Bellabox: September

Yesterday I received my very first Bellabox!
I only subscribed last month, hopping on to the beauty subscription quite late.

I had heard of these services like Bellabox and Vanity Trove of course but hesitated to use them, even though the concept was very attractive, as they carried a lot of unfamiliar brands and I thought I don't really need more products to clutter up my vanity. As it is I have already been buying too much stuff to try and wasting them when I found they were incompatible with my skin.

However Bellabox brought in some brands that were familiar, especially makeup and I got interested. And so, my first Bellabox!

Alright, enough blabber. I'm sure you are all eager to know what's in this month's box, so reveal!

Love the pink box btw!

The products!

Card from Bellabox listing the items I'm given. A little background on me cause I know that Bellabox customises their boxes according to their subscribers needs. I'm combination skin type, hitting the big 3-0, usually uses neutrals in my makeup, goes for the fresh, natural look and put down likes to look for new products to supplement my skincare routine in the survey.

And so I was given the following:

1) Caudalie Cleansing Water, Retails $35 for 200ml.
According to the information in the box,it's for all skin types. "Perfectly cleans and removes make-up. Contains moisturising and soothing active ingredients. High tolerance formula, suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive." The usage instructions state that it's to be used in the morning and evening. Apply using cotton pad unto face and eyes to cleanse and tone. No need to rinse. Hmmm, I'm a little iffy about cleansing products that do not need to rinse. Always feel like there's residue on my face.

2) Caudalie Vinosource Range: S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum, Retails $67 for 30ml
"All skin types. Extra-sensory and oil free serum with an ultra-light aqeous texture. High tolerance formula that continuously captures and diffuses water deep within the skin, leaving it soft and fresh." Also a morning and evening product but avoid the eye area. I'm intrigued by this. Been looking for something to moisturise my skin. It has been in sebum over-drive lately.

3) Caudalie Vinosource Range: Moisturising Sorbet, Retails $52 for 40ml, Moisturising Matifying Fluid, Retails $52 for 40ml.
The sorbet is for sensitive skin and the matifying cream is for combination skin. Doesn't sorbet sound adorable?
Sorbet
"Surprising gel cream texture that immediately soothes, moisturises and calms the skin."
Matifying cream
"Lightweight texture with a matifying effect that instantly absorbs excess sebum and regulates its production."

4) Vichy Bi-White Med Deep Corrective whitening Lotion, Retails $49 for 200ml
It targets "melanin at its source, deep within your skin, and stops its creation biologically, this Lotion fights dark spots, dullness and yellowish skin tone. For all skin types, even sensitive." Sounds good for me, I have uneven skintone that gets dull easily so I'll see if this works.

5) Rimmel Flash Eye Liner, Retails $15.90
I'm guessing here cause the name on the eyeliner doesn't really fit with the one on the card. It was serendipity that this was in my box as I was planning to get an eyeliner with a smudging effect. Although emerald green is something a bit more dramatic for me but I'm eager to try it out!

6) Celmonze Premium Facial Ampoules, Vitamin A, Retails $95 for a box of 5
I've used ampoules before and did not feel they made a big difference. I also feel that one to try may not have much effect. But going in with an open mind!

And of course, the usual vouchers!

Hopefully I will be able to blog about my experience with these products soon and maybe find something that works for me!

Dream: Wardrobe for our Phuket trip (in my dreams)

We are going on a holiday to Phuket!!
Counting to holidays gives me a tingle and I'm really excited about this one.
It's been more than half a year since our honeymoon and we could really use a break.

We have never been to Phuket before and can't wait to be there on it's beautiful beaches and glorious blue seas. Oh to just lie there and relax!

Researching on Phuket also gave me a couple of inspirations fashion wise. First thing you need on a beach holiday would be a bikini right? Thus I bought this gorgeous bikini from Seafolly!

It's a little more expensive than any swimwear I have ever bought but I was thinking of it as more of an investment, seeing that the only bikini I have was bought more than 10 years ago (YIKES!!!!)

