Moomooi By Feelunique LE Accessories Collection S/S 2016

Moomooi By Feelunique LE Accessories Collection S/S 2016

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Beauty retail giant Feelunique has collaborated with fashion illustrator @moomooi - Meredith Wing, whose clients include Cosmopolitan, Coach, De Beers and Rebecca Minkoff - to launch an exclusive limited edition accessories collection for Spring/Summer 2016. Wing is known for giving her illustrations a 3D effect, by using flowers, fruit, vegetables and other material along with the drawings. The collection, which includes makeup accessories, bags/fashion accessories and iPhone accessories, is inspired by the Pantone Colours for 2016 - Rose Quartz and Serendipity.

Scroll down for deets on the @moomooi by Feelunique Limited Edition Accessories Collection for S/S 2016.

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Best Wash Cloths For Cleansing Your Face

Best Wash Cloths For Cleansing Your Face

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Do you use flannel or muslin cloths to wash your face and remove makeup? I do now. Until December, I used the same towel to dry my hands and face, and admit to having used even turbie twists for drying my face at a pinch. Which, according to my derm when I consulted her over a horrible breakout, is as bad as using the same pillowcase for weeks on end. Lesson learnt, I now have separate wash cloths for the face, and change the cloth after every cleanse.
Using wash cloths for cleansing your face is not only a luxurious, pampering step in your routine, but it also improves circulation, provides gentle exfoliation and leaves your face squeaky-clean and 100% makeup-free without resorting to harsh cleansers or specialised makeup removers. Ideal facial cloths are flannel, though I use muslin if I am using an exfoliating or resurfacing cleanser or following with a peel. Here are the best face cleansing cloths out there, in descending order.

Scroll down for a list of the best flannel wash cloths for cleansing your face.

Birthday Beauty Haul 2016

Birthday Beauty Haul 2016

Shoes Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, April 16, 2016

It was my birthday yesterday. Despite having made up my mind - and convinced family and friends - to avoid cake this year, the lovely chef at Le Meridien MADE one very quickly once he found out what was going on, and I cut it at 10:30p.m. with complete strangers joining in. Sadly, I only have iPhone photos from the celebrations. Will show you my purple EOTD once I'm energetic enough to resize those photos.

Scroll down to check out the beauty products to which I treated myself this year.

Linziclip Claw Hair Clip Accessories Intl Giveaway

Linziclip Claw Hair Clip Accessories Intl Giveaway

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, October 12, 2015

My favourite hair accessories are the revolutionary cylindrical and flat-backed Linziclips, reviewed here. I am willing to shout this out from the rooftops. These are comfortable and sturdy and come with hidden springs, so no danger of getting my already-tangly hair caught. Best of all, I can lean back without the clip digging right into my brain. And, they come in beautiful designs, and in three sizes. They are must-haves and they make great stocking stuffers. 

Here is your chance to win these gorgeous clips for yourself. You can choose sizes and also if you want subtle or bright designs. Exact designs may not be chosen, and photographs in this post are for illustrative purposes only and may not depict the actual prize.
I bet the winners will LOVE these - if you win, do share photos of yourself wearing your clips.
Now, I know there can only be a few winners, so what you can do is, you can head over and enter my Instagram giveaway of these as well (live now)! Double the winners; double the Linziclips! What are you waiting for?

Scroll down for more on Linziclips, eye-candy photographs of the clips, and to enter the giveaway!

ElevEase Beauty Hamper Giveaway WW 15/4

ElevEase Beauty Hamper Giveaway WW 15/4

Giveaway Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, March 16, 2015

Enter to win this Pamper Hamper with beauty goodies worth €50. Open internationally.

Happy Mothering Sunday to all you lovely Mommies out there. And to all our amazing mothers as well! I am delighted to announce a month-long giveaway open internationally, with a grand prize of a pamper hamper containing an ElevEase Shower Step, reviewed here, and some great bath and body and skincare goodies, for one lucky winner. Please note that the photograph shown above is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of what the winner will receive. The hamper, including the ElevEase Shower Step, is worth €50.
Before I tell you how to enter, a word about the ElevEase Shower Step - do read my review here. It is a game-changer that made shaving, scrubbing, cleansing and drying my legs, and clipping and polishing the toenails much easier. I have no idea how I lived before I got this! I'm sure the winner will appreciate it as much as I do.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a pamper hamper from ElevEase, with skincare/bath and body products worth €50.

Ten Mothering Sunday Gift Ideas

Ten Mothering Sunday Gift Ideas

Mothers Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Treat yourself or your mum to one or more of these goodies this weekend!

