Hi hi!
Been meaning to compile a list of stuff which I am enjoying lately - I rotate so many different products, but there is usually a certain 'pattern' to the chaos.. and so here we go, in no particular order:
NUDE NAIL POLISH
Whenever I am in doubt, or don't know what color to paint, I always somehow reach for my stash of nude colors. I have every shade of nude out there, I think..from a tan nude, to pale nude, pinky nude, beigy nude, grey nude (the grey nudes are not pictured here -- that's probably another category altogether IMO). Nude nail colors make my hands look clean, and groomed, doesn't attract unwanted attention (from people who gawk at bright or 'weird' nail colors). So I will not stop purchasing new nude nail polishes, because I know I will always use them, and am always on the lookout for 'new' nude colors release.
BODY SPRAYS, OR SHEER FRAGRANCE MISTS
I bought a whole bunch of these during my US trip.. they are so cheap, and smell so good. I have another 4 - 5 bottles stashed away, will feature them in time to come when I actually open and use them.
These are the current ones I am rotating - VS Room 504, VS Pink, and Bath & Body Works Bali Mango. Room 504 is a lighter fresher version of my Viktor&Rolf Flower Bomb, the VS Pink is a light sweet coconutty scent, while the Bath & Body Works is a very fruity scent. While they are sheer, they do last quite well through the day.
How I use my body spray is that I will spray liberally all over my body (ok, duh, if not, where?) after I am done in the shower. Then before I leave my house for the day, I will spritz my actual perfume of choice. So I use these sprays as a 'base' to whatever perfumes I am using... they don't clash with my perfume scent, and yet I won't consider them as deodorants, cos they don't have any anti-perspirant properties. They are just nice subtle things to layer your perfumes with, and I am a fan of layering and mixing scents.
CHEEK PRODUCTS
I have been using my Clarins Mosaique Bronzer almost everyday, and I have made substantial progress with it --- for a whopping 20g product, I am not worried about it running out anytime soon! I use this bronzer to warm up my complexion especially around the outer edges of my face. It is not shimmery, and gives me nice subtle color. Can't do without it!!!
Cheek highlighters -- I love the GA Microfil Loose Powder in Pink, which is LE... and it gives the most amazing pink glow to your face. The sheen is there, but in a very glowy way, nothing shiny nor shimmery. Amazing stuff, and worth every cent. For something easier to use (cos it's not in loose powder form), is MAC Lightscapade MSF... it is quite finely milled, and I can dust it on liberally without worrying about looking like a disco ball.
My fave brush to use all these cheek colors would be my MAC 187, it picks up product and distributes the color lightly, instead of concentrated on one patch if I were to use a MAC168, or MAC116 etc. When I am in a hurry in the morning, I think the MAC187 is easy to use and mistake proof.
Can't name a favourite cheek color I love cos I rotate way too many, but NARS Luster is one of my all time fave.
EYE COLORS
I feel like I need to give my eye shadows more love, so even if I don't do a full face makeup, I still try to slap on some color on my lids (no liner, no mascara/falsies at all). And at times like these, I tend to reach for peachy or slightly coppery shades. Especially those with a nice shimmery finish, so I look like I put in some effort in doing up my sleepy eyes.
Was using my Chanel Emmerville (82) for many days in a row, because it is so easy to use and give my eyes a nice glow, I dabbed and blend with my fingers. I use a base like UDPP, and just apply this all over my lids. Love love love this wearable shade. Very foolproof.
Next is my DuWop crushed metal trio which I purchased on Luxola.com. I can use any one of the 3 colors all over my lids and be done with my eyelook for work days. They are very pigmented, and feels like a pressed pigment in terms of the metallic sheen. I am glad I bought this little gem. (S$39 for this trio).
EYELASH GLUE
Most amazing shizzzzzz ever. I bought 2 of these [Cosme Fixer Fx?] on eBay (just search the keywords printed on the tube you see in the picture below). Gave one to my sis cos I couldn't stop raving about it and it's now her HG eyelash glue. It's a very thin formula, and once your lashes are on, they are ON. I have not been using my DUO glue anymore.. cos in comparison, the DUO glue are gloppy, and sometimes the staying power is not that good. Don't get me wrong, I think DUO is still a great staple, it's just that I have found something even more amazing. I think this costs me around S$12 each after shipping.
BASE PRODUCTS
You would have read from my foundation reviews recently that I have been loving these products. A new addition would be my MISSHA Perfect Cover BB cream, just started it recently, and it feels slightly thicker and creamier than the Ettusais BB cream but it does give great coverage, and evens out my skintone very well. Quite impressed with it, and I do wish the prices in Sg aren't so overpriced. I got mine when the sis went to Korea recently.
The Maquillage and Clarins foundations are my current daily foundations. Currently I am in the midst of reviewing another foundation... shall post review in a couple of weeks.
I feel bad about not using my previous fave foundations (like my Illamasqua Skinbase, Loreal TrueMatch, Lancome Teint Miracle Cream etc etc etc) but I tend to give foundations I am reviewing priority usage, so I can share with everyone my thoughts, and in the process I forget about my past loves! It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I really do enjoy trying out new foundations. :)
SKINCARE
Before I speak too soon, I do think that my breakout phase from a couple of months back is over (I hope), and this could be due to my Clarins skincare. I think whenever I use my Clarins range (either the Whitening HP, or this current HydraQuench series) my skin seems to calm down, stop fighting and reacting nastily. I am not saying that just because most of these Clarins products were sent to me -- I do make quite a bit of my own purchases too, but I truly believe that if I were to stick to one skincare brand for life, I will choose Clarins.
I will rotate and try out different cleansers, and have separate pimple combat products, but as a routine, Clarins is my way to go.
The Biotherm Skinergetic is my current face serum, it smells nice, and doesn't give me any issues, but I can't really notice any significant visible impact. Maybe my skin is clearer and smoother, but really, nothing that is super outstanding in my opinion - hence no full indepth review on this product. I do like it though, and that's about all I can say about it.
The Clarins Bi-Serum is something I will use every other night, when I want some extra moisture factor, and especially after I have done some deep cleansing for the day. Even though there is an oily layer, I really enjoy the overall light texture of the product, and it doesn't leave my face greasy after use. Plus the katafray extract in the product smells so good! I also love both the HydraQuench gel (for day) and the HydraQuench Cream Melt (for night), and my sister who sometimes share my products also enjoys using it My skin flakiness around the nose have subsided (because I was using my Paula's Choice for exfoliation and zapping zits previously) and I think my skin is much balanced, and happy.
As for eye-creams, I am rotating between my Bobbi Brown hydrating eye cream - it doesn't have any anti-wrinkle claims just a good old basic moisturising eye cream, and I like its light texture. I mainly use it at night. I also enjoy my Lancome RÉNERGIE EYE MULTIPLE ACTION which is a much creamier and heavier cream. I like to use this in the day time, and I have high hopes for this product. While it is richer, it didn't give me any problems in terms of 'oil seeds' under my eyes. I have also replaced my undereye highlighter type of product with the 'concealer' veil that comes with the Lancome product. It is so smooth in texture, and immediately brightens up my eyes. Truly amazing stuff.
I have blogged about the Lancome RÉNERGIE EYE MULTIPLE ACTION previously, in this entry HERE.
I am really getting into eye care, and making sure that lines don't start forming around my eyes!
Before I finish my rambly entry, I finally finally yes, finally managed to swatch the new Loreal Color Infallible eyeshadows which are quickly catching on in the beauty community. I am aware there are more colors in this range (check out this blog entry I came across).
* I could post all these in a separate entry, and titled it Comparisons of cream shadows, but I didn't actually purchase any of the Loreal products so it's not very fair to do a proper comparison. I am just sharing my initial thoughts/ impressions.
I am very impressed by the payoff, and the finish. But I am not impressed by the range of colors we have here in Singapore.... just a few neutrals, a beautiful green, and a black. Really? That's all?
There are many comparisons of the Loreal cream shadows to the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill shadows, and well, are you able to guess in the next two pictures, which is which?
I came home with the swatches on my hand, and took out all my cream eyeshadows to play and swatch, just to compare not so much the colors but the texture and payoff.
My thoughts -
Shiseido shimmering cream eyeshadows - feels the smoothest and creamiest, very similar to the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows
GA ETK - pow wow bling and smooth texture despite the 'pressed pigment' type of texture
MUFE Aqua Cream - amazing longetivity, intense payoff and smooth texture - I swiped everything away with makeup remover, and the MUFE took the most number of swipes to get completely off.
Loreal - impressive payoff and nice shimmer, tends to be a little crumbly (pieces of it came off while I was swatching each pot, I admit I was a little heavy handed when I poke my fingers into the pots) but compared to ETK and the Shiseido ones, the bling shimmer factor lose out a bit. Don't get me wrong, on their own they are really pretty. It's just that they pale ever so slightly when seen next to the higher-end ones.
Next few pictures are taken & annotated with my iphone:
ONE LAST FAVE -- INSTAGRAM & IPHONE APPS!!
Who needs a real camera when you can take pictures like these with an iPhone camera??
Okay, just kidding...seriously!! I still love my G-11, and I am contemplating a EOS next year... but I love the instant gratifying nature of posting makeup pictures on my instagram, and there is a growing community of beauty instagrammers out there and it's nice to see what people post right there right now.
Let's admire my little black pots (and also the first picture in this entry)! *taken with my iphone and processed via certain photography apps*
Well, that's all, looooong entry, but thanks so much for reading!!
My current fave eye makeup products would be the Urban Decay 24/7 cream shadow pencils, especially in the colors Wasteland and Rehab. I just draw a thick line on my upper lids [ I mean, like a thick eyeliner ] and I swear, it is smudge proof throughout the day. I wear this on its own, no eyeshadow to set, and no lashes etc etc.... this is so easy to use. I like these so much, I decided to buy their own sharpener just to sharp these pencils, the Urban Decay Grind House at Sephora for USD10.
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