2015

MAKE UP FOR EVER ULTRA HD Invisible Cover Foundation Review and Swatch

November 16, 2015

Over the years I have used tons of foundations, and the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD was one of the few foundations that I used up completely and was in love with it at all time. So when I saw the latest release – the MUFE ULTRA HD Invisible Cover Foundation (also available at the Sephora AU), I had to have it!

Overall I am very pleased with my purchase, as this foundation impressed me considering the mass amount of foundations I own. It is a great foundation in all aspects, and it stands out in its signature ‘HD invisible finish’ that applies simply undetected on the skin with decent coverage.

Texture

It has a fluid milky texture and feels very lightweight on the skin. Compared to the original formula, this newer version is much more moisturizing and works better on dryer skin. It melds into your skin effortlessly without the need of any primer (even for very dry skin and the under-eye areas), and it doesn’t enhance any lines nor dry patches.

Coverage

Coverage is about sheer to medium that is on par with most of the liquid foundations on the market. It covers redness, mild imperfections and evens up the skin tones, but you will need a concealer for covering dark circles, breakouts, and dark acne marks/pigmentation. Does an average job for covering the visible pores, so if you want to achieve a complete poreless complexion I would recommend using a pore smoothing primer over the troubled areas.

Finish

This foundation is absolutely amazing for its invisible finish. I always prefer using natural looking foundations, but this is the first foundation I have used that applies without blending required! I have tried many tools, and the best tool for application would be a flat top kabuki synthetic brush. My favorites are the Dior Brush or the Marc Jacobs Beauty brush (review). With this type of brush, it feels like applying an eraser to the complexion as you are done with foundation application with only one stroke – it leaves with absolutely no streaks and looks traceless in a semi matte finish with a hint of satiny glow. It is also buildable to a higher coverage whilst still looking invisible on the skin.

Lasting power

Without setting this foundation with loose powder, it lasts about 6-7 hours indoor and the skin becomes more dewy as the natural oil starts to come through. And you will notice the foundation creases a little around the t-zone and mouth areas. I normally dust a sheer layer of loose powder which helps this foundation to last a whole day without creasing nor oxidation.

Shade

My shade is between NC15-20, and I bought the shade Y205 Albaster (comparable to Nc15) which is the lightest shade of the selection.

Swatch comparison

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Labels: foundation • MAKEUP FOREVER

Holiday Wishlist – Beauty

November 11, 2015

I always get really excited during the months leading to the Holidays, as there are so many beautiful makeup releases and gift packs during this time of the year. I have been devouring online as well as hauling here and there at the stores over the past weeks, and here is the wishlist I came up that will put a big smile on every girl’s face!

1. Suqqu LE Christmas Kits – This holiday season Suqqu has released two limited edition kits – each kit includes an eye shadow palette, a gel eyeliner pencil and a 50ml makeup remover in a lovely tweed pouch. As usual they are selling out extremely fast, and I have purchased both sets (this and this) as I love the design this year. Along with the Christmas Kits, Suqqu also released the Murasaki Dahlia set (sold out within minutes), and a glamorous Kimono set.

2. Giorgio Armani has just released a set of new premium makeup brushes that are hand-crafted in Japan – now available in the US and UK. It is interesting to see how these brushes are made by the Japanese artisan in this video. I absolutely can’t wait to try them out once they become available in Australia! Another palette that I am highly anticipating is the Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Palette.

3. Guerlian Winter Fairy Tale Holiday 2015 Collection – needless for me to say how crazy this collection is. The must-have products are the LE Meteorites Pearls and the Rouge G Collector Lip Color which have probably been all sold out worldwide. If you are interested in Australia, the Meteorites Pearls are on back order for a limited number at the David Jones Sydney store.

4. The iconic Burberry Military Red lip color now comes in a limited edition gold packaging. Also loving the new Eye Color Cream in festive gold.

5. The highly coveted Charlotte Tilbury Life Changing Lash Curler can now be purchased individually! On Nordstrom in the US.

6. Head over heels with this new Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color range (available here in Australia) – love the colors and the highly intense and moisturizing formula of this new range

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Labels: BRUSHES • Giorgio Armani • Holiday 2015 Collection • SHOP • SUQQU

Chanel Le Top Coat Lame Rouge Noir Review and Swatch

November 10, 2015

I am not extremely fond of fancy nail design, but the Chanel Le Top Coat Lame Rouge Noir (limited edition) captured my heart this season. The golden flecks set in a black-red tinted clear base is absolutely gorgeous from the Chanel bottle. On the nails, it is a perfect match with the Chanel Rouge Noir, and it would also complement any other dark nail colors. The golden glitters are flat so the top coat dries into a smooth surface. For application you must give give the bottle a vigorous shake to achieve a coat with dense glitters.

Not only does it add a sparkly touch to the nail, but as a top coat it works better than my HG Seche Vite (now available at Sephora Australia) ! It dries fairly quickly (within 90 seconds), adds a glossy shine to the nails, and it also helps to prevent chipping. Normally my nail polish with the Seche Vite top coat starts to chip from day 3-4, and I have had this top coat on me for about 6 days and there is not a single chip yet!

I bought mine here in Australia.

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Labels: CHANEL • NAIL POLISH

Tom Ford Brow Sculpting Kit Color Light Review and Swatch

November 5, 2015

A quick review on the Tom Ford Brow Sculpting Kit in Light. I was drooling over it since I spotted it all over Instagram, and it finally landed in Australia recently (bought here online). I have been using it over the past month, and overall it’s a good product but overpriced if you don’t care so much about the packaging.

The sculpting brow kit comes in lighter and a darker shade powders, and a clear wax for setting the brows. As much as I love the gorgeous packaging, I have an issue with the tools that come with this kit. It has a small dual ended brow brush which I don’t find high quality or useful. The brush itself is way too thick for applying brow powders as it draws the thickest line. It is great for blending, but I need a better brush for a more precise application. It is also missing an applicator for applying the wax. For such an expensive brow product, I expected it to include a more professional set of handy brow tools.

For the brow powders, they are great but not the best I have used (my holy grail is still the Suqqu Brow Powder). The pigmentation is on the medium side which is great for filling in the brow colors, but not pigmented enough to give a brush stroke effect. Lasting power is about 4-5 hours on me. I bought the kit in the color light since I prefer light brows for a softer look. The two colors blend well with each other, and they are best to be used together to make the brows look more natural and less ‘drawn-on’. I normally mix these two colors together, and they show up as a medium chestnut brown with a hint of warm tone which would suit most fair complexions. The lighter shade is also great for nose contouring. If you are after a very ashy and taupish brown color for the brows, again I would highly recommend the Suqqu (review) over this. The wax is not much of use to me as it doesn’t hold the shape and the color for too long.

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Labels: Tom Ford

How To Clean Makeup Brushes like a Pro

November 2, 2015

One of my most frequently asked questions is how do I clean my makeup brushes, and I’ve finally decided to put together this big post about everything I do to keep my beloved brushes in their pristine condition.

There is no such one product that fits all. I use different types of brush cleaners based on the brush functions, types and colors. I don’t always go for ‘professional brush cleaners’, and I don’t mind using shampoos to clean the brushes that are made of natural hair. At the end of the day if this shampoo is good enough for my own hair, it is also good enough for a brush!

When to clean your brushes and how often

Ideally, it would be good if you can clean/wash your brushes once a week. If you don’t have the time, another good indication is that when you find the bristles of your brushes are no longer as soft as they originally are, or you notice your makeup has an oily film on top that hardens the powder, which is normally due to the grease from your brushes being transferred to the powder.

Tools

I’ve only recently started washing my brushes with the Sigma Brush Cleaning Glove, and I love it to bits! It has 2 designs – one side for cleaning the face brush, and the other side for cleaning eye makeup brushes. The glove is made of soft silicone, and each side has different patterns and textures for different uses. It is definitely a very useful tool for a deeper and effective clean, and most importantly, it cuts the washing time in half!

There are a lot of rinse-free brush cleaners in the market that allows you to clean your brushes on the go. It is very convenient to use, and is recommended to be used to clean the brush after each use. I normally spray some on to a paper towel (cotton pad and tissue are not as good as they can become fluffy) and swirl the brushes multiple times till the colors are removed. If you have brushes made of white hair, this is a very important cleaning job to keep the bristles white for as long as its possible. Otherwise the pigments will stain the white hair if the color is not removed immediately. My picks are the MAC Brush Cleaner, Shu Uemura Brush Cleaner, and the very affordable cleaner from Daiso. They all contain a bit of alcohol so they also help to disinfect the brushes.

Foundation Brush

Foundation and concealer brushes take the longest time to clean in my opinion. They are normally made of synthetic hair, and there is always a lot of build up over time. I like to use a bit of makeup oil just to dissolve the grease in the first wash, and followed up by a shampoo for a thorough wash. My current favorite is the QV gentle shampoo or ECO Store Baby Shampoo to wash synthetic hair brush – they are gentle, chemical free and forms a rich lather which is great for washing the dense brushes and removing oily makeup products from the bristles.

Natural Black Hair brush

I have invested in a lot of premium brushes such as the Suqqus, Tom Fords, CHIKUHODOS etc . Since they are all made of premium natural hair, I like to use an organic animal shampoo to wash these brushes. My current favorite is the John Masters Organic Pet Shampoo; other pick is the Aesop. They are all made of 100% organic natural ingredients so they are safe to use on expensive brushes. They also contain some conditioning agents which are great for keeping the bristles soft, glossy and protected.

Natural White Hair brush

As mentioned above, I always use a rinse free brush cleaner to remove the color pigments after each use, and every few weeks I wash them with an organic shampoo. If you want to make the white hair even whiter and cleaner, or if there is any tough stain to remove. I have a great tip from the MAC MU – the SARD Wonder Soap literally gets rid of everything and makes the hair incredibly clean and whiter. However it does tend to dry out the hair a little, so I suggest to apply a little bit of lightweight conditioner for another rinse.

Sponges

Sponges and powder puffs should be washed more frequently than brushes. My everyday sponges include the Beauty Blenders and the Shu Uemera Sponge (can’t live without them!). I always wash them with the Beauty blender Cleanser which is made of all natural ingredients. Recently I discovered a very cheap makeup sponge cleaner by Daiso Makeup Sponges Detergent.

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Labels: Beauty Tools • BRUSHES • JOHN MASTERS • MAC • Shu Uemura • SIGMA

Suqqu Eye Colour Palette Bordeaux EX01 Review, Swatch and FOTD

October 26, 2015

I have been frequently reaching for my Suqqu Eye Colour Palette Bordeaux EX01 lately so I thought I’d write up a review and FOTD post for it. I love the color combination of this palette. They are different to the usual neutral earthy palettes that I normally gravitate towards. The colors are relatively more vibrant outside of my comfort zone, but somehow I find them to be very wearable yet fresh looking, with the signature Suqqu’s subdued elegance to it.

The Suqqu eye shadow is among the most superior eye shadows you can find. The quality of the newer 3 eye shadow palette feels quite similar to their regular quad. I have done many reviews for them in other posts, and overall the texture of Suqqu is slightly different to the western brands. The powder feels more creamy and moist to the touch, and they glide on weightless, silky smooth and evenly without looking powdery that would really work well on dry skin. The color payoff is also great for this palette – one to two swipes will show the true color as you see in the pan.

Shade Description

Top : Icy white color, slightly sparkly

Middle: Shimmery coppery golden peach.

Bottom: Wine color with a purple undertone in semi satin finish. It contains multi colored glitters but they don’t show up once applied unless you look at it very closely at a certain angle.

Swatch with one swipe

FOTD:

Other products used in the FOTD

Face:

Shiseido Pore Smoothing Corrector

Shu Uemura UV Underbase Mousse – totally obsessed!

Tom Ford Powder Compact Foundation (reviewed here)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

Eyes & Brows

Tom Ford Brow Sculpting Kit (new, review coming soon)

MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Toasted Blonde

Dior Addict It Liner (reviewed here)

Lancome Mascara

Lips (my current favorite combo!)

– MAC Lip Pencil Rosy Rim (reviewed here)

– MAC LipStick Please Me

The Suqqu Eye Shadow Palette can be purchased here with international shipping available (TAX will be automatically deducted at the checkout), and more colors are also available at Selfridges.

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Labels: EYESHADOW • FOTD • HOURGLASS • MAC • SHISEIDO • Shu Uemura • SUQQU • Tom Ford

Chanel Le Vernis Rose Fusion 757 Review and Swatch – Rouge Noir Absolument Holiday 2015 Collection

October 21, 2015

The holiday makeup collections have started emerging from the shops , with Chanel Rouge Noir Absolument Holiday 2015 Collection (also called Vamp Attitude) being the first release hitting the Australian shore. This year, Chanel pays tribute to its iconic nail polish – the Rouge Noir, hence you will find that this collection features a lot of products that are inspired by this unconventional yet timeless shade. The stunning Chanel Le Vernis Rose Fusion 757 Nail Polish is my first purchase from the collection (others are on the way!).

I have had this color on my nails for several hours now and I have yet to conclude how to describe it – it’s possibly the most complex and interesting nail color I have ever seen from Chanel. The color changes under different lighting as well as from different angles. From the bottle it looks like a metallic taupe color with an olive undertone with an iridescent sheen. It has a lot of micro multi-colored glitters, and unlike other Chanel nail colors with shimmer, these glitters in Rose Fusion appear more visible on the nails. It applies smooth and streak free with 2 coats, and sets into a foil finish. I have put together some swatch pictures to show you how the color varies under different lighting – sometimes it looks like a silvery charcoal, or a rosey taupe color, and sometimes it appears more golden olive.

a macro-shot- more olive with a golden hue

The entire new Chanel Holiday 2015 collection is now available here online in Australia.

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Labels: CHANEL • NAIL POLISH

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation Review and Swatch

October 19, 2015

Compact foundation is one makeup item to splurge on as the high end brands are far more superior than the drugstores. Whether you wear it as a full foundation or simply for makeup retouching, the new Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation ticks all the criteria for probably the best you can get in the market now.

It comes in Tom Ford’s signature ultra luxury case. The enclosed sponge has two different textures – the smooth side for a sheer application, and the velvety side for a fuller coverage application.

Texture and Finish

I was blown away the first moment I felt the product at the counter – it has the silkiest, most finely milled powder texture. The powder foundation blends in to the skin seamlessly, and applies evenly with no creasing nor patches. The coverage is equivalent to a sheer-medium foundation. If you apply the powder foundation with the enclosed sponge, or a fluffy powder brush, it sets even more natural than a normal liquid foundation. The finish is a clean and poreless version of ‘your-skin-but-better’ and semi matte that lets your own skin’s radiance through. For a fuller coverage, I prefer to apply it with a kabuki brush (or a flat top brush) that would cover most of the mild imperfections. The finish is flawless and porcelain-like in a natural way but not cakey and heavy.

Shade Cream

Lasting Power

As the weather is getting hotter in Australia now, I particularly love wearing this foundation as it is more mattifying than my other foundations. Lasting power is about 6-8 hours on me with very little oil coming through at the end of the day for my dry skin. It also doesn’t oxidize, crease nor settle into the pores throughout the day. For makeup retouching, the powder foundation also applies well on top of your existing makeup. If you have cream based products underneath, I would wait till it dries then apply the powder foundation on top. Otherwise they will not blend well.

Shade Reference

I am between NC15-NC20, and I bought the Tom Ford Powder foundation in shade Cream which matches me perfectly. I pulled out some other powder foundations including the YSL Touche Eclat Powder Foundation B10 (reviewed here), Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Powder Foundation B10, Tom Ford finish powder in Ivory Fawn (reviewed here) for comparisons.