Beauty

Clé de Peau Beauté cleansing foam review

September 28, 2015

The Clé de Peau Beauté cleansing foam is one of the best foaming cleansers I have ever used which deserves a proper review post. This is the cleanser that would testify ‘good skin begins with good cleansing’. I have been using this on and off for the past 10 years, and every time I go back to it , I always feel my skin’s condition is improved.

I would call this a deep cleansing cleanser for every day use as it does the most thorough cleaning job – it takes off every single trace of impurities and makeup, and it purifies to the bottom of the pores so it makes the them look very clean. Your complexion appears exceptionally clear, brightened and full of radiance after washing with this compared to the other cleansers. It comes in 2 variations – Gentle Cleansing foam that is designed for normal to dry skin, and the Refreshing Cleansing Foam for normal to oily skin. I am using the gentle version which works really well for my dry and sensitive skin. It makes the skin feel squeaky clean and refreshed without stripping off the moisture. It has a clean and delicate flora soapy scent, and has a creamy white paste texture that lathers up to the creamiest and most dense and emollient foam. The resilient lather feels uber luxurious and velvety against the skin. It is on the expensive side, but a little product goes a long way and this tube will last you a very long time.

The ingredient list

Bottom Line: If you are still on the look out for a perfect foaming cleanser, give this one a try! The Clé de Peau Beauté cleanser is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and SAKS in the US.

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Labels: CLE DE PEAU • CLEANSER • SKINCARE

Tom Ford Lipstick Flash of Pink Lip Color Review, Swatch and FOTD

September 27, 2015

Tom Ford recently added new colors to his permanent lip color collection. I tested all of them out at the counter, and in the end I just brought back Flash of Pink which was a gorgeous and unique pink color that looked very flattering on me. There was no tester for something wild which was the other shade I planned to purchase, so I’ll probably go back for another visit soon! The new colors are now available here online in Australia.

The reign of the world’s most expensive lipstick has recently been taken over by Louboutin Beaute from Tom Ford (albeit I think the packaging of the former is a little OTT..). Splurging AUD$70 on a tube of lipstick does make me feel better, as I think the packaging of Tom Ford still tops every other brand, and the formulation is also flawless. Flash of Pink is a rosy fuchsia pink with a hint of metallic sheen. It contains micro magenta shimmer and it still has the same luxurious creamy texture as with all the other colors from the range – it goes on silky smooth in a satin finish, and I don’t feel any glitter on my sensitive lips when I wear it.

The Tom Ford SA described Flash of Pink as an expensive pink lip color with an edge. I wasn’t so sure when I saw the color from the tube, but on the lips it didn’t look as metallic as I thought . As you can see from my swatch below, it looks shimmery with frost on hand, but on the lips there was just a hint of metallic sheen at certain angles that actually makes the color pop and unique. It is intensely pigmented and has a lasting power of 4-5 hours.

Close up swatch

Flash of Pink Lip Swatch

I have finally managed to take some FOTD for today’s post – it’s been so long I almost forgot how to do it lol!

Other makeup used in the FOTD include

Face

Shu Uemura Brightening Base

Sulwhasoo Cushion Foundation (reviewed here)

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation (new, review coming soon)

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder for highlight (reviewed here)

Marc by Marc Jacobs Contouring Powder (reviewed here)

Eyes

Chanel Entrelaces Eyeshadow Palette (reviewed here)

Dior Addict It Liquid Eyeliner (reviewed here)

Lancome Mascara

Visee Eyebrow Pencil & Powder

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Labels: FOTD • LIPSTICK • Tom Ford

Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight Review and Swatch

September 13, 2015

The Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight was finally released in Australia last week, and as expected it was all sold out within seconds in the Sydney store. I am very glad that I got my friend to bring me back one from the US (available here!) as I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance to get hold of this in Australia. The powder duo is absolutely gorgeous that completely surpasses my expectations. If you miss out on it, it seems Selfridges now ships some of Tom Ford products including this illuminating duo to Australia! And they are also taking the 10% VAT off at the final checkout.

The Powder Duo comes in a signature Tom Ford luxury case. The texture of both the highlight and bronzer powder are creamy but firm, and feel extremely silky smooth. Both powders contain very finely milled micro shimmer, and they are probably the best powders with shimmer I have ever used. With the highlight powder, once it is applied on to the face it blends into the skin seamlessly. I am amazed that there is no trace of this powder on my face (hence it doesn’t enlarge the pores at all), just an illuminated glow that is natural but noticeable. It serves its purpose as a highlight powder, and it makes the skin look radiant, plumped and dewy under the natural sunlight (not frosty). If Tom Ford just releases this highlighter individually, I would definitely buy 10 of these!

The golden bronzer is a multi-purpose shade. Once it is applied, it doesn’t look as dark as in the pan, so depending on your skin tone, it can be used either as an illuminating powder for adding a warmer glow, or can be used as a light bronzer on fair skin for adding a touch of color. Because it contains shimmer I wouldn’t recommend using it for contour. For me I apply the highlight powder from the apples of the cheeks towards the temples, then I mix the highlighter with the bronzer, and apply it around the side of my cheekbones just to add a multi dimensional glow to the face. I have received tons of compliments on how good and healthy my skin looks lately, even though I have had the flu for a week!

Color Description:

Highlighter – A vanilla beige color with a pale rosey gold sheen.

Bronzer – A medium golden sandy brown with silver sheen. Hint that it also makes a beautiful neutral eye shadow!

Swatches

I haven’t reviewed a brush for a while…so I thought I’d include some brush recommendations for this product in this post. I choose what brush to use depending on the texture of the product and of course the purpose and the applied area. With this powder duo, I wanted a more precise application that gave a soft wash effect, so the brushes I picked are all on the higher end – they are very soft and fluffy and are designed to pick the pigments softly.

Brush Recommendations (from left to right) : HAKUHODO J511 Highlighter Brush (similar by MAC here); CHIKUHODO Z-Series Z 3 Contour; Suqqu Cheek Brush; Shu Uemura 17 Brush; CHIKUHODO GSN 02 Cheek & Highlight Brush (short handle version here)

Last but not least, I have included a comparison swatch between this and the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Highlighter and Contour Duo (reviewed here) and Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (reviewed here).

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Labels: BRONZER • HIGHLIGHTER • Tom Ford

Chanel Liquid Eyeliner Ligne Graphique Dream Blue, Illusion D’ombre Melody and Stylo Eyeshadow 127 Laurier Rose Review and Swatch

September 10, 2015

Today’s review is for an eye makeup combo that I’ve been loving lately. The Chanel Liquid Eyeliner LIGNE GRAPHIQUE De Chanel Dream Blue and the Cream Eye shadow Illusion D’Ombre Melody 98 are from the latest Chanel Blue Rhythm Collection , and the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow 127 Laurier Rose is from the permanent line that I picked up a while ago.

The Chanel Liquid Eyeliner in Dream Blue is one interesting purchase for me. I didn’t plan to buy it but got lured in after the SA tried it on my eyes. Though I own a significant amount of eye makeup, I don’t change the way I apply eye makeup that much – always some neutral eye shadow colors and an intense black eyeliner. So I thought using a colored eyeliner would be an easy step that I can take to add some variety to my makeup look. The formulation is very fluid and gives a smooth and even indigo blue line in one stroke. The applicator is thin and small that allows for an easy and precise application. I particularly love wearing this over a black eyeliner, as it becomes a blackish midnight blue color. It defines the eyes without looking too sharp, and it also brightens up the eyes. The difference is subtle but noticeable.

Different to their previous Illusion D’Ombre eye shadows that are on the shimmery side, the finish of Melody is almost semi-matte with a hint of satiny sheen. I would pass on this if it was just an ordinary matte peachy eye cream color, but the subtle rose gold sheen makes it special. It has a marshmallow-like texture, and feels more creamy than the others. Melody applies smoothly without caking up and looking dry and heavy on the eyes. It is a lovely everyday color that I would get so much use out of, and works excellent as a base color for all over the eye lid. It can also be doubled as an eye primer as it stays put for the whole day, and also prevents other eye shadows from creasing.

The Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow offers intense pigmentation, applies silky smooth with a cooling sensation and it has a great staying power. Laurier Rose is a beautiful vibrant coppery color with a rose undertone and has a slight metallic sheen that just makes your eyes pop. I particularly love the slanted tip which allows for a more controlled application, as it can be used as a thick eyeliner, or for applying over a larger area. I wish Chanel would release more of this in neutral colors!

EOTD: Wearing the blue dream eye liner, and Illusion O’mbre Melody all over the lid, with Stylo Eyeshadow 127 from the lash line into the crease.

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Labels: CHANEL • EYELINER • EYESHADOW

Makeup News & Deals -Tom Ford Beauty, Christian Louboutin, Charlotte Tilbury and Jurlique

September 4, 2015

Just thought I’d let you know that there are some really exciting makeup launches in Australia and globally happening now!

One of the foremost collections that has just released online in Australia is the Tom Ford Fall 2015 Collection. The collection includes the highly coveted Skin Illuminating Powder Duo, and the Flawless Powder Foundation (permanent) and the Complexion Enhancing Primer (permanent). What excites me the most is that the new Tom Ford Lip Colors (13 new shades) are also available online now. I have just placed my order based on the swatches here.

The world’s most expensive lipsticks by Christian Louboutin Lip Colors are also officially launched in the US and UK. They are now available at Nordstrom and Sephora in the US, and Selfridges in the UK. NAP also stocks them for certain countries. Will you buy them? As for me I have not made up my mind yet…

Charlotte Tilbury‘s makeup line has taken off in a huge success within a short time. Her must have product – the super creamy Lip Cheat (see my review here) now has 5 new shades, and they are available here worldwide, and at Nordstrom in the US. I want all the shades especially crazy in love as it is selling like hotcakes! Her newest foundation – the Magic Foundation can also be purchased here with international shipping avaialble.

5 new shades are Crazy in love, Bad Romance, Hollywood Honey, Berry Naughty, Foxy Brown.

Last but not least, there is an awesome deal on Jurlique at David Jones happening now. It is time for me to replenish their famous Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum as I’ve been using it on and off for the past 10 years.

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Labels: Charlotte Tilbury • Christian Louboutin • JURLIQUE • New Collections • Tom Ford

Chanel Le Vernis FORTISSIMO 681 and VIBRATO 665 Swatch and Review – Blue Rhythm De Chanel Collection

September 3, 2015

It is the time of the year when Sydney is running the major Vogue Fashion Night Out event, and the highly anticipated exclusive Chanel Blue Rhythm Collection is only available on the night in Australia. Chanel fans would know that they always release some stunning nail colors for VFNO, and this year the two blue Chanel Le Vernis FORTISSIMO 681 and VIBRATO 665 are no exceptions. Along with the nail polishes, I also picked up several other products which will be covered in a future post.

Fortissimo is a midnight blue color with micro shimmer. As with most Chanel nail colors with shimmer, once this is applied on to the nails, it goes on to a cream finish and shimmer that can only be seen at certain angles. When I first saw the two colors, I was immediately drawn to Fortissimo as it looked quite wearable for a blue color. But once I had tried Vibrato on my nails, I could not take my eyes off this color – it’s a bright dark cobalt blue color that will catch people’s attention to your nails straight away. The color is very fashion-forward in a Chanel way, as it’s not over the top, but it just has some special element to it that makes it look expensive but young.

Swatch – 2 coats each color. Both colors are very opaque and apply smoothly and evenly.

Both nail colors are limited editions, and they are now available on Nordstrom and Chanel Online with the Blue Rhythm De Chanel collection in the US.

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Labels: CHANEL • NAIL POLISH

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadows Review and Swatch – Sweet Heat and A Natural Flirt

August 30, 2015

It was love at first sight for me with the Extra Dimension Eye Shadow collections from MAC lately, and as much as I tried to resist on buying single eye shadows as well as MAC makeup.. I couldn’t help but pick up these two beautiful neutral colors in Sweet Heat and A Natural Flirt.

It is quite difficult to capture the true beauty of these eye shadows in photos, as they have the most amazing liquid sheen with a metallic effect to it. They look like semi-wet eye shadows from the pan (but they apply dry), and the colors can look different depending on the angles you are looking at. One swipe convinced me that I had to get few colors from the collection- they feel silky smooth, extremely finely milled, and highly pigmented. They don’t show up as metallic once they are swatched as you see from the pan – just a shimmery wash of colors with a hint of metallic sheen that add an impact to the rather boring neutral colors.

A natural flirt is gorgeous. It is a light ivory champagne color with an iridescent pink undertone. Yes I probably can find tons of similar shades from my collection, but this one will make it to my top 3!

Sweet heat looks dark and chocolaty at some angles, but in real life it is a stunning medium sandy copper color that has a light rose gold metallic sheen to it.

Swatches

I bought the MAC Extra Dimension Eye shadows here in Australia. They retail for AUD$40 each.

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Labels: EYESHADOW • MAC

SkinMedica LYTERA Brightening Complex and AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser Review

August 28, 2015

I have used tons of brightening products (some were really expensive!) in the hope of improving the appearance of the pigmentation problem on my complexion, but I hardly reviewed any on the blog because they never worked for me. You may have heard me saying some brightening products did improve the skin luminosity, but I would have never said that my freckles were faded after using them. So today I’d like to introduce you to an amazing and phenomenal product that really worked – the SkinMedica LYTERA brightening complex, which is probably the only product I have ever used that made a big difference in reducing pigmentation!

The SkinMedica Lytera was recommend by my dermatologist after I received several IPL sessions (see this post). Had he not introduced this brand to me, I would have never heard of it. I started using this product 6 months into having the IPL done when I noticed that my freckles had started re-emerging! I was very keen on seeing the result because I read so many great reviews about it on the internet and some have even described the result of using Lytera to be on par with the effect of having IPL. At first I was disappointed with the result as I didn’t see much of an improvement after a few weeks. So just like many other skincare products, I kept on using it without holding my hope high..and it was around the 2 month mark where the ‘transformation’ happened – my freckles were noticeably faded. The result was not as dramatic as if having a laser, but I do remember there was one morning I looked into the mirror and I could not believe how clear my complexion looked again. I even re-wiped my mirror just to double check!

The Lytera has a very lightweight gel texture that is absorbed into the skin immediately. It is slightly hydrating but if you have dry to very dry skin, you will need a better serum for hydration purposes. It doesn’t sting and nor does it make the skin red. One thing to note is that if you are using this product during the day, be sure to apply lots of sunscreen as it does make the complexion slightly more sensitive.

I have just finished my first bottle of Lytera which lasted about 4 months (one pump per application), and I am up to my second bottle. I didn’t see any further improvement after 2 months, so this is more for up-keeping.

Ingredient list

Also a brief review on the SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser which I also can’t stop gushing about. It’s a clear gel cleanser with micro-beads in it and I use it every night with my Clarisonic (reviewed here). It makes my skin very clean without stripping off the moisture, keeps the pores clear and makes the skin texture incredibly smooth. If your skin texture is looking uneven and feeling a little rough, or if you think your makeup is just sitting on top your skin (doesn’t sink in) then that is most likely because your skin is in need of a better exfoliation product. If it is still a mild case I highly recommend incorporating at least one product that contains BHA/AHA such as this cleanser into your routine. Using it in conjunction with the Clarisonic, they help to improve my skin texture dramatically and make a big difference in how good my makeup holds.

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Labels: CLARISONIC • CLEANSER • SKINCARE • SkinMedica

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