kiss

If you are familiar with Asian cosmetics, you will know Kanebo Lunasol eyeshadow palettes are highly raved in Asia. Some of their signature neutral palettes as well as their seasonal limited edition palettes are always sold out. I too am a big fan of Lunasol in general and I have collected quite a few palettes from them. Today’s review is for the beautiful 04 Smoky Ocean eyeshadow palette from Lunasol’s Ocean Scene Eyes Line which is their newest range.

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The Ocean Scene Eyes Line adopts a new Soft Powder Formula Technology which delivers a moist and smooth texture. It carries 5 permanent palettes – I chose 04 Smoky Ocean because it seems to be the most cool toned palette out of them all. All eyeshadows in the palette are shimmery as this line is designed to create a translucent and wet looking finish.

Each eyeshadow is very finely milled with lots of fine silver shimmers. They do stand up to their claims – the shadows are cushiony soft and silky smooth. When I ran my fingers over each shadow I couldn’t feel any trace of graininess from the shimmer.

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Shades description from left to right for the below swatch:

white silvery shade with a hint of beige (lower left  in the palette)

a light grey with a hint of taupe (upper left  in the palette)

a pale blue with silver undertone (upper right in the palette)

this is such a unique color, a bluish charcoal with a hint of moss. (lower right in the palette)

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These are swatched heavily using the sponge applicator. When applied on the eyes using a brush, these shades appear more sparkly and translucent for a wet look finish which is the way I prefer.

How I wore them on my eyes for a subtle smokey eye look:

I only used 3 shades – the light grey all over the eyelid with the bluish charcoal applied along my upper lash and the outer v. The pale blue is applied along my lower lash.

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Bottom Line: The texture and the translucent finish of these eyeshadow are to die for. I am most impressed with its long wearability as they stay put for 8 hours. As for the palette, I won’t say it is a must have as it is more for summer only and is limited to smokey eye use.

Other products used:

Cheeks: Nars Multiple Tint in Turks and Caicos

Lips: Shu Uemura Lip duo tint and gloss in Love Apricot from the Takano Collection

Falsies by Kiss Me in style 02: I have to give special credit to these lashes. They are incredibly beautiful and they make such a huge difference to the eyes.

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Overall Look:

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Lunasol is not sold in Australia. They cost around $60 AUD if they are purchased over the Kanebo counters in Asia. Price varies online.

The Ocean Scene Eyes Range has recently released two LE palettes for their summer 2011 collection. Check out the gorgeous Elaine and PrettySeaEagle for their beautiful swatches!

 

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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.

best-becca-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.

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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.

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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.

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

mac-188-224-becca-polishing-brush-extra-smallBECCA 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.

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Size comparison

becca-mac-bobbi-brown-powder-brushThanks 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 🙂 )

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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.

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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

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Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette (Fall Limited Edition)

Mac Eye Kohl in I get No Kick

Chanel Under Eyes Corrector

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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

nars-larger-than-life-volumising-mascaraSKINCARES:

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.

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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

tsubaki-and-kerastase-haircareGeez..I am quite high maintenance aren’t I 😛

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Best Japanese Mascaras

May 10, 2011

Japanese drugstore mascaras are simply amazing, they outperform most of the high end mascaras I have used (and trust me I have had my fair share of all the expensive mascaras) at a fraction of the price.  The highlight of my recent trip to Asia was that I was able to get all the Japanese drugstore mascaras on my wish list. Some of them were really hard to find but devotion conquers all 🙂

A snap shot of all the mascaras I bought *blushing* – some are my staples and some are new to me.

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I have previously mentioned that the Heroine Make Kiss Me Volume and Curl is my absolute holy grail mascara. They have recently introduced a new version of it called Heroine Make Impact Frame and Curl Mascara and is  supposed to be even better. Is it possible?

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Majolica mascaras have become my staples since I started wearing them, people always ask me ‘are my lashes real?’.

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Kate Mascara Base lifts my dead straight lashes up to the air!  I am already up to my 3rd tube.

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Brow Lash Ex Mascara by Sony CP –  I was determined to get this mascara at all cost since my favorite youtube guru and blogger beautyQQ raves about it. It took me days to find it and I know I paid too much for it.

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Sasatinnie Super Dolly Powerful Mascara – I wasn’t planning to buy this, but I gave in after I was told by the shop girl this is best selling mascara in Sasa and I was blown away by the dramatic effect after I tried the tester.

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Fairy Drops Volumising Mascara – All the good reviews amongst the Asian beauty bloggers have me really wanting to try this out!  I just started using it recently, review is coming up this week.

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FYI I paid less than AUD $10 for the above mascara,s except for the brow lash Ex.

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FOTD – Rosy Cheeks

April 9, 2011

I have a birthday dinner to go tonight, I made an effort to do my makeup hours before so I can take some time to do a few snaps for FOTD.  My makeup for tonight is quite natural. Main focus is the rosy cheeks (When I think of Autumn I think of rosy cheek) –  eyes and lips are kept neutral as I don’t like to have too much makeup on since my friends usually only wear minimum makeup.

Closeups shots of my eyes

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Eye Products:

Too face shadow insurance

Chanel eyeshadow Quad in Spice

Stila smudge pot in Kitten

Lancome eyeliner in brown

Kiss Me Active Girl Mascara in Black on lower lashes

Ardell false eyelashes in Babies Black on upper lashes

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Overall look:

Face and Lip Products

Dior Radiant Base along my cheekbones

Dior Nude Natural Glow Hydrating foundation

Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer to highlight my under eye areas

Stila blush in Rose

Rimmel Lipstick in Nude Delight

Chanel Glossimer in Volage

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What is your favorite makeup look for Autumn? Would love to hear your thoughts.

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March Favorites

March 29, 2011

This is one of my favorite posts to make as a beauty blogger! Every month I would use different makeups and try out different skin cares. This is a good way of displaying my monthly affection.

march-makeups-for-front-row-beautyEyeshadows: Loving Taupes

Chanel soft touch eyeshadow in Taupe Grise

Nars eyeshadow duo in  Kalahari

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Blushes: Pink and Peach

Nars Blush

Mac Blush in Mighty Aphrodite from wonder woman collection

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Lipsticks: switching between beige and pink

Chanel Coco Rouge Shine in Aventure

Clinique Color Surge Butter Shine Lipstick in Baby Baby, a cheaper version of CRS

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Mascara: Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume and Curl Mascara

This is my 10th tube..absolutely the best mascara for Asian Lashes!

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Skincare: Philosophy Microdelivery Peel

A near perfect product to keep my skin congestion free and radiant

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Drugstore Products

Say Yes to Carrot Conditioner – thhhe most moisturizing organic conditioner

James Brown Rich Moisture Conditioner – almost as good as my Frederic Fekkai shea butter conditioner

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Shower Gel: Lush – The Joy of Jelly

Feels like tofu smells like heaven

lush-shower-gelOne disappointment: La Prairie  Cellular Hydrating Serum

At $280 a pop, the price does not equate to its performance-  it didn’t hydrate my skin any better than any other cheaper product could

la-prairie-serum-hydratantFashion Accessory:  Tiffany Key necklace

Watching the girls wearing key necklaces in Gossip Girls reminded me of how much I loved my Tiffany Key

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