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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.

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Lancôme Vernis in Love: Jolis Matins [Photos & Swatches]

Hi hi!

Good morning! Hope everyone is enjoying this Mother's Day Sunday. :)

Today, I have the upcoming Lancôme Vernis in Love - Jolis Matins shades to share with you. These polishes retail for S$30 each, and contains 6ml of product.

These shades are the 'In Love with Morning' shades - very fresh, classic and wearable.
I love the brushes on these polishes - they are paddle shaped, like the YSL and Loreal polishes.

The formula and consistency of these polishes are quite impressive. The color payoff is very intense, and application is a breeze, thanks to the brushes. I didn't have any problem with visible brushstrokes and streakiness.

Just a close up of the brush - and how it is able to cover my nail in one stroke.

and now for the swatches:

All swatches are taken with a base coat, two coats of color, and a top coat.
(except for 010M Cristal Quartz, which is shown on its own)

010 M Cristal Quartz
just a clear polish to give your nails a shine

020M Pure Narisse

A sheer cream shade, perfect for a french manicure, or just to give your nails a groomed chic effect
Bonus: this is not streaky at all despite the sheerness. Application is a breeze.

311M Jolie Rosalie

A creamy warm pink.
Perfect summer shade, great if you want to show off the healthy tan.
The formula is extremely smooth and creamy.

300M

Rose Plumetis
A rosy light pink with a subtle sheen. It is very opaque and creamy.

105M Corail in Love
A true coral which is not too orangey - salmon pink.
It is showing up a little muted here, but it's slightly brighter in real life.

154M Miss Coquelicot

A classic bright red, neutral undertone that suit all skintones.

and lastly, we have 179M Madame Tulipe
a rich deep red, with a cooler undertone. I love this shade.

a comparison of both the reds

My top picks among the Jolis Matins:

311M Jolie Rosalie
154M Miss Coquelicot
179M Madame Tulipe

Hope these swatches have been helpful, and thanks for looking!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 7:30PM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Lancome, manicure, red, Swatches, vernis in love, jolis matins | Tagged with: Lancome, nail polish, review, red, manicure, swatches, jolis matins, vernis in love

May 11, 2013

LOTD: Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Wide Eyes Eyeshadow Palette [Step by Step]

Hi hi!

Just a LOTD entry featuring the new Lancôme x Alber Elbaz eyeshadow palette and I will try to talk through what I did to create this look. I took these pictures a week ago... so I hope I can still remember exactly what I did.

I have here the 'Wide Eyes' palette - it consists of five shades, a rather warm taupe themed palette. The shimmers in some of these shades are simply beautiful, and creates a very dramatic smokey eyelook, depending on how you mix and match the colours. I probably got slightly carried away with the application of these eyeshadows, and somehow ended up looking very heavily made up (according to me anyway), but I think I have tried to 'show off' the colors in this palette.

As the following pictures show, here's what I did:

1. Apply lid color to my eyeslids - which I have already primed with NARS eyeshadow primer.

2. Apply the main lid color (No 1) all over the lids.

3. I also used a little of No 3 as a blending shade on the crease.

4. I applied No 2 on the outer V of my eyelids.

5. I used No 4 as a liner, to define the shape of the eyes.

6. I used No 5 as a inner corner highlighter.

7. Slap on the lashs, fill in my brows.

8. I also followed the same steps under my eyes, using mainly No 2 to define the lower eyelids.

The completed look - please pardon my stray brow hairs.

And an overall look:

List of products used:

Face - Lancôme Mat Miracle Foundation, set with Lancôme Teint Miracle loose powder

Concealers - YSL Touche Eclat, Benefit Powerflage, Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage

Blush - Lancôme Blush Subtil Lace Nectar

Eyes - NARS Primer, Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Wide Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

Brows - Urban Decay Naked basics palette, Shu uemura Brow Manicure Ash Brown

Lips - Lancôme Rouge in Love 232M (in the first two pictures) and 357B in the third picture

Lenses - Blincon (dark brown)

Top - ASOS (oversized tee)

Nails - Lancôme Vernis in Love 154M Miss Coquelicot

Overall, I really enjoy this palette. It offers great eyeshadow formulation, the shimmer colors are gorgeous and complex enough for the neutral shadows in this palette to look dramatic and interesting. The pale irisdescent pink is prone to fall outs which you might have noticed so you might want to use it over a cream base.

The palette retails for S$90 if I remember correctly. It will be available mid-june at Sephora.

Hope this overview and step by step has been useful!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 8:59AM | Permalink | 2 Comments

Filed in: Review, tutorial, Swatches, LOTD, Lancôme x Alber Elbaz, Wide Eyes Eyeshadow Palette | Tagged with: review, Tutorial, swatches, LOTD, Lancôme x Alber Elbaz, Wide Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

May 11, 2013

Kevyn Aucoin: The Expert Lip Color in Bloodroses & Small Eyeshadow Brush [Swatches & LOTD]

Hallo!

