the make-up blogette

Dior Summer 2013 Bird of Paradise Collection 374 Blue Lagoon

the makeup blogette — Sat, 11 May 2013 01:32:32 PDT

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!

YSL Summer 2013: Marrakesh Sunset Palette [Swatches & LOTD]

the makeup blogette — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 02:41:22 PDT

Hi hi

This entry features YSL Summer 2013 collection - the Marrakesh Sunset Palette - it is a beautiful 5 colour eyeshadow palette.

"The new must have collector for Summer 2013. A stunning gold case with opulent Moroccan arabesque deesign. Motif engraved with golden satin contrasting against shiny golden reflects. Sublimed in bronze, gold and copper hues reflecting the rays of sunlight with a striking note of violet."

When I first saw pictures of this palette online, I was captivated by the motif, and the combination of neutrals and violet colors, so I quickly did a look with the palette, using all the colours in it.

Here are some close up pictures of the palette:

And the palette itself: all the shades are shimmery.

1. a violet with blue and purple shimmer bits
2. medium brown with golden shimmer
3. peachy shade with light pink shimmer
4. golden shade
5. and in the middle, pale pink toned champagne with silvery sparkles

swatches -

The look - unlike Lindsay Wixson who is wearing the violet shade as the main lid colour, I used the violet as an accent shade on the lower eyelids. I used the peachy and golden shades on the eyelids. To give the eyelook more definition, I used the medium brown on the outer corners. I used the champagne on the lower inner corner.

I like how the shimmer in the eyeshadows show up in the pictures, though I probably over-blended the colors on my upper lids. But this is a look which I am most comfortable with, and would wear anytime.

This is not my first YSL 5 colour palette, and I find that the eyeshadows seem quite hard and dry - perhaps I am used to creamier powder eyeshadows (eg, Burberry, Inglot, Lorac, etc) - but I think that to make the YSL colours show up more on the eyes, you need to use a base, preferably a colored one, and really build up the colors to your desired intensity. The Marrakesh palette is beautiful, and it offers neutal lovers a variety of shades, along with a pop of color. It is certainly a collector's item if you are a YSL makeup fan, but I don't think the colors in the palette are very unique (quite dupeable, unlike some of their other palettes that have really unique & multi-dimensional shades).

* see the violet I have used under my lids, you can see the blue and purple shimmer bits yah? *

All products used:

Face:

YSL Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skincare brush (still loving this!), YSL Teint Eclat foundation (shade B20), Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder (shade 10),

Concealers:

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, YSL Touch Eclat (I mixed No 1 and No 2) under the eyes, set with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder (shade 02)

Lips: YSL Glossy Stain No 12

Cheeks: Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette (LOVE LOVE), Illamasqua Writhe bronzer (awesome for adding extra ormph to cheeks)

Eyes:
Prime with NARS eyeshadow primer
Use colored bases, on the eyelids Chanel illusion d'ombre in Emmerville, base for violet shade is MAC Pearlglide liner in Designer Purple
YSL Marrakesh Palette
Liners - Heavy Rotation Black Liquid Liner (winged out slightly)
Customised lashes
Brows filled in with Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, and brushed with Shu Uemura brown manicure in Ash Brown

Finally, set the face with NARS Light Reflecting pressed powder.

Here you can see how the darker brown adds definition to the outer corners of the eyes.
And you can also see the Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette doing its magic on the face contours.
I usually dust the bronzing shade all over my forehead, and around the cheeks. The highlighting shade in this palette is very wearable and gives my face a very noticeable glow.

I believe the YSL Summer 2013 Collection will be available next week. Hope this review has been helpful, and thanks for looking!

Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Heaven!

the makeup blogette — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:41:48 PDT

Hi everyone!

I finally have the chance to take pictures of these beautiful golden YSL brand new products. Good lighting, and good timing are hard to come by these days, and before I go into detail for each of the product, I shall leave you with a very quick pictorial overview of goodies coming your way in the next couple of weeks.

Here we go:

Happy Sunday!

Dior 3 Couleurs Glow 651 Nude Glow [Photos, Swatches & LOTD]

the makeup blogette — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 07:01:36 PDT

Hi hi,

this entry features the Dior 3 Couleurs Glow 651 Nude Glow, an eyeshadow trio which will be released with Dior's Fall 2012 makeup collection - for information on the collection, please click on this entry here here here.

If you aren't aware, the 3 Couleurs were only released a couple of years back, if I am not wrong, and these have a very nifty way of opening up the palette. You slide open the cover, and a mirror slides up, and you see the three colours - 2 main colors, and a liner shade. This is quite handy, and the picture below shows the size difference between the trio and the quint.

651 Nude Glow is a very pale peachy nude palette, with a matte black liner shade.

Here is the product description and how to apply it -- and I followed the steps in my LOTD:

Within the exclusive 3 couleurs glow sliding case lies the secret to naturally luminous, dramatic and couture eyes. In 3 easy steps, our 3 new-generation fusion formula enhance your eyes with nude or pastel shades, a highlighter and a liner to define them.

- a satiny nude or pastel EYESHADOW with an ultra-fine texture melts into the skin. Apply to eyelid and blend.

- a HIGHLIGHTER shade with a wet-look finish illuminates the eyes. Dab on the center of the eyelid and the inner and outer corners of the eye.

- A powder LINER is applied to the upper lash line to define the eyes and create the ultimate fashion touch.

swatches without any primer

and I also swatched the liner wet and dry

the liner looks darker then it is applied wet

The lid color is quite soft, and pigment.

The highlighter shade is a very fine and shimmery shade, that sparkles without having much of a base colour.

This is be used as a layering shade to add some texture/ sparkle as I have done in my LOTD.

close up of the liner shade

I swatched using the pointed sponged tip applicator that comes in the palette

and my LOTD using mainly Dior products

all will be listed below...

base - DIORSNOW UV Shield BB Cream, DIORSNOW Instant Spot Concealer (which I used under my eyes to highlight the area) I didn't have to do much spot concealing -- YAY! then I set with Lancome dual finish powder compact

cheeks - DIORSKIN Nude Tan 001 Aurora, DIOR Rosy Glow 001 Petal

brows - Shu Uemura pencil, Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

lips - DIOR Addict Extreme 326 Incognito

eyes - NARS primer, DIOR 3 Couleurs Glow 651 Nude Glow

lashes - Clinique lower lash mascara, TW All Belle Falsies

nails - DIOR 605 Amazonia

eyelook close up - the lid shade is very natural, and just added a little color to my lids without being too loud, or like I am wearing eyeshadow...like the name states, it's a NUDE GLOW..

it was very hot, and I was erm...sweating..so I prolly look a little /glowier than usual...but quite nice IMO..nonetheless.

Fall collections are all streaming in, and I can't wait to see what's coming our way in the coming months ahead!

what are you going to pick up from this collection?

Thank you for reading!

1028 Brownie Eyes Palette [Photos & Swatches]

the makeup blogette — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 01:30:15 PDT

This entry features the 1028 brand Brownie Eyes palette which I bought during my Taipei trip. The brand is available at most, if not all Watsons in TW.

For those who don't know, '1028' is a makeup label created by Taiwanese makeup guru *Xiao Kai* - and I have the base makeup (consisting of liquid foundation and loose powder). If you are acquainted with Taiwanese beauty products, the art of flawless skin, and eye enhancing makeup application are usually the key points, so you know you are in good hands when you are looking for great foundations, and also eye color products. When we were in Taipei, and browsed and shopped the beauty stores daily, we didn't come across this palette til on the second last day, we were making our rounds at Watsons, and Jerl & Kim spotted this palette (which was probably just released that day, everything was fully stocked), and yelled for Amy and I to go check out. 3 minutes later, we all bought one or two of this palette each, all but wiping out the shelf at that Watsons.

It costs less than S$20 each, and consists of 6 beautiful neutral earthy tone eyeshadows, each 2.1g. The palette comes without a mirror, which makes it lightweight. Be careful if you are going to pop this palette in your bag, because the closing isn't very tight, and it might just pop open, and you end up with nicked eyeshadows. The packaging is quite sleek, and reminds me of one of my smaller Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes.

