Hey Everyone,

I don’t know about you but I sure think that buying makeup at the counter can get pricey. Too pricey in fact. In Australia, my wallet can go on a lean and mean diet for dishing out 39 bucks for a revlon foundation at Priceline when I know I can get it in the states for $8 which explains my dreary late night activity of hunting down beauty bargains at the following online stores. Probably one of the second best feelings in the world is returning home from a day of studying only to plop down on your bed, whip out the card and in a state of bluriness do some good old online retail therapy. One of the BEST feelings in the world is getting that notice that your parcel is waiting for collection.

I get this question a lot. “Roseanne, where do you buy your makeup online?” Well, today I’m here to give you a rundown of my favourite online haunts so your early morning hours will be that much more interesting.

1. Cosme-De.com (www.cosme-de.com)

Beautifully laid out with an easy navigation and it stocks asian brands like Kose, Ettusais, FANCL, Etude House, Hado Labo, KATE and SANA – asian drugstore products that you can find in Singapore but probably not so easily in places like Australia and the United States. The shipping is fast and efficient and there is free shipping on every order. I ordered NARS blushes from them when they had them because the would sell them at US prices which was awesome. I just looked on the website and they don’t stock them anymore but it still is a unique site in that it has the asian products that other online makeup stores miss out on.

2. The Beauty Club (www.thebeautyclub.com.au)

The Beauty Club probably has the largest collection of department store brands to date. You can find MAC, Makeup Forever, NARS, Scott Barnes, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, YSL, SKII, the list goes on and at discounted prices. I like how there is a review option so you can see other people’s take on them and the prices are great. A MAC blush from The Beauty Club will cost you around $20 but at the store in Australia, it’s $40. So you’re basically doing half the damage or if you’re cool like me – will buy 2 for the price of 1. From makeup, to skincare to perfumes to haircare, the range at The Beauty Club is amazing. The only catch is that you have to be a member and pay a membership fee to enjoy these privileges. I do think it’s worth it if you do buy a lot of makeup. The delivery is also fast, efficient and free once you become a member.

3. SG_Beauty (www.sg-beauty.livejournal.com)

I know it can be a little weird but second hand makeup isn’t all that bad. If its been swatched once or twice, you can still use it. SG_Beauty is an online livejournal community in Singapore in which Singaporeans come together every weekend to sell their makeup in sale posts. It’s like a tradition to browse through them on a lonely Saturday evening. Usually, the products are secondhand or new and you would arrange to email the seller about it and proceed to pay through bank transfer/postage. It’s like a secondhand market, but online. I’ve bought lots of nail polishes through here and a couple of NARS blushes too. Now, how cool would it be if that concept went global? Thinking of integrating a marketplace on my upcoming website but we’ll see. Give me feedback though!

4. Crush Cosmetics (www.crushcosmetics.com.au)

Crush Cosmetics is a site where you have so many brands you can’t normally get anywhere, not even in the average online shop. They stock brands like Wet N’ Wild (where you can get that comfort zone palette), NYX (jumbo pencils and lipsticks), NYC, E.L.F, China Glaze Nail polishes, Seche Vite, Eyeko, Sleek, Barry M and even Lime Crime. It’s for sure a place to check out and the prices are reasonable too – usually under $20 an item or even below $10 bucks.

5. AllCosmeticsWholesale (www.allcosmeticswholesale.com)

If you’ve stuck with me for a while, you probably already know I had a previous obsession with AllCosmeticsWholesale. I know, I know, gone were the days when I did hauls at least once a week but when I chanced upon allcosmeticswholesale back in the day, I was so happy. Think of all the US brands you know – MAC, NYX, NARS, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, KORRES, Sigma, Sugarpill, Tarte, Too Faced, Victoria’s Secret, and more. It’s not only that they stock brands like this but they stock huge varieties of each brand. They even have a lot of MAC makeup from past collections that are rare and you can’t find anymore, MAC brushes (!!), NARS Blush refills, OCC lip tars, Urban Decay palettes, Kryolan and more. A Maybelline expertwear blush can go for a little over USD$2. It’s a great website. It’s the kinda website that you could spend hours just putting things in your online basket like you have all the money in the world but never hitting the checkout button when you’re done. I call it online window shopping aka online window drooling. The only downside is that shipping is very expensive so make sure you split with a friend if you’re up for it.

So, there we have it! My favourite online makeup shops.

What are your favourite online makeup shops?

Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

Honestly, the time I spend on the net is probably more than a normal girl should ever spend on the internet but that makes me more prone to coming across cool and funny things, especially those related to beauty and makeup. In this post, I’ve sort of collected my findings into one to introduce to you the funniest or weirdest beauty products that have graced planet earth. Hear me out, some of you may take offense to what I’m about to find out as weird or funny but please take it as lighthearted fun or forever hold your peace.

1. Justine Bieber’s Nail Polish Line and Perfume

The picture tells it all. I have nothing whatsoever against Justin Beiber. I actually really like it when ‘Baby” comes up on the playlist in a club, it is the epitome of an awesome song that everyone can sing to. But, I’ve noticed a little trend with his paraphanlia – that he’s really getting into the beauty scene too. But, he’s a guy, right? I mean how many people can raise their hands in sorrow when he announced he was going out with Selena Gomez? I can’t raise my hand but I’m sure you might have your teeth bared at her right now. I find his new perfume hilarious. I also find that the name “SOMEDAY” is hilarious. Basically, if you wear this perfume, someday, you will get to be Bieber’s girlfriend. Someday. That’s so sad. It’s almost like false hope in a bottle. But hey, if the shoe fits, wear it. Most of his target audience are girls anyway. Kind of sad that he can’t wear his new perfume out, nor his nail polish line. Justin Bieber perfume, not colgone, perfume. Am i the only one finding this amusing?

2. Sheep Placenta Cream

The last time we visited China was in January of 2009, my parents love connecting to our roots and instead of our usual Shanghai haunts, we decided to branch out a bit to places like WuZhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi, home to views like this:

Despite it’s beautiful facade, Wuxi is home to distributors of not only pearl powder products, but sheep placenta creams as well. They call it the Sheep Placenta element, a cream that my Mother actually stocked up on and bought for the whole family. I used mine until it ran out. It made my skin really smooth and I know how gross a placenta can sound but if it works, it works. The logic behind sheep placenta is that a placenta is created by the mother to nourish the womb and supply the baby with nutrients while it’s in the stomach, making the placenta home to very nutrient rich stem cells, the start of life to every cell. Using live cell therapy, the stem cells from the sheep placenta are extracted and then injected into the topical creams so that when applied, will activate older cells to life (something along those lines). It’s an anti-ageing treatment for skin rejuvination and have been used by personalities like Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower.

3. Nightingale Dropping Facial

First of all, for some reason, I always thought nightingales to be birds of legend, something that people wrote about but hey, nightingales are actually real birds. Okay maybe I need brush up on my bird knowledge but imagine putting nightingale poop on your face. Sounds tantalizing doesn’t it? Apparently in Japan, uguisu no fun or powdered nightingale droppings are used in a facial, The Geisha Facial, to improve the skin. Yes, it actually exists. The theory behind this beauty treatment is that the natural enzymes in the dropping can make your skin extremely soft and that Geishas are known for their beautiful complexions simply because they used this treatment to take off their makeup and to rejuvinate their faces. I know the video is japanese but you can see how it works! If Victoria Beckam things it’s hot, then why not.

4. F Cup Cookies

image source: http://vujie.blogspot.com/2011/06/f-cup-cookie-review.html

I don’t know how appropriate it is to put this here but hey, I reckon it’s beauty related. If you don’t need a shirt that says “up here”, you might want to look at F cup cookies as your next solution. F Cup cookies are cookies that you eat to make your boobs bigger. Sorry for the bluntness but the story behind these cookies again from japan is that you ingest a herbal supplement called Pueraria Mirifica which is a breast enlargement supplement. The cookies come in two flavours – Soy Milk or Pralines and Chocolate. Who would have known.

5. Deo Perfume Candy

Sometimes, we can all dream a little. Imagine a candy that you eat and then suddenly you smell just like it. Introducing the Deo Perfume Candy. Alpi, a belgian confectionary company found out that when you eat garlic, you kind of smell like it. They got the chemical that does this and apparently it can’t be digested so it must be released by your pores, making a natural scent. Alpi got smart and put this into candy with natural scents like rose and lavender via gernaiol, a component in essential oils. Right now, it can only be found at Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

And there we have it, I hope I made you gawk a bit!

What’s the weirdest beauty product you’ve seen out there?

Love,
Roseanne

P.S: Eating collagen doesn’t work, so don’t even think about eating those Collagen Marshmallows. Plus, there’s a SEPHORA Monopoly Edition that I could cry for.

*Images and information sourced by various websites from Google.

Hey Everyone,

Check out my new tutorial! Angelababy is abs stunning so I thought I would do a tutorial inspired on her and most Hong Kong and Taiwan Popstars!

Hey Everyone,

There are just some rules and guidelines to makeup that everyone should know, so I decided to do an entry on what my top 5 beauty don’ts and do’s are. Do beware though, I might offend some people in this post, nothing personal, but please don’t spear me on a rod and roast me like a marshmallow later. Take it as well, constructive criticism. Let’s have some fun.

Don’t:

1. Don’t Tatoo Your Eyebrows – Murder Charges Apply

Sometimes when I walk around back in Singapore, I see these wonderful old ladies with blue eyebrows. I don’t mean to be brutally brash or rude, it’s just that it’s totally unflattering. If you haven’t heard of this myth before, people actually wax out all their eyebrows and tatoo them back in. There’s no natural hair anymore. Why on earth would you do this? Because baby you’re lazy but don’t you know no pain, no gain? Don’t wax off all your eyebrows and tatoo them back in unless you want to eventually have blue eyebrows. Over arched brows can age you as well.

2. Wrong Lipsticks Don’t Look Hot

When you look at a celebrity and there’s this lipstick that looks dead hot on her, it sometimes doesn’t mean that it will look hot on you. Our skintones and less mentioned undertones are different. I am not a marshmallow to roast, but take for example that MAC Lady Gaga lipstick. If you’re unsure about what that lipstick looks like, it’s a bubblegum very nude and light pink with blue undertones that may look beautiful on Lady Gaga with her blonde hair and pink undertones but on others, it looks like someone just came out of a sci-fi movie looking like a hoochiemama. Know what looks good on you and wear it, not the other way round.

3. Circular Blush for Clowns Only

I have to say that I’m still seeing girls trying to go kawaii on me and adding pink or orange circles to their cheeks as their blush. That or it’s an undefined circle and I have to say lots of it. I’m trying to blame the beautiful japanese anime as the culprit for this beauty don’t or even a lack of practice and know-how. Blend your blush upwards a bit so it becomes natural and don’t put that much, please – with a cherry on top.

4. Hide your Undereye Circles but Don’t Play Reverse Racoon

I know, dark circles can be a pain in the you know what and we will try all the ways to cover them but somewhere in the history of makeup, someone said to use a very light concealer under your eyes. I am not a marshmallow again but sometimes people in a frantic frenzy pile on way too much that they don’t have dark circles anymore, they have white circles. This does not wake you up, it wakes other people up seeing you look like that. I’m so mean. But, you know its true. Here’s your tip, don’t go more than one shade lighter if you can’t use your original concealer shade, only if, and take a little and pat it underneath. Make sure what you’re doing is buildable. It’s better to put a little less than a little more. That way, you can blame any unproductivity at work to not sleeping enough and you have the proof to show it, I kid.

