Front Row Beauty

Lunasol Aurorized Eyes in 05 Contrast Variation Review and FOTD

August 21, 2011

One of my lovely readers at phbr.tumblr asked me if I could do an EOTD and FOTD with the Lunasol Aurorized Eyes. She was one of the first people who found my blog and it just means so much to me that I still have readers from the beginning! Lunasol is known for their eyeshadow palettes and quints – they carry many lines in different themes. One of my favorites is the Contrast Variation quints from the Aurorized Eyes Line.

The quints are a pleasure to play with – one of the best amongst my Lunasol collection. The darker colors are rich with a satiny sheen, the glitters you see in the pan do not show up on the eyes. The two lighter colors (the one in the middle and the one on the bottom left) are all flesh toned in Lunasol’s signature wet sparkly finish. Once they are blended out the difference between these two shades is small, although the center shade is more sparkly. All shadows apply silky and buttery smooth with no fallouts.

EOTD:

Upper: Applied the top right shade all over the eye socket area then layered the top left shade along the lash line. As usual I like to apply the darkest shade, which is the purple navy shade on the bottom right on the outer V.

Lower: Applied the bottom left shade along the lash line, the middle shade was added on the tear duct area and the top left shade was used on the outer third of the lash line.

FOTD

The lovely Elaine also did an EOTD with Aurorized Eyes in Contrast Variation, check it out here!

{ 35 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • FOTD • LUNASOL

Suqqu Eyelash Curler Review

August 19, 2011

I have such mixed feelings about the Suqqu Eyelash Curler. I am in denial that this is not the perfect eyelash curler for me – it just falls short of my expectation after I have read so many wonderful reviews about it (mostly from Asian bloggers).

Where do I begin..I was not in desperate need of a new eyelash curler. I have been content with the performance of my Shu, Koji and Shiseido eyelash curlers – they work great for me. I caved in after seeing Suqqu eyelash curler featured in numerous Japanese beauty magazines, as well as praise from everyone. Knowing that the design is tailored for Asian eyes and hooded eyes, I was attracted to it because I am an Asian with slightly hooded eyes!

The special feature of the Suqqu eyelash curler is that the tip is extended out in the center. When you hold the curler against your eyelid, this enables you to push and lift your eyelid up so it gets to the roots of your lashes for a more curled and lifted effect. A great feature for people who have hooded eyelids, short and straight lashes.

This is the instruction that comes with the eyelash curler. As you can see, the first step is to hold it horizontally against the lid and gently push it in to lift the lash line . It took me a while to get use to it.

Compared to the Shu Uemura and Koji eyelash curlers, the curvature of suqqu is in between – it is slighter flatter than Shu Uemura and more curved than Koji. It fits into my eye socket perfectly.

It would have been a perfect curler if it didn’t have a square rubber pad. Why Suqqu…why?! I have to apply more pressure to curl the lashes and they are slightly crimped for my liking. The curvature along the lash line is almost straight, so it doesn’t get to the two ends of the my lashes in one go. I had to curl it in different angles. Having said that, it is subject to the shapes of your eyes. My eyes are almond shaped so Shu fits better.

Bottom Line: Overall it is a good eyelash curler, it doesn’t pinch and it curls the lashes from the roots very well. I would still prefer Shu Uemura as it requires less effort for around the same result. I found that the special feature of the Suqqu eyelash curler didn’t have much benefit for my eyelids. It might work better for you if your eyes are more hooded or monolid.

If you are interested in Shiseido, Shu Uemura or Koji eyelash curlers, you can find my review here.

{ 14 comments }

Labels: Eyelash Curler • KOJI • Shu Uemura • SUQQU

My favorite lipglosses – Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss

August 17, 2011

Ever since I started blogging, I plan my weekends based on the availability of sunshine. Last weekend was a sunny day so I took the opportunity to swatch the Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss which are my all time favorite lip glosses. Trust me, I am not biased just because they are by Chanel. I have had a fair share of lip glosses and these glosses are by far the best I have tried. They come in the most flattering shades and I have collected all the pink shades from the line.

The packaging reflects the high price tag for a lip gloss. Different to their lipsticks, these glosses come in a weighty black lacquered glass tube. As I have said earlier, I feel my money is justified if a product is packaged beautifully and carries some weight, as opposed to the cheaper drugstore makeup. All of the ones I own contain no shimmers and are semi opaque. The colors are rich enough to show up on the lips whilst still showing a hint of your natural lip tone – which is exactly what I am after from a lip gloss. The finish is a cross between luminous and jelly like. They also felt extremely hydrating to the lips – as soon as they are applied on my usual dry lips, they look instantly more plumped and the appearance of lines and chapped skin is gone.

Let’s start with Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 57 Insolence – a bright yet wearable pink

Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in55 Confidence – a rosy pink

Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in54 Liberte – a peach with a hint of pink

Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in56 Imaginaire – a pink with a hint of coral, my favorite shade out of them all

Last but not least, a group swatch – aren’t they all so pretty?!

Bottom line: All shades are extremely wearable and would work well with any skin coloring. Highly recommend if you prefer lipglosses that provide just the right amount of color to your lips with a high gloss shine that is not shimmery nor frosty. They are non sticky and wear for about 3 to 4 hours. Of course they can be layered with lipsticks for a more dramatic look.

{ 45 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • LIPGLOSS

What’s in my handbag and OOTD

August 14, 2011

My dear hubby bought me a bunch of beautiful roses on the weekend, so what better way to accompany it than do a “what’s in my bag”?

Bag: Chanel Maxi Flap with silver hardware – perfect size for an everyday bag

Wallet: LV Insolite wallet in Multicolore

Makeup Pouch by Burberry

Dior Sunnies

A comb

IPhone 4

OOTD

Dress: Parker Faux Warp Dress in Nude, purchased here, leopard version here and floral version here.

Necklace: Mimco

Shoes: Ankle booties in taupe suede by Toni Bianco

{ 39 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • Fashion • MIMCO • My Favorites • OOTD

Chanel Fall Makeup FOTD

August 12, 2011

Just a quick FOTD wearing mostly Chanel Fall makeup. I have to say, I am deeply in love with the Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows as they have surpassed my expectations. As much as I still love my Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill, I think the Chanels are more wearable as they can apply sheer in a translucent shimmery finish which is more daytime appropriate. The Chanel Joues Contraste Rose Ecrin is also my favorite go to blush for now – I have been using it almost everyday, the neutral pink complements any eye makeup looks.

A breakdown of the makeup I used:

I primed my face with Chanel Base Lumiere underneath the Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation. Applied the corrector under the eyes to conceal and highlight, and J/C Rose Ecrin blush was applied along the apples of the cheeks.

It was the most simple eye makeup I have ever done. Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Illusoire was the only eyeshadow I used as I didn’t want other products to take its attention away. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to fully capture the beautiful purple sparkles on the eyes as the photos were taken on a gloomy and cloudy day hence the dull lighting…I then applied a pair of natural falsies and lined my eyes with Dolly Wink eyeliner. Shiseido Perfect Mascara was applied on my lower lashes (btw so far its not that perfect).

Lipstick was by Chanel Aqualumiere in Maya (one of my last few Aqualumiere backups…), layered with Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Pampille.

Hope you all had a chance to check out the Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadows – there are so many goregous shades to choose from and they are quick to apply and stay put all day long without creasing. Highly recommended!

Just a quick note:

I have been MIA a little this week haven’t I? I have been flat out this week and this morning I woke up with severe swelling around the eyes after using an eyelash growth product…so please excuse me if I haven’t responded to your questions via emails or comments…will get to them soon 🙂

{ 31 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • FOTD

Suqqu Cheek Blush Brush Review

August 6, 2011

What could be more exciting than a Chanel Fall Haul for me? It was my recent purchase of the legendary Suqqu Cheek Blush Brush! I have had it for about 2 weeks now – it was hard for me to contain the excitement for that long, but I really wanted to give it a good use before I jumped to the conclusion that this is the world’s best blush brush (as everyone has said it to be). Suqqu is a Japanese high end brand that I have long been fascinated with…out of all the high end brands I lust for Suqqu the most because of their superior quality as well as exclusiveness. Knowing that this is Lisa Eldridge’s favorite blush brush made me more determined to have it!

The brush comes with a paper box, both the handle and the ferrule are made of black lacquered plastic. It is a round and relatively flat brush that fans out slightly towards the tip.

Compared to the standard sized blush brush (ie MAC 129), Suqqu blush brush is considered just as small. It is about the same width as my Shu Uemura’s Blush Brush in 17, but rounder, fluffier and has more volume to it.

From Left To Right: MAC 129, Suqqu Blush Brush; Shu 17

The brush is made of pure grey squirrel hair. The softness totally lives up to my expectation – ultra soft and silky. When I first received this brush, I couldn’t stop sweeping it across my face over and over just to experience the sensation. Unlike some other brushes which can feel quite prickly if I dab the tips directly on to my face, with Suqqu..in the words of Lisa it felt like a kitten’s paw (as I cannot find a better description of it).

Here is a close up shot of MAC and Suqqu – although it doesn’t capture the softness, it certainly shows the visual differences in the hair textures. By no means is the MAC129 a bad brush, but when it is next to Suqqu, the hair looks coarse and lacks of this glossy and silky sheen.

I have been using this brush with many different blushes. The relatively small shaped brush is perfect for depositing the pigments precisely on to the cheeks and its softness and fluffiness is perfect for blending. Before I had this brush, my only worry was that it might lack some resistance for blending as many ultra soft brushes are like. I was so pleased to find out that the hair is just bouncy as goat hair, which is perfect for me as I like to feel the resistance of the hair when blending. For a highly pigmented blush, this brush is fool proof as it grabs the perfect amount of pigments. With a less pigmented blush such as the Chanel J/C Rose Ecrin which I have been using (baked version), it applies more sheer than a goat brush. I don’t mind to keep layering it on but if I’m rushed for time this is not the best choice.

Bottom Line: My blush brush ranges from MAC, Bobbi Brown, Nars, Chanel etc…but my Suqqu brush truly makes them incomparable in terms of softness, ease of use and the amount of joy it brought me! It was certainly worth the high price tag for me. However, is it a must have? We all have handbags right? Do you consider having a Birkin as a must have?..some would..some wouldn’t. The same with this – this brush won’t make a significant difference to the final result of your makeup. It really comes down to how much you appreciate luxury makeup.

Suqqu brushes are avaiable here.

All the pictures of the Suqqu brush in this post are post wash.

I have also purchased some Suqqu eye blending brushes which I will report back on soon 🙂

{ 38 comments }

Labels: BRUSHES • SUQQU

Chanel Fall 2011 Collection Haul

August 4, 2011

Chanel Fall 2011 Collection is finally landed in Australia! If you have read my previous post you would know I picked up some items from this collection. Thanks to all the fabulous beauty bloggers who have reviewed this collection extensively – I had a fairly good idea in terms of what I wanted to get.

I love everything I picked out, at the end of day it’s hard not to love anything by Chanel! Of course I could have easily bought more Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadow but I figured that these are the absolute essential shades for me for now.

Clockwise from top right:

– Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 83 Illusoire (AUD$48)

– Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 82 Emerveille (AUD$48)

– Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 68 Rose Ecrin (AUD$71)

– Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in 156 Pampille (AUD$46)

– Le Vernis Nail Colour in 529 Graphite (AUD$39)

I am not going to review these products as there are so many greats reviews already. My personal picks are Cafe Makeup and The Beauty Look Book – who wouldn’t appreciate their reviews and beautiful pictures?! Since these products are still brand new, I felt they deserve to be photographed. Hopefully they will serve the purpose of creating some lemming for you 🙂 I have also taken some pictures of possible dupes for you.

Let’s start with Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 82 Emerveille versus Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill in 08 Nola

Compared to the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in 08 (reviewed seperately here), the Chanel is more peachy, and less metallic.

Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 83 Illusoire – must have!

Swatched by the enclosed brush applicator

Once it is sheered out, 83 Illusoire reminded me of these purply shades I’ve got.

Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Ecrin (left) compared to Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Petale (right)

I forgot to include Chanel Tweed pink in the pictures, you can find the review here. Compared to the other two, Chanel Rose Ecrin is a neutral pink.

Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in 156 Pampille (middle) compared to 87 Seashell (left) and 25 Voyage (right)

Le Vernis Nail Colour in 529 Graphite – so beautiful

Graphite compared to Black Pearl and Steel – it is striking that they look completely different even though they all have an undertone of black.

What else do I want to get:

– Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Epatant – I didn’ see it at the counter…

– Chanel Quad in Prelude – Pity that Australia only has the baked version and I am trying to get my hands on the US version.

Bottom Line: Chanel Collections never fail to impress us. The nail lacquers and the Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadows are the must haves. I can’t wait to wear them 🙂

{ 35 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • SHOP

Les Aquarelles De Chanel – Ombres Tissées Beiges Swatch

August 3, 2011

I went to the Chanel counter to pick up some makeup from the Fall Collection (finally it’s arrived in Australia!), and the lovely SA showcased the upcoming Les Aquarelles De Chanel Collection to me. They had a tester available for preview only and the collection will be for sale some time next month in Australia.

The star product of the collection has to be the Ombres Tissées Iridescent Effects Eyes in Beiges for me. Created in the image of the Haute Couture Collection, it takes on a fine knit texture of silvery, golden and pinkish tones of beige. I couldn’t wait till next month so I quickly snapped some pictures using my Iphone at the shop. So please excuse the poor quality of the pictures for this post 😛

Picture of the tester – without the overspray

Swatched from top to bottom:

with flash

Although it’s meant for the eyes (by the sound of its name), I would much prefer to use it as a face highlighter. Quickly swiped the product on my face at the shop.

My initial impression: Don’t be discouraged by the super sparkly finish shown in the swatch. When applied with a fluffy brush and softly swept over the cheekbone, it gives a very youthful soft luminous glow that gleams under light – there wasn’t any visible flecks of silver glitters on my face. The beige undertone blended into the skin beautifully without looking frosty. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

FYI, Ombres Tissées Beiges will retail for AUD$100.

{ 18 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • HIGHLIGHTER

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