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

As my fellow beauty bloggers would know all too well, lately I’ve been struck by a new lemming for nail polish. But not just any nail polish. Oh no.

Like a moth to flame, I find myself inexplicably drawn to red nail polishes. The redder, the better.

It all started nearly two years ago when I was getting a manicure/pedicure done for Chinese New Year and I decided to go out of my comfort zone (pretty but safe light pinks and neutrals) and go red. The manicurist recommended to me the most sought after red in the salon : OPI’s best-selling I’m Not Really A Waitress.

Image credit for I’m Not Really A Waitress

It’s not so much a bright red, but a deep red with burgundy highlights that show up in brighter light conditions. I liked it so much that I bought a bottle to keep – my first red nail polish. I’m not good with doing my own manicures, so I’ve been using it on my toes where it still looks good from afar and mistakes are not so noticeable. Heheh.

Then I read Lyn’s post on her new Chanel Rouge Carat nail polish and was hankering after it so bad that Beetrice had to drag me into the Chanel boutique with orders to try it on just so I would shut up about it.

Image credit for Chanel Rouge Carat

This is a brighter red compared to I’m Not Really A Waitress and under the boutique lights where I swatched it, it appears to have gold flecks in the red. Absolutely gorgeous and the only reason why I didn’t walk out of the boutique with it was because it’s much cheaper in Malaysia (MYR 70.00) compared to Singapore (SGD 36.00). Come this weekend, I’m going home to Malaysia to get this limited edition baby.

Then came another siren’s call when I got intro’d to Singaporean blogger Joey Chong. What should I see scrolling down the first page of her blog but this post on Dior’s Les Rouges collection featuring not one, but three different types of red.

I’m eyeing Gruau (on the right) and Icone (on the left), but I’ll need to see it in real life before deciding which of the two I want. Tralfagar (in the center) is a bit too bright red for me. In case you’re wondering, yes, this is *also* a limited edition collection.

As if that wasn’t enough, while fruitlessly hunting for Dior’s Les Rouges (didn’t realize that it’s exclusive to Isetan Scotts), I glanced over at the neighboring Lancome counter and saw… another red in Kate Winslet’s Golden Hat holiday collection for Lancome. Oh yeah, need I mention also that this is another limited edition baby?

Unfortunately, the consultant told me that the polishes for the Golden Hat holiday collection were not being brought in to Singapore. Bummer!

Now tell me, have I been poisoned by red nail polish lemmings or what?

If there’s one thing about my consumerist habits, it is that I can never bring myself to pay full retail prices for anything if possible (see my previous post on Getting The Best Deal as an example). That’s why I always have a ‘Recommended retail price’ for each product I review.

So, when I swung by duty free at Changi International Airport on my way to Hong Kong in July, I couldn’t resist nabbing Revlon’s Colorburst lipgloss in Rose Pearl at only SGD 11.90. I know, I know, who goes to duty free and picks up a cheapie product? I should be spending on all the other, more expensive products, right?

Image credit

Anyway, that’s enough about my shopping habits. Revlon promises that this lipgloss will deliver weightless color with a vivid, mirror-like shine. Did it deliver?

I’d say yes! This gloss is rather pigmented and thick but thankfully not sticky. Just one very light layer of this lipgloss is enough to bring out the color on my lips. It is very, very shimmery in my opinion though because I can see the shimmery bits when I look in the mirror. So if you’re not into shimmer, this might not be the gloss for you.

I find Rose Pearl to be a very work-friendly color for me as it gives me a polished look everytime without fail. I was caught unawares with a meeting that I had to attend last week – got in to the office and saw an email informing me that I had to attend an external meeting in 45mins – so I whipped out this lipgloss and swiped it on for a confidence boost. After all, when you have to deal with lawyers, every extra bit of confidence helps!

As for its lasting effects, a single layer wore off after about 3 hours of normal wear plus drinking water. I haven’t layered it on so I would say it has pretty average staying power. Your mileage may vary though, as I find most lipsticks and lipglosses stay put on me like a lipstain until I use make-up remover at the end of the day. Oh, and remember the shimmery bit? Even after the color had worn off naturally after a meal, I could still see shimmer on my lips.

Did I mention that I like the packaging too? Love the black criss-cross pattern on the applicator handle. Makes it feel more luxe than just a regular lipgloss from the drugstore, doncha think? And on another personal note, I find it so much easier to apply my lipglosses when they come with a doe-foot applicator, so this of course got a thumbs up from me.

