Tracy's Beauty Blogsphere

Valentines Rouge: YSL Rouge Pure Couture Rose Dahlia

2012-02-12T12:58:00.005+01:00

I am a bit nonplussed about wearing bright pink lips on Valentines Day and I've been seeing a variety of looks of 'Valentines makeup' as you would every year. This morning I was reading Temptalia's post on wearing bright lips for the V-day, and in all honesty I would personally keep the bright lips for a more girly occasion out with the girlfriends rather than shock your dear half on your distracting lips. Just my opinion - use whatever makeup your man fancies, I suppose!

But if you so insist of having a more 'brighter' lip - may I suggest that YSL Rose Dahlia to be the very lipstick for a pleasant date night. It's very sheer and adds the lovely touch of flattering coral rose (almost tangerine I would say but with more rose). YSL Pur Coutures are very moisturising compared to YSL's older range of lipsticks - think YSL Rouge Purs and Rouge Voluptes. They glide on seamlessly having a smooth texture to the lips.

Click here for my earlier post of Rose Dahlia. <--

Running through the makeup used today.

~*Point Makeup*~

Lips: YSL Rouge Pur Couture #17 Rose Dahlia
Eyeshadow: Guerlain Bal De Minuit 407
Eyeliner: MUFE Aqua Eyeliner
Mascara: Hypnose Drama
Brows: Anastasia Dark Brown

~*Face Makeup*~

Primer: YSL Flash Radiance Skincare Brush
Foundation: IPSA Pure Protect Foundation 103
Powder: Guerlain Meteorites Perles D'or
Bronzer: Guerlain Terracotta Poudre des Sables

A Look with YSL Pure Chromatics #5

2012-02-11T19:27:00.001+01:00

It's officially time to break into the YSL Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Quad which I had posted about earlier this week.

What is noticeably different about the YSL Chromatic Eyes is its ability to use wet or dry and the applicators that come with the palette allow you to work both ways. One of the applicators looks like a mini plastic spatula which supposedly helps you to 'scoop and mould' the pigment, which I must say is the strangest thing to do. After much deliberation and one failed attempt to use the powders wet, I gave up and went ahead with a dry look instead.

They have a texture that's unlike pressed powders, which is explained in their manufacturing process, being 'poured into the palette' rather than pressed. The result is 4 gorgeous shimmery metallic swatches - a shimmery pink, opalescent white, taupe, and gunmetal grey.

Dry and wet swatches compared side by side shows only the slightest difference. For example, the taupe shade appears more chromatic when wet. The best shade of the whole palette has got to be the pink, and in fact I am quite pleased with the combination of colours.

Another thing is that there's sparkles which fall out and they land on my cheek or upper lip. Hmm...

Is the YSL Pure Chromatics stashworthy? Not really. 1) it's not so straightforward to use when wet and, 2) there's a total of 5gs in this palette making this the most expensive palette I have in my collection. There's pretty colours but you can easily find alternatives in your stash that would create the same look. I'm glad I only purchased one.

YSL Rouge Pur in 148 Tea Rose is an oldie of mine - Its a nude with a rose tint, surpassing MAC Viva Glam II in wearability! The only complaint I have about YSL Rouge Pur are that it is unbearably drying on my lips. I have a bad case of dry lips at the moment, and even the Shu Uemura lipsticks that are otherwise moist during the summertime, now appears flakey on mine! So you can imagine what the YSL Rouge Purs would look on my lips after a minute - you guessed it right... Flake City!!

I used a combination of YSL products from YSL to create this look today - i.e. Flash Radiance Skincare Primer (which I still love) and the YSL Cream Blush in 02.

Point Makeup

Lips: YSL Rouge Pur Tea Rose 148
Eyes: YSL 4 Wet & Dry Eyeshadows 05, MUFE Aqua Eyeliner, Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara, Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eyeliner Caviar Ink.

Face makeup

Primer: Flash Radiance Skincare Brush
Foundation: IPSA Pure Protect Foundation 103
Powder: Paul & Joe Finishing Powder 001
Bronzer: Soleil Tan de Chanel
Blush: YSL Cream Blush 02

I hope you're having a wonderful Saturday!

It's Friday and my nails for the week

2012-02-10T13:13:00.000+01:00

It is Friday! It has been one of those weeks where work-work-work has preoccupied my mind. Almost everyone is off next week for winter vacation, leaving all the deadlines to be completed at the last minute! My energy level is starting to pick up due to the brighter days as we are now moving closer towards Spring. It has been a rough few months struggling with the depressing daylight - almost only 5 hours a day of light! Trust me, blogging was almost non-existent because of light in general.

Onto more fun things; I have on Essie Merino Cool nailpolish today - and I must say this is my most grabbed for nailpolish shade for the work week. It's a purplish grey taupe and wears very well for my cool skin tone. It applies very easily in 2 coats with no streakiness. Excuse the dry cuticles - it's a result of the winter!

Paul & Joe Eye & Lip Makeup Remover

2012-02-09T13:24:00.017+01:00

Paul & Joe is a brand that I have always been impressed with - their packaging and quality of their products make it a stellar brand. Considering the strong patronage I have given Paul & Joe over the years while I lived in Singapore, it is no wonder they gifted me a full size Paul & Joe Eye&Lip Makeup Remover. At first, I didn't like it at all because I do not find it as effective as my Holy Grail Lancome Bi-Facil, so naturally I left it to gather dust.

Until recently. So lets have a look...

The Paul & Joe Eye&Lip Makeup Remover has a consistency like a serum and appears quite viscous. There is no oily residue, unlike Lancome Bi-Facil or any other dual-phase makeup remover. It also serves as a light moisturiser to the skin around your eyes, and does not create any burning or stinging sensation when accidental contact is made. So in that regard, I think it's a nice product for very sensitive eyes.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polisobutene, Arginine, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Water, Lilium Candidium Bulb Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tilia Europaea Flower Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium Edta, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Methylparaben.

However, I wouldn't consider it to be the most effective for waterproof makeup. There are days when I am using an average of 4 cotton pads to get the darn mascara off. And there are more straightforward days (like today) where 2-3 swipes pretty much captures most of the mascara. In terms of effectiveness, Lancome > Paul & Joe > MAC > Sephora (rubbish really) would be my personal ranking.

Will I repurchase? Nah... Lancome Bi-Facil still rocks my world!

Tools for everyday: Face Brushes

2012-02-08T13:03:00.046+01:00

Over the years I have progressively managed to put together a very nice collection of face brushes. When I first got into makeup, I only had one single brush from the Body Shop - which was the powder brush that I gave away a long time ago. I discovered that it was the tools and techniques that made a difference to how your makeup looks. And even then, I had no idea where and how to start. I had to take down all the numbers of the MAC brushes that were mentioned on Youtube and individually consult makeup artists. I believe we have all come a long way in the online beauty community. When someone mentions 'MAC 187 brush', all girls know what it is. But say this to your boyfriend, it's all a mystery code.

I've always considered makeup brushes an expensive hobby - acquiring the first 5 absolute essentials, and the rest are all pretty hit or miss. My oldest brush in my collection is dated back in 2005 and is still holding up very well. Even though I'm tempted to pick up Chanel or Suqqu brushes, my jars don't have the extra room anyway. So for now, I am more than content with what I have.

Let me breakdown the brushes for you.

*Foundation Brushes*

Sigma Flat Top Kabuki Brush F80 - The density of the bristles in this brush makes this the best ever liquid/cream foundation brush ever made. No streaks, no cakiness, and evenness all around for any liquid-based product. Highly recommend.

Shu Uemura 18 brush is made with Goats hair, giving it a very soft quality. The shortness of the bristles and small handle allows you to work on thicker foundations with better control. Another beautiful product by Shu Uemura. Can't be missed if you like cake / cream foundations.

MAC 187 used to be my most used brush. It promised to give an airbrush look, especially when applying liquid foundations in a stipple motion. I recall that it was EnkoreMakeup that set the trend of the stippling brushes. Nice it once was, I hardly use this brush anymore.

MAC 130 was designed for foundation on areas that are hard to reach with it's smaller brush head - i.e. sides of the nose etc. I have only used this brush twice since I bought it, and it's a waste of $. Skip this.

*Loose Powder Brushes*

MAC 150 is my regular loose powder brush which I always go to everytime. Initially, the bristles tend to be quite 'stiff', but over the course of time, it is a beauty. If you're on a budget and you can't seem to splurge $130+ for the more fluffier MAC 134, go for this. Beware though, over many years MAC ferrels tend to become duller and less shiny. If this is a bother for you, go for Shu Uemura brushes instead - their ferrels are always shiny like new!

Shu Uemura 18R with it's distinctive red bristles is reserved for my Guerlain meteorites and shimmery loose powder. It is the alternative to Guerlain meteorite brushes, and is incredibly well made. I highly recommend this brush, even as a statement piece.

MAC 134 is my alternate brush to the MAC 150. It functions the same way, but covers a larger area and feels very soft and silky. In my opinion, it was worth the $130+ I paid for three years ago. God forbid how much it costs now!

*Powder Blushes Brushes*

Bobbi Brown Blush Brush is probably my oldest brush, and comes from the BB older brush collection. BB has since revamped her brushes (thankfully) because some of her older brushes were like rubbing straw on your face! It has served me for a good 6 to 7 years, and still delivers! What I do love about this brush is the fan shaped head that seems to transfer blushes evenly across my cheeks. I also adore the longer handle - not sure why, but I like it.

MAC 129 sadly does not perform as well as my Bobbi Brown and Shu Uemura blush brushes. I use this when my other blush brushes need cleaning.

Shu Uemura 20H and 20 brushes are legends. They are both made of pony hair, and is unbelievably soft, silky, and dreamlike. They pick up powders gently and glide the pigment on your skin like it is just meant to be. I recommend buying one of the two when Shu Uemura have their next F&F sale as they tend to be quite pricey. All Shu Uemura brushes are handmade with Japanese care and quality. Like all Shu Uemura brushes, you will never experience dropping bristles and the ferrels are always shiny like new.

*Highlight, Contour, Bronzing Brushes*

MAC 168 is designed for contouring or adding a touch of highlight to the cheekbones. It sounds like a versatile product, but in reality, I have only used this brush less than 10 times. I hardly contour anyway, and think that the whole half highlight and half bronzer application a bit gimmicky.

Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush is a must-have. Life sucks when you don't this. It serves as a kabuki stuck on a fat chubby stick, with bristles that soft and dense, which makes applying any bronzer a dream. It applies evenly and can be buffed in to give your powders a more natural look. I love love this brush!

MAC 103 is a nice brush for adding just a bit of highlight to the upper cheekbones. It can also be used for liquid foundations, but I tend to keep it for powder products because of its natural hairs. The only thing I have noticed about this brush is that it keeps on losing its bristles. Annoying indeed.

*Specialty Brushes*

MAC 131 and MAC 188 are honestly the most redundant brushes that I own. It's supposed to be used on cream blushes, but that's complete bollocks. The sparse bristles works better on crazily pigmented blushes - like NARS exhibit A or NARS Desire blushes. Even then, I don't think it does a decent job on that either. So with that, these are my 2 biggest regretful buys.

Sigma Round Top Kabuki F82 and Sigma Angled Top Kabuki F84 are also redundant brushes. Unlike the F80 brush, these two do nothing. It's meant to be used for cream-based cheek products, but I use my fingers anyway. Again, I would trade the 2 of these for the Sigma F80 brush instead.

That rounds up my face brush collection. What is your standout / can't-live-without brush in your stash?

It's mid-week! Another 2 more days to Friday!

A YSL Haul

2012-02-07T13:24:00.000+01:00

I picked up a few pieces from YSL sometime back and I thought it's high time to make a haul post about it. I placed this order sometime in November last year on the YSL.com website when they had their F&F sale, then I got it shipped by a borderlinx to Singapore, then picked it up during my vacation end December, and only now posting it! All this in 2-3 months. Probably not worth all that effort, I reckon. But anyway, I am one happy bubby seeing them out of their boxes!

I picked up a total of 4 items - 2 glosses, 1 lipstick and 1 eyeshadow. Looking back, I wished I had picked up a mascara, an eyeliner, a foundation, a powder... and the list goes on. Instead, I settled with the things that I really wanted. Got to have a little bit of makeup sense in me once in a while, right?

I'm so glad YSL improved the packaging of their products. What irked me the most was their tarnished packaging after a few uses. My older YSL products is covered with small scratches and impossibly-hard-to-remove fingerprints. No mistake, the packaging is uber glamarous but doesn't hold up against the 'elements'.

The older YSL Rouge Pur lipsticks had this very issue. In contrast, the 'newer' YSL Rouge Pur Coutures are alot more resistant to the fingerprints. I have the most beautiful shade in Rose Dahlia. Rouge Pur Coutures also fare better in the moisture factor, and does not have as much slip as the older YSL's Rouge Voluptes or YSL Rouge Purs. So I picked up another one in the shade #6 Rose Bergamasque (what a name!) for an everyday rose nude.

I also picked my first two golden glosses. I have had the YSL Rouge Pur 04, which I still have and love. The colour is a fantastically bright watermelon pink. Unlike the Pur Glosses, the golden glosses are infused with microspecks of 24 caret gold - to be absolutely precise; 0.2%of gold flecks which translates to 0.00012g or 0.12mg per tube (the geek in me says). With gold prices shooting off the roof compounded by the Eurocrisis and worldwide recession, it still amazes me that gold is still used in some beauty products. Seriously! Is it necessary?!

YSL Golden Gloss Golden Lavender #18 is a straightforward lavender, and YSL Golden Gloss Golden Obsession #42 is a deep cool toned pink. What gets me swooning about YSL glosses in general is their melon scent.

And finally a YSL Pure Chromatics in #5 which contains a quad of bubblegum pink, gunmetal pewter taupe, silver grey, and light pink shades. They can be used either wet or dry, and is right up my alley in shimmery goodness! I definitely look forward to trying these this weekend, and featuring it in one of my FOTDs.

What have your experiences been with YSL makeup?

Finished Products for the Month of January

2012-02-06T13:53:00.002+01:00

There's nothing better than finishing something, and then gazing forever at an empty pan or pot. haha!

I have not finished ANYTHING makeup in 2011. Nada. It's an epitome to finally have finished something, actually 3 things!

Make Up Forever High Definition Primer (mauve) was my go-to primer for months on end. I love the scent, the texture and how fittingly well it goes with the MUFE HD Foundation. Click here for a review. Will I repurchase? Yes, absolutely!

Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Mascara should have been tossed out many months ago. It was my cult favourite for a while, then I started to use Lancome Hypnose instead. I would still go back to YSL Faux Cils, just because it created more volume and the wand is easy to use. Will I repurchase? No, I will instead try the newer YSL mascaras instead just out of curiousity.

Lush Dream Cream was my regular purchase - it applies like a lotion but has the benefits of a cream for the winter. The downside is the scent, which my boyfriend thinks it smells like toilet detergent. Well, he exaggerates of course. It is herbal and very 'organic' in scent. Will I repurchase? Maybe.

Blush Horizon de Chanel is to die for!

2012-02-05T12:19:00.001+01:00

I'm definitely very late in the myriad of Spring '12 collections that have been constantly streaming in since December. Chanel, Dior, Guerlain has only started coming out in stores here in Denmark, significantly later than most countries. Chanel Singapore had already started selling the Spring '12 collection from late December.

I picked up the Blush Horizon de Chanel, induced by my dear friend Ivy from Singapore. This is probably the first time in my life that I bought this product even without realising the price tag. Only much later, I realised at hindsight that I was significantly brainwashed to have paid $100 for yet ANOTHER blush to my stash of overflowing blushes.

Well, it was worth it I think.

Yet again, this is another blog post discussing the very Blush Horizon de Chanel. My opinion, like others, would be that this is the masterpiece of the Spring '12 collection. If you're setting yourself a makeup budget that only allows you to buy 1-2 pieces of makeup from any Spring collection this year - I consider this one of them, and Cruel Gardenia highlighter from Guerlain.

Powders are incredibly finely milled, but not too soft like the Guerlain blushes. It also comes with a lovely soft brush, encased in a separate pouch, which I am always impressed with.

The colors towards the top tends to be brighter and pinkier, and transitioning towards a more softer coral pink towards the bottom. The stripes are too small to be used individually, but I would say that there's two ways of using the product. A brighter pink on the upper half of the pan, and a softer light pink on the bottom half.

I am convinced that this blush is going to be used fairly often. It swatches beautifully on my arm, and it looks even better on my cheek. The slight shimmer doesn't get in the way, to make you look like ms. Oompa Loompa of the Spring. In fact, it adds that delicate touch of extra luminosity that I am so loving this season.

What is simply amazing about this blush is the glow it gives to your cheeks. There's no chunky glitter, there's no overloaded shimmer, it doesn't accentuate the pores or the lines, nor does it oxidise. It's exquisite. It's love.

I was discussing Rouge Bunny Rouge Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Tranquility in my last post. Here, I mixed RBR's Highlighting Liquid with my IPSA Pure Protect Foundation Creme, which I find quite flat when used alone. The effect? Oh my god, to die for luminosity!!!!! I think I must revert my opinion on the RBR Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Tranquility, which I previously thought it could be duped by Benefit's High Beam. Wrong! The magic of RBR works when when mixed with your foundation. Stamp, sealed and approved by moi! :-)

Ok, back to the subject - Blush Horizon de Chanel is perfectly paired with the lipstick Chanel Rouge Allure in Joyeuse 87 and lipgloss Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Insolence 57. It's remarkable how close the three of them are in shade.

For the rest of my face, I used some lovely staples from Chanel, Laura Mercier, etc etc.

I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday. I spent my weekend gulfing down chapters of Stieg Larsson's Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. It's a great book! It's been one of these months where fiction books is making yet another appearance to my life, along with blogging. If you haven't already watched the movie, I suggest you read the novel first.

Toodles!

Rouge Bunny Rouge - Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid

2012-02-01T12:49:00.003+01:00

The Rouge Bunny Rouge Highlighting Liquid in Seas of Illumination 008 is my latest acquisition from one of my business travels to Russia. This is my one and only item from Rouge Bunny Rouge - a luxurious item purchase. I couldn't afford to buy more because of the limited Russian Rubles I had at the time. I heard of this product from Cafemakeup initially, and it was one of the items that was on my shopping list for a long time yet.

There's something so Alice in Wonderland about the packaging and wording of Rouge Bunny Rouge products. It still surprises me that RBR originates from Russia - afterall, this is the country where there has been the least international progression in terms of local industry. The main streets of Moscow, Tverskaya Prospekt, runs through major international brands, from Benetton to Lush Cosmetics, but with very limited local brands. I just wish that RBR was more readily available internationally, instead of just being limited to Zuneta online or instores in selected metropols of Russia.

Packaging-wise, the RBR Highlighting Liquid is encased in a glass bottle, contents of 30mL, and product dispensed through a hygienic pump. When I purchased this bottle, I noticed the marbelized appearance of the product through the transparent glass bottle. Initially, I thought it was a result of the product staying on the shelves for way too long, but realised that it probably is purposely packaged in that way.

There are 3 different shades of RBR Highlighting Liquid - the lightest being the Seas of Illumination. It can be used by mixing this into your foundation, primer or applied alone to anywhere you wish to accentuate - cheeks, sides of the nose, brows etc. The liquid is quite creamy and glides nicely to the skin, allowing you to diffuse it with any liquid foundation products you may want to mix it with.

There is a noticeably high density of the opalescent highlight pigment, and under certain angles, the soft pink pearls shows through. Overall, it's beautiful.

I wanted to show you how RBR Seas of Illumination compares to the well known Benefit High Beam. It looks very similar - with the exception that Benefit High Beam is only slightly more whitish than pink. Pictures will reveal more.

Here I have applied RBR Highlighting Liquid to the cheeks - I used a little more than I should, only to photograph more clearly. It's a little tricky to apply with the fingers, so I would suggest a short foundation brush to gently tap a small amount of fluid to the cheekbones.

What I do find is that if you do apply too much, it starts to look rather cakey. But when applied sparingly, I can imagine it can really do wonders in making you look instantly awake and illuminated.

If you're struggling to fork 45 GBP on Zuneta, my suggestion is to go with Benefit High Beam. There's only a marginal difference to what you can achieve on the cheeks. In fact, Benefit High Beam tends to brighten up areas even more.

Can you even tell the difference between both sides of the cheek? Only slightly. So there you have it, High Beam at a cost of GBP 33 (2 bottles of 15 mLs) or RBR Seas of Illumination at GBP 45.

I hope that was useful for anyone who is curious about Rouge Bunny Rouge products. I'm not sure if the price is really worth it. I had planned to purchase a few of their eyeshadows, but then decided that I had just way too many eyeshadows anyway.

Highlighting with BB Shimmerbrick in Beige

2012-01-30T21:30:00.002+01:00

Bobbi Brown Shimmerbricks are collectible-worthy, wouldn't you agree? Each 'brick' is graduated with 5 different tones of shimmer, giving you the versatility to adjust the tone of your highlight/blush. This is the case for my beloved Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick in Beige. Beige, is not limited edition (luckily) and is described to be a nude-toned highlighter, accentuating the skin's candlelit glow. This is probably my first Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick purchased back in 2006 (omg!), and since then, I couldn't help but build a substantial collection.

I have used Beige as eyeshadows before and it gives my lids a simple wash of illuminance. The swatches for the top lightest shade is more of a golden hue, which brings a glow to the skin, rather than a whitish sparkly cast that some highlighters tend to do.

Pictures don't do justice when it comes to highlighters. It's almost impossible to catch the right angle and light with the camera.

Below, I have applied Beige on the tops of my cheeks.

I discovered the beautiful packaging of MAC's Hipness Blush (Frost), which is probably a summertime shade. I do like the contrast that the blush gives to my cheek.

As an eyeshadow base, I took out Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in RSVP. Holy - this shade is beautiful. I will need to do a separate blog post for this.

I also brought out my Stila All Doll'd Up Eyeshadow Palette to play. I just love that there's 12 different multicoloured shades to work with in a pan that is easy to carry around. I used the last circle with the beige, brown and mid-tone green, just layering it on top of another to create some form of gradation.

Then there's the other usual suspects, like Lancome's Hypnose mascara, Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, MUFE Aqua Liner, and the little treasure of MAC Splashing Lipglass.

I hope you're having a good Monday. It's freezing outside and I hate it. I want spring to come by already!

Winter hydration with trusty Estee

2012-01-29T16:23:00.001+01:00

There's one thing I dread the most about winter, apart from below freezing temperatures and cold blasted wind, is dry patchy skin that hurts for days on end. I was determined not the face the same fate that I once did during the winters in Australia (which is still in comparison milder than those in Nordic countries). Surprisingly, I was blessed this time round with hydrated skin, and I had to (absolutely must) make a review of the products.

All credits go to Estee Lauder Hydrationist range. It's as simple as it is. Nothing more, nothing less. I have the largest bottle of the EL Hydrationist Moisture Barrier Fortifier Serum and the EL Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme for dry skin, and I use both products daily for the morning and night.

The Hydrationist Serum claims to be a moisture fortifier, by interacting with the skin to create a moisture insulating layer to lock in hydration. It sounds really fancy, like most skincare products out there. Whatever it's doing, my skin likes it and it's working.

A single pump dispenses just the amount you need to cover the entire face and neck. The texture is light, lightly fragranced, and absorbs rather quickly into the skin.

I normally skip toning altogether. Just a personal verdict, I don't think that toning does anything to my skin, and I believe it's another marketing trick to get you into buying another product of their already extensive skincare line. I have over the years learnt to keep my skincare routine rather simple. It's a deliberate choice to minimise the 'activity' done to my face, and to keep the repurchase to the minimum.

On a clean face, I use a pump of the Hydrationist Serum and then the Hydrationist Moisturiser. Done in less than 3 seconds! Isn't that a godsend? My friends, hydration, no matter how old or young you are, are necessities to good skin.

The Estee Lauder's Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme comes in 3 types; combination and dry skin, and an oily skin that comes in a pump bottle. I consider my skin to be combination in nature - oily t-zone and dry cheeks. I was deliberating between the combination and the dry skin, and opted for the latter just because I needed something heavy duty.

If I recall, the combination skin formulation is much more gel-like and less creamy. And surprisingly, the cream is just as easily absorbed into the skin even though it is thicker. It doesn't create oiliness or the heaviness you would expect with winter creams, so I wouldn't judge the wording on the packaging too seriously.

A small scoop with your fingers is all you need for the whole face. Again, it has a light fragrance, and absorbs well into the skin, leaving it feeling quite refreshed! I also think that it makes my face feel softer and prepared for primer & foundation.

Honestly, it has been a long while since I have last found a great cream. I have tried a range from Biotherm, Lancome, Shiseido and more, then giving myself a long break while being on Roaccutane. I have found this cream to be really effective in giving me back the moisture that I needed during the colder months.

Have you used Estee's Hydrationist range? I recommend snagging a few samples from the EL counter next time you visit!

Category features: Cream Eyeshadows

2012-01-28T14:27:00.006+01:00

I'm going to post a category feature every week, to assemble the collection of assorted products in each category; such as cream eyeshadows (this very post!), powdered eyeshadows, cream blushers, powdered blushers, eyeliners, etc etc. I think it's fun to bring them all together so that there's a nice comparison made with each product type.

So lets begin!

Today I assembled all my cream eyeshadows, as part of my organisational effort, and loved playing with the textures of each brand and comparing the effects. I would love to be more detailed in my pictures but today is another typical grey day and no matter what, my white balance miserably brings the whole prettiness to dull dull dull.

I picked up 2 more Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows during the Benefit 20% sale last year, Birthday suit (a neutral barely there shade) and RSVP (a sparkling champagne shade), are my newest additions. The texture and shimmery finish of Benefit's cream eyeshadows are by far my favourite. They're creamy and have a lovely sheen, making it a perfect base for shadows on top.

Jill Sturt's Jelly Eyes are really fun little products. They are packaged in a gorgeous princessy button cap, adding a lovely touch to your dresser. And, they have a texture like jelly gummy bears with alot of bounce. They're more watery generally, but they have a glittery finish. Probably less suitable for the office but it's great for the Japanese kawaii look!

Illamasqua's Cream Pigments are less creamy. Instead, they are harder to the touch, and dries to a semi-matte finish. I reach for them less because they're harder to blend, and often, I would have to use some more powdered eyeshadows on top to balance the pigmentation that it gives. When I have less time in the mornings, I just can't be bothered with additional steps.

There are a few odd cousins in my stash - MAC paint pot, Shiseido Hydro Powder Eyeshadow and a MUFE aqua cream. Lets talk about them too...

MAC paintpots are not my favourite. I don't know what it is but I never got into them, and clearly the soft ochre paintpot doesn't serve as a very good base when your skin is verging towards dry. I don't like it when my eyelids look flakey as well. So, I don't really like them.

As for Shiseido Hydro Powder Eyeshadows, they're nice. I picked up a shimmery pink shade, which is not the most pigmented, but I picked it up just to give my cheeks a little bit of sparkle. They have released new formulas, and their packaging is flatter in design. They're really lovely but I never got around to buying it.

And finally, the MUFE aqua creams are nice too. I never got around to picking more shades but I would if I had the chance. They're creamy, nicely pigmented and are water resistant.

There's alot of other cream products out there... like the Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyes, Chanel illusion d'ombres, etc etc. And, I probably would have them in my collection by now if I lived near a department store. Actually, I do.. but I still have not felt the urge to expand the already extensive collection that I have!

I hope you enjoyed my first category features. I'm sure to do more in the coming few weeks!

January smokey eyes with Shu Uemura and Laneige

2012-01-21T20:04:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone! After a rather long break for Christmas and X-mas vacation, and then followed by an intense period at work, I am back! Today I decided to do a smokey eye look, assembling a few little gems I found here and there. My skintone went a few shades darker after a stroke of sun bliss in Koh Samui (Thailand). This new tan has given me more opportunities to use more pigmented blushes and eyeshadow colours.

Shu Uemura eyeshadows (at least the old versions) are stunning. Its' quality surpasses MAC and Urban decay by a LONG mile, as it neither too hard or too soft. I have a small collection of Shu Uemura eyeshadows, and I used to love collecting unique shades. Well, until Shu Uemura decided to revamp everything with their eyeshadows. I have yet to test out the newer formulations, so I have nothing to comment.

Shu Uemura P Black 990 is a must-have black eyeshadow with specks of microglitter that sticks rather well on the eyelid and does not transfer to the cheeks. Nothing beats this shade, not even MAC Carbon.

I also picked up a few discounted Laneige eyeshadows from way back, including this gorgeous duochrome white-golden eyeshadow in Laneige Snow Beige Prism eyeshadow. It minimises the look of the harsh black eyeshadow and gives a nice 3D dimension.

It has been a long while since MAC Cheeky Bronze made its entrance back to my life. You would probably agree with me, that MAC MSFs were once a raved and coveted product range (and probably still is, but lesser so now). I look back now and think that it was overhyped. It does give a beautiful sheen to the cheeks, especially MAC Cheeky Bronze, as it blends in very well into the skin.

Here are some finished looks for the day. Close up of the eye.

Finished off with MAC Viva Glam II - a flat nude shade, and a great companion for the smokey eye.

All the products used for today's FOTD.

I hope you're having a wonderful Saturday. It's snowing here in Copenhagen!

Seasons Greetings!

2011-12-22T16:14:00.002+01:00

Hola!! I am now officially on a real vacation, starting about an hour ago. It has been a whole year since I went on a 'real' holiday - which basically means not responding to work emails or calls for at least one week. I'm heading over to Bangkok to attend a good friend's wedding, and off to Samui to get baked under the sun. Contrary to what I've been preaching on 'sun damage' and 'sun protection', I'm going to toss all that goody-two-shoe-talk out the window.

Me and my sweetie went out for a little evening stroll at Tivoli (at long last!) to admire the Russian decorations. Albeit a small amusement park, it is packed with happy kids and lots of lights. My poor toes were frozen from the slightly above temperatures, but baby, this is winter in Europe!

It's been an amazing 2011 year for me - not only from relocating from Asia to Europe, but I also have the opportunity to see exotic places in the world. I pretty much live, breathe BRIC markets, a disciple of the Goldman Sachs 2003 white paper. I don't look particularly forward to 2012, especially when all my contract in Europe will draw to a close. All I can say is that I'm likely adjust my future, change my priorities and keep dreaming and living in Europe.

New Years Resolutions are often shortlived. This time it's not about thinking what aspect of my life we want to change 2 hours before the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve. But rather, doing what I have always wanted to do and not think twice or thrice!

Happy holidays!

Seeing Winter Rose

2011-12-19T18:05:00.000+01:00

I never would have thought summer coral cheeks could go with muted rose plummy wintery eyes. It came to quite pleasantly while I was making a bravo attempt over the weekend to use bits and pieces of abandoned makeup. I came across MAC Stereo Rose. In fact, the name should rightly be 'Crimenelle rose' because of it's strange tendency to be coral but not really. It just creates a lovely healthy sheen, the very thing I need for this super grey winter.

Combined with Guerlain Meteorites from last years' christmas collection just seems so right. I don't know why it does... but instinct was telling me that I should just give it a go, and I love the effect!

I am in this mood of wearing anything that is plum - from eyes, lips and nails. No blues, no greys, no browns... all and everything is plum. In fact, I am guilty as charged for not using more of my Illamasqua Delirium pigment. Early this year, I was raving nonstop about these little pots, and realised how little I have used of it. Here, I used this as a base, with Anna Sui's 206 and 001 as eyeshadows on top.

Stila Stunning in Sayulita

2011-12-11T22:03:00.000+01:00

Stila miniture booklets are great travel companions, mixed and matched with versatile colours, and all for a great value of 10 pounds each (or US $14). Each palette consists of 4 eyeshadows, weighing 4.2g, equivalent to a MAC eyeshadow and 2 cheek colours with 3.1g each. A great bang for your buck, parred with the quality of most high-end brands - i.e Tarte, MAC, to say the least. When comparing these eyeshadows to Stila's regular single eyeshadows, it misses a notch in the buttery texture. However, this tiny detail shouldn't deter you from picking one of these little booklets.

I ordered the first few booklets from the the Stila beach palettes from Look Fantastic, when they were having their 20% sale. Stunning in Sayulita is reminescent of beachy days, and will look gorgeous on tanned skin.

If you haven't seen these palettes in person, the cardboard packaging has a magnetic enclosure, and feels somewhat sturdy in my hands. I'm not entirely sold with cardboard in general. Most of my cosmetics are either in plastic or metal, and having something in cardboard feels tacky. But, lets be fair here... Stila is afterall marketed towards teenagers and college kids, with an affordable price point.

There's a nice combination of warm-toned colours. Palm trees is a gorgeous mossy green, paired with Sandbar to create a crease-cut look.

The blush in Playa is very heavily pigmented and I made the mistake of applying too much! I was about to rub it off, then decided that it was a nice colour anyway. By the way, NC 30+ skin will look amazing with this colour!

The lighter cheek colour, Banderas boy, reminds me of the Shu Uemura Glow on blushes that I own (Shu Uemura blushes are so amazing and imitates a beautiful inlit glow). Although Banderas Boy is claimed to be a bronzer, I wouldn't mind using this as a everyday blusher - only if it does not oxidise on me!

I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday/Monday!

Lush goodies stuffers

2011-11-23T14:33:00.005+01:00

Everytime I go walk into Lush Cosmetics in London around this time of year, I feel this lovely mushy feeling of festivity. The first thing I asked the lady was 'what's limited edition?' So she takes me for a little adventure, coupled with Lushy enthusiasm (are they all trained to be super-hyper-and-bubbly, or what?!). It certain works, because I felt I had taken the express train back to my youth, and feeling very much like I was in my favourite candy store in the US. Some things never change, do they?

Everyone has heard of Snow Fairy, and raves about it. I had very high expectations, thinking that the scent must be mindblowing. I was disappointed. I thought it smelt like over-sugared cupcakes that did a massive overdose of pink coating. I thought... meh, not me. Until, the sales assistant lathered my dirty hands and wiped it clean and dry. Ok, I had to change my mind. The scent is overpowering from the bottle but on the skin, it does smell yummy. Sold.

On closer observation, I see little purple shimmers immersed throughout my snowy goodness that I'm convinced that 'sugared coating cupcakes' to be the best analogy!

There were a bunch of limited edition bath bombs, as you could probably expect. If I had a bathtub, I can imagine going broke in Lush. :-)

I moderately went away with 3 other limited edition soaps and a body cream - Sympathy for the Skin. This is my preparation for the most shocking winter I will ever experience in my life. Let me share with you a secret... body butters, moisturisers, lotions etc is going to do nothing for your skin when you're always confined in heated rooms and dry -10 degrees weather. How do you prevent the dry skin? Simple. Bikram yoga. Truly. Do it 3-4 times a week, and your skin will feel like you're still in summer-timer; supple and hydrated.

Lady Catrina is a Halloween special - this is a must-have Lush soap. Must-have. Smells beyond this world.

Snow Globe has a slight minty scent. Also gorgeous. Must have, and backup worthy.

Angels Delight is nice too. Nothing spectacular like the other two above. Nice additions to my Lush stash.

I think I'm going to place another order online before they discontinue these soaps. :-)

Have a lovely Thursday!

Pink teasers: Chanel rouge coco cambon and pink teaser

2011-11-22T13:59:00.007+01:00

Once in a while, I miss wearing red lips, but hate getting too much attention on passerbys. Only because the Danes don't wear much makeup. So rather than go with the matte blood red lipstick, I opt for a glossy red that is lighter and may even classify as a red-pink, almost like raspberry or watermelon. Although, its not a true red, the sheerer bright lip versions still do wonders to lift your mood in this gloomy and grey Copenhagen weather.

I paired Chanel Rouge Coco in Cambon with Chanel Glossimer in Pink Teaser. Honestly I do not recall what collection this was released, but know that it was sometime last year. *hangs head in shame for the backlog in posts!*

As we all know, applying red lipstick requires a lipbrush. Precision... precision!

I know there's plenty of posts about the older Rouge Cocos, which feels like it was only yesterday. Cambon was a shade that I picked up later after all its overhype. On that subject, Rouge Cocos are drying. I don't know why I ended up with more than a few. Nevertheless, it's a pretty coral-red with lots of pink undertones. Not quite a warm red, but rather a blue-red. How can you tell? Well, if the red makes your teeth look more yellow - it's a warm-tone red. Blue-toned red lipsticks, on the other hand, make your teeth look whiter. 'Yes, go away coffee stains!'

Layered with Chanel Glossimer in Pink Teaser is totally fated. With the same red-pinky shade but with gold shimmer. A match made in heaven!

Hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday!

A Plum Addition: Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Antique Rose No. 10

2011-11-20T12:04:00.001+01:00

I'm no stranger to Burberry Cosmetics. In fact, when it was released sometime last year, I made it a point to pick a few of their eyeshadows at their newly opened store at Lane Crawford Harbour Front, Hong Kong. Before that, I had read many blogs including Temptalia and TheBeautyLookBook. True to their word, Burberry offers some glamorous pieces with their classic wearable neutral shades, encased in the heavy weight and glamourous checked casing.

I took the opportunity to pick up a few more eyeshadows at the London Heathrow Airport last month when I was stopping over on the way to Sao Paulo. Each eyeshadow was priced at about 18 pounds, saving a few from the VAT. I regretted not buying more, especially the shades which were considered more 'daring'. Nevertheless, I love what I managed to pick up.

Online swatches does little justice to the quality and superiority of these eyeshadows. I was blown away with the butteriness and satiny finish I get. It's unlike other brands I've tried. MAC eyeshadows tend to be on the 'drier' side, and Urban Decay too pigmented.

I managed to pick up 3 wearable shades for the office; Burberry's limited edition shade in Midnight Brown, regular item in Antique Rose and finally Porcelain.

Today's look will feature Burberry's Antique Rose Sheer Eyeshadow. I would describe this colour to be a browny plum with a small hint of burnt muted red. The texture is very smooth and finely milled, and has really good staying power.

I wasn't sure if I had a colour that was similar to this, especially knowing that I do verge towards plummy shades very often. What I do appreciate about Burberry's Antique Rose is that it does not have too much of a red undertone that it looks too heavy on lighter skin tones. The most closest shade I have to Burberry's Antique Rose is probably MAC Shale eyeshadow. Even then, MAC Shale eyeshadow has alot more of purple undertone.

Now it's also very often that cosmetic brands would release a plum shade in their Autumn or Fall collections, so again, I had a look through my drawer and found some similar shades that I could do some comparisons with. Interestingly, I did find that Lunasol Start of Night Palette which was part of the 2010 Fall Collection has a similar undertone of red with alot more glitter. And the next best colour replica would be YSL Ombres Duolumieres in No. 15, which I've owned for the longest time! However, you will not get the same level of pigmentation and satin finish as Burberry Antique Rose.

I wore Burberry's Antique Rose as a general wash of colour to the lids, accentuated with Midnight Brown on the outer lash line, and Porcelain on the middle lid just to give a little more gradation.

It's a colour that can be easily worn to work, after-work drinks, dinner parties, and especially around the autumn and winter season. I love it when I paired this eyeshadow with more brown toned blushes like Nars Dolce Vita (heavy version) or Dolce & Gabanna Caramel blush.

In summary, Burberry Antique Rose a shade worth investing for the Winter season. It's subtle and adds a lovely dimension to an otherwise simple makeup look. It will be a colour I know I will be wearing for the next few weeks.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Brand spotlight: Chanel

2011-11-07T13:01:00.000+01:00

There's something really nice and girly about gathering your Chanel products into one sitting, imagining that your entire collection could look like if you reduced everything to one and only brand. Chanel. The packaging looks classy and elegant. The product is always made of high quality. The colours make you look understatedly glamorous. And, it always makes it to my top favourites of the month. It's hard to pick one Chanel favourite, just because everything has its place in my makeup kingdom.

I have noticed that Chanel has dramatically improved the quality of their products release after release. Their original eyeshadows were chalky and had poor payoff. But nowadays, there's always something to swoon for. Cafemakeup and Beauty Look Book are the biggest inducers in terms of Chanel.

If you also recall, I got into a Chanel nailpolish kick. It's an indulgence, if you were to ask me a few years ago, where I would never consider buying expensive nailpolish. I have now accumulated 3, and will continue to grow my collection with new releases.

Chanel base products are lovely too... with some misses. But all in all, the lightly rose scented products brings you to a whole new level of 'luxury'. I love the big, bold and beautiful packaging of the Bronze Universal and Loose Powder. So what if it takes more room on my vanity. It just makes the whole experience so much more decadent!

So what is it in Chanel do you love? Share with me your most coveted Chanel item!

An unexpected pop of color by Urban Decay Kush

2011-10-22T13:00:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone! I'm back again. Back with a major blogging-mojo kick! I am in one of those moods where I need to resort to girly & prety things to relieve my stress. The past week my stress levels have been shooting off the roof, and further aggravated by two major deadlines next week.

Today I'm using Urban Decay's Volume III NYC palette, an oldie of mine. Honestly, I bought this palette to force myself to use more daring colours. Instead, it has been quietly stashed for some time and well, I figured this is THE palette for today.

When I was using this palette, I thought of sweet Kas from Shine, Shimmer & Sparkle. I went on her blog this morning, reading through her funny entries on random makeup ramblings. I suddenly felt inspired to use the most shocking colour in this palette, one that I would never ever reach for. Kush, is probably one of the most weirdest colour in this palette - being the odd colour out, it's not something that I would typically use everyday (if at all!). Described as a dark yellowish lime green, I thought it would be impossible to pull off.

Hmm... quite the contrary.

I used Rockstar, Money and Loaded to give the eyes a little bit more depth.

I made a mess a few times and had to start all over again, because it has been so long since I've even worn elaborate makeup. And, I am pleasantly surprised that it turned out pretty good after my 3rd attempt. What do you think?

I need to get myself some new lashes... My current ones; Ardell 109s, are so old that there's no longer any shape to them. I popped them on nevertheless and suddenly loved how much bigger my eyes look with fakies.

MAC's Razzle & Dazzler lipstick is creamy salmony tangerine colour, which I used my fingers to dab some colour on my lips. I love this shade, but it's not an easy colour to wear if you apply it directly from the tube. It comes out way too strong. But dabbing it is a different story!

Simple pieces to complete the look.

I love this look. While in theory, I loathe anything that is yellowish greens and bright blues, it's all about using a dash of bright all across the eyelid and then toning it down with safer shades; darker shades to smoke it out, or lighter shades to blend the harsh lines. I also reached for a very muted light rose blush, by Givency Prismissime Maharani Pinks, and dabbing a smidgen of tangerine orange by MAC Razzle-Dazzler to give my look a more fun-flirty feel.

It's worthwhile to mention that I applied my eyeshadow first. There was so much fallout and colour on my cheeks at the end of my experiment. I'm afraid Urban Decay eyeshadows tend to be quite messy. Hello, glitter cheeks!

So what's your plan this weekend? Mine will involve a nice lovely nap in the afternoon.

Addicitive accent to the cooler months

2011-10-09T10:11:00.000+02:00

I realise that as my moods and outlook in life evolve, fragrances often reflect my transition. So when I feel like I need power in my life, to manage all the little stresses that prop up, I use fragrances that are predominantly masculine... Those that come to mind; Serge Lutens Chergui - there's nothing seductive about this scent, but it's surprisingly empowering.

When I have miserable days, I only seek comfort fragrances which I would then spritz on the pillows and fall deep in sleep... Narcisco Rodriguez for Her is reminiscent of my days in Australia, simply because every other lady will have this on her. I don't usually like to smell 'familiar' but on occasions, it's a great pick me up.

And now, when I'm appreciating the simplicity of life where I spend a good majority of my evenings with my boyfriend, I lean towards cleaner and more linear fragrances. Jo Malone springs in mind. Vanilla and Anise brings an elegant warmth to the skin. Nothing too complex, in fact a very simple single note. No character depth as you would typically expect in Tom Ford and Serge Lutens fragrances.

Jo Malone is atypical to the crowded duty free fragrance space. It brings a touch of 'home' with her candles and bodycare products. Most of all, her large array of fragrances are clean, simple and elegant. Fuss free and goes down to the basics. Some would say that it lacks the 'artistic depth' that you will find in Parisian boutique fragrances. But heck it, I love that I don't have to think too much about the fragrance when you're short of time.

I picked up her one her new additions to her line; the Cologne Intense range, in Rose Water & Vanilla. When I took a whiff of this one day at the Dublin Airport, I was instantly drawn to the sweet exotic accent of rose with a comforting layer of warm vanila enveloping the skin. It now belongs on my must-have Autumn fragrances. Exquisitely deeper than her other clear bottles and so feminine that it makes all my other unisex fragrances jealous of her position in my ranks.

Delicately composed of rose, vanila, neroli and petitgrain, designed by Christine Nagel who designed 'Miss Dior Cherie', 'Dolce & Gabanna the One' to name a few.

You can purchase this at stores for 80 pounds... a little bit pricier than the normal 100mL bottles.

I have combined this with Jo Malone Nutmeg and Ginger, making this a more spicier version or worn it on its own. Either way, it's intense but clean enough to be layered.

And when winter is looming close, comforting vanila scents will make me feel that much more happier in within my candle-lit home with friends and family.

Lunasol Three Dimensional Eyes: Haul, Swatches, Impressions, LOTD

2011-09-18T15:33:00.002+02:00

I never used to pay that much attention to AdamBeauty, Bobodave and Imomoko until I moved to a country where asian cosmetics are completely non-existant. I no longer have the freedom to 'drop by' in the evenings to check out new release collections from Lunasol, Kose, Paul & Joe and the likes. I say it's a good thing; I reserve my cash for holidays and more important things (I think).

I broke my rule and saw that Adambeauty had stocked the new Lunasol Three-Dimensional Eyes, and next thing I knew, I had to do a sneaky lunch time purchase in the office to make sure I didn't miss out.

Each retails for USD 60 on Adambeauty, which comes to about S$72. It's slightly cheaper (by a few dollars) than in stores in Takashimaya Orchard. Instead of waiting a whole week to receive your buys, I rather buy it in stores and start using the product immediately. I waited for about 5-6 days via registered mail. Delighted, I started to snap some pictures and show you my new additions to my expanded Lunasol collection.

I selected 3 eyeshadow palettes based on online swatches on Yuki Lazy's Channel. Click here to see more of her true and accurate swatches.

From left to right:

- Deep Beige 05

- Mysterious Beige 03

- Soft Beige 02

Deep Beige 05

Firstly, Deep Beige 05 offers a combination of cool-toned grey, dark eyeshadows for a smokey eye. It consists of multi-toned green olive undertones, which makes the palette very interesting to use.

The first 3 shades are those from the top left hand cornered triple-toned segment, middle two are the single segments and finally the last 3 darker shades are from the bottom right cornered triple-toned segment.

In total, you get 8 somewhat unique shimmery shades from each palette.

Mysterious Beige 03

Second, Mysterious Beige 03 consists of more purple toned shades with a lavender accent on the bottom left corner. This is by far the most flattering combination of shades for Asian skin tones.

Soft Beige 02

And finally, soft beige provides more pink and warm toned browns.

I find that all these eyeshadows are beautifully coordinated. They provide you more than the usual 4-5 eyeshadows you get from other Lunasol palettes and are a lot softer than last year's Star Shower Eyes. I could use these all year round, because they're not as heavily pigmented.

The first top left triple-toned white shade tends to be quite repetitive in all the eyeshadow palettes. They're probably the most disappointing shades, because they're not that different, and they lack pigmentation.

I would only recommend you to pick a maximum of 2 eyeshadows from this collection. They're nice, but I don't feel that you're going to get that much more satisfaction by owning all five shades from this collection. My favourite of them all has got to be Soft Beige 02, which I will now show you a LOTD.

LOTD with Soft Beige 02

I used almost all the shades in the palette, graduating from white pink and brown from the inner corner to outer corner respectively. As you can tell, there's a high shimmer effect which I absolutely love about Lunasol eyeshadows. I lined my eyes using MAC Fluidline in Blitz and Glitz and topped up with Lancome Hypnose Mascara.

Base makeup includes Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base which smells of lovely citrus, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, RMK EX Powder 102.

For my cheeks I have on Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in 10, a dusty light pink for a soft accent to complement the eyes.

and finally on my lips I have on Chanel Rouge Lacque in 77 Ming. Again, pairing with soft wearable pinks.

I wore this look to a dinner party last night. I intentionally made my look soft yet casual. I can't wait to try on the other two eyeshadows, and definitely will tell you what I think after all my experimentation.

So will you be picking up anything from this collection?

Roaming the Streets of Saint Petersburg, Russia

2011-09-13T10:51:00.000+02:00

Last week I had to travel to Saint Petersburg for work. I was only there for a period of 3 days, but I took every opportunity to explore the city outside-office hours. It is worthwhile to begin any Russian trip 2 months in advance for visas, tickets and hotels. Hotels are often booked out and fairly expensive, the visa administrative process is lengthy, and flight connections to and from Russia are not always favorable.

Nevertheless, I made it. Ripped off by taxi drivers, but nevertheless I arrived in one piece.

St. Petersburg was built by the Tsar, or otherwise known as Peter the Great. He had a wild vision at the time to build this city on many swampy islands. The Tsar's far reaching visions and ambitions paid off as St. Petersburg now stands magnificantly with lavish architecture, intricately halls of renaissance art and mix of deep-setted Soviet culture.

So here are some of the pictures I took on a cloudy evening in St. Petersburg, with locations that are all within walking distance. My hotel was situated near the St. Issac's Cathedral, with a golden dome that serves as my main compass whenever I lost orientation. This cathedral is a neoclassical rendered by the Byzantine Greek Orthodox church and remains the largest in Russia.

Tucked away on a canal adjacent to the main shopping and CBD district, Nevesky Prospect, stands the Church of Spilt Blood. This church was built over the ground in which the Tsar was assassinated, representing a combination of the Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. No visit to St. Petersburg is complete without seeing this church.

Locals and tourists flock to this area, buying padlocks to mark their presence on the railings at the Griboedov Canal. Newly wed Russian couples are spoilt for choice in this city where landscapes and architectures offer endless photo opportunities.

And finally, the Palace Square is the central city square of St. Petersburg where white-and-azure Winter Palaces are dedicated to the Tsars. In the middle, a symbolic monument represents the victory of the Russian empire over Napoleon. This square has been used many times for concerts, namely Andrea Bocelli.

The Hermitage, a world-famous museum, holds many Renaissance paintings and Russian fine art. You will easily need a whole day to explore this museum and I had to leave this opportunity for another day.

Russians in general are very Eastern European in their culture, i.e there's not alot of smiles and openness like the Western or Southern Europeans or the Americans. I got the impression that the Soviet communist rule still runs deep, even despite the booming economic prosperity particularly in St. Petersburg where it serves a trade gateway into mainland Russia. Unfortunately, bureaucracy is one of the biggest problem, where you typically need 3 documents with the same meaning or rules/regulations that conflict with each other.

But this is definitely a country to watch... with highly-educated Russians, vast history and culture, cash-rich and deep pockets, oil-rich resource lands, it will just be a matter of time till Russia rises up the ranks with China.

Nice swatches but not so great on the eyes...

2011-09-12T20:06:00.001+02:00

I was happily swatching the latest Dior Blue Tie Collection at Copenhagen duty free, and I was ooo-ing and aahh-ing at how sexy the deep navy blue shades were. And later I started swatching Dior Petal Shine and was wondered why these shades looked so familiar. Well, funnily enough this is the reaction you get when you have too much makeup, and have completely forgetten that you even have that product sitting at home.

So I walked out of duty free, and stood tall and proud, for not succumbing into my spending temptations. I went straight home to my makeup stash and started swatching like crazy, just so I could get rid of those persistent and lingering thoughts of Dior. Some moments I am remotely interested in makeup, and theres also days where I can't stop melting my credit card.

Tragic.

So swatch swatch swatch I did...

The deeper shades (which honestly is not that deep or intense) are probably my favourite of the palette. Thoughts that run through my head when swatching were 'non-offensive' 'subtle' 'pretty'.

BUT, it's one of those palettes where I just get bored of too easily. And I completely forget about the colours, so I never reach for it unless I have rare days like that I crave everything from Dior. On the lids, there's hardly any colour differentiation and must I say... it looks really BORING.

Or maybe I'm having one of those sh*t days that no pictures are coming out the quality that I would like. Maybe it's Petal Shine itself that just has a quality that is hard to capture on pictures. Nevertheless, I am just plain unsatisfied.

On the other hand...

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss Imaginere is totally up my alley lately. It glides on my lips like a moisturising lipbalm, smells sensational, stays on for a good 2 hours, and comes in a sleek black tube. The colour imaginere is a medium blue-toned pink.

The products used for today's look.

I hope you're having a good Monday so far.