My FIRST Benefit post! Shocker! You'd think after blogging for nearly three years I would have mentioned Benefit at some point of time right. I suppose it never came up but Maybe Baby, Benetint, Thrrrob and Posie Tint are still firm favourites. I've never done a post on any one of the products because there's really nothing left to say since they've all been reviewed to death. Well there's always a first...

I attended a Bloggers Workshop on Brow Shaping and Raising Eyebrows Book Launch on Saturday courtesy of Tammy. Curious on what Benefit had to say on brows since they are dubbed "The Brow Authority" and have been shaping brows for over 35 years. I've always been told "The Brows Frames The Face". Never really took all too seriously until I found the right person to do my brows and I've stuck to her ever since. *relief*

 

The workshop was organised in conjunction with Cameron Tuttle's latest book, Raising Eyebrows - Your Personal Guide To Fabulous Brows. In it, anything and everything you need to know about brows, from the history right up to turning you brows into eye candy! Known from her 'The Bad Girl's' series of books, this latest one is an exciting insight to brows and I think it's brilliant! However this book is not available in Malaysia but you can get it from Benefit Cosmetics website from $16.95. It really is a shame that it's not available here because there are just loads of Benefit fans here that would get it in a heart beat. Hopefully they will reconsider and put it up as a gwp.

The workshop was a good way to learn on how to shape and maintaing your brows. There are two parts to Benefit's eye brow shaping. First the mapping then the waxing.  No treasure maps here just a method developed by Benefit's brow expert to determine the perfect brow shape for your face. The mapping process is relatively simple as long as you get the steps right.

see full details here

 

After you have done all that, you go on to shaping the brows. Here's where the waxing comes in. Benefit's experts say waxing is the best way to keep your brows to stay in shape for a longer time as it gets the hairs out from the roots making regrowth slower. The same would apply to tweezing but there is always that possibility of over tweezing which is an absolute nightmare. What ever you do, do not shave! It could lead to a number of problems, ingrowns, cuts, coarser regrowth and worst of all getting the wrong shape!

As I just recently got my brows shaped, I couldn't try out the waxing on Saturday itself. Perhaps I'll give it a go if I ever leave my brows overgrowing recklessly. Hmm.. that might take a while though because I'm pretty good when it comes to maintenance. *winks* So here's photos of Tammy getting her brows waxed instead at Benefit's Brow Bar.

 

When it comes to maintenance, it's best not to touch the areas closest to the shaped brow but definitley tweeze out any strays that have grown out. If you're confident with trimming any long bits then by all means go ahead. But if you're not sure what you're doing, slowly put down the scissors, walk away from the mirror and get yourself to a brow expert as soon as possible before disaster strikes! Trust me, it's not pretty.

If you haven't tried waxing why not drop by Benefit's Brow Bar. The process is easy, quick and you will be walking away with fab brows in no time. They also offer waxing services for lip, chin and sides. The prices are:

Brow arch RM38

Brow & Lip RM 55

Chin & Lip RM55

Chin RM30

Lip RM25

Benefit is also offering a FREE Brow Service on Your Birthday (or birthday week)! No purchase necessary. Seriously! All you need is a valid government issued identification. No substitution and non-transferable.  One free brow arch per person per year. Terms and conditions apply. Pretty cool right!

So if you're interested in getting your brows arched, lips, chin and sides waxed just call to make an appointment.

Benefit KLCC: 03-2164 2187

Benefit Parkson Pavilion: 03-21414601

Benefit 1 Utama (New Wing): 03-7725 3566

After this: I'm still deciding.. Keeping you guys curious. :P

Best to layer it! *grins* In my case: Shea Beautifying Oil + Shea Body Butter + Shea Body Mist = Shea Addict! You guys get the picture. The latest addition to The Body Shop's yummy scents are the new line up of Body Mist. Wait don't rush to the online store just yet, they will only be available next week, July 16th.

The new range of Body Mist were launched in UK and US in June, in time for summer. Since we're summer all year round with wet spells in between, it's perfect for our weather any time of the year. If you don't feel like having on heavy strong scents of edts or edps then just spritz on a Body Mist of your choice and you're good to go. It's light and fresh without busying itself with top notes, base notes and all those stuff. It's straightforward and it's fun!!

My body mist of choice, Shea. *addicted* I think it smells of true Shea, just like the Beautifying Oil and the Body Butter. It's warm, comforting and gorgeously nutty. It lasted a good four hours before the scent started to slowly fade. Did I time it? Well yes and I also sniffed myself every 30 minutes or so. All in the name of giving a good product review, I don't normally sniff myself. :P Top it up through out the day. Have a few!

It comes in all your fave classic The Body Shop product scents - apart from Shea, there will be Pink Grapefruit, Coconut, Strawberry, Satsuma, Mango, Moringa and Vanilla. The other scent I'm looking forward to trying is Pink Grapefruit. If it's anything like the shower gel, gosh it's going to be citrusy fresh! Loving the lables too. It's the all new image as featured on their Body Butter as well as the Beautifying Oil. The mists contain community fair trade alcohol made from sugar cane.

The Body Shop Body Mist will retail at RM43 for 100ml. Keep updated with The Body Shop Malaysia on facebook.

*Note: Product courtesy of The Body Shop Malaysia.

Next week: Are unibrows or bushy brows your thing?

The BB Cream, what can I say? I never made it onto the band wagon with this one. I just waved to it as it passed by. *laughs* I have always had issues with the shades. So lets see how The Body Shop Moisture White Shiso BB Cream "fairs" on me. :P

It is a multi-action make-up base specially developed for Asian skin, which aims to conceal blemishes and fine lines with natural finish. It also corrects and evens out skin tone as well as soothes dryness thereby giving the skin a brighter complexion and improving the skin texture. This BB Cream contains SPF 25 PA+++ to protect your skin.

Key ingredients:

Shiso Extract - The main ingredient used in the entire Moisture White range. It reduces early melanin-making signals even before the hyperpimentation process and melanin production starts - helping prevent uneven skin tone, brown spots and freckles. It also helps to minimise dark spots formation and discolouration.

Vitamin C - Provides antioxidant protection helping to reduce melanin production.

Liquorice - Works to limit the effect of melanin synthesis and helps to reduce the variances in skin tone.

The Moisture White Shiso BB Cream comes in a slim white squeeze tube which makes it easy to bring it around in your makeup bag. The texture is surprisingly light much unlike a few other BB Creams I've previously tried but not as light as my current liquid foundation, Lancome Maqui Miracle. As always I'm apprehensive when it comes to the shades and this one only comes in 1 shade. Swatching it on my hand I notice the obvious difference in colour compared to my skin tone but after blending it out it didn't seem as harsh but it still has a pink tint to it.

Trying it out on my face had a similar effect but the colour difference was a lot more obvious as my face is darker then my hand. Strange I know. I applied a very thin layer as I possibly could. The result my complexion appeared pinkish grey. It does give some brightness but the bit where it was a completely different colour from my neck was a bit disturbing. I checked 30 mins later after application and noticed that the colour had soften and not as harsh as when I first applied it. Still appeared a tad mask-like though. It does seem to colour correct itself but perhaps on my medium skin tone it may have been too much of a task.

One thing about this BB Cream though I expected to me overpoweringly moisturising and melting off my face within the first half hour or so just like previous ones I've tried but this one held out for nearly two hours before my oils oozed out uncontrollably, not the fault of the BB cream by the way. My oils have issues. Pretty impressed!

I think BB Cream fans might want to have a look at The Body Shop Moisture White Shiso BB Cream. You'll never know, the light texture, colour correct feature and the benefits, you might just find yourself hooked on it if you aren't already.

This retails for RM70 for a 30ml tube and is already available at all Body Shop outlets. You can definitely try it out first at the outlet if you're not too sure or you can just purchase it online here. Follow The Body Malaysia on facebook.

Note: Product courtesy of The Body Shop Malaysia.

Next write up: Spritz yourself with something warm and relaxing.

So here's the 'bang'! I was feeling inspired last week despite the falling sky. No I didn't get flowers from a secret admirer. I checked my table, nothing there. Just mountains of files looking like they were ready to fall on me. *shredder please!*

What was different last week anyway? Well I realised I had been wearing The Body Shop's latest summer fragrance Love Etc... Sun Kiss everyday of last week. It could have been as a matter of convenience that it's the easiest to reach on my currently messy dressing table but I was glad it was my fragrance of the week.

 

It's so fresh and vibrant! I rather liked the original scent but I love this one loads more. So I figured instead of doing just another review on a fragrance, why not give my own interpretation of Love Etc... with an outfit that I think describes it best plus it's just more fun. I call it a "Photo Write Up". *moment of brilliance there :P*

Love Etc... Sun Kiss is a fruity-floral fragrance with a blend of jasmine and fresh nectarine notes. Created by Dominique Ropion who is a world renowned perfumer, it embodies everything FLIRTY, DARING and a dash of CHEEKY. No brainer why I was attracted to this one.

 

It is housed in a distinctively shaped bottle with an eye catchingly pretty ombre gradient in orange-pink with a gold top. The fragrance works really well with varying body tempratures, I'm indoors one minute then outdoors the next *you're hot and you're cold, you're yes then you're no.. Katy Perry anyone?*. Great staying power too.

 

The other two summer fragrances which are an exciting twist to the originals are White Musk Sun Glow and Dreams Sun Fresh. These are limited editions so if you fancy any or all of them you have to get them soon! Each Eau de Toilette retails at RM85 for 50ml and also comes in the body purée variant. Layer it! ;)

The Community Fair Trade alcohol comes from sugarcane organically grown in Ecuador. The oragnic farming methods used by the CADO co-operative help preserve the natural beauty and wildlife of the Cotopaxi provinces in the foothills of the Andes.

I just realised, who in the right mind would spray any sort of fragrance on themselves in a pool? Then again, there's always something strange happening when it comes to the Chocolate Cats. *wootsz*

*Note: Product courtesy of The Body Shop Malaysia.

Coming up: Something creamy and tinted. It's for the face. ^^

Top: Bershka | Skirt: Zara | Necklace: Diva | Nails: Essie One of a Kind (old) | Bracelets: by fatin, Accessorize, Esprit

*Photos are taken by MRZ Photography for the exclusive use of Chocolate Cats.

Hey guys, Kwerkee by Reebonz is running a contest where you stand a chance to win a box kwerkee surpises worth S$300! For more info click on flyer below or go to www.kwerkee.com/. Also follow them on facebook. Good luck if you're going to have a go at this! :)

From 15 June till 2 September 2012, Berjaya Times Square delights shoppers with bargains, treats and sales under one roof. Following the trend last year, we continue the tradition by giving away fabulous prizes that are expensive and luxurious to reward our shoppers! Held in conjunction with the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2012, ‘Shop & Win in Berjaya Times Square’ promises plenty of excitement in store for you!

 

‘Shop & Win’ Live Draw

Fashioned after last year’s successful campaign which gave away a coveted Mazda2 and various lifestyle centered prizes, this year promises to be more rewarding with 3 grand prizes which are all expense paid luxurious holidays, complete with private tours to New York, Gold Coast, or Seoul, and plenty of lifestyle prizes such as iPads, large screen TVs, and smartphones that will make your day! What’s more, each grand prize comes with a substantial amount of cash to cover your shopping and miscellaneous expenses in these exciting destinations! To participate, simply produce your shopping receipt at the Information Counter Ground Floor to receive a passport for every RM100 spent (in no more than 2 same day receipts). Complete the passport with your details and drop off the perforated section into an adjacent box of your preferred destination at the giant deco available at Ground Floor Central, and keep the other perforated section with you. Be sure to attend the prize presentation ceremony on 8 September 2012 (Saturday). As this is a live draw, winners who fail to attend the ceremony will be disqualified so make a date on your calendar and join us for a rolling good time!

Snap & Win

That’s not all! Berjaya Times Square is giving you a chance to walk away with a 3d2n escapade to the mythical island of Bali, Indonesia and more awesome gadgets!

The ‘Snap & Win’ contest is open from 15 June till 2 September 2012. To enter, simply take a picture of yourself in your favourite shop in Berjaya Times Square and caption it by telling us why you love to shop here. Like and upload the picture and caption to our Facebook fan page. Be sure to get your friends, family, neighbours or rally your online friends acquaintances to vote for your picture. The 3 pictures with the most votes by midnight on 2 September 2012 (Sunday) will be rewarded for their efforts at the prize presentation ceremony on 8 September 2012 (Saturday).

 

Free Parking

Save your pennies when you spend your day with us as we cover the first hour of parking for you when you spend a minimum of RM100 in no more than 2 receipts from 1^st Avenue or the IT Centre on the same day. Just present your receipt(s) at the Ground Floor Information Counter on the same day of purchase to enjoy this service.

Spend & Win from 30 June – 1 September 2012

Jointly organized with Bukit Bintang-KLCC Tourism Association, 10 travel warrants valued at RM500 each will be given away to tourists who shop at Berjaya Times Square. To win the travel warrant, the tourist will have to spend a minimum of RM300 in no more than 6 receipts of the same day with one receipt from Berjaya Times Square Theme Park, and be the first in line every Saturday at 7.00pm between 30 June and 1 September 2012! For verification purposes, tourists will have to produce the receipt(s), and their passport which indicates that they have entered Malaysia on/after 1 June 2012.

Every Ringgit you spend at Berjaya Times Square brings you opportunities to shop, win, and save, so hurry on now to Berjaya Times Square for its myriad of activities and choices available.

For complete details, call the Customer Care Hotline at 1-300-888-988 from 10am to 10pm daily or visit www.timesquarekl.com. Join them on facebook at www.facebook.com/BerjayaTimesSquareKL. 

My internet connection is finally up and running. Fingers crossed it doesn't go kaput on me again. Lets get on with it then. Silicone based products or primers and I have never really seen eye to eye. So far I have tried Benefit's Dr. Feel Good, Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and Boscia Skin Perfecting Primer, all of which have not been able to make me a believer of silicone primers.

The latest Talika Skin ReTouch for face, neck and hands is designed to create flawless skin instantly by concealing wrinkles, fills in fine lines, brighten up the skin tone while reducing imperfections and redness. One of the ingredients in this product is Polysilicone-11, a type of silicone. Wonder how this will work on my skin. Here goes the review.

The small pigments contained that makes up Skin ReTouch creates a soft focus effect unifying the reflection of light within lines and pores. The large pigments hides imperfections and redness on the surface of the skin. With its stretchy texture it smoothes the skin and gives a matifying effect. After 28 days with daily use this product promises brighter skin and fine lines and wrinkles will be reduced. 

It comes in a tube with a silicone spatula attached at one end. The tube clicks close in a half turn. The formula is transparent, texture is light and is easily applied. All you need to do is twist the top, squeeze the tube and apply to the face in an outward direction. The spatula is soft so it doesn't feel like it's scrapping the skin. Squeeze only a small amount at a time as smoothening out with the spatula requires a little getting used too. Otherwise there is a chance of it appearing streaky. All you need is a very thin layer. Once applied it takes a few minutes to completely dry.

So here's how my skin looked like once it dried. It looks quite good on camera, my skin appeared smooth but in real life, it wasn't all too good. I don't exactly have the best complexion around - indented acne scars, medium sized pores and slightly uneven skintone (my skintone has generally improved over the past year though). What I noticed once Skin ReTouch dried is that it enhanced all my flaws even my laugh lines. As for my complexion as a whole, it look quite dull. Not a good thing.

I was also told that no form of liquid foundation can be used on top of Skin ReTouch as it will just slide off. So I opted for MAC Studio Fix Compact Foundation. Before that I attempted to apply concealer on my dark acne scars. I found it very difficult to blend and I wasn't able to conceal the scars properly. I dusted a light layer of the compact foundation over it and I personally didn't really fancy the outcome.

As for whether it controlled my oiliness. It took about an hour after application before my nose started getting oily. It usually takes 30 minutes. Two hours later, my compact foundation started to look a tad blotchy. It felt as though the oils wanted to come out but couldn't. It looked really strange.

I only had it on for about 5 hours because I really didn't fancy how my complexion looked like and I only wore it home. The thought of going out into the world without wearing liquid foundation, concealer and having sufficient coverage is almost suicidal. Which basically means regardless of what this product promises to do in 28 days I don't see myself continuing with this product unless my complexion miraculously improves.

I personally feel that Skin ReTouch is more suitable for those with good complexion or minimal flaws and also for dry to combination skin type. Just not mine.

Talika Skin ReTouch retails at RM162 and is available at Talika outlets - Parkson Pavilion, Parkson KLCC, Parkson 1 Utama, Parkson Gurney Plaza, Isetan KLCC, Isetan 1Utama and Metrojaya Mid Valley.

*Note: Product courtesy of Talika Malaysia.

Next: A few public service announcements before starting next week with a bang. ;)

I know I said I'm going to start the week with a bang but the weekend has been insane that the bang has been rescheduled to perhaps next week. Which means this week is going to be a somewhat chilled out week but exciting nonetheless.

So it's been all about the oils lately and I'm currently loving The Body Shop's New Beautifying Oils. I mentioned it briefly in my Pulse Boutique post here but have only recently started using it. I should have started sooner!

The Beautifying Oil is a multi-purpose dry oil which instantly banishes dryness, restores softness and also nourishes. Best thing about it is that it can be used on your body, hair and face. Yeah, that's like everywhere! *cheeky smile*

It is made from a special blend of three nut oils and the main one being the Marula Oil which comes from the ripened fruit of the marula tree in Namibia. The fruits are hand-selected and the nuts are extracted and allowed to dry in the sun. The moisture-rich kernels are cold-pressed by hand to release oil. The other oils that make up this Beautifying Oil are Kukui Nut Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. Fragrances are then added to give you a variety of choice. Now it comes in Shea ♥, Coconut, Cocoa Butter, Olive, Strawberry, Moringa, Olive and Satsuma.

Since I had a choice of scents, I went for Shea instead of the obvious Cocoa Butter. Don't get me wrong I'm still cocoa crazed but just thought I'd go for something different this time. I'm now crazy in love with Shea! It has this warm, nutty, earthy scent that I find so relaxing and calming.

 

The best time to apply it on your body is right after a shower or bath while the skin is still damp because thats when your skin absorbs oils, creams and lotions loads better. It has a lightweight texture that easily absorbs into the skin and it's non-greasy. The skin soaks it in within seconds!  My skin feels instantly hydrated, smooth and soft. It looks refreshed.

 

I have also tried it on dry hair, in between washes. Oils are doing wonders to my hair lately. If you have naturally curly  hair you would know how dry and frizzy it can get especially with the humidity. I applied a small amount to the frizzy bits and voila! It smoothened it out, and even defined my curls without weighing it down. Also added that bit of shine which made the curls look fab! I know I said you can also use it on your face but since I'm a tad paranoid with oils on my face, I didn't fancy the thought of it. So the oil is staying on my body and hair. :)

Here's another thing you can do. Layer the oil with your body butter of choice. Since mine is Shea I layered it on with The Body Shop's Shea Body Butter which makes the scent loads more intense. Completely love it! It also gives the skin continuous hydration which is amesome especially if you're in air-cond places all the time.

The Marula Oil used in the Beautifying Oils is sourced through The Body Shop's Community Fair Trade Programme. It is produced by the Eudafano Women's Co-operative of Namibia, owned and run entirely by women. By setting up their own factory, the 5,000 members have gained entrepreneurial skills and a new found self-esteem.

The Body Shops New Beautifying Oils retails at RM58 for 100ml. You can either visit you nearest outlet to experience the scent or just buy it online here. Also follow The Body Shop on their facebook or latest product updates and promotions.

*Note: Products are courtesy of The Body Shop Malaysia.


*Next: I was told it's an innovative new product that gives you a photo shop effect in photos..