Front Row Beauty

Lancome Rouge in Love Lipsticks Reviews and Swatches – 322M Corail in Love and 340B Rose Boudoir

May 23, 2012

Lancome has released a new range of long-wear lipsticks Rouge in Love (you can get them here in the US). Each lipstick retails for $45 in Australia. The entire range is divided into 3 variations of pigmentation, referred to as a “mood” by Lancome. I bought:

– the lipstick in 322M Corail in Love , and it falls into the mood of Jolis Matins: “Pretty morning” ready-to-wear, and luminous fresh day shades that recreate daylight on the lips, for subtle and soft brilliance, due to the precious mother-of-pearl.

– the lipstick in 340B Rose Boudoir, and it falls into the mood of Boudoir Time: Trendy, punchy “it” shades that give color to the lips thanks to the intense contrasted mother-of-pearl. These shades offer an intense bright color reflection. Perfect to start the evening right.

I have skipped the most intense range as I thought the pigmentation was just way too rich for my liking – Tonight is My Night: Sophisticated, pure intense shades to give depth to lips and brighten a night out, for a deep lacquered effect and luminous color, thanks to gold mother-of-pearl.

I like to judge the makeup by its packaging, and unfortunately I do not like the packaging of Rouge in Love. I cannot really pinpoint the reason (maybe it resembles an aluminum tube..) but they just look cheap next to my arrays of other high end lipsticks.

Please note that the two lipsticks I bought look strikingly similar when they are side by side, but they show up completely different on my lips due to the difference in pigmentation.

322M Corail in Love is a foolproof peachy pink shade for everyday use without any shimmer. The formula is good but I won’t say it is blowing me away. It applies nicely, feels lightweight and non-drying and leaves a semi-satiny sheen to the lips. The lasting power does live up to my expectation, as I get to have 4-5 hours wear even while drinking in between. My only pet peeve is that I consider it as a full coverage lipstick (completely covers the natural colors of your lips), as opposed to what I expected which was a luminous finish. If I apply only a sheer wash of the color, it looks almost matte on my lips. In the swatch below I had to swipe it over my lips a few times to get a sheen.

340B Rose Boudoir is unique and beautiful. I can’t find any dupe of this from my stash of lipsticks. It shows up as a true warm neon pink on my lips. The pigmentation is rich and intense, but in the meantime it stills feel feathery light on the lips. I have not tried other shades in the Boudoir Time range, but I thought Lancome has given the perfect description for Rose Boudoir – it is young, trendy and punchy. One of those “IT” shades that will just make you the center of attention from the crowd. It will be my default “party shade” from now on! The phenomenal lasting power is truly cocktail proof.

Group Swatches:

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Labels: LANCOME • LIPSTICK

Print Mania

May 16, 2012

Being a neutral lover and minimalist, this season I am heading in a completely opposite direction – Print Mania! Totally obsessed with this trend at the moment and this mesmerizing floral print dress by Zara is one of the many I bought recently.

Zara Dress, Hermes Cuff, Tony Bianco Booties

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Labels: Fashion • OOTD

Cat Eyeliner Flick Tutorial

May 14, 2012

Every girl who wears makeup would have a signature look that they tend to wear on a frequent basis. As for me I always like to wear a thin black eyeliner with a little flick (as you can see in all of my FOTDs). I have often been asked about how I do the eyeliner flick. It is not rocket science, and any girl who has the right makeup tool can do it, but the key is to make the flick work with your eye shape. Just because a feline eyeliner look is sultry on a celebrity/model, it doesn’t guarantee that it will do justice to everyone’s eyes or your facial features. So my answer to all of them was to practice and practice to work out the best shape.

I have been wearing this look for years, and I have put together some tips in this tutorial for you. To begin with, I have already drawn a line along my upper lash but without the flick.

Step 1: Define the angle of the flick

Here is a trick to define the angle of the flick – if you are like me who likes to fill out the outer third of my lower lash line, then look straight into the mirror and draw the line starting from the lower lash line first. Now extend it pass the end of your eyes following its natural curve, and stop at your desired length (see picture 1). Alternatively you can put a pen/brush from the side of your nose to the end of your eye brow and draw the flick (see picture 2). This is the most important step, and as said the angle of the flick has to complement the shape of your eyes. If your eyes are slanted, your might want to bring the angle down. On the other hand, if your eyes are droopy, you can bring the angle more upward.

Step 2: Draw the Flick

The rest is all relatively easy. Now that I have ‘marked’ the flick, I can just fill it out with a liquid eye liner and make sure it joins the top liner . Very gently pull up your eyelid so it helps to draw the line straighter and more smoothly.

Step 3: Improving the Shape of the Flick

The final step is to adjust the shape and the thickness of the flick to make it look nicer and sharper.

Before And After

This is the size of the flick I would normally do on a daily basis. In my FOTDs I normally wear it slightly more dramatic.

I personally prefer to use a liquid eye liner as it gives me better control to draw the line. Hope you found this tutorial helpful!

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Labels: TUTORIAL

KIEHL’S Cucumber Herbal Toner and Ultra Facial Toner Reviews

May 10, 2012

I have finished using my KIEHL’S Cucumber Herbal Toner and the Ultra Facial Toner recently so I thought I would do a quick review for them. The older I get, the better I know what my skin needs and it appears my skin always reacts better to the gentle products. I bought these primarily because both of them are gentle, hydrating and most importantly – they are alcohol free. It may sound like quite a simple criteria but if you check out the ingredient list of your toners, you might find that a lot of them contain alcohol.

The KIEHL’S Cucumber Herbal Toner is my second bottle. I love it! The texture is exactly the same as water, and appears as reminiscent of the real cucumber water. Both the name and the smell appears very organic and natural to me, and I find it very enjoyable to use. It instantly hydrates and soothes my skin, and it can also be used as a very mild astringent (but alcohol-free!) so it purifies the skin gently and reduces the appearance of pores. This is exactly what I am after from a simple product that I can rely on all year round and works well with any skin condition. It’s been with me through the transition from summer to winter and my skin was more sensitive during the change of seasons, and the KIEHL’S Cucumber toner is my savior.

The texture of KIEHL’S Ultra Facial Toner is milky white, and has a thicker consistency than the cucumber water and it is fragrance free. It mainly contains ingredients such as Glycerin, Hyaluronate, Sweet Almond Oil, Kernel Oil which all help to moisturize the skin. It does prep my skin well for other products as it absorbs immediately without any residue. As a toner alone it is quite average in my opinion – it hasn’t done any harm but neither has it impressed me. I sometimes use it after the cucumber water as a more moisturizing intensive toner, but most of the time I like to use it as a quick mask lotion. I bought these amazing cotton pads and each sheet can be separated in to 5 sheets when it is wet. So I like to completely soak it with the Ultra Facial Toner and leave them on my face and neck for 5 minutes as a quick fix for hydration. That way it leaves my skin feeling super moisturized, smoother and softer.

Japanese Cotton Pad (bought here)

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Labels: KIEHL'S • SKINCARE

The Most Coveted

May 9, 2012

If I could only wear one accessory for the rest of my life, it has to be this one. I want it in every single color and hardware and leather finish!

The timeless Hermes Collier De Chein in the limited edition plum magenta with silver hardware. Oh..I love it!I love makeup..but I think for this year I would refrain myself from buying so many of them so I could spend the money on more investment/lust-worthy items that hold their value over time. How about you ladies, what are you lusting after at the moment?

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Labels: ACCESSORY • HERMES

Chanel Stylo Yeux Eyeliner BEIGE CLAIR and GRENAT Review and Swatches

May 8, 2012

I bought the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in BEIGE CLAIR from the Le Blanc 2012 Collection and in GRENAT from the Spring 2012 Collection recently. Both of them are limited editions. I normally don’t buy high end pencil eye liners but Chanel always make me break my rules!

Out of the two Beige Clair is the best purchase in my opinion. I have been searching for a creamy matte flesh-colored eyeliner pencil for the longest time, and I am so glad Chanel has finally released one. I like to wear it along the lower inner rim, as it instantly makes my eyes appear more energized, brighter and bigger. The formulation of Stylo Yeux Eyeliner is hands down the most smudge proof and waterproof that I have ever used. I have quite watery eyes, and Beige Clair lasts on my eyes for the whole day without fading . The color is so versatile so you can also use it as a nude lip liner or a pointed concealer pen.

Grenat is another unique shade. I don’t usually wear colored eye liner, so to me Grenat is nice to have but not a must. It is a rich plummy brown shade, and it would look absolutely gorgeous on green and blue eyes. As for my eyes, it looks the best when it is paired against cool toned eye shadows, otherwise it seems to emphasize the redness of my eyes. The lasting power of Grenat is also phenomenal.

Wearing Grenat on my eyes

Comparing them with Rose Platine.

From left to right: Rose Platine, Grenat and Beige Clair

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Labels: CHANEL • EYELINER

Le Blanc De Chanel 2012 Collection – Joues Contraste Fleur De Lotus Powder Blush Review and Swatches

May 6, 2012

Being an Asian I always find it hard to resist the Asia Exclusive Collection, as the color palette is specifically designed for the Asian coloring, and the quality is often surpassing my expectation. Chanel has released its Le Blanc 2012 collection a while ago, and I literally wanted everything from the collection but my rational side has limited myself to a few products. One of them is the Joues Contraste Fleur De Lotus Powder Blush which I think is an absolute must have.

Whoever owns this beautiful blush would agree with me that the quality is more superior than the regular JC Blush. The powder is still baked, but is more finely milled, softer and offers a better color payoff. Unlike the regular JC which requires more than a few swipes, the Fleur De Lotus only needs less than 2 swipes per side.

Fleur De Lotus is a universally flattering peachy pink color – an everyday “go to” shade that would complement any makeup look. If you like the Nars 0rgasm, Fleur De Lotus is a more luxurious and refined version of it. It contains finer shimmers and the overall powder texture feels smoother. The finish is more subdued than the Nars, and it inherits the unique finish of a baked formula that offers a satiny sheen with a soft flow. Espiegle is another popular JC shade, so I have also included it in the comparison swatches for you.

Wearing Fleur De Lotus

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Labels: BLUSH • CHANEL • NARS

Suqqu Spring 2012 – Blend Color Eye Shadow 11 HIMESANGO Review and Swatches

April 29, 2012

Hi everyone, long time no see! Hope you are all well. I went on a vacation during Easter, and then I have been swamped with work upon return so I decided to take a mini break from blogging. I received a few packages today from all of my blogging friends over the world – can’t thank enough of them! The minute I opened my long awaited Suqqu Blend Color Eye Shadow HIMESANGO 11 from its Spring 2012 collection, I knew I had to share it with you immediately. My heart is singing when I swiped my fingers across these too-die-for eye shadows.

Different to the eyeshadow quad from the permanent line, the spring collection comes with 5 colors. As a taupe lover I bought shade 11 Himesango. All shades are foolproof and they layer together beautifully. If you think the permanent line is not pigmented enough, then this spring Suqqu has delivered an extraordinary eye shadow palette. The pigmentation is richer with an ultra buttery and velvety texture (it almost felt cushiony!). The three shimmery shades contain the finest micro-shimmer, and they apply silky smooth with a delicate gleam . I love the fact that there is always a matte shade included in the palette. Himesango contains an ivory white which feels creamy and serves as an excellent base color. It instantly evens out the lid color and make your eye makeup look “cleaner’. As I have mentioned in my earlier post, Suqqu eye shadows are the most densely pressed and smoothly milled, so you will never experience any fallout with their eye shadows.

Swatches of Himesango

This picture below is out of focus but it shows the gleam well…

On my eyes:

Upper Lid: Applied the peachy shade all over the eye socket, then layered with the taupe shade beginning at the lash line and blending into the crease line. Finished with the lighter chocolate shade intensifying the outer v.

Lower lid: Accentuate the inner corner with the shimmery peachy shade, and rim the outer third with the dark chocolate shade and smudged the taupe shade across.

Overall Look: