Makeover for Ty's Blog of Epiphanies

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a lovely weekend! I apologising for not posting on Wednesday/Thursday like I normally do. That's because I've been shopping for a "personal stylist"/"plastic surgeon" for Ty's Blog of Epiphanies.

Ta-da! Do you like her new look? I really like it. I think it suits her personality, even though I am usually not the biggest fan of pink.

 In case you can't recall what her old outfit looked like. I think it was time to move on. I felt that it looked unprofessional and outdated. And I'm glad I took the plunge and revamped her through a blog template designer.

What do you guys think? Do you like the makeover?

P.S. This is a reminder that my giveaway ends in 2 days!

The Next Bobbi Brown Ambassador: Kate Upton

“I was drawn to Kate because – not only is she incredibly beautiful – she is healthy, comfortable in her own skin, has such positive energy, and is a woman who creates her own rules. She loves life and that is Pretty Powerful.” - Bobbi Brown 

In case you didn't already know, I am a big fan of Bobbi Brown products. My first eyeshadow palette was from Bobbi Brown. I was pretty stoked when I found out that Kate Upton is set to be the next ambassador, second to Katie Holmes.

Known for gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated and clad in bikinis, Kate has an enviable body. My boyfriend and I were appalled when we heard the news sometime back that she was rejected by Victoria Secret to be an angel because apparently she's "too fat". It disgusts me that big brands like that still try to portray that "only skinny is beautiful". Now, I am happy for Kate for scoring this role. I think Bobbi Brown made a smart move. Whilst Katie Holmes remains a suitable ambassador, she is more appealing to slightly older women and speaks for the sophisticated side of the brand. Kate Upton, on the other hand, targets a younger audience and represents the sexy side of the brand. That's my opinion anyway.

Kate Upton and Bobbi Brown campaign images are expected to hit stores and counters in July 2014.


What do you think of this partnership? Are you a fan of Kate Upton?

Comparison of Makeup Books #2

If you liked my review of the Bobbi Brown, Zoe Foster and Rae Morris makeup books, I believe you'll find this post of interest to you as well. I'll be reviewing the following books: Face-to-Face by Scott Barnes, Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin, and Make-up Secrets by Jemma Kidd. 

I was never a big fan of Km Kardashian and I don't think I ever will be. However, having said that, I do like the look of the smokey eye she almost always wears and every once in a while I would watch a Youtube tutorial on "How-to do a Kim Kardashian smokey eye". I digress. Scott Barnes is an LA makeup artist, popular amongst celebrities like Kim herself and Paris Hilton. When I spotted this book at my local library, I borrowed it without hesitation; excited that I was going to be learning some big fat secret for mastering the Kim K smokey eye. 

To my disappointment, the book did not divulge any such secret. Sure, I picked up one tip or two (literally!) on makeup and that's about. Majority of the book was Before and After photos of models/small-time actresses/dancers Scott did makeup on. The photos would be accompanied by a blurbs of his friendship with this person and why he was inspired to do that particular makeup look on her. Bottom line is, I did not find it helpful in learning new makeup tricks and techniques. This is primarily an inspiration book. There are pages of "how-to's" but you would have learnt the techniques from watch makeup tutorials on Youtube anyway. 

I was gifted this book for my birthday last year. Although I have yet to finish reading it, I've enjoyed it so far. In this book, Kevyn teaches us techniques and reveals bits of his story along the way. I find it endearing. From his words, he sounds like a genuine guy and as I read, I feel like a friendly mentor is speaking to me. The only "complaint" I have is that the steps are illustrated through hand drawn pictures rather than photographs of the actual process. Don't get me wrong, the illustrations are good, created by Aucoin himself. However, I believe that, it would be easier to learn and understand the instructions with photographs. Having said that, I do like that Kevyn has really made his book his own, by making it different from others. The book is full of timeless  and classic makeup looks; and Kevyn provides valuable advice on how to achieve them. 

Last but not least, my favourite book of the lot! I fell in love with this book right from page one. I take my hat off to Jemma Kidd. She gives very good and practical tips in a concise way. It's full of beautiful photographs accompanied by easy-to-understand instructions. Jemma is very thorough. She breaks down all the different components to makeup and answers a lot of common (and important) beauty questions/issues. I love how she manages to be informative yet stay to-the-point. I borrowed this book from the library and I plan on buying a copy for myself. It is so pack full of information that I can never finish it before the due date. I recommend getting this book if you want to and enjoy learning more about makeup. Take a break from watching Youtube makeup videos. This book is a breath of fresh air and it is brilliant. 

250 Milestone Giveaway CLOSED

Yes, it's giveaway time again! Hooray!

Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog! It means a lot to me that the content I produce means something to you. I'd also like to thank those of you who regularly drop comments (whether it's here on the blog or Facebook). I really do appreciate it. I love talking to you guys. It makes this blogging experience so much more meaningful.

I am giving away:

• Lancome Hypnose Custom-Wear Volume Mascara 
• GHD Tail Comb 
• Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy in Rosewater 
• Crabtree & Evelyn India Hicks Island Living Hand Care 
• Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 220
• Nano White Hydrating Whitening Mask 
• Nano White Awakening Snow Wash 
• Natural Instinct Facial Scrub 
• Michael Todd True Organics Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask 
• Clinique Gift Time Goodies 
• Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream
• Repairwear Laser Focus Smooths, Restores, Corrects
• NEW Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
• Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes, & Lips
• Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black
• High Impact Color in Extreme Pink
• All about Shadow Duo in Beach Plum
• Cosmetic bag 

Rules: 
1. You must be either 18 or above to enter this giveaway
2. If you are under 18 you must obtain consent from your parents
3. You must be a follower of this blog; either by Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin'
4. You must like my Facebook page.
4. Winner will be selected through Rafflecopter.
5. Giveaway closes on 31st March 2014.
6. Simply follow the prompts below to enter the draw!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

How to Test for Makeup Allergies: a Quick and Simple Way

I'm an allergy-prone individual. No, I don't get anaphylactic shocks from peanuts. But I do often get hay fever. I also occasionally find myself reacting to makeup products. The most prominent ingredient being parfum. It sends me into fits of sneezes that can last for the whole day. I am also allergic to other makeup ingredients. The "wrong" lipstick/lip balm can make my lips red, flaky and itchy. The "wrong" mascara/eyeliner can make my eyes extremely itchy and uncomfortable.

It's never a pretty look to be scratching away, especially at your own face. I don't know if you can see it but I've taken a photo of myself after wearing a lipstick that I was allergic to. The reaction was mild compared to some of the past episodes I've had. Nevertheless, it was distracting for me to be "itching away" while I was in class. I've since thrown the product out.

Although I have not isolated a lot of ingredients that I'm allergic to, I've learnt how to test for them.

I would swipe the product onto the inside of my forearm near my elbow (kind of like you're swatching a product). This area of my skin is thin and has some major blood vessels nearby. So if I'm allergic to the product, I get red and itchy within a minute.  You can test lip products, mascaras, and eyeliners. I have yet to try it with powder products.

Note though that this will only work if you've been exposed to the ingredient before and have developed an allergy to it. So it is possible that you'll react to the product later on (on the second exposure). In other words, when you're shopping for a makeup product, you test it with this method and you buy it thinking it's all clear but that's because your body has only come across the ingredient for the first time. So when you start using the product, your immune system is already mounted and will then recognise and start responding to that ingredient.

What I'm trying to say here is, this is not a fail-safe technique. It's just a quick and simple way to save you some grief: from buying products that contain ingredients that you are already allergic to. I hope this post has been helpful!


Do you have any tips and tricks for testing for makeup allergies? Please do share!