Beauty

Guest Post – Spring 2012 Blush Round Up

April 3, 2012

I am very honored to have the opportunity to have Elaine from Miss Elaine-nio doing a guest post for me. It was sad to see Elaine quit blogging some time ago, but glad to see she has not held back on her blush addiction! Her famous quote is “Once a beauty addict, forever a beauty addict“, so why not to showcase her stunning collection of the Spring 2012 Blushes with all of you. Enjoy reading.

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Hello!

Firstly, I want to thank my dear friend, Rei, for letting me guest & contribute this post on her blog.

Today, I am going to share my blush picks & thoughts from Spring 2012. This Spring, we’re swarmed with many brands spotting the romantic rose theme & pretty looking blushers.

Summary:

Coffret D’or Smile Up Cheek in 02 Peach (5.5g/ Made in Japan): The finish is extremely glowy though I need to swipe twice for the color to show up better on my skin. The shimmers are very fine (not gritty!) & doesn’t emphasize on my pores. However, I dislike the bulky packaging as the cover is slightly pop-up & tends to take up a lot of space for storage.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Anna Sui Rose Cheek Color in 301 Dreamy Rose & 400 Anna Rose (6g each/ Made in Japan): The blush is palm sized & slightly rose scented. The embossed rose design is mesmerizing & an eye candy.

– 301 Dreamy Rose – mixture of pinks, orange, peach pink.

– 400 Anna Rose – mixture of reds, light & medium pinks.

The Rose Cheeks are very well pigmented & showed up with one swipe.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥

MAC Ombre Blush in Vintage Grape & Azalea Pink (9g each/ Made in Italy): The Ombre blushes are re-promoted items. I am very curious how Vintage Grape, which looked so purple in the pan, would show up on my cheeks. It turned up to be medium purplish-pink (not too dark). Azalea Pink is a combination of lilac & soft pink. The Ombre blushes’re not powdery & showed up well with a dense brush.

Rating (out of 5): Vintage Grape- ♥ ♥ / Azalea Pink- ♥ ♥ ♥

Dior Rosy Glow in Petal (7.5g/ Made in France): I need not say more about this blush as I believed you have read about Rei’’s review here.

A pretty cool-toned blush infused with Fresh Color Reveal, which adjusts the color to create a rosy radiance according to your skin tone. This is the IT blush!

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Benefit Hervana (8g/ Made in France): The pinwheel design had tempted me to purchase this blush. This blush is above my expectations as the shades turned out to be more pigmented than the way it looks in the pan (looks pale).

Hervana is described as orchid-blossom in shade. It consists of 4 shades– lucky shell, divine peach, heavenly rose and berry delight.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Jill Stuart Mix Compact in 106 Sprouting Joy (8g/ Made in Japan): In terms of color, Sprouting Joy is a mixture of its permanent mix compact in Little Bouquet & Romantic Poppy. I don’t think this is a must have as the peach pink shade is dupable.

This is a Limited Edition & comes with a floral printed case.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥

Chanel Joues Constrate in 69 Fleur De Lotus (4g/ Made in France): The Spring JC blush’s texture felt extremely smooth compared to the regular line. The fool-proof peach pink shade spells love & felt extremely luxurious.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

Lunasol Glowing Powder Cheeks in EX01 Pure Coral (6g/ Made in Japan): I do not fancy the cardboard packaging (seems like a Benefit-wannabe). The shade is not the most unique but it’s well-pigmented & gives a nice translucent finish.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ 1/2

Canmake Cheek & Cheek in 06 (Filled in Thailand/ Made in Japan): I would say to put Canmake Cheek & Cheek blush in 06 in your shopping cart for those looking for a cool-toned blush. The quality is superb for a drugstore brand. Extremely fine & well pigmented. This lilac pink is flattering for Asians.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2

Sleek Blush BY3 in Pumpkin (20g/ Made in Taiwan/ Developed in UK): The shades in Pumpkin are vibrant & super pigmented. I find the shades hard to blend especially for P Pie. I had to use a stippling brush to apply & a powder brush to tone down the shades. The shades are pigmented but felt drier compared to its single blushes. Retailing at £10 for 3 shades, though it’s a value for money blush palette but it didn’t impressed me compared its single blushes.

Rating (out of 5): –

Lavshuca Fairy Cheeks in PK (15g/ Made in Japan): Lavshuca Fairy Cheeks reminds me much of Guerlain Meteorites. This blush comes in a round cardboard packaging with a cute puff. The shade is the ‘standard’ pink which I don’t think it’s any unique.

Rating (out of 5): –

Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker in Rose (6g/ Made in USA): Physicians Formula is a US drugstore brand. This is a gift from my friend- Olivia. The light-up mirror is making the blush very classy. However, the blush is about 1-inch thick making it very bulky & less travel-friendly. The texture may not be superbly fine but pigmented. It contains silver shimmers. The blush is said to be able to detect the pH level of your skin & adjusts within 60 seconds to create your perfect shade. Another innovative blush!

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ 1/2

Stila Love at First Blush (6.2g/ Made in China): A continuation of Stila Make Me Blush from 2010, Stila came out with Love at First blush this Spring. The embossed hearts in graduation pinks look lovely on the pan but I find it too overly shimmering for my liking.

Rating (out of 5): ♥

Swatches:

Verdict(s):

I had always been into coral/peach blushes. For this Spring, I am a cool pink blush convert with neutral eye makeup.

Top 3 Favorites: Benefit Hervana, Dior Rosy Glow, Coffret D’or Smile Up Cheek in 02 Peach

Best Quality: Dior Rosy Glow, Chanel Joues Contraste in Fleur De Lotus

Best Looking: Anna Sui Rose Cheeks, Stila Love at First Blush

Best Drugstore: Canmake Cheek & Cheek in 06

Most Innovative: Dior Rosy Glow, Physicians Formula Matchmaker in Rose

Thank you & do share with us your blush picks from Spring 2012?

Any favorites? Any misses?

Cheers,

Elaine

One who loves to share, Japanese cosmetics & a blush addict.

For reference: I am NC-25, OC-C & yellow toned

Disclaimer: All products are bought with my own money, otherwise stated.

{ 25 comments }

Labels: anna sui • BENEFIT • BLUSH • CANMAKE • CHANEL • Jill Stuart • LUNASOL • MAC

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain 12 Corail Fauve Review and Swatch

April 2, 2012

Most brands are releasing a range of long lasting lip wear this season. If I could only pick one product to buy, it’s gotta be the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain. The swatch pictures of them have been floating around the blogsphere for a while. At first I wasn’t really intrigued as all the colors looked very bright and saturated, which is a little out of my comfort zone to wear everyday. Little did I know that as soon as I tried one on I became totally obsessed with the formulation. I bought not only one, but 4 of these..and I still can’t get enough of them!

Today I will only be reviewing the shade 12 Corail Fauve, which is a beautiful coral shade with a pinkish red undertone.

YSL Glossy Stain is a hybrid of lip gloss and stain. The texture almost feels watery-like upon application, and it takes about 30 seconds for the product to settle. Corail Fauve may look quite bright and bold in the swatch (as with most other shades of the line), but rest assured that the liquid formulation does give you a good control over the application. It dries down to a subtle natural pinkish red lip stain with a soft sheen as the first layer. Then as a second layer (in my pictures I dab a little more on the center of my bottom lips as a second layer), it intensifies the color and instantly adds this translucent watery shine to the lips, and it makes the lips appear so moist and kissable.

The lasting power of it is phenomenal. It can last up to 4 -5 hours on my lips without much fading if I don’t eat/drink anything, and it still leaves a remnant after I eat.

The YSl Glossy Stain retails for $50 in Australia. I bought mine at David Jones. They are also available here and here in US.

{ 26 comments }

Labels: LIPGLOSS • YSL

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation Review

March 28, 2012

I was asked by several readers what foundation did I use in my recent review/fotd posts, and it was by the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation which photographs very well. I have had this one for quite a long time, and I never bothered to give it a review as I just did not like it back then. It was sitting at the corner of my foundation drawer until I decided to give it a second chance recently. And to my pleasant surprise, it’s been performing really well!

The MUFE HD Foundation is housed in a typical plastic bottle which comes with a pump that dispenses just the right amount of product. I am using the shade 118 Flesh which has a yellow undertone.

I have heard quite mixed reviews about this foundation – it is either hate or love and I have been on both ends. So I am going to share both sides of my experience with you.

My skin was dry and dehydrated back then, so in essence this foundation just did not make my skin look any better. Though it has a liquid consistency, it wasn’t easy to blend the product into my skin seamlessly. I tried to apply this foundation with a brush as well as my finger but neither worked – the foundation always appeared sitting on top of my skin looking quite dull and flat, and it did not improve the appearance of my skin texture at all. So this foundation was quickly neglected…

Fast forward to now, the condition of my skin is much better. I took very good care of my skin every night so I woke up with supple and hydrated skin the next day, and I would say this accounts for why the HD foundation is now working for me. Rather than using a foundation brush, I like it better now to apply it with a beauty blender. It makes the foundation sink into my skin immediately like “my own but better” skin, with a soft dewy finish. The coverage is pretty good for a liquid foundation – it covers most imperfections such as fainted acne marks, freckles etc. It lasts about 5-6 hours on me looking fresh without the need to powder my face again. Best of all it photographs very well.

Overall it is a very natural foundation. If I compared this to my HG Giorgio Armani Designer Lift foundation at the moment, this one lacks the ability to make my skin look more translucent and luminous. But it is a much cheaper option and does a pretty good job for most foundations at this price tag. (Sorry I bought it a long time so I don’t remember how much it costs). Highly recommended for girls who don’t have dry skin.

I believe the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation can be classed as one of the most raved foundations in the recent years. Have you tried it yet? and do you love it or hate it?

{ 29 comments }

Labels: FOUNDATION

Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink and Devon Sunset Review and Swatches

March 26, 2012

My lipstick collection is growing a little out of control lately, and my wallet is severely damaged after a little stroll around the department stores as I have noticed all the major brands have released either a new range of lipsticks or new shades. Meet my Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink and Devon Sunset from the Burberry Spring 2012 Collection. These are my first taste into the Burberry lippies and I am completely head over heels.

I wasn’t that into Burberry until Christopher Bailey became the creative director, as I love his modern and grunge take on the classic Burberry design. He once again did an excellent job for their makeup line, as the packaging of Burberry Lipsticks are the most luxurious and classic you could ever get. I instantly added one to my makeup purse just for “a touch of Burberry” 🙂

The texture of Burberry Lip Cover is on the semi opaque side – it has enough pigment to completely cover the natural color of your lips, and it’s non-drying and neither does it look or feel too heavy on the lips. It applies silky smooth with a satiny sheen.

Tulip Pink is a nudish pink color on me. To me it’s a fuss free all year round shade that would look lovely with any makeup.

Devon Sunset is a beautiful salmon coral pink on my lips. Compared to Tulip Pink, this is more of a spring summer color that instantly makes your complexion look more fresh and youthful.

As a beauty blogger, I always feel compelled to show you the makeup swatch on my arms. But I have to say in this case, the swatch of them on my skin is completely different to the color showing on my lips.

Overall look wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink

Overall look wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Devon Sunset

Bottom Line: Have absolutely no regret for my poor wallet! Love love these shades. If you are still hesitant about making a foray into the Burberry makeup line, I urge you not to wait!

{ 17 comments }

Labels: BURBERRY BEAUTY • LIPSTICK

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush NARCISSE Review and Swatch

March 21, 2012

I took some makeup swatch pictures on a rare sunny day over the weekend. When the lighting was perfect, everything appeared just the way I anticipated. I love the the look of the Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in NARCISSE in some of the pictures, so I thought I will just do a quick review for one of my all time favorite Chanel Blush.

I own quite a lot of Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blushes – all are in the euro baked version and I loved them all. Though many people much prefer the US version, for a blush I really adore the soft and glowy effect of the baked version. The texture of NARCISSE is quite hard and dense, as it doesn’t have a rich pigmentation so I normally apply it with a more coarse brush such as the enclosed brush.

NARCISSE is my favorite pink blush, and it is a soft pale pink blush that leans slightly blue in the pan, but it shows up as a perfect soft neutral pink on me. The finish is very natural and subdued I would say, even though it appears as a relatively matte powder without shimmer in the pan, it creates a natural luminous glow on the skin and this is the beauty of baked powder texture.

Swatched on the back of my hand

On Me:

Just in case you are curious, I had the Shiseido Maquillage Eye Creator by Alexander Wang on my eyes.

{ 24 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • CHANEL • Maquillage by Shiseido

Mirenesse iCurl Twin Heated Eyelash Curler Review

March 15, 2012

My quest for the perfect lash curler never ends. This year I have acquired two – one good and one bad, and let’s talk about the good one today and I’ll leave the bad one for another day. The Mirenesse iCurl is a revolutionary heated eyelash curler with two heated pads which has totally blown me away. Despite the fancy design, when I first received the product I wasn’t really sure what set this product different to the other heated eyelash curlers in the market, until I roadtested on myself…OMG…the performance of iCurl has exceeded way beyond my expectation, and whoever invented this innovative device is simply a genius!

As mentioned earlier, it has twin heated pads to curl lashes at the same time. As soon as you switch the button on, they heat up speedy fast (within 10 seconds). Once they are fully heated the pads turn from red to clear, and the temperature is just about right – hot enough to curl and hold the lashes in place, but it doesn’t burn your eyes or harm your lashes.

Still confused about what the additional pad is for? Here you go, I hope my pictures below will explain everything.

Basically you place the lashes in between the gap as with any other curlers. The device comes with a lever, and as you lift the lever up, it pushes both pads up at the same time to curl the lashes. One pad (where it is placed traditionally) is to clamp the lashes from the base. With the second pad, as it is sliding up the lashes it bends the lashes from the roots to the ends to create a natural curve (rather than just crimping the lash). And as you all know, the heated mechanism helps to curl the lashes faster and last longer.

