Month: February 2013

SMALL IN SIZE, BIG ON STYLE

The perfect way to add instant glam and rise to the occasion. Whatever it is.

I’m a true believer that if someone complimented you for just one thing that you’re wearing, you already scored. Not necessarily a big item, it can be as small as this mini bag. Yes, we all like a great big handbag to carry all of our life’s inside. No doubt about it. But once in the blue moon, we just want to leave that ‘baggage’ at home.

Thank goodness for mini handbags, formerly known as pouch, clutch, whatever they called it. Accessorize yourself with a cute mini handbag and that compliment will surely be yours. Need suggestion? Spoil yourself with these fabulous choices.

Prada ‘Pochette’

Jimmy Choo ‘Milla’

Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Phone in a box’

Dolce & Gabbana ‘Miss Glam’

Christian Louboutin ‘Artemis Medusa’

Furla ‘Candy-Extra Small’

Valentino ‘Glam Lock’

FINISH WHAT I STARTED (SHAMPOO EDITION)

Here they are, three (yes, three) shampoo empties of the month.

1 CLAIROL HERBAL ESSENCES BREAK’S OVER
Claimed to be an anti breakage strengthening shampoo, I did experience not too much of hair fall at shampoo time. What I love about it is the clear texture, as I’m totally not a big fan of creamy shampoo which I believe will make my hair limp. It foams well, too. What I don’t like about this shampoo is the scent. It’s too overpowering and it doesn’t smell like lavender (it was written on the bottle) at all. Repurchase? Mmmm…maybe.

2 THE BODY SHOP RAINFOREST SHINE SHAMPOO
Another clear shampoo, perfect for me. I count on this shampoo when I feel like my hair is getting slightly dry on the ends. As I really have oily scalp and hair, I used this as weekly shampoo. The scent is very natural, of course and has medium foaming factor. After my hair is dry, I can see it looks more shiny and feels very light. Repurchase? Yes.

3 KIEHL’S TEA TREE OIL SHAMPOO
I used this twice a week, due to its’ effectiveness to zap the oil on my scalp and hair. Less scented and less foamy unlike other shampoos I’ve tried. Oh, and more expensive too. But it’s really worth it, because it really works for oily hair owner. I recommend not to use it everyday as it can over dry and don’t forget to use conditioner on the ends afterwards. Repurchase? Yes. 

EVERY WOMAN CAN LOOK BEAUTIFUL …

… with the right foundation.

In the beauty world, there are some people who made mistakes they don’t realize. And the number one mistake is: choosing the wrong foundation shade. Then again, we’re only human, born to make mistakes. And thankfully, some mistakes can be corrected. Thanks to Estee Lauder, now we all can have the perfect shade for our foundation.

Last Friday, six bloggers (including me) were invited by Estee Lauder Indonesia to experience the latest shades of Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup. There are 10 ‘Asian Friendly’ shades available from this 15 hours staying power liquid foundation. And at the bloggers’ event in Metro Department Store, Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, we learned so much about the product itself and how to apply the perfect base makeup, Estee Lauder’s style.

There are three things that we have to remember before buying a foundation. Skin tone, coverage and finish. “Many Indonesian women chose the wrong shades of foundation for their skin tone. They prefer it to be lighter than their own. But we at Estee Lauder believe that you shouldn’t look like wearing any makeup  at all. Foundation is not supposed to be seen,” explained Erfan Haryando, Communication Executives Estee Lauder Indonesia.

That’s when Estee Lauder iMatch Shade Finder comes for the rescue. It’s not what you think it is, it’s not an electronic gadget. It actually reminds me of those Pantone Color Guide. “We use this to determine the intensity and undertone of your skin color, so you can have the exact foundation shade,” said Erfan. And the best thing to try many shades of foundations is to apply on our jaw (seen on the model above), then blend with sponge. If you can’t see it, that means it’s the perfect shade.

After we found our shade, now what? Apply them correctly. Estee Lauder has three exclusive tricks to score a perfect base makeup.

1 Foundation Flower : think of our face as a flower and our nose as the petal. Avoid applying too much foundation by using a foundation brush, instead of our own hands. It will distribute the foundation evenly and reach those difficult areas, like sides of nose. Apply on one area at a time, sparingly.

2 Fatigue Fighter : for that dark circles, mix liquid concealer with eye cream before applying. Use concealer brush.

3 Powder Roll On : tap excess powder before lightly patting by rolling the flat side of the powder brush from one side of face to another. 

FINE WINE

After oxblood color dominates many runways last year, get ready to turn to other color.

Wine. Darker shade of red, sophisticated, warm, yet it made us look cool and expensive at the same time. Check out the latest runways from NY Fashion Week Fall 2013, covered with wine colors, different textures and styles. 

AS EASY AS 1-2-3

The Up’s and Down’s of using nail stickers.

Firstly, I still love nail gel. I personally think it is the greatest beauty invention for an impatient woman like me. I hate waiting for nail colors to dry. But…sometimes I also don’t have the time to go to nail spa to get the gel color done, but I feel ‘naked’ without any color on my nails. So what to do? Nail Stickers.

This time, I tried OPI Pure Lacquer Nail Apps  named Pink & Black Lace.

I like it because:

+ It’s easy to wear. It comes in a set of 2 strip in variable sizes to match your nails (no matter how big or small, or how long or short they are). Make sure you pick the right size for each finger nails.

+ Simple instructions on the back of the packaging. Just peel, stick and smooth them on, then tear (no scissors or filing needed).

+ No base coat, no top coat needed as well. Stick them on clean nails though.

I dislike it because:

–       Longevity sucks. If you wash your hands regularly like me, or using them a lot, you can see the edges chipped away in only one day.

–       Too many left overs and they can’t be kept for next application because they will dry in a jiffy. They come in 16 sizes, and we have only 10 fingers (right?). What’s the point of sticking them to the toe nails? It’s still not enough, unless you want to pull off that ‘United Colors’ style on your nails. Not me, thanks.

–       It’s bloody expensive for one application that last no longer than 7 days tops. I bought them from an online seller for Rp 135.000. My ordinary nail gel PLUS manicure only cost me Rp 220.000 and they last for two weeks. You do the math.

CONCLUSION: Nail Gel is still the best for me. But, as I said, if I don’t have the time to visit the nail spa, then this nail sticker is my beauty savior…temporarily.

 

 

AND THE JOURNEY OF LOVE CONTINUES …

 

I practically grow old with this brand, and as some said ‘time makes love grow stronger’, that’s exactly how I feel about L’Occitane.

The skincare and fragrance brand inspired by Provence, southeast of France, is actually founded by Olivier Baussan in 1976. But in my hometown, Jakarta, Indonesia, it has been 10 years since the first L’Occitane store opened.

And they were celebrating it with fellow press, bloggers and VIP customers yesterday, with a theme “Celebrating 10 years of love” in Ratatouille French Bistro, Jakarta. Kudos for L’Occitane Indonesia with their all out efforts to deliver Provence theme to the celebration. From the atmospheres, right down to the meals and the ingredients from Provence, were delivered nicely. Check out more pictures of the celebration here.

Sarah Damanik, Senior Manager of Marketing of L’Occitane Indonesia shared some info that they will open more stores this year, as they’re committed to the Indonesian customers who love this premium yet approachable brand. Currently they have 29 stores in Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bali, Bandung, Makassar and Balikpapan. Their 30th stores in Indonesia will open next month in Grand Indonesia, Jakarta.

Now, you can also order L’Occitane products, including their 3 best sellers in Indonesia: Almond Milk Concentrate, Immortelle Brightening Cream and Shea Butter Hand Cream (the last one reportedly sold every 3 seconds around the world), through Mail Order (order@aba-id.com).

If you’re located in Indonesia and you want to try their famous hand cream, visit  and like their facebook page. They’re also handing out free tickets to Paris, you don’t want to miss this. I know I won’t. 

MAKE UP TIME : HOW LONG DO YOU NEED?

Unless you have your own glam team, some (well, OK…most) of us don’t really have two hours to sit tight and do our makeup.

Check out your own routine. If you’re a simple type, all you need are probably loose powder and lipstick. But, seriously..who do that nowadays? Me? I need minimal 30 minutes to get ready and I am definitely NOT a morning person. At all. But this is what I do if I only have 5 minutes to spare (thanks to waking up late-I’m only human).  

Minute 1 : After my skin care routine (cleanser, toner and serum), I’ll apply BB or (lately) CC Cream. They are easier and faster to blend than liquid foundation. I finish with a pat of loose powder to eliminate unwanted shine.

Minute 2 : Sweep one color of eyeshadow. I prefer the one with shimmer texture and natural color, as it’s fool proof and will make my eyes look brighter.

Minute 3 : Line eyes with pencil, preferably in dark brown. Easier to smudge with cotton bud, no need to hassle with eyeliner brush. Then, curl the lashes sans mascara.

Minute 4 : Dust the apples of cheeks with a shimmery powder blush. It will give that extra freshness I need.

Minute 5 : Finish the whole makeup with sheer lipstick or tinted lip balm. Another fast and fool proof trick to stop me from looking pale.

Personally, I believe this 5 minutes makeup is just like putting on a good base for later touch ups during the day. You can always add up whenever you have the time later on, such as concealer for under eyes, mascara, and that red hot lipstick. 

A GODDESS OR MY GOODNESS?

It was an eye opening moment when Carrie Underwood wore projected images dress at The Grammy Awards 2013.

The platinum gown slash canvas for projected images was by Theia Couture. Theia Couture was launched four years ago, inspired by (who else?)Theia, the Greek Goddess, and the creative director is Don O’Neill (he worked with Carmen Marc Valvo and Badgley Mischka before). That explained such fine fabrics and gorgeous details from the dress before it lighted up.

It took four people to make this dress in 80 hours. Look carefully, and you can see that the inside corset is hand-embroidered with thousands of Swarovski crystals. You think they were already complicated? The fabrics were shipped from France to Carrie’s stylist team for approval. And a video production company has to make sure it was compatible with the projection technology.

Are you blown away by her dress just like her hit which she sang for that light up performance? 

FROM A LAND DOWN UNDER

 

A range of natural products from Australia just landed here in Jakarta, Indonesia.

What an interesting name, MooGoo. I was invited to their launch last week and found out a lot more exciting info about the Australian brand.

It was made when the founder adapted a cream used to heal cow’s udders to keep them in good condition for milking, to help a family member with a skin problem. And if you’re into that natural products, you’ll be relieved to know that there are no petroleum or chemical based ingredients in MooGoo products. And, they listed all their ingredients on their products as well.

So natural, their lip balm is edible (but, seriously, I won’t eat it out of curiosity). Claimed to have effective ingredients designed for people with skin and scalp problems, like eczema, psoriasis and acne, I was eager to try the Skin Milk Udder Cream given to the guests at their launch event.

Well, it’s the original udder cream that started it all. But unlike the legendary cream that was thick and greasy, this udder cream is more light and non greasy at all. It contains Milk Protein, which claimed to increase skin elasticity 20% more than ordinary cream. First applied, the texture feels like a mixture between balm and cream, but surprisingly absorb really well. The scent reminds me of baby cream mixed with vanilla ice cream. I applied it on the back of my hands (the most dry part of all) and it made them feel soft and smell good like a baby. And yes, even your baby can wear it too, it’s recommended for easily irritated skin for all ages.

We can get them online, or in Watson’s Mall Kelapa Gading 3, Pondok Indah Mall 2, Mall Kota Kasablanka, Lippo Mall Kemang, Super Mall Karawaci, and Summarecon Mall Serpong.

 


SCARLET ALERT

 

Just an idea of what to wear for the Lunar New Year.

 

Even though I’m not celebrating (surprise, surprise)… I’m gonna wear something red or maybe scarlet (more bright reddish orange) tomorrow, just because that particular color supposed to symbolize prosperity, fortune and luck.

Some people (read: me) love the color but terrified of pulling it off. No worries, if you’re not ready for a daring red outfit, pick a pop of red, like shoes, clutch or ring which will brighten up your look instantly.