Beauty

Loving Right Now – HOURGLASS Cosmetics

February 24, 2015

I fell in love with HOURGLASS Cosmetics after acquiring the highly raved Ambient Lighting powder and the blushes palettes – particularly the lighting powders as they just give the perfect balance of glow that really illuminates your face softly without enhancing the pores. Since then I have been slowly adding more to my collection, and here are the other Hourglass products that I am loving at the moment, and many of them are available at NAP which is currently offering free shipping on any order.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette – A must have from this beauty line!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light – I like the lighting powders from the palette so much so I added this color to my stash. It’s lighter than the colors in the palette, and works really well for my complexion as a highlighter. Next one to add will be the Mood Light!

Hourglass Ambient Powder Brush – I love buying the matching brush designed for a particular product, and this brush is fantastic for applying the ambient lighting powder.

Hourglass Double Ended Complexion Brush – Been looking for a good quality portable and retractable brush for a while, and finally found one! This brush feels so lush and adore the double ended brushes for both the powder and cream products application.

Hourglass Large Concealer Brush – Taklon bristles are the best for blending concealers, and this brush is soft but firm and the large size is perfect for applying concealer to the under eye areas.

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer – Reminds me of the Cle De Peau Beaute Concealer but at a fraction of the price. It’s creamy and very pigmented so it offers great coverage that still looks natural. My shade is fair.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (reviewed here) – Unfortunately this palette is not available anywhere as it was limited edition, but more color options are available in the single ones.

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Labels: BRUSHES • CONCEALER • HIGHLIGHTER • HOURGLASS

Holiday Travel Beauty Essentails

February 23, 2015

I am currently on vacation so Ill just quick share some of my absolute travel beauty essentials. After years of traveling, I came to realization that I don’t need to bring my entire bathroom vanity along with me! This edition is more for a summer holiday where my main priorities are skin-hydration, sun protection, and last but not least staying photogenic (even with binge eating everyday!)

Skin Hydration

I chose to bring the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil in travel size with me – one of the very few brands that has makeup removal oil in travel size, and I have always been using the green one for traveling. It completely removes every trace of makeup and it’s not so oily but retains the moisture in your skin so it’s just perfect for hot weather. Then I do a second cleanse with any foam cleanser sample I can find with my beloved Clarisonic Cleansing Tool (reviewed here). I did not include the moisturizers in this post, as I am not that greatly fussed about it. I basically just grab a lot of sample moisturizers with me and use them along the way. The SK-II Facial Treatment Mask is an essential item for keeping my skin hydrated during holiday – I use one every night. After a day of exposure to the sun and chlorine, there is no moisturizer that does the same job as good as a nourishing mask for repairing and hydrating purposes.

Sun Protection

Sun protection is my passion now. I love bathing in the sun on holiday but with my current skin condition I have to be extra careful. The Shiseido Anessa Sunscreen is my go to sun protection line which I have been using for many years (my hubby also only wears this one!). It has a really high SPF, feels weightless and non drying, and best of all (for Asians), this is the best one for tan proofing! I hardly get tanned if I wear this one liberally. The For Beloved One Advanced Whitening Arbutin plus Q10 Jelly is my new discovery. It’s a brightening and anti-pigmentation gel mask that can be used as a sleeping mask. I bought this one because this brand is known for their brightening sheet masks, so I thought I’d give this one a try. So far it’s been great as there is no darkening of any spots on my face even with the amount of outdoor activities that I do.

Photogenic

Taking pictures and selfies are the most important things we do on holiday for girls. So as a blogger I feel ‘obligated’ to stay photogenic lol! Having a more lifted face shape (the v shape) is absolutely critical to look “better” in pictures and my secret weapon is the 24K Gold Beauty Bar. I am loving it so much as I have been raving about this tool to everyone around me, so I will definitely post a detailed review for it. In short, 5 minutes massaging face with this tool gives a noticeably more lifted and firm looking complexion that beats any face slimming/firming moisturizers in the market. I always use this one before taking FOTDs, and I love how portable this tool is.

Other products featured in the pictures include Celine Nano Luggage and Karen Walker Sunglasses.

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Labels: CELINE • CLARISONIC • KAREN WALKER • SHISEIDO • Shu Uemura • SKII

SHISEIDO MAQUILLAGE Dramatic Melting Rouge Lipstick Review, Swatches and FOTD – PK227 and RD425

February 11, 2015

Sheseido Maquillage has released a new line of lipsticks this year called Dramatic Melting Rouge. Since I am a devotee of their highly popular lip gloss (Essence Glamorous Rouge that has won many beauty awards in Japan), I was excited about this new launch. Similar to the lip gloss that was enriched with hyaluronic acid, this new lipstick claims to have a high concentration of their unique blend of ‘beauty oil’ that hydrates your lips like moisturizing essence, and provides a full coverage with a mirror shine gloss.

I picked the colors PK227 and RD425 – a pink and a bright red as they are my go-to colors these days. The texture completely lives up to my expectations as they are ultra smooth and glides on like silk that just melts into your lips. It nourishes even the driest lips without enhancing any dry skin and lines, and make them appear fuller and youthful. It feels very lightweight and extremely hydrating on the lips. The coverage is excellent and it’s opaque with a degree of translucency. It also has a jelly like shine without any shimmer which I absolutely adore. Best of all, they are very long lasting for a glossy lipstick. The colors remain at full intensity even after 4 hours of wear and I even had snacks in between!

Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Melting Rouge in PK227 is a beautiful girly and soft neutral pink that is neither too cool or nor too warm. You probably would have seen a gazillion of them on my blog, but this shade just guarantees to make me feel happy and pretty which is the most important purpose of wearing makeup!

Lip Swatch with a single swipe – natural day light

FOTD wearing PK227

Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Melting Rouge in RD425 is a bright cherry red in high gloss. You can either apply this color to the center of your lips for a gradient look, or you can apply it to your entire lips for a more glamorous look but still stay young and fresh.

FOTD wearing RD425

Group Swatch

Left PK227 Right RD425

Other makeups used in the FOTDs include

DIOR Diorskin STAR Studio Foundation

CHANEL Natural Finish Loose Powder

YSL Touche Eclat

NARS Illuminator Limited Edition

HOURGLASS Ambient Blush Palette Limited Edition (reviewed here)

JILL STUART Ribbon Couture Eye 03 Vintage Satin (reviewed here)

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Labels: CHANEL • DIOR • FOTD • HOURGLASS • Jill Stuart • LIPSTICK • Maquillage by Shiseido • NARS • SHISEIDO

Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment and Derma Skin Roller Review

February 9, 2015

I have received many compliments on how good my skin looks lately which I cannot agree more (excuse me for not being humble lol..)! One of the reasons must be the Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment. As the name suggests, this serum will help transform your skin into good skin as if you are genetically gifted! This product was definitely not on my radar, until I accidentally ran into two people who told me they were all using this serum and they all had really beautiful skin. So I purchased this one straight away, along with a face roller which is also reviewed in this post.

The Sunday Riley Treatment has a milky gel texture that feels very lightweight and absorbs into your skin immediately. Unfortunately the smell of this product is horrible (it stinks!) and it tends to linger on your skin for a short while, but I don’t really mind the natural smell of a skincare product as opposed to overly fragrant products. Like many other serums on the market, the product claims to have multiple benefits on your skin such as “radically re-plumps fine lines; creates youthful radiance and texture, and brightens“. I never believe such “miracle products” that sound too good to be true, but this product definitely proved me wrong as it delivers what it claims. Since it’s not a hydrating serum (but might be enough for those of you who have oily skin), I pair it with a rich night cream. The result is a more visibly plumped, smooth and radiant complexion overnight. I have been using this serum for about 2 months now (every morning and night), and my skin is as smooth as a baby’s bottom now, with noticeably refined texture and pore sizes. And best of all, my skin is brightened and the freckles appear to be faded. Overall I highly recommend this serum. I would say this is by far the best serum within the $100 range I have ever used. I have dry and sensitive skin, so sometimes there is a very mild sting when applying which is normal.

The ingredient list

Another favorite product of mine is the Derma Skin Roller in 0.25 mm – it’s very affordable and effective. A derma roller has very fine needles so it feels slightly prickly when you roll it over the face (but trust me it’s not painful as I have quite a low pain tolerance). What it does is that it’s tricking your skin to believe that it’s been ‘injured’ so it helps to accelerate and stimulate your skin’s natural renewal and regeneration process, as well as boosts absorption of skincare products. If you are young, forget about this tool. At my sad old age where my skin takes months to heal an acne scar, this tool is a god-send. I use this tool about three times a week after I apply the serum. I roll it over my face multiple times, particularly paying more attention to the acne marks. Over time, my skin remains looking good consistently as the regeneration is improved, whereas it used to be good and bad. The acne marks are fading at a much quicker pace, and the overall texture is improved in conjunction with the help of the Sunday Riley Treatment. I am also using this tool combined with the Kate Somerville Scar Dimishing Serum on the scars on my leg, and I am also seeing quite a great result! This tool also claims to improve firmness of the skin but I did not see this result.

I purchased my Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment from NAP which ships worldwide, and it’s also available at Sephora in the US. My derma roller is from a Korean brand which I bought off Ebay. The most well-known brand is this one available at AdoreBeauty.

