2015

Shopping News – Shopbop’s Family and Friend’s Sale and new shoes additions

October 13, 2015

I am a regular shopper at Shopbop so there is nothing more exciting than the popular Shopbop’s Family and Friend’s Sale (25% off with code INTHEFAM25 – some brand exclusions apply) that is happening now! It is the best time to snatch up some bargains so I thought I’d introduce a really affordable and well-made shoe brand that I’ve been liking lately.

It is quite obvious that I love investing in beautiful designer shoes, and lately I was on the lookout for a pair of nude strappy sandals. I had my eyes set on the Stuart Weitzman Nudist but they looked very average on me after trying them on. So I decided to skimp on a pair of Schutz Cadey Lee Sandals in flesh colored suede (a very popular style from the brand), and I was very impressed with the way they look and the quality of their shoes (all leather and made in Brazil) at such a reasonable price. They look far better than the SW’s on me – more delicate and slimming on my feet which is exactly what I was after! My second pair is the Schutz Yoko Suede Sandals/Booties. It is really hard to come by a pair of olive suede boots and the style reminds me of my all time favorite booties by Alexander Wang that I wore literally everyday. The only flaw about the Yoko is that the opening is quite big for my skinny ankles, so they only look great if I wear them with skinny leggings/jeans.

{ 6 comments }

Labels: Fashion • SHOES • SHOP

CHANEL CHANCE Eau Vive Review

October 6, 2015

Today’s review is for my current favorite fragrance – The CHANEL CHANCE Eau VIVE . I have never been a big fan of Chanel’s classic fragrances such as the No5, No19, Coco Chanel etc as I feel they smell a bit ‘too old fashioned’ on me. However their recent additions including the BEIGE (reviewed here) and MISIA from the Les Exclusive line, and Coco Noir have thoroughly impressed me. They are alluring and seductive with a modern take that would appeal to the younger women. On a side note, the CHANEL BLEU is my DH’s favorite perfume at the moment!

CHANCE Eau VIVE caught my attention after I was randomly sampling a lot of fragrances at the counter. This one stood out and connected with me, and I knew this would be a lovely choice. For days I could not forget about it so I had to get one for myself.

This perfume was designed by Olivier Polge, which was his second creation after he took the helm from his famous perfumer father Jacques Polge. A true perfumer is regarded as an artist in France and is also referred to as ‘The Nose’. Jacques Polge is a legendary name in the perfumery industry. He has created an array of timeless fragrances for Chanel throughout his career since 1978. This year he had retired and his son Olivier Polge became the newly appointed Chanel Fragrance creator to succeed his father. His first creation for Chanel is MISIA (another gorgeous scent), and the Eau VIVE is his latest release that is exactly what I would expect from a second generation of perfumer. It is elegant and posh with a playful and modern twist. VIVE has notes of grapefruit, blood orange, jasmine, cedar and iris notes. On me it smells floral (not sugary), fresh with dominant zesty notes as a top note. Once it starts to dry down, it becomes more clean and slightly woody and still floral. I adore both – it works well with my body temperature and goes well with my day-to-day style. It is a warm and fresh scent that can be worn all year round, and 4-5 spritz last about 5-6 hours on me.

I bought mine here online in Australia.

{ 1 comment }

Labels: CHANEL • FRAGRANCE • PERFUME

MAC Rosy Rim Lip Pencil, Good Timing and In Anticipation Pro Longwewar Lip Liners Review and Swatch

October 1, 2015

I am very late to lip liners – I mean after wearing makeup for 10 years I have finally started wearing lip liners. So I was on a mission to acquire as many lip liners as I could! I looked around and unfortunately I could not find any that I liked from my usual favorite brands such as Chanel. My last resort was MAC which undeniably offered the biggest selection of colors – there were so many of them I liked but I limited myself to 3 colors for now! I picked up Rosy Rim Lip Pencil, and Good Timing and In Anticipation from the Pro Longwear Lip Pencil Range.

In terms of texture, the pro longwear lip pencils are much more superior. They feel like a gel lip pencil so they are more pigmented and glide on more fluidly. They feel silky smooth and buttery to apply, so if you have dry lips this range is definitely more suitable. The normal Lip Pencil retails slightly cheaper, and the texture leans towards more crayon-like so they are a little on the dry side. They do not apply as smooth as the pro longwear pencils. If you like to fill out your entire lips with a lip pencil, this would dry out your lips. For just lining the lips, it still does a decent job.

Good Timing is my favorite color! It is a muted cool milky rosy pink (but not lavender) that goes perfect with any cool-toned pink lip colors you have. My other favorite use is that if I want to make any warm pink lipstick color appear more cool, then I would wear Good Timing over my entire lips underneath it.

In Anticipation is another beautiful dusty rosy pink that is more warm and brighter than Good Timing. It may look quite rosy on the hand swatch, but once its applied on the lips it shows up as more nude rosy pink.

Rosy Rim is very similar to In Anticipation, but slightly peachier and lighter. Just another perfect your-lips-but-better shade that goes really well with any lipstick color in the pinks, corals and nude color ranges.

Swatch

I bought the MAC Lip Pencils here in Australia.

{ 2 comments }

Labels: LIP PENCIL • MAC

Clé de Peau Beauté cleansing foam review

September 28, 2015

The Clé de Peau Beauté cleansing foam is one of the best foaming cleansers I have ever used which deserves a proper review post. This is the cleanser that would testify ‘good skin begins with good cleansing’. I have been using this on and off for the past 10 years, and every time I go back to it , I always feel my skin’s condition is improved.

I would call this a deep cleansing cleanser for every day use as it does the most thorough cleaning job – it takes off every single trace of impurities and makeup, and it purifies to the bottom of the pores so it makes the them look very clean. Your complexion appears exceptionally clear, brightened and full of radiance after washing with this compared to the other cleansers. It comes in 2 variations – Gentle Cleansing foam that is designed for normal to dry skin, and the Refreshing Cleansing Foam for normal to oily skin. I am using the gentle version which works really well for my dry and sensitive skin. It makes the skin feel squeaky clean and refreshed without stripping off the moisture. It has a clean and delicate flora soapy scent, and has a creamy white paste texture that lathers up to the creamiest and most dense and emollient foam. The resilient lather feels uber luxurious and velvety against the skin. It is on the expensive side, but a little product goes a long way and this tube will last you a very long time.

The ingredient list

Bottom Line: If you are still on the look out for a perfect foaming cleanser, give this one a try! The Clé de Peau Beauté cleanser is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and SAKS in the US.

{ 5 comments }

Labels: CLE DE PEAU • CLEANSER • SKINCARE

Tom Ford Lipstick Flash of Pink Lip Color Review, Swatch and FOTD

September 27, 2015

Tom Ford recently added new colors to his permanent lip color collection. I tested all of them out at the counter, and in the end I just brought back Flash of Pink which was a gorgeous and unique pink color that looked very flattering on me. There was no tester for something wild which was the other shade I planned to purchase, so I’ll probably go back for another visit soon! The new colors are now available here online in Australia.

The reign of the world’s most expensive lipstick has recently been taken over by Louboutin Beaute from Tom Ford (albeit I think the packaging of the former is a little OTT..). Splurging AUD$70 on a tube of lipstick does make me feel better, as I think the packaging of Tom Ford still tops every other brand, and the formulation is also flawless. Flash of Pink is a rosy fuchsia pink with a hint of metallic sheen. It contains micro magenta shimmer and it still has the same luxurious creamy texture as with all the other colors from the range – it goes on silky smooth in a satin finish, and I don’t feel any glitter on my sensitive lips when I wear it.

The Tom Ford SA described Flash of Pink as an expensive pink lip color with an edge. I wasn’t so sure when I saw the color from the tube, but on the lips it didn’t look as metallic as I thought . As you can see from my swatch below, it looks shimmery with frost on hand, but on the lips there was just a hint of metallic sheen at certain angles that actually makes the color pop and unique. It is intensely pigmented and has a lasting power of 4-5 hours.

Close up swatch

Flash of Pink Lip Swatch

I have finally managed to take some FOTD for today’s post – it’s been so long I almost forgot how to do it lol!

Other makeup used in the FOTD include

Face

Shu Uemura Brightening Base

Sulwhasoo Cushion Foundation (reviewed here)

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation (new, review coming soon)

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder for highlight (reviewed here)

Marc by Marc Jacobs Contouring Powder (reviewed here)

Eyes

Chanel Entrelaces Eyeshadow Palette (reviewed here)

Dior Addict It Liquid Eyeliner (reviewed here)

Lancome Mascara

Visee Eyebrow Pencil & Powder

{ 1 comment }

Labels: FOTD • LIPSTICK • Tom Ford

NEW IN – Fendi Monster

September 16, 2015

Bought this little Fendi monster a while ago and finally had the chance to take some pictures. It’s cute (but not the usual girly cute) in its own unique way, and I think that’s what makes it appealing to me. Since I love investing in classic bags, this is a perfect accessory for adding a playful and whimsical spin to them. I bought mine at the Fendi boutique in the DFS Gallery in Australia (they have very limited stocks), and you can find them online here and here. There are also many affordable options such as this and this in the market now.

Other products featured in the picture

Hermes Birkin 35 Black

Georg Jensen Candelabra

{ 2 comments }

Labels: ACCESSORY • BAG • FENDI • Georg Jensen • HERMES • HOMEWARE • LIFESTYLE • SHOP

Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight Review and Swatch

September 13, 2015

The Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight was finally released in Australia last week, and as expected it was all sold out within seconds in the Sydney store. I am very glad that I got my friend to bring me back one from the US (available here!) as I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance to get hold of this in Australia. The powder duo is absolutely gorgeous that completely surpasses my expectations. If you miss out on it, it seems Selfridges now ships some of Tom Ford products including this illuminating duo to Australia! And they are also taking the 10% VAT off at the final checkout.

The Powder Duo comes in a signature Tom Ford luxury case. The texture of both the highlight and bronzer powder are creamy but firm, and feel extremely silky smooth. Both powders contain very finely milled micro shimmer, and they are probably the best powders with shimmer I have ever used. With the highlight powder, once it is applied on to the face it blends into the skin seamlessly. I am amazed that there is no trace of this powder on my face (hence it doesn’t enlarge the pores at all), just an illuminated glow that is natural but noticeable. It serves its purpose as a highlight powder, and it makes the skin look radiant, plumped and dewy under the natural sunlight (not frosty). If Tom Ford just releases this highlighter individually, I would definitely buy 10 of these!

The golden bronzer is a multi-purpose shade. Once it is applied, it doesn’t look as dark as in the pan, so depending on your skin tone, it can be used either as an illuminating powder for adding a warmer glow, or can be used as a light bronzer on fair skin for adding a touch of color. Because it contains shimmer I wouldn’t recommend using it for contour. For me I apply the highlight powder from the apples of the cheeks towards the temples, then I mix the highlighter with the bronzer, and apply it around the side of my cheekbones just to add a multi dimensional glow to the face. I have received tons of compliments on how good and healthy my skin looks lately, even though I have had the flu for a week!

Color Description:

Highlighter – A vanilla beige color with a pale rosey gold sheen.

Bronzer – A medium golden sandy brown with silver sheen. Hint that it also makes a beautiful neutral eye shadow!

Swatches

I haven’t reviewed a brush for a while…so I thought I’d include some brush recommendations for this product in this post. I choose what brush to use depending on the texture of the product and of course the purpose and the applied area. With this powder duo, I wanted a more precise application that gave a soft wash effect, so the brushes I picked are all on the higher end – they are very soft and fluffy and are designed to pick the pigments softly.

Brush Recommendations (from left to right) : HAKUHODO J511 Highlighter Brush (similar by MAC here); CHIKUHODO Z-Series Z 3 Contour; Suqqu Cheek Brush; Shu Uemura 17 Brush; CHIKUHODO GSN 02 Cheek & Highlight Brush (short handle version here)

Last but not least, I have included a comparison swatch between this and the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Highlighter and Contour Duo (reviewed here) and Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (reviewed here).

{ 5 comments }

Labels: BRONZER • HIGHLIGHTER • Tom Ford

Chanel Liquid Eyeliner Ligne Graphique Dream Blue, Illusion D’ombre Melody and Stylo Eyeshadow 127 Laurier Rose Review and Swatch

September 10, 2015

Today’s review is for an eye makeup combo that I’ve been loving lately. The Chanel Liquid Eyeliner LIGNE GRAPHIQUE De Chanel Dream Blue and the Cream Eye shadow Illusion D’Ombre Melody 98 are from the latest Chanel Blue Rhythm Collection , and the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow 127 Laurier Rose is from the permanent line that I picked up a while ago.

The Chanel Liquid Eyeliner in Dream Blue is one interesting purchase for me. I didn’t plan to buy it but got lured in after the SA tried it on my eyes. Though I own a significant amount of eye makeup, I don’t change the way I apply eye makeup that much – always some neutral eye shadow colors and an intense black eyeliner. So I thought using a colored eyeliner would be an easy step that I can take to add some variety to my makeup look. The formulation is very fluid and gives a smooth and even indigo blue line in one stroke. The applicator is thin and small that allows for an easy and precise application. I particularly love wearing this over a black eyeliner, as it becomes a blackish midnight blue color. It defines the eyes without looking too sharp, and it also brightens up the eyes. The difference is subtle but noticeable.

Different to their previous Illusion D’Ombre eye shadows that are on the shimmery side, the finish of Melody is almost semi-matte with a hint of satiny sheen. I would pass on this if it was just an ordinary matte peachy eye cream color, but the subtle rose gold sheen makes it special. It has a marshmallow-like texture, and feels more creamy than the others. Melody applies smoothly without caking up and looking dry and heavy on the eyes. It is a lovely everyday color that I would get so much use out of, and works excellent as a base color for all over the eye lid. It can also be doubled as an eye primer as it stays put for the whole day, and also prevents other eye shadows from creasing.

The Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow offers intense pigmentation, applies silky smooth with a cooling sensation and it has a great staying power. Laurier Rose is a beautiful vibrant coppery color with a rose undertone and has a slight metallic sheen that just makes your eyes pop. I particularly love the slanted tip which allows for a more controlled application, as it can be used as a thick eyeliner, or for applying over a larger area. I wish Chanel would release more of this in neutral colors!

EOTD: Wearing the blue dream eye liner, and Illusion O’mbre Melody all over the lid, with Stylo Eyeshadow 127 from the lash line into the crease.