rinnah's consumer views|a straight talking, tell-it-as-it-is consumer lifestyle blog

It was back in February when I was told that I absolutely *had* to visit Tiong Bahru Bakery for their lemon tart. Lucky for me that they had opened an outlet that was conveniently located in the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre. So up bright and early on a Saturday morning I went off to meet my girlfriends at Tiong Bahru Bakery.

I’m not always the hungriest person in the mornings (unless roused with the knowledge that a yummy hotel buffet breakfast awaits me) so I decided to play it safe and try out just two of their pastries.

My first choice was the Almond Brioche (SGD 3.00). This was nice and crisp on the outside with fluffy brioche innards. The sprinkling of almonds on the top was because it was an Almond Brioche after all. I decided it was relatively nice, but not something so memorable that I would need to eat it again.

Now, the Lemon Tart (SGD 6.00) on the other hand, this is the stuff you dream of and drool over. Think lemony custard with that perfect lemon tang, not too sour but with just enough zest, and a firm biscuit-ty crust. I had one whole lemon tart to myself and it was just about right. Enough to satiate until the next visit but not so little as to leave you wanting more. Possibly one of the best lemon flavoured pastries I have had. Ever.

I washed it down with a cup of Gryphon Chamomile Tea (SGD 4.30) and found myself full from brunch that I didn’t eat until later in the evening.

I am reliably informed by my brunch partners that the Kouign Amann and Croque Monsieur are also must-tries at Tiong Bahru Bakery.

Would I go back again? For that lemon tart, anytime.

Tiong Bahru Bakery
252 North Bridge Road #B1-11/12
Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179103
T : +65-6333 4160
Opens daily from 9am to 10pm

I’d heard about Mary Kay before, and to be perfectly honest, it really wasn’t a brand on my radar. Somehow, in my youthful mind a long time ago, I’d equated Mary Kay to be the overseas version of Avon. If I’m writing about the brand now, naturally something happened to change my mind. Heh.

Last year, I was Beetrice’s plus one at a Mary Kay event in Singapore to launch their TimeWise Plus new serum and eye cream, where the very nice lady (whose name I forgot because I didn’t get her card) persuaded me to test some of the sensitive skin range products during the event. My first time washing face in public yo! I was mildly impressed that my usually uber sensitive skin didn’t really act up, and that was that.

Fast-forward to this year and I recently received a TimeWise trial Miracle set for editorial consideration. I’m still on the fence about the serum, moisturizer and sunscreen that came in the set, but I am totally SOLD on the cleanser.

And now we get to the real review (after beating around the bush).

The Mary Kay TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser is one of those products that I didn’t have any expectations of and it just leap-frogged its way to the top of my list, dislodging my previous staple of Lush Angels on Bare Skin (which I have also yet to review).

This cleanser is a cream based cleanser with minute microbeads for exfoliating action. It comes out of the tube as a thick-ish white cream and it does not foam up at all so it feels like I’m massaging cream into my face. I like that it’s totally non-drying to my skin and non-fragranced so my nose is happy. There is mention of bentonite in the ingredients, so I assume that it enhances the deep cleaning action of this cleanser.

I wasn’t expecting anything but apparently my skin loves it. I had some dry, flaking problems from a recent eczema flare-up around my mouth and chin area. My skin totally calmed down (less redness) and after just a few days of use, the flakies have reduced tremendously. I attribute that to the mild exfoliating action and also maybe the bentonite. Skin feels soft and moisturized even before layering on any other skincare and I feel as if my skin looks brighter in the mirror. My skin is relaxed, comfortable and happy after each wash and that makes for a happy me because I am so much closer to having skin that actually looks normal. When I find myself reaching out for this cleanser automatically without having to stop and think about which cleanser to use, that’s when I know I’ve got myself a keeper.

My only gripe is that the trial size cleanser (2 oz.) which I got comes in a tube with a screw top cover. I would have much preferred a flip-top cover for easier one handed use. The full size cleanser (4.5 oz.) apparently comes with a flip-top cover so it’s just the trial size packaging that could be improved.

Reviews on the web for this cleanser are mixed, so your mileage may vary. I would say that if you’re looking for a cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin and does some very mild, gentle exfoliation, then you could try this out. If you’re used to foaming cleansers and stronger exfoliation as well as oil-control, then this product may not be for you.

A full-sized Mary Kay TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser (4.5 oz.) retails for USD 18.00 on the international website. Please refer to the Mary Kay website to locate an Independent Beauty Consultant near you.

Description : Fragrance-free. Non-comedogenic (won’t block pores). Combination-to-oily-skin formula is oil-free. TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser combines age-fighting benefits with three essential functions in one product – cleansing, exfoliating and freshening – to reveal younger-looking skin.

