July 2011

Becca Radiance Primer Review

July 13, 2011

I bought Becca Radiance Primer not long ago and it has quickly become my all time favorite radiance and illuminating primer. At the time I was purchasing I had a choice between the most raved Shimmering Perfector and the Radiance Primer which is a new product from Becca. As usual I like to go against the crowd…and took this baby home. I am so glad I did because it has surpassed my expectations.

What is it:

– It is an age defying illuminating primer that instantly diminishes signs of dull, uneven complexion with a luminous, dewy finish.

– It has a water based formulation that hydrates and boosts the vitality of the skin.

– Can be used underneath foundation or on its own. Suitable for all skin types.

– Made in Italy

– Paraben Free, Fragrance Free and Alcohol Free.

This primer has a subtle gold tinge to it. When you squeeze the product out, you can see tiny particles of gold shimmer.

What I love about it the most:

– Many primers are ivory or pink based, sometimes they can make my face look too white and oily in the photos . This primer blends into my skin seamlessly – I cannot detect that there is a layer of highlighter or shimmer on my face. It gives a nice glow-from-within effect.

– There really is no rule for applying makeup. Rather than using it underneath my foundation, I like to mix this product in with my foundation to achieve an all over radiant effect. The hydrating formulation also makes my foundation adhere to my skin even better.

– My favorite use of this product is that I like to apply, or more specifically pat this product into my skin on top of my foundation. It takes away the cakiness and thickness of foundation – instantly makes my skin look more lifted and gives a moist and dewy glow. In a way it reminds me of the Clarins Beauty balm but much better. I have no luck with the Clarins as it flakes on me horribly.

More pictures!

Slightly blended out

Applied Becca Radiance Primer on top of the foundation along my cheekbone. Again the effect is hard to capture by the camera – it always looks better in real life.

Becca Radiance Primer retails for $55 in Australia.

{ 17 comments }

Labels: BECCA • Makeup Base

Best Liquid Eyeliners

July 12, 2011

Nothing defines my eyes better than the use of an intense black eyeliner – it is something I cannot live without since high school! I am always on the hunt for the best, blackest and smoothest black liquid eyeliner. I have tried tons of them from the most expensive brands to the most affordable. This post is going to be a comparison of some of the best liquid eyeliners that I have tried so far, and the good news is..most of them are drugstore brands and cost less $12 bucks!

All of these eyeliners are intensely black. They all have a fine tip which allows for easy application and gives a precise and clean line. They go on smoothly and fluidly without smudging and last all day.

From Left to Right:

1. Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black: felt tip

2. Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner in BK999: brush tip

3. Koji Linequeen in Strong Black: brush tip

4. MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in On The Hunt: felt tip

5. K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h in 01 (best seller in one of the biggest Japanese drugstores): has a brush tip and claims that it wears like a tattoo for 24 hrs

Battle 1: THE FINEST TIP

Winner: Koji Linequeen has the most ultra fine tip of only 0.1mm – perfect for defining the winged look precisely. (shown in the far right)

Runner Up: K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h (shown 2nd from the right)

Battle 2: THE BLACKEST BLACK – tested with swatching each eyeliner with only 1 stroke at the same pressure

Winner: Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black

Runner Ups: MAC ties with Majolica

Battle 3: MOST SMUDGE PROOF – tested with rubbing my fingers over them several times

Winner: Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner – the opacity stays the same while the rest show signs of fading.

Worst Performance: MAC – the only one that starts to flake off.

Battle 4: MOST WATERPROOF – tested with spraying water over them

Winners: All good except for K-Palette

Worst Performance: K-Palette starts to come off as soon as it touches the water

Battle 5: BEST STAYING POWER – swiping them off using a cotton pad

Winner: Dolly Wink

Runner Up: K-Palette – although the color has faded you can still see the remnant (“the tattoo effect”) in a smooth line

Battle 6: EASIEST TO REMOVE -removed them using Bioderma Sensibio H2O Crealine Cleanser

Winners: All good except for K-Palette

Worst Performance: K-Palette: it definitely wears like a tattoo

Prices:

MAC: >$30 in Australia (cannot remember the exact price)

The rest of the brands: <$15

I know we are all looking for different qualities from an eyeliner. I hope this post would help if you are interested in any of these brands. After years of experimenting I really think there is no point of spending more than $15 on a liquid eyeliner. The drugstore brands, especially the Japanese ones are just as good. As for me, hands down, I would repurchase Dolly Wink and Majolica over and over. They are the best!

{ 24 comments }

Labels: Dollywink • EYELINER • KOJI • MAC • MAJOLICA

Nars Douceur and Penny Lane Blushes Review

July 11, 2011

Nars Douceur was my first blush that was not in the family of pink, coral or peach blushes. I passed it up when it was first released as LE as I had this idea that any brown blush would look too muddy on me. I caved in as I read more and more great reviews about it. The minute I applied Douceur on my face it all made sense what all the hype was about. So this post is really dedicated to those of you who are still contemplating whether to get it or not! I love Douceur so much so I bought Nars Penny Lane Cream Blush which looks very identical to it in the pan.

The texture of Douceur is consistent with other Nars blushes – smooth, pigmented and easy to blend.

I also really like the cream formulation of Nars blushes. Penny Lane is neither too dry nor too creamy – very easy to spread the color without settling into the pores.

Douceur is a lovely soft dusty matte brown color with a hint of pink. It is a sophisticated color, in an understated way.

Penny Lane has more pink undertone. For those of you who are still not convinced in using a brown blush, this is a good start. It can be worn alone for a natural sophisticated look, or layered underneath brown blushes such as Douceur, or Madly to bring out the pink tone.

Douceur on me:

I personally love to apply Douceur along the hollow of the cheeks up the temples, rather than having it on the center of the apples. It creates this modern, polished and sophisticated look that is very office appropriate. To show you its versatility I paired it with bold orange lips. (of course I am not that daring in real life haha).

Bottom Line: Love it. I am on the hunt for more blushes in a similar hue. Any recommendations please let me know!

{ 30 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • NARS

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Review

July 7, 2011

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is one of my holy grail foundations. I have been using it ever since it was first launched! I am switching between many foundations, but this is the only one that I rely on when I have important occasions to go to. For example I wore it for my engagement party, on my wedding day, and any other events that I want my face to look “naturally flawless”, luminous and most importantly – to photograph well.

Some background information:

– Oil Free in a fluid texture

– Made in France, housed in a weighty glass bottle

– Natural finish with a sheer to moderate coverage

– My shade is 04 Light Sand which matches me perfectly

What I love about this foundation:

– I love the texture, it glides on the skin like silk and feels weightless.

– It is an all year round foundation for me. I like to use it in summer because it is long lasting and controls the oil. It is also ideal for winter as it works effectively with dry skin as well. It sinks into your skin and doesn’t enhance any dry patches on the skin.

– Love the natural and luminous finish. The coverage is buildable – on a normal day I would just use 1 pump for a sheer coverage but good enough to hide 70% of my imperfections. For special occasions I use 2 -3 pumps for a flawless coverage and yet still look natural. It is long lasting and stays fresh for a whole day.

– It looks good in day light, night time, and as mentioned earlier, it photographs extremely well! I want to mention that the makeup artist who did my makeup for my wedding, she had 2 huge closets of makeups!! (I am not kidding). After trying on so many options we still went for this one.

What I don’t love about this foundation:

– None haha..if I really have to be picky, I would say it feels slightly more silicony than other foundations because of its silky texture. However it is by no means full of silicone unlike the smash box primer…If your skin reacts to silicone you might want to try out a sample of it first.

As usual, I applied Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation on half of my face. I only used half a pump hence the freckles on my face are still showing through a bit, which I don’t mind as I find it quite natural.

What is your HG foundation and I am curious to know which foundation did you wear for The Big day?!

{ 48 comments }

Labels: FOUNDATION • Giorgio Armani

Kanebo Lunasol 04 Smoky Ocean Scene Eyes Swatch and FOTD

July 5, 2011

If you are familiar with Asian cosmetics, you will know Kanebo Lunasol eyeshadow palettes are highly raved in Asia. Some of their signature neutral palettes as well as their seasonal limited edition palettes are always sold out. I too am a big fan of Lunasol in general and I have collected quite a few palettes from them. Today’s review is for the beautiful 04 Smoky Ocean eyeshadow palette from Lunasol’s Ocean Scene Eyes Line which is their newest range.

The Ocean Scene Eyes Line adopts a new Soft Powder Formula Technology which delivers a moist and smooth texture. It carries 5 permanent palettes – I chose 04 Smoky Ocean because it seems to be the most cool toned palette out of them all. All eyeshadows in the palette are shimmery as this line is designed to create a translucent and wet looking finish.

Each eyeshadow is very finely milled with lots of fine silver shimmers. They do stand up to their claims – the shadows are cushiony soft and silky smooth. When I ran my fingers over each shadow I couldn’t feel any trace of graininess from the shimmer.

Shades description from left to right for the below swatch:

white silvery shade with a hint of beige (lower left in the palette)

a light grey with a hint of taupe (upper left in the palette)

a pale blue with silver undertone (upper right in the palette)

this is such a unique color, a bluish charcoal with a hint of moss. (lower right in the palette)

These are swatched heavily using the sponge applicator. When applied on the eyes using a brush, these shades appear more sparkly and translucent for a wet look finish which is the way I prefer.

How I wore them on my eyes for a subtle smokey eye look:

I only used 3 shades – the light grey all over the eyelid with the bluish charcoal applied along my upper lash and the outer v. The pale blue is applied along my lower lash.

Bottom Line: The texture and the translucent finish of these eyeshadow are to die for. I am most impressed with its long wearability as they stay put for 8 hours. As for the palette, I won’t say it is a must have as it is more for summer only and is limited to smokey eye use.

