Product Review: 3 Concept Eyes Powdery Lip & Cheek in One Piece

I was stoked when my 3CE order arrived a few days back ^-^ I've been hearing so much about 3CE and  when I found out yesstyle was selling their products there was no turning back.

3CE Powdery Lip & Cheek in Pink One Piece - £12.51

Can be found on Yesstyle 

From the looks of it, the product itself looked a little heavy on the skin. Small in packaging, the shade is that of a neon mixed floral pink and it is to provide a 'youthful, glow finish'. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the texture of the powder. It wasn't cakey, more like a regular the texture and consistency you find in a Topshop blusher. The colour was gorgeous, complementing a plethora of skin tones.

Although not very well taken, you can tell the difference in my lips with and without the product. It adds vibrancy and has a very girly finish, which I love. (Pardon me for the lazy outfit + no foundation face) However if you don't fancy pink lips, I wouldn't suggest going for this. It doesn't show up as well on the cheeks on camera, but it definitely made a difference in real life.

One thing to note is to apply some sort of transparent balm before applying it on your lips as it does tend to crack slightly. Either that or you can apply a lip gloss over it, which I intend to do.

I hoped this review helped some of you and feel free to leave comments on which cheek + lip product you love!

Stay beautiful, x.

I was not paid nor sponsored for this product review. The review was written entirely in my opinion.

Product Review: Lancôme Gloss In Love in 302

Since the holidays have come around, I've decided to put more effort into updating this space more often. I've been indulging in a plethora of makeup lately Afterall, the 2nd best therapy (after chocolates) is retail therapy... Yes?

Gloss in Love in 302 - £18.00

I was browsing through Boots one afternoon in search of a lipgloss and I wandered to the Lancôme section. I'm a sucker for pink lipsticks/lipglosses. Call me safe but I've never broadened my horizons by trying out orange or jarring red lipsticks cos I personally feel they don't complement me as much as pinks do.

Gloss in Love combines color with 6 hours of moisture in an easy click-to-open package. Their new Expert Applicator hugs lips, resulting in a smooth and line-free vinyl lip look. 

The wand follows the curve of your lips so it makes it incredibly easy to apply whenever, whereever. As many of you know, I love my food and sometimes reapplying lipsticks can be a hassle for me especially without a mirror.

The gloss isn't as opaque as I had hoped it to be, but it does leave a very sleek, natural finish. It gives your lips the pop it needs and moisturizes your lips at the same time too. That's always a plus!

On days when I feel like I really cannot be bothered to go through the whole process of being a girl, the gloss does its job. Not too outstanding nor dull, it does sort of pull the 'no makeup at all' look together in some way. It stays on for about 4-5 hours till I feel the need to reapply it again. It also doesn't 'wear out' with time, as some people may find that a problem with other lip products.

Gloss in Love now comes in 18 shades -yay!- ranging from snow white to hot red. If I could I'd probably buy a few more but for now, this will do:)

Stay beautiful. x

I was not paid nor sponsored for this product review. The review was written entirely in my opinion.

Product Review: 99p Foot Masks - Say Whut???

The driest (and ugliest) part of my body could possibly be my feet.

Ugh. Feet. I used to think I had pretty alright looking feet till I started binge running/muay thai-ing and this resulted in what one would call 'Ballerina feet'. I'm definitely not going to post a picture of my feet as I think I'd lose every single person who still has the interest to read my blog, but I'll try to describe it as grotesquely as I can.

I have dry, crackly feet. My heels have gotten dry from no care and I've obtained a few calluses which thankfully, don't hurt. However they do look extremely unsightly. I can pretty much say I'm safe from anyone who has a foot fetish -yay!-

Deep Moisturizing Foot Pack - 99p

I was browsing at a local beauty store around the city centre a few weeks ago when I came across these foot packs. They didn't look very eye-catching at first, but when I realised they were 99p I figured why not get them. (As you may have noticed, I buy a lot of things just because)

The instructions say to put the socks on your feet for about 20mins or so and thereafter remove them. I was about to go for a bath so I popped them on one day.

After about 10 mins or so, I started getting tingling sensations on my feet. I felt like little elves were in there working their magic! It felt surprisingly refreshing (I used the tea tree + peppermint one) and cooling.

I washed them off after about 25 mins and found that my feet were a tad smoother. Nothing fantastic, actually. But for 99p who can complain? They did make my feet feel really good, but I wouldn't say this is a product I'd buy again.

I'm still on the hunt for good foot masks, so if you guys happen to know of any good ones, do recommend by leaving a comment! I'd love to hear about them:)

Product Review: Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Match Wake Me Up Revitalising Hydrating Gel

I have since run out of my daily morning moisturizer and, not wanting to spend a bomb on another tub, decided to give Garnier's Moisture Match a go.

Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Match Wake Me Up Revitalising Hydrating Gel 50ml - £5.99

There are five moisturisers to choose from:

Goodbye Dry (for dry to very dry skin)

Start Afresh (for normal to dry skin)

Shine Be Gone (for combination to oily skin)

Wake Me Up (for dull skin)

Protect & Glow (for Normal skin) 

I would normally opt for 'Protect & Glow' (I have pretty normal skin) but since my skin has been looking a tad dull lately, I picked up 'Wake Me Up' instead. One thing I adore about this moisturizer is that it gets absorbed into the skin beautifully. It leaves no sticky nor oily residue and doesn't require any other form of primer or sunblock to prevent your face from producing unnecessary oil. 

This refreshing jelly texture enriched with Citrus extract and Hibiscus flower to stimulate the senses and boost the complexion. The refreshing light jelly texture contains water encapsulated gel particles which burst upon contact with the skin. Immediately upon application skin feels revitalised, silky and wide awake. Inspired by the best-selling moisturisers in Asia, Wake me up gives an immediate fresh effect and all day skin comfort.

It also doesn't clog my pores and upon wearing makes my skin feel sooooo, sooo smooth... It feels like I could touch my cheeks all day:) Does this thing work wonders! I'm pretty glad I bought this on a whim and actually did get a bang for my buck. The scent smells delightful too. Not sickly sweet and since it contains hibiscus flower extracts, your face does sort of smell like a garden. 

I would also believe this works well in humid countries such as SG, even though the weather over here is getting a little warmer, this moisturizer seems to suit both humid and cold weather.

It's retailing at Boots in the UK but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find it in Singapore's Watsons too.

:)

Radiance Cleanse - Day #3

DAY THREE - The last and final day!

0830h - Woke up feeling as perky as the previous day. Hopped out of bed to school and didn't feel the least bit tired. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to the whole episode of downing the lemon+ginger juice but the thought of today being the last day convinced me this would be good for my health.

1200h - Juice #2. Same as always, I loved the juice. Sweet, refreshing, and it's got greens I normally wouldn't eat! No signs of headaches, cravings or anything of that sort. I was feeling rather good and told myself it could be that today would be the last day I'd have to drink liquids all day.

1400h - #3. Loving the milky taste from the juice and happily sipping it in the library. Yep, only about 8 more hours to go...

1630h - Okay, maybe slightly hungry. I could go for some solid foods now. Salad, soup, a slice of toasted apricot bread............. For now, a boiled egg brought from home would do :)

1800h - Drinking juice #4 so make the hunger pangs go away! I have to add on that if you aren't used to the natural sweetness of the fruits you should opt for Radiance's green cleanse instead - which provide less fruits and more greens.

1945h - Juice #5. For some reason, I got extremely hungry. The people are Radiance Cleanse Co were extremely friendly though, advising me to have some almond nuts to munch on should I really be hungry. I decided to have another boiled egg (I'm that crazy about eggs) and felt that I'd be fuller with them instead of nuts. Though Christina, the lady advising me through this, recommended I only eat eggs if I'm feeling that famished as they are high in protein. Yep, could use some of that protein right now.

2300h - OFF TO BED. I've officially accomplished a 3 day juice cleanse!

