If you’re looking for a strangely addictive, fun casual game for your iPhone or iTouch, PopCap’s Plants vs Zombies will do just the trick. Taking the traditional tower defense game model (and admittedly one of the easiest tower defense games I’ve ever played), Plants vs Zombies’ appeal is in the cute graphics, giggle inducing descriptions and innovative concept. The premise is that a mob of zombies are about to invade your house to eat your brains and your only defense are these plants that zap these zombies.

Choose from a selection of 49 plants including the Cherry Bombs (“I wanna explode,” says Cherry #1. “No, let’s detonate instead!” says his brother, Cherry #2. After intense consultation they agree to explodonate) or the Wall-nut (“People wonder how I feel about getting constantly chewed on by zombies,” says Wall-nut. “What they don‘t realize is that with my limited senses all I can feel is a kind of tingling, like a relaxing back rub.”)

The zombies have their own quirks too. From the Michael Jackson-equse Dancing Zombie (where they claim any resemblance between Dancing Zombie and persons living or dead is purely coincidental), to the Football Zombie that is a team player who delivers both offensively and defensively and gives 110 percent while not knowing what a football is. Simply reading all the descriptions gave me quite a chuckle. And if that’s not reason enough, check out the Plants vs Zombies music video. Anything this cute and catchy can’t be bad!

There’s such a plethora of eye makeup out there that it can be a bit daunting as to what you put on first and how to create that perfect smoky eye. (There’s a reason why Tyra makes all the models to be on ANTM learn how to properly apply makeup. Smoky eyes are just sooo sexy.) I stopped by Lane Crawford’s cosmetic concierge to get some tips the other day. For regular walk ins or basic Lane Crawford card members, they provide a free consultation as to how to make up your eyes and for higher tier members a range of services such as makeovers and image styling, trends of the season, personalised skincare advice amongst others. The best thing about the cosmetic concierge is that they don’t hard sell you into buying products.

Another nice thing about this service is that you can bring in your own makeup and the consultant will teach you how to use products you already own. My beauty consultant Kirsty was very pleasant and knowledgeable as well as patient about offering tips on how to apply eye shadow base, three shades of eye shadows, eyeliner, liquid eye liner, mascara base, mascara and brow highlighters. Some tips learnt:

1. Liquid eyeliner is applied below the lashes
2. When applying eyeliner, use one hand to gently lift your eyelid and slowly put on the eyeliner in little strokes rather than one long stroke in order to avoid wrinkles
3. If you don’t want to purchase an eye shadow base, you can try using liquid foundation but make sure it doesn’t have moisturising properties as that tends to lead to greasiness
4. Base mascara tends to be white or nearly white (a little bit transparent). The purpose of a base layer is to enhance the colour of your mascara.
5. Get an adjustable mirror. If you are applying eye makeup with a regular mirror, you inadvertently wrinkle your forehead giving you unseemly lines later on.

Lane Crawford Cosmetic Concierges are available at IFC, Times Square and Pacific Place stores. Request an appointment online at www.lanecrawford.com or email cosmeticconcierge@lanecrawford.com

I'm not normally a big chick lit fan, but after two months of stress at work, I wasn't looking forward to getting on a 15 hour flight to New York with anything along the lines of Albert Camus' The Plague (which I really am reading, god knows why), or even some good old Amy Bloom (her collection of short stories is my go-to book for plane reading). I wanted some fluffy, girly, no excuses frivolity along the lines of Bridget Jones' Diary or The Devil Wears Prada. I was at the airport bookstore weighing options when I picked up I Heart New York, by Lindsay Kelk, which beat out the new Marian Keyes book due to its being about half the weight and price. (If it don't fit in my Marni bag, it's not coming with me.) It turned out to be a pretty good read -- it doesn't follow the typical chick lit formula, thank GOD, and the writing wasn't overly peppy and peppered with consciously cultivated witticisms about fashion, which is the main reason I typically avoid the genre. So it's recommended plane reading for anyone who's looking for something other than the next Kinsella novel (I hate her, but mostly I hate myself for reading all four of the Shopaholic series AND watching the movie).