Beauty

Chanel Fall Makeup FOTD

August 12, 2011

Just a quick FOTD wearing mostly Chanel Fall makeup. I have to say, I am deeply in love with the Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows as they have surpassed my expectations. As much as I still love my Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill, I think the Chanels are more wearable as they can apply sheer in a translucent shimmery finish which is more daytime appropriate. The Chanel Joues Contraste Rose Ecrin is also my favorite go to blush for now – I have been using it almost everyday, the neutral pink complements any eye makeup looks.

A breakdown of the makeup I used:

I primed my face with Chanel Base Lumiere underneath the Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation. Applied the corrector under the eyes to conceal and highlight, and J/C Rose Ecrin blush was applied along the apples of the cheeks.

It was the most simple eye makeup I have ever done. Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Illusoire was the only eyeshadow I used as I didn’t want other products to take its attention away. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to fully capture the beautiful purple sparkles on the eyes as the photos were taken on a gloomy and cloudy day hence the dull lighting…I then applied a pair of natural falsies and lined my eyes with Dolly Wink eyeliner. Shiseido Perfect Mascara was applied on my lower lashes (btw so far its not that perfect).

Lipstick was by Chanel Aqualumiere in Maya (one of my last few Aqualumiere backups…), layered with Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Pampille.

Hope you all had a chance to check out the Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadows – there are so many goregous shades to choose from and they are quick to apply and stay put all day long without creasing. Highly recommended!

Just a quick note:

I have been MIA a little this week haven’t I? I have been flat out this week and this morning I woke up with severe swelling around the eyes after using an eyelash growth product…so please excuse me if I haven’t responded to your questions via emails or comments…will get to them soon 🙂

{ 31 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • FOTD

Suqqu Cheek Blush Brush Review

August 6, 2011

What could be more exciting than a Chanel Fall Haul for me? It was my recent purchase of the legendary Suqqu Cheek Blush Brush! I have had it for about 2 weeks now – it was hard for me to contain the excitement for that long, but I really wanted to give it a good use before I jumped to the conclusion that this is the world’s best blush brush (as everyone has said it to be). Suqqu is a Japanese high end brand that I have long been fascinated with…out of all the high end brands I lust for Suqqu the most because of their superior quality as well as exclusiveness. Knowing that this is Lisa Eldridge’s favorite blush brush made me more determined to have it!

The brush comes with a paper box, both the handle and the ferrule are made of black lacquered plastic. It is a round and relatively flat brush that fans out slightly towards the tip.

Compared to the standard sized blush brush (ie MAC 129), Suqqu blush brush is considered just as small. It is about the same width as my Shu Uemura’s Blush Brush in 17, but rounder, fluffier and has more volume to it.

From Left To Right: MAC 129, Suqqu Blush Brush; Shu 17

The brush is made of pure grey squirrel hair. The softness totally lives up to my expectation – ultra soft and silky. When I first received this brush, I couldn’t stop sweeping it across my face over and over just to experience the sensation. Unlike some other brushes which can feel quite prickly if I dab the tips directly on to my face, with Suqqu..in the words of Lisa it felt like a kitten’s paw (as I cannot find a better description of it).

Here is a close up shot of MAC and Suqqu – although it doesn’t capture the softness, it certainly shows the visual differences in the hair textures. By no means is the MAC129 a bad brush, but when it is next to Suqqu, the hair looks coarse and lacks of this glossy and silky sheen.

I have been using this brush with many different blushes. The relatively small shaped brush is perfect for depositing the pigments precisely on to the cheeks and its softness and fluffiness is perfect for blending. Before I had this brush, my only worry was that it might lack some resistance for blending as many ultra soft brushes are like. I was so pleased to find out that the hair is just bouncy as goat hair, which is perfect for me as I like to feel the resistance of the hair when blending. For a highly pigmented blush, this brush is fool proof as it grabs the perfect amount of pigments. With a less pigmented blush such as the Chanel J/C Rose Ecrin which I have been using (baked version), it applies more sheer than a goat brush. I don’t mind to keep layering it on but if I’m rushed for time this is not the best choice.

Bottom Line: My blush brush ranges from MAC, Bobbi Brown, Nars, Chanel etc…but my Suqqu brush truly makes them incomparable in terms of softness, ease of use and the amount of joy it brought me! It was certainly worth the high price tag for me. However, is it a must have? We all have handbags right? Do you consider having a Birkin as a must have?..some would..some wouldn’t. The same with this – this brush won’t make a significant difference to the final result of your makeup. It really comes down to how much you appreciate luxury makeup.

Suqqu brushes are avaiable here.

All the pictures of the Suqqu brush in this post are post wash.

I have also purchased some Suqqu eye blending brushes which I will report back on soon 🙂

{ 38 comments }

Labels: BRUSHES • SUQQU

Chanel Fall 2011 Collection Haul

August 4, 2011

Chanel Fall 2011 Collection is finally landed in Australia! If you have read my previous post you would know I picked up some items from this collection. Thanks to all the fabulous beauty bloggers who have reviewed this collection extensively – I had a fairly good idea in terms of what I wanted to get.

I love everything I picked out, at the end of day it’s hard not to love anything by Chanel! Of course I could have easily bought more Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadow but I figured that these are the absolute essential shades for me for now.

Clockwise from top right:

– Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 83 Illusoire (AUD$48)

– Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 82 Emerveille (AUD$48)

– Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 68 Rose Ecrin (AUD$71)

– Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in 156 Pampille (AUD$46)

– Le Vernis Nail Colour in 529 Graphite (AUD$39)

I am not going to review these products as there are so many greats reviews already. My personal picks are Cafe Makeup and The Beauty Look Book – who wouldn’t appreciate their reviews and beautiful pictures?! Since these products are still brand new, I felt they deserve to be photographed. Hopefully they will serve the purpose of creating some lemming for you 🙂 I have also taken some pictures of possible dupes for you.

Let’s start with Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 82 Emerveille versus Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill in 08 Nola

Compared to the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in 08 (reviewed seperately here), the Chanel is more peachy, and less metallic.

Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 83 Illusoire – must have!

Swatched by the enclosed brush applicator

Once it is sheered out, 83 Illusoire reminded me of these purply shades I’ve got.

Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Ecrin (left) compared to Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Petale (right)

I forgot to include Chanel Tweed pink in the pictures, you can find the review here. Compared to the other two, Chanel Rose Ecrin is a neutral pink.

Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in 156 Pampille (middle) compared to 87 Seashell (left) and 25 Voyage (right)

Le Vernis Nail Colour in 529 Graphite – so beautiful

Graphite compared to Black Pearl and Steel – it is striking that they look completely different even though they all have an undertone of black.

What else do I want to get:

– Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Epatant – I didn’ see it at the counter…

– Chanel Quad in Prelude – Pity that Australia only has the baked version and I am trying to get my hands on the US version.

Bottom Line: Chanel Collections never fail to impress us. The nail lacquers and the Illusion D’Ombre Eyeshadows are the must haves. I can’t wait to wear them 🙂

{ 35 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • SHOP

Les Aquarelles De Chanel – Ombres Tissées Beiges Swatch

August 3, 2011

I went to the Chanel counter to pick up some makeup from the Fall Collection (finally it’s arrived in Australia!), and the lovely SA showcased the upcoming Les Aquarelles De Chanel Collection to me. They had a tester available for preview only and the collection will be for sale some time next month in Australia.

The star product of the collection has to be the Ombres Tissées Iridescent Effects Eyes in Beiges for me. Created in the image of the Haute Couture Collection, it takes on a fine knit texture of silvery, golden and pinkish tones of beige. I couldn’t wait till next month so I quickly snapped some pictures using my Iphone at the shop. So please excuse the poor quality of the pictures for this post 😛

Picture of the tester – without the overspray

Swatched from top to bottom:

with flash

Although it’s meant for the eyes (by the sound of its name), I would much prefer to use it as a face highlighter. Quickly swiped the product on my face at the shop.

My initial impression: Don’t be discouraged by the super sparkly finish shown in the swatch. When applied with a fluffy brush and softly swept over the cheekbone, it gives a very youthful soft luminous glow that gleams under light – there wasn’t any visible flecks of silver glitters on my face. The beige undertone blended into the skin beautifully without looking frosty. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

FYI, Ombres Tissées Beiges will retail for AUD$100.

{ 18 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • HIGHLIGHTER

Essie Smooth Sailing Swatch

August 2, 2011

Essie Smooth Sailing is part of its Braziliant Collection. As soon as I saw the release I fell in love with this unique mix of blue and lavender shade with iridescent reflections from the bottle.

The minute I applied smooth sailing on my nails I literally gasped. It applies smoothly and evenly. The blue and lavender shade looks flattering against my skin tone and the fine shimmer particles shows up on my nails beautifully. I am not a big a fan of glittery nails in some funky shades, though it is fun to look at I am just too old to wear glittery nails! On the other hand this lavender shade gives my hand a very elegant and polished look with an edge.

Swatches with 2 coats ( no top coat is applied)

Bottom Line: Love it! One of the most unique shades that has been released recently.

{ 8 comments }

Labels: ESSIE • NAIL POLISH

Giorgio Armani Jacquard Woven Eye Color Palette in 2 Review, Swatch and EOTD

August 1, 2011

I played with the second eye shadow palette from the Giorgio Armani Fall collection – Jacquard Woven Eye Color Palette in 2 today. It is definitely more wearable than the first one that I reviewed earlier – I can see myself getting more uses out of this one on a day to day basis.

The quality of this palette is the same as the other. All shades are moderately pigmented with a silky feel. They glide on smoothly and blend effortlessly and can be layered for an intense finish.

Shades description:

Silvery white in a sparkly finish

A pale silvery violet with a hint of grey in a sparkly finish

A taupe in a satin shimmery finish

A clay brown with tiny silver flecks – the silver flecks is only noticeable under certain lighting

Swatches: Under natural day light

With flash to show the flecks

The feature of this palette is that the mix of 3 cool tone shades with a dark warm shade. It seemed an odd combination to me at first, but when I applied them on my eyes, they blended in and complemented each other beautifully.

My macro shots of EOTD! I am still in the initial excited stage:-)

Upper: Applied the taupe all over the eye socket area then smudged the clay brown along the lash line and the outer v. Dabbed a bit of silvery white on the inner corner

Lower: Lined the silvery violet along the lash line, deepened the outer corner with the clay brown shade.

Bottom Line: Both palettes are collector worthy items. They are beautiful, well designed and quite unique in terms of color coordination. However I am a bit peeved at the high price tag (particularly in Australia). At AUD$135 (equivalent to USD$140) for a palette with four reasonably sized eye shadows, it is too expensive for what it is.

{ 12 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Jacquard Woven Eye Color Palette in 1 Review, Swatch and FOTD

July 30, 2011

I wore my latest purchase – the Giorgio Armani Jacquard Woven Eye Color Palette in 1 today! It is lovely – the shades are not what I would usually go for in a daytime look. To my pleasant surprise, I was able to pull them off without looking too heavy.

This whole palette feels very luxurious to use (of course it comes with a high price tag). The couture inspired jacquard pattern design is aesthetically pleasant, and this pattern is firmly embossed so it doesn’t come off after a few uses, unlike some other brands. All shades are moderately pigmented for a refined and sophisticated finish with a a creamy and silky smooth texture, in line with the classy Giorgio Armani’s signature looks.

Shades Description (from lightest to the darkest):

– dove-grey with an icy green sheen in a sparkly luminous finish.

– shimmery minty green in a sparkly luminous finish

– army green with fine shimmer

– eggplant in a matte finish

EOTD:

Upper: I applied a very sheer wash of the army green all over my socket to create some depth, then I smudged the eggplant shade along the lash line and the outer v. I then dabbed some dove-grey on the inner corner.

Lower: Minty green along the lash line then I filled the outer corner with the eggplant shade.

On a side note: I just bought a macro lens after so long! These close up shots were taken by the macro lens and I am really happy with the result 🙂

Overall Look:

Other products used on my face:

Cheeks: Giorgio Armani Jacquard woven face color palette

Lips: Giorgio Armani Sheer Lipstick Rouge Transparent in 36 Sunset Pink

The Jacquard Eye Color Palette retails for $135 in Australia, which makes it the most expensive eyeshadow palette I have ever owned!

{ 28 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • FOTD • Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Fall 2011 Jacquard Collection – Woven Face Color Palette Review and Swatches

July 28, 2011

I went ecstatic today when I was told there is a Pre-launch of Giorgio Armani Fall 2011 Jacquard Collection to their regular customers. As soon as I saw the preview pictures that were floating around the internet, I knew I wanted to have everything from that collection! I was absolutely thrilled too see that everything is just as gorgeous as I anticipated it to be. So I picked up two Jacquard woven eye color palettes and one Jacquard woven face color palette.

As the name suggests, each palette comes in a jacquard pattern design with the GA logo embossed in the middle. All shades are extremely wearable and perfect for fall – ranging from an illuminating highlighter to medium and rich shades in muted hues. I felt this collection from Giorgio Armani has outdone their previous and permanent collections. The textures and pigmentation are incredibly high quality and luxurious.

A closer look.

Here is a review for the face palette for today. It is probably the most practical face palette I have ever owned, as it has multiple uses as a highlighter, cheek color, bronzer and can even be used on the eyes!

Shades description:

– a highlighting shade – pearly white with a frosted sheen

– shimmery sandy beige – has a hint of taupe with a frosted sheen

– shimmery tan copper – not as frosty as the above two which is excellent when used as a light bronzer

– a deep strawberry red – extremely rich and pigmented

Swatches in order of the shade description:

Far right is the mixed color of all shades:

Swatches on my face: I personally found that the finish is too frosty for my liking if I mix all the colors together, hence in my swatches below I have applied the colors separately.

First Look: Applied the red shade on the center of my apple then layered the two lightest shades on top of my cheekbone.

Second Look: Applied the bronzey shade along the hollow of the cheek as a contour then added the beige shade on top of the cheekbone just to make it pop. ( no blush is applied)

Last but not least for those of you who have missed out on the Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in ROUGE, the red shade in the Giorgio Armani Jacquard woven face palette is surprisingly similar but more wearable as you can make it more muted by mixing or layering with the rest of the shades.

Bottom Line: Absolutely love it! The texture and pigmentation of these palettes are superior to previous collections. A must have for the Giorgio Armani makeup fans!

FYI The Giorgio Armani Jacquard woven face palette retails for $90 in Australia. I will be reviewing the eye palettes very soon so stay tuned 🙂

{ 22 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • Giorgio Armani

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →