Paul & Joe Alice in Wonderland

Just heard from the Paul & Joe SA at Isetan that reservations are coming in fast for the Alice in Wonderland sets. These will go on sale next Tuesday 16 March. One counter received only 80 units of each set and has already taken more than 30 reservations. With the purchase of each set, there is also a GWP of a small Alice cloth drawstring pouch plus some skincare and foundation samples. The pouch is the same as the one shown in this Iswii.net post.

The metal cases actually turned out to be larger than I expected. From the pics online, I had assumed that they would be the size of a small box of mints.

Each set includes a Lip Treatment Stick, Blotting Case with 100 sheets and a refill pack of 100 sheets. The products are all made in Japan by Albion (which also makes Anna Sui cosmetics.

There's no doubt that these are pricey at S$78 but do bear in mind that they are highly collectible and the quality is top-notch. Here's a comparison of the prices across the different countries:
Singapore S$78
USA US$48 (S$67)
UK £25 (S$52)
Japan 6300yen (S$98)

The UK price is very low in comparison to Singapore as the pound has sunk against the Singapore dollar over the past week.

Like other Paul & Joe lipstick cases, you can easily swop out the Lip Treatment Sticks from the cardboard tube and replace them with a lipstick refill.

The Oil Blotting Cases are essentially the same design as the normal Paul & Joe Oil Blotting Cases, with a cushy exterior and a mirror on the inside.


Gotta love the attention to detail when even the back cover of the Oil Blotting Cases feature such cute illustrations!



Even the oil blotting sheets are printed with different motifs :-)


You can also use the metal case as a lipstick case. Although if you want to bring the case with you on the go, I would recommend storing it inside a padded or felt case to protect the case.

If you're interested in getting these, do call the counters to place a reservation. Like the Paul & Joe Bambi collection, the Alice collection is unlikely to stay on the counters for long. Yes, the sets are expensive but they are about what one would pay for a nice pair of shoes, or suit or to get your hair dyed at an upmarket salon. For me, these are definitely worth skimping for a week on outside meals and just hitting up the good ol' office sandwich machine :-)

You can also check out Paul & Joe's official Facebook page here to see more reports of the Alice collection being launched around the world!

Isetan Private Sale

Isetan Private Sale is on this week from 12-15 March. During this period, Isetan cardmembers can receive 10% Beauty Bonus vouchers with minimum purchase of S$100 of cosmetics and fragrances and every subsequent S$50 purchase. Aside from the usual GWPs, several brands such as Paul & Joe and Bobbi Brown also have events lined up to showcase their latest products. Check out the details in the Isetan newsletter!

EOTD: Paul & Joe Eye Color Palette #002

The Paul & Joe Eye Color Palette #002 was released a few seasons ago. It's a palette that I should use more often as the eyeshadows have a lovely silky texture and excellent colour payoff, but I probably have used it less than 10 times in total. It's always a good idea to shop your stash occasionally to re-discover gems that haven't gotten enough love!

First I brushed the light pearl pink shade from the Paul & Joe palette over the browbone area, followed by the metallic navy along the upper lashline and the blended the pale mint shade from the Majolica Majorca Jeweling Eyes BL711 palette in the crease and along the lower lashline. Then I finished off with K-Palette Real Lasting Volume mascara.

Maybelline Magnum Volum'Express

Stand a chance to win this Magnum Sports Bike with purchase of the new Maybelline Magnum Volum'Express mascara at the Watsons in Ngee Ann City!


Isn't it a beauty?

Details of how to enter the contest are below.

Paul & Joe Alice Collection on ASOS

The Paul & Joe Alice in Wonderland lip balm and oil blotting case sets are now available on Asos.com for £25 each, along with the OPI Alice collection of four nail polishes. The Paul & Joe Alice collection should be released in Singapore in mid-March and cost around S$78 per set. Can't wait!

Kate Moss Vintage Launch

Came across this promotional area for the new launch of Kate Moss Vintage perfume at BHG in Bugis Junction yesterday. You can receive a gold clutch with purchase of the 30ml version and an additional 15ml miniature with purchase of the 50ml version.

Vintage is a fruity floriental with notes of pink pepper, freesia, mandarin, heliotrope, jasmine, almond blossom, tonka bean, vanilla and musk. It smelled pleasant but was somewhat forgettable for me. I still prefer the original Kate perfume, which is a lovely rose perfume.

Here's the TV ad and a clip on the shooting of the ad campaign.

Korres Tinted Lip Balm Promo

Spotted this promo at the Korres store in Ion Orchard for their Tinted Lip Balm!

EOTD: Ed Pinaud #2 Quad

I tried out the Ed Pinaud Eyeshadow No.2 (Smokey Emerald) palette today. The dark green shade in it was amazingly pigmented and it applies as more of a dark mossy green, rather than emerald. The dark grey and taupey grey shades also have good colour payoff and a smooth texture. The shades also last very well over several hours of wear without oxidising or fading.

The only shade I did not like was the light beige gold shade which threw up a mess of loose powder pigments when I stroked my brush over it. The brush applicator included in the palette is terrible, so I would just discard that. The sponge applicator works well for applying the shades intensely but for a more natural gradation, it is still best to use a blending brush to smooth out the edges.

I used the beige gold shade over the browbone area, the dark green from the upper lashline to the crease, the taupey grey shade blended into the crease and the dark grey to line the lower lash line. I also used K-Palette Real Lasting Volume mascara on my lashes.

This was the only Ed Pinaud palette that I got, so I can't say if the other five palettes are similar in terms of quality and texture. The L'Officiel magazine has also sold out very quickly at Kinokuniya and Borders, and is near impossible to find now. All in all, this has definitely been one of the more valuable gifts that a local magazine has given out in awhile!

Anna Sui Nail Color N #205 and #902

Anna Sui Nail Color N comes in a wide range of 38 shades with varying amounts of glitter. Like most of Anna Sui's products, the nail polishes bear her signature rose scent which remains detectable on the nail after application. I like the sweet rose scent so it's not a problem for me but scent can be very subjective. The two shades that I received both applied very smoothly and evenly without streaking even after three coats. These look intense in the bottle but actually are quite sheer when applied.

#902 is a bright chartreuse that applies sheer at first but as you apply more layers, the finish becomes more intense and opaque with a rich shimmer.


#205 applies as a sheer grape (think diluted Ribena!) with glitter. In the pics below, I applied three coats of #205 and still, it remained translucent and more sheer compared to #902. Even without a top gloss coat, the finish was quite shiny.

Liberty & Marc Jacobs Mooks

I was quite intrigued when I read that there would be a Liberty mook. The vaunted British brand appears to be undergoing a revival in recent times, with the MAC Liberty of London collection being one of the manifestations. The Liberty Print 1875-2010 Spring & Summer mook (the "1875" is not a typo!) arrived at Kinokuniya stores earlier this week. It comes with a soft cloth tote bag (23x34x10cm) designed in collaboration with a noted Japanese stylist and retails for S$31.50.

The bag features the new Emilia's flowers print.

I bought this mook not so much for the tote bag but because I was interested in reading about Liberty's brand history and what goes on behind the scenes in the designing and production of their iconic prints. The 78-page mook includes an interview with the Liberty fabric archivist, a retrospective of Liberty prints, a look at what goes on in the Liberty design studio and even a sewing guide for making t-shirts, bags, aprons with Liberty fabrics.

Inside the Liberty department store in London.

Inside the design studio

Collage of Liberty fabrics on the design studio wall.

Here's a look at the Japanese magazines and mooks that were available at the Kinokuniya store in Bugis Junction earlier this afternoon.




I didn't bother getting the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2010 mook because the print on the accessories this time round were not attractive to me at all.

Royce Nama Choco

AhCapp gifted me with this utterly delectable box of Royce chocolates in champagne last week. These are known as "nama choco" in Japan ("nama" means fresh).

The champagne flavour is actually very subtle and the chocolates have a slightly firm consistency that slowly melts in your mouth. Just simply divine.

Royce, which hails from Hokkaido, has a store at Ion Orchard in level B4. Do check it out!

Steady x HamburGirl

Picked up the new April issue of Steady magazine (S$16.40) at Kinokuniya in Bugis Junction today as it comes with a HamburGirl tote bag. Also pictured is the Liberty mook which I will write about in another post.

The tote has three pockets in front for convenient access and is made of polyester and PVC. The exterior is reflective and feels like a thin raincoat material while the interior has a purple lining. The tote is a bit small but still adorable with a lovely design.



Some HamburGirl accessories featured in the magazine.


The next issue of Steady will come with a Rebecca Taylor makeup pouch (9.5x19.5x6cm). Due out on 7 April in Japan.

The April issue of Sweet will come with a Jill Stuart Cafe pouch (18x24x7cm). Due out on 12 March.

EOTD: Body Shop Shimmer Cubes #7

Here's a simple EOTD done with the Body Shop Shimmer Cubes #6. Like the other Shimmer Cubes, this set is richly pigmented and applies very smoothly. The shine is quite intense but what's impressive about the Shimmer Cubes is that I experienced zero fall-out issues.

I used Marshmallow (beige) over the browbone area, Honeycomb (golden bronze) at the inner corners, Chocolate Chip from the upper lashline to the crease, and Dark Chocolate to line the upper and lower lashline. I also used K-Palette Real Lasting Volume mascara.