Ciao! Venice, Italy!

Hi guys! Sorry for the long hiatus! I'm currently on school exchange and hence, will be converting this blog to a travel blog for the span of 6 months. Whee~ Hello from Rome, Italy everyone! I'm currently snuggling up in my couch, as I'm typing this blog post. Gotta type quickly as the internet is bonkers when everyone else is awake. I still can't believe I am in Italy for 6 months, despite being having reached here for a week! I have not spent much time in Rome yet as we took the train off to Venice to catch the annual masquerade carnivale. Venice is one of my most highly anticipated city in Italy and it did not disappoint.

 
I highly recommended buying the water bus pass for 18 Euros (For youths) and you can use it to travel anywhere within Venice. I always choose to sit outside when i'm on the boat even though it was freezing. It's an experience you have to try and you get to see Venice from another angle! :)

One of my fave places in Venice is the Burano Island.It's definitely worth half a day of exploring and just enjoying the unique architecture of pastel coloured houses. It's so beautiful and I really want to go back someday! In line with the Carnivale, the kids also dressed up in costumes at Burano and everyone was in masks and superheroes outfits!


We notice PDA-ing everywhere. LOL But isnt this a nice shot? :)

You have to try the Carbonara when u're in Italy. It's totally different from the ones we have in SG. It's drier, less creamy and wayyyyy tastier! Even if you're not a fan of cheese, you won't be disappoint by the taste of the Carbonara here. :)

P.s i really want to try blogging regularly on my adventures in Italy and anywhere in Europe. Fingers cross i can keep to that promise! :) Ciao! Till next time everyone!

Review: Jacqueline Burchell (Singapore) Nail Polishes

Hi guys! Today I will be reviewing a set of polishes from Jacqueline Burchell (Singapore). Being a huge fan of nail polishes and manicures, I love to do my nails once a week at home as my finger nails are soooo brittle. Gelish seems like a good solution but I love to mix up my colours, hence i prefer to DIY at home.

Jacqueline Burchell provides a wide range of polishes from Gel to Lacquer and they have recently launched their 2013 collection. I've been eyeing the green as Pantone has declared green to the colour of 2013.

Anyws, back to the set i tried:) The set came in a very pretty sachet with 4 mini bottles(5 ml) to complete your very own manicure. Isn't the packaging absolutely thoughtful? :D I was pleasantly surprised by the effort they went into presenting their products.

Here are the 4 products in close up!

From the left: Calcium Base Coat, Nail Lacquer in Tinsel Town, Top Coat, Cuticle Oil

First of all, I really like the packaging. It's very small and compact. I'm glad they do also offer nail polishes in mini sizes as I never get through a full bottle of nail polish. Mini size enable me to try out the colours before deciding if I want to get the full size OR I can get a couple of mini nail lacquer instead a full bottle of nail lacquer:D Perfect for a nail junkie like me!

Visit www.jacquelineburchell.com

Jacqueline Burchell Calcium Base coat

Starting off with base coat. The liquid is pink based but it applies clear on the fingers. First thing you notice when you unscrew the cap is a very strong alcoholic scent. It lingers for awhile then dissipate completely after a couple of seconds. The base coat does what it is supposed to do, after applying the base coat, I do notice it evens out the surface of my nails and the polish applied easily afterwards. All the polishes brushes are slightly wider which i like as my nail surface is rather big. Hahas. Wider brush heads also reduce streaking as you can easily cover the surface area of the nail with 2 swipes.

Moving on to the nail lacquer I received, it is gorgeous rose gold colour with pink/purple glitter flecks. I'm usually not a big fan of glitter polishes but I really like this rose gold colour! It is a very unique colour and I have not seen any possible dupes for this colour. For any glitter fans, definitely try this colour & you won't be disappointed! :)

Jacqueline Burchell Nail Lacquer - Tinseltown

One thing i like about this polish is the amount of shine it gives! It is so shiny after it dries, even without the top coat. I remember skyping my friend while doing my nails and i showed her over the webcam, both of us agreeing at how reflective the nail colour is. HAHA! It's really opaque as well. 2 coats and you're good to go! :)

Top Coat

The top coat dries very fast and provides a shiny finish to the polish. I always use a quick dry top coat when i do my nails as i like to meddle with things all the time. My standard manicure time is 30 minutes and I'm glad this top coat does its job! :) 5 minutes into applying the coat and my nails are dry!:D

Cuticle Oil

Last but not least, it is the cuticle oil. It moisturises my cuticles, a step which i always forget to do. However, upon application of the cuticle oil, i do notice my dry cuticles are less obvious and the corners look less 'peel-ly' if you know what i mean.

Total time doing this manicure = 30 mins (including application time)
Calcium base coat - 5 minutes
Nail lacquer 1st coat- 5 minutes
Nail lacquer 2nd coat- 5 minutes
Top Coat- 5 minutes
Cuticle oil - 2 minutes

Pros:
Quick & easy to apply
Dry fast
Opaque colours
Awesome finishes

Con:
Strong alcoholic scent

Overall, I like these products and thumbs up for a SG brand in making such awesome formulas colours!:)

Check out Jaqueline Burchell Singapore at:
http://shop.jacquelineburchell.com/

Favourite blushes of 2012

Hey guys! As you know, i'm a huge blush fanatic and i'm always on the hunt for a new blush colour/brand. Hence, I would like to share my top 4 picks of 2012! There are drugstores and high end ones. I'll be mostly sharing my most used blushes in 2012, & believe me, i have ALOT of blushes.

Here I present to you my top 4 blushes of 2012:

From the left: NARS Sin, Majolica Majorca puff de cheek in Cherry
Stila convertible lip/cheek colour in lillium, Nars Douceur 

Majorlica Majorca puff de cheek in Cherry

 I have 2 of the Majolica Majorca blushes and i have to say Cherry is one of my favourites! It is very cherry red colour which gives you a very nice flush on the cheeks. I usually stay away from pink blush because it makes my sensitive cheeks look very red. Hence, i'm kinda surprise i even picked out this blush since it's red! However, this colour is really popular in Japan now and it looks gorgeous on yellow skin tones like me. The colour wears pretty well if i were to stay indoors in whole day. The best thing is it doesnt oxidise/turn colour throughout the day. I usually use the puff to apply the blush as i think the brush doesnt pick up much product. Be aware that the blush is very pigmented and hence i suggest using a light hand.

Nars Douceur

'Nuff said. Most natural blush ever. If i want a more natural look or the no makeup look, i always go to this blush. When i first bought it, i wore it everyday for 2 months. Shows how much i love it!

Nars Sin

This is one of the first NARS blush i bought & i never regretted it. It is a plummy pink which looks super natural on the skin. Do note that it is extremely pigmented and you only need to use a very light hand. This is very unique colour and I think it's definitely worth the price. NARS blushes are very long lasting which is another factor why I love NARS blushes.

Review: http://kisstheraind.blogspot.sg/2012/12/nars-sin-review.html

Stila Convertible lip/cheek colour in Lillium

One of the most popular Stila cream blush. It's a natural browny pink which definitely shows up well on the cheek. I find it easier to apply with a brush, easy to blend. Usually i'll just use my traditional foundation brush to apply it. Last the whole day if you set it with a powder/blush overlay. I want to get another one! I think it is reasonably priced as well, 35SGD in Sephora which is not too bad for a higher end blush. :) I give it a big thumb up!:D

What about your favourite blushes? :)

New fave red lippie? Review: Canmake lipstick in 03

Hey guys! The red lip has been really in trend lately. Major celebrities and runways are all donning the classic red lip. However, i always find it hard to pull off, without looking too mature/old for my age. My friend recommended me the Canmake lipstick in 03 a long time ago, raving about it and saying tt it will definitely suit my skin tone. So, I randomly picked it up from watson, unsure of how it will look on me. Surprisingly, it's a really pretty colour and i do not find it too bold to wear in the daytime.

Isn't the packaging gorgeous? It looks very sleek and well made. The cap closes very tightly as well.

This red lipstick is more of a reddish pink as compared to other American/European brands. This is also why I prefer japanese products as the colours usually suit asian skin tones better. 

It is very pigmented and applies true to colour from the tube. It gives quite glossy finish which i like and applies very smoothly on the lips. The only downside is that because of it's creaminess, the colour does slide around alittle but nothing too major. This colour is able to last 3-4 hours on my lips with slight fading. Overall, i do recommend this! Thanks to Luyao who has recommended the colour to me!:D

Wearing Canmake's lip colour in 03

DIY Studded Denim shirt!

Hi everyone! It's the last day of 2012. Have you thought of your new year's resolutions yet? :) I'm doing countdown with my family at home today. Lols Gonna do my resolutions later. Perhaps i will share it tomorrow, in order to make myself more motivated to follow them. Hahahas. It's a pretty quiet day for me today. Went to work in the morning and went to do some personal shopping in the afternoon. THEN i went home wanting to complete some DIY projects i have been wanting to do but was too lazy to accomplish. :X

Anyws, I bought some studs from a flea market few weeks back with no idea what i'm gonna do with them. Then i realised i have a denim shirt which i have forgotten about AND I decided to stud the collars to give the shirt abit more edge. Hey! Studs are pretty in style right now, right? Lols. I bought the studs at 25 for 2bucks which isn't too bad. I'm sure ebay sells them cheaper.

Here's how it went!
First i select the shirt that i want to stud. I recommend not to choose something too sheer as the studs may tear the material if it is too thin.

Here are the studs that i picked up. 25 studs is not alot actually considering you have to stud both sides of the shirt. Thinking about picking up a bag of 100 from ebay. The DIY project is pretty fun!:D Anyws, a spoon is sufficient to press the pointy edges to secure the studs. Make sure that you press all the way in or else the studs will come off easily!!

Here's how the finished product look like! Looks pretty good huh. & you are actually recycling your old clothes! It took me 15 mins to complete the project. Hahahas, it's actually pretty addicting. I really wanna get more studs to stud my jeans:D It's a great way to pass time! :)

DIY studded denim shirt- close up

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE!

NARS Sin Review

I can't believe 2012 flew by so fast! :O It's rather scary we're growing up so fast, i'll be 22 in just 22 days! ahhhhs!!! Before i round up the year with a post tomorrow, I would like to share a product which i have neglected for the past months and have just rekindled my love for it. It is NARS Sin blush! I love NARS blushes in general. They have good pigmentation and the colour wears very well on the skin. Nars is one of the few blushes which does not oxidises on me throughout the day.

As always, i love their packaging. It's sleek and easy to store. The only downside is the rubberise texture gets dirty soooo easily. The packaging looks old and battered up even though i have not had it for very long :/ Nevertheless, it's a minor issue which i do not mind.

NARS blush in Sin

Sin is a purplish plum colour. It looks very dark on the pan but it applies gorgeously. You have to beware on using a light hand when applying. The colour is very pigmented and you wouldn't want to over apply it. I think it suits all skin tones, especially asian skin like me. It applies like a purplish pink on the cheeks and it has amazing lasting power. 

This is one of my favourite blushes of all time. Any girl who is sick of wearing pinks all the time can try this colour for a change! I do not see myself hitting pan soon since you only need such a small amount.

I'm really excited that NARS has finally launched in Singapore. All NARS blushes retail for 50 SGD in Tangs which i think is slightly overpriced. Having said that, i think the colour is unique enough to make the splurge. I bought this before the brand was launched in SG though. So tempted to get Deep throat next! Shall wait till i'm back from my exchange! :D

Merry xmas! + Taylor Swift wonderstruck perfume review!

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas!!! Today i would like to share about a perfume i have been using for 6 months and one that i am really fond of. :) && it's Taylor Swift Wonder Struck perfume!:D I bought it early this year at the Airport Duty free as i couldn't wait for the official release in Singapore. However, it was recently released in Sephora so you can get it now there!

Isn't Taylor Swift gorgeous in the advert? 

Extracted from the Sephora website:

Taylor's personal life experiences inspired this fragrance. Just like her creative approach to songwriting, every element is authentic, embracing all that is special about Taylor. 

Wonderstruck is an awe-inspiring feeling. It could be a connection with someone or a rush you get when you experience something magical. Wonderstruck is also a lyric in the song "Enchanted" on Taylor's album, Speak Now. 

In this fragrance, a charming and sparkling surprise of vibrant fruits kisses a bouquet of soft petals and a touch of sweet indulgence.

A perfectly charmed deep purple bottle holds this enchanting fragrance. The iridescent rainbow finish, never before used in the fragrance industry, gives the bottle a magical glow. The Moravian star, dove, and birdcage charms that adorn the bottle were hand-picked by Taylor to evoke her unique style and whimsical flair. 

Sounds magical? Well, it smells like it!:D If you are a fan of sweet scents or Juicy Couture's Viva la Juicy, i believe you will like this scent as well! The notes are freesia, green tea, apple blossom, raspberry and dewberry. The perfume has a very strong scent of berries. It's like berries overload with a tint of vanilla. :D It's sweet but not too overpowering! 

The staying power is surprisingly long lasting, about 6-8 hours for me. If i'm in the air- conditioned room, it practically lasts the whole day! 

The price ranges from $68 to $109 in Sephora. 

If you're a lover of sweet scents or prefer more berry notes in Viva La Juicy, this is the perfume to try! I think it is not too overpowering to wear it daily. I even find the scent 'cleaner' than VLJ, hahahas a little hard to explain :x

Ps. The Wonderstruck Enchanted is recently launched exclusively in Watson Nuance too! So tempted to get it. Ahhhs, but i have not finished my perfumes:( Maybe next year! :))

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!