I see you're back! *winks* After yesterday's review I'm sure you can't wait to get you hands on a Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 PA+++. I have THREE (3) to giveaway to three lucky readers. I'm going to make it really simple. All you have to do is answer a question.

Why is Keihl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense a must-have for you?

There is no word limit for your answer. Three winners will be picked at random. Open to Malaysian residents only.

To enter this giveaway you have to be a FOLLOWER of Chocolate Cats. So click 'Follow' on right column of this page. Leave your Follower ID, Name and Email so I can contact you in the event you are chosen as one of the winners. Feel free to spread the news and share this contest on your blog, facebook or tweeter. Good luck! ^^

Example:

It will help me maintain my fabulously young skin longer! (lol!)

Follwer ID: FatiN

Name: Fatin

Email: fatinfeisal[at]gmail[dot]com 

Giveaway Ends: 19/04/2012 (Thursday) Midnight

Click here to read my review on Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense.

It would be completely bonkers to not have some sort of sunblock on when you are going out in the day especially with the sun rays so harsh it will just mess up your skin. I'm sure all of you know the effects UVA and UVB rays are to your skin.  The mere mention of appearance of dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, skin darkening and premature aging can give some of you guys out there panic attacks. If you haven't already figured it out or are just refusing to do good by your skin, the solution is simple, just slap on some sunblock on the exposed parts of your body and most importantly your face!

I'm one of those that actually put on sunblock everyday before applying makeup to make sure I don't look 10 years older than I actually am and I have kept to it since college which is about.. say ages ago. Recently I was asked to try out Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 PA+++ UVA and with no hesitation said yes. It's not exactly a new product, it's just that I have never tried it before. You may already have read some reviews since its launch but here's my two cents worth on how it fairs on my oily skin.

It is part of their Dermatologist Solution. It contains photostable sun filters Mexoryl SX and Mexoryl XL to provide skin with effective UVA and UVB broad-spectrum, sunscreen protection. Which means it gives you powerful and long-lasting protection. Due to it's dual-protection feature it helps to protect against the appearance of dark spots, freckles, wrinkles, skin darkening and protects against premature skin aging. It is formulated with antioxidant Vitamin E and nourishing Glycerin to intensely moisturise the skin. It gives an SPF 50 and PA+++ protection against UVA rays and is oil-free.

What I like about it is the texture. It is amazingly super light for an SPF 50. It applies with ease and absorbs really fast with no hint of stickiness, but this would depend on the amount you use. After applying it I had no problems applying on my foundation. It went on as it normally would. I also tried this as a makeup base as I was informed that it can also work as such. I decided to give it a go with much scepticism but was surprised with the outcome. My makeup lasted about 3 hours before it started to show signs of melting. I know that doesn't sound all that good but hey I have oily skin so that was a pleasant surprise. However my makeup lasted the normal period of time it would when I applied a makeup base over this sunblock with no hint of extra oiliness.

However I did have a panic moment just upon application of my makeup. I noticed a white cast which I told myself it must be the effect of an SPF 50. I resisted the urge to wipe everything off and luckily the white cast went away after about 30 mins when my makeup started to oxidise. *phewh* Yes my skin is that oily. Plus it doens't clog pores. Yayy!

Right after applying the Ultra Light UV Defense and makeup

I have been using it for a month now and I have to say I'm impressed. The only down side to it is the price tag of RM140 for a 30ml tube. But then again think about it, by investing on a good sunblock (I've been told I use the term 'investing' too loosely. lol), it beats paying loads more on anti-aging, corrective products or makeup that will hide the damage. So I suggest you give Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense a try if you want to continue looking youthful for years to come.

If you are not sure how this product will work on your skin, Kiehl's believes in offering you the chance to try out the product first before purchasing. So drop by a Kiehl's outlet and ask for a sample sachet which they will gladly give provided they have it in stock.

Now here's the exciting bit, I will be GIVING AWAY THREE (3) Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense courtesy of Kiehl's Malaysia!! It starts on Thursday so be sure to check back to find out how you can win one! :)

*Note: Product provided by Kiehl's Malaysia for this review. However it does not affect my opinion in any way.

Countdown to Giveaway: The post right after this one! :)

MATRIX may not be popular in Malaysia before this but that's about to change. MATRIX is now in Malaysia and who better to introduce it than Ammon Carver celebrity stylist who has worked with Christina Aguilera, Kate Beckinsale, Leighton Meester and Molly Sims to name a few. He also happens to be a platform Artist with Matrix for the past six years out of the nine years of being a professional hair stylist.

Founded in 1980 by the American husband and wife hairdressing team, Arnie and Sydell Miller, MATRIX is the leading professional hair care and hair color company in the United States and  is part of L'Oreal USA's Professional Products Division. The idea behind Matrix was to provide hairdressers with a comprehensive range of products that would help them grow their businesses and provide the means to take full advantage of their talent and creativity.

Now MATRIX original ideas still stand strong and is comitted to the development of the salon professional and offers a wide range of hair care, hair color and hair texturizing products including: Biolage, Amplify, Sleek.look, Vavoom, Curl.life, Color.smart, Opti.smooth, SOCOLOR and Color Sync. It's available in 57 countries at more than 275,000 salons.

The launch in KL recently showcased what Matrix products are capable of, featuring various hairstyles some include those that are typically seen on a New Yorker and that of a Londoner. Some are just creatively artsy.

Ammon Carver Introducing Matrix

Matrix products will be available at salons around town. When I get my hands on a list of where to get them, I'll definitely update you guys.

P/s: Two more days to KIEHL'S GIVEAWAY!!

I wish I could live in a pair of denims. It's versatile, it looks great, you can wear it with almost anything and the longer you wear it , with washing included of course, it just gets comfier. When I found out about a Style Your Levi's contest recently, I couldn't help but send in a photo. I wasn't expecting to get anything out of it. I figured since I always had a camera with me and getting me in a  pair of jeans is never difficult, why not.

I was inspired by a Rock Chick look. Then again I always am. I wanted colour and was dying to wear a faux leather waistcoat I got earlier this year. Sadly the waistcoat didn't photograph very well with this outfit so I switched to a studded one. Which I thought turned out pretty cool!

I wore my Levi's Slight Curve in Straight Cut, a perfect fit for my body shape which lacks curves *sigh*. To showcase the jeans in all its glory I added on a leather belt from MNG. For colour I wore a coral lace top from Forever 21. To add a glam vibe to the rock chick inspired look I had on a studded waistcoat from Forever 21 which I bought from Caron Boutique. I found out last week I was one of the winners of the contest just by wearing my fave pair of jeans. Awesome! ^^

P/s:  I will be running a GIVEAWAY some time this week with something from KIEHL'S. There are THREE(3) prizes to be won. So check back! :)

The Cranberries were AMAZING!! Its been too long since their last album but it was obvious from yesterday's concert that they still got it! Despite being here to promote their latest album Roses, they played most of their old hits. Brought back some memories there *sigh*. Lurv ♥ lurv Dolores's voice!! My fave: Dreams. :)

I tried Crush from this range and the colour is a show stopper. Urban Decay has come up with two new colours for the Super Saturated High Gloss, Lovechild and Apocalypse.

The formula is just fab! It applies like a dream. The colour is opaque, saturated, high impact and long lasting. This chubby pencil gives you a mega-watt shine and the colour stays on longer than with a lipstick or gloss.

The chubby pencil holds an ultra-creamy formula inside so there is no chance in this lippy going 'squish' or breaking like in a normal lippie case. Each 8mm pencil barrel is color-matched to its shade, making it a piece of cake to find in a messy piece.

I find the texture really creamy and it does a good job at moisturising my lips even without applying a lip balm first thanks to plant derivatives such as Phytosterol which promotes skin hydration and protects the delicate skin on lips. As for the colour Lovechild which is a pale pink hue, the colour looked really pretty when I swatched it. It didn't have the same effect when I applied it on my lips though but it did have a light glossy shine. The colour appeared pale. *sigh* So what I did was applied a very thin layer of foundation on my lips then applied Lovechild on top of it. Well the colour showed a lot better. I have seen this colour on fair skin girls and it comes out beautiful. I'm assuming their natural lip shade would be light as well. Hmm.. I think I prefer Crush on me. The colour stays on for quite a few hours even with bits of munching in between.

Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colours offers seven bright, fun colours in either creamy or metallic sparkle finishes. To sharpen a chubby pencil you would need a Grind House Sharpener. These are available exclusively at Sephora for RM72.

Note: Product provided by Junipers Journal.

A new addition to Lancome's selection of mascaras, the long awaited Hypnose Doll Eyes. Inspired by every young girl's dream to have separated, think, long, "nylon-shine" lashes, true doll lashes! It's innovative wand and all-new formula promise to make eyes look wide open up to 35% to achieve that "doll-lash look".

What really gives you that "doll-lash look" is the i-conical brush that took 7 years to perfect and is protected by a trio of patents. The brush tip is very different from the usual masacara brushes. Made from nylon with a conical brush tip enables it to capture every lash even the shortest corner-of-the-eyes ones. The idea is to sculpt and lengthen, creating a defined and perfectly separated lash fringe. It volumises without weighing down lashes, accompanied by uniform spinning and smooth, luxurious application, for a genuine “false doll-lash effect”.

The latest "Fiber Shine" formula is enriched with nylon powders to adorn lashes with a subtle sheen. It combines supple wax to build volume and hard wax to fix lash curvature. The "lash extension" effect comes from the "Ultrastretch" complex formulated around lengthening polymers. This mascara is smudge proof.