Other products used:

Cheeks: Nars Multiple Tint in Turks and Caicos

Lips: Shu Uemura Lip duo tint and gloss in Love Apricot from the Takano Collection

Falsies by Kiss Me in style 02: I have to give special credit to these lashes. They are incredibly beautiful and they make such a huge difference to the eyes.

Overall Look:

Lunasol is not sold in Australia. They cost around $60 AUD if they are purchased over the Kanebo counters in Asia. Price varies online.

The Ocean Scene Eyes Range has recently released two LE palettes for their summer 2011 collection. Check out the gorgeous Elaine and PrettySeaEagle for their beautiful swatches!

{ 19 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • FALSE LASHES • FOTD • KANEBO • KissMe • LUNASOL • NARS • Shu Uemura

OPI Mermaid’s Tears Swatch

July 5, 2011

I have been neglecting OPI for a while – the OPI Mermaid’s Tears from the Pirates of the Caribbean Collection reminded me of how much I used to love them. Mermaid’s Tears is a sophisticated seafoam green that mimics the color of Jade. It is neither too bright nor too muted, versatile enough to wear to the office to add a pop of color to the usual boring work attire, or for a casual day out. Two words – love it! A must have for those of you who like greens.

Swatched with 2 coats

Comparing it with the greens from Essie, you will see Mermaid’s Tear is more dusty than the Essie Turquoise and Caicos and is brighter with a stronger turquoise tint than Essie Da Bush.

{ 1 comment }

Labels: NAIL POLISH • OPI

June Favorites

July 2, 2011

June is a happy month. I never realised until my colleague pointed out to me the other day – June is the only month we receive 3 pay days because there are 5 Wednesdays in June! How cool is that?! So of course the money has to be well utilized..:-P I did quite a few huge hauls lately and hopefully they will be reviewed in this blog soon. Before I open a set of new makeup and skin care products, these are the products I have been actively reaching for throughout June.

MAKEUP ORGANIZER:

I really like this makeup holder, it is big enough to hold all the makeup I use for a month. It also looks nice on my dresser as it is made of crystal like acrylic.

FACE MAKEUP:

Guerlian L’OR Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Makeup Base: You all have heard me complaining my skin has been dehydrated lately and I came to appreciate how hydrating this primer is compared to the others. It really makes a difference to the way my foundation sits on my skin.

Les Tissages De Chanel in Tweed Pink: My On-the-Go blush as mentioned in my previous review.

By Terry Highlighting Powder: One of my favorite highlighting powders as it gives an airbrushed glow.

Clinique Blush Powder in 108 Cupid: Just a nice and easy to wear fall shade.

Becca Loose Powder: Very finely filled and looks natural on the skin.

BRUSHES:

Nars Yachiyo Brush: If I could only use 1 brush for the face it would be this one! It has multi functional design that is perfect for blending, applying blush as well as highlighting.

Calvin Klein Face Brush: What can I say..this brush is softer than my Mac, Chanel and Nars brushes and it’s only $15!

EYE MAKEUP:

Been layering these shadows to create different neutral looks

Nars Dogon Eyeshadow Duo

Nars All about Eve Eyeshadow Duo

Giorgio Armani Intense Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow in 08 Nola

LIPS:

MAC Cremesheen in JAZZED

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Lipstick in 105: perfect nude for me.

Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Volage

LIP TREAMENTS:

Lush Lip Scrub: Love the pink sugar and the bubblegum scent!

Chanel Hydramax Active Nutrition Lip Care: I like to use a lip treatment rather than lip balm before I go to bed. Chanel Hydramax Lip care gives me baby soft lips the next day.

Sportsgirl Lip Balm: My new discovery. It has a pleasant rockmelon scent and the texture reminded me of the By Terry Baume de Rose. It also leaves a hint of baby pink color on the lips.

HAIRCARE:

Frederic Fekkai Technician Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner: Frederic Fekkai and KERASTASE are my two favorite hair care lines. Their products always meet my expectations. This color technician range preserve the hair color while moisturizing and having a pleasant peachy scent.

Aveda Brilliant Damage Control: It is a heat protective spray – I like to use it on my 2nd day hair for heat protection; detangling and refreshing my hair. It has a unique soothing herbal scent that lingers on my hair for the whole day.

SKINCARE:

Jurlique Balancing Cleansing Lotion: I always prefer to use a gentle cleanser with a natural aroma scent in the morning to start my day off. This one leaves my skin soft and supple.

Jurlique Moisture Replenishing Mask: It used to be called Deep Penetrating Cream Mask. I think the former name is a much better description of the product. It is more of a refining mask that tightens up the pores, brightens up the complexion and clearing up the breakout pigmentation. It is not just for moisturizing.

Shiseido Benefiance Firming Massage Mask: I went through tons of this mask. One of the best nourishing, moisturizing and firming masks I have used!

{ 7 comments }

Labels: AVEDA • BRUSHES • CLEANSER • Frederic Fakkai • JURLIQUE • LIPBALM • MASK • My Favorites • SHISEIDO

Next Entries →