EYESHADOW

Chanel Liquid Eyeliner Ligne Graphique Dream Blue, Illusion D’ombre Melody and Stylo Eyeshadow 127 Laurier Rose Review and Swatch

September 10, 2015

Today’s review is for an eye makeup combo that I’ve been loving lately. The Chanel Liquid Eyeliner LIGNE GRAPHIQUE De Chanel Dream Blue and the Cream Eye shadow Illusion D’Ombre Melody 98 are from the latest Chanel Blue Rhythm Collection , and the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow 127 Laurier Rose is from the permanent line that I picked up a while ago.

The Chanel Liquid Eyeliner in Dream Blue is one interesting purchase for me. I didn’t plan to buy it but got lured in after the SA tried it on my eyes. Though I own a significant amount of eye makeup, I don’t change the way I apply eye makeup that much – always some neutral eye shadow colors and an intense black eyeliner. So I thought using a colored eyeliner would be an easy step that I can take to add some variety to my makeup look. The formulation is very fluid and gives a smooth and even indigo blue line in one stroke. The applicator is thin and small that allows for an easy and precise application. I particularly love wearing this over a black eyeliner, as it becomes a blackish midnight blue color. It defines the eyes without looking too sharp, and it also brightens up the eyes. The difference is subtle but noticeable.

Different to their previous Illusion D’Ombre eye shadows that are on the shimmery side, the finish of Melody is almost semi-matte with a hint of satiny sheen. I would pass on this if it was just an ordinary matte peachy eye cream color, but the subtle rose gold sheen makes it special. It has a marshmallow-like texture, and feels more creamy than the others. Melody applies smoothly without caking up and looking dry and heavy on the eyes. It is a lovely everyday color that I would get so much use out of, and works excellent as a base color for all over the eye lid. It can also be doubled as an eye primer as it stays put for the whole day, and also prevents other eye shadows from creasing.

The Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow offers intense pigmentation, applies silky smooth with a cooling sensation and it has a great staying power. Laurier Rose is a beautiful vibrant coppery color with a rose undertone and has a slight metallic sheen that just makes your eyes pop. I particularly love the slanted tip which allows for a more controlled application, as it can be used as a thick eyeliner, or for applying over a larger area. I wish Chanel would release more of this in neutral colors!

EOTD: Wearing the blue dream eye liner, and Illusion O’mbre Melody all over the lid, with Stylo Eyeshadow 127 from the lash line into the crease.

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Labels: CHANEL • EYELINER • EYESHADOW

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadows Review and Swatch – Sweet Heat and A Natural Flirt

August 30, 2015

It was love at first sight for me with the Extra Dimension Eye Shadow collections from MAC lately, and as much as I tried to resist on buying single eye shadows as well as MAC makeup.. I couldn’t help but pick up these two beautiful neutral colors in Sweet Heat and A Natural Flirt.

It is quite difficult to capture the true beauty of these eye shadows in photos, as they have the most amazing liquid sheen with a metallic effect to it. They look like semi-wet eye shadows from the pan (but they apply dry), and the colors can look different depending on the angles you are looking at. One swipe convinced me that I had to get few colors from the collection- they feel silky smooth, extremely finely milled, and highly pigmented. They don’t show up as metallic once they are swatched as you see from the pan – just a shimmery wash of colors with a hint of metallic sheen that add an impact to the rather boring neutral colors.

A natural flirt is gorgeous. It is a light ivory champagne color with an iridescent pink undertone. Yes I probably can find tons of similar shades from my collection, but this one will make it to my top 3!

Sweet heat looks dark and chocolaty at some angles, but in real life it is a stunning medium sandy copper color that has a light rose gold metallic sheen to it.

Swatches

I bought the MAC Extra Dimension Eye shadows here in Australia. They retail for AUD$40 each.

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Labels: EYESHADOW • MAC

Chanel Fall 2015 Collection – Les 5 Ombres de Chanel Entrelaces Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatch

August 13, 2015

I have been passing on the eye shadows from Chanel for the past several releases, and this fall Chanel has finally delivered the beautiful Les 5 Ombres De Chanel Entreslacs Eyeshadow Palette that was special enough for me to make a purchase. The 2015 Fall Collection is all about playing with shadow and light, so you will find that most of the products echo the theme with a neutral color palette. I personally think that this eye shadow palette is the star product of the collection, as it comes in a limited edition palette form with 5 eye shadows, and all the colors are the best neutral colors that you could ever get.

I absolutely love the variation of the colors included in this palette – it’s almost like a contour kit for the eyes. They work with various skin tones, and each color compliments and works in perfect harmony. They can be layered together for mimicking a shadow and light effect for creating an illusion of deeper set eyes in an effortless way. This is the ultimate appeal of a neutral eye shadow palette, with the right balance of matte and shimmery eye shadows that can be worn in so many ways for different looks.

The quality of this palette is also phenomenal, as the texture of all the eye shadows are buttery soft and glide on like silk without any fallout. The pigmentation is also lovely – a gentle dip into the eye shadow is suffice for an entire application.

Color description (from left to right)

1. shimmery ivory vanilla – Perfect for highlighting the brow areas and the inner corners.

2. semi-matte soft neutral brown – This is a rather ‘common’ color but it adds so much value to an eye shadow palette, as both the color and the finish are perfect for contouring the eyes which makes them appear deeper set and less puffy.

3. shimmery chocolate brown with gold micro glitter – A great color for layering or deepening the outer v, and the shimmer adds a lovely touch for creating a multi-dimensional finish.

4. satin charcoal brown – Great for creating smoky eyes, or can be used as an eyeliner. The subtle shimmer makes the color appear less harsh on the eyes.

5. shimmery pale peachy pink – I can never have enough of this color! Sometimes all I need is a wash of this color on the eye lid that will just transform the eyes.

Bottom Line: Must have for the neutral eye shadow lovers! One the best eye shadow palettes I have acquired in this year. I bought the Les 5 Ombres De Chanel Entrelacs Eyeshadow Palette here in Australia, and it is also available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Chanel Online in the US.

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Labels: CHANEL • EYESHADOW

Dior 5 Colors Couture Eye Shadow Palette Ambre Nuit 746 Review and Swatch – Dior Tie Dye Collection

May 22, 2015

Everyday I am telling myself that I really don’t need another palette of eye shadows, but I keep on making the same mistake whenever I spot a beautiful neutral palette. Case in point is the Dior 5 Colors Couture Eye Shadow Palette 746 Ambre Nuit from the 2015 Summer Tie Dye Collection that I acquired recently. I am in love with every single color so I can not let it go!

What draws me into this palette is the color combination – they are neutral and fresh. If the Dior Eye Reviver (reviewed here) was a sophisticated palette, then the Ambre Nuit would be a pretty palette with a youthful touch. There is a variety of textures in this palette range from semi-satin to shimmery, and the colors are great for creating depth and impact to the eyes without aging you.

I don’t need to repeating the quality and texture of Dior 5 colors Couture Eyeshadows. They are always excellent – great pigmentation, silky smooth texture, and takes no effort to apply them with absolutely no fall out. The colors are more suitable for day time wear, as they look very soft and natural looking on the eyes. I always have a flair for these kind of eye shadows, as anything that is too intense or opaque tends to make me look fierce.

Color Description: (clockwise)

Top Left – Peachy pink with a hint of rose gold sheen in a semi-satin finish. I can guarantee that this color will be hitting the pan the soonest as it applies beautifully as a wash of color over the eye socket.

Top Right – Medium brown shimmer that gives a lovely sheen depending on the angle you look at.

Bottom Right – A perfect taupe color with an eggplant undertone in a semi-matte finish. This cool neutral color complements the rest of the warm shades perfectly.

Bottom Left – Dark brown with very fine silver glitters. An intense color and is easy to blend with the other colors.

Middle – An icy ivory color in high shimmer. The shade is very pigmented, so a little goes a long way for highlighting purpose and it is extremely buttery smooth to apply.

Swatches

Bottom Line: A must-have neutral eyeshadow palette to have for this year!

The Dior Ambre Nuit is available at Nordstrom in the US, and here in Australia. I bought mine in my current second home town Stockholm 🙂

PS: Nordstrom has started their half yearly sales!

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Labels: DIOR • EYESHADOW

Dior Eye Reviver Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatch

April 24, 2015

As soon as I saw the preview pic of the Dior Eye Reviver Eyeshadow Palette, I knew it would be a must-have LE item to collect this year. Sometimes the “special edition makeup” with a big wow factor can be a little too fancy for use everyday, but this palette is equally practical and stunning. I was late to review this as I didn’t want to ruin the beautiful design of it! If you have been thinking about buying it then this is a good time as it is currently at 10% off on Nordstrom. I bought mine at David Jones in Australia.

The Eye Reviver Palette is encased in a glossy silver case, and contains 5 beautiful neutral eye shadows embossed with Dior logos, and 1 black gel eye liner. The texture of the powder eye shadows are as good as you can get – buttery soft, silky smooth to apply and easy to blend without fallout, and all shades are highly pigmented. Dior has totally nailed the the color combination of this palette. The 5 neutral colors of different finishes are in perfect homonany and complement each other when layered together. They are very wearable shades for me, with a degree of uniqueness and complexity to it that makes this palette particularly alluring to me. As for the cream gel liner it is a little on the dry side, so when it is applied it doesn’t feel as smooth as the better ones such as the Bobbi Brown. I would only reach for the gel liner if I don’t have other eyeliner options available.

Shade Description from left to right:

1. A semi-matte ivory color – it looks very clean on my skin-tone so it’s excellent for a base color.

2. A shimmery sandy beige champagne color that is great for highlighting or as a wash of barely-there color over the entire eye lid.

3. A shimmery medium mink brown color (leans slightly cool) with a hint of metallic sheen.

4. A true taupe color with a hint of mauve undertone that is also slightly metallic.

5. A dark chocolate brown in matte. Thumbs up for this color as it is very smooth and rich for a matte texture.

6. The gel eyeliner is medium black.

Swatch

Under natural sunlight

Indoor lighting

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Labels: DIOR • EYESHADOW

Giorgio Armani Eye Tint Review and Swatch – Flannel 08, Rose Ashes 11 and Gold Ashes 12

April 15, 2015

Both my boy and I caught the flu bug lately so the delay in posting reviews. I have finally recovered, and started playing with the Giorgio Armani Eye Tint in Flannel 8, Rose Ashes 11 and Gold Ashes 12 which I acquired months ago. They are the “new innovative eye shadows”, with an interesting twist in the texture so they add a fun element to makeup application. You probably would have seen that there are other brands starting to release similar products such as the Pop Water Full Metal Shadow from YSL.

Compared to the traditional powder eye shadow, the Eye Tints are the solution for ladies on the run or anyone who is simply after a quick and easy eye makeup. It does not require a primer, nor a dozen brushes for blending. All you need is to swipe and blend with your fingers for a lovely wash of luminous colors that add dimension without looking ‘made up’. It can also be used as a base shade underneath other eye shadows for a more intense and multi-dimensional finish, and it also helps to extend the wear time. Either way I really enjoy using them as the versatility of this product is endless.

The texture is liquid to a creamy finish. It takes a few seconds to dry and the color stays put for the whole day without creasing. I prefer to use them without the primer, otherwise it can look a little heavy. As usual, I picked up three beautiful neutral shades.

Shade 12 Gold Ashes is a shimmery champagne color. When it is blended, it leans more towards ivory in a high shimmer finish (slightly sparkly) which is great for highlighting.

Shade 11 Rose Ash is a beautiful warm copper color with a hint of rosy undertone in soft shimmer. A must-have for adding a wash of color to the eye crease area.

Shade 8 Flannel is a cool taupe color with an eggplant undertone in soft shimmer finish. This is another must-have color for me from the collection as it complements my cool skin tone really well.

Group Swatches:

Unblended

Blended

Bottom Line: If you love to experiment with eye shadows in a variety of textures, this product is ideal to try. Overall the Eye Tints give a more natural finish than other eye shadow types (think about lip tint vs lipstick), and it’s more forgiving to the makeup novices. You can find these at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus in the US. I bought mine at David Jones in Australia.

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Labels: EYESHADOW • Giorgio Armani

Jill Stuart Ribbon Couture Eyes 02 Floret Tulle and 03 Vintage Satin Review and Swatches, Spring 2015 Collection

February 7, 2015

I have been hauling a lot of Japanese makeup lately as there are not that many western makeup brands of interest to me. My recent additions are the Jill Stuart Ribbon Couture Eye Shadow Palettes 02 Floret Tulle and 03 Vintage Satin from the 2015 Spring Collection. I could not take my eyes off these beautiful pretty neutral quads the first time I saw them, so I bought them immediately when they became available.

The design of these new eye shadow palettes are different to their old ones. It has 5 eye shadows, housed in a new case design that will melt any young girl’s heart. I am way over the cuteness phase, but for some reason Jill Stuart can still conjure up my long-gone inner girly side.

The texture of these are very similar to the typical premium Japanese eye shadow – as they all boast a distinct marshmallow texture (velvety, soft and cushiony to touch) that are not common in western brands . All shades have fine shimmer in them but they feel ultra smooth and silky to apply without any fallout. The texture is very finely milled, and the pigmentation is quite rich with a translucent finish as I only need one swipe for the color to be shown on my eyes without looking overly heavy and opaque.

The colors of both palettes are of typical universally flattering neutral shades that I cannot resist to, as they work tremendously well for enhancing Asian eyes. Though they look very shimmery from the pan, the four main colors apply to a semi satin finish, with the middle shade appearing more shimmery and slightly sparkly which is great for using at the inner corner.

Left 03 Vintage Satin Right 02 Floret Tulle

02 Floret Tulle was my first purchase. The color reminds me of my all time favorite palette – Chanel Spice. I just love such combination of colors that gives a soft and pretty neutral look.

Color Description:

Top Left – Vanilla satin finish

Top Right – Soft coral pink satin finish

Bottom Right – Dark brown with silver shimmer semi satin finish

Bottom Left – Light bronze pearl (slightly more shimmery)

Middle – Champagne beige (slightly more sparkly)

Swatch

03 Vintage satin is more sophisticated and beigey. I don’t think anyone would go wrong with this palette. If you love the cult favorite Lunasol beige beige, you would love this one.

Color Description:

Top Left – Ivory satin finish

Top Right – Fawn satin finish

Bottom Right – Dark chocolate brown with charcoal undertone semi-satin finish

Bottom Left – Peach champagne shimmer

Middle – Icy vanilla metallic

Swatch

Bottom Line: Absolutely love them! Despite Jill Stuart’s overly sweet packaging (if you are not a fan) these two eye shadows are worth every penny for their quality as well as its wear-ability. They are available online here, (use coupon code 2015FIRST for 10% off), and please note that the product 02 Floret Tulle is linked to the wrong picture on that site. More information can be found on Jill Stuart’s Beauty Website.

http://www.amazon.com/Lunasol-Shadow-Skin-Modeling-Beige/dp/B008N6992S

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Labels: EYESHADOW • Jill Stuart

Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Shadow Palette Review and Swatch

November 28, 2014

This month my favorite eye shadow palette has to be my new Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Shadow Palette. As a neutral eye shadow addict, I could not resist the color palette of this one – with many wearable soft neutral shades and a few smokey shades in a variety of finishes that I will make so much use out of. Bobbi Brown tends to release eye shadow palettes in either warm tones, or cold tones, but this palette leans perfectly neutral which is a rare find so I decided to add this one to my collection.

The Bobbi Brown’s signature two tier design of this palette is also another attraction for me. I just love the fact that there are 8 reasonable sized eye shadows housed in such a sleek and compact case. The texture of each shadow is also on par with their single eyeshadow, as they are very smooth and apply effortlessly without any fall out including the sparkly shades. This palette contains three different types of eye shadows – the matte, the metallic, and the sparkly, so I get to show my playful creativity as I really enjoy mixing and matching these shades for different day and night looks .

Shade description – all the shades included in this palette are exclusive and are not available in their permanent collection. I absolutely love Bobbi Brown’s Metallic single eye shadows for their amazing shimmer factor and high intensity, but the color choices are very limited. So I am very pleased to find out that this palette contains 2 metallic shades that are in the most gorgeous neutral colors.

Top Tier (clockwise)

– Cream (matte): A creamy ivory shade that is almost the same color as my skin. An essential color to be included in a palette for serving it as base color purpose.

– Naked (matte): A warm nude with a hint of mauve undertone, and leans slightly warm on my skin.

– Woodrose (matte): A medium ash brown and is perfect for contouring.

– Silver Brown (sparkle): A sparkly grey brown with a hint of silvery purple tinge to it. Adds a glamour touch to the eye makeup for a soft smokey look.

Bottom Tier (clockwise)

– Watercolor pink (sparkle): A sparkly pale pink

– Nude Beach (metallic): A cool shimmery sandy beige, and is one of the most beautiful shades in this palette.

– Smoked (matte): A rich brown black in matte

– Smokey Brown (metallic): A true taupe with a metallic sheen. I wish they have this in the single form so I will buy a dozen of them lol.

Top Tier

Bottom Tier

Bottom Line: Must have! And it also makes a perfect gift for your girlfriends. I bought the Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Shadow Palette here in Australia, and apparently it is all sold out at Bobbi Brown Online. In the US it is available at Nordstrom and SAKS with the following two great deals!