Front Row Beauty

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks Review and Swatch – Lolita, Lolita II, Berlin, Lovesick and Mother

July 27, 2016

Ever since Sephora was launched in Australia, I have definitely become more interested in their exclusive makeup brands such as the Kat Von D, as opposed to the usual high end department store brands. Today’s post is for Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks – needless for me to say how popular these are! If you’ve ever been to the shop, you would notice the never-ending crowd at the Kat Von D, and these liquid lipsticks are always out-of-stock! I bought them online, and picked the colors based on the swatch without having any research done as I was confident that they would work for me!

I picked some highly popular colors from this range, including Mother, Lovesick, Berlin, and Lolita and Lolita II with the latter two being the best sellers. All the colors are in line with my expectations, and I truly love every single one of them.

The Liquid Lipstick has a lovely creamy and velvety consistency on application that feels lightweight on the lips. Pigmentation is intense and opaque, so a little product goes a long way. It doesn’t bleed nor feather, and it takes about 10 seconds for the formula to completely sink into the lips, and dries down to a stain-like matte finish. It doesn’t make your lips appear dryer, but if you already have dry and flakey lips to begin with, be aware this formula doesn’t moisturize and will not hide the dry lips condition. This lipstick lasts forever, and stays put for about 4-5 hours before it is totally worn off.

I find that the application with Kat Von D is much easier than the MAC matte liquid lipcolors, as it applies evenly (non patchy), and it allows for enough time to blend and make it look perfect. With this formula , I personally prefer to line the lips and apply the color with a lip brush for a more precise and sophisticated finish.

Color Description and Swatch

Mother – Medium mauve pink

Lovesick – Nude dusty pink. I have a thing for muted dusty pink lip color. Lovesick leans cool and slightly nude. My preferred application is to fill my lips with the Chanel lip liner in Rose Delicate, and then apply lovesick on top for the prettiest MLBB pink mauve lip color.

Lolita – Chestnut brown color with a hint of mauve undertone. The most wearable brown lip color I have ever come cross! It’s such a fashionable and edgy color to wear without looking too bold and vampy. Absolutely love it!

Lolita II – Peachy terracotta color. It is the everyday version of Lolita, and color is more nude, and would suit most complexions.

Berlin – Warm coral red that is so beautiful and brightens up the complexion instantly

Group Swatch

just applied

once it dries to matte finish

Bottom Line: Must have! Reasonably priced with a pleasant formula that lasts like ink, and it comes in a huge color selection.

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Labels: Kat Von D • LIPSTICK • LIPTINT

Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad Honeymoon Review, Swatch and FOTD

July 7, 2016

Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad Honeymoon takes the reign of the most wanted eye shadow palette of the year. I pursued really hard for it, and was beyond thrilled when I finally got my hands on it. The delayed review was partly because I did not want to spoil such a beautiful palette while it was brand new! There is no fancy design to this palette apart from the signature Tom Ford packaging, but the combination of four gorgeous neutral colors with a twist speaks for itself.

The quality, texture and pigmentation are in line with the other quads from Tom Ford. I have covered my thoughts in the past reviews many times (review for Disco Dust). In summary, they are the most luxurious eye shadows with premium quality that glide on silky smooth in a single swipe with no fallout, and they blend and set beautifully on the eyes without looking cakey and heavy. It is expensive for eye shadows but all the powder is very densely packed so a little goes a long way, and this palette will last you years even with daily use! If you are a makeup lover who indulges in beautiful packaging, Tom Ford will always make you feel super pampered.

All fours colours in Honeymoon have shimmers varying to different degrees – some are shimmery with a wet sheen, and some are very subtle with a soft gleam . This palette is great for creating a natural look but also buildable for a more smokey and bold look. It has an interesting mix of colors – the warm coppery bronze with rosey and plummy browns, and they wear beautifully together. It’s winter, so I like to pack more plummy colors for a fall look. In hotter days the bronze shades will be more useful.

Color Description (clockwise):

1. Peachy golden color with gold shimmer.

2. Coppery light bronze with gold shimmer

3. Dark plummy chocolate brown with silver shimmer. Applies to a semi-matte finish with a hint of sheen.

4. Rusty rosy brown with magenta shimmer. Applies to a satin finish in high sheen.

Swatch

Wearing Tom Ford Honeymoon only on my eyes in the FOTDs

The Tom Ford Honeymoon Quad is available at the following stores:

– Nordstrom in the US.

– Selfridges with international shipping

– You can purchase Tom Ford makeup at David Jones Online in Australia, but unfortunately Honeymoon is still out of stock.

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Labels: EYESHADOW • Tom Ford

Napoleon Perdis Makeup Review – Liquid Cashmere Foundation, Radiance Boosting Primer and Ultimate Contour Palette

July 3, 2016

I am always more attracted to the international beauty brands (well the grass is always greener on the other side!), and have been dismissing some great products from our local beauty heroes such as Napoleon Perdis. I finally had a chance to try them out, and I have to say I am utterly impressed by his products – what they deliver are on par with the premium brands, with a more affordable price tag. Today’s post is for sharing my top 3 favorite products from the brand.

The Stroke of Genius Liquid Cashmere Foundation with SPF20 is such a wonderful foundation that completely surpassed my expectations! It’s a medium to full coverage foundation that gives a flawless finish whilst still looking very natural. It has a milky cream and opaque consistency, so a little product goes a long way. Most thick foundations do not spread easily, but with this product, application is a breeze and it wears and sets beautifully on the skin without the need of loose powder. I prefer to apply it with the fingers, as the warmth from the fingers help the foundation blend out easily and meld into your skin for a radiant, polished and milky finish. It covers the pores completely, and diffuses other imperfections and uneven skin-tone so it does not look cakey and flat on the face. Packaging is not the most user-friendly, as you tend to squeeze more product out than needed, and the brush feels too stiff as I am spoilt by Suqqu brushes!

One pea size (as in the swatch) is enough for the entire face for medium coverage. I got the shade Look 1, which is a light ivory beige shade with a neutral undertone that is similar to MAC NC15.

The full coverage finish with one pea size application

The Auto Pilot Radiance Boosting Primer is another must-have product from Napoleon, and it is now a staple product in my makeup kit. It has a lovely lightweight texture that glides on like milky lotion, and feels very hydrating and helps the foundation to wear better. It gives the skin a soft-focus finish with a dewy glow, and best of all it does not enlarge the pores. There is no color to it, so it goes on translucent and won’t look streaky. It has the right amount of shimmer so it’s easy to wear for a boost of radiance without looking greasy. You can either wear a small amount of it all over the face (underneath or mix with your foundation) for a healthy glow, or you can apply a bit more for highlighting purposes that gives a dewy and slightly wet look.

The Ultimate Contour Palette is all you need for a multi-purpose face palette. The powders are very finely milled with a silky and buttery touch to it, and are easy to apply and blend. All the colors are very basic and right on point, which is a good thing because most of us are after a practical palette for everyday use. The colors are flattering on most complexions, and thumbs up for having the contour shade in matte finish which makes it a true contour product.

Color Description:

Highlighter: A shimmery neutral champagne color and it also makes a great eye shadow color

Blush: A semi-matte coral color with a soft glow

Contour: A matte neutral medium brown color

Comes with a mini instruction

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Labels: Napoleon Perdis

MAC Gleamtones Powder Dunes at Dusk Vibe Tribe Review and Swatch

June 26, 2016

I have lots of weaknesses – one of the biggest has to be collecting all the beautifully designed highlight powders. I am a big fan of highlighting, and whenever I come across a product that suits my complexion color, I have to own it. Reviewing the latest MAC Gleamtones Powder in Dunes at Dusk (LE) from the Vibe Tribe collection which did take me some effort to acquire, as it is all sold out at major MAC counters in Sydney.

Dunes at Dusk is a multi-color bronzing and highlighting powder in one pan. Love the motif design, and it contains four harmonious block of shades in soft shimmer finish. The texture is better than the permanent MAC powder – it feels more creamy and moist with a velvety touch to it, and it can be easily picked up by a soft bristle brush. All of the colors go on sheer as they are meant for a soft illuminating finish. You can apply the colors individually, and personally I prefer to swirl the colors together for application.

It gives a beautiful translucent and polished sheer veil of lit-within-glow to the complexion. When all colors are mixed, it has a very subtle tint to it, but it applies nearly colorless with in a hint of pink using a brush. It looks neither too warm nor too frosty on my face, which is hard to find for my NC15-20 cool toned complexion color.

Swatch & Color Description (clockwise)

Shimmery golden peach

Shimmery lilac

Shimmery dusty mauve (also makes a great eyeshadow color)

Shimmery champagne (great for the eyes as well)

On me: Just a quick phone snap showing the MAC Gleamtones applied on the top of my cheekbones

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Labels: HIGHLIGHTER • MAC

Chantecaille Bio Lifting Serum Review

June 22, 2016

The Chantecaille Bio Lifting Serum is an oldie but goodie. It’s such a classic prestige skincare product from Chantecaille that has been around for many years, and has never been reformulated as it just works, and people always go back to it. This is my second bottle, and it will always be a staple in my skincare regime to fight against gravity!

The Bio Lifting Serum is a powerful anti aging serum for skin regeneration, collagen rebuilding and promotes skin density and firmness visibly. It definitely sounds like a magic potion to those of you who are seeing the loss of volume and collagen in your face as you age. This is probably my biggest fear for aging – I can live with fine lines and pigmentation, whereas as soon as your cheeks drop and lose the plumpness, this is the first sign that gives away your ‘real age’.

On average, women start to lose collagen from the age of 28, and I always think this is a good age point where you need to start investing in some serious skincare products for prevention as well as correction purposes. Most prestige skincare products target at the age group of 40+, but why wait until then when you can resort to some powerful products now to slow down the breakdown of collagen, that help to maintain the skin firmness and contour at its optimum state?

I have personally used a lot of luxury skin lifting products, and the reason I like the Chantecaille the most is because it delivers an instant result for lifting. For such an expensive product, it’s always good to see a visible immediate result. With this serum, it gives a slight taut feeling to the skin upon application. Instantly my complexion appears more lifted and the contour appears more defined, and the skin also feel more firm. Best of all, the serum is lightweight enough to be applied around the eye areas, which also gives a lifting effect that makes your eyes appear less tired.

As with all Chantecaille products, this serum is hand made in France, mainly based on botanical ingredients and is paraben free. It has a patented active complex of peptides, rose stem cells, hyaluronic acid for a powerful anti-aging product. Apart from the outstanding lifting effect, this serum also delivers long lasting hydration. In an air conditioned environment, for my dry skin this serum keeps my skin hydrated and supple for the whole day. The consistency is light, but concentrated and 2 drops are sufficient for the entire face and neck. It spreads smoothly, smells like fresh roses, and completely absorbs into the skin, and also helps the makeup to glide on beautifully.

The Chantecaille Bio Lifting Serum is available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus in the US, and NAP worldwide.

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Labels: CHANTECAILLE • SKINCARE

The All Year Round Dress

June 17, 2016

Mix/Match or Dress? I am definitely a dress girl for the rushed mornings! Every season I’d like to add a few timeless pieces into my closet. My favorite go-to dress lately is this military inspired SMYTHE Tunic Dress, I love the effortless vibe of this dress – anything that makes me look like I haven’t tried too hard is a winner for me. It is such a versatile dress that I have worn in warm days with a pair of tanned colored sandals (as styled here and here), as well as in the colder days with a pair of booties. In this OOTD, I had the Stuart Weitzman Mitten booties on (the most comfortable booties I have ever owned!), and it also looks great with thigh high suede booties. As with all SMYTHE clothing, the fabric is beautiful – it’s neither too thin or nor too stiff. The lace up collar adds an updated fashion spin to this simple dress.

Dress – SMYTHE

Bag – Hermes Constance Etain

Shoes – Stuart Weitzman Mitten color Anthracite (bought here, there are other colors in black, tan and beige available here and here)

Shades – Karen Walker in black

Necklace – Jennifer Zeuner

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Labels: ACCESSORY • BAG • Fashion • HERMES • OOTD • STUART WEITZMAN

Tom Ford Soleil Color Collection – Soleil Contouring Compact, Bicoastal Sheer Cheek Duo, Ultra Rich Lip Color Review, Swatch and FOTD

June 12, 2016

Believe it or not, Tom Ford Soleil Color is the only 2016 summer collection that I picked up this year! (yep I skipped the Chanel..and many others) Normally summer collection involves lots of bright colors and bronzers which are not of my best interest, so for me it’s the easiest season that I can save my money from lol! With the exception of the always breathtaking release from Tom Ford. I managed to pick up some highly popular items including two beautiful face palettes – the Contouring Compact (limited edition) and Bicoastal Sheer Cheek Duo, and one lip color in Les Mepris on the first day of release. The entire collection is available on David Jones Online in Australia.

The Soleil Contouring Compact in The Afternooner is beyond gorgeous. If you own the Illuminating Powder Duo (reviewed here), you will love this palette too, as it includes a highlighter and a bronzer that are just as gorgeous as the duos, with an additional blush that makes this palette very versatile and practical to use. I won’t go into the details of the quality in this post, as they are always consistent with Tom Ford’s items from the past and permanent collections which I have reviewed many times. Overall Tom Ford is known for their cream-like powder based makeup with an ultra buttery and smooth texture for an effortless application.

Color description:

Highlighter: A soft nude shimmer highlighter with a pale gold undertone. On the swatch it leans slightly warm. However on my cool toned NC15 complexion, I am glad that it doesn’t pull too warm on me as some other golden highlighters do. I normally apply a sheer layer on top of the cheekbone, and it goes on translucent and gives a beautiful natural looking glow.

Blush: A semi-matte coral pink blush that gives a pretty flush of color and looks flattering on any skin tones.

Bronzer: A semi-matte sable brown color that compliments my skin-tone. It particularly goes well with the blush and highlighter – when all three colors are applied, they give a harmonious and sophisticated finish. The bronzer looks great for contouring the cheekbone, or dust a little all over the face for a bit of sun-kissed look. The color is too warm for my complexion as a real contouring product for the jaws and nose.

Swatch

The Tom Ford Bicoastal Sheer Cheek Duo is another palette not to be missed from the collection! It’s my kind of blush color that I can wear all year around. It has the two prettiest shades of pink in different finishes housed in the signature TF white and gold compact. On the top is a baby peachy pink shimmer highlighter. The blush at the bottom is a semi-matte rosy pink. I like to mix the two colors together for a natural and pretty glowy effect . Both colors go on sheer, so I prefer to use a dense powder blush for application, and they can be easily build up to a more vibrant finish.

Group Swatch

Tom Ford released two sets of lip color collections in this release. I passed on the entire Moisturecore Lip Colors as I just did not like the finish on me. With the white tube Ultra Rich Lip Color, I have an eternal affinity with them. They are beautifully packaged, feel luxurious with a creamy and silky formula. I only picked up the color Les Mepris so far, but in the back of my mind I kept on thinking about Purple Noon and Revolve Around Me which are more edgy colors. Les Mepris is a go-to pretty pink coral color that is universally flattering for all complexions. It goes well with any makeup look, and it instantly brightens up my complexion for a youthful appeal.

Sharing some of my FOTDs wearing the Soleil Compact with all three colors applied and Lip Color Les Mepris.

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Labels: BLUSH • FOTD • HIGHLIGHTER • LIPSTICK • Tom Ford

YSL Le Cushion Foundation Encre De Peau Fusion Ink Review and Swatch

June 8, 2016

Finally posting a review for the much raved Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Le Cushion Foundation Encre De Peau Fusion Ink. Cushion foundation has been around in Asia for years and it finally got picked up in the west, as we are seeing waves of western beauty brands such YSL, Bobbi Brown, Clinique etc launching their versions. One thing to note is that the YSL Cushion is made in Korea, but both the packaging and formula is much better than what you can find from most local Korean brands. I have been using it everyday for weeks and I am very convinced that I will re-purchase this over and over!

The YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation is Asia Exclusive, and is also available in Australia which retails for $88 including the case, and you can also purchase the refill individually for $57. If you want to skimp you can purchase the refill only and fit it into other cushion compacts (not all compacts fit so you need to do a bit of research). But I highly recommend you not to miss this gorgeous black and gold case! Different to a normal bottled foundation, cushion foundation will start to dry out over 6 months as it is not completely vacuumed, so it’s best to use the product within several months after opening. I also find that a standard sized cushion foundation lasts about 2 month of daily use, as opposed to a bottle foundation which normally last me years. A tip for you is that you can flip the cushion to get more product out from the other side.

Ever since I posted a picture of this foundation on my Instagram, I received a lot of questions about how is this different to the other cushion foundations on the market.

– Most cushion foundations I have used have a very diluted opacity with sheer coverage. The YSL has a more creamy and opaque consistency that offers sheer to medium coverage with a weightless feel. This is a true foundation with coverage that is on par with any sheer to medium liquid foundation – it covers up pores and mild imperfections, and evens out skin tone beautifully.

– A little product goes a long way, as I only need to gently dab the applicator onto the cushion, and it is enough to do half of the face. For application, the enclosed flat sponge is still the best tool for applying cushion foundation, as it is designed for patting it into the skin for the most natural and seamless finish (don’t blend!). I’ve tried applying it with different foundation brushes and rectangle sponges but the results were not the same.

– Most cushion foundation gives a very dewy finish and is more suitable for normal to dry skin. The YSL also feels hydrating and fresh, but gives a creamy semi-matte finish with a soft glow that doesn’t look artificial. It makes the complexion look very clean, and this formula also works better for people with normal to oily skin as it does not crease as easily as with other more dewy formulas. I have normal to dry skin, without the loose powder and this foundation will hold for 4-5 hours. I normally dust a little powder just over my t-zone and the foundation lasts a whole day with a little oil coming through in an indoor environment. No oxidation as well!

– Also loving the fact it has SPF 23 and PA+++

lots of product from a gentle dab

The only flaw with the foundation is that the sponge applicator is not the softest.

I bought the foundation in shade 10 which is the brightest shade. It has mostly a neutral undertone with tiny a hint of pink. I am normally MAC NC15, YSL B20, and this shade runs true to its color as it is a tad brighter than the B20 range in YSL foundations. On me there is a slight brightening effect for my NC15 complexion, but it’s not making me look pale.

Here is a swatch comparison with YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in BR20 (the old formula – reviewed here), YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation in B20 (reviewed here), and Sulwhasoo Cushion Foundation in shade 21 (reviewed here).

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Labels: foundation • YSL

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