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My name is Sophia!

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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.

 

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    March 07, 2013

    Bobbi Brown Soho Chic Palette


    Hi hi!

    This entry features the Bobbi Brown Soho Chic Eye Palette - which consists of 6 eyeshadows - this is a palette which is available at all travel retail locations, and it consists of 6 very wearable neutral shades, with different textures and finishes. 

    The shades - 

    Ivory - creamy warm white matte (this is seems to be available in almost all BB palettes)
    Cement - a matte brown 
    Rockstar metallic shimmer wash - shimmery taupey brown 
    Grey Pearl shimmer wash eye - shimmery dark brown
    Peeble metallic eyeshadow - pale shimmery gold 
    Caviar eyeshadow - matte black

    The matte black is a little chalky, and it is best applied with a base and pat on to build up to your desired intensity. 

    The shimmery shades are great for adding dimension to your eyelooks, this palette will easily take you from day to night looks. 

    I will try to do a LOTD featuring this palette soon. 

    * I am also giving away a BRAND NEW Soho Chic palette on my birthday giveway, make sure you follow me on my instagram to find out how to win! * 


    Swatches on my hand - 


    Hope you find this entry helpful, and thanks for reading!

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    March 05, 2013

    The Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadows [Photos & Swatches]


    Hi hi!

    The Body Shop will be launching (21 March 2013 ) a brand new range of single eyeshadows - called the Colour Crush Eyeshadows.  The range consists of a fashion-forward palette of 30 mono eyeshadows in a full array of the season's must have stand out shades.  Beautifully wearable, the lust worthy line-up ranges from elegant beiges, to shocking brights in a mix of pearly and matte finishes.  Incredibly blendable and buildable, these intense shades can be applied wet or dry and worn alone, together or layered, creating a myriad of looks from daytime chic to full-on night-time glamour.

    The mono eyeshadows come in a clear recyclable packaging, which gives a better view of the rich, impactful colour inside.  

    Each of these eyeshadows will retail for S$19.90 each. 

    The high-impact Color Crush eyeshadows are made with crushed pigments in Italy, the fashion colour capital of the world.  HIgh quality pigments are coated with a silky blend of Community Fair Trade oils, creating optimal light reflection to bring out all their brilliance and clarity.  The super-smooth and silky, luminous colour glides on, melting and fusing seamlessly with skin to reveal a vibrant intensity.  Take your eye-look to the next level. 

    100% Cruelty Free - these are vegetarian, and 100% cruelty free - these shadows do not contain any bug shell extract to colour the product, any shimmer effect is made from mineral mica and the binding agents are made from vegetable materials instead of crushed shellfish.  

    The Colour Crush eyeshadows benefit from a blend of Community Fair Trade Brazil nut oil, marula oil, honey, organic coconut oil and sesame oil.  The community fair trade Brazil nut oil comes from the Candela co-op in Peru.  The 'castaneros' or nut gatherers collect the broken nuts that can't be sold for food use and hand-crack them to extract the oil.  Trade has helped to protect 3000 hectares of rainforest in the Madre de Dios region.  Sustainable harvesting also helps to support the indigenous species that depend on the Brazil nut tree, such as the orchid bee. 

    Here's a close up of each of the eyeshadow single: 

    I have 16 eyeshadows here to feature, and I will swatch them by colour groups.   I will also do several LOTDs hopefully, featuring these eyeshadows in upcoming blog entries. (closer to end of March, I think, just before they are launched in stores)

    Color descriptions are my own.

    First, my FAVE - the neutrals and metallics - and I think they have the best quality too.  Each of these eyeshadows, whether they are matte or have a pearlised finish - are incredibly smooth and intense. 



    110 - Sand by Me: a creamy matte bone shade 
    220 - Chocolate Linger: a matte medium ashy brown 
    215 - Coconuts about You: a matte deep brown 

    201 Melt my Heart: shimmering peachy golden brown 
    210 Bronze Bliss: shimmering bronze 
    225 Brownie & Clyde: pearl taupey deep brown



    And the blues - cool toned shades.  I find that this color group doesn't seem as pigmented as the previous group of colors, but that's not to say that they are sheer, but I would personally use them with a colored base, if you want a very intense look. 


    001 Sugar Gaze - very cool toned white with a pearly sheen
    005 Steel my Heart - shimmery light grey
    501 Head in the Sky - pale matte periwinkle

    515 Blue over You - shimmering navy blue
    415 Midnight Flirt - pearl finish, greyish purple



    The bold and brights - the payoff varies, I had the most disappointing result with 301 Pink Crush, but all the rest are very creamy and pigmented. 


    301 Pink Crush - pale shimmering pink 
    305 Berry Cute - shimmering medium pink
    310 Berry Cheeky - vibrant pink satin finish 

    101 Golden Girl -pearly finish, blonde gold 
    605 Sweet Pea - pale green, with a slight gold sheen


    I will be doing LOTDs with these eyeshadows soon.  Stay tuned!  If you are looking for reasonably priced eyeshadows, you definitely want to check out these new Colour Crush eyeshadows from The Body Shop.  I personally think that they are very basic in terms of the colors - I mean, they don't have those complex multi-dimensional shimmer or glitter, but in terms of the quality, most of them which are comparable to some eyeshadows which are way more expensive.

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

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    February 01, 2013

    Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette [Photos & Swatches]

    Hi hi

    this entry features the latest in Urban Decay's NAKED installment - the BASICS palette.  It contains 6 shades, 5 of them matte and 1 has a satin finish. 

    The palette retails for S$45 and is currently available at all Sehora stores.  If you purchase this palette tomorrow you get to enjoy this special promotion (click here for more information) 

    It contains

    Venus - off white with satin finish 

    Foxy - milky warm off white matte

    WOS - milky creamy slightly pink off white matte

    NAKED 2 - creamy light brown matte 

    Faint - creamy medium brown matte 

    Crave - jet black matte 

    I find that this palette fills the gap between both the NAKED palettes - the matte gap.  If you have all three, I think you are pretty set for life in terms of neutral eyeshadows in various finishes. 

    Size comparison to the other NAKED palettes: 


    Swatches - swiped heavily with my fingers, no base.

     

    The formula is amazingly smooth and creamy.  Needless to say, they are all extremely pigmented.  There are some loose powder bits flying about as I swatched them, but I used the palette in a LOTD entry, and there wasn't much fallout, fortunately. 

    This is a seriously good matte palette - superb for blending out colors, contouring and so on.  I will be using it in an LOTD entry coming up soon. 

    another swatch picture:

    Hope these swatches are helpful, and thanks for looking!

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    February 01, 2013

    Urban Decay NAKED Basics at Sephora ION 3 Feb 2013 [Event Info & Exclusive Promotion]


    Hi hi!!

    Just a quick annoucement on something exciting happening tomorrow 3 Feb 2013, there will be a special event for the new Urban Decay BASICS palette at Sephora ION!  

    I will be at Sephore ION, together with Joey and Mag, to showcase the NAKED BASICS Palette in action on our friends, and we invite you to come down to support us, and if you do some NAKED shopping at this special event, you will get to enjoy these special exclusive promotions:

    Details

    Date - 3 Feb 2012 Sunday

    Location - SEPHORA ION

    Time - 4 - 5pm

    Promotion 

    The first 60 readers to purchase any Naked Basics/Naked 1/Naked 2 and show the above picture (you can show it on your cellphones) at the event will receive a complimentary goodie bag (deluxe sized Supercurl Mascara + Travel size EP + smart sample Naked Skin + smart sample Eyeshadow Primer in TSA bag). 


    Hope to see you there tomorrow!   I will have swatches of the NAKED BASICS palette in the next entry.

    Thanks for reading!

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    February 01, 2013

    If you love eyeshadows...Dior Colours

    Check this out!

    Filed in: Video, Dior, eyeshadows | Tagged with: video, dior, eyeshadows
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    December 24, 2012

    Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette [Photos, Swatches, Step by Step]

    Hi hi!

    A while back, I had ordered Illamasqua Complement eyeshadow palette - I didn't know that it contains a cream eyeshadow!  But I love the combination of colors in this palette - the champagne color, the matte blending shade, and the dark metallic purpley brown shade.

    Here are the shade names for your reference:

    Slink  - the shimmering champagne shade

    Focus - the metallic medium brown shade

    Queen of the Night - dark deep purpley brown with purple shimmers

    Forgiveness - matte reddish brown 


    swatches - 

    here is the placement of colors that I used in my eyelook - 

    1. apply the creamy brown color on the lids as a base color, it is very blendable and very sheer once blended out

    2. apply highlight and crease shades on the eyes 

    3. apply the darkest shade on the lids

    4. blend blend blend! 


    close up of the complete look. 
    lashes, brows, liner! 


    and here's a weird facial expression to complete the look>


    overall, a soft smokey look, not too dark, though you can definitely build up the colors more. 
    I went for a orangey nude lipstick in this LOTD.

    all products used:

    Face - Illamasqua Skinbase foundation shade 04, Chanel ultra fine loose powder, Laura Mercier secret camoflage concealer SC03

    Cheeks - Illamasqua Sophie powder blush, Rumor to contour 

    Lips - Illamasqua Obey lipstick, topped with Chanel Extrait de Gloss Genie

    Eyes - NARS Primer, Illamasqua Complement palette

    Liner - Solone Gel-Like Smoody Pencil ES06 Red Wine
     
    Lashes - Shu Uemura Natural Volume 01 

    I hope this entry has been helpful, and thanks for looking!

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    December 17, 2012

    Travel Makeup Faves [Dec 2012]


    Hi hi 
    this entry will feature the makeup items I brought along with me on this trip.  I am here in HK for a whole week, and I usually put on full face makeup when I am out and about here.  I try to pack in some options when it comes to color choices and also try to pick products which I have been wanting to try out/ put to the test and also stuff which I know just works

    First, let's start with the eyes - - - -  


    Eye shadows 

    1. Lorac Pro Palette - seriously this is one of the best products of 2012 - Amy and Jerlaine both used this palette last week, and they totally love it too.  You can purchase the Lorac Pro Palette at underTwenty (currently OOS but link here).  Every shade in this palette just works, and the colors all wear and last beautifully throughout the day. 

    2. Giorgio Armani eyes to kill - 24 and 28.  One a blackened gold for smokey looks, and a rose gold for a sparkly 'casual' look 


    Liners 

    I brought along an assorted collection of pencil liners and a liquid liner, but honestly I hardly used the pencil liners, except for when I want to lightly line my lower lids.  And also not forgetting, the NARS eyeshadow primer which is a trusty staple. 


    Lashes & Brows 

    DUP lash glue.  Can't do without this if I am wearing false lashes. 

    My Bobbi Brown brow shaper. 

    My new Shu Uemura eyebrow manicure I love love love this, even more than the Bobbi Brown one.  Shu Uemura brow pencil. 


    Here are swatches of the eyeliners, if anyone is keen.  I highly recommend all of them. 


    Next, my fave category of products to pack for - the foundations. 

    I brought along the following:

    1. Chanel ultra fine translucent loose powder - I love this powder, it is so fine, and sets my liquid foundation flawlessly. 

    2. Chanel perfection lumiere - Trying out this foundation, I bought it a month back, and have used it only a couple of times.  This is a good week to try it out.  So far, I am liking it, it is nothing spectacular, but not too shabby either. 

    3. Giorgio Armani UV master primer - This is a lightly tinted primer - it evens out the skintone, and I like the light texture.  

    4. Ettusais Mineral BB cream - The brand's BB creams are among my top fave.  I love to use this as a base before foundation for extra coverage and longevity. 

    5. Lancome Teint Miracle compact powder - love this pressed powder for touch ups on the go.  


    swatches of everything I mentioned above: 


    I am sometimes prone to a couple of breakouts during travels and so concealers are necessary.  I went for my trusty Laura Mercier secret camouflage concealer, and also YSL touche eclat highlighter for under my eyes. 


    swatches here - 


    And here, we have the cheek products -

    1. Dior Nude Tan - a light bronzer with a subtle glow which I can easily dust all over my face for some warmth

    2. NARS Gaiety - which I brought cos it is so neglected, and also in case I feel like having a pop of pink on my cheeks.  But I don't think I really like Gaiety...not because of the color but somehow I don't like the finish and formula of this particular blush. 

    3. Tarte Exposed - this is one of my latest blushes... and I love love this... it is a brownish pink very flattering shade. 

    4. Maquillage Aura Veil powder - one of my all time fave for a finishing powder. this blends the bronzer, blush everything nicely, and covers the whole look with a soft touch veil.  I feel like my face is not completed until I dust this Aura Veil all over my face, especially in the centre part of my face. 


    Swatches - - - 


    Lip products - I went for the moisturising formulas in my stash of lip products and also went for classic reds and classic natural shades. 

    Shan't name them individually, but if you have been reading my blog, you would have noticed that I used some of these lip products quite frequently. 


    Here are the swatches - I probably went a little overboard with the color choices, and I think I just saw two more NARS lippies hiding somewhere in my bag... opps!  


    And lastly, we have the brushes - tools - very important! 

    1. Real Techniques buffing brush for foundations 

    2. MAC 217 - I brought two along, one for dark colors, and one for neutral colors

    3. RMK tapered blending brush - for brow bone highlight, applying and blending crease colors

    4. Spoolie brush to brush my brows

    5. NARS Yachiyo brush for cheek colors

    6. Lancome cheek color brush for cheek colors 

    I use my fingers to apply concealer with. 

    Really enjoying my stay here so far.  

    Hope everyone is enjoying the new week, and thank you for reading!

    '

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    December 06, 2012

    LOTD: Festive Look with cle de peau Palette de Voyage [with Brows & Eyelook step by step!]

    Hi hi!

    This is a look featuring the cle de peau Voyage de Palette which I mentioned in this entry here.  It is not often that you come across a palette with a specific brow powder, so I am throwing in a quick step by step of how I would fill in my brows.  

    I ended up with a smokey sparkly look and as I am looking at the pictures now, I realise that this palette really reminds me of the Chanel holiday, in particular the Harmonie du Soir quad - in terms of the bronze gold, pink and taupe shades. 

    Here is the color placement of everything I used: 


    and a swatch just to recap: 


    I only used the lighter of the brow powder to fill in my brows.   Please note that I have not professionally trimmed my brows in almost a year.  I just tweezed the stray hairs from time to time.  I prefer my brows full and relatively define, but with a soft color.  I like  that the brow powder in this palette is just ashy enough and doesn't contain any red tones which is important for brows defining. 

    * this is by no means an indepth brow tutorial, I have done one before - link here! 

    1. I used the angled brush to draw a line under the shape of my brows - this will form the basis of my brows.  

    2. The line is drawn, and I will proceed to draw a parallel line at the top of where I want my brows to be. 

    3. You see here, I am just filling in the area between the two lines I have drawn. 

    4. Where the two lines meet at the arch, that's where I will sharpen the ends of the brow.  


    and the eyelook -

    1. Apply brow color on the brow bone (I primed my eyelids with NARS primer).  The only shade in the palette which I am using is really a tad too dark for my browbone...but I do want some sheen there..hence I went ahead anyway. 

    2. Apply the golden crease color.  I am glad this is the largest area of the palette, but I think this gold is my fave shade in the quad.  It is pigmented, and as you can see in the picture it contains very shiny gold bits. 

    3. Apply the darkest brown bronze shade on the lids.  The color is easy to blend out, and I try to blend it into the gold...though I think some clear lines could still be seen.  Note that I used the same brush applicator throughout this eyelook.  It is soft enough for blending, and dense enough to pick up and apply the various shades.  When using one single brush for a look, I usually start by applying the lightest shade first. 

    4. I dabbed a little of the pink shade in the inner lids.. this is controversial, some pple might not like it, thinking it might result in a tired eyes.. but I think it looks all neaten up when the liner and lips are on.  (I used a black liquid liner for the look, inside of using the dark brown liner shade).   I also skipped the mascara, cos I don't really use mascara... and I am using a pair of demi lashes from DUP (413).  


    Then I finished the look by dusting on the cheek colors and applying the lipstick.  

    My foundation routine - I am using the cle de peau silky creme foundation, cle de peau concealer, and La Mer powder to set. 


    Overall, this is a pricey palette, but you are getting quite a few goodies in side, and the colors though are not extraordinarily unique, you do get a variety of luxe textures and finish.  The brushes are of decent quality, and you can actually use them, if you are going to travel with it.    It is also a very elegant and luxe gift for that someone special if your life, I may add.   I know I will be popping this lipstick into my bag when I am going out tonight!

    Hope this entry has been helpful, and thank you for reading!

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    December 01, 2012

    LOTD: A Party Look with Lancome [and a mini giveaway]


    Hi hi!

    I did a quick look featuring the Lancome eyeshadows which I mentioned in the previous entry.  The eyelook is quite the usual, I always go for a defined smokey look most of the time, playing with the texture and color placement.  I also like to go for brighter lipcolors these days, to look more awake somewhat. 

    The Liner Plume is extremely easy to use, I love the long brush (to reach into the inner corners of the eyes perfectly) and while it didn't swatch the most jet-black, when applied on the eyes, it is super black and intense, and it dries quickly on the eyelids too.  

    Here's what I did on the eyes: 

    1. Applied P 102 Sable Enchante on the browbone.

    2. Applied P 204 Perle Ambree on the lids and crease.

    3. Intensify the look by adding S 207 Fil D'argent on the lids. 

    * the eyeshadows are very soft, and easy to work with.  They remind of the Burberry eyeshadows (which are a tad creamier), but in terms of the colors and payoff, very similar. 

    4. Line upper eyelids with Liner Plume 01 Noir. 

    5. Mascara on lower eyelids with Hypnose Dolleyes mascara. 

    * the overall color is darker in real life than these pictures show * 

    On the rest of the face - all Lancome, as you can see. 

    Face - Pro Base primer, Teint Miracle liquid foundation, Teint Miracle loose powder -- foundation review here

    Cheeks & bronzer - Blush Subtil palette in Nectar Lace --- feature entry here

    Lips - Absolu Mat Cashmere 300  --- feature entry here

    Eyes - NARS Primer, P 102, P204, S 207 and liner plume Noir (featured here) , Doll Eyes mascara (featured here)

    And now for a little giveaway, I had purchased this set of Lancome products at the JPO during my recent trip there.  It contains

    1. Full sized Lancome Hynose Doll eyes mascara 01 So Black

    2. Mini Crayon Kohl Noir 

    3. Mini Rouge in Love 322 Coral in Love

    To win this set, leave a comment below with your name/email, and answer a simple question, and I will contact the winner before I go off for my holiday.   It is open internationally. 
    Closing date: 08 Dec 2012

    Use only the format below:

    Name/ Email:

    What I like about this very Lancome LOTD:


    Good Luck!

    Thank you for reading!

    * not a sponsored giveaway *

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    November 30, 2012

    New Lancome Ombre Hypnose Eyeshadows & More [Photos & Swatches]


    Hi hi!

    Recently I received a bag of Lancome products to try out, and it's always exciting to check these out, because among them are the newly formulated single eyeshadows, a couple of brushes, and also the liquid liner.  I have also included two items from their Holiday 2012 collection which I have already blogged about in this entry. (link link link)   I am very very happy with the colors that I am featuring here and can't wait to use them in a Lancome look very soon! 

    More information on these Ombre Hypnose Mono

    3 color intensities to play with, from fresh and luminous shades to deep and glamourous shades to fulfill every color desire!
    Also consists 4 effects of texture for an expert finish. 

    Matte (M): For a soft, velvety finish.
    Pearly (P): To create a luminous silky halo.
    Iridescent (I): With exceptional concentration of pearly particles to give eyes a beautiful glow.
    Sparkling (S): For a dazzling result with pearly particles that act like couture sequins.



    And the new liquid liners, the Liner Plume 

    Features: 

    Creates an easily tailored look from the thinnest to a strong line thanks to a long and soft brush. Extremely long-wearing, lasting more than 6 hours without smudging.

    And swatches

    eyesparkle in 10 Noel is a sparkly loose pigment that is largely pale gold, with bits of pink and gold glitter.  It is quite smooth, and lovely to use to pack some shimmering goodness in your eyelook, or dust on your skin to catch the light when you are out for a party for the night. 

    S207 Fil D'argent - a golden brown with some fine silver bits very smooth, and very intense

    I 202 Erika F - a olive sparkly shade, it is a very 'famous' iconic Lancome shade, and reminds me of Chanel illusion d'ombre in Epatant, or is it the other way round?  

    P204 Perle Ambree - a mid tone pearlised brown, my everyday kind of color.  The texture is creamy and smooth.

    P102 Sable Enchante - a beige tone pearlised shade perfect for all over the eyes.  Again, same creamy smooth texture as P204. 

    Some close ups: 


    close up of the gorgeous sparkles


    And lastly these two brushes: 

    I will be able to give an overview on everything in a follow up entry.  Stay tuned for the LOTD! 

    Thanks for looking!