moved on to Happy By Clinique For Women, given to me as a wedding present by a good friend. citrusy and flowery, i liked wearing it, but ended up using the hubby's Happy By Clinique For Men. Cologne Spray 3.4 Ounces a lot more as the citrus element was more distinct. the women's version was simply to brightly floral for my tastes.

next stop after that was Hugo by Hugo Boss for Women. loved loved loved this perfume. i have to say that i loooove most of the Hugo perfumes, although they do tend to be a little heavy and musky for those girls who like their flowery citrusy scents. unfortunately hubby likes the flowery citrusy scents and he didn't really like the Hugo Woman on me.

i did buy another bottle of ralph by ralph lauren for women after the Hugo Woman, but realised that I'd long ago outgrown that particular scent. and so the hunt began for a new one. so what did i get today?

i bought two! L'eau D'issey By Issey Miyake For Women on the left and FLOWER by Kenzo on the right. both fabulous smelling perfumes that are absolutely feminine but yet gives me that hint of muskiness that i love in a perfume! i'm amazed frankly at the staying power of the issey miyake right now. i sprayed on a little on my hand to test out the perfume about 4 hours ago and the scent is still going strong. and i got these at really bargain prices, both bottles for less than the full price of the issey miyake at a department store!

so happy! AND, the shopping didn't stop there. mum and her friends also had a list of perfumes that they wanted and i'm just going to post images of what they bought:

have a happy, gorgeous-smelling day, you!

a whale of a time

2010-04-05T11:47:00.000+08:00

the whale is back! i've been playing with lots of makeup lately, with both making my own eyeshadows and also with the makeup palettes that i've been sourcing out for sale to make a little bit of pocket money.

daily updates from now on! it helps if you guys comment a bit now and then so that i'll just have to come say something. my problem is never about having nothing to write about, my problem is just that i'm usually too lazy to write down all the stuff that goes on in my head.

i'm going to have to start journaling stuff here so that i'll remember what's going on with my life. don't worry, i'm still going to be posting up lots and lots of lovely swatches, of which i still have a tonne to go through with more coming in with all the new makeup i've been getting in! but aside from the swatches, i'm finally confident enough with my eyeshadow skills to put up my eotds and maybe some video now and then! also, lots of various updates about my life, but you guys can always skip those posts if you're not interested :)

alrighty then, i'll talk to you guys again soon!

about face/tss eyeshadow: broken rules

2010-04-05T11:30:00.000+08:00

looks a very pretty gold in the bag but applies more as a shimmery taupe. best used as a highlight or over matte eyeshadows to give them that little bit of shine.

about face/tss eyehshadow: chasing mystery

2010-04-05T10:06:00.000+08:00

at first, i thought that this was going to be a nice smokey forest green but on application, it looks like a deep mint colour. still pretty, but i really wanted this colour to be deeper.

FACEBOOK!

2010-02-15T16:21:00.000+08:00

hey all!
I have launched my first ever collection of 5 eyeshadows on Facebook! Fan my page and follow my exploits in makeup over on facebook!

There's currently a naming competition on for my first eyeshadow collection, contest ends on 7 March 2010. Up for grabs as prize is a free set of the eyeshadows! So what are u waiting for? Join now! :)

about face/tss eyeshadow: blissful balance

2010-02-05T10:02:00.000+08:00

lovely olive green with a subtle shimmer. a favourite for me to layer over deeper greens to make them more cheerful. pity that heather's closed down the she space though.

New Project!

2009-12-23T16:17:00.002+08:00

Hi all!
I realise I've been MIA for the longest time and I'm really sorry and with the New Year coming up and all I have again resolved to keep this blog going again!

With a new project in my head I'm good to go again! I've still got a bunch of swatches that haven't gone up yet and I'll get to those in short order, but the focus of this blog is going to switch somewhat and I'm really excited!

I'm going to start on making my own eyeshadow colours, and I'm going to share with you my custom shades as I make them here! Also, I'm thinking of making these shades available for purchase at low cost to you, just so I can keep my mineral makeup addiction going :)

Come share my adventure with me and check back often!

