EYESHADOW

Addiction Jean-Michel Basquit Summer 2013 Collection – Sugar Rusk Eye Palette Review and Swatches

June 4, 2013

If you are into Japanese makeup, then ADDICTION Jean-Michel Basquit Summer 2013 Collection is the one to watch! In fact this collection has done so well that many of their products have already been sold out within days of release. The collection includes six new eye shadow quads that were inspired by the late American graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquit. There are 2 limited edition colors – Soda Lunch and Black or White. The rest of the quads will be included in the permanent lineup. As usual, I bought a neutral quad – Sugar Rusk which is their best selling color. Unfortunately all the limited-edition cases with his designs were all sold out within days so I had to get the regular case from their permanent line.

In my opinion, the promo pictures didn’t do the justice for any of the quads as the colors looked a little bland. The actual eye shadows are just so much more interesting and complex in real life. Sugar Rusk leans cool neutral with a hint of mauve undertone. There are 3 shimmery shades, and 1 matte shade. All eye shadows are of typical premium Japanese eye shadows – they are extremely finely milled, buttery soft with a velvety and slightly moist touch to them. Pigmentation is also fairly rich, particularly the shimmery brown shade on the bottom right which feels so luxurious and divine to use.

Shades description:

– Top Right: vanilla white shimmer

– Top Left: irridescent pale golden brown with silver shimmer

– Bottom Right: shimmering taupe dark brown with a mauve undertone

– Bottom Left: matte clay brown

2 Swatches of Sugar Rusk taken from different angles:

I pulled out a few quads from my stash for comparison.

Clockwise: Lunasol Chocolate Cosmo, Addiction Sugar Rusk, Chanel Raffinement, Tom Ford Golden Mink (reviewed here)

Bottom Line: A collector’s item for the neutral lovers that is luxurious and wearable all year round. You can check out these 2 links here and here for more information about this collection and how to wear them.

{ 11 comments }

Labels: ADDICTION • EYESHADOW

Suqqu Blend Color Eye Shadow Palette EX11 SUMIREDAMA Review and Tutorial

April 16, 2013

A very belated post on the review and tutorial of Suqqu Blend Color Eye Shadow Palette EX11 SUMIREDAMA 董珠 from the Spring 2013 collection. If you have seen this post, you would know I bought two palettes from the Spring 2013 collection. EX11 SUMIREDAMA leans slightly cooler with a main undertone of taupe which is right up most neutral lover’s alley. I cannot rave enough about this collection, particularly the eyeshadow palettes which are still very “Suqqu” – impeccably designed, neutral and classic with an interesting twist of duochrome colors.

A picture of the case deserves the spot light in this post today. Suqqu has gone back to their original white packaging, but better. The sturdy frosted white case looks so elegnant at every angle, like the eyeshadow itself.

As you can see in the pic, the mushroomy taupe color (top right) and the silvery green/navy/purple color (bottom left) have a duochrome effect. All four shades are highly pigmented and appear very shimmery from the pan, and when applied they have a beautiful pearlescent finish (not metallic and glittery) and blend beautifully into each other. The silky, buttery and moist textures of them are absolutley divine. Unlike other eye shadows, I never get fallout with Suqqu.

Swatches:

Tutorial

Apply A all over the eye socket area, then apply B on the outer v.

Apply D along the upper lash line, the thickness should be slightly over the crease so you can still see 0.5 cm of it when the eye is open. Apply C on the inner corner to highlight.

Along the lower lash line, apply C on the inner 2/3 and D on the outer 1/3.

Add a pair of very natural falsies to create some depth to the eyes. I am using DUP which is about the same length as my naturla eye lashes.

Fill out the white gaps between the lashes using a liquid eye liner. Then apply mascara to the lower lashes to make the eyes more open.

Finished Eye Look

Overall Look:

Other Products Used:

Suqqu Cream Foundation (reviewed here)

YSL Touche Eclat

Stila Convertible Color Petunia

Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist 04

{ 29 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • FOTD • SUQQU • TUTORIAL

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!

{ 25 comments }

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

Chanel Hong Kong Collection – Ombres Matelassees Pearl River Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

March 1, 2013

The Chanel Hong Kong Collection has quietly made its way to Australia. The capsule collection contains the Eyeshadow Palette Ombres Matelassees Pearl River which will be my review for today, and two Le Vernis Western Light and Eastern Light with reviews coming soon.

Pearl River is a beautiful palette of five eye shadows in mostly neutral shades. I always have a soft spot for Chanel eyeshadow palettes as they always manage to release a set of shades that are highly complementary to each other, classy yet with an edge, and with some degrees of variation to what they have done in the past. As much as I appreciate some makeup brands releasing color palettes with creativity and fun elements into it, at the end of the day wearability is my top priority when I shop for makeup, and Pearl River reaffirmed my choice. The quality of this palette is top notch and worth the high price tag, and it is different to their quads. If you aren’t convinced by Chanel’s regular quads, then you should definitely give this palette a try. These eye shadows feel noticeably softer, creamier with a velvety touch to it compared to the US/European quads. They are all nicely pigmented and swatching them was a breeze.

More close up pictures:

Shade description from left to right:

Shimmering silvery white
Shimmering golden champagne
Shimmering muted gold
Shimmering peach with a hint of rose-gold undertone to it. To me this is the star shade of the palette as it is stunning on its own, and can be easily mixed in with other colors in the palette.
Dark chocolate with multi-colored micro shimmer. Texture of this shade feels slightly dryer than the rest.

closeup shot

with flashSwatches:

I will be posting a FOTD wearing Pearl River this weekend and will provide an updated review if it’s different to my initial thought. For reviews of the nail polishes, check out The Beauty Look Book and The Makeup Blogette.

I bought the entire Hong Kong Beauty Collection at Chanel Makeup Studio in Sydney, and they are selling out fast! The Pearl River Palette retails for AUD$100. You can also purchase this on Chanel US.

{ 8 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • EYESHADOW

DIOR Cherie Bow Blush 729 Pink Happiness Review, Swatches and FOTD

February 27, 2013

The DIOR Cherie Bow is a collection that catches my heart this season. The theme is just so pretty, delicate and pink. I can’t pass by a beautiful blush like the DIOR Cherie Bow Blush in 729 Pink Happiness. It’s one of the most-wanted items for me from this collection when I first saw the preview, and after have been wearing it for the past few weeks it totally lived up to my expectations.

DIOR Cherie Bow Blush 729 is a dual pink powder blush in neutral pink. One side of the blush is matte, and the other side is slightly shimmer. I always like blushes that come with different textures, so it won’t look too flat on the face and always seem to make the application easier for a natural layering effect. The texture is standard Dior. It’s very densely packed so it doesn’t get powdery when you swirl the brush over. The powder feels silky smooth, and the pigmentation is good enough to show with a few swipes. For application, you can apply the matte side first then add the shimmering part for a layering effect. Or you can mix them up then apply as a lazy person like me would do! The results are the same – it adds a delicate touch of pink to the cheeks with a soft glow. It is not an overpowering pink, but pretty enough to give you a youthful look and make the face look more alive .

Swatches: Left: Matte, Middle: Shimmer, Right: Mixed

FOTD wearing Dior Cherie Blush in 729, and the Dior Diorshow Mono Eye Shadows in Spencer and Tweed (reviewed here) on my upper lid, and only Spencer on my lower lid.

On my face which is very tanned at the moment, the blush shows up very close to a neutral pink with a hint of coral.

Bottom Line: Definitely a must have blush if pink is your weakness! I bought mine in Australia for $75. It is also available here in the US, or here that ships internationally except Australia..

On a side note, a good news for the fashion fellas! Shopbop is holding its annual Spring Event with the following discounts. I always prefer this type of event as it applies to all merchandise (not just for the past season items), and I have so many items on my wishlist but I need to narrow them down from a maternal perspective which is very challenging 😛

{ 11 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • DIOR • EYESHADOW • FOTD

Dior Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows Swatches

February 11, 2013

A quick post on the new Dior Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows that just landed in Australia this week. The testers of the entire collection are out for display in major department stores, but not all shades are available in stock yet. So I have only picked up 452 Spencer and 760 Tweed for today, and still awaiting on the other shades I am interested in such as 653 Mordore which will arrive over the next few weeks.

The Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows can be used wet or dry. Dior makes richly pigmented and buttery soft eyeshadows, and these ones are no exception. Compared to the old Dior singles (which now have been discontinued), I find the new ones are of better quality. Most shades from this collection have a shimmer to mega-sparkly finish. The level of pigmentation is suffice for a natural finish when applied dry, but if you want a more intense finish with some extra wattage of the shimmer, it’s best to apply them with a damp applicator.

Some swatches of the entire collection I have taken with my iphone in store.

Top Row: Swan, Gris Montaigne, Sequins, Mordore, Spencer

Second Row: Garden Party, Ribbon, Grege, Panama, Swan

Left to Right: Bikini, Bow, Tweed, Lilas Mitzah, Mariniere

Left to Right: Blue Denim, Camouflage, Khol

A quick thought on the two shades I picked up today, which I thought are the two most interesting shades out of the collection that are unique to my current stash.

452 Spencer is a moss green grey with a silvery undertone. I picked this one because it’s a very wearable and earthy shade but not in the usual family of brown and taupe.

Left: Dry swatch Right: Wet Swatch

760 Tweed is a rosey mauve shade with a silvery taupe undertone. I chose this one because it reminded me of the Rose Platine Eyeliner by Chanel which I always hoped to have it in an eyeshadow form.

Left: Dry swatch Right: Wet Swatch

The new Diorshow Mono Eyeshadows are available here or here in the US. You can also purchase them here with free international shipping available.

I bought mine at Myer for AUD$47 each. There is a GWP at DIOR with a single purchase over $110 in Myer now.

On a side note, some of you may have noticed that I have not been blogging frequently lately. There are a few exciting things happening in my life which I would love to share the news with you all soon! So as much as I love blogging, it has taken a backseat for a while. But I am all ready to come out of hibernation and can’t wait to share and communicate with you all through this channel again 🙂

{ 22 comments }

Labels: DIOR • EYESHADOW

Dior 5 Couleur Grand Bal Eyeshadow Palette 524 Fairy Golds Review, Swatches and FOTD

November 17, 2012

This is another eyeshadow review for the Dior 5 Couleur Grand Bal Eyeshadow Palette in 524 Fairy Golds (Limited Edition) from the Grand Bal Holiday 2012 Collection. My compulsive makeup hoarding is getting a little out of control lately as I am completely engulfed by the waves of new eye shadows being released at the moment. But what could be a better time to shop than this festive time of the year?!

Before I start my review, please allow me to ramble about the sub-par service at various Dior counters. The SAs were either busy chatting or showed no interest in doing their jobs at 3 different counters I visited! Whilst most of the other cosmetic counters thrive to deliver the best possible customer service in such a competitive economy, it was such a let down experience from a premium beauty house like Dior.

Nonetheless, this did not distract me from buying this uber gorgeous eyeshadow quint. It’s a neutral eye shadow palette with some of the most beautiful sparkly shimmery shades I have ever seen – and that is what drew me in the most! I love a sparkly shade when it is done right. It needs to have the perfect spongy creamy texture (not gritty) and adheres without any fallout, and most importantly it needs to be sparkly in a grown-up way. And the color is important too, as it needs to be subtle but you can still see the color with some translucency so it doesn’t overpower the base eye color when you apply the sparkly shade on top. This Dior quint ticked all the boxes.

COLORS

Top Left: Shimmery champagne pinky beige

Top Right: Rusty gold with a sparkly finish

Middle: Silvery white with a sparkly finish

Bottom Left: Shimmery mushroom taupe

Bottom Right: Shimmery chocolate brown

All shades are rich in pigmentation, feel buttery soft and blend so well. As mentioned above, the two sparkly shades are exceptionally superior and rivals the Tom Ford which I thought were the best!

SWATCHES:

FOTD:

Upper Lid: Applied the beige color all over the eyelid, then I blended the light taupe color from the upper lash into the eye socket. The dark brown shade was only added to the outer-v, and I used my finger to pat the gold sparkly shade on the inner corner, and the silvery white shade on top for an ultra sparkly festive look!

Lower Lid: The white sparkly on the inner third, and the brown on the outer third.

