Wanderlust with Bellabox 'n' monthly beauty treats

It's that time of the month again...no, not me in a bad mood and snapping at everyone and generally feeling fed up with life!!  

I mean the time of month when my Bellabox is shipped and delivered by a caring hand to my door.

I absolutely love coming home to see that little pink box sitting on my table.  I take some 'me time' to enjoy each and every beauty-filled moment as I open and unwrap my surprises :-) 

who wouldn't want a beautiful pink Bellabox to arrive into their hands each month!?

...SIGN up to Bellabox Singapore Sign up here and enjoy the beauty-filled experience xx :-)

This Wanderlust edition for June 2013 brought me all of the pictured beauty treats.  Not every box is identical, you will receive a pick and mix of items from the month but each mix will be of equivalent value and quality.

                                                   

Here's what I got:-

Methode Swiss Tri-Cell Age Delay Face Intense - is going to delay signs of ageing and promises to be so intense you really will see firm, plump and utterly youthful skin.  I like the texture and find the dropper applicator easy to use without being wasteful.  Of course, best results will be seen when used with other Methode Swiss products like the Age Delay Face Cream.

VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Sport 70 - this lightweight sun cream is perfect for the water sports lover and with SPF 70 you can enjoy a beautiful sunny day on the water and keep those UV rays at bay.  I've received Hypoallergenics products from VanityTrove previously (cleanser and moisturizer), I find these so light yet effective, I let my eldest son use them to keep those nasty hormone changing spots at bay.  I know this sun cream will be perfect for him on the Rubgy field or in the swimming pool :-)

Bomb Cosmetics Shower Gel - Olive Oil based shower gels are my fave, totally packed with moisturising goodness.  The scent is amazing, a little fruity and rather invigorating too :-)  The gel lathers up loads using a shower puff so a little goes a long way.  Made in England too, so I can't complain. www.shea.com.sg

L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise - Eversleep Shampoo & Conditioner - so this was my fave from the Bellabox team, my hair is generally a fizzy mess (unless I spend a good hour styling it).  Both the shampoo and conditioner, from the very first use, have had a lasting effect on my hair and sleek hair is once again not just a dream :-)

Veet Hair Removal Cream - I have actually used this Cream before and love the lasting results it gives. So easy to use - I apply, leave for a minute or two before jumping into the shower cubicle and then 'on-ing' the shower, use the handy spatular to scrape off the Cream et voila silky fuzz free legs.  Rinse off fully and slip on your breeziest summer dress :-)  This handy sample size is perfect for a quick beach getaway too.

L'Oreal Paris Extraordinary Oil - lightweight and perfect to keep those sleek locks looking beautiful all day long.  Adds instant shine too.  I use this and some oils are really, well, too oily for my hair and seem to leave my hair just hanging lifelessly but, this is light enough to keep hair's natural movement.

Luxe City Guide - this absolute divine gift totally made me smile.  Each Bellabox subscriber would not have received the same City Guide and I'm happy to say mine was of a City I long to visit and now makes me want to visit Tokyo, like, asap....come on Mr Man let's book a romantic weekend away xx :-)

Can you believe all of the beauty treats in just one box.  J'adore Bellabox xx :-)

Connected to Instagram?  Me too!  If you'd like to follow me and see what each day in Singapore (and beyond) brings me, then request to follow 'clare_victoria'

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx :-)

Happy Halloween 'n' to a happy winner...

Here's me dressed up reading to go trick or treating with my boys...

Was I scary?  Apparently, Halloween doesn't have to be scary can be just fun and a good old party...erm, when I was a girl it was all about being scary and frightening the living daylights out of everyone.  Oh, and me and my cousin never had a pumpkin but always had a turnip with a candle inside...Yes, a turnip - how very odd :-)

Did you celebrate Halloween or are you having a little scary party this weekend?

So....to the most exciting then to hit my blog like ever....

We do have a winner for my BellaBox inspired give away...

Ms Erin Kong

Yep, my lovely it is you xx :-)  You are really not so far away from seeing your very own BellaBox...golly I hope you enjoy it.

Do inbox message me on the blog or Facebook and tell me your postal details.

Keep following the blog, keep following kisses and smiles on Facebook and all in all, keep making me smile and allow me to make you guys smile too :-)

Become a Bellabox.sg member HERE :-)

Stay happy, be safe and try be a 'tad' scary over the Halloween weekend.

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx :-)

March Bellabox 'n' Facebook addiction

I've actually been so busy admiring my beautiful Bellabox from March that I've totally not got around to writing a little blog for it...

my March Bellabox

A'kin - hand nail & cuticle cream, L'egere BB cream,

Caudalie eye and lip cream,

Royal Herb EX cream and Dermalogica cleansing gel

AND this box was over-spilling with brochures 'n' leaflet infos!  To use my Dermalogica gift voucher will be such a treat :-) 

So, I now have 6 Bellaboxes I decided it was about time I had a general tidy up of my 'beauty products'...I've had stuff kicking around in the bottom of drawers and make-up bags since 'forever', I figured that since I now have all these 'new' goodies courtesy of Bellabox I should make some space available and get them used.

If you want an excuse to revamp your beauty regime or simply get your perfectly manicured nails on some gorgeous goodies then Bellabox is just for you xx ;-)

I vow to use my new products and not just simply look at them and think how lovely they look...how silly is that? ;-)

a college of what my blog 'n' Facebook page is about...

Singapore - hence the beautiful orchids,

Moi -

and always sent with kisses 'n' smiles

Isn't Kate so beautiful 'n' thin ;-)

Anyone that knows me personally, will know that I have a 'oh so tiny' Facebook addiction ;-)  Needless to say, snippets and pics from kisses 'n' smiles are now available on this social networking site Ooooo, I'm on Facebook, if you like my blog drop by and LIKE me xx ;-)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

Titanic - real objects 'n' real stories

The ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands has been hosting the Titanic artifacts exhibition since end October 2011 (it runs until the 29th April 2012) 

Anyway, I have been so wanting to see this but my Mr Man had decided he 'would not like it'.  As he was away all last week and I am still not allowed a 'champagne brunch' (until lent is over at least), Mr Man suggested he treat me to Titanic :-)

Absolutely, fantastic exhibition :-)  Very interesting and easy to follow, my boys loved it too.  For my boys, the 'best bit' was the 'actual' ice berg and the outside promenade.  For me, it was the little snippets and stories about the 'real people' who travelled on Titanic.  Perhaps a little 'dark' but I loved the fact that every visitor got a replica of a boarding ticket along with the name and info relating to that person...at the end you need to check if you survived the disaster.

My Mr Man and my boys were first class gentlemen :-)  Me, I was a third class passenger, 15 years old from Lebanon, travelling along with my husband who was a wealthy shoe merchant (perhaps the 1912 Jimmy Choo!? ;-))

1912 Jimmy Choos :-D

It was the first time we had visited the ArtScience Museum.  Of course, we've all seen it from a distance and marvelled at the white lotus flower style structure but up close (for me personally) it doesn't look quite as impressive.  Queueing 'n' purchasing ticket service leaves a lot to be desired...I always wonder what can be so difficult and cause a debate when simply purchasing entrance tickets.  If you can remain calm in the queue then the exhibits and interior are definitely worth seeing.


Surprise, surprise...on Sunday evening, we watched Titanic the movie from start to finish...all 4 hours of it!  It's easy to see why it won 11 Oscars, fabulous :-)  For me, I never tire of seeing Jack 'n' Rose fall so passionately in love...and Céline Dion never fails to make me sniffle 'n' sob!

Gorgeous Leo xx

I highly recommend the Titanic exhibition.  Something else I'm forever recommending is BellaBox but...!  I've now discovered 'Vanity Trove' and I shall be sampling their box of beautiful surprises very soon :-)  I'm also very excited to attend a 'special' SkinInc, Reebonz 'n' Vanity Trove event this week :-)  Can't wait to blog about and share my afternoon here...

The VT beauty box...
so excited to get my March box of beautiful surprises

I'm off now to decide what to wear and get my nails sorted out, they look a bit shabby today!

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx :-)

mia Bellabox 'n' that fabulous Potion...

I have been receiving BellaBox since it's launch in October 2011.  This monthly box of beauty goodies just keeps on getting more 'n' more beautiful and the items within more 'n' more exciting it does not fail to make me smile :-)

I've had my fave products and have purchased online from the Bella Shop (order while the product is in the current monthly box and postage is free...now how fab is that :-))

My personal faves are...

http://bellabox.sg/brands/index/view/brand/Oscar%20de%20la%20Renta/







http://bellabox.sg/brands/index/view/brand/Davines/

During the last week I've see 'rave reviews' on various blogs and Facebook posts for Faust's Potions.  Yes, I'm going to dive in there and say I am loving 'n' smiling at this product too but with a slight twist on it's intended use...

I'm for sure not using this after partying 'n' drinking until the early hours!  For me, the 'Awake' potion has worked extremely successfully for those early school mornings with my boys, I'm calling it my 'energy potion' and the fact it tastes far better than 'red bull' is a fab bonus! ;-)

Also, the 'Sleep' potion has had 'some' success on me too.  I'm a terrible sleeper when my Mr Man is away on business so decided to try out this 'Sleep' potion.  I will say, it did not actually 'knock me out' and 'make me sleep' but I for sure did not feel as 'depressed' from lack of sleep as I normally would.  So, yes ladies, these here Faust's Potions are useful to us mothers 'n' wives who don't actually get out partying every weekend but need some 'Sleep 'n' Awake' time throwing our way too ;-)




http://bellabox.sg/brands/index/view/brand/Faust%27s%20Potion/

Go on girls 'n' ladies order now while you can enjoy 'n' benefit from the 5 for the price of 4 Faust's @ Bellabox promo

Ah, mia Bellabox (the February edition)...

 How full of love it truly is xx

Here's some pics of what I got in my lovely box...

I am personally loving Ansley Cosmetics 3D shimmer & powder

and DKNY's Pure fragrance :-)

The Ansley powder gives excellent coverage

and the shimmer is perfect for giving just that right amount of glow ;-) 

DKNY's Pure is exactly what is says on the bottle, the scent is so very pure 'n' simple

I think it's absolutely perfect for everyday use.

Yes, in this crazy world we all need a little scent of calm :-)

Oh, how many days before mia Bellabox March edition arrives at my door?  I personlly can't wait :-)

If you've not already subscribed to this most beautiful box I recommend you click here now, I promise you'll be smiling that you did :-)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx :-)

BellaBox 'n' more Mustafa goodies...

Finally a peek inside the January BellaBox...

Again, as with past month BBoxes, there are perfect goodies to try, test 'n' enjoy :-)  My personal favourite would be the Dr Jart BB cream...I love the texture and coverage this gives. I'm definitely ordering while the postage is free.  Pangea Organics lip balm is currently on my smiley lips :-) mine is lavender and cardamom...lovely.

Yesterday I took a trip to the Mustafa Centre and disappeared inside for over 2 hours! I have yet to make a quick trip there as I get totally blown away by so much stuff on display.  I see something different each time and always that very something I 'need' :-)

blue and green sparkling nails

Extremely random stuff from yesterday's purchased list are... Indian style tunic top, nail varnish x 3 bottles, eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner (waterproof), white polo shirt x 2, white sports trousers, cricket bat and cricket ball...

I am absolutely loving my new Indian style top

with gold detail

Sports wear and cricket stuff need to be explained....these are actually for my boys. School are celebrating a week of culture...the students have already had a dragon and lion dance and on Monday the students will be taking part in a parade of nations. Hence the cricket attire...my boys will be representing England with the very British cricket whites. Of course, India is also a cricket nation so finding the stuff in Mustafa's was pretty good thinking on my part :-). So once again, I'm smiling at the Mustafa centre 'n' all its goodies.

Kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

mascara wands 'n' synthetic snake venom

Krikey, 'what an odd blog title' I hear you saying...

The Skinfactory synthetic snake venom was actually part of my November Bellabox...

It's certainly a bit of an odd one. I've read on a couple of blogs that this product is great in the fridge overnight before use. Rather slimy and the thought of the snake venom (synthetic or not) makes me feel a bit queasy.  But, I decided to give it a try, relax and enjoy the result. The under eye patches are very cooling and soothing and, although the results were not 'extreme eye-lift', I did see a bit of a difference and think it is worth smiling about :-)

Next up, mascara wands...well, I decided I needed a new mascara as my travel size clinique makes my eyes itch, Sephora very black waterproof is my favourite for night and my regular Sephora is on it's last dregs.  Test a few testers...I decided I would :-)  Quite embarrassed I was though, when a brand, colour tube and colour mascara looked great and I took the tester wand to my eye...oops! almost 'had mi eye out'!  I read the label carefully and saw that the mascara, or more specifically the wand had been designed for 'the Asian eye'.  Well, a new beauty fact to me...I had no idea that different eyes had different shaped lashes and would therefore require a different shaped eyelash wand - seems obvious when you think about it really :-)

I decided on this one...
product and packaging making me smile :-)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

December Bellabox 'n' Vietnam chaos...

Wow, I'm smiling at my December BellaBox :-)  Absolutely thrilled with it...

I honestly don't know where to start with the review...I love it all and everything made me smile :-)  Actually, the nicest, cutest, surprise were the strawberry cheesecake jellybeans...

December BellaBox goodies ; -)

Sothys brightening fluid and brightening mask and a Sothys S$50 gift voucher

Fausts Potion

OPI nail enamel from the Katy Perry collection

Savoir Faire lipstick 'Miss You'

Eylure eyelashes - 'Sex and the City' Samantha xx :-)

I've never ever actually tried false eyelashes but I cannot wait to give these a 'flutter'...luckily my Mum is in town and she can help apply them.  I promise an eyelash pic of me very soon...

The lipstick is fab all silver 'n' shiny...and that is just the packaging :-)  The actual lipstick colour is great too, very neutral - just right for me...definitely smiling lips with this beauty goodie!

I've not tried the nail varnish yet but love the look of the colour in the bottle and am sure it will look super fab over the Christmas holidays...again, I promise a nail colour 'n' me pic very soon....

The two Sothys brightening products and the Fausts Potion hangover cure will come in very useful after a couple of champagne filled evenings celebrating this holiday season :-) I will let you know if these help me feel and look as bright as a button.

I'm in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam right now, tagging along again on my husband's business trip.  First reaction is 'absolute chaos' (!)  I'll check in later to tell you if their is actually any order to this city's chaos and put some pics of my adventures.

The only major problem with the city is the blocked Facebook site :-(
krikey, sad as it is I'm pretty lost without my Facebook world!

So, I'm off now to discover Ho Chi Minh City a little more and will try find my way to the hotel pool.

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

Hong Kong 'n' November BellaBox goodies...

Wow...I am loving Hong Kong

I really have not stopped smiling since I caught my first glimpse of this amazing city and it's surrounding islands :-) fab, crazy city!  I'm thinking it is so much like New York (my favourite, favourite city) but with the Asian culture.

I'm accompanying my Mr Man who has some meetings here these few days.  So, when he informed me (at the last minute!) that I was not checking bags in and therefore had to stick to the "no bigger than 100ml and maximum 1000ml" rule! Thank heavens for sample size goodies :-)  Hence the review of my November BellaBox. The sizes are absolutely perfect for travelling...

So, first to get the Hong Kong test....the Davines Melu shampoo and conditioner. As my hair is ridiculously dry due to my ever changing choice of colour 'n' heat straighteners (!) this is just perfect for me. The conditioner is especially wonderful, the texture is sooooo creamy! I left it on a minute or two (hey...no kids with me, I'm making the most of it :-)) my hair finished off so silky and soft but not at all fly away.  I will definitely be ordering these 2 hair products and making the most of November Box free postage. 

Next, the Korres Guava body butter. Gorgeous, thick and creamy but yet so easily absorbed. Scent is devine like a holiday fragrance in a packet, so fruity and yummy. Every topical smell makes me think of holidays lazing on palm tree beaches.

Final item tested here in Hong Kong - the OCC lip tar. Nar then (!) do excuse me all you OCC lip tar lovers but really I do not 'get it', what's the fuss? I actually don't like the texture and the colour was terrible! No smiles on my lip tarred lips :-?

So, the remainder of my goodies I will try on my return to Singapore.  All in all though, and despite the lip tar disappointment, I am very much smiling with my November BellaBox...bring on December Box :-)

Anyway, back to me exploring the city 'n' smiling in Hong Kong...

In just over 2 full days I have seen and done such a lot and still there is so much to explore...will definitely be tagging along with my Mr Man next time he has a Hong Kong business trip :-)

Here are a few of my favourite things during my trip to Hong Kong...Stanley seaside town, hustle 'n' bustle of Central, even more hustle 'n' bustle on Kowloon, the Peak, the calm of the park on Kowloon and Victoria park in Causeway bay.  I'll leave you with some photos taken by me during my amazing couple of days...

South Hong Kong Island, Stanley 'n' market

my first glimpse of Hong Kong from the plane window (bit hazy)

at a roof top bar in Central

Causeway Bay shopping day

ok, I didn't take this one but I love it...totally Hong Kong

fab, crazy city :-)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)