Brought VS Actually Used

I'm back from Bangkok and well shopped out. Nope, no beauty haulin' but I thought it would be interesting to let you know what I had on my face in crazy 35 degree celsius weather. I was sorely tempted to go barefaced (since no one knows me any way and it was incredibly hot and humid) but my pride stopped me. I also thought that I had managed to pack rather lightly but who knew, I managed to use even less than I had packed. So here you go - 35 degree proof makeup. 

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What I Actually Used:

Bourjois Happy Light Base Serum Matite - I don't own any other primers and I couldn't bring my Urban Decay Sprays because I went on a budget airline and did not purchase check in luggage. This really surprised me and did indeed keep my face matte for a good 7 hours. My mom (yes, this was a mother daughter trip, sweet right?) was blotting away and I there I was with not a hint of shine. Whoop! Don't fancy the scent though. 

Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream SPF 32 PA+++ - I had forgotten just how much I love this. I stole my mom's La Roche Posay SPF50 Sunscreen, but in any case, the built in SPF 32 PA+++ is still brilliant. This BB cream's liquidy consistency is so light on the skin it's almost like a serum in my opinion. I just don't feel it at all, which is brilliant for weather where you don't want anything on your skin. 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - I brought this because it's on the ends of its life and I wanted to finish it up(sad face). I'm scarface galore and this amped up the BB Cream coverage very well indeed. Definitely a repurchase somewhere in the future.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - I've been using this powder for years now. In fact, this is my 2nd compact and I've hit pan already. And just in case you think I alternate this with other powders, I actually don't. That's just how long it lasts. Finely milled and virtually undetectable on the face, I also attribute my 7 hour shine free face to this powder.

Too Faced Papa Don't Peach Blush - One of the longest lasting blushes and pigmented blushes I own. This peachy blush with a gold sheen is something that would suit pretty much everybody and hangs around all day. It really lifts and slims my face (oddly) and it's my default blush when I don't know what to wear.

The Face Shop Eyebrow Designing Kit - Perfect ashy colour for dark hair. I see no need to switch out.

Star Lash Gel Eyeliner - Testing this eyeliner and I'm happy to say that it's passed the test. Just be sure to apply on dry eyelids (best if powdered) because oil does cause it to transfer. It applies marvellously on the waterline/tightline and lasts all day. When I remove my makeup with an oil cleanser in the night and massage my eyes, the area turns black - that's how I know it's still there in my tightline. Amazing stuff!


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Excess That Was Brought:

The Balm Time Balm Foundation - Brought this because I thought I might want something that keeps me matte and yet still have coverage. Turns out the concealer did the job and I had no reason to use this.

Natural Collection Blush in Pink Cloud - A peachy shade is just more attractive than pink in hot weather? Also did not want a completely matte face.

Sleek Face Form in Light (highlight & contour shade) - Highlight and contour slipping around my face? No. thank. you. not. taking. that. risk.

MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch - Too. hot. to. want. more. makeup. on. my. face.

MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette (2 shades) - Ditto.


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A minimal routine is really the most attractive in such hot and humid weather. I would not want to be worried about having my makeup slipping and sliding when I could be doing "more important" things (like shopping hoho). I think the extras would've come in useful if I had to go to a fine dining restaurant (chances were low considering I only packed slippers) or if I had gone with friends and we wanted to head out to bars/clubs. No lip products because... it's Bangkok and I'm eating pretty much all the time! Also, one more tip - the more products you can apply with a sponge/fingers, the more hygienic (you can wash your sponges/hands faster than a brush) it is!

It is a relief to be back to raining and somewhat cool Singapore - that's how hot bangkok was! What do you guys usually pack on trips? Let me know - I have another trip planned for a few months down the road so that would be really helpful!

Weekly Favourites #10 Face

I am quite in love with the eyeshadow combi I mentioned in my weekly favourites, so I thought it deserved a post of its own!

L-R: MAC Eyeshadow Duo in Culturalized (Brule and Retrospeck), Layered Retrospeck over Permanent Taupe, Maybelline 24HR Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe, Marks and Spencer's Cheek and Lip Tint in Coral

The M&S Lip and Cheek Tint in Coral does go on quite a scary colour, but fret not it blends out incredibly well! Pardon the hair, I just got it cut yesterday and haven't quite figured out how to work with it - really wish I had fine, tame hair!

