Front Row Beauty

Chanel Hong Kong Collection – Le Vernis Eastern Light Review and Swatches

March 5, 2013

I’m wearing Chanel Le Vernis Eastern Light from the Hong Kong Collection today. As you can see from the picture, it’s pretty much an opaque pure white color in cream finish with no shimmer. I wouldn’t say this color knocks my socks off, or a must-have for AUD$40 a pop. But as I am going through a pale nail color phase this season, I do find Eastern Light appeals to me for the following reasons:

– I like the contrast of the white color against my skin color. It makes the nails pop and gives a very clean manicured look.

– If you’ve grown weary of wearing vampy colors like me, it’s refreshing to wear a color that is completely on the other end of color spectrum!

Wearing 2 coats of Eastern Light. The quality is standard Chanel – 2 to 3 coats give an even and glossy finish.

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Labels: CHANEL • NAIL POLISH

Chanel Hong Kong Collection – Ombres Matelassees Pearl River Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

March 1, 2013

The Chanel Hong Kong Collection has quietly made its way to Australia. The capsule collection contains the Eyeshadow Palette Ombres Matelassees Pearl River which will be my review for today, and two Le Vernis Western Light and Eastern Light with reviews coming soon.

Pearl River is a beautiful palette of five eye shadows in mostly neutral shades. I always have a soft spot for Chanel eyeshadow palettes as they always manage to release a set of shades that are highly complementary to each other, classy yet with an edge, and with some degrees of variation to what they have done in the past. As much as I appreciate some makeup brands releasing color palettes with creativity and fun elements into it, at the end of the day wearability is my top priority when I shop for makeup, and Pearl River reaffirmed my choice. The quality of this palette is top notch and worth the high price tag, and it is different to their quads. If you aren’t convinced by Chanel’s regular quads, then you should definitely give this palette a try. These eye shadows feel noticeably softer, creamier with a velvety touch to it compared to the US/European quads. They are all nicely pigmented and swatching them was a breeze.

More close up pictures:

Shade description from left to right:

Shimmering silvery white
Shimmering golden champagne
Shimmering muted gold
Shimmering peach with a hint of rose-gold undertone to it. To me this is the star shade of the palette as it is stunning on its own, and can be easily mixed in with other colors in the palette.
Dark chocolate with multi-colored micro shimmer. Texture of this shade feels slightly dryer than the rest.

closeup shot

with flashSwatches:

I will be posting a FOTD wearing Pearl River this weekend and will provide an updated review if it’s different to my initial thought. For reviews of the nail polishes, check out The Beauty Look Book and The Makeup Blogette.

I bought the entire Hong Kong Beauty Collection at Chanel Makeup Studio in Sydney, and they are selling out fast! The Pearl River Palette retails for AUD$100. You can also purchase this on Chanel US.

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Labels: CHANEL • EYESHADOW

DIOR Cherie Bow Blush 729 Pink Happiness Review, Swatches and FOTD

February 27, 2013

The DIOR Cherie Bow is a collection that catches my heart this season. The theme is just so pretty, delicate and pink. I can’t pass by a beautiful blush like the DIOR Cherie Bow Blush in 729 Pink Happiness. It’s one of the most-wanted items for me from this collection when I first saw the preview, and after have been wearing it for the past few weeks it totally lived up to my expectations.

DIOR Cherie Bow Blush 729 is a dual pink powder blush in neutral pink. One side of the blush is matte, and the other side is slightly shimmer. I always like blushes that come with different textures, so it won’t look too flat on the face and always seem to make the application easier for a natural layering effect. The texture is standard Dior. It’s very densely packed so it doesn’t get powdery when you swirl the brush over. The powder feels silky smooth, and the pigmentation is good enough to show with a few swipes. For application, you can apply the matte side first then add the shimmering part for a layering effect. Or you can mix them up then apply as a lazy person like me would do! The results are the same – it adds a delicate touch of pink to the cheeks with a soft glow. It is not an overpowering pink, but pretty enough to give you a youthful look and make the face look more alive .

Swatches: Left: Matte, Middle: Shimmer, Right: Mixed

FOTD wearing Dior Cherie Blush in 729, and the Dior Diorshow Mono Eye Shadows in Spencer and Tweed (reviewed here) on my upper lid, and only Spencer on my lower lid.

On my face which is very tanned at the moment, the blush shows up very close to a neutral pink with a hint of coral.

Bottom Line: Definitely a must have blush if pink is your weakness! I bought mine in Australia for $75. It is also available here in the US, or here that ships internationally except Australia..

On a side note, a good news for the fashion fellas! Shopbop is holding its annual Spring Event with the following discounts. I always prefer this type of event as it applies to all merchandise (not just for the past season items), and I have so many items on my wishlist but I need to narrow them down from a maternal perspective which is very challenging 😛

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Labels: BLUSH • DIOR • EYESHADOW • FOTD

Some updates about me

February 25, 2013

Hi everyone, I just came back from my baby-moon to the beautiful Hamilton Island recently, and that is my exciting news to share although I am still a bit shy about it! Yes I am over 4 months pregnant now and that is why I have been absent from blogging as my focus has been strictly on my ever-expanding belly. I am a first timer so everything about being pregnant is exciting and anxious to me. There are a lot of physical changes that I am still not used to, such as being a few dress sizes bigger now, with a rounder face and feeling swelling everywhere else. I am also having extreme fatigue and nauseous everyday. These things do not sound glamorous at all, but as most mums-to-be would know I could not be happier with where I am now!

These pictures were taken at the magnificent qualia resort at Hamilton Island. The beauty and serenity of this place is breathtaking, and is perfect for a private and indulgent holiday.

Zimmermann Playsuit

Shades Gucci

Tiffany Bead Bracelet Silver Mini

Hermes CDC

Shoes Jimmy Choo

And here is a very preggo pic of me! My hubby is starting to call me an ‘egg’ now..

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Labels: ACCESSORY • Fashion • GUCCI • HERMES • Jimmy Choo • OOTD • TIFFANY

Dior Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows Swatches

February 11, 2013

A quick post on the new Dior Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows that just landed in Australia this week. The testers of the entire collection are out for display in major department stores, but not all shades are available in stock yet. So I have only picked up 452 Spencer and 760 Tweed for today, and still awaiting on the other shades I am interested in such as 653 Mordore which will arrive over the next few weeks.

The Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows can be used wet or dry. Dior makes richly pigmented and buttery soft eyeshadows, and these ones are no exception. Compared to the old Dior singles (which now have been discontinued), I find the new ones are of better quality. Most shades from this collection have a shimmer to mega-sparkly finish. The level of pigmentation is suffice for a natural finish when applied dry, but if you want a more intense finish with some extra wattage of the shimmer, it’s best to apply them with a damp applicator.

Some swatches of the entire collection I have taken with my iphone in store.

Top Row: Swan, Gris Montaigne, Sequins, Mordore, Spencer

Second Row: Garden Party, Ribbon, Grege, Panama, Swan

Left to Right: Bikini, Bow, Tweed, Lilas Mitzah, Mariniere

Left to Right: Blue Denim, Camouflage, Khol

A quick thought on the two shades I picked up today, which I thought are the two most interesting shades out of the collection that are unique to my current stash.

452 Spencer is a moss green grey with a silvery undertone. I picked this one because it’s a very wearable and earthy shade but not in the usual family of brown and taupe.

Left: Dry swatch Right: Wet Swatch

760 Tweed is a rosey mauve shade with a silvery taupe undertone. I chose this one because it reminded me of the Rose Platine Eyeliner by Chanel which I always hoped to have it in an eyeshadow form.

Left: Dry swatch Right: Wet Swatch

The new Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows are available here or here in the US. You can also purchase them here with free international shipping available.

I bought mine at Myer for AUD$47 each. There is a GWP at DIOR with a single purchase over $110 in Myer now.