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent and can be traced to the 16th century, when people attended service at their "mother church" (with their mothers, of course), and evolved into giving gifts to mothers, as the household helps usually had the day off. It is different from Mothers' Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday in May - the latter had secular origins. I give my Mum a little something for both days. It was when I began living alone at Uni that I went from take-your-mum-for-granted-she'll-pick-up-after-me to OMG-I-have-a-Supermom-how-does-she-do-it-all mode, so I cannot show her my appreciation enough. There really shouldn't be a time and reason to treat and pamper your mother, but budget constraints mean I'm relegated to birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and occasions such as this. 

Check out some great gift ideas to treat yourself or your mum on Mothering Sunday - all of them ship worldwide!

Fuss-free Half-up, Half-down Ponytail Tutorial For Frizzy Hair

Fuss-free Half-up, Half-down Ponytail Tutorial For Frizzy Hair

Tutorials Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, February 23, 2015

Try out this super-easy, everyday ponytail that is voluminous and bouncy. 

Ponytails are usually synonymous with sleek hair but my super-frizzy hair does not give a toss. My go-to hairstyle for almost everything from work to play is a half-up, half-down ponytail. It keeps the hair tangle-free and away from my back, and is not flat, but bouncy and voluminous. Not as serious as a bun and far more convenient than open hair. My hair is quite long and leaving it open and loose everyday would mean serious detangling every night.
All you need for this look are two accessories - a hair tie or a scrunchie, and a claw clip. I recommend the flat-backed revolutionary Linziclip, with hidden springs - reviewed here. The beauty of this style is that the hair tie is hidden, so you can actually wear a scrunchie without feeling that the world is laughing at you for staying back in the 1990s.
Here's how you get this fuss-free, wearable frizzy-hair ponytail. 

Linziclip Hair Accessories Valentine's Day Giveaway: Open Worldwide

Linziclip Hair Accessories Valentine's Day Giveaway: Open Worldwide

Linziclip Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Win these beautiful red or pink hair clips as a Valentine's Day gift for yourself!

Some of us love Valentine's Day, while others hate it. But whether you are single at the moment or have someone in your life right now, you can definitely treat yourself to the gorgeous Linziclips - beautiful claw hair clips that are flat with hidden springs and do not dig into the hair. These beautiful hair accessories will help with corkscrew curls, tumbling waves, tousled tresses - you name it, with ease. Check out my review here, ye who came in late.
As a Valentine's Day treat, the Linshell Group is offering three of my readers a generous number of Linziclips in red and pink designs, to fit in with the theme.  The giveaway will be open for a month, from January 14 until Valentine's Day.  Check out the details below.

Holiday 2014 Gift Guide: Must-have beauty accessories and tools

Holiday 2014 Gift Guide: Must-have beauty accessories and tools

Wishlist Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, December 07, 2014

No matter what makeup and skin care products you use, the right tools and accessories can make a huge difference to your final look. Be it the perfect makeup applicator or the most thorough sonic face cleansing brush, these handy devices are must-haves in your cabinets. I have not included hair styling products, as we could be here all week otherwise. And I have tried to pick just the one product from each category, except while considering different skin types. I am giving away one of these products, so do read on to enter the giveaway and you would be taking home one of these gifts!

Check out the must-have beauty tools and accessories for Holiday 2014.

EleVease Shower Step giveaway, open worldwide

EleVease Shower Step giveaway, open worldwide

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, December 03, 2014

About five months ago, a sturdy foot rest turned up in the post. Ever since, it has been mounted on my shower wall and I cannot imagine life without it, and showering while travelling is not something I look forward to anymore. The EleVease Shower Step has made washing, scrubbing, exfoliating, pedicuring - any task involving the feet or legs - much easier in the shower, especially on days when my back decides it has had enough. You can read my review here.
I am delighted to inform you that for one week only, readers of My Beauty Junction have the opportunity of winning a great Christmas present - an Elevease Shower Step. This giveaway is open worldwide, of course - there will be ONE lucky winner, who will hopefully receive their prize before Christmas. Installation is a breeze, as you can see from my review. Trust me, the winner will love this prize! Apart from my review, you can find out more about EleVease here and on their Facebook page.

Read on for the rules of the EleVease Shower Step giveaway, the entry widget and to check out how EleVease looks, installed in my shower.

 

Linziclip giveaway winners!

Linziclip giveaway winners!

Linziclip Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Egad, it's December already! It feels like I was celebrating Christmas 2013 just yesterday, in the Persian Gulf. I got the tree out today and will go shopping for a couple of new ornaments on Thursday. The little fairy - knitted by my paternal grandmother - to go on the top of the tree has been missing for the last two years and I wasn't happy with the star I got last year. I've done the presents already, including a couple of small treats for myself.
On this blog, there will be a couple of Christmas-special giveaways this month, so do stay tuned for your chance to win a couple of presents for yourself. 
But before I tell you about those giveaways, here are the winners of the Linziclip claw hair clip giveaway! For those who haven't heard about Linziclips, go here to read my full review of these gorgeous hair accessories.

Linziclip claw hairclips worldwide giveaway

Linziclip claw hairclips worldwide giveaway

Linziclip Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, November 01, 2014

I seem to have caught some kind of bug from the trekking holiday I took last week. The doctor has given me antibiotics and told me to take it easy, so I hope to get more time to blog!
Yesterday, I had reviewed the Linziclip claw hair clips and shared some of their gorgeous designs. Today, I am delighted to announce a giveaway of Linziclips, open worldwide, to three winners, thanks to the generosity of the Linshell Group. The photograph above is for illustrative purposes only and may not depict the Linziclips that the winners will receive.

If you have not heard of the Linziclips yet, do click here to read my feature straightaway. These are revolutionary improvements on the traditional butterfly clips, and do not dig into your head even when you lean back. And, because the springs are hidden, hair does not get caught in the clips. They come in three sizes, Maxi, Midi and Mini. More details, including where to purchase, are in my feature.

Scroll down for a chance to win some gorgeous Linziclips.

Linziclip claw hairclips review

Linziclip claw hairclips review

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 30, 2014

Hair up, I'm driving home at the end of the day. There is a traffic jam. Sigh. I hit the brakes, change gears, look around for a bit and lean back... OUCH! Darn hairclip goes right through my scalp. Brain, it feels like. Happened to you? I have lost count of the number of times in one DAY that I flinch, when this happens.
It happened to entrepreneur Lindsey Walker and fashion lawyer and columnist Shelley-Anne Salisbury when both were at a party. They found themselves trying to pin their hair back at the same time, using the traditional butterfly or claw clip, which, Lindsey tells me hasn't changed in design since 1989! Mutual rants turned into a mutual decision to come up with a less painful hair clip - it was, as Lindsey calls it, a "eureka moment". And thus, the Linziclip was born.

Read on for more about the Linziclip, including making, review, hairdos, sizes, and celebrities who love it!

ElevEase Shower Step foot rest review

ElevEase Shower Step foot rest review

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, June 26, 2014

This is my shower. I am going to tell you about the lifesaver in the lower corner.
A couple of years ago, I was involved in a motorbike accident. A colleague and I had stepped out for lunch and I was riding pillion on her new motorbike when a car hit us. I "flew", crashed on the car, shattered the windshield so it looked like cobwebs, and fell on the road. Nothing happened to anyone else thankfully, but I came to in the neuro-intensive care unit with occipital haematoma and bad hip and back injuries. I was off work for three months. I can never touch my toes again without bending the knees, or ever sit cross-legged on the floor. I continue my tomboy lifestyle, gymming and pilates, though. As a result, my back gives way sometimes, and then, painting my toes, cutting my toenails or applying a foot scrub, doing a pedicure or shaving my legs become strenuous.
Forget my accident - how many of us  have hated the bending and the one-foot-up position to wash, scrub, shave or towel our feet and legs? I recently heard about the ElevEase Shower Step, a foot rest, and was sent one to try out.

Here is my experience with the ElevEase Shower Step.

Mini haul: Accessorize handbags, notebook and freshener

Mini haul: Accessorize handbags, notebook and freshener

Lifestyle Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Who doesn't love Accessorize? Kill-joys? Anyway, I picked up a notebook, a room freshener and a pair of spacious handbags which I love. Looky!

Nail trail: Art tools from eBay

Nail trail: Art tools from eBay

Nail polish Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, March 07, 2013

Before my shopping ban began, I had found a rather nice deal on eBay, from someone called Michelle in China. For $8 and free registered shipping, I received the following nail art tools:
1. Nail dryer (battery operated): I've never used one before and this one isn't too sturdy, but the total was $8, so....
2. A set of 15 nail art brushes including a dotting tool: I've done rough trials of the brushes for all kinds of weird designs. One of the brushes had bent and when I told Michelle, she reimbursed 45c!
3. Flocking powder in 12 different colours: Can't wait to try them out, can't waste them. Argh!
4. Five nail corrector/polish remover pens: These are great for any bloopers you make while polishing. I used them today to clean the cuticle area and they're far better than Q-tips or cotton. You have three spare "pen heads" at the other end of each pen and you can always refill the pen with your favourite polish remover. Incidentally, these are acetone-free.
5. Two shades of glow-in-the-dark nail polish. I'm not a fan of the formula, but they look downright eerie at night, so yay!
Wasn't that a decent deal?

Casual wear shoes, flat leopard pumps and espadrille wedges

Casual wear shoes, flat leopard pumps and espadrille wedges

Shoes Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, February 05, 2013

It is a rather busy day, so I thought I would share a couple of pictures of some of my favourite pairs of shoes. These are all casuals, though the last pair isn't too comfy for walking. The espadrille wedges above are from H&M.

Weekend haul: Accessories

Weekend haul: Accessories

Nail art Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, January 31, 2013