GUERLAIN

Guerlain Midnight Secret Late Night Recovery Treatment Review – miracle product to revitalize and freshen up your complexion

January 19, 2018

Overnight treatment is definitely my go-to instant skin fix that fits well with my lifestyle, so I’ve been trialing a lot of them over the past year. The cult-fav Guerlain Midnight Secret is my absolute favorite – I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered this little gem! It has always been the ‘secret product’ for the celebs and beauty insiders as it claims to give you an ‘8-hour well rested radiant complexion’ that makes up for the lack of sleep, so the mask is infamously known as ‘an overnight treatment that smooths away any signs of fatigue for short nights!’

I don’t get much sleep at all – 6 hours on average, and the way my skin reacts is never the same as the younger days. I can easily look dull and tired in the morning, so this intensive treatment that works like a mask is a life changer for me. You only need to apply a thin layer of it all over the face as the final step of your night time skincare routine. Leave it on for 10 minutes before going to bed so it’s fully absorbed and doesn’t leave a sticky mark on the pillow. The texture is somewhat similar to a medium-rich night cream but absorbs slowly, and for my combo skin it works fine without feeling too rich. I love the effect when I rinse it off the next morning – my complexion appears noticeably brightened, revitalized with an amazing glow. My skin is hydrated and the makeup glides on beautifully.

My only pet-peeve is the tiny size which is only 15ml. I wish Guerlain would release a bigger size, but on the other hand this size makes it convenient for travel.

Bottom Line: Highly recommended! I bought mine here in Australia, and you can find it at Neiman Marcus in the US, or here with free worldwide shipping.

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Labels: GUERLAIN • MASK • SKINCARE • SLEEPING MASK

Tom Ford Nightbloom Velvet Orchid and Guerlain Météorites Perles de Légende Light Revealing Pearls of Powder Review and Swatch

November 14, 2016

Today’s post I am covering 2 drop dead gorgeous products – the Tom Ford NightBloom Powder in Velvet Orchid and the Guerlain Météorites Perles de Légende (available here in Australia) from the Holiday 2016 Collection. Both of them are powders with a tinge of colors, and add a luminous glow to the complexion, so I thought it’s a good idea to have them combined.

The Tom Ford Nightbloom Powder in Velvet Orchid is a must have for me. Australia just received this collection, and at the moment the Nightbloom Powders have just been re-stocked in both colors online here. As usual, Tom Ford never fails to deliver a superior product from packaging to the finish. I love the idea of this powder – it’s not quite a blush nor a setting powder. It is more of a color correcting powder, or like a beauty powder (think of MAC) that adds a tinge of color to give your cheeks a softer and brighter look. Since the color payoff is so subtle, I love applying it over the blush for blending out the harsh edges to achieve a gradient, dimensional and doll-like finish as it transforms any blush color to more cool-toned.

The powder feels silky and smooth (not powdery). There is subtle shimmer in it and you can only see it under some certain angle of lighting. Once applied on the face, it goes semi-translucent with a hint of lavender tone. If you have a neutral to cool complexion, this powder is amazing to have.

Heavy swatch with 6 swipes

Each holiday Guerlain releases their signature Météorites in a limited edition packaging with a slight difference in the colors of the pearls. In my opinion, these multi-colored pearls work better for setting the makeup than a traditional loose powder. It is very light, and due to the mix of warm and cool colored pearls, it never makes your makeup look flat. There is also an elegant glow to it – unlike the shimmer and the over-the-top highlighters, this is the product that I would reach out to every day for swipe-and-go.

This limited edition contains gold and pastel pink and tiffany blue pearls with micro glitters. The pearls are more fragile and softer than the permanent editions, so they are prone to break. When applied, it goes on translucent for my NC15-20 and a hint of brightening effect. It adds a touch of radiance to it, takes away the shine and gives your makeup a polished and clean look without looking too matte.

A lot of people are concerned about the glitters. I too am not a fan of any glittery products, and I would not recommend any product that makes you look like a glitter ball. With this product, the micro-glitter is very fine and is almost undetectable on the skin. Under the sun, you can see the little glitters here and there if you look at your face very closely, and from a distance, it just creates a youthful and subtle dewy glow.

