1.30.2013

Mac Steamy, Club, Blue Brown, Show Girl, Constructivist

Mac Mac Mac, How can I resist you? Last week I went and purchased a few Mac shadows and paint pots. Here they are!  
Steamy, a Satin finished blue green eyeshadow. It has a iridescent, sheen type of finish. It doesn't fully covers your eyelids, it still shows a little bit of your skin/base colour.
It is very similar to the forever 21 colour I reviewed last time, except the forever 21 colour is even more creamer, easier to apply. Both amazing colours. 


Club, The legendary duo-chrome colour. It instantly became one of my favorite colour from Mac. Beautiful, fine, green shimmers on top of a deep slightly redish brown colour. Perfect colour to spark up your smoky looks, this colour is good enough to wear on it's own with a little black eyeliner smudged on the top and bottom of eyelids.
The packaging of the Marilyn Monroe eyeshadow. I'm so surprised that they still have it in stock! 

3.0g of product worth, retails for HKD$140, totally worth my money.
I love blues and greens but it's so hard for Asians to wear them. This blue is a dream come true, works so beautifully on the skin, super natural yet gives you enough shine to become the spotlight of the night. Works well during days or evenings.  


It was love at first sight. Amazing product! Love paint pots. This colour is packed with very fine shimmers. It's a chocolate brown colour. This colour is very pigmented, "a little goes a long way". But its very easy to be blend into a softer shade of brown. It works perfect as a base for many looks, from day to evening. Even if you only have 5 mins to do your make up. This could be worn on its own and still look effortless. 


Blue Brown is perfect for a punk rock look, This colour is very similar to Club except this has even more fine glitter and a more redish tone of brown. Red has always been my favorite colour yet it's also a pretty hard colour to wear. With the awesome addition of green shimmer, it really balances out the colour. It made red an easier colour to wear. AMAZING! 



From left to right: Constructivist, Club, Steamy, Blue Brown.
Top: on its own
Bottom: With foundation underneath


1.24.2013

Covergirl Lashblast length and Max Factor Lash extension Effect Mascara Comparison and review

I have always wanted to try Covergirl's famous mascaras but never really got the chance to, until I stumbled upon one in a drugstore in Japan and I thought, I should give it a shot. Once I actually tried it, it was instant love. It gives a very natural finish (does not clump), the formula is not wet and it's water resistant (won't smudge as easily as normal washable but still removable with just water). But when it dried out after a couple of months, I was devastated because you just can't get the same mascara in HK, and then I remembered Max Factor's False Lash effects (I'm guessing its an equivalent of the original Lash blasts) and a replacement was found. Sad thing is Max Factor mascaras are twice the price of Covergirl products. The two products are so similar they could almost pass as identical. So I decided to do a comparison

Packaging


Lash Extension Effect (LEE)comes in a more environmentally friendly wrapping just just a simple piece of plastic, whereas Lashblast Length comes in a package that allows you to see what the wand is like. They look almost identical in the shape of the product.

Brush

upper: Lash extension effect
Lower: lash blast length
Although the brushes look the tiniest bit different, they are basically the same. Thy are both rubber brushes that are amazing in separating and coating the lashes.

Bare Lashes




Lashblast length
Lash Extension effect
Lash Extension effect retails in HK for HKD$128 whereas I got Covergirl through a friend studying in the US for US$7 (about HKD$56). There are miniscule differences between the two, but I definitely prefer Covergirl simply because it offers the almost identical product with a far lighter price tag.








1.21.2013

POUDRE SIGNÉE DE CHANEL ILLUMINATING POWDER Review








I was never the type to really appreciate luminizers/highlighters, but was tempted to try the new Poudre Signee de chanel illuminating powder simply because of it's wonderful design. This is from Chanel's Spring 2013 Spring Limited Edition collection and retails for HKD$540. It is very expensive considering I'd probably get very few use out of it, but I decided to make it my birthday treat.
The compact comes with a velvet pouch
Inside there is a small covering to protect actual powder, probably also protects the mirror from the powder too. 

Complimentary Application Sponge can be put in to a slot in the pouch. 

Unused

Moonlight colored in different lighting


The camera did not really capture the true color, it is actually slightly peachy/rosy/beige. 

