Vanity Trove October Box

Vanity Trove runs a facebook activity every month where participants can get an extra item in their next trove.

This October month, my trove contains:

(1) BeautyClinic Lightmax face mask for brightening.

(2) The Essence of Nature Bamboo Sap Patch that you stick on your feet to detox.

(3) Audrey Christian Venetrim vein reducing cream that doubles as a leg cooling gel.

(4) Loreal White Perfect Brightening Essence.

(5) VMV Hypoallergenics face wash and moisturizer.

(6) Bourjois Khol Kajal, it's a huge cone of dramatic black.

(7) Tiny samples of olive oil facial care products. The soap foams up well that sort of disappears after a while, I hope not into my body.

Vanity Trove Zalora Edition

If you've purchased any items from Zalora lately, you would have received a special Vanity Trove invitation to purchase a Zalora GSS Summer Edition trove and 2 more months of troves for a special price of S$60.

This is the Zalora GSS Summer Edition trove! And it kinda looks like the Watsons trove.

2 Kao Essential Shampoos
2 bottles of Brand's Berry Essence with Grapeseed extract and Prune Essence that taste really good!
Scottish Fine Soaps Body Milk
Bio-essence Bird's Nest Eye Cream
Pure Beauty Youth Restore Essence with Black Pearl
Fruit Smoothie Mask, smells like a smoothie and contains Kaolin my favourite mask ingredient.
Beauty Buffet Apple & Evening Primrose Mask
Beauty Buffet Q10 & Yoghurt Mask
Leader Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch

Mooncake Piglets

Mooncake Piglets are actually mooncake skin pastry formed into miniature piglets and wrapped in a colorful basket, at least that is the traditional styling. I don't think hotels and restaurants sell this except for neighborhood bakeries. This mid-autumn festival treat is exactly the same after all these years and kids love it.

 

 

Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts

Luxury Label Bvlgari has branched out into luxury living with a series of hotels in Milan, London, Bali, Shanghai and a slew of trendy restaurants in Tokyo. I guess each design house has their own artistic vision as most luxury labels in its category prefer to foray into the furniture business. All the Bulgari Hotels  have a distinct aesthetic, a masculine modern casualness in a palette of blacks, creams and lush green foliage. The only time you realize you are in a branded hotel is the insignia on staff uniforms and toiletries. 

I would like to stay at one of these contemporary Bvlgari hotels but, I get the distinct feeling it is a man retreat. When you have run out of things to buy from the Bvlgari boutique, you can stay at one of these hotels. Especially now when experiential presents are soo hot.

Stoves

I grew up with a conventional gas cooker stove that I am sure a lot of us have. So I am a little divided on the induction stoves that all new condos come pre-fitted with for that sleek cosmopolitan look. 

To its credit, the induction stove is easier to clean, safer to use as there are no open flames or gas tank to contend with, it runs on electricity. It's also a lot more pleasant to look at. However, it takes some time to heat up and is not made for major cooking as most urbanites eat out. I know my sis-in-law keeps an induction stove in the family kitchen and a conventional stove in the real kitchen where the family meals are prepared, and I am certain most families that have induction cookers do as well. 

If you are one of those with 2 kitchens, you might want to consider fitting professional appliances in one to make a catering or chef's kitchen. A high-end Viking stove (picture above) would cost about S$10,000. It packs a punch with 2 ovens and 4 to 6 cooker hubs with optional hot plate, griddle, grill. More importantly, the firepower to heat up all the components effectively. KHL marketing the official Singapore distributor for Wolf professional kitchen appliances, similar to Viking.

For those of us with only 1 kitchen, we can just buy a griddle/grill/plate to place on top of our normal stove.

Coloured Eyeliner

It wasn't that long ago when the only eyeliner I had was black in colour and it was unfathomable to have it in any other colour. Today, any major cosmetic label will stock eyeliners and mascaras in a myriad of colours.

Black, the traditional choice. It clearly defines the eyes and creates a dramatic effect. Popular choice amongst women and you really can't beat the classics. Middle Eastern women have been using khol for centuries.

Brown, eyebrow or eyeliner pen. It's a more discreet colour to use when defining eyebrows and eyes, creating a natural look popularized by Bobby Brown. I use brown eyeliners everyday (Calvin Klein Brunette), to work or running errands. It's soo non-intrusive and subtle, you look better but it's not obvious you are wearing makeup.

 

Blue, ranges from light turquoise to dark midnight blue. My new favourite is a navy blue (Dior Captivating Blue)! Blue eyes and red lips always create a stunning visual and is kinda dressy that might be too much for everyday wear. I find using blue eyeliners instead of eyeshadow help translate this look into everyday wear. You can top up with eyeshadow for evenings out.

Rouge, ranges from peach to red. The first coloured eyeliner I bought was a rouge (Shu Uemura Me Wine). This creates a "wayang" look and if you line your entire eye with it without putting on anything else, it looks as though you've been crying the night before. Best used with eyeshadow.

White, the highlighter. White eyeliner creates as dramatic an effect as black eyeliner, making your eyes look bigger and brighter in the process. Can be used to create a bold winter look with cooler shades or to highlight a tanned face with ordinary makeup. I like to use it to line the sides and insides of my eyes to make it really pop (Lancome Blanc Audacity).

Shimmer, for the sparkle that all girls love. Self-explanatory, all girls will buy something shiny and find an occasion to wear it (Urban Decay Distortion).

New Sofa

My new Ikea sofa S$799 and rocking chair S$259 have arrived. For $150 more Ikea delivered it my place, assembled and dressed it. Now the living room looks similar to the way it did before my grandma passed away, when we had a really big cream couch and her rocking chair.