Category: female vanities

Many years back, I was walking in Orchard Road, Singapore with Jules where we discovered a closed bag sale. There were loads of beautiful bags there – the classic, the elegant, the modern.

I got my mum a beaded one, something like this except it was in red.

And then I looked around for something that would catch my eye. And at length, across the corner, there it was … it had all the elements that I loved, it was green, it had a cat and a frog, it was unique. But most importantly, it was so adorable.

I held my breath as there was a woman who started to pick it up and examined it for the longest time, and then after an eternity, finally placed it down. I went over, and realised that there was a slight imperfection – a screw from the handles were missing. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to just let this lovely thing go, so I went over to the cashier and pleaded with her, almost hysterically to ask her if there was anything she could do.

Fortunately for me, eventually she came back with a screw she found and I tucked my new purchase under my arms triumphantly. I really did love my cat bag.

</grandfather stories>

In any case, with the years of wear and tear, one of the black fabric attached to the handles broke and I didn’t know where to go to. I really didn’t want to throw my little cat bag away. But I didn’t know of any places to fix it, so it stayed in the cupboard for the longest time.

It was only recently when walking around San Paolo that I found out that there was a cobbler in the area. My goodness, shoe repairing is a dying trade. It was such a rare thing to see, even in Singapore. It was as if I hit the lottery.

So I rushed back home and on the day itself, I brought my beloved cat bag in. They took about two weeks to have it fixed. And then it was as good as new!

I paid 4 euro, which was quite affordable. So much so that Cart’s scrambling to find old shoes that he could have fixed.

So if you’re in Rome and would like to have your favourite shoes and (maybe bags) fixed, you might want to stop by San Paolo. It’s a nice area to explore anyway.

The cobbler is somewhere along Via Corinto, either number 4 or 6. Google maps is a little outdated here, as it shows shops which are not there anymore. Regardless, you could spot it out easily as it’s right next to a vegetable shop.

Do you know of any other cobblers in your area? When was the last time that you went to an old-school cobbler? Do share below 🙂

Have you ever used things out of the kitchen to make your own DIY toiletries? In a lot of instances, it works just as well as the products you buy over the counter. Moreover, since you know what is going in the mix, you risk having less adverse effects on your skin.

When I was about 12 years old, I experimented with making an egg mask and not too long ago, I found out about the benefits of bicarbonate of soda, which I love.

I’ve also been using the mix below as a dry shampoo. You add about a spoonful of corn flour and a spoonful of cocoa powder. Mix together with a few drops of essential oil. You can use a soft fluffy brush to dab it on your dry scalp and then brush it off.

The corn flour is supposed to soak away excess oil, which makes the hair looks greasy. But leaves just enough to keep hair shiny and healthy with it’s natural oils. Which is why there are some people who are all for dry shampoos.

I guess it works. But you have to get over seeing yourself with powder and get used to the smell of cocoa in your hair. Plus it’s quite messy and I tend to see a lot of chocolate powder on the sink as I brush the powder away.

Anyway, to continue with the wonderful no package shop that I visited, I thought that I’d share also some DIY shampoo and conditioner that I learnt how to make at La Citta.

To make your own shampoo, you need :

• A tablespoon of chickpea powder
• A tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 100 ml of water

Mix the ingredients in a bottle and shake it well. This shampoo lasts for about 2 washes and should be used within the week.

You use it as a regular shampoo – rub it on your scalp and in your hair. It probably feels odd to use as it doesn’t sud and have bubbles like a regular shampoo. And the smell from the vinegar is something that you have to overcome. I have to admit that I was really sceptical that it would work but after two days of washing my hair this way, I have to say that my tresses look really good.

Chickpea powder is supposed to have a good cleansing properties for the scalp and the acidic properties from the vinegar makes the hair shiny.

Next time, I think I’d add some essential oil to make the smell more bearable.

To make your own conditioner/hair masque, you soak some linseed for several hours. Possibly even overnight. After that, you heat it up and then set the timer to 5 minutes once it starts simmering. There should be white bubbles as what you see below.

By then, the consistency of the liquid should be a little bit viscous, slightly gel-like but still watery. At this point, let it cool down and then separate the liquid from the seeds. The part we use is the liquid.

And to use the conditioner, you simply spread it on your scalp and hair, leave it on for a while and wash it off. Or for a deeper conditioning effect, leave it on for several hours while you do your housework, chores or grocery shopping. It’s transparent so no one could really tell if you tied up your hair.

Men could use this too for their beard.

Anyway, this conditioner, I love it a lot! The smell is pleasant hit of sweetcorn and somewhat floral. It’s a little messy to use it from the recycled glass bottle I used, so I reckon it’ll be much easier to get a squeeze bottle to store the conditioner the next time.

Check out how my hair is loving it. Shiny and bouncy! And believe me, I’m not using any other additional products at all the past week. I’m really surprised at how well it works on me.

All in all, I’d still use my regular shampoo once in a while, but after this little experiment, I really don’t mind continuing with the DIY shampoo and conditioner 🙂

This post is going to be a little narcissistic, but it’s my blog and I can do what I want with it (moreover, I’m not sure what to blog for today, so this post is a sort of filler I guess)

Anyway, I’m quite a fan of X Factor Italia, ever since I first watched it. And last week, one of the contestants was singing an Amy Winehouse song. I didn’t really fancy how he sang it, but nevertheless I’ve always liked Amy’s voice and songs (and I think it’s such a waste of what happened to her) so from there, it was a catalyst for me feeling so inspired that I had the intense desire to dress up like her.

So there I was early Sunday morning busily spraying my hair with hair spray, trying to pouf it as big as I could (wasn’t easy as my hair wasn’t that long) and when I was done, giggled like crazy and jumped to a surprised Cartcart to say, “Tadah!”

I have to say, I’m thankful to have such an open minded husband. As luckily for me, Cart didn’t laugh or thought I was crazy (but it was possible :p) Instead, his reaction was, “Cool!”

Anyway, if you’re interested in getting this look, the hair I used this tutorial (the sock bun is a great idea!) and the eyeliner from this tutorial. I didn’t want to fuss with tying a scarf so I used an usagi hairband. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

I quite like this look, I think I could even go out in public like this. Heheheh 😀

As we move towards the middle of Autumn, the colder temperature tends to make my skin dryer than usual. Here are a couple of potions that I keep in the bathroom cabinet to ease me through the colder weather

1. Provenzali Olio di Mandorle

Also known as sweet almond oil, this was something that I got on a whim. It was on an offer for about 5 euro, but turned out to be a holy grail for me. It does so much good for me, much more than regular body creams.

As I have sensitive skin, I’m amazed at how fast it helps to heal the scratch marks on my skin and when rubbed into my nails, it tends to make them grow much faster. The good thing is that it doesn’t make me feel sticky, and true to it’s claim, even after 24 hours, my skin doesn’t get that white mark when you do a scratch test.

Each bottle takes about 3-4 months to use (and I use it very liberally) and I’m just about to start using my second bottle now (the magnolia scented one). They both smell so gorgeous!

2. Ambrosia Multi Tasking Serum by Lucy Minerals

This is not the best pictorial as you can see, as the words have faded off and there’s just a teeny bit left, which is just enough for one last use. You could search for a better picture online.

Anyway, this was very helpful to me during the winter. But at 28 USD (minus shipping) it wasn’t cheap. So to make it last longer and also for an additional moisturization benefits, I liked mixing this with my body lotion. Or I put it neat on my nails and at the tips of my hair for additional conditioning.

3. Leocrema Mani e Unghie con Cheratina e Vitamina E

At first I thought of this as a pirate for the memorable Nivea brand.

Nevertheless, during the coldest winter, my nails tend to crack and chip a lot. So in dire straits, I got this tube for myself. It was practically the only drug store hand cream that contains keratin and the fact that it was relatively cheap, costing less than 3 euro each was what sealed the deal.

I have to say that it helps a great deal! Using this on a regular basis, I don’t get that horrible tip chip and my hands don’t look like it had freezer burns.

4. Olioseta Cristalli Liquidi

This hair oil was part of something that Jess gave me in her loot. I’ve been using this for some months now, and I like it very much.

I pump about 4 times into my palm and spread it all over my hair. It has a fresh, luxurious scent that I love and seems to calm my hair down, making it a lot more softer and more manageable.

Anyway, these are a few of the things that I use during the colder weather. Have you heard of these items before? And are there any holy grails that you like use during these months? Let me know 🙂

Hi everyone!

