Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel

Sponsored Review

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel

Singapore is one of the best places to live in around the world because it is one of the safest, cleanest as well as most food-delicious places ever! However, there is of course always one key gripe.

The sun is too bright, making the weather hot all year round.

It is extremely easy to get sun burnt here if you stay out for extended periods under the grueling heat, and in case you didn't know, an overexposure to the sun can actually be detrimental to your skin! In the long run, it causes skin problems like wrinkles, freckles, spots, increased aging and sagging!!

Yes, you should feel horrified!

This is precisely why the use of sunblock is so extremely important, especially to us who live on such a sunny island. I know many of us are either to lazy to use sunblock or we find it too sticky, too oily, too thick thus making the skin unbreathable.

So, what if I tell you that there is a sunblock that DOES NOT have any of the above problems?*

*Based on writer's experience; may differ from user to user.

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel 

Benefits of Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel 

That's right, it is the new Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel!! Not only does it have a SPF of 50+ that provides us with maximum protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun, it also has a watery texture that spreads easily and evenly on the skin, giving a matte finish!

Apart from using it on the arms and neck, it is also perfect to be used as a makeup base as it brightens and whitens the skin, giving us a bright glowing look without our face appearing to be too oily!

Let me try to show you the before and the after:

Before application of sun block

Application

After application

Woe betide the limitations of my iPhone camera and its abysmal capturing abilities. However, if you look closely between the hand (yes the hand, not the arm) of the first picture and last picture, you can tell that the post-usage hand became fairer, and looks strangely moisturized. Yep. So in this aspect, I agree that the sunblock is moisturizing and also has whitening effects!

Perhaps one of the best things about this sunblock is that it is suitable for use both on the body and on the face, which means that just buying this one sunblock is enough for your getaway to any sunny place on planet earth!

Personally, I have been using this sunblock frequently since I received it, and I find it surprisingly comfortable on application! Unlike some of the sunblocks that I have tried last time which may either have the common "sunblock" scent or increase the oiliness of the skin, this one smells refreshing and leaves the skin matte for at least 4 hours (for myself) before my skin starts getting oily. Logically, even if I don't use the sunblock, my skin will still start to get oily in that amount of time, so we can't really pin the blame on the sunblock!

If you guys are interested in the product, you will be pleased to know that it is available at all leading pharmacies, hyper and super marts, departmental stores and beauty stores! For just $18.90, you will get a bottle of 90ml sunblock to use for a very long time!

So what are you waiting for, remember to protect your skin starting today~!

Clinique x Luxola Collaboration

Sponsored Review
Recently I have been lucky enough to be given the chance to try and review Clinique's line of products! Needless to say, I was genuinely excited as Clinique is an extremely well recognized for its skincare and cosmetic products and after this experience, I must say that the products definitely live up to their name!

 

Clinique Products



For Oily Skin: Moisturizing gel, clarifying lotion and liquid facial soap (left to right)

Due to my oily skin type, I was given the set of products catered specially for oily skin!

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap
Clinique's facial soap is gentle on the skin with a mild scent. Usually I use just one pump to wash my face and it is more than sufficient to lather into foam to cleanse the face of the oil without drying out the skin. In short, it smoothly cleanses one's face without stripping too much of the facial oil, thus leaving the skin hydrated and comfortable.

Unlike some other cleansers which may have a strong floral scent which may be a source of irritation to some, Clinique's Facial Soap has a soft and refreshingly mild scent that is gentle to the senses.

Also, in case you are wondering, I have skin that's prone to acne and using the facial soap so far has not caused me any outbreaks. In fact, I haven't had any outbreaks since I started using this skincare line!

However, one must be careful not to let the soap get into one's eye as I carelessly had, as it will cause a minty stinging sensation that is not too painful, but preferably avoided.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion
Clinique's Clarifying Lotion has a strong alcoholic scent that disappears after drying. As a clarifying lotion, I feel that it does indeed purify the skin! Swiping a cotton pad dabbed with the clarifying lotion across one's face instantly refreshes and soothes the skin following the cleansing.

