Attended the launch of Bandi in Singapore at Park Hotel Clarke Quay today, hosted by the team from Evance. Claiming to be the No. 1 Professional Nail Care Brand in Korea, the name ‘Bandi’ originates from the word ‘Bandibul’, which actually means FIREFLIES in Korean. Like fireflies, the brand aspires to be “an environmentally friendly brand that captures the beautiful colours of nature” and through its product quality and designs, “stays true to its values to produce nail products that are not hazardous to human or ecology”.

The Korean team flew in specially to present the brand and its comprehensive range of nail products, ranging from their COLORS line (normal nail lacquer) to their GELIQUE line (soft gel like Gelish) to NAILCURE (nailcare), and more. We also got to watch about 3 live demonstrations of nail art with GELIQUE and their nail stickers.

Don’t you just love getting goodie bags? Having watched the presentations and all, I have a sudden inspiration to return to my DIY nail days where I get creative with nail stickers. Unfortunately, I have become a tad lazy these days and resort to either manicures or full nail stickers But I’m definitely looking forward to buying their nail stickers when they launch officially in June… Apparently, they come up with trendy seasonal stickers 4 times a year in conjunction with their nail colours

One interesting point that came up during the launch was when the Korean team questioned what are the favourite colours of local women and the answers were RED, PINK and any “natural” colours. Well, I guess the majority of Singaporean women are not that adventurous enough to try fashion colours because they don’t know how to. Fortunately, I’m not one of them – I love to try colours and I am crazy about animal prints. I know of girlfriends who love pastel colours (that is the IN thing for Korea now), and those who love neon colours so I’m always encouraging people around me to open up and embrace their inner self… The world needs less criticism & more encouragement!

It’s really amazing to know how many colours the brand owns and I’m hoping their entry into the market will make a big difference in nail ethics, especially when there are so many nail salons out there who don’t exactly think of your nails’ health when they are making $$$ out of you… Bandi seems to be a brand who truly cares so we shall see!

p/s. Not sure of the pricing or where they are available yet in Singapore~

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

It promises to “swirl your way to perfect skin in one step”! A sucker in trying makeup & skincare, I was instantly attracted to the colourful swirls I saw Yes, I bought it & this is how one pump of the primer looks like when I first tried it:

Some people may find this a little gross, but it reminds me of the Paddle Pop ice-cream I used to love when I was a child I also like the idea of combining the different colour primers because we all have colour imperfections on our face & sometimes, you wonder HOW? I want to correct this, I want to correct that… so in the end, I always end up getting a neutral or anti-matifying primer. So what the 3 colours do is that green minimizes redness, lavender counteract sallow undertones, and the peach brighten, illuminates and helps diminish the appearance of sun spots!

Do try it if you find it as fascinating as me, but do let your expectations at a minimal because you can’t expect your face to look flawless with just a primer They are just the 1st step to achieving a flawless look ~

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

So for those of you there who appreciate quality eyelashes and have been searching for the perfect lash to wear everyday, you now have 8 designs to choose from:

1) PRINCESS LASH SERIES | Reference No: 3823

2) BLUE EXTREME SERIES | Reference No: 4824

3) BLACK CHARMING SERIES | Reference No: 4125

4) YELLOW HAUNT SERIES | Reference No: 3125

5) RED HAPPY EVENT SERIES | Reference No: 2123

6) PURPLE STUNNING SERIES | Reference No: 4825

7) APPLE GREEN GENIE SERIES | Reference No: 3821

8) RED WEDDING SERIES | Reference No: 1122

All Belle eyelashes are made in Taiwan, which explains why the local labour cost is approximately 8 times to 20 times higher than that of other countries such as Indonesia, Mainland China, or even Vietnam. Also, to ensure quality of products and to prevent potential infections, All Belle only uses virgin fiber and their lashes contain an exclusively designed oxygen infused main stem that is soft and comfortable for sensitive eyelids.

I could go on and on about how great these lashes are compared to the ones I’ve tried out there in the market, but you would have to try them to know for yourself THE DIFFERENCE So here’s the special deal if you would like to order these amazing eyelashes:

• 1 box @ $30 (Each box contains 10 pairs)
• 2 boxes and above – $25 per box (You can mix & match)

Payment Terms: Cash on Delivery or ATM transfer to POSB savings account
Delivery: Any MRT Station convenient for you (Between 10am to 8pm daily)
Contact: info@proboutique.com
Please remember to include your name, contact number and the reference code of the eyelashes you would like to purchase.

Limited quantities so first come first serve!

If you are feeling confused as to which eyelashes to choose from, it’s always good to look at what kind of look you want to achieve. It’s always best to start with the most natural and move on from there so that you don’t get a shock, especially if you are not inclined towards dramatic looks.

p/s. They are selling @$17.50 for 5 pairs out there in the retail stores so you get savings from this deal

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

CAPTAIN AMERICA~

Have you caught the Avengers movie yet? I know half of Singapore has! It was my favourite eye makeup of all the super-heroes inspirations Check out http://jangsara.blogspot.com/2012/04/avengers-captain-america.html on how to do this eye makeup for yourself if you like it!

BURGER KING~

Anyone craving for a burger? Can’t remember where I spotted this first but I was blown away by the details & effort they took to make the eye makeup to look like a real burger! Amazing stuff, isn’t it? They even painted the fake lashes the lettuce green colour… This is one unusual eye makeup that will make anyone drool

HELLO KITTY~

Hello, yourself. I bet it was a Hello Kitty fan who couldn’t get enough of the cute feline & decided to draw the kitty on her eye!! I don’t think it will look good with the eyes opened but it will definitely get you a lot of attention

Creative works like these belong to makeup artists who never stop pushing themselves to be inspired by events or people around them. Kudos to them for inspiring makeup lovers like me!

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

I don’t remember who did Emma’s makeup but it could have been any of the MUAs as the play went on for a few days & I can’t be sure if she had a designated MUA or not. In any case, it is a big loss to the local theatre scene here but Emma is one of the only few actresses I actually associate with Singapore plays & musicals.

Let’s keep her family in prayers as they cope with this loss.

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

Although this year our local stars were all ‘glammed’ up, I must say I was disappointed with the rather bland yet safe choice of makeup. What can I say? Better safe than sorry!

Looking close to perfection were the 3 Ah Jies: Ann Kok, Zoe Tay & Fann Wong

Rui En, the new ice princess on the block (after Wong Li-Lin and Jacelyn Tay). Overall, her makeup is fine, just that her lashes are too heavy & cast shadows, causing her eyes to look rather ‘droopy’. This is why it is important, & quite difficult, to find lashes that complement our eyes! Not all lashes fit

Joanne Peh – Can’t go wrong with simple, understated makeup. A pity she’s getting all the backlash for a trophy she never expected to win.

Jeannette Aw looks radiant as always, although I find that she was super giggly & happy that night. In love, or in happiness?

Michelle Chia – It’s the hair, not the makeup, that disturbs me. Don’t like the parting nor the style.

Rebecca Lin is someone to look out for, now that her Mandarin and acting has improved. I wish she could have put more colours on her lips, because she looked washed out even though her choice of dress was brilliantly outstanding.

Don’t like Vivian Lai’s eye makeup. Would have preferred she went for the black smoky eye look instead.

Kym Ng looked like she didn’t wear much makeup. I don’t know why?

Constance Song may have gone overboard with that dress of hers, but at least she was the only one I spotted with red lips & I thought she looked sophisticated – if you look above her shoulder,

If there’s one makeup that I love that night, it has got to be Annie Liu’s makeup that complemented her outfit & enhanced her features. Maybe there’s too much blush but it’s fine, considering her choice of colour for lips & simplicity of eye makeup.

I’m no makeup expert but considering my background in this area, a few freelance makeup artists (MUAs) & I were discussing on Facebook as we watched the award ceremony – and we were appalled at how some of the men looked too tanned (& one looked like he had uneven makeup on when he gave his thank-you speech for a trophy won)…

Makes me wonder why in other countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea – all the stars always look good in front of the camera? Is it because the makeup artists advanced together with the technology (HD Cameras) or because the lighting technicians were dedicated to making people look good on camera?

All pictures were obtained from my favourite website XinMSN.com so head there if you want to view more pictures

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

Here’s what I got my hands on in 1 month:

• L’Oréal Professionnel Texture Expert Smooth Ultime 
• L’Oréal ParisSuper Liner
• Maybelline Unstoppable Smudge Proof Liner
• La Roche-Posay Dark Circle Corrector
• L’Oréal Paris Double Extension Mascara
  
• L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Nutri Shine Lipstick
• L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni Art – Texture Expert Fixing Mist 4
  
• Daiso Hanataka Powder (for highlighting)

Seriously, I bought more but decided to give away some items for Christmas presents Good buys must share!

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

Discovered this Korean brand LIOELE at Bugis Village & it’s just as well that the Korean look is so IN right now. If you must know, I spent $200 in 1 round because the packaging was attractive plus the names of the products were rather interesting.

This 3D Jewel Cheek & Highlighter was the 1st product the salesgirl recommended me & I was sold in less than 5 minutes

And I tried the Secret Pore Rich Balm on my hand & it was pretty amazing. Think it can be on par with the L’Oreal one I have? I sure hope so!

Also, I bought their Glittering Jewel Liner in brown because the black was out. I’m such a big sucker for eyeliners right! … Well, as for the rest of the items, I haven’t made up my mind whether to keep them or give them away for Christmas presents

And in case you aren’t aware, many  holiday sets have been launched at Sephora and I literally went crazy having to choose what to buy with my leftover birthday vouchers In the end, I got myself 2 items out of the countless items I wished I could buy.

Tokidoki 24 Karat Skate Deck Palette – too irresistibly hard NOT to buy!

Oh My Cherie! Mellow Lip Gloss

Other than the above, my 2 way cake was running out so I decided to try from Watsons:

Rachel K Mineral Color Control Blemish Balm Press Powder

But then my hands got itchy when I saw that this was going on for sale at SASA:

Maybelline Pure Mineral 2 Way Cake Foundation – I got this at $13.90 because there was a 30% discount going on… how cool is that?

Okay, so that’s the end of my makeup buys for November It certainly has been a hectic month for me at work and maybe that’s why I ended up splurging on so much makeup…! I really should find a less expensive stress-relieving hobby

LOVE,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

And in Japan, browns are spotted in 1 in every 5  ladies which is quite a high rate with the huge population in Tokyo.

Eye makeup: Brown eyeshadows and thin black eyeliner outlines.

As seen in VIVI and Glamorous:

Love,
JERA
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI

So, I haven’t been shopping much in the past few months – especially beauty products – because I’m in the midst of renovation and have been renting a flat with my parents for the last 2 months. Will be shifting back end of this month, so YAY! Anyway, I was instructed by my mum not to shop but I guess it’s hard to NOT buy anything… so all I bought last month was these 4 items:

1. Bioskin Refreshing Scalp Mist
   Ever since I entered the hair industry, I’ve been educated on the importance of a healthy scalp and also, being a loyal customer of Bioskin, I’ve been recommended this product countless times and it has always been out of stock every time I want to buy… until now. Kinda expensive but you can’t find many scalp products out there, so…
2. Clinicare range of hair products
   Was looking for inexpensive scalp shampoo at Watsons (trying my luck, really) but couldn’t find any. And the aunty promoter, who was quite persistent in a nice way, kept insisting how good this range was because it’s produced by both Pantene & Wella, and I was sold when I saw the price. I paid for a shampoo, conditioner & treatment at a price that could only get me a professional shampoo at the salon. Oh, well.
3. Biore Marshmallow Whip Facial Wash
   Saw it at Watsons; love at first sight! But I refrained from buying because I still had sufficient facial wash and wasn’t sure if I should buy it just because the packaging looks so enticingly good. Then I read the advertorial on Xiaxue’s blog and I was SOLD. So I bought it the next time I saw it, and because I had no more spare wash left
4. Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel
   My boyfriend introduced this to me and swears it’s great at removing blackheads. I’ve used it and thought it’s damn good because I see all these white dots on my fingers after I gently rub my nose with the gel. Then again, who knows? But it’s not expensive so it’s good to use for now

I’ve been vigorously maintaining my overall beauty regime, especially since my eczema condition has worsened recently due to the extremely humid weather conditions. Taking care of the skin is really a hefty investment, considering how much skin we have!

Love,
SAB
THE MAKEUP PAPARAZZI