June 2011

Collagen Facial Mask

June 9, 2011

I haven’t talked much about skincare in my blog yet but I am just as crazy about it as I am with makeup. My approach with skincare is the same as makeup – I like to try out as many brands as possible and I am always eager to try the latest products. This post was inspired by BBB’s recent post on collagen facial masks (who btw is one of my favorite beauty bloggers). She introduced to her readers this very interesting type of mask, and I would like to share my experiences with them as well since I have been using them on and off for quite a few years, although not the same brand.

So what are they and what’s so special about these mask?

They are a plant-based collagen mask and they have been available in Asia for the past few years. Collagen is one of the most popular skincare ingredients in Asia – any skincare with the magic word of ‘Collagen’ always sells well. These masks normally have a very high concentration of collagen – apparently the collagen is blended into the face sheet which has a jelly like texture and is in the shape of human’s face (looks scary).

This first one I want to review is by an Asian Brand called:

Q10 Collagen Mask: Made in Korea

Quantity: One pack comes with 5 individually sealed masks (see pic above).

Price: $40 USD per pack

I bought this one because I was told this was the best selling mask at that time. It contains both collagen and Q10 (another amazing ingredient for the skin!). This mask claims to moisturize, firm and brighten your face. My overall thought about this mask is that it might not be the most moisturizing mask I have ever tried, but it is the best for its brightening (anti dull) or whitening effect. It is my holy grail mask if I feel like brightening up my complexion. In terms of anti-aging…it’s really hard to measure! On the back of the box it suggests that you to ‘recycle’ this mask by soaking it in hot water for 20 minutes after it is worn. This mask turns into collagen cream and can be used as a body lotion.

Collagen Mask 2:

Deluxe Nano Plantinum White Concentrate Face Crystal Mask: Made in Switzerland

Quantity: 5 individually sealed masks

Price: $65 USD per pack

This mask has a fascinating name so is the product itself. It contains 99% pure Platinum Powder (wow..I thought my Guerlain gold was a luxury) and the nano Platinum particle is only 1/2000 the size of our pore allowing it to easily penetrate into the dermis. Other than the key ingredient of Platinum Powder, it also contains Q10, y-PGA (for hydration) and Fibroin. The major function of this mask is to replenish collagen into your skin; repair skin cells and help brightening/whitening.

Each individually sealed mask.

Now it is the Most Spooky part, be prepared! I am wearing this mask!

It fits my face well but not a perfect fit. The jelly like texture allows the mask to adhere to my skin seemlessly. This mask is the same as the first mask – it gradually dissolves with body temperature and so it will decrease in thickness during use.

After 20 minutes of wear, my entire face is covered by the Platinum powder. I have to rinse it off and voila – a new me with crystal clear skin lasting for a few days.

{ 5 comments }

Labels: MASK

BECCA Makeup Brushes Review

June 8, 2011

I have been visiting the Becca counter quite regularly these days.. other than their makeup display, Becca brushes have also caught my attention. Not only are they so nicely displayed in the window, there are also a few unique brushes which I have not seen from other brands. These brushes scream my name because I am all about collecting all sorts of different makeup brushes.

BECCA Foundation Brush 58

Let’s start with the foundation brush… I featured this in my recent foundation brushes overview post. I really didn’t need another foundation brush but I caved in as this one looked so promising. It is made of tapered 3 tone Taklon fibers. The bristles are densely packed and soft – it doesn’t make the foundation go on streaky. They key attraction is the bullet like tip, which allows a very precise application around the hard to reach areas such as the side of the nose and lips and under eyes. In terms of finish, this brush tends to give a more sheer finish compared to foundation brushes in other shapes, hence it works the best with foundations with a creamy texture.

This brush is quite multipurpose in my opinion – good for those people who don’t like to own too many brushes. It can also be used to apply concealer, cream based blushes and highlighters. To give you a better idea of the size of the bristles, here is a side by side shot of Becca with MAC.

BECCA Extra Small Polishing Brush

Hair Type: A blend of both natural goat hair and synthetic fibers

This is my favorite brush out of the three. It is a tiny stippling brush. It is again another multipurpose brush – you can use it to blend eyeshadows as well as applying liquid and cream products. I use this one to apply concealer for the under eye areas – it is perfect. Previously I liked MAC 244, but this one outperforms MAC. It buffs even the driest concealer right into your skin and polishes, creating an airbrushed finish. It is probably the best brush to apply liquid highlighters since it buffs the product in so it gives a ‘glow within’ look. It is small enough for me to apply highlighter more precisely, such as on the bridge of the nose and temples.

As you can see, it is a baby version of MAC 188, about the same size as MAC 224.

BECCA Powder and Bronzer Brush 16

Hair Type: made of 100% Raccoon Hair with natural ending

This is the biggest brush in my entire collection. I always wanted an ultra big brush – with this fluffy brush it literally takes no effort to apply bronzers or powders. Two to three swipes would cover your entire face and give an effortlessly sheer sun-kissed look. I am quite a snob when it comes to brushes, so not a fan of brushes made of synthetic fibers. Most of my brushes are made of goat or squirrel hair – this is my first raccoon hair brush. Although the hair itself is thicker than squirrel hair, when you actually apply it to the face gently, it feels just as soft as squirrel hairs. I have read a mix of positive and negative reviews of this brush on MUA with some saying this brush is too coarse. I swear my one is super soft..maybe I just got a good batch.

Size comparison

Thanks for your patience to read through this long post! There are some general facts about Becca brushes which you may want to know from their site:

– All Becca brushes are individually hand crafted.

– The ferrule is drawn from annealed brass and then nickel plated to a satin finish.

– A wooden handle is used to ensure optimal weight of the brush

– Becca takes great care to ensure that no animals are harmed in producing their brushes.(very important to me 🙂 )

{ 11 comments }

Labels: BECCA • BRUSHES

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner – Rose Platine

June 7, 2011

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Rose Platine has been featured in many beauty blogs so far. It is definitely one of the must have items from the Chanel Summer 2011 Collection. A taupe eyeliner is just hard to come by – not many brands have a taupe eyeliner in their permanent collections. I am a big fan of this color so I bought this one without even checking out the tester.

Now you have seen the closeups and the swatch, here is my thought after using it for about a week.

Texture: It is not eye khol hence don’t expect this liner to be as buttery soft as your eye khol pencils. Nor it is hard. To get a decent color payoff as shown in the swatch above I need to swipe it 2 to 3 times.

Lasting power: Amazing in this department. It literally lasts on me for the whole day considering I have quite oily eyelids.

Usage: I won’t use this eyeliner to define my upper lash line. It just won’t do anything for my eyes – the shimmery silver taupe will make my eyes look more puffy than more awake. I need a liquid eyeliner for that.. On the other hand, I like to use it along my lower lash line as a highlighter – a good alternative for the usual white eyeliners. It creates a soft shimmery effect without looking too harsh. I used this eyeliner in the FOTD I did yesterday. Here is a close up shot of my eyes:

The only drawback is that it looks more silvery rather than taupey when it is applied against my dark brown eyes. The brown eyeshadow shades I used as well as my eye color bring out more of the silver tone – which is quite a disappointment to me.

I went through my stash and couldn’t find a close dupe of it. But I have found some of my favorite liners that serve the same purpose (but not the same color) as the Chanel, for a soft shimmery effect on the lower lash line.

From Left to Right

Korres Soft Eyeliner in 6S: yellow gold

Guerlain Crayon in Cupidon – My second top pick: a pinkish champagne

MAC Eye Kohl in I Get No Kick – My top pick: a champagne beige

Chanel Rose Platine

The Chanel Stylo Yeux Eyeliner retails for $44 in Australia. I like this product but my hunt for the perfect taupe eyeliner continues.

{ 7 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • EYELINER • GUERLAIN • KORRES • MAC

BECCA Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette FOTD

June 6, 2011

I have previously reviewed The Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette and as I promised – I just did a FOTD with it. This makeup was focused on conturing – Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow palette was used to contour the eyes and all along the side of the nose. I also thickened and extended my eyebrows on both ends so they connect to the contours on the side of my nose bridge . On my face, lots of bronzing shades were used to contour the cheeks. Lip color was tossing between a berry or a nude shade – in the end I opted for a glossy nude shade.

This is the final look:

A quick rundown on the products I used.

FACE PRODUCTS:

Dior Extreme Fit Foundation: I will be doing a review for this foundation this week. Overall it is a natural looking foundation with decent coverage that hides all my freckles!

MAC Bronzing Powder: applied the brown shade down the side of my cheeks to the jawlines.

Nars Blush in Madly: was applied along the hollow of the cheeks to the temples.

Guerlain Meteorites in Beige Chic: started from my cheekbones to the temples.

EYE PRODUCTS:

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Suede: was used as a base color all over the eye socket area to make the colors that were applied later pop out more.

Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette: layered the shimmery mauvy shades with the matte mauvey shade all over the eyelids up to the sides of my upper nose bridge. The medium brown shade was then applied from the outer edge of the eyelid and blended into the crease, creating a v shape.

Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner: for upper lash line

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Rose Platine: was all along the lower lash line, intensified at the tear duct areas.

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Brown: used to darken the outer edge of the lower lash line.

Laura Mercier Eyebrow Powders

False Eyelashes: Princess Lee Criss Cross in 7. (picture of it can be found in my previous FOTD)

A closer up shot:

Lip Product:

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani in beige 105. (reviewed here)

{ 10 comments }

Labels: BECCA • CHANEL • DIOR • EYELINER • FOTD • Giorgio Armani • GUERLAIN • MAC • NARS

May Favorites

June 2, 2011

The problem with having too many makeups is that I never know which product to use..it’s like a kid in a big candy shop..too many options to choose from. Monthly favorite posts help me to share my love equally – I like to put the makeups I have been using for the past month aside and pick a new set of makeups for the upcoming month.

Being a makeup minimalist, I like to stick with just a small handful of makeup items for the whole month.

MAKEUPS:

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lipstick in Baby – my all time favorite lipstick by Guerlain, gives you baby lookalike lips!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 06 – been raving about it for the entire month 😛 reviewed here and FOTD here

Nars Blush in Luster

Chanel Ombre Essentielle in Fauve

Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette (Fall Limited Edition)

Mac Eye Kohl in I get No Kick

Chanel Under Eyes Corrector

Nars Larger Than Life Volumising Mascara – truly exceeded my expectations!

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Stila Convertible Color in Peony

Stila Lip Gloss in Blush – a nudy pink color

SKINCARES:

KIEHLS Epidermal Re-Texturizing Micro-Dermabrasion: It does its job and it’s gentle enough to be used every two days.

My Beauty Diary Sunflower Face Sheet Mask: Long time fan of their masks, this limited edition is beyond amazing! For those of you who aren’t aware, Beauty Diary has recently improved their face sheet – it is a lot thinner and adheres to your face without any air bubbles . I have to stock up more before it is discontinued..

L’OCCITANE Ultra Rich Body Cream in Vineyard Rose: Another limited edition product that was recently released. A very rich body cream that smells like..Heaven. If you love rose and soapy scents, then this is The One! It can’t stop sniffing at it.

HAIRCARES:

TSUBAKI Head Spa Extra Cleasing Shampoo with essential oil: I use this one once a week – it is better than any of the high end clarifying shampoos that I’ve tried.

TSUBAKI Head Spa Massage Mask with essential oil: It’s a treatment for the scalp, feels relaxing and promotes healthy hair growth.

Living Proof Frizz Free Styling Cream: a silicone free product that really works!

KERASTASE Nectar Thermique: a weightless gel that protects my dry hair from heat everyday

KERASTASE Serum Nuit: an overnight treatment I’ve been using every night that renews my hair from looking dull and lifeless

Geez..I am quite high maintenance aren’t I 😛