What is even better is the fact that the lotion seems to function well as a mild makeup remover too: when I accidentally made a makeup error, I dabbed the spot with a cotton pad containing the lotion to remove the error easily without smearing the rest of my makeup. Definitely a versatile and handy lotion to have!

Clinique Moisturizing Gel
Clinique's moisturizing gel is by far my favourite moisturizer amongst all that I have tried. And trust me, I have actually tried a broad range. The amazing thing about this moisturizer is that it leaves the skin silky smooth and matte upon drying, with no hint of oiliness at all even in the many hours post application. Fair enough, I do see my nose getting shiny with time, but for me, my skin tends to become oily extremely easily and I doubt it would be fair to blame it on the moisturizer!

Instead, I am thoroughly impressed by how the moisturizing gel is able to leave my face matte but still retaining its healthy glow (without the actual oily shine) and it is one of my go-to base products to use before make-up application to prep my skin. 10/10 for this moisturiser, I won't hesitate to purchase it when my current bottle finishes!

For those of you who are interested in seeing Clinique's compete range of skincare products on Luxola, do check out this link!

Also, if you are interested in finding out more about Clinique, do check out their interview with Luxola at this link!

Not about to let you guys off without a bit of benefits, remember to use discount code BLX-KIRA to enjoy 15% off all first time orders by 15th of August 2015! So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and grab your goodies today!

*A follow up post will be done after one month or more usage of the products to update you guys!

Essential Deep Cleansing and Light Finish Volumizing Shampoo and Conitioner Review

Sponsored Review

Hey all! Today I am back with another shampoo review, and this time it is the Essential Deep Cleansing Care and Essential Light Finish Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner.

I am not sure about you guys, but I actually sincerely do face this problem*: having combination hair/scalp. I wasn't even aware of this condition till recently when I was reading about the information provided along with these sets of shampoo where I realized that combination hair does exist, just like combination skin.

Now what combination hair really means is that you have oily scalp as well as hair roots and dry and often easily damaged hair ends. This explains why no matter what shampoo I used, either my scalp or my hair ends always feel wrong.

*Trust me, I did not just invent a problem for the sake of writing this advertorial. 

Essential Deep Cleansing Care Shampoo and Conditioner

Essential Light Finish Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner 

For the past few days, I have been testing out the two sets of hair care products as shown above and here are my first impression of them!

Essential Deep Cleansing Care Shampoo and Conditioner

The deep cleansing care shampoo is transparent in color and smells really great, as do all essential shampoo does! What I like about it is that it foams excellently when you scratch it out into your scalp, and it is actually proven that foam is better able to remove sebum! (Think about Biore facial foam wash, aha!) I do think that the shampoo has achieved what it promises to, which is to thoroughly cleanse the scalp of the sebum residues to make the scalp feel much fresher and breathable!

Additionally, even a day or two after usage, my scalp still does not feel as oily as it would have been prior to using this shampoo! Amazingly, I also noticed a reduction in the amount of dandruff-resembling bits (they aren't actually dandruff since they don't fall off in flakes, I think?) on my head when I scratch my scalp, which makes me very happy!

However, one problem with using the shampoo and conditioner on the whole length of my hair (my hair reaches my lower back) is that the bottom half of my hair becomes incredibly tangly and dry, I think? I feel that the lower part of my hair lacks the necessary nutrients and oils because the Deep Cleansing effects of the shampoo has done it so well that even the oils on my hair ends have been stripped off. Nonetheless I am still very pleased with the shampoo and I won't hesitate to rate it a 9/10, where one mark is deducted for the dry effect on the lower hair ends.

Thank goodness we have the volumizing hair shampoo: it is here to salvage your hair ends!

Essential Light Finish Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner 

I tried to do an artistic shot. Too much backlight D:

In a way, the light finish volumizing shampoo and conditioner is perfect for the lower half of your hair because it does nourish the hair to provide a silky and smooth finish that creates that extra volume! Nonetheless, I was careless enough to use it on my scalp once, which had caused my scalp to be oily rather quickly. However, this also proves that the shampoo does what it claims: to provide the additional oils and nutrients to improve the quality of your hair...that your scalp does not need!

Essential Shampoo Massage Brush

On top of these amazing hair products, I also had the opportunity to try their brand new Essential Shampoo Massage Brush! Available in both hot pink and mint green, I think it is safe to say that they have a color to appeal to both our girly side and our manly sides!

The shampoo massage brush is designed in a way to improve your blood circulation in the head when you brush your head with it whilst shampooing! The soft silicon bristles prevents harsh shock to your scalp and provides a gentle and comfortable massaging experience.

Not only so, the brush was helpful in gently cleansing my scalp build-ups which is a gross combination of skin and dirt! After usage, you can see greyish gunk on the bristles that can be easily washed away with water.

However, I do notice that if you have a lot of hair or very long hair like I do, the brushing may be harder because I don't really dare to push the brush all the way into my scalp: for fear of tangling my hair! Essential recommends for us to NOT use the brush in circular motions as it will cause tangles. Instead, we are supposed to move it side to side with small movements!

Also, to store the brush, face the brush up like I did with the mint green brush and don't rest the brush face down as this will damage the soft bristles, causing them to go out of shape, i.e. bent.

All righty! I have come to the end of my post and I am sure you guys are interested to find out more about these cool products! You guys will be thrilled to know that currently there is a special promotion from mid-May 2015 where by you can buy a set of 2 shampoos and get a mint green/hot pink shampoo massage brush for free! That banded package costs only $19.60 at all leading supermarkets and personal care stores (Watsons/ Guardian etc), good deal right?

Not only so, don't forget to grab your samples from Essential Singapore's Facebook Page to try out your very first FREE samples today!

Last but not least, if you are interested in more special offers and promotions, why not follow Essential on instagram @essentialsingapore and also myself @kiraknightyy to keep yourself updated of the latest freebies and cool stuff!

Till next post, toodles!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula

Sponsored Review
Hey guys! After a long hiatus from blogging due to my overly hectic life, I am finally back with something really cool for you girls and guys!

Have you always known about the benefits of applying moisturizers but have simply found using them too much of a trouble? Personally, I am well aware of the skin benefits of using a good brand of moisturizer, such as having well-hydrated skin that is simultaneously better nourished! Nonetheless, being lazy as I am, I can never finish using a tub of body butter or moisturizer because it is such a chore.

Imagine having to unscrew the tub, dig out a dollop, screw back the lid and possibly having to repeat the steps again because you took out too little. Even worse, I have once contaminated my tub-form moisturizer by double-dipping my finger into it.

Naturally a better option for me was using a tube form, but when I am rushing it, I tend to squeeze out too much from the tube...until I am introduced to the amazing SPRAY moisturizers.

You read that right!

Palmer Rapid Moisture Spray Lotion (picture source)

Not only is it now easy for us to apply the spray lotion, it also comes in a variety of choices for us buyers to find the one that we truly like! Personally, I am quite spoiled for choice!

I was fortunate enough to be given the Palmer's Rapid Moisture Spray Lotion with deep moisture function to try and review, and as an individual who is quite picky about her moisturizers, I was surprised to find myself liking the spray lotion more with each use!

Palmer's Rapid Moisture Spray Lotion: Deep Moisture

Let us first take a look at the key ingredients list:

1. Cocoa Butter: a rich natural moisturizer that leaves skin soft and silky, transforming even the roughest, driest areas into buttery soft skin.
2. Vitamin E: a powerful antioxidant that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and imperfections on the skin, giving a more even and toned appearance.
3. Shea Butter: deeply moisturizes and nourishes to leave dry soft and radiant

On top of the fact that cocoa butter is a superfood for your skin, might I also add that it is extremely good smelling? It has the scent of raw, rich chocolate which makes one smell like you just step out of a chocolate bath, without having to actually waste the chocolate, ha!

Watch the video below to find out more about cocoa butter as a lovely source of nutrients for your skin!

Okay, and the company actually came up with a rather cool dance advertisement for their product!

That aside, here are my first impressions on the product!

Foremost, convenience! What I love most about this product is the high level of convenience it has brought into my life, making the application of moisturizer that much easier and thus making me less likely to forgo the moisturizing step in my daily bath ritual! All we have to do is to hold the spray can close to the skin and press the nozzle, then you will see the moisturizer landing on your skin! That cool!

Secondly, I also love the smell! If you are worrying that the smell will be strange, then worry not! It smells absolutely wonderful. To me, the fact that the smell stays is also a plus point, because I like smelling like cocoa butter!

Finally, it is great as a moisturizer because it really does make the skin hydrated and softer upon application. Check out the before and after photos:

Before application

Applied one small spray:

Final Result:

Okay, I really did try to capture the subtle sheen that the moisturizer provides one's skin, but we know the limitations of technology too well: I really can't capture how much softer and more moist that my skin was! And such feeling of hydration persists long after application.

And for readers who might be interested in Palmer's Brand Story, here it is!

Founded in America more than 170 years ago in 1842, Palmer’s has become one of the world’s leading names in skincare, a brand that women around the world have grown up with. Their unique heritage and commitment to quality has stood the test of time. Generations of families have loved the fantastic moisturizing qualities of Palmer’s skincare range, and millions of women around the world agree – Palmer’s can be found in bathroom cabinets in the homes of families in more than 80 countries, making it one of the popular skincare brand. Their #1 formula, Cocoa Butter Formula, is one of Palmer’s key offering in its wide range of skincare. Today, Palmer’s is still committed to creating affordable products that really do work, growing to provide a Palmer’s product for every skincare need : hand and body care, facial care, stretch mark care, hair care, body care and personal care. Using nature’s richest, most luxurious ingredients, Palmer’s key ingredients include Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Palmer’s has created a Palmer’s product for every skincare need. Palmer’s is against animal testing and all of the products are cruelty free. Majority of Palmer’s products are free of parabens, phthalates and sulphates.

To me, learning their brand story is really important, because as highlighted above, consumers like us can now rest assured that whilst we are pampering our skin, there are no animals out there suffering because of our products. Not only so, I love the fact that Palmer products are parabens, phthalates and sulphates free: it ensures that we can use the products long term without suffering from potential health complications!

If you guys are interested in getting one of this, they are easily available at Watsons, Guardian, Fairprice, BHG, Robinsons, John Little and leading cosmetic stores at the price of S$17.90/200g!

Whilst it may seem a little costly, this 200g can last you a really long time, not to mention that it is also good nourishment for your skin! :)

With this, I have come to the end of my post! Hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Have you tried any spray lotion yet? If not, why not? Leave your comments or queries down in the comment box below and I will definitely reply you! :)

Cheers!

HibisKiss Tinted Lip Balm by Crazy Rumors Review

Sponsored Review

Range of HibisKiss Tinted Lip Balm by Crazy Rumors

Many of us have probably been using lip balms for the most of our lives without understanding why exactly are lip balms so important. Indeed, we all know what lip balm marketers always tell us:

"They moisturize and protect our lips."

That statement is not incorrect, but it also prompts the question, why is lip care so important?

Let me tell you why.

Lip balm are essential in lip care because of the skin on your lips are unable to secrete sebum, a type of naturally occurring on on the rest of your skin that prevents your skin from becoming too dry. Without the presence of sebum on your lips, the lips on the skin becomes dry and chapped, prompting us to lick them in an attempt to moisturize the lips with our saliva.

Now, you might not know this, but licking your lips is also ironically contributing to your dry lips! This is because when your saliva evaporates from the surface of your lips, it will take away what's remaining of the moisture in the lips, thus leaving it even drier than before!

For the doubtful few, I assure you I am not making this up. In fact, read all about it on Howstuffworks here. See, I actually do my research and not just make up some pseudoscience to persuade you to buy a cart full of lip balms!!

HibisKiss Crazy Rumors 

Thus, today I am going to share with you HibisKiss tinted lip balm by crazy rumors. In short, it is both a lip balm AND a lip tint, hence enabling us to achieve the dual function of moisturizing the lips and giving it an alluring shimmer with just one stick!