Directions : Apply TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser to wet face and neck. Rinse or remove with a warm, wet cloth. Follow with TimeWise Age-Fighting Moisturizer. To remove eye makeup, use Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover before 3-in-1 Cleanser.

Note : The product/service in this post was provided for consideration by the brand itself or a PR firm. This does not affect my review in any way and do refer to my disclosure policy for further details.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I very rarely use sheet masks, or for that matter, any type of mask due to my hyper-sensitive skin. Well, I may have just found a mask that my skin likes!

This is the Leaders Insolution AC-Dressing Skin Clinic Mask. From the packaging, you can see that it claims to soothe skin irritation and redness, helps to reduce minor scars of troubled spots. Now I don’t have any visible scars on my face or troubled spots, but I do have skin irritation and redness.

I’ve been interested in natural skincare lately, and I was pleased to note that Leaders Insolution masks are free of parabens, mineral oils, silicon and artificial pigments. Less possibility of an allergic reaction is always a good thing in my books.

The mask is fairly saturated with essence and it feels sticky to the touch, maybe due to the active ingredient of snail secretion filtrate. I had no problem getting it to adhere to my face, but the cut-outs for the eyes, nose and mouth were slightly too close together for my face. It wasn’t a big deal, but it would have been more comfortable if they had allowed a few extra millimeters for people with *ahem* bigger faces. I don’t have a wide face, but it is rather long/oval so there was a good inch or so of my forehead that wasn’t covered by the mask. I did like that the mask was relatively transparent so you don’t end up with the scary ski mask look that some sheet masks tend to give their wearers. The quality and feel of the mask also reminded me somewhat of surgical wet dressings used in hospitals to promote healing.

I left the mask on for the duration of 20 minutes as advised. I did experience some minor tingling sensations, but as I didn’t see any allergic reaction I let it be. After you peel off the mask, you will see that a lot of essence still remains on the surface of your skin. You are advised to gently tap your face for a while to aid the absorption of the essence. I did that and found that even up to 30 minutes after taking off the mask, I could still feel a bit of the essence still on my skin.

Hydration – check. No adverse reaction – check. Comfortable skin feeling – check. I didn’t see any major improvement in redness or skin irritation, but as long as a mask doesn’t give me these two reactions I’m pretty happy with it.

I would probably repurchase this mask and maybe try out the other variants that Leaders Insolution has.

Leaders Insolution AC-Dressing Skin Clinic Mask retails for SGD 3.60 at Watsons Personal Care stores.

Directions : Cleanse your face and dry it, then refine your skin texture with toner. Apply the mask on your face and hold it for 15 – 20 minutes while taking a rest. Take off the mask and tap your face for a while. Leave it around 10 – 15 minutes and the essence will be fully absorbed. Recommended use of 2 – 3 times per week, 15 – 20 minutes each time. Suitable for daily use. For optimal results, please use regularly.

Ingredients : Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Betaine, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Hydroxyethylacrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurae Copolymer, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract, Magnolia Obovata Bark Extract, Xanthan Gum, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ledum Palustre Extract, Ecklonia Cava Extract, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Saururus Chinensis Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fragrance

I first heard about Enavose when Beetrice reviewed their H2Osis Black Tea Quench Mask last year. It sounded really interesting and went onto a long list of “Products I’d Someday Like To Try”. Lucky for me then that over the months in 2012, I’ve accumulated samples of three different Enavose products from my monthly Bellabox subscription.

From left to right: Enavose Probiotics Exfoliance Gommage, Enavose H2Osis Black Tea Quench Mask and Enavose Cellogist Youth Guard Cream

Enavose Probiotics Exfoliance Gommage

Probiotics are microorganisms beneficial for perfect skin health. This gentle exfoliating gommage contains a balanced level of good bacteria to eliminate dead cells and comedones, unblock pores and strengthen the skin’s outermost layer to defend against aggressions and bacteria. Supported with bitter almond acid and a soothing flora blend, this renewal gel maintains the skin’s natural moisture barrier and gives new radiance and softness as tired skin is nourished.

I like this Gommage a lot! It feels gentler than scrubs and exfoliators and my skin certainly looks brighter and feels wonderfully soft after. I would definitely repurchase this once I manage to work my way through the rest of my (ever-growing) beauty products stash.

Enavose Black Tea Quench Mask

The ultimate hydration haven for thirsty and dehydrated skins, our quenching mask uses Sweet Black Tea to release a profusion of moisture and vitality that deeply replenishes skin’s moisture. It harnesses the power of skin to retain higher levels of water, leaving it feeling velvety soft, incredibly supple and invigorated. Feel the surge of immense moisture and be better equipped to defend against damaging environmental forces.

I followed up using the Gommage with the Black Tea mask. At first I was wondering if it really did anything, because I couldn’t see it, couldn’t smell it and didn’t feel anything. But when I rinsed it off, I was blown away by the combination of the Gommage and the mask. My skin feels clear and soft and refreshed. This is a mask that my finicky, sensitive skin likes. Another definite repurchase for the future.

Enavose Cellogist Youth Guard Cream

Receive the ultimate in protection with this ultra luxurious treatment. Expertly concocted to nourish skin from deep within, the cream bolsters skin’s natural restorative mechanism and effectively fights against environmental stresses. A powerhouse antioxidant trio of Rice, Pomegranate and Resveratrol works in synergistic harmony with our exclusive technology to rejuvenate, firm, hydrate and restore collagen production.

I used the Youth Guard cream after the Black Tea mask to seal in the moisture and woke up the next morning to lovely, refreshed skin. Not too oily either because I didn’t have a shiny nose. I didn’t use it for long enough to determine whether or not it really has rejuvenating qualities as claimed, but it felt really good.

All in all, I like Enavose’s products and my skin does too, so I’ll definitely be revisiting this brand in the future.

Enavose is available online at their webstore. The Probiotics Exfoliance Gommage retails for SGD 35.00 (80ml), the H2Osis Black Tea Quench mask retails for SGD 59.50 (30ml), and the Cellogist Youth Guard Cream retails for SGD 99.50 (30ml).

Beauty boxes have been around for some time now, but the trend only touched our shores as recently as last year. Vanity Trove has been operating in Singapore and just started with their inaugural Malaysia box last month.

Naturally, I wanted to see what was in the box.

First off, I really like the packaging – the sturdy box with a slide out drawer makes it easy for me to reuse it to house my ever growing cosmetic stash. I reckon I’m going to stack it up in multiples of three to make my own ‘chest of drawers’.

Here’s what you would have gotten if you subscribed for the February box :

• Wella SP Colour Save Shampoo and Mask
• Oriks Wild Ginseng Stemcell Twister Essence
• Oriks BB Cream
• Benefit POREfessional
• B.liv Off With Those Heads Blackheads Sebum Gel
• Di Palomo Tuscan Rose Hand & Body Lotion

Seven different products, of which 3 were handy travel sizes and the other 4 were sample sizes. I’ve always held that beauty boxes are a good way to test out which products are new to you without having to commit to a full size. This concept works for me because of my finicky skin, but it’s also a double-edged sword cos I never know if the products would be suitable for me. In any case, I do like getting a surprise every month and usually spread the product love to my family and friends. (For this month’s Vanity Trove, my mom snapped up the Di Paloma hand lotion, simply because it smelled so lovely. *wink*) As for me, I’m most interested in trying out B.liv’s blackhead sebum gel because of my unending war on blackheads – why don’t they ever go away?

If you’re interested in signing up for your own Vanity Trove, just check out their website.

Note : The product/service in this post was provided for consideration by the brand itself or a PR firm. This does not affect my review in any way and do refer to my disclosure policy for further details.

I stumbled upon this tip purely by accident last month and I’m sure it’s not new to many people.

You see, I have this OCD complex about clean and fresh smelling laundry. But my wardrobe in Singapore tends to attract this musty old smell (I think it’s the humidity) during the rainy months and my nice clean clothes would need to be washed again because I’m anal like that. My first line of defence was to put in lots of dehumidifiers at every level of my wardrobe. That solved the humidity problem and the musty smell but my wardrobe still didn’t smell nice and fragrant like I wanted it to.

Enter this little saviour!

This is a free bar of L’Occitane soap that I brought back from Bangkok (it was part of the complimentary toiletries the hotel provided). All I did was stick it inside my wardrobe and viola! Wonderful fresh clean scent every time I open the door. I just love it when a solution is perfectly simple x easy.

Do you have a savvy tip for the home to share?

Zumba!

Say what?

Zumba is like, the latest, newest fitness craze that’s gaining a fair bit of popularity in Singapore gyms and fitness centers. If asked to describe it, I would say it’s like a mash-up of Latin dancing and hip-hop dance moves done aerobics style.

From the official Zumba website : Zumba is an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.

I gave Zumba a test run of 6 classes together with Beetrice last year through a Groupon deal at Physical ABuse. It’s not too bad once you get the hang of it and if you find an instructor that you like who does choreography that you like.

Or maybe that’s just me, because I am rather picky about the classes I attend. Must have good choreography (not too repetitive and boring or aerobics like), must have awesome music I can rock out to and the instructor needs to know how to communicate with the class.

You don’t need any basics to do Zumba, just a willingness to have fun and let go. If you have a bit of Latin dance background you’ll find it easier to get the hang of Zumba. Otherwise just go with the flow.

I’ve resumed my broken/dropped resolution of 2012 to get fitter and started with another round of Zumba classes (organized by my company) last Tuesday.

