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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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    February 02, 2012

    Nails Story: Deborah Lippmann's Stairway to Heaven [Swatches & Comparisons]

    My latest Deborah Lippmann purchase is Stairway to Heaven - what do you call this sort of glitter? Holographic glitter?  But not the silvery type of holographic.  It is a very scaly, pinky, blueish.. ah, you can see for yourself in the pictures.  They remind me of scales, and pearls and some kind of frosting bits.  The shimmery bits are suspended in a milky sheer cream base.   i first swatched this shade when I was in HK, and I didn't get it... but I found myself thinking and thinking of it... so I finally decided to buy it.

    The polish contains mainly larger bits of glitter, and the sheer creamy base makes the overall shiny effect a little muted.  But they still reflect multi-color shimmer under daylight and also indoor lighting.

    Did I mention, I love the name?

    I am also comparing it with China Glaze Snowglobe, which I recently purchased from Nail Vibe.  Snowglobe seems to have a crisp and sharp shimmer, due to the clear base.  It is also more densely packed with the smaller glitter bits.  So while they prolly look similar when layered over a darker base, the differences are more apparent if used on its own.

    I applied Stairway to Heaven over a coat of Chanel's Pearl Drop - so that I don't have to apply more than 2 coats of the former.

    Overall, I love the understated but yet shimmery finish of this colour combination.

     

    Photos & Swatches:

     

    Deborah Lippmann polishes can be purchased from:

    luxola.com [based in Singapore, next day delivery, though a little pricey, and colors might be limited]

    revolveclothing.com [based in US, free international shipping with USD$100 orders and above, prices are cheaper]

    ebay [just do a search on the various sellers, see who is legit, and ships internationally, I have bought from ebay a couple of times, no problem at all]

    Hong Kong [lane crawford stores - if you want to see them in person]

     

    That's all, and thank you for looking.

     

     

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    November 22, 2011

    Nails Story: Four Glittery Festive Shades from OPI, China Glaze & Orly [Photos & Swatches]

    I picked up these polishes from various sources (Nail Vibe, Flea at Scape & some another un-named seller - not going to purchase from her again, so it's not important to know).   If you want to buy OPI, China Glaze for cheaps, do check out some of the larger stalls at Scape flea over the weekends, OPIs usually go for $10, and there are deals for China Glaze at 3 for $20.

    Anyway, all four shades happen to be glittery festive colors from the brands' Christmas collections.  I have previously swatched the ORLY colors before on a nail wheel, but I really want to see how they apply on my own nails.

    First we have two gunmetal+holographic+glitter polishes -- China Glaze 'Some Like It Haute' and ORLY "Rock Solid"

    Quick comparison - in the bottles both look somewhat simila - though the CG shade looks darker, while the ORLY shade is more silvery and contains larger  holographic chunks.

    However, the differences come in when both are applied on the nails - the CG shade is a jelly-like base, I applied two coats but you can still see my own nails in between the dense glitters.  Because the base color is not opaque, it actually comes off lighter than the ORLY shade - which is opaque in two coats, and the larger holographic bits doesn't quite translate onto the nails very well.

    Rock Solid looks really quite wowza in the bottle, don't you agree?

    As you can see the CG color is lighter, and looks more holographic in this picture taken with soft flash.

    Overall, I love both shades, and they are great with most outfits and colors.

    Next is another color from the OPI Muppets collection - Warm & Fozzie.  The base color is a bronzey gold, with purple, fuschia, and gold bits -- it's really quite a rich and intense shade.

    When applied, I realised that the base color is a darkened brown, and you need two coats or even three thinner coats for full intense payoff.

     

    I compared Warm & Fozzie with two other glittery bronze and gold shades in my shade - not the same as all, but just to give you an idea of how they compare....I hope my pictures capture the different colored bits in Warm & Fozzie!  I think this would be an awesome shade for my toes. :)


    And the last one we have here is Rococo A Go-Go by ORLY... I had used this shade during my express manicure flea over the weekend on a couple of girls... and I quite enjoy the formula on this shade.  It gives true color payoff in two coats, and looks very bit multi-dimensional as it looks in the bottle.

    I had to use some flash to bring out the texture of this color, because it was such a cloudy morning when these pictures were taken.  Very velvety, rich purpley color with duochrome golden fuschia tones.

     

    Which of these have caught your eyes?

     

    Hope this has been helpful, and thanks for looking.

     

     

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    November 13, 2011

    Nails Story: ORLY's Mineral FX Fall 2011 Collection [Photos & Quick Swatches]

    I had placed orders for two ORLY Mineral FX collection shades a couple of weeks ago from Nail Vibe , and I received them recently in my mailbox.  Only one of these shades is mine though.. the other one is for my sister.  What stood out to me in this collection is the high sparkle glimmer factor.... and I tried to pick shades which are more unique in my opinion.

    Collection information taken from scrangie and you can read her review and proper swatch pictures HERE

    The innovator in color and texture, ORLY is the first to create a nail polish that provides high impact, prismatic color infused with minerals. The daring color palette reflects smooth, metallic shimmers embellished with holographic sparkle and burnished gold undertones accented with ultra rich jeweled hues. Mineral FX draws inspiration for these shades from the richness and depth of the tones found in precious metals and rare minerals.

     


    Rock Solid i
    s a shimmery gunmetal base with bigger holographic bits which really blings and stood out in natural daylight.

    Rococo A Go-Go --- which my sister ordered --- is a deadringer for Zoya Valerie

    * I compared both the Orly and Zoya shades... and they do look super alike... though if you want to be very technical about it, you can go into the nuances of the sparkle and compare sizes and shapes of the bits... but the bottomline is, they are both 95% similar and you don't need to own both at all.


     

    Love both sophisticated and fun colors!

     

    Thank you for looking!

     

     

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    April 30, 2011

    Nails Story: Recycling my Brand New Skates

    so one of my cronies came over just now to have me paint her nails, and she was digging through my nail polish stash to decide on colours, and she came across the OPI BRAND NEW SKATES -- which unfortunately, I don't think I have used at all -- and I have this colour for maybe 3 years?  This is because the formula is so sheer, but it contains gold flecks (not shimmer, not glitter) that makes it look very pretty in the bottle.

    And I used China Glaze's Recycle underneath as a base color - I could have used a black nail polish, but that would take away the grey-ness of Brand New Skates.  And Recycle is another sheer streaky grey color which is a little disappointing.  I much prefer other fantastic greys in my stash from Rescue Beauty Lounge and Illamasqua.

    The results are 2 coats of Recycle, followed by 2 coats of Brand New Skates.  They remind me of the look of Chanel's Graphite nail polish from the upcoming AUTUMN/FALL collection (due out Sept) -- and that I know I am definitely getting.

    I shall be wearing this combination for the long weekend.  Loves them!

     

    What are you wearing on your nails?

     

    thanks for looking!

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    November 14, 2010

    Nails Story: Comparing MAC Style Clan & CG Ingrid, Illamasqua Scarab & CG X

    Haven't done a nail polish entry in a long time!  Due largely to the fact that I have laid off the mega hauling of nail polishes, and just want to enjoy my current bursting stash.  Just want to compare some colors which I got recently -- Illamasqua's Scarab and MAC Style Clan.

    Firstly, we have MAC Style Clan & China Glaze Ingrid. The base color is very similar, with Style Clan being slightly darker/ browner while Ingrid looks softer.  The color and size of the glitter/ shimmer is also different.  Style Clan has coppery glittery bits, while Ingrid has a fine golden shimmer.  The glitter bits in Style Clan is not that obvious, unless they catch the light.... however, Ingrid looks more glistening in the sunlight despite its fine shimmer.

    They aren't so different from each other that you need to have both -- but I won't say they are dupes.

    I hope the pictures will show you the differences!

    Next pair is Illamasqua's Scarab & China Glaze's X.

    Both are dark shimmery red, gorgeous fall colors.  In the bottles, Scarab looks brighter and almost has a gold tinge, and X looks a deeper, like a ruby.  They look very similar when applied -- dupes dupes alert!  The difference lies in the texture and finish of the two colors.  Scarab is very rich, and applies beautifully, while X needs 3 coats to become really opaque and true to color.  Illamasqua nail polish, to me, beats them all in terms of consistency.  It is a creamy rich formula which may be a turn off for some, but I love how in your face they all appear after application.  It's almost like you don't even need a topcoat with these nail colors.

    I think the pictures show you the difference in  texture....

    I also went for a much needed manicure this afternoon, and got the girl to paint Illamasqua's DWS and Milf on my fingers.   Say hi to trimmed cuticles...though I don't think she did that great a job..but better than nothing!  :)

    Yup, that's all, and hope this has been useful!

    Thanks for looking.

     

     

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    August 14, 2010

    Nails Story: Haul from Transdesign Spree (CND, China Glaze, Color Club)

    Obviously, I don't need any more nail polish.  But I want more, which explains this rather huge haul... at last count, I have slightly over 200 bottles in my 4 drawers, and after I store these away, I really doubt I have space for any more.  But it's a transdesign spree (which we ordered with Gwen), and in a spree, you don't just order 2 or 3 bottles, ok?  Hehe.. but that just me, I guess.  Also, I want to try out other  brands, which explains for the CND colors you see in this entry. There is also a lone bottle of MAC, but that's another story for another time.

    And I swear some of us here have way  more nail polish and a greater variety of colors which I have seen at nail salons (usually they just have the safe colors like the OPI reds and nudes)!  Yay!  That prolly explains why I have not had a proper mani and pedi in ages... and I prolly should book appointments real soon.

    And shock horror news: these 17 bottles of nail polish, are cheaper than the 4 bottles of Illamasqua ones which I got hold of a couple of weeks back.

    And perhaps not so shocking, when Amy, Kas and I were playing around with these colors yesterday, we were able to just eyeball the colors and call out names of other colors which we already own as comparisons and dupes.  I quickly threw together a bunch of similar colors, but I am not going to 'dupe' them in detail in this massive picture heavy entry.  There are several more colors which I left out even as I am typing these words.

    Halfway through the spree, the China Glaze vintage vixen collection was released and available on the site.  I wasn't intending to get any, but after seeing the colors (and MORE SO the names) I caved and got a  bunch.  These are colors which  my sister would go ga-ga over... so she would find these very useful for her indeed.

    Let's start with the CND colours.  In the  midst of swatching these colors, I am really impressed by the brush, it is super smooth, and of a good size (which to me, is a rather big one, not skinny ones like the Sephora by OPI types).  The colors are also super glosssssssy!

    Desert Suede reminds me of OPI's Tickle my France-y which I also have.

    And Electric Purple doesn't quite look so electric, huh?

    Edit:  Eclectic Purple!!!!  Geesh,what's wrong with my eyes!   This color reminds me of OPI's Funkey Donkey.

    Scarlet Letter - Love the name!  And a very nice flattering true red on me.

    Tropic Coral reminds me of Chanel's Orange Fizz. The picture doesn't quite capture the salmony pink-orange shade.  It is also a very flattering color for me. And I think this color stuck in my mind eversince I saw it in Pixiwoo (Sam)'s tutorial from sometime back.

    Guava immediately reminds me of a few other colors, which I think you can guess too!  Argh.  But this is a lot prettier on my hands... and easier to apply too.

    Cases in point:

    Essie's Haute as Hello, and Van D'Go Not exactly dupes, but you don't need all if you have any one of these.

    Next, we have the China Glaze colors.  Something about black and gold will always have a place in my MU subconsciousness.  I am always drawn to black liners with gold bits, eyeshadows, etc etc you name it.  And when it comes to nail polish, I think Wagon Trail is the perfect example!  I am pretty sure Scrangie raved about this color.  This is from the fall 2008 collection (called Rodeo Diva collection).

    And the rest of the China Glaze colors are from the fall 2010 Vintage Vixen collection.  It is a  very 1920s inspired collection, with rich frosty metallic shades, and I like how they name the colors. Very Jazz Age --- think F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby - love that novel!

    Emerald Fitzgerald

    And the inevitable comparison to OPI's Cuckoo for this Color.  I must say, they are almost perfect dupes.  But China Glaze wins hands down, because the texture and pigmentation is a lot better.

    Ingrid. Taupe with gold shimmer.  Sold!!

    And finally, we have the Color Club colors.  I got mainly the colors from the Andy Warhol collection (again, the names sucked me in).   In my last transdesign haul, I got mainly the holographic colors, and here, they are mainly some pop candy cream shades. Lotsa dupes and similar shades which I already own.  Also some of the shades apply very sheer! Something which I did not expect.

    image credit

    I have different colors on my nails here!  The first and second are four leaf clover, and the other two I have on Edie.

    Very very similar, but Edie is softer and brighter, and just a tiny bit lighter.

    Neon Light Pink!

    This color is showing a lot pinker on camera.  In real life it is neon magenta.  Loves!

    And last but not least, Velvet Rope, and just like velvet, it has very subtle shimmer/ sheen.

    That's all, for this epic entry.

    It was cool meeting up the other girls yesterday too!!

    If you have any requests for comparisons and dupes, do leave them in the comments below.

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    June 24, 2010

    Nails Story: Holographic Disco Ball!

     

     

    Since glitter nail polish is tough to remove (regardless of one coat or five coats), I may as well go all out and 'overdose' on the glitter for this nails episode.  The gel top look gives a wet glossy look, but it takes a long time to dry.

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    June 19, 2010

    Nails Story: Feast Your Eyes on Color Club, China Glaze and OPI Haul!

    Hi hi,

    I got the latest batch of nail polish from Gwen's spree.  This time, I got mostly Color Club nail polish, all thanks to the beautiful swatches I saw on Scrangie's mega swatch site.  And since she provides such amazing swatches, I shan't even try to take any swatch pictures in this entry.  Unless I want to do some comparisons and possible dupes of my own later on.

    I had originally not plan to post pictures of these nail polish, because the lighting and all just don't do the colors any justice... til I saw a bright sunny spot at my doorstep this morning, and decided that I shall attempt to do a quick photoshoot.  Since it was so hot and sunny out, I had to act quick and just went snap snap snap before I melt.  I also took a piece of metal ware (that perforated metal background) and used it as the background.  So, yup.. ahem.. I am pretty proud of how professional looking the following pictures look.  :)

    All the colors I got are in the group picture above... while I also threw in a couple from my own existing stash here and there for comparison's sake.  Not in these pictures are also 3 bottles of Nail Tek Foundation II, which are my all time fave base coats.  They were going at 75% off, so I took the chance to stock up.  They are great for ridge filling, and creating a strong base.... I started using them after I had my gel nails removed years ago, and I found that they are just great bases whether you need to have ridges filled out or not.

    Front Row Diva reminds me of a couple of OPI colors which I have, I think they are Will You  Mari-cha Me? and Color of the Zen-tury.

    Poptastic Neon is a blindingly neon hot pink.  Reminds me of NYLON magazine for some reason.  The font, the color scheme, and all that pop culture references and expression.  This is from the Andy Warhol collection, and I would love to get more of these collection.

    Aragon Suede looks nothing like the original color.  This is very typical of all OPI's Suedes to their original counterparts.

     

    Yup, I think that's about it, and thanks for looking!

     

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    June 17, 2010

    Nails Story: Hot Pink Summer Nails Swatch Fest!

    Hi hi,  today seems to be a nail polish spam day... I just was in the mood to play around with all the colors... and just compare them.

    p/s in case anyone is wondering the little compact case in the above pictures is a mirror compact which the  bro got for me during his recent Korean trip! Woots!

    I read the comments for the coral/ orange swatch fest, and it seems like hot pink is a fave summer color, and in the previous nail swatch entry, both the hot pink colors were popular too.

    Sugar High does not picture well here, it looks very red, but in real life is true to the color in the bottle.

    One of my all time fave hot pink.

    Super impressed by this candy hot pink color~ I haven't used Sugar High before!!  Opps!!!

    What are your fave pinks from this entry?  :)

    If you have any color suggestions leave them in the comments below!

    Thanks for looking!

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    June 16, 2010

    Nails Story: Corals & Oranges Swatch Fest!

    Hi hi,

    I seem to be accumulating quite a stash of corals and oranges kind of color lately.  I think I am always wanting to look out for the perfect shade of coral, or orange, but they always turn out to be too bright, or too red, or too watever, and this is what I end up with.    Corals/ Orange nails are great for summer, nice pop of color on both your finger and toe nails.

    First, we have a blindingly neon Japanese Koi from China Glaze, it is slightly 'see-through' but the color runs opaque after 3 even coats.   The picture is showing it more red though.

    Next, this is China Glaze's How Street It Is, which seems like an exact dupe for Japanese Koi, except that it is not so kah-pow neon, but still a bright deep orange, and it is also slightly thicker in texture than Japanese Koi.  2 coats should give you a true opaque finish.

    Just a comparison of the two colors side by side.

    Here, we have OPI's Atomic Orange.  This is a pretty intense color.  It is not  so bright like Koi or Street.... and maybe less red as well.   And how cute is the name?

    Chanel's Orange Fizz has a pink undertone, and I think the pink tone makes this a 'coral' type of color?  Very soft and vibrant colour.  I believe this is a permanent Chanel color, in case anyone is interested in getting this.

    China Glaze's Peachy Keen is very hard to photograph.  It is actually more pinkish in real life.  A pretty hard color to pull off, even on my nails... and I think I can usually wear anything on my nails without my skincolor looking 'off'.

    Next, we have Essie's Haute as Hello, which is from their Summer 2010 collection.  I got this in Hong Kong... it is supposed to be a matte shade but not as matte as the OPI shades... I feel like this is a 'matte' version of Chanel's Orange Fizz.   I think I will be wearing this on my hands next.

    Another Essie color, very pretty, light and creamy color, Van D' Go.  A soft pinky peach colour.  The consistency of this color is also very smooth, and 2 coats will give you true opaque color.

    Lastly, we have a true orange color, from the LA Girls matte range called  Matte Orange.  To be honest, I have not used any of the LA girls colors and I feel really bad about them... I just don't reach for them, though I dunno why.   The color is lighter in real life than the picture shows.

    What are your favourite summer nail colors?  And which are your favourites from these shown?

    Hope this has been helpful --- my description is very mediocre, but at least the pictures are more helpful?

    Thanks for looking!