I had quite a bit of a problem trying to wear Permanent Taupe on its own - I think it was just a tinge too cool in colour for me. I did quite like Retrospeck in the MAC duo but it does lean quite brassy rather than gold. Layering the 2 colours really warms the taupe up and gives it great depth, even as a single shade all over the lid. Best of all, you could up the intensity of the gold on the center of the lid for even more dimension! Load up the mascara (or in my stingy eyelashes cases, falsies) and there you have it - smokey eye done!

What do you think? Is this colour something you would wear?

Weekly Favourites #10

I'm always on the look out for a good moisturizer, and was looking for a sample sized tub of the Origins Ginzeng Moisturizer, but by some chance of fate, ended up with both the Clinique Moisture Surge and this Kitoko Kalani Super Aqua Gel. This came highly recommended by the sales lady complete with a story of a holidaying Taiwanese family purchasing 2 tubes and returning to purchase 6 tubes. I was sold and now I'm in love. This comes out a gel and disappears into water droplets, leaving the face moisturized yet looking quite matte. It literally does not feel like anything on the skin once absorbed and leaves my skin moisturized. When I use it before bed, my skin is not a bit oily in the morning and that's how I know the moisture content in this gel is ace!

I've dug out the Marks & Spencer Lip and Cheek Tint in Coral from my stash and it's become quite a go to as a cream blush. I much prefer a pure cream formulation over a cream to powder as my skin texture isn't the best. Don't be fooled by the pigmentation in the pan - this goes on beautifully and blends into a subtle flush that catches the light due to the glossy formula. This is more raspberry than coral (as per its name) and I can see it working well with all skin tones. It has really been a saviour for stipple and run days.

 I've been reading so much online about the Clinique Chubby Sticks for eyes in Burnished Gold (see what I mean here) and have been lusting for such a colour. Not being prepared to fork out $$$, I decided to get creative with what I had. Layering Retrospeck (gold shade) in the Mac Eyeshadow Duo in Culturalized on top of the Maybelling 24HR Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe does the trick. The result is what I can best describe as a dirty gold colour and it is (if I may say so myself) gorgeous! And it just lasts and lasts because that's just what the colour tattoos do! Great for nights out about and just in time for the weekend eh?

Do you like anything you see here? Let me know!

Sweet Lips - NYC 16H Smoochproof Lip Stain & GOSH Long Lasting Lip Marker

These are the mainstay products I have for a daily makeup routine. Let me go through it step by step.

Face base: The Hada Labo BB Cream has rather decent coverage on its on and with SPF30 is great for a base that protects, hydrates and evens out skintone. Remember concealer face? I've managed to whittle it down to just the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer and I'm really excited about it because that means that my acne scarring is toning down! 

Cheeks: I did a really stupid thing the other night. I tried to epilate my face myself. (hides away in a dungeon of shame). Confession - I have a rather hairy face which I am not proud of but I haven't been to to get my face threaded for a rather long while. My hairs are not that visible but they bug me anyway ): Anyway, long story short, I am considerably less hairy but I managed to irritate the tops of my cheekbones and they've turned red, like a sunburn. Now I have to try to blend it in with my blush, that's why my blush seems so high. I used the Natural Collection Blush in Pink Cloud on the cheeks under my eyes to draw the blush down. I really like this blush as it's matte and the colour is so subtle it looks like natural skin.

Eyebrows: I stick to pencils when I'm rushing for time as it's just that much easier to control. This Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Pencil is the perfect grey-brown for soft brows. 

Eyes: Raved about the Essence Liquid Ink Eyeliner before here. It's such an intense black and works really well whether drawing a fine small line or an obvious cateye like I've done. The Diorshow Extase Mascara is my choice of mascara for really long, defined separated eyelashes that still look natural. Did I mention long? These make lashes so long.

Lips: Mentioned the NYC 16H Smoochproof Lip Stain and the GOSH Long Lasting Lip Marker in this week's favourites and thought I should showcase them. I used them in this look for a subtle ombre look and I quite like how they work together. 

Both are felt tip markers and leave a stain on the lips. The NYC is in Persistent Pink, looks really neon but comes out much more subtle on the lips. It probably would not show on more pigmented lips but on mine, it ups the pink factor of the lips. The GOSH stain I have is in Berry which is a berry red (excellent description eh!) that looks exactly like a cherry stain. 

NYC has a faint scent that smells like cherries and apples (and chemicals) mixed together and GOSH has a very strong cherry smell which I love. Both taste sweet on the lips which is so amazing! I know I should not be ingesting my chemical lip products but I cannot help it. Wearing these feels like I rubbed cherries on my lips and left the juice all over. Yummy!