Are you getting fit this year too? Do tell in the comments.

Cirque polishes are possibly THE indie polish brand of the year for me. I love the packaging – the squarish bottle with solid heft and the elegant black sticker that makes it look and feel like a luxe brand. I love the selection and range of the colours – whether glitter, duochrome, shimmer or holo. (Although I have to admit that I only bought the holos thus far…)

I bought Fascination Street way back in June when Cirque first launched their Dark Horse collection and then forgot about it as other newer polishes clamoured for my immediate attention. It only came to light over the weekend when I was considering which untried polish I should bring for my mani/pedi session with Beetrice.

Cirque describes Fascination Street as “a vibrant indigo polish with a rainbow holographic finish”. Pictured below with one coat OPI base coat, two coats of Fascination Street and topped off with one coat Seche Vite dry fast top coat.

Pretty or not? I was embarassingly caught out by Beetrice making kissy noises when I finally had Fascination Street in full beauty on my nails.

Fascination Street dries down a bit dull and only truly comes to glossy life with a top coat. Both Beetrice and the manicurist commented that it had a slightly matte-ish finish before the top coat was applied. Wear time is outstanding so far – it’s now day 3 and where I would usually be seeing signs of tip wear, Fascination Street is still going strong.

Here’s another shot (slightly blurred) to show you the linear holographic finish in daylight.

For prettier swatches of Fascination Street, do check out this blogpost on The Swatchaholic.

Cirque Fascination Street retails for USD 15 on the Cirque website (ships worldwide except Brazil and Italy) or SGD 20 from Mei Mei’s Signatures (ships worldwide except Italy).

If you’ve noticed that I haven’t been blogging much of late, it’s down to two things.

The first is that my work picked up pace in the later half of this year, resulting in a fair number of work trips overseas. More work and days away from the country resulted in less time to blog and being too tired for inspiration.

The second is partly as a result of the first and the topic of today’s blog.

My skin woes.

If you have read my blog long enough, you’d know that I have extremely sensitive skin and suffer all too frequent eczema and allergy attacks. Here’s a vivid visual depiction of how I look right after a flare-up.

Think it looks bad? That was the aftermath. You should see me in the midst of a full-blown flare-up when my eyes can be swollen nearly shut.

As it is my skin is already none too stable, and the recent travelling that I’ve been doing has been aggravating the situation. Lack of proper rest, dehydration and stress are a wicked, wicked combination.

I’ve been trying to get my life back on an even keel but there’s just too many things and factors against it right now. Short of me quitting my job and society at large, I don’t know how else to make it all right again.

So yes, that explains the dearth of blogposts and reviews from me and hopefully things get better in 2013.

How’s your 2013 shaping up like?

Happy Friday all!

It’s been a rather packed November for me so far and there’s still more to come as November ain’t finished yet!

I started the month off with a company trip to Macau and took some time off the following week to return to Malaysia over the Diwali public holiday. All that travelling meant that I didn’t spend more than 5 days in any one country over the past 2 weeks and yes, my skin did act up a bit. Hopefully with a little bit of downtime in the next week or so I’ll be refreshed and ready for my next travelling stint!

While I was in Macau for a whirlwind 3 days at the beginning of the month, I managed to squeeze in a fair bit of shopping even though I visited only 2 shopping spots – the Sasa in the Venetian Macau and a small Bonjour at Senado Square (I saw a second, larger Bonjour also at Senado Square but ran out of time!).

First up is my Dior haul – I’m very into the Capture Totale range right now after incorporating the One Essential super serum into my night routine. What better time to stock up on mini sample/travel sizes of the Capture Totale range than when you’re at a Bonjour store? Heheheh.

Ever since I returned from Macau, I switched over to using the Capture Totale range exclusively together with L’Oreal’s Youth Code range and so far, my skin’s loving it! (My purse may not love it so much though…) Now if only I could score a sample of the One Essential mask somewhere…

This is the rest of the stuff I managed to get my hands on – the Shu Uemura eyelash curler also came from Bonjour, the L’Oreal Youth Code Luminize from Nuance-Watson (because it’s not available in Singapore or Malaysia), Lush’s Angels on Bare Skin (I blame this impulse purchase on Paris B’s review – on hindsight I should have just gotten it from Lush Singapore), Revlon Just Bitten lip balm stains (this one I blame on Kahani’s review – I picked up four more for Toughcookee by proxy! #evurl shopping FTW! and cleared the racks at Sasa) and a Clarins gommage that intrigued me.

I should be all shopped out for November but… my company is sending me to Hong Kong for a seminar at the end of the month, which means MORE SHOPPING!

I promise I’ll be good for the rest of the year after this month (only one more month left in the year anyway). Heh.