Hugz to you, and a happy holiday season!

pure luxe eyeshadow: hi ho silver

2009-09-23T12:20:00.001+08:00

silver with a black base. pat this colour on, don't swipe it as i did in the swatch or the black base overpowers the silver.

pure luxe eyeshadow: carousel

2009-09-22T09:17:00.000+08:00

plum shade with a touch of lilac. appears a little chalky, a tad more shimmer would be nice. this colour would also be nice as a blush.

pure luxe eyeshadow: bubblegum

2009-09-21T09:14:00.000+08:00

baby pink with shimmer.

pure luxe eyeshadow: demure

2009-09-20T12:43:00.000+08:00

a dove grey with silver shimmer. far too washed out for my taste.

pure luxe eyeshadow: grape

2009-09-19T12:19:00.000+08:00

grape jelly with some shimmer. a basic colour that can be used on its own! another colour that i've seen packaged in TKB's make-your-own-eyeshadow kit.

pure luxe eyeshadow: ballerina

2009-09-18T09:04:00.000+08:00

frothy pink! it's the exact colour of the tutu i had when i was a little girl taking ballet classes!

pure luxe eyeshadow: check me out!

2009-09-17T12:28:00.001+08:00

similar to pure luxe's blueberry but less shimmery and more dense. the blue is also slightly deeper and darker.

pure luxe eyeshadow: bullion

2009-09-16T09:15:00.001+08:00

beautiful beautiful bronzey gold colour. one of my favourites for everyday.

pure luxe eyeshadow: godiva

2009-09-15T12:18:00.000+08:00

this colour makes me hungry for chocolates!

pure luxe blush: bliss

2009-09-14T09:09:00.000+08:00

a peachy blush with a hint of cocoa. pretty for that subtle glow.

pure luxe eyeshadow: cabana

2009-09-13T09:16:00.000+08:00

a very fun colour! cool light turquoise and shimmer.

pure luxe eyeshadow: dusk

2009-09-12T12:44:00.002+08:00

the colour of smoke. comes off pretty easily though and i find the colour just a bit too blah, even for a grey.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: valhalla

2009-09-11T08:11:00.001+08:00

taupe with hints of purple, silver and pink. i like to use it at the corners of my eyes to help brighten them up some.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: tempting hansel

2009-09-10T08:10:00.001+08:00

shimmering cool lilac. better suited for lighter and cooler skin tones than mine.

pure luxe eyeshadow: femme fatale

2009-09-09T12:12:00.000+08:00

a shimmery peachy pink, would be quite delicious as a blush as well.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: tabloid

2009-09-08T08:09:00.000+08:00

similar to fyrinnae's njordr, but deeper. this is a dark charcoal with shimmery green sheen. another shade fantastic as eyeliner.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: njordr

2009-09-07T08:05:00.000+08:00

dark forest green with a black base. great as eyeliner!

pure luxe eyeshadow: copper aura

2009-09-06T12:42:00.001+08:00

appears white with a hint of yellow-gold when applied dry. quite pretty as a highlight. the copper colour comes out more when applied wet or on top of primer.

pure luxe eyeshadow: blueberry

2009-09-05T09:12:00.000+08:00

very bright basic blue. nice to use on its own for eye popping effect. i've also seen this shade in TKB Trading's mix-your-own eyeshadow kit.

pure luxe eyeshadow: fairy wings

2009-09-04T12:31:00.000+08:00

sheer lilac plum. very nice as a highlight or as an over eyelid wash

fyrinnae eyeshadow: loch ness

2009-09-03T11:12:00.000+08:00

beautiful muddy army green. goes really nicely with brown eyes!

circle the moon with empty promises, i have an indulgent appetite for broken rules

2009-08-13T08:57:00.002+08:00

fyrinnae eyeshadow: starfish

2009-07-29T08:07:00.000+08:00

this is a mauve colour that i actually like! i think because it's so pale and shimmery and translucent. doesn't pop on its own, it makes for a nice highlight or layered over another colour.

pure luxe eyeshadow: english ivy

2009-07-28T12:29:00.001+08:00

very nice olive colour. subtle shimmer to it. it wouldn't be half as attractive in matte.

beauty from the earth eyeshadow: honey

2009-07-27T15:11:00.001+08:00

this is a shimmery tan. i like this for a very subtle highlight or when i want to tone down some of my more vibrant colours

silk and cyanide in wildfire passion as smooth as raspberry ripple

2009-07-24T09:14:00.002+08:00

it's friday morning, my brain is officially winding down for the weekend hence the kinda lame title for this post :) its the first time i'm wearing these particular beauty from the earth colours so they're purposely toned down. i'll go for brighter and more eye-popping next time! the colours mesh beautifully tho and are wonderful to apply!

can i say again how i love the beauty from the earth colours?!?

eyes:

-johnson's baby lotion (primer)

-beauty from the earth multipurpose mineral in wildfire (inner lid)

-beauty from the earth multipurpose mineral in raspberry (outer lid)

-archetype cosmetics mineral pigment in silk & cyanide (highlight)

cheeks - everyday minerals blush in corner office

lips - everyday minerals lip balm in soccer practice

driven by instinct, the fisher queen aims for blissful balance

2009-07-23T13:07:00.003+08:00

notice the bags under my eyes? that's from lack of sleep coz darling evie is still waking up 2 to 3 times each night for cuddles and milk. felt a little more adventurous today with the eyeshadow to brighten up the face a bit or else i'll just look dead in class.

inner lid - TSS driven by instinct

outer lid - TSS fisher queen

highlight - TSS blissful balance

fyrinnae eyeshadow: wicked

2009-07-13T08:12:00.000+08:00

deep purple! one of my favourite colours to use as a liner. i just have to be careful with fallout when i apply this since i apply my shadows dry. else i end up looking like a panda if i let any of this get on my undereyes

pure luxe eyeshadow: amethyst

2009-07-12T12:06:00.000+08:00

pale plum purple with silver shimmer. it is reminiscent of the colour of amethysts although i do with this shade wasn't so translucent.

pure luxe eyeshadow: antique lace

2009-07-11T12:08:00.000+08:00

very apt name for this colour! it really is the colour of lace that has aged well. i love this colour as a highlight for a neutral look.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: hypercool

2009-07-10T23:10:00.000+08:00

fyrinnae's website says that this is a brilliant turquoise shimmer over black. swatched dry, the turquoise shimmer doesn't really come through and all i get is the black base. most likely i'm going to need to use a primer to get the colours to come through on this one.

beauty from the earth multi purpose minerals: gem

2009-07-09T07:41:00.000+08:00

vibrant green, it reminds me of fyrinnae's visage.

pure luxe eyeshadow: ariel

2009-07-08T12:23:00.000+08:00

pastel green, but more olive than pure luxe's awakening. subtle shimmer to it.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: bubble tea

2009-07-07T10:07:00.000+08:00

plum purple. not very shimmery or sparkley, it's quite muted for a fyrinnae colour. nice for everyday work look.

beauty from the earth multi-purpose minerals: aqua mist

2009-07-06T21:15:00.000+08:00

beautifully vibrant shimmery aqua. awesome lasting power too i used this without primer and colour still popped at the end of the day. not a mean feat in the terribly hot and humid singapore weather

fyrinnae eyeshadow: awakening

2009-07-05T10:06:00.000+08:00

not a green like yesterday's swatch of awakening by Pure Luxe! this one applies as a golden brown, only slightly lighter than my skin tone. would show up better on fair or really dark skin. gorgeous for a highlight or midlid colour.

pure luxe eyeshadow: awakening

2009-07-04T12:24:00.001+08:00

very nice pastel green with shimmer!

pure luxe blush: enchantress

2009-07-03T10:28:00.000+08:00

very pretty pink blush with shimmer! good for tanner skin like mine, would be too red for fair skin unless you're really good at blending it in.

beauty from the earth eyeshadow: butterfly

2009-06-25T07:34:00.002+08:00

this is a beautiful colour! the swatch doesn't really show the dual tone nature of this eyeshadow. it appears as a pale blond, and at certain angles, a green sheen appears. it's truly gorgeous and i've been wearing this one almost every day since i've got it.

beauty from the earth haul!