Bigass picture of my crackly lips to show the ombre. I used the NYC Persistent Pink all over with GOSH's Berry in the centre. As you can see, Persistent Pink does not really show up on the browner edges of my top lip. Since I'm not a fan of lipsticks, my favourite part about the lip markers are that they don't change the natural texture/finish of the lips. Though they might be drying, I'd much rather top up with a balm than use a lipstick.

Obviously, these last a very short time on me because I lick my lips like crazy when I have this on (I might just have an addiction) but even so, I don't think the lasting power is that great. They could probably last you through a drink but not a full blown meal.



Summary:

Pros:

• Tastes like sugar heaven!
• Smells like fruit heaven!
• Doesn't change lip finish - only stains lips to a nicer colour
• Marker like and very easy to use

Cons:

• Ingesting the chemicals due to excessive lip-licking probably isn't too good
• Stain does not last too long
• Can be drying

These get an A from me as a lipstick noob. What do you guys think? Are stains the way to go or do you still prefer lipsticks? Have an awesome weekend lovelies! 

Maybelline the Magnum Volum' Express Ultracomb Waterproof

Say hello to my current go-to mascara! It is the Maybelline the Magnum Volum' Express Ultracomb Waterproof Mascara. Boy that is a mouthful. There is a similar version of this, but not with the Ultracomb. Instead, that has a more 'normal' looking brush. I picked this up at Watsons on sale at about SGD$12 but I believe the normal retail price is just under SGD$20. 

I really like that the tube is this bright yellow, really helps with the ease of finding it in my stash! It tries to convince you it delivers volume (or in this case volum') by being a fat tube. The main reason I chose this was because the wand of this mascara is pretty reminiscent to the Majolica Majorca Lash King brush, and Majolica Majorca is a brand I definitely trust with mascaras. If only they weren't so hard to remove. Anyway, unlike the MM Lash King, this is a single sided wand, meaning application is only done with the spiky part of the wand. The other side is essentially useless. What a 1 dimensional wand, you might be thinking, but it's surprisingly good and works well to separate and coat lashes!

The only thing I do not like about the wand is that there are no bristles/spikes at the tip, making it quite hard to reach the outer lashes. It's not too bad for upper lashes, but getting the outer lower lashes is a real pain and not quite achievable with this wand. Going at the bottom lashes with a vertical wand is not possible either. 

Some background on my lashes - I'm quite lucky to have decently long lashes by asian standards, but I don't have very thick lashes. They are also quite gently curled naturally. Hence I normally go for volumising mascaras, though lengthening never hurts. I'm seldom fussed over whether the mascara holds curl. 

When I first used this mascara, I thought meh. It had quite a nice semi-wet consistency and gave me rather nice length and definition, but simisai (translation: what rubbish) volume!? I felt rather cheated, because the mascara is a VOLUM' mascara! So I added on a second layer as I would normally (ie. I let the first layer dry, then add a 2nd) and I was horrified because not only did it clump my lashes, it made them horrendously stick straight! 

I'm not one to give up on products. Lesson learnt - no layering on dry masacara. The picture on the left is with a single coat, the one on the right is with 3 wet coats. You be the judge. 

 From L-R, Curled lashes, no mascara; single coat; 3 coats of mascara.

The mascara is really versatile. You could probably get away with people thinking  you're not wearing mascara with a single coat of mascara, yet get an almost false lash effect with multiple coats. This mascara also really lives up to its waterproof formula, I could only get it off with an oil-based/bi-phase make-up remover. Gel removers and cleansing waters don't get the dirty deed done. That means, no smudging through the day! 

Certainly, the longevity of the mascara sounds good, but I would not recommend this for a full day of wear. This is because the formula is a rather heavy formula. I find that even with curled lashes, the mascara causes my curl to semi flatten out over the day.

Also, the length that is built tends to kind of droop after about the 5 hour mark and I'm not a fan of obvious fiber bits. The bright side is that these fibers don't flake off I guess? They kinda just like to hang. (heehee)

I also don't know if this happens to anyone else, but the blackness of the mascara disappears when it's been worn for too long! My lashes just look kinda dry and old.. it's really quite odd. Of course, these are really only visible if more than one layer is put on.


Summary:
Pros:

• Interesting wand that's easy to use and apply
• Versatile mascara: both natural and false lash looks can be achieved
• Good lengthening effects
• Decent volume can be achieved without clumping
• Waterproof formula that can be removed with oil-based/biphase remover
• No smudging
• No flaking

Cons:

• Can't really hold a curl
• Fiber tips tend to droop after a while
• Formula loses darkness after a while, lashes look old and dry
• Hard to reach outer lashes and bottom lashes with this wand

Conclusion: I would purchase this mascara for its natural look rather than its volumizing effects. This is also more a school day type mascara, not full working day. Most of the cons can be mitigated by wearing only a single coat, and since the natural look is one I favour, this mascara gets a B+ from me. 

Have you used this mascara before? What are your thoughts? Happy Monday everyone! I really enjoyed writing this review but now it's time for me to get back to the serious dissertation writing. Toodles!

Weekly Favourites #8

Hello lovelies! How's the week been treating you? I've had a rather breakthrough week with some of my products and I'm super excited to share with you how I use them.

I've had the Renew Rose Hip Oil for a rather long time. I've used it on and off, always put off by how my skin could not fully absorb the oil. I absolutely detested the oily film it left on my face no matter how long I left it on to sink in. However, I recently dug it up to give it another whirl. This time, on a rather sturdy cotton pad, I put quite a good bit of hyaluronic acid toner (I use the Naris Up Hyaluronic Skin Conditioner) and then 2 drops of rose hip oil, then swipe it all over my face. I find this method allows the mix to fully absorb into my skin and leaves it completely moisturized and plump. My skin seems to be healing more quickly too (might be a placebo effect) and I'm really loving it!

Ah Mac Pro Longwear Concealer... we have a serious love-hate relationship. I could never quite like the texture of the concealer and found it too watery and thin, affecting the coverage that it gave. However, since most of my scarring has gotten slightly lighter and I've gotten fairer, the coverage of this concealer is perfect. It works best with a flat powder brush or stippling brush, rather than fingers (that was my mistake) for higher coverage. It layers rather well, to a maxium of 2-3 layers before it starts to cake, enough to blur out the most obvious imperfections. Most days now I just use this concealer with powder and I've really got the 5 minute face routine down pat. -smug face-

Has anyone ever finished an entire tube of lip balm before it gets lost or purchasing a new one? I have to admit that I lose lipbalms like I shed hair (okay, that might be TMI). However, they more or less do turn up when I clear out my bags. The Maybelline Baby Lips in Smoothing Cherry turned up the other day. It's colourless and massively emollient. It might be odd but I adore the artificial cherry smell (don't judge me). I don't find the moisturizing effects last but the short term effect is just great. Doesn't help that the colour combination of the tube is so adorable.

A repeat favourite! I've been experimenting with the Maybelline Magnum Volum' Express Ultra Comb and testing it to its limits and so far I have not been disappointed. This works well in a single layer (or 2) for the nicest, barely accentuated lashes. I am a sucker for a natural looking lash. I also tried layering this mascara wet, and after 3 layers or so, I got the most incredible volume and length, almost like I was wearing false lashes. The only problem is that the extended portion of lashes tend to droop if I wear the mascara for too long, but since I seldom wear mascara for such extended periods, it's perfect!

A friend once told me, girls are attracted to all things sparkly (upon looking at a Swarovski crystal display case and oohing and aahing) and I could not agree more. I just had to share this H&M ring. It's a blue, green, purple, gold sparkly glittery orgasm in a ring. I am obsessed. At SGD$6.90, it's the perfect pick me up for the day (or week if you must).

Hava great friday night everyone! I'm going to be tucked away at home performing magic on my dissertation. Wish me luck! <3

Weekly Favourites #7

Ah monday blues how I do not like you. As I've been mentioning, I'm trying to curb the spending habit so I've dug through my stash for some oldies but goodies.

Turns out my medication helped most of my face but nicely avoided my forehead. My forehead is a cyclical disaster area for comedones. When I realised that the medication wasn't working, I went to the root of the problem - blackheads. I've been using the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque quite excessively (every other day) to try to minimize the blackheads. This really works at deep cleansing the skin and ridding all the excess sebum. The Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion stops the comedones from getting inflamed. I used to think the lotion was for under the skin pimples/cysts, but it seems to be working on comedones too. The pair have been working quite well together, enough for me to see steady improvement. My only worry is that I'm drying out the skin but we'll see how that goes.

My love for pinks have fizzled and I've gone orange. My outdoor cheeks have been adorned with the Barry M Blusher in Orange. Honestly, the neon orange scared me at first, but all I need is a little on my cheeks for some life. Since this blush is matte, the NYX Mosaic Blush in Highlighter pops on the subtlest of glows. On the cheeks, nose bridge, cupid's bow, eyebrows, inner tear duct... I probably overuse it. No glitter or sparkles, only a pearly sheen.

My new purchase of the Maybelline Mineral Concealer in 02 Medium was an old favourite 5 years ago and I've rediscovered why. I feel like this has a new formula that's slightly more slippery, but just dabbed on, stippled out with a powder brush and medium to high coverage, easy peasy. My face has never gone on faster. This has been a godsend for my forehead.

The boy has always said eyeliner ages me so I've been ditching the eyeliner in favour of the Maybelline Magnum Volum' Express Ultracomb for school days (Y'know, to try to blend in with the 19 year olds, who am I kidding). This varies from the version with the normal brush as the effect is much more natural. Wouldn't say it gives my lashes that much more volume but I tend to favour lashes that actually look like lashes. 2 coats, definitely waterproofed it's way through a sweaty gym session hour.

Anyone shares the same favourites as me? What are yours? Have a good start to the week!

10 under 10

Good Monday girls! If you don't know, I'm now a student again and school has officially started. Not too sure if that's a good thing, but what I know for sure is that going from a sizeable pay cheque each month to an allowance again is not fun. I definitely had to cut back my spending, and that includes makeup too.

As fellow Singaporeans know, the price of makeup in Singapore is definitely not on the cheap side - a drugstore foundation like l'oreal or maybelline can easily set us back S$30 or more. I have compiled a list of products (that I've used and quite like/don't hate) which fall under the S$10 category which hopefully might help some people start out. All the products here can pretty much achieve a simple everyday makeup look.

Psst I did cheat - there're 11 products!

Elf Studio Line Powder Brush ($6, found at smoochiezz's warehouse/sales or at watson's tradeshows for slightly more expensive)
I use the this every single time I do my make up. It is the only item in my makeup collection I can truly refer to as a holy grail item and I have 3 of these brushes (1 I've thrown away). This brush can do everything! It buffs in liquid and creams like a dream, when stippled gives beautifully blended high coverage. Can be used with mineral foundations, even powder blushes and loose powder when used with a loose hand. If you could only buy one brush, buy this brush. My only complaint is that water tends to loosen the handle so be careful when washing.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector 10ml ($2, found at selected watsons)
Okay, I cheated again, this is a travel sized item. I suspect these were leftover stock from beauty boxes. Well, for $2, no harm trying. I don't love this nor hate this item, but it has SPF26 (better than nothing), and is a good yellow-tone for majority of the chinese in Singapore. Also does a decent job at evening out skin tone, though in my case it is just a tad too fair.

Essence Match 2 Cover Cream Concealer ($4.50, found at selected watsons)
I've raved about this insanely here. I don't think I need to rave more. If you're worried about undereye circles, use this and be happy.

NYX Concealer in a Jar ($7, smoochiezz's warehouse/sales or watsons's tradeshows for more expensive)
This concealer is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Studio Fix Concealer. I don't think it's as high coverage, but I do like that it's has high enough coverage and enough tackiness to cover blemishes and not shift during the day. I used to use it quite a bit, if I wasn't the concealer whore I am I think I would still be using it today. If I'm not wrong the formula has been updated to be slightly creamier but I do have the updated formula in another colour and it works fine.

Elf HD Powder ($10, smoochiezz's warehouse/sales or watsons' tradeshows for more expensive)
I hope this doesn't constitute cheating because it is technically $10 if you know where to find it. Decent setting powder, really does seem to blur out imperfections and really mattifies the skin. Said to be a dupe for the MUFE HD Powder (which I don't have). Don't use it if indulging in flash photography though (google - silica powder flash photography). You have been warned.

Alobon Blush ($5-7, Mustafa)
I usually chicken out from buying facial products from places that sell makeup that's slightly dubious in origin and content, but I did fair amount of research and it seemed alright. I really like this blush, I do. It reminds me so much of the MAC MSFs and is just so pretty and marbled I would buy it just to look at it. And it's just so cheap. It is also incredibly pigmented, some are incredibly sparkly (can be avoided by using a stippling blush) and can double up as highlighter. It has also never broken me out.

Mizon Blooming Tint ($6, Venus at Clementi)
If you're not one to put dubious makeup on your face, then try this Mizon Blooming Tint. The concept is similar to Benefit's Benetint in that it can be used both on the cheeks and lips. I found this to be a thick liquidy texture that is not highly pigmented. For my skintone, it is barely visible on the cheeks, but for fairer people it will be a really nice natural flush of colour though it does take a while to build up. I like it more on the lips as the result is really a rosier, pinker version of my lip colour. It also fills up the fine lines and has a subtle glossiness. Very much love it for its subtlety.

L.A Girl Lipstick ($10, selected guardians)
Extremely pigmented and creamy lipstick in a very large array of colours. Packaging looks cheap, but all the lipsticks from the drugstore brands (aside from Essence) are at almost double the price or more. This works.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner ($8.75, found here)
I don't know if this can be found in Singapore yet, but regardless, it's cheaper online. I seem to have misplaced my black version, but this eyeliner is nicely pigmented, creamy and really does last a decent while. I picked a pencil liner over a liquid liner because they're just more versatile in the sense that I can use a pencil liner to tightline, do a cateye, or smudge it out for a smokey eye. Have your pick.

Silky Girl Big Eye Collagen Waterproof Mascara ($14.90, usually on sale at watsons/guardian)
Okay, I really am a big cheat, but this mascara is always on sale when I visit the drugstore. I think I got mine for $8. The only cheaper mascaras would be those in daiso (no way I'm letting a $2 product go near my eyes) and the Essence mascaras (the range is INSANE I don't dare to start testing). It may be astonishing, but this is the only mascara I have found that does not smudge on me. I have tried mascaras from l'oreal, maybelline, majolica majorca, estee lauder, dior, mac and they've all transferred to my under eye without fail. Lord knows why of all brands, Silky Girl would work out. Anyway, this is really quite good, slightly wet formula that coats lashes evenly without clumping. It lengthens the lashes considerable, and volumizes them strand by strand rather than as a clump. No thin spidery lashes for this mascara. I do quite love it.

Maybelline Eyebrow Pencil by Eyestudio ($6.90, selected watsons)
No face can do without brows, you need a brow pencil. This has one of the most neutral brown grays I've seen and would match black hair, brown hair, heck even blond if you like intense brows. Easy to use, doesn't go on too dark, I even use it to line my eyes sometimes. It does tug a little bit if I do my eyes, but it works for a lightly defined eye. Simple and good.

Hopefully that wasn't too long ore tedious a read. What are your top 10 under 10 - Singapore version? I would love to know!



Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated to any of the brands featured, nor were any of the products sponsored. All products featured were paid for by myself.

Maybelline Great Lash BIG and L'oreal Ultra-Volume Collagene Mascara Review

I found out a while ago that I have a friend that has kept her mascara for almost a decade and to my horror has actually used it recently. She claimed that it was just the white part, and it didn't smell funky or was in any way bad. Mascaras...scary things.

Anyway, before the times of the great invention made public - the false eyelashes, there was mascara. For the women who don't like going through the hassle of sticking falsies on, or just don't know how, here are 2 mascaras that I quite like. I haven't found one that I love so....

They are Maybelline's Great Lash BIG Mascara, in Blackest Black and L'oreal Ultra-Volume Collagene Mascara in what I also assume to be simply, just Black. 

Maybelline Great Lash has a couple of formula's like the original Great Lash, and the waterproof one. The one I have claims to give bigger lashes (duh), and I think just has a larger/different wand than the original Great Lash. This is not the waterproof formula. I apologise for the flaking condition the tube is in. This is why companies should print not stick. Apart from that, I do like the strawberry themed colouring of the tube. The neon green cap makes it extremely easy to spot in a mass/mess of tubes.

L'oreal Ultra-Volume Collagen Mascara, which I shall henceforth call LUVCM,  is enriched with Hydra-Collagene, supposedly known for its volumising  properties, and claims to plump lashes up to 12x. *coughbullshitcough*. No more elaboration on marketing. I bought this because I thought it was waterproof, but it's actually not, so it was a mistake buy. Nonetheless, it has gorgeous packaging, a glossy plastic that almost looks like glass. It has a black tube in a transparent outer casing. Very nice, but also attracts fingerprints. Reminds me of Lancome at any rate. 

Here's a look at the wands. Nothing out of the ordinary.

LUVCM applies a rich matte black. It both volumizes and lengthens quite drastically, and is overall still quite a natural looking mascara. When I first bought this mascara, it applied like a dream. It didn't clump, even when layering. It has since dried out and clumps a bit when I try to apply it. So ladies, remember to cap this baby tightly if you have it!

I would suggest layering this mascara while it's wet and to stop applying the moment it starts to dry up because it WILL clump. I would also not put more than 2 coats of this. I guess clumps could always be managed by an old mascara wand or a comb but we all know we're in search of the mascara that does not need that.

I don't usually curl my lashes, so the lengthening effect is not obvious, but look closely at the closed eyes and you'll see that my lashes have grown quite a bit by the 2nd coat.

This is not waterproof so don't expect it to hold up. It smudges a bit on my undereye after a few hours, but that could be because I didn't curl my lashes. At any rate, I find that I only need to clean my undereye once if I'm out the entire day.

My eyes are not symmetrical, neither are my eyelashes. This eye of mine seems to have sparser, less evenly spread, but longer eyelashes.

Maybelline Great Lash BIG (MGLB) is favourite mascara to date for a natural look. Reviews online have said make up artists rave about this product but in their opinion it does shit. I do not agree!

MGLB is not the blackest of mascaras in the market, even though the colour I have says blackest black. But our lashes are not incredibly black either anyway. It Does darken lashes, but not in a HEY LOOK AT ME! way.

It's lengthening properties are perhaps more visible than its volumizing, but I feel it does both very well. The brush catches every lash and coats them evenly. This mascara rarely clumps. Unless of course, you're an idiot who puts like 10 coats of mascara. 2 coats work well for me because I'm lazy. On lazy days, I only coat my bottom lashes because they lengthen my lower lashes but nobody can tell I have mascara on. It's awesome!

As again, I like to layer this when my mascara is still wet and stop when it's dry, but this mascara can be layered when dry. The photos above are layered when dry, as I had to pause to take the photo then add a layer.

MGLB is not a waterproof formula, so yes it will smudge. I had this with me when I was in the cold climate of Sweden and I found it didn't smudge when I was out of the heat and humidity of Singapore. Yay!


Summary:

Pros (LUVCM):

• Intense matte black
• drastically lengthens and voluminizes with just 1 or 2 layers

Cons (LUVCM):

• Smudges on the undereye
• clumps when layered too much
• seems to be drying out too fast

Pros (MGLB):

• Super natural looking
• Lengthens very well
• Can be layered quite a bit and still not clump and still look natural

Cons (MGLB):

• Smudges on the undereye
• Needs at least 2 layers to build up to desired length
• Does not voluminize that well

eyeliners and eyebrow pencils

Use lousy eyeliners as eyebrow pencils! Today, I'm going to be looking at 3 products that I frequently use as eyebrow pencils. The Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen, a Kanebo Kate Liquid Eyeliner, and the Maybelline Eyestudio Eyebrow Pencil. All pictures on screen are as close as possible to the original colour my eyes see.

Design:

Revlon Colorstay: Pen, cover does not pop onto the back end of pen, has a nice length.
Kanebo: Same as with the Revlon, both tend to attract fingerprints and get greasy
Maybelline Eyebrow Pencil: Pencil form, needs to be sharpened. Very short.

Nibs:

Revlon: Marker like tip. I can't really tell whether it's meant to be flexible. It does bend if pressed hard enough, but mostly it's stiff to draw like a marker. I've had this for about 2 years, but mostly because I could not figure out how to use it as an eyeliner. Tip gets frayed with use.

Kanebo: Brush like tip, feels nice and cool on the face. Brush offers very good and fine control, allows a very natural look because it's almost like drawing many hairs to fill in the brows.

Maybelline: Pencil tip, can be sharpened to desired sharpness. Draws nicely and doesn't tug on the skin, the pencil is very soft so take care when sharpening. Also because it is soft, the pencil seems to use up quite quickly.

Swatched from left to right:
Revlon drawn lightly, Revlon pressed hard, Kanebo, Maybelline.

Revlon: This is one of the most horrible eyeliners I have ever used. The colour doesn't come out dark in one drawing, and drawing another layer over causes the first layer to come off. It is TERRIBLE as an eyeliner.
One day I gave up and decided to try it on my brows. It was then I saw the magic of using a pen to draw my brows.

The colour blends in with my brows quite naturally, and it offers plenty of control in shaping the brows. It is great for filling the brows in because even if drawing over a 2nd time causes the ink to disappear, the brows look all the more natural! It's ingenious! My pen nib has actually dried out, so the colour that comes out is less intense unless pressed hard as in the swatch, but it still works very well for me in terms of eyebrows.

Colour lasts all day too, as it's a liquid and hard to rub off like a pencil would rub off.



Kanebo: Another eyeliner that I bought because I enjoyed the fine brush tip. Then I realised that the brown colour was so light it did nothing for my eyes. Since I don't throw products away because that just feels like throwing $$$ away, I used it for my brows. Brown eyebrows are less harsh on the face and tends to make a person look younger. It also works very well should you have brown hair.

