Dreaming away with Sephora's "Beach Vibes" Shower Jelly & Shower Balm

I've been living in Singapore for more than 3 years now, and feel the fall weather hasn't been as extreme as it currently is: either scorching hot or raining cats and dogs. Remarkably, both types of weather make me long for the beach, as I find myself in need of either a serious cool down or warming up. If the weather or my busy schedule doesn't allow going to the beach, I go for a quick fix with Sephora's Beach Vibes Bath & Body range. One whiff of the addictive scent makes me instantly feel like I'm spending a lazy day on a beautiful tropical beach, laying on a stretcher while drinking from a coconut, with a pleasantly warming sun and refreshing sea breeze. Sounds tempting? Come dream away...

A read you won't regret: "Beauty Confidential" on DIY Skincare & Instant Home Spas

As devoted beauty junkie, my bookcase is filled with all the standard works on makeup and cosmetics. Like my monthly Vogue, most of these books are like bibles to me. Many, however, don't go any deeper than tips and tricks on creating the perfect smokey eye or finding the best brow shape for your face. Recently, I've been able to add a bit more depth to my library with Tomoka Y. Nguyen's book "Beauty Confidential". This book unveils the ugly truth about mass market personal care products and bursts with everything you need to know to care for your skin instead - in a wholesome and natural way, all by yourself. Great me-time read while chillaxing in your personal Home Spa, as well as a thoughtful gift for the upcoming holidays!

Must-have Beauty Products for Hot Mamas - PART 2

Part two of my absolute beauty lifesavers for moms that refuse to stop caring about how they look and feel because of momlife: "how to fake looking (and smelling) clean and well put together, as well as claiming that well-deserved me time". BAM!

Must-have Beauty Products for Hot Mamas (Literally & Figuratively speaking) - PART1

 

Technically, I'm still supposed to be on maternity leave. And I really should be, because gosh I am dead tired from all the broken nights and feel hotter than ever (literally, that is) due to a combination of hormones and constant baby lifting/carrying/cuddling/feeding. I do however feel an urge to share the beauty products that kept me sane the first weeks of being a mom, in order for other moms to survive. Call me vain or superficial, but when you look good and feel hot (this time figuratively speaking) you tend to feel much better - and a happy mommy equals a happy baby, right?

A Super Lifesaver: Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist with SPF50

I consider renaming my blog “Setting Sprays in the Lush”, as writing about setting sprays as a holy grail to survive the hot and humid tropics looking good an put-together (instead of worn-out due to makeup melting) seems to be a constant on my blog. Until I decide to go for such a radical name change, I promise the setting sprays I will be reviewing are not just another one and will be worth it: today, it’s Supergoop!’s Defense Refresh Setting Mist with SPF50, the first setting spray or mist I‘ve come across with an SPF.

The perfect little souvenir from South East Asia - Innisfree Green Tea, Bamboo & Ginseng Face Masks

It's been a while as I've been incredibly busy with work, travelling and a combination of the two. As we speak, I am packing my bags to head to The Netherlands tonight, for both business and pleasure. The pleasure is seeing my friends and family again. After three years abroad, I still love to bring back something small for them from Asia (and they love it in return), but find myself increasingly out of inspiration what to bring. Luckily Innisfree has some awesome face masks with Asian ingredients that serve as the perfect little gift to bring back home!

Last-Minute Gifting Stress? Quickly head to Sephora for these Gift Sets for every budget

For me, counting down till X-Mas means gifting stress. Each year I promise myself to start hunting for the perfect X-Mas gifts in time, and each year I fail - again. The solution? Just head to Sephora as they have the perfect gift set for your mother, sister, friends, inlaws etc. They're seriously cool sets, not the average perfume plus travel size body lotion but glittery eyeliner sets and perfect eye makeup kits. And for each and every budget. Oh and tackle the gifts for your SO, father, brother etc. right away too. What are you waiting for?! 

Light weight Body Lotions for a non-sticky life in the Tropics

A common first world problem of living in the muggy tropics: body lotions that leave a sticky feeling after application. Why? Because we already feel perpetually hot, sweaty and sticky!!! Given the fact that the tropical heath makes us shower more often, stripping our skin from essential oils, simply scrapping body lotion from our beauty routine isn't the smartest option. Luckily there are some light weight body lotions available that do the trick, giving our skin what it needs without a trace of stickiness.

Level up your Look in the Mushroom Kingdom with Shu Uemura's Holiday 2017 Mario Bros. Collection

This week I came across what must be THE coolest makeup collection ever in Isetan on Scotts: Shu Uemura's Holiday 2017 Mario Bros Collection. 1-Up!

The Coolest Kid in the Tropics is Tarte's Eco-Glam "Rainforest of the Sea" 4-in-1 Setting Mist

If you read my blog more often, you’d probably know that a product I absolutely cannot live without in the tropics, is a makeup setting spray. Recently, on a Friday night in Singapore’s Clubstreet, where you’re typically more busy sweating than partying, someone (that obviously does not read my blog) asked me how it was possible that my makeup always remained so flawless on nights like these. Setting spray, baby! Although I have quite a vast collection of these products at home to bulletproof my makeup, this week I just couldn’t leave Sephora without getting myself Tarte’s "Rainforest of the Sea" 4-in-1 Setting Mist. Because of the 4-in-1 feature that I’m curious about, but maybe even more because everything about Tarte and the Rainforest of the Ocean collection is just too cool. 

South Pacific Sun-Scorched Hands & Cuticles: Hand and Finger Masks to the Rescue!

I just returned from the most amazing trip to Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu. Lagoons, beaches and a lot of sun. Since I live in South East Asia I’ve become pretty neurotic about UV-rays and sun protection, so I always carry several different types of sun block with me in my beach bag. Before installing myself on a beach bed I meticulously treat every millimeter of my body with a spray, cream or both, but coming home healthily bronzed I realized –shock- I apparently forget to pay attention to a very important part of my body: my hands, looking bronzed but all worn-out. Time to come to the rescue with Korean KOCOSTAR's 5 Finger Nail Pack and Sephora's Argan Hand Mask.

Not just any After-Sun Gel, Balm, Cream, Spray or Lotion will do!

For a region with such an abundance in suncare products, remarkably little variety in after-sun products seems to be available. This could be explained by the fact that most products available are sun protection products, implying that the locals’ approach of hefty sun block coating works against the horror of anything that remotely resembles a tan. Add the near-religious sun-avoidance with UV-blocking umbrella’s and visors to that and a society lacking any need for after-sun products is born. But then there’s the expats, like me, that after almost 2 years of living in Singapore still tend to forget that the sun burns hard around the equator. And that one must always use a sun block, even when it’s just for a 5 minute walk to the supermarket somewhere mid-day. Find out how to cool down sunburns quickly, how a product that is labelled ‘after-sun’ is sometimes misleading and what products to use instead for effective sunburn relieve.

Reviving tormented feet with InnisFree Special Care Foot Mask

A typical weekend night in Singapore: stumbling on 4-inch heels from Employees Only in Amoy Street to Clubstreet and torturing my feet even further by walking to Kilo Club in Tanjong Pagar Road. Great night - painful feet. Luckily, in Asia there's a beauty mask for everything: this Sunday, it's time to pamper my poor hoofs with a special foot mask...

TriSwim Body Wash - Designed for Spoiled Expats Like Me, Spending Too Much Time in Infinity Pools & Turquoise Seas

One of the luxuries of living in the tropics is the fact that most of us have (direct access to) a swimming pool. The downside of increased exposure to pool water are the negative effects that water and chlorine have on the condition of our skin and hair. I’m therefore testing whether a shower gel that is especially designed to wash-off chlorine and sea water works or is just a marketing trick...

A Korean/Japanese Lip Mask not just for Lips...

This is one of the many products that I picked up during my trip to Japan and South Korea last month. It seems that in Asia, there's a mask for everything, so a mask for lips isn't that big of a shock. I did however have to look twice when the back of the product indicated this mask can also be used for body parts that rarely see the day light...

More Quirky Cuteness:Tony Moly Product Reviews Part II

With my trip to Seoul coming closer, I'm testing the Tony Moly products that I have stocked up the past months, a result of going nuts in the Tony Moly store in Singapore's Bugis too many times and serious beauty hoarding during shopping sprees in Kuala Lumpur. Seoul being Asia's beauty heaven, I expect to at least double my luggage weight with awesome new stuff from this Korean brand when I'll be visiting Seoul mid September. But first things first - this time: "Magic Food" Banana Hand Milk, "Kiss Lover" Lip Click Styling Color and "Pocket Bunny" Moist Mist...

Too Cute, So Asian & Such Good Quality: Tony Moly Product Reviews Part I

Tony Moly – I’m addicted to all quirky products of this super cool Korean Brand. Wherever in Asia I find a Tony Moly store -there’s only one in Singapore at Bugis Junction- I stock up seriously on all kinds of their products. With an ever growing collection of Tony Moly makeup and skincare at home that I haven’t tried yet and a trip to Seoul (Korean Cosmetics Heaven – Tony Moly here I come!!!) ahead of me in September it’s time to finally put some products to the test, so that I have a good excuse to double my luggage weight with new stuff when I’ll be visiting Seoul. 

Tropical and Oriental Scented Shower Gels Emphasizing the Asian Paradise around me

I love embracing my surroundings with these tropical and oriental scented shower gels that emphasize the extraordinary Asian paradise that forms the decor of my daily life here in Singapore! 

Feeling Absolutely Reborn with Traditional Chinese Magic Mushrooms: Soo Beaute's Oriental Herbal Essence "Ganoderma-Ginseng Mask"

What’s that strange, knobly brown fungus that is displayed on all kinds of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pills, powders and beauty products, that was traditionally considered to be among the most valuable possessions a new bride could bring into a marriage in ancient China? Personally I think it looks like some sort of alien brains, but nevertheless I put this TCM allstar to the test with Soo Beaute’s Oriental Herbal Essence “Ganoderma-Ginseng Mask”.

Forget the Merlion Key Chains & Nonya Kaya: Cool Asian Beauty Gifts to Bring Back Home during Summer Holidays

Almost summer holidays, meaning a massive migration amongst expats in Singapore that are going home to Europe, the US, Australia or elsewhere outside of Asia. Anticipating on this migration, I find myself picking up increasing amounts of local gifts to bring back home for friends and family. During past visits I already brought back silk kimono’s, chopsticks, all kinds of merchandise with “Can Lah” and local delicacies such as Nonya Kaya. This time I decided to delight the people at home with something more inspiring than another Merlion keychain or Orchid fridge magnet, and -more importantly- stuff that I love myself: Asian Beauty Products. Anything from kawaii cute to Chinese Traditional Medicine weird (from a Western point of view, that is) – find out below what I will bring back home this year!