Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Duo – Coffee Shop

swatched in direct sunlight

this shot shows the shimmers better

 I took the liberty of swatching it against other Urban Decay Naked Palette eyeshadows which I think look similar. Toasted has more of a metallic/frosty sheen as compared to the light tan shade in Coffee Shop whereas Darkhorse applies a little khaki-greenish against the rich chocolaty brown of the Coffee Shop duo. Not dupes at all!

I used Sin (from UD Naked palette) all over the browbone as a highlight, the sandy tan from Clinique Coffee Shop duo on the eyelid and lastly, the dark chocolate brown shade on the lashline and low outer V. The shadows from the duo are also generously swept on the lower lash line in the same order.

Other products used: Red Cherry Lashes #523, Bobbi Brown Gel Liner – Caviar Ink, Milani Liquif’eye Eye Pencil in Brown on lower water line, Clinique Lash Power Extension Visible Mascara in Black on lower lash lines

My thoughts:

Honestly, I generally do not have good experiences with Clinique eyeshadows. For instance, my trio in Nude Deluxe lacked pigmentation and felt very gritty to touch. It was virtually impossible to show up on the eyes even with UDPP. Also, a lot of Clinique eyeshadows are made for the conservative work environment and therefore could lack the vast colour variety we are used to. This duo, however, is able to take you from day to night depending on how much you use the chocolate-y brown shade. The Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Duo in Coffee Shop does not consist of the most unique shades but these are definitely good quality neutrals that are nice additions to my stash. The Urban Decay Naked palettes are gorgeous but sometimes they look over the top with their shimmers but that is not the case with Clinique, making it a perfect choice for offices or dress-down days. The pigmentation is also commendable – this duo really wow-ed me with the ease of application and blendability because the colours are so soft.  The beauty of this duo is the finish and texture – I love how soft the shimmers are, as you can see they are hardly visible on the eyelids, only adding the subtlest pearly sheen to the eyes.   The only downside is the lack of a suitable highlight shade in this duo but that can be easily remedied with using your own. Clinique does offer eyeshadow trios that come with a highlight but I find it difficult to pay more for a highlighting colour that may be easily dupe-able. Nonetheless, I’m really happy that I bought this duo and I am pretty sure it will be getting a lot of use! I am looking forward to trying out their other eyeshadow duos.

Price: 

$34 / 2.2g

I found these Alobon Baked Blushers sitting forlornly in an unobtrusive corner amongst other random cosmetic products and initially I was ready to pass on them when curiosity got the better of me. Like any other beauty enthusiasts, I couldn’t help but reach in for a seemingly innocent swatch… and I ended up buying two of this babies home.

(L-R): #27, #13

They look really unassuming in the flimsy plastic packaging but they sure do pack a punch when swatched!

Don’t you just love mineralized blushers? The way these colours are swirled together remind me of the Paddlepop icecreams from my childhood days.

#27

#13

#27 is an orangey-bronze with plenty of silver swirled into it whereas #13 reminds me a little of MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Petticoat (but they aren’t dupes!). It is a berry/mauvish colour with pale pinks and a little bronze mixed into it.

Swatches:

This was two swipes over no base and while the blushers are powdery, they do not look chalky nor faded and show up very well against my skin with a LOT of shimmers.

#13 worn on cheek

#27 worn on cheek

I had wanted to use #27 as a highlighter but apparently the orangey-bronze is overpowering and hence it makes a really nice contouring blush whereas #13 just shows up as a healthy berry pink on me but too much and the tendency of appearing too red is high. When worn, the silver shimmer sheen is noticeable in both pictures and therefore may not be so suitable for people battling pore problems or people with oily skin. These blushers really look very dewy and shiny due to the shimmer particles but one upside is that the shimmer bits are not chunky. I recommend going very lighthanded with them because they can look overpowering on the cheeks. I don’t love them, but they are such nice additions to my blush collection and will be perfect for anyone new to makeup or are just starting to build up their kit.

Price: 

$6.80 / Net vol. was not recorded on the packaging

]]> http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/drugstore-series-alobon-fantasy-magic-baking-powder-blush-13-27/feed/ 6 prettyseaeagle 101_9665 101_9668 101_9673 101_9672 101_9626 101_9605 (2) 101_9612 (2) http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/mini-sephora-haul-fresh-sugar-lip-polish-tinted-lip-treatment-spf-15/ http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/mini-sephora-haul-fresh-sugar-lip-polish-tinted-lip-treatment-spf-15/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:00:54 +0000 prettyseaeagle http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/?p=1961 ]]> Spent a day out shopping with my mom at Sephora and I came home with some goodies of my own!

Soap & Glory Hand Food, The Righteous Butter, Fresh Sugar Lip Polish & Tinted Lip Treatment SPF15

The Soap & Glory products are in generous 50ml sizes and were actually part of a gift travel set which my mom and I shared among ourselves. I’ve had really good experiences with Soap & Glory in general (LOVE their MotherPucker lip glosses) and I can’t wait to try these out! The Righteous Butter is a body moisturizer that smells divine.

Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment – Plum, Sugar Lip Polish

I had been using Clarins Lip & Contour Exfoliator for some time now and am ready to try new things, especially when Clarins can get a little expensive in the long run. There were many raves for the Fresh lip products so I decided it’s about time to give them a try. Besides, I am very surprised that the prices of these are not too highly marked up in Sephora Singapore as compared to their American counterpart. These retail for around USD22 and were going for SGD$29 in local Sephoras.

I tried this immediately after I got home and to be frank, I feel rather disappointed with it. Granted, the sugar beads smell fantastic and the lip polish goes on smooth and easy. After some rubbing in, the sugar crystals melt into nothingness leaving my lips smooth and supple with a waxy layer on my lips which helps lock in the moisture. However, because the sugar crystals are so small, they do not feel like they are able to give my lips the badly-needed exfoliation. This scrub is also unable to completely remove all the flaky skin around my lips. This is a very gentle exfoliator that I feel can be used daily if required.

I have really dry lips that are prone to flaking and peeling especially without lip balm. As such, I have lip balms on me all the time and constantly reapply them all day long. At $29, this lip balm is a splurge (I am currently in love with drugstore lip balms like Maybelline Baby Lips and Paul Frank lip balms)! The tinted lip treatments come in a variety of shades such as Rose (sheer pink), Passion(sheer red) and Honey (a warm nude). I picked Plum because of its resemblance to Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam.

The first thing that struck me was that the balm is REALLY soft. So soft that the bullet is rubbing against the case even before I had started using it (from tell tale scratch marks on the sides of bullet). As such, I was very careful to twist up only a teeny millimetre of product to prevent breakage. The lip balm glided smoothly on my lips because it is SO SO SOFT. The balm also has the signature brown sugar scent that was present in their lip polish which smells truly delicious. With a light application, the plum colour is very sheer and adds only the slightest berry sheen that looks like MLBB. It also feels slipppery on the lips and it definitely feels like you are wearing a balm. Despite the slip, it stays on up to an hour or so without eating or drinking. I haven’t used this long enough to determine if it helps with the peeling but I will be sure to update if it does. To my surprise, I like this product much better than the lip polish which I feel I could have done without. The only downside is that the balm is very soft and has a tendency to break in the tube but it could also be due to the relentless heat we are subjected to today. Nonetheless, I really enjoy the use of this product and I look forward to trying out some other colours!

]]> http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/mini-sephora-haul-fresh-sugar-lip-polish-tinted-lip-treatment-spf-15/feed/ 3 prettyseaeagle IMG_4376 IMG_4372 IMG_4377 IMG_4379 IMG_4380 IMG_4385 http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/revlon-colorburst-lip-butters-in-singapore-fig-jam-strawberry-shortcake/ http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/revlon-colorburst-lip-butters-in-singapore-fig-jam-strawberry-shortcake/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:00:56 +0000 prettyseaeagle http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/?p=1950 ]]> The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters had taken the US beauty blogging community by storm for the past few months and I am really interested to find out what the hype was all about. Finally, news were released regarding its availability in our local Watsons and of course I had to pop by to check them out but alas, only a pathetic handful of shades (EIGHT to be exact) are offered in Singapore as compared to the TWENTY in the US.

Nonetheless, these were what I had picked up:

Fig Jam, Strawberry Shortcake (these names make me hungry!)

Fig Jam looks like a deep brownish plum in the tube but it applies sheerly on the back of my hands leaving a very rosy-brown colour whereas Strawberry Shortcake is a very cool-toned baby pink that might be difficult to carry off on warm skintones.

Strawberry Shortcake:

Strawberry Shortcake

Fig Jam:

Fig Jam

Shades:

I love Fig Jam to death. It reminds me a lot of Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey just that Black Honey can look a little darker and leans more berry whereas Fig Jam is redder. Applied sheerly, it also is a MLBB colour which makes it perfect when you don’t want to look too made up. Strawberry Shortcake seems to be the least-cool pink available but it still appears too blue (almost lilac) on my lips. It might work if I apply a sheer layer but anything too much and I look crazy. Other colors available in Watsons include: Macaroon, Brown Sugar, Peach Parfait, Cherry Tart, Candy Apple, Lollipop (if I remember correctly).

Texture:

Texture-wise, these definitely glide on like butter and has the feel of a Clinique Chubby Stick. These feel rather comfortable on the lips and while it does not prevent the lips from cracking, it does not dry my lips completely either.  It is encouraged that you put on some waxy non-slippery lip balm beneath before putting these on.  Because of the nature of the product, the lipstick bullets are softer and prone to melting. Therefore it is important to store them away from direct heat and avoid twisting up too much product.

Longevity:

These lipsticks last approximately an hour or so for me and lesser if I lick my lips a lot. Reapplication can dry out the lips further if no lip balm was used.

Other  Thoughts:

I will likely repurchase in some other colours but honestly, I wasn’t WOW-ed by the product. Certainly, the Revlon Lip Butter did not disappoint and let me down completely but it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Granted, I love how easy it was to just slick this on without a mirror and how nice it feels on the lips for the first 10 minutes or so but otherwise I’m like “meh”. It is an okay product and it works for the price point, but it wasn’t quite worth all the buzz in the blogging community.

Pore Refining Solutions range + Dermawhite Brightening Essence

I usually do not have much troubles with pores but this range seems very attractive for people battling oily skins. The Instant Perfector is very similar to Benefit Porefessional/Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer and feels very smooth to the touch. This range is expected to reach our shores in September 2012 which is quite a long wait since it is recently launched in the UK.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you will know that I enjoy using Clinique Quickliners for their staying power and resistance to smudging. The Intense version, like the name suggests, is much more “intense” and pigmented with one swipe which eradicates the need to go over the lashline over and over again. This time round, the shade range is more extensive and includes a blackened green, a deep navy and a plum.

I do not know when the expected release date is for the Quickliners, but I am very much looking forward to it!

Thank you for reading, and have a nice week ahead!

The Diorskin Radiant Base works on a Dior innovation known as Pro Lighting Action whereby an unparalleled combination of soft focus pigments and transparent pearly particles (Halo Pearls) help diffuse light in all directions giving the result of a refined skin texture to reveal a complexion that glows with beauty.

There is supposedly 2 shades custom-made to beautify Asian complexions: 001 for “blue” skin tones and 002 for yellow skin tones. However, SG-BestBuy only carries the 001 shade so I picked that up instead.

This makeup base also comes with an SPF of 20 / PA+ but I won’t recommend leaving the house without a properly-formulated sunscreen because of the low PA rating of this makeup base.

This primer comes in a heavyweight frosted glass bottle that feels solid and sturdy in my hands. It also comes with a metal pump nozzle that makes dispensing of product very easy and hygienic.

swatch in natural light

swatch blended out

As can be seen from above swatches, the base is a rosy pale pink liquid that helps to brighten up the skintone. Even though the shade is pink, it does not make me look grey or too fair. It does not contain any visible shimmers as far as I could tell. There is also a very subtle fresh floral scent to it that is not overpowering in any way. In fact, it smells pretty damn good in my opinion. As far as a primer goes, this one applies creamily and blends easily into the skin using fingers and the colour helps to brighten up the skintone without looking too over the top. It also does not provide any form of coverage whatsoever but it does result in a rather refined skin texture (without the need for additional foundation).  This base also helps my foundation go on better but it lacks some oil control. There is some dewy shine on my T-zone and chin after a mere couple of hours. This is quite surprising because my skin is dry (and dehydrated) by nature and I seem to get better oil control using the foundations on their own without the Diorskin Radiant Base.

For those who have drier skin types and are looking for a radiance booster, this primer will be what you are looking for!

Price: $59/30ml

]]> http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/review-diorskin-skin-refining-pro-lighting-radiant-base-001/feed/ 0 prettyseaeagle 101_9285 101_9287 101_9302 101_9293 101_9294 101_9295 http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/fotd-dior-spring-2012-garden-roses/ http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/fotd-dior-spring-2012-garden-roses/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:31:43 +0000 prettyseaeagle http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/?p=1904 ]]> This FOTD is specially done for HS as she had requested for it when I posted the comparison for Dior Garden Roses vs. Purple Crystal.

Face: Diorskin Radiant Base 001, Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream #01 Fresh, Amazing Cosmetics Concealer – Light Golden, Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder 01, Guerlain Cruel Gardenia Météorites Pressed Powder on nose bridge and cheekbones

Eyes: Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette – Garden Roses, Bébé Poshé Dazzling Eye Pencil 01 Black Diamond, Milani Liquif’eye Eye Pencil in Brown, Maybelline Volum’ Express mascara on lower lashes

Cheeks: Shu Uemura Glow On M Pink 33E

This look is easily achieved just using fingers because the shades are so soft and blendable. I did not use any brushes at all for this look to keep things quick and simple. These colours are very pretty with just the right amount of shimmers and translucency and hence do not look OTT for daytime. In fact, the shimmers are rather subtle on the eyelids.

I hope you enjoy this look, and thank you for reading!

This powder is simply breathtaking and it’s not just because of the visual appeal. The powder feels incredibly creamy and smooth to the touch as it is milled finely to perfection.

L: blended out, R: heavily swatched

Sunlight shot

The result is a shimmery pale pink powder that will work as a highlight or shimmery face powder.  I have used a fair bit before I took the sunlight shot so it looks kind of mooshy in the centre.. And clumsy me managed to nick parts of the outer petals when I wasn’t careful with the screw on top But still beautiful nonetheless!

Wearing the Guerlain Cruel Gardenia Météorites as an all-over face powder with extra on the nose bridge for highlight:

Face: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream #1 Fresh, Cruel Gardenia Météorites Pressed Powder

Eyes: Naked Palette – Virgin, Sin and Toasted, Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Brown on upper lashline, Milani Liquif’eye Pencil Liner in Brown on lower lashline, Maybelline The Magnum Volum’ Express Mascara

When applied with a loose fluffy brush, the Cruel Gardenia Météorites Pressed Powder gives the most subtle healthy glow to the skin without making one look like a disco ball. When used as a highlighter, a small dense brush is required to pick up enough colour without caking on too much product. This product works well both ways. However, in my opinion, this is nice to have but not an absolute must have unless you are a collector or Guerlain fan. The product is not particularly unique save for the design.

Price: $88 / 9g

With flash: Dior Purple Crystal, Dior Garden Roses

Natural Light – Dior Purple Crystal, Dior Garden Roses

Swatches of Purple Crystal

Now, I have been vastly disappointed by the quality of Dior eyeshadow quints (no thanks to my first-ever Dior quint in Sky Glow) and have since swore off them. However, HS managed to pick up Purple Crystal for me at a Dior warehouse sale a while ago and to my utmost surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed Purple Crystal (whereas Sky Glow let me down completely).

Now fast forward a year and some months when Dior has been churning out new releases after releases, I was never interested because while Purple Crystal was beautiful, it is not good enough to entice me to return to the brand. Plus the prices of the quints are too high to justify any purchase

When I saw promo pictures of the Garden Party Collection being released, I was like, “BAH. Not again.” And made up my mind to ignore it. When the collection was first released at Takashimaya, I could not help but marvel at the beautiful quints on display. Then I walked over to the counter and reached out to touch the eyeshadows, transferring the swatch onto the back of my hand. I remembered going, “Wowwwwwww”. Then, I couldn’t help it but reach in for more. And more. And more. Each shade seemed to leap to life beneath my fingers; the sparkles in the shadows fighting to catch the light. I kept telling myself, “No no no, you have Purple Crystal and that is enough.”

For the next few days, Garden Roses was on my mind. I was in love.

With that, I ended up with a new Dior quint tucked in my shopping bag.

NO REGRETS. My initial fear that it might be similar to Purple Crystal was dispelled immediately. Purple Crystal was a true purple quint – it consists of a glittery (and gritty) mint green shade, the palest of peach-pink, a light lilac, a lavender and a deep purple. Garden Roses is a more varied and mixed quint with shades of light to medium pinks, purples and silver. Even though the lighter shades from both palettes can be indistinguishable from one another when applied on the eyes, the main point of difference is the finish of these shades. Purple Crystal has the slightest pearlescent sheen that makes the shadows look borderline glowy. When applied on the eyes however, it mainly looks powdery and matte unless you catch the light. The frost in the shadows also only show up when the shadows are heavily packed on.

For Garden Roses, it is a different story altogether. The shadows are smoother and more finely-milled yet more transparent. They are also more metallic and gives off a nice “wet-look” in comparison to Purple Crystal which can be powdery. I have not tried this palette on the eyes yet but I foresee that they will be getting a lot of wear.

I hope this post is helpful. Thank you for reading!

]]> http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/dior-garden-roses-vs-purple-crystal/feed/ 6 prettyseaeagle 101_9066 (2) 101_9070 101_9106 101_9099 101_9109 101_9111 http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/fotd-coffret-dor-jewelcious-eyes-02-pink-topaz/ http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/fotd-coffret-dor-jewelcious-eyes-02-pink-topaz/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:30:54 +0000 prettyseaeagle http://prettyseaeagle.wordpress.com/?p=1846 ]]> Another recent EOTD using the Coffret D’Or Jewelcious Eyes in 02 Pink Topaz that I picked up during the last Kanebo sales!

This is the loveliest palette out of the others, and I especially like the combination of white, light pink, pale rose-gold and medium gray. The light pink in the centre of the quad is meant to be an accent shade that is meant to be patted on the centre of the lids. It is also the most glittery of all and feels slightly gritty to the touch. However, all these shades apply softly and smoothly without any fallouts.

I absolutely love how the light pink glitter shade adds dimension to the eyes without being OTT which makes it perfect even for conservative work environments. Unlike how some Japanese shadows add too much glitter to the eyes, these Jewelcious shadows add just a subtle-enough shine.

Face: Coffret D’Or Beauty Lasting Liquid UV Foundation #BE-B, Amazing Cosmetics Concealer – Light Golden, Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder, Guerlain Meteorites – 01 Mythic

Eyes: Coffret D’Or Jewelcious Eyes – 02 Pink Topaz,  Bébé Poshé Dazzling Eye Pencil –  01 Black Diamond, Milani Liquif’eye Eye Pencil in Brown on lower lashlines, Kiss Lashes in Juicy Volume 02, Heroine Kiss Me Volume&Curl Mascara on lower lashes.

Cheeks: Benefit Sugarbomb, NARS Laguna Bronzer (cheek contour)

Lips: Benefit Benetint Lip Balm SPF15