Shu Uemura

Multiples

May 22, 2013

You know you can’t live without these products when you have multiple backups of them.

From left to right:

1. Shu Uemura Precision Volume Mascara Waterproof – suggested by my readers and they are absolutely amazing!! It does everything I want for my lashes (review to come soon).

2. Ysl Touché Eclat – an oldie but a goodie. I mix both shade 1 and 2 for everyday use. It doesn’t provide much coverage but it brightens up the skin without making it look cakey. The formulation is great for most skin types unless you have very dry under eye areas, then you need a good moisturizing eye cream underneath and it helps the product to set beautifully.

3. Suqqu Cheek Blush Brush– crème de la crème of brushes, reviewed here.

4. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray – reviewed here

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Labels: MASCARA • Oribe • Shu Uemura • SUQQU • YSL

Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette 01 and Eyebrow Brush S Review

November 19, 2012

I often receive emails from my readers sharing their love for Suqqu products with me, and it is very flattering to hear that they find my reviews helpful for their purchases. To date Suqqu remains one of my favorite makeup brands. There are a lot of other great brands out there, but every time I use a new Suqqu product, it always blows me away. For instance, the Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette 01 with the Eyebrow Brush S are just the perfect combo – they are officially my holy grail eyebrow products now.

There are two eyebrow powders in the palette – one is a medium brown shade and the second one is a moss green shade which allows you to mix the colors to your desire. The light brown shade shown on the right is perfect for contouring the nose or eye socket. You can hardly see this shade in my swatch which is why, ironically, what makes it a perfect contouring shade! As usual Suqqu product design is always very attentive, as the palette comes with a brow brush and a shading brush. The quality of both brushes are excellent for their mini size.

The powder is ultra smooth, very pigmented and long lasting. The most outstanding quality is that it is a perfect ashy brown palette for my complexion and hair coloring. The shade moss green is brown based with a tiny tinge of green to it. It might sound ‘strange’ but it’s a very common color used in Asian cosmetics. We refer to this shade as a ‘natural linen’ color. Since most Asians have black to black-brown hair, and red is the most dominant color in black, a tinge of green mixed with brown helps to counteract the red tone. This helps to lighten the hair with an ashy tone.

Compared to Laura Mercier Eyebrow Palette 01 Ashy Blonde and Shu Uemura Hard Formula 6

The Suqqu Eyebrow Brush S is the thinnest eyebrow brush I’ve ever used compared to other brands, so it gives the most precise and thin stroke that really mimics the natural eyebrow hair. Most eyebrow brushes including Stila and MAC are very firm and stiff, but the bristles of this Suqqu brush are firm yet soft (which might not make sense until you try it!), so it is a very directional brush for application and allows you to define and shape the brows better.

Left: Stila Eyebrow Brush Right: Suqqu

As you can see, the thickness of Suqqu is only half of Stila!Both products are available on Selfridges here and here.

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Labels: BRUSHES • Eyebrow Pen • Laura Mercier • Shu Uemura • SUQQU

Dior 5 Couleur Grand Bal Eyeshadow Palette 524 Fairy Golds Review, Swatches and FOTD

November 17, 2012

This is another eyeshadow review for the Dior 5 Couleur Grand Bal Eyeshadow Palette in 524 Fairy Golds (Limited Edition) from the Grand Bal Holiday 2012 Collection. My compulsive makeup hoarding is getting a little out of control lately as I am completely engulfed by the waves of new eye shadows being released at the moment. But what could be a better time to shop than this festive time of the year?!

Before I start my review, please allow me to ramble about the sub-par service at various Dior counters. The SAs were either busy chatting or showed no interest in doing their jobs at 3 different counters I visited! Whilst most of the other cosmetic counters thrive to deliver the best possible customer service in such a competitive economy, it was such a let down experience from a premium beauty house like Dior.

Nonetheless, this did not distract me from buying this uber gorgeous eyeshadow quint. It’s a neutral eye shadow palette with some of the most beautiful sparkly shimmery shades I have ever seen – and that is what drew me in the most! I love a sparkly shade when it is done right. It needs to have the perfect spongy creamy texture (not gritty) and adheres without any fallout, and most importantly it needs to be sparkly in a grown-up way. And the color is important too, as it needs to be subtle but you can still see the color with some translucency so it doesn’t overpower the base eye color when you apply the sparkly shade on top. This Dior quint ticked all the boxes.

COLORS

Top Left: Shimmery champagne pinky beige

Top Right: Rusty gold with a sparkly finish

Middle: Silvery white with a sparkly finish

Bottom Left: Shimmery mushroom taupe

Bottom Right: Shimmery chocolate brown

All shades are rich in pigmentation, feel buttery soft and blend so well. As mentioned above, the two sparkly shades are exceptionally superior and rivals the Tom Ford which I thought were the best!

SWATCHES:

FOTD:

Upper Lid: Applied the beige color all over the eyelid, then I blended the light taupe color from the upper lash into the eye socket. The dark brown shade was only added to the outer-v, and I used my finger to pat the gold sparkly shade on the inner corner, and the silvery white shade on top for an ultra sparkly festive look!

Lower Lid: The white sparkly on the inner third, and the brown on the outer third.

It is worth nothing that I have been obsessed with highlighting and contouring lately, so I have used more-than-the-usual amount of base product to create a luminous complexion that also looks more defined.

OTHER PRODUCTS:

Face: Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation (discontinued) mixed with Dr Jart+ Waterfuse Moist BB Cream.

Highlight & Contour: Prescriptives Contour Stick (discontinued) + Nars Copacabana Illuminator. YSL Touche Eclat for under eye concealing.

Blush: Chanel JC in Rouge

Lipstick: Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS BG 957 (reviewed here) + MAC Dazzleglass Glamour

Bottom Line: A perfect eye shadow palette for a touch of sparkly glamour this festive season.

I bought mine at David Jones for AUD$99. The Dior Palette can be purchased here in the US. You can also get this new collection including the palette here with free international delivery, and use the code GIFT10 for 10% off!

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Labels: BB Cream • DIOR • EYESHADOW • FOTD • FOUNDATION • HIGHLIGHTER • Laura Mercier • MAC • Makeup Base • NARS • Shu Uemura • YSL

What I packed for travelling – part 1 skincare products

September 3, 2012

Hi everyone, it’s a been a long time since my last post! And I miss you all! Thanks to all of you who dropped me a message/comment during my absence – I am well. I just came back from my 4 weeks holiday in Europe. I was in Paris and London most of the time enjoying the food and shopping there, and I also went to Vienna and Prague for the first time which I will probably share my shopping/traveling experiences in my future posts.

Today’s post is about the skincare products I packed for long-haul flights as well as for long vacations. I won’t say I am a light traveler as I tend to bring more clothes and shoes than I would wear. But when it comes to skincare and makeup I try to only bring the bare minimum as they can get heavy and take up a lot of space. I would normally start to ‘save’ the sample skincare of my ‘tested and trusted’ brands months before the trip so I would have enough to bring.

Products I used during long-haul flights – they are mainly for hydration

YSL cleansing water: I don’t wear makeup on flights , so I only needed a gentle cleanser (rinsing not required).

Caudalie Beauty Elixir – I then spray my face with this after cleansing – it’s very soothing and calming (great for flights!) for the skin and the mind 🙂

SKII Repair C Serum – One of the best hydrating serums I’ve used so I always bring some samples of this with me for holiday use.

Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil: This is a second layer for hydration. I only use 2 drops of it and mix it with the Caudalie Beauty Elixir . The cabin air gets extremely dry so I like to supply some good oil to my skin.

Naruko Rose & Snow Fungus Hydrating Night Jelly: The last step is to lock in all the moisturizing products I applied. I personally prefer sleeping mask over heavy cream. I slather a thick layer of it all over my face and wash it off before landing. It really is a key product to keep my skin staying plumped and hydrated after a 12 hour long flight.

Elizabeth Arden 24 hours Cream (not in the picture)- I apply a thick layer of it on my lips every few hours. Don’t like the smell but it works.

Skincare Products I used during the Holiday:

My main goal is to keep my skin clear and moisturized, so I brought sample sized products mostly from La Mer and Shu Uemura. I have been using these brands for years so I know they will do a good job without breaking my skin.

Cleansers: Shu Cleansing Oil as the makeup remover, and Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam as my daytime cleanser.

Toner: Caudalie Beauty Elixir

Exfoliate: La Mer the refining facial

Moisturizer: La Mer Moisturizing gel-cream and Shu Vitalizing Rejuvenating Cream

Eye Cream: La Mer Eye Balm Intense

Blemish Treatment: Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot Treatment just in case I get blemishes.