The review

Oh the brush! The 7 years Lancome spent on coming up with the conical brush shape hasn't gone to waste. It fits into my tiny eye space like a dream and I didn't even have to strain to widen my eyes. The bristles are short and dense making it so easy to coat each lash from root to tip. It captures the lashes at the corner with such ease. I finally found a mascara brush that can reach those lashes at the corner of my eyes! Yayy! The formula is smooth and glides onto the lashes without clumping. You might find that some product ends up at the tip but that can be easily swiped off at the rim of the tube.

Before I go on telling you guys what happens after I apply it, just to let you know I didn't curl my lashes nor did I use a mascara base before application. So here we go, with the first coat I noticed that my lashes looked visibly longer and fuller. My eyes instantly looked more open.

Naked Lashes

1 coat of Doll Eyes

Upon applying the second coat my lashes look even longer, fuller and the curl is more defined. I'm amazed at how big my eyes look. It really opens up my eyes. It's as if have falsies on. The best part is even after two coats my lashes don't feel stiff and heavy, they still feel natural and looks naturally long and thick. I also noticed a slight sheen.

2 coats of Doll Eyes

To complete the Dolly Look, I applied  mascara to my bottom lashes (as photo above) which was also a breeze. When applying to the bottom lashes, hold the wand vertically and apply with the tip. That gives you that dolly 'V' look which looks so pretty.

The longest I had Doll Eyes Mascara on was for 10 hours. Apart from my eyes looking tired which I only have myself to blame, I did not experience any product fall out or smudging. It looked like it did when I applied it in the morning. Removing it is really easy. I use my usual eye makeup remover and it slides off almost instantly. However this depends on how many coats you put on. I experienced no lash fall out while removing.

Doll Eyes comes in an ever chic black tube designed with curves and adorned with roses which gives it that feminine touch. Lurv how Lancome paid attention to that tiny detail. The pleasant surprise was the scent when I opened the tube. It was a whiff of soft floral which I rather like. But if you are one you doesn't really fancy scented mascaras then you might have a bit of a problem with this one.

Overall I feel Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara delivered the "doll-lash" look on my lashes brilliantly well. Was never really one for falsies because I found it such a bother trying to put it on. Now I'm not even going to try. This one is a definite must have! ♥

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara retails at RM95 and is now available at Lancome counters.

Here's a teaser of what's coming up tomorrow, as though you can't already guess *sniggers*. My review of Lancome's Hypnose Doll Eyes. Not that you guys don't already know how it looks like on my lashes. *winks* It'll be a breakdown on what I think of it. Lurv a challenge when it comes to looking for a mascara that will open up my eyes and make my lashes look seriously lush. À demain!

I have been raving about Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara to no end since January and I have been wondering myself when will we be graced with its presence at Lancome counters here. Well it's finally here and to make it an even more exciting Lancome threw a Bloggers Party at Thimble Boutique over the weekend.

With Sandra (owner of Thimble), Traclyn, Jean, Me, Amanda (of Lancome)

I'm pretty sure you know what the Lancome Doll Eyes look is all about by now. If not let me fill you in, it's all about the "doll-lash" effect without the falsies. Instead, creating it with the touch of a mascara. Your eyes will appear so big all you need to do is bat your lashes to make heads turn. No really that's just my interpretation of it. The first name that came to mind when I saw the promo photos for Doll Eyes was Twiggy. Yeah the 60's fashion icon. Come on, those eyes are unforgettable.

The pairing with Thimble, brainchild of Sandra and Ching, was only natural as they are all about being girly, chic with an elegant sophistication. It's been opened for about 6 months and they already have a following. The idea of the party was for each blogger to create an individual Dolly Look with makeup created by the Lancome team headed by Lancome National Makeup Artist Zamri. After which we had to pick an outfit that went with it. I picked a beautiful gold sequin top ♥, can't seem to run away from shiny things lately, neutral coloured shorts and a leopard print headband to complete the look. Cameras ready, click away.

My Dolly Look

Inside Thimble Boutique

No girly party is complete without a sweet spread. There was homemade poppy seed muffin with cream cheese icing, scones and berry tart, by Sandra's and Ching's moms. How lucky are they to have moms who bake such delicious treats. I should have snuck some of the poppy seed muffins home with me, they were the star of the table filled with goodies.

I had loads of fun getting all dolled up and playing dress up with the girls! We sat around indulging in those yummy treats and catching up for quite a bit. I will also be posting more photos from this party as soon as I get my hands on them. I have more to share with you guys this week. So stay tuned. :)

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara is now available at Lancome counters for RM95. Get the latest updates on Lancome's facebook.

Thimble Boutique | facebook
20-2 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL.
Tel: 603 2202 0096
Website: http://thimbleboutique.com/