Like the Hurraw Lip Balms that I have reviewed previously, HibisKiss balms are available on Pucker.com.sg!

For those of you who are familiar with Crazy Rumors but not as familiar with HibisKiss, the latter is actually a subset of Crazy Rumors, a lovely lip balm brand that also offers interesting lip balm flavors like Crazy Rumors Red Velvet and Grape Bubble.

Crazy Rumors HibisKiss Range

For their HibisKiss range, like the name suggests, it has the sweet scent of the flower hibiscus. Don't worry, it is definitely not overwhelming - just a subtle whiff that makes the lip balm so much more tantalizing as compared to the common smell of petroleum in some other lip balms.

These are the color swatches for Crazy Rumors' HibisKiss tinted lip balms:

HibisKiss color swatches

From left: Pearl, Coral, Breeze, Tropical, Sunrise and Sunset from HibisKiss range

Having tried HibisKiss lip balm in pearl and coral in the past week, I realized that every cent that you spend on this stick of lip balm is worth it.

Why?

For one thing, unlike the Watsons Collagen Balm (that was originally one of my favorites as it didn't have any smell, so I liked that) that formed tiny little yucky balls of pink mush when it comes into contact with saliva and friction combined, this balm does not have such an uncomfortable situation happening. 

Not only so, lip sticks without the balm effect tend to dry out the lips and in my case, cause the skin on my lips to peel, which is extremely unsightly because flaky red bits of skin is a really unattractive sight on any day.

As for HibisKiss, it provides a good element of moisture to the lips on top of being very pigmented, hence a few easy swipes with the balm and your lip preparation for going out is all done!

From my personal point of view, there are days where doing the gradient lip make up is suitable for the occasion, like for prom or a party, but on some days, such an elaborate lip make up just seem too over the top. Thus, using HibisKiss' lip balm in any of its shades will be allow you to have healthy lips with a slight shimmer, but still help to keep you looking casual and dressed down.

Not only so, one of the best thing about HibisKiss is probably how you can choose how pigmented you want the color to be! Each application (just one swipe) add on a light layer of the lip balm to your lips, hence you can choose let your lips go sheer and almost nude with just one application, or a more obvious and catchy look with 3 or more applications.

Thus, unlike some lip sticks that give you an intense color whether with one application or many applications, this versatile balm seems like the better alternative!

Check out some of the other customer reviews here:

Rave reviews for Pucker on HibisKiss tinted lip balm

Head over to pucker.com.sg now to find a shade of HibisKiss tinted balm that suits you!

Brought to you by pucker.com.sg

Meanwhile, why not join in our current ongoing giveaway that includes one Hurraw Lip Balm in earl grey flavor and one HibisKiss tinted lip balm in sunrise shade? Find out more about the giveaway here and remember to join it on Live and Dictate's Facebook Page!

That's all for now lovelies, drop a comment in the comment section below to tell us what is your favorite color for HibisKiss Lipbalm and your favorite way of wearing it!

Hurraw Lip Balm Review

Sponsored Review

Hurraw Chocolate Lip Balm (left), Hurraw Earl Grey Lip Balm (right)

Some time ago, I tried to get you all to guess what were the two things that we are going to review very soon on our Facebook Page and I am guessing that not many of you managed to figure it out!

Hence, today, I am going to share with you guys my very own Hurraw lip balm review, which is kindly brought to you guys by Pucker lip care! For avid fans of Pucker like myself, you would know that they have recently migrated to pucker.com.sg, but the old URL will still direct you there regardless!

1. Hurraw Lip Balm has 22 different Flavors

Yes, really, I am not even exaggerating.

Here are some of our favorite flavors that is easily available at just $8.90 (use hurraw lip balm promo code "puckerup" to get an additional 15% off!!).

Hurraw Lip Balm Flavours

Coming in third among all the different flavors that Hurraw offers is Hurraw Black Cherry lip balm, which is has a delicious and authentic cherry scent that reminds one of fresh spring. Not only so, the black cherry lip balm is also tinted, meaning that it not only moisturizes the lips but also offers the lips a lovely, healthy tint that is beautiful yet subtle.

For the second place, I would award it to Hurraw Chocolate lip balm simply because their chocolate scent smells that good. The smell of chocolate is definitely not easily to imitate and I am definitely impressed by the mildly sweet chocolatey smell of the chocolate lip balm!

Yes, the smell of the chocolate lip balm is so good that even hamsters, known for their good sense of smell, go gaga over it!

In the first place, we choose Hurraw Earl Grey lip balm flavor because it is an unprecedented flavor in cosmetics and absolutely unique! For fans of earl grey tea which has a fragrant and tantalizing scent, you would love every swipe of Hurraw's earl grey lip balm!

I suppose this is one of the perks of switching to using Hurraw lip balms because you can never get bored of it: there are just so many scents for one to try and test out that by the time you finish the last scent, new ones are probably out on the market for you to enjoy!

Hence, for those of you who are tired of the mainstream lip balm flavors, it is time to say bye bye to the boring lip balms and welcome Hurraw's amazing  range of flavors instead!

2. Hurraw lip balms are gluten free and organic

Hurraw chocolate and earl grey flavors

You probably don't know this, but gluten is bad for you. Yes, hence Hurraw has made it a point to create the one lip balm to give your lips the best possible care, by incorporating every detail that most other lip balm manufacturers have missed out.

Not only so, Hurraw lip balms are free from paraben, petroleum, preservatives and they don't even have artificial coloring and flavours.

Can we say WOW?

For those of you who are not familial with paraben, it is a chemical that is linked to cancer trigger, yet plenty of lip balms and other make-up products continue to use it in the ingredients.

Hurraw lip balms are so meticulously created with the finest ingredients that it is hard to believe that such goodness can exist in such a small tube sold at an extremely reasonable price! For the long term benefit of your lips, investment in such a product is not a choice, but a must!

3. Hurraw lip balms are not sticky or oily

Having tried all sorts of lip balms and lip care products over the years, I have found sticky and oily lip balms exceptionally annoying. Why?

Because they are extremely uncomfortable on the lips, which are probably more sensitive that the skin on other parts of your body. Having the sticky and oily sensation is one major reason why many people find wearing lip balms a bother.

After using Hurraw lip balms for almost one week since I received it, I can't help but fall in love with how non-sticky and non-oily this lip balm is.

No, I am not saying this just for the sake of publicity.

Whilst in the past I have always found putting lip balm on a vexing thing to do, now I would automatically reach for my beloved stick of chocolate scented hurraw lip balm whenever my lips start to feel dry.

To me, the smell is an added bonus because you guys who have read most of my review posts would know that I am bat-shit crazy about smells. Like I said, no one want to have heavy chemical scented lip balms because it is simply too horrible for extended use. Yet, such chemical smells are unavoidable in many lip balms because of the use of petroleum, an ingredient that Hurraw does not include.

4. Hurraw lip balms are cruelty free and organic

Photo credits

For animal lovers like myself who are against the notion of animal testing in the cosmetic industry, you will be absolutely delighted to know that Hurraw lip balms are vegan and cruelty free!!!

Vegan means that no animal products are used in the production of the lip balm, such as beeswax, a popular lip balm component. On the other hand, cruelty free assures us that the lip balm are NOT tested on cute helpless animals like the bunny above.

The whole procedure of cosmetic testing on animals is a grotesque process that is too painful to watch, hence by using Hurraw lip balms, you are indirectly saving these adorable rabbits (a common test subject) and supporting animal rights! :D


5. Hurraw Lip Balm is on sale on Pucker.com.sg

hurraw lip balm promo code

Many of you, especially those from Singapore, may be looking for a good website to shop for cosmetics and lip balms from but are not sure which online store to buy them from, because frankly, there are a lot of cheats out there. Serious.

Now, Pucker.com.sg is a completely reliable website that you can choose to get amazing products with premium quality from because of one special reason:

They offer refund and exchange if you are unhappy with your purchase within 7 days!

Tell me how awesome is that!

That's Pucker's Promise to you customers who shop on their site! There is no cheat, no hidden terms and conditions to trick you into buying from them! Click on the link above to read all about their promise to consumers and never worry about refunds and exchanges again!

Hey, and such amazing services are not limited to just you Singaporeans! Pucker ships their products worldwide, meaning that even those of you who are living overseas get to enjoy such great services too!

Not only so, shipping within Singapore costs ONLY $1 and for purchases above S$25, you are entitled to FREE REGISTERED MAIL!

That is exactly how fantastic shopping with Pucker is!

~*~*~*~

We have come to the end of our Hurraw llip balm review, and here is the time for giveaway!

Giveaway: Hurraw earl grey balm and HibisKiss sunshine color

To stand a chance to win, simply follow the instructions below to take part in the giveaway!

Terms & Conditions

• This giveaway is opened to residents of Singapore only. The contest will end on 28th of February and winners will be announced by 1st of March.
• One winner will be chosen to receive both lip balms as well as a surprise gift!
• You must like Live and Dictate, Pepper Sung and Pucker on Facebook to qualify for the giveaway. 
• Liking, Sharing as well as tagging friends on Facebook will earn you additional points that increases your chances of winning!
• To increase chances of winning, subscribe to Live and Dictate's blog via Google Friends' Connect (right side bar)
• The decision of author of Live and Dictate is final.
• You will be responsible for the use of the lip balms: any irritation or side effects caused from ingredients will not be held responsible by any of the aforementioned parties.

That's all! Leave us a comment below to tell us what is your favorite lip balm brand or taste! Do remember to leave behind your email address as one lucky commentator will also walk away with a surprise gift!

Valentine's Day Make-up Tutorial

Sponsored Review

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! On this special day, I am sure a lot of us would love to look beautiful for our special other!

Many of us know just the PERFECT look to make our eyes big and alluring, but in the midst of all the dolly-eye contacts and aegyo-sal, there is something else we tend to overlook: our lips.

Yes, our lips are actually just as important as everything else on our face, if not even more important! This is why, for today's look, I am bringing to you Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss by Australis, a popular Australian brand that Pucker.sg sells for a really reasonable price!

Here are some of the lip gloss colors that I will be using for today's make-up tutorial~

 Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss

Also, introducing Australis' popular Velourlips matte lip cream, which is simply gorgeous. You will see why I am raving so much about them later!

For foundation, I am using one of my favorite CC creams, UV Aqua White. It an amazing CC cream that allows perfect coverage of flaws and provides one with a polished, refreshing finish that makes the skin look both hydrated and moisturized.

UV Aqua White CC Cream

For the eyes, I am trying out these Shiny Eye Shadow pens that I have recently picked up at Daiso, out of curiosity.

Daiso Shiny Eyeshadow Pens

 For a more detailed outline of the eye make up, you can refer to my upcoming post. For today, I am really just going to focus on the lips, because you know, on Valentine's Day, you want sexy, healthy looking lips to engage in some smooches maybe? 〜(￣▽￣〜)

Here is my completed Valentine's Day look, sans lip gloss/ color. Even though my skin is really glowing because of the lovely coverage, I still look sickly because of the pale lip color.

I look great!

...NOT!

 And here is the solution to great looking lips!

Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Lamba (on top) and Polka (bottom)

Using these two colors, I can create the popular Korean style gradient lip colors!

Although I am choosing the colors above to do my gradient lip color, you can choose any of the following colors to create your own look!

Colour Inject (from left): Lambada, Polka, Fandango and Burlesque

The good thing about these lip gloss/ stain is that they smell amazing! With the subtle and natural scent of lychees that do NOT threaten to drown you in their scent, this is definitely the go to scent that cosmetics should have! Especially those on the lips!

Not only so, these lip glosses are non-sticky, moisturizing and long-lasting.

Do you know why it is so good?

Because it contains Kakadu plum which actually contains a really high source of Vitamin C, which is also well known for their brightening effects! This means that when you use this lip gloss, it is also helping you to brighten lip tone! We all prefer brighter lip color to duller ones right?

Nay, I didn't know that, I found it on the link above on Pucker's page and I was like both surprised and amazed! I have never heard of such a cool element before.

We want our lips to look something like that:

Gradient Lip Color (Photo Credit)

LOOK ONE: Sexy Gradient Lip Colour

Firstly, using concealer, conceal all of your lips using a gentle dabbing motion and wiping off the excess concealer. This is particularly useful for those with naturally dark lip tones, as the concealer will help to show your lip color better!

Australis Colour Inject Lip Gloss & Stain - Polka

Following that, I am using the Australis Colour Inject Lip Gloss & Stain - Polka on the center of my lips for the darker shade. Then using my ring finger, I gently blend it outwards such that the colour goes from the darker shade closer to your inner lip, to a lighter, almost not visible shade to the outer lip.

It is such a lovely colour! Can you see how much healthier my lips look already?

Then, I apply the Lambada tone from the same lip series on the outer lip area to give it a nude but healthy shine.

And, tadaaa! We are done!

Alternatively, if you are the type to prefer a more matte finish as compared to a glossy finish, you can consider Velourlips, also by Australis!

Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in Rio-D

Unlike most of the lip creams that I have tried so far that smells strange (like chemicals), this one too has a sweet and refreshing scent! Just one sniff and *clicks finger* I am a life-long fan!

And for those of you who are supportive of animal rights and no animal testing, then you have come to the right place! Both Velourlips and Colour Inject by Australis are cruelty free! Not only so, they are also vegan! How cool is that?

Ahh I am holding it upside down. 

I am using the vibrant orange-pink shade called Velourlips Matte Lipcream Rio-D, which is a striking shade that is both eye-catching and full of attitude!

Tired of the good girl "nude lip" colors? Why not go wild with Rio-D's brighter, more attention grabbing shade for a change? After all, the classical pinks and reds are really common, so why not be a trendsetter with this almost neon orange?

Here are two photos of myself with gradient lip color, using the Rio-D shade in the middle

Can you see the pretty orange shade in the center?

Because I use a whitening and anti-wrinkle application on my phone, the lip color came out HALF A SHADE lighter. Yep, only half a shade, so for those who are hesitating because of the "dramatic" color, have no fear! It is a really beautiful and bold shade for all our gorgeous and daring princesses out there!

In fact, here is how my lips look like with no filter (but really good sunlight!)

Yes, I am aware my skin doesn't look that good without filter. I am exposing my bad skin for you all.

Look at that beautiful matte color. I can't even.

Gradient lips with Velourlips Matte Lipcream Rio-D

If you don't want to have lips that are gradient in color, you can of course choose to apply it to your whole lips! Can you tell that I changed my eye-makeup slightly to suit this more rebellious look? Look at the extended eye liner hehe ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ

Now, don't say that I never warn you, but the shade is really really bright if you see me in person! It is lighter here because 1. This photo has been brightened by the sun + my phone 2. My phone generally cannot seem to capture colors that well. (◑‿◐)

However, the color is simply FANTASTIC for photoshoots as well as selfies, because it makes our lips really stand out, giving us the sexy edge.

Velourlips Matte Lipcream Rio-D

Now that we have covered both the sweet and sexy looks, let's move on to our final look: the natural look! For this look, I am using Australis Color Inject Fandango to create the natural orangey-red lips that is not too over the top or too boring. It gives us enough freshness and a unique element without making us seem like a wayang show.

Australis Color Inject Lip Gloss and Stain in Fandango

Yes, I am totally loving this shade.

So so much.

Chic and sexy lip color makes one look great!

All right! So we have come to the end of our lip make-up tutorial with three different yet equally alluring lip colors! Once again, I would like to thank pucker.com.sg for giving me the chance to try out such a fantastic line of lip cream and lip glosses and to make you guys this really fun and easy tutorial! As for the eye make-up, please anticipate the next tutorial!

Yes, I am camwhoring for nothing really. Heh ^^

Pucker.com.sg

Pucker's Facebook

Which one do you like most? Share with us in the comments below and tell us if you prefer lip gloss/stain or matte lip cream! 

Thanks for reading and look radiant for 14th February!