Jill Stuart

SHISEIDO MAQUILLAGE Dramatic Melting Rouge Lipstick Review, Swatches and FOTD – PK227 and RD425

February 11, 2015

Sheseido Maquillage has released a new line of lipsticks this year called Dramatic Melting Rouge. Since I am a devotee of their highly popular lip gloss (Essence Glamorous Rouge that has won many beauty awards in Japan), I was excited about this new launch. Similar to the lip gloss that was enriched with hyaluronic acid, this new lipstick claims to have a high concentration of their unique blend of ‘beauty oil’ that hydrates your lips like moisturizing essence, and provides a full coverage with a mirror shine gloss.

I picked the colors PK227 and RD425 – a pink and a bright red as they are my go-to colors these days. The texture completely lives up to my expectations as they are ultra smooth and glides on like silk that just melts into your lips. It nourishes even the driest lips without enhancing any dry skin and lines, and make them appear fuller and youthful. It feels very lightweight and extremely hydrating on the lips. The coverage is excellent and it’s opaque with a degree of translucency. It also has a jelly like shine without any shimmer which I absolutely adore. Best of all, they are very long lasting for a glossy lipstick. The colors remain at full intensity even after 4 hours of wear and I even had snacks in between!

Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Melting Rouge in PK227 is a beautiful girly and soft neutral pink that is neither too cool or nor too warm. You probably would have seen a gazillion of them on my blog, but this shade just guarantees to make me feel happy and pretty which is the most important purpose of wearing makeup!

Lip Swatch with a single swipe – natural day light

FOTD wearing PK227

Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Melting Rouge in RD425 is a bright cherry red in high gloss. You can either apply this color to the center of your lips for a gradient look, or you can apply it to your entire lips for a more glamorous look but still stay young and fresh.

FOTD wearing RD425

Group Swatch

Left PK227 Right RD425

Other makeups used in the FOTDs include

DIOR Diorskin STAR Studio Foundation

CHANEL Natural Finish Loose Powder

YSL Touche Eclat

NARS Illuminator Limited Edition

HOURGLASS Ambient Blush Palette Limited Edition (reviewed here)

JILL STUART Ribbon Couture Eye 03 Vintage Satin (reviewed here)

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Labels: CHANEL • DIOR • FOTD • HOURGLASS • Jill Stuart • LIPSTICK • Maquillage by Shiseido • NARS • SHISEIDO

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

Jill Stuart 2012 Patisserie Collection – 108 Berry Tiramisu Mixed Blush Review and Swatch

September 18, 2012

I made a huge discovery during my trip – that is, I was advised by the Suqqu MUA that I have a cool skin-tone. And that basically means I should always go for pink-based foundation as opposed to yellow, and any pink with a blue undertone would suit me more. It totally explains why I always inevitably gravitate towards cool pink! And that was the perfect excuse for me to buy the Jill Stuart Mixed Blush in 108 Berry Tiramisu from the Patisserie Collection.

The Jill Stuart Mixed Blush is their signature product – the line offers an array of different shades of pink that would rival any small girl’s closet. I personally find them irresistible. The ultimate girly packaging, and it has 4 different shades of color which allows for mix and match. It also comes with a beautifully designed decent-sized portable brush that has the best quality compared to other brushes of the same size. Pigmentation is not so crazy, but good enough to show up with a few swipes using the JS brush (or my Suqqu Cheek Brush). 108 Berry Tiramisu comes with a pale pink (top left), a soft apricot (top right), a berry pink (bottom left) and a light mauvey brown (bottom right). Except the berry pink which is highly pigmented, the rest is all (purposely) very sheer and swatch pretty much translucent. When they are mixed together, it translates to a most perfect shade of milky pink on my NC15/20 skin. The finish is semi-matte, with a touch of soft glow. I was really blown away by how pretty it was.

Swatch:

On me:

Jill Stuart is the master of pretty and girly makeup (available here)! Have you tried any of them and what is your favorite shade? And I’m interested to know how many of you know your skin-tone (cool/neutral/warm)? Please share 🙂

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Labels: BLUSH • Jill Stuart

Jill Stuart 2012 Patisserie Collection – 01 Cherry Custard and 02 Apple Custard Lip Pots Review and Swatches

September 8, 2012

I posted my beauty wishlist a while ago and I am slowly working my way through (along with some other impulse buys!) Today I am reviewing the cutest lip products ever – the Custard Lip Pots in 01 Cherry Custard and 02 Apple Custard by Jill Stuart’s Patisserie Collection 2012. Different to the collections from the western brands where they always focus on creating sexy and sultry makeup looks, I thought the Jill Stuart’s “themed” collection around french patisserie was very sweet and brought back many fond thoughts of lunching at Ladurée.

The texture of these lip pots feels like lip balm which is creamy and smooth. It has a semi-matte finish with a hint of moist glow that almost mimics the natural texture of the lips. The pigmentation is also semi-opaque. I have tried to apply it with a lip brush and it goes on sheer so it takes some effort to achieve the desired intensity . My preference is to directly apply them with a finger, as a few dabs-and-swipes is enough for the color to show and completely cover the natural color of my lips. Since both shades are lighter than my own lips, I have to apply some concealer to cover the lip lines. The only downside is that they are a little “high-maintenance” – I have to make sure my lips are well exfoliated and moisturized before the application, otherwise they can enhance the flakes on the lips.

01 Cherry Custard: Surprise surprise…it’s a cool-toned nude pale pink. Long time readers will know my obsession for this color!

02 Apple Custard: is a nude peachy beige with a hint of pink. It is similar to the Cherry Custard but with a warmer undertone.

Swatches of both:

Overall I like both of them. I wouldn’t say that they are must-haves as the textures don’t knock my socks off (having said that my standard is based on my HG Suqqu lipsticks), but the dreamy packaging and the cute colors make them worthwhile to collect. And a big thanks to the lovely Jen from Lifeandlensofbeauty who purchased these for me from Hong Kong!! 🙂

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Labels: Jill Stuart • LIPSTICK

Guest Post – Spring 2012 Blush Round Up

April 3, 2012

I am very honored to have the opportunity to have Elaine from Miss Elaine-nio doing a guest post for me. It was sad to see Elaine quit blogging some time ago, but glad to see she has not held back on her blush addiction! Her famous quote is “Once a beauty addict, forever a beauty addict“, so why not to showcase her stunning collection of the Spring 2012 Blushes with all of you. Enjoy reading.

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Hello!

Firstly, I want to thank my dear friend, Rei, for letting me guest & contribute this post on her blog.

Today, I am going to share my blush picks & thoughts from Spring 2012. This Spring, we’re swarmed with many brands spotting the romantic rose theme & pretty looking blushers.

Summary:

Coffret D’or Smile Up Cheek in 02 Peach (5.5g/ Made in Japan): The finish is extremely glowy though I need to swipe twice for the color to show up better on my skin. The shimmers are very fine (not gritty!) & doesn’t emphasize on my pores. However, I dislike the bulky packaging as the cover is slightly pop-up & tends to take up a lot of space for storage.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Anna Sui Rose Cheek Color in 301 Dreamy Rose & 400 Anna Rose (6g each/ Made in Japan): The blush is palm sized & slightly rose scented. The embossed rose design is mesmerizing & an eye candy.

– 301 Dreamy Rose – mixture of pinks, orange, peach pink.

– 400 Anna Rose – mixture of reds, light & medium pinks.

The Rose Cheeks are very well pigmented & showed up with one swipe.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥

MAC Ombre Blush in Vintage Grape & Azalea Pink (9g each/ Made in Italy): The Ombre blushes are re-promoted items. I am very curious how Vintage Grape, which looked so purple in the pan, would show up on my cheeks. It turned up to be medium purplish-pink (not too dark). Azalea Pink is a combination of lilac & soft pink. The Ombre blushes’re not powdery & showed up well with a dense brush.

Rating (out of 5): Vintage Grape- ♥ ♥ / Azalea Pink- ♥ ♥ ♥

Dior Rosy Glow in Petal (7.5g/ Made in France): I need not say more about this blush as I believed you have read about Rei’’s review here.

A pretty cool-toned blush infused with Fresh Color Reveal, which adjusts the color to create a rosy radiance according to your skin tone. This is the IT blush!

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Benefit Hervana (8g/ Made in France): The pinwheel design had tempted me to purchase this blush. This blush is above my expectations as the shades turned out to be more pigmented than the way it looks in the pan (looks pale).

Hervana is described as orchid-blossom in shade. It consists of 4 shades– lucky shell, divine peach, heavenly rose and berry delight.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Jill Stuart Mix Compact in 106 Sprouting Joy (8g/ Made in Japan): In terms of color, Sprouting Joy is a mixture of its permanent mix compact in Little Bouquet & Romantic Poppy. I don’t think this is a must have as the peach pink shade is dupable.

This is a Limited Edition & comes with a floral printed case.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥

Chanel Joues Constrate in 69 Fleur De Lotus (4g/ Made in France): The Spring JC blush’s texture felt extremely smooth compared to the regular line. The fool-proof peach pink shade spells love & felt extremely luxurious.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

Lunasol Glowing Powder Cheeks in EX01 Pure Coral (6g/ Made in Japan): I do not fancy the cardboard packaging (seems like a Benefit-wannabe). The shade is not the most unique but it’s well-pigmented & gives a nice translucent finish.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ 1/2

Canmake Cheek & Cheek in 06 (Filled in Thailand/ Made in Japan): I would say to put Canmake Cheek & Cheek blush in 06 in your shopping cart for those looking for a cool-toned blush. The quality is superb for a drugstore brand. Extremely fine & well pigmented. This lilac pink is flattering for Asians.

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2

Sleek Blush BY3 in Pumpkin (20g/ Made in Taiwan/ Developed in UK): The shades in Pumpkin are vibrant & super pigmented. I find the shades hard to blend especially for P Pie. I had to use a stippling brush to apply & a powder brush to tone down the shades. The shades are pigmented but felt drier compared to its single blushes. Retailing at £10 for 3 shades, though it’s a value for money blush palette but it didn’t impressed me compared its single blushes.

Rating (out of 5): –

Lavshuca Fairy Cheeks in PK (15g/ Made in Japan): Lavshuca Fairy Cheeks reminds me much of Guerlain Meteorites. This blush comes in a round cardboard packaging with a cute puff. The shade is the ‘standard’ pink which I don’t think it’s any unique.

Rating (out of 5): –

Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker in Rose (6g/ Made in USA): Physicians Formula is a US drugstore brand. This is a gift from my friend- Olivia. The light-up mirror is making the blush very classy. However, the blush is about 1-inch thick making it very bulky & less travel-friendly. The texture may not be superbly fine but pigmented. It contains silver shimmers. The blush is said to be able to detect the pH level of your skin & adjusts within 60 seconds to create your perfect shade. Another innovative blush!

Rating (out of 5): ♥ ♥ 1/2

Stila Love at First Blush (6.2g/ Made in China): A continuation of Stila Make Me Blush from 2010, Stila came out with Love at First blush this Spring. The embossed hearts in graduation pinks look lovely on the pan but I find it too overly shimmering for my liking.

Rating (out of 5): ♥

Swatches:

Verdict(s):

I had always been into coral/peach blushes. For this Spring, I am a cool pink blush convert with neutral eye makeup.

Top 3 Favorites: Benefit Hervana, Dior Rosy Glow, Coffret D’or Smile Up Cheek in 02 Peach

Best Quality: Dior Rosy Glow, Chanel Joues Contraste in Fleur De Lotus

Best Looking: Anna Sui Rose Cheeks, Stila Love at First Blush

Best Drugstore: Canmake Cheek & Cheek in 06

Most Innovative: Dior Rosy Glow, Physicians Formula Matchmaker in Rose

Thank you & do share with us your blush picks from Spring 2012?

Any favorites? Any misses?

Cheers,

Elaine

One who loves to share, Japanese cosmetics & a blush addict.

For reference: I am NC-25, OC-C & yellow toned

Disclaimer: All products are bought with my own money, otherwise stated.

{ 25 comments }

Labels: anna sui • BENEFIT • BLUSH • CANMAKE • CHANEL • Jill Stuart • LUNASOL • MAC

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.

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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

Jill Stuart Fall 2011 Collection Haul

August 28, 2011

This post might create some serious lemming for those of you who are into girly and cute makeup, so be prepared if you happen to be on a shopping ban this month! Jill Stuart Fall 2011 Collection was released in Asia about 3 weeks ago, I was totally smitten by this collection as soon as I saw the promo pictures. I cannot thank Jennifer from Lifeandlensofbeauty enough who kindly offered to purchase these products for me in Hongkong. She told me that they have been so popular that as soon as the release was out, she had to send all of her relatives to different Jill Stuart counters..This is just incredibly sweet of her!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jill Stuart Makeup – it is a high end makeup line originated in Japan with an über dreamy princessy packaging. It is my must-visit spot whenever I go to Asia – not only do I love collecting their blushes (which is their best selling product) I am also deeply infatuated with all the cute girls working at Jill Stuart who look like real life Barbies haha.

The Jill Stuart Fall collection contains 2 LE blushes, 3 LE nail polishes, 4 LE lip glosses and a whole new permanent line of Prism Carat Eyes which are cream and loose eyeshadow duos – I passed these up as I am not that into loose pigment. To find more information on this release check out this post from Rouge Deluxe.

I bought