I know I will be taking lots of pictures during the holiday so I also brought some Clarins products from the Facial lift line . The Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Serum (full-sized) is my go-to face product for anti-water retention, and along with the new Shaping Facial Lift Wrap Mask, they really help to keep the puffiness at bay and enhance the facial contour even after eating fatty and sodium rich foods everyday.

Oups how could I forget to mention sun protection for a summer holiday! I like to wear the Shiseido Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen when I’m frequently outdoors. It is SPF50+ and PA+++, so it offers the maximum sun protection and also ideal if you don’t want to get tanned. I also brought many packets of Silk Whitia Anti-Oxidation Whitening Mask which I used every few days for brightening and moisturizing purposes.

Pictures of these products were taken before the trip and I have managed to use all of them up by the end of trip! (Yay) I will be doing a part 2 for makeup.

Hope you are all well 🙂

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Labels: CLARINS • LA MER • Shu Uemura

Accessories Report: NEON INJECTION

May 28, 2012

Noir Jewelry Neon Crystal Pendant Necklace – bought it here, a similar one here

Clockwise: Essie Pink Parka; Lancome Rouge in Love Lipstick in Rose Boudoir; Shu Uemura Lip Gloss in Radical Fuchsia

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Labels: ACCESSORY • ESSIE • Fashion • LANCOME • Shu Uemura

My Best Concealers

December 15, 2011

I’ve been meaning to do a concealer post for a long time. I can live without foundations but I can’t live without a good concealer, because I would never leave my house without wearing one hence I have collected many… My concealers are mainly for highlighting the under eye areas. I don’t really have visible dark circles but I find that brightening the under eye areas makes a HUGE difference to my complexion, as it just instantly makes me look more awake and my face looks more lifted.

I am a little lazy doing a proper review on each concealer that I own (you know as a beauty blogger once in a while you lose the blogging mojo!…), so I thought I’ll just quickly share what I have with you now.

THE BREAKDOWN:

Chanel Corrector: It’s a good concealer but not the best, will not repurchase.

Shiseido Natural Finish Creamy Concealer: Nothing special about this one, will not repurchase.

SANA Make Essence Concealers: One is a yellow based concealer in an essence (serum) consistency to cover dark circles, and the other one is a pink based concealer with silicone to cover pores. Best value for money as they only cost less than $10 each.

ColorScience Eyes Wide Open Eye Brightener: Strictly speaking it is an eye cream with a baby blue color made of all natural botanical ingredients. It has a lotion consistency that sinks into your skin straight away. When it is first applied it has a cooling sensation, then quite magically it brightens and takes away the dark circles very effectively. A great alternative for those of you who don’t like to wear makeup. I bought it on skinstore, and you can find more reviews on this product there as well.

Ellis Faas Concealer: My most recent favorite! The texture is creamy but not heavy, easy to blend and provides very good coverage as well as brightening. For those of you who prefer a lightweight concealer that has a better coverage than the YSL Touche Eclat, this is the product to try.

YSL Touche Eclat: My all time favorite concealer for the under eyes! It just has a perfect formulation to diffuse light and create a soft illumating effect. The texture is neither too creamy nor too silicony, which makes it perfect for the delicate under eye areas as it will not enhance any fine lines. In the meantime it is great for retouching your makeup any time of the day, as it glides on smoothly without rubbing off your base makeup.

Estee Lauder Ideal Light: A cheaper dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat.

Bobbi Brown Corrector: Very creamy and emollient and it covers the dark circles well, I don’t feel the need of applying another concealer on top of it as recommended by Bobbi Brown. My only gripe is that it doesn’t last the whole day and it makes my mascara smudge.

Shu Uemura Pro Concealer: A heavy coverage and dryer concealer that I use to cover occasional spots.

Cle de Peau Concealer: Another holy grail concealer for me. This is my third tube! Formulation is perfection and it is versatile enough to cover both the dark circles and freckcles/blemishes in a natural way.

Benefit Powderflage: My HG setting/concealer/illumating powder for under eyes.

To conclude, my favorites have to be the Cle de Peau Concealer and the YSL Touche Eclat. What is your favorite concealer?

{ 49 comments }

Labels: BENEFIT • CHANEL • CLE DE PEAU • ELLIS FAAS • ESTEE LAUDER • SANA • SHISEIDO • Shu Uemura

My Skincare Routine Part 3 – Makeup Removers

September 28, 2011

After I posted my basic skincare routine, I had a few people asking me what products I use to remove my makeup which I forgot to include. I wear makeup almost everyday, so finding the right makeup remover that is effective, removes makeup thoroughly yet gentle to my skin can be a little tricky. I go through tons of different brands and these are the products that I love the most.

If my makeup of the day is not too heavy I like to use my Bioderma Crealine H2O Cleanser – it smells and feels so fresh, extremely gentle to the skin and removes face makeup effectively. It is designed for sensitive skin as the entire product is water based without any alcohol and perfumes, so girls with sensitive skin can totally rely on this product. It is also excellent for removing eye makeup, but can take a while to remove waterproof mascara completely. It is also great as a last step cleanser. I know a lot of girls like to use a toner/astringent to remove the last traces of makeup, but this product does the same job without stripping moisture off the skin. My skin actually feels quite hydrated and fresh after using it.

On a full face makeup day, I opt for the Eve Lom Cleanser (Vogue call it “world’s best cleanser) to remove my makeup thoroughly. I know I have said it many time that this is my HG cleanser 😛 It has been doing a wonderful job to my skin so I just like to share my love of this product around! The concept of this cleanser is that it improves the blood circulation, opens pores, cleanses, exfoliates and tones the skin to achieve a perfectly clear and well balanced skin.

This product is made of different blends of aromatic oils with cleansing, decongesting and soothing properties. It has a lovely soothing herbal scent and a balmy consistency that is designed for massaging. By following the massaging steps provided in the enclosed pamphlet, it helps the lymphatic nodes to drain the congested areas and eliminate toxins. Then use the muslin cloth to remove the product in hot water to open the pores and cold water to close the pores. The result is instant – not only is the makeup completely removed, my complexion has a “just-had-a-facial” radiance and looks more lifted and toned. Over time I have also noticed a significant improvement in the clarity of my skin.

As you can tell from the size of the bottle, the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil is also my favorite. I am not using it now but I like to keep a back up of it. This product has received numerous awards over the last decade. Needless to say it is a superior product. I like to use a makeup remover that cleanses and treats my skin at the same. The entire cleansing oil line by Shu comes in many formulations for different skin needs and I have pretty much tried them all. My favorites are the brightening oil from the premium line and the balancing oil as pictured below. My least favorite is the enriched formula which feels quite heavy on my skin. There are a lot of cheaper cleansing oils in the market but I always go back to this one as I like the consistency of this oil and its wide range of options.

For my stubborn eye makeup, I like to use the Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. It is a winner for me as I really don’t notice a difference between the expensive ones and the cheap ones. The Neutrogena removes the most stubborn waterproof mascara with one swipe, and it is not irritating to my eyes. Just like many other bi-phased removers, it leaves a slight residual film on the skin.

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Labels: BIODERMA • CLEANSER • Eve Lom • Neutrogena • Shu Uemura

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipstick Swatches

September 21, 2011

I can never get bored of lipsticks – no matter how many I own! My latest acquisition is the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine. I have heard some youtube gurus raving about them so I took the plunge. It was instant gratification from the first swipe on my lips – it’s just amazing. I just knew that both the formulation and the finish were made for my needs. All the shades from this range are beautiful yet wearable so I couldn’t help but pick up 4 of them.

Some people don’t like the Shu Uemura packaging, but I absolutely adore them. They are cute and elegant at the same time, and has a futuristic edge to it. Best of all I can see the lipstick shade without opening the cap!

They feel extremely hydrating on the lips and have a soft balmy texture, as soft as the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine. In terms of finish, they are semi-opaque with a glass-like shine. They all contain very fine particles of shimmer that gives a wet look without the frost.

Here are the swatch pictures (taken on a dull day!) – did my best to capture the true colors however I failed to capture the beautiful glossy sheen of these lipsticks as can be seen in real life…

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS OR 520: A soft peach shade that is not too nude. Perfect for spring and summer and brightens up my NC15 complexion

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS BG 943: Best seller! A beige with a hint of brick brown undertone – it gives a very polished look which is very office appropriate.

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS PK 340 – A soft girly pink that gives a romantic and youthful look

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS BG 957: It’s a darker beige compared to BG 943 with a reddish undertone. My favorite shade out of all – I think it’s a sophisticated grown-up shade.

Group swatch:

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Labels: LIPSTICK • Shu Uemura

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