manicure on the make-up blogette

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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Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time Nail Art [Step by Step] & LOTD!

Hi hi!

Just sharing a simple nail art design which you can create with a few simple items - I have swatched all the Lancôme Vernis in Love, and thought I would share with you some nail art combinations incoporating the colors, and also some nailart supplies items which you might already have in your stash, or else you can go to somewhere like PNC or Daiso to get some of these items which I am going to use in my simple tutorial.

Links to my swatches:

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Jolis Matins [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Tonight Is My Night [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time [Photos & Swatches]

Nail Art products

Small Pearl Studs (available at nail art supplies store, such as PNC)

Lancome Vernis in Love 573B Bleu de Flore, 501B Aquamarine, base coat and top coat

A saucer filled with some water

Toothpicks to 'grab' the pearl studs

Topcoat and basecoat

It's very easy, as you can see in the steps below.
I wanted to go for a non-uniformed uniformed look - layering and alternating the two shades of blue in the design, and throwing in the tiny pearl studs to make the look a little more interesting. Also the pearl studs look neutral enough to go with any color combination, depending on the look you are going for.

There are some very beautiful purples in the Boudior Time polishes, but I decided to create my nail art with the blues instead.

I picked up the tiny pearl studs with the tip of a wet toothpick - this gives you control over where you want to place the stud.

A close up of the completed look:

So happened that I have a somewhat matchy top to go with the nail art design and the overall LOTD.
I would have gone all matchy with a teal/ blue eyelook, but I think I still want to go for a relatively office friendly look, with a warm gold eyelook and pink gloss.

And these are the products I have used:

Makeup products

Lancome Teint Miracle, set with Teint Miracle loose powder

Concealer -Teint Miracle Natural Light Creator Bare Skin Perfection Perfecting Concealer Pen

Lips - Gloss in Love 385

eyes - NARS Primer, Lancome Color Design 101 Bronze Amour

cheeks - Blush in Love 20 Pommettes D'Amour, Lancome Blush Highlighter 001

The overall look - you would also notice that I am wearing much more natural lashes, instead of my usual very thick ones.
The Teint Miracle foundation has a very radiant finish, but do also note that it was scorching hot when I took these LOTD pictures, so if I look a little 'too radiant' I blame it on the hot afternoon heat!

Overall, the nailart is something which I feel is work friendly, and also fun enough for when you want to go out after work...

And one last look:

Here are a few other nail art combinations I have created with the Lancôme Vernis in Love:

Thanks for reading! Happy mid Week!

Posted on May 14, 2013 at 9:38AM | Permalink | 2 Comments

Filed in: manicure, LOTD, nail art, Lancôme Vernis in Love | Tagged with: Lancome, LOTD, Lancôme Vernis in Love

May 11, 2013

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Jolis Matins [Photos & Swatches]

Hi hi!

Good morning! Hope everyone is enjoying this Mother's Day Sunday. :)

Today, I have the upcoming Lancôme Vernis in Love - Jolis Matins shades to share with you. These polishes retail for S$30 each, and contains 6ml of product.

These shades are the 'In Love with Morning' shades - very fresh, classic and wearable.
I love the brushes on these polishes - they are paddle shaped, like the YSL and Loreal polishes.

The formula and consistency of these polishes are quite impressive. The color payoff is very intense, and application is a breeze, thanks to the brushes. I didn't have any problem with visible brushstrokes and streakiness.

Just a close up of the brush - and how it is able to cover my nail in one stroke.

and now for the swatches:

All swatches are taken with a base coat, two coats of color, and a top coat.
(except for 010M Cristal Quartz, which is shown on its own)

010 M Cristal Quartz
just a clear polish to give your nails a shine

020M Pure Narisse

A sheer cream shade, perfect for a french manicure, or just to give your nails a groomed chic effect
Bonus: this is not streaky at all despite the sheerness. Application is a breeze.

311M Jolie Rosalie

A creamy warm pink.
Perfect summer shade, great if you want to show off the healthy tan.
The formula is extremely smooth and creamy.

300M

Rose Plumetis
A rosy light pink with a subtle sheen. It is very opaque and creamy.

105M Corail in Love
A true coral which is not too orangey - salmon pink.
It is showing up a little muted here, but it's slightly brighter in real life.

154M Miss Coquelicot

A classic bright red, neutral undertone that suit all skintones.

and lastly, we have 179M Madame Tulipe
a rich deep red, with a cooler undertone. I love this shade.

a comparison of both the reds

My top picks among the Jolis Matins:

311M Jolie Rosalie
154M Miss Coquelicot
179M Madame Tulipe

Hope these swatches have been helpful, and thanks for looking!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 7:30PM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Lancome, manicure, red, Swatches, vernis in love, jolis matins | Tagged with: Lancome, nail polish, review, red, manicure, swatches, jolis matins, vernis in love

May 11, 2013

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Tonight Is My Night [Photos & Swatches]

Hi hi!

Today, I have the upcoming Lancôme Vernis in Love - Tonight in my Night shades to share with you. These polishes retail for S$30 each, and contains 6ml of product, available this coming June 2013.

These shades are the 'In Love with Night' shades - think of deep intense hues, party ready colors.

I love the brushes on these polishes - they are paddle shaped, like the YSL and Loreal polishes.

240N Beige Dentelle
A tanned beige shade, this is darker and warmer than my usual choice of nudes,
but if you want a natural shade, this is a very wearable office appropriate color.

270N Chocolat Mordore
A rich chocolate brown, as suggested by the name. Super intense and creamy.

280N Cosmopolitan Kaki
A milky light cool toned brown.

407N Gris Angora
A gorgeous cool toned grey with the slightest lilac tinge.
Very creamy.

441N Midnight Rose
A plummy rich purple.

473N Rouge Reglisse
This is rouge noir, a blackened red.
I didn't wait for my two coats to be dry, hence the slight patchiness.
But other than that, the formula and glossy finish are impressive.

585N Noir Caviar
Deep charcoal grey.
I love dark greys like this. (think NARS Galion, DL Stormy Weather)

I love the colors in this group, they are neutral enough for everyday and yet so intense.

My top picks:

407N Gris Angora
280N Cosmopolitan Kaki
473N Rouge Reglisse

Which of these are your faves?

Hope you find these swatches helpful, and thank you for looking!

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 2:29AM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Lancome, manicure, Swatches, vernis in love, in love with night, tonight is my night | Tagged with: Lancome, nail polish, review, manicure, swatches, tonight is my night, vernis in love, in love with night

May 11, 2013

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time [Photos & Swatches]

Hi hi!

Today, I have the upcoming Lancôme Vernis in Love - Boudoir Time shades to share with you. These polishes retail for S$30 each, and contains 6ml of product.

These shades are the 'In Love with Evening' shades - very elegant with an edge, in this group, you find classics like Rouge in Love, and also the bolder shades of blues and purples.

I love the brushes on these polishes - they are paddle shaped, like the YSL and Loreal polishes.

Close up of the brush and application:

112B Rouge In Love

A bright pinky red, that's showing up quite coral-ish in my swatches.

343B Rose Pitimini

A deep creamy rose shade, it is showing less pink in my pictures.

375B Rose Boudoir

A rich intense purple-y fuschia pink.

419B Violette Coquette
A muted not quite pastel purple, slightly grey undertone.

501B Aquamarine
An intense bright turquoise. It is showing up quite bright blue in my pictures.
It has a deeper hue in real life too. This is one of the very outstanding shades in the entire Vernis in Love collection.

573B Bleu de Flore
A deep navy warm blue.
I love this one. It's very inky and chic.

My top picks for the Boudoir Time:

501B Aquamarine

375B Rose Boudoir

112B Rouge In Love

Which of these caught your eyes?

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

Posted on May 11, 2013 at 1:33AM | Permalink | 1 Comment

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Lancome, manicure, Swatches, vernis in love, in love with night, boudoir time | Tagged with: Lancome, nail polish, review, manicure, swatches, boudoir time, vernis in love, in love with night

May 04, 2013

YSL Summer Manicure with Vert D'Orient & Jade Imperial

YSL Spring and Summer collections see the release of two highly sought after polishes - Jade Imperial, and Vert D'Orient. Supplies of both shades are extremely limited, though the stores do re-stock them time to time. It is best to put your name on the reservation lists, to avoid any disappointment. They retail for S$35 each.

I recently added Vert D'Orient to my collection, and it is beautiful. I like the fact that it is dark enough, and has that milky muted tone which makes it look less green. YSL polishes have excellent formula, and this is no exception.

I paired both shades together for the ultimate YSL SS2013 Jade manicure look.

Loving this combo!

What's on your nails recently?

Thanks for looking!

Posted on May 04, 2013 at 8:34PM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Review, haul, manicure, Swatches, YSL, vernis, SS2013, jade imperial, Vert D'Orient | Tagged with: review, manicure, haul, YSL, swatches, vernis, SS2013, jade imperial, Vert D'Orient

April 27, 2013

Illamasqua Noble, Cameo & Force [Photos & Swatches]

Here's Part 2 of my Illamasqua polishes swatches - all the blues and purples - 90% of my illamasqua polishes have excellent formula, I don't think there's any one which I own that isn't creamy and pigmented, unless they are meant to be shimmery sheer topcoats or jelly formula.

Do note that my Canon camera is totally blinded by these vibrant shades, and after Cameo, I had to use my iphone5 for a more true to life color results.

All swatches here are shown with 2 coats, no top coat, no base coat.

Here we have Cameo (which together with Noble, used to be Sephora exclusive until they are recently available at the Illamasqua website). This is a cornflower blue, which isn't too 'stark' it is very opaque with a soft finish, if you know what I mean. No staining.

a truer color payoff of Cameo in this angle.

Next is Force - a brilliant shade of deep purple+navy or blurple as some nailpolish bloggers say (I can't decide) with just the faintest hint of a muted grey tone. In pictures it is showing very purple, and no grey at all. Quite hard to get a good shot. The formula is excellent, a one coater, though I applied two here to show the finish.
This didn't stain my nails after removal.

Lastly, we have Noble - which is a bright cyan blue which seems to pop out from the photo below, right?
Love the formula and consistency, and how bright it looks (best on short nails) but it stains like mad upon removal.

That's all for now, and thanks for looking!

Posted on April 27, 2013 at 9:23PM | Permalink | 1 Comment

Filed in: Review, haul, nail polishes, manicure, Swatches, blue, Illamasqua Noble, Cameo, Force | Tagged with: review, blue, cameo, manicure, haul, swatches, Nail Polishes, force, Illamasqua Noble

November 25, 2012

Essie Winter 2013: My Top Picks

Hi hi!

I picked 3 shades from the Winter 2012 collection. The other colors are beautiful, but not very unique.. and I think I have a soft spot for Essie glitters. They last very well, and always somehow manage to look quite like something different.

The first one, which I picked up simply because it is such a beautiful electifying blue shade.... but..hmmm in actual fact, I hardly wear blues like this in real life! Maybe I would wear it for a day, and then I would clean them off.

This is Butler Please, a creamy marine cool blue. It has a neon finish, drying semi matte. A glossy topcoat is compulsory!
The color here is quite accurate to real life, but when I snapped a picture with my iphone, the color looks darker, and absolutely popping.

This is the iphone pic.

Next, we have Leading Lady - a raspberry red, and the consistency of this, I can only describe as a JAM... it is a little thick, but easy enough to apply. It is densely packed with matching red glitter bits. I painted 2 coats to achieve this intensity.

Don't mind my dry cuticles though. I was on a swatching marathon this morning.

And lastly, my fave, Beyond Cozy - a pale white gold glitter, very opaque because it is so densely packed with glitter bits. Applies very smoothly.

Love these shades I picked.

Are you getting any of the Essie Winter 2012 collection?

I got my Essies from timtam00.blogspot.sg - she stocks the best and latest Essie collections.

Eugenia (Ommorphia) has the complete collection swatched and review (link link link) Check it out!

That's all, and thanks for looking!

Posted on November 25, 2012 at 3:51AM | Permalink | 1 Comment

Filed in: Nail Polish, haul, manicure, swatch, Essie, Winter 2012, butler please, beyond cozy, leading lady | Tagged with: nail polish, manicure, haul, essie, swatch, Leading Lady, Winter 2012, butler please, beyond cozy

November 25, 2012

SpaRitual Gold Collection: Rusted Lux & Conduit [Photos, Swatches & Comparisons]

SPARITUAL GOLD:

A Special Edition Nail Lacquer Collection

SpaRitual introduces GOLD, a special edition nail lacquer collection that celebrates one of the world’s most treasured metals, valued for millennia across cultures. GOLD, widely known as an ancient symbol of wealth, has always had the power to captivate; at the heart of ancient rituals and modern desire, it holds an elemental energy forged by nature, radiating warmth from within; a symbol of a better moment in time.

Each of the six GOLD collection nail lacquers is infused with actual 24 karat gold particles that give off an ethereal shimmer.

Shades include:

Gilded Age, a rose gold,

Alchemy, a while gold,

Aurum, pure gold,

Electrum, a golden khaki,

Conduit, copper hued,

Rusted Lux, golden terracotta.

‘’Spread your inner light with SpaRitual’s special editioncollection, GOLD, as you embrace the symbol of mental growth and general well-being.’’ – Shel Pink, SpaRitual Founder & CCO

SpaRitual is committed to providing spa and nail care products that nourish the mind, body and spirit connection which are also environmentally kind. As with all SpaRitual lacquers, the 2012 GOLD lacquers are free of DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Formaldehyde Resin, and are formulated to compliment Slow Beauty practices.

For 2012, SpaRitual’s overarching theme is to honor our precious resources. Taking inspiration from the earth’s natural resources and elements all the products and nail lacquer collections launched throughout the year will have a direct correlation with this theme including, the GOLD.

The complete GOLD collection is available and will retail for $35 each in fine salons and spas locally. SpaRitual products are also available online at: www.mylife-store.com

Swatches here:

I have swatched Rusted Lux last week, and it is brilliant. It is red, and glistening gold at the same time. 3 coats give you full opaque color, but I am also showing you the option of applying it over a red base. Personally, I prefer the pureness of the color with 3 coats. The red base seems to make the shade look too red/gold in a chinese new year way which I am not too keen on.

what I used for layering, another Sparitual red.

Here's how one coat of Rusted Lux looks like. You can see the sheer reddish pink base.

And more swatches:

The gold shimmers sparkle and shine, and even more so in sunlight.

Here we have 2 coats of Conduit. It has a pink toned base, and quite densely packed with deeper golden shimmers. The pink base is very sheer, and not as red as the one in Rusted Lux.

And a comparison of Conduit with OPI Goldeneye and Sparitual Solstice:

Conduit has a pink toned based, more coppery looking.
OPI Goldeneye has coarser shimmer bits.
Solstice is more densely packed, and more golden, and it looks more intense than conduit.

The SpaRitual polishes are of great quality, the bottle and the brush is easy to use, and you are paying for the sheer quality of their polishes. I enjoy the rest of the SpaRitual polishes in my collection, and these new ones are no exception.

To purchase SpaRitual polishes and more, click on www.mylife-store.com to start shopping right away.

Hope these swatches have been helpful, and thanks for reading!

Posted on November 25, 2012 at 3:49AM | Permalink | 2 Comments

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, Glitter, manicure, Swatches, Shimmer, SpaRitual, gold collection, conduit, rusted lux | Tagged with: nail polish, review, shimmer, manicure, glitter, swatches, SpaRitual, gold collection, conduit, rusted lux

November 20, 2012

OPI James Bond Skyfall Collection: The Man with the Golden Gun

Hi!

This entry features the OPI Skyfall collection - Have you watched the movie yet? I caught it last Sunday, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I thought this latest installment is a good combination of the old school James Bond and the new modern generation (with new Q, and new M), and well, Daniel Craig is my fave James Bond!

The nail polish collection features The Man with the Golden Gun, which I only recently managed to get. For other colors I have picked from this collection, click here here here.

This is a 18k golden topcoat - though I didn't spot anything that looks like 18k gold in the ingredient list.. hur hur. But I bought this at S$22 from timtam00blogspot (link here) She is my fave local nail polish supplier, always up to date in the stocking of new collections, and reasonable prices.

The nailpolish comes in its own collector's box.

The description behind the box.

And here's how it looks like. I painted Chanel Rouge Noir underneath. Black seem a little too typical, and red would have been so Chinese New Year, no? So anyway.. here it is. The clear base in which the golden flakes are suspended in, is quite thick. I wish the flakes are more densely packed... I dipped the brush a few times to make sure that it is picking up enough golden flakes to spread over my nail surface.

Swatches here are done without any topcoat.

It is really pretty, and definitely a collector's item.

Have you managed to get yours yet?

Hope the swatches have been helpful, and thank you for looking~

Posted on November 20, 2012 at 11:49PM | Permalink | 2 Comments

Filed in: manicure, Swatches, nailpolish, opi skyfall, man with golden gun, golden topcoat | Tagged with: nailpolish, manicure, haul, swatches, NOTD, opi skyfall, man with golden gun, golden topcoat

October 23, 2012

Burgundy Nails with Contrary Nail Polish in Firebrand [Photos & Swatches]

Hallo!

I received two polishes from Shoppe Eclecticco lately, and one of them is by the indie brand Contrary. The shade I got is a burgundy shade which is perfect for this fall season. It is mostly a creamy shade, but on closer look, FireBrand contains fine micro-shimmer that glistens gold, red and purple at the same time. It is very subtle, and gives the deep wine red shade some dimension and depth.

The formula is smooth and 2 coats gave me even full coverage.

I got a little curious and did a search on Contrary polish, and found that all their shades contain these shimmery sheen too, and they have quite a range of shades available. (click on this blog and this blog for more swatches)

Back to my FireBrand... in this pic, you can see the shimmery bits in the close up.

I believe some people would use the word 'oxblood' to describe this perfect fall color for your nails.

It is really chic and pretty.

Highly recommend this beautiful shade!

Check out contrary polish and more at Shoppe Eclecticco!

And you can shop here at their e-store - they are based in Singapore, but ships worldwide.

They carry a mind-boogling range of indie brand and hard to find brands of nail polish.

Hope this review has been helpful, and stay tuned for my next feature!

Thanks for looking!

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 7:16AM | Permalink | 0 Comments

Filed in: Nail Polish, Review, manicure, Swatches, contrary polish, burgundy | Tagged with: nail polish, review, manicure, burgundy, swatches, contrary polish

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BLOGLOVIN

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Hot Links: Basic Makeup!

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FAQ & DISCLAIMER

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Archives

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time Nail Art [Step by Step] & LOTD!

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Jolis Matins [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Tonight Is My Night [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Jolis Matins [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Tonight Is My Night [Photos & Swatches]

Lancôme Vernis in Love: Boudoir Time [Photos & Swatches]

YSL Summer Manicure with Vert D'Orient & Jade Imperial

Illamasqua Noble, Cameo & Force [Photos & Swatches]

Essie Winter 2013: My Top Picks

SpaRitual Gold Collection: Rusted Lux & Conduit [Photos, Swatches & Comparisons]

SPARITUAL GOLD:

A Special Edition Nail Lacquer Collection

OPI James Bond Skyfall Collection: The Man with the Golden Gun

Burgundy Nails with Contrary Nail Polish in Firebrand [Photos & Swatches]

Search

About Me

e-mail

BLOGLOVIN

Follow @makeup_blogette on Instagram

Twitter Me!

Latest Headlines

Tags

2215 followers

Hot Links: Basic Makeup!

Reviews: Foundations

Latest Comments

Blogroll

FAQ & DISCLAIMER

Archive

Archives

SPARITUAL GOLD:

A Special Edition Nail Lacquer Collection