Happiness is a Gift: Merry Christmas Lancôme!

I can't believe how quickly the year is passing, it's just another two months before it's my favourite time of the year: Christmas!!

My favourite part of Christmas has got to be the happy and festive mood all around, lots of meet-ups and gatherings and dinners with all of my closest friends! Let's not forget all the exchanging of Christmas presents too, because Christmas is the season of giving, and I especially enjoy shopping for the best gifts for those dear to me! It's truly the happiest feeling in the world to be making merry with your loved ones :)

Christmas came early for me this year, because I got invited to a sneak preview of what's coming up this Christmas for one of my most loved beauty brands: Lancôme!

 Specially for this Christmas, take a break and indulge yourself in Lancôme's iconic Advanced Génifique anti-aging facial at $120.. The best part? This $120 is fully redeemable for products! That's equivalent to a free facial!

I headed down to Lancôme's first stand-alone flagship store at Capitol Piazza, all ready to pamper my skin!

[ Lancôme Ma Maison at Capitol Piazza ]

La Maison Lancôme is an absolutely stunning space, and I love how opulent it is!

Such a gorgeous display of lipsticks: Any beauty lover would be mesmerised by it!

There's a dedicated area for Lancôme's coveted luxury skincare range: Lancôme Absolue!

And my favourite section of the store: The beautiful fragrance section that has constellations of crystals hanging down from a grand chandelier.

These little objects are actually caps in which the fragrances are enclosed in. Isn't the whole set-up just beautiful?

A hidden door in a corner of La Maison Lancôme opens up to a secret cabin where I was led to for my Advanced Génifique Youth Activating facial treatment!

A peek into the facial room, with Lancôme's signature customised therapy bed and ambient mood lighting that changes to suit every different facial experience!

The full range of Lancôme products used during this pampering facial treatment.. Trust me when I say this will be one of the most indulgent and luxurious facials you'll experience!

 [ Youth Activating Facial Treatment - The Experience ]

My facial session was incredible! 

I dozed off into a comfortable nap whilst the well-trained beauty therapists used fusion massage techniques expertly not just on my face, but also on my limbs and body.. The expert touch of the therapist was so soothing and comfortable that it didn't take more than a few minutes for me to fully relax and fall asleep! Soothing music and the dim, ambient mood lighting really helped me unwind and fully immerse myself in the entire multi-sensorial experience.

All of my favourite products from the Advanced Genifique and Visionnaire ranges were used during the facial, and I was gently roused after the 90-minute long session to that feeling of remarkable well-being, and velvety soft skin!

I felt like I didn't even need much makeup because of the amazing post-facial glow! Not just my skin, even my tired body and soul felt rejuvenated and rested from the session.

Of course, Lancôme is famed for their makeovers: at just $120 per person or $180 for two people! It's all fully redeemable in products once again, which is so worth-while.

You don't have to worry, as Lancôme's informative and helpful boutique manager, Elyse, at Lancôme will be more than happy to recommend the best products and shades for you!

Though my skin already looked so good even without makeup that, I couldn't help but to put on some lipstick and mascara! ;) 

[ Youth Activating Facial Treatment + Holiday Makeover Promotion ]

In case you didn't catch what I mentioned earlier, these special promotions are available for this holiday season, at Lancôme's Christmas Atrium at Paragon, from 29 October to 4 November 2015! 

In fact, you can already register online for the Youth Activating Facial Treatment at $120 per pax (fully redeemable for Lancome products) or Holiday Makeover at the Paragon Atrium for $120 per pax or $180 for 2 people (fully redeemable for Lancome products), and get yourself an early bird gift worth $103 too too if you sign up before 20 October 2359h!

[ Christmas Atrium at Paragon, 29 Oct – 4 Nov ]

Lancôme has so much to offer this Christmas, you really need to go check it out! I always look forward to Lancome's super value-for-money Christmas sets and limited edition palettes!! *hearts*

I fell in love with Lancôme's special Christmas Palette: La Palette 29, Faubourg Saint Honoré, Limited Edition Smoky Eyes and Ombré Lips that has yet to be launched.. Both the packaging and the colors inside were so stunning!

The shades are so beautiful! I love the champagne, gold, and mauve purple tones, perfect for dressing up my eyes this Christmas!

There are also two lip colors and a lip balm/primer, protected by a flap cover which I find are very thoughtful elements to help protect the lip colors from getting contaminated by the eyeshadow pigments by accident!

And this is the ultimate Christmas gift set that I know I would LOVE to receive! The Ô Beauty Box Set that's worth $588, but will only cost $118 with minimum spend of $130! 

With so much going on this Christmas, I know it's gonna be a splendid one! Don't forget to register early at http://www.lancomesg.com/happy-holidays  for the Youth Activating Facial Treatment / Holiday Makeover, you'll get a 4-pc Early Bird Set worth $103 when you register before 20 October 2359hrs!

The one value that encapsulates the essence of Christmas and makes this celebration so memorable is happiness, and I can't wait to celebrate a magical and happy Christmas this season with all my loved ones!

xoxo

Review: Lancome Teint Visionnaire! My secret to flawless-looking skin

I mentioned in my previous blog post about how I've been getting compliments recently on my complexion! :D I mean, everyone loves compliments, me included, so I was really very happy to hear comments from friends and readers who said that my complexion has been looking very good lately! Especially when I've been plagued by super bad skin problems since the beginning of the year. So glad that the skin is starting to look better!

I have to attribute the clearing up of my breakouts to being on Roaccutane (I've been on Roaccutane for more than 5 months now) and it has helped a lot with the acne problems! Roaccutane does give me very dry skin and lips though :( But I'm thankful that the breakouts are much better, though I'm still dealing with some pigmentation and pimples here and there!

However, I believe that the reason why people have been complimenting me on the complexion lately is actually due to the products that I've been using, and I can't help but to rave about this new groundbreaking product: Lancome Teint Visionnaire Skin Perfecting Makeup Duo!!


I have always been a fan of Lancome foundations (Prior to this, I was using Lancome Mat Miracle) but this has got to be my favourite Lancome foundation yet! Plus.. It's actually skincare AND makeup.. Two in one!

And yes, you probably guessed it already, it contains the revolutionary Lancome Visionnaire ingredient, LR 2412! I'm sure I've also mentioned several times that the Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector Serum is one of my favourite serums, so I think it's really cool that my makeup can now complement my skincare, and help to further enhance the benefits of the Lancome Visionnaire products that I've been using!

Here's a little surprise: The thick silver cap of Lancome Teint Visionnaire actually serves a purpose! It houses the High Coverage Precision Corrector, which is to be used hand-in-hand with the Lancome Teint Visionnaire Sheer Perfecting Foundation! The corrector tone is matched to the shade of the foundation too, which is definitely a plus point.

I am an O-02 for most Lancome foundations, and the same for Lancome Teint Visionnaire. It blends in perfectly with my skin colour, though the foundation itself looks slightly darker and with a stronger yellow undertone in comparision to the Mat Miracle.

So what you're supposed to do is to first use the corrector on targeted areas such as dark spots, dark eye circles and blemishes. The texture of the corrector is creamy and smooth, and goes on easily on the skin. I like to apply it with my fingers, as the warmth of my fingers helps the corrector to spread and blend better.

I usually use the corrector around my nose (where I have redness), on blemishes on my cheeks and chin, and on my under eye area. The corrector actually contains Vitamin CG, which is supposed to help improve the appearance of dark spots! I find that the corrector helps to correct redness and conceal a little, but doesn't provide high coverage for the really bad blemishes and my dark eye circles.

After that, I pump out about one full pump of the Lancome Teint Visionnaire foundation, and apply it with the same Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 that I use with all my foundations! It is my favourite foundation brush, and I find that it gives me a flawless application. You can purchase the Sigma F80 on Doll To Doll Cosmetics!

The texture of the Lancome Teint Visionnaire foundation is quite runny and light-weight, it definitely doesn't feel thick at all! With the Sigma F80 brush, I pick up the product from the back of my hand, and apply it with circular buffing motions on my face. For areas that need more coverage, I either stipple (using the brush to dot repeatedly on the same area) or go over it again with a light buffing motion.

I have got to say, the coverage for Teint Visionnaire is pretty amazing! You can see a stark difference with just the Lancome Teint Visionnaire corrector and foundation only!

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Before & After

(Do excuse my peely lips, and also the scar on my left eyelid!)

This is a half-face comparison. As you can tell, my skintone has been evened out visibly, and takes on a smoother and more poreless appearance. Redness is also reduced (especially where I have blemishes and around the nose) and my skin looks a tad bit brighter, but not to the extent that it looks scary white.

With Lancome Teint Visionnaire on the entire face. Check out how the previously obvious blemish on my cheek is now almost concealed totally! D: My entire face looks practically flawless already, and this is even before concealer! It's amazing, isnt it?

What I really like about the Lancome Teint Visionnaire is that it provides very high coverage (it is supposed to provide the most coverage out of all Lancome foundations so far) but still has a dewy finish to it. That makes it look very natural, and almost like your second skin. Which is probably why people have been thinking that my skin is so good! :D It's actually the Lancome Teint Visionnaire at work!

Oh, one more thing about the Lancome Teint Visionnaire is that it has SPF20! :D So on days that I'm feeling lazy, I don't feel guilty about skipping sunscreen application as long as I know I'm not gonna be under the sun for long ;D


With full makeup on, and I am gonna share about my favourite concealer and finishing powder in a follow-up entry in future! Love the Japanese eyelash extensions I did at GRACEOUS as well, they really save a lot of time for me because I can skip on mascara and falsies application! :D

The foundation lasts well throughout the day for me, and even at the end of the day, I feel that it doesn't slide off the face or oxidise, or leave my face looking shiny and oily! (Though I have to clarify that because of Roaccutane, my skin is on the dry side now, so don't take my word for it)

By the way, this photo is totally unedited except for some contrast and etc. My skin really does look like it's flawless! And I can't be sure if it's just psychological, but I do feel that the skincare properties of Lancome Teint Visionnaire are slowly helping to transform and perfect my skin too!

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Introducing to you the entire Lancome Visionnaire Skincare range.. I LOVE these products!

I use the range every morning before my makeup application now, because I feel like it makes for a complete Visionnaire experience, now that I'm using the Teint Visionnaire foundation!

The Lancome Visionnaire Correcting Polishing Cream is pretty cool, it comes with its own polishing pad that helps to retexturize skin and polish away imperfections!

The polishing pad is designed for a dual mechanical action, with more than 2000 micro-grains on one side and ultra-smooth on the other side.

I love the texture! Easily absorbed and feels so hydrating.

Visionnaire Yeux is a new product in the Visionnaire range, and it is supposed to achieve skin perfection while reducing dark circles, wrinkles and fine lines in the eye contour!

Comes with an interesting rubber applicator, but I find the applicator tricky to use, and prefer to use my fingers instead!

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Lancome Teint Visionnaire is available now at islandwide Lancôme beauty counters at $70, and 
Lancome Visionnaire Yeux is available at $98.

Find out more about the products on Lancome Singapore's website! :)

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Phew, sorry for such a super long-ass post!! Hope it was of help ;) I have a few other favourite products I want to share about soon, too! And trust me, I only share about those products that I really like very much and use frequently. Good stuff! :D

This weekend is super exciting because I'm flying to Medan for a wonderful person's big wedding day! Whoop whoop! And I'll be there with some of my awesomest "colleagues" and friends too! Flying off tomorrow afternoon and I haven't packed yet. Meh.

Enjoy the weekend ahead, peeps!

xoxo

Review: Lancome Mat Miracle 24H Liquid Foundation

Blessed Good Friday, everyone!

Don't you just love long weekends? It's not much of a big thing for me since my weekends are usually packed regardless holiday or not, but it's Easter Weekend, and just the thought of cute bunnies and easter eggs is enough to cheer anyone up ;)

There's much to be thankful for this Easter;
Firstly, my skin has been slowly but surely clearing up... Thank goodness for that! And also to all the helpful readers/followers who have offered their various remedies, tips, or recommended skin doctors to me, thank you so much! ^.^ I'm not sure what I'm doing right, but I think the worst of the breakouts are over, and I'm hoping it stays that way!

Unfortunately though, there's the aftermath to deal with and it ain't pretty :( I'm talking about the scarring and blemishes left behind, as well as bumps and redness and all kinds of marks and imperfections.. Sigh :( But there's nothing I can do but keep my fingers crossed and patiently wait for these scars and blemishes to slowly lighten up over time!

I can't help but to feel self-conscious about how terrible my skin looks.. Can't step out of the house without making sure I cover all those unsightly blemishes! But thankfully, I've found my holy grail foundation, and it's the Lancôme Mat Miracle 24H liquid foundation that promises long wear and comfort with a satin matte finish!

The Lancôme Mat Miracle is housed in a sleek frosted glass bottle with a tinted black cap. It looks similar to the Teint Miracle, which comes in a clear glass bottle and has a transparent cap.


I was matched to shade O-02, which blends into my skin perfectly!

Lancôme Mat Miracle Liquid Foundation is also designed for asian skin, and is non-comedogenic. Good news for me, because I certainly don't wish to aggravate my skin and cause any more breakouts!



The texture of the Lancôme Mat Miracle was much lighter than I expected, as seeing how it is supposed to be long-wearing with heavier coverage! Surprisingly enough, it is a light-weight liquid that is just slightly creamy and blends easily into the skin, feeling like it's barely there at all.

I love the matte satin finish, it looks naturally so without being overly matte (some high-coverage foundations tend to finish off cakey, which is a major turn-off) but gives a smooth, shine-free look to my skin!

If you're wondering how it measures up to Teint Miracle, I find the coverage better than Teint Miracle, which also has a more dewy finish in comparison. It really depends on how much coverage you need, and whether you prefer the matte satin finish of the Mat Miracle or the dewy glowy look the Teint Miracle gives.

One point to note about the Mat Miracle: It only comes with SPF15 which is pretty low, so you definitely want to have on a sunscreen underneath that's at least SPF30!

Although the Lancôme Mat Miracle does pretty well on its own, I still like to set it with some powder, especially when our climate is so hot and humid. The Lancôme Teint Miracle loose powder is the perfect companion to the Mat Miracle liquid foundation, a few pats on the skin with this finely-milled and almost translucent powder and I'm good to go!

The Teint Miracle pressed powder gives a slight shimmer because of light-reflecting particles in it, so it helps to brighten up the complexion subtly as well!

OH YES.

I was introduced to this amazing brush: the Sigma Flat Kabuki F80, and I am totally sold! Previously, I've always applied my liquid foundation with my fingers, but after trying the Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 brush with the Lancôme Mat Miracle, the end result is like OMYYYYGAHHHHH. I am never going back to applying foundation with my fingers again!!

What I do is to pick up a small amount of foundation from off the back of my hand with the brush, then dot it onto my skin and buff gently in small circles. With the brush application, coverage is improved and I get a marvelously flawless finish that manages to conceal most of the redness on my skin, while not looking like I've got heavy makeup on at all!

I got my Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 from Doll To Doll Cosmetics, where it only costs $29.90. The bristles feel luxuriously soft and gentle on my skin and makes me feel like I'm painting my face into a work of art lol! Very decent price for a brush of this quality. Doll To Doll Cosmetics carries quite a wide range of Sigma brushes, of which some are very very popular! Try googling for reviews!

To summarize the above,
Lancôme Mat Miracle Liquid Foundation + Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 + Teint Miracle Pressed Powder = my holy grail combination for that perfect flawless makeup base! It's like magic!

Bare-faced and devoid of make-up:

I wasn't kidding about the blemishes and scars... they are this bad. Depressing, I know. Surprising though, with the brush application method that I've been using, I only use about 1-2 pumps of the Mat Miracle foundation, and it does a pretty good job of evening out my skin tone and concealing the redness!

Of course, I still use concealer over my dark eye rings and some areas that need heavier coverage. I've been mixing the ZA Perfect Fit Concealer together with Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer, because I find the latter a little too thick and pasty on its own. Mixed together with the ZA Perfect Fit Concealer, the consistency is slightly thinner, but still provides the coverage that I need.

After the full works: base make-up, concealer, blusher and some light eye makeup! Of course, good lighting as well. HEHE. Ready to take on the world!

Forget all that crap about beauty coming from within because sometimes, you need to LOOK good to FEEL good. It might sound sad to some, but I enjoy making myself look beautiful with makeup, and why not, when it makes me feel more confident about how I look?

I spent my afternoon at an event in the swelteringly humid weather, and the Lancôme Mat Miracle foundation really lived up to its long-wearing claim, I barely had to touch up/blot at all throughout the day! No doubt about it, it is officially my new favorite foundation!


The Lancôme Mat Miracle retails at SGD $66 and will be available at Lancôme counters island-wide in April.

Perhaps a more extensive review in a future post, with a before/after shot and more pictures of how it held up throughout the day ;)

The event I attended was held at a poolside lounge at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, so Evonne, Jayne, Felicia and myself took the opportunity to take some pretty pictures, despite the crazy weather! :D

Shampoo ad worthy shot, or so I say. Heehee.

Mai lovely Jayne who has since chopped off those feminine tresses.. Still lovely to boot but with more spunk!

Poor Evonne made the mistake of wearing pants. In this insane weather. What's wrong with you woman?!

Dying from heat never mind, still can take chio pictures one!


Such demure, sweet smiles! Awww.

Here's a beautiful group shot of us! Lovely background, despite the haze that has been enveloping the entire island. What's up with the haze, man? Our neighbours burning more forests, again?

So in love with this romper and its exquisite eyelet details. Definitely gonna manufacture something similar for TheVelvetDolls! I adore rompers to bits and pieces! :D

I have also been wearing those Sam Edelman gold capped bling loafers to death, so much that I had to buy another pair of silver bling Toms for those days I don't die die have to wear my gorgeous gold bling shoes just so they last longer. Meh. I know, excuses for buying new shoes, I can think of anything.

Long day ahead tomorrow, because I will be performing at the Esplanade, as part of the SYC Ensemble Singers! We are having a concert in the Recital Studio, for which we have spent hours and hours rehearsing for. Gonna go get my sleep so that I can be all recharged and energizer bunny tomorrow.

Enjoy your Easter weekend! :)

xoxo