The brown of this liner is lighter than the revlon eyeliner. So light that the swatch above required about 3 strokes to reach that desired intensity. One stroke barely shows. This is good for the inexperienced or if experimenting with different brow shapes.

This liner is very similar to the K-palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyebrow Liner 24h in terms of the colour and the brush. Gently paint multiple strokes on brows to get a very natural looking brow.

Colour lasts all day as well.



Maybelline: This eyebrow pencil leans more towards a greyish brown. The intensity of the colour depends on how heavily shaded the brow is, or how hard the pencil is pressed. Colour comes out alot easier than any of the pens above, with a much softer effect as compared to pens.

Pencils are much easier to work with than pens because they are correctable. They can be smudged or rubbed off. slowly colouring/shading in with a blunt pencil is also easier than trying to draw lines with a pen.

This brow pencil seems to last all day for me, but then again, I don't really touch my brows. I do get a feeling that the colour does fade slightly through the day, but not enough to be too noticeable. In worst cases, just bring the pencil out for a touch up! It's so tiny anyway.

This is how the pens/pencil look like when drawn. If I had to rank these 3, it would be
1. Revlon
2. Maybelline
3. Kanebo

Unfortunately this is as far as my eyebrow experience goes because my pens never ever seem to run out. Ah well, whatever stays on, right? Just don't throw away useless eyeliners before trying them out on eyebrows! 

Maybelline Mineral Power Naturally Luminous Blush (Gentle Pink) Review

Hi! I'm back with the first blush I've ever owned, the Maybelline Mineral Power Naturally Luminous Blush with Micro-Minerals. Phew that is one heck of a long name. The colour I own is Gentle Pink. I can't remember how much it was since I got it at least 4 years ago. All colours of products are as true as I can get on my screen to the original product.

I know that we're not supposed to keep blush for so long, but I don't know how anyone expects to finish using up this whole tub of blush within even a year. Plus I'm quite the hoarder. One does not simply throw make up away.  It's a pretty huge tub of happy powder, as can be seen from my cutting mat, about 5cm in diameter. Does not come with brush.

Being the first blush I've ever owned, I didn't know anything about blush when I bought this. Guess I was lucky enough to fall into the 'mineral' makeup category. I used it quite a lot then, then fell out of using it as my blush collection just kept growing. But recently I've fallen back in love with it big time.

Design wise, loose powder. Nobody loves the messiness of loose powder, especially me. I am paranoid that the puffs of powder that appear when I close the container will magically stain my clothes. That aside, this tub fits nicely in my palm. Also, unlike the everyday minerals blushes, maybelline only gives 5 small holes in the tub. Much better to control the amount, but still not really suitable to carry around. This product is definitely one that should stay at home. 

What i do is before I open the tub, assuming there's no powder already in the lid, i turn it over so that it's cap down, then lightly tap the bottom surface 2-3 times with my fingernail. Gently unscrew upside down. That amount should be sufficient to give both cheeks a subtle glow. 

The powder is finely milled. It also goes on the face very smoothly. There are glitter particles in this blush if you look at the picture closely, but they are extremely fine. On the cheeks they just impart a very nice glow, even if when swatched reveals quite a scary amount of glitter.

Gentle pink does lie towards a coral tone. The above swatch shows the blush heavily swatched on the left and lightly swatched on the right. Oddly enough, the pink tone of this blush is more evident when layered, though I would suggest using a light hand as this blush is very pigmented.

I'm afraid as I'm still compiling the colour swatches that the only skin tone this will be showed with is mine. This slightly coral pink matches my nc30 skin tone extremely well, it's probably the best "flushed after exercise" tone that I have. I'm very sure this would match all skin tones very well.

This is how the product looks on the skin. Left is in the morning freshly applied, taken in natural sunlight. Right is after 12 hours of wear, 1 hour in contact with the humid weather of Singapore, the other 11 in the confines of the artificially cooled environment I call school. I don't blot my face, so I apologise for the oily face and hair and general weariness of myself.

Back to the product, you can see how amazingly long this product wears and I only put the tiniest amount.
Again, I really love the colour! No breakouts even though this product has technically expired. Thumbs up!

I really think blushers should be made in smaller tubs, then at least there would be hope in finishing a product. Will definitely repurchase this should I ever run out though.

Summary:

Pros:

• HUGE amount of product
• perfect colour (for me)
• highly pigmented 
• applies to a glowy finish
• lasts all day
• smooth soft powder, can't feel it!

Cons:

• messy to apply
• tough to bring out if annoyed by messiness