One Thursday afternoon, after a satisfying lunch of Ayam Penyet (smashed chicken rice with awesome chilli), oxtail soup and two glasses each of Soda Gila (crazy soda – grape soda with condensed milk) and Soda Gembira (happy soda – cherry soda with condensed milk), I decided to drag Mazlan, my date for the afternoon to Sephora to get some essentials. And I really meant it when I say essentials. All the stuff I got were staples in my makeup routine, and BOY did they set me back a lot.

1. Benefit’s Total Moisture facial cream
2. Makeup Forever Full cover concealor in shade no. 8
3. Urban Decay’s eyeshadow primer potion
4. Urban Decay’s All Nighter setting spray

Why I love these products so much?

1. The facial cream REALLY moisturises. I usually apply it on my face before prepping my face with the primer (I use Benefit’s POREfessional primer btw) so that my face will not feel like it’ll crack when I smile on the job. I first experimented with the free sample I received when I bought another Benefit product and instantly fell in LOVE. I really like how Benefit slips free samples whenever they can and I have no choice but to fall in love with them and purchase the full-sized ones. Hmph.

2. I have annoying sun spots on my face which seemed to appear out of nowhere and take forever to disappear… occupational hazards. And this concealer is by far the most heavy duty I’ve ever used in my life. Just a small squeeze of the tube could conceal the biggest spots on my face. It’s long lasting and doesn’t cake much.

3. Oily lids can pretty much be the bane of my existence, especially my right eyelid. No matter how smudge proof my liquid eyeliner claims to be, it’ll ended up smudged. Hence, the primer potion. So, SO good because it makes the colour of my eyeshadow POP when I apply them and I can say goodbye to badly smudged eyeliner days!

4. Making your makeup stay in hot and humid Singapore could be a bitch ALL THE TIME. So this setting spray really came in handy. This was my virgin experience with the product and I must say I was pretty impressed. I spritzed some on after putting on my make up, before leaving the house for a night out and came back with most of my makeup still looking the way it was before. It’s surprising, considering I walked through humidity and RAIN.

Because it’s the Great Singapore Sale and I’ve spent a considerable amount of money on my makeup, Sephora threw in a makeup pouch absolutely free! Plus, I am a Sephora White member and during the GSS period, you earn DOUBLE the reward points. Yay to a 10% discount on my next purchase!

The good thing about knowing exactly what you want to purchase is going into the store and coming back out after, well… half an hour. Mazlan was being a typical boy, clueless about everything makeup. But at least he didn’t whine and complain when in the store with me. He did ask the cutest questions though, like pointing at a MUF primer and going, “Why is it green? Does it make you look like Shrek?”

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a comedian in the house.