lalalalalala.. smurf attack! Too Faced palettes...

even though Too Faced is not widely available here in singapore, you can tell from my previous posts that i really like this american cosmetics brand. their stuff are fun, funky, pretty and comes in very usable, intense colours. i especially love their all-in-one palettes.

my colleague forwarded a link to this new limited edition collection to me today...

*gasp* Too Faced with SMURFS! awww.. so cute! so nostalgic! :D
i love Smurfs. most of us (around my age) grew up watching the cartoons on "sunday morning singapore" every weekend... i want the smurfette eyeshadow palette and lip gloss!!

sephora has just opened its flagship store at ngee an city in singapore earlier this month, and despite the very very very limited range of new brands introduced, there is a tiny Too Faced section :) prices are slightly steeper than US prices, and not the full range of products available. i do hope the management will bring in more exciting products over time (especially the "gift ideas and palettes").

get your hands on the limited edition (sephora-exclusive) Too Faced-Smurfs products today!
- so smurfy eye shadow collection (US$32.50)
- so smurfy illumination face powder (US$26)
- mood swing emotionally activated lip gloss (US$ 18.50)
- smurfy-eyed liquid eyeliner (US$17.50)

merry christmas

it's christmas day.
may this holiday be a peaceful and blessed one, may everyone be touched by the spirit of christmas, and find peace, love and happiness in our hearts.

merry joyous christmas.

countdown to Christmas: 1 more day...

it's Christmas eve, the best gift of all is to share the gift of giving.
make a donation to a charity organisation of your choice - either for yourself, or in the name of your loved one and send an ecard to let him/her know.

something that costs only as much as your generosity stretches - simple, quick and very meaningful. even the smallest token may mean a lot to your beneficiary, so share some love this Christmas.

here are some online donation/charity e-greeting card websites:
- unicef (international - charity tribute ecards available)
- nokia-unicef ecard (international)
- make a wish foundation (u.s.a. - charity ecards available)
- we are macmillan cancer support (u.k. - charity ecards available)
- red cross society (singapore - direct donations)
- community chest (singapore - direct donations)
- children's cancer foundation (singapore - direct donations)

ho ho ho.. have a blessed merry Christmas, everyone!
this holiday, may we all be surrounded with people we love and those who loves us.

countdown to Christmas: 2 more days...

nothing says "you are special" more than something home-made by you.
if you are a good cook/baker, go ahead bake some warm and spicy Christmas cookies for the ones you love - get some inspirations from the recipes here. if not, try one of these "cookie mix in a jar" ideas instead... they make very nice, presentable and economical gifts.

all you have to do is just get the recipe portion right, pack the dry recipe mix/flour/sugar nicely in a glass jar or fancy holiday tin. top it up with a festive cookie cutter or decoration in the shape or a reindeer or snowman... and voila! a heartfelt gift that'll be appreciated especially by those who bakes :)

if cookie mixes are not for you, you're sure to find something else from one of these interesting festive and oh-so-homey recipes on these sites instead:
- razzle dazzle recipes
- food gifts from your kitchen
- that's my home

countdown to Christmas: 3 more days...

charm someone special this Christmas...
- with juicy couture's holiday charm bracelet (US$152);


- or this feminine, stylish charm mini leather bag (US$158).
available in paradise found pink or black quilted leather.

will santa please leave me one of these? :)

countdown to Christmas: 4 more days...

guitar hero on the go - for your favourite techie friend :)

"Features smash hits from Guitar Hero I and II. Measures about 3"x7.25" & 3"x4" when folded."

US$22 from fredflare.com.

countdown to Christmas: 5 more days...

ok.. i have to admit, i actually found this under the kids' section on the website... but which woman (no matter how old you are) doesn't still have that little girl in her? ;)

this set of gela & pam dolls (US$110) is just soooo pinky frilly ruffly and oh so dolly. it would look 100% cute on her dressing table or in a glass cabinet of collectibles... so how could any fashionista who loves anything juicy couture resist this? :) take a closer look and you'll see a mini replica of the juicy couture fragrance bottle in the centre of the backdrop. too adorable.

top up your gift with one of these juicy couture holiday cards, and your package is perfect to go!

more.. kids' items here ;)

countdown to Christmas: 6 more days...

how about one of these "melts in your mouth, not in your hands"? ;)

we love chocolates, don't we?
get your loved ones some of these custom printed M&M's (customisable colour and text/print on the candy) or the latest "faces on M&M's" chocolate candies... sure to impress!

i personally prefer the custom-printed version... biting into a candy with my own or someone else's face just seems a little odd :P

if you missed the custom-print production timeline, check out one of these pre-packaged M&M's gifts instead... equally sweet.

countdown to Christmas: 7 more days...

as the weather gets a little chilly this time of the year, how about one of these adorable Christmas indoor slipper socks? ;)


you can wear them outdoors too, if you want to...

countdown to Christmas: 8 more days...

this has got to be one of the simplest yet most brilliant gift idea of all!

perfumes make very nice gifts, but unless you have a very good idea what type of scents your gift-recipient likes, you could end up with a seriously wrong choice that would just be chucked aside or end up as toilet spray :P

sephora has the perfect solution to this - the sephora fragrance gift certificate.

