M.A.C Launches Candylicious Lip Glosses - Oh, Sweetie

Hi Huneybees,

Oh, Sweetie! An affectionate name for M.A.C's latest collection of Lip Glosses, that are not only named after different desserts, they smell just like those sweet treats too! The 15 piece collection is headed up by model and influencer Caroline Daur and they are not to be missed, especially for those who have a sweet tooth.

With names like Funfetti Cake, Sugar Cookies, Banana Muffins, Coconut Macaron, Death by Chocolate and Purple Panna Cotta, this collection is super fun and colourful to have and great for this Summer. 

The rainbow confetti packaging are so lovely to look at, brightening my dresser and even brightens my day! For those who are always in nude or natural eye makeup, pairing these colours with your OOTD will definitely make your photos pop!

The lip glosses have a sheen of iridescence in them and the texture is creamy like mousse and opaque. They are not like the usual M.A.C Lipglasses that are just a sheer top coat and are not drying like those velvet lipsticks. Some of the colours do require a few swipes to get its full intensity, but what's fun is that you can mix them up, especially with the unconventional colours, to create new shades and even new flavours!

The Oh, Sweetie Lip Glosses are surprising long-wearing, yet not drying to the lips. They do leave some marks when drinking or kissing but there's still a stain of the colours left. It does take abit of effort to remove the lip glosses, you might need a dedicated lip makeup remover to do the job. Below is a first impression and review of the collection, alongside with the swatches of all 15 shades.

The M.A.C Oh, Sweetie collection is already out in all M.A.C counters islandwide, retailing at SGD33 each. Have fun shopping and do share your photos ~

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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[Tried & Tested] Le Mini Macaron Gel Nail Kit

Hi Huneybees,

When in France, enjoying a few delectable desserts are inevitable. Most popular being the widely loved, rainbow coloured macarons. It's my little sweet escapade whenever I'm in need of one, but today, I'm not talking about food. Rather I'm introducing you to something macaron related.

It's the Le Mini Macaron gel nail kit, where you can get gel manicure nails right in the comfort of your homes. It started as a kickstarter project and I found them selling these super adorable kits in Marseilles' Sephora stores. 

It's so small you can easily have it in your pocket, bring it with you when you are travelling and it's a major money saver compared to those korean DIY gel nail kits sold in stores. You simply need 5 simple steps, foregoing the base coat, top coat and cleansing wipes, you save so many steps and money!

In box set, you get an instructions manual, nail file, cuticle pusher, 10 removal pads, a macaron shaped LED light with USB charger and a soak off gel polish that matches your macaron. I picked the sweetest colour available - Strawberry Pink as I wanted my fingers to be delicious????

Let's take a closer look at the highlight - the macaron LED Light! It's tiny, you can easily bring it anywhere with you and can be powered up with your laptop or your handphone charger.

They are both held together by magnets and if you want to paint your toes, you can easily flip the top over and cure your toe nails too!

The topside has a LED bulb and the bottom side has a concave slot for you to slot your finger in. Each time you activate the light, allows you to cure your nails for 30 seconds and the fact that you can only cure 1 finger a time, can also mean a tedious process.

So, the process if really easy, you simply use the cuticle pusher to softly push the excess cuticle in, rthen use the file to shape your nails as well as to file the surface of your nail to allow the gel polish to 'stick' better to your nails and make the manicure last longer. 

*Note: be sure not to over file the surface as that will make you nails weak, just a slight brush over will do.

Next step is onto the gel nail polish. Be sure to circle the brush several times inside the bottle to remove most of the polish. What you want is a VERY thin coat of nail polish to apply on your nails.

Each coat of polish should be this thin, if it's too thick, it will not dry completely, might chip easily or might feel too hot when you are curing. For me, I prefer the colour to be fully opaque, and that would require 4 coats. 

So, working out the time needed - 30 seconds each coat  X 4 coats X 10 fingers = 1200seconds / 20 minutes in total!

No base coat or top coat is required, there is no sticky feeling after and I like how much time I've saved! This set of manicure lasted me for around 2 weeks, before it starts peeling off like a plastic peel off layer, but it doesn't seem to have hurt my nail bed. 

Or alternatively, when you’re ready to try another color, you can use the remover wipes enclosed to wrap around your fingers and let soak to take the polish off.

They have more colours online and I'm intending to get more, maybe then I can get 1 colour of macaron light per finger? What you think? Hehehehe....

Each gel kit retails for $35, 10ml polishes are $15 and they also have remover kits for $12.50 for 100 remover pads. 

Le Mini Macaron info

Shop: http://www.leminimacaron.com/

And follow along on social media for future info and swatches! 

Instagram / Facebook

This is just part of my haul from Paris/Germany.

Stay tuned for more updates! :)

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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Celebrate Christmas With Délifrance

Hi Huneybees,

Are you looking to order some yummy treats to share with your friends and families this Christmas? Délifrance has a range of sweet and savoury delights, from macaron towers to scrumptious ham and turkey roasted to perfection!

Your Queen Bee here has tested some of them out and here's my recommendation!

Honey Glazed Ham

For main dishes, there are a selection of Honey Glazed Ham, Roast Lamb, Beef and Turkey. For me, I'm in love with the Ham and Beef. Both tasted so sweet and cooked to the right tenderness, and when having the meat with their dips, it's like Christmas already!

Roast New Zealand Leg of Lamb

Roast New Zealand Striploin of Beef

Traditional Roast Turkey

And then comes the all time favourite - Desserts! Cakes are not to be missed and you will find all the cakes so colourful and sweet. I simply can't choose and I want to have them all!

Enchanted Macaron Tower

This itself alreadys serves as a centerpiece, a party subject and with a creation of chocolate, praline, mixed berries Valrhona Ivoire-filled cassis macarons, everyone will just have sweet little chats whole night through...

Joy of Délifrance

This classic log cake puts a merry smile on everyone's face with it's pillowy chocolate sponge, layered with Valrhona Fine French Chocolate. 

Silent Night

If you are a fan of dark chocolate, this is not to be missed. Ttuck into tantalising layers of chocolate sponge and decadent Valrhona Fine French Chocolate, finished with a smooth ganache, I bet you will be asking for more slices...

Yuletide Log

This Belgian chocolate creation comes in Regular and Large Sizes. Boasting of a rich core of dark chocolate mousse decked in chocolate shavings for a festive flourish. This is the ever so classic log cake that will never go wrong for your Christmas party!

There's definitely more from the menu and you can check it out here. Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to you and your family! :)

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Celebrate Fathers' Day with Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie - Joyeuse Fêtes Papa

Hi Huneybees,

June is coming and this month, we celebrate the most important man in our lives - Daddy Dearest. HE toiled and worked hard in the corporate battlefield to give the best to his beloved family and now is the time to indulge and spoil Daddy!

This Fathers' Day, Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie pays homage to dads all around the world with a handsome collection of praline cigars, VSOP cognac and espresso cake, and mint chocolate macarons specially crafted by Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo. In the process of developing this masculine collection of sweet delights for the celebration, Chef Grilo wanted his creations to remind dessert lovers of elements of a father figure- some traits that you might find familiar at home and are close to your heart.

Bringing a wealth of professional pastry experience spanning across two decades is Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie’s Executive Pastry Chef, Christophe Grilo. A native to the South of France, this culinary virtuoso has conquered the kitchens of prestigious hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, including Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, and the acclaimed restaurant Spoon in Hong Kong. Now joining the band of eminent chefs within the Les Amis Group, Chef Christophe is poised to elevate this home-grown pastry brand to greater heights, and inject his distinctive culinary flair in fashioning artisanal masterpieces that will continue to intrigue palates and inspire memories for years to come.

I don't smoke cigars, but I'm now a converted big fan of the Caramel Cigare.

It's slightly bigger than a usual cigar, but the moment you put the Caramel Cigare to your mouth, it's already coasted with the slight bitter chocolate powder. Bite into it and you will be surprised by the crunchy praline in the middle, Super chocolate-y fullness all in one "cigar"!

Paying tribute the hands that provides and feeds the family, the lead product of Canelé’s 2012 Father’s Day collection is an edible masterpiece of a businessman’s weapon of status and prestige- the cigar. A long crunchy praline center rolled up in rich dark chocolate caramel ganache generously coated with chocolate powder, Caramel Cigare ($11.50 per piece) commands respect and attention like the head of our households. Chef Grilo carefully replicates the artistry of the actual cigar manufacturing process in Canelé’s Caramel Cigare like all quality cigars; each Caramel Cigare is handmade to ensure cocoa divinity with every bite.

What a beautiful representation of Daddy, the sturdy chocolate covering on the outside tasted sweet and bitter at times, which is how Daddy sometimes can be. The luxurious sprinkle of gold leaves on the cake makes it all so prestigious and I love the surprise you get when you bite into the cake. The cake is so soft on the inside like mousse, I love the combination of fragrant coffee and the slight bitter chocolate...

To some, a recollection of your father figure can be described as ‘serious and firm on the outside yet gentle and thoughtful inside’ and for these men Canelé presents to you Le Café Cognac. Le Café Cognac ($8 per slice) is a classy VSOP cognac and espresso cake draped in pure dark chocolate. Beyond the stern and authoritarian appearance, the inside of the Le Café Cognac is made up of soft and aromatic coffee cream, velvety brandy coffee caramel layered upon a steady foundation of crispy praline base. With this we fondly remember the time when we see the heart of the father and understand that the times when he was resolute was when he was trying to do what was best to protect you.

With a twist, the usual brown macarons are not just chocolate, but also has a hint of mint. Canelé's macarons are always my favourite as the crust is not too hard and not too flour-y, having a macaron during tea time seems to refresh me and keeps me going till the end of the day. :)

There are others whose dads are vivacious individuals who never fail to keep the house filled with laughter. Chef Grilo celebrates this bubbly personality with the limited edition Après Huit ($3 per piece). This Father’s Day exclusive ‘After Eight’ chocolate macaron with a touch of mint leaves a refreshing cool menthol aftertaste on your palate, resembling the cheerful and nostalgic moments when dads steal the spotlight with jokes which albeit quite embarrassing some times, but undeniably these are also the moments which gives us a little thrust in the popularity department because ‘your dad is so cool’.

The onngoing dine-in promotion menu for Father's Day at the Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie for just SGD$25++!

You can find the Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie branches here.

And don't forget to LIKE their facebook page for more updates... 

To fathers all over the globe, Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie dedicates our Joyeuse Fêtes Papa Father’s Day Series 2012 to you in honour of a steadfast love that may seem silent and sometimes unnoticed but always cherished and remembered. We love you dad, happy Father’s Day!

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