The December issue of Her World ran an article on how retailers try to lure shoppers with offers. After reading it, I am more careful with my purchases as I keep in mind the methods they use to make me spend more.
I had the chance to avoid temptation while shopping at NTUC and Borders. I had bought Knorr Chicken Stock Cube with no added MSG at $1.40 for a pack of 6 cubes. At the payment counter, the cashier was kind enough to inform me of getting another pack which offered 2 free cubes at the same price. I declined to take up her offer, remembering that this is one of the methods used by retailers. I really don't need so many.
At Borders, I saw paperbacks sold at an offer of getting an additional copy for buying 2. I don't need so many books and none struck me. Besides, I have so many unread books waiting for me at home. So what if there is an offer? The question to ponder over is whether I actually need all of the items on offer.
These questions as I decide on my purchases help me save money. Even though we are urged to spend more money to help the economy recover from the recession, that can happen only if we have enough to spend.
As you can see, the vast number of shops makes it difficult for me to take the whole directory board. There are 7 floors with food outlets, supermarkets, shops like Isetan, Borders and Watsons, a furniture mall, a medical centre and a fitness area. I had to zero in on the places I wanted to go to, after perusing the board, and even then 2 hours was not enough!
The blue, pink and white crystal decorations were the first things that struck me when I entered the mall. Love them!
I love the big roses on top of the greeting. They are in my favourite colours and the combination has a good visual effect!
So retro, this paper bag from Isetan! It has been a long while since I last got this for my purchases. I am glad Isetan is giving this bag design again. :)
I put on makeup only once a year, on the average. It is really for performance purposes. I do have the urge to do so at other times of the year but am rather lazy to do so. Hehe. I strongly believe that makeup clogs the pores of the skin. Having to use makeup remover before bedtime is also cumbersome. Nonetheless, I still update my makeup when necessary and these are some of my favourite items.
I have favourite brands too. The primary factors are the price and the attractiveness of the colours. I recommend Silky Girl, CanMake and In2it for the cheap prices which even younger women can afford, and Maybelline for its products.
CanMake Clear Mascara: I am not confident with using coloured mascara, even the normal black one. My hands are shaky and mistakes are usually visible.
Maybelline Eyeshadow palette: I am absolutely passionate about shimmer eye shadows. The shimmer comes out more than the colours and this does not make it obvious that I am wearing makeup, which is fine by me. :) I learnt from my friend how to put on eyeshadow with my finger which is so much easier but I still have to work on my proportion of colours when I combine them. I also tend to neglect the outside corner of my eyes.
Another eyeshadow palette from Maybelline: I love the different colours provided, from pink to brown to blue in various tones. I use the darker blue for stage makeup and the lighter blue for pageant makeup. I blend them with biege.
Maybelline Blusher: This is rather unusual in packaging since it comes in a round compact rather than the rectangular compact. At the same time, it is easier to use for application, since it does not share space with a brush and thus has more to spare. Of course, this means that the brush must be bought separately.
Magazines have advocated cream blush over powder blush but the former is not as easy to blend into the skin as the latter.
In2it Pressed Powder: I prefer to use just this on my face before applying blusher and the rest of the makeup. In the past, I would use liquid foundation but I found that it created a layer on my skin and it seemed rather unnecessary. Hence, now I skip foundation and use 2 layers of pressed powder in place of the foundation.
I also love the baby blue compact. :)
Wet N Wild Lip Expressions palette: I got this as a free gift from an overseas teens' magazine. Magazines such as Shout, Mizz, Gurl Power and Bliss give freebies, and some freebies are makeup items like mascara, lip gloss, face wipes or in this case, lip colours.
The colours have good staying power and there is an additional MegaGlo colour for highlighting the face. I learnt from a magazine that using the finger to apply lipstick makes it look like a stain and more natural as a result, and I practised this tip on my concert night.
I found this blusher from Daiso and so it is obviously $2.
This is the front view. It has the texture of a lipstick though and is not powder blush.
This is the side view of the blusher in the previous picture. It is easy to use because it can be left intact in its case and directly applied onto the face, by holding the base of the case, after removing the cover.
This is what Daiso looks like. It is the branch at Vivocity.
This Clarins Eyeshadow palette was a Christmas present and I was over the moon upon receiving it. I have never received such an expensive brand of makeup and fell in love with the compact case too. Look at the amethyst on it! It looks so luxurious!
This is the inside of the Clarins palette. The eyeshadow colours are mainly brown, which is the present trend. There is a highlighter as well, to make your eyes bigger.
I like the bright colour and the beaded embroidery at the neckline as well as the long sleeves make this blouse look glamorous. It has an Indian-like design. It is one of the latest arrivals too.
I like the bright colour and it is very suitable for Deepavali. Though it is very simple, the lilac and bright pink embroidery at the hem make it look very sweet.
:)
The focus is on the brown long dress. The orange border at the neckline makes a difference to it and the flowers at the bottom give it a feminine touch. I do like it so!
The focus is on the long dress. It is made up of a dark blue and black colour scheme. The lace panel at the top with the ribbon below it makes it feminine and yet formal-looking. I think it is rather suitable for Christmas. :) The blue embroidery at the hem contributes to the sweetness of this outfit.
An Indian shawl that looks ultra-glamorous due to the shimmery embroidery at the bottom as well as the satin material. It can be worn at Deepavali or at Christmas.
This is from the kids' collection, made up of a blouse and a skirt. The white blouse looks like a cheongsam top with its Mandarin collar, and has colourful flowers and butterflies embroidered on it, so that it does not look so 'unlucky'. The short red skirt has an unusual design made up of a plaid panel in the middle. Together, this combination can be worn by your young daughter for Chinese New Year.
This is from the kids' collection, a sweet-looking long dress where there are flowers embroidered on the top portion while the bottom portion has little flowers closely scattered to one another, so pretty! The red ribbon tiers also make it pretty.
This is from the kids' collection, a long dress is simpler in design than the one above but the pink ribbons on it make it still look sweet and the pink embroidery on the top portion make it stylish. It can be worn for Christmas, in my opinion.
These are from the kids' collection. They can be worn for casual occasions like shopping trips and Chinese New Year. The red blouse may look plain but it has plaid borders and worn with the short plaid skirt, has a new look. It looks "very Burberry". The skirt on the left has a embroidered pattern made up of flowers at the waist, which does not clash with the plaid pattern but complements it, surprisingly. The blouse on the right has a embroidered logo-like pattern made up of birds and flowers and worn with the plaid skirt on the right, looks stylish. The skirt is rather unusual too, with a bow at the waist and embroidered flowers at the poufy hem.
Kids' hair accessories which are pretty and striking enough for Chinese New Year, especially the red ones and the bright pink one at the bottom. They range from clips to ponytail holders. My favourites are the yellow and light pink clip on the top left corner and the pinkish-purple beads with the flower on top, on the bottom right corner. This accessory is versatile enough to be either a ponytail holder or even a bracelet. :)
Incense sets are also sold and they come in a range of different colours, so pretty!
A close-up view of an incense set. It includes 2 flower candles, incense sticks and a porcelain tray. The flower candles are sold separately too, besides the normal type of candles.
Trinket boxes made of plastic. The designs are very Chinese in nature but I especially like the blue one. The cobalt tone is very striking.
Jumbo Seafood Restaurant's decor: Chinese scroll with the character for luck on it. It is so rare to see such a traditional emblem, with the ornate border and the calligraphic prose.
Tung Lok's Chinese lantern, so traditional-looking with the yellow peonies on it!
A Chinese lantern onboard the Legend of the Sea cruise ship: so Hong Kong-like with the Chinese junk on it.