2009-06-17T20:32:00.002+08:00

opened up my mailbox last week to find these babies! so excited to play with them coz i'd heard amazing things about this brand from youtube. preliminary swatches of these in this post with individual reviews coming up!

fyrinnae eyeshadow: visage

2009-06-06T08:12:00.000+08:00

very attention grabbing green! personally i love this kind of colour in art supplies which is why i grabbed this colour in the first place. not so sure i could pull this off at work though. maybe when i'm feeling more flamboyant on a day out.

pure luxe eyeshadow: black cat

2009-06-05T09:08:00.000+08:00

black black black black black! obviously a very matte black that i think most people would find beautiful as an eyeliner. looks like i smudged charcoal on my arm when i did the swatch. remember that i do my swatches dry with no primer. with some primer, this colour could really look like kohl if you're using it as liner, but i'd ask myself why i'd want to bother with powdered eyeshadow when i could easily just use my wonderful Bourjois Kohl stick?

fyrinnae eyeshadow: steampunk

2009-06-04T08:07:00.000+08:00

picture shows this shadow a little darker than it actually applies as the lighting when i took it wasn't really that great. bronze dominates this colour, but at certain angles, you can catch copper and gold highlights. fyrinnae's website description says that there's orange in there, but i couldn't see it.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: sticky buns

2009-06-03T08:08:00.000+08:00

shimmery golden tan. i love love love love this colour! i find myself wearing this a lot as a highlighter or to brush over my more dramatic shades to tone them down a bit to make it more suitable for work. one of my go to colours and one of the few that i would buy a full-size of.

fyrinnae eyeshadow: forbidden lover

2009-05-29T10:19:00.000+08:00

kinda disappointing for me as it just comes out looking muddy on me

fyrinnae eyeshadow: fire opal

2009-05-28T10:12:00.000+08:00

i kind of expected more from this colour. it has a brown base with some nice bronze/copper sheen and sparkle but it doesn't stand out as much as i'd like. it just comes out looking a little muddy

FOTD: Peacock Walking

2009-05-28T08:34:00.004+08:00

be gentle with me, this is the first FOTD proper that i'm doing complete with a closeup of my eye. and i'm totally new at this so i'm not quite as creative and imaginative in my look naming as some of the other makeup divas on the internet :) nose slightly shiny, it's ultra hot here in Singapore at the moment.

Face:

Base - Everyday Minerals Start to Finish Powder in Sunlight (Kaolin)

Foundation - Everyday Minerals Foundation in Olive - Golden Medium (Semi-Matte)

Blush - Everyday Minerals Blush in Sunday Brunch

Lips - Everyday Minerals Lip Balm in Soccer Practice

Eyes:
Inner half, top and bottom lash lines - Fyrinnae Eyeshadow in Rebellion
Outer half, top and bottom lash lines - Mad Minerals Multi-Use Minerals in Peridot Stone
Over lid - Mad Minerals Multi-Use Minerals in Shivers

fyrinnae eyeshadow: dark magik

2009-05-27T10:07:00.000+08:00

dark majik looks quite muddy in the jar, but it goes on a very beautiful russet/burgundy colour

fyrinnae eyeshadow: cupcake sprinkles

2009-05-26T22:02:00.000+08:00

a very pretty grey-blue colour, almost purplish

10 Minute Weight Loss Workout

2009-05-18T20:44:00.002+08:00

This is the workout that hubby has me doing everyday. Currently I'm only fit enough to get through one set of these in 10 minutes. I try to do one set in the morning to wake up before I hit the shower, and then one more when I get home from work.

20 prison squats
20 knee push ups
10 jump squats
15 rows (10 kg weights)
10 forward lunges per leg
20 inclined push ups
10 thrusters

the key to this workout is to not stop to rest at all. the exercises are supposed to be done in the order listed above so that different muscle groups are being worked while another rests. it's super tiring, but i'm seeing results. plus it really does only take at most 10 minutes to complete the one set.

apparently as i get more fit, i should be able to complete this set in under 5 minutes, at which time i should be at the point where i'll need to up the intensity of the workouts. thats when i should up it to 2 sets per 10 minute workout session.

from here on out i'll also be posting my completion time so that i can keep track of how fit i'm getting :)

59.4kg (131lb)

2009-05-18T20:38:00.003+08:00

down 3.6kg! so happy! :)

but hubby says enjoy the rapid reduction in numbers as much as i can coz i'm gonna plateau quite fast. at the moment, i'm losing a lot of water weight and my body is not yet acclimatised to the workout, so it seems to be more effective right now.

hubby's aim for making me workout is to build muscle so that rate at which i burn energy even when passive increases ie raise my metabolic rate. so i'm currently because my muscles aren't in great shape, every little improvement in muscle tone is having quite a big effect. but soon i'm going to be in shape and that's when i'm going to have to up the intensity of the workouts to ensure that i keep pushing those numbers on the scale down.

but until then, i'm going to gloat and enjoy my marginally skinnier frame :)