Mirenesse claims that iCurl is designed especially for girls with stick straight lashes – that’s me! I can’t say it for all girls, but as for me who has medium volume and length lashes, the device is a cinch to use and works brilliantly for me.

Applied a coat of mascara after curling the lashes with Mirenesse iCurl. I am quite embarrassed to show you my natural lashes, but I hope this picture is just to give you an idea of the natural curve it creates.

The iCurl can be purchased at www.mirenesse.com

Disclaimer: this product was provided to me for consideration of review at free of charge.

{ 3 comments }

Labels: Eyelash Curler • Mirenesse

Burberry Spring 2012 – Sheer Eye Shadow Pale Barley Review and Swatch

March 13, 2012

I finally jumped on the Burberry Beauty bandwagon! I have been good saying no to the permanent lineup but after seeing the beautiful Burberry Spring 2012 colletion, I couldn’t help but purchase some including the Sheer Eye Shadow in Pale Barley No 22 as they were limited edition.

The Burberry eye shadow totally lived up to my expectation. The texture has a “wow” factor to me considering I have quite a fair share of premium eye shadows, but I was still deeply impressed by how good the Burberry eyeshadow is. The word sheer in the name is quite misleading, as I don’t find it to be sheer at all for a neutral shade such as the Pale Barley. It is a pale mushroomy beige shade in a satiny finish that serves an excellent base color for most complexions. It applies completely fuss-free – one to two swipes are suffice to show the true color, and the ultra-fine silk smooth texture applies like a second skin without any fallout.

Swatches of Pale Barley

On my eyes, it is a tad darker than my natural skin color, which makes it a perfect shade for just a wash of color over the eye socket that gives a deeper set of eyes effect.

EOTD with only Pale Barley applied

Overall Look:

Bottom Line: The Burberry Pale Barley is one of those classic shades that should be in every girls’s makeup kit. For the minimalist girls who don’t wear much makeup, it is the perfect shade for a “no makeup” makeup look. LOVE it!

The Burberry Pale Barley Eye Shadow is available online here or here. Non-US customers can purchase this here with international shipping and VAT deductions.

{ 38 comments }

Labels: BURBERRY BEAUTY • EYESHADOW

Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Vitalizing Sleeping Masque Review

March 4, 2012

Sleeping masks have been around for years, and at first I thought it was just a marketing gimmick for “night cream in a mask texture”. But after hearing more and more positive feedback about it, I finally decided to give them a chance! I came across the Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque when I was in the US, and I bought it as I thought both the name and the packaging are more alluring than other brands.

Amore Pacific is the biggest cosmetics brand in Korea (similar to Estee Lauder in the US). They own a large number of popular Korean brands such as Laneige, Etude etc, with Amore Pacific being their core brand for high end cosmetics, and they are now available world-wide from limited retailers.

One of the best features in all of their products for me is the use of stabilized Bamboo water replacing normal purified water as the main ingredient, which improves skin clarity. This is the same concept as Chantecaille where all products are made of pure rose water as opposed to normal water.

The Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque is a lightweight, liquid-gel overnight masque which helps replenish moisture, energy and nourishment for a more vibrant, healthy, looking skin. It has magnesium, copper, zinc and calcium which assist in replenishing the skin’s natural resilience against stress, and Ginger Root Extract helps to brighten and purify.

Full Ingredient List:

Application method:

I apply two pea sizes in place of my normal night cream.

My own thoughts:

Unlike other gel type masks, the lightweight texture of Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque does not feel tacky on the skin. Although it doesn’t absorb in to the skin immediately, after 5-10 minutes of resting, 90% of the mask is absorbed with a thin film left on my skin. I can then go to bed so the mask won’t stain my pillow case. I normally wash it off with a gentle lotion cleanser next morning, and the result is as if I just treated my skin with a hydrating mask. My skin feels more hydrated, softer and more plumped than a regular night cream would do. It also appears more vitalized and glowing even if I did not have a good sleep! Overall I like this mask – it does what it claims but it is not as hydrating as a real sheet mask such as my holy grail SKII. As we all know, there is nothing better than having your skin prepped with a hydrating mask for a perfect base makeup. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury and time to do so every morning. I realize now that the Moisture Bound Vitalizing Masque (or any sleeping mask in general) is an alternative solution for that – simply leave it on overnight for a glowing skin the next day which makes applying makeup a joy.

Other Information

– Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic dyes, Petrol chemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan Free

– Dermatologist Tested

– Made in Korea

I purchased mine at Nordstrom for USD$60. You can also purchase Amore Pacific products from Neiman Marcus and Sephora.

{ 7 comments }

Labels: Amore Pacific • FACE MASKS

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