Live my life!~ (One of) The magic key(s) to a healthy digestive system: Cardamom

Hey everyone! Today is another one of those posts where we are gonna buzz about health! What's all the wealth and material goods without our health? #YOLO so we gotta make sure that our health stays as one of the top priorities in our lives. I know, I know, life can be so hectic and busy sometimes. With the pressing deadlines, mountain piles of projects and assignments, and maybe the occasional relationship dramas that pop up in our lives, it's hard to keep up and maintain a healthy body. I, for one, can't deny that I'm guilty of that, sometimes skipping meals, having late nights and even when I DO eat meals, I am also guilty for having imbalanced ones. (I can just hear a mob of nutritionists just screaming and coming at me with torches already.)The only thing I can be somewhat 'proud' of is my weekly exercises that I do to try and strike the balance between work and my 'me' time (and of course the occasional 'alone time' shopping trips ;)).

Those crazy late nights, stress and imbalanced diets can sometimes cause our whole system to go out of whack. For me, it hits my digestive system. Recently, I've had one of those periods whereby my digestive system was just not having it. Bloatedness, discomfort after every meal, water retention, you name it. I tried all kinds of ways to help ease these. Drinking peppermint tea, eating more fruits and fibre, exercising more...thought they are by no means ineffective, they barely worked for me. However, in comes this AMAZING MAGIC KEY to my problems *angel music plays*. Hello, lovely life-saving CARDAMOM. My dad has been taking this little baby for quite some time now and I never got why he just keeps gushing about it. Now I do. OMG this is one of those foods that mother nature has so graciously granted us in times like this where we could just feel downright annoyed and frustrated at having to deal with such an uncomfortable disruption to our systems. So yup, you've guessed it, today's shining star for our Live My Life series on SMP blog is the one, the only Cardamom!!! *drum roll*

http://www.sunwarrior.com/news/15-health-benefits-of-cardamom/

So, what is Cardomom? Cardamom can be found natively in the forests of India, Bhutan and Nepal and is now also, cultivated by other countries that support its growth and harvest. With beneficial medical and culinary benefits. Various types of cardamom pods and seeds are commonly used in medicine and cooking and carries unique, strong and intensely aromatic characteristics that are support their wide usage historically and even today! Fun Fact served here for ya: Cardamom is actually theworld's third most expensive spice by weight, outstripped in market value only by saffron and vanilla. How cool is that?!

Benefits of cardamom are many a vast, so I am going to share you with you some of these amazing benefits that this little seed has. Small in size but amazing in its benefits!

Some of the benefits of cardamom include:

1) Detoxifying  your body by eliminating waste through your kidneys

2) Need some more of those antioxidants in your life to resist cellular aging and dumping some of those free radical? Well here it is!

3) Don't you just hate it when you are stuck with painful ulcers in your mouth and an aching throat? Not to mention, Bad breadth? *gasp* Cardamom, like ginger and tumeric, has anti-inflammatory properties to not only help in the healing of such ulcers and sore throats, but also helps in freshening up your breathe (Did you know? In India, cardamom is chewed on after meals for that quick cleansing and freshening up of the breath). More on the throat and nose, cardamom is also a potential answer to preventing and even aid in the healing of colds, flus and coughs!

4) Tired of those ridiculous hiccups that just make you go HICCUP!!!!!!!! on a public bus or in the office? Cardamom serves to relief such muscle spasms by acting as an anti-spasmodic. Not only does it help rid you of hiccups, it can also help with other involuntary muscle spasms from the stomach and the intestinal tract.

5) Okay, this may require more frequent trips to the bathroom but the benefits it has would make it all worth it! Cardamom serves as a diuretic to rid our bodies of excess water and salt, waste and toxins, making our urinary tract, kidneys and bladders oh so squeaky clean!

6) What's the star without another simply brilliant quality???? Of course, you've guessed it! Cardamom aids our digestion!! Similar to its relative the ginger, cardamom can serve as an ever so powerful aid in improving our digestive systems. Say Au revoir to nausea, acidity, excess gas and bloating, heartburn, constipation, appetite loss (and the list goes on...) with some of this little gem in your everyday life!

Other benefits talked about even include, aiding in depression, clearing of blood clots, reducing of blood pressure and more! [Talk about having the power!]