There is a matte bone shade, a pale shimmery shade, a light brown metallic, one olive, warm medium brown and lastly a dark brown. All the shades are equally pigmented, and very smooth. A few shades are slightly powdery, so be sure to tap off any excess powder to avoid fallout. It's a versatile palette, and if you are a neutral eyeshadow lover like me, you would love this palette.

some swatches in progress

okay, the actual swatches

no base used at all

I love this palette!

Thanks for looking!

Bare Minerals Eyeshadow Duo 'The Epiphany' [Photos, Swatches & LOTD]

the makeup blogette — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 06:34:49 PDT

I made a quick purchase at feelunique.com (uk site, free intl shipping, no minimum order necessary, what are you waiting for??) ---- so, yes, made a purchase for this Bare Minerals Eyeshadow duo in The Epiphany (rated A+ at Temptalia) --- and yes, it is another neutral brown eyeshadow pairing.

Anyway, I have watched enough YT videos to know that many girls are raving about the Bare Minerals eyeshadow palettes. I didn't want to plunge and get a quad, so a duo would be nice to start off with. The whole order and delivery process took about a week, very impressive for free intl shipping (and hint hint to ASOS another free intl shipping UK site which is so notoriously unpredictable).

The packaging itself is like NARS - matte, black, rubbery.

It is also tiny - both shadows weigh a total of 3g? Well, does it matter?

Like my friend said, it is not like I am going to hit pan on it anytime. Hehe.

It is made in the USA.

Just by looking at these, you know you are in for some buttery soft pigmented eyeshadows.

And I am not far off.

The colors are intense, smooth, and easy to blend with a fluffy brush.

I tried them out,

the shimmery shade on my lids,

and the darker matte shade on my crease.

Just a quick hasty LOTD with whatever was already on my face for the day (this is makeup after 7 hours).

Ettusais bb cream + Maquillage white essence liquid foundation, set with Chanel loose powder

Chanel Bronze Rose

Chanel Glossimer 287 Aurora

Cosmos lashes, #43 (no liner)

I did not use an eyeshadow primer.

I would be keen to check out more of these eyeshadows. The quality is pretty amazing.

Hope this is helpful, and thank you for reading. :)

NEW DIOR Anselm Reyle Collection [Photos & Information]

the makeup blogette — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:11:26 PDT

[1 May 2012, exclusively at Takashimaya]

With the arrival of New Look, Christian Dior opened the door to a visionary world in which fashion, fragrances and makeup complement each other and help give shape to new femininity.

Invited to create an original accessories line, Berlin artist Anselm Reyle was given free rein to play with the Dior Makeup codes for an exclusive limited-edition collection.

Known for his work that explores materials and textures, colours and metallic effects, he appropriated the Dior makeup colour world and added his own graphic touch.

A “Camouflage” eyeshadow palette.

Adorned with the “Camouflage” motif created for Dior, an eyeshadow palette offers a mixed harmony of violet, grey and black. Shiny and matt effects recall the artist’s leitmotifs and compose sophisticated eyes.

Like a precious jewel box, the metallic case opens to reveal a delightful mirror with a coloured overlay of the famous Dior canework.

EYESHADOW PALETTE $188

High-impact nail lacquers

The nail lacquers are playful complements that set the tone in explosive colours. Bold violet of Ultra-Violet, deep black of Untitled Black, vivid pink of Pink Graffiti, vibrant blue of Electric Blue and a subtle silver of Metallic Silver compose an electrifying quintet that brings to mind Anselm Reyle’s passion for neon shades.

SOLD IN A SET OF ALL FIVE, $150 per set

*Available from 1 May 2012, exclusively at Takashimaya.

REVLON Colorstay™ 16 Hour Eyeshadows: Precocious & Siren [Photos & Swatches]

the makeup blogette — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:58:02 PST

Hi hi!

