Something Random...... Canele macarons.....

A great way to spend the sunny afternoon yesterday......

Macarons sharing with mom and of course with our usual cuppa of Earl Grey Tea.

Canele Macarons Courtesy of my brother.

The Fuschia pink box.

The sweet darlings......

Left- Right: Sea Salt and Caramel (polished off even before phototaking hence its absence), Rose, Blueberry, Banana, Raspberry with Pistachio and jam filling and lastly Hazelnut

Overexposure to sunlight.

Raspberry macaron with Pistachio and jam fililng.

Blueberry macaron- with jam filling?



Haul and Review: Spoilts from Guerlain and Paul and Joe

This can be considered my first makeup haul of the year and i am proud of myself for being able to resist the temptations for that long, plus i am very happy with my purchases as well.

My most recent haul- Mainly Paul and Joe items and 1 Guerlain.

Paul and Joe makeup items- 3 eyeshadows and 1 blusher. 

 Paul and Joe- Toner and Cleansing Milk.

As we all know, Paul and Joe has pulled out of Singapore since end March, it's a shame that beauty brands are moving out due to the lack of critical mass (demand) to support their presence (we saw IPSA moving out previously and now Paul and Joe, one can't help but ponder who's next?)

So, i took this chance to try out more of their skincare products that i am new to (reviews coming but not so soon), i will be quite sad if i were to like them enough to want to repurchase them afterwards.

 Paul and Joe Nail care oil.

 List of Ingredients.

 The bottle of Nail care oil- in signature Paul and Joe nail polish bottle.

The Nail care oil is packaged in the signature P&J nail polish bottle with the orange flower motiff, it has a pleasant scent and the texture of the oil is actually thicker than what i am used to using (OPI's Avoplex nail and cuticle replenishing oil), furthermore it felt a little sticky to me.

I will go back to it and see if it will grow on me as time passes by, though i doubt so.

 Paul and Joe Face Color- Blusher.

 List of ingredients.

 The pretty packaging that caught my eyes.

 2 tone blusher in 18.

 Left to right: More berry rose pink and light pink.

 Paul and Joe Face Color #18.

This would be my 2nd P&J face color, i would say the coloring of this blusher is actually a little out of my safe zone, it leans more in the favour of fair and cool toned beauties (see the swatches below) but i am giving it a shot as it seems to be quite usable if i use it with care (i am thinking of using it with MAC's 187 Duo fibre brush which seems to work when i am using more pigmented blushers). The texure of the blusher is soft and pigmentation is not a problem, it does not contain any shimmer. I like a variety and this is a nice addition to my collection if i may say so.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow singles.

I have walked pass P&J's counter countless times, yet i never felt drawn to their eye colors (i wonder why myself too.... perhaps its too sweet and cute, i felt out of place?). This could very well be one of the those last chances that i can lay my hands on them and i am so glad i did this time round. I was pleasantly surprised by their buttery soft formula and that it glides on the skin beautifully.

Pigmentation is very decent, not the most intense i have encountered but nice overall, though #03 gold is a little less pigmented compared to the other 2. I think this is the revamped range of eyeshadows, if i recall correctly the previous eyeshadows are larger in the pan.

I have picked "safe" colors (those that are tried and tested to work on me) and i am glad i did as i can am already reaching out for them everyday for almost a week).

Each eye color contains 1.1g/ 0.03 oz of product which is slightly lesser than MAC's (1.3g). In terms of pricing, P&J's is S$25.00 while MAC's is S$28.00 ( ? ). P&J's is a wee more expensive that MAC's probably by only a few cents.

In this instance, i am really sad to see P&J pulling out of Singapore.

 Light pink beige with subtle pearlescent shine.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow single in #11.

 Pearlescent gold without the glitter chunks.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow single in #03.

 Warm toned medium brown with a hint of shimmer.

 Paul and Joe Eyeshadow single in #17.

 Swatches L-R: Paul and Joe face color in #18, self select eye color in #03, #11 and #17.

 A closer look at the Eyeshadow singles or eye colors.

 Guerlain Ecrin 4 couleurs Eyeshadow palette.

Guerlain..... Guerlain...... I can't help but to be drawn to you everytime.

This time, i behaved myself and only gotten myself 1 eyeshadow palette from Guerlain, yes! Its from the Holiday Collection last year.

Sleek and luxurious packaging, gorgeous colors.... nothing less is to be expected from this high-end makeup brand.

It is no surprise that i am very much captivated by this palette, first of all the packaging...... it is a improved packaging if you asked me. The large pan surface meant that one can sweep her brush over each color more easily.

While the colors are not terribly unique (except perhaps the aqua turquoise above the navy blue), there are dupes available for the other colors elsewhere. But what sealed the deal for me is the PIGMENTATION!

They are INTENSE!!! Totally love the color payoff.

 #10, Les Ombres De Nuit (Limited Edition from Guerlain's 2011 Holiday Collection).

 The sleek packaging.

 Contains a total of 7.2g/0.25 oz of product.

 A closer look at the palette.

 Swatches L-R: A Shimmery Grayish Silver, a Light Aqua Turquoise, a Rich Blue (reminds me of OPI's You yoga-ta get this blue but less intense), a matte black (the only matte color in the palette).

All in all, a great haul for this year!



Fragrance of the Moment: The Different Company Osmanthus

Osmanthus by The Different Company is the next niche fragrance that i have gotten after Serge Luten's Ambre Sultan. And i had the good fortune to get it during a sale which i hauled along a few other fragrances, hopefully i will be able to review them if i have the chance to.

Some background on Osmanthus, the fragrance is composed by the current nose of Hermes fragrance, Jean-claude Ellena and was launched in 2001. Osmanthus is a feminine fragrance and according to the description on The Different Company's website, it is a delicate and musky floral fragrance.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Green Notes.

 Middle Notes: Osmanthus, Jasmine, Geranium.

Base Notes: Musk, Rose.

I have not had the fortune of smelling Osmanthus the flower personally and thus i am absolutely clueless on how it is "supposed" to smell like. Hence, i am just going to give my honest 2 cents worth in my layman terms......

My very first fragrance from The Different Company.

The Second layer of packaging- which i think is not necessary, perhaps they hope that it will add a extra "luxurious" touch to the packaging.

The fragrance nicely and safely housed in a more sturdy cardboard box.

The fragrance contained in a thick hefty glass bottle.

Top, middle and base notes printed on the bottle.

Packaging has never been something that fragrance companies will spare expenses on it, afterall it is the very first thing that catches the attention of consumers like you and i . True enough, the Osmanthus is housed in a thick heavy glass bottle, with silver spray cap that you can screw open to pour in refill of the fragrance and of course, you have a list of the top, middle and base notes printed tastefully on the bottle (which constitutes part of the design of the product). However, what i am rather skeptical is that the silver cap does not screw securely onto the bottle if you do not use quite a bit of force (i had the good mind to carry my fragrance in its upright position, as i found that the cap is not secured properly when i reached home). Imagine if i let it loose in my bag as i usually do..... that would be very very expensive wastage and i would very much prefer me than my bag smelling good. Other than that, niche fragrance, luxurious packaging.

Now, how should i even begin to describe this fragrance.....

Osmanthus is nothing like what i have in my current stash, i always like that when i am fragrance scouting, hunting or seeking. I mean what is the point of having fragrance A that smells like fragrance B and also like fragrance C, D and E that is in your stash. One can be adventurous in very few things in life, and fragrance is one of them. Yes, it is different...... yet it is not very special in the sense that i am totally captivated by it. Osmanthus is a delicate and demure lady who is properly educated in manners and the way of the world, never exposed to the vulgarity in life, she never shouts nor laugh out loud, but only to speak in hush and smile. 

A very gentle fragrance to wear if you do not wish to offend people around you and they can only smell it on you if he/she leans very close to you. Yes, Osmanthus is that polite and is someone who easily makes people comfortable around her.

On me, Osmanthus smells of white tea floral, a little soapy like, somewhat woody, it does not last more than a couple of hours on me to which i am utterly confused as i have not encountered a fragrance that does not last at least a few good hours on my skin ( i have oily skin). It smells watery and fades away very fast, which i do not expect from a niche fragrance house at such a price point (if one buys it at full retail price, it would cost more than a 100ml Chanel eau de parfum of anything, be it Coco or No. 5). 

Much as i appreciate and like how quiet, clean and demure the fragrance is, i simply cannot withstand the thought of forking out $$$ on such a beauty, unless one is prepared to bath in it literally. Until there is a reformulation to make it last longer, i guess i won't be parting with my hard earned dough for her.

Available in 90ml and in refills at Escentials at Tangs Orchard and Paragon Shopping Centre.