5. Don’t Pop em Zits

I know it’s tempting. It’s like a volcano waiting to erupt. All you have to do is put those two fingers together and go “Pop!”. But, don’t. That’s a sure-fire way to cause acne scarring and we all know that acne scars take ages to dissapear. Just let them ride it’s life. It will come and go like it never was there, it just takes 1 or 2 days of embarassment and then everyone will realize that they’ve had zits too.

Do:

1. Take off all your makeup every night

Everyone should take off their makeup every night before they sleep. If you don’t, it causes clogged pores which eventually leads to zits which eventually leads to unhappy faces. Regardless of the awesome night you had, whether it’s 4 or 6 am in the morning when you come home, take a shower and clean up. Afterall, that’s the most you can do for your body that night, eh?

How do I take off my makeup? Here: http://roseannebeauty.onsugar.com/My-Nightly-Beauty-Routine-Removing-Make-up-9736273

2. Be Careful of Undertones

Sometimes people are too concerned with their skintones when picking out their colors but they forget about their undertone. If unfamiliar, undertone is concerned with whether you are a pink or yellow undertone. Just turn over your forearm and see if your veins appear blue or green. If blue, you are a pink undertone and if green, you are a yellow undertone. Knowing if your foundation has pink or yellow undertones helps to eventually make a better match.

3. Match Things Together – Cream with Cream, Powder with Powder, OIl with Oil and not Oil with Water

With matching undertones comes matching formulas. If you’re finding that your makeup isn’t lasting as long as it should, it’s probably because you’ve mixed up the formulas. If you decide that you are wearing an oil based moisturiser, make sure your foundation sitting on top of it isn’t water based because we all know that water and oil don’t mix. Likewise, if you have decided to powder your face, applying a cream blush after will probably result in patchy blush. Make sure you match formulas too.

4. Wear Sunscreen

Probably one of the common mistakes people do is that they don’t wear facial sunscreen. I’m not talking your regular banana boat let’s go for a holiday sunscreen, facial sunscreens have better formulas than body sunscreens in terms of mixing with your facial chemistry and making sure they stay presentable under makeup. You wouldn’t wash your face with showergel right? Wear a sunscreen because it protects your skin from harmful rays that can cause skin cancer, melanoma and of course wrinkles. Save money on botox in the future. Kidding.

Need sunscreen help? All you need to know here: http://roseannebeauty.onsugar.com/What-Sunscreen-Best-Sunscreens-Face-14902443

5. Embrace your skintype

Probably one of my number one makeup do’s is to embrace your skintype. Often, we don’t. Often, we try to make ourselves the opposite of what we are. For example, if you have oily skin, you try to find lots of matte products to make yourself extremely matte. Likewise, if you have dry skin, you try to make yourself extremely glowy. What you should do is embrace that you have oily skin and not walk around like a caked up monster and start thinking of maintaining your look throughout the day instead of putting all your apples in one basket in the morning. You’ll look better and not to mention feel better.

My Personal Makeup Pet Peeve – White Liner and Really Heavy False Lashes

Now for my personal makeup pet peeves. When the wonderful makeup godesss started using white liner, the whole world seemed to start using white eyeliner on their water line as well and well, much to my dismay. Maybe it’s the structure of my eyes that makes white eyeliner look like an alien invasion to me but it sure looks horrendous on my eyes. I also do not understand why some people put false eyelashes with hair as thick as a moustache onto their eyelids and walk around as if they don’t have moustasches on their eyes. They do, and they look pretty funny. Find false lashes that suit your eyeshape and make sure your ordinary eyelashes can hold them up. Too much of a good thing, perhaps?

Make-up Pet Peeves from you from my facebook page

Thanks for contributing everyone!

What’s your makeup pet peeve?

Love, Roseanne

Check it out here: