My Beauty Hoard

Chanel Le Blanc Collection for Spring 2012 : Joues Contraste 69 Fleur De Lotus Swatches and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:41:00 +0000

I am very excited to be sharing this set of swatches and review. In fact I have many posts about make up items I bought from my last haul that I have lined up for you but I just have to interrupt regular programming to show you this piece of gorgeousness.

I was out with Elaine and Luna for lunch on Saturday and Elaine brought us to see the Spring 2012 Chanel Le Blanc collection. Elaine was raving about how nice the new JC Fleur De Lotus. Luna and I bought one each in the end.

Behold!

I can't resist a good peachy pink! Like what Elaine says, this time the JC is very soft. I can feel it with I dip my finger into the pan for a swatch. It is also much more pigmented than my regular JCs.

I am not going to rehash how much I love Chanel JCs. They have a special place in my heart and I have a bad habit of collecting them.

This sells for SGD $67. If you are a fan of Joues Contraste and like peachy pinks, fly to the stores now, I bet it will sell fast!

Ratings: 5+ lipsticks

Mini Blogger's Summit and major haul!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:43:00 +0000

I had the opportunity of meeting the fabulous Luna of Lunaface fame and Elaine of Miss Elaine-nio fame on Saturday. Sweet Luna offered to buy us stuff from the US and naturally I went overboard. We decided to meet up to exchange make up. (It was my first time meeting the both of them.) And oh what a whale of a time we had. While munching on our skinny pizzas, we swapped tips and favourites.

I hauled Inglot eye shadow pans, the 20 pan palette and the Relvon lip butters. I fell in love with Elaine's Anna Sui haul and dragged both of them to the Anna Sui counter at Isetan Wisma to buy the new blushers. As you can see, I ended up with with 3.

Elaine also brought us to the Chanel counter to look at the new Le Blanc collection and swatch the new Joues Contraste Fleur De Lotus. Luna and I totally gushed over it and in the end all three of us got a piece. One thing I love about shopping with make up addicts like myself, there is absolutely no reproach from anyone when I go all haul crazy and haul every item I like. Whereas if I go with my regular friends they would be like, are you crazy? You only have one face you know, how do you intend to finish all of it.

The thing is, we make up addicts have long gave up on the notion of ever finishing make up. It is just to own and hold it close to our hearts.

Elaine has her own little blog shop called beautypalacesg, my naughty eyes caught sight of the Clio eye pencils and I bought one to experiment.

And you know what I received mini prezzies from both lovely ladies. (Thanks sweeties!)

This is from lovely Luna. Sorry about the Kit Kat, my DS jumped on it when he saw it, there was no chance of taking a pristine Kit Kat!

And from Elaine. I am a very happy happy woman. Thanks ladies for such a wonderful Saturday afternoon.

Swatches and reviews soon!

YSL Blush Radiance Matt and Satin Blush No. 6 Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:03:00 +0000

(Information taken from YSL website)

Dress cheeks in a sensual flush of color with this ultra-chic compact that seamlessly blends matte and iridescent textures to create a shimmery, lit-from-within look. Incredibly versatile, this blush colors, contours and highlights to create any effect—from natural to glamorous. The beautifully bendable formula contains Self-adapting Pigments that capture and transform light’s intensity into a vibrant color source that complements any complexion. Remarkably silky texture blends beautifully for buildable, custom color.

I first laid eyes on the YSL Blush Radiance on Joey's blog at Joey's Space. I could not resist the 4 squares of colour so when I hauled from YSL's F&F I knew I had to pick up some. I also had my eyes on No. 2 but it was not meant to be I guess. It was out of stock.

Blush Radiance comes in a plush velvet pouch. There is a little space within the pouch that holds the itsy bitsy blush brush. I personally find the brush useless although it is soft. I find the handle too short to use it properly.

The lighter squares are more matt whereas the darker squares have a satiny texture. When mixed, they are more matt than satiny. No. 6 is a bright pink rose shade that brightens up my complexion. It is pigmented so I use my soft Hakuhodo blush brush to apply. It lasts the whole day without reapplication.

Isn' it tiny as compared to my Burberry Light Glow blush? YSL has 4g of product the same as Chanel's JC whereas Burberry has a good 7g of product.

YSL Blush Radiance sells for USD$45 whereas Burberry sells for USD $42 and Chanel for USD $43. I'm glad I bought it as a discount for USD $36 or SGD $47.

Would I pay full price for another one? I am not sure. I love the colour and the texture, perhaps if I could get a good look at a No. 2 swatch my heart might be swayed.

Ratings: 4 lipsticks

Dior 5 Couleurs Spring Collection 2012 441 Garden Pastels Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:02:00 +0000

It was love at first promo picture. I got sucked in by the pretty palette so I bought this without swatching. When reviews and swatches started trickling through the blogosphere I got more and more worried. I see the words sheer, frosty and shimmery used very often to describe the Garden Edition palettes. I seriously wondered if the palette would suit my skin tone.

Anyway, I sighed when I opened it up. It is very very pretty, so pretty I had to wait for a good one minute before I brought myself to swatch it.

Yup the colours are towards the sheerer side and are shimmery. The white and pink shade are very similar. I had hoped that the pink would have been a matt or satin shade instead to counter the rest of the shimmery shades.

Here are some really pretty eye looks using Garden Pastels from Temptalia and Makeupforlife.

Since I had low expectations from the palette, I was pleasantly surprised. I went ah.... when I applied the shimmery yellow shade all over my lids. Thankfully all the colours are not frosty at all. Just shimmery. Because they are sheer, they are also more forgiving.

For this eye look, I used the cream yellow shade from the inner corner of my lids up to the middle. Then I used the green from the middle to the outer corners. I blend slightly upwards and use the pink shade as my brow bone highlighter and blend downwards. I use the teal shade at the outer corners and on my contour. I used the teal to line the outer corner of my lower lash line and the cream yellow from where the teal ends to the inner corner. Finally the white shade on the inner corner near my tear ducts. To finish the look, I added my Lorac Front of the Line eye liner.

I bought this for USD $59 or SGD $77. This costs SGD $95 at the counters. Wow! That is expensive.

I'm glad I bought mine at Nordstrom, I like this palette but am not in love with it yet. I'm not sure if I would pay $95 for it though. I wish there was a darker or matt shade to pull the colours together.

Ratings: 3 lipsticks

Guerlain Meteorites Spring Collection 2012 Cruel Gardenia Swatches and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Who can resist a pretty piece of make up that holds the promise of shimmery iridescent goodness? When I saw promotion pictures of Guerlain's Spring 2012 collection, I knew this was the piece I had to have. Given how fast the Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous was sold out, I knew I had to get it quick.

I could have gotten it in Singapore but since I was getting quite a fair bit of make up from Nordstrom I thought I would pick it up when I saw it appearing in Nordstrom. I had a little panic attack. When I first saw it on Nordstrom I put it on my shopping list but had taken time to check out my items. Before I knew it, it was out of stock in a matter a two days. After that little scare, I stalked Nordstrom everyday until it came back in stock again and when it did I immediately checked it out.

I paid USD $67 which converts to about SGD $87. It is selling for SGD $88 at the counters. I am not sure if you can still find it in the counters but if you like highlighters, run and get it before it disappears.

Cruel Gardenia features a lovely plastic container with a twist up top. I was half expecting this to be a compact like Laura Mercier. So this isn't very easy to tote around outside. I don't think I want to either. I am deathly afraid I will nick the lovely flower petals if I am not careful when I open or close the top.

Just look at it! Isn't it just too beautiful to use? Not! I immediately dived right in to swatch, I can't wait.

I totally agree with what almost every beauty blogger has said about Cruel Gardenia, it is a pretty pearlised pink highlighter.

Since I have Laura Mercier's Rose Rendezvous, I thought I would take it out for a comparison. Aren't they pretty side by side? As you can see, my Rose Rendezvous has seen quite a bit of action. I love it so.

These two are very different. RR is more of a champagne rose whereas CG is a pearly pink.

Cruel Gardenia is finely milled and blends well onto my skin. It gives a very nice glow that isn't too disco dolly. I wore it out for almost 10 hours and I could still see that the glow though faded was still there on my cheek bones.

It is a great highlighter to own in my opinion. It suits my skin tone without being too white. It does not emphasize my pores or make me look oily.

Cruel Gardenia on the tops of my cheek bones

For a soft diffused glow, use a soft fluffy brush to sweep all over your face. If you want a more obvious sheen, use a smaller denser brush to brush over your cheek bones and other areas you want to highlight and blend, blend, blend.

Whether you are a highlighter whore or a newbie at highlighters, this is a shade that is easy to use.

Ratings: 5+ lipsticks

Burberry Lip Covers in No. 29 Golden Peach and No. 30 Primrose Hill Pink Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:02:00 +0000

The following are the new Burberry Lip Covers for Spring 2012. The collection features two fairly bright shades and two lighter ones. As I said in my previous post about the Burberry Spring Collection, this is the first time I see corals and peaches featured. They are my favourite lip colours.

I picked Golden Peach and Primrose Hill Pink because I find that I suit darker and brighter shades as compared to lighter ones.

These Lip Covers are just about the nicest formulas. They reapply well and are so gentle on my lips. It also helps that they are in the nicest gunmetal magnetic casing. (See my review of my first Lip Cover here)

Primrose Hill Pink

Primrose Hill Pink is actually much brighter than it looks here.

Golden Peach

I am a lipstick addict so I will always keep going to Burberry for more Lip Covers. Their shades are always very wearable and you are bound to find a shade to suit your tastes. I am thoroughly happy with the shades I bought, they definitely are in line with the spring theme of fresh colours.

Ratings: 5 lipsticks

Maybelline Lasting Shine Gel Shadow BG-1 Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:09:00 +0000

I was at Guardian near my place to pick up some essentials when I spied this at the Maybelline display area. I have not read or heard about them so it got me curious. There were a total of 5 shades, brown, beige, lilac, baby pink and baby blue. There were unfortunately no testers out but I thought I would pick up the beige and give it a go. I don't quite remember the price but I think it was going for about SGD $17.

It comes in a little glass pot, very much like the glass pot for the gel eye liner.

BG1 is a pale shimmery champagne shade. It is great as a overall colour and great as a base for loose pigments.

They are surprising long lasting, my work day ended without any smudging at all. I use my fingers to blend and I find that they blend very easily. It has a creamy and moussey texture.

I wanted to check out the brown shade about a week after I bought this little pot. Unfortunately they were all gone except for the baby pink and baby blue.

This is a little gem of a find for me, thumbs up Maybelline.

Ratings: 5 lipsticks

I did a quick eye look just a while ago with BG1 as a base and thought I would add this to my post. I used a dark blue from my Shu Uemura palette and Urban Decay's 24/7 liners in Deviant (blue) and Yeyo (white).

Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow No. 22 Pale Barley Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:23:00 +0000

I love Burberry Sheer Eye Shadows. After my very first purchase of Porcelain (reviewed here) There was no turning back or stopping. The Spring 2012 collection features 1 new eye shadow and I was all over it.

Pale Barley is a golden wheat shade. Great as an all over lid colour.

The above shows how Pale Barley looks on my lids with Too Faced Shadow Insurance underneath.

When I put my Rosewood and Pale Barley side by side, they look quite similar.

Left to right: Rosewood and Pale Barley

Left to right: Pale Barley and Rosewood

Pale Barley is more golden and neutral in my opinion whereas Rosewood has a tinge of taupe and pink. If you own Rosewood, I don't think you need Pale Barley.

Here is my partially finished look. Pale Barley all over the lids with Porcelain on the brow bones. Lunasol Eye Pencil in Black smudged with Rosewood on top, close to my lash line.

Finally topped with All Bell's D2122 fake lashes.

If you like neutrals and don't have many Burberry Sheer Eye Shadows, this is a great shadow to pick up and try. You will use this often because it is such an easy colour to use. The texture is finely milled and pigmented. They last all day and blend gorgeously. But if you already have many neutrals, Pale Barley isn't that special a shade that you have to rush out and get. Mind you these go for SGD $46 a pop.

Ratings: 3+ lipsticks.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre No. 109 Corail Dor and No. 113 Rose Parisien Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:36:00 +0000

Did I mention I am a major lipstick whore? I have a major hoarder's disease when it comes to luxe lipsticks. I was smitten by my virgin YSL lipstick purchase, the Rouge Pur Couture (check out my review of Rose Dahlia here). So in order to maximise my YSL haul, I decided to pick another two from the latest Golden Lustre range. The main difference between to normal Rouge Pur Coutures and the Golden Lustre ones are the infusion of subtle golden shimmer. You have to checkout Makeup Never Sleeps hilarious video and swatches and Best Things In Beauty's swatches.

I love the blockish gold casing signature of all of YSL's packaging. I don't care if they attract finger prints, who cares when they are so good!

I'll be honest, when I opened them up for a look, I was going oh no! They are quite light colours so I was worried they would not look good on me. I was happily wrong.

Check out the subtle glimmer of gold!

They wear for about 4 to 5 hours. They are semi sheer. The formula is creamy and moisturising. It does not slip and slide and adheres well to my lips for a lightweight feel. Even though there are gold shimmers, I do not feel them at all. The golden shimmers makes my lips look fuller if that is possible. They are also very forgiving, my lips do not peel after removing them.

These sell for USD $30. I am so glad I got them at a discount.

Ratings: 5 lipsticks

The Divas and Duds of 2011: Skincare Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Heh heh, I have been sidetracked by my wonderful new hauls that I have neglected to write my final divas and duds for skincare.

Actually I shouldn't be calling it a diva and dud post because all skins are not made equal. Something that works for me may not work for you. For your information, I have oily skin and am terribly concerned with sunspots, fine lines and hydration. I am not the youngest girl on the block any more so I look for anti ageing skincare too. I also sleep in an air conditioned room so am very aware that my skin will get dehydrated. So all the skincare products here I picked help me to address my skincare issues.

Basically I find all the items here very useful and effective for me so in my eyes, they are all divas.

Cleanser

This is my third bottle. It is a foaming cleanser, so I shake it really hard to foam it up. One dollop of foam is enough for the entire face. It is effective and gentle on my skin. My face does not have that tight feeling after I wash it. The little niggling irritation I have is the fact that the pump isn't very effective when it comes to the last bits of product. Small issue.

Toner

I recently discovered the joys of Chanel skincare a few months back. Me likes the product but not the price.

Eye cream

I am not loyal to eye creams. I have yet to discover one that miraculously erases all signs of ageing. If you know one, please let me know.

Caudalie is creamy but it melts into my skin upon contact. It is absorbed fast. My eyes look more refreshed after using it but I still see my fine lines. I don't think those will ever disappear as I grow older so its not a biggie for me.

Serums

I always come back to Estee Lauder's Advance Night Repair. I don't whether this is true but I hear that using the same product for a long time reduces it efficacy so after I finish a bottle of this, I use something else and come back after. This has kept my face at almost tip top condition. I love it and would recommend this to anyone.

Moisturisers

This is my recent Chanel skincare acquisition. I was given samples of moisturiser and simply fell in love with it. It kinda turn me into an addict, every time I hit a Chanel store, I'll ask for samples of this. DH bought this for me at the DFS airport for my birthday present in December. :) This is a luxurious buy. It is a fluid that sinks immediately into my skin. I love how soft it makes my skin feel.

I bought the Clarins Night Cream because I was concerned that my skin was dehydrated. I read many good reviews and that is why I bought it. It is a cream that has a heavier texture than I am used to. So far I am happy with it, my face looks well moisturised in the mornings.

Sunblock/ sunscreen

Never leave home with sun block. It is the best anti ageing cream ever. I love this and have been using this for years. The white fluid blends well into my skin and leaves a matt finish. It does not leave my face with a whitish cast and it works well with all my foundations.

Masks

I have two which I use. I am determined to make my sample of Chanel's Sublimage Masque last as long as I can. I spread a thin layer over my face at night and tissue if off after about 15 minutes. The next day, my face is guaranteed to look more rested and moisturised.

My every affordable Beauty Diary masks are good for instant results especially for big nights out. The mask is well soaked and always a relaxing joy to use.

Lip Balms

I used my Chanel for before lipstick application and my Vaseline Lip Therapy for all other times. Both work well for keeping my lips soft. I find that the Chanel works better under lip products whereas my Vaseline causes everything put on it to slip and slide.

Secret Weapon

It is called a Baby Quasar. I have been given this for review purposes and I am currently into my third week of using this. I will have a proper in depth review of this in a few months when I can see its full effects. But at the moment I can say that I like using this.

Well that's my list of divas. What's yours?

YSL CRÈME DE BLUSH in No. 4 Bright Coral and No. 5 Fuchsia Temptation Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:08:00 +0000

I bought my first Crème De Blush way back in 2009. (Check out my original review of Crème De Blush in Velvety Peach back in 2009 here.) I loved everything about it. Then when YSL pulled out of Singapore, I had to rely on on line swatches and order them on line.

I was able to enjoy the Friends and Family 20% discount when sweetie J offered to get her US contact to buy them for me. I bought them at SGD $68 back in 2009. I was able to get each for USD $30.40 or SGD $40. Don't you just love make up at big discounts!

There are a total of 5 shades currently.

2 - Powdery Rose

3 - Silky Praline

4 - Bright Coral

5 - Fuchsia Temptation

6 - Rouge Passion

I was immediately attracted to the two brightest candy shades available, Bright Coral and Fuchsia Temptation.

Check them out! Aren't they the loveliest? Wait till you see the arm swatches!

They are silky and blend so well onto my cheeks. They are at first creamy but they dry down matt and sheer. They layer very well. When applied under powder, they are sheer and give a hint of colour but when applied after setting my face with loose powder, they become more obvious and pigmented. Did I mention the delicious faint mango scent?

I'm wearing Bright Coral on my cheeks

I am wearing Fuchsia Temptation

Little word of warning about Fuchsia Temptation. Iit is a bright cool pink. I find that wearing it emphasizes the redness from my old acne scars. If you have the same problem as I have, it might be a good idea to have a little more coverage on the cheeks before you apply this colour.

These are totally worth their price. If you ever get a chance to haul from YSL, please check these out.

Ratings: 5 lipsticks

The Noob way of applying bronzer

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:29:00 +0000

Dear Rachel wanted to know how to apply bronzer. I am far from being the best person to teach but I will show you how I do it. If I am doing it wrong, please let me know. I am always happy to learn.

The most important thing about applying bronzers is choosing the right shade for your skin tone. Choose bronzers that are more brown/beige than orange. I prefer matt shades because I find that they are more forgiving and won't make you oily looking. My current go to bronzer is Edward Bess' bronzer in Day Dream which applies like a dream. You can also use a face powder that is 2 to 3 shades darker than your skin tone.

Silly fishy face ahead!

I suck in my cheeks and naturally the cheek bones kinda pop out and I see this line from near my ear to my lip. That is where I place my bronzer. From just above my ear lobe outwards along the line.

You can use a contouring brush or a normal blush brush. I use my Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour. I am not loving this brush although it does it job quite well. It sheds and still has that goat smell.

I dip my brush into the pan and shake off the excess. From near my ear area I blend along that line one quarter to my lips. (Do I make sense???) Anyway, it is really hard to take pictures and blend at the same time.

So I keep blending to blur the obvious line. I blend it a little upwards.

I hope it is obvious to you but my cheek bones look a little more defined. Finally I add blush on the apples of my cheeks.

Tada! My bronzer and my blush working together to give me a more defined cheek.

Here is the professional way of applying bronzer. Edward Bess looks prettier than I am!

Sophia from The Make-Up Blogette did a very useful post on blush, contour and highlight, check it out here.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eye Shadow No. 5 Gold Blitz and No. 6 Khaki Pulse Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:07:00 +0000

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill eye shadows are a luxury item that I can't resist collecting. I already have Rock Sand, Sweet Fire and Purpura and now I have two more Gold Blitz and Khaki Pulse.

Left to right: Khaki Pulse and Gold Blitz

Top to bottom: Gold Blitz and Khaki Pulse

These are fabulous! Their pigmented metallic colours look great dry or wet. They last for a very long time and the colour selection is just to die for. I am waiting for them to do a deep emerald green and a deep blue shade, I would die a happy make up addict.

The below are swatches done on eyes. This is not the finished look, I thought I would show you how it looks on eyes. I did not use any primer, instead I sprayed my brush with a little MAC Fix+ and dipped it into the ETK pots. It glided like butter and had a foiled look. Marvellous!

Khaki Pulse

Gold Blitz

The look below is a simple look I did with Khaki Pulse at the corner of my eyes with Burberry Gold Trench all over my lids and Burberry Porcelain on my brow bones. I topped it off with Kate gel liner in black and Urban Decay's 24/7 liners in Stash and Goldmine for my lower lash line.

These are not the cheapest things but definitely worth the price I paid for them. They cost USD $32 but I got them for USD $25.60 or about SGD $33. Sweet! Loreal's Infallibles are said to be really close in texture. I love them too but somehow I feel that the ETKs have more depth and complexity.

Ratings: 5 lipsticks

Make up Avalanche!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:37:00 +0000

My Nordstrom and Drugstore.com haul came a few hours after receiving my YSL and GA package from J. There were a total of 5 boxes! I was super excited, these are all the new Spring Collections that I have been lusting after and a few other things. I have seen them popping up at the local stores and wondered did I make a good decision buying from Nordstrom. I guess you will be the judge of that for me.

I bought the Chanel Horizon blush, USD $58 about SGD $75.40. Selling for SGD $100.

The Chanel Soft Touch eye shadow in Tigerlily, USD $28.50 about SGD $37.

Guerlain Meteorites Cruel Gardenia, USD $67 about SGD $87. Selling for SGD $88.

Guerlain Rouge Automatique in L'heure Bleue, USD $35 about SGD $45.50. Selling for SGD $50.

Dior 5 Couleurs in Garden Pastel, USD $59 about SGD $76.70. Selling for SGD $95.

NARS velvet Matt lipstick in Dolce Vita, USD $24 about SGD $31.20. Not sure of they sell this in Singapore though.

And then there is my Drugstore.com haul. I got my favourite teeth whitener Crest 3D Whitestrips. Check out my review here. And also Burt's Bees lip balms and tinted lip balms. They are much cheaper when I get from Drugstore.com than if I were to buy them at Sephora.

Reviews and swatches coming up! Hang on in there!

My Friends and Family YSL and Giorgio Armani Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:54:00 +0000

I hauled this in December when YSL and Giorgio Armani were having their Friends and Family sale. Nothing beats buying make up and big discounts. Dearest J (yes you sweetie!) was kind enough to contact her friend in the US to haul on our behalf.

I bought two Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre lipsticks in Rose Parisien and Corail Dor.

My favourite Creme De Blush in Bright Coral and Fuchsia Temptation. I love these colours!

Blush radiance in No. 6. It is a super tiny blush!

More Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill. No. 5 Gold Blitz and No. 6 Khaki Pulse.

Reviews and swatches soon!

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:23:00 +0000

Chinatown last Sunday!

Dear readers I wish all of you a Happy Chinese New Year!

My family started the day early. Since last year we decided to go traditional so hence the traditional clothes. If you remember last year, we are still wearing the same old things. I buy clothes when I see something I like, it is not a tradition of mine to buy New Year's clothes.

We had eggs and toast at Toast Box before heading to my in laws and then my mom's.

That is my mom. Did I tell you she makes the most fantastic mutton rendang ever? Yum!

I took the opportunity to try out one of Elaine's gifts.

Although the lash band feels heavier than my Ardell's, they are still very comfortable to wear. It is more dramatic than what I am used to but hey I'm out visiting I have good reason! Thanks dear!

Face:

Kate Make Up Base (to be reviewed soon!)

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

Giorgio Armani Microfil Loose Powder

Cheeks

YSL Creme De Blush Fuchsia Temptation (to be reviewed soon!)

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Pale Barley (to be reviewed soon!), Rosewood and Porcelain.

Lunsol Eye Pencil in Black (to be reviewed soon!)

All Belle Lashes D2122

Lips:

Burberry Lip Cover Primrose Hill Pink (to be reviewed soon!)

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense No. 3 Purpura Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:11:00 +0000

I'm not going to rehash what I have been saying about GA Eyes To Kill Intense eye shadows. You can read about it here instead.

I love dark purples more than dark blues. Somehow I can't seem to make dark blues look as good on me as purples and plums.

Left to right: Sweet Fire and Purpura

When I swatched it, the first thing that came into my mind was how similar it looked to Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre in Illusoire.

Top to bottom: Chanel Illusoire and GA Purpura

The above is an incomplete eye look. I placed Purpura at the outer corner of my eye and blended inwards. I have Rock Sand on the inner corner of my eyes. Purpura looks like a greyish purple.

For the completed look, I lined my eyes with Urban Decay's 24/7 eye liner in Rock Star. I smudged it and added more Purpura over it. At the outer corner, I dabbed Burberry's Sheer Eye Shadow in Midnight Plum just to darken and intensify the look.

Ratings: 5 lipsticks

Burberry Spring 2012 Collection at Tangs

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:10:00 +0000

I made my way to Burberry at Tangs yesterday to have a look at the Spring 2012 collection. I know I'm kinda late but work has been craazy. The only time I had to myself was on Saturday before the Chinese New Year craziness begins.

The Spring Collection features 1 new eye shadow No. 22 Pale Barley, 4 new lip covers, No. 27 Tulip Pink, No. 28 Devon Sunset, No. 29 Golden Peach and No. 30 Primrose Hill Pink and 2 new lip glosses, No. 13 Hibiscus and No. 14 Nude Rose.

Pale Barley the star of the spring collection.

My favourite lipsticks ever! Lip covers!

Left to right: Pale Barley and Rosewood

Taken under store light. Left to right: Tulip Pink, Golden Peach, Devon Sunset and Primrose Hill Pink

Top to bottom: Nude Rose and Hibiscus

I am very excited by the new Lip Covers especially the peachy and coral ones such as Devon Sunset and Golden Peach because corals have not been in the Lip Cover or Lip Mist line up before. Tulip Pink and Devon Sunset is a little too light for my taste though but I think they will look great on fairer skin tones.

There is a slight difference between Rosewood and Pale Barley. Pale Barley has golden undertones whereas Rosewood has a slight pinkish undertone. You don't need both so if you have Rosewood, you can safely skip Pale Barley. Pale Barley isn't an exciting shade but I like it nonetheless.

The lip glosses are just so so for me. Nude Rose looks almost like a transparent gloss to me. Hibiscus looks like a mauve rose to me. I am not a lip gloss fan so these did not make my heart skip a beat.

This is what I picked for myself. Pale Barley, Golden Peach and Primrose Hill Pink.

Pale Barley

Left to right: Primrose Hill Pink and Golden Peach

NaturalNchic makeup has great swatches of the entire collection here. Check her out.

So does anything in the Burberry Spring Collection catch your eye?

Kitten eye versus Cat eye

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:29:00 +0000

Iariae gave me ideas for this post so thanks girl! I'm going to show you how I do a kitten eye look. It is not the best and I'm not an expert. I'm always looking to improve my technique so please give me feedback!

My original idea was to do a kitten eye but as I went along my kitten eye turned into a cat eye.

For my kitten / cat eye, I always go for neutral colours. I always use black eye liner. I like a thicker line so I always start of with a gel liner and a stiff eye liner brush. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 950 Black is an okay black gel eye liner that is inexpensive plus it comes with a fantastic eye liner brush. In fact I love the brush more than the original product. After a few months it becomes drier in texture which makes it a little more difficult to get a nice smooth line.

Anyway on to the tutorial (if I may call it that). I make a little line following the curve of the bottom of my eye upwards.

Then from the middle of my eye lid, I draw a straight line (at least I try my best to get a straight line) and connect it to the end of my little flick.

Then it is a matter of lining my eyes from the inner corner to the middle and filling up the empty space of my little flick. Then I go over the whole thing with my favourite liquid eye liner of the moment Lorac Front Of The Line Pro Liner in black (thanks Kathy!) If I want a water proof line instead of Lorac I replace it with MUFE's Aqua Line in #13.

I tend not to line my bottom eye for day time. I find that I look overly fierce but here it goes. Anyway, sometimes as I line with my liquid eye liner I make mistakes and end up making a thinker and longer line. I go overboard and it eventually becomes a cat eye look instead. For a cat eye, the flick is longer and more exaggerated. For both looks, I love adding my Ardell's 108 for extra oomph.

What I used:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Le Metier De Beaute Dualistic eye pencil in Champagne

Le Metier De Beaute Penelope Eye Kit in Blond Amber and Bronze Topaz

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 950 Black

Lorac Front Of The Line Pro Liner in black

Maybelline Long Extreme Stilleto mascara

Compare the one above with the one below. I redid it this time with my UD Naked palette. I like this better. The neutral shades are more subtle and my eye liner looks cleaner. Ta da! My kitten eye.

I hope this has been useful!

Goodies from a fellow beauty fanatic

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

I feel truly blessed! Since I started writing this blog, I had opportunities to meet many very nice people. I had the honor of making friends with Elaine a fellow make up addict. Elaine is very generous, she gifted me with fake lashes!!! I love fake lashes. She also gave me a Kate make up base and a very pretty shimmer black Lunasol eye pencil.

I can't wait to try everything out. Thanks Elaine!

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eye liner in Retrograde Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:53:00 +0000

I bought this when I was wondering around Sephora last month. Although I already have quite a few of MUFE Aqua Liners, I can't resist a colourful eye liner that promises to be water proof.

As you can see both MUFE and UD have almost the same style packaging. They also have the same amount of product at 1.7 ml.

Left to right: UD and MUFE

The applicators are different though. Instead of a foam tip applicator, it comes with a very fine tipped brush. I'm not really skilled at drawing precise lines so prefer foam tip applicators because they are much easier to handle. The UD brush applicator was just slightly more difficult to get the hang of. But after some practice it becomes easier.

Left to right: UD and MUFE

UD looks like a darker and less opaque purple. I need to layer it twice before the colour will show up well. It has tiny glitters that shine under the light. That was what got me hooked in the first place. They are completely waterproof just like MUFE and they are also quite difficult to remove. They don't dissolve instead flake off when you rub it. It is best to use a bi-phase eye make up remover to clean it off. There is no way of removing this gently so I do worry about the state of my eye lids in the long run.

UD liners are cheaper at USD $18 or SGD $32 as compared to MUFE at USD $23 or SGD $38.

There are a total of 11 shades available. Check out Temptalia's gorgeous swatches of all of them here.

Woodstock- Hot pink
Eldorado - Gold
Siren - Dark teal
Radium - Dark blue
Sabbath - Dark navy blue
Retrograde
Smog - Khaki brown
Demolition - Black brown
Bobby Dazzle - Silver
Revolver - Grey
Perversion - Black

I'm loving the look of Siren.

Here is a simple look I did to show off Retrograde in its full glory. GA Eyes To Kill in Sweet Fire all over the lids. A little UD Deluxe Shadow in Ransom on the outer corners of the eyes and MAC eye shadow in Sweet Lust as a brow highlight.

Ratings: 3 lipsticks

Edward Bess Quad Royale in South of France and Summer in Capri Swatches and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:26:00 +0000

I have been a total highlighting hoarder lately. It must be something about the promise an ethereal glow that keeps me buying the next new highlighter.

I couldn't resist getting both. The Beauty Look Book has reviews of the South of France and Summer in Capri. Blushing Noir also has gorgeous swatches of Summer in Capri here. From the swatches I could tell that they were different enough to justify getting both.

South of France is a quartet of pearly off white colours.

It was such a challenge to capture all the glowy shades. When blended together, it gives a beige glow. It isn't as pigmented as my favourite Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous but it can be layered. I would say it gives a more subtle glow than LM and is more suitable for day use.

I find both South of France and Summer in Capri to be powdery. When I sweep the given brush over the quartet of colours, a fair bit of powder gets kicked up.

Powder residue all over the pan

Summer in Capri features a pale peach shade and muted beige brown shades.

It gives more colour than South of France for sure.

As compared to my favourite Chanel Bronze Corail, Summer in Capri is more muted and acts more like a highlighter with more colour. For fair ladies, I bet it will warm up your cheeks and can double up as a light blush.

The Quad Royales have finely milled powder and blend well into my skin. They are sheer but can be layered to desired effect. I find that their suit fairer skin tones rather than darker ones. They cost 28.50 pounds each. I paid 23.75 pounds which comes up SGD $47.

Quad Royales have the same packaging as the Ultra Luminous Bronzer that I bought. It is slim, sleek and has sturdy black plastic. I like!

These are nice highlighters. Obviously they can't compare with the pretty highlighters out there but they do a great job giving me a soft subtle glow. They are well made and of good quality. They don't emphasize my pores too.

Ratings: 3++ lipsticks

Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream Swatches and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:06:00 +0000

I need a bronzer as much as I need a root canal but that doesn't stop me from buying another bronzer. For my first Zuneta haul, Edward Bess' Ultra Luminous Bronzer was the first to go in my bag. I checked out two trusted blogs, Delicate Hummingbird and The Beauty Look Book for swatches to decide between Daydream and Dessert Sun ( a darker colour). I decided on Daydream because it looked easier to work with.

Let me say that I'm totally pleased with Zuneta, shipping was fast and the package was well packed and came in great condition.

When I opened up Daydream for a look, I was totally pleased with the colour. It leans towards a matt pink brown than orange brown. I wished I could give you a better colour representation, I've been to the beach recently and have gotten a little tan so the colours don't show up as well as I liked no matter how heavy I have swatched.

Left to right: Swatched heavily and blended out

I also took out my Sephora bronzer for a comparison, here goes.

Top to bottom: Sephora and Edward Bess

Left to right: Edward Bess and Sephora

When swatched side by side, you can see that Daydream looks more pink brown where as the Sephora bronzer looks more orange brown. The Sephora version is also darker than Daydream.

Although I see tiny shimmers in the pan, Daydream goes on matt. The formulation of Daydream is finely milled and blends well on my skin. It does not oxidise and lasts me well through the day. It is a forgiving colour that isn't easy to overdo. Just the way I like it. And best of all, its scent is not overpowering or synthetically sweet.

Now while I was googling for images and swatches I realise that my Daydream packaging differs from many of the others. How come? Mine is made in Taiwan, I would love to know whether the round case version is also made in the same place.

Anyone out there knows why this is so? I would love to hear from you.

To tell the truth, I prefer this casing. It is sleek and slim and makes toting around in my make up pouch a lot easier. One interesting feature I really like is how the cover can be completely pushed back to lie flat, you know how some compacts can't be pushed all the way, makes taking pictures of them a little more difficult.

I have been used to super soft brushes. The ones from Burberry and Chanel have been surprisingly good. This brush here is a little of a let down. It is slightly stiffer. Maybe it was made this way to help in application, I don't know, I would rather use my own.

I got this for cheaper because of the 10% discount. Originally it cost 30 pounds and I bought it for 27 pounds. Again something strange, the round compact is selling for 36 pounds in Zuneta, go figure.

Daydream works out to be SGD $54.

I like it but I'm still not in love with it yet. It isn't an exciting bronzer per se but I see myself getting a lot of use out of this one because it works on my skin tone. Daydream is suitable for ladies with a fair to medium skin tone. I think Dessert Sun would look great on darker skin tones.

Ratings: 3+ lipsticks

Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:15:00 +0000

I have been meaning to write a review about this body butter for ages, so here goes.

My long time favourite has been Kiehl's Creme de Corps Body Lotion. They also came out with the Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Butter which I bought last year to try. You can find my review of it here. I found it to be a little too rich for my tastes, it would be better for people with dry skin. Anyway, I finally used it up. I do not like buying Kiehls from the local stores because I know I'm paying more than it actually costs, the mark up in Singapore is really high. I usually buy from Nordstrom and stock up on my Kiehl's products. I didn't put in a order because I didn't have many things I needed from Keihl's so I decided to hunt around for another brand to try.

I remembered being given a sample tube of Bliss Lemon + Sage Body Butter so I dug it out and gave it a try. I love the refreshing scent (one thing lacking it Creme de Corps) and I loved how easily it was absorbed into my skin. So I went to Sephora to check out the prices before buying it. It costs USD $28 for the 200 ml bottle, for the life of me I forgot the price I paid in Singapore. I do remember that the mark up was quite reasonable which was the reason why I had no qualms about picking it up at Sephora. It was between SGD$35-$40 if I'm not mistaken. I will go check it out again and update you on it.

I liked the lemon and sage scent but I wanted to try something different too. There are three different scents, Vanilla + Bergamot, Blood Orange + White Pepper and Lemon + Sage. Vanilla + Bergamot smelled good but it was a little too sweet for me, I picked up Blood Orange + White Pepper because I love the orange scent with the spicy pepper.

I'm very generous with my body lotions. I love to slather them on.

Body Butter just rubbed onto skin

A few seconds later, it is absorbed

Anyway a quick comparison between prices of Kiehl's Light Weight Body Lotion sells for USD $22 for 250 ml and the Bliss Body Butter sells for USD $28 for 200 ml. Kiehl's is more value for money. Still, if I'm not ordering from Nordstrom I would continue to pick this up at Sephora.

Anyway, I checked out the Blissworld website. They seem to have great promotions and they are selling a set of 2 body butters at USD $49 from the usual $56. It is quite a good deal. I am not sure though if the site accepts international credit cards so you will have to try and let me know!

Ratings: 4 lipsticks

My Beauty Hoard

Chanel Le Blanc Collection for Spring 2012 : Joues Contraste 69 Fleur De Lotus Swatches and Review

Mini Blogger's Summit and major haul!

Sponsored post: Dermaheal Cosmeceutical Mask Set Review and Give away!

YSL Blush Radiance Matt and Satin Blush No. 6 Swatches and Reviews

Dior 5 Couleurs Spring Collection 2012 441 Garden Pastels Swatches and Reviews

Guerlain Meteorites Spring Collection 2012 Cruel Gardenia Swatches and Review

Burberry Lip Covers in No. 29 Golden Peach and No. 30 Primrose Hill Pink Swatches and Reviews

Maybelline Lasting Shine Gel Shadow BG-1 Swatches and Reviews

Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow No. 22 Pale Barley Review and Swatches

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre No. 109 Corail Dor and No. 113 Rose Parisien Swatches and Reviews

The Divas and Duds of 2011: Skincare Edition

YSL CRÈME DE BLUSH in No. 4 Bright Coral and No. 5 Fuchsia Temptation Swatches and Reviews

The Noob way of applying bronzer

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eye Shadow No. 5 Gold Blitz and No. 6 Khaki Pulse Swatches and Reviews

Make up Avalanche!

My Friends and Family YSL and Giorgio Armani Haul

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense No. 3 Purpura Review and Swatches

Burberry Spring 2012 Collection at Tangs

Kitten eye versus Cat eye

Goodies from a fellow beauty fanatic

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eye liner in Retrograde Review and Swatches

Edward Bess Quad Royale in South of France and Summer in Capri Swatches and Reviews

Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream Swatches and Review

Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter Review