BLUSH

SUQQU Balancing Cheeks in MOMOZOE, MUKUGE and OSHAGECHA Review and Swatches

October 17, 2011

Suqqu was born based on the Japanese cultural tradition of inner composure and serenity, and the brand concept is echoed by all of its products. I bought the BALANCING CHEEKS in MOMOZOE 桃添, MUKUGE 木槿 and OSHAGECHA. I don’t understand the definition of these shades, but I am pretty sure they have no sexual innuendo like the Nars brand! Suqqu is all about enhancing the natural complexion of a woman and keeping your image looking composed and poised.

The texture of these is extremely finely milled and softly pigmented – one to two swipes adds a of touch of color.

SUQQU OSHAGECHA

On the left is a lovely peachy shade with a hint of brown undertone and contains very fine shimmers. When applied on the skin it provides a soft touch of color with a lovely glow. The contour shade by far is the best one I have used. Unlike other usual bronzers, it is a true matte brown shade without any redness and orangeness in it. It provides a soft contour for me – I can see the subtle effect without looking too heavy, as it doesn’t cast a strong contrast against my fair complexion (NC15) when applied softly.

OSHAGECHA Swatch:

On me: Applied the contour shade along the jawline to the chin and added the blush color to the cheeks.

SUQQU MUKUGE 木槿

It contains one blush color and one highlighter. The blush color is coral with a stronger pink undertone and less shimmery. Suqqu used to make individual blushes and highlighters and I have heard a lot of good things about them, but unfortunately they have been discontinued. I am glad that Suqqu has included a highlighting shade in the duo form because this is the kind of easy-to-wear highlighter I would go for on a daily basis. It contains the finest milled shimmers, when applied on the face it provides a brightening effect without the shimmers being noticeable.

MUKUGE 木槿 Swatch:

On me:

SUQQU MOMOZOE 桃添

It contains a neutral pink blush that would look good on any complexion, and a beigey pink highlighter that complements the blush color. Both shades have small particles of shimmers and on the face they impart a lovely subtle glow.

MOMOZOE 桃添 Swatch:

Bottom Line: Suqqu is a very high end brand, but at 38 pound per palette (available here) I think they are reasonably priced for 2 shades of cheek color of superior quality. You also get the beautiful packaging and the enclosed brush that is just as soft as the regular sized suqqu brushes.

{ 19 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • SUQQU

My Nars 0rgasm collection

September 19, 2011

This post has a mix of everything – I initially only wanted to show you the swatches of my Nars 0rgasm Collection. While taking swatch pictures of them, surprisingly my eye makeup of the day turned out really nice and sharp in the pictures thanks to the good lighting, so I like to share both with you.

Nars O blush was my first high end blush. To be honest I wasn’t that smitten with the shade at that time, as I thought it was just an ordinary peachy pink blush. As my makeup collection starts to build up and I have a wider range of colors to play with, I am becoming more fond of this shade. It is just a very easy-to-work-with shade and is flattering with almost any makeup look. It contains the right amount of shimmer which makes the finish neither too flat nor too shimmery – I do agree that it gives an O-glow as per the name haha. For a person like me who sleeps in almost every morning, there is nothing more convenient than a “no-brainer” shade.

I have already reviewed and compared the blush from the trio palette with the original blush, which you can find here.

I bought the Nars multiple 0rgasm after I came across a youtube clip of a professional MUA applying this nars on a gorgeous eurasian model. (sorry I can’t find the link as it was from a long time ago). I gasped when I saw the finish on her – it just looked soo beautiful. It is more pink with a more dewy finish compared to the original blush.

Nars Super O is a lovely peachy pink lipgloss, and again it is more on the pink side. Although it contains shimmers it applies smoothly and does not feel grainy on the lips.

Nars O Nail Polish

Group swatch: Except for the original blush, the rest all have a stronger pinkish undertone.

FOTD: Foundation was the Nars Sheer Matte. I had Nars Multiple O on my cheeks and the Nars Super O lipgloss on my lips.

On my eyes I used a mix of Nars eyeshadows: Nars Isolde over the lid and Nars Surabaya along the lash line with Nars Brumes on the outer v.

What is your favorite Nars O product? I am thinking to get the Nars O illumator..any thoughts?

{ 14 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • LIPGLOSS • NAIL POLISH • NARS

Nars Blush Bronzer Trio Review and Swatches

September 6, 2011

Every now and then Nars would release a set of limited edition makeup containing some of their best selling products – none of them have caught my attention as I have already collected most of the Nars makeup . When the Nars Blush Bronzer Trio was released a few months ago, it featured some the most iconic Nars shades including the 0rgasm blush, albatross highlighter and the laguna bronzer. I didn’t give it a second thought until I read from BestThingsinBeauty that the blush from the palette is different to the original blush. I was intrigued by what she said as well as her pictures- as much as I love the original 0rgasm shade, the “new” shade just looked so much better! Since this palette was not available in Australia I wasn’t able to swatch them at a counter, so I couldn’t help but order it online.

It comes in a zippered compact nylon case which is handy for traveling – not a big fan of the design but at least the nylon will be more durable than the usual rubber case which I detest…

Swatches of the three must have shades by Nars:

First thing I did when I received this palette was to compare it with my original blush. I held the swatch under every lighting – it was much to my delight that the “new” shade is much more pink than the original.

Another comparison:

Bottom Line: What a lovely surprise! I love the “reformulated” shade more than the originals.

{ 21 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • HIGHLIGHTER • NARS

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact 105 Sweet Lock Review and Swatches

September 3, 2011

Out of the entire Jill Stuart Fall 2011 Collection I was looking forward to the Mix blush compact in 105 sweet lock the most. The shades in the blush appear to be beige toned, which is different to the usual different variations of pink blushes that Jill Stuart has released. This limited edition has a white over-spray of the Jill Stuart signature.

The case also has a special jewel cast. As usual, it comes with a really pretty retractable brush that is detachable. I find these blushes are very handy as I like to keep one in my makeup bag, and it feels much better quality than the cheap retractable blushes you find at the drugstores.

Upon swatching I realized that this is just another pink blush! Quite disappointing for me as I anticipated it to be a beige and peachy blush judging by the colors from the pan. It contains 2 matte and 2 shimmery shades. Except for the pink shade on the bottom right, the rest of the shades are all on the sheer side.

Under direct sunlight

In the shadow:

FOTD: As said this blush is very sheer. When applied using a dense brush such as the attached Jill Stuart brush, the colors do show up on my NC15 skintone but the effect is very soft and subtle.

Compared to the Jill Stuart blush blossom dual cheek color in Classic Camellia, the colors are pretty similar but Sweet Lock is incomparably sheer. If I had known they were both pink blushes I would have only purchased one. I personally would buy the dual cheek color and pass up on this one, as dual cheek is more pigmented and it can be used either as a matte or shimmery blush.

Bottom Line: A lovely soft pink blush that provides a sheer wash of color on fair skin. If your skin tone is darker than NC25 I doubt it will show up. I won’t say it’s a must have as it is not any different to the past pink blushes released by Jill Stuart. If you are interested in purchasing a Jill Stuart Mix Compact blush, I highly recommend you to check out the permanent line.

{ 14 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • BRUSHES • Jill Stuart

Jill Stuart blush blossom dual cheek color in 102 Classic Camellia Review and Swatch

August 30, 2011

The Jill Stuart blush blossom dual cheek color in 102 Classic Camellia from its 2011 Fall Collection is pretty, from little details such as the embedded diamante to the signature Jill Stuart floral scent in every product. Like most girls I got lured into Jill Stuart makeup for their pretty packaging, then I found myself addicted as I find the quality of their products are just as superior.

It retails for around $50 USD over the counters in Asia which I think is reasonably priced for what you get. The duo blush comes in loose pigment form – one side is for the cheek and the other is an illuminator. It also comes with a decent sized retractable brush that feels of high quality.

Not a big fan of using loose pigment as I am quite clumsy! However the design of this blush gives you really good control over how much product to dispense by gently pressing the brush into the mesh. You can then use the inner lid to mix the color or remove excess powder.

The cheek color is a soft cool toned pink that looks almost angelic on fair skin – as often seen on the models in the Japanese Beauty Mags. It has slight shimmer in it when swatched on my arm but doesn’t really show up on my face. If your complexion is warm-toned and you have trouble finding a blush that shows up as baby pink without the lavender and mauvy tone, this is the blush to go for. The highlighting shade is a shimmery ivory white with a pink undertone. When used sparingly it gives a soft glow to the face.

FOTD:

Both shades are very pigmented – a little bit of it goes a long way and they lasted on me for the whole day. I applied the cheek color on my apples then the highlighter along the top of my cheekbones.

I personally find that Japanese brands make the best cool toned pink blushes for Asian complexions. Comparison of some possible dupes:

Clockwise:

Canmake cream cheek color in 03

RMK cheek color in 03 Light Pink

Etude House Miss Tangerine Cream Blusher in Miss Berry (Korean brand)

{ 12 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • Jill Stuart

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

Nars Douceur and Penny Lane Blushes Review

July 11, 2011

Nars Douceur was my first blush that was not in the family of pink, coral or peach blushes. I passed it up when it was first released as LE as I had this idea that any brown blush would look too muddy on me. I caved in as I read more and more great reviews about it. The minute I applied Douceur on my face it all made sense what all the hype was about. So this post is really dedicated to those of you who are still contemplating whether to get it or not! I love Douceur so much so I bought Nars Penny Lane Cream Blush which looks very identical to it in the pan.

The texture of Douceur is consistent with other Nars blushes – smooth, pigmented and easy to blend.

I also really like the cream formulation of Nars blushes. Penny Lane is neither too dry nor too creamy – very easy to spread the color without settling into the pores.

Douceur is a lovely soft dusty matte brown color with a hint of pink. It is a sophisticated color, in an understated way.

Penny Lane has more pink undertone. For those of you who are still not convinced in using a brown blush, this is a good start. It can be worn alone for a natural sophisticated look, or layered underneath brown blushes such as Douceur, or Madly to bring out the pink tone.

Douceur on me:

I personally love to apply Douceur along the hollow of the cheeks up the temples, rather than having it on the center of the apples. It creates this modern, polished and sophisticated look that is very office appropriate. To show you its versatility I paired it with bold orange lips. (of course I am not that daring in real life haha).

Bottom Line: Love it. I am on the hunt for more blushes in a similar hue. Any recommendations please let me know!

{ 30 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • NARS

Chanel Joues Contraste in Rouge and OR Swatches

June 26, 2011

After lying on the bed and surviving on instant korean ramen for the past 2 days, I am finally feeling better today and have the energy to do a blog post for the Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in ROUGE and OR from their Byzance Collection. I had to admit..I initially only wanted to buy the gold blush (OR), as the red blush just looks too shockingly red for my fair skin which I would never wear. Obviously I had a change of mind after the SA told me if I layer the red with the gold, it gives a beautiful rose gold effect. Yes..the word Rose Gold totally sold me..

Everything from the Byzance Collection is much more pigmented than the regular Chanel’s.

Heavy Swatches (by fingers):

Swatched by brush:

Chanel Joues Contraste in OR is a true gold blush (although from some certain angles I can see a little bit of bronze sheen) with tons of gold flecks. The texture feels quite grainy and powdery hence there are a lot of fallout in the pan once you start using it.

It is definitely more of a highlighter rather than a blush to me. When I use it as a highlighter on my skin it transforms into a very subtle golden sheen. The gold surprisingly blends into my naturally yellow skintone really well – it brightens as well as warms up my complexion without looking too yellow.

Applied OR on the top of my cheekbone.

Chanel Joues Contraste in Rouge appears as a true bright red with pink shimmers in the pan, but on the skin the shimmer is less noticeable. Unlike OR, the texture of Rouge feels smooth and soft. It is also insanely pigmented – a tiny amount of it is enough to do the whole cheek.

I had a really hard time applying just a sheer wash of color with Rouge. It was my 6th attempt to get a sheer finish shown in the picture below. It is so pigmented, applying with the softest and fluffiest blush brush with the lightest hand doesn’t help much.. I still ended up look like a clown. To get the result I had to dip the brush into the pan at the sofest pressure I could, then swipe the brush on my hands to remove most of the product first before applying it on my cheeks. Once I got it right, it gives a natural flush of color – reminiscent of a “just went for a jog” look.

Applied Rouge on the apple of my cheek

Layer OR on top of Rouge:

I am glad I got both blushes in the end. They look the best when they are layered on top of each other. They red balances out the warmth of the gold, and the gold sheen softens the brightness of the red, making it more glowy and dewy.