Eye Candy: Givenchy Beauté (and the Givenchy Singapore Tea Party!)

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I don’t usually use this term to describe makeup packaging but when it comes to Givenchy’s makeup line, the word that keeps coming to my mind is “sexy, sexy, sexy”.

There’s something about the sleek, structured squares encasing jewel-like faceted powders that’s minimalist and exotic-looking at the same time. In a way that somehow makes me think of a chic young dominatrix.

But that’s not to say it’s all about packaging of course, because the products themselves are fantastic. (The swatches speak for themselves.)

Their makeup line might not take the headlines as often as the other major French fashion houses (Chanel, Dior, YSL) do, but the quality of most of their products is just as outstanding. They’ve had their share of cult favorites like the:

Phenomen’eyes mascara - this famous mascara with the bulbed wand which many liken to a medieval torture instrument spawned a whole list of copycats the past one or two years.

Parad’eyes liquid liner - long-lasting, precise, and they come in gorgeous colors too, depending where you are 

Le Prisme Yeux - these cute little classic squares of faceted colors come in satiny smooth textures pigmented enough to rival any Lancômes and Diors. I LOVE that even their mono (single) shadows are made up of 4 different finishes, so you get to customize just how you want to wear your favorite color. (Single-corner, swirled all together, or separately for contouring.)

Le Prisme Blush - again, you get 4 colors in each palette, so you can swirl them together for multidimensional color or customize them slightly by going for mostly one or two shades.

Le Rouge lipsticks - Argh, these are gorgeousness. I don’t have any on hand, but almost every time I’m in Sephora I’ll swatch them and stare. They are super-pigmented satin finish lipsticks (between creme and matte) that go on opaque and stay on well. (They also come in the most incredible leather-clad packaging.)

Teint Couture Liquid/Powder foundations - Givenchy’s answer to the “luminous-matte” foundation craze, as I previously wrote about in my mega foundation review. They look beautiful on the skin and are designed to last well. Teint Couture liquid reminds me of Nars sheer glow foundation in terms of the semi-matte finish and medium coverage (no mean feat because I love Sheer Glow), and the compact is fantastic for oilier skins.

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[Singapore Event/Activities]

CATCH ME AT THE GIVENCHY TEA PARTY AND GET FREE GIVENCHY BEAUTY PRODUCTS!

If you are in Singapore, you’re invited to a special event at Sephora ION this 7 Dec (Sat), 2-5 pm! 

Givenchy has invited Singapore bloggers Yina, Evonne, and yours truly, to do live demos at a “tea party” where you can check out products, have some pastries on the house, ask us your makeup/beauty related questions, and let us run you through step-by-step applications for:

1. skin/base - Yina
2. brows and smoky eyes - me (I will put up pictorials here for those unable to attend!)
3. blush and lips - Evonne

***The first 300 readers to show up at the event will also receive a goodie bag of Givenchy beauty products from us!***

GIVENCHY SG INSTAGRAM CONTEST

From now ‘til 7 Dec, Instagram a picture of yourself with any Givenchy makeup or skincare product and complete the sentence:

"This Christmas, I’d like to give Givenchy (XYZ product) to my mum/sis/girlfriend/bff because … (fill in reason)”

Remember to include these 3 hashtags to qualify: #givenchysg #sephorasg #makeup_box

At 5pm on 7 Dec, 5 lucky winners will be announced, and each will win 2 of their chosen Givenchy product to share with their loved one!

(IMPORTANT: Winners have to be present at the Launchpad in Sephora ION at 5pm to qualify for and collect the prizes, or other winners will be picked.)

Maybelline “Color Elixir” Lip Polishes: A Very Quick Review!

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One surprise find from the drugstore! I hadn’t heard/read too much about these, so I was quite shocked to suddenly see these lip polishes on a display so soon in Singapore. 

Nope. These are NOT the same Lip Polishes of Maybelline’s past. They bear the same name somewhat, but are a completely different product under the Color Sensational line. 

Color Elixir Lip Polishes are supposed to be 3-in-1 glosses, lipsticks and balms. I’ll just say they ARE very lightweight and comfortable feeling (like balms) and have the sheen of glosses. Plus, there are some very nice colors. BUT - I don’t quite see how these have “hyper saturated” color and the pigmentation of lipsticks. 

They look like it but aren’t the same thing as YSL and L’oreal Glossy Stains, though these use the same plush angora applicators as YSLs. They don’t set for one. And they don’t stain the lips.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Lightweight gel-like feel; stays glossy.
• Sheer pigmentation for many of the soft shades, and fuller pigmentation for the stronger ones, but in general these are more pigmented than most regular drugstore glosses.
• Unscented.
• Completely non-sticky. In this, they DO feel like squeeze-tube lip balms. 
• They layer quite well over lipsticks and liners.
• They are obviously very affordable. 
• They are not long-lasting, which is understandable considering the light balm-like feel.

(My personal picks - out of the clutch of shades available here - are Glam 1 and Pop 5 above.)

They don’t hang around very long on the lips, but they’re a pleasure to reapply so I’m not complaining really! I definitely prefer these for “casual lips” and I’ll apply them over a nude lip liner just to extend their lasting power a bit.

"Midnight Rose" Tutorial (Dramatic Pink/Plum Smoky Eyes using Givenchy Le Prisme Yeux 71 Purple Show)

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Rosy pink tones are not typical colors for the eyes, because it can go so wrong and make your eyes look tired and swollen. Do it right, and it can be pretty and dramatic with a slight “goth”/gothic feel.

Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure you conceal any unevenness and redness in your skin. Rosy shadows will bring those out, and make them more obvious. 
2. Blend a rose colored shadow with softer, more pastel tones AND make sure you ground it with dark definition at the lash line. 
3. One other trick is to use a bit of liner in a contrasting tone (I used an olive-bronze pencil since there are so many red tones and green is on the opposite end of the color wheel). A brown or plum pencil complements the rosy shadows better but they would fade right into the background instead of standing out.
4. Pair it with soft blush and neutral/nude lips. Rose everywhere can look quite scary and over the top.

Products used:

Foundation: Makeon Chokchok Shining BB Cushion (smoothed on with fingers)

Concealer: MAC Studiofinish Concealer in NW20

Powder: Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java

Contouring: The Body Shop Matte Bronzer 01

Blush: Benefit Rockateur (I keep using this recently; it goes great with most looks…)

Eyeshadows: Givenchy Le Prisme Yeux Quatuor in 71 Purple Show (it says purple, but the colors are more rosy-plum)

Liquid liner: Givenchy Parad’eyes Liner in 1 Dream in Black

Pencil: Givenchy Magic Khôl in 5 Bronze

Mascara: Givenchy Phenomen’eyes Waterproof in 1 Water Black (this is fantastic for very separated wispy looking lashes and good lift because it catches every lash)

Lipstick: The Body Shop Colour Crush lipstick in 220

Lipgloss: Clinique Long Last Glosswear in 18 Mystic (a purple grape). This was applied just around the center of the lips for some dimension. 

On nails: Lancôme Rouge Reglisse, which is a dark blood/red but looks black here.)

Holiday Look #1:

"Midnight Violet" - Smoky Iridescent Eye with Givenchy Le Prisme Yeux Quatuor in 72 Midnight Look

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It’s December, so I’m doing a holiday looks series for those of you who are looking for some ideas for party makeup!

This is the second of 2 smoky looks done with Givenchy quads. Coincidentally, they are both floral-themed; rose first of all, and violet now. 

Most people tend to go for the warm browns and pinks, but when it comes to an intense smoky eye, a violet is often much easier to pull off for all skin tones and eye colors. 

Products used:

• Foundation: Laniege Snow BB Soothing Cushion SPF 50+ No. 21 natural beige
• Concealer: MAC Studiofinish Concealer NW20
• Powder: ClearLast powder in Medicated Ochre
• Blush: Peri Pera Smile Fit Blush #3 (this is a Korean brand and probably hard to find outside Asia; try MAC Well Dressed)
• Eyeshadows: Givenchy Le Prisme Yeux Quatuor 72 Midnight Look
• Eyeliner: Givenchy Magic Khôl in Black
• Mascara: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof mascara in 2 Purple Velvet (you can always use a regular black)
• Lips: MAC Lipglass in Cultured

P.S. don’t forget the Givenchy Tea Party in Sephora Ion this coming Saturday! I’ll be doing a demo of a smoky eye look and dishing out some tips, so those of you in Singapore - do stop by between 2-5pm!

My LoveyBelle brush trial!

A makeup artist once told me “get expensive brushes if you want your tools to look nice for filming tutorials and working on clients, but aside from appearances’ sake, just get the cheaper ones”.

I’m inclined to agree. 

Many people always ask if I can “suggest affordable alternatives for my makeup brushes”, and I always laugh because I’m already using the “affordable alternatives”! I have a couple of MACs in shapes not available from other brands (227 and 130 specifically), but everything else I bought so far comes from cheaper brands like Sigma, Ecotools, Sephora, Sonia Kashuk, BH Cosmetics, The Body Shop and Coastal Scents. 

Loveybelle is a relatively new Singapore-based online brush store with a small range of beauty tools and accessories like brushes, sponges, brush guards, brush rolls, etc. The brushes are hand-picked for function, quality, and best of all - affordability. So of course I jumped at the chance to try some of their bestsellers AND a few soon-to-be-released ones that will be launching later this month.

These are my personal picks!

The Current Line

Eclipse Tapered Brush

I’m a fan of tapered brushes for the precision and control they give. The Eclipse Tapered Brush is about 50% larger and much denser than the Sigma F35, and made me go “ooooh” once I picked it up because the bristles were so dense and so smooth I thought they were synthetic. The true test of a tapered brush is whether it applies and blends contouring powder quickly, without streakiness. This passed with flying colors and is one of my absolute favorites from the range.

Tip: You probably want to use brush guards for tapered brushes because they can start to splay and lose their lovely pointy shape after some use.

The Eclipse Angled Blush Brush

The synthetic Eclipse angled blush brush was something I was curious to try because I always preferred natural hair bristles for blusher and bronzer. Many synthetic angled brushes don’t have the airy fluffiness I want because the taklon bristles are too smooth and flat.

I have to say I was very surprised by this brush because it was SO soft and fluffy it actually reminded me of my kitty Moomoo’s fur. It picked up product evenly and didn’t leave streaks on the skin. Above is just the way I angle it when applying different products. (Bronzer needs to be more blended out than blush, so an angled shape like this allows you to control the surface area of the brush on your skin.)

Eye and Lip brushes

Now I was interested in these 3 because:

The lip liner brush is shaped differently from any other brush I’ve seen so far. It’s thinner and firmer than most lip brushes, so the moment I saw it I thought “PERFECT CONCEALER BRUSH!!!” This isn’t its official use, but I still recommend it for that purpose because it’s got enough surface area on its flat side to pat and blend concealer onto slightly larger areas, while the fine tip and dense, firm texture allows you to do pinpoint concealing on dark spots and marks. 

The small eye contour brush is a short-haired, domed (rounded) synthetic buffing brush for blending in the socket line, but again, I found the synthetic bristles, shape and firmness perfect for fast, streak-free concealer blending on dark circles and discolored areas. (I don’t dip the brush directly into concealer cos that can pick up too much product. Dab concealer on first, then use the brush to blend out.)

I love MAC 217 dupes. Flat eyeshadow brush is slightly shorter-haired and firmer than dupes from Sigma and Coastal Scents, so you tend to get a bit more color intensity,which is always nice.

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Which brings me to the unreleased "PUPA" brushes.

Don’t be fooled by their appearance. (The 2 eye brushes do kinda look like paint brushes form the art store.) These are made with good quality hairs, and serve very specific purposes. If you’re interested in these, you can always contact Loveybelle (loveybellemakeup@gmail.com) to check on exact release dates!

The first is the PUPA large face brush. This is made of super silky, “bouncy” goat hair. I usually avoid large face brushes because I find they deposit too much powder on the face and can smudge concealer or make it cakey. Surprisingly, this brush is so soft it only picked up and deposited the lightest veil of powder. Your makeup is set, but you don’t look “powdered”. Perfect.

A word of caution: don’t use brushes of this size for blusher because it covers too wide an area. There’s another smaller face brush which will be released along with this one.

The two PUPA eye brushes I tried on the other hand are made of stiffer kolinsky sable, so they are designed to hold their shape and feel quite firm. I was worried they would feel scratchy on the lids but they weren’t, thankfully.

The flat shadow brush is a nifty multi-tasker.I used the flat of the brush to apply cream and powder shadows, and it applies everything very smoothly and evenly in a light layer. (If you want a lot of color intensity, go with the white-haired flat shadow brush.) I also use the edge to apply brown shadow as a liner because it manages to hold its shape and give that “smoky liner” effect. 

I was a little suspicious of the domed blender, because most buffing brushes for the socket line are made with softer hairs, and this was quite firm. BUT seems I worried for nothing because it did its job well and didn’t feel scratchy or splay all over the place. In fact, it’s great if you like a defined crease/socket, or you want to do a dramatic cut-crease look.

I’ve already given them a good vigorous wash as a final test and they don’t bleed or shed. Just reshape the bristles and lay them flat to air-dry.

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P.S. Loveybelle ships internationally at a flat rate (free in Singapore with orders above S$50), so it might make sense to get a bunch of pals together for a combined order if you reside in another country.

Every dollar spent entitles you to reward points that you can use to redeem vouchers and products. 

And yes… they sell a Hello Kitty powder sponge. I can’t get hold of one to photograph for you - it’s sold out!!!

Holiday Look #2: Neo-Pinup Tutorial (purple-taupe eyes and metallic red lips)!

You can never go wrong with a simple, glamorous look that’s a nod to 50’s pinups with their juicy red lips and glowing skin, but with some updated textures. 

Some updates:

The 50s look features full and arched brows. Here I emphasized the arched shape but kept the color quite soft instead of using a typical black-brown.

Polished skin was a big thing for pinups and it’s no different here. I used a dewy finish foundation and a radiant setting powder so there would be a soft-focus glow.

The pinup eye features a very clean eye lid and some matte shading along the socket line, but I kept things smoky and luminous with a soft taupe shadow over the entire lid.

Kitten liner is a must. But instead of hard black, I used a soft metallic taupe brown to keep the eye area very luminous and soft. (A grey or brown would work too.)

To add dimension I used a metallic red lipstick instead of a regular creme or matte texture. But you still want to emphasize a slightly rounded upper lip by exaggerating the outer sides of the cupid’s bow just a little with red liner. (Not too much or it will look extremely unnatural.)

Products used:

Skin: MAC Face & Body foundation C2

Concealer: MAC Studiofinish concealer NW20

Setting powder: Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java

Blush: TheBalm Hot Mama

Brows: Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 pencil in Seal Brown

Brown liner: (used as eyeshadow base) Bourjois Regard Effet Metallise in 52 Brun Inoxydable

Eyeshadow: Givenchy Le Prisme Yeux Mono #14 Elegant Taupe

Liner: Lancôme Hypnse Star Eyes cream shadow in ST 211 Quartz Taupe

Mascara: Lancôme Hypnôse mascara 

Lip liner: MAC Cherry lip liner (to fill in and shape the cupid’s bow)

Lipstick: Kat von D Foiled Love 

Gloss: Any clear gloss

PUT DOWN THAT MAC SHADOW! 

Yes - I mean you. (If you’re in Singapore that is…)

In fact, if you’re outside of the continental US you might want to do a bit of calculating as well.

Here are just a few high-end shadows that you THINK are more expensive than MAC, but work out to be cheaper when you calculate the price per gram of product. Especially in areas of the world where Lauder prices tend to be heavily inflated. (If you’re in the continental USA, forget this post. Lauder brands are priced much better there!)

Here are some options you want to consider the next time you pick up a regular MAC single shadow. (Heck, a couple are even cheaper than the basic MAC refill pan AND you get cases with them.)

*Please note that baked shadows and regular pressed shadows are very different in terms of density, so the below comparison only applies to pressed shadows.

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MAC (1.5g for S$28) -  $18.70/g

Shu Uemura single pans (1.4g for S$22) - $15.70/g

Dior 3 Couleurs Smoky palette (5.5g for S$70) - $12.70/g*** Best value!

Dior 5 Couleurs palette (6g for S$100) - $16.70/g

Givenchy Le Prisme Yeux Mono (3.4g for S$45) - $13.20/g

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio (3g for S$51) - $17/g

And these are just a few of the brands I checked. I was surprised myself by the cheapest so far. Dior smoky eye trios!!! I always knew they were cheaper than other Dior eyeshadow options, but I didn’t know they were also cheaper than other popular prestige brands. Much less a non-prestige brand like MAC.

(Of course, the above doesn’t apply when it comes to limited edition MAC quads or palettes which usually come at a slightly better value than their regular line. Just do your calculations before you buy.)

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Of course, it doesn’t mean you should run out and snap up all the Diors. There ARE many gorgeous and unique shades in the MAC line. You should take note of prices per gram MAINLY if you’re investing in neutrals for frequent use, because they are comparable across most brands. (Honestly, only the most die-hard makeup freak will know if that’s Patina you’re wearing.) A taupe is a taupe, once it’s on the lid.

If you’re paying a high-end price anyway, you might as well see if you can find one that’s cheaper and comes in nicer packaging than a MAC. (Hey if you’re charging me S$18.70 per gram, I want a black velvet pouch with it. None of that cheap plastic see-through lid nonsense.)

And when you consider that a lot of the options listed above actually have BETTER, more consistent textures, I would definitely go for those first, then pick up only the more unique shades from good ol’ Makeup Art Cosmetics.

(Damn… now I wish I’d done this calculation years ago. I’d have a lot less MAC browns and beiges, and a lot more Dior and Givenchy…)

A Peek at Laneige’s bumper crop of new products for Spring 2014!

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This January-February, Korean beauty brand Laneige, widely known for their hydrating skincare and BB creams, is launching a whopping:

7 Pure Radiant eye shadow quads

6 Pure Radiant Blushes

20 Serum Intense Lipsticks

2 new cleansing oils (woohoo; love cleansing oils)

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They’re all above for your viewing pleasure, though I wasn’t able to swatch all 7 Pure Radiant Eyeshadow palettes. As with many premium Japanese and Korean eyeshadows, these are made with ultra-fine silky pigments and translucent creamy textures. Even the sparkly shadows go on like a smooth glittery veil, and are quite different from grittier products like MAC Lustres. 

The thing you want to note is all but 1 eyeshadow palette are varying degrees of pearlescent/metallic shades.

4 Serene Purple - half sparkly, half matte

6 Classy Mood - all matte neutrals

Of these 7, I picked Palette 2 Shine Gold, a neutral beige-brown-gold quad, pictured alone above. Will definitely do a pictorial with this soon!

Most of the moisturizing Serum Intense lipsticks are a buildable semi-opaque texture and most are a creme finish (no sparkle or pearl, with a soft glossy sheen), and range from soft to very vivid:

If you want to be totally on-trend or are just a K-style fan, try the 3 bright lip shades above, which were specifically created for actress Song Hye Kyo!

Of these, my pick was R17 Red Flame. I really liked LR03 Pink Lightning, but it’s always easy for softer shades to look good. I wanted to see how the stronger colors performed in this formula!

Out of the 6 Pure Radiant blushes, only one has visible sparkles. The rest are a “luminous-matte” (velvety with just the faintest glow so they don’t look too flat and dull). These blushes are designed to diffuse light, blur fine lines, and brighten the skin for a lit-from-within look instead of looking like obvious powdery makeup. The colors look strong but remember they go on quite soft and can be built up if needed.

5 Glow Pink - soft beige mauve with silver specks

2 Baby Purple - this pale purple-pink is more a highlighter or blush-base than an actual blush. Tip: If your pretty pink blusher keeps showing up peach or tawny on your face, applying a very light dusting of pale purple first as a base.

6 Natural Shading - this is not a blush, but a light ochre beige for porcelain-skinned girls to contour/bronze with. If most bronzers look dirty or muddy on you, check this one out. (It’s too light for other skin tones though.)

My pick was the most versatile pink in the range, Angel Pink. It’s a cotton candy pink that goes on soft and complements most eye and lip colors (unless you’re wearing strong orange-tones).

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Cleansing Oils - Launching Feb 2014

More cleansing oils are always welcome in my universe.

I use them not just for quick thorough makeup removal but also to deep-clean my skin after workouts or if I’ve been out and sweating for hours. It’s the best way to get oil, waterproof makeup and grime off the skin with minimal rubbing and tugging.

(Even with gentle cleansing waters, I find the friction needed from cotton pads to break down and remove makeup can be quite harsh on sensitive skin.)

The Laneige oils will come in 2 formulations (250ml at S$48):

Fresh Brightening Cleansing Oil - packed with Vit C, grapefruit oil, apricot seed oil and baby’s breath (a floral) extract for light exfoliation, skin rejuvenating and gentle purification. If you have dry or sensitive skin, or don’t wear a lot of heavy makeup, this would be a nice one to try first.

Perfect Pore Cleansing Oil - this is the hardcore oil for clogged and oilier skins or people who wear a lot of waterproof makeup. It’s enriched with virgin coconut oil, mugwort extract, centella extract, marshmallow extract, verbena and lavender to deep clean and work on stubborn sebum and pores.

I decided to try Perfect Pore Cleansing Oil since I like using cleansing oils for deep cleansing massages every week or so!

Party Look #3: Longwearing Soft and Glowy (feat. Benefit Groovy Kind-a Love Kit)

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Not everyone’s into a smoky eye or red lips and winged liner. If you prefer the subtle enhancement of a low maintenance “girl-next-door” look that will last the night, this one’s for you!

I used a nifty little limited edition kit from Benefit, “Groovy Kind-a Love”, which includes minis of Porefessional balm, Benetint, 4 neutral brown shadows, a mini They’re Real mascara, and mini dandelion/gimme fever duo. Everything you need for an ultra-natural and flattering look.

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Products: everything in the kit except for the concealer, lip liner and lipbalm.

Concealer - Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer #2

Lip liner - Givenchy Lip Pencil #3

Lipbalm - use any pot balm you have that gives a slight sheen!

Tips:

Layering blush is a way to make it last the whole day, but be careful not to go overboard or you could end up with overly red cheeks. The thinnest layer of both will go a long way.

Try Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer on the lids as an eyeshadow primer!

To avoid a stain wearing away unevenly on the lips, use a thin layer of nude liner as a base first.

Gummi Nails “Royal Flush” 100% nail polish wraps

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Many people asked me about my pink-white-black-red skittle manicure at a Givenchy makeup event this past weekend. (And don’t they look fantastic against the geometric black Givenchy packaging?)

It’s not a manicure. It’s Gummi’s new Royal Flush wrap, and they took me 15 minutes to do that morning. 

Traditional wraps are made of plastic or vinyl, so they’re simply stickers that you apply on your nails. Often, they will start to lift at the tips after a day (or just a few hours), even if you apply top coat to try and seal in the edges.

100% nail polish wraps are made with a newer technology and actual polish material, so they lay down smoother (less wrinkles!) and last much better on your nails without lifting at the edges or feeling weird and rough when you scratch yourself.

I got a bit of lift on a couple of fingers where there was a lot of wear and tear from lifting and opening things, but one quick coat of clear polish over the lifted area and down over the nail tip fixed them. (Just make sure your nails are really clean and free of oils or moisturizer, etc before you apply, and finish with a clear topcoat, and they should last for days.)

The best thing?

The application. I only had to fold down firmly over the edge of my nail tips and tug gently to trim off the excess material. I did NO filing and cutting with these though they come with a nail buffer in the package. WAY faster than painting on 2-3 coats of polish and letting it dry. And these work with fast-dry topcoats like Seche Vite.

VERY impressed! If you’re looking to try a few for the holiday season, I highly recommend the ones in this collection first since they are all made in this new formula. (Although I’m a little bummed out that Winter Wonderland is out of stock now!!)

Gummi Nails ships internationally for a flat rate. Check for details on their site!

Party Look #4: The “Dense brown smoky” (Make Up Store Volga Shadow)

Trust me when I say this is one of the most intense - AND the quickest - smoky eye looks ever. In fact it’s slightly slapdash, and you can swop out the brown shadow for pretty much any color you want as long as it’s not pale.

The trick is not to cover the entire black base with shadow, but to leave just a bit at the lash line so there’s a natural gradation from black to brown as you smoke the shadow outwards.

The star here is the rich brown duochrome shadow, Volga. This MAC Club lookalike is less red-toned, so if Club makes you look like someone’s socked you in the eye while you were partying, this is a fantastic alternative.

You need only:

1 brush - a rounded synthetic eye buffing/contouring brush like the Loveybelle small eye contour brush, which I used here

1 matte black khol or cream liner - anything very soft and intense and creamy

1 deep brown shadow - I used a satiny duochrome from Make Up Store called Volga - which is like a less red version of MAC Club shadow - for a bit of dimension (the black base will deepen and make it more matte, so choose something slightly brighter or more metallic than you intend)

1 pale ivory/beige shadow [optional; I used an ivory shade in my Tarte Call of The Wild palette]

Mascara

A soft pink-toned blush - I used Benefit Rockateur, which is my go-to daily blush when I’m lazy to think!

A soft pink shimmery lipgloss - Make Up Store’s Orchid is a frikkin’ gorgeous beige-pink that isn’t too sheer or too frosty.

P.S. On nails, I am wearing Erik from Make Up Store, a blackened-green creme that looks like Japanese kombu (dried seaweed).

Pantone Color of the Year 2014: Radiant Orchid!

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Orchid (well, technically it’s purple with a dash of pink) is one of my absolute favorite colors in the world, so when I saw that Pantone’s 2014 Color of the Year was this delicious shade of magenta-violet, I dug around for some options.

On the nails, orchid is gorgeous. It goes with any skin tone, brightens up your outfit (and your day), and good colors are relatively easy to find among the cheaper ranges.

1. Essie Splash of Grenadine - this is a softer more muted orchid that leans towards pink. If purple’s too strong for you, this is a nice and quite subtle shade.
2. China Glaze That’s Shore Bright - the name says it all! This is a true orchid if you’re not afraid of color!
3. Revlon Plum Seduction - another shade that leans towards a magenta pink, but has a big shot of purple in it to keep things interesting.

On the lips, you can definitely opt to go strong, but don’t forget pretty oyster-pink glosses that give a hint of that tone without going into bright purple territory.

• NYX Purple Rain lip pencil - a quick way to jazz up your existing pink glosses is to layer a bit of Purple Rain over your lips first. This pearlescent purple-pink is strong and pretty at the same time!
• MAC Docile Lipglass - with a name like that, you know it’s not going to be a strong shade. This is a muted beige pearl with pinky-purple duochrome sheen. VERY subtle and soft.
• MAC Up the Amp - the CLASSIC orchid mouth. This color is a must-try for anyone interested in wearing purple toned lipstick. In fact, make it your first stop. It looks a little duller beside the other 2 lipsticks, but it’s undeniably beautiful. (There’s a dupe from Revlon called Berry Haute which is available in some countries; if you can find that check that one out!)
• MAC Flat Out Fabulous - this looks like a magenta beside the other lighter and less intense lipsticks, but it’s really a strong and saturated matte orchid once on the lips. Sadly, it’s a limited edition, and Nars Schiapp is close, but too pink to be a dupe.
• Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn - Alright. If you aren’t going to wear anything but TRUE orchid on your lips, you need to check out Airborne Unicorn. This cult color is an insanely bright orchid-purple. But it’s also surprisingly pretty on the lips. Don’t knock it until you try it!

On the eyes, it gets a bit more tricky because the wrong orchid can make your eyes look swollen/sunken/bruised/all-types-of-bad. Here are some suggestions to wearing it.

1. If purple is not your color on the lids, make sure you pair it with a little black or grey around the socket or outer V, as well as the lash line.
2. Choose a duochrome. Pictured above is a loose pigment from I Nuovi called Ultraviolet, which is a purple with a duochrome pink shift. I would also highly-recommend pink/blue-shifting shades like MAC Stars n Rockets or Urban Decay Fishnet because they give that orchid tone without looking too flat.
3. Go dark. An absolute knockout deep orchid purple is Too Faced Poison Orchid. (Lid swatch above applied over black base.) Probably one of the most under-rated purple shadows in the universe, because I’ve seen so many people spontaneously swear out loud when they swatch it and realise how beautiful it is. This is a duochrome black that looks almost blah in the pan, but shifts into the most intense, ridiculously beautiful orchid purple. (And how can you not love a name like that?)

What are some of your favorite orchid-toned products?

Make Up Store Winter 2014 Collection Swatches

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Here is a quick overview of 2 looks in the Make Up Store 2014 Winter collections.

The first is Tattoo - biker-themed with dark matte pine-green and scarlets. 

The collection does actually come with temporary tattoos, and also cute gunmetal-grey skull nail-art pieces, as well as 2 beautiful greens. (Faisal is more eye-catching but I personally love the deep-dark kombu green Erik.)

The key piece to check out is CLEO gloss, which is the most amazing glittery red. Instant statement lips!

The Moscow collection features softer dreamier duochrome colors, with antique gold, dark blue-brown, and a soft marine-blue.

This set has 2 of my favorite shadows in the range. Volga is an alternative to MAC Blue Brown pigment or Club shadow, but it’s less red than those 2. It goes on the way MAC Blue Brown looks in the jar. If you have light skin, this is actually a better option as you are less likely to look like someone socked you in the eyes.

The other favorite is Dagger, which is GORGEOUS antique gold/green. 

If you’re a fan of deep dark lips, as I am, slim lipstick #401 is also a must-try. It’s dark but it leans purple instead of brown, which is always more dramatic and flattering.

The one catch is this Swedish brand doesn’t get as much attention, and isn’t as widely available, as it should be. In terms of brand aesthetics, seasonal campaigns, and the range of colors, I would actually liken it to the often more hyped Illamasqua. 

I’ve been a long-time fan of the generous-sized 3.5g microshadows, and Black Orchid (black-plum) and Magic (black-purple metallic) are 2 of my favorite dark lipsticks, along with Jazz lip pencil, back when these super-dark colors weren’t easily available in Singapore. 

Holiday Look #5: Deep Dark Pleather Plum

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A very “noir” look focusing on glossy dark lips that works on any skintone! There are a few tips to wearing monochromatic looks like this.

1. Conceal, conceal, conceal! Dark, monochromatic looks can make uneven skin tone and any redness more obvious.
2. Keep the eyes a little softer if you don’t want to look too vampish. I used a soft taupe as the main lid shade and plum only in the outer corners.
3. Wear a brighter blush. Dark monochromatic looks can really drain the face or make you look sallow, so the way to balance it out and stop everything from going completely goth is to use a soft pink blush to add a little sweetness and color to the face
4. Be prepared to touch up! Like a glossy red lip, you will likely need to be careful when wearing a glossy dark lip. Smears, smudges, track marks from your hair getting caught in your lips, you name it.

Product used:

1. Foundation - LANEIGE Snow BB Soothing Cushion SPF 50 No. 21
2. Concealer - MAC Studiofinish concealer NW20
3. Powder - ClearLast Powder in Medicated Ochre
4. Brows - Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 Pencil in Seal Brown
5. Taupe shadow - MAC Satin Taupe
6. Plum shadow - MAC Rich Core
7. Silver shadow - Lancôme Hypnôse cream shadow in Diamant Argenté
8. Brown/plum liner - Rimmel Exaggerate liner in Perfect Plum
9. Mascara - Lancôme Hypnôse mascara
10. Blush - Benefit Rockateur
11. Plum Lipliner - Make Up Store Jazz
12. Plum gloss - Givenchy Gloss Interdit in 15 Velvet Purple

A MAC Lipstick obsession.

And these aren’t even all of them. Who else feels they buy MAC lippies just to collect them? 

Well, I do use up and repurchase a few of them. Satins and Mattes are my favorite MAC textures, but in the end, there are a several Cremesheens and Amplifieds I love as well. The only one I’m not a fan of is the Frost series, simply because they never look nice on me. 

Below are my absolute favorites! 

[Update] Apologies to those who saw ‘rows’ earlier. I meant columns. that’s what happens when you’re all woozy from flu-meds. Thanks to claireetaylor for pointing that out!

Ruby Woo (column 3, 2nd from top) - red, red, red, matte, matte, matte. When I need to make an entrance but can’t think of what makeup to wear, this is the one I reach for.

Viva Glam I (column 3, top) - The most flattering deep Gwen Stefani ox-blood red

Candy Yum Yum (column 5, 2nd from top) - ELECTRIC blue-pink; wear this if you want people to see your lips from miles away

Up The Amp (column 6, 2nd from bottom) - one of the most universally flattering purple-toned lipsticks

Creme Cup (column 2, bottom) - nude with peachy-pink blush hue so it’s kittenish and sexy, not corpse-like. *REPURCHASE.

Pink Nouveau (column 5, 2nd from bottom) - classic medium pastel Barbie pink. *REPURCHASE.

Fresh Brew (column 1, 3rd from top) - this creamy true beige with an ochre brown kick has no red, peach or pink in it at all. It looks strange but it’s actually very flattering because it mutes the lip but it’s actually deeper than most nudes), and also fantastic for dark skins.

Annoying limited editions: (the stuff that SHOULD be permanent)

Relentlessly Red (column 4, top) - this pink-hued coral red brightens up the face instantly

Prince Noir (column 1, top) - this is the PERFECT matte noir shade; words cannot describe how gloriously beautiful it is. It’s a little like Film Noir in the Pro line, but this is just a touch blacker and sexier. 

Quick Sizzle (column 5, top) - beautiful matte fuchsia that’s deep enough to flatter all skin tones, and with enough saturated brightness to liven up the face. If Girl About Town were matte and amped up in intensity, it would be Quick Sizzle.

Actually they should keep most of the limited edition Retro Mattes in the permanent collection in my opinion. There were some outstanding shades; including Flat Out Fabulous (row 6, 3rd from top), Steady Going (row 5, 3rd from top), and Runway Hit (row 2, 2nd from bottom).

"The Beauty Blogger Toolkit"

Light, camera, lipstick, perfume.

Furry sidekick optional. (Especially when they insist on blocking the light and getting into everything.)

Holiday Look #6: Alluvium Blues Eyeshadow Tutorial (Illamasqua Alluvium pigment and MAC Crystal shadow)

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If you have close-set eyes, a winged eyeshadow look where the emphasis is on elongating the outer corners and brightening the inner corners helps to balance it out. 

In this look, I’m playing with a gorgeous blue loose powder pigment from Illamasqua called Alluvium. Unfortunately, the full dimensions aren’t visible on camera but it’s a deep indigo blue with gorgeous olive, gold, and copper flecks. (See the image of the pigment jar and you’ll know what I mean!)

This is a look that you can do whether you have double or mono lids. 

Products used:

Base/Concealer - Vichy Dermablend Fluid Foundation #25

Setting powder - Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java

Eye primer - Benefit Stay Flawless (when working with loose pigments, it’s usually a must to have a slightly tacky base on the lids so the powders adhere properly and provide maximum intensity)

Beige base - MAC Metal-X Cream Shadow in Palladium (any soft shimmery champagne or beige will work)

Black cream - Shahnaz Husain black kajal

Deep blue shadow - Illamasqua Alluvium

Pale lilac shadow - MAC Crystal

Deep green - MAC When in Rio (this is limited edition, so try NYX Hunter Green(

Black liquid liner - HeroineMake Impact Liquid Eyeliner

Navy blue pencil - I used MAC Blooz (discontinued), but a navy blue should be pretty easy to dupe!

Mascara - Lancôme Hypnôse mascara in black

All That Glitters: My Collection Glam Crystal Liner review and color picks!

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Collection has finally come to Singapore! Now available at select Watsons’ stores, I couldn’t resist stopping by to check out their famed glitter liners. (Same quality as Urban Decay, but with a bigger range of colors, and a much lower price? I’m there!)

Is it cheaper than Urban Decay? Yes. But not by that much when you consider how cheap these are in the UK. (They’re S$16.90 here.)

Are they beautiful? Yes. There are more than 10 shades available if I don’t recall wrong, but these 4 were what I picked out as being the most fine-grained, and even to apply. There were some other colors that were equally pretty, but they were either too chunky or just a pain to apply.

Note: I didn’t pick any glitter liners that took more than 2 coats to apply evenly. These weren’t the only good ones, but hey - I’m not buying ‘em all!

Of the 4 shades, these are in order of preference:

1. Hustle - this gorgeous silver is speckled with a whole rainbow of greens, pinks, blues, reds, golds. It looks incredibly dimensional, and it also goes on smooth in 2 - sometimes just 1 - coat.
2. Funk - this lovely beige gold is super fine and the color is glitzy enough to jazz up your look, while still being extremely chic and neutral. Goes on evenly in 2 coats.
3. Night Fever - this beautiful royal blue is slightly chunkier than the 2 shades above, so it can be slightly less precise during application (stray clumps and flecks will shift out of position). But the color! 2-3 coats for evenness.
4. Le Freak is a lovely mermaid-tail turquoise. It’s also very fine-grained. The only issue with it is the green liquid base is a little runny so it is harder to apply a very fine line.Also the liquid colorants tends to stain the skin, so be prepared to be wearing teal for quite a while!

Overall, I’d say these are worth checking out for sure - especially if you’re in countries where the price is low. If you’re in Singapore, I’d say t’s still worth picking out a couple of shades if you’re a glitter liner person. (They’re really as good quality as high end ones).

Casual Weekend Face of The Day: Thick Liquid Liner!

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Minimal product, but just as much drama! This is what I do when I don’t want to fuss with eyeshadows and blending.

Eyeliner isn’t uncommon; tons of people wear it. But when I’m doing something as simple as black liquid eyeliner on the lids - and nothing else, I like it really thick and really winged. 

Tips:

1. It does take some practice if you aren’t used to controlling liquid liner. Felt tip pens are easier for beginners, but they won’t give as sharp a flick.
2. Brush-style liquid liners give the most dramatic look, but make sure you dab the back of your hand to get rid of excess product and to get the finest flick.

Products used:

1. Base: Diorskin Nude liquid foundation 021
2. Concealer: MAC Studiofinish Concealer NW20
3. Powder: Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java
4. Brows: Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 pencil in Seal Brown
5. Blush: Benefit Rockateur
6. Eyeliner: Heroine Make Impact Liquid Eyeliner
7. Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash
8. Lipliner: No 7 Precision Lipliner in Nude
9. Lipcolor: Lancôme Absolu Velour in 363 (bright pink)

Laneige Spring 2014 Makeup Demo/Trial/Tutorial!

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Here’s a quick trial of a few of Laneige’s Spring 2014 makeup products just to check out the textures and pigmentation.

As you can see - they’re pretty darned good!

I must say I’m most impressed by the Serum Intense lipstick. I applied it neat without primer, liner or even a lip brush, and you can see the sheen and intensity of the color. I didn’t see any bleeding but I would still recommend using a lip liner if you’re wearing a strong shade like this, just in case, because it’s a super soft, balm-like texture.

The great news is if you have very dry, chapped lips but love the look of opaque lipstick, these Serum Intense Lipsticks are a fantastic option.

My personal favorite palette out of all 7 is also the one used here; No. 2 Shine Gold, because I love the mix of satiny warm browns, beiges and golds. Versatile enough for the day, and easily jazzed up by layering the gold sparkle shadow over the lids for the night.