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Overall, I felt extremely elated that I had stuck to my cleanse without having succumbed to food (apart from eggs) and my cravings for unhealthy foods died down. I felt less bloated from all the junk food I was having initially and could feel my body rejuvenating itself. 

Update 3rd April 2014:

Would I do a juice cleanse again? I'm pretty darn sure I would. The juice cleanse really helped me reset my palette and made me control the intake of my portions. I've started craving for junk foods again (only because I've been munching on them from all the stress from exams...) but I've learnt to appreciate food once again.

I hope this review helps some of you out there on a cleanse! It is pretty difficult when you first start out, especially on the 2nd/3rd day (if you are on a 3 or 5 day cleanse) but I promise you guys it will be worth it. We humans honestly need little to survive but we tend to over consume just about anything. So let nature take its course and learn to love our body by treating it right.

xx

Thehungryunicorn

Radiance Cleanse Co - 3 Day Juice Cleanse

Hello beautifuls:)

It has been a long time since I've last updated, and I apologize. School has been keeping me terribly busy and with exams coming up, stress is definitely piling up but I'm learning to cope better than I did before. Being in a new environment, especially in a new country, I definitely do feel a tad homesick from time to time but the company I have here keeps the sadness at bay.

However, today's main focus is on Radiance Cleanse Co. A company that has been established since 2009, they believe in creating the highest quality cold-pressed juices from fresh organic ingredients for their customers. I've been meaning to go on a juice cleanse as of late (You would not want to know how much junk food I've been consuming...) and after reading up more on them, decided to take a leap of faith and opted for a 3 day signature cleanse. I have done something similar to a juice cleanse, except I did that one with ingredients I bought from Cold Storage back in Singapore and it went pretty well.

The parcel arrived at the expected time given - between 7.30am to 10am. Neatly packaged in a cool bag, I had to lug what I think was about 3-4kg worth of juices to my apartment on the 4th floor. I was pleasantly surprised by a letter advising on what time to drink my juices, side effects and withdrawal symptoms and advise on what I should do if I feel hungry. I was excited to hop on my cleanse. Surely 3 days wouldn't be such a killer... 

I am a complete sucker for packaging. Look at how colourful these are! :)

The main gist of the cleanse is drinking 5 bottles of freshly pressed juices a day, at stated timings. You start of with Ginger Lemonade, followed by Clean Green, Cashew Milk for lunch, Root Boost and Vital Green for dinner. Your body adapts to the food you consume daily, and since I've been consuming very little greens in my diet, I was glad to know they had greens incorporated into these juices. 

#1 Ginger Lemonade

I gotta admit, I wasn't a fan of this at all. To begin with, I'm not a ginger person and the addition of black pepper and turmeric didn't help. I figured starting this in the morning is the best way to cleanse your system, and I was pretty sure I couldn't finish the whole bottle. Well, I did. Hopefully I'll adapt to it by tomorrow.

#2 Clean Green

I didn't manage to take a shot of this but you can refer to the picture above. This, surprisingly, I liked a lot. The natural sweetness from the apples really did the trick. By this time I wasn't starving, but something solid would have made me a little happier. I was getting a bit of a headache, a withdrawal symptom as described by Radiance Cleanse. 

#3 Cashew Milk

This was my third bottle for the day (not second, sorry!) that was pretty nice to consume. Not too sweet but not tasteless either. There's a chalky texture to the drink, but in a good way. I consumed this about an hour and a half after drinking the 2nd bottle because my mouth felt like it needed something to chew on. I contemplated eating some seeds and nuts but... Nah. I felt more like a double mcspicy with medium fries :(

#4 Root Boost

This was pretty good as well! I am a sweet tooth and I enjoyed how the mixture really blended well together. By this time, I watched as my boyfr slurped his noodles and thought to myself why I was torturing myself by doing this. I told myself to suck it up and that this was to benefit my health and get me back on track.

#5 Vital Green

As I'm typing this, I'm sipping on my last bottle for the day. It's approximately 9.30pm and I was suppose to have this much earlier but since I only managed to retrieve my parcel at 11am I had to push everything forward. I nearly fainted when I saw the word parsley on the bottle. Good God I thought I would have the hardest time swallowing this. But to my surprise it tasted rather delectable! Maybe it's because I haven't eaten anything that taste more than an apple or fruit, but I'm enjoying this as I'm blogging. Though I do wish I could have just one slice of bread.....

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I do advise all of you on a juice cleanse to drink plenty of distilled water. It's essential that your body gets enough fluids during this period! Strenuous exercises are also a strict no no (Unless you order their Active Cleanse range), try to stick to yoga or light weight training. Soaking yourself in epsom salts will also help your body detox more, which is what I'm about to do soon:)

Well that's all for Day One. So far, I've survived! I do predict I'm going to have a hard time tomorrow but I'm pretty sure I'll pull through. I will update on how I feel by tomorrow night, so keep a lookout!

xx

Thehungryunicorn

Review: Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Cream

Hello fellow explorers!

Having moved to the UK, I've come to realise how affordable food in Singapore is and how much variety we have without having to burn a hole in your pocket. So instead of reviewing food (like I always do) I've decided to review on beauty products I've been stocking up on + trying out instead:)

Presenting... Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Cream. I was on the hunt for a good hand cream seeing the weather over here can be cold and dry, which makes my skin (esp my hands) susceptible to cracking. I was browsing in Boots (UK version of Watsons in SG) and having heard good reviews about BB's lip balm, I decided to try this out.

Okay, I'm used to hand creams which produce a fruity or floral scent that leaves no sticky residue whatsoever. I don't like hand creams that leave your hands glossy and sticky. When I first used this it left a rather sticky residue that stayed on my hands for about 10mins. And in my opinion that's a looooong time for a product to absorb. BUT I decided to read the instructions on the jar and it said to use 'a small dollop' on 'cleaned, washed hands' and voila! It actually felt much better the second time I used it. It absorbed quicker than the previous time and left my hands feeling smooth and ready to conquer winter.

So, what are the pros and cons?

(+) it's especially good for colder climates where your skin cracks easily

(+) the really, really attractive packaging which partly persuaded me to buy this :)

(+) you'll only need a small dollop to work it's magic

(-) the jar, albeit adorable, is hard to screw back on after applying the hand cream

(-) the smell might take some time to get used to (doesn't exactly smell the nicest but it's not horrible either)

(-) a little steep in price (£9.99/jar, that's about SGD20 holy...)

(-) might not be the best product for hot climates as it does take some time to absorb. But using it in air-conditioned rooms should be a-okay

I'll admit this isn't the best smelling product, but it does the job. It keeps my hands smooth and prevents the edges of my fingernails from peeling which happens frequently. 

Effectiveness: 4/5

Price: 3/5 (£9.99/jar of 57g)

Best for: colder climates 

Repurchase?: if it's on sale again, sure

Combatting Monday's Blues with Yan Ting @ St Regis

Exams have FINALLY ended. The second I walked out the door I heaved the biggest sigh of relief, said a little prayer that whatever I had remembered and written down for Contract Law would reap me a good grade.

So, if you've been following my Instagram you would know I've been feasting the past couple of days. I, for one, have very little self control and the minute I see good food I get hungry. Sigh, I wonder what's happening to me:(

Anywho, my mom brought a client to Yan Ting last week and insisted we go again because the dim sum was exceptional. So... HOW COULD I SAY NO? I immediately jumped off my sofa and squealed "Yes!" and 4 days later, made our way down to one of the pricier dim sum places in Singapore.

Yan Ting is a place where you would sit down, look around and place the pockets of people you see around you during a weekday lunch as either business lunches or a lifestyle for the rich and the famous. The restaurant was a third occupied, with much room for admiring the poshness of your surroundings. Old chinese songs would fill the atmosphere as the sound of rich businessmen rings through the restaurant.

In all honesty I felt a tad out of place. Simply because the place was so quiet and the utensils so delicate I was afraid I would be a bull in a china shop (Which I usually am). But I was greeted by a young, petite lady who ushered us to our table, asked what tea we would like to have and served us the menu.

 I have come to realise the items I order are items I have been ordering since I was a child. These things do bring back wonderful memories when, as a kid, my grandfather would invite the entire family to East Ocean at Shaw House (Back then) for our weekly lunch on Sundays. Patronizing the restaurant for over 30 years, my grandfather made it a second home. It was over indulgence, with orders for char siew bao, bo lo bao, char siew sou, siew mai and sharkfin soup streaming in, followed by a plate of refreshing fruits to end the meal.

And one by one, the dishes arrived. Having ran 19km the night before and no breakfast in the morning, my stomach was screaming for some nutrition. And boy did I get nutrition alright.

Char Siew Sou

$6

I can safely say this is the best in the market. Having tried several char siew sou's like the ones from Crystal Jade, Paradise Pavillion, East Ocean and Bosses, these were unlike the rest.

The skin of the pastry was thin and baked to crispy perfection. One bite and a hint of sweetness erupts from the pastry, flaking into tiny bits and brimming with char siew. One bite, another, another and soon after you'll be left wanting more. Even my mother, who isn't a fan of such a dish, commented that this was even better than the one at Crystal Jade. And who could compare? Sure, it's more expensive here at Yan Ting but for such quality I would definitely fork out more money. I could have eaten all 3 on my own and still have ordered more but alas.

Chinese Shrimp Dumplings aka Har Gau

$6.80

Alongside the best char siew sou (imo) is the best har gau I've tried. Several times I've ordered these only to realise the skin would be too thick and the chef too stingy with the shrimp. But these. Oh, these. The shrimps were stuffed into a thin layer of skin and, when served, was steaming hot. Don't say I didn't warn you. These were a delight to eat.

Chinese Roast Pork Steam Buns aka Char Siew Bao

$5

Somehow, these didn't amaze me. I would credit it to the fact I was in awe of the aforementioned dishes that when I bit into this it wasn't as satisfying. But don't doubt the quality of the dimsum. The charsiew was fresh with a subtle hint of sweetness. However the skin was too thick for my liking.

 XO Radish Cake

$10

Whilst browsing through the menu, my mom insisted we get the XO radish cake. So we decided to get this plate of unhealthy goodness. Hey, it's XO sauce, it had to be good. And guess what? It was. The more I ate the more I loved it. The XO sauce gave it such a kick that I even willingly ate the beansprouts! The egg also proved to be the binding ingredient for this dish to have been a huge success. However at $10 it was rather steep in my opinion. Nonetheless I would order it again.

Abalone Dumpling Soup

$17.20

Another dish my mom recommended was the abalone dumpling soup. And by jolly was this faaaaantastic. I wouldn't normally order this at dimsum restaurants (I'm not even sure if all restaurants have this) but this was nothing short of delicious. The broth was a delight to drink, the abalone abundant and the skin of the XLB (if I'm not wrong) enclosing the goodness inside it.

Egg Tart aka Dan Dat

$6

And how could I leave these babies out? I forgoed the custard buns for these (Inserts extremely sad face here) but I didn't regret it. Albeit small in size, these packed a punch of flavour. The pastry was light and buttery, encasing the goodness of the custard almost scalding your tongue but proving to be such a burst of flavour. Unlike other egg tarts with a hard outer skin, this hit the spot. 

Herbal Jelly aka Gui Ling Gao

$8

Last but not least, gui ling gao. I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of all things healthy but since I indulged so much I decided to have something light for dessert. The gui ling gao was a perfect way to end lunch. The syrup in a separate dish for if your desired sweetness.

OOTD

Ombre Top from Zara

Crotchet Shorts from Megagamie

Clutch from online

Necklace from Diva

Watch from Gucci

Shoes from Tory Burch

Off for a good nights rest and a long day at the gym tomorrow. See you guys around!