It is worth nothing that I have been obsessed with highlighting and contouring lately, so I have used more-than-the-usual amount of base product to create a luminous complexion that also looks more defined.

OTHER PRODUCTS:

Face: Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation (discontinued) mixed with Dr Jart+ Waterfuse Moist BB Cream.

Highlight & Contour: Prescriptives Contour Stick (discontinued) + Nars Copacabana Illuminator. YSL Touche Eclat for under eye concealing.

Blush: Chanel JC in Rouge

Lipstick: Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine SS BG 957 (reviewed here) + MAC Dazzleglass Glamour

Bottom Line: A perfect eye shadow palette for a touch of sparkly glamour this festive season.

I bought mine at David Jones for AUD$99. The Dior Palette can be purchased here in the US. You can also get this new collection including the palette here with free international delivery, and use the code GIFT10 for 10% off!

{ 22 comments }

Labels: BB Cream • DIOR • EYESHADOW • FOTD • FOUNDATION • HIGHLIGHTER • Laura Mercier • MAC • Makeup Base • NARS • Shu Uemura • YSL

Burberry Complete Eye Palettes in No.2 Mocha and No.6 Plum Pink Review and Swatches

November 13, 2012

Burberry has finally released their first eyeshadow palettes! I picked up two – the Complete Eye Palette in No.2 Mocha and No.06 Plum Pink, and there is a total of six palettes in the release. All the shades from this collection are new, except the No.7 Pink Taupe Palette which is made of existing colors from the single eye shadow including Pale Barley, Rosewood, Midnight Brown, etc (if you don’t have them yet you need to get No.7 as it’s made of their best selling colors!!)

I took a lot of pictures just in case you are curious to see what the packaging is like for the new palette. The size of compact is similar to the Chanel Quad, as with most high end eye shadows, the palette comes with a velvet pouch. The most interesting feature of the packaging would be the placement of the applicators – they are stored inside the pocket of the velvet pouch rather than inside the compact. I am not really sure how practical this feature is as I never carry these makeup pouches with me… The applicators include one sponge, one brush, and one eyeliner brush.

The actual mirrored case feels sturdy and weighty, and has a magnetic closure. As you can see, the eye shadows are embossed with their signature check patterns. If there is one thing I don’t like about the design is the sizing differences in the eye shadows in the palette.The lightest and the darkest shade appears to be half the size of the two mid-tone shades. But for most of my palettes, it is always the highlighting shade that gets the most use!

The quality of the eye shadows in the palettes feel the same as their single eye shadows – ultra smooth, buttery and nicely pigmented. I haven’t had a chance to wear them yet, but they swatched like a dream and just felt so luxurious.

No. 6 Plum Pink is the first one that caught my attention when the Burberry SA showcased the entire collection to me. The palette has a mixture of undertones of plummy, mauvey and taupey, and they are just right up my alley! These shades are classic yet trendy with an edge, and they are very easy to wear and versatile enough to create different looks from day to night.

No. 6 Plum Pink swatched from top to bottom. The top three shades are shimmery with a satin finish, and the bottom shade is semi-matte.

Plum Pink compared with Burberry Single Eye Shadows in Pale Barley (third right), Midnight Brown (2nd to the right), Mulberry (far right)

No.2 Mocha is another signature and classic palette that Burberry is known for. It contains four beautiful fool-proof earthy neutral shades with a beige to brown undertone which would look flattering on most people. They might not be the most unique shades but I am obsessed with neutral eye shadow palettes – particularly by the luxurious brands!
No. 2 Mocha swatched from top to bottom. The top shade is matte and it is almost the same color as my skin. The other three shades are shimmery with a satin finish.

The bottom brown shade looks very similar to Midnight brown in the pan, so I have done another comparison swatch.

Left (Mocha), Right (Midnight Brown)

The Burberry Complete Eye Palette retails for $85 in Australia. I bought mine at David Jones. They are on sale at Saks now, and they are available online here with international shipping available and VAT deduction!

Have you seen them in person yet? Are you planning to get any of these beautiful palettes?

{ 22 comments }

Labels: BURBERRY BEAUTY • EYESHADOW

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →