Front Row Beauty

Snakeskin Print

September 26, 2011

I admit shamefully that sometimes I am a fashion victim. A typical case today as I wore a pair of printed pants that could potentially make me look 5 pounds heavier . It took me literally a few weeks to decide whether I needed this snakeskin printed pants by Zara in my life. I caved in when I noticed that Zara had restocked it in my size and I was able to snatch the last pair before someone else did – it’s a sign!

Top: Zara (current stock)

Pants: Zara (current stock)

Blazer: Zara (current stock)

Bag: Chanel (fall 2011)

Sunglasses: RayBan

Black Suede Pump: Wittner (current stock)

What do you think of this trend? Gotta have it or make it stop?!

{ 20 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • OOTD • ZARA

Something New…

September 24, 2011

Fresh off the plane from Paris! Self gifted myself a new Chanel Bag – the Reissue 2.55 Medium in Iridescent Calfskin from the Fall 2011 Collection.

Chanel has recently revamped their box and dust bag for their classic styles. Love the new design, especially the dust bag with Coco Chanel Print on it. According to my Chanel SA in Sydney, the new box and the dust bag will only apply to the classic styles and due to arrive in Australia within a few weeks time.

My new beloved Chanel 2.55 Reissue Medium in iridescent calfskin (seasonal finish). The finish is very fall to me, almost like a metallic suede. The Chanel website currently features this bag in dark purple.

I know many of you are interested to know the price of Chanel in France and how much exactly we can save compared to other countries.

The reissue 2.55 medium size in seasonal finishes such as patent, metallic and iridescent calfskin retails for $ 3110 Euro, that is equivalent to $4291.00 AUD. After VAT return it is Euro 2750, that is equivalent to $3800 AUD. In Australia this bag retails for $5080.

The reissue 2.55 medium size in its classic finish (the vintage lambskin) retails for $2700 Euro. In Australia it retails for appropriately $4800.

{ 29 comments }

Labels: BAG • CHANEL • Fashion • My Favorites

Suqqu Haul

September 23, 2011

As soon as mum told me she would be going to UK, I was over the moon! Partly because I was excited for her trip, and mostly because she could bring me back Suqqu – a brand that I lust after THE most.

You know you can trust a woman to buy your makeup for you, and mum did a fantastic job as she got me everything I had on my shopping list. I was like a little kid opening lots of Christmas presents, and so far everything totally lives up to my expectation. They just look and feel amazing, and look too precious to be used.

The shopaholic side of me was kicking myself that I really should have gotten more – ideally the entire range. The realist side of me was glad that I didn’t..the bill of these items was quite shocking already haha.

Ok end of my rambling and here are the amazing beauties:

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow in KAKITSUBATA

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow in MATSUKASA

Suqqu Balancing Cheek MOMOZOE

Suqqu Balancing Cheek MUKUGE

Suqqu Balancing Cheek OSHAGECHA

Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipsticks in KARAKURENAI

Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipsticks in URUMISHU

Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipsticks in SAEBANA

Joey from JoeySpace also recently did some great reviews on Suqqu Blend Eyeshadow and Balancing Cheek, check out her reviews here and here, and her FOTD here.

{ 22 comments }

Labels: SHOP • SUQQU

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipstick Swatches

September 21, 2011

I can never get bored of lipsticks – no matter how many I own! My latest acquisition is the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine. I have heard some youtube gurus raving about them so I took the plunge. It was instant gratification from the first swipe on my lips – it’s just amazing. I just knew that both the formulation and the finish were made for my needs. All the shades from this range are beautiful yet wearable so I couldn’t help but pick up 4 of them.

Some people don’t like the Shu Uemura packaging, but I absolutely adore them. They are cute and elegant at the same time, and has a futuristic edge to it. Best of all I can see the lipstick shade without opening the cap!

They feel extremely hydrating on the lips and have a soft balmy texture, as soft as the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine. In terms of finish, they are semi-opaque with a glass-like shine. They all contain very fine particles of shimmer that gives a wet look without the frost.

Here are the swatch pictures (taken on a dull day!) – did my best to capture the true colors however I failed to capture the beautiful glossy sheen of these lipsticks as can be seen in real life…

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS OR 520: A soft peach shade that is not too nude. Perfect for spring and summer and brightens up my NC15 complexion

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS BG 943: Best seller! A beige with a hint of brick brown undertone – it gives a very polished look which is very office appropriate.

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS PK 340 – A soft girly pink that gives a romantic and youthful look

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS BG 957: It’s a darker beige compared to BG 943 with a reddish undertone. My favorite shade out of all – I think it’s a sophisticated grown-up shade.

Group swatch:

{ 22 comments }

Labels: LIPSTICK • Shu Uemura

My Nars 0rgasm collection

September 19, 2011

This post has a mix of everything – I initially only wanted to show you the swatches of my Nars 0rgasm Collection. While taking swatch pictures of them, surprisingly my eye makeup of the day turned out really nice and sharp in the pictures thanks to the good lighting, so I like to share both with you.

Nars O blush was my first high end blush. To be honest I wasn’t that smitten with the shade at that time, as I thought it was just an ordinary peachy pink blush. As my makeup collection starts to build up and I have a wider range of colors to play with, I am becoming more fond of this shade. It is just a very easy-to-work-with shade and is flattering with almost any makeup look. It contains the right amount of shimmer which makes the finish neither too flat nor too shimmery – I do agree that it gives an O-glow as per the name haha. For a person like me who sleeps in almost every morning, there is nothing more convenient than a “no-brainer” shade.

I have already reviewed and compared the blush from the trio palette with the original blush, which you can find here.

I bought the Nars multiple 0rgasm after I came across a youtube clip of a professional MUA applying this nars on a gorgeous eurasian model. (sorry I can’t find the link as it was from a long time ago). I gasped when I saw the finish on her – it just looked soo beautiful. It is more pink with a more dewy finish compared to the original blush.

Nars Super O is a lovely peachy pink lipgloss, and again it is more on the pink side. Although it contains shimmers it applies smoothly and does not feel grainy on the lips.

Nars O Nail Polish

Group swatch: Except for the original blush, the rest all have a stronger pinkish undertone.

FOTD: Foundation was the Nars Sheer Matte. I had Nars Multiple O on my cheeks and the Nars Super O lipgloss on my lips.

On my eyes I used a mix of Nars eyeshadows: Nars Isolde over the lid and Nars Surabaya along the lash line with Nars Brumes on the outer v.

What is your favorite Nars O product? I am thinking to get the Nars O illumator..any thoughts?

{ 14 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • LIPGLOSS • NAIL POLISH • NARS

Clé De Peau Teint Naturel Fluide Cream Foundation Review

September 15, 2011

Clé De Peau Teint Naturel Fluide Cream Foundation is a new member to my family of Holy Grail foundations. It’s the latest foundation released by Cle De Peau that was to replace their previous cream foundation . I have always wanted to try their foundations as they are famous for their base makeup. When I was in Hong Kong last time I took the opportunity to visit the Clé De Peau counter and sampled all of their foundations, rather than risking ordering it online. The service was second to none as the girl who served me was extremely patient and not pushy. She pretty much did a free facial on me using their deluxe skincare products before sampling their foundations on me. In the end we both thought that this foundation looked the best on me – it also happened to be the most expensive foundation out of all, which set me back a record of AUD$128 (around USD$130) for a tiny bottle of foundation (25ml).

Clé De Peau Cream Foundation is the most finely milled foundation I have ever come across. It spreads and glides on my skin like the finest silk – the fingertips are the best way to apply this foundation because it doesn’t require any blending. It blends seamlessly and just melts into your skin like your second skin.

As opposed to their claim that it “gives a flawless coverage”, in my opinion the coverage of this foundation is sheer to medium. It doesn’t fully cover any visible blemishes and pigmentation on my skin but it really enhances my complexion to the best it can whilst still looking completely natural. It provides a semi matte finish with a natural radiance that seems to come from within. It maintains for about 5 hours with a “just-applied” finish then it starts to wear off.

I have been extremely picky with foundations lately ever since I bought a 5 magnification vanity mirror. I really can’t detect any trace of foundation on my face when I look into the magnified mirror. Even around the edge of nose and mouth, it does not collect up.

Applied only the Clé De Peau Cream Foundation on my face – my shade is 010.

It still has some flaws as I noticed that it flakes a little on top of some gel moisturizers, so I had to switch to a lotion underneath it. The texture almost absorbs into the skin too well – I need to use a pearl size amount of it which is more than what I would normally use with a foundation (normally it’s pea sized). For such a tiny bottle I can go through it within a months time which is really not cost effective.

Bottom Line: If you already have relatively good skin and you are after a foundation that gives “your skin but much much better”, then this is the one for you! When it is used in conjunction with their award winning concealer it almost warrants a flawless complexion. The foundation is available here and here.

{ 22 comments }

Labels: CLE DE PEAU • foundation

Chanel Les 4 Ombres in 18 Kaska Beige Swatch and FOTD

September 13, 2011

Apologies for the lack of posts lately because I have been busy planning my upcoming trip to the States in my spare time! I have always enjoyed my stay in the states from my previous trips – the service was just impeccable compared to Australia. Let’s not talk about the shopping there! Everything seems to be half the price of Australian retail.

Okay I shall contain my excitement a bit! Back to the main topic of this post today. My guy friend just returned from the States and I asked him to bring me back the US version of Chanel Les Ombres in PRELUDE. Knowing that he could make a mistake, I printed out a picture of Prelude and highlighted the name in BOLD and font 20 to him. In the end he still brought me back the Chanel Les 4 Ombres in 18 Kaska Beige..Haha oh well at least he tried…

Nevertheless Kaska Beige is a beautiful neutral palette, which is definitely a staple eyeshadow palette for the neutral lovers.

This is my first US version of Chanel Les 4 Ombres, and just as expected it has a softer and smoother texture and color pay off is much better than the baked version. I haven’t really made up my mind which version I prefer. To me the finish matters the most, and I noticed that the US version is more opaque whereas the baked version is more translucent which gives a really nice sheen when the light reflects on it.

Swatches of Kaska Beige – I like all shades except for the one at bottom right corner as it shows up quite muddy on my skintone. EOTD:

Upper lid: Applied a very light wash of the top right matte taupe shade all over the eye socket area, then smudged the bottom left plum brown shade along the lash line. I then dabbed the bottom right shade (which I did not like) in the middle.

Lower lid: Applied the top left beige shade at the tear duct area and lined the outer third of the lash line with the bottom left shade.

Overall Look:

I did my FOTD with the following products:

Ombres Tissées Iridescent Effects Eyes in Beiges

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in ROUGE

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Imaginaire

Last but not least, my falsies are Dolly Wink in 01 Dolly Sweet – gift from the lovely Elaine 🙂 Absolutely love them!

{ 31 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • DOLLYWINK • FALSE LASHES • FOTD

Les Jeans De CHANEL Swatch – Le Vernis Blue Rebel, Blue Boy and Coco Blue

September 8, 2011

Today is the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out in Sydney. As promised by Chanel, the Les Jeans De CHANEL nail collection created for the Fashion’s Night Out has debuted at the Chanel International Makeup Studios. They looked absolutely gorgeous in real life so I just had to have all three shades.

– Le Vernis Blue Rebel: a marine blue

– Le Vernis Blue Boy: a smoky blue with a hint of grey

– Le Vernis Coco Blue: a pale blue

Peter Philips – the Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, has developed a trio of blue lacquers, inspired by quintessence of casual chic: denim. A gradation of three shades, the colours range from deep to medium to very pale blue, evocative of the different styles and shades of one of the world’s largest wardrobe staples.

According the the Chanel ladies these three variations of blue are designed to be worn together – so I followed their idea. Chanel is probably the only brand that can make me wear 3 different shades of blue on one hand without looking inappropriate.