MAC

Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush Large Review

August 23, 2011

Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush Large could be the best buy of the year for me. It is expensive (costs around USD$75) but it is worth every single penny! Ever since I got this brush I barely used any of my other blending brushes in my stash. It is made of 100% grey squirrel hair. The softness is on par with the Suqqu cheek brush (reviewed here). My eyes have been super sensitive lately – as a result I cannot use some of my usual go-to brushes because I find them irritating on my fragile skin around the eyes. This brush feels exceptionally silky soft and soothing, it makes applying makeup just that little bit more enjoyable!

The shape of this brush is wide and rather flat compared to the usual blending brushes such as MAC 224 or MAC 217. The brush is fluffy, voluminous and bouncy – you will love the feel of the soft resistance coming from an ultra soft brush, which is what a goat hair brush lacks.

Although this brush appears quite flat from the side, the brush head is just as fluffy as the MAC 217 and 224 but more tapered. Quite a multifunctional eye brush in my opinion. I like to use the wide side to apply the eye color over a large area, and the tapered tip for defining the crease and for swirling the brush to blend. This brush is designed to provide a sheer wash of color (not a laydown brush) so it picks up about the same amount of color as MAC217.

The amazing thing about this brush is that it applies the eyeshadows beautifully. I have no idea what magic has been cast on to this brush (could be the fact that it is made of super fine and silky smooth natural ending squirrel hair)..I have been using this brush with all sorts of eyeshadows ranging from sheer to rich, shimmery and powdery (ie baked version of Chanel). It never fails to distribute the color incredibly evenly over the area you apply, and it polishes to a smoother finish.

Bottom Line: A must have for anyone who loves a good brush! Definitely worth saving up for.

You can find Suqqu brushes on Selfridges.

{ 15 comments }

Labels: BRUSHES • MAC • SUQQU

MAC Lightful Ultracharge Foundation Review

July 23, 2011

I am probably not a big fan of MAC makeup…there are only a handful of MAC products that I love and will always repurchase them. One of them is the MAC Lightful Ultracharge Foundation SPF 25 Compact. Unfortunately it is an Asia exclusive product as this line is designed for brightening the complexion – since fair skin is high in demand in Asia.

This is the third time I have purchased this – I always re-stock them whenever I get to go overseas. The packaging is much better than the normal MAC products – it comes with an ivory white lacquered finish case that feels sturdy and weighty. It includes a mirror and has two compartments allowing you to store the product and the sponge seperately.

It can be used as a foundation alone or as a powder. The powder is so finely milled and silky smooth and the texture reminded me of the finest velvet. The coverage is sheer to medium so I mainly use it for retouching my makeup throughout the day. It blends into my skin perfectly without looking powdery and cakey. On the oily t-zone, this powder doesn’t look blotchy and absorbs the oil.

Applied MAC Lightful Ultracharge powder on top of Becca Luminous skin finish which is a very sheer foundation that has no coverage. As you can see, it looks very natural (doesn’t enhance any dry patches and fine lines) whilst offering a nice coverage and covers the pores.

A closer shot – there is no trace of powder on the cheek area. However it tends to collect around the edge of the nose, which is the case with any powder foundation.

On the left side of my face, I applied MAC Lightful Ultracharge Powder as a foundation on bare skin using the sponge applicator. The finish is pretty much identical to the above, except that it slightly enhances the dry skin around the nose.

Bottom Line: I love it for retouching my makeup, not as a foundation. Compared with some other compact powders that are on the higher end such as La Mer, La Prairie, Guerlain and Chanel that I have used, this one works the best on my skin type for a natural finish and good value for money. The SPF25 is an added bonus!

Some of you may ask how does this one compare to MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural? Size wise, the MAC Lightful contains 14 grams of product and the Skinfinish contains 10 grams. The texture of MAC Lightful is more finely milled hence it feels much more smoother and looks finer on the skin than the Mineralize Skinfinish. They both last about 5-6 hours on me.

In terms of shades, I am MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in light, and MAC Lightful in NC 20. They appear quite differently in the pan but once blended out on the skin they are both translucent.

The MAC Lightful has a yellow base to it which I believe would suit people with a warm skin tone better.

MAC Lightful retails for around $50 in Australia. I bought mine at the Sydney Galleria Duty Free Shop which is the only shop in Sydney that stocks High End Asia exclusive products.

That’s all! Hope you all have a good weekend 🙂

{ 13 comments }

Labels: foundation • MAC • POWDER

Best Liquid Eyeliners

July 12, 2011

Nothing defines my eyes better than the use of an intense black eyeliner – it is something I cannot live without since high school! I am always on the hunt for the best, blackest and smoothest black liquid eyeliner. I have tried tons of them from the most expensive brands to the most affordable. This post is going to be a comparison of some of the best liquid eyeliners that I have tried so far, and the good news is..most of them are drugstore brands and cost less $12 bucks!

All of these eyeliners are intensely black. They all have a fine tip which allows for easy application and gives a precise and clean line. They go on smoothly and fluidly without smudging and last all day.

From Left to Right:

1. Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black: felt tip

2. Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner in BK999: brush tip

3. Koji Linequeen in Strong Black: brush tip

4. MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in On The Hunt: felt tip

5. K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h in 01 (best seller in one of the biggest Japanese drugstores): has a brush tip and claims that it wears like a tattoo for 24 hrs

Battle 1: THE FINEST TIP

Winner: Koji Linequeen has the most ultra fine tip of only 0.1mm – perfect for defining the winged look precisely. (shown in the far right)

Runner Up: K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h (shown 2nd from the right)

Battle 2: THE BLACKEST BLACK – tested with swatching each eyeliner with only 1 stroke at the same pressure

Winner: Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black

Runner Ups: MAC ties with Majolica

Battle 3: MOST SMUDGE PROOF – tested with rubbing my fingers over them several times

Winner: Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner – the opacity stays the same while the rest show signs of fading.

Worst Performance: MAC – the only one that starts to flake off.

Battle 4: MOST WATERPROOF – tested with spraying water over them

Winners: All good except for K-Palette

Worst Performance: K-Palette starts to come off as soon as it touches the water

Battle 5: BEST STAYING POWER – swiping them off using a cotton pad

Winner: Dolly Wink

Runner Up: K-Palette – although the color has faded you can still see the remnant (“the tattoo effect”) in a smooth line

Battle 6: EASIEST TO REMOVE -removed them using Bioderma Sensibio H2O Crealine Cleanser

Winners: All good except for K-Palette

Worst Performance: K-Palette: it definitely wears like a tattoo

Prices:

MAC: >$30 in Australia (cannot remember the exact price)

The rest of the brands: <$15

I know we are all looking for different qualities from an eyeliner. I hope this post would help if you are interested in any of these brands. After years of experimenting I really think there is no point of spending more than $15 on a liquid eyeliner. The drugstore brands, especially the Japanese ones are just as good. As for me, hands down, I would repurchase Dolly Wink and Majolica over and over. They are the best!

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Labels: Dollywink • EYELINER • KOJI • MAC • MAJOLICA

Puppy Eyes Makeup Look FOTD

June 13, 2011

Puppy Eyes Makeup look is the opposite of cat eyes look. It has been the most popular eye makeup in Japan since it was featured in some of the top beauty magazines. A lot of girls are ditching the cat eyes for the puppy eyes look to have a more innocent and cuter appearance. With this kind of makeup, no one will have the heart to say ‘NO’ to you haha

Basically rather than flicking the eyeliner up, I draw the eyeliner following the natural curve of my eyes till the outer corner of the lower lash line, to create a droopy eye look. Then I used a pair of corner lashes to complete the look. The rest of my makeup is kept at minimum – just a sheer wash of color on the cheeks and lips.

Final Look:

The star product of this makeup is the Dolly Wink Corner/ Partial False Eyelash in No 4 – Feminine style. Quite expensive for false eyelashes imo but worth every penny. So easy to wear and both the hair and band are super soft.

Other than the false lashes, everything else used was really simple:

Nars All About Eve Eyeshadow Duo: perfect shades just to add a touch of sheen to the eyelids.

Shu Uemura Partial Eyelash Curler: to curl the middle part of the lashes only. It is important to keep the outer part of the lashes down.

Fairy Drop Volumising Mascara on the lower lashes. The beautiful Jade from Jade Musing did a fantastic review of it, so check it out!

Mac Creme Sheen in Partial Pink on the lips.

Close-up of my eyes:

From the side:

FACE PRODUCTS:

Dior Radiant Base as a highlighting primer on the top of my cheek bones; temples and nose bridge.

Dior Nude Skin Natural Glow Foundation

Canmake Cream Blush in 03 on the cheeks, reviewed here.

More pictures of completed look:

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Labels: CANMAKE • DIOR • DOLLYWINK • Eyelash Curler • FALSE LASHES • FOTD • MAC • NARS • Shu Uemura

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner – Rose Platine

June 7, 2011

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Rose Platine has been featured in many beauty blogs so far. It is definitely one of the must have items from the Chanel Summer 2011 Collection. A taupe eyeliner is just hard to come by – not many brands have a taupe eyeliner in their permanent collections. I am a big fan of this color so I bought this one without even checking out the tester.

Now you have seen the closeups and the swatch, here is my thought after using it for about a week.

Texture: It is not eye khol hence don’t expect this liner to be as buttery soft as your eye khol pencils. Nor it is hard. To get a decent color payoff as shown in the swatch above I need to swipe it 2 to 3 times.

Lasting power: Amazing in this department. It literally lasts on me for the whole day considering I have quite oily eyelids.

Usage: I won’t use this eyeliner to define my upper lash line. It just won’t do anything for my eyes – the shimmery silver taupe will make my eyes look more puffy than more awake. I need a liquid eyeliner for that.. On the other hand, I like to use it along my lower lash line as a highlighter – a good alternative for the usual white eyeliners. It creates a soft shimmery effect without looking too harsh. I used this eyeliner in the FOTD I did yesterday. Here is a close up shot of my eyes:

The only drawback is that it looks more silvery rather than taupey when it is applied against my dark brown eyes. The brown eyeshadow shades I used as well as my eye color bring out more of the silver tone – which is quite a disappointment to me.

I went through my stash and couldn’t find a close dupe of it. But I have found some of my favorite liners that serve the same purpose (but not the same color) as the Chanel, for a soft shimmery effect on the lower lash line.

From Left to Right

Korres Soft Eyeliner in 6S: yellow gold

Guerlain Crayon in Cupidon – My second top pick: a pinkish champagne

MAC Eye Kohl in I Get No Kick – My top pick: a champagne beige

Chanel Rose Platine

The Chanel Stylo Yeux Eyeliner retails for $44 in Australia. I like this product but my hunt for the perfect taupe eyeliner continues.

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Labels: CHANEL • EYELINER • GUERLAIN • KORRES • MAC

BECCA Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette FOTD

June 6, 2011

I have previously reviewed The Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette and as I promised – I just did a FOTD with it. This makeup was focused on conturing – Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow palette was used to contour the eyes and all along the side of the nose. I also thickened and extended my eyebrows on both ends so they connect to the contours on the side of my nose bridge . On my face, lots of bronzing shades were used to contour the cheeks. Lip color was tossing between a berry or a nude shade – in the end I opted for a glossy nude shade.

This is the final look:

A quick rundown on the products I used.

FACE PRODUCTS:

Dior Extreme Fit Foundation: I will be doing a review for this foundation this week. Overall it is a natural looking foundation with decent coverage that hides all my freckles!

MAC Bronzing Powder: applied the brown shade down the side of my cheeks to the jawlines.

Nars Blush in Madly: was applied along the hollow of the cheeks to the temples.

Guerlain Meteorites in Beige Chic: started from my cheekbones to the temples.

EYE PRODUCTS:

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Suede: was used as a base color all over the eye socket area to make the colors that were applied later pop out more.

Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette: layered the shimmery mauvy shades with the matte mauvey shade all over the eyelids up to the sides of my upper nose bridge. The medium brown shade was then applied from the outer edge of the eyelid and blended into the crease, creating a v shape.

Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner: for upper lash line

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Rose Platine: was all along the lower lash line, intensified at the tear duct areas.

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Brown: used to darken the outer edge of the lower lash line.

Laura Mercier Eyebrow Powders

False Eyelashes: Princess Lee Criss Cross in 7. (picture of it can be found in my previous FOTD)

A closer up shot:

Lip Product:

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani in beige 105. (reviewed here)

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Labels: BECCA • CHANEL • DIOR • EYELINER • FOTD • Giorgio Armani • GUERLAIN • MAC • NARS

Best Foundation Brushes

May 5, 2011

This is just going to be a brief overview of all my best foundation brushes and other tools I have collected so far. As an old Chinese proverb saying “To do a good job, one must sharpen his tools at first”. Since I have so many different textures of foundations, I am always on the lookout to try out different types of foundation brushes to see which combination works.

Prescriptives Foundation Brush:

This was my first ever foundation brush. At the time I bought it there weren’t that many available. I find this brush gives a streaky finish so I quickly went out looking for a better one. At the moment I am only using it to apply cream based blushes.

MAC 187 Duo fiber brush and MAC 188 small Duo fiber brush:

Stippling brush caused a stir when MAC first released them. I bought MAC 187 followed by MAC 188. For foundation application, I much prefer the MAC 188 small as it allows a more precise application. They both give a very natural and airbrushed finish. I like them but I find them too time consuming to use every morning – it takes a lot of time to swirl, buff and polish.

MAC Small Buffing Brush (discontinued)

First of all, big thumbs up for MAC brushes. I have this brush for more than 10 years now and it is still in its pristine condition. When I first bought this brush I had no idea what it can be used for…the MAC girl recommended it as a blush brush..but it’s way too dense! Until I found out that this brush was Kim Kardashian’s ‘s favorite brush to apply foundation (if you haven’t seen it, go to youtube and look for Kim Kardashian’s makeup tutorial). It truly does a wonderful job – it gives a very flawless airbrushed look, just like Kim Kardashian’s complexion. I like it – actually I love it but I am after a brush that gives a more natural finish.

The hairs are soft and super densely packed, leaves foundation streaks free.

Chanel Foundation Brush

One of my most recent purchases and the most expensive brush – cost me $95! I tried it out at the counter and loved it so much I had to bring it home 😛 I will be giving a detailed review for this brush soon but to sum it up – it is big and the bristles feel soft ,velvety and luxurious on the skin giving a flawless yet natural finish. When it was brand new, the bristles even had a rose scent!

BECCA Foundation Brush

Last but not least, my latest foundation brush. I have had this one for about a week now and I hate to admit it is even better than my Chanel Foundation Brush….This brush is not cheap either – cost $78 in Australia. Again I will be giving a detailed review for this brush soon.

I didn’t add any special effect to the picture, the bristles are made of rainbow colored hair!! How awesome is that. I love the shape of the brush, love the feel of bristles and love the finish. Everything about this brush is perfect for me.

Beauty Blender and Three Sisters Sponge

These are my other foundation tools. I bought Beauty Blender because everyone raves about it..unfortunately I don’t love it that much..yet. It is good but it absorbs way too much foundation. Three sisters sponge is a very well known brand in Asia – every asian makeup artist has it in their makeup kit. It is the softest dense sponge I have ever come across and doesn’t absorb that much foundation. For 30 cents a piece, I think the result is just as good as the beauty blender! You can find three sisters sponge on Sasa.

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Labels: BECCA • BRUSHES • CHANEL • foundation • MAC

Foundation Primer Reviews

March 30, 2011

Rather than talking about new makeups all the time, I would like to show you some of my old favorites – starting from Face products. Foundation primer aka Makeup base is not considered as an essential makeup item for some girls. As for me – I can’t live without foundation primer. I have one for every skin condition I can possibly have. Using a primer together with a foundation perfects my skin for a flawless and radiant complexion. On a good skin day, I would only use a primer and skip the foundation.

So here is a group picture of all the primers I am currently using..actually I have to admit I had no idea I own that many primers!

I don’t regret buying them all, each of them serves a different purpose. My foundation primers can be broken down into 4 categories:

1. Oil Controlling

Mac Prep and Prime Skin Base Visage: amazing product, hides my pores without feeling cakey and silicony – keeps the oil at bay for 8 hours! I only use it on my t-zone.

Shiseido (bought it in japan, no English name) : No swatches because this one is only exclusive to Asia, it used to be my HG until I found Mac Prep and Prime.

2. Radiance and Natural Glow

Chanel Base Lumiere – my absolute favorite! It contains no shimmers, but it imparts a really beautiful glow to your skin, gives a “your own radiant skin but better” effect.

Dior Radiant Base – a light pink fluid with tiny shimmers. My second favorite as the shimmers are not noticeable once it is sheered out – gives a beautiful pinkish glow.

Lancome Fluid Illuminator (LE) – a beige fluid with fine shimmers, can be used alone or mixed in with foundation. It is too shimmery for my liking – I only apply it along my cheekbones in summer time when my face is tanned for a bronzey look.

3. Color Correction

– Shiseido Control Base: a light green fluid designed to correct the redness in your skin. This one is amazing..I only use it when my skin looks dull. A tiny amount would turn your complexion into “you have just slept 10 hours”!

– Giorgio Armani fluid sheer no 5 – recommended by GA’s makeup artist at a makeover event. It is a peachy fluid, very pigmented so I can’t imagining applying it all over the face. I like to use it on my cheeks to create a natural flush.

– Etude Pore Smoothing Peach Base (korean brand) – a purple fluid that brightens up your complexion by a few shades. I won’t recommend using it all over the face unless you want a geisha look. Again it’s a good product for a dull skin day.

These products were heavily swatched in the picture. The effect on your face would be a lot more subtle than shown in the picture. Even for my whole face I would use less than what I used for swatching.

4. Primers with sunscreen

Shu Uemura UV Under Base: it’s been a cult favorite in Asia for ages – can be used as sunscreen, makeup base or tinted moisturizer. On a good skin day, I would only use this product on my face – very sheer but evens out skin tone.

Kanebo Lunasol UV Essence: A makeup base with spf of 25 , has the same texture as a serum. It absorbs into your skin like a serum, makes your skin look hydrated and glowing, leaves no white cast on your skin like other suncreens do. The best sunscreen I have ever come across!