Beauty

LUNASOL SUMMER 2013 Kit Review, Swatches and EOTD

August 10, 2013

I was drooling over the Limited Edition LUNASOL Summer 2013 Kit which was only exclusive to Japan as soon as it was released, so when my dear friend Elaine happened to be in Japan at that time, I jumped the gun and asked her to purchase this set for me (along with some other beautiful makeup items)! I just received all the goodies today and this set is truly taking my breath away – I love every single product included in the set and particularly the beautiful coral eye shadow quad.

The coral themed LE Summer 2013 kit contains the following items which retails for $8400 YEN + tax that is very good value for money!

* Summer Eyes 2013 EX01 Light Coral Beige (full size)
* W Gloss Lips EX03 Fresh Coral × Fresh Red (full size)
* Lucent Cheeks EX03 Light Coral (mini size)
* Nail Finish N EX16 BrightRed (mini size)
* a well-made canvas cosmetics bag

The Summer Eyes 2013 EX01 Quad is the main reason that got me to purchase the set. I love the fact that it contains a soft coral and a pink color that just add a different twist to a “tired” neutral palette. It is a very fresh and feminine palette to wear during spring and summer. Wearing a pop of pink or soft red shade on the eyes is trending in Asia lately as they make your eyes appear more innocent and youthful looking. Along with this quad, my other favorite pick is the Suqqu Blend Color eyeshadow EX16 from its Fall 2013 Collection which also contains a hot pink shade that is on the way!

The quality of this quad is of typical premium Japanese eye shadows (very similar to Addictions) – all of the eye shadows are velvety smooth and cushiony soft. All shades are moderately pigmented in pearly translucent finish, and they all have micro shimmer with a soft gleam.

Swatch of Lunasol Vivid Clear Eyes Summer 2013 EX01

Swatches of the rest of the items:

EOTD:

Wearing (A) all over the lid, (B) over the eye socket area and (D) along the upper lash line with (E) added on to the outer-v.

Wearing (B) along the lower lash line, then (C) is added to the tear duct and lined (E) to the outer one third.

Lip Gloss Swatch with both colors layered together:

Bottom Line: You should not miss out on this kit if you can get your hands on it! Please refer to this post on Rouge Deluxe for availability in Japan.

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Labels: EYESHADOW • LIPGLOSS • LUNASOL

CLOUD NINE Hair Curling Wand Review

August 2, 2013

I am so excited that I finally have the CLOUD NINE Hair Curling Wand which has been on my wishlist for so long! And I cannot be more happy with it – it is worth every penny and it does everything I ever wished for a hair curling tool can do. Prior to this I have tried tons of mid range curling tongs, and although they function as expected, the Cloud Nine Wand just completely blows the others out of the water in terms of design and performance.

For those of you who are not familiar with the brand Cloud Nine, it is a company that makes professional and revolutionary hair styling tools. The founder of Cloud Nine is actually the creator of the legendary GHD straightener, and they have established this relatively new brand after the huge success of GHD. So as soon as I heard about this I just knew their products would wow me.

Packaging is sleek and modern, it also comes with a glove to protect your hand

What is CLOUD NINE Wave & Curl Wand:

It is a hair curling/waving wand that has 3 heat settings. The barrel is coated with their signature ceramic finish which is designed to give your hair added shine and smoothness. The tapered barrel design also gives you the freedom to create different sizes of curls. When I first received the wand, I was quite surprised at how big this wand is compared to others.

The Wand comes with a protective heat guard in frosted finish

Compared to the other large hair curling tongs

Why should you have it?!

1. It heats up within 2 seconds. The design is very sleek and it looks and feels expensive.

2. I normally use the highest heat setting which works magical for my hair type. I have naturally frizzy medium/coarse hair which is very curl resistant. The problems I had with my other ordinary curling tools is that they take a long time just to curl one small strand of hair. Since I have so much hair, by the time I reach the other side of the head, the first section of hair became straight again! So I always had to go back and re-curl some hair over and over, and the entire process was very time consuming and frustrating. With the Cloud Nine Wand, it takes literally no effort to curl the hair – I can just grab a large strand of hair and wrap it around the wand and take it off immediately (without holding it for seconds). And voila the curl looks smooth and stays in its shape all day! It allows me to curl all my hair within 10 minutes with very minimum effort.

3. I have previously mentioned in my other hair tool review posts that I am very bad with hair styling, especially with curling my hair. This wand is a life changer for me as it is definitely designed for novice users like me. The tapered design of the barrel gives you the freedom to create all types of curls, and the extra large size is also a bonus for people with long hair. I can easily create the looks below in a short time:

Wrap a small section of hair around the thinner end of the barrel to create tight and mermaid-like curl.
Wrap a medium section of hair around the whole barrel to create voluminous Victoria Secret like waves.
Wrap a large section of hair around the whole barrel to create an effortless beachy waves.

Bottom Line: When it comes to electronic beauty items, I am a firm believer in what you pay is what you get. The Cloud Nine Wand is a life changer for hair curling for me. If you are frustrated with the fact that you can never achieve the “magazine perfect curls” as you’ve seen on celebs/models with the tools you have, then I highly suggest you give this one a go. It works with all hair types, and it will blow you away at how easy and fast to use. The CLOUD NINE Hair Curling Wand is available here (currently on special!) with more information on the product.

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Labels: Beauty Tools • CLOUD NINE • HAIRCARE

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks Review and Swatches

July 29, 2013

A very belated review for the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks! I had them as soon as they were released but I have this odd habit of keeping beautifully packaged lipsticks in brand new condition for as long as I can..so the long delay. Anyhow I finally decided to use them and they are totally living up to my expectations. I picked up the shades 06 PINK IN DEVOTION, 12 CORAIL INCANDESCENT; 13 PINK IN PARIS, and 16 ORANGE IMPERTINENT which are all permanent to the YSL makeup line, so if you like any of them it’s never too late to pick up a few more!

The packaging of ‘Rouge Volupte Shine’ are identical to the classic ‘Rouge Volupte’ Lipsticks – they are elegant and glamourous. YSL have had this packaging for a while and I am still very smitten by the look of them to date. The texture is a great improvement compared to the original in my opinion. They still have this melting buttery and smooth texture, but with a much more hydrating formula so they don’t make my lips appear as dry as with the original Rouge Volupte. The pigmentation is fairy rich for a sheer lipstick – one to two swipes are enough to cover my original lip color, with a translucent finish. The sheer lipsticks have been a great hit these days, because they add a subtle watery shine to the lips without looking too ‘greasy’ which I absolutely adore. Compared with the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, I agree with many reviewers that they are very similar in terms of texture and finish. However the YSL RVS have a longer lasting power and the colors are more pigmented.

06 PINK IN DEVOTION is a a bright hibiscus pink. Swatches with 2 swipes and it doesn’t show up as bright as it looks from the tube. The pink leans slightly cool that would look very flattering on people with a cool complexion.

12 CORAIL INCANDESCENT is a bright coral pink with a hint of watermelon red undertone. It is a universal flattering pink shade that helps to instantly brighten up your complexion.

13 PINK IN PARIS is a muted rose pink. It is warmer than 06 Pink in Devotion so it would be an easier pink to pull off if you are after a true pink on the lips.
16 ORANGE IMPERTINENT is not as orange as the name suggests. It is actually a coral pink that is quite similar to 12 CORAIL INCANDESCENT, and it shows up more of a peachy pink coral that is less red than 12. I had a hard time choosing between them so I brought back both shades in the end!Group Swatches:

A compilation of lip swatches for you to compare:

Bottom Line: YLS Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks are totally worth the splurge. They have a wide range of wearable to dramatic colors to choose from and the quality is top notch for a high end sheer lipstick. They retail for $34 in the US and are available here or here. You can also get them from Harrods with international shipping and VAT Tax deduction available.

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Labels: LIPSTICK • YSL

Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation Review

July 17, 2013

The Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation will always have a special place in my heart. It is the product that drove me into the whole frenzy of high end makeup. I bought my first future skin foundation when I was in high school and have been repurchasing it ever since! Back then it was a lot of money for a high school student, but I’d rather buy less other things so I could afford this foundation, as it was considered as a revolutionary foundation and it truly outperformed every other foundation I had used.

Fast forward to now, I have a greater exposure to a lot of high end foundations these days, and this foundation still remains one of my holy grail products. I love the image of the brand in general – it is one of the very few exclusive high end cosmetic companies that still runs in a family, and they are renowned for their unique approach to natural beauty with their high concentration of natural botanical formulas. They don’t do as much advertising as other giant cosmetic companies do, so you know most of your money is paying for the supreme quality of their products!

What does Chantecaille say:

An innovative, oil free gel foundation containing 60% charged water and seaweed. Skin looks totally perfected and dewy; sebum is balanced. Aloe, Chamomile and Mica calm irritation. Rosemary, Green Tea and Rice Bran help prevent oxidation. Adjust coverage from medium to full.

My Thoughts:

The texture of this foundation is a hybrid between gel and cream. Ultra lightweight, and it does not feel like you are wearing makeup at all when it is applied. It goes on smoothly and melts into your skin, and it does not enhance any dry patches or pores. It makes your skin look flawless, dewy and illuminated. The coverage is sheer to medium – I would use less than a pea size of it for daytime wear for a “no makeup makeup look”, and it is buildable to an airbrushed and flawless finish (and with a bit of help of concealer if required). The beauty of this foundation is that it always applies and sets beautifully no matter what your skin condition is. My skin has transformed from combo-oily to normal-dry throughout all the years, and this is the only foundation that just works with it. It helps to control oil on the t-zone and lasts all day without any oxidation when my skin was oily, whereas it also feels really hydrating and gives this soft glow to my dry skin.

My shade is Alabaster

Ingredient List:

Bottom Line: My HG foundation. A luxurious foundation that is suitable for most skin types (even for very sensitive) all year round as Chantecaille is known for its natural and botanically based formulas. It is expensive, but a little bit of it goes a long way, and a tub will last you a long time. I have used many products from the Chantecaille line, and if I can only recommend one product from this brand, it’s gotta be this one!

The Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation is available here in the US, or here with worldwide free shipping.

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Labels: CHANTECAILLE • foundation

Holika Holika Wonder Drawing Dot Eyeliner Review

July 11, 2013

Let’s continue with my reviews for Korean Makeup. The product I am reviewing today Holika Holika Wonder Drawing Dot Liner is probably one of the cheapest products that has ever been featured on this blog, but hey I cannot believe I lived so many years without it! Basically it’s a liquid eyeliner that is designed for filling the white gaps between your lashes, and it is the drugstore version of the Clarins 3 dot eyeliner which was limited edition.

If you are fussy with your eyeliner, you would know it takes more than just drawing a straight line along the lashes. To make it appear more perfect, there are 3 steps involved: 1.draw the waterline (the inner rim), 2. draw the regular line as close to the lashes as possible. 3. fill any white gaps between the lashes.

I never like to follow the makeup rules, and to me I like to find my own ways to enhance my features as everyone is different. Unlike most people, I cannot see the upper inner rim when my eyes are opened, therefore I never draw the upper waterline because it doesn’t make any difference to my eyes. Another feature I have noticed on myself is that my upper lid slightly overlaps with the lower lid when my eyes are closed (compared to the upper lid sitting right on top of the lower lid for most people), so whichever eyeliner I use to rim the waterline it will always smudge terribly.

Here is where this magical product comes in! If you look at your eyes closely, you will always see some white spots between the lashes after the eyeliner and mascara are applied. I normally just use a regular liquid eyeliner to fill these gaps one by one, and it’s very time consuming. With this product, it takes no time to do this and it just works perfectly. It’s a very trivial step that is easily neglected, but by filling in these gaps, they make a huge difference to my eyes in terms of depth. In addition, if you are skilled enough, this is also an ideal product for drawing fake lower lashes. The only gripe about this product is that it’s impossible to be removed. It’s great as it has never smudged on me, but be prepared to spend more time for removal.

Bottom Line: A must have eyeliner product if you are a perfectionist with your eye makeup! Holika Holika wonder drawing dot eyeliner can be purchased here with more information and pictures on how to use this product.

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Labels: EYELINER • Holika Holika

Best Korean Pencil Eyeliners – Clio Gelpresso and Holika Holika Jewel Light Review and Swatches

July 9, 2013

I’ve been really into Korean makeup lately – not only because they are very affordable, I truly think the quality is comparable to the higher end for some products such as the pencil eyeliners. I bought some from Clio and Holika Holika. They are not as luxurious as my holy grail Three flash performance eyeliners (reviewed here), but they are good enough to be used on a daily basis. Both brands offer a very large selection of colors to choose from, and they vary from the most fashion forward colors to the day-to-day basic colors in matte or shimmer finish.

Holika Holika Jewel Light Waterproof Eyeliners (retails for around USD$8 each, available here). They all have a silicone-based formula for an easy and smooth application which will not tug your delicate skin during application. Lasting power is also comparable to the gel liners in the pot. Once you let them set after a few seconds, they don’t budge and stay smudge proof and waterproof all day long. The shimmery colors from the Jewel Light series contains visible flecks of glitters for a high shine finish which are great for highlighting purposes, and the matte ones are highly pigmented.

From Left to Right: 08 Pink Topaz (shimmer); 09 Gold (shimmer); 13 Royal Red (matte); 11 Bronze (shimmer)

Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liners are slightly more expensive but they are formulated in Italy (retails for around USD$10 each, available here). As the name suggests, these are the gel eyeliners in a pencil form. They are similar to the Holika Holika, but I have to say the texture is a tad better as they feel more buttery soft and smoother with a more even finish. You also pay the extra dollars for better packaging. The design is very similar to the Chanel Stylo Yeux eyeliners – it’s a twist up eyeliner that comes with a built-in sharpener attached at the opposite end. I personally much prefer the gel pencils than the pot ones as they are easier and quicker to use, and best of all they do not dry out!

From Left to Right: 01 Beige Shine (shimmer), 04 Dark Choco (shimmer)

All of them are highly pigmented. Swatches with only one swipe.

From Left to Right: HH 11 Bronze; HH 13 Royal Red; HH 09 Gold; HH 08 Pink Topaz; C 01 Beige Shine; C 04 Dark Choco

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Labels: EYELINER • Holika Holika

Dior Summer Mix 2013 Collection – Le Vernis Creoles #678 Review and Swatches

July 8, 2013

I wanted to pick up some new Dior cream blushes from the Summer Mix 2013 Collection but there just wasn’t anything that caught my heart. Instead the stand out from the collection were the nail polishes, particularly the Dior Le Vernis Creoles #678. It’s a hot pink (no shimmer) that is just incredibly vibrant and deliciously fresh. It’s freezing in Sydney now and it’s just uplifting to see a pop of bright pink color on the nails in this kind of gloomy weather – I call this color therapy!

The quality of Dior Le Vernis is also phenomenal (yes it’s better than most Chanel Le Vernis…). It is extremely opaque and ultra smooth to apply, and with only one coat you can get an even, opaque and ultra shiny finish. I have this on my nails for more than a week now and there is still not a single chip!

Dior Le Vernis Creoles #678 can be purchased here in the US (link to the entire Summer Mix 2013 Collection). It is also available at Selfridges (link here) in UK.

I bought mine for AUD$38 @ David Jones in Australia.

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Labels: DIOR • NAIL POLISH

Les Merveilleuses Laduree Summer 2013 Collection – Mixed Pressed Cheek Color 101 and 102 Blushes Reviews, Swatches and FOTDs

July 3, 2013

The Les Merveilleuses LADUREE makeup collection has caused a stir when it was first released in Japan about a year ago, and many girls fell head over heels with their French-inspired packaging and their dreamy line of products. I have been resisting the temptation for so long…until I spotted the new Les Merveilleuses by Laduree Summer 2013 Collection. It was love at first sight for the two new Mixed Pressed Cheek Color 101 and 102 Blushes released as part of the collection for me. Everything about this blush is calling my name!

Firstly let’s talk about the packaging. As with most Japanese makeup, the blush and the case are sold separately. The design of the case is on the vintage-side with a Victorian flair. I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of anything vintage…but they are growing on me in an inexplicable way and they do look ‘more appealing’ in real life!

The mirrored-case is made of plastic but it feels quite sturdy. There are two compartments with a brush included.

On to the most exciting part of the review – the blush itself! As you can see, the blush has a beautiful marbled design of different colors. It is very densely packed with a velvety texture, with absolutely no powder debris fall on to the side of the pan when swirling a brush over it. Pigmentation is moderate (as with most Japanese makeup), which means 2-3 swipes is enough for the color to show on my face (NC15).

101 is a neutral pink mixed with of watermelon pink and ivory. Mixing them it gives a wash of perfect soft neutral pink (leans slightly cool on my cool tone skin) that is very girly and fresh.

102 is a peach color mixed with muted lavender and tangerine. Mixing them gives a luminous wash of soft peachy pink, which is the most versatile color for most complexions.

Les Merveilleuses LADUREE Pressed Cheek Color Swatches: Left 101 Right 102