Category: female vanities

In Rome, there are a plentiful of bancarelle (ban-kah-rel-leh)

These are makeshift stalls that could sell anything from clothes, cosmetics and accessories and sometimes even second hand stuff. They usually function in the morning till late afternoon and they are easy to spot because they seem to be quite out of place – cheerful, colourful stalls stark right next to the roadside.

Bancarelle are different compared to mercati (mer-kah-tee) as they are usually separated, located outside of the wet markets.

And you can also almost always find them outside of Metros, train stations and bus interchanges in Rome. One of the most well known bancarelle would be the weekend market at Porta Portese.

I like bancarelle because they tend to sell items for cheap, compared to items that you can find in regular shops. So it’s like a sale everyday! Although, you’d have to keep your eyes wide open and always compare prices, as this is not always true.

Personally, I don’t go for beauty items here because I feel a little dubious about the source and the expiry date. But that’s just me.

But most of the time, you could find some little treasures here like clothes and bags. I even saw a bancarella selling a smaller version of my cat bag. It was only 5 euro! You can imagine how much I  was so tempted to get it. But I’m sticking to my “At least once a year” rule. i.e. If I don’t use it at least once in a year, it’s better not to get more

I need to get this fixed though. I still love this bag and want to continue using it. But one of the side of the handle is torn. I wonder if there is a cobbler here who could do that for me?

Anyway, sometimes you’d find stuff that you probably won’t feel it. But sometimes you would. I recently got two top which I really really liked. This comfy cotton shirt :

And this rainbow striped one.

Yes. I’m totally molesting this cat.

Anyway, the only bad part is that unless you’ve got really thick skin and don’t mind trying out the clothes in public, you might not know if it fits you well or not. So I’ve yet to buy pants at this point of time.

Nevertheless, I got these top for 5 euro each! What a steal!

Updated : Check out some of the outfits that I’ve created with the items that I’ve bought from some of the bancarelle around Rome!

• Porta Portese
• Eur Fermi
• Tor di Valle
• Piramide

About a month ago, I went to a kiko cosmetics shop to get some of their nail polishes. As far as I know, the polishes here are the cheapest in Italy, with a bottle costing at a minumum of 2.50 euro.

Anyway, my eyes were attracted to the ’30 days extension mascara’. I don’t know why I decided to get it in the end since I normally wear glasses and mascaras (all mascaras) tend to streak my lenses.

I think I paid  about 8 euro for this (though I feel a little cheated though that now the price has dropped down to 3.90 euro!!!) And now that I’ve been using this for 30 days, I’ll do a quick review.

The mascara claims to increase the length by 169% with constant use with the help of their K2 pro-growth complex (what’s that?) and has been tested on 20 women for 30 days to prove this claim.

I’m not going to claim that I’m an expert on the ingredients. But it’s a good habit to read what the formula is made of, just in case you might find out that you could be allergic to an ingredient like silica or beeswax.

The mascara comes in a 8ml stick which is more than enough to last for about 30 days use. As far as I know, there is only one choice of colour – black.

Opening the mascara, you’d get a regular type of wand. And I don’t know if it’s just the particular stick of mascara that I bought or if I was unlucky at getting a bad batch, but the formula was so dry! Hence, it tends to be a little bit clumpy. It was as if painting the walls with semi wet paint.

The mascara is not water-proof by the way. And so it is easily washed away with regular soap. So, try not to cry when you’re using this, or you’d end up with racoon eyes!

Anyway, I have been using the mascara faithfully for about 4 hours a day. Here is what it looks like on day one.

And here is what it looks like after 30 days.

By the way, a good trick that I’ve learnt on how to put on mascara is to brush it down. Wait for it to dry a little and then brush it up like how you normally do, so you don’t stain the eyelids later on.

And … I see my lashes longer! But it’s very subtle though. I’m not sure if any of my close friends would ever tell the difference. Nevertheless, that’s pretty nifty! 

If you asked me if I would buy it again, I’m not too sure, considering the dry formula that I got (but I could have been unlucky) and also as I’m mainly a glasses user, hence streaking accidents happen easily for me. And it’s such a commitment to be using it constantly during the day.

Maybe ‘the night treatment booster’ could be a better choice for me instead. Since it works the same way, and now that the price has gone down to 3.90 euro.

Should I?

Sometimes the face can feel clogged up regardless how much you cleanse and tone it. So, it’s good to exfoliate your skin every now and then. While there are many scrubs out there, I’m a bit of a cheapo so I use my trusty bicarbonate of soda.

I found out about this technique while using Lucy Minerals and it made sense. Bicarbonate of soda is cheap and easily acessible – you could get them for under 2 dollars from any supermarkets in the world. And while it’s main purpose is for cooking, the particles are rounded and fine in texture, making it both effective and gentle on the skin.

For scrubs, put about half a teaspoon in your palm. You can adjust more or less according to how you feel the next time.

And together in your palm, squeeze in your favourite facial cleanser.

Add some drops of water and mix them together. You should already feel the lovely little beads as you mix them together.

And gently massage it over your face avoiding the delicate areas around the eyes. But if some managed to get into your eyes, flush them with water of course.

Be gentle. Though it’s tempting, never tug your skin as you can aggravate your skin instead of making it cleaner! Continue to massage for a couple of minutes and visualise all the dead skin falling off and new skin peeking in.

And after a few minutes, rinse the exfoliant and dead skin away with cold water.

And now that you’re done, admire your smooth, touchably soft skin. I’m serious, do give it a try. It’ll feel and stay fresh and soft that way for at least half an hour. I was really impressed by this the first time I did a baking soda scrub.

Some of you might end up with your face slightly red, like you came back from exercising. Don’t worry about this. If you were gentle with your skin, this is normal and it will resume to normal in a few minutes.

And now finish off with your favourite toner and moisturizer. This scrub is gentle enough that you can do this for a couple of times a week.

Try it out and see how it goes for you! 🙂

I’ve been using mineral makeup regularly ever since I’ve been introduced to mineral makeup. I liked them mostly because of how natural it looked like on my skin. After using my Revlon one, I switched to Everyday Minerals which to me was probably THE best mineral makeup in 2008.

These are just a few of the base powders that I’ve hit the pan.

Everyday minerals used to have a 45% discount of 12 items or more and I used to do a personal spree once a year as they had But recently, without any notice, Everyday Minerals has taken away this promo. I didn’t like how they are giving me the impression that they do not value their customer, swaying me to switch to something else.

I’m not the only person who’s not happy about this change. But what a pity though, because I thought that the Medium Tan base powder was a nice match for my skin and I really liked their brushes.

Anyway, I was in Cozycot and that was when I stumbled upon this post and I was intrigued. But doing a little more research about Lucy Minerals and it was actually this particular blog post which really clinched the deal.

Makeup that can hide blemishes and still look natural? Woah. I got to have it. So I went ahead and looked through the website. It can be a little confusing trying to navigate through the website as there are a lot of links.

The foundation powders for example, there are three types alone – Original, Oil Control and Light. Original which is said to be creamy, water resistant, free of preservatives and has super antioxidants like apple polyphenols. Oil control is the same as original but more suited for oily skin and light is the same as original but without any additives.

And then you’d have to figure out your shade out of the 19 different foundation shades. Thus it is definitely best to get samples before committing to full sized ones. By the way, this is one of the reasons why I prefer buying foundations online compared to over the counter, since I’ve brown skin and living in Italy, I don’t really have that much choice in darker shades.

I got 6 samples which costs about 11 USD including delivery and it took under 2 weeks to reach Italy. The sachet samples look like these :

Some people might prefer their sample to come in little jars but I didnt mind sachets so much since it brings costs down for delivery charges.

The first test was to check for skin colour match. I’m using the original foundations and tried it on clean, moisturized skin.

Here is how Medium Caramel, Tan Olive and Golden Medium (top to bottom) looks like after 5 minutes on my skin.

And here is how Caramel, Toffee and Medium Caramel (top to bottom) looks like after 5 minutes.

Not the most perfect match, but it looks like Medium Caramel suits me the best out of the 5 samples that I got. So I’ll stick to that for now. And yes, like most people, I do have blemishes like large pores and pimples. Get over it

The next test is the wearabilty test. As how we use other mineral foundations, the trick is to use a dense brush, dip it in a little of the powder and dab it on the face with swirling motions.

This is how much I use regularly. Don’t use too much powder as the foundation is actually quite concentrated and too much will make you risk looking like you’re wearing a mask later.

So far one sachet actually lasts me a good 2 weeks if I used it every day.

Contrary to many reviews saying how it feels creamy on the skin. I don’t really feel it, to me, it felt the same as other mineral foundations. However, I do like how very natural it looked like on my skin.

But most importantly, how it made my skin almost flawless. Take a look at my face close up. No photo retouched.

Woah, where are my pimple spots? My skin looks almost flawless. I can still see my pores but it’s not so evident as before. This is totally photoshop in a can.

And interestingly after several hours outdoors, my skin still looks natural.

Cat hat FTW!

Using the samples made me really liked it enough to get the full size and luckily Lucy Minerals have a set kit where you could get different combinations of foundation, finishing powder, blushes, eyeshadows, etc. for a cheaper price compared to if you bought each separately.

I got for myself a “Face It” Kit and Sweet Dream Ambrosia sample size to reach 35 USD (+4 USD for delivery) to get a free Blush and Eyeshadow promotion which was going on in December.

It took under a month to be delivered this time due to the busy holiday season but anyway here is how my package looks like! It’s a regular brown envelope and inside it are these packages wrapped in blue crepe paper like presents waiting to be opened

And each package is wrapped and taped with bubble wrap so that the contents does not get damaged along the travel.

I quite like how charming and whimsical the design looked like. They are pretty much the standard size for mineral make up though – 10 grams for foundation, 7 grams for finishing powder.

But regardless, while it might look small, judging by how I used the sample sachet, this will probably last me at the very least 6 months if I used it every day and since I dont, this will last me a very long time indeed!

Oh! I forgot to mention the blushes that I got! They are really beautiful! I used them in the karaoke video back in February. Both of the blushes I got, Sweetcheeks and Petal are both very pigmented so use them with a light hand.

Nevertheless, the colours are beautiful and they actually look very natural on me, like how the skin looks like when you’ve gone exercising. But even if you put too much blush, they are extremely easy to blend away with the finishing powder.

Each foundation and finishing powder has a rotatable lid where you could open and close to prevent spillage if you’re taking it out for travelling. This is always appreciated for mineral make up.

I think that if you’re in the lookout for mineral makeup, try giving Lucy Minerals a try. It might seem a little bit pricier at first, but in my opinion, it’s totally worth it considering of the quality, the longevity and the range of choices. But best of all, the ingredients are actually good for your skin. So it is definitely a good buy.

Before I end, I’m going to put up a picture of me after I went jogging yesterday with Lucy Minerals foundation on.

Ehm. I don’t recommend that you go jogging with makeup on because of the risk of clogged pores but check it out, the powder still looks intact under heat, perspiration and oil.

I really don’t know of other mekap that can stand all that.

I’ve only been living in Italy for about two years and already I’m starting to have problems with my stuff cluttering. I don’t think that I have that much clothes and shoes and make up. But just yesterday, I was trying to find my green top but after 10 minutes and not being able to find it, in my annoyance I pulled out EVERYTHING out of the closet and rearranged everything.

When I was done, I felt as if I was Cathy, proud of my arranging skills and wanted to call a friend over to show off my neat and tidy closet.

But one thing that come to mind was that, gosh, there are so many clothes. Some of them I haven’t worn even once because I’ve forgotten about it and some are clothes which doesn’t fit my taste, of which I’m packing it up to be donated.

The thing is, unlike Singapore where all my clothes were summer clothes which I wore every day, Italy is seasonal country and thus I had to have sets for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter and so, there will always be a conglomerate of clothes lying in the closet for 6 months.