Yes factors : Gorgeous color, reasonable price, nice packaging
No factors : A bit too shimmery

Recommended retail price : MYR 36.00 or SGD 19.90

Read other blogger reviews here :
Beetrice
Nikki
Paris B – here and here
Tine

I love this concept!

No makeup makeup is all about using barely there, minimal makeup to achieve a polished, no makeup look that is like the natural and original you, but better. I’m not a fan of bold, bright and colorful makeup although I do admit that on some women, it looks fabulous and perfectly suited to them. Some other women though, are sadly misguided in the school of thought that more is better and usually end up with too much makeup that you can spot them a block away. I’m pretty sure all of us have seen at least one or two perfect examples of this in real life, no?

As for me, I usually eschew any form of makeup on all days, except those rare occasions when I have an event to go to. That’s when I break out my makeup stuff. But watching Lisa Eldridge’s No Makeup Makeup tutorial below has really inspired me to want to start doing this even on workdays! Just watch the video below – how can anyone not like what they see?

Video credit to Lisa Eldridge

Ah Hong Kong! How I miss shopping there already… and I’ve only been back for a week.

Being a total newbie (it was my maiden trip to HK), I was totally unprepared for the bright lights and myriad stores. But I was lost the moment Kahani introduced me to Bonjour.

When she showed me the section on sample/travel sized products, I was completely sold on the concept and there was no turning back. The majority of the stuff you see in the picture below is from Bonjour, with a purchase each from Sasa, Harvey Nichols Beauty Hall and duty-free at Changi Terminal.

In no particular order, I came back with :
1. Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Rose Perle
2. Steam Cream
3. Lanvin Marry Me perfume miniature
4. Talika Lipocils Expert eyelash serum
5. Lancome Hydra Zen Neocalm detoxifying moisturising multi-relief anti-stress gel essence
6. Lancome Hydra Zen extreme soothing moisturising cream-gel
7. Lancome Genifique Youth Activator serum
8. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex serum
9. Estee Lauder Hydrationist Moisture Barrier Fortifier ultra-hydration serum
10. Dior Capture Totale One Essential skin boosting super serum
11. Diorsnow White Reveal essence
12. Shu Uemura UV Armor high protection face cream SPF 50
13. Shu Uemura Deepsea Hydrability moisturizing gel cream
14. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
15. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial micro serum
16. Laniege Water Sleeping Pack_Ex
17. Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale exceptional complete care serum
18. Clinique Take The Day Off makeup remover

Whew! That’s a lot of miniature stuff, methinks!

And did you notice anything about the list above? It’s mostly skincare with a heavy slant towards hydrating stuff and anti-aging stuff.

I’ve been lemming quite a number of these serums for some time now, so yes, I am one very happy camper. Let’s hope that my sensitive/problematic skin takes kindly to me experimenting in the next few months!

How I wish I had access to these miniature pretties in Singapore or Malaysia all the time…

Read other blogger notes on shopping in Hong Kong here :
Kahani
Paris B

According to Clinique’s website, the Superbalanced Makeup Foundation is an adjustable oil-free coverage formula that adds moisture and subtracts oil where needed. It also contains soothing camomile extract to protect skin from environmental damage and vitamin E to help fight free radicals in a water-resistant formula that is streak-proof and perspiration-proof.

How did it fare with me? I had picked up a 7 day sample of Superbalanced foundation from the Clinique counter at Jusco Bandar Utama during one of their sample promotion periods and the consultant color matched me to shade SB#02. Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently in Singapore this year and I spotted that Vichy Laboratories had recently launched a foundation line called Aerateint Pure that has yet to be released in Malaysia. This product stand was seen at the big Guardian store in ION Orchard.

There are only four shades available and they are all on the lighter end of the spectrum, so this may not be targeted at the darker skinned ladies. A tube retails at SGD 39.00 which I think is still reasonable, although on the high end for drugstore brands.

I’m pretty interested in this one since Vichy products have proven to be compatible with my sensitive skin and Paris B likes their BB cream (which is available in Malaysia). Here’s hoping that Vichy Laboratories brings this to Malaysia!

Description : Vaseline lets you nourish your hands and nails healthily with the following 3 nourishments: 1. Vitamin E that moisturizes and softens hands. 2. Keratin that strengthens your nails by 30% so they won’t break easily. 3. Olive Essence, extract from olive oils, that softens the cuticles and smoothens hands to keep them beautiful.

Directions for use : Apply on hands and nails regularly everyday.

Packaging : 100ml

Recommended Retail Price : RM8.90

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My Review :

I picked up a free bottle of this hand and nail lotion as a purchase with purchase when I bought a bottle of Vaseline’s new moisturizing range. Since I seldom use hand lotions at home, I brought it to work so that I could have some hand lotion to use after washroom visits. Did I like it?

I like the packaging design. It comes in a plastic bottle that stands on its cap, which means that gravity will automatically help me to squeeze out the last bits of lotion. Also, the size of the bottle fits nicely in the palm of my hand and the flip-top cap lets me use it one-handed, something extremely useful in the office when more often than not I am using my free hand to do something else. When I did a Google search for a picture of the bottle, I found that this bottle design appears to be unique to the Thailand/Malaysia market.

The texture of the lotion is not very oily and sinks into the skin fast – which is good because then I won’t leave oily smudges all over my work laptop. My hands feel nice and soft after application but not as if I’d slathered on tons of moisturizer, if you get what I mean. I like that there is no filmy feeling when I wash my hands as some moisturizers/emollients tend to leave a layer of film over your skin – to me this feels like the moisturizer has been completely absorbed into my skin!

The scent of this lotion is rather strong and I only use a tiny amount each time. I don’t know how to describe the scent, but it sometimes reminds me of a cross between a stronger, sharper smelling Johnson’s baby lotion and a shampoo that I used to use a long time ago. So yeah, the scent does absolutely nothing for my olfactory senses.

As for its claims to soften cuticles and strengthen nails, I don’t have brittle nails to begin wih nor do I trim my own cuticles so I will refrain on commenting on this section.

In conclusion, I probably wouldn’t spend money to re-purchase this hand lotion, but as long as it lasts, I’m more than happy to use it.

Yes factors : Keeps hands soft and supple; non-oily; long lasting scent
No factors : Strongly scented; only acts as a hand moisturizer, nothing fancy

Read other blogger reviews here :
Stuff Critique

Ah, my favorite warehouse sale is back.

As the picture says, you can get deals on cosmetics and fragrances from Lancome, Biotherm, Shu Uemura, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Cacharel, Guy Laroche and Diesel.

I’ve never missed a sale since I found out about it two years back, and if you shop carefully, there are likely bargains to be found especially if you know the usual recommended retail price. It is interesting to note though that prices at these ‘warehouse/clearance’ sales have been steadily increasing and while still cheaper than the average over-the-counter price, it is no longer a steal by any means. Still, as the savvy shopper who can suss out a good deal from an average deal, you’ll be fine.

Happy shopping!

I may be living under a rock as I’d never heard of Too Faced Cosmetics’ Mood Swing Lip Gloss until I stumbled over this MSNBC.com article asking if it really worked. Whattaheck is it?

It’s a lip gloss that is activated by your body heat and changes color according to your mood. Supposedly it will tell if your current mood is Totally Zen or Slightly Smitten or Feeling Frisky or having Dirty Thoughts or Hot & Bothered or Basking In The Afterglow by changing color from clear white to various shades of pink/fuschia/red.

Mmhmm, the names for the various shades/stages are rather *ahem* suggestive. I have a feeling that this would be a nice lipgloss to fool around with under the right circumstances with the right guy. Hehe.

I don’t think we get Too Faced Cosmetics in Malaysia, so if ever I want to get my paws on this I’ll have to look online or elsewhere. Boo.

Too Faced Cosmetics Mood Swing Lip Gloss retails for USD 18.50 online here.

I was browsing around the Web with nothing much in mind when I stumbled upon a blog post from All Lacquered Up about a revolutionary new manicure product that promises 14 days of flawlessness and high gloss shine.

I don’t know about you, but I do love my manicures when I get them done for special occasions. The only thing that bugs me is that they only look good for say, the first 3 – 4 days. After that, hatch marks and wear start showing and eventually after a week the gloss and shine fades to a dull matte color. All that money for nothing!

Image credit

So naturally, my interest was really pricked when I read about the new CND Shellac Hybrid Nail Color that promises to look just as salon perfect after 14 days. Are they sure or not? Can the product live up to their claims? If the real thing is anything like the photos on All Lacquered Up, I’m definitely sold on this product!

The only thing is, I don’t know of any nail salon in Malaysia that carries CND products. Do you? Do share if you know cos I really want to try this out!