Very fine iridescence

Embossing is very easily smudged

Sorry for the extremely washed out picture, but as you can see it gives a nice iridescent sheen on the tops of my cheekbones. 

  First impression: I thought the packaging would be heavier.

  I was actually slightly disappointed that the packaging felt quite plasticky on my hand, but it definitely looks more expensive than the packaging feels like but I guess this is a pro, at least it will be travel-friendly.The powder is embossed with lipsticks, flowers and the iconic chanel double C. It is so beautiful that it took me a lot of courage to finally swatch it. The only sad thing is that I hope the embossing is a bit deeper so that it won't be as easily smudged off.

 The illuminating powder is like a dream, it is an incredibly beautiful champagne color that does not come off as too yellow, like some of the other highlighters I've seen. It is not glittery or overly shimmery, it provides a real discreet glow to the face and the shimmery-ness is not detectable unless the other person is standing incredibly close to you. Although it may seem that it is not very "pigmented", only a very small amount is needed to do the job, one swipe and you are instantly granted with a heavenly glow.

  The applicator is very soft and moussey and feels very expensive, but may not be a good idea for application. I find it a bit awkward and too heavy handed, I think a brush is better for this job. Since this highlighter is so fine, I think it can work on a wide range of different skin tones. Also because of its peachiness, I don't think it will come off as ashy when used on darker skin tones.


Forever 21 eyeshadows review

They are affordable, creamy and very pigmented! An absolute dream to work with. What else can I say. They are definitely creamier and more pigmented than the maybelline shadows that I own. Texture-wise they are comparable to some of the mac or even make up for ever ones. Maybe even creamer! They have 2.75g of products for the champagne colour and 2.83g for the green and the brown.  
They are $24.90 HKD each.






This colour is perfect for brow highlight, inner corner highlight, cheekbones highlight. I believe every girl should  have this colour at home! It works on many looks.

This warm tone brown is very pigmented, not Nars type of pigmented but definitely more pigmented than Mac.  

This is the creamiest of all, absolute dream! These works great for a smoky look. Just a bit of black at the outer corner can instantly make it into a smoky eyes. 
Here are the swatches.
Top: without any base
Bottom: with a cream foundation


Here are two looks that I've created using these 3 eyeshadows, with the brown and the champagne colour it can never go wrong for a nice and soft day-time make up. Well the green is not for everyone, but I do like this look a lot, especially this particular colour, it is hard to find. 

1.17.2013

Revlon Lip Butters Review

From left to right: 035 Candy Apple, 001 Pink Truffle, 025 Peach Parfait, 050 Berry Smoothie
I was very much surprised by these lipsticks despite being very popular amongst the blogging and youtubing community, when they came out I didn't think very highly of them. This was until I decided to try them this winter, I took advantage of the buy one get one free offer at watsons during december and got four shades. I believe they were meant as dupes to the chanel coco shine lipsticks, they are packaged in a similar way and are both lipsticks with a shine finish, sadly I do not own any of the coco shines and will not be able to do any comparisons. 

The Revlon Lip Butters are very smooth in consistency, they are very moisturizing and buttery and does not turn dry when they fade (I'm looking at you Just Bitten Balm Stains). Although they do not last very long (since they are quite a shiny and sheer formula), they are apply so heavenly I do not mind touching up every 2 hours or so.

My favourite shade out of the four is Pink Truffle which is a very nice pink brown, it is very versatile and is kind of like a deeper MLBB shade. Candy Apple is, for lack of better words, a sheer candy apple shade, great for both warm and cool skin tones. I'd absolutely adore Peach Parfait if it weren't for the chunks of glitters. Peach Parfait is an incredible pink color (like the much lighter and less brown version of pink truffle) great MLBB color, loaded with gold shimmer and glitter, but is not gritty. The only thing that keeps me from wearing Peach Parfait more often is that, when freshly applied the bigger shimmers are not quite noticeable, but when it fades, all you can see is shimmer particles stuck to your lips and you will never get rid of them until you use a cleanser (not the wipes or the bioderma, a real cleanser) at home, forcing you to constantly reapply (no getting away with not reapplying after eating). Berry smoothie is a plummy pink color with fine gold and purple shimmer that is great for a girly look and the shimmer does not adhere to the lips as annoyingly as Peach Parfait does.

Revlon Lip Butters are HKD$98 (quite a bit on the higher end of drug store lipsticks) a piece and is available in a wide range of colors. They are a bit pricey for a drug store lip product, and although they are marvelous, I do not think they are worth the full price (I might as well add on a bit and get a MAC lipstick with that price), so take advantage on any offer you encounter!!!!
Left: Candy Apple Right: Pink Truffle

Left: Peach Parfait Right: Berry Smoothie

Swatch on wrist .Clockwise from Top: Candy Apple, Pink Truffle, Peach Parfait, Berry Smoothie



Swatch on tissue. Top to bottom: Candy Apple, Pink Truffle, Peach Parfait, Berry Smoothie

1.15.2013

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin SPF15 Review

I was trying to stray away from my old spf moisturizer when I found this, although I do find SPF15 not enough for HK sun exposure, I still gave it a shot.
Official description: 
No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal / Oily Skin is a light, non-pore blocking formula enriched with zinc to balance oil production and prevent breakouts.
No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream is the second and final step to complete your Beautiful Skin routine, through perfect moisturisation. With three formulations to suit every skin type, Beautiful Skin Day Creams lavish skin with TLC to hydrate, energise and balance.
With the added protective power of SPF15 and 5★UVA technology, the multitasking moisturisers help skin fight the harmful effects of the sun and keep you looking as young as possible. There’s also a range of night creams for every skin type, too, for truly tailored skin nutrition 24 hours a day.

It is a nice cream that gives enough moisture and is emollient enough for winter weather (although it is catered for oily skin) It does not turn out greasy or sticky, oil control is okay. I must say that this cream is formulated for a much drier climate, since Hong Kong is quite humid and sunny most of the time (even in winter) this cream would only work for oily skin in the colder months and I am almost sure it will be too heavy for summer use.
I was also not satisfied with the sun factor, for Hong Kong SPF 15 is not enough, only tolerable during winter and spring.
Since I have a sample of the night cream, I find it very interesting that the day cream is actually heavier than the night cream (shouldn't it be the other way round?)
Day cream, a heavier consistency
Night cream, a more gel like consistency
Although it claims to be hypo-allergenic, the cream itself is quite heavily fragranced, those who have extra sensitive skin or do not like fragranced products should keep this in mind.
Overall, it is a pleasant cream to use during the winter months, but I was not fully what I am looking for in a day moisturizer. Those of you who live in drier climates may find it to be perfect, but it does not work in more humid/sunny climates. I would not consider repurchasing this product.

1.07.2013

Travel Besties

left: Skinfood Fresh Celery Cleansing Tissue Right, Asience Treatment Oil
  As you know, I just came back from my trip to Korea. And these two products have really helped me out during the trip.

Skinfood Fresh Celery Cleansing Tissue
  At home, I actually won't bother with these makeup wipes since I do not like the thought of using these more expensive (per use) wipes than using my trusty Bioderma micelle solution. But during travel, I simply can't be bothered to bring a whole stack of cotton wipes and unlike Bioderma micelle solution, these makeup wipes can thoroughly cleanse off even the most waterproof mascara (whereas I find Bioderma is no match for japanese waterproof mascaras). One wipe is enough for wiping off all the makeup from my face, and as with Bioderma, I follow with a foaming face wash afterwards to make sure my face is completely clean.

Asience Treatment Oil
  During Winter Korea is incredibly cold and dry, in fear of my conditioner not being moisturizing enough, I brought this hair oil with me (mostly because it's smaller than the bottle of L'oreal Mythic Oil at home). After shampoo and conditioning, i just need two pumps of this and i slather it mainly over the middle to end part of my hair, then the left over is smoothed over the top of my head (just ever so slightly). It keeps my hair less tangly and less dry. I originally got this at my trip to japan in the summer, since the shampoo I brought with my was too dry (Crabtree and Evelyn is lying, the Aloe Vera Shampoo and conditioner is NOT for all hair types, more like for extremely oily hair.) and I had to buy this and literally slather on four pumps every night and touch up (1 pump) in the morning. It has also kept my hair from being frizzy and messy.