Yves Saint Laurent YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation: Review, Swatches and MOTD

Look how elegant & luxe this packaging is! Oh the feels!

Amongst the numerous cushions I own in this couple of years, lately I have developed a penchant for Western ones more so than the Korean ones. Although we all know that Koreans are the pioneer/mastermind behind the cushion technology; but as the point of writing, many Korean cushions have limited shades, and the finish is also a hit or miss for individuals. For combination-oily skin like mine and residing in humid climate like I do, most Korean cushions pose another prevalent problem of longevity.

Following Lancôme and L'Oréal, many other big brands such as Givenchy, Dior, YSL, Biotherm also jumped onto the bandwagon - no wonder we say 2016 is a year for cushion foundations. And judging from the amazing compact technology of convenience-and-beauty-in-one, we totally understand why this hype never dies!

YSL Singapore is the first in the world to launch Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation on 20th Feb 2016, at the YSL Beauty Boutique at ION. 

So this was what happened to my vanity on the first day of the launch of Fusion Ink Cushion.

LIMITED TIME PROMO of YSL Cushion + any lipstick at SGD109 (For the first 100 customers at ION YSL) with free customisation of wordings is just too attractive to miss for any self-respecting beauty aficionado. Ahem.

On normal days, the cushion retails at S$88 for the case and a single sponge; subsequent refills can be purchased at $58.

L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Filler [HA] Micro Volumizing Essence and Revolumizing Cushion Cream Review

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Is aging skin one of your skin concerns? But do you know what are the signs of aging skin? If you felt your skin is losing plumpness, looking more dehydrated than usual - that could be one telling sign that you need to start anti-aging skincare!

Prevention is always better than cure. The short-term "cures" that people nowadays go for are aesthetic procedures that include botox & filler injections, laser treatment, light therapy, etc. If you are one of the many who are contemplating any aesthetic procedure to achieve better skin, you may want to halt a bit first - this post may be of interest to you!

This month (Feb/March '16), L'oreal Paris launches their latest range of anti-aging skincare Revitalift Filler [HA]. This is the first skincare line inspired by hyaluronic acid filler injections. Targeted at correcting skin volume loss, Revitalift Filler [HA] contains the highest Hyaluronic Acid concentration ever in a L'Oreal Paris skincare, and also one of the highest in the market. What a breakthrough for L'oreal!

Product Line Claims:

1. Smoothen Forehead Lines
2. Plump Up Cheeks
3. Smoothen Laugh Lines
4. Plump Up Chin for V-Shape

Review of Hwajin Cosmetics Yeblang Special A Star Jelly Cream

Editorial 

The third & last item in my Feb '16 BNT Beauty Box is an anti-aging face moisturizer/wrinkle cream:

Hwajin Cosmetics Yeblang Special A Star Jelly Cream

Quite a mouthful for a product name. 

Have you ever heard of Hwajin Cosmetics? I have not, but I am happy to add this to my beauty lexicon! Upon some kind help from Google, I learnt that Hwajin Cosmetics is a relatively new brand but its R & D laboratory & factory was set up since 2011 in Korea. It has since created several high quality skincare & makeup products; previously the ISILOE Premium Whitening Kit that I raved about HERE was in fact one of them!

Hwajin Cosmetics does not target merely on the Korean market, it aims to share the pie in Chinese and Japanese markets as well. If you understand Chinese, do check out this video and be impressed by their massive business presence. No English information available on their site yet.

Soft & Silky Hair with The Scene Hair Salon at Raffles City

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Hair troubles are one of the worst problems for a woman, especially when it comes to nearing festive seasons.

I was relieved when The Scene Hair Salon at Raffles City invited me to sample their hair services. I hope to do something for my dry, dull hair - be it a perm, a treatment or even a huge change of colour.

Conveniently located at a prime central location, Raffles City S.C. (at City Hall MRT station), The Scene Hair Salon is a fairly new Korean hair salon; under the same hair group of Dusol Beauty Singapore.

There were already many reviews and even Youtube videos on Dusol Beauty, hence I was pretty certain I would be in good (Korean) hands. Some information about the hairstylists of The Scene @Raffles:

Click to enlarge image. Or click HERE to know more about these suave Oppas.

I was served by the very experienced hairstylist, Jade, and he advised me against perms as parts of my hair had been bleached and looks damaged. Being a cautious person that I am, I took heed of his advice and we proceeded to undergo their popular DEESSE's [L.M] 3+1 Hair Treatment: a 4-step hair treatment to nourish & repair the hair.

Review of WHITE CAT- Super Berry Silky Eye Balm

Editorial

 

The second item in my BNT vanity trove is something I personally thought is rather unique & interesting - WHITE CAT Super Berry Silky Eye Balm.

Review of CATALINA GEO’s Color Capsule Make Up Base in BLUE

Editorial 

In my February BNT Beauty Box, there are three items and two are makeup primers. This face primer is one product I have reviewed before, (but that was in the old packaging) in another colour. This is in blue, which is mainly for those who prefer fairer, brighter complexion.

London Fun Things To Do (Special Exclusive: Best Spots for your #OOTD shots!)

  

London is a piece of what heaven seems like. It's got everything for everyone - from arts & culture to food & shopping, world history to amazing scenery... There is no reason not to pay the glorious city a visit (except for the strong sterling pound)! 

Sharing with you guys some of the must-visit places and some tips while travelling in London. Of course, since my country offers no opportunities for me to showcase winter OOTD, I'm gonna do so here as well! And you can reference the best locations we used for my OOTD photos.

MY TRAVEL NOTES

I am not the type who follows any sort of routine or itineraries, so I did not plan a proper tour itinerary for this London trip. Below are some not-really-organised travel notes which I actually referred to while in London for 8 days. If you find it useful for you, click to enlarge & save images. Alternatively, if you prefer a printable copy, you can download HERE.

Out of the 8 days in London, we used 2 days for road trips to Bath, Stonehenge, Winsor Castle, Stratford Upon Avon, Cotswold, Warwick Castle. I used Evans Evans Tours. You can find out more about the tours HERE. I highly recommend them if you are not driving or you prefer to have experienced guides to bring you around; or if you're like us, who simply prefer fuss-free organised tours to bring us around so we can rest and relax our minds/doze off on coaches! These London tour companies are really organised and their tour guides are super punctual & efficient with very clear & precise verbal instructions. Listening to Londoners speak Queen's English is a bliss! (Trust me, when you return to Singapore, you will feel slightly embarassed at our Singlish. No offence, haha!)

Outside Windsor Castle

Stonehenge: Travel 2 hours from London to view stones, why not?

Roman Bath House, Bath.

Shakespeare Birth Place, Stratford Upon Avon. For the literature buffs, as well as for Mr & Mrs LKY supporters.

As for bus tours, the two major operators are The Big Bus Tour and The Original Bus Tour. We opted for the latter. There are positives and negatives of our experience, so I can't exactly recommend them to you. You might be better off taking the tube (London Underground) or travel by foot. Choose a centralised location for your stay in London, it helps! We had our first AirBnB experience and stayed 7 minutes walk away from Oxford Circus tube station. THAT really saved us quite a bit on transport, bearing in mind for a week, we each spent SGD80 on tube alone (and we stayed in the heart of central London)!

Being on the top deck of a tour bus in deep winter is quite the exhilarating experience! You get an overview of the city in a couple of hours, but that's probably the only perks of signing up a bus tour.