If you remember in my previous blog post, I was given a significant amount of cosmetics to use. So I thought that I’d try to slowly use them for at least a week and if I find them memorable, I’ll put up a review on them.

Today, I’ll be sharing with you “Tinted cream” by Eyeko. Researching around, this costs about 10 euro, although I’m not sure if this product is still being sold.

It comes in a bold, anime-like design box. With a name like “Eyeko” it sounds rather Japanese, so I was surprised that it was actually a UK brand.

It comes with a tub which contains 34ml of a 3 in 1 cream  that functions as a Tinted moisturizer, Eye cream and highlighter. It is supposed to give wearers a sun kissed glow and a flawless base.

In all honesty, I wouldn’t get this myself in the first place as I’m not into tanning.

Nevertheless on the box it says, “Infused with skin perfecting light reflectors and antioxidant Vitamins A & E + Vitamin C for a radiant complexion”. Sounds good. All these vitamins are known to be good for skin topically.

Opening it unfortunately, the cream itself looks very very scary. So dark! It is the colour of copper mixed together with shiny, melted dark chocolate with reflective particles.

But don’t let the colours put you off, as it isn’t so bad when you swatch it.

It might look dark, but it blends easily into the skin and in the end, the cream goes sheer, making it look very natural. Below is the same hand after some minutes. The colour looks very subtle, yet the “glow” can be seen.

Next is using the product on my face. Here I am, mostly bare with brow liner (because I have no eyebrows) and moisturiser on.

I take just a little bit of the cream. This amount of swab like this here would be enough for my forehead. Another swab for the nose and cheeks and another tiny swab for the chin. I never had to use too much.

Interestingly, touching the cream is a little bit like touching jelly. It’s extremely dense and bounces back when you remove your finger.

Putting it on, it feels quite cooling because of the emmolient formula. But it doesn’t stay that way though, because it dries up really fast. And if you’re not quick enough in blending, it might leave uneven patches.

My face tends to feel taut after 30 minutes or so. So people with normal or dry skin, prior moisturization is definitely essential.

Here I’ve rubbed in the cream on half of my face. Left side is with cream and the right side without. It doesn’t seem to work that well for darker toned people, as I don’t see any difference on my face.

And here is what it looks like in natural sunlight. Left side with cream. Right side without. Not sure if I see anything different..

But the cream does work! As from what you could see in the picture below, the palm of the hand that I used to swab is stained. It definitely is best for those who have paler skin.

Nevertheless, a good thing about this cream is that it doesn’t seem to stain on my clothes, when I use them on my arms and legs. And it washes away very easily with soap and water.

I haven’t had any bad reactions to the cream in the span of the week that I’ve tried it. But as always it’s good to check the ingredients to see if you could potentially have any allergic reactions.

So to end, I put up a picture of me with my face fully covered with probably 3 more layers of the cream.

See anything different? Nah. I think it’s just not meant for dark skinned girls.

Anyway, I don’t think that I’d be continuing to use this as I much prefer using my Olaz Tinted Moisturizer which has been working out well in my skin routine. Which seems like such a waste for the Eyeko Cream though …

Nevertheless, what do you think of this product?

One of the trends that I’ve noticed going on in Italy are cruciani bracelets. Practically everywhere I go, I see loads of (mostly girls) ranging from teenager to young adults wearing them.

Cruciani bracelets are a type of lace bracelets that comes in different designs – most popular being the hearts, the butterflies and the four leaf clover and in a vast array of colours.

They are supposed to be unisex and worn for good luck and friendship. And they are quite versatile. As it looks rather simple, it can go with many types of outfits from the casual t-shirt or dresses. And you could wear them alone or in multiples and layer it with your favourite bracelets or bangles.

These bracelets was created in Umbria and was made popular by celebrities like Dita Von Teese and Michelle Rodriguez who were seen wearing them.

Personally, I think they are cute and reminds me a little bit of my carefree teenage days when I had a habit of layering loads of colourful rubber bands on my arm.

But I think it’s overpriced at 10 euro each. I’m not sure if it’s a worth it as the bracelets do not have a real clasp, which can be a hassle trying to put it on.

Thank goodness there are imitations available for about a euro each. I’m pretty sure that’s what the young ones are wearing, especially since there aren’t any Cruciani stores in Rome at this point of time.

Nevertheless, what do you think of this trend? Yay or nay?

