L’occitane – Bubbly Michelle

A Holiday Gift Guide for the Ladies

December 19, 2015December 19, 2015by Bubbly Michelle1 Comment

One more gift guide for this season and it’s all for the girls! I rounded up some beauty, skincare and home décor for a balanced set of options.

The 1^st rule to gifting is always giving something you’d genuinely like to receive. Something extra special. As everything seen here!

Overall I abstain from gifting makeup as much as possible. With exceptions made for palettes (has lots of variety) or kits keeping within the brands I know the recipient enjoys.

The palettes & kits that caught my eye were,

1. Clé de Peau Holiday Coffret – A stunning limited edition palette for someone VERY special. The packaging is exceptionally beautiful with a masquerade theme this year and come with an eyeshadow quad a red lipstick and a mascara. Retails at $240.

2. NARS Steven Klein Despair Blush Palette – A selection of 4 blushes (3 new & LE) with a mini brush. I love that the packaging isn’t Christmassy which makes this a timeless piece. A great gift for the girl that seems to have everything and sure to be enjoyed for it’s sheer beauty. Retails at $120.

3. Clé de Peau Body powder – A shimmery highlighter for the body which could instantly be put to use for all the parties leading up to Christmas! Retails at $150.

4. Make Up Forever 15 Artist Shadow Palette – A great mix of neutrals & pops of colour. Unfortunately when I stopped by Sephora, the tester was no where to be found. However I still wish I got myself one. It’s great value for money! Retail price, $116.

Beauty tools & gadgets always make great gifts. Hence why companies come out with loads of brush sets specially this time of year. I spotted a few beautiful brush sets at Bobbi Brown and also Make Up Forever. Both excellent quality with the added bonus of festive appeal. If you swing by those counters today, do check them out. Sets always come handy for travel.

5. Bobbi Brown Travel Brush Set – A beautiful silver leather cased set of 6 brushes (full sized) for the face and eyes. This ones’s a slightly splurge-y pick but makes a wonderful gift for that jet setting friend (or yourself) 😉 Retail price – $288

6. Make Up Forever Cult Brush Set – A compact set of 5 brushes in a festive red pouch. I checked them out in store and was surprised how lovely they felt to the touch. A steal at $135.

7. Beauty Blender Makeup’s Best Friend Set – Contains two regular Beauty Blenders, a micro.mini Beauty Blender and a mini Rea.activate liquid. Good value for just $68. I got one for myself!

Skincare is also a popular choice and I love giving ‘the gift of good skin’ to friends & family. In general I prefer picking up curated sets as they have been carefully selected and packaged with gifting in mind and usually good value. Here’re a few that caught my eye.

8. Charlotte Tilbury The Gift of Red Carpet Skin – was a gift to myself this year and it’s been such a great buy! I know my friends would love to receive this too. Retail Price – $59

9. Skin Inc Mask to Perfection – A set of Skin Inc’s best selling masks packaged in a festive silver case. I love this set for value for money and also that it’s beautifully packaged for gifting! ($145, valued at $195).

10. Shiseido Snow Beauty – This powder doubles up as skincare and comes packaged in a gorgeous limited edition snow flake design. A beautiful gift for someone who appreciates collectible packaging. Retail price – $90.

11. L’Occitane Jasmin Immortelle Gifting trio – A set of hand cream, lip gloss and soap. (L’Occitane Singapore is currently having a 10% off discount on selected Christmas sets today. Now’s the time to swoop in!) They have plenty of options for gifting!

Lastly some gifts for the home.

12. Kikki K But First Coffee Mug – I picked this one up for myself as I adore the minimalistic design in simple typography. Also makes an appropriate gift for any coffee drinker 🙂 Retail price – $19.90

13. Jo Malone Candle Trio – Another great gift for the girl who has everything (hoping she hasn’t bought this already!). The set contains, Blackberry & Bay, Pine & Eucaliptus and the popular holiday release, Roasted Chestnut. All smell amazing! Retail price – $180

Store Locations

Clé de Peau – Tangs Orchard

Jo Malone – Tangs, MBS Shoppes, Takashimaya

Kikki K – Ion Orchard

L’Occitane – Tangs, Ion Orchard

Shiseido – Takashimaya, Tangs, Paragon

Charlotte Tilbury – Net-a-Porter, Selfridges

Skin Inc – Ion Orchard & Sephora

Bobbi Brown – Tangs, Ion Orchard

Beauty Blender – Sephora

NARS – Sephora, Robinsons, Tangs

Lifestyle, Makeup, Skincare

The Art of Stocking Stuffing!

December 16, 2015December 16, 2015by Bubbly Michelle1 Comment

With less than 10 days to go, i’m guessing there’s a mile long list of things to get done. Gift shopping, mad baking, spring cleaning and holiday decorating galore. In my opinion gifts are priority though, after all we don’t want to be the sad lot running all over town in ridiculous traffic, battling thousands of others on Christmas eve! It’s good to get it done and over with as early as possible. Everything else can follow after!

So today, i’m here to share a bunch of gifts I gathered for stocking stuffing. All super cute and also useful gifts that won’t break the bank 🙂

(click to enlarge)

Most everything seen above is $25 or under with the exception of just two. You are bound to find options for a variety of budgets!

Etude House was my first stop for gift shopping. This year they truly outdid themselves with the cutest holiday treats.

1. Ginger Cookie Contour Maker – The cutest thing I bought this season and I ended up with multiples. This one retails at $ 24.90. Just under the 25 mark! The overall quality is lovely and doesn’t feel cheap. I love it!

2. Pudding Tints – Lip gel tints that came in 5 flavours. They are stains that last all day. The best part was the packaging though, wrapped in a box complete with a bow just like Christmas pudding! Price – $13.90.

3. Bling Me Prism – Even though these weren’t from the holiday collection, I really loved how cute and fun these cream eyeshadows were. They come packaged like a lip gloss, with a wand for application. Overall the quality was phenomenal, they last ALL DAY and retail at just $11.90. BUY ALL.

Next up, Stenders. The one stop shop for affordable yet awesome gifting! Nearly everything they sold were cute thoughtful gifts with the holiday soaps being my favourites!

4. Blueberry Snowflake soap – Intricate and festive, this would make a pretty treat for your gal pals or even the men in your life. There’s also a Goat Milk Angel soap too ($9) for that perfect festive touch.

5. Damascus Rose soap – For the girls who love rose scented body care. Retail price – $9.

6. Coffee Lip Balm (contains 60% natural Shea Butter + coffee oil) – This one’s perfect for the guys. I love that it’s a unisex fragrance and make a thoughtful gift for men who keep stealing their partners lip balms. I bought one for hubby 😉 Retail price – $10.

Sephora shoppers on the look out for gifts below 25, i’ve got you covered too! Here’re some nifty things I received in a press package 🙂 + a few I picked up as well.

7. Let it Snow Handcream – A lightly fragranced hand cream packaged in a snowy blue tube. This one retails at $10.

8. Mini Hot Water Bottle – I ended up buying multiples! A cute blue patch that can be used as a hot or cold compress. The festive print makes it even more stocking friendly imo! Retails under $8 I belive.

10. Sephora Colour Around the World eye and face palettes – This one’s a sneaky addition which can be broken up and stuffed in 4 stockings! Each named after a city (Paris, Rome, Rio, NY) they contain 4 eyeshadows and a blush to create a look. Retails at $52.

11. Sephora Kiss Me Balm – Tinted lip balms in cute egg shaped packaging! Perfect gift for those younger gals just getting into makeup. Price, $14.

12. Skin Inc Facial in a Flash! – for the jet setting pal. This comes with three components for a complete at-home facial. What’s not to love?! (there’re three sets to choose from depending on skin concern. Collagen for wrinkles & fine lines. Licorice for sensitive and irritated skin. Vitamin C for enlarged pores and oily skin) Retail price – $39

13. Sephora Masks – Face masks are a great way to add a few extra treats without much effort. I particularly love these eye masks by Sephora. They are packaged in cute acrylic cases that contain 5 each. Great for even dividing among a few stockings! ($3 each)

On to a few goodies I picked up from L’Occitane. This years holiday collab with Pierre Hermé was a match made in heaven for any L’Occitane loving lady. I grabbed the Jasmin Immortelle Neroli range, my favourite from the three limited edition lines!

14. Hand Cream – One of L’Occitanes star products. These hydrate well and absorb immediately. No greasy hands! Retails at -$15.

15. Lip gloss – Available in three LE fragrances. Retails at $48 for a trio.

16. Shea Butter Soaps 100g – Make stylish gifts for just about anyone! Mom would love some french soap right? Retails at $9.50.

Last but not least, cute gifts from Jo Malone! No stocking stuffer guide would be complete without their gorgeous cracker!

17. Christmas Cracker – This contains three Jo Malone favourites. Blackberry & Bay Cologne, Lime Basil & Mandarine Hand & Body Wash and a Peony & Blush Suede Body Lotion. All in travel friendly mini sizes! LOVE!

That concludes my little guide for today! Stay tuned for more gift ideas tomorrow! 😉

Makeup

Summer Dreams

June 10, 2014June 10, 2014by Bubbly Michelle5 Comments

So it’s finally summer! Armed with two beach vacations under my belt, I believe I am ready to dish my list of essentials for a sunny getaway.

Here’s the round up.

If you hadn’t noticed already, I am a huge fan of bronzing.

Personally I don’t think pasty white legs or face for that matter looks very beach worthy. So for a skin safe option (Cos nobody wants to run the risk of getting skin cancer), I like to pack a bronzer or two. Golden and glowy, the safe way.

The two I have been loving the most so far are my Chanel Les Beiges in No. 02 that came out this summer and this older LE version which I have been enjoying as a blush. It’s actually the ideal mix of corally pink bronze that mimics the natural light rosiness you get on the high points of your face after a good day in the sun. (I like to use the top three stripes, as it’s the darkest and suits my current NC 35 skin well)

So to talk more about the Les Beiges No. 02 since it’s still available…

This is a very light bronzer to add just a hint of warmth to your face. I usually use the top two stripes. And the top most stripe (which is the lightest) contains a very light shimmer and imparts a radiant glow (You can use it alone as a subtle highlighter). The last stripe if used by itself is great as a summer blusher or defining your cheekbone a bit more for a soft contoured look.

Bottom line, it’s a very finely milled luxurious product that’s of good quality. I highly recommend it.

Next up, I want to share something i’ve been loving for a while now, not only is it conveniently packaged for travel. It’s also a quality product that works!

The Cle de Peau Concealer.

Needs no introduction, and is indispensable for covering up any blemishes or dark under eyes circles.

I usually don’t wear foundation while on vacay as I like my makeup fresh and light and this is perfect for covering up the nasty little blemishes that may pop up and evens out the complexion. If your budget permits, it’s worth picking up!

Another summer favourite are cream blushes. They are perfect for adding colour without the powdery feel. And usually longer wearing and budge proof compared to their powder counterparts.

My personal favourites are coral blushes, and Chanel Intonation is the perfect bright coral to rock with your freshly acquired tan. It’s super easy to apply (I just use fingers FYI ) and get a believable, natural flush every time. Just make sure you pat and blend well so that you don’t end up with a harsh streak of blush across your cheek.

For eyes, the obvious. Water proof mascara.

It’s a must have for keeping your eyes looking defined and wide open. I usually never wear waterproof mascara, but always pick one up during the summer months specially for hitting the beach. One of the best out there are by Helena Rubinstein. Her line of mascaras are HG material. And I love them. They last all day and are budge proof.

Another eye essential is colourful bright eye liner. Somehow every year this trend keeps coming back and I really love it.

It’s a great way to add a fun touch of colour to define your eyes and draw attention to them. For waterproof versions, the Stila ones are great and they come in a load of gorgeous colours. My current favourite is this pretty, light blue liquid liner I packed last weekend for my trip to Krabi.

So eye shadow is not something i’d consider a summer vacation staple. But if there was one eyeshadow I recommend you take on your beach vacay, it’s Kauai.

Kauai was a LE duo that came out this spring and if you didn’t pick it up.. ooops! you missed out on something amazing! The gold and purple combo is soo buttery smooth and the pigmentation was out of this world. It is by far my favourite Nars duo ever. The gold in this is perfect for a wash of colour and I paired it with this pretty aqua blue YSL liner from Summer 2014 for a quick eye makeup look.

The purple shade was great for night time, and creates a very fresh smoky look when paired with the gold.

So if you didn’t get a hold of this, I highly recommend you check out the Nars duos that came out for summer this year. Do not miss out! (The green/lavender version is stunning for those who are bolder with their eye makeup, and the pigmentation was excellent!)

Now onto Lips!

So I packed a few bright lipsticks, but none of them ended up being used! But guess what I did use everyday as my go-to lip colour?

This new lip tint by Clio!

It was an unexpected find while on a routine visit to the drug stores. I love that it’s quite moist on the lips and feels feather light and undetectable due to it’s watery texture. This is one of my top favourite products this summer and very budget friendly, and I highly recommend it.

Lastly here are some new summer fragrances that I have been enjoying.

Below is a lovely little travel set of Guerlain EDT’s that released for summer in the DF. It comes with 4 fragrances that are light and fresh.

The Manderine Basilic was my favourite and has a very uplifting effect. Perfect for a quick splash in the mornings to wake up the senses before heading out.

Also another great makeup bag essential I chanced upon is this gel type perfume by L’occitane. I love the convenience of this type of packaging as its’ spill proof and great for mid day touch ups.

Plus the gel is quite interesting so it caught my eye! haha I just had to have it.

The fragrance is very fresh and slightly sweet. And if you are someone who like more feminine scents, this one’s for you!

So that’s what I have been enjoying this summer. Of course if I find more interesting summer goodies i’d be sure to keep you informed. But for now, these get my stamp of approval as they are of excellent quality and travel friendly.

Thank you for reading.

Wishing you a fab week ahead!