NEW: L’Oreal La Couleur Infallible Eyeshadows

Following the success of the Color Riche Gold Collection released by L’Oreal last Christmas, I am pleased to announce that L’Oreal had brought in different colours of their highly-raved La Couleur Infallible Eyeshadows into Singapore.

I picked up just 5 colours as the darker shades felt a little gritty and less pigmented as compared to the lighter shades.

swatches in natural light (L-R: Hourglass Beige, Forever Pink, Purple Obsession, Endless Chocolat, Flashback Silver)

swatches with flash

Some EOTD featuring a couple of these new shadows:

Eyes: Virgin (UD Naked Palette) on browbone, L’Oreal Hourglass Beige on entire eyelid, L’Oreal Endless Chocolat on wide outer-V, Darkhorse (UD Naked Palette) on narrow outer-V right up to only the crease, Clio Gelpresso Eyeliner in 07 Golden Black , Clinique High Impact Mascara

 

Eyes: L’Oreal Hourglass Beige on browbone (sheer wash), L’Oreal Forever Pink on entire eyelids, Naked (UD Naked Palette) on outer half of upper lids, Darkhorse (UD Naked Palette) on narrow outer-V, Clio Gelpresso Eyeliner in 07 Golden Black , Clinique High Impact Mascara

Another look featuring Bronze Divine (or Bronze Goddess) from the Color Riche Gold Collection for a fun smokey look:

 Eyes: L’Oreal Hourglass Beige as highlighter, L’Oreal Bronze Divine (Bronze Goddess) on inner part of lid, UD Darkhorse (Naked Palette) as contouring colour on outer-V, UD Creep (Naked Palette) on crease, Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense #01 Intense Black, Clinique High Impact Mascara

I have worn these shadows for up to 12 hours without any creasing with Urban Decay Primer Potion beneath. In conclusion, I ADORE these shadows – they are versatile, easily blendable and provides great shine without being too overly shimmery for day time. A sheer wash gives a soft subtle sheen to the lids whereas the shadows pack a helluva punch when packed on. These are definitely worth checking out and are worth every single penny I paid for them. If I could only choose one to purchase, I’d definitely go for Hourglass Beige because it is great as a sheer wash, as a highlighter or as an eyeshadow colour on its own. These retail for $14.90 each.

Review: Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15 + Clinique Even Better Concealer

I had the opportunity to try out new products from Clinique which includes the Clinique Even Better Makeup and Even Better Concealer so this is a very quick review on these products after trying them out for a month or so.

The Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15 claims to improve skin clarity, a more even skin tone, visibly diminished age spots after just 4-6 weeks and is suitable for dry combination and combination oily skins. The Even Better Concealer is a creamy concealer paste with Vitamin C that helps cover dark spots and discolourations. Only 10 shades are available for the liquid foundation and 4 shades for the concealer here in Singapore versus 20 shades for the liquid foundation and 12 shades for the concealer in the USA. The numbering and shade names differ greatly too.

Even Better Concealer – Light

Initial application – Foundation over sunscreen without loose powder

After setting with loose powder

Consistency: Feels like an emulsion when applied, dries down easily so fast blending is a must.

Coverage: Sheer to moderate. Claims to give moderate coverage but I find that I need at least 2 layers to be satisfied with the finish.

Finish: Semi-matte, leaves a slight dewy glow.

Wearability: Moderate. Holds up well in humidity, does not transfer initially when I perspire

After4 hours of wear

 I like its dewy, glowy finish but the longevity of the foundation is questionable. It did not quite last 8 to 10 hours for me and mileage varies according to where I am and my surroundings. In air-conditioned environment, this seemed to dry out my skin and somehow throughout the day, the foundation would slip away into nothingness. I had worn this a few times in regular temperature (outdoors) and am quite impressed by how long it held up. Therefore, it is very hard to decide if I like this foundation or not but since I work in an air-conditioned environment, I am less inclined to wear this foundation frequently. It also seems to work better on girls with oily skins than their drier counterparts even though the foundation is suitable for almost all types of skins.

The concealer on the other hand, works well for me despite the thick pasty texture. A little goes a long way and I’d used this on several parts of my face including the undereyes. This can be a little dry for the undereye areas so I had mixed it into my eye cream before application. It also creases slightly but it is nothing alarming because I am very prone to creasing under my eyes.

To end it all,  those who are keen on this foundation, definitely ask for a sample before you commit. This is the type of foundation that you either like it or you don’t.

Estee Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush – 21 Peach Nuance

After endlessly trying out some of Estee Lauder’s blushers, I finally decided to pick up my absolute favourite – the 21 Peach Nuance which reminds me a lot of MAC Ripe Peach Blush Ombre which was limited edition. For those who are still in search of MAC Ripe Peach, you can consider the Estee Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush in 21 Peach Nuance because of their similarity.  In fact, they are said to be close dupes of each other.

Estee Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush – 21 Peach Nuance

This is a gradient blush that consists of a warm yellow that gradually fades into a bright pinky-coral. Even though this looks matte under regular lights, it actually contains very fine shimmers that does not translate well onto the skin.  A tiny cheek brush is also included in the compact which makes it very convenient for touchups on the go. However, care has to be taken when applying this blush because it is quite pigmented.

Swatches:

The swatch on the far right is with all colours blended together. I really like how it looks on the cheeks giving a very beautiful sunkissed peachy look. This colour is also suitable for a lot of skintones. Too much of it however, will make your cheeks look a tad orange though.

FOTD:

It is a little hard to tell the colour from my pictures because the camera is washing everything out but this blusher is intense and really vibrant in real life. I swiped this on with my trusty old Cyber Colors Blush Brush.

Face: Clinique Even Better Makeup #61 Ivory, Clinique Even Better Concealer #Light, Clinique Blended Face Powder #08 Transparency Neutral

Cheeks: Estee Lauder Silky Powder Blush #21 Peach Nuance

Eyes: Kose Visee Eyeshadow Palette N-5, Clinique Cream Shaper for Eyes #101 Black Diamond, MM Jewelling Pencil BE208, Clinique Lash Power Extension Visible Mascara

Price:

$50 / 7g – Available permanently at all Estee Lauder counters

Drugstore Series: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream

As promised, here’s a quick and short write up on the latest Maybelline’s BB Cream that had arrived on our shores. If you are regular readers of my blog, you will know that I thoroughly enjoyed using the Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream SPF 26 and it’s a staple in my makeup routines for school and days which only require me to wear light makeup. I am very excited to share my thoughts on the newest Maybelline Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream that boasts of SPF50 and other rich minerals such as Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Sodium, Titanium and 3 other Iron Oxides. As with the regular range of BB creams, there are 2 shades for consumers to choose from and I picked the lighter shade in 01 Fresh:

It comes housed in a turquoise plastic squeeze tube bottle with a nozzle tip and white plastic cap. I really love the convenience of the nozzle – it allows just the right amount of product to be dispensed without making a mess everywhere else.

comparison swatches

freshly applied

 FOTD:

Face: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream, ZA Skin Beauty 2-Way Foundation #21, Amazing Cosmetics Concealer – Light Golden

Eyes: UDPP, Paul & Joe Eye Gloss N #05, Clinique Quick Liner for Eyes – 10 Dark Chocolate, Clinique High Impact Mascara

Cheeks: Jill Stuart Mix Compact Blush #09 Little Bouquet

Lips: Maybelline Baby Lips

My Thoughts:

The texture of the UV White BB Cream feels more watery and easily blendable as compared to the regular Clear Smooth BB Cream. It also imparts a very lovely satin finish with the slightest bit of dewiness unlike the Clear Smooth BB Cream which is mostly just matte. The coverage for this is also much sheerer and does not cover up much flaws at all as can be seen from the obvious freckles and redness on my cheek. I love the glowy finish and the less-than-perfect coverage – it reminds me a lot of how I want a good tinted moisturizer to be. With that said, this makes a great BB cream to use under your liquid foundation as a primer because it’s so lightweight and it’s a great alternative to 2way cakes or liquid foundations on days when you are comfortable with just minimal coverage.  Wear time is not too bad as I noticed signs of wear around 6 hours or so but that’s not something a little powder wouldn’t fix. This high SPF is also a bonus. Definitely will repurchase when I run out!

Price:

$17.90/18ml

Buy-2-get-1-free with Maybelline/Garnier!

Spotted the following promotions at Watsons:

Garnier & Maybelline were having some sort of buy-2-get-1-free promotion whereby the product with the lowest value will be free! This is a fantastic opportunity to stock up on necessities and try out other new stuff.

These are what I ended up with:

Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream 

Eyestudio Eye Color Palette – 03 Gray Pink

I had been wanting to try this new Clear Smooth BB White Cream which boasts of a high SPF50 and comes with whitening properties. I had thoroughly enjoyed using the previous Clear Smooth BB Cream but absolutely hated the Mineral BB Mousse so I definitely have to try this new one out! The other items include the Eyestudio quad in 03 Gray Pink and the highly raved Falsies mascara in Black. All three products are Made in China. I will be doing a full review on these items very soon!

Thank you for reading and have a good week!

Anna Sui 2012: Spring Fairy Collection

Spring is in the air with some of Anna Sui’s new blushers! My colleagues had kindly gotten me some of them knowing that I was brimming with anticipation and excitement at their release.

#100 & #301

#100

#301

#100 is a highlighting powder that features blue, purple and shimmery white roses whereas #301 is a versatile peachy-pink depending on how much of each colour you use. I just prefer swirling my brush into the rose petals to get a good mixture of colours.

Mixed swatch (L-R): #100, #301

These blushers contain the familiar signature rose scent that all Anna Sui products have and are silky smooth and pigmented to the touch. Good news though, these blushers will become permanent at all Anna Sui counters so there is no rush to get them. Each blush pan is 6g (similar to a MAC blush) and retails for $49 each.

Watsons Sightings: March 2012

It’s been so long since I dropped by my neighbourhood Watsons! Spotted some new skincare and makeup products which I find really intriguing:

Dolly Wink display stand

Dolly Wink has some of the most interesting false lashes ever and there are more designs to choose from now. Also included are brow powders, brow pencils and the likes.

Majolica Majorca Lash King is currently going for 15% off, great time to try out their newest products! This is MM’s latest mascara offering which boasts of 5mm super long fibres for well-defined long and volumised lashes.

Garnier Aqua Defense Sensitive

I haven’t been using Garnier ever since my secondary school days (I was hooked on the whitening line) and I’m definitely attracted to the sweet floral pink packaging of their Aqua Defense Sensitive line! The original Aqua Defense line (mint green packaging)  was very popular and I’m sure the Sensitive range will receive warm response too. I love the texture of the Aqua Defense Sensitive Essence (RP: $19.90) – very lightweight and easily absorbed. Certainly gonna give this a go right after I finish my current moisturizers 😉

Gonna end this post with a new polish from OPI Holland Collection that I’ve been wearing all week:

OPI Pedal Faster Suzi!

EOTD: Clinique Color Surge Eyeshadow Duo – 203 Coffee Shop

Received my Clinique Color Surge Eyeshadow Duo in Coffee Shop (what a cute name!).  Was considering between a couple of duos when I finally decided on this due to the number of raves in MUA.

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

Drugstore Series: Alobon Fantasy Magic Baking Powder Blush #13 & #27

Visited Mustafa Centre with a group of colleagues some weeks back and I took this opportunity to check out the range of drugstore cosmetics that were available there. For the uninitiated, Mustafa Centre is open 24/7 and carries the largest range of products among other retailers including electronics, beauty products, toiletries, furniture, bedding etc. It is exciting to shop there because you’d never know what treasures you may chance upon!

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 😦

Mini Sephora Haul: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish & Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

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!