When it comes to globetrotting, my folks love their strictly regimented tours, getting up at the crack of dawn and following a tight military schedule and coming back exhausted, bruised and battered as if they’ve just returned from battle! I’m sure a lot of you know what I’m talking about. Needless to say, that’s not my cup of tea! Free and easy is the word for me! But free and easy is rarely as easy as you want it to be. Well worry no more peeps, Traveloka is here! Who are they? Well none other than one of the biggest online travel companies in the world! I know there are so many travel sites these days, but Traveloka sets themselves apart by literally covering everything from your flight and accommodation to even allowing you to book your tickets and activities at your destination. That means you can pretty much plan and book your entire trip all in one place, perfect for anyone bitten by the travel bug as we step into August! And the deals are about to get sweeter as from 2nd to 4th August 2019 , Traveloka is having its international flight promotion which means dream getaways for all you lucky Singaporean jet-setters. It’s called The Amazing Singapore International Fair! If you plan to travel between 2 August – 31 December this year, halt! Don’t book your flight tickets until you grab flight promotion deals  offered by them right at the link here. You can also find coupon codes at www.traveloka.com/flight-fair . Below are all the details you need to know! SGD 30 Off  – With a minimum transaction of SGD 400  for destinations like Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei, Bangkok, Bali and Penang. SGD 50 Off  – With a minimum transaction of SGD 600  for destinations like Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai and London. But, wait, don’t skip the  Terms and Conditions as well. Discount of SGD 30 for flight bookings to Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei, Bangkok, Bali, Penang with a minimum transaction of SGD 400 in one Booking ID. (Airport code include: HKG, PEK, CAN, TPE, BKK, DMK, DPS, PEN) Discount of SGD 50 for flight bookings to Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, London with a minimum transaction of SGD 600 in one Booking ID. (Airport codes include: ICN, HND, NRT, KIX, PER, SYD, MEL, PVG, LHR, LGW) Valid for all available airlines on Traveloka. Only valid for flight bookings departing from or arriving to Singapore. Valid for one-time use during the promotion period. This promo is valid for bookings made through the Traveloka website, mobile site, and Traveloka App only. This promo cannot be combined with other promotions. This promo is only applicable for transactions done in SGD. Book from: 2 August – 4 August 2019 Travel from: 2 August – 31 December 2019 I have to say, the list of destinations provided ain’t too shabby either with the likes of London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and even Melbourne all making the cut! So what are you waiting for? Let’s go and  book cheap flight deals online  right now and enjoy another worthwhile, much-deserved trip! Thanks to Traveloka I can continue living the vida loca! Cheers! Your friend, Juliana #SponsoredPost #Traveloka

“Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?” Guess the movie from the lyrics! Boy! What a softshell I’m turning out to be… for Barry M’s makeup products! Watch me go from flounder to skipper with my Barry M Cosmetics Under The Sea Nail Paint (in Sea Turtle), Baked Eyeshadow Palette (in Shipwrecked), Coco Loco Lip Oil, On Point Precision Eyeliner and Feature Length Mascara. Psst! I’ve been diligently using my Coco Loco Lip Oil every night to keep my lips plump, chap-free and mer-mazing! Barry M products are now available online at Guardian Singapore – https://tinyurl.com/BarryMxGuardian Have fun and stay safe belles and beaus! Your friend, Juliana

Chancing upon this photo from my trip to Bangladesh earlier this year, I was reminded of the kindness and generosity I experienced at every turn. Even these old rickshaw uncles went out of their way to help me take the perfect picture while expecting nothing in return. What we see here in Singapore is just the tip of the iceberg. They have millionaires and Nobel Peace Prize winners, doctors and lawyers, rich and poor people, the same as any nation. What we see here simply reflects a very specific demographic and after experiencing such kindness, I was even more sad seeing how the Bangladeshi community here has been especially affected by this cruel and unforgiving virus. Here’s a short message to show our solidarity and support for the Bangladeshi community here, separated from their families and loved ones, likely worried and afraid. Stay strong and stay positive, there are many of us rooting for you and hopefully this will all be a thing of the past very very soon. Inshallah! 🙏🏻 Your friend, Juliana

Inner beauty is great but a little contouring never hurts. And I’m not talking about contouring with makeup! Don’t worry – there are no needles involved either. Our skin is fighting a losing battle with aging everyday. On top of the hectic work schedules and chronic sleep deprivation, we’re also exposed to air pollution in our little island city. The largest organ of our body really doesn’t have it easy. There will come a time when it’ll be difficult to ignore all the obvious signs of aging staring back at me in the mirror. So these days, the key focus of my beauty regime is to soften the effects of time on my face. My ultimate beauty nemesis is probably my obvious nasolabial folds aka the smile lines. Since I was a young, impressionable and super vain (haha!) teenager, I’d always noticed how prominent they looked. And of course, these past few years of adulting doesn’t make them better. In fact, they look even more pronounced than ever! Topical products can only do so much to slow down aging, we still need a more viable solution to actually turn back the clock. I know this may mean more drastic measures but right now, I’m not ready to try surgical treatments or injectables to shed years off my face. So I was very happy when Dr. Rachel Lim of Ardmore Aesthetic Clinic suggested trying their non-invasive V Face Laser with Accent Ultra V with Red Light Therapy treatment to contour and tighten my skin. Can a non-surgical cosmetic procedure really lift my face and get rid of the lines once and for all? Read on to find out! Welcome to the cozy premises of Ardmore Aesthetic Clinic! I spot some in-house products! As you probably already know, most aesthetic clinics use standard clinical skin care products and tailor their treatments around the efficacy of the products. This is fine but in cases where you have more unique skin problems like sensitive skin, mild eczema or skin allergies, you might require a more careful selection of products coupled with more sophisticated treatments. As such, standard products and treatment processes may hinder the treatment results or even fail to tackle skin problems more efficiently. So not surprisingly, I was utterly impressed to see that Ardmore had come up with their own line of products for their treatments. This is fantastic, by knowing precisely what ingredients go into their products they would be able to prevent any potential allergic reactions. They would also understand the efficacies of these ingredients and be able to better select the products that are in line with the objectives of their treatments. This makes treatments more effective and customizable to different skin concerns. To top it off, we can perhaps also purchase their range of aftercare products to complement the ones used during treatments. This means we can continue to benefit from the goodness of the treatments even when we’re at home! Yippee! Alright! Here comes the reality – a before treatment photo to show you the state of my skin. It was actually taken last November when I had been frantically dealing with my home renovation that was going south for a few months. The stress from the ordeal had definitely trickled down to my face. Besides some obvious zits, my skin also looked saggy and tired. I also took a beauty hiatus for a few months so it was rather nerve-wrecking to meet an aesthetic doctor for an in-depth skin assessment. Eek! What better way calm those nerves than with a soothing cup of tea. Thank you Ardmore! 😛 Now let’s meet Dr Rachel Lim, the head honcho of Ardmore Aesthetic Clinic! After a fruitful 11 years in family medicine, Dr Rachel Lim began to develop a new mantra for her career and that is to help everyone feel their best at every stage of their lives both within and without. So five years ago, she decided to venture into the world of aesthetics by setting up her brainchild, Ardmore Aesthetic Clinic, a centre dedicated to providing a comprehensive range of customised non-invasive therapeutic treatments with the safest and most effective FDA-approved machines, in a comfortable and private environment and wait for it… at an affordable price. 🙂 To be honest, I’m always skeptical of every new beauty establishment that I go to for the first time, especially when they claim to be the ‘most effective’. Dr Rachel Lim had a friendly yet confident demeanour and seemed to understand all my skin concerns very well. And of course, her beautiful and flawless complexion is the best testimonial for her clinic. She looked stunning even with minimal makeup in real life. VShape Facial Contouring Dr Rachel Lim highly recommended her signature V Face Laser with Accent Ultra V with Red Light Therapy treatment that combines patented ultrasonic Shear Waves and UniPolar radio frequency to eliminate fatty content in the face. The targeted shear waves are completely absorbed by fat cells, thereby causing no damage to surrounding tissue while delivering maximum energy for fat removal. The procedure is designed for the chin, cheeks, neck and the periorbital area around your eyes. The treatment can also be performed on almost any body part including the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. Now let the treatment begin! After a thorough cleansing session, my therapist applied a layer of gel before proceeding to administer the actual treatment using a probe as seen below to deliver the shear waves to targeted areas on my skin. My face was evidently flushed after the treatment. You can see this image below for a clearer before and after comparison. After the procedure, I was treated to a relaxing 20 min facial mask to calm the redness, followed by a slew of aftercare products before we called it a day. In case you’re wondering, the entire treatment lasted about an hour. Afterthoughts… I have an extremely low threshold for heat and pain so the treatment wasn’t all comfortable and pleasant for me. My therapist had to pause a few times for me to ‘take a break.’ Despite the mild discomfort, I thought I could see a small improvement in my wrinkle problem. As you can tell, my skin was still pretty red and sensitive after the treatment but all that subsided within a few hours. My blemishes also disappeared after a few days, giving me a clearer and more radiant looking complexion. So I can safely say there’s minimal downtime and my skin definitely reaped heaps of benefits from this procedure. According to Dr Rachel Lim, I may require 3 to 5 more sessions to see more notable results. All in all, I was very happy with the service rendered by Dr Rachel and her team. I look forward to coming back in future to try their other treatments! My verdict: 3.5/5 Honeyz stars! Thank you Ardmore Aesthetic Clinic! Ardmore Aesthetic Clinic has a wide range of treatments for the face and body, ranging from minimally invasive procedures like botulinum and filler injections, to non-invasive procedures such as Ultherapy, lasers, chemical peels etc. Every treatment recommendation and programme is personally and specifically tailored to their patients’ needs, ensuring the most fulfilling results and outcome. Visit their website at ardmoreaesthetics.com  or FB at facebook.com/ardmoreaesthetics for more. Have fun and keep sparkling! Your friend, Juliana Disclaimer: Please rest assured that even though the products and services were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time. #ArdmoreAestheticClinic #SponsoredReview

Sponsored Review This summer, the whiz-bang team of Hair Profile gives Goldilocks a run for her money with sumptuous shades of burlesque pink and moulin rouge. Yes. I’m tired of the usual hues so I’m putting a little swerve into my boring locks by scattering some dazzling magenta streaks on my crown too. Click to see the transformation! Colors and streaks are having their moment now. We spot top celebs and bloggers sporting rainbow highlights and wild colored hair on the red carpet and on stage. Nicki Minaj Avril Lavigne Kelly Osbourne Katy Perry The gorgeous colors left me speechless. So I decided to have a summer fling with accent color streaks too! And here’s the result! I love it to bits! But as mentioned in this post , the hair has to be in a tip-top condition to achieve desired results. Coarse and dry hair will only make your peculiar hues look tacky. So I consulted the guys of Hair Profile before I decided on the style that I wanted. This was the state of my hair before the bright-colored hairdo above. This is a cheating angle because my hair is not as silky in real life. Here’s the condition up close. Pretty bad eh? Kenji insisted that I do a protein-rich hair treatment every two weeks to supply the hair with lots of moisture and nutrients. These treatments strengthen my weak and brittle hair by reinforcing the hair shaft and therefore making them look healthier. A nourishing hair treatment before a major dye job will prevent breakage and add a sleek finish to the colored locks. The treatment was administered by his team – Joanne, Nesley and Eileen. These vitamin-heavy Redken products were used for my treatment. Read all about them here . After some major reconstruction and conditioning, my lacklustre hair came back to life. 😀 After three weeks, I came back to Hair Profile asking for more. Basically, I wanted a striking hair color that will put even candy-colored Katy Perry to shame. JUST KIDDING! But I did extend the colors to the top of my head and fringe. The hair dye process began with some bleaching and I was blonde for like 10 minutes? Before this happened… This time I opted for mixtures of pink and magenta. Kenji used Fudge ‘s Paintbox colors to create the look. I’m a huge fan since it’s free of ammonia and peroxide. 🙂 And tadah! The final look! The color wasn’t very prominent on the first day but after the first wash, the color became the centerpiece of my hair. I was invited to the SK-II Stempower Essence event at Changi Airport the following day and my glowing pink hair certainly caught lotsa attention. 😛 Before my hair goes all dull and dingy again, I decided to take more photos of it after the event. Enjoy the colors and the picturesque Singapore Changi Airport! Special Promo for Honeyz Belles! Quote ‘Honeyz‘ and enjoy 15% off all chemical treatments and a professional hair consultation with Kenji (strictly by appointment only). Hair Profile Salon is located at 14 Scotts Road Far East Plaza #01-91. Contact them at +65 6838 1811/ +65 6737 7617 for your hair appointments. For more info on their latest services, hair tips and promotions, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HairProfileSalonSG I can’t wait for my next Hair Profile appointment again. I’m probably gonna go electric blue this time. What about you? What hair color do you fancy at the mo? Your friend, Juliana Disclaimer: Please be rest assured that even though the products and services were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time. #SalonReview #HairSalon #beautyreview #beauty #HairProfile

Sponsored Review Whut??! Designer shades for a fraction of the cost with complimentary cleaning kit, free shipping and an option to try on the glasses virtually with the click of a button??? I’m officially moving to cloud nine! That’s not all. You get to make a difference to a person’s life with every pair of glasses you purchase! Now click to find out how you can walk the vogue and make a change at the same time. These were the goodies I received from online glasses paradise, SmartBuyGlasses . On top of my uber cool Wayfarers, I also received a 24-month warranty, a guaranteed 7-day return policy and a complimentary cleaning kit lens kit (worth SGD30) that includes a micro fibre cloth to ensure the glasses retain their cleanliness and brand new feel and appearance, a bottle of lens cleaning fluid and a mini screwdriver to fix loose legs of glasses. Lens Cleaner Multi-functional glasses screwdriver Besides this handy cleaning kit (which made me totes happy), I was also utterly impressed