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Labels: Beauty Tools • SKINCARE • Sunday Riley

Jill Stuart Ribbon Couture Eyes 02 Floret Tulle and 03 Vintage Satin Review and Swatches, Spring 2015 Collection

February 7, 2015

I have been hauling a lot of Japanese makeup lately as there are not that many western makeup brands of interest to me. My recent additions are the Jill Stuart Ribbon Couture Eye Shadow Palettes 02 Floret Tulle and 03 Vintage Satin from the 2015 Spring Collection. I could not take my eyes off these beautiful pretty neutral quads the first time I saw them, so I bought them immediately when they became available.

The design of these new eye shadow palettes are different to their old ones. It has 5 eye shadows, housed in a new case design that will melt any young girl’s heart. I am way over the cuteness phase, but for some reason Jill Stuart can still conjure up my long-gone inner girly side.

The texture of these are very similar to the typical premium Japanese eye shadow – as they all boast a distinct marshmallow texture (velvety, soft and cushiony to touch) that are not common in western brands . All shades have fine shimmer in them but they feel ultra smooth and silky to apply without any fallout. The texture is very finely milled, and the pigmentation is quite rich with a translucent finish as I only need one swipe for the color to be shown on my eyes without looking overly heavy and opaque.

The colors of both palettes are of typical universally flattering neutral shades that I cannot resist to, as they work tremendously well for enhancing Asian eyes. Though they look very shimmery from the pan, the four main colors apply to a semi satin finish, with the middle shade appearing more shimmery and slightly sparkly which is great for using at the inner corner.

Left 03 Vintage Satin Right 02 Floret Tulle

02 Floret Tulle was my first purchase. The color reminds me of my all time favorite palette – Chanel Spice. I just love such combination of colors that gives a soft and pretty neutral look.

Color Description:

Top Left – Vanilla satin finish

Top Right – Soft coral pink satin finish

Bottom Right – Dark brown with silver shimmer semi satin finish

Bottom Left – Light bronze pearl (slightly more shimmery)

Middle – Champagne beige (slightly more sparkly)

Swatch

03 Vintage satin is more sophisticated and beigey. I don’t think anyone would go wrong with this palette. If you love the cult favorite Lunasol beige beige, you would love this one.

Color Description:

Top Left – Ivory satin finish

Top Right – Fawn satin finish

Bottom Right – Dark chocolate brown with charcoal undertone semi-satin finish

Bottom Left – Peach champagne shimmer

Middle – Icy vanilla metallic

Swatch

Bottom Line: Absolutely love them! Despite Jill Stuart’s overly sweet packaging (if you are not a fan) these two eye shadows are worth every penny for their quality as well as its wear-ability. They are available online here, (use coupon code 2015FIRST for 10% off), and please note that the product 02 Floret Tulle is linked to the wrong picture on that site. More information can be found on Jill Stuart’s Beauty Website.

http://www.amazon.com/Lunasol-Shadow-Skin-Modeling-Beige/dp/B008N6992S

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Labels: EYESHADOW • Jill Stuart

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Compact Powder Foundation Review

December 10, 2014

Finally got some time to update my blog after a busy week. Today’s review is for the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Compact Illuminating Powder Foundation SPF35+++ (Asia exclusive) which I can’t stop gushing about! It was the talk of town when it was launched last year in Asia, but I was just not that into it back then. Recently I was on the hunt for the best compact powder foundation, so I went a little overboard and bought everything on my wishlist and The YSL happened to be the most affordable as well as my favorite so far!

Packaging:

The YSL Le Teint Compact Powder Foundation is housed in the signature YSL gold mirrored case that’s quite prone to finger prints. The sponge that comes with the products feels a little cheap. I bought mine at David Jones (so glad that it’s available in Australia!). The case and the actual product are sold separately.

Texture and Coverage:

The compact powder is extremely finely milled so it gives a silky and creamy touch to it. On my dry skin, it applies seamlessly and flawlessly so does not look powdery at all. If this is applied by a powder blush, then it sets as natural as a good loose powder but offers much better coverage. I normally apply this on top of a sheer foundation with a brush, and it covers up the rest of the small imperfections such as pores and redness that your normal foundation does not cover. Otherwise if it is applied by a sponge, it gives more of an airbrushed foundation-like finish with a build-able coverage.

The Glow

Compared to the traditional compact powder foundations, this one gives the most beautiful illuminating glow but also helps to mattify the skin so it doesn’t make your complexion look flat and cakey. I love using this one on top of a sheer layer of the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation (reviewed here), and together they make my skin look like I have a beauty dish light shining on my face! Overall I would describe the finish as a creamy satin finish with a beautiful glow (not dewy) when it’s freshly applied.

Why do I love it?

The best thing about this product is that it does not oxidize, and makes your complexion look even better over time. I find my complexion appears miraculously brighter and more luminous after a few hours of wear when the oil starts to come through, giving it a more natural and slightly dewy look that I absolutely adore for my dry skin.

Color

I bought the color B10 which matches me perfectly. It’s impossible to swatch powder and hopefully my picture will give you an idea of how B10 matches my skintone (NC15).

Bottom Line: Perfection and definitely enhanced the performance of the Touche Eclat liquid foundation! I bought mine at David Jones, and unfortunately this one is not available in the US and Europe.

{ 6 comments }

Labels: foundation • POWDER • POWER FOUNDATION • YSL

November Favorites

November 30, 2014

Just in time to post my favorite products for the month of November!

Clockwise:

– Diptyque Mimosa Candle – I love the smell of Mimosa, and when this fresh and enchanting scent is packed into a candle by the magic hands of Diptyque it’s a must have for me! I have used this one for the home all year round.

– YSL Le Tient Touche Eclat Illuminating Powder Foundation (Asia exclusive, also available in Australia) – Currently obsessed with this one. I can’t stop looking at my complexion when I dust this one on top of the foundation – it makes skin look incredibly radiant and air-brushed but so natural with a decent coverage.

– YSL Touche Eclat Foundation – I thought the performance of this foundation was on the average side for me (reviewed here), however when it’s used in conjunction with the Touche Eclat Powder I am more than amazed! It is currently 20% off at YSLBeauty Online.

– Gucci Cat Eye Sunglasses (Take up to 25% off use code GOBIG)– Love the subtle cat eye shape and it is extremely lightweight so I can wear this for the whole day without leaving marks along my nose bridge!

– TATCHA Deep Hydrating Lifting Mask – A luxurious paper mask that guarantees to make your skin appear more plumped and glowy.

– Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle – Reviewed here.

– BEATS Mixr White – I cannot workout without music. So I rely on my BEATS Headphone to help me get through the sessions as I am hitting the gym more often now to get myself in shape before the holiday starts!

– Ipsa Premier Line Cleansing Creamy Paste – A gentle creamy and refreshing cleanser that I use in the morning. The texture reminds me of Neutrogena’s Deep Clean Cream Cleanser, but 100 times more luxurious overall.

– Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Shadow Palette – My workhorse lately (reviewed here).

– Nars Audacious Lipsticks – I reviewed Natalie here, and went back and bought the shade Grace as I just love this new formulation. They are currently 20% off at NarsCosmeticsOnline.

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Labels: BECCA • BOBBI BROWN • DIPTYQUE • IPSA • My Favorites • NARS • SKINCARE • TATCHA • YSL

2014 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

November 29, 2014

BEAUTY

Nars – 20% off site-wide through Monday. My picks are the luscious Audacious Lipsticks!

Shu Uemura – 25% off site-wide use code SHUJOY. My pick is the LightBulb foundation range.

Harrods – 10% site-wide including all Beauty and Fashion items, plus VAT deductions at checkout for international order outside Europe. I just stocked up this and this, and FYI that Harrods is now carrying SUQQU!

SAKS – Receive a $25 Giftcard when you spend $100 on Beauty or Fragrance using code BEAUTY14.

Nordstrom – Choose from 75+ Gifts with Purchase.

IMMOMOKO – Up to 20% off site-wide (click on the link for more info). My favorite shop for stocking up Japanese and Korean beauty products.

TATCHA – 20% off site-wide use code FF2014.

Giorgio Armani Beauty – 20% off any order with $75 or more with free shipping.

YSL Beauty – 20% off any order with $75 or more with free shipping.

FASHION

ASOS – 20% off everything use code FRIDAY2014.

J.Crew – 30 percent off your order use code HOLIDAY.

Net-a-Porter – Up to 50% off the entire site.

Piperlime – 25% off site-wide use code IHEARTNYC.

SSENSE – Up to 50% off fall/winter designer items.

FORWARD – Up to 50% off fall/winter designer items.

Shopbop – 15 percent off orders of $250+, 20 percent off orders of $500+, 25 percent off orders of $1,000+ through Monday.

The Outnet – Global free shipping

Whistles – 30% off everything through Nov. 30.

Madewell – 25% off site-wide with code GIFTON through Nov. 30.

Equipment – 25% off site-wide use code THANKS.

Joie – 25%off site-wide use code THANKS.

Theory – 40% off site-wide use code, and spend $500 get $100.

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Labels: SHOP

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