Weekly Favourites #14

Hiya folks! Sorry I've been slightly MIA, I've been busy with school and my cousin's wedding. Stressful! It was a rather simple and sweet affair, maybe that's why I've been favouring the pinks and nudes this week.

I've been looking out for a simple primer that didn't break the bank, and had an incredibly hard time trying to decide between the matte or hydrating base for the Bourjois Happy Light Base Serum. I'm quite happy I chose the matte version as it's been keeping my skin. The oil control on this is not powerful but it's exactly what I need since my skin tends to get dehydrated so it lets through just enough oil.

With the primer, I've found that I need even less powder and I'm really liking the E.L.F stippling brush to apply powder. Any stippling brush should do the job, but elf's rendition is cheap and doesn't have too many bristles to pick up too much powder. This is the little bear's just right brush.

The Collection2000 Shimmershades in Blushalicious is so awesome I don't even know how I managed to tuck it away. Pretty sure anyone can find their perfect shade in this. I can go pink, or coral, or just highlight even with this nifty little quad. Staying power is pretty darn impressive too.

With late nights galore, I like to pop on MAC's paintpot in Nubile on the lids just to brighten the lids. I find that it makes all the difference in looking that bit more alert. That and a nude liner on the waterline works wonders!

To top everything off, the Etude House Lucidarling Fantastic Rouge Gloss in #6 has been working a treat for a MLBB gloss that hides dry lips for a fantastic pout! A long wearing formula that lasts through small snacks, it's one of the better glosses that I've tried.

What have been your favourites this week? Let me know! 

Weekly Favourites #2

I should really set a specific day to get these posts out :S Nonetheless, here's some... mid-week entertainment?

I've been trying out a new oil-free skin-care routine recently to try and reduce the number of comedones I have on my forehead (seriously, I've gotten my cheeks in order but my forehead is a serious bitch). I haven't been very successful, but I did get my hands on this La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum. According to the SA (she sure was enthusiastic) this was sure to clear up dry skin overnight. I love (and that's quite an understatement) the texture of this serum. It's like a water but infinitely more hydrating and not at all sticky unlike say, the Hada Labo Lotion which takes a moment to sink into the skin. This works extremely well provided you don't use drying medications on the skin..

See my dingy ring in the centre? This is neither skincare/makeup but I thought I'll just give it some lovin'. I've been loving simpler rings lately but my fat fingers can't pull off above-knuckle rings so this was just perfect. Also, +10 points for boyfriend's approval when I bought this!

I cannot get my head around how amazing the Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray is. Granted, my only experience with setting sprays is the Elf one, which only seem to make my face wet. But this UD setting spray works brilliantly as a primer and setting spray and I will NEVER EVER go out without it now. This made my makeup last a 7am to 10pm day, throughout an extremely hot and humid photoshoot of a house where I had to move furniture around, and still look presentable enough for a dinner. Best of all, when I got home at 10pm, my blush (cheap blush that usually wears off middday) was still on my cheeks, no touchups mind you. How incredible is that!!! I'm also glad I got the Chill version because I still felt like my face was not hydrated enough.

I cannot admit to how long I've been lusting after this Mac Paintpot in Nubile and I finally got it at the Estee Lauder Sale. I don't know if it's only visible to me, but I really like how these brighten up the lid and undereye/inner corner of eye without being as obvious as a white shadow or highlight. Super duper subtle, and long lasting to boot. I've been loving using this on its own all round the eye.

Saved the cutest for last! If I was a lip product fiend, I would've bought the entire collection purely based on packaging. But I'm not. This Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars are on par with the Revlon Lip Butters and wayyyyy cheaper. Like SGD7 cheap. I love the minty smell and feel and the colour payoff is pretty darn decent. Glossier than the lip butters too! The different colours have different bunny expressions too it's just too darn cute. I highly recommend!

Have a great rest of the week everyone! And let me know of your favourites or if we share any favourites!

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