I went to explore the new ALT store at the Heeren today with Kas of Shine, Shimmer & Sparkle. Spread out over three floors in the space formerly occupied by HMV, ALT felt like it was modelled after the Loft in Japan. The store is very brightly lit, airy and neatly organised. There were hardly any customers, which was a bit sad because the store is really a beauty addict's playground.
The ground floor has a section for bags and a beauty section with Paul & Joe, Pupa, I Nuovi, Ettusais, Lotree, fresh Minerals, the Makeup Store, Ossion, Kanava and Panadda. Panadda is a makeup brand from Thailand. I quite liked some of the blushes (S$25.90), which felt very silky with good colour payoff and a lovely shimmer.
The Pupa counter is massive and much more impressive than the displays at Sasa and BHG Bugis.
Ossion is a Korean skincare brand. It is displayed next to Kanava nailpolishes, but I don't know if the two brands are related.
The second floor is ladies' clothing. The third floor is the highlight of the store for me as it contains literally what must be over 100 brands including L'Oreal, Bourjois, Canmake, Kate, Shills, Principessa, Kiehls and many more that I'm not familiar with. For everything from haircare, skincare, bodycare, nails and makeup, you are just spoilt for choice here with the selection of brands available. Many of the brands here can also be found at Sasa, Watsons or Sephora but I liked the refined and quiet atmosphere of ALT where you are left to browse in peace to your heart's content.
Shills face powder and concealer stick.
The Principessa display.
False eyelashes display.
BB Creams galore.
Spotted some EcoTools skincare kits that I haven't seen at Watsons.
For nail addicts, there is a very well-stocked OPI section, including the latest Shrek Forever After and Summer Flutter collections. The Summer Flutter is also available in the set of 4 minis for S$35. The full size OPIs cost S$23.50.
The Orly display.
The third floor also carries snacks, household items and toys, like a rubber chicken that lets out the most hilarious (and LOUD) whining squeal when squeezed.
Do check out ALT if you get the chance!
Managed to finish another slew of products recently so I'll review them quickly before sending the containers for recycling.
1. Steam Cream: I finished my first Steam Cream that I purchased in Tokyo! At just 75ml, this can did not last very long as I was using it as a body moisturiser. The skin on my legs have become much dryer as I get into my 30s. The Steam Cream absorbs easily and keeps my skin well hydrated without stickiness. While the texture was divine perfection in the dry and cold climate of Tokyo back in early April, but in Singapore's hot and humid weather, the Steam Cream does leave a discernible layer on my skin. It's not as heavy as Body Shop Body Butter but it is definitely more emollient than Body Shop Body Puree.
2. Sala Shiny Arrange Wax: Both my mother and I loved this as it helps to keep our hair neat without any crackly stiffness. The light wax is very easy to work with when mixed with a bit of water. Sala is a drugstore haircare brand by Kanebo. The Sala hair wax line has been revamped since I purchased this so this version is no longer available but you can probably find a very similar product to this in the current line-up.
3. Sala Repair Hair Pack: I brought this along on my Hawaii & Tokyo trip to use as a daily conditioner. It helped to keep my hair soft and manageable without any buildup. This has also been revamped since I purchased it.
4. Jill Stuart Sugar Body Scrub: I purchased this as part of the Bath & Body Collection from last November. I find that the sugar melts too fast so you get less than a minute of really good and thorough scrubbing action. The 60g pot lasted only about six uses for me. The floral scent was a tad too sweet and tweeny for my liking.
5. Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion: This helps to dry out blemishes effectively so I use this when I get breakouts, especially on my forehead and cheeks. It is too astringent to use twice a day, so I only use this when I need to treat acne.
6. Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Shampoo: This is formulated with olive fruit oil, avocado oil and lemon extract to restore shine and softness to dry, damaged hair. It cleansed quite effectively and rinsed off easily without stripping or leaving my hair in a tangled mess although I still need to follow up with a conditioner.
7. City Girl Nail Polish Remover: Just a cheapo $2 nail polish remover. It worked alright but wasn't particularly outstanding. I can't even remember where I bought this!
8. Body Shop Spa Wisdom Polynesia Lotus & Frangipani Flower Body Puree: This is perfect for Singapore's humid climate as it absorbs quickly into the skin without any greasiness at all. The scent is quite light and not too sweet, generic or cloying.
9. Body Shop Spa Wisdom Polynesia Lime & Coconut Shower Gel: This contains small scrubby bits to help exfoliate the skin. It cleanses well and doesn't strip my skin. I can't really smell the lime note in this though.
10. Shu Uemura White Recover EX+ Brightening Cleansing Oil: Very effective at removing makeup including waterproof mascara but I did not notice any significant whitening or brightening effect.
11. I Nuovi Purify Skin Cleansing Gel: The clear gel has an almost jelly-like texture. This cleanses well and gently without stripping the skin.
I Nuovi has some great deals lined up for 6-13 February, just before Chinese New Year. Click on the pic for full details!
Get a chance to win I Nuovi's La Dolce Vita Christmas makeup set just by sending them a photo of yourself in your glamorous best! Details in the photo below.
I Nouvi has released its holiday coffret, La Dolce Vita which is worth S$275 but you can get it free with any S$200 purchase. Or if you spend S$100, you can purchase the coffret for S$68.
I Nuovi is running a Mystery Shopper promotion. The response has been very good, so if you're interested in signing up, just follow the instructions in the flyer below. (Tip: Save the pic on your computer and then click enlarge to read the instructions.)
In honour of Singapore's National Day, I Nuovi is offering shoppers the chance to win up to $440 in vouchers. No purchase necessary, just pen your wishes for Singapore (should be in store) from now till 16 August.
A reader requested for a close-up shot of the I Nuovi Dixie purse that I received so here it is :-) This is part of the GWP for purchases of S$88, which also includes a Lip Moist (treatment balm) and mini Purify skin cleansing gel.
For those of you interested in checking out I Nuovi, here's the mailer on their promotions for the Great Singapore Sale taking place now until 26 July. I Nuovi currently has five stand alone stores in Singapore: Far East Plaza, Vivocity, Suntec City, Jurong Point and Junction 8. Happy shopping!
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Last Sunday, my buddy Mag from Makeupstash.com and I were hosted by the lovely folks at I Nuovi at their Suntec City store. Over the course of two hours, Bob Mubarak, the I Nuovi corporate trainer, introduced their product range to us and patiently answered our truckload of questions. I enjoyed the session immensely as Bob was the kind of extremely easy-going, friendly makeup artist with a great sense of humor who instantly puts you at ease and never talks down to you or preaches certain makeup 'rules'. His product knowledge was fantastic as he is also involved in product development for the company.
I Nuovi was started in 1996 by a Singaporean biochemist and two Singaporean makeup artists. The latter two are no longer with I Nuovi but I Nuovi has continued to grow from strength to strength. It currently retails in 10 countries, with Hong Kong being one of its largest markets. The products are developed and manufactured in France, Japan, the Italy and Germany and are formulated to be fragrance-free, cruelty-free and non-comedogenic.
To be honest, I've never tried I Nuovi up until now but it was very interesting to learn from Bob about the history and development of the company. I was also impressed by the comprehensive line of products, which are easy to use and feature a diverse array of shades that allow you to be as creative as you wish. I Nuovi also sells some products meant for pro makeup artists, such as its Proair airburshing system which we got to play with.
I Nuovi's bestselling item is its false eyelashes, which come packaged with their own glue and can be re-used up to five times. The lashes are all made in Korea. I decided to get the Pro Lash EX03 (S$14), which is the most popular style. Figured this would come in handy for my bridal photo shoot :-)
This is the wonderful Bob explaining the Lash Bar to us!
I also picked up the Illumina Skin Illuminating Pre-makeup Base in Aura (S$48). This contains multi-reflective pearl to make your skin more glowy when used under foundation. This has a very lightweight, non-greasy texture and helped my powder foundation apply more smoothly. I liked that it did not cause my skin to get greasy quickly. Overall, the glowy effect is quite subtle and you don't have to worry about looking like a disco ball.
According to Bob, their Eyeshadow Perfecting Base (S$31) is incredibly popular in Hong Kong where some clients use it not only on their eyelids but also all over the face because they liked how it makes their makeup last. After about 10 hours of wear today, I found that there was only some light creasing at the inner corners of my eyes. The rest of my eye makeup was still creaseless and the colors had not oxidised or faded. It is comparable to my current staple, Testimo Eye Bright Up Base except the I Nuovi base is not as shimmery.
The I Nuovi staff also gave us a generous gift bag! I received the Lip Polish in Vanilla (strange name for such an intense shade), Lip Moist Lip Conditioning Treatment Balm, Cheekblush in Fashionista, Metallogy Eyeshadow in Tin and the Purify Skin Cleansing Gel.
The Lip Polish is a newly launched range of pigmented lipglosses with intense shine. It gives an intense pop of color and was quite longlasting without drying out my lips. I also liked the fact that it was not sticky and did not 'bleed' into the fine lines around my lips even after a few hours of wear.
The Cheekblush, which is available in four shades, has a similar texture to Becca's Beach Tint, very lightweight, easy to apply and blend for a natural tint of color without any stickiness.
I also highly recommend checking out the new Metallogy range of eyeshadows which was launched last fall. This has an incredibly silky, rich, almost wet-feeling texture similar to MAC Veluxe Pearl and Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadows. The current range of shades is quite limited without any greens or blues but more shades will be introduced in the months to come.
Here's a pic of the Metallogy display and some other shades.
This is I Nuovi's older range of eyeshadows. The domed packaging will be phased out and replaced with a flat cover packaging for greater ease of storage.
Here's the base makeup range.
All in all, it was a very educational session and the I Nuovi staff made us feel so at home that the time just flew by. Many thanks to Mag as well for introducing me to I Nuovi!
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