January 2017

There are a couple of exciting launches from MAC lately that captured my heart, and one of my favorites has to be the MAC Caitlyn Jenner Collection! I picked up two beautiful lip products – the Cremesheen Lipglass in Beautifully Bare and Lip Pencil in Soar that are flattering for everyday use. It seems both her and her daughters have a talent for creating makeup colors that are right on point and you just can’t get enough of them!  MAC-Caitlyn-jenner-collection-lipstick-cremesheen-lipglass-beautifully-bare-pencil-soar-review-swatch-2 MAC-Caitlyn-jenner-collection-lipstick-cremesheen-lipglass-beautifully-bare-pencil-soar-review-swatch-3 MAC-Caitlyn-jenner-collection-lipstick-cremesheen-lipglass-beautifully-bare-pencil-soar-review-swatch-4

The Creamsheen Lipglass comes in a special packaging with a gold cap that makes it look very expensive and glam in real life. It has a lovely non-sticky creamy smooth consistency and goes on semi-opaque in a cream finish (not shimmery and sparkly) with a glass-like shine. The color Beautifully Bare is perfection – deep toned beige color (MLBB) that is slighter darker than the natural color of my own lips. When it is worn alone, it still adds a tint of color to my lips for a pretty and soft finish.  Or you can layer it over lipstick or lip liner in a similar tone to bring more color out.

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The Lip Pencil Soar in is muted rosey beige color lip liner, and it goes perfectly with Beautifully Bare. I find that the MAC lip pencils from the permanent line to be quite average (much more prefer their pro-lip liners), but this limited edition color glides on much creamier and smoother, and not as chalky and drying.

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Swatch of wearing Lip Pencil Soar underneath Beautifully Bare

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More swatches and a selfie taken with my phone wearing both colors

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If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I had recently spent 2 weeks in Hawaii. It’s one of my favorite holiday destinations in the whole world, and I tend to go there every year! I am still in the process of rounding up my stay there including the best resort to stay at, and lots of great places to eat which will take me a while to publish. Before the trip, I prepared lots of resort wear (you gotta look good on your holiday right?!), and my absolute favorite dress is this most romantic and dreamy LWD by Zimmermann. The details, the cut, and embroidery on the lace, and how it flows in the air – everything about this dress makes me swoon.  I heart Zimmermann’s design as her dresses can be easily glammed up, but with a signature relaxed and beach vibe that gives an effortless look to it.

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Dress – Zimmermann (bought here)

Shoes – Valentino (bought here, flats version here)

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The most anticipated collection of Tom Ford Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes has finally landed in Australia. Being his loyal fan, I bought both colors on a whim. The cool palette was purchased in Neiman Marcus while I was in the US, and the warm palette was recently purchased back home. Both palettes are still available online in the US, and they are also available online in Australia but the trick is to select ‘store pickup from a store where it has Tom Ford’ otherwise it shows ‘out of stock’ if you choose for home delivery.

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I struggle to find words to describe how stunning these two palettes are. As usual, they are on the expensive side, but my justification is that you get a lot of products in one palette (4 eyeshadows, 1 blush, and 1 highlighter in the finest buttery texture) so it is not too bad given how pricey of each individual product is from the brand. The signature limited edition packaging of the glossy white packaging case with golden trim is also to-die-for and it looks and feels even better in real life.

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Both palettes contain beautiful neutral colors that I would wear every day, and there is not a single color that I do not like. To me, Tom ford is one of the very few brands that offer many colors in a palette in such a complementary harmony but are not too boring nor too over the top. Apart from the colors, the difference between the two palettes is that the cool has 2 sparkly and 2 satin eyeshadows, whereas the warm has only 1 sparkly and 3 satin eye colors. So if you are not too big on sparkly, I would suggest to go for the warm palette.

Closer look at the Cool Palette

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Color Description:

1. Cool medium pink blush

2. Sparkly peachy pink

3. Sparkly lavender

4. Satin true taupe

5. Satin dark chocolate brown with a plummy undertone

6. Pale peachy pink highlighter with shimmer (amazing texture)

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Closer look at the Warm Palettetom-ford-Soleil-Eye-Cheek-Palette-warm-review-swatch-2

tom-ford-Soleil-Eye-Cheek-Palette-warm-review-swatchColor Description:

1. Medium Coral blush

2. Satin gold

3. Sparkly golden brown taupe – one the most beautiful sparkly colors I’ve ever come across!

4. Satin medium brown taupe with bronze undertone

5. Satin dark brown

6. Pale shimmery ivory champagne highlighter with the most buttery texture for a highlighter

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Bottom Line: Save your money from mediocre products! These palettes will make your heart sing!

 

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The latest Chanel Le Rouge Lip Crayon De Couleur is amazing (also available on Chanel online). They have possibly the best formulas for lip crayons I have ever used, and I picked up two colors – 02 Rose Violine and 04 Rouge Corail that I fell in love with straight away. In total, Chanel has released 11 new colors, and although I only narrowed down to two colors (sticking to my makeup-shopping rule that I will only buy what I absolutely love), I strongly feel I need more backups of them!

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The packaging of the Lip Crayon inherits the classic Chanel packaging in a twistable pen style that you can touch up on the go. The formula is flawless – it glides on like silk (not chalky at all) with a balmy-like texture, and it feels completely weightless on the lips and is super hydrating. The pigmentation is on the extreme intense side, as one gentle swipe is opaque enough and can be blended with your fingertip or a lip brush to cover the entire lips for a stain/gradient look (my preferred application). For a bolder finish, you can apply the color all over the lips. It has a nice slip for blending, but it doesn’t feather, and you can still get a precise control for lining the lips. Best of all, unlike other hydrating lip formulas, this crayon has an incredible staying power that is on par with a liquid lipstick. It lasts about 4-5 hour on me even with having drinks and food in between!

For the finish, it gives a medium gloss finish on a fresh application, and over time it settles down to stain like finish with a semi-satiny shine. Can’t rave enough about them and highly recommend it to everyone!

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02 Rose Violine is a soft MLBB with a rosy tone, and it would look flattering on anyone!

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04 Rouge Corail is a pretty bright true coral color. It instantly brightens up the complexion and can be toned down to create a softer just-bitten stain look.

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If there is one makeup item that I consistently collect, it has to be the Chanel Highlighter! Most recently, Chanel has done it again with another elegant piece Camelia De Chanel Illuminating Powder that is both aesthetically pleasing and flattering to use as an everyday product that adds a soft glow. The highlighter is exclusive to the Chanel online and the makeup boutique stores.

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This highlighter is embossed with Chanel’s iconic symbol – the camellia, presented in a special edition red Les Beige case. The quality of this highlighter is on par with the previous releases. It has a creamy and velvety texture, and the powder is extremely finely milled to give a second-skin effect that blends in seamlessly. The best thing with the highlighter is that it has a neutral champagne color that would look flattering on most complexions, and you can also use it as eyeshadow base color. It’s neither too warm nor too silvery, and it blends in perfectly with my complexion without adding much color to it.  It gives a silky satin finish, with a gentle sweep across the high points of the face, it reflects the light softly and adds a luminous glow with a hint of dewiness that is just beautiful but not too overly done.

Swatch

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Here is a comparison with some of my other favorite highlighters. Clockwise Camelia-de-Chanel; Dior Diorskin Nude Air Highlighter 001 (reviewed here); Becca Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop (reviewed here); Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Highlighter Fair (reviewed here); Tom Ford Illuminating Duo Moonlight (reviewed here)

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Eyeko is a brand that has been on my radar for a very long time, and I was so happy that I was sent the exclusive Eyeko David Downton Set. It contains a liquid eyeliner, mascara, and a brow gel. After trying out the eyeliner and the mascara, I was hooked and totally got the hype of their products and bought the Eyeko Sport Waterproof Mascara myself.

The set comes with a chic cosmetic bag from renowned illustrator David Downton which I really like, and I find it very practical and will make good use of it. It is made of a waterproof nylon-like material, and it is very well made and spacious so you can stuff a lot of products in which is perfect for travel! The pack contains three products that can also be purchased individually.

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–   Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner: Possibly one of the best blackest and smooth liquid eyeliner in a smudge-proof formula I’ve ever used. It even beats the Japanese brands because it is even slightly darker, and the skinny tip gives a super precise application with one stroke. Best of all, it is black, but the formula is ink-like (rather than gel-like). So it stays put and doesn’t come off when you curl the lashes which is a problem with many liquid and gel eyeliners that I have used.

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–      David Downton Mascara for Eyeko (Limited Edition):   A great mascara. I love the curved and skinny brush with a tapered head. It catches every single lash and easy to get to the bottom of the lashes for a built-in-liner look. It’s also easy to use on the lower lashes without getting the product onto the skin. It gives perfect definition and separation to the lashes. It is not one of those ultra-thick mascaras, but I love how it makes the lashes look so fluttery and soft but still adds volume and length. It stays put and doesn’t budge throughout the day.

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–   Eyeko Brow Gel Clear (tinted version here):  I don’t usually use clear brow gel (not for my sparse brows), but if you do, this is quite a nice brow gel to use with a chubby brush, and it applies the product evenly.

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Also, I bought the Eyeko Sport Waterproof Mascara to try which has won the Allure Beauty Award. It is specially designed for wearing when you exercise, and the formula is ultra smudge and water proof (but still easy to remove) that stays put all day. It comes in a squeezy tube that I love!  The brush is round and curved, and the formula contains lots of small fibers for lengthening the lashes. It adds natural volume and holds the curl all day.
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I haven’t bought any makeup from Lancôme for a very long time(except for their mascaras), and from the past Paris En Rose holiday collection, there were several items released that I just couldn’t let go. I pursued the Lancome La Palettes Des Reves Eyeshadow Palette very hard as it was sold out at most stores, but you can still get it here and will be restocked here soon! The collection is stunning, and I also picked up the Le Duo Kohl Pencil Eyeliner which is also an essential everyday product for me.

lancome-la-palettes-des-reves-eyeshadow-palette-paris-en-rose-collection-review-swatchI am absolutely besotted with this eye shadow palette, and I can honestly look at these beautiful colours non-stop. Despite its festive packaging, the actual product and the mix of lovely neutral colours is what I would go for all year around, and makes it a perfect palette for everyday use. The quality of all the eye shadows is also amazing. All shades are buttery soft, silky smooth and non-powdery, so there is no fallout during application. The palette has one matte colour, and the rest is in shimmer that is not over-the-top but still adds a wash of satin sheen to the eyes. Colour payoff and finish varies (see color description), and takes about 1 to 2 swipes to show the true colors on the eyes with a primer underneath.

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Swatch and Color Description

Top Left: A matte vanilla

Top Middle: A high shimmer peach color with a hint of foil finish

Top Right: A soft shimmer taupe

Bottom Left: Shimmery silver white (slightly sparkly at some angles)

Bottom Middle: Shimmery Rosy Pink (slightly sparkly at some angles)

Bottom Right: Semi-matte charcoal black

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The Le Dual Kohl Dual End Eye Pencil in Brun Glace is a product that I’ve been searching for a very long time. Since I only wear shimmery champagne and soft bronze colours along the lower lash lines, and having two of my all-time favourite colours in one pencil is a must have product for me. I adored it so much so I even acquired a back-up of it – one on my vanity, and one in my makeup bag. The formula is intense, creamy and applies silky smooth without tugging the skin.

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