Sharing a review for the highly popular newly released Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A Blush today. Just like everyone else, I fell in love with them straight away as soon as I saw the packaging – they are just too cute to be missed. The new Neo Nude collection including the liquid contour and highlighter has just been released in Australia last week (bought them here) and I picked 3 colors (shade 30, 50 and 51) immediately without even seeing them in real life. They are selling out super fast so it’s always a good idea to get them early.
I am normally not a fan of liquid formula for blush as it can look patchy and I find the application can be a little tricky. The Neo Nude Blush has the best formula I have used so far – actually it is much better than all the gel-based and liquid-based blushes I have ever used in the past. It has a lightweight gel-to-liquid formula that applies smoothly and evenly. I am really impressed that the color just blends into the skin seamlessly without looking patchy and leaves no edge. It doesn’t enhance nor settle into the pores and lines. In addition, it works well with most foundation formulas. I have used it on dewy based as well as powdery based foundations and the blush works just perfectly without looking cakey.
The color pay-off is soft and sheer so it gives a soft and pretty flush of colors on the cheeks. The application is a no-brainer for me, as I just apply a few dots on the cheekbones then blend the color with my fingers. The result is incredibly fresh and pretty and last for the whole day that I am completely in love with.
Shade 30 is an orangey coral color.
Shade 50 – My favorite color out of the three. It is a neutral milky pink that works well on fair complexion.
Shade 51 – It is quite similar to shade 50 but a tad darker pink. Works well on fair to medium complexion.
Swatches
Verdict: Must-have blushes of the year! The Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A blush is currently exclusive to Nordstrom only in the US.
Labels: BLUSH • Giorgio Armani
Here is another lipstick post featuring two new YSL lip colors that I am obsessed with at the moment. The YSL Volupte Liquid Balm Hook Me Berry and the Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick 76 Red in the Dark – they are the hottest and most popular colors from YSL at the moment. You probably would have seen them everywhere online and they are totally worth the hype. The colors are gorgeous and wearable along with the beautiful packaging from YSL that never fails to capture my heart.
The Volupte Liquid Balm is the latest lip color range launched by YSL (I bought mine here). There are a total of 12 new shades in the line and I only picked up the shade 11 Hook Me berry which is the most popular color from the range. Depending on where you source it from, I think it’s always easier to get hold of these highly popular shades in the US. If you are in the UK, Australia or any Asian country, then hunting it down will be a challenge. The formula is a hybrid of lip balm and liquid lipstick – it is creamy, lightweight and hydrating on the lips with a hint of balmy consistency. It goes on silky smooth and dries down to a semi-glossy finish that makes your lips instantly plumped. It has a medium pigmentation so it’s great for just blending the colors into the lips for a stain-like finish with your fingers. You can also pack on more color to your desired finish.
Hook me berry is a stunning rosy brown (aka red bean color) with a hint of berry undertone that has a dewy shine.
I personally think that the Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick 76 Red in the Dark is one of the most beautiful colors ever from YSL. It is so popular that I have seen people selling it for more than $100 on ebay! I have been a big fan of the Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks for years – you can find my review for the other colors in this post so I won’t go into too much detail about the texture. Basically, it is a lipstick and a lip balm in one. It feels very silky smooth and hydrating with medium coverage. Lasting power is not the best but you can always retouch it as if you are reapplying a lip balm. Unfortunately, this color is all sold out in Australia so I don’t have a link for you – the only place where there is still very limited stock is here in the UK.
Red in the Dark is a gorgeous muted brick red brown in high shine that is right on point. I’ve been using it for the past 2 weeks and it still makes my heart flutter every time I wear it!
Here is a selfie I took with my phone wearing 76 Red in the Dark.
Comparison swatch:
Labels: LIPSTICK • YSL
It was love at first sight with the Tom Ford Shadow Extreme in TFX5 Garnet Red. This is a wow-factor color that is just right on point and the micro-glitter finish makes the color extra special. As with most popular shades from Tom Ford, this particular shade had been sold out worldwide for a long time since it was released. If you can find it in store or online, make sure you snatch one as fast as you can! It restocks here (where I bought it from) and here every now and then with worldwide shipping.
Close up
Tom ford never fails for delivering cutting edge and high-end looking packaging. Each Extreme Shadow comes in a mini compact with encased mirror in a sleek reflective chrome case. The texture and finish of TFX5 Garnet Red is amazing depending on the application. The micro glitters are so finely milled so it glides on buttery smooth for a foil-like sparkly finish. It almost feels like it is melting on the finger with intense color payoff. The red brick color is simply stunning – I have included a lot of swatches to show you how beautiful this color is. In fact it looks far more alluring on the eyes when it catches the light than what it looks in the picture.
Swatch – the heavy swatch was done with one single swipe only
Close up 
Verdict: Must-have eyeshadow of the year! The color is wearable and flattering but not boring. The Tom Ford Extreme Shadow range is currently only exclusive to Neiman Marcus in the US. I bought mine here in Australia, and it is also available here with worldwide shipping.
Labels: EYESHADOW • Tom Ford
Sharing a couple of things that I bought lately. One of the most exciting purchases this month had to be my two pairs of new boots. They are both sock boots which is the style I am obsessed with. The black pair is from Nicholas Kirkwood and I bought them on sale at 50% of here! I love them so much as they are super comfy. The style is cute but chic and his signature pearl heel just makes the boots more special. I’ve been on a hunt for a pair of white leather stretch boots for so long and I finally found a great pair from Barneys New York. This is my first purchase from Barney’s own brand and I am very impressed with their quality and styles. They are made in Italy and look and feel expensive just like designer shoes, it also comes in other colors such black, patent black and red.
Left Barneys New York Right Nicholas Kirkwood Sock Boots
The rest is all the new makeup that I bought lately. I am much more selective with makeup these days and I only buy the ones that are very special and stand out to me.
La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-In Foundation – Big fan of cushion foundation so I cannot resist the new cushion-like foundation from La Prairie.
Tom Ford Shadow Extreme -I was lucky enough to pick up one of their most popular colors TFX5 Garnet Red (bought mine here), as it was literally all sold out everywhere. The color is right on point and is just as amazing as I have seen online. Highly recommend it if you can still find it!
Last but not least, my lovely Chanel SA has reserved these limited-edition Chanel No5 L’EAU Hand Creme and All Over Spray for me. They are great sizes for carrying around in a purse and the design in a frosted matte finish is just too good to pass.
Labels: CHANEL • Fashion • La Prairie • SHOES • SHOPPING • Tom Ford
I thought I’d share a quick post about the cleansers I am using lately. Some of them such as the Chanel Cleansers have been holy grails for years. The others were the new releases that I have been testing out and I am very impressed with the Dr. Dennis Gross Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel – it’s amazing. One of the biggest changes in my cleansing routine is that I have switched to milk or water-based products from cleansing oils. I much prefer the lightweight formula for the same result and my skin is definitely having less congestions in the pores and breakout.
Chanel Cleansing Milk for Face and Eyes – Starting with my Holy Grail makeup remover. It is a beautiful milky cleanser with a soft floral fragrance that makes you feel instantly relaxed and pampered. I love the lightweight milky formula as it feels silky and spreadable and not greasy at all. You just need to massage it all over the face and it instantly dissolves all the makeup – same result as a heavy duty oil cleanser. Once you rinse it off with water, the skin feels very clean, supple and fresh. Chanel has recently released two new milk cleansers which will replace the old range soon. I have tested the samples already and I love them all. I feel they are very similar to the original version but it even removes stubborn waterproof eye makeup! If you have oily skin, I am loving the Le Lait Cleansing to Water that is even more refreshing. Whether you can still find the current one, or the new range I highly recommend to give the Chanel cleansers a try!
Chanel Mousse Foaming Cream Cleanser – This is another iconic and highly popular cleanser amongst the beauty lovers all over the world. I have been using it for years and there is no fault as a creamy foaming cleanser. It has the signature soft and soothing fragrance and it lathers up to the creamiest and dense milky foam. A little goes a long way and a tub in full size will literally last for a year! It makes the skin feel clean and fresh without stripping the moisture off. Even for my dry skin it doesn’t make my skin feel taut after using it, so it is suitable for both morning and night. Again I can see that the stores are rolling out the new version Chanel La Mousse that is very similar.
Dr. Dennis Gross Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel – Loving it! It cleanses and gently exfoliates the skin that is soap and sulfate free. To my surprise, the gel formula of this cleanser feels so gentle and soothing on the skin. My skin looks more clear and brightened yet still feels hydrated after use. It is called pore refining because it has ingredients that deeply cleanses into the pores so they look more clear and refined over time. I bought mine here with international shipping.
ORIGINS Cleansing Makeup Removing Jelly – It feels ok to use but it’s not something that I would repurchase. The name is misleading because it doesn’t have a jelly texture. It has a balmy consistency that feels very rich and oily. The good thing is it does remove makeup thoroughly and doesn’t leave any oily residue on the skin. It is also almost fragrance-free which is good for sensitive skin; as for me having the right fragrance in a skincare product is really important that will elevate my user experience. If you are after a formula in between oil and milk, you may be interested in this product.
Labels: CHANEL • CLEANSER • Dr Dennis Gross • ORIGINS • SKINCARE
Suqqu has recently released a new foundation – the Nude Wear Liquid Foundation SPF15. Being a big fan of their base makeup as well as being intrigued by the ‘drip design’, I knew I had to have it and it has surpassed my expectations. I bought mine in shade 002 Cool Shell here with international shipping – the light shades are selling extremely fast so I am glad I got hold of a bottle when my shade was restocked recently.
Consistency and finish
The concept of this foundation is very similar to the Dior Nude Air Serum foundation and the Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation. The formula is ultra lightweight and fluid that makes you feel like applying a skin serum rather than makeup. It is packed with a lot of skincare ingredients so to me it is both a makeup and skincare product that brings your complexion to the best it can look. It goes on completely weightless and traceless so the formula works well for most skin types, especially for the dry skin as it feels hydrating even without moisturizers. The finish is amazing as it looks so natural on the face whilst it plumps up and adds a healthy luminous glow to the face. The Japaneseese term to describe the finish is called ‘milky complexion’ because it makes the skin appear poreless and refined with a touch of soft glow just like baby skin.
Coverage and application
It is designed for a very natural looking nude finish and makes your skin luminous, so the coverage is on the sheer side as you would expect. It is more for enhancing the skin and even out the skintone and blurring out mild imperfections. If you are after a heavy coverage foundation this is not the right foundation for you. As for me, I normally prefer sheer to medium coverage, so I normally apply a layer of correcting or lightly tinted primer underneath this foundation and together they create a flawless yet 100% natural radiant complexion that lasts all day. I have received tons of compliments everytime I wear this foundation with my current HG primer NEOU Salmon Ovary Peptide Moisture.
Lasting power:
One of the reasons that this foundation has surpassed my expectations is because it lasts pretty long (8-10 hours) on me for such a lightweight formula. It actually wears more beautiful over time as the skin appears more glowy (not oily) and bright with no oxidation and very little crease and oil coming through.
Swatch SHADE 002 Cool Shell – no editing and no filters are applied to the swatch pictures
Close up: No skin retouch is done to this picture. As you can see how refined and tracelesss the finish of this foundation is. It also makes my dry skin appear so soft, supple and hydrated. 
Shade comparison
Verdict:
Absolutely love it! If you don’t have major skin imperfections to cover, the Suqqu Nude Wear Liquid foundation will make your complexion look 5 years younger. Among the Suqqu, Dior Air Serum and Armani Maestro Fusion (which I have used all of them), I personally think the Suqqu is the best for normal to dry skin.
Labels: foundation • SUQQU
I’ve been meaning to try out Huda Beauty for a very long time. The mini Huda Beauty Warm Brown Obsessions Palette is my first purchase from the brand which I absolutely adore for its quality at such a good price. It is a mini portable palette that consists of 9 eyeshadows in different finishes. There are 4 colors released for the range and I picked the warm brown as the combination of peaches and warm brick browns are right up my alley!
closer look
Though it is called a mini palette, in my opinion, the eyeshadow is still comparable to full size (larger than the MAC single pan eyeshadow). I am totally impressed with the quality and texture as the powders are densely packed, creamy and smooth to the touch with intense color payoff and absolutely no fallout. For the quality, they are noticeably better than the eyeshadows of the same price range such as Zoeva and Colorpop. The matte colors just glide on silky smooth and easy to blend, that feels even better than the matte shadows from higher-end brands such as MAC etc. The shimmer shade is over the top. It is so intense that you literally need a tiny bit to accentuate for a foil-like finish. I know that Huda is most known for its desert dusk palette, but I think the colors are too bold and dramatic for my style, whereas this palette still has a similar tone but contains more wearable colors with a punch that is great for everyday use!.
Swatch
Verdict – Great price and makeup on point! Highly recommend it!
Labels: EYESHADOW • HUDA BEAUTY
For those of you who are into keeping up with the makeup trend and colors, you probably would know that the Tom Ford Lip color Hiro is one of the hottest shades to own. It was originally released in the mini lips & boys version, but since the shade has been a huge success Tom Ford has released the Hiro in the full-size version (bought mine here with worldwide shipping)!
The beauty of Hiro is that it has a beautiful and flattering metallic finish with rose gold shimmer. It looks warm and orangy from the tube, but once it is applied, it translates to a soft peachy pink with rose gold sheen (like peachy mermaid color). The warm lip tone also compliments the warm eyeshadow look perfectly which is trending all over the world. The lipstick has medium color payoff so the finish is soft and pretty without looking too frosty. In a way, it reminds me of the NARS super orgasm but better!
closer look – taken in the sun
As usual, Tom Ford lip color has a luxurious texture that glides on creamy and it doesn’t feather with a long lasting finish. Here are some swatches.
closeup
The Tom Ford Hiro tends to sell out fast as soon as it is replenished. It is still not available on Tom Ford.com and Net-A-Porter but you can check out their swatches for different skin tones. In the US, you can still find them on Nordstrom and Beautylish. I bought the full size exclusive version on Selfridges. It is also available here in Australia.
Labels: LIPSTICK • Tom Ford
