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A place for me to share all my make-up ramblings...enjoy!

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themakeupblogette@hotmail.com

My name is Sophia!

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Hot Links: Basic Makeup!

How to Fake Flawless Skin

 

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Reviews: Foundations

Click to check out my foundation reviews

2011 Foundations & Powder Overview

2009 Foundations Overview

2009 Liquid Foundations Overview

Estee Lauder Double Wear

Shu Uemura Mousse Foundation

Shu Uemura Nobura Cream Foundation

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

Clarins Hydra Luminious Powder Foundation

Clarins Extra Firming Foundation

Cle de Peau Silky Cream & Concealer

Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation

DiorSnow Base Routine

Illamasqua Skinbase

MUFE Mat Velvet+

MUFE HD Foundation & Powder

Lancome Teint Miracle Liquid Foundation

Lancome Maqui Miracle Compact Foundation

Lancome UV Shield BB Creme

Maybelline Pure Mineral Liquid Foundation

Maquillage Long Lasting Cream Stick foundation

Maquillage Esscence Rich White Liquid UV foundation

NARS Sheer Glow

NARS Sheer Glow [Revisited]

Rachel K BB Cream

Shu Uemura Smooth Fit Liquid Foundation

Shu Uemura Mousse Foundation

Shu Uemura Instant Radiant Base

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream

Bobbi Brown BB Cream

Freshel BB Cream

Laneige Snow BB Cushion

Ettusais Mineral BB Cream

ZA True White Liquid Foundation

 

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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    Posts for July 21st 2012

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    July 21, 2012

    Shopbop Haul: Elizabeth & James [The Fairfax Shades]

    Hi!

    I love to order eyewear and bags from Shopbop.  They really have the best accessories, and I have never been disappointed with any of my shopbop haul.  And I love shades, even though I might not wear them on a daily basis.  I am really into black shades, more so than the brown ones.  I was toying with the idea of the Prada baroque ones... but... I think in the end, the Fairfax won me over.  This retails for USD185.  Don't ask me if there is any retailers in Singapore selling this... cos I didn't find out, and I didn't know.  

    Elizabeth and James, in case you aren't aware, are the siblings to the Olsen twins, and this is their clothing and accessories label (in addition to The Row, if I am not wrong).  I love that it is not a pair of shades that yell its brand.. but if you know, you know. 

    Love the cat eye shaped, and the thin golden arms of the shades.  And I love how the name and brand is carved discreetly into the frame of the shades. 

    It seems to fit a little loosely on my face.. will get to adjusting it when I have the chance to. 

    Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful pictures..of the shades. :)

    for details on this LOTD, click here here here

    some pictures I took with my iphone the day I received them

    and I immediately tried them on.  

    they seem like the kind of shades that go perfectly well with no makeup, and red lips.

    Yay!  

    I have done a eyewear collection a few years back.. 

    Would you like to see an updated eyewear collection entry?  Lemme know!

    Thanks for reading!

    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 7:24AM | Permalink | 5 Comments
    Filed in: eyewear, sunglasses, haul, shopbop, Elizabeth and James, Shades, fairfax | Tagged with: sunglasses, Elizabeth and James, eyewear, Shopbop, haul, fairfax, shades, LOTD
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    July 21, 2012

    Four Dolce & Gabbana Nail Polishes [Photos & Swatches]

    Finally, I got to swatch these Dolce & Gababana nail polishes.  I got to make my purchase when a friend of a friend was in the US, and got them for us at Saks.   I eyeballed a few shades online, and went for the classic and feminine shades, as opposed to the 'quirky' ones.  I also got my red and nude shades just because I have to. 

    I think each bottle of these works out to about $30 or slightly more.  I really can't remember, since I got them at least a month back, but somehow never got to swatching them. If I have the chance, I would want to buy a couple more.  The formula is smooth, but I can't say that they are the creamiest nor the most pigmented - at least for these shades that I picked. 

    Red - which is as the name states so blatantly, is a true classic sexy red, much like NARS Jungle Red

    Nude - which is a soft slightly pinkish nude, I love this particular shade, and it looks like it really blends in with my skintone

    Cosmopolitan - which is a soft coral shade, a slightly jelly kind of finish, very girly

    Fuschia - the name doesn't match the shade.  It is sheer, and works better as a layering shade, and I have shown here it on top of Cosmopolitan.  It contains sliver bits, and the base has a metallic sheen with very very fine fuschia shimmer. Overall, quite pearlescent.  However, the brush on this is wonky.. :( 

    The nailpolish is made in France, and contains 11ml of product.  The bottle itself is really heavy, and feels really luxe. Kind of like the YSL nail polish.

    There is an inner cap, just most nailpolish with a square bottle. 

    Swatches!

    NUDE

    COSMOPOLITAN

    as I am typing this now, it occured to me, that the color cosmopolitan probably is a reference to the infamous cocktail from SATC

    case in point, see this pic

    and then my nails

    same, no?

    Fuschia over Cosmopolitan

    makes my skin look tanned

    a better shot of the shimmer in this shade

    and lastly, RED

     

    I hope you find these swatches helpful.  Thanks for reading!

    Happy Weekend! 

     

    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 7:20AM | Permalink | 0 Comments
    Filed in: Nail Polish, haul, Dolce & Gabbana, Swatches, D&G | Tagged with: nail polish, Dolce & Gabbana, D&G, cosmopolitan, red, haul, Nude, fuschia, swatches
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    July 21, 2012

    Mini Haul from Makeup Store [And the Amazing Soap Demo]

    Hi!

    This is my first own Makeup Store haul.  I have a couple of Makeup Store items gifted to me by friends years and years ago. I think it was a trio of brow powder and a trio of lipglosses.  To be honest, Makeup Store is not a place I immediately am drawn to. They remind me of a combination of Inglot, MAC, Makeup Forever - in terms of the colours, the packaging, the concept.  Well, anyway, I was there on Friday, because my girlfriend has a 15% birthday perk to be used on one transaction - got to thank her for sharing this with me, and Happy Birthday too!! 

    I picked 3 products, for good reasons:

    1. Red Lip pencil in Burlesque ($27) - this is for my youngest sister who is The Girl with the Red Lips and she was with us, and she was attracted to the pencil.  The pencil swatched very soft and creamy on her hands, and the name Burlesque, sucked both of us in.  It looks like my NARS Dragon Girl velvet matte pencil.  

    2. Brush Cleaning Soap ($21)- this is the bomb. After positive reviews from Joey & Kas, I knew I wanted to try this out for myself.  I have included the demonstration, it is really quite amazing, and makes brush cleaning a breeze.  I just wet the soap and wet my brushes.  Rubba the brushes on top of the soap (which was left in the dish the whole time) and then rubba the brushes into a rich foam in my palms. Rinse.  The rinsing was much much faster than using a hair shampoo (my usual method of deep cleaninng brushes), and the brush hairs don't feel stripped, just soft and fragrant.  Even the foundation brushes ended up thoroughly clean without much effort.  I left the soap to dry in the dish (I drained out any excess water) before I put the cover back on.

    3. Nail Polish in Annelie ($22) - I was wandering around the store, staying away from the eye makeup, and face makeup, and chanced upon the nail polish.  Well, my girlfriend was also showing me the colors she picked for herself.  Then I saw Annelie - a cement sort of nude polish.  Then the BA showed me a plague, stating that Annelie is an award winning nude nail polish.  And I did manage to swatch it on the BA...and was pretty impressed by  the glossy creamy consistency. 

    Yup, that's how I ended up with these 3 items.. even though I had only intended to get the soap.  On hindsight, now I wished I had gotten a backup or two (for my sister) the soap...ah well. 

    Swatches, and demonstration:

    Demonstration: 

    My dirty brushes

    Rubba on the soap surface

    Rubba into my palms and lather into a rich foam

    do the same for face brushes

    rinse

    clean white brushes!

    everything laid out to dry

    Quite happy with my purchase!  :)

    That's all, and thanks for reading!

    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 7:19AM | Permalink | 3 Comments
    Filed in: Review, haul, nude nail polish, makeup store, brush cleaning soap, burlesque lip pencil | Tagged with: review, haul, swatches, Makeup Store, nude nail polish, brush cleaning soap, burlesque lip pencil
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    July 21, 2012

    LOTD: GA ETK #21 Obsidian Grey

    Hi hi

    I went out for a quick meal and walkabout today, and decided to use Obsidian Grey...for the very first time.  Opps!.  It seems to be that way with many new stuff I bought lately.  Buy something new, take pictures, and then forget about it.  And here I am, already making a list for the coming new ETKs! 

    So anyway, just to recap, Obsidian Grey looks like this: 

    I just slapped it all over my lids after priming my eyes with NARS eyeshadow primer.  I am a tiny bit underwhelmed by the shade.  It looks just like another shimmery metallic grey on my eyes. Maybe I need to pop some other eyeshadow on it to make it look more 'interesting'?  I am not too sure. But in terms of formula, I was not disappointed. 

    All products used will be listed at the end of this entry.

    Nice lighting, and my lenses match the eyeshadow color! 

    (see that silly red light at my AC?  It is simply useless! I turned it on...and the cold air doesn't spread to my room.  

    And I am feeling quite frustrated at how inefficient my AC is.)

    All products used - click on links for more product information and/or swatches

    Face - Misha Perfect BB Cream, Lancome Teint Miracle Liquid Foundation, Chanel Loose Powder

    Cheeks - Mufe Mat bronzer, MAC Cheeky Bronze MSF, Shu Uemura P930

    Eyes - NARS eyeshadow primer, GA ETK 21 Obsidian Grey, Shu Uemura IR811, Gorgeous Cosmetics Liquid Liner 

    Brows - Shu Uemura brow pencil Seal Brown, Bobbi Brown natural brow shaper

    Lips - NARS matte velvet pencil Walkyrie 

    Nails - Illamasqua Obsess 

    That's all, and thanks for reading!

    Happy weekend!

    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 5:33AM | Permalink | 3 Comments
    Filed in: NARS, LOTD, Obsidian Grey, Giorgio Armani eyes to kill | Tagged with: nars, LOTD, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill, obsidian grey
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    July 21, 2012

    Four Illamasqua Nail Polishes [Photos & Swatches]

    It's been sometime since I made an Illamasqua makeup purchase... and I am not disappointed.  Firstly they have a sale going on, then they have a new collection out (Naked Strangers), and finally, we have a 10% off, and bought enough to qualify for free shipping.   I went straight for the nailpolishes (they are my absolute fave after their blushes). 

    Regular prices for Illamasqua polishes are 13.50 pounds, and after the 10% I think each costs about $25.

    If you are unfamiliar with illamasqua nail polishes - they are all awesomely pigmented, creamy, and the color range is just amazing.  I love that they have bold quirky colors, and also when they do the classics, the colors turn out incredible as well.  I have quite a bunch of these, and I love them all. 

    I got both the nailpolishes from their Naked Strangers collection.

    Faithful - which is a coppered metal with a metallic finish - it is a taupey shade that has a coppery sheen and shimmer.  It is quite unique, and very wearable. 

    Monogamous - which is a creamy flesh pink, with a matte finish - but I really much prefer it glossy.  A super pale skintone nude, that had peachy undertones.  It is gorgeous.  The formula is very creamy and a one-coater. 

    The only one I skipped is Swingers, a platimum gold - not really my cup of tea. 

    Here they are: 

     

    Monogamous - Matte

    Monogamous with Seche Vite topcoat

    Perfection, in terms of the quality.

    Faithful. 

    Quite a unique finish.  Not quite frosty, and not quite shimmery either.  

    A very warm tan with that coppery sheen. 

    These are from their permanent range.  

    Obsess - bright fuschia pink, glossy finish.  In real life, they are almost neon.  In these pics, the color blinded my camera lens.  It POPS like no other.  I call this Jo'mina's neon magenta sister.  (If you don't know which is Jo'mina.... look it up, it is gorgeous, and one of my fave neon pastel purple!).  The bonus?  It is another one-coater.

    Snap - which I snapped up because it is in their 5 pounds sale section.  Hur hur.   It is a molten looking liquid silver metal shade. It dries a little matte too, and I applied Seche Topcoat over. 

    Pictures:

    Stunning in real life!

    That's all, and I hope this has been helpful.  Thank you for reading!

    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 12:51AM | Permalink | 1 Comment
    Filed in: haul, nail polishes, Swatches, neon, illamasqua, nude nail polish, obsess, fuschia, naked strangers collection | Tagged with: haul, Neon, fuschia, swatches, illamasqua, Nail Polishes, nude nail polish, obsess, naked strangers collection
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    July 21, 2012

    NARS Teaser: Jungle Red Nailpolish [Photos & Swatches]

    A little NARS delivery arrived earlier this week, a little sneak peak into the launch of NARS cosmetics in Singapore, at long last.  Times like this, I feel like we are finally coming out of the stone age as far as makeup choices here are concerned.   But 2012 has been a good year in terms of brands coming to our island... and one of the  most anticipated must be NARS Cosmetics.  I have an extensive NARS stash accumulated from travels and various online purchases, but there is nothing like being able to swatch and play with the products in person, and having the NARS MUA to guide you and dispense tips.  All the NARS BAs whom I have met thus far in my travels are all well-trained, willing to help, and make good product pairing recommendations.  I hope our BAs here wouldn't disappoint us.  

    For now, let's feast our eyes on NARS Jungle Red nail polish, which is apparently beauty editors' fave red shade.  And it is easy to see why.  It is a deep true red, very classy, very elegant, and also very sexy.  It is a red that will make your hands look fairer than they are... and it is also a true red that leans deeper when you are indoors, or at night, and it also morphs into a brighter intense red when looking at it under direct sunlight/ daylight.  You will see in my swatch pictures below, how the same colour can look different depending on the lighting. 

    It is a smooth and creamy formula.  Two evenly applied coats give you full color payoff, though you can also get away with three for maximum impact.  In these swatches, I used Butter London basecoat, 2 coats of polish, and Seche topcoat.

    There is no news on exact dates as of now... but I think we are looking at after September...and NARS will be located at the newly revamped TANGS Beauty Hall.  Mark your calendar! 

    Okay, talk aside, here are the pictures - enjoy!

    and the color at its deepest

    bottomline:  if you love red nail polishes, you need NARS Jungle Red, just because. 

    Hope this has been helpful.

    Thank you for reading!

    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 12:10AM | Permalink | 3 Comments
    Filed in: Nail Polish, NARS, Swatches, jungle red | Tagged with: nail polish, nars, swatches, jungle red