September 2011

Chanel Les 4 Ombres in 18 Kaska Beige Swatch and FOTD

September 13, 2011

Apologies for the lack of posts lately because I have been busy planning my upcoming trip to the States in my spare time! I have always enjoyed my stay in the states from my previous trips – the service was just impeccable compared to Australia. Let’s not talk about the shopping there! Everything seems to be half the price of Australian retail.

Okay I shall contain my excitement a bit! Back to the main topic of this post today. My guy friend just returned from the States and I asked him to bring me back the US version of Chanel Les Ombres in PRELUDE. Knowing that he could make a mistake, I printed out a picture of Prelude and highlighted the name in BOLD and font 20 to him. In the end he still brought me back the Chanel Les 4 Ombres in 18 Kaska Beige..Haha oh well at least he tried…

Nevertheless Kaska Beige is a beautiful neutral palette, which is definitely a staple eyeshadow palette for the neutral lovers.

This is my first US version of Chanel Les 4 Ombres, and just as expected it has a softer and smoother texture and color pay off is much better than the baked version. I haven’t really made up my mind which version I prefer. To me the finish matters the most, and I noticed that the US version is more opaque whereas the baked version is more translucent which gives a really nice sheen when the light reflects on it.

Swatches of Kaska Beige – I like all shades except for the one at bottom right corner as it shows up quite muddy on my skintone. EOTD:

Upper lid: Applied a very light wash of the top right matte taupe shade all over the eye socket area, then smudged the bottom left plum brown shade along the lash line. I then dabbed the bottom right shade (which I did not like) in the middle.

Lower lid: Applied the top left beige shade at the tear duct area and lined the outer third of the lash line with the bottom left shade.

Overall Look:

I did my FOTD with the following products:

Ombres Tissées Iridescent Effects Eyes in Beiges

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in ROUGE

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Imaginaire

Last but not least, my falsies are Dolly Wink in 01 Dolly Sweet – gift from the lovely Elaine 🙂 Absolutely love them!

{ 31 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • DOLLYWINK • FALSE LASHES • FOTD

Les Jeans De CHANEL Swatch – Le Vernis Blue Rebel, Blue Boy and Coco Blue

September 8, 2011

Today is the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out in Sydney. As promised by Chanel, the Les Jeans De CHANEL nail collection created for the Fashion’s Night Out has debuted at the Chanel International Makeup Studios. They looked absolutely gorgeous in real life so I just had to have all three shades.

– Le Vernis Blue Rebel: a marine blue

– Le Vernis Blue Boy: a smoky blue with a hint of grey

– Le Vernis Coco Blue: a pale blue

Peter Philips – the Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, has developed a trio of blue lacquers, inspired by quintessence of casual chic: denim. A gradation of three shades, the colours range from deep to medium to very pale blue, evocative of the different styles and shades of one of the world’s largest wardrobe staples.

According the the Chanel ladies these three variations of blue are designed to be worn together – so I followed their idea. Chanel is probably the only brand that can make me wear 3 different shades of blue on one hand without looking inappropriate.

Must have for the Chanel collectors. If you haven’t picked them up yet in Sydney..Run!! They were selling faster than hot cakes!

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Labels: CHANEL • NAIL POLISH

My Skincare Routine Part 2 – Minimizing pores and congestion

September 7, 2011

If Part 1 of my skincare routine is all about keeping my skin soft and hydrated, then part 2 is all for a smooth and congestion free complexion. Congestion is probably my biggest skin concern – I have been battling with it (mainly the nose area and some pores on the cheeks and chin) for years! I used to go for facials (for extractions) at least once a month – although it really helped to keep the pores clear, it was just a temporary fix as my pores would be blocked again within weeks. I also noticed that my pores were enlarged over time. For years I have been seeking every possible way to keep my skin congestion free as well as have my pores minimized. This is the routine I have been following and I have noticed a significant improvement in my skin.

The best thing I have ever done for my skin was to stop using the products that are designed for oily skin. I had oily skin so I was told to use the oil controlling products at every cosmetics counter I visited. These products were so harsh to my skin that they completely stripped the natural oil, and as a result my skin became even more oily. The day I switched from these products, my skin completely went back to normal – I didn’t have to blot my face throughout the day anymore!

Other than taking care of my skin in the right way on a daily basis, these are the products I use probably once a week to keep my complexion smooth, radiant as well as helping the prevention of blackheads and whiteheads from occurring.

EXFOLIATORS – twice a week

I am quite addicted to using exfoliators as I love the smooth feel of the my skin afterwards. I am currently using the Cosmedicine Self Adjusting Exfoliator – my all time favorite..sad that this brand has been discontinued…Glad that I have recently found Elemis Skin Buff which is just as good, love the extra fine granules. The Kiehl’s Epidermal Re-texturizing Micro Dermabrasion is not a bad product, but I find it doesn’t make the skin as smooth as the other two exfoliators.

PEELS – once every 2 weeks

My recent obsession. Peels keep my skin staying radiant and fresh for days. I have already reviewed the Philosophy Microdelivery Peel, it does what it claims to but I was on a hunt for a better product. Absolutely love my recent purchase of the Decleor Experience De L’Age Resurfacing Gel-peeling – it is easier to use and it makes my skin silky smooth and luminous for days.

DEEP CLEANSING MASK – once or twice a week

At the moment I am using REN Multi-Mineral Pore Minimising Detox Mask. It is a gentle deep cleansing mask designed to reduce the pore size, combat blackheads and leave the skin decongested. It comes in a soft clay texture and it can be removed by rubbing it off with fingertips.

AHA and BHA – I use it whenever I see blackheads/whiteheads forming

I don’t have congested skin on my cheeks and chins anymore. But when everything else fails to keep the pores clear on my nose, I like to apply AHA and BHA on the affected area. I used to use Neo Strata AHA 15 in conjunction with Paula’s Choice 2% BHA – they work great but might be irritating for sensitive skin. The Avene Cleanance K with AHA and BHA is a more gentle version and can be used daily to help eliminate blackheads and other blemishes.

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Labels: DECLEOR • ELEMIS • KIEHL'S • Philosophy • REN

Nars Blush Bronzer Trio Review and Swatches

September 6, 2011

Every now and then Nars would release a set of limited edition makeup containing some of their best selling products – none of them have caught my attention as I have already collected most of the Nars makeup . When the Nars Blush Bronzer Trio was released a few months ago, it featured some the most iconic Nars shades including the 0rgasm blush, albatross highlighter and the laguna bronzer. I didn’t give it a second thought until I read from BestThingsinBeauty that the blush from the palette is different to the original blush. I was intrigued by what she said as well as her pictures- as much as I love the original 0rgasm shade, the “new” shade just looked so much better! Since this palette was not available in Australia I wasn’t able to swatch them at a counter, so I couldn’t help but order it online.

It comes in a zippered compact nylon case which is handy for traveling – not a big fan of the design but at least the nylon will be more durable than the usual rubber case which I detest…

Swatches of the three must have shades by Nars:

First thing I did when I received this palette was to compare it with my original blush. I held the swatch under every lighting – it was much to my delight that the “new” shade is much more pink than the original.

Another comparison:

Bottom Line: What a lovely surprise! I love the “reformulated” shade more than the originals.

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Labels: BLUSH • HIGHLIGHTER • NARS

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact 105 Sweet Lock Review and Swatches

September 3, 2011

Out of the entire Jill Stuart Fall 2011 Collection I was looking forward to the Mix blush compact in 105 sweet lock the most. The shades in the blush appear to be beige toned, which is different to the usual different variations of pink blushes that Jill Stuart has released. This limited edition has a white over-spray of the Jill Stuart signature.

The case also has a special jewel cast. As usual, it comes with a really pretty retractable brush that is detachable. I find these blushes are very handy as I like to keep one in my makeup bag, and it feels much better quality than the cheap retractable blushes you find at the drugstores.

Upon swatching I realized that this is just another pink blush! Quite disappointing for me as I anticipated it to be a beige and peachy blush judging by the colors from the pan. It contains 2 matte and 2 shimmery shades. Except for the pink shade on the bottom right, the rest of the shades are all on the sheer side.

Under direct sunlight

In the shadow:

FOTD: As said this blush is very sheer. When applied using a dense brush such as the attached Jill Stuart brush, the colors do show up on my NC15 skintone but the effect is very soft and subtle.

Compared to the Jill Stuart blush blossom dual cheek color in Classic Camellia, the colors are pretty similar but Sweet Lock is incomparably sheer. If I had known they were both pink blushes I would have only purchased one. I personally would buy the dual cheek color and pass up on this one, as dual cheek is more pigmented and it can be used either as a matte or shimmery blush.

Bottom Line: A lovely soft pink blush that provides a sheer wash of color on fair skin. If your skin tone is darker than NC25 I doubt it will show up. I won’t say it’s a must have as it is not any different to the past pink blushes released by Jill Stuart. If you are interested in purchasing a Jill Stuart Mix Compact blush, I highly recommend you to check out the permanent line.

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Labels: BLUSH • BRUSHES • Jill Stuart

My Daily Skincare Routine – Part 1

September 1, 2011

This is a long overdue post as I have been requested to do a rundown on my daily skincare routine many times. Well the reason I’ve been procrastinating was because I had no idea where to begin! Between makeup and skincare, I am probably more passionate about skincare although I don’t talk much about it on this blog as often as makeup. I shop and go through lots of products every month. My approach is quite open-minded so I’m always open to try new things – I am not one of those girls who thoroughly check the ingredients before making a purchase. As long as I think the product will work for my skin type I’m always happy to give it a go.

Just some background information before I embark on my skincare routine. My skin is oily on the surface and dehydrated inside. If it is not well hydrated my makeup would appear just sitting on top of my skin whilst it still produces a lot of oil throughout the day. I also have pigmentation (freckles) across my cheeks. Other than that, I don’t have wrinkles, fine lines, and no signs of loss of firmness. My main goal is to keep my skin looking and feeling fresh, supple, moisturized, firm and plumped with no visible appearance of pores.

These are the products I have been using everyday for the past 2 months. Some of these are my holy grails, some of these are new products I have been trialing through, and I like the results so I have incorporated them into my daily regime. I tend to go for products that are gentle, lightweight and hydrating with some anti-aging benefits. Anything that is too rich and oily will cause congestion or even break-outs to my skin.

As you can see I am not loyal to any brands haha..I generally prefer high end brands for basic skincare but I also have a love for Asian drugstore brands for masks (I have tons of them!).

My Morning Routine:

I clean my face with Elemis Rehydarting Rosepetal Cleanser, then I apply SK II Facial Treatment Essence generously on my face, and pat my face till it absorbs. SK II Aqua Physics Serum is full of pitera and hyaluronic acid which keeps my skin supple and hydrated all day. Finish with Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturising Gel. (probably the best product out of the entire white lucent range)

For my eyes I like to use La Prairie Cellular Revitalizing Eye Gel – have gone through tons of anti-puffiness eye gels and this is the only one that really works!

My Evening Routine:

I remove my makeup with the Eve Lom Cleanser with its muslin cloth – my HG cleanser, then apply the SK II Facial Treatment Essence liberally again. Serum is an essential item in my skincare routine – at the moment I am using the Trilogy Age Proof Nutrient Plus Firming Serum and the CQ10 Booster Serum interchangeably. Trilogy is one of my favorite organic skincare lines that is based in New Zealand. If you are into natural skincare I highly recommend giving them a go as they are affordable and really deliver what they claim to. Moisturizer is switched to the Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturizing Emulsion W – it’s designed for nightime so the texture is slighter richer than the gel version.

I also use a different eye cream at night time – the Shiseido Bio Performance Super Eye Contour Cream keeps the fine lines at bay without being too nutritional for my age so it doesn’t cause any milia. Don’t forget to take care of the neck girls! I am using the Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Neck Contour Treatment.

That’s it for my basic skincare. I use more products as special treatments throughout the week so there will be part 2, part 3….