DIOR

Dior Diorskin Forever Perfect Cushion Foundation Review and Swatch

April 19, 2017

The latest Dior Diorskin Forever Perfect Cushion Foundation (bought here in Australia) is everything I could ask for in the most beautiful natural-looking finish that still gives coverage in a cushion. I have an impressive collection of cushion foundations of Korean and European brands, and prior to this, my favorite was the Dior Dreamskin (reviewed here). It was nearly flawless except for the sheer coverage, and this one is a step up that delivers a similar poreless finish with a decent coverage. In addition, the formula is exceptionally long lasting for a cushion foundation.

The formula is designed for all skin types – it is neither too creamy nor too watery and dewy. It has the perfect balance of being lightweight that feels hydrating and still pigmented for a medium coverage. It completely blends in as a second-skin finish. The finish is amazing – pretty much on par with the Dreamskin. It covers all the pores and makes the texture appear dramatically refined, blurring out the imperfections, and freshening up the complexion in a semi-matte luminous finish that just like yours but much better. The formula stays put the whole day (about 7-8 hours without setting powder required) in an indoor environment. Unlike the creamier formula, this one does not crease nor melt over time, and it also works well with your existing makeup for touching up throughout the day.

My shade is 012 Porcelain (FYI I am NC15-20) with a hint of pink undertone that matches me perfectly. If you have fair skin but warm tone, I suggest going for 020.

Swatch with 3 stamps

Compared to the Dior Dreamskin 010 with 1 swipe each – as you can see the Forever formula is much more pigmented for a higher coverage

Bottom Line: Must have for me! The best cushion foundation I have come across. It takes less than a minute to achieve the most natural looking flawless finish as you would with a normal foundation and tools which might take you 5 minutes. Highly recommend! I bought mine here in Australia. Unfortunately, the Forever Cushion is currently not available in the US, but you can find it here and here with worldwide shipping.

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Labels: CUSHION FOUNDATION • DIOR • foundation

Monthly Favorites!

February 5, 2017

Just a quick post on the weekend rounding up some of my favorite products over the past few months. Some have already been reviewed, and some are recently acquired that I fell in love with.

Clockwise:

1. Dior DreamSkin Perfect Cushion Foundation – Out of all the cushion foundations I have, this one is my top HG as it just enhances the skin to perfection! Not quite a foundation, more of a skin perfector – Reviewed here.

2. Suqqu Dual Ended foundation brush – This is the latest brush released by Suqqu, and you will never go wrong with them!

3. Zovea Nude Eye Shadow Palette – Been reaching out to this affordable palette a lot for an array of beautiful neutral shades in different finishes, and it is especially great for travel. Reviewed here.

4. Chanel Le Rouge Lip Crayon – Best formulas for lip crayons ever! Reviewed here.

5. Cle De Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation – It gives a beautiful natural radiant second-skin finish that lasts the whole day. Review to come soon.

6. Sisley Double Tenseur Moisturizing Gel – My HG daytime skincare lotion as well as a makeup primer that hydrates and lifts the skin instantly. Reviewed here.

7. SK-II Genopitcs Aura Essence – A hydrating and brightening serum that gives the skin a beautiful radiance and glow. It truly works overnight as well as over the long run. Review to come soon.

8. Baby Quasar MD Plus – Can’t live without this tool and even got my mum hooked on to it. It is expensive but it’s the best beauty investment I have ever made for anti-aging treatment at home. It’s easy to use and gives a pro-salon result over a short time. Review to soon.

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Labels: BABY QUASAR • Beauty Tools • BRUSHES • CLE DE PEAU • DIOR • My Favorites • SISLEY • SKII • SKINCARE • SUQQU • ZOEVA

Chanel Camelia De Chanel Illuminating Powder Review and Comparison Swatch

January 9, 2017

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.

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

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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Labels: BECCA • CHANEL • Charlotte Tilbury • DIOR • HIGHLIGHTER • Tom Ford

My Favorites Lately

November 7, 2016

Here is a quick round-up of the products that I have been loving a lot lately.

Capture Your Style – You probably would have seen a lot of pictures of this book on my insta! Love Aimee’s blog and style (well who doesn’t?!), and different to the usual photography books, this book is written from the fashion/beauty/Instagrammer lovers’ perspective of how to take and style your pictures with your phone – think about Song of Style’s feeds.

Tom Ford shades – Lately I love wearing aviators for a casual chic vibe and this pair by Tom Ford fits my typical flat Asian face perfectly!

Marc Jacobs Contour Powder – This is still one of my favorite go-to highlight and contour palettes that is easy to use and fool proof for a natural contouring effect.

Givenchy Le Rouge 105 Brun Vintage – It is a gorgeous MLBB color that is on trend. I didn’t think I needed a backup of any of my lipsticks as I never get to finish them, but Givenchy 105 was an exception. I heard there is a long wait-list in some countries for this color, so I decided to get another one in case it runs out in Australia! Reviewed here

Chanel Velvet Nail Pink Rubber – Must have for anyone who loves pastel nail colors with an edgy twist. Reviewed here

Dior Dreamskin Cushion Foundation – The more I use it the more I love it. Though the coverage is sheer, it is making my skin look poreless and refined. Reviewed here

Suqqu Concealer Palette– Love this convenient palette for covering every type of imperfection, and the result is never cakey! Reviewed here

Artis Brushes – I have been gushing about how much I love these brushes to everyone! They have completely surpassed my expectations as they deliver pro-blending results without any skill required. Review to come soon.

Breydo Handcream Suede – Smells amazing (soapy with a hint of leather) and very moisturizing without feeling greasy.

Tom Ford Velvet Bloom Nightbloom Powder (just released in Australia) – Oh I can’t let this powder go. It’s a beautiful brightening powder for people with cool to neutral complexions. Review to come soon.

Shu Curler (LE) – I always wanted a black lash curler, so happy to see my HG eyelash curler come in the black version from the 2016 holiday collection.

Bottega Veneta Fragrance – This is a lovely sophisticated all year round fragrance for me. It has a perfect blend of soft floral notes (with jasmine and gardenia) and accented by a modern twist (with pink pepper and bergamot).

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Labels: ARTIS • BOOK • BYREDO • DIOR • FRAGRANCE • GIVENCHY • LIFESTYLE • MARC JACOBS BEAUTY • MONTHLY FAVORITES • My Favorites • PERFUME • SUQQU • Tom Ford

DIOR Dreamskin Perfect Skin Cushion Foundation Review and Swatch

November 1, 2016

Dior has had several cushion foundation releases over the past 2 years, and their latest is the Total Capture Dreamskin Perfect Cushion Foundation with SPF50. Since I am a big fan of their Capture Totale Dreamskin Serum, which is the best daytime serum I have used from all the high-end beauty brands in the $100ish price range, I had to get my hands on this cushion foundation. It is on the high price end, but the good news is that it comes with a refill!

Dior claims that it is a hybrid of skin care and makeup that visibly improves pores, redness and shine, and leaving skin looking flawless and luminous. It boasts the same skincare ingredients as in the serum, so it works as a skincare and makeup that nourishes, protects as well as enhances your skin continuously throughout the day.

I have been using it for the past two weeks, and my conclusion is that it is more of a skin perfector with the benefit of cushion foundation. It has the most hydrating (but not creamy) and lightweight formula compared to the others. The texture is ultra fine, and it melds into the skin as soon as you stamp the sponge. For the application, there is no sweeping and blending required, and it leaves absolutely no traces of makeup. The formula is so hydrating that it almost feels like I am spraying a hydrating mist, and it instantly makes the complexion appear more plump and dewy and takes away all the dry skin patches and fine lines. It also leaves a semi-matte finish with radiance and dewiness that looks like your-skin-but-better. The formula would work particularly well in humid weather condition as it controls oil and shine, as opposed to the other more creamy cushion foundations that tends to crease during the day.

It blurs out the pores and evens out the skin tone exceptionally well for such a lightweight and silicone-free product. I am very impressed with how poreless, fine and smooth the skin texture looks with this product. The only shortfall is that it has quite a sheer coverage compared to the other brands such as YSL (reviewed here) and Sulwhasoo (reviewed here). It doesn’t cover the freckles nor the acne marks. For a flawless yet natural finish, I would suggest to apply a layer of tinted base first, then apply this cushion on top.

Formula comparison

YSL Fusion Ink Cushion – most opaque with the best coverage

Sulashoo Perfecting Cushion – most creamy with a medium coverage

Dior Dreamskin Cushion – most hydrating with the best staying power, and works the best for oil control with a sheer coverage

Swatch comparison

I bought the Dior Cushion in shade 10.

Bottom Line: If you prefer coverage, this product does not deliver unless you combine it with other complexion products. I see it as a skincare product with a sheer coverage that I can use any time of the day to hydrate, refresh and even out my complexion. On the other hand, If you have good skin with little skin concern, and after a ‘no-makeup’ feel, then this product alone will make your skin look like absolute perfection.

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Labels: CUSHION FOUNDATION • DIOR • foundation

Dior Skyline Collection – 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette 506 Parisian Sky Review and Swatch

August 27, 2016

This fall, I didn’t have as much interest in the fall makeup collections as the old times. Mainly because there aren’t that many stand out items that I don’t already have 10 of! I even passed on the entire Chanel Le Rouge collection as I didn’t think they would suit me. Anyhow the only collection and the star product that took my breath away was the Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette LE (bought here in Australia) from the Dior Skyline Collection 2016. I chose the color 506 Parisian Sky as I liked the two neutral colors of this palette more than the other color 806 Capital of light. Other products from the Skyline Collection are reviewed here and here.

Love the lacy design of this palette which makes it so desirable, as the intricate detail makes it look super luxurious and brings out the colors more. As usual the color payoff with Dior eye shadow quads is at the middle end – neither too sheer nor too intensely pigmented. They work well with natural hair brushes for application, and the colors apply and blend easily and they have a translucent finish so the colors won’t look too cakey and heavy on the eyes. Texture is superbly smooth and silky, and all shades apply with no fall-out.

Color description (clockwise)

Top Left: This is the most beautiful shade of the quad. It is a medium sandy taupe color with shimmer in satin finish. Looks amazing over the eye crease.

Top Right: Another beautiful neutral color. It is a sandy champagne with shimmer in satin finish. It particularly compliments the taupe color.

Bottom Right: Dark chocolate brown with shimmer but applies to a semi-satin finish.

Bottom Left: Aqua Tiffany blue color with shimmer in satin finish. I like the sheer finish of it as it doesn’t look too opaque and blue on the skin. I mainly use this color along the lower rim and it looks fresh and makes the eyes pop.

Middle: An icy dusty blue color with a hint of grey undertone. A lovely highlighting shade that goes well with the color theme of this palette.

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Labels: DIOR • EYESHADOW

Dior Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Shimmering Sculpting Powder 001 Review and Swatch

August 9, 2016

I know it’s true love when I keep a makeup product in its original packaging in my favorite drawer, and use it with ultimate care for fear of spoiling the design – that was my relationship with the Dior Glowing Gardens Illuminating highlighter (reviewed here). So when I spotted this gorgeous Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Shimmering Sculpting Powder 001 from the Skyline Fall 2016 Collection, there was not a second of pause before I added it to my basket (bought here in Australia)! It is just as pretty as the Glowing Gardens release with a slight difference in color, so can also become my backup.

Texture wise, it is consistent with the limited edition highlight powders from the previous releases. The powder is extremely finely milled, buttery soft and silky smooth to apply. There is no fall-out during application, and the powder is easy to blend to create a soft glow, or can be built up for a more glamorous sheen. The powder blends into the skin seamlessly, so it doesn’t enlarge the pores, and it illuminates the skin without visible shimmer and glitter.

On first glance, it looked quite similar to the Glowing Pink from memory, but after I have seen them side by side, this powder is more peachy and a tad warmer than the Glowing Pink. I would describe it as a champagne color with a hint of peachy golden undertone. It is a universally flattering all-purpose highlighting color for most complexions, as well as for the eyes. On my NC15-20 color, it goes on translucent with a glow if applied sheer, otherwise it adds a hint of peachy color if applied heavily, but it doesn’t appear to warm on me and still goes well with pink blushes.

Shimmer degree is about medium, as it’s not too shimmery (ie Becca and Nars) but one swipe is enough for creating a visible highlighting effect. This is not a powder that can be used all over the face for an illuminating glow.

Swatch with 1 swipe

Comparison

Clockwise: Dior Luminizer 001; Chanel Perles Powder (reviewed here); MAC Dunes At Dusk Gleamtones Powder (reviewed here); Becca Champagne Pop (reviewed here); Dior Powder 001 Glowing Pink

Bottom Line: Must have! Particularly for those of you who missed the highlighters from the Glowing Gardens collection – the good news is this item will be added to the permanent line.

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Labels: DIOR • HIGHLIGHTER

Dior Diorblush Light and Contour Sculpting Stick Duo Review and Swatch – Fall 2016

August 5, 2016

This fall my top favorite makeup collection has to be the Dior Skyline Fall 2016 Collection, as I can never resist a beautifully designed collection with a neutral color theme (check out my picks on my insta)! There are also some really great practical products from the collection which have been added to the permanent line including the Diorblush Light and Contour Sculpting Stick Duo (bought here in Australia). I got the shade 001 Soft Contour, and it goes well with my skin color (NC15).

First of all, I love the design of this dual-ended contour and highlight stick, as it makes the application much easier and is portable to carry around. It will be my go-to product for a fuss-free contour and highlight application when I’m on holiday next week! I know lately we are spoiled with lots of choices, but for a fresh and clean look, all you need is one contour color that suits your skin-tone, and one highlighter to bring out the features. The Dior is such a perfect simple product that delivers the results.

Between the contour stick and the highlighter stick, I definitely think the contour is more superior. It has a creamy consistency without shimmer, and is silky smooth to apply. It is very pigmented, so one strip is enough for shading one area such as the cheekbone. It is very easy to blend – almost like a stick foundation as the color is blended into the skin seamlessly without any visible edges and patches. It gives a cream-matte finish which is perfect as a contouring product. You can use it for sculpting the cheekbones, jaw as well as the nose bridge.

The highlighter is a pale champagne color with fine shimmer which reminds me of the famous Nars The Multiple Copacabana. As with most shimmer sticks I have used in the past, I find them to be a little challenging to work with. It imparts a beautiful subdued gleam to the complexion that looks dewy and glowing but not shiny. For application it only works well on top of a moist base. If your skin is dry, or apply the highlighter on top of the powdered face, the product won’t blend in, and looks like it is sitting on top of the skin. It also tends to enlarge the pores a little over the cheek area, but on top of the cheekbone it is ok. Having said that I have yet to find a shimmer stick with a texture that melds into the skin. My tip is to press some loose powder with a velvety puff into the skin which will then remove the enlarged pores look. Overall I think the texture and the finish is very similar but a tad more hydrating upon application than the Nars multiples.

I included some of my preferred brushes for application with this product, including the Marc Jacobs The Shape and Contour Blush Brush (absolutely my HG, reviewed here); Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush (reviewed here); CHIKUHODO GSN-5 Brush. For applying an opaque product in cream formula, it is always recommended to use a firm and dense brush.

Swatches at different angles

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Labels: CONTOUR • DIOR • HIGHLIGHTER

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