And that’s the same for shoes too. My boots for the cold season and my wedges. flats and heels for the warmer seasons.

Do you see my sexeh red Enrico Coveri wedges on the left there? I actually forgot about it and left it in the store room for over a year! Bah! I’m going to wear it now in the house for at least an hour. After all, I should maximize everything I own, right?

This makes me realise why I didn’t buy any clothes at all while I was back in Singapore (also the fact that Italian clothes fit me better). While I would love to have more clothes and shoes and bags and make-up, its impossible for me to make full use of them.

In fact, I’m throwing away some of my babies right now.

Sigh. My pretties. Some of them aren’t even opened yet but since all of them are over a year old, its better just  to chuck them away.

Just don’t look back, Marina …

There are times when it’s not practical to wear make-up,  like going marketing or exercising at the sports centre. But it’s nice to have a little bit of coverage. After all, not every one of us have perfect skin, and even after hitting 30 when the hormones are supposed to be more stable, I still get the occasional zits.

This is me, early in the morning, completely au-naturale.

While I was back in Singapore, I used to use a Blemish Balm cream when I want to go out but not fuss too much with cosmetics.

Blemish Balm or BB cream was said to be a cream that dermatologists prescribe to patients who were recovering from laser surgery because of its soothing and regenerating qualities. But regular people could use it too, to even out skintone, heal acne, have UV protection. Soon, it was all the rage in Asia a couple of years ago.

There are plenty of varieties of BB cream, but this is the Rojukiss BB cream that I bought some while ago at Watson’s in Singapore.

At about $39.50 SGD, it wasn’t cheap for something that came out of a drug-store, but if it rejuvenates my skin, even out my skin-tone and heals my skin like it says it would, it seemed like a good investment.

Squeezing it out of the tube, is a brown cream which almost has a buttery texture, without the greasiness. What’s interesting is that the consistency of the cream was rather thick, but once warmed and rubbed through the fingers, it becomes soft and more emollient and easier to spread through the skin.

You just need a few drops of this on the skin, because a little bit goes a long way. See how much coverage there is with just one drop applied to my skin?

Nevertheless I liked how dewy it made my skin looked. There was coverage but it looks natural and if I got the right shade, it will not make my skin look like I’m wearing any make up. For me, it lasts for several hours before my skin starts to get oily, so it’s perfect for days when I just want to pop down to the market or exercise.

My only big qualm with it is that the shade was too light for me. Unfortunately, most BB creams does not seem catered for darker skins and are just too dark for me. It would probably suit a fairer skin person. But I still use it because it gives a nice foundation.

Unfortunately, I’m running out of my BB cream and it didn’t seem to be all that popular in Italy since I’ve yet to see any.

So the closest that I could find here in Italy that kind of resembles the BB cream would be the tinted moisturiser. While there were many various brands of tinted moisturisers, I chose this one from Nivea Visage.

I don’t remember exactly how much this was, but I think it was less than 10 euro when I got it from the mall. This tinted moisturizer claims to hydrate the skin for 24 hours, contains vitamins, make skin more uniform and luminous.

The texture is quite similar to the BB cream, creamy feeling, thick like butter but without the greasiness. It has a slight fragrance to it though, and while it doesn’t bother me, it could be an issue to some sensitive nose.

And again, a little bit goes a long way! I only need a few dots on the skin to cover my entire face. The biggest difference between this and the BB cream is that, I had to be quick in rubbing it in my skin, because it doesn’t get more emollient, instead it seems to feel dry the longer I leave it unattended.

Nevertheless, the end result is quite pretty and luminous. While it didn’t cover all my blemishes, it does a good job in smoothing out my skin. Compared to the BB cream, I seem to have a more matte effect with this tinted moisturizer. Which is great as a foundation.

But again, my biggest issue is that it was too light for me! I’ve been reading other people’s review saying that this cream was too dark for them, but unfortunately it’s the opposite for me.

But I think its a passable replacement for my BB cream. Its not perfect, but after a month of using it, its not that bad either.

Sidenote :

Oh, since we’re talking about skin, I’d like to take the chance to ask you to guess, which one is my hand and which one is my mother in law’s hand after a week vacationing in Sicilia …

Almost the same shade :p

I did a video blog about Pupa cosmetics last year, but I thought that I’d just blog about about them again Cart and I were at Castel Romano not too long ago and I think that no trip there would be complete for any mekap lover not to visit the Pupa Store. And I got me some lippies! I wouldn’t call them haul though, its not like they are SO heavy that they need to be pulled. So I don’t understand why mekap guru’s keep calling them hauls.

Anyway, Castel Romano, being an outlet store, the Pupa cosmetics sold there are way cheaper compared to the ones being sold in regular stores because the items were mostly out of season items. It really didn’t mattered to me though, it was still lovely! And with the month being the sale season, I just went crazy on getting a few things there. It was really cheap affordable.

First in line is the Brilliant Lipstick – Shiny Lips in 03

I quite like the simplistic style of the lippy. I appreciated that the bottom part being coloured as it gives me a preview of what colour the lippy will be and saves me the hassle of having to open the cap and see what colour it was inside. It was sold for 2.90 Euro while I was there, which makes it such a steal!

Putting it on, I love how very natural it looks on my lips. There is a hint of pink, but its not overly barbie. While you could see some specks of gold in the lippy itself, you don’t really see it on your lips. Instead it made my lips have a healthy shine.

In this picture, as well as the rest, I’ve used Michelle Phan’s Neutral Beauty tutorial by the way. And I love love love this look! Its the look that I’ve been sporting a lot lately. It makes me look natural but still polished.

Next is the New Chic Lipstick in 01

Excuse the stain. In my haste opening it for the first time, I smudged it a little. Urgh! I bought this accidentally, mistaking it for another colour. I didn’t really want to get this as the colour looks quite similar to my Kiko Red Emotion Satin Lipstick.

By the way, the case looks pretty elegant doesn’t it? With it being all gold and all, making it look more expensive than it really is. It was actually 3 Euro when I bought it so I didn’t feel too bad about the mix up. The only odd thing is that this lippy has a screw on top. So the first time I opened, I didn’t realised it and kept pulling the top and hence the smudge. Oh well.

Putting it on, it looked instant sexeh! Comparing it with my Kiko lippy, while both are red, this lippy is a bright and shiny red. A very eye-catching shade. Probably perfect to seduce a man.

And next is the New Chic Lipstick in 02

This is a really fun colour! Opening the tube, you can definitely see the speckles of gold in this lippy! And like the previous lippy, this was 3 Euro too.

Putting it on, it’ll make your lips a nice wash of peachy-coral pink and gold. Disco 80s! I feel so much like Farrah Fawcett doing her Carlie’s Angel thing while wearing this. I think its lovely for a summer beach look

And finally, this is the New Chic Lipstick in 54

I didn’t think that I’d love this colour, because from the tube, it looked very dark. And I’m not into those Goth/Emo dark lips look. But when I swatched it on, it didn’t looked too dark, instead it looked very wearable! This one was the most expensive of the 4 lippies I bought that day, but at 4.80 Euro, it was still a good deal.

I really loved how it looked like on my lips. Its looked sexeh and flirty and fun! And definitely kissable. Definitely not like what I expected it to be

By the way, what’s interesting about this lippy, and probably what’s making it slightly more expensive is that, there is a mirror inside. Making it quite convenient when you have limited space in your mekap bag.

Here is a swatch of the lippies in daylight. And all the pictures of me wearing my lippies are in daylight by the way

From left to right : Shiny Lipstick in 03, New Chic lipstick Precious Edition in 01, New Chic Lipstick Precious Edition in 02, New Chic Lipstick in 54

None of these lipsticks are drying by the way. I could put them on for hours and my lips doesn’t crack or feel dry or anything like that. Which is awesome because I have awefully dry lips.

With this, I probably wont be buying any new lipsticks for the next 2 years or so. I’ve so many nao