with their level of service. SmartBuyGlasses made sure I was updated of the shipping status by informing me periodically via email on the whereabouts of my item. There was actually a small hiccup during the shipping process where the courier company Aramex failed to deliver my item due to “incorrect delivery address provided”. I was pretty frustrated as I’ve checked and affirmed that the address I provided was correct. I contacted SmartBuyGlasses for help and they were very prompt in addressing the problem and got it sorted out within a few days. While waiting for my parcel to arrive, I received a couple of emails from SmartBuyGlasses apologizing for the delay. I really appreciated the kind gestures as it was obviously no fault of theirs but they still went out of their way to make sure I receive my shades as soon as possible. Ten thumbs up for the impeccable service! Anyway, this was what I ordered from the site – the classic Ray Ban RB2132 New Wayfarer 901 that was seen on Michael Jackson, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman and tons of other Hollywood A-listers. Besides timeless Ray-Ban shades, SmartBuyGlasses also brings in other designer sunglasses from Gucci, Tom Ford, Burberry and Prada, just to name a few. Well, sometimes more is MORE! Wait, that’s not all! They also offer prescription eyewear, contact lenses, optical products and optical services at excellent prices. You’ve not heard the best part yet. For each pair of glasses you purchase from SmartBuyGlasses, the online retailer donates a pair of glasses to one of their charity partners. They call it the Buy One, Give One program where they send optometrists into remote villages to examine, diagnose, and provide quality treatment to patients. After the diagnosis, each patient is given a donated pair of personalized prescription frames. Three hundred million people around the world cannot learn and work due to impaired vision. Click here to find out how you can contribute through SmartBuyGlasses. I’m happy my Wayfarer made a difference. 😛 I’m absolutely touched by their passion to provide the best services as well as their dedication to eliminate vision impairment, one pair of glasses at a time. For these great reasons and their good prices, free shipping services and scratch proof multi-hard coating , I give them a whopping 5 Honeyz crowns! Get your weekend shopping fix at www.smartbuyglasses.com.sg or like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SmartBuyGlasses.com.sg for more info on their latest promos and news! So what do you think of my new shades? Yay or nay? Let me know by commenting below. If you’ve also bought something from SmartBuyGlasses, share your experience and photos with me too! 😀 Your friend, Juliana Disclaimer: Please be rest assured that even though the products and services were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time. #fashion #fashionreview #RayBan #SmartBuyGlasses

Sponsored Review I know Christmas is still miles away but since I’ll be meeting the future in-laws again during the festive season, the hunt for the perfect present is now full on. This time, I wanna let them feel the pulse of our melting pot culture by showing them more of Singapore. So I’ve been searching high and low for gifts that well present Singapore’s flavor – it could be our food, colloquial language or jocular art expression. Basically, anything that is uniquely Singapore. And I was really lucky to be able to find a local gift store that fits the bill. Think Nyonya Kueh sticky notes, Singlish notebooks, Choy! charm necklaces and Bak Chang five stones. Click to find out just how local it can get! 😛 So I got to know about this e-store when I received a pretty cool surprise in the mail a couple of weeks ago. It was a nicely-wrapped parcel from an up-and-coming store called Jooix . Jooix is a highly-curated fashion and beauty e-commerce startup that was launched in 2011 and based out of Singapore. Its name, Jooix is inspired by the phrase ‘joie de vivre’ which means joy of living. Unlike typical e-stores, Jooix is design-centric, and full of delectable gems from Luxembourg, Bangkok, South Africa, New York, just to name a few. Jooix is somewhere between luxury and indie. This curious mix stems from Angelina Seow, Jooix’s Founding Director’s lifelong love affair with all things unique, pretty and eclectic. Speaking of unique and pretty, do you remember this angel wings cup I was holding in this video ? I got it from Boutique Pylones at the Louvre, Paris. I was charmed by its neon colored angel wings so I bought two of them. But I accidentally broke one of them when I was getting out of a taxi hurriedly. 🙁 I was really upset and B wanted to contact Pylones and ship another angel wings mug from Paris to Singapore. 😀 I appreciated his sweet gesture but firmly rejected the idea as it’s too costly for a mug. But guess what??? Tadah! Yes! Jooix carries one of those cute angel mugs too! When B saw it, he was like ‘I gotta get five of those now!’ Hehe. 😛 Thanks to Jooix’s direct relationships with designers, manufacturers and established retailers, it is able to bring in fresh, quirky, inspiring selections with uncompromising quality from all over the world! Now aren’t you curious to find out what’s in that parcel already? Here’s the big reveal… Say hola to my new Kan Cheong Spider watch ! For our non-Singaporean belles’ info… “Kan cheong spider” is a Singapore colloquial term for a person who is always anxious and constantly on their toes. Nobody knows why spiders are “kan cheong” but chasing time and timelines are indeed what many Singaporeans are familiar with. The fun-looking timepiece brings the meaning of kan cheong spider to the next level with a face that reads ‘KAN CHEONG’ and a sweep hand that is replaced by an eight-legged freak that helps to keep time on a transparent disk. Coolio! The watch is designed locally by a Singapore design community known as FARM . FARM houses a collection of affordable, relatable art that includes exclusive pieces from the Singapore Art Museum. Besides the clever Kan Cheong Spider watch design, it also offers nostalgic totes with adorable food-inspired prints, mosaic playground pins and stationery that takes the form of traditional Singapore snacks. Click here to see more of those witty and practical collectibles! I’ve been wearing my Kan Cheong Spider watch to meetings and parties and I’m surprised at the attention I’ve gotten so far because of it. However, the watch band was pretty hard when it first arrived. Strapped around the thick and rigid band, my wrist felt a little uncomfortable. My wrist joint was also slightly bruised from the tugging and pulling when I took off the watch. The bad experience didn’t last, in fact, it improved after the first time. The band became softer and was much easier to handle. The watch now fits like a glove. 😀 Overall, I love the extensive range of products in the store. My only gripe is its complex category lists. Otherwise, it is a great site that brings you the best gifts from all over the globe at a click of a button. 3 Honeyz Crowns! Anyway, B and I are really excited about this new store and we’ll prolly be getting stuff for our friends and family from it soon… with a discount of course. Jooix is offering a 15% discount* on any purchase of 2 items or more on their website when you enter coupon code ILB15. *This code will remain valid until 31st August 2013 and it’s available storewide, excluding any items that are on sale. Now shop away at www.jooix.com ! I guess most of you have seen this famous poster of Leo with his beloved Tag Heuer watch. Now let me reprise the look with my Kan Cheong Spider watch! Haha! For more exclusive content on the latest product reviews, style books or to receive the full gamut of privileges as Honeyz readers, like my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/ilovebunny.net Your road to a sparkling lifestyle begins here . Your friend, Juliana Disclaimer: Please be rest assured that even though the products and services were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time. #Farm #fashion #fashionreview #Jooix

The metamorphosis continues with part three of my Secret Garden Party Series – Flower It Up! This final edition of the series is all about rolling fairy dust, whim and colors into one nifty and pretty package. After beauty and makeup, I’m going show you how to achieve bouncy bombshell curls in 10 short minutes, create a quick Secret Garden Fairy themed manicure and dress to the ‘heavenly’ nines. 😛 Now let’s end this with a bang! I want my curls to be shiny and bouncy so I prep my hair with a leave-on conditioner before I curl them. Do make sure your creams are not flammable. You don’t want your hair to burst into flames while you style it! I’m using Murie M Home Milk from Hair Profile Salon to hydrate and boost my dry and flat hair. And now we prepare the magical hair wand – Panasonic’s Multi-Styling Straightener EH-HW58-K . The Panasonic Multi-Styling Straightener EH-HW58-K provides five different attachments to choose from, namely the volumizer, extra large curl, large curl, medium curl and straightener. And since I want loose wavy big curls, I chose the large curl attachment. I did not use the volumizer and extra large curl attachments because I thought they produce tousled waves instead. And now we heat the straightener for a minute. And we’re ready! To make sure I don’t miss any strand of hair, I’ve divided my hair into two sections and swept one side of the hair to the front to keep it out of the way. You could also put it into a bunch to make it neater. Yup, working systematically is the way to go! 😛 Now hold a bundle of hair with a width of approximately 3 cm. Don’t take too much hair like I did on my first attempt. It made it difficult to slide the straightener down my locks and the process caused kinks in my hair. 🙁 I want to create inward curls for this look so I clamped the hair with the attachment facing inwards. And I was done within 3 minutes on one side! Now on to the other side. 😀 As mentioned before, I’ve only used sponge ball curlers to create waves so you know the Panasonic Multi-Styling Straightener must be pretty easy to use since I could create this in 10 minutes! To amp up the floral element, I adorned my hair with a floral fascinator I got from Chameleon at Causeway Point. Also wore a lace purple ombre dress from Pearlavish.com.sg to complement the flowery look. Here’s a close-up of the makeup and hair. Inject a magical touch to the look by replacing the floral embellishment with a diamante headband or necklace. I’m wearing a necklace from Swarovski. To find out more about Panasonic’s electronic beauty range, visit Panasonic’s Facebook Page . My nails are not styled to the theme so I decided to give them a quick makeover with these simple tools – Exposed Professional Nail Polish Base, Top Coat and Hardener , China Glaze Nail Polish (180 Conga to my Cabana) and some nail glitter dust! Apply the Exposed Professional Nail Polish Base, Top Coat and Hardener , followed by two to three coats of China Glaze Nail Polish (180 Conga to my Cabana). When the nail polish is completely dry, apply top coat or any clear polish on the base of the nails. Then sprinkle some glitter dust on the clear polish. Now apply the top coat and wait for nails to dry. When the polish is dry, brush the excess glitter or wash it away with soap and water. And here’s your final result! It goes pretty well with my new pink roses! 😛 I hope you found my Secret Garden Party tutorials useful. Please feel free to tweak anything to suit your fashion needs. Or even better, comment below to suggest looks that you would like to see or ways I can improve my future tutorials. Meanwhile, like my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/ilovebunny.net for more exclusive content on the latest makeup tutorials, style books or to receive the full gamut of privileges as Honeyz readers. And have a magical Tuesday evening! Your friend, Juliana #beautyreview #SecretGardenParty #beauty #Panasonic #SingaporeBlogAwards2013

It’s time to sprinkle some fairy dust on your makeup with the second installment of my Secret Garden Party series – Get Fairy-Ready! Makeup is all about playing up your best features and having fun. So on today’s post, I’m going to dole out tips on how you can play around with notice-me colors, get the perfect eyeliner flick and well, have fun! Click for a beauty-fueled adventure! I used to apply makeup directly on my face when I was younger and you bet, that wreaked havoc on my skin, causing clogged pores and never ending pimple attacks. So these days, I make sure my complexion doesn’t go out of whack by applying products that protect my face from the cosmetics. Here are some products that not only shields my face from the makeup, they also increase the performance of it. I’ll usually begin with my Silky Veil Bright Pack . It brightens my skin tone and gives me luminous complexion in photos. Next, I guard my face from UV rays with my Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk SPF50 PA+++ . Finally, I smooth my skin with the Nip and Fab Sheer Make-Up Fix . From left to right: Silky Veil Bright Pack, Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk SPF50 PA+++ and Nip + Fab Sheer Make-Up Fix. And our Secret Garden journey begins with my Rachel K Mineral CC Cream in neutral. Most foundations are comedogenic for my troubled skin so I’ve replaced my regular foundation with the Rachel K Mineral CC Cream . Besides nourishing my skin and protecting it with SPF 35 PA++, it also erases imperfections adequately. My skin with only Rachel K CC Cream. We all know that fairy dust is synonymous with glitter so it’s time to pepper some glitter on the face! This look is meant to be an everyday look, hence, I’m not gonna go crazy with the sparkles. Here I’m adding some subtle shimmers using my Enavose Swiss Glacial Loose Powder SPF 15 . And now we give the peepers a fairy touch with these candy colors. I’m using Paul and Joe’ Eye Color Palette in 03 (yellow), 06 (pink) and 04 (green). Pumping up the garden party with a splash of green on the outer corners of my eyes. Then adding sunshine by applying a pretty shade of yellow on the inner corners of the eyes and blending it with the green eyeshadow that I’d applied earlier. Also covered the tear ducts with the color. I enhanced the celestial feel of the makeup by spreading an iridescent color under the brow arch. I used the Urban Decay Oz The Great and Powerful Glinda Palette’s aura color as shown below. What is a garden without flowers? I thought the best color to represent flowers is pink because they remind me of the loveliness of roses. B just gave me these today by the way. 😀 So I lined my lower lash line with an enchanting rose pink hue, extending from the center of the eye towards the outer corners. I used my Paul and Joe’ Eye Color Palette in 06 (pink). I filled the rest of the lash line with aura color from my Urban Decay Oz The Great and Powerful Glinda Palette . And now I intensify my lash lines by applying my new eyeliners from Star Lash ! I lined my upper lash line with Star Lash’s Automatic Gel Eyeliner Pencil in Black Glitter . Honeyz’ Makeup Tip! Here’s how you can create the perfect winged eyeliner: Do this by using your lower waterline as a guide. The wing on the upper lid should start where the lower waterline ends so it’ll look like you’ve extended it. This method helps you create a perfect and equal pair of wings every time. Trust me, it works. If you made any mistakes, don’t panic. There’s always Star Lash’s Eye Makeup Corrector . I know the product looks like a regular q-tip but there’s more to it than meets the eye. This state-of the-art product contains makeup remover liquid that you can release when you twist the stick. It is handy and erases makeup mistakes instantly. It’s prolly the best beauty breakthrough of 2013! You can find out more here . I lined my lower lash line with a lighter color – Star Lash’s Automatic Gel Eyeliner Pencil in Sexy Brown . Open up your eyes with generous coats of mascara. I’m using Maybelline Volum’ Express Hyper Curl Cat Eye Mascara . The tiny comb is perfect for my sparse and short lashes. Since I’ve lash extensions on, I’m skipping mascara for my top lashes but if you would like to achieve the same effect, you could try the Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler . Regular eyelash curlers may weaken, crimp or break lashes and sometimes even pinch skin. The Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler prevents this by using gentle heat and a rotating action to curl lashes, creating natural lash curls. I wanted the look to be more whimsical so instead of using an eyebrow pencil, I filled in my brows with Urban Decay Oz The Great and Powerful Glinda Palette’s south eyeshadow color. And our divine garden eyes are complete! I applied Lancôme Blush Subtil Rose Multi-Color Powder Blush 30 for a heavenly blush look. I contoured my face by applying the blush in an S motion as shown below. Here’s the result! Vanity Trove propelled me into the world of Korean cosmetics with their slew of Hangug-ui products every couple of months. Here’s my top favorite from their June 2012 trove for achieving red bee-stung lips – Yadah Angel Lip Tint . Now you can go ‘au naturel’ with the Yadah Angel Lip Tint because it contains safe and organic ingredients such as naturally extracted colorant from plants (Red tomatoes and Gromwell flowers). If you’ve dark lips, this product might be your savior. It neutralizes the dark patches and creates a rosy red look. Add dimension to the pout with Elite Paris’ FRENCH KISS – 03 Romantic Kiss . We can’t forget the glitter! I’m using Victoria’s Secret’s Beauty Rush Lip Gloss to create this glassy and glittery look. And we’re done (finally)! Next up – Neo-fairy hairstyle so please continue to watch this space! Meanwhile, like my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/ilovebunny.net for more exclusive content on the latest makeup tutorials, style books or to receive the full gamut of privileges as Honeyz readers. Your road to a sparkling lifestyle begins here . Your friend, Juliana #beautyreview #SecretGardenParty #tutorial #beauty #RachelK #StarLash #SingaporeBlogAwards2013

With the current dry and hazy conditions, flowers are certainly ‘a sight for sore eyes’ now. 😛 So as I mentioned in my previous post, I’m going to create a ‘heavy petal’ look that you can wear on your next jaunt to the botanical gardens or when you’re attending a garden party wedding. I call it the Secret Garden Fairy look and I’ll showcase it through a three-part series titled ‘The Secret Garden Party’ which will include a skin prep tutorial (which is the post you’re reading right now), hair makeover as well as a Secret Garden Fairy beauty lookbook. Before we start creating the bright and whimsical look, we need a makeup-ready canvas. So in this first entry of the series, I’m going to show you how you can perk up your dull skin and get it ready for some floral embellishment! Here’s my face with no makeup. It is not in the best condition – bumpy skin and acne scars. This is what bad sleeping and skincare habits do to you. I’ve been trying to revive my skin with a good skincare ritual that includes cleansing, exfoliating, toning and loads of moisturizing. And it seems to be working well for me and so I would like share it with you. 🙂 Before we begin, here are some beauty loots you’ll need to prepare: Step 1: Deep Cleanse Makeup needs a clean slate to stay on all day. And cleansing and exfoliation is paramount to achieving clean and clear skin. There are many bad ripple effects to a bad cleansing routine. Without proper exfoliation, our faces will be covered in layers of dead skin cells as cells move from the base of the skin to the surface every 30 days. If you don’t slough them off, it’ll be difficult for beauty products to work well on you. This is because the products will have to work their way through the layers of dead skin cells to get to the top layer of your skin. In the long term, your skin will become dull and clogged by sebum. ‘Nuff said. You get the message. 🙂 And here are some recommended steps for a proper cleansing routine: Commence your ‘Deep Cleanse’ routine with some facial steaming. I’m using my Panasonic Facial Ionic Steamer EH-SA31 VP . I’ve introduced the steamer in this post and as mentioned, its nanometer-sized steam particles can penetrate more easily into skin for deep moisture retention. More info about the steamer here . The steam enlarges the pores and loosens the accumulated debris residues after three minutes. Thereafter, gently exfoliate the skin to clean out pores. Regular scrubs are a tad harsh for my sensitive skin so I opted for an exfoliating gel instead. I chose Bio-Essence’s Deep Exfoliating Gel with Royal Jelly and ATP. I’m a huge fan of its gentle yet powerful formula. With a few gentle rubs, grime and dead skin cells were effectively lifted away, leaving skin smooth and revitalized. I use this everyday now to treat and prevent impurities. Then I washed the loosened debris away with my LEADERS Insolution AC-Stop Foam Cleansing face wash. This cleanser is perfect for troubled combination skin like mine. Most acne cleansers contain harsh ingredients that leave my skin too dry. The LEADERS Insolution AC-Stop Foam Cleansing face wash prevents this by moisturizing my skin with maple syrup which eliminates the usual tight feeling after wash. Now that we have squeaky clean faces, we move on to step two – Face mask! Uh wait! What is this??!!? Gaps in the lash lines! This is an absolute no-no. Even after all of this, I’ll still look unkempt with those unsightly extensions! Remember, a Secret Garden Fairy should always look perfect down to the smallest detail. Now let me work my magic. Ding! Yay! So where were we? Oh yes. Mask time! Step 2: Face Mask I’ve a ginormous crush on V10 Plus’ Okinawa Water Mask at the moment. Its deep hydrating properties and fragrance-free formula soothes my sensitized skin effectively. I use this every night! Read my full review of the product here . Step 3: Tone After 30 relaxing minutes, I remove the mask and apply my toner to close up the pores again. I use LEADERS InSolution Active AC Toner which is perfect for delaying aging and keeping pimples at bay. Most toners are pretty light and start out runny so it can be