So I started thinking about what would be great to wear on the trip, to make it picture perfect.

Love: Valentine's Day Handmade Card

When looking for Valentine's Day cards and gifts inspiration, where else but Martha Stewart?
She has a whole list of craft projects, gift ideas and awesome clipart. Just the Handmade list is 44 items long. 44! And they are not all complex, requiring days of work.

See example below:

Clip Art Cards

Like these unique cards. Don't worry, clip art provided.

Folding Hearts

This is so easy, even kids can do it. Perfect for kids to send to their mothers.

Valentine's Day Accordion Envelope Card

This is the one I'm planning to do. I love how sweet and simple this is.

And here is my version below!

I added in some sweet mementoes of our time together and practised my typography a little haha. It was really easy to make, took no time at all and The Hubs loved it. Success!

Lust : Gorgeous handmade furniture from SlowWood

I'm back!
Yes finally I have the mood to blog, mainly spurred by the Pin-fest I had the other day. I went back to view my favourite home and design blogs and the Better Homes and Gardens webbie. And I got sooo inspired! I pinned like a whole lot of gorgeous pics and got re-pinned a lot too, hehe.

Check out my board here. For our Future Nest

Anyway the photos I couldn't stop thinking about are the ones i found on decor8.

Source: slowwood.nl via Angeline on Pinterest

Don't you just love this table?? This is from SlowWood, designed and handmade in the Netherlands. They use natural finishes and mineral paint so it's all very earth-friendly!

Source: slowwood.nl via Angeline on Pinterest

This is my favourite piece. Love the simplicity of it and I know it'll look fantastic in a corner of our living room as a small desk for mail and bills. But it's soooo expensive. I'll just drool over them until The Hubs magically gets super talented with the hammer and saw and make me one.

Bubbles!

My good friend, IvyGuru, sent me the link to this totally amazing blog Color Me Katie. Her blog is so colorful and filled with so much fun! I love her life, she makes every day and every little thing so bright and colorful. I was so inspired by her blog that I decided to inject a little fun into my life too.

I had recently bought this super cute Mickey Mouse bubble blower from my colleague, for my brother who's a big Disney fan. Sidetrack, my colleague got her kids to gather up toys they barely played with, toys that were gifts and were never opened, toys they have outgrown, and she took pictures of them and put them up on Facebook for a little sale. She's doing this to give her kids a chance to earn a little spending money for their family trip to Hong Kong. I thought it was a great idea to get them to learn the value of money and to clear out some of their old toys. I bought the Mickey Mouse bubble blower off her because I thought it will be really fun to have around.

I had loads of fun playing with it and filling the house and neighborhood with big colorful bubbles!

I feel like a kid watching the bubbles float all over the street but it sure was hard trying to hold onto to Mickey Mouse with one hand and trying to operate the camera on my iPhone with the other. I sure am glad I did not drop either of them.

I can't wait to show it to my bro!

Harry Potter changed my life

I am not kidding.

Harry Potter did change my life. A little over-dramatic you say? Well let me explain.

I discovered Harry Potter a little later than others, when the fourth book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published. I remember seeing it everywhere in the bookstores and wondering what it was all about. I flipped one copy over and read something about a wizard and a tournament. Wizards? Definitely kids' stuff. I did not buy a copy.

However at one family gathering I saw the collection of the four Harry Potter books on my cousin's bookshelf. I asked him about it and what the hype was about and he graciously loaned the set to me.

I started with the first book and I was overwhelmed. At that point in time I was going through a rough patch personally. Without going into details, I felt lost and without a sense of direction, the future was uncertain. I felt like I was a ship cut loose amidst choppy waters. Needless to say I was scared.

When I finished reading the first book, I was hit with a huge dose of nostalgia. I was a kid raised on Enid Blyton. Adventure, The Famous Five, mystery solving, Secret Seven, boarding school, midnight feasts and enchanted woods formed my childhood world. Hogwarts brought back the familiar world of boarding schools with a touch of magic. Staircases that moved and secret passageways? Cool!! But more importantly it was a story filled with a spirit of righteousness, of bravery, of good against bad. JK Rowling's style of writing was like a voice inside my head. I found myself hooked. The books brought me back to a happier , more carefree time and I found solace by escaping into the magical world of Harry Potter. It was a comforting world, a fun world, a world I desperately wished I could be a part of.

Every time a new Harry Potter book came out, I would pre-order it and collect it the day it was launched. I would devour the book from cover to cover immediately, forgoing meals and rest. I sat excitedly in the cinema watching the screen fill with the Warner Brother's logo and John William's excellent soundtrack tinkling out of the speakers for the first movie. I was like, finally! the movie that has been playing my head over and over is going to be on the big screen!

I think the team behind the movies did a good job translating the books onto film. They are all dedicated to staying true to the heart of the books and all this shows up clearly in an amazing book my brother got me as a birthday gift this year, Harry Potter Film Wizardry - From the Creative Team Behind the Celebrated Movie Series.

(All photos taken by my iPhone, edited using the Magic Hour app and posted to my Instagram feed)

The beauttiful cover.

The thing that makes this book one that I would grab if my house is on fire is the fact that it is an interactive book. Puzzled? Well, see that famous Hogwarts' envelope above?

You open it and find your very own copy of Harry's acceptance letter!! And there's like a ton of such treasures throughout the whole book, removable reproductions of paper ephemera from the movies!

This is a great example of the dedication of the graphics design team, the Yule Ball programme. It is not shown in a single shot on screen but you can see the effort that went into the design and details.

One of my favourite pieces in the book. My own full copy of the Marauder's Map.

I solemnly swear I am up to no good.

Not only little treasures waiting to be found, the pages are chockful of information and tidbits.

Like a copy of JK Rowling's handwritten explanation of the Black family tree.

What I am showing here is just a small portion of the book. There are pages and pages of trivia, cast and crew interviews, great prop reproductions and lovely set photographs. This beautiful book can be bought here from Amazon and my brother says it can also be found at the Kinokuniya store here in Singapore. This book is definitely a must buy for any Potterhead. I love it so much.

Also check out my Pinterest board which has the same title as this post. It's also filled with great Potter related stuff that I repinned there. Follow me if you liked it!

Harry Potter changed my life

Love: Shinzi Katoh and Young Hearts

Zakka lovers alert!

Famous Zakka artist Shinzi Katoh has collaborated with Young Hearts, the lingerie line, to produce a special limited edition collection of home wear and pajamas!

That's right, you can finally buy and wear Shinzi Katoh designs in Singapore!

I was so thrilled to discover this collaboration in Intimate Closet, a store that carries Young Hearts among other lingerie brands and I knew I had to get a set even though I don't wear PJs.

Isn't this just adorable?? I got a set that is a short-sleeved top and shorts in my favourite A Little Red Riding Hood design. They also have the Cheri and Cinderella series. I just have this thing for Little Red Riding Hood, especially Shinzi Katoh's. Now when you buy a set, it comes with a matching little eco drawstring bag where you can keep your precious set in.

A closer look at the pretty little bag.

All ready to go!

Look at the adorable little details. Who could be afraid of this cute little wolf?

I'm a really skinny little person and the smallest size they had was medium, I haven't tried the set myself (couldn't bear to wear it heehee) but hey home wear is supposed to be loose fitting and comfy aint it?

Also as an extra treat, when you buy any set you are entitled to buy his other merchandise at 40% off!! I didn't manage to take any photos in the store but there were an iPhone 4S cover (only one design, a pouch, a card holder and a large tote bag.

I picked the tote bag.

There are 3 designs and I picked the classic red and white polka-dotted one. It's really roomy and great for shopping.

Back view.

You can browse the complete collection here. Hurry get your set now before it's all gone!