Hullo everyone! Cart and I have been going all around Rome all for the sake of finding a pair of shoes for my brat sister. And since it’s now the last few days of the summer sale, we thought that we’d take advantage of the situation before prices goes back to full price.

But as it’s the fasting month and coincidentally a heatwave going on, it was really challenging, and I had to control myself not to bite anyone.

Anyway, the shoe in question is a Superga. And this is how you pronounce it :

[audio:superga.mp3]

Superga was born in 1911 in a town in Torino. It started off as being a cheap pair of shoes that were meant for average, ordinary people. Which is the reason for it’s tagline – People’s shoe of Italy. But then it became popular, and evolved to become a famous brand internationally.

In all honesty, I don’t get the hype (by my sister) I mean, they look like ordinary pair of canvas shoes. So what’s so special about them? She actually first noticed Cart wearing them on his trips to Singapore.

And he’s been wearing them for years and he swears by it, insisting that it’s a high quality pair of shoes that would last for a long time.

And so, on our quest to find my sister’s shoes, we headed to the nearest Superga shop which was about 10 minutes drive from where we live where Cart took the chance to buy for himself and me a pair of superga.

It’s like an eyecandy there! The classic model comes in a wide variety of colours, it was hard to choose one!

Cart tells me that the design has been unchanged since 1911. So wearing it, is like wearing a part of history. Only the quality wise has vastly improved after the WW2. And trying them on, they are very comfortable, just slightly heavier than regular canvas shoes as the rubber soles are made of pirelli rubber (the same brand that is used to make tyres) The canvas feels much tougher too. So I suppose these are very durable. But I am very rough with shoes, so lets see!

In the end, we chose for ourselves the colours Navy (for Cart) and Sherwood Green (for me). Not my favourite shade, but it was the few that was available in my size and it was on offer for 69 euro for two pairs

The problem is, the colour that Diana wants is Ottanio which is a sort of turquoise shade. For her size, the shop ran out of it. We then headed to another shop. Same response. And another … and another … Nothing! This colour seems to be very popular!

By the 5th shop, I was so tired that I was ready to throw in the towel and just buy a pair of shoe and get it over with. “Any colour will do!” I wailed, arms flailing. But no! My dear pignolo perfectionist Cartcart insisted. “We must persevere!”

Despite us being half dead, Cartcart always take requests as a personal challenge. It’s a commendable quality I suppose. But it can be very frustrating at times. Ah well! Married life!

Finally we decided to go to the city center and we finally found it!

I also took the chance to get this super cute purple ballerina shoes which was on sale for 27.50 euro

Ok, so it’s not the same colour as what she requested for, but it’s close! The price is more expensive because it’s in a touristy place  … but ah well. I’d pay a bit more just to get it over and done with!

And there you go, my dear sister!

Colour in Blue Caribbean. Much more expensive than mine! Grrr!

Happy birthday, baby! I hope you’re happy with it! And I hope you are satisfied and grateful for the lengths that we had to do to get it for you! So tiring! No more presents for you for a while

Related link :

• Where to find Superga stores in Italy

Sidenote : Speaking of presents. It’s going to be my birthday soon on the First of August! Won’t you wish me on my facebook page? It’ll make my day 🙂

There are two great sales in Italy – One in January and the other in July. Clothes, shoes and bags are on sale from 30 – 70% off. But watch out though, it could be a very scary experience when you have to wrestle with a whole conglomeration of people all around you!

Anyhow, this time I head to Castel Romano, where by chance I found a bag that I completely love. It’s a Kathy Van Zeeland and it has giraffe print and I’ve been searching for it for ages and it’s beautiful and it was 50% off!

Come and take a peek at my video gushing bimbottically about it! 🙂

Much love!

Me : Hey Cartcart. Which one should I wear tonight? The red one or the green one?

Cart : I think the green one fits better for the dress that you’re wearing

Me : Ok! *cheerfully puts on shoes and prances around*

Me : Look how long they make my legs look! *Catwalks back and forth* Laa laa laa laa laa!

Cart : *amused*

Me : I’m so sexeh! OooOOooooooOOOhhh! *poses*

SNAP!!!

Me : Ah shucks! I guess the red one then …

Sidenote : If you haven’t done so already, be a part of the bloggariffic family! It would mean so much to me