This entry features a couple of Kevyn Aucoin goodies which were kindly gifted to me by Mag recently. These are my first Keyvn Aucoin, and I am super excited to try them out.

The first is a very unique brush - it is called the small eye shadow/ eyebrow brush - I don't have anything like it in my huge brush collection.
The handle is very sleek and sturdy, reminding me of the Tom Ford brush handle.

Here's a close up of the brush - you can see it tapers to a sharp point. It looks like a pencil brush, but the tapered sharp tip makes it a precise one for your brows, and for slightly smudging your eyeliner and so on. All in all, a very multi-purpose eye definer. It is very dense and soft at the same time.

Next, we have the Expert Lip Color - the formula is super smooth, creamy and moisturising. The name is Bloodroses, and as the name suggested, it is a deep dark red. It has a slight fruity creamy scent.

Here is a comparison between Bloodroses and Tom Ford's Black Orchid. They are certainly not dupes, but in the same family of deep dark reds. Super glamorous and 'grown-up'.

and a lip swatch:

It has a brown undertone, and none of the purple tinge that Black Orchid has. All in all, Bloodroses is a gorgeous shade, and together with the ultra creamy smoth formula, will certainly make to my list of top red lippies.

and an overall look. I will be posting the list of makeup used in a later entry, because I am using a couple of new products in this look, and I will ramble about everything in that entry. Stay tuned!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far.

Please share with me which are your fave Kevyn Aucoin products that I should check out myself!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 8:15AM | Permalink | 3 Comments

Filed in: Review, Swatches, red lipstick, Kevyn Aucoin, Bloodroses | Tagged with: review, swatches, Kevyn Aucoin, Red Lipstick, Bloodroses

May 11, 2013

Four Gorgeous Lancôme Rouge in Love [Swatches & LOTDs]

Hi hi!

In this entry, I will be sharing with you four brand new shades extension to the existing Lancôme Rouge in Love collection. These are just four out of the six shades which will be launched in June 2013.

The Rouge in Love lipsticks have a very creamy almost balm like formula, plus they deliver a soft touch of colour. I won't say that they are intensely pigmented (note that these have a different formulation from the US Rouge in Love), but they are some of the most hydrating lipstick formula I have tried. These lipsticks last on my lips for about 3 - 4 hours, and they apply very smoothly without looking too patchy.

Look at how shiny and creamy they look in the tubes:

And the four shades I have:

Lip swatches, followed by a LOTD for the overall feel of the lipstick. More details on what I used on the rest of my face will be posted in a subsequent entry. Everything used is Lancôme, and my top is from ASOS.

174B Crazy Tangerine looks bright red in the tube, but it is actually a very wearable warm red shade. It's something I could easily slap on my lips without even looking into the mirror. If you are scared of red lipsticks, but want to venture into wearing them, I recommend this.

232M is a nude shade with silvery shimmer, very fine, they are almost invisible, but the sheen is there.

It is a natural shade that goes well with a dramatic eye look. I like how the sheen gives my lips some 3D dimension.

Next, is 345B, which is a candy pink shade. This is super creamy and very wearable because of the sheerish payoff.

Goes well with a cool toned smokey eyelook.

Lastly, we have 357B a natural pinky shade, after the crazy Tangerine, this is my fave of the new shades. It is my lips but pinker kind of color.

And an overall look. It goes with any makeup look, in my opinion.

If you are looking into adding new lipsticks to your collection, be sure to check out these new shades some June 2013.

Hope this review and swatches have been helpful, and thank you for reading!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 3:08AM | Permalink | 4 Comments

Filed in: Review, Swatches, LOTD, lipsticks, Lancôme Rouge In Love | Tagged with: review, lipsticks, swatches, LOTD, Lancôme Rouge In Love

May 11, 2013

THE BALM: Hot Mama! & Cabana Boy blushes [Photos & Swatches]

When you have the chance to shop for half price at The Balm... you don't say no... you start looking for goodies which you can try out! I passed on the eyeshadow palettes, but I had to grab a couple of powder blushes. I have heard great stuff about the pigmentation of these blushes (think along the lines of Sleek makeup, and MAC) and I am glad I got these. Many thanks to Eliza for helping with the order! I think I paid just under S$25 for BOTH of these blushes inclusive of shipping.

The packaging reminds of Benefit makeup, with the cute illustrations and cardboard boxes. They are fairly compact, and holds decent amount of product.

Firstly, we have Cabana Boy - a plummy pink blush with a satin finish.