• what do you get: a fragrance gift certificate and a pre-grouped mix of 8 - 10 different fragrances (in miniatures or sample vials only)
• what to choose from: 4 differents sets for ladies (new classics for her - US$70; deluxe fragrance - US$70; trendsetters for her - US$50; best sellers for her - US$50) and 1 set for men (best sellers for him - US$50)
• how much do you pay: US$50 - 70
• what do you do: sample the fragrances and choose your favourite scent, then fill in the enclosed voucher, and bring it to your local sephora store to redeem a full-size fragrance (i believe it's 30ml/1fl oz.) that you've chosen.

this way, your gift-recipient gets to choose his/her own favourite scent in full-size, and still keep the miniature or sample vials of the other perfumes. great for travelling too!

if you can't think of anyone to send this to, get it for yourself! :)

countdown to Christmas: 9 more days...

customise a nike t-shirt for your loved one.

finally, our very own nike flagship store is opened here in singapore, at wisma atria (28 november). if you love nike and want to inject your own personality into what you wear, this gift cannot be more perfect.

hop on down to the NIKEiD studio at the singapore nike flagship store today:

435 Orchard Road

#02-21/#03-23 Wisma Atria
Singapore 238877
tel: 65133151 (customer service line)

create your own catchphrase, add your name, symbol, favourite number etc...
estimate cost: alphabets - S$2 each; numbers - S$3 each; symbols - S$1 each; t-shirt (plain) - S$27; Nike swoosh logo - S$12.

check out a real life example on this blog. pretty cool.
guaranteed one-of-a-kind.

countdown to Christmas: 10 more days...

10 more days to Christmas, 10 daily gift ideas for the last minute shoppers :)

design your own personalised Too Faced makeup palette:

step 1: customise shades
select your shades from a glamourous assortment of Too Faced's bestselling products.

step 2: create custom cover
create a custom cover for your one-of-a-kind collection, using signature Too Faced patterns and icons.

step 3: personalise gift tag
personalise your glam gift tag for that lucky gal pal on your list.

an easy peasy gift, yet something thoughtful and personalised... good fun for the person creating the palette too :) US$35 from Too Faced cosmetics.

hello.. erh.. hello kitty?

i don't mind hello kitty but i'm not a big fan of it either.
some hello kitty items look very cute (the pinks the pastels), but others run the risk of looking too kiddish. the small-ish accessories are ok, for example piggy banks, keychains, little pouches, or ornamental toys etc. but day-time clothes, regular bags or shoes with loud hello kitty prints are typically big "no-no"s for me. even the tokidoki-hello kitty collaboration didn't appeal to me (though i love tokidoki!) - i find it less sophisticated and not as original.

now there is another big hello kitty collaboration coming up - M.A.C. hello kitty collection. following M.A.C cosmetic's big success with its barbie loves M.A.C. collaboration in 2007, and fafi for M.A.C. team-up earlier this year, many would say this new iconic partnership with sanrio global wouldn't really come as a surprise. i personally find the barbie collection a lot sexier and more appealing than hello kitty (also more in line with the brand's image), but there is no denial in hello kitty's huge following and fan base, especially here in asia, which means potentially another big revenue-generator for the company. so, will you hop onto the bandwagon too?

i do like the fact that this hello kitty is black :)
the pink blush compact, and brush set looks promising too... hehe.

(photo credit: WWD via temptalia)
2 different lines will be offered: hello kitty color collection (for the funkier, younger crowd); and kitty kouture (pricier, targeting more mature customers). scheduled to launch in the USA on 10 february 2009, and internationally in march.

for more information, check out temptalia; more pictures here.

do you know where cashew nuts come from?

my dad just returned tonight from a short vacation to cambodia, and brought back adidas t-shirts from the factory outlet, and some local snacks, including cashew nuts which mum loves.

while munching on the cashew nuts just a while ago, i casually asked dad if these nuts grow underground like peanuts. his answer was no. incidentally, the tour group had passed by some cashew trees during their trip, and they noticed that the cashew is one of the rare plants which has seeds (the cashew nuts) that actually grow outside the fruit and not within.

so out of curiosity, i did a quick google search and found this picture:
(picture credit: amy kate horn @ SLOG)

see that light brownish arched shell (the fruit) at the bottom of the bigger crimson fruit (called a pseudo-fruit because it doesn't actually bear the seed/nut)? that's where the cashew nut can be found (within). very interesting, isn't it? the cashew nuts that we eat so often, and yet know so little of :)

did you also know:

"The (Cashew) nut kernel inside is covered with an inner shell, and between the two shells is a thick, caustic, and toxic oil called cardol. Cashew nuts must be cleaned to remove the cardol and then roasted or boiled to remove the toxins before they can be eaten." (source: raintree nutrition)

i guess that's why those yummy packs of roasted cashew nuts we find at the supermarkets don't come cheap :)

if the fun facts on cashew nuts got you curious about other nuts we commonly consume too, here are some other interesting pictures and facts from wikipedia:

- almond
- hazel
- macadamia
- pistachio
- walnut

a kiss from your prince, and you shall be deaf??...

erhm.. interesting news..
so it may be very romantic, sweet, sexy and sensual... but the next time you kiss, here's something to be mindful of :P

"While kissing is normally very safe, doctors urge people to proceed with caution..."
"The incident prompted newspapers to dispense kissing safety advice."

full article on MSN news - Kiss of deaf: woman loses hearing in passionate pucker

a story that touches our hearts - chilean hero dog

saw this on Channel U news tonight and i just had to google for the clip. the incident happened last week on 4 december in chile, and has since been widely broadcasted over the Internet.

it's a regular thursday, an unfortunate stray dog got hit on the highway while crossing it and was left to die... watch and see what happened next.

(courtesy of MrCristea on youtube)



it is amazing how the world continues to surprise us everyday - even animals know love and kindness. according to the news report, the injured dog didn't make it in the end (though the above youtube clip says otherwise). nonetheless, a very touching event, a truly amazing dog.

secret santa online

a show of hands, how many of you have played the "secret santa" gift-exchange game before? :) i'm sure most of us are familiar with this, there are a few variations but typically each person prepares a gift of an agreed budget, and bring it along to the Christmas party for exchange. this makes sure that everyone at the party would get a nice gift back in return.

Christmas is just around the corner, and it's the time of the year when friends, family, old acquaintances gather to celebrate and catch up with one another. if you haven't started planning for this year's party or are just about to send out invites or organise a "secret santa" gift-exchange for your group, do check out www.secretsanta.com.

this gift-exchange event planner provides easy-to-use online tools to help you send out e-invites to your friends, who can easily RSVP via the same website. what's cool about this is the feature that automatically pre-matches your guests to his/her "secret santa" gift-recipient. once you've confirmed your attendees, with just a click of the "send" button, everyone in your attendees list will receive an email with the designated recipient name that only he/she would know (even you - the administrator, wouldn't have a clue). you can also choose to indicate a budget range for the gift, set up a wish list, and/or even an "exclusion list" to prevent scenarios where, for example, a recipient gets a gift from her own husband or vice versa.

for something more unconventional and funny, try the "yankee doodle swap" or "white elephant" versions instead - equally intelligent tools. best part of it all, the applications are absolutely FREE, only the administrator needs to sign-up. ho ho ho!

must-watch movies...

this list is to remind myself of the current/upcoming movies i wanna watch - and also to inform friends who wanna watch these films to please ask me along :)

1. the women
2. four christmases (typical holiday film)
3. australia (hugh jackman - people magazine's "sexiest man alive 2008"...)
4. marley and me (watch the trailer, the part where they had to stop the car cuz marley partially lept out of the window was funny :D oh and if you like it, adopt a virtual marley for your facebook profile too)
5. the visitor
6. the duchess (i'm still on the fence about this)

top on my list is the upcoming diane english's "the women", somewhat resembles "sex and the city" (it's always about 3 -4 women, isn't it? just like "lipstick jungle", "cashmere mafia" etc.) - less flamboyant and "fashionistic", but appealing nonetheless. i guess stories that wrap around the lives of women and their friendships, with lotsa conversations about life, men, shopping, can hardly go wrong. plus, i love meg ryan and debra messing... so what's not to love about this movie? :) a definite "girl's-night-out" flick. the trailer is available on the official movie website and apple.com, or simply catch it here:

(courtesy of StrayActingChild on youtube)

sweet dreams begin with sweet-print PJs :)

i mostly wear one-piece slip-on cotton/satin sleep-dresses to bed, other times it's the top + shorts PJ sets from women'secret. i love PJs, especially the feminine and cutesy printed ones - give me that warm, cozy tranquility perfect for bedtime :) (btw, check out the new collection from women'secret - some of the sets that come with room-socks and carrier bags are just sooo adorable. they even have the "mr. men and little miss" collection too - interestingly, this range of products suddenly seem to be popping up everywhere, collaborating with so many brands, labels and even shopping malls.)

anyway, back to the topic...

full-length PJs are not very practical for singapore's weather, especially since my bedroom is not air-conditioned. but i still do wear them once in a while during the cooler november - january months, and i usually pack at least one set in my suitcase whenever i travel - gets me into the perfect holiday mood :)

la senza is now having a holiday sale, and thanks to a friend's discount card, i managed to get my new PJs at a pretty reasonable price :) i didn't realise there are so many different designs and prints to choose from, plus this season's colours and prints are all my favourite ones! the pinks/browns/pastels, and polka-dots/cupcakes/doggies etc... so pretty, so hard to decide... i just wanted to buy everything in store! but of course i didn't, gotta be a good girl - limited myself to just the "2-for-a-special-price" promotion.

so here are my first PJs from la senza (naughty festive monkeys and sweet pink scotties)... very pleased to have them, so girly-pinky-sweetie-pie-ish... shall keep them for Christmas and Chinese New Year nights :)

i also really like the "jujube dots", "retro pup" and pink "festive monkey" prints (shown below), will definitely be back for more the next time i need new PJs :)