Make Up For Ever Artisan Brushes

If you’re a brush freak, it’s time to drool.

I’ve always known Make Up For Ever (MUFE) for their foundations, powders and concealers, as well as their Aqua products, but honestly didn’t pay much attention to their brushes. But they’ve recently launched 75 brand new cruelty-free synthetic Artisan brushes that are very much worth sitting up to take notice of.

First of all, I actually tried these for the first time without reading any press info and was shocked later to realize that the fluffy, airy brushes were ALL 100% synthetic.

1. They feel like super-fine natural fibers. The black tips feel almost like squirrel fur.
2. They pick up products like natural fibers. What I don’t always like about synthetic brushes is they don’t quite perform the way you want them to. Like it or not, they don’t pick up and blend powder products as well as many natural fibers do.
3. They don’t feel super-dense like synthetic brushes. There’s a lot of softness and “bounce” in these.
4. And unlike a lot of synthetic brushes, they don’t take forever and a day to dry. 

What they’ve managed to do is to mix fibers with a teeny-tiny wave in them, in with straight fibers to incorporate “air” into the bristles. Natural fur is irregular, not all smooth and straight, which is how they manage to pick up more pigments and allow you to deposit them on the skin in a more controlled way. With wavy fibers, the MUFE brushes manage to mimic real hairs without sacrificing the cruelty-free credo and the durability of synthetics.

Most of the brushes have a similar duo-fiber structure. The makeup is applied using the ultra-fine black fibers, which are separated by thousands of coarse brown fibers so they aren’t flat and dense. For most of the face brushes and that interesting body kabuki, you don’t apply with the SIDES of the brush. You apply with the ultra-cottony tips.

I can talk forever, but the proof is in the pudding. You just have to go down to a counter to touch these for yourself!

There IS one catch however. There always is.

These don’t come cheap.

The prices range from SGD$20 for the lash/brow spoolie to $95 for the plush double-ended face sculpting brush. I can’t say you should run out to buy every single brush in the collection - although if you can afford to, congratulations.

It’s worth considering investing in a couple of staples or more unique pieces that you can’t find in other ranges, especially if you’re a pro who wants a cruelty-free kit, but aren’t quite satisfied with the performance of many of the face brushes on the market currently (for the various reasons I mentioned above).

I realize I have a very skewed love for #Chanel lipsticks. I only like Rouge Allures apparently.

I don’t avoid Rouge Cocos on purpose but somehow they never make the cut after swatching. What’s your fave lip product or line from the brand?

No37 L’exuberante shown

#makeup #lipstick #red #rose #matte #luxe #bblogger #sg #cosmetics

MAC Kelly Yum Yum Lip Swatch (and a dupe!)

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It’s bright. It’s bold. It’s pink. It’s crazy. 

And it’s drop-dead gorgeous. 

MAC Kelly Yum Yum was an instant “need” for thousands of girls - and boys - but as with predecessor Candy Yum Yum (when it was still a limited edition release), it immediately sold out once it became available.

This version of “Must Have” neon pink is just as opaque, but comes in a satin formula (my favorite) instead of matte, and is a touch warmer than Candy Yum Yum, which is almost magenta. Which makes it more flattering and wearable than the original, without losing the electric-pink scream.

But hang on.

Don’t go rushing on eBay to pay exorbitant prices yet.

If you aren’t able to get hold of it, there is a second-best option. A shade which is pretty much exactly the same, although the formula maybe isn’t quite as smooth, though it’s still good.

Sephora Rouge Shine in Cougar is a Summer release. It comes in a distinctive neon pink cap that matches the color inside, and the color is spot-on for Kelly Yum Yum. The lipstick texture is an opaque creme, but it does get slightly patchier on the lip after a couple hours of wear. Still worth going for the MAC in Asia as the formula is smoother and the price difference is not huge, but that’s if you can find it.

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I felt a need to also compare the humongous tip of the MAC Penultimate Liner with Eyeko’s Eye Do (which under normal circumstances is considered a very fat-tipped liner). I’m actually quite excited to give it a try on the eyes tomorrow. I’ll let you know if I make a mess LOL.

Have you checked out the new collection and what did you think of the lipstick shade if you managed to get hold of it?

Glam Red Lips Look with MAC Maleficent Products

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If you’re on Dayre, you might have seen me mention how lucky I was to get one of the impossible-to-find Maleficent quads from MAC last week. 

Along with the package came True Love’s Kiss lipstick and a few other items including Kelly Yum Yum. 

There were some requests for a tutorial using the palette, so I decided to just go all-out with a smoky eye and red lip, since I haven’t done that for awhile. Because it’s quite a heavy look, with matte smoky shades, liquid liner, false lashes, and deep crimson lips, I felt it was necessary to balance it out with very soft glowy cheeks and dewy, glowy skin.

See below for details!

• Base: Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation - this is still one of the lightest textures balanced with fantastic flaw-disguising coverage; I hardly need much concealer after using this
• Concealer: Benefit Fake Up Concealer under eyes and lightly on dark marks
• Powder: NONE! 
• Brows: Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 in Seal Brown, and MAC Brow Set in Girl Boy
• Eyeshadows: MAC Maleficent Quad (Cement, Carbon, Ground Brown, and Goldmine)
• Black liquid liner: Dior Addict It-Liner in Black
• Wispy Lashes: Ardell 122s
• Glowy warm pink blush: The Balm Cindy Lou-Manizer (I am TOTALLY in love with this peach-pink glow right now)
• Deep red lipstick: MAC True Love’s Kiss (close to a creamy Russian Red)

A little Gothic Lolita loveliness for #Sunday.
Trying out a few products from #AnnaSui’s latest makeup collection, and I have to say I’m a bit heartbroken at having to swatch those star-shaped lipsticks. Isn’t that always the case with so many Japan-made brands??! #LoosePowder Foundation in 202 - looking forward to trying this one cos I tend to like their powder foundations
#GelEyeliner in 200 - this one’s one of those gel pend with a rubbery dispenser, but it comes in multiple colors; 💜 200 is purple
#Lipstick V in 303 (nude coral-pink) and 601 (orange); semi-sheer creamy colors

The collection also has some glittery glosses and custom eyeshadow pans but I don’t have these on-hand for review.
Have you checked anything out from the collection yet?

#makeup #beautynews #makeup #bblogger #cosmetics #summer #gorgeous #purple #goth #romantic #lipsticks #eyeliner #sg

The Hauteline at Sephora and the JUMBO Eyeliner Box Giveaway

There’s one commonality among all the pictures above.

Eyeliners.

These few weeks, those of you in Singapore might have seen The Hauteline campaign around Sephora stores, and they’re featuring lots and lots of eyeliners, along with live demo sessions every Saturday by professionals from brands such as Make Up For Ever, Urban Decay, and Eyeko, which is new to our sunny island.

Of the bunch, there were two I was particularly interested in trying first of all.

Eyeko’s Eye Do liquid eyeliner was created in collaboration with the beautiful Alexa Chung (whom you might have recently seen in Lisa Eldridge’s youtube tutorial, doing her own cat eyeliner). I do have to say it’s a great liner formula; very black and with just enough product that it doesn’t run or require you to go over a section twice to get it dark enough. 

I was also curious about the Sephora Smartliner, which has one of those odd-looking curved shapes to allow you an easier grip when applying. 

It’s hard to pick favorites from so many fantastic formulas, but so far I’ve been especially impressed with:

• Tarte’s Amazonian Clay pencil (ultra smooth but lasting),
• Marc Jacobs Magic Marc’er (easy to use and super black with a dramatic lacquer-like finish)
• Eyeko Eye Do (very black for a felt tip formula, with a slightly fatter, easy-to-control tip)

But you won’t have to choose if you win the entire box!

» The Giveaways! «

If you haven’t noticed on tent-cards in stores, a small handful of shoppers in Singapore stand to win a huge box of bestselling liners including Marc Jacobs, Dior, Make Up For Ever, Urban Decay, Shu Uemura, Stila, Sephora, Benefit, Tarte, and Lancome. 

You just need to take a pic of your own favorite liner look (I didn’t see explicit instructions but I think it’s best if it’s your own original pic rather than someone else’s) and tag #sephorasg#thehauteline.

BUT - if you want to double your chances of winning, Sephora is also giving ONE Makeup Box reader in Singapore a full box. That’s more eyeliner than you can use for the next couple of years probably. You just need to stay posted on my Instagram account @makeup_box and answer one simple question there at around noon (Singapore time) about 2.5 hours from the time this post goes out.

Contest closes on Thursday 3 July at noon Singapore time again, and I will private-message the winner on Instagram to notify you of your win, as well as how to collect your box from Sephora!

Good luck!

Some New Luxe Palette Swatches: Chanel Les 4 Ombres and YSL Couture Palettes

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Here’s a quick post for those who are looking at investing in some newer luxe palettes on the market!

Chanel

Chanel has brought out a number of Les 4 Ombre quads in a new formulation; smoother and much more pigmented than the original baked quads sold in Europe and Asia. The good news is the texture is beautiful and the colors are gorgeous. The bad news is you get 2g of product, which is just 0.5g more than a single MAC eyeshadow pan.

My picks from the range were 232 Tissé Venitien, and 208 Tissé Gabrielle.

YSL

YSL has discontinued all their existing quads and 5 Couleurs and brought out an entire new range of 5 Color Couture Palettes in a different formulation. If you’ve ever tried Lancome’s Hypnose eye palettes, you might find these a little (well a lot) like those. Which is not surprising considering L’oreal owns both brands.

Some of these are a bit powdery but most are very pigmented. Not as creamy and smooth as the Chanels, so expect a bit of fallout with some shades, but the quality is very good overall. 

My picks from the range were the warmer colors. No 2 (neutral browns), No 7 (rosy-neutrals), and No 9 (peaches and wines)

Chanel Les 4 