YSL

NEW IN: Tribute

November 7, 2012

As summer is approaching, I bought my first pair of sandals for this year – the timeless YSL Tribute Patent Sandal (bought here!). Love the tannish nude color as it looks very versatile all year round. Although the heels are pretty high, the comfort has surpassed my expectations. I can walk in them for hours without grimacing. Despite the gorgeous look of them and the “Made-in Italy” stamp – which is rare as there are more prestige fashion houses moving their manufacturing to China lately (*cough* Burberry..Prada..), the practicality of these shoes are definitely worth the high price tag! And now I totally understand why people collect them in multiple colors – it’s an addiction with YSL Tribute!

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Labels: ACCESSORY • Fashion • SHOES • SHOP • YSL

Chanel Inimitable, YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils and Maybelline the Falsies Volume Express Waterproof Mascaras Reviews

June 13, 2012

Mascara is one makeup item that I am consistently impressed by with drugstore brands, and disappointed by high end makeup brands on many occasions. I have been using the Chanel Inimitable Mascara, YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara and the Maybelline the Falsies Volume Express Mascara Waterproof for the past two months. In summary, I am kicking myself that I spent a total of more than AUD$100 on Chanel and YSL mascaras, whereas the performance of Maybelline Falsies totally blows the former two out of water and only costs a faction.

Let’s begin with the one I am least impressed – Chanel Inimitable Mascara

For my medium length and volume, and deadly straight Asian lashes, this mascara did absolutely nothing to my lashes. It doesn’t add any volume and length to my lashes after several coats, and it instantly makes my lashes straight again after I curl them. On a good note, the formula is very thin so it defines the lashes beautifully without any clump. And it doesn’t budge on me for the whole day. Overall it is a very natural mascara, would be great for those of you who are blessed with thick and full lashes naturally. But it’s a waste for me.

Moving on to the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara which I really wanted to love..but it didn’t fully agree with my lashes either

I had tried this mascara a long time ago, so I couldn’t remember how I felt about it and got persuaded into buying it again when the YSL SA swore by it. It makes the lashes instantly thicker, fuller and more black with one coat. You can achieve a more dramatic result with 2 – 3 coats without any clumps. Unfortunately it weights my lashes down instantly as the formula is quite thick and heavy. The walk-around is to apply a coat of mascara base (my HG is the Kate mascara base) to hold the curl, then apply this mascara on top of it, but it can make the lashes look too thick and clumpy. It also dries up very fast – I opened the three mascaras around the same time and the YSL mascara is already 90% dried whilst the other two are still going strong. I would love this mascara if a waterproof version of it was released.

Maybelline the Falsies Volume Express Mascara Waterproof is the cheapest and The BEST!!

It does everything I wanted from a mascara. It only takes one coat to volumize and lengthen the lashes, and holds the curl all day long. I have previously raved about the Japanese drugstore mascaras, but this one is just as good or even better. Unlike some waterproof versions which tend to make my lashes stiff, the Maybelline Falsies feels light and soft and make the lashes look like feather. It can also be easily removed with most two-phase eye makeup remover. Best of all – it’s dirt cheap. I will keep buying it as long as it’s available!

Do you like Maybelline mascaras? There are so many Maybelline mascaras in the market…are there others that you would recommend?

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Labels: CHANEL • MASCARA • MAYBELLINE • YSL

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain 12 Corail Fauve Review and Swatch

April 2, 2012

Most brands are releasing a range of long lasting lip wear this season. If I could only pick one product to buy, it’s gotta be the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain. The swatch pictures of them have been floating around the blogsphere for a while. At first I wasn’t really intrigued as all the colors looked very bright and saturated, which is a little out of my comfort zone to wear everyday. Little did I know that as soon as I tried one on I became totally obsessed with the formulation. I bought not only one, but 4 of these..and I still can’t get enough of them!

Today I will only be reviewing the shade 12 Corail Fauve, which is a beautiful coral shade with a pinkish red undertone.

YSL Glossy Stain is a hybrid of lip gloss and stain. The texture almost feels watery-like upon application, and it takes about 30 seconds for the product to settle. Corail Fauve may look quite bright and bold in the swatch (as with most other shades of the line), but rest assured that the liquid formulation does give you a good control over the application. It dries down to a subtle natural pinkish red lip stain with a soft sheen as the first layer. Then as a second layer (in my pictures I dab a little more on the center of my bottom lips as a second layer), it intensifies the color and instantly adds this translucent watery shine to the lips, and it makes the lips appear so moist and kissable.

The lasting power of it is phenomenal. It can last up to 4 -5 hours on my lips without much fading if I don’t eat/drink anything, and it still leaves a remnant after I eat.

The YSl Glossy Stain retails for $50 in Australia. I bought mine at David Jones. They are also available here and here in US.

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Labels: LIPGLOSS • YSL

The Romantic White Lace Dress

February 2, 2012

I have learnt a very important lesson for shopping at shopbop or any popular online clothing sites, that is – as soon as I see something I absolutely LOVE, just forget about my monthly budget and get it straight away! Otherwise it will be sold out in a blink of an eye. The Diane von Furstenberg Zarita Lace Dress was the lesson for me, it was on Shopbop a month ago, and I was trying to practice “wait till the next day, and get it if I am still thinking about it” tactic. And guess what, it was all gone the next day! I believe any shopaholic could relate to how frustrating that was. I had to wait a long time until it was restocked…relieved!

Diane von Furstenberg Zarita Lace Dress in White (available here), there are also the blue, nude, and black versions of it.

Chanel Pump from Fall 2011 -more info in this post

Chanel Medium Classic Double Flap with Gold Hardware

YSL Arty Ring in Green – more info in this post

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Labels: CHANEL • Fashion • OOTD • YSL

My Picks for the Best Base Makeup 2011

January 5, 2012

This post is inspired by some of my favorite bloggers who have done an extensive summary of the beauty products they loved the most in year 2011. I thought it was such a good idea to show you some of the amazing products that I came across last year (or years before..). As a beauty junkie I have way too many products to showcase so I will be breaking them into several posts, and today’s post is all about the best base makeup products that I have absolutely been in love with, and I am pretty sure my appreciation for them will be carried over to year 2012.

Unfortunately I haven’t had the time to review many products in this post yet, but I am sure they will appear sometime in the near future!

Best Makeup Primer: the award goes to By Terry Teint De Rose. The most luxurious primer I have ever used – the hydrating texture, the scent and the pink rosy color just blows me away every time I use it.

Best Illuminating Makeup Base: the award goes to Dior Radiant Base. It gives a “your glow but better” effect.

Best Tinted Moisturizer: the award goes to Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer. One of their signature products. I was at Barneys shopping for Sunday Riley skincare, and I noticed there were so many (gorgeous) girls dropping by just to purchase this primer over a short time! So I had to have it and it is my holy grail makeup base now on a good skin day.

Best BB Cream: the award goes to Dr Jart Blemish Base BB Cream, love the hydrating yet lightweight liquid texture.

Best Liquid Foundation: the award goes to Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Firming Foundation (reviewed here). I don’t know one single person who doesn’t love this foundation?!

Runner up: Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation. This was my first high end foundation that I got it when I was in High School, and I was hooked on to it ever since. There is always a backup in my vanity drawer.

Best Compact Foundation/Powder: the award goes to Tom Ford Translucent Finishing Powder. My new discovery and this is THE most finely milled powder I have ever used!

Runner Up: La Prairie Cellular Treatment Powder Foundation (old packaging). A little goes a long way and it gives a flawless coverage.

Best Contouring Powder: the award goes to Suqqu Balancing Cheek in OSHAGECHA (the shade on the right). Provides a perfect subtle contouring that just blends in with my natural skin color.

Best Concealer: the award goes to Cle De Peau Concealer (have discussed in this post)

Best Under Eye Brightening Concealer: the award goes to YSL Touche Eclat (have discussed in this post)

Best Loose Powder: the award goes to La Mer Loose Powder. The most finely milled loose powder inthe market and gives a soft focus finish. This is my second tub and my first one lasted me a few years!

Runner Up: Cle de Peau Loose Powder. It has a slight pink tinge to it rather than totally translucent. Provides a brightening effect and a flawless finish.

If you haven’t read the 2011 picks by these beautiful bloggers yet, please do check them out.

Atelier Beauty’s 2011 Picks.

Delicate Hummingbird’s best picks for the foundations/powder/concealers 2011

Rouge Deluxe 2011 Loves and Thoughts

Miss Elaine-Nio Year 2011 Favorites, I am VERY sad to hear that she will no longer be blogging…

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Labels: BB Cream • BY TERRY • CHANTECAILLE • CLE DE PEAU • DIOR • FOUNDATION • Giorgio Armani • LA MER • Makeup Base • My Favorites • POWDER • Sunday Riley • SUQQU • Tom Ford • YSL

November Favorites – Flawless Complexion

December 7, 2011

For the month of November I was mainly focusing on achieving a flawless complexion. If you have read my previous posts you would know my skin was breaking out more than usual over the time in US, so I have spent a great deal of time on finding the right skincare products that can clear up my skin as soon as possible (I have zero tolerance for them!), as well as fading the acne scars. For makeup I opted for base makeup that offers a slightly more coverage than what I would normally go for, so they can help me to ‘fake’ a flawless complexion on a bad skin day.

Let’s start with my favorite skincare of the month. After I was let down by Tanda Zap that failed to clear up any blemishes, I went back to my trusted formulation – Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acid. I started with the Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel, which contains potent AHA and a high strength of BHA (2%). Then I couldn’t help but buy the MD Formulation Vit-A-Plus Clearing Gel which has an even higher concentration of salicylic acid (5%), and it also includes retinol. Combined with MD Formulation Vit-A-Plus Clearing Complex Masque, I saw visible results within 3 days, after 1 week my blemishes were almost all gone and they also prevented new blemishes from appearing. All of these products are extremely harsh to the skin, so I needed an extremely gentle cleanser to neutralize the harsh effects. The Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse is the savior.

At the moment I am focusing on having my skin repaired as I was left with some acne marks. The Creme de la Mer The Concentrate has recently been voted as the Best Skin Secret by Harper’s Bazaar Australia, and I can’t agree with them more. La Mer has always been marketed as a miracle for anti aging, but little did people know the healing power of their products. If you are familiar with La Mer’s signature ingredient – the miracle broth, it was initially developed by the founder to heal severely burnt skin, and I believe this is what some of their products are best used for. The Creme de la Mer The Concentrate contains the highest concentration of miracle broth, and is mainly used for treating scars, not for anti aging. It is the best I’ve used for repairing damaged and irritated skin, as it heals wounds, and fades scars quite miraculously!

The weather was somewhat dry in the States, and now it’s cold in Sydney. So I have been using Laura Mercier’s Moisturizing Foundation, finished with either Cle de Peau Beaute Translucent Loose Powder or La Mer The Powder. For concealing, I love using the Bobbi Brown Corrector in light bisque. If I want some extra luminosity, I topped it up with YSL’s Touche Eclat, of which I have now lost count of how much of this I have gone through. The Shiseido Foundation Brush made me fall in love with compact foundations again, as I have been using this brush with either Laura Mercier Mineral Powder or Edward Bess Sheer Satin Foundation (not in the picture) whenever my skin needed more coverage, and they have worked their wonders to fake a flawless complexion.

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Labels: BRUSHES • CHANEL • CLE DE PEAU • FOUNDATION • LA MER • Laura Mercier • MD Formulations • My Favorites • Peter Thomas Roth • SHISEIDO • YSL

Weekend Massive Haul and OOTD

May 22, 2011

My new boots, Loving it!

I did a massive clothing haul during this weekend. I have been reading magazines and checking out all the fabulous bloggers for winter fashion which boosted my mood to go shopping! I am one of those girls who like to update my wardrobe every season – just to add a few key pieces of clothing of the season but still classy enough to be worn in the future. There are still a few key pieces I want to buy such as leather skirt, cashmere sweater, a military jacket..the list goes on and on..

So here is what I bought so far for this winter, these are the Australian high street brands I always go for , they are well made with quality materials.

From their latest arrivals:

Some pictures of OOTD over the weekend. I wore the new boots for the whole day and they were soooo comfortable.

French Connection Oversized wool cardigan

Juicy Couture Denim Shorts

Boots by Hype

Bag by Miu Miu

YSL Arty Ring (reviewed here)

Chloe Sunnies

Witchery Maxi Dress

Marc Blazer

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Labels: Fashion • Miu Miu • OOTD • SHOES • SHOP • YSL

YSL Rouge Pur Couture 10 Beige Tribute

May 21, 2011

YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick has really captured my heart. I have gushed over how beautiful the shade of 06 Rose Bergamasque is – been wearing it almost every single day! I have recently discovered that Rouge Pur Couture in 10 Beige Tribute is another must have nude shade.

10 Beige Tribute and 06 Rose Bergamasque side by side

Swatches on my arm: please note they appear totally different to how they show up on the lips.

10 Beige Tribute swatched on my lips

Although Rose Bergamasque and Beige Tribute look very similar in real life from the tubes – Rose Bergamasque shows up as a peachy nude (reviewed here), whereas Beige Tribute is more of a flesh nude with a cool pink undertone in a satin finish.

Overall thoughts on YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks: Rouge pur couture is neither a full coverage lipstick nor a sheer one. This probably accounts for why I like their nude lipsticks so much. It conceals my natural lip color with just the right amount of pigmentation without looking too chalky and opaque. Staying power is about 2-3 hours, but I don’t mind re-applying it throughout the day because I like the soft and balmy texture of the lipsticks – they keep my lips soft and smooth. My only gripe is the fingerprints left on the packaging and it gets scratched very easily if you keep it in your purse.

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Labels: LIPSTICK • YSL

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