And next Hot Mama! - a rose gold - just like Sleek Makeup's Rosegold blush. There are dupes like this everywhere, and this is a very smooth and finely milled blush. I love the gold sheen, it's like a built-in cheek highlighter.

Swatches:

Have you checked out The Balm powder blushes?

Thanks for reading!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 2:30AM | Permalink | 1 Comment

Filed in: Review, haul, Swatches, The Balm, Blushes, cabana boy, hot mama! | Tagged with: review, haul, swatches, the balm, blushes, cabana boy, hot mama!

May 11, 2013

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Tonight Is My Night [Photos & Swatches]

Hi hi!

Today, I have the upcoming Lancôme Vernis in Love - Tonight in my Night shades to share with you. These polishes retail for S$30 each, and contains 6ml of product, available this coming June 2013.

These shades are the 'In Love with Night' shades - think of deep intense hues, party ready colors.

I love the brushes on these polishes - they are paddle shaped, like the YSL and Loreal polishes.

240N Beige Dentelle
A tanned beige shade, this is darker and warmer than my usual choice of nudes,
but if you want a natural shade, this is a very wearable office appropriate color.

270N Chocolat Mordore
A rich chocolate brown, as suggested by the name. Super intense and creamy.

280N Cosmopolitan Kaki
A milky light cool toned brown.

407N Gris Angora
A gorgeous cool toned grey with the slightest lilac tinge.
Very creamy.

441N Midnight Rose
A plummy rich purple.

473N Rouge Reglisse
This is rouge noir, a blackened red.
I didn't wait for my two coats to be dry, hence the slight patchiness.
But other than that, the formula and glossy finish are impressive.

585N Noir Caviar
Deep charcoal grey.
I love dark greys like this. (think NARS Galion, DL Stormy Weather)

I love the colors in this group, they are neutral enough for everyday and yet so intense.

My top picks:

407N Gris Angora
280N Cosmopolitan Kaki
473N Rouge Reglisse

Which of these are your faves?

Hope you find these swatches helpful, and thank you for looking!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 2:29AM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Lancome, manicure, Swatches, vernis in love, in love with night, tonight is my night | Tagged with: Lancome, nail polish, review, manicure, swatches, tonight is my night, vernis in love, in love with night

May 11, 2013

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time [Photos & Swatches]

Hi hi!

Today, I have the upcoming Lancôme Vernis in Love - Boudoir Time shades to share with you. These polishes retail for S$30 each, and contains 6ml of product.

These shades are the 'In Love with Evening' shades - very elegant with an edge, in this group, you find classics like Rouge in Love, and also the bolder shades of blues and purples.

I love the brushes on these polishes - they are paddle shaped, like the YSL and Loreal polishes.

Close up of the brush and application:

112B Rouge In Love

A bright pinky red, that's showing up quite coral-ish in my swatches.

343B Rose Pitimini

A deep creamy rose shade, it is showing less pink in my pictures.

375B Rose Boudoir

A rich intense purple-y fuschia pink.

419B Violette Coquette
A muted not quite pastel purple, slightly grey undertone.

501B Aquamarine
An intense bright turquoise. It is showing up quite bright blue in my pictures.
It has a deeper hue in real life too. This is one of the very outstanding shades in the entire Vernis in Love collection.

573B Bleu de Flore
A deep navy warm blue.
I love this one. It's very inky and chic.

My top picks for the Boudoir Time:

501B Aquamarine

375B Rose Boudoir

112B Rouge In Love

Which of these caught your eyes?

Hope these swatches have been helpful, and thank you for looking!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 1:33AM | Permalink | 1 Comment

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Lancome, manicure, Swatches, vernis in love, in love with night, boudoir time | Tagged with: Lancome, nail polish, review, manicure, swatches, boudoir time, vernis in love, in love with night

May 11, 2013

Dior Summer 2013 Bird of Paradise Collection 374 Blue Lagoon

Hi hi!

This just arrived, and I am posting the swatches at this point. Might follow up with an LOTD, depending on my schedule... but this is part of the Dior Summer 2013 collection - in 374 Blue Lagoon. There's another quint released with this collection, and you can click on my previous entry for more pictures and information.

The palette is beautiful, and if you have a weakness for the shades of blue and teal in this quint, you kind of need to get this soon. I am not much of a blue/teal fan as far as makeup colours go, but I do see myself enjoying the two darkest metallic shades in this quint.

Here are some close up of the quint:

Swatches:

The top right shade (shown here in the middle among the five shades) is quite pale and sheer, but the rest of the colors have pretty good payoff.

The quint retails for $90 each, and is currently available at all Dior counters.

Hope these swatches have been helpful, and thanks for reading!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 1:32AM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: eyeshadow, Swatches, Dior, summer 2013, blue lagoon palette | Tagged with: eyeshadow, dior, swatches, summer 2013, blue lagoon palette

May 11, 2013

CLIO Professional Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liners in 3 'Bloody' Shades [Photos & Swatches]

Hi!

In this entry, I am featuring three brand new CLIO Professional Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liners - currently available at $18.90 each at all Watsons stores.

When Gelpresso first launched with six trendy shades in 2011, 100 000 pieces flew off the shelves in Korea. Now, Clio introduces three new extensions to the Gelpresso family - Bloody Devil, Bloody Angel and Bloody Sweet. These colors can be both sexy and bold, and warm and soft, depending on how you wear them.

Why wear Gelpresso?

1. It has the consistency, smoothness and staying power to create the perfectly defined eye.
2. Gel liners may be difficult to apply with brushes. A gel liner in a pencil, Gelpresso contains a silicone cross-polymer to offer a smooth creamy texture and a gel-like pencil finish for ease of application.
3. This talc- and paraben-free formula is suitable even for sensitive skin.
4. It's so versatile it can even be used as an eyeshadow.
5. This is a retractable auto-pencil that allows easy application every time. Just twist to use only what you need.

Product close ups:

Bloody Devil is a dark burgundy liner that contains beautiful red and gold shimmer.
Bloody Angel is a warm reddish pink that contains silver and gold shimmer bits.
Bloody Sweet is a pale warm pink densely packed with golden and silver shimmer bits. I find this to be the most irisdescent among the three shades.

All three shades do not feel gritty on my hands. The formula is extremely creamy and smooth.

I allowed them to set for a couple of minutes on my hands. Then I rubbed quite hard, and they did not budge at all. The shimmer bits stayed put.

I will be using them in an upcoming LOTD. Please stay tuned.

Swatches:

Loving these gorgeous shades! I like they are colorful and super on trend.

Have you checked these out yet?

Thanks for reading!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 1:32AM | Permalink | 2 Comments

Filed in: Review, Swatches, gel liners, Clio professional, red blood eyeliners, Gelpresso | Tagged with: review, swatches, CLIO professional, Gelpresso, gel liners, red blood eyeliners

May 10, 2013

Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Collection: The Wide Eyes Look [Photos & Swatches]

Hallo!

Here's a closer look at some of the pieces from the upcoming Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Collection which I have previously mentioned (click here for more information). I will be posting a step by step LOTD entry sometime over this weekend.

The packaging for this collection is just really pretty, the illustrations are super fun very focused on the different eyelooks you can pull off. The whole collection is loosely divided into 3 main looks, so in each look, you have the matching eyeshadow palette, single eyeshadow and a mascara. There's also a set of falsies (a first for Lancome) released with this collection.

My top picks are the 'wide eye look' series - everything is printed with red and black hearts - and I really love this eyeshadow palette.

The colores are what I would wear easily (a slightly cooler toned neutrals which can take you from day to night).

Product close ups:

The beautiful palette -

It comes with magnetic applicators - which don't fall out even when you turn the palette upside down.

and another close up - the sparkles and sheen are just amazing.

Swatches - the eyeshadows are quite smooth and pigmented.

And the eyeshadow single - it is a pale irisdescent pink, which is great as a layering shade.

And the rest of the collection:

Do stay tuned for my review and LOTD with the products from this awesome collection!

Happy Weekend!

Thanks for looking!

Posted on May 10, 2013 at 10:05AM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Review, Mascara, Lancome, Swatches, Eyeshadow Palette, Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Collection, alber albaz | Tagged with: Lancome, review, mascara, swatches, eyeshadow palette, Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Collection, alber albaz

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Reviews: Foundations

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FAQ & DISCLAIMER

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Archives

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Jolis Matins [Photos & Swatches]

LOTD: Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Wide Eyes Eyeshadow Palette [Step by Step]

Kevyn Aucoin: The Expert Lip Color in Bloodroses & Small Eyeshadow Brush [Swatches & LOTD]

Four Gorgeous Lancôme Rouge in Love [Swatches & LOTDs]

THE BALM: Hot Mama! & Cabana Boy blushes [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Tonight Is My Night [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time [Photos & Swatches]

Dior Summer 2013 Bird of Paradise Collection 374 Blue Lagoon

CLIO Professional Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liners in 3 'Bloody' Shades [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme x Alber Elbaz Collection: The Wide Eyes Look [Photos & Swatches]

Search

About Me

e-mail

BLOGLOVIN

Follow @makeup_blogette on Instagram

Twitter Me!

Latest Headlines

Tags

2215 followers

Hot Links: Basic Makeup!

Reviews: Foundations

Latest Comments

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FAQ & DISCLAIMER

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