&Follow SJoin OnSugar
A place for me to share all my make-up ramblings...enjoy!

About Me

e-mail

themakeupblogette@hotmail.com

My name is Sophia!

BLOGLOVIN

Follow on Bloglovin

Follow @makeup_blogette on Instagram

Twitter Me!

Follow makeup_blogette on Twitter

Tags

FAQ & DISCLAIMER

About Me

My name is Sophia, and I am in my early 30s. I am from Singapore and I am the sole writer of this blog.

About this Blog

I started this blog in 2006, I like to use a wide range of brands though I seem to have a growing preference for higher-end brands in recent years. I also like to share interesting things I have come across about makeup and beauty.

Currently The Makeup Blogette receives 39,000 unique views monthly or 2,238,932 views and counting.

My Makeup Style

I like classic looks (neutral tones on eyes, anything goes for lips & cheeks), though occasionally I try out dramatic/ statement looks.  I believe that a flawless base is the key to achieving great makeup looks.  I also believe that if you don't have great skin to start with, fake it with a good foundation routine, and even greater skincare.  I am currently loving Clarins & Lancome skincare products, and Vichy NormaDerm for tackling with breakouts.

What Cameras do I use?

Most of the pictures you see in post 2010 entries are taken with my Canon G-11.  Previously I was using Canon Ixus 80.  I do post some pictures which are taken with my iphone4 which I will state in that particular entry.  I have stopped watermarking my pictures as of 2011, because I think watermarks are ugly in general, and does not prevent people from stealing my pictures if they wish to.  I just take it as a compliment that my pictures are even worth stealing in the first place. I might look into getting a Canon EOS next year, not just for blogging purposes, but I also like photography in general.

My Favourite Makeup Brand(s)

It is hard to name just one, but I like NARS, Chanel, Illamasqua and the ocasional Guerlain, Dior & Urban Decay item.  I own quite a stash of MAC items, but recently I have stopped catching up with their collections, and I much prefer to splurge on a few really outstanding items.

Where to find me

Twitter (link button above!)  Email (stated above!)  Instagram (makeup_blogette)

I have no official Facebook fan page, and currently have no intention to start one at all.  The Makeup Blogette remains my personal hobby and property, so as such, I don't believe in having a Facebook fanpage for it.

Final Disclaimer

I bought/ paid for all of the products mentioned in this blog. I am not affliated to any company. If certain products are sent to me for review purposes, I will say so and express my honest opinions about them. In any case, I will only review and showcase the products which I have personally tried and tested, and enjoy using. I do not get paid to review anything.

No ads, no paid links etc please.  I am in charge of all content and pictures here.

I am not a makeup artist, nor do I have any professional training in makeup.

 

Archive

Archives

May 2013
SMTWTFS
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031 
April 2013
SMTWTFS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930 
March 2013
SMTWTFS
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31 

    Email |
    |
    November 30, 2010

    Stash Part One: Blushers & Face Powders

     

    Hi hi, I am not sure if this willl be a mini series as yet, but thought it would be interesting to do an inventory check of my stash.  But I shall go ahead, and call this a Part One!

    Obviously, nobody needs this many blushes, and I have often wondered, whether to sell or not, and in the end, I end up keeping them, because each of these items has a story to tell.   It could be a travel story, a special trip to a country, a MAC Pro store, or stories of friends and relativeswho have helped me hunt down the products, stories of friendships, swap stories, birthdays, celebrations, that crazy sale etc etc and so on.  So, yes, in a way, they have sentimental value, and that's why I probably won't sell any of these blushes, even if many of them appear brand new, and some are still sealed in their plastic.

    Others keep memories in photo albums, scrapbooks, songs, and all that,  but I guess my makeup stash is another way for me to archive and store great memories too.  (oh, don't call me a cheese-ball for saying all these, you know what I am talking about!)


    Let's start with the  miscellaneous ones:

    10 color palette which I purchased online.

    I don't use this much, except when I need to do makeup for a group of people, and this becomes part of my 'kit'.

    Various face powders

    Clarins Barroco Face Palette

    Two Faced Leopard Bronzer (bought this in France during my first trip to Sephora 4 years back!)

    Covergirl shimmering face powder

    Sonia Kashuk shimmer face powder

    Pretty girly stuff from various brands

    Guerlain Meteorites

    Anna Sui blush from their Xmas set

    Smashbox Dolce Vita (LE)

    Topshop cream blush

    Cargo Amalfi blush

    VOV Blush (pressie from Chantana!)

    Barry M powders which my sister bought when she was hauling in Superdrugs

    Sleek blush - pressie  from Sarah

    WetNWild blush (swap goodie!)

    LA Girls blush - pressie from Sara

    Benefit boxed blushes

    Coralista

    Sugarbomb

    Thrrrob

    Panic

    Illamasqua blushes

    Rumour

    Tremble

    Hussy

    Panic

    Tweak

    Chased

    NARS

    Albatross, Nico, Madly, Luster, Orgasm, Mounia, Mata Hari, Taos, Torrid, Laguna, Doucuer, Penny Lane,Sin, Gilda

    MAC Mineralised Blushes

     

    MAC MSFs & Beauty Powders

    Petticoat (got this years back in Paris too), Porcelain (in the first release), Stereo Rose, Smooth Merge, Blonde,

    Cheeky Bronze, Perfect Topping, Solar Riche, Alpha Girl, Shell Pearl, Sculpt and Shape

    And lastly,

    MAC blushes

    I don't depot all these blushes, because I don't want to risk breaking them, and also single blushes are more travel friendly.

    I may have left out a couple of  items in this entry, but I think this is my total blush stash at this point in time.

    I am quite wary of buying any  more blushes these days, unless some good deal, or unique shades come along.  There are also brands which I have used and enjoyed in the past, such as the Shu Uemura blushes.... and brands which I know I better not venture into because they would be super exensive habits, such as Chanel.

    I feel like doing foundation, concealer, lipsticks showcases.  Maybe when the next 'impulse' hits me!  :)

    Thanks for looking!

     

    Email |
    |
    April 24, 2010

    Nails Story: All about the Blues!

    I can't seem to get enough of blue nail polish.  Blue is not my fave color to wear in terms of clothes, but on nails, I am all for them!  I will be comparing the blues in my stash, and also see how different they look compared to Suzy Says Feng Shui, which is the latest blue addition to my collection.

    Caribbean Blue has silvery blue sparkles, and I think it needs 3 coats for the color to be opaque and even.  For some reason, I would prefer wearing this color on my toe nails.

    Just Groovy is one of my fave blue.  It is a creamy thick sky blue color.  Slightly lighter than Caribbean Blue, but less 'greenish' than Cyan Blue.

    Suzy Says Feng Shui is darker, and has a green/ teal tinge.  It reminds me of a blue version of Jade is the new Black from the same collection.

    Essie's Mesmerize is the darkest among all.  It is also a true blue color (rather cool toned).

    Oh well.  I am glad I don't have any repeated blues in my collection.  I like to wear blue on my nails when they are short and don't have the usual square tips.  And someone please tell me why I am still lemming for Chanel's Nouvelle Vague from their upcoming Summer Collection???  Though that color has been compared to For Audrey which I already have.  I think I will check out this color at the counter with For Audrey on my hands for comparison.  I think this collection will launch here around Mid May.

     

    Email |
    |
    April 23, 2010

    Nails Story: Barry M Cyan Blue

    I really like these blue colors, and I actually bought 2 bottles of OPI at the Metro sale yesterday but LOST them!!!  I am super pi**ed!!!!  ARGH.  Anyway, thank goodness nothing else got lost.

    I was looking at some of the YT videos and Temptalia, and all I can say now is I am lemming a bunch of Chanel products.  Their glosses, nail polish and eyeshadows.  This is bad.

    On another matter, I think I finally got the trick of how to apply individual lashes, thanks to this video here.

    I will do a separate entry on this sometime this weekend, and I will be using these lashes.

    That's all, and thanks for looking!  What are you wearing on your nails?

    Email |
    |
    March 09, 2010

    Spring Nail Colors: Why all Pastels???

    Don't get me wrong, you know I love all my milky pastel cream shades, but why is it that every nail company is putting out all the similar range of colors?

    Cases in point -- and I am sure I have missed out a couple more collections, but these come to my mind right now.

    First, we have the China Glaze UP collection

    Then, the Essie Art of Spring collection:

    From Illamasqua:


    From Barry M (which seems a little late on the milky pastel bandwagon)

    Colors, if you are interested: from R to L np306 is Blueberry Ice Cream, np307 is Lemon Ice Cream, np308 is Berry Ice Cream np309 is Strawberry Ice Cream, and the Mint Green is a re-promote from last year, which Barry M says is a cheap way to copy the Chanel Jade.

    And I guess another trend which is on the brink of overkill would be all the Alice in Wonderland collections, which OPI, China Glaze, etc etc... I love the movie and all that... but well.. yup.

     

    So my question is, what collections/ color ranges do you wish to see coming next??  Wish away!!

    Speaking of which, I want to clean off my Jade color, and paint a new coat of (I can't decide yet) on my fingernails tonight.

     

    Filed in: Nails, OPI, china glaze, Barry M | Tagged with: nails, OPI, Barry M, China Glaze
    Email |
    |
    February 12, 2010

    Estee Lauder Foundation: How I apply it & Dupe for MAC Azalea Blush

    Here is a pictorial demonstration of how I apply my latest FAVE foundation, which is the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place makeup.

    My shade is 1W1 Bone 17.  Seriously, I can attest to how it is very long lasting.  As I am applying and blending the foundation, I noticed how you actually don't even need to set the foundation, and it finishes quite matte and 'set'.

    I have raved about this foundation earlier, and you can read it here.

     

     

    Ok since I have such a nice cute pink blusher on my face, I shall proceed to do a LOTD Valentine's Day look.

     

    Thanks for reading!!

    Email |
    |
    February 11, 2010

    Nails Story: Going for GOLD this Long Weekend

    Blinged out nails!

    Since it's a festive long weekend, I shall try to get in the mood and sport these tacky glittery gold nails.  I applied 2 coats of Barry M's 289 Gold nail polish, followed by LAYERS of gold glitter nail polish in various sizes (from different bottles) for extra kick and dimension, topped off with a thick coat of Seche Vite to prevent the glittery layer from 'poking' through.

    I know removing these will be a pain in the ar*e but... it's just for fun once a year.

    A blurry picture to show how chunky glittery the nail color is.

    That's all!  What nail color are you going to wear this weekend?

    Filed in: manicure, gold, Barry M, gold nails | Tagged with: gold, manicure, Barry M, gold nails
    Email |
    |
    January 10, 2010

    Nails Story: Collection & Organisation (Jan 2009)

    Hi!

    Nothing much really, just an updated collection entry on my nail polish stash.

    All the OPIs, Sephora by OPI & China Glaze

    In detail - but I shan't mention the names.

    All the Blacks/ Gunmetal Colors

    The Dark Maroon Red (Lincoln Park After Dark, etc)

    Bright Oranges and Reds

    Pinks & Mauves

    Neutrals/ Nudes/ Beige

    The Brown/ Taupe dirty colors (think You Don't Jacques, Metro Chic etc)

    Purples & Lilac

    Blues

    Light Blue, Green, Teal

    Back up of Metro Chic, Misc Colours, OPI top coat

    Misc Brands (The Face Shop, Sally Hensen, Revlon)

    Essie Nail Polish

    All the MAC nail polish

    All the Barry M nail paints

    Chanel & YSL

    Misc Brands, mainly glittery ones, and stones for nail art stuff (my sister is more into this though, I hardly ever use these.  Nail files, tools stored in the little basket thingy.  Top Coats and Base Coats all go inside here too.

    Everything in these 2 drawers (from IKEA) , you may recall it's the same drawers I store my blushers.

    That's all, thanks for reading!

    Email |
    |
    December 27, 2009

    This is for Cocomotion: Barry M 146 + MAC Funtabulous!

    Guess I am intrigued by the whole purple/ glitter/ shimmer/ pink lips kick that Kas (cocomotion) was going on about yesterday.  She was comparing (almost) everything we swatched to Funtabulous.  And she blogged about how the dazzleglass would look with Barry M's 146.... and well, to satisfy her curiosity, or rather, mine... I did a little experiment..

    In this picture: I applied Barry M 146 underneath.

    From the top, L we have Funtabulous dazzleglass, R is Stop! Look! dazzleglass, and below, we have Extra Amps dazzleglass.

    Orange Lighting

    White lighting

    Obviously, Funtabulous has very purply blue glitter.. the other two have silvery ones, with Stop Look being more pinkish.

    And now, with Funtabulous dazzleglass over the lipstick..... we have....

    I hope the pictures capture the glittery effect of the dazzleglass....

    Ok, I think the next picture really shows off the dazzle effect.  Haha.  I just realised the lack of lines on my lips after the gloss makes my lips look plumper, fuller -- not an effect I necessarily want to achieve.  I just thought it's something interesting to note.  :)

    So, I hope this is helpful to anyone... especially for Kas.. :)    Honestly, this is not a lip look I would rock in the day time... maybe when I go out at night.... or when I don't need to talk much at all... cos my lips are like stuck...!  And I would prolly end up with glitter all over my mouth after a couple of hours.

    Email |
    |
    December 23, 2009

    An Obsession I didn't know I have: All about NUDE Lipsticks!

    Warning!  Pictures Heavy!

    I will be giving an overview of my nude and pink lipsticks in this entry.  In doing so, I realised just how much lipsticks I have accumulated over time, and this is coming from someone who doesn't like to use lip products at all!  Personally, I prefer using just a lipstick, and I don't really use lipglosses at all -- I only have about 5 or 6 in my whole collection.

    Since my secondary school days (and that was a long time ago!) I am always drawn to 'natural' color lips.  I remember buying this Body Shop multiple purpose lipstick/ cheek thingy, and I love the color so much!  Comparing that color to now, nude/ beige colors have gone a long way.  And if you go to MAC, there is a whole array of nude/ beige/ pale color lipsticks and glosses.

    For me, nude colors means 'My Lips but Better' color.  I don't like washed out lips.. not so much because of the corpse like effect, but I think pale washed out lip color will make my face look FAT.  It's true! Even when I do dark dramatic eye makeup, my 'nude' colors always have a beigy or pinky tinge that is more vibrant than my own lip color.  Besides, you can just slap these pale colors on your lips without having to look into a mirror.  That's what I do anyway.

    Anyway, in this entry, I am comparing selected beigy nude and pinky nude lipsticks.

    I recently purchased some NYX lipsticks from Mascara Page (sorry, no haul entry, only 3 lipsticks, nothing to rave about haha).

    I bought Circe, which I think many of you here are familiar with, and might have raved about.  I also got Strawberry Milk because I think I always sucked into the perfect pale pink look for my lips.

    Let's get on to the pictures -- Sorry, no lip/ skin swatches because my lips are a little chapped right now and we know pale lippies don't look good on chapped lips.  And I don't want to swatch on my hands etc cos almost every color will just blend right into my skin tone.

    NYX Circe: I think this is a very beigy nude.  I was expecting this to be paler, but it is actually very 'obvious' on my lips.. looking slightly tan.  But it is very wearable, and goes on very smooth.  I can see why this color is so highly raved.   Definitely one of those colors you can wear anytime and not worry about matching eye colors and stuff.

    MAC Fleshpot: This is a little too pale for me, and somehow I find the texture a little hard to work with.  I think to make it work better, it's good to use a gloss over to bring out the color of this very nude lipstick.

    MAC 2N: I wish MAC would bring back these N series products.  I think in the upcoming collections, there are a couple of 4N or 5N glosses.  But 2N is a very skintone nude, and because it is a Lustre finish, you don't have to worry about it washing your lips out, as the color is slightly sheer.

    GOSH Darling: A more pink tone nude than Circe.  It is also slightly glossier.  And again, I can see why everyone raves about GOSH Darling.  But I think this may not be suitable for some skintones, because of the pink going on.

    BARRY M 101 Lip paint: I think this is as nude as you can get.  It is also very thick and creamy, and some reviews have mentioned how this is very drying, and way too pale, even for pale skins.  I have never really used this on its own, and always go over with a more pigmented gloss.

    My Top Picks for Beigy Nudes?

    NYX Circe & GOSH Darling.   Not pictured: MAC Blanketty, YSL Rouge Pur 132 Beige Nude, Shu Uemura Beige 940 M

    Next, we have the Pinky Nudes, which are more my cup of tea.  Note I am not featuring the shocking pinks, like Barry M's 146, YSL RV No 19, or MAC's Saint Germaine etc etc.  But if you want my informal reviews and thoughts, do let me know!

     

    MAC Creme Cup: This is a very safe nude color which I think should suit all skin tones.  It has pink undertones, and not too pale.  Very Natural color, I should say.

    NYX Strawberry Milk: I actually am liking this color.  Very pale pastel pink.  Slight blue undertones... and not too thick in texture, so that makes it wearable.  I think with pink lipsticks, the blue toned pinks are harder to wear, while the yellow toned ones are easier to wear.  That's why Saint Germaine is very tricky to work with.

    Revlon Pink Pout: Another pale pink fave.  The color is cool, but light enough for me.  I think heavily lined lids are the perfect match for pink lips.

    YSL RV No1: Why I put this Nude Beige in this category is because it really looks more pinky than beigy.   This is something which you can use all the time... good overall neutral shade.

    YSL RV No 7:  Very bright pink, even though it is pale.  This is definitely not for everyone.  But I like this color!

    My Top Picks for Pinky Nudes?

    MAC Creme Cup, and YSL RV No1

     

    Why is this my little obsession -- whenever I try out new brands or new lipsticks, I always get a pair in a beigy nude, and pink nude.

    Strawberry Milk on my lips.

    Circe on my lips.

     

    My fave look with a pink lipstick:

    And previous entries with nude lipsticks overview:

    Product Rave about YSL RV and comparison of similar shades

    Nude Lips: An Overview

     

     

    That's all, and I hope this has been remotely helpful to you... Let me know if you want me to review or talk about other lipsticks not mentioned here.

    Thanks for reading!

     

     

     

    Email |
    |
    December 02, 2009

    Nails of the Day (Barry M Pink & Gold)

    Nothing to say about the colors, as you can see for yourself.  :)  I really like the texture of Barry M nail paints, they are creamy and 2 coats are enough for a true color payoff. They last pretty decent too.

    I recently bought the Seche Vite topcoat, together with the 114ml refill bottle, for about $58 at 'Palz' (Far East Plaza) which is really good value, it is like buying 8 bottles at a go.  I think it is just a little better than Sally Hensen's Mega Shine  :)

    Going to post the first giveaway now, and heading out for a quick lunch!

    Filed in: Nails, PINK, gold, Barry M | Tagged with: pink, nails, gold, Barry M