Heavy swatches

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Labels: GUERLAIN • HOLIDAY 2016 • POWDER • Tom Ford

Guerlain Meteorites Perles des Neiges Review – Winter Fairy Tale Holiday 2015 Collection

November 19, 2015

It seems every beauty enthusiast is deeply infatuated with the Guerlain Winter Fairy Tale Holiday 2015 Collection, hence the sellout of many products from the collection within days of launching worldwide. The hit products are the whimsical Meteorites Perles des Neiges (limited edition) and the Rouge G Collector Lip Color. I have always been a fan of the original meteorites, so I made sure I got hold of the beautiful edition when it was released in Australia last week (yes I called up several stores!).

I don’t normally follow Guerlain makeup collections, and I had to admit that at first I bought it simply because of all the hype around it. As I have been using it till now, it is a really phenomenal product that’s worth the purchase that doesn’t just have the pretty design. If you like the original meteorites, you will love this even more. And if you don’t own any, this is possibly the best illuminating/setting powder to use for a soft glow.

The Meteorites Perles des Neiges contains 3 different colored balls of golden peach, pale pink beige and ivory beige in a soft shimmer finish. It also contains silvery white stars in sparkly finish. When applied together it gives a translucent finish with a brightening and soft illuminating effect but not sparkly on the face. It can be used for highlighting purposes for a subtle effect, but I prefer using this as loose powder all over the face. Particularly if you find that the traditional loose powder makes your complexion look too powdery and flat, then the meteorites is perfect for setting the makeup, taking away the unwanted shine but adding a touch of soft radiant glow to the face. Compared to the original Meteorites in Light, this edition is slightly more brighter and the undertone leans more ivory. On my NC15-20 complexion, it matches me well and it goes on clear like transparent loose powder.

Bottom Line: Get it if you can still find it!

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Labels: GUERLAIN • Holiday 2015 Collection • POWDER

Guerlain KissKiss Shaping Cream Lip Colour 325 Rouge Kiss Review and Swatch

August 21, 2014

Currently going through a phase of bright and sheer red lips at the moment, so the newly released Guerlain KissKiss Shaping Cream Lip Colour 325 Rouge Kiss caught my attention immediately as soon as I saw this shade worn on the stunning Natalia Vodianova in their promo picture.

Love the packaging of this new range of lipsticks by Guerlain, which comes in a black lacquered tube (prone to finger prints though..) that looks much more modern and chic than the other KissKiss ranges.

Guerlain lipsticks have always been quite underrated, and this revamped version certainly deserves more attention and love for its superior quality. I have very dry lips at the moment due to the cold weather, and I am very pleased that this lipstick feels very moisturizing and does not enhance any flakes and lines on my lips. It is hydrating and silky smooth with a solid texture (harder than YSL Rouge Volupte but slightly more emollient than the Tom Ford’s sheer lipsticks), so it applies very lightweight rather than feeling like you have a thick layer of lip balm on. The pigmentation is on the rich side for a sheer lipstick – it applies to its true color with a translucent glossy finish in only 2 swipes, and you can always apply more layers to build up the opacity. It lasts for 4-5 hours on me, and it fades into a lip stain after drinking and eating.

325 Rouge Kiss is a warm translucent watermelon red in semi-gloss finish. I love a sophisticated bright red that brightens up my complexion, and the hydrating formula makes my lips appear more plumped and youthful looking.

Lip swatch of 325 Rouge Kiss

Compared to some of my other “sheer” red lipsticks

From Left to Right: Guerlain Rouge Kiss, Tom Ford Firecracker (reviewed here), YSL 12 CORAIL INCANDESCENT (reviewed here), Suqqu KARAKURENAI (reviewed here)

I bought mine here for AUD$41 (FYI Guerlain recently had a price decrease around 20% in Australia), and they are also available at Nordstrom and Saks in the US.

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Labels: GUERLAIN • LIPSTICK

Chanel Fall 2012 – Ombre Essentielle Single Eyeshadow COMPLICE and Joues Contraste ROSE INITIALE Review and Swatches

September 23, 2012

I bought some makeup from the Chanel Fall 2012 Collection months ago including the Ombre Essentielle Single Eyeshadow in 93 COMPLICE and the Joues Contraste in 72 ROSE INITIALE and I finally got the time to play around with them. A bit of a delay..but with a somewhat busy work schedule, I have not been very prompt with reviewing the new makeup collections lately. I hope I will be more productive in the coming months.

The Chanel Ombre Essentielle Single Eyeshadow in 93 COMPLICE is a beautiful neutral eye shadow. It is a universally flattering champagne color with high shine micro shimmer. The luxurious Chanel packaging and the texture justifies the high price tag for a single eyeshadow – buttery soft, smooth and very finely milled. There are more budget friendly dupes in the market such as Stila Kitten, or MAC Naked Lunch. I can easily enlist at least 20 different brands that make the same shade, and yes I have them all! But I can never resist a timeless champagne colored eyeshadow that I can use everyday, especially since it is embossed with the legendary interlock C!

On Me:

The Chanel Joues Contraste in 72 ROSE INITIALE is a beautiful rosey pink blush with a neutral undertone. Mine is in the US version so as you all know – the texture is softer and more pigmented. It has a satin finish and it has a great lasting power on my combination skin. I would call this a grown-up pink that would complement any makeup look, and the subtle rosey hue appears to make my complexion look more energized.

Lastly, I wanted to give a special mention to my lip color! I suddenly developed an odd obsession for vampy lip color (which is totally not me) since I missed the Chanel PROVOCANTE. And I found this abandoned Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rose Malicieux (bought here) lying in the corner of my drawer (bought it by mistake due to the incorrect online swatch) which I have not even opened. Then I topped it with Stila Lip Glaze in Majesty (another forgotten makeup item…). And voila..I got a nice deep rosey plummy color..though it’s not quite the vampy color. The moral of the story is..don’t throw out your old makeup unless they are expired 🙂 You never know when you will rekindle the love with them!

The Chanel 2012 Fall Makeup Collection can be purchased here in the US. International order is available here.

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Labels: BLUSH • CHANEL • EYESHADOW • FOTD • GUERLAIN • Stila

Guerlain by Emillio Pucci Meteorites Pearls d’Azur Illuminating Powder Review

June 30, 2012

The Guerlain by Emillio Pucci Meteorites Pearls d’Azur Illuminating Powder is one of the few makeups I bought from the many summer 2012 collections. I have been very selective with makeup this year (proud of that!) and promised myself that I would only buy items that I will use frequently rather than for the sake of “collecting them”. So the limited edition Meteorites Powder is one of them.

The Meteorites Powder has been a cult product in the beauty industry for as long as I can remember. Guerlain clearly knows how to take advantage of its cult status so every year they release a limited edition version of it with a slightly different color in a different packaging. I initially wanted to pass on it as I already had a couple of them from previous collections. But I caved in for its Pucci packaging (I’m sure many of you did it for the same reason!)

I am not going to swatch each individual color of pearls – there are plenty of them online, and they all end up looking pretty transparent on the face anyway. The Meteorites Pearls d’Azur Illuminating Powder contains blue and pink pearls to counter the yellow tones, and beige and orange pearls to warm up the complexion, and ivory and light-gold reflectors for an illuminating effect. On my NC15-20 complexion, it applies completely translucent with a brightening and soft focus effect. It is my go-to product whenever I feel my complexion looks dull and flat, as it adds a beautiful natural radiance and makes it look like your-skin-but-better. I normally use it to replace loose powder to set my makeup, and it keeps my makeup shine free and look fresh for the whole day. Last but not least, the dreamy luxurious feel of the Meteorites Powder never fails to cheer me up in the morning!

Bottom Line: Totally worth buying if you are after a setting powder that makes your complexion naturally radiant.

The Guerlain by Emillio Pucci Meteorites Pearls d’Azur Illuminating Powder retails for $130 in Australia! As usual it is half the price to get it in the US. If you are “unfortunate” enough to live in a country with an exorbitant markup on cosmetics like Australia, Harrods ship makeup internationally! (except fragrances and Tom Ford) And best of all, if you live outside the EURO zone, you don’t have pay to the 15%VAT at Harrods 🙂

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Labels: GUERLAIN • POWDER

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner – Rose Platine

June 7, 2011

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Rose Platine has been featured in many beauty blogs so far. It is definitely one of the must have items from the Chanel Summer 2011 Collection. A taupe eyeliner is just hard to come by – not many brands have a taupe eyeliner in their permanent collections. I am a big fan of this color so I bought this one without even checking out the tester.

Now you have seen the closeups and the swatch, here is my thought after using it for about a week.

Texture: It is not eye khol hence don’t expect this liner to be as buttery soft as your eye khol pencils. Nor it is hard. To get a decent color payoff as shown in the swatch above I need to swipe it 2 to 3 times.

Lasting power: Amazing in this department. It literally lasts on me for the whole day considering I have quite oily eyelids.

Usage: I won’t use this eyeliner to define my upper lash line. It just won’t do anything for my eyes – the shimmery silver taupe will make my eyes look more puffy than more awake. I need a liquid eyeliner for that.. On the other hand, I like to use it along my lower lash line as a highlighter – a good alternative for the usual white eyeliners. It creates a soft shimmery effect without looking too harsh. I used this eyeliner in the FOTD I did yesterday. Here is a close up shot of my eyes:

The only drawback is that it looks more silvery rather than taupey when it is applied against my dark brown eyes. The brown eyeshadow shades I used as well as my eye color bring out more of the silver tone – which is quite a disappointment to me.

I went through my stash and couldn’t find a close dupe of it. But I have found some of my favorite liners that serve the same purpose (but not the same color) as the Chanel, for a soft shimmery effect on the lower lash line.

From Left to Right

Korres Soft Eyeliner in 6S: yellow gold

Guerlain Crayon in Cupidon – My second top pick: a pinkish champagne

MAC Eye Kohl in I Get No Kick – My top pick: a champagne beige

Chanel Rose Platine

The Chanel Stylo Yeux Eyeliner retails for $44 in Australia. I like this product but my hunt for the perfect taupe eyeliner continues.

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Labels: CHANEL • EYELINER • GUERLAIN • KORRES • MAC

BECCA Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette FOTD

June 6, 2011

I have previously reviewed The Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette and as I promised – I just did a FOTD with it. This makeup was focused on conturing – Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow palette was used to contour the eyes and all along the side of the nose. I also thickened and extended my eyebrows on both ends so they connect to the contours on the side of my nose bridge . On my face, lots of bronzing shades were used to contour the cheeks. Lip color was tossing between a berry or a nude shade – in the end I opted for a glossy nude shade.

This is the final look:

A quick rundown on the products I used.

FACE PRODUCTS:

Dior Extreme Fit Foundation: I will be doing a review for this foundation this week. Overall it is a natural looking foundation with decent coverage that hides all my freckles!

MAC Bronzing Powder: applied the brown shade down the side of my cheeks to the jawlines.

Nars Blush in Madly: was applied along the hollow of the cheeks to the temples.

Guerlain Meteorites in Beige Chic: started from my cheekbones to the temples.

EYE PRODUCTS:

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Suede: was used as a base color all over the eye socket area to make the colors that were applied later pop out more.

Becca Lost Weekend Eyeshadow Palette: layered the shimmery mauvy shades with the matte mauvey shade all over the eyelids up to the sides of my upper nose bridge. The medium brown shade was then applied from the outer edge of the eyelid and blended into the crease, creating a v shape.

Majolica Perfect Automatic Liner: for upper lash line

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Rose Platine: was all along the lower lash line, intensified at the tear duct areas.

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Brown: used to darken the outer edge of the lower lash line.

Laura Mercier Eyebrow Powders

False Eyelashes: Princess Lee Criss Cross in 7. (picture of it can be found in my previous FOTD)