On a side note, some of you may have noticed that I have not been blogging frequently lately. There are a few exciting things happening in my life which I would love to share the news with you all soon! So as much as I love blogging, it has taken a backseat for a while. But I am all ready to come out of hibernation and can’t wait to share and communicate with you all through this channel again 🙂

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Labels: DIOR • EYESHADOW

Holiday Sales Picks

December 27, 2012

Hi everyone, happy holidays! Hubby and I have planned our next holiday in late January, so we have decided to stay home this Christmas. To unwind the stress of a year of hard-work, there is nothing better than just doing nothing…other than indulging myself with good food, and lots of TV! The sales has officially started yesterday worldwide. I popped into the Sydney Central Westfield today but realized there were waves of people at every store! So I have decided to shop in peace in front of my computer and picked some of the best sales I have spotted online.

1. A.L.C Margaux Leather Jacket – The structure and the ribbed details on the sleeves make this moto jacket perfection.

2. Paul & Joe Sister Illiade floral print silk chiffon dress – an airy and flowy silk chiffon dress in a grunge-chic babydoll cut.

3. Rag & Bone Classic Newbury Booties – the classic Newbury booties are on sale in Burgundy!

4. Chan Luu Wrap Bracelet

5. YSL Treasury Snail Ring – a classic ring by YSL

6. Phillip Lim Convertible Vendetta Bag– a timeless and chic shoulder bag

7. Super Lucia Sunglasses

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Sequin Collar

December 18, 2012

I have a soft spot for beautiful dresses. Whether I am shopping online or in-store, it’s always a cute little flowy day dress that catches my attention first. I have tried to cut down the number of dresses I buy each season, but this beautifully-made collared silk dress from Gryphon is a nice addition to my wardrobe. It’s made of 100% silk chiffon, and the sequin collar lends an elegant feel to this airy and boho inspired printed dress.

The Céline Luggage Mini in Lemon is one of the goodies I brought back from Paris. It was a very fruitful trip to Paris as I was able to fight off all these other tourists and acquire some of the highly coveted items including this limited color. I was over the moon when the kind Céline SA sold me this bag from their warehouse as it wasn’t on display!

Dress – Gryphon Sequin Collar Shirtdress (bought here, and cheaper version here)

Shoes – Toni Bianco

Céline Luggage Mini

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Labels: ACCESSORY • CELINE • Fashion • OOTD

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity One Review

December 17, 2012

I recently splurged on the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity One. Makeup products designed for contouring is never really an area where I like to splurge on, but as my obsession grows I have decided to try out some of the best products in the market. What drew me in with this product is that it is a duet of highlighter and shading cream.

The packaging is exactly the same as their eye shadow quad. I have this in Intesntiy 01 which is a good match for my skin tone (NC15-20).

I generally prefer a fluid or cream based product for contouring over powder form. They blend into the skin seamlessly so it makes the result appear more natural (like your own shadow). In the old days I would normally use a darker foundation for contouring for a very subtle result. Compared to my old method, the contouring cream shade is much more pigmented and intense so it’s easier to use but I have to be very light-handed. A little bit of the product goes a long way and the color applies and blends evenly without too much effort! This is what I love most about this product as many contouring products can look uneven, patchy and bruisey on the face. The texture is also perfect- creamy enough to blend the product into skin seamlessly but not so slippery so it allows for a precise application for sculpturing and defining the face.

The cream highlighting shade feels like a solid clear cream gloss. Compared to the contouring shade, this texture is much more emollient and is super sheer. It can feel a little tacky on the skin if too much product is applied. On the face it gives this soft, translucent and wet-like glow that is often seen on the backstage models. It also makes the applied areas look more moist and dewy – dab this product on the apple of the cheeks makes you look instantly younger and fresher . On the downside, this cream highlighter only lasts for a mere of 1-2 hours if applied alone. If I apply another product over it, it defeats the purpose of using this for a natural and dewy glow. For that reason I would probably only use this highlighter for taking pictures as it photographs extremely well.

I bought mine in Australia here for AUD$98. The Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate can be purchased here in the US. A contouring tutorial using this product can be found here.

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Labels: HIGHLIGHTER • Tom Ford

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