CHIKUHODO

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation Review and Swatch

October 19, 2015

Compact foundation is one makeup item to splurge on as the high end brands are far more superior than the drugstores. Whether you wear it as a full foundation or simply for makeup retouching, the new Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation ticks all the criteria for probably the best you can get in the market now.

It comes in Tom Ford’s signature ultra luxury case. The enclosed sponge has two different textures – the smooth side for a sheer application, and the velvety side for a fuller coverage application.

Texture and Finish

I was blown away the first moment I felt the product at the counter – it has the silkiest, most finely milled powder texture. The powder foundation blends in to the skin seamlessly, and applies evenly with no creasing nor patches. The coverage is equivalent to a sheer-medium foundation. If you apply the powder foundation with the enclosed sponge, or a fluffy powder brush, it sets even more natural than a normal liquid foundation. The finish is a clean and poreless version of ‘your-skin-but-better’ and semi matte that lets your own skin’s radiance through. For a fuller coverage, I prefer to apply it with a kabuki brush (or a flat top brush) that would cover most of the mild imperfections. The finish is flawless and porcelain-like in a natural way but not cakey and heavy.

Shade Cream

Lasting Power

As the weather is getting hotter in Australia now, I particularly love wearing this foundation as it is more mattifying than my other foundations. Lasting power is about 6-8 hours on me with very little oil coming through at the end of the day for my dry skin. It also doesn’t oxidize, crease nor settle into the pores throughout the day. For makeup retouching, the powder foundation also applies well on top of your existing makeup. If you have cream based products underneath, I would wait till it dries then apply the powder foundation on top. Otherwise they will not blend well.

Shade Reference

I am between NC15-NC20, and I bought the Tom Ford Powder foundation in shade Cream which matches me perfectly. I pulled out some other powder foundations including the YSL Touche Eclat Powder Foundation B10 (reviewed here), Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Powder Foundation B10, Tom Ford finish powder in Ivory Fawn (reviewed here) for comparisons.

Comparison Swatches:

Brush recommendations include (clockwise): THREE Powder Brush (more info here), Tom Ford Bronzer Brush; Suqqu Face Brush (reviewed here); MAC Blending Brush (similar here); CHIKUHODO Powder Brush

The Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation is available online here in Australia.

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Labels: BRUSHES • CHIKUHODO • foundation • MAC • POWER FOUNDATION • THREE • Tom Ford

Bobbi Brown Nectar and Nude Eye Palette Review, Swatch and Eye Makeup Tutorial

June 18, 2014

Bobbi Brown is the queen of neutrals, and I love her eye shadow palette if the colors are done right for me. My last palette from BB was from 2 years ago, and finally she released this Nectar and Nude Eye Palette from her recent Nudes in Bloom Collection that captured my heart again. It retails for $95 in Australia (I bought here) which is double the price than in the States, and I made sure I absolutely wanted it so I dropped by the counter 3 times to swatch the colors!

The palette contains 4 matte and 2 shimmery/sparkly eye shadows, with the latter two being the standout for me. They are very smooth to apply and blend, and complement any matte neutral shades for a multi-dimensional look. They bring the matte shades to life, and in my opinion without these two this would be quite a boring palette!
Pale Cream (new shade and matte) – exactly the same color as my skin so it doesn’t show on my skin in the swatch below. It’s excellent for using it as a base color.
Soft Buff (new shade and matte) – matte taupe with mauve undertone. It’s relatively smooth for a matte shade and easy to blend.
Golden Bronze (new shade and metalic) – shimmery pale golden bronze. It’s the most buttery soft and smooth shade out of the palette. Stunning!
Pink Bellini (new shade and sparkly) – very smooth with pink micro glitter for a fine sparkle
Earth (new shade and matte) – a true medium brown shade which would be the most used color out of this palette for me.
Rich Cavair (new shade and matte) – goes on dark chocolate brown. Not as pigmented as the other shade, and it is dry and not easy for blending.

Here is a tutorial of how I would use this palette for a natural eye makeup.

Brushes used in this tutorial include CHIKUHODO Z5; Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush; Suqqu brush Medium, Suqqu brush F, Laura Mercier Smoky Eye Liner Brush , Laura Mercier Smudge Brush

Overall this is a classic neutral and very versatile eye palette and will be a staple in my makeup rotation. My next Bobbi Brown will definitely be this new stunning palette!

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Labels: BOBBI BROWN • BRUSHES • CHIKUHODO • EYESHADOW • Laura Mercier • SUQQU • TUTORIAL

Suqqu Brushes Overview with Face Brush and Eyeshadow Brush F Review

March 14, 2013

My Suqqu Brushes are one of my most treasured makeup collections. I have acquired all the Suqqu brushes that I wanted and it was really a great investment for me as I couldn’t imagine a day without them every morning when I do my makeup. Here are some proud and happy family shots of them!

When it comes to brushes, everyone has their own preference depending on their facial features. I generally prefer smaller eye shadow brushes as I have quite a small eye lid space to work with. And the same goes with face brushes, as I find a smaller face brush allows me to layer different products more precisely and blend out the harsh edges.

Below are the hair types used in brushes in order from the softest:

Red Squirrel hair (very rare, only seen from the Jap brands) -> Blue Squirrel hair (rare) -> Grey Squirrel hair (ie Suqqu and CHIKUHODO) -> Fine goat hair 细光峰 (very rare, I have only seen them from CHIKUHODO and HAKUHODO) -> Squirrel hair with no classification (ie Sephora premium brand which I find quite coarse) – > Normal Goat Hair 粗光峰 (the most common amongst western brands, ie MAC, Bobbi Brown, Tom Ford etc) – > Pony hair

CHIKUHODO recommends that if you have dry and sensitive skin type, squirrel hair would be a better option, whereas oily skin type should go for goat or pony.

As for me, my preference goes to brushes made with 100% grey squirrel hair, or a mix of squirrel and goat (of which I highly recommend the GS range from CHIKUHODO as they are just as soft but the bristles have the same resistance as goat hair which are better for blending and picking up more pigments. I don’t wear heavy and bold makeup so naturally these brushes suit my needs.

Most goat hair can feel prickly on my skin as I have very sensitive and thin skin. On the other hand I have friends with oily skin (with bigger pores) who complain that squirrel hair brush deposits very little pigments on their skin.

If you want to invest in a set of premium brushes, you probably would have done a lot of research by now and maybe Suqqu or CHIKUHODO’s Z-series brushes are on the top of your shopping list. They are very similar since they are all made by CHIKUHODO. I have them both and here is a brief comparison that I put together:

– Suqqu are slightly more expensive than the Z-series.

– The ferrule and the handle qualities of the two are almost identical.

– They are both made of 100% grey squirrel hair so they are equally soft and smooth. They also have equal amount of hair in each brush of the same type. The Z-series brushes feel more dense, silkier and heavier on the face, whereas Suqqu brushes are fluffier, and more bouncy – in the words of some “they feel like breeze on the skin”

A quick review for the Suqqu Face Brush:

I contemplated for a long time whether I should spend 168 Pound on a powder brush? But I am really glad I got it in the end. I thought loose powder and dewy skin cannot co-exist, but this has changed my perception. Since I had this brush, I literally use loose powder on my face everyday. It feels like breeze on my skin (apologies for the repeat but I can’t find a better word to describe the sensation). The ultra fine hair deposits an invisible veil of powder on the skin that is just enough to set the makeup and take away the unnecessary shine, but retains the natural radiance of the skin. You will never look cakey or powdery with this brush. The bristle is slightly tapered which also gives you a better control when applying powder over the t-zone.

Suqqu face brush used and unwashed 😛

Onto the Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush F:

The shape of the bristles is very similar to MAC 239. Function-wise, it is mainly used for laying down colors and it deposits the same amount of pigment as the MAC. Needless to say, it feels 1000 times softer and silkier than MAC. What I love about this brush is that it is very flat if you look at it from the side, which is perfect for smudging a soft (or smoky) line along the lower lash line which is what I have been using it for lately. Compared to a normal pencil brush, it distributes the pigments much more evenly, feels smoother and takes about 2 seconds to do one eye. In short I love this brush!

Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush F used and unwashed

Links to my review of the other Suqqu brushes:

– Suqqu cheek brush

– Suqqu eyeshadow brush L

– Suqqu eyeshadow brush M

– Suqqu Eyebrow brush S

All Suqqu brushes can be purchased from Selfridges.

Another long post! Is that what pregnancy does to a woman..I have been noticeably rambling a lot lately..

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Labels: BRUSHES • CHIKUHODO • SUQQU

Peachy FOTD with Chanel Pearl River Eye Shadow Palette

March 12, 2013

This is the look I have been wearing for the past week. It is refreshing to switch from my usual preferred color palette of pink and cool neutrals to a warmer look, and what could be a better palette to use than my new Chanel Pearl River Eye Shadow Palette from the Hong Kong Collection (reviewed here). The overall look is peach for a natural day look, which is inspired by some of the makeup looks I have seen in Korean beauty magazines lately. I always find that a natural looking makeup requires more skill and effort to master. But once you get it right it just looks so beautiful and fresh on any woman, and best of all it helps to take away a few years of age!

In this FOTD, I have spent a lot of time and products creating the base – I wanted to achieve a fresh, dewy and almost barely-there base so that my own skin texture shows through. On the other hand subtle contouring was applied to mimic the natural shadow so my face won’t look too flat. Once this was achieved, everything else was straight forward – just applied light layers of colors to enhance the features.

Face Products Used:

Brush 1: Giorgio Armani blender brush

Brush 2: Becca concealer brush

Brush 3: Suqqu face brush

Step 1: By Terry Teint De Rose as Primer, then MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation (reviewed here) applied with brush 1

Step 2: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage followed by YSL Touche Eclat #1 applied with brush 2 for under-eyes concealing.

Step 3: Becca Finishing Powder applied with brush 3 over the t-zone.

Eye Products:

Brush 1: MAC 227

Brush 2: Stila Precision Brush

Brush 3: CHIKUHODO Z-10 (reviewed here)

Brush 4: Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush F

Brush 5: Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush L (reviewed here)

Brush 6: Nars #12

Step 1: With the Chanel Pearl River Palette, applied the gold shade with brush 5, then added the peach color along upper lash line with brush 4. Use brush 6 to apply the chocolate brown on the outer v. The champagne color is applied under the brow bone with brush 1.

Step 2: Applied the peach shade along the lower lash using brush 3, then added the brown to the outer corner. Brush 2 is used to add the pearly white color on the inner corner.

Step 3: Applied Majolica Automatic Eyeliner, and finished with Cover Girl Clump Free Mascara.

Step 4: Filled the brows using Shu Uemura Hard Formula H9.

Cheeks and Lips:

Brush 1: CHIKUHODO GS2 Contour and Highlight Brush

Brush 2: Suqqu Cheek Brush (reviewed here)

Step 1. Applied Nars Multiple Tint in Turks & Caicos with Coffret D’OR Blush on the cheeks using brush 2.

Step 2: Maquillage Face Creater 3D in #55 is used for highlight and contour with brush 1.

Step 3: Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Salmon finished with Lunasol Clear Lip Gloss.

One more pic!

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Labels: BECCA • BRUSHES • CHANEL • CHIKUHODO • EYESHADOW • FOTD • Giorgio Armani • MAC • Maquillage by Shiseido • SUQQU

CHIKUHODO Z-Series Eye Shadow Brush and Lam Sam Yick Heart Face Brush Reviews

October 22, 2012

Happy Monday everyone! I realized that I haven’t done a brush post for so long, so I thought I’d show you two of my favorite new brushes lately that took me a great effort in acquiring them! The cute looking Heart Face Brush is by Lam Sam Yick, and the Eye Shadow Brush is by CHIKUHODO Z-series. Both brands are only sold in certain countries in Asia, and I got them through a friend.

CHIKUHODO Z-10 Eye Shadow Brush (only sold in Japan at the moment and retails for around USD$40): I have previously used the CHIKUHODO z-series face brushes. They are similar to my Suqqus but I still prefer the latter as they feel much more fluffier, so that had stopped me from pursuing CHIKUHODO brushes until I spotted this one. The shape of the brush is very unique and looks very promising to be used around the lower lash line. As with all of the z-series brushes, it’s made of 100% squirrel hair so it warrants a super indulgent experience. The size of the brush is similar to my other pencil brushes, but it has a more precise cut and is more tapered towards the end – as you can see in my comparison picture. The cone-shaped brush head allows for a very good control over how thin and thick you want the line to be. Since it is made of the finest hair, it never feels scratchy around my sensitive eyes which I often find is the case with brushes of goat hair. Moreover, squirrel-haired brush deposits the color more softly than brushes of other hair type, so for me this brush is perfect for smudging a soft line along my lower lash line, which is exactly what I want.

LAM SAM YICK Heart Brush Small in pink (aka “Bum Brush”): This is another interesting and unique face brush. It’s made by a traditional calligraphy and cosmetic brush company called LamSamYick based in Taiwan. They adopt a similar traditional brush making technique with a more affordable price. Their heart-shaped brush releases became an instant hit amongst beauty enthusiast in Asia . Girls were smitten by the cute design of the brush, and in the meantime it’s a very functional brush with superior quality. The cheek brush is made of 100% fine white goat hair and dyed pink with an ombre effect! For reference, it has the same softness and smoothness as the MAC 168. The bristles are densely packed and feel fluffy at the same time. This brush also has a nickname of ‘bum brush’ as the design of the brush head is reminiscent of a baby’s bum cheeks! The selling pitch has definitely worked for me as I always dreamt of rubbing my face against baby’s bum (when it’s clean) but I never had the chance. I’ve been using this brush for over 2 weeks now and it has no shedding so far. FYI The heart shaped brush series come in large, medium and small. I always prefer a smaller brush for applying blushes so I opted for the small size.

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Labels: BRUSHES • CHIKUHODO • LamSamYick