Another set of goodies which I got from my US swap (I tell you, I think I have never been more excited by drugstore goodies!!! Because I have seen/ heard such great things about them, and since they are priced so affordably, it never hurts to just give them a try). And Revlon is slowly surely becoming the dupe central for great stuff that you find in higher end more pricey products.

These are new Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow quads - let me tell you my rationale for picking these colors - I wanted colors which are 'neutral' but not the usual earthy, bronzey, brown ones. So I ended up with these. And I think I did well.

The eyeshadows swatched quite pigmented - but a little dry in terms of texture. Use a creamy eyeshadow base, and then pat these eyeshadows on top for best results. I like how the colors look and show up. Will definitely feature and review these in LOTDs soon soon soon - gasp I think I have a long list of 'Products to Feature in LOTDs promises' entries due! :o

Photos & Swatches:

Note - I can't helo but notice how 'sloppy' the sides of the eyeshadows are pressed to the pan, if you know what I mean... making them look a little crumbly. And the pans look a little wonky. I swatched all the colors using the sponge tip applicators that come with the quad.

Hope this has been helpful, and thank you for looking!

LOTD: Guerlain Terracotta Makeup Palette [Photos & Swatches]

the makeup blogette — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:53:27 PST

HI!

Yes, I forgot to bring EYESHADOWS and when I was at the airport, I had a few minutes to browse the DFS makeup area...and came across this beautiful Guerlain palette (Joey might have a part to play in putting the word 'Guerlain' in my head!) ---- that consists of BRONZER and EYESHADOWS... for S$76! Which is a good deal, if you ask me. And all the eyeshadow colors are those I would wear easily anytime.

The compact is the same size of my Guerlain Blush G... and housed in a velvet pouch that has compartments for a face brush and a sponge-tip applicator.

The bronzer itself is matte, and has a darker gradient --- it is so smooth, and suited my fair tone complexion perfectly.

The eyeshadows are all very neutral, and easy to wear in any combination.

Another shot of the bronzers and eyeshadows in a warmer lighting.

Swatches:

and a quick LOTD:

I used the bronzers to contour sides of my face, the olive green under my eyes, and the browns on my lids... I also used the matte brown eyeshadow to contour the sides of my nose.

LOVE this palette -- so glad I bought it.... and to be honest, if I didn't forget my eyeshadows, I probably would have felt rather guilty about buying it, or might not even go shopping around at all. Blessing in disguise huh? And then I come here to HK...where I am surrounded by more makeup...hmmmmm....let's not even try to justify anything I am doing. But I am good. Very good this trip.

P/S - I love these Benefit pin up girl lashes!!! They are so brown and fluffy!

What's your favourite excuse for buying new makeup? Do share in the comments section!

Thanks for looking!

Two Faced Glamour to Go Dream Edition Palette [Photos & Swatches]

the makeup blogette — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:16:06 PST

First... I must say...... this palette is only S$33!!!!!!!!

I grabbed it without even properly swatching it.

It is tiny, it is cute, it contains 8 eyeshadows, 2 cheek colors and a lipcolor. So you have everything you need in this little thing. I am not much of a fan for all in one palettes, but it's so cute, and only... did I say, $33? That's like the price of one eyeshadow at MAC, or ShuUemura, and less than the price of a Chanel nail polish. Wahahaha. Girly math at its most frivolous.

Anyway.... the Two Faced Glamour to Go palette is part of the amazing range of holiday items that Sephora is currently stocking.... and you should really check it out.

Not all the shades in this palette are super amazing... a couple of the eyeshadows run quite sheer and shimmery, but most of them have decent payoff, and are smooth enough --- definitely use a colored base for best results. The two cheek colors will work well for me as blushers (even though one is supposed to be a bronzer). The lip color is just a generic pinky shade that will suit most skintones.

Anyway you can't go wrong with this little palette... either for yourself, or as a present for your friends!

Size Comparisons

[It's not much better than a NARS PowderBlush in terms of area, though I am not comparing product weight]

I swatched the palette at Sephora Ion, and well, decided to be lazy and post these swatches instead of opening my own palette.

I will swatch my own palette when I post an LOTD using the colors from this palette soon enough.

That's all, and thanks for looking!