Isn't this crazy little thing amazing or what?! To be honest, if I had not tried this myself in times of my crazy, digestive system gone wild (oh yea, it's way worse than girls gone wild), I would not be here today gushing and going gaga over this little jewel. So how do I incorporate it in my everyday routine you might wonder? For me, it isn't too much of a chore. Some choose to chew and spit the seeds out but I myself prefer grinding them up into powder, throw a TEENSY bit [just A DASH] into my lil' white teacup with some hot water (somewhat of a cardamom tea you might say; the flavour is intense so you don't rly need that much for the kick to come in.). Depending on your preference, adding it to some of your culinary dishes or drinks has proven to be just as easy too! (My dad likes it in his coffee as it gives that unique spicy kick). Whatever floats your boat! So long as it's somewhere, it's going to help you and be your digestive system's new best friend. Oh yea. NEW BFF.

oh yea~thumbs up for da sponge!

Cardamom has definitely helped me in the journey of improving my digestive system and getting it back on track. If you have similar problems [I feel you ><], give this little jewels a shot, They might just be the key to a healthier, cleaner, and happier you! It's working for me and such amazing goodness has to be shared!

Stay happy and healthy!!

combat nausea, acidity, bloating, gas, heartburn, loss of appetite, constipation, and much more - See more at: http://www.sunwarrior.com/news/15-health-benefits-of-cardamom/#sthash.kIjgknLm.dpuf

waste, salt, excess water, toxin

The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag

Hey everyone! How's everything with you? Weeks are going by like crazy but we shall prevail from our crazy deadlines, tight schedules and any downs in life! *fist pump* haha hopefully that was a good form of an impromptu motivation for those feelin' a little under the weather today! TMR SHALL BE BETTER!

I was up thinking what should I blog on today and stumbled across BeautyBroadcast/ Emilynoel83 on YouTube beauty tag which she read from Beautyholics Anonymous (sounds like such a long route lol) and thought this tag was a pretty interesting one to do! So thought I'd give this a shot as well along with some mini strategies to overcoming such potentially bad habits/ procrastination. :)

PROCRASTINATION. Always such a big hoopla with this word. Many fall prey to this little monster and I have to admit, you've got one of these 'victims' right here. *wave wave* Let's face it. Beauty and wellness, though all their magic powers and abilities, are not exactly as 'easy' as breathing. To some, it's all part of everyday but to others, it's a real chore. I personally have days where I feel they are both but ultimately, beauty is my passion so I'm still lovin it as always~lol These, like all other routines in our lives, be it studying or working or even our simple morning and night routines, require discipline. No discipline, no regularity and the ending results? Let's not go into them as we all know the secret answer to that one. OOPS. lol. ;)

Let's see how far we can get with this tag, shall we? ;) *fingers crossed*

1) Name a beauty regime that you rarely do?

Blow drying my hair is definitely not something not something that I put on my to-do list for my hair routine. I'm the lazy kind who just rather let nature take it's slooooow long course in air-drying than be disciplined enough to sit there patiently shaking my hair dryer and going through my hair with a wet brush. For those who can do that, I really really got to give props to them for having such patience. I do have pretty long hair [going past my chest and at the lower back area], so sitting there with a hair dryer is just not something that I always make myself do. My hair routine is just this: wet, shampoo/condition, dry, apply Moroccan oil to it, comb it once through and yay done. [even took me tons of strength to start putting oil in my hair, already applauding myself for that tbh lol]. Even if my hair may still be a little wet or still has some drying to do, I would still just hit the sack. Not a very good habit I know,[according to the Asian hair myth, that this might cause future migraine problems yada yada yada] and your hair may just look all funky the morning after, but I just can't get myself to get this right. So, there it is, OOPS #1.

salonforum.com

2) Is washing your make-up brushes something that you do regularly?

YAY! Okay, this one I still do it regularly. Every once a week, they all go into the wash! I am super iffy when it comes to brushes especially the face brushes so this one was never a problem for me. I honestly mainly use eye brushes, and powder brushes but rarely brushes for my face cream/ liquid products as I'm more of a use-my-CLEAN-fingers for my cream/liquid foundations kinda girl. So, when I do use a brush ever for liquid products, I would wash it on the very same day as the day I used it. If you simply don't have the time to wash your brushes every day or that regularly, try using at least a daily brush cleanser to get some of the product that may have accumulated on your brush throughout the week. [E.L.F and Sephora do make pretty nice ones imo, have gone through bottles of them]

stil.acasa.ro

3)How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

To be honest, not very long, especially when I have dark nail colours on my nails. I am the obssessive-compulsive kind of girl that can't sit still seeing my nail polish being chipped off with gaps and knicks on a smooth surface [I'm crazy, I know, but I know I'm not alone on this heehee ;)]. This makes me go full-on-roaring-lady mode. [Not a pretty sight, trust me.] I would have to at least touch up or just remove the whole thing altogether. However, there are of course times where there is simply absolutely no time to even get them removed. However, NEVER PEEL OFF YOUR NAIL POLISH! This may spoil your nails in the long run and weaken the top layer of your nails. So, for the reds, darks, chipping is a MAJOR pet peeve. Chipped nail polish, you are my mortal enemy. However, for the nudes, I am oddly not as particular even though I know the chips are there [dum dum dummmm], most likely because they are not as obvious to the human eye ad the darks/reds. Anyone out there that has this chipping-OCD too? ;)

www.quickmeme.com

4) How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need it?

Oh hello there stranger, I'm Jes, I like eating, cooking, reading, blogging, jogging...oh, did I mention? I'm a MAKE-UP JUNKIE? This question should be rewritten in my case, asking me when will I even stop buying them/ hoarding up on them. Lovelies, the Keywords here are BACK-UPS and JUNKIE. Like any cocoa-fanatic or candy popper, I need the things that I use/ love to be there when I need it. Especially the HOLY GRAIL ITEMS. There must always be at least one back-up of these babies which are all so important to me, especially for skincare and it doesn't take very long for me to zoom out to the nearest Sephora/ Drugstore to replace whatever/ backup whatever I need once I find out that I'm running low of them.Somebody stop meh! I even sometimes have back-ups for the back-ups, especially when I know that they are limited edition and unfortunately made me fall head over heels for them. Sometimes, I have to fight against myself from just taking the whole tray of the goods and walking to the check-out counter. Yup, it's that crazy sometimes, people. Nowadays, to prevent myself from being too overly in forever-hoarder mode, I constantly ask myself this list of questions that could possibly have even a glimmer of hope in making me save more, hoard less:



a) Will you use them ALL bearing in mind, they have EXPIRY DATES? [or even get through the first one completely? Especially, things like lip gloss, lipsticks, powders, etc]



b) Will you still in love with these products in the long term? Or is it just a fleeting fancy?



c) Is it absolutely crucial to have it in your [makeup] life? (let's face it. The world ultimately tells us make-up isn't exactly necessary in life.)

faceit.net.au

 

5) What is your worst beauty habit?
This one is a little tough to pin down for me. Not really a nail biter, not really a nail peeler, not really a sleep with makeup type of girl either. Okay, got it. HOARDING. BEAUTY HOARDING. Can we put this under this question please? lol I may be a little quite somewhat just plain ridiculously obsessed with things beauty, fashion, design etc. Come on girls/ guys, beyond our skins, there is a teeny itty- bitty hoarder in our beating hearts. I personally don't think I can completely annihilate the inner hoarder in me. BUT I always try to calm her down. If you are like me (all ya fellow hoarders, putcho hands uuuup!), try asking yourself those questions that I have mentioned above. AND OH! Go on this famous beauty tag/ project for yourself! PROJECT EMPTIES. This has personally helped me hoard less as I am better able to control myself and see for myself just how much stuff I actually bought and have/should finish. Seeing that Empties bin sitting underneath my study desk and it slowly growing as empty jars, bottles, tubes pile up gives me an odd sense of satisfaction and self-achievement. #achievementunlocked #ohyea #cheapthrills #littlethingsinlife. So if you do embark on this little project for yourself, be sure to hashtag #projectemptiessmp so we can all do this together! I've been doing it for two months now and am thinking of making it a blog/ instagram project! Join me! It'll be our project!

sputterpub.wordpress.com

 

6) Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?

Clearing out my old files and stationary definitely. Lol yup typical student woes. As the semesters go by and tons of pens/pencils/files/cases are used, it's not hard to end up with monster piles of readings, notes, loose papers, choked up pens and old files. I do eventually get to clearing them up of course, but it is definitely not something I do right after my finals or terms end [hey, a girl's gotta have fun too ya know? ;) #workhardplayhard]

brokeandbookish.blogspot.com

7) When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute?
Okay, this sometimes I am guilty of. Especially on days that I am going with very very minimal makeup or bare and natural. However, on days when I have to look a little more put-together, I would try to get ready ahead of time so I don't end up rushing around like a headless chicken and probably also end up messing up any makeup that I put on. But hey, we all have some of those lazy days ya know? ;)

 

www.123rf.com

8) Can you commit to spending bans?

Truth be told, I SUCK AT THIS. I'm not very good at sticking to these bans to be honest. The fast-moving, forever-having-limited-edition-releases beauty world just sucks me in constantly like a honey to a bee. So, how do we tackle this? If you are good at keeping to these bans, good for you, definitely a big pat on the back. As for me, I need to set smaller goals. for instance, breaking it up into two weeks rather than months. Going two weeks by two weeks, allows me to slowly progress but still try to keep at it. Months just seem crazy long for me so little goals trick my mind into thinking that I have achieved more though the time span may be the same or even longer. Also, set a beauty budget. Be it weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, try setting a beauty budget limit definitely helps me in not only controlling my inner hoarder but also keeps my wallet from screaming out in agony.

beautyandthebakerblog.blogspot.com

9) How organized is your make-up and nail polish collections?

Okay, apart from being a beauty hoarder, I am also a OCD-organiser especially for my beauty and makeup items. I am proud to say I am pretty organised for my beauty collection and reguarly think of ways to try and better the way in which I organise my beauty arsenal. Trust me, the best for such things are Office Supplies. Yup. You've seen them on YouTube, you've seen them on beauty blogs, office supplies, such as filing separators, desk drawers, even stationary cup holders are the best when it come to organisation. Order them of Ebay, Amazon, anywhere online or even pop by your local office supplies stores to 'get these awesome stuff that will keep your collection nice and neat. If you can't get your hands on such office supplies, even simple gift boxes that you may have lying around the house will do the trick! Trust me. You will feel so proud of your collection being so neat.

 

www.themakeupboxshop.com

So, there ya have it! My version of The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag! Tagging everyone of you lovelies on this so definitely have a go at it if you want!


Stay lovely, confident and happy!

 

Falling For Fall: Fall Trends for the brilliant 2013: MAKEUP

Hey there everyone of you beauties out there! How have you been? Great and fantastic I hope! Oh yea it's time for the second part of our FFF series! Probably the favourite section! [though I am tending to lean more to the fashion side lately haha] Yup, as from the title, it's time for a little MAKE-UP FOR FALL!

1) MEOW!
Probably one of my favourite eye looks! CAT EYES! Just those kinds of simplistic, minimalistic looks that would make you go from hey there doe eyes to VA VA VOOM SEXY FELINE. Cat eyes- makeup bring such a flare to any simple everyday makeup look without you having to look like you've spent practically half a day on your look. Runways of Salvatore Ferragamo, Michael Kors and Lanvin can rock it, and so can we! Go full on bold, edgy and even retro with a thicker, saturated cat eye or go for the simple subtle ones to suit a more everyday wearable look. And who said anything about not adding on that pop of colour from time to time to spice things up? Don't be afraid to incorporate colour into your sexy cat eyes. Try beautiful jewel or rusty tones such as emerald, amethyst or burgundy and those smokey greys for that added Fall effect. Rock your eyeliner and bring out that vivacious kitty in you with this ever classic yet edgy look. Oh yea ;)

LANVIN [http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup-articles/fall-2013-makeup-trends#slide-6]

JASON WU [http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup-articles/fall-2013-makeup-trends#slide-3]

2) RUSTY [in a good way]
One of my favourite things beauty wise for Fall are the rustic colours. Think Rusty Orange, Burgundy, warm reddish brick browns, any colour with a reddish-orange undertone. Eyeshadows such as Rule [M.A.C], Deep Garnet [Laura Mercier] and Sketch [M.A.C] are some examples of such forbidden yet all so tempting colours. AMAZING. However, there is always this fear of making our eyes look red and sore. Indeed, there is a really fine line between looking like a Fall Knockout and an allergy-stricken chicken [it rhymes! lol]. Try keeping these warm colour on the outer edge of your eye makeup/ eye contour area. Also, avoid bringing these colours too far in towards the inner corner of your eyes [although in some looks, this actually works.]. Use the right techniques, and you'll find yourself rocking these rustic tones for the Fall that has come. BEAUTIFUL, SEXY AND SMOKEY. Enough said.

www.irishtimes.com

www.creativebeautyhealth.com

3) Bush!
It's all about the brows. THICK, STRONG EYEBROWS. Oh yea, thick doesn't always mean out of control and bushy but rather, take your look to the next level by focusing on your brows. Now, I admit I am those who almost never draws their brows, but seeing so many before-and-after YouTube videos and pictures, brows do indeed make a difference. I personally have dark black and somewhat thicker more defined brows, and hence my laziness lol. Arched, straight, softer or stronger, it's all up to you.Such strong brows add just enough to make your look more polished, clean and framed. After all, the brows do frame your beautiful peepers. *wiggle your eyebrows*

www.modelinia.com

www.realbeauty.com

 4) Pucker up!
Bold Lips that ooze vampy, seductive and mystery. My favourite. I love bold lips be it red, orange, wine or pink. Bold lips are one of the easiest ways to spice up your look. It can quickly polish up your look and awaken your inner sexy siren/ vamp. Fall is always a good time to play with the reds, dark roses and wine-hued lippies [not that you can't rock these at any times of the year ;)]. Red is forever classic and you can never go wrong with this. However, finding the right red to bust out of your arsenal can be tricky. General rule of thumb: Warmer toned beauties= more orange-based reds, cooler-toned beauties= blue/ purple toned reds. BUT don't just follow the norms! Makeup is all about experimenting so don't be shy to try out ANY red lippies that you are doubtful of pulling off. Who knows? You might find The One. *gasp* As for the vampy calling, wine/ merlot toned lippies are so beautiful. Something about these lil babies scream vamp, sexy, and overall Fall. Either keep it simple and more wearable with minimal eyeshadow/liner, thicker brows and defined lashes or go full on sexy with both the eyeshadows and bold lips. Both ways are nothign short of breath-taking. So pucker up and rock those sinful bold lips. People might just stop you on the streets for those alluring kissers.

www.beautyfashionadele.com

kanwalj.com

So beauties, with these trends in mind, it's time to rock these for Fall! Bring out the sexy vamps/sirens and the classic Fall beauty your style, your way. Any other fall makeup trends that you have been loving? ;)

Stay sexy, strong and beautifully confident!

FALLING FOR FALL: Fall Trends of brilliant 2013: Fashion

Hello jubblies and lovelies! [Don't ask me why, I just suddenly thought of the word 'jubblies'] Hope everyone is having a great start to your week! So so so, is it me or did the year just pass us by so quickly that it is now ALREADY MID-SEPTEMBER??!! *gasp* Fast and Furious seems apt here and now rolls in my personal all-time favorite season: FALL/ AUTUMN *cheers* Fall is such a beautiful season. Sure, every season has its own beauty and wonders [and sometimes their 'wraths'; think sticky, sweaty, frostbite, blue fingers lol], but for me, it's all about falling for Fall. As per the title of this post, this shall be the start of my fall posts series: Falling For Fall [FFF].

Fall, like I said, is my favorite season. Autumn leaves, warm pumpkin spice, and fuzzy sweaters while waiting for the winter cold to sweep Fall off its feet and into the another new season. Ironically [and Sadly], I don't enjoy the embrace of Fall where I live. *tear* lol but hey, all year round Summer-lovin' Singapore isn't all that bad either lol. ;) When I think Fall, I think of three simple words: Elegance, Style, Chic. And also tons of other words that come along with those that just make me all tingly inside. [think leather, boots, jackets, scarves, vampy makeup, burgundy, jewel tones and many many more *woohoo*] So to kick-off some FFF series fun, let's hit the fashion realms first. I'm gonna be talking about some Fall fashion trends of 2013 that would spice up your wardrobe and bring out the inner Fashionista in you. What better way to ease into the series than with things you have to wear as you walk out the door everyday? ;)

1) It's time to put on your [thinking] cap.
Hats are getting their fair share of attention this Fall and are appearing on the runways, with the likes of Kate Spade and Chanel. These trendy gems not only keep your head and ears warm and snug, but also gets the attention that you want. From the classic cozy beanies to the sleek and stylish Fedoras, the choices are far and wide should you wish to sport this trending fashion accessory to spruce up any Fall look.

http://www.glamour.com/

http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/

2) Print Me Chic
Don't be afraid to rock some prints this Fall. Classic prints such as Houndstooth and Checks never go out of style for Fall. And who ever said that you can't embrace your animalistic side for Fall as well? Any one can stop traffic while adorning some fun animal prints during Fall  and still be fit for the season. Be bold and stylish in Leopard, Zebra, Giraffe prints while maintaining some balance with darker backgrounds on your clothing and accessories. Not only for a girls' night out or a casual weekend date, these prints can be easily incorporated into your office wear without coming off as though are ready to party and go wild by the water cooler. Think along the routes of neutrals [be it background, or as a whole canvas with a small pop of print in your array of accessories of shoes, bags, watches etc].

jadorefashionlove.blogspot.com

www.stylebakery.com

www.fabsugar.com

3) Make the world jealous and Green with Envy

Emerald. Ethereal, Elegant and Ever-enchanting. Dubbed as colour of the year by Pantone for 2013, emerald-coloured fashion is here to stay. Be it your clothes, jewelry or bags, emerald is definitely a nice pop of stylish colour that you can add to your look. On the sidenote, if green isn't exactly your cup of tea, try other jewel tones such as amethyst and ruby [ooh lala]. They might just be right up your alley.

kimkardashian.celebuzz.com

www.polyvore.com

www.itdaydreamer.com.br

4) It's all about the layers
Fall is such a fun time to layer your pieces without having the possibility of being seen as overdone. However, the theme of the layering is important. Avoid piling on too many colours and patterns that would make you look like you are still stuck in the times of Spring and Summer. Keep it simple with a tiny pop of colour if you need it and patterns [as mentioned earlier, classics like Houndtooth and Checks or animal prints, even dark florals] should be also kept to a minmal. As for texture, keep it as streamlined and non-bulky as possible. Rule of thumb for this one here: thin and thin, sheer and sheer, thin and thick but never thick and thick.

www.platinumblondelife.com

5) Leather is STILL the new black. 
Oh yea. Leather. On of my favourite textures and it never goes out off style. Leather doesn't mecessarily mean only jackets. Try incorporating it into your look with a cute pair of leather leggings or a bad-ass leather peplum. This beautiful material is just enough to add that edge, sexiness and danger to any outfit this fall. Not only should you take leather to new forms in clothing and accessories, colour is another aspect that you should not neglect. Classic black and brown leather can never be wrong but coloured leather such as burgundy, emerald and the all so sexy red might just be the thing you need to take your fall wardrobe to a whole new level.

 

 

http://www.thebargainhunterextraordinaire.blogspot.com/

When it comes to fashion, never be afraid to your way. These Fall 2013 trends would definitely bring some [pumpkin] spice to your wardrobe. Even if you are somewhere with the Big Four Seasons, nothing [well ok maybe the heat or sth] should stop your from rockin' your look, your way. I am defnitely going to be embracing some of these trends in my looks and hope that you do too! Fashion is all about beauty, passion and expression. So be yourself and have fun with these trends! What are some of your favourite fashion trends for the brilliant Fall of 2013? ;)

Stay beautiful, happy and confident! <3 br="">

 

REVIEW: Essence Vintage District Collection

Hey Lovelies! Hope you guys are doing oh so well and feeling great! Today I'm gonna be talking about the Essence Vintage District Collection. *Cheers* Essence has always been one of my favourite drugstore brands as it delivers quality and sass without me having to necesssarily break the bank. This collection definitely caught my eye as anything with the word VINTAGE, oh, I'm there baby.

 LOOK. JUST LOOK. Oh my goodness! Just the colour scheme and cute vintage fonts have enough to get me in a happy dance [don't you just love happy dances?] I got almost everything in the collection except the nail effects kits and the top coats [seeing as how I like more straight-up one colour manicures and a butt load worth of top coats already]. Might I say, I am impressed. Now, seeing as how extensive this collection is, moving on!

From L to R: I'm So Retro, Shopping @ Portobello Road, Get Arty

Clockwise: I'm So Retro, Shopping @ Portobello Road, Get Arty

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Shopping @ Portobello Road, I'm So Retro, Get Arty

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Shopping @ Portobello Road, I'm So Retro, Get Arty

 First off, the eyeshadows, how cute can they get?! The little 'paint splotches' are just so cute, adding to the whole artist feel. They are overspray so of course my heart ached so much when I had to swatch them but all for in the name of love [of reviews and beauty blogging]!! The shadows are nice, smooth and pigmented. I was surprised at what the teal shade became after swirling the shades together as it looks like a bright-medium teal in the pan but swatch up to more of a muted metallic grey teal on my hand. Seems to be a semi-matte [due to the shimmery silver overspray that gives it a more shimmery sheen]. The peach-orange is my favourite, so nice for a light pop of colour on the lids or in the crease. Looks to be of a matte finish. As for Get Arty, it proves to be a more silvery grey and does have a nice shimmer to it without being full-on metallic. Overall, the eyeshadows, with their cute packaging and names, are nice pieces to the collection.

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Shopping @ Portobello Road., Get Arty

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Shopping @ Portobello Road., Get Arty

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Shopping @ Portobello Road., Get Arty

Ooh la la. Gel eyeliners. Essence is pretty notorious for having amazing gel eyeliners so how would these two additions fare? Firstly, the packaging is lovely, matching the overall theme. What's more, they come in a set with brushes. For the price, you honestly cannot beat that. Shopping @ Portbello Road is such a nice teal eyeliner that goes on so smoothly and doesn't smudge on me. Great pigmentation and a great matte finish. AMAZING. As for Get Arty, it is a cement grey colour with a matte finish and like its teal counterpart, it's smooth, pigmented and lovely. The brushes are pretty nice for the price but nothing out of the extraordinary. Overall, these gel eyeliners are not short of impressive. Great for a pop of colour without busting out the eyeshadows and an more toned down alternative to a straight-up black [the grey, that is].

OMG. Say what?!

Pretty gold overspray [not to worry for those who are worried about the strong sheen that the gold might give!]

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Gold Overspray, Blush with no overpsray, Blush with overspray

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Gold Overspray, Blush with no overpsray, Blush with overspray

So far so good, what shall come next? How about some colour for the face? THE BLUSH. OMG. HEART STOPPING BEAUTY. Such beautiful embossing for such a great price? Shut up and take my money already!! Any blush collector collecting them for their embossing has got to get this! The brilliant floral embossing just adds such class to this blush. Also the gold overspray on it makes it even more to die for. This blush has nice pigmentation especially with the overspray. Something like an in-between of a cream-soda orange and a peach. With the overspray gone, it has a matte finish. Also, the smoothness of the blush is just one-up.

Still going strong lovelies? Let's keep going! Phew! Alright, let's talk lipstick. Essence is really going all out with this one, with two lipstick and lipgloss duos. The shades are so nice. Adding a pop of colour without having to go on the 'BIG BOLD BHAM' route. Perfect for days that you need to look polished but still want a little colour. The lipsticks are nice and come in two shades. Vintage Peach [a peach-orange with a slight gold sheen] and Antique Pink [a warm watermelon pink rose shade]. Smooth and pigmented without skipping or patchiness. The lipsticks have a nice sheen to them without being overly glossy looking. As for the lip glosses, they are really nicely pigmented and can easily be worn alone without having to pull out the lipsticks. They are not overly sticky and both also seem to have a very very slight micro-glitter gold sheen. Like other Essence lipsticks and glosses, they seem to have a slight candy scent to them. Overall, very worth the price for their quality and colour.

From L to R : Antique Pink, Vintage Peach

From L to R [Natural Daylight] Vintage Peach Lipstick, Lip Gloss

From L to R [Natural Daylight] Antique Pink Lipstick, Lip Gloss

Alright last stretch! Let's go! Finally, what's a makeup collection without nails? The nail polishes from this collection are AMAZING. Get Arty [a concrete grey with multi-coloured sheen], Shopping @ Portobello Road [cream muted medium teal], Antique Pink [Dusky cream watermelon pink rose] and Vintage peach [Cream peach orange]. These are great to add to any nail polish lover's collection. Creamy, smooth, and opaque on two coats. Right up my alley. These are such nice colours and really served to complete this fabulous collection. They don't cause bubbling and I hadn't had any trouble with earlier than expected chipping. Overall, one of the stand out products of this collection.

From L to R [Natural Daylight]: Get Arty, Shopping @ Portobello Road, Antique Pink, Vintage Peach

From L to R [Natural Daylight] [TWO coats]: Vintage Peach, Antique Pink, Shopping @ Portobello Road, Get Arty

 

Overall, this collection is mind blowing. Such amazing quality for drugstore prices. Essence really never fails to impress. I am definitely a bona-fide Essence fan and just cannot wait for upcoming collections. Great Job Essence! [For lovelies in Singapore, Essence can be found at selected Watsons outlets]. I highly recommend you lovelies to check out this beautiful collection!! Anyone else also loving this collection? <3 p="">

Stay happy and healthy!