AtelierGal

Nature Republic Pinetree Urban Detox Essence
All products from this Korean brand contain a unique blend of purified water collected from renowed sources around the world. It includes various medicinal plants extracts, and natural prescriptions from ancient times. 

Evidently I don't speak nor read Korean, thus I can't explain the benefits and state the ingredients due to the lack of English explanations on the packaging. This is a major shortcoming on most of the products I came across at the store.

I ventured into the store sometime around 11am back in July, and was the only customer at that time. The sales assistant was busy on the phone while I browsed around for something to buy. This essence caught my attention and I had to alert the SA to understand the product better. She seemed a tad confused and gave me an explanation with her eyes on the standee nearby with its description. Bleh!

The lotion contains natural sea pine extracts which is a powerful antioxidant and is effective in decreasing inflammation and eliminating free radicals better than Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The lightweight texture absorbs quickly and can be used alone or with a moisturizer if your skin is more on the dry side. I find it very suitable for my combination skin, leaving my skin decently hydrated, without leaving any greasy residue on my hands and face. 

In fact it keeps shine at bay and I noticed lesser breakouts, sans the hormonal ones. It also has a pleasant mild teatree-like scent. I will re-purchase this again since it works well for me.

I made a trip down to Tony Moly @ Marina Square to get some Ginseng Facial Masks, but have no idea why it wasn't included in my stash when I got home. Surprisingly, the store was not crowded, despite its Grand Opening just a couple of days ago. Check out the ongoing promotions which runs till 30th September.

TomaTox Brightening Mask - S$26.90
This has been selling like hot cakes since Opening Day, and 3 were left on the shelf at the point of my purchase. Make a call to the store (Tel: 63369186) beforehand to ensure that the product is instock.

This creamy oxygen mask contains fresh tomato and vegetable extracts that is enriched with vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A and potent antioxidant Lycopene. Tomatoes are effective in getting rid of the toxins in your skin, control puffiness and relieve chafing. Suitable for those with sensitive skin.

The bright red granules of oxygen bubble are not harsh on the skin, and dissolves after gradual massaging. I was amazed at the instant brightening results on the back of my hand after doing a little demo at the recent Media Preview.

I noticed a subtle glow in my complexion, albeit a temporal effect. For best results, use this mask twice a week, leaving it on the skin for 2-3 minutes at a time.


Intensive Firming Care Lip Smile Patch - S$4.90
This treatment contains nourishing vegetable extracts such as collagen and pomegranate extracts that keep the flaccid C-Zone refreshed and light. Yes, this product targets the nasalabial folds but the essence can be used to treat fine lines around the eye area too!

The patch comes in a hydrogel-type patch that ensure effective delivery of the core nutrients into the deepest part of the skin, providing resilience and vitality. Say bye-bye to laugh lines as you experience the suppleness and firming effect.

Essential Mask Sheet (Strawberry) - S$2.50
Strawberries are rich in salicylic acid that are best used on acne-prone skin. An ideal pack that promises excellent penetrative effect, it helps to control oil, moisturize and revitalize the skin.

100% Natural Pulp Fabric Sheet Mask (Tea Tree) - S$2.50
Tea tree is known for its antimicrobial activity and healing properties such as skin irritations, burns and cuts, and helps to sooth blemished skin.

Vitamin Essence Mask
If you desire something that helps with scars lightning, the dipotassium glycyrrhizate ingredient will give your skin an overall radiance. Also with the presence of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Collagen, it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I was in attendance at the HIP Bloggers' Party organized by L'OREAL Paris yesterday. The event was held at Hairloom & Caramel(#01-52),tucked at a corner of Shaw Towers. The concept of a shop-within-a-shop isn't uncommon, but combining a hair salon and cafe together sounds interesting. Surprisingly, the typical smell of hair products and chemicals was not present across the cafe.

I apologize for the lack of photos from the event, following my continuous bout of mental and physical exhaustion. To make matters worst, I had only 3 hours of sleep the night before and ended up looking solemn. 

A makeup demonstration by makeup artist, Julyen, took up most of the time. He presented numerous tips that proved to be extremely useful such as the "Wash and Pack" eye techniques, using products from the HiP makeup range. Applying an eyeshadow wash is the simplest technique especially for those new to makeup application, use either your brush or clean finger and apply a color all over your lids.

When it comes to building intensity, you want to pack on the pigment instead as it stays on your lids better without leaving unnecessary patches. This technique is especially useful if the eyeshadow is of a loose or powdery texture. If you desire more color intensity, use the wet method by wetting your brush either with MAC FIX+ Spray or water.

For those concerned with creasing, Julian suggested to refrain from applying liquid/powder foundation on your lids. When you sweat, it will cause your makeup to run, and that increases the possibility of your eye makeup to crease.


I was slightly disappointed the loose powder wasn't brought in, seeing that they are a close dupe to Guerlain Terracotta Kohl. Thus, I am unable to make a comparison.

The makeup pouch definitely looks friendlier on the eyes compared to the one received at the previous L'OREAL event.


L'OREAL Paris Base Magique
This transforming smoothing primer is equivalent to the smoothing resurfacing primer from Studio Secrets in the U.S.

The primer comes in a thick paste, with its consistency slightly similar to SmashBox primer which I seemed to favor over Maybelline's these days. The blend of silicon oils and soft light powders helps to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines, and can be used to fill up pores like a poly-filler. Julian even used this as a eye primer during the makeup demonstration.




High Intensity Pigments (HiP) Shadow Duos
Only 8 shades will be brought into the local market; 7 from the Bright Duo range (Adventurous, Bustling, Flamboyant, Flare, Flashy, Riotous Showy), and 1 Metallic Duo (Platinum).

As I'd previously introduced the HiP range, these highly intense colors are of a micro-pulverized formula with great vibrancy that calls for multiples experimentations. Note how bright the colors pictured above even without using a base.

The accompanying colors in "Adventurous" are aligned with my current neutral phase and the gold and plum shades in "Flamboyant" are my frequent go-to colors.

Upon first impression, Platinum and Magnetic look fairly similar when not compared side-by-side. But as mentioned prior, Magnetic is deceiving - the colors looks different when swatched and as seen in the pan. On the other hand, the silver and shimmery black in Platinum are pretty much straightforward.

HiP Color Chrome Eyeliners
These metallic eyeliners are available in 4 shades: Black Shock, Silver Lightning, Gold Charge and Violet Volt. They glide on skin surface like any liquid liner would perform that gives a chrome finish. The silver can be used to highlight the inner corners of your eyes, and the smooth texture can be blended easily and used as a base for a smoky look.

Singapore is the only Asian country to have the HiP cosmetics range available in the Asia-Pacific region. They will go on sale exclusively at selected Watsons outlets from October 2010, and the products will be limited so do stock up!

Clarins Palette Prodige Face & Blush Powder (S$65)
Housed with 4 universal shades that can complement any skin tone, this elegant gold compact comes with a red velvety pouch to protect it from getting scratched. Unfortunately the sleek surface is a magnet for fingerprints.

A multi-functional product that comes with a matte Natural Beige translucent powder, Sun-Kissed Beige bronzer, Sparking Coral blush and a Pale Pink highlighter. The blush has a higher color payoff out of the 4.

The transparent pigments are of high quality with feather-light textures made for easy blending. There are no chunks of glitter and looks great everywhere - down the bridge of the nose, cheeks and brow bones. One swirl of the palette imparts a candlelight glow on my face, and a second layer on my cheeks for more intensity.

Even with a light hand, my camera still managed to capture the glow on my cheeks and the overall radiance!

Oils are effective in dissolving materials that have a similar chemical structure, thus cleansing oil is effective in dissolving liquid foundations.One good example is Revlon ColorStay liquid foundation. The coverage is commendable, and can double up as a concealer! The name says it all - Color-Stay. Which irks me is the difficulty in dissolving the makeup with soap and water. That's where cleansing oil comes in to break down the foundation.

As effective as can be, cleansing oil does clog your pores if not removed properly. Due to a recent breakout, I made the switch to milk cleansers. Most would think the mild solvent won't be able to remove makeup thoroughly but I beg to differ. It is gentle on irritated skin and although it takes up more time, effort and cotton pads, the routine allows me to pay more attention that ensures my face and neck are properly cleansed.

It has been 2 months and I've noticed that I don't develop as much whiteheads as before. So what is your preferred choice of makeup remover?