Shu Uemura X Karl Lagerfeld

Just a small other thing to share with my Singaporean readers; just yesterday I was at ion and decided to treat myself to an atas (highend) eyelash curler and went into Shu Uemura to ask how much it was. It turned out they were having a x'mas promotion for the Karl Lagerfeld collection eyelash curler and you can get it for $28 vs $32 for the normal curler and they are the exact same curler. The Karl Lagerfeld collection even has a really cute keychain and red curling pads.

I think they might possibly be cheaper if you buy dutyfree at the airport but... thought I should spread the love anyway!

The Faceshop Make Me Star Waterproof Gel Liner

Good Sunday folks! I'm back with the eyeliner I raved about... 2 weeks ago. I know, I'm extremely late. Sorry to keep you waiting! Seems to be a bad habit of mine ):

Anyway, I have bought more of the liners to test out their consistency so here we go. I first stumbled upon the Faceshop Make Me Star Waterproof Gel Liner when I wandered into their store during a sale. It was a 20% sale then so I got the turquoise liner for just under SGD$10? This liner stayed in storage for quite a while because I couldn't bring myself to wear coloured eyeliner to work (scared of shocking my boss haha) but one day I got bored and finally did and I was so impressed!!!

Since I pass by a Faceshop outlet on the way home, I popped back in to swatch more colours and ended up getting the bronze and a lovely peach pink. These are definitely more expensive(almost double the price) in the Singapore Faceshop outlets than say buying them online from qoo10.com.sg so I would recommend testing them out in the outlet then purchasing them online if you can afford to wait. There's this lovely lovely olive colour but I felt the pinch...

Here's how they look like uncapped. As you can see, my poor turquoise is still hardly getting any love as it's not even sharpened. Though that is no indication of how well it performs since it's just what colours I wear on a daily basis.



All the colours also come with this smudger on the back end of the liner. It's for smudging out the liner before it sets for that "smokey eye look". I guess it does work though I prefer not to use it as the line is soft enough when drawn.

The reason why this collection is called Make Me Star is because all the liners come with sparkles/glitter. I guess if you read past the terrible english, these liners are supposed to sparkle like stars. They have a black liner in the collection which I did not like at all because of the glitter particles. I think blacks should be nice and deep and matte.

The brown on the other hand is this lovely intense rich brown with more of a metallic sheen than glitter particles. I fell in love with it the moment I swatched it. It is so much more than a normal matte brown because of it's intensity. It's the kind of brown that upon first glance looks matte but then you realise that there's more to it. Goes on so creamy and does not tug at eyelids at all. For those who love gel eyeliners for their consistency, this is even creamier than gel liners, and draws on soft without harsh lines. Only people who like liquid liners for their clean lines will not like this.

The turquoise is also of a metallic variety. It also does have very minute turquoise glitter particles in it as well but it's not that obvious. This also goes on extremely creamy and intense. The colour just pops. I imagine this would be for the more adventurous or party looks. Or could be a great summer look for just a pop of colour to the eyes.

Finally the peach. This liner is meant for the inner corner of the eyes to brighten them up. When I swatched this colour in the store I really really did like it and as I didn't have any liners that were of this variety I bought it immediately.  But when I came home and started to use it, I realised that this peach had irridescent glitter particles in it that are visible. For young skin, I imagine it to be fine but I have fine lines around my eyes and the glitter just gets caught in them. Another problem is that the peach pigment does not draw as intensely as the other 2 colours and does come off in patches. So in order to get a nice even colour I have to go over it quite a few times which is not too ideal as too much glitter gets on the skin.

This is a picture after I let the liner set (takes about 10-15seconds or so) and rubbed a finger very hard across all the liners. The brown and turquoise are true to their name of waterproof gel liner. These liners are hardcore man. I have gone to the gym, rubbed my eyes and they don't budge. No smudging, no transferring to under my eyes, stays on my waterline, these are godlike. Even using my favourite Bifesta Cleansing Express remover, the liner is hard to remove. Only people with extremely extremely oily lids will find that these do not stay on. I have oily lids for reference. 

The peach colour though is a very different story. I did have to colour on quite a large amount in order to get the colour of the liner to show so maybe that's why the smudging is so intense in the picture. On my eyes, the peach pigments tend to fade through the day, but the glitter particles remain!!! That really pisses me off. Though I'm glad that the glitter particles adhere to my skin so well and do not transfer, it looks very weird when there's only glitter on my eyes and no colour at all!

Peach on inner corner of eyes. It does catch light extremely well, no doubt good for photography. 

My all time favourite liner for the past 2 months. I've even ditched the K-palette 24h  liquid liner.

For a perk me up. I find that the turquoise does bring out the brown in my eyes... Not that anyone can tell haha.

These are all the colours available and I highly recommend these liners even if you're a matte colour lover, especially in the deeper colours and ESPECIALLLY the bronze. Get the more metallic shades (bronze, turquoise, olive; maybe the navy). They are a cinch to use and last all day. The only colours I would not recommend getting are the silver and the peach because I suspect they probably have the same formulation.
Get them!!!!

NYX Bronzer & Blush Combo and MAC Wonder Woman Mineralize Skin Finish

Bronzer/Blush combos! I only have 2 so I thought I would just put them in the same post to see how they stack up against each other. They're probably not really in the same category but they are nifty lil (okay not so lil) things so read on! I have the MAC Wonder Woman Mineralize Skinfinish in Golden Lariat and the NYX Bronzer & Blush Combo in 01 Sunrise in Bali. 

As you can see, the Wonder Woman MSF is HUGE. WONDER SIZED. 

The NYX Bronzer Blush Combo (BBC) is actually a very nice lil thing. It has quite a solid white casing that snaps shut, a decent sized mirror and 0.35oz/10g of product to boot. Considering I have yet to finish any blush, it is almost a relief to have 2 products for the price of one. I got this for SGD$20 at Smoochiezz.

It is also my very first bronzer, so I'm not very skilled in the bronzer area. 

Some people may like this semi-indian(?) princessy design on the cover though I kind of see it as a space filler and feel that it doesn't do much to make the packaging seem more expensive. It really is quite plasticky and I do wish I can see the colour of the product through the packaging. 

I will try my best to describe the brown. I think that bronzers should lean towards greyer tones if that makes any sense because shadows are typically grey. At least those are for true bronzers. We can also understand bronzers as a powder to warm up the complexion, hence the term sun-kissed bronze. This is definitely one of those sun-kissed bronze shades. It leans quite yellow in my opinion and that quite suits a skintone like mine (mac nc30) without being too overpowering, as long as I do not apply with a heavy hand. This however does have glitter even though I find that the brush does not pick up too much of it. Even so, glitter phobes stay away.

The pink in this BBC, is absolutely gorgeous! It is a dupe for Nars Orgasm, so I've heard. As I don't own it, I compared it to the Too Faced Papa Don't Peach (also a dupe) and they are almost identical in colour. Both are a nice pigmented peachy pink, with a gorgeous fine gold glitter in it. I think this pink might be an even closer dupe as it's got more gold glitter than Papa Don't Peach which imparts such a nice glow to the skin. (I will take a proper picture of both colours swatched together and update this post!)

The blush in the NYX BBC is a tad crumbly, so pat the brush in it, not swirl. This blush is also awfully pigmented so do be careful when applying. It shows very obviously even though I'm considered quite a tanned girl.

Wear time is decent for the BBC, lasts about 5-6 hours on my oily skin. It does disappear when I blot my face.

Onto this absolutely irresistible brilliant packaging wonder. I got this at the Estee Lauder sale for 20 bucks. What a steal! When I saw it, I knew I HAD TO HAVE IT even though I probably didn't need it. This Wonder Woman MSF in Golden Lariat is MASSIVE. M.A.S.S.I.V.E. It is bigger than my palm and I definitely have larger palms than most girls. It's got 0.70oz/20g of product which is just an insane amount of product. I can probably keep this for my entire lifetime and not even make a dent in it.

Hey there pretty useless gold rim and pretty useless lack of mirror. Hey there absolutely visually stunning shimmery overspray and marbling. This compact has everything you need to contour your face with. Blush, bronzer and highlighter. I would say that this is probably meant for the tanner girls out there as fairer girls might find this too dark. However, if you are a huge fan of sun-kissed then go for it!

I do like that because this compact is M.A.S.S.I.V.E it is so easy to use each colour individually. Also because it's baked there's literally no mess/fall out.

The blush in Golden Lariat runs almost a brownish peach with a nice subtle satin finish. I would say just use this colour to achieve the sun-kissed look with almost no effort at all. I really do love this colour. Compared to the NYX, NYX seems awfully pink and the MAC seems awfully brown. 

The bronzer in Golden Lariat is quite matte on the skin, unlike the NYX one which has some tiny glitter. The sheen seen in the compact is just a overspray. It's a brown that runs more red, and though I find suits me when I use it as subtle shading, looks absolutely off if I accidentally put too much. 

The highlighter is INSANE. Even without flash, the amount of light it's reflecting is crazy. It's chock full of multi coloured glitter, and it definitely applies gold if too much is used. I find that the powder for this feels very powdery. Seen from a distance, the glow that this powder gives is so so so nice since it's multi coloured glitter and not a single colour, but upclose, I feel like the individual glitter particles can be seen. Definitely need to know how to work with this highlighter, and definitely mostly for the glitter drama mama. 

I find the blush and highlighter last longer than the bronzer. Still, overall quite decent at 5 hours for bronzer. Blush seems to last all day for me while the highlighter seems to spread as the gold fades and glitter remains and moves (cos I blot). 

One very unfortunate point about this compact is that I THINK IT BREAKS ME OUT. It seems that every time I wear this, my temples where I apply bronzer start to break out. I also find that I get tiny bumps on my cheeks. I don't know if I'm sensitive just to the bronzer, or the entire compact, but I do try to refrain from using this compact too much unless I really feel like I want that colour on my face. It is a pity but honestly, vanity and clarity of skin before colour. 

Summary:

NYX BBC Pros:

• Highly pigmented
• Nars Orgasm dupe!
• 2 colours for the price of one
• Decent lasting power

NYX BBC Cons:

• not for people who don't like glitter, especially in bronzers
• blush is crumbly

MAC MSF Pros:

• MASSIVE in size
• very handy with 3 colours in one compact
• large enough to use each colour seperately
• highly pigmented
• decent lasting power
• awesome sun-kissed look combo of colours
• bronzer is matte

MAC MSF Cons:

• Can be too big/heavy to carry around
• Wasteful packaging + no mirror integrated
• BREAKS ME OUT
• highlighter is too glittery and powdery
• glitter in highlighter tends to migrate

- end of post -

update: I've just found the most awesome eyeliner in my history of using eyeliner. It does not budge under any circumstances. And it is PENCIL eyeliner. Will blog about it this weekend I'm so excited I bought 3. Stay tuned!!!

Vanity Trove October 2012

Guess what arrived for me on thursday! The lovely people at Vanity Trove sent me October's box! I love the idea of themed boxes specially picked out, and also that Vanity Trove gives full sized items in the box, which way exceeds the value of the box. If you add up the fun factor, surprise factor, and me being a giam-siap lou (calclative with money/miser), value for money factor, the $25 a month does seem quite worth it, even after taking away points for products that might not be as great. It also makes a great gift and a lovely surprise. 

Anyhoo, this month's theme is Big & Bold. I just had to bold that... excuse my Sunday morning lame sense of humour. I love getting beautifully designed items. I subscribe to art galleries so that they'll send me promotional newsletters/postcards that I sometimes use to stick on my wall or keep. Simple as this pamphlet was, I had to pick this up first before even looking at the items. Who would've thought orange and purple could go so well....

The pamphlet says it all, I don't believe I have to re-elaborate. 

This month's goodies! I finally got myself a light tent, but it's a teensy small for this huge box of products and everything looks rather cramped. I tried my best... Ok not really, I was just experimenting and I was really eager to get these photos out!

1) DHC Olive Essentials Series

The box includes this little series of mini samples from DHC. There is a sachet of DHC cleansing oil (1 use), a little bar of mild soap (10 uses), sachet of mild lotion (1 use) and a sachet of olive virgin oil (4 uses as it's meant to be dabbed on pimples). I've honestly only heard great things about the cleansing oil, but I will definitely be using these samples. I'm a little hesitant to say that I will be able to tell how great or not great these items will be based on such small samples though.

On to eye products!

2) Methode Swiss Beauty Care Thermal Therapy Eye Essence, Thermal Oxygen Soothing Eye Cream and Thermal Oxygen Overnight Eye Mask (5ml samples)

A little research tells me that Methode Swiss uses technologies and ingredients from Switzerland, a short look at their website/SaSa's website shows a Chinese advertisement so I'm a little confused. The little sample tube says made in Switzerland. I used the eye cream last night and it was a lovely soft gel like cream. I found that my obnoxiously deep undereye wrinkle on my left eye seemed plumped out today. Can't wait to try the rest!

Also, 15ml of any of these samples cost between SGD$62.90 - $69.90, so just think of the value! There is also an insert that allows us to purchase the eye essence or eye mask at $30 each with the purchase of the eye cream. That's like a 25% off so it's pretty good.


3) Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal

This if full sized! When I first opened this I thought it was a lipstick -.- and I panicked and thought wtf (pardon the language) was I gonna do with a black lipstick? For Halloween perhaps? Then I calmed down and realised that it was eyeliner and I was elated because I LOOVEEEEE eyeliners. Also the packaging is really unique and it feels expensive. I'm also pretty sure it's marketed to have some natural ingredients in it, but reading so much Beauty and the Bullshit makes me hesitant to blog about promos like that.

Sad to say though, this eyeliner doesn't live up to any standards whatsoever. It applies smoothly, nice and pigmented. But that's about the end of how good it gets. From then on it NEVER sets. The moment I blinked the eyeliner transferred onto the upper portion of my eyelid. I don't have a deep double eyelid on my right eye, so this is what single lid people can expect. I then tried to smudge it out as it's meant to be used, and set the lined portion with a black shadow thinking it might be good as a smokey eye base.



Just look at my eyes at the end of the day?! Not only did it crease into my double eyelid crease, it almost entirely vanished!!!! I haven't tried this with a primer but I'm really hoping it works better with a primer if not I'm never ever gonna use this again.


4) Leaders Insolution Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch (obviously full sized...)

Has a sticker on it that says winner of Cleo (for overseas readers, this is a female magazine) Beauty Hall of Fame 2012. If I remember correctly, Xiaxue also did quite an advertisement post for them not long ago. It's korean skincare, paraben and pigment free and promises to boost elasticity and moisture to the skin, as well as have a cooling and soothing effect. I really can't wait to try this, but I'm saving it for a rainy day.


Lastly, body and face products!

5) Audrey Christian Push Up (Breast, Neck & Tummy Cream) 150ml

This is yet another full sized product! Retails at Watsons for SGD$129... Woah. I think the name says it all. It's meant to firm boobs, neck and tummy, or anywhere else you feel needs firming I guess. Thighs? Butt? Haven't tried it yet though it sounds quite exciting. Who doesn't want bigger boobs? Especially if you're like me with mediocre unassuming boobs. ): 

Some people would have gotten the Venetrim (SGD$79) instead, meant for varicose veins. I'm fat, don't do heavy weights, don't wear super high heels and I guess I have good genetics in the vein aspect so I'm actually quite glad I got the push up cream. 

There is also a voucher that gives us $20 off any of the 2 products mentioned above at Sasa. 

6) VMV Hypoallergenics Hydra Balance Gentle Cream Cleanser and Hydra Balance Smart Moisturizer, both for Combination Skin (30ml Samples)

On the little pamphlet given in the box, it says VMV Hypoallergenics validated hypoallergenic, randomized, blinded, published and awarded clinical studies, skinfatuated, skintellectual, skingenious since 1979. For some reason, these claims really really annoy me. I mean, what do those things even mean?! Speak English and not make up words! 

Apart from that, this product is practically everything free and good for acne prone skin. I did try the moisturizer last night and I really do like it. It is light weight yet gives pretty awesome moisture and my flaky dry skin did disappear after one night. 

There's also a voucher that entitles us to a free gift at the store at Ion. If we bring a friend and said friend purchases something, said friend is also entitled to a free gift. Free! Just take! (so singaporean...)

7) The Essence of Nature Bamboo Sap Patch (full sized)

This is a korean product and is a detox patch that you stick on your feet. Based on the concept that the soles of the feet are where acupuncture points are concentrated, by sticking the patch on the feet at night, it is able to draw out toxin through the feet. 

The functions of the bamboo sap patch are to absorb toxins and unnecessary waste matter in the body, promote good blood circulation, help body to recover from fatigue, eliminates hangovers and pacifies the mind and body, as well as provide antibiotic and detoxification actions. Sounds awesome doesn't it? 

I actually used it last night, and when I woke up the patch was quite disgustingly brown. In my defense, at least it wasn't black (just check some pictures out on google...). Then again, I know my body is quite screwed up from bad sleep cycles and lifestyle, especially my liver, so I was quite hopeful that this would help. I actually didn't sleep very well with the patch on and woke up quite sore. The soreness though, is most probably from friday's body combat class but I am more sore than on saturday which is funny. Maybe it's just my body's way of purging?

The patch says that it should be applied until it is no longer saturated with body discharges, so I really can't tell with 1 trial. 

Phew! I'm finally done with all the contents of the box! Overall, I'm more than pleased with this month's box. There are 4 full sized products! Phenomenal value if you ask me. For me, I'm going to be enjoying most of the products except for the eyeliner (pity) and the push up cream (really don't think I'll need it much because my boobs are just small, not saggy ): ). Thank you Vanitytrove! 

MAC Cream Colour Base - Seaside Frost

Good Tuesday everybutty! It's been a while, and in this little while, I've actually ventured into a part of makeup that I've never really explored before. That is the dreaded eyeshadow. Along with eyeshadow comes the dreaded expenditure of money because there's just so many colours! Luckily for me, I have decided that I'm a neutral eye person. Even so, I feel like I can't seem to find the right neutral shade for my eyes, thus emptying my wallet in search of that colour. I'm doomed...

Anyway, this Mac Cream Colour Base in Seaside Frost I bought at the Estee Lauder sale eons back for my mom actually. The salesrep told me it was a primer of sorts that added a nice sheen to eyeshadow. I liked the shade so I bought it. My mom didn't want it so I took it (yay!). The packaging is larger than the normal potted eyeshadows and smaller than the blushes but essentially the same. Will not elaborate.

The above photo is taken without flash on the left and with flash on the right. I don't seem to have used it much... As can be seen, it's a kind of a deep(?) pinky coral shade that almost seems to verge on a bronze tint. I might be wrong. It also has microscopic (okay, wrong term as I can clearly see it but you get the idea - tiny) glitters in all colours that when seen together come off like a frosty (duh the name) silver sheen. 

It is sort of like a cream eyeshadow, but without the staying power. I'll elaborate more. The texture is nice and smooth, though not too creamy or soft that your finger sinks in. Decently hard and almost feels...oily. 

It is a gorgeous colour I have to say. Just look at the rightmost swatch. This was taken without flash and look at how great it is at catching the light! It's a really nice colour for darker girls like myself as the intensity can be built up or sheered out for fairer girls. I am slightly biased to this colour though, seeing as I have an almost identical shade in the powder eyeshadow - Naked Lunch. That's real nice too. 

So, according to the salesrep it's like a primer, right? Very true! The 2 left swatches are a random brown shadow (Visee?) I have. Middle is without the cream base, and leftmost with cream base. For obvious reasons, I would not suggest that you use this with pale shades like whites or creams, or blues or greens unless you want them to turn pink or turn a weird shade. But for colours that fall into a matching/same colour category are indeed much intensified (just look at that brown!) as well as infused with the same sheen the cream base has on its own. 

For people who are looking for a basic primer, I would have to say that this isn't for you. Not only does it have limited colours it can work with, it's not for people who want a matte eye either. For it's basic retail price and limited use, you're much better off spending the money on a NYX or even Urban Decay primer. 

THIS is why I would not suggest wearing the cream base on its own. As gorgeous a shade as it is on it's own, it creases within the first 10 minutes of wear. That's shitty right?! I'm so disappointed. I thought that it might just work like the paintpots minus the hassle of the screw top, but it just doesn't set unless there's some powder on top of it ):

Just a look I did with the base, Naked Lunch (same shade in powder) and the brown that was swatched above. Taken with iphone as my camera decided to play a joke on me today, but you can still see how nicely it reflects light without being glittery. Best of all, I don't look stupid wearing it given my inexperience with eyeshadows.

Eyeshadow on top of the base does last a good 6-8 hours without creasing though I find that the shadow does fade just a bit. 

Oh, just to add, I see the possibility of this being used as a really nice cream blush (a sheer sheer wash of course) but I haven't tried that out as cream blushes essentially wipe off all of my base, exposing my flaws.

People with darker skin tone might see this work as a highlighter.

All in all, this is a decent product and a really decent colour, but I'm not sure if it warrants a repurchase or is in fact worth it to purchase at full price. This is a product for 1) Mac fans, 2) collectors of make up. The normal person looking for a primer should just purchase a normal primer, not a cream base.

Summary:

pros: 

• gorgeous colour that can be worn opaque or sheered out
• sheen, not glitter, no fallout
• intensifies colours well
• gives eyeshadows new life by incorporating a sheen into them
• could be multi-purpose
• slides onto eye smoothly

cons:

• creases almost immediately without powder
• doesn't work with all eyeshadows
• doesn't work for people who want matte looks
• meh wearing time

HAUL!!!!!

Hello!!!! I apologize for not updating ): I'm trying to figure out a way to take pictures in artificial lighting (for workdays) so that I can post more but I can't get it right. But don't worry I'm working on it so do look forward to more updates!

I wanted to share a haul with everyone! I actually went for a run with the boy yesterday, and for some reason, we ended up at Beauty World. We were in there for the aircon, and having watched the MOST DISGUSTING blackhead squeezing video on youtube (yes, the things that the boy shows me) which was so fascinating I had to watch all 4 parts, we went to look for the comedone remover. And hence, ended up at my favourite place - Watsons. He humoured me and gave me time to explore, and whaddaya know the Beauty World Watsons STOCKS ESSENCE!!!

Essence is a budget German make up brand. It's not stocked in all Watsons and I believe the shelves in the larger stores have been ransacked. I had to get it while I could. I am such a sucker for good and cheap things.

The most expensive product in the range is something like $9. I am not even kidding. Even items from Silkygirl (:S) would cost more than that. Lucky for me, we were out running so I had no wallet and we only had $6 left. I went home, did some googling, and then gave in to temptation today.

Not all the items in there are from today's Essence haul, but they are new(ish) items so I put them together.

Clockwise from left:

1. Estee Lauder CyberWhite  Brilliant Cells Extra Intensive BB Creme.
This was a gift and it's what I've been using to go to work. The shade seems really light at first, but it's essentially the first time I've seen the claim "adjusts to your skintone" work. Not unnatural at all, and everytime I use it the Boy says my face looks smoother! I think it's bloody expensive though but I love it anyway!

2. Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadow in Glammy Goes to... and Steel the Show. ($6 !!!)
I was so excited about these upon swatching that I accidentally bought the tester for Glammy Goes to. Yea. Story of my life. Anyway, I really had my eye on these because ever since the Maybelline 24hr Tattoos came out, I had really wanted them but didn't want to shell out so much $.  These are brilliant! Brilliant swatches that DO NOT COME OFF. I rubbed with all my might because people were looking at me weird with my arm entirely covered in swatches but they refused to budge. They do come off very easily with soap and water though. Colours are pretty damn nice too.

3. Essence Gel Eyeliner in Midnight in Paris ($6.50!!!)
I bought this because I just couldn't help myself. I had bought the Revlon gel eyeliner (after the brush in the picture) just a few days ago because I really wanted (or as I tell myself, needed) a gel eyeliner at 20% off retail. But this was less than half what I paid. Plus all the pencil eyeliners swatched SO BLACK and SO CREAMY I was convinced. And okay, I googled as well. Sold.

4. Essence Eyeliner Brush ($3.30)
I like purple.

5. Revlon Colourstay Gel Eyeliner in Black ($16.90 with 20% off)
I like the Colourstay range. And I also did not want to buy a gel eyeliner and then have to buy a seperate brush. I initially wanted to buy a KATE liner as I have had a good experience with it before, but I bought mine at a time both the liner and brush came as a set. They no longer do. This liner is pretty decent and does last all day. There is not that much product but as gel liners tend to dry up before I can even use half of it, it doesn't matter too much to me. The only problem is that I need to draw my eyes a couple of times before I can get a good black line. Also, the intended usage of the brush is to pop it into the cap so you get a longer brush. Does not work. Use the brush small. I also believe that Silkygirl has the EXACT same packaging, leading me to believe (upon reading Beauty and the Bullshit she's awesome) that both products are the same. Though to be fair, Silky girl is only $2 cheaper which isn't that much difference.

6. Essence Colour and Go Nailpolish ($2.80 each!!!!)
I bought the coral colour on running day. Painted one nail that night and was very happy so I bought 2 more. I admit I was apprehensive at first due to it being so cheap. I thought it might be like the shitty Cotton On nail polishes that chip in hours. I don't even need to read the bottle to know that those are Made In China. (And I did check - Made In China). But these! These are Made In Frankfurt. They are good nail polishes, with a brush that I would say is very close to the experience of using the OPI brush. They are big, fat and flat brushes that cover the nails fast. The polish is opaque in 2 coats and live up to the name Colour and Go. Even 2 coats dried in under 5 minutes. No Seche Vite. Though it might be better to give it a top coat for extra gloss as I found that they aren't very glossy on their own. I am VERY IMPRESSED though I did wish they had nicer colours given that they have quite a huge range of colours. The other downside is that these come in tiny bottles - 5ml compared to a 15ml of OPI, but then again, I've never ever finished 15ml of nail polish before and having the option of playing around with more colours for cheaper is more attractive.

7. Clinique Eye Shadow Duo in Buttered Bronze ($6)
Think this is one of those tiny gift with purchase things. I got it at one of those shops that sell fragrances and all. I feel better this way because I don't use eyeshadow much though I'm trying to use them more now. Besides, I don't see how anyone manages to ever finish eyeshadow, so buying in smaller quantity makes more sense to me. I really do like the marbled green container (looks a lot like jade) and the shadows are great colours on me and of decent pigmentation. Great for travel.

8. Essence Forget it 3 in 1 Concealer ($5!!!)
Read the reviews on this. Then tried the pink and beige. It really does work for dark circles! Product is creamy, but I do feel like it doesn't set. Not sure of it yet, will test it out then do a proper review.

9. The Face Shop Faceit Designing Eyebrow Cake ($12.90?)
Bought this because Eyebrow Pencil running low and Eyebrow Pen too light. This has 2 mixable colours. Colours are great, not too brown or black, both with grey undertones. Does take me longer to do my brows though because I have to be more careful. Brush is kinda scratchy though, but somehow I love it because it's almost like scratching an itch.

Okay! I am in no way a promoter of Essence, but I just feel that people deserve to know that cheap makeup (no, not Rhomlom or is it Rhomlon and all that made in China crap) does exist (right now) in Singapore that is of a certain good standard. My main gripe has always been that Singapore marks up so much for make-up products at the drugstore and even in departmental stores. I've always felt that there should be some kind of price control; for them to charge almost 200% more for items such as foundations (eg. SGD$35.90 for a l'oreal/maybelline liquid foundation vs US6.99 thereabouts) even taking into account freight is quite ridiculous. So to have Essence make it's way here and still remain price controlled all as it is all over the world is pretty fantastic! I am a very happy girl today!

Oh, and I cut my luscious locks! So here's a iphone front camera poor quality photo of me and my new hair! I kinda miss my long hair of 3 years but changes are good...  Have a good rest of the weekend people!

K-Palette Zero Kuma Cover Control Concealer (03 Orange Beige)

I love K-Palette for its eye products. And I trust the Japanese. So when I saw that K-Palette had a concealer in the market, I couldn't help myself. 

I have really bad eye rings. I think it comes from 4 years of poor sleeping hours, but then again, my sisters seem to have it too. So it might just be genetic. Whatever it is, I have a hard time concealing them. That's why I bought the Zero Kuma Concealer in 03 Orange Beige.

There are 3 colours. 01 Natural Beige, 02 Yellow Beige, 03 Orange Beige. All are undereye concealers.

I chose 03 as the peach colour is supposed to counter the blue/green eye circles. Yellow doesn't work a single bit. Peach is the best! Also, this concealer claims to improve blood circulation with Swertia Japonica Extract, Silver Birch Leaves Extract and Amino Acid (Glycine), with a beauty serum incorporated to care for the eye area. The ingredients are highlighted in bold at the back of the packaging, hard to miss.

At S$19.90 and 13g of product, it's not exactly very cheap. But with claims like that, I was suckered into it.

It's a really sturdy plastic squeeze tube with a screw on silver cap. I recall the outer packaging being extremely cute with a bear, but the concealer itself bears no hint of "cute" apart from the paw prints. 

I like squeeze tubes because i can control accurately how much product gets dispensed, and this one, being transparent, lets me see how much product I have left. 

I seem to like pictures that look like that recently. The applicator is a smooth slanted tip, very much similar to the shape of doefoot applicators. I do like the concept of it, as well as how the concealer applies from the slanted tip, however, when used that way, product gets all over the applicator and I don't like that. It is also not very hygienic. 

credits to mac swatch: http://karlasugar.net/2009/07/mac-studio-sculpt-foundation/

The product itself is 3/4 way between a cream and a liquid. If you can see from the photo, when applied in a sufficiently thick layer, it doesn't just smooth itself out. Despite it being pretty thick, it does spread very nicely on the skin and blends decently. The colour is a very nice beige tint, however, it is just a tad wayyy too light for my NC30 skin.

It is extremely opaque, so really, a little goes a long way, and plenty of effort goes into blending it out nicely. It is still not enough for my eye rings because mine need serious colour correction, but for the normal eye ring it would be really useful. When I use this, I make sure I blend the colour out on my hand first then dab it on the darkest areas, then I top it up with a normal skin tone corrector.

Check it owwtttt. I caked my entire undereye area! Like I said, this concealer is too light for me, that's why it looks sooooooo caked up. Also, I was suffering from serious dry skin/eyes that day. Well, you can see from the picture that the entire undereye area is the same colour. The coverage is top notch! Just be careful not to apply too much as it will look cakey as with applying too much of anything. I only wish I had a colour match. 

I do cheat a little sometimes on the colour by mixing this with a darker shade. I find that it works quite well to increase coverage of other thinner concealers! 

Being so creamy, I would expect it to crease on me, but really, there's nothing too serious about the caking when I wear this. Lasts 8 hours or so without needing to set with powder. It also doesn't separate from the skin through the day, as I've noticed with some other concealers that start to ride to the surface of the skin. Yuck. I'll save those for another day. 

I haven't noticed... better blood circulation and dissipation of my eye circles, but then again, due to the poor colour match I don't wear it every day. I also would not put too much hope on that as this is a makeup product, not skin care. If I had this in a proper colour match I think it would be possible to go without foundation and just blend this over spots! 

My verdict is that I would like it if I had a better colour match. 

Summary:

Pros:

• Good creamy consistency that spreads well
• Very good pigmentation and coverage
• Doesn't crease undereye
• Lasts long (looks the same through the day)
• Packaging is thought out

Cons:

• No colour match ):
• Looks cakey if too much is applied
• Does not work on dark circles

Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Lotion and Moist Eye Cream

My skin has been on the fritz lately. My doctor has told me to go off my medication since I have been on it for quite some time already and it's just not good for me, and god I miss my medication. Who knew. Well anyway, since I no longer have the oil control from the medication, my face is a friggin' oil slick, but still annoyingly dry for god knows what reason. 

Someone must've heard my prayers because these 2 products were sent to me recently. This is going to be the longest review I have written so far so read only if you have time and I also have to add that that being sponsored has no impact on my review. 

The first product is the Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Lotion, and it's something that I've actually used for a while. As mentioned in my previous post, I used to use it on a daily basis. It impressed me so much that when my Mom went to japan I had her bring me back a few bottles! To date, I've gone through 2 bottles of the whitening lotion, and 2 bottles of the normal lotion and I also have the moisturizer. I think that's a pretty good indication of how much I like this product as well as the brand. 

The bottle sent to me boasts a new nano formula. The old version only has Super Hyaluronic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid whereas the new one has a new Nano Hyaluronic Acid on top of the old 2. While the old formula supposedly only sits on the skin, the new formula supposedly penetrates the skin easily to keep the skin more moisturized (according to the very cute bulbasaur lookalike diagram).

 Honestly imo, it is then time to get rid of plain ol' hyaluronic acid because I don't understand its use anymore.

It's a big bottle with 170ml of product inside. I believe it retails for around $22 at Watsons, substantially more expensive that the usual toner. The packaging is extremely basic plastic packaging, in tune with it's perfectxsimple philosophy. The cap clicks shut satisfyingly, and the hole is small enough so that the viscous product doesn't simply pour out. 

Product inside is a clear, slightly viscous liquid. The best way to use this is to pour a few drops onto your palms and then slap your face vigourously. I kid. Gently pat it in. I don't find this like a toner at all. A toner is something that you pour onto a cotton pad, which you then use to clean the face of remnant grime. Try putting this on a cotton pad and you'll have a very hard time with it. 

The liquid takes a while to be absorbed into the skin, though faster than the old formula. I tested this by putting both formulas on at the same time on different halves of the face. While the new formula  leaves the face nice and plump and ready to receive moisturizer, I don't find that it does much more than the old formula except that it absorbs faster. I also do not find this moisturizing enough to use on its own, so do not expect this product to replace moisturizer. 

What I find is that it enhances how products put on after the lotion works, and how my skin does instantly feel fresher and in taiwanese terms, QQ, after putting it on. When the skin is well moisturized, oil production decreases, so that is a win for me. In short, this product actually does what it says it does, though only in combination with moisturizer.

Also, despite how awesome this product sounds with it's perfect x simple philosophy, I feel the need to remind the ultra conscious people that there are parabens in this product. Although parabens are certified safe to be put in such products, I know that there are people who prefer to avoid it. 

I also did a comparison on the new and old ingredient lists. The new one has an extra Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid as the 2nd last ingredient. My intelligent guess is that this is what the Nano Hyaluronic Acid is. I leave you to make your own conclusions. 

Summary:

Pros:

• Instantly moisturizes and plumps skin
• Enhances absorption of products used after

Cons:

• Does not replace moisturizer nor act like a toner; is more an extra product to be used
• Has parabens.
• Not different enough from the old formula to warrant a purchase if still in possession of the old one

SUPER HYALURONIC ACID MOIST EYE CREAM

The Super Hyaluronic Acid Moist Eye Cream that came along with the SHA lotion really excited me!!! A girl can never have too many eye creams. My favourite eye cream of all time is the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye which I got at a really good price. But it is a small tub and is running out so I tend to use it sparingly. So I was really excited to try the eye cream.

The claims: 

- 3 Hyaluronic Acids to moisturize

- something called (ACTIFLOW) to lighten dark circles and reduce puffiness

- natural jojoba oil and extracts to smoothen fine lines and aging skin

As some would know, I am highly suspicious of claims. They excite me and tempt me that's for sure, but I only believe the moist(truly an honest typo haha) most basic of claims. In this case, what the brand is known for - moisture, everything else is a bonus.

Firstly, lets talk about packaging. Again, in line with philosophy, not very exciting packaging, but it looks almost like it comes from Muji, which I like. It's got a nice controllable pump and 15g of product. I believe this is also around $22 at Watsons. I also like that the packaging is opaque because though I can't see how much product I have left, it means that sunlight will have less effect on the ingredients inside, should they react to it. 

Product is white, light, creamy, goodness. I liked the consistency so much I felt it deserved a picture of its own. That by the way is enough product to use on both eyes.

This eye cream really impressed me in terms of moisture and what it did for my fine lines in the short term. I cannot vouch for this product long term as I've only tried it for a few days. Pop this eye cream in the fridge and when put on the eye, the cream will feel super shiok! (awesome).

I have a very deep line on my left eye. The only cream that filled it out was of course, the Estee Lauder one. I now have another product that can do it and that has made me incredibly happy! It is only obvious that it has filled out when I inflate my eyebags, though hopefully in the long term it will help more. It is super light on the area and feels like nothing when absorbed, also hasn't given me any milia seeds.

Looking at the ingredient list however, Cylopentasiloxane/Dimethiconol is listed as the 3rd ingredient, so I suspect that it is these silicones that are plumping out my skin. The jojoba oil is 5th so hopefully that will help in the long term.

This eyecream definitely fufills its claims on moisture; my eyes thank me when this cream is applied twice a day. It also helps my concealer go on quite a bit better and improves the lasting power! Surprise for me there.

I have No Idea what (ACTIFLOW) is, but the week that I've used it has definitely not shown me improvement in dark circles. Then again, I have chronic dark circles nothing I do helps. Also, my sleep cycle tells me it's normal to sleep at 2am when it's definitely not normal. Hence the dark circles.

My only problem with this product is that though it works, it's probably not as in line with the perfect x simple tune it's singing. There are silicones, alcohol and parabens in this eye cream. I would normally try to steer away from face care products that contain silicones and alcohol at the very least, but his has been working so I will definitely stick with it at least till the end of the bottle!


Summary:

Pros:

• Good packaging
• Fantastic consistency; super light, creamy and easily absorbed
• Moisturises very well
• Gets rid of fine lines

Cons:

• Has silicones, alcohol and parabens
• May be a product that is more for short term effect than long term help

If you're convinced by me, or not convinced by me and want to try some for yourself, then head to the Hada Labo Facebook Page to get a sample to try for yourself! 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum is one hell of a raved foundation. I admit I was so stoked upon setting my hands upon it. I believe it was slightly more than SGD$30 for this foundation which is not cheap at all.

First things first, the foundation comes in a very nice lightweight glass bottle with a pump. Points for packaging and being sanitary. And...that is pretty much all the points I can give for this foundation.

I absolutely hate it.

First, THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING SMELL. My god. I'm okay with fragrance, but this, this is way over the top. It is actually quite a nice fruity, floral fragrance, but because there's just so much of it, it veers towards grandma's makeup's scent in a bad way. 

Singapore only seems to stock 4 colours, from 51 through 54. All of them seem like a nice neutral colour that would suit all skin tones. No. 53 suits my nc30 skin very well though it might seem a little too fair at first. My guess is partially because it's has next to no coverage. This would probably be a good foundation for those with already perfect skin who just want to even out skin tone, but for people like me who have plenty to cover, this is not for us.

Upon application, the healthy mix gel goes on very very smoothly, it almost feels like the MUFE HD foundation in terms of application. But that's about where the comparison ends. For me, this foundation sits on top of my face and never truly sets. It emphasizes any dry skin that I think I have properly moisturized. It doesn't do much for large pores either though I wouldn't say it emphasized them. It just didn't do anything. Also, at first, it seem like it does a decent job with lines, but by the time I'm done with my make up, the layer of healthy mix gel has creased at all my laugh lines! Major aggravated hate!!!!

When I apply more of the foundation, all it does is sink into lines faster and cakes up. If i scrunch my face while doing my make up, all the scrunch lines appear in the make up. It's just terrible, I really don't understand why it refuses to sink into my skin.

I've tried every way I can think of to put this foundation on. With a brush, a sponge, my fingers. Setting it doesn't seem to help either. I am never satisfied enough with this foundation to even wear it out of the house. Thus I can't say how long this foundation will last, though my opinion is, not long at all.

On the flip side, I guess the point of this foundation is to have it look like you're not wearing foundation at all. That is indeed true. The finish of this foundation looks like bare, well moisturized skin.

I'm not one with perfect skin, so this fails me on all counts, especially on coverage. I'm so disappointed that I feel almost cheated by all the rave reviews. But never give up hope! I will still be trying to find ways to use this, and the day that I have perfect skin, will be the day I'll use this. (cross fingers)


Summary:

Pros:

• great packaging
• finish looks like real skin

Cons:

• sits on top of my skin
• never sets
• has no coverage
• emphasizes dry skin that was previously moisturized
• doesn't not do anything for pores
• creases almost immediately

H&M Lipbalm

I love Sweden. By that theory, I also love H&M. Well, not exactly, but I did shop almost exclusively at H&M and thrift stores in my time there. What can I say, I'm a cheapo, kinda. I brought over lip balm from Singapore, anticipating the cold and dry weather there, but of course, I have a serious memory problem and went on a little self excursion one day without my lipbalm - this self excursion being from Lund to Stockholm for a week. My lips were so sore they were literally crying for help, so I set out to look for the cheapest lip balm I could find. And what do you know, it was at H&M!

If I'm not wrong, it was 20SEK. That translates to about 4SGD. It has 17.6g of product in this beautiful metal tin. Just a quick comparison, a normal Nivea twist up balm has only 4.8g. That is nearly 4 times the amount of balm.

To be honest, I just picked it up because it smelt decent, was cheap, and looked cute and retro. I actually really do not like tin balms because imho, why dirty my fingers when applying balm? I don't even care that i'm dirtying the balm in the tin, it's really my fingers that are important.

Also, despite the tin being really cute, it is notoriously difficult to open. But the tin really is cute. A quick google search shows me many many more cute designs that are hard to resist.

This balm, when stored at room temperature (i.e. the 30 odd degrees that is Singapore's weather), melts into a really nice creamy waxy balm. It smells deliciously of mint, and is so thick that when applied to lips, actually can cover the lips up in an opaque white. Just be sure not to apply too much or it might end up sticky like a lip gloss.

I apply this before I start doing my makeup, and 15 mins later, my lips have absorbed the product (if lips can actually do that), and have less lines and looks smoother. If applied in the night before bed, it also stays on the entire night.

I didn't think that H&M could produce decent makeup products, but this lipbalm is what I find myself reaching for in the morning because it really is so moisturizing.


Summary:

Pros:

• Super moisturizing and plumps up lips almost instantly
• Has decent staying power
• Nice minty fragrance and no taste
• Really really cute tin!

Cons:

• Comes in a tin
• Tin is tough to open

too faced papa don't preach and collection 2000 shimmer shades review

I like to sleep. I really do. I think this weekend alone I might've slept more than 24 hours in total. That also probably explains why I don't really have time to choose a different blush colour every morning before heading off to work. I can't explain it but when in doubt, this is my most reached for blush colour. It is also the blush that I dump into my bag when I'm heading somewhere at night and I need to touch up my blush. It's the Too Faced Papa Don't Peach Blush.

It comes in a very retro, very cute cardboard magnetic case, which I have to say, is very hardy considering how much I throw it around. This photo was taken after about a year of usage (and mind, it was the only blush I used for 5 months abroad because it was all I brought and didn't have a choice), and the cardboard is still quite dog-eared free though how the powder looks might not fare well with some people (for that I apologize). It is not that compact but compact enough, sitting nicely/squarely in my palm. Also comes with a mirror, which I've never used, but again, might be useful for some. No brush, but brushes that come with blushes usually are quite terrible, so no complaints there.

I paid SGD$20 for it from smoochiezz.com, though it's not available anymore through there, + that site is quick becoming very overpriced. I think it's much more expensive when bought in store (google tells me USD$20) but I'm going to tell you why it's worth it.

It comes with 6.69grams of product, more than the 6grams that you get with the mac powder blushes (though I don't know how this compares on $/g) and practically lasts forever. As mentioned, I've used it for a year and there is not even a dent in my compact. 

. 

The colour is a wonderful wonderful peachy coral colour that has fine golden and silver shimmer. I say both colours because the sheen that arises from the shimmer seems to lean warm when I'm wearing warm clothes and cool when I'm wearing cool clothes. It truly is amazing. And also, on close inspection it does look like there's both shimmers involved. Fear not, there is no chunky glitter in this, only healthy glow! The colour doesn't apply too intense, but can be built up in just 2 coats, so really just anybody can wear this. It will suit you pale, tanned, warm, cool, everyone!

It is a super duper fine powder that applies so creamily and silkily on the skin. If I may say, this melts into the face and you can't see the powder at all.

credits: http://bunbunmakeuptips.com/too-faced-papa-don%E2%80%99t-peach-blush-review-for-beautiful-warm-peachy-cheeks/#more-3412

It is mentioned on some blogs for being a dupe of Nars Orgasm. I do not own Nars Orgasm, but I think the above review mentions some wonderful things with a great photo. Well, imo, not at all close on the swatch, but, the funny thing about Papa Don't Peach is that it turns pinker the darker it is swatched. See my swatch below.

It's plenty pink and less peach right? I did a much darker swatch because I'm ... obviously more tanned. If you compare my swatch and the swatch above, I would say, pretty damn similar. Well then again, wouldn't know unless I had the Orgasm, which I don't see the point in buying because I love this. 

I did also find a cheap dupe for Papa Don't Peach. People in the UK, you are so lucky. Collection2000 shimmer shades in Blushalicious is a palette that I love. 

For those who don't know how it looks like, here's a picture. The middle swatch is the bottom right peachy shade, and the last swatch is the bottom 2 shades layered together to try to achieve a more intense colour. The reason why the colours don't look as intense as Papa Don't Peach in the swatch is because they were more shimmery and hence the shimmer showed up more than the colour when the photo was taken. But trust me on this, they are pretty damn close in real life. 

So, using basic logic, Papa Don't Peach = Nars Orgasm. Collection2000 Shimmer Shades = Papa Don't Peach. Collection2000 Shimmer Shades = Nars Orgasm! For cheapos like me THAT IS PERFECT. 

Unfortunately for me, my own Collection2000 Shimmer Shades HAS SHATTERED AND SO HAS MY HEART. Kidding I'm not that dramatic, but really, I was quite sad when I took it out of my handbag one day and found it in pink dust. Luckily for me, the Boy is in London right now so I will definitely be asking a little favour of him. (:  I will do a proper review on the Shimmer Shades when I get a new one because I can't really take photos of a shattered one. If you can't wait then I thoroughly recommend it as awesome bang for buck!

Here's my face with Shimmer Shades on the right (left cheek) and Papa Don't Peach on the left (right cheek). Lasting power is crazy. I don't have oily cheeks, but this IS Singapore after all. Temperatures are a daily 36 degree celsius and I SWEAT. I sweat from every pore of my body. (That sounds disgusting, especially for a girl, but oh well). There are days where I get dragged to the construction site in afternoon scorching sun(yeah, balls for that part of being an architecture intern) and I literally wipe off the makeup on my face because sweat is just pouring down my face. But whaddaya know when I check my face in the mirror after I get home, my cheeks are still pink! Collection2000 definitely doesn't compare to this in terms of staying power though it's not too bad itself. 

This is hands down, the best blush that I have owned.

Summary:

Pros:

• Beautiful colour that will suit everybody
• No glitter, just gives a healthy glow
• Super fine powder that melts into skin
• Nars Orgasm Dupe (if you're into that sort of thing)
• Stays PUT

Cons:

• Cardboard packaging may feel a tad cheap
• Does not come with brush