quite a challenge to apply them evenly on the face. I’ll curb the problem by squirting some lotion on my palms and patting them a few times to spread them. This will also warm the liquid to allow for better absorption later. Then gently pat them on your cheeks, followed by forehead and chin. The neck needs as much TLC as your face so don’t forget to massage some toner into your neck too. Step 4: Treatment This is a crucial but often neglected step of our beauty regimen. This is where I tackle all my skin problems with serums and treatment creams. I complement my sebum control regimen with another LEADERS InSolution product. And that is their Active AC Lotion . Haha! Yes. I confess! I’m a huge fan of their AC-Stop skincare line. Most products that fight acne tend to dry out the skin while doing it, thus solving the problem temporarily. This solution is short term because the dehydrated skin will produce more oil to offset the dryness and in turn, cause more clogged pores and zits. The contents in the AC-Stop skincare range focuses on relieving irritated skin with Chamomile water and moisturizing it with maple syrup while controlling sebum with Regu-seb. It’s the perfect treatment for my acne-prone skin! If you’re interested to find out more, you can visit their Facebook Page here . If your blemish problem is more severe, you could employ more topical therapies. But make sure they do not contain harsh ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. My favorite is Eucerin DermoPURIFYER Active Concentrate . It clears acne in a jiffy! I’ve reviewed it some time back. Click here to read it. Besides preventing zits, I’ve also been trying to prevent wrinkles. Prevention is always better than cure so start incorporating anti-aging treatments into your beauty regimens! I’m completely spellbound by Bio-Essence’s Radiant Youth Essence at the moment. It preserves youth by protecting skin against harmful free radicals and hydrating the face with Royal jelly and herbs. It has an oily texture so I’ll usually apply just one drop for the entire face. No breakouts so far. Step 5: Moisturize This is an important adjunct to your beauty ritual. It helps you maintain the health and youthfulness of your skin. I’m using Bio-Essence’s Face Lifting Cream as an emollient at the moment. Since it has a cream based formula, I usually use only a small dollop of the cream to moisturize my skin. Too much and it may lead to comedone formation. The cream softens and lifts the skin almost instantly. I conducted the famous measuring tape experiment – measured my face before and after application. The distance between my lips and ears went from 11.5cm to 11cm! The results lasted for a couple of hours. Even though it was short-lived, I still think it’s a good quick fix before a big night or photo shoots. Sidetrack… Speaking of Bio-Essence, you can now win their products from their Facebook Page by playing their UNLOCK YOUR FEMININE CHARM game here . Step 6: Eye Care Keep the skin around your eyes supple and firm with eye creams. I’m loving SK-II Skin Signature Eye Cream at the moment. It contains peptides that help to generate new collagen. I don’t have major problems on the skin around my eyes except oversized eyebags that I was born with. So I maintain its firmness by applying the SK-II Skin Signature Eye Cream twice a day – morning and night. Here’s how I do it each time – dab the eye cream with my ring finger (or fourth finger) as it exerts the least amount of force on the sensitive skin around the eye area. Start dotting the serum underneath the eye, above the cheekbone then work my way towards the skin under the tear duct. Step 7: Neck Care Don’t forget the neck area! Texting, typing and turning our heads – all this constant motion causes creases at the neck area. So prevent wrinkled jowly necks by massaging and moisturizing your neck too. These days, I prevent crepey skin with the Olay Regenerist Micro-sculpting Cream . Honestly, I haven’t witnessed any miraculous results but my skin certainly feels immediately softer and smoother after use. I’m halfway through my first jar of Micro-sculpting Cream so I’m hoping with prolonged use, I can see more obvious results. Lastly, remember to adopt a good diet and exercise routine and stay hydrated by drinking loads of water. On top of great skin and quintessential style, having a healthy body will also help you radiate beauty and confidence from head to toe. And now I’m all ready for the makeup and new hairstyle! I hope you enjoyed the post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Stick around for the next installment of My Secret Garden Party! Meanwhile, please continue to show your support for my work by generously casting your vote in my favor on the Singapore Blog Awards 2013 website . This is a really really big deal for me so every vote counts. Here’s how you can vote: Best Vlog Simply go to http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2013/category/?cat=vlog , sign up for an omy.sg account and click on this photo to vote. Check out my video entry: Biggest Icon of the 60s Best Beauty Blog Likewise, go to https://apps.facebook.com/panasonic_sg_vote/?eid=36&event=12 and select Best Beauty Blogs and click ‘Vote‘ on the photo. Once again, thank you all so much for these. You’ve all been amazing at showing me support all these years and I really appreciate every last one of you! Yay! 😀 Stay gorgeous and enjoy your weekend tipples! Your friend, Juliana #Bioessence #SKII #beautyreview #SecretGardenParty #LeadersInSolution #tutorial #beauty #V10Plus #Panasonic #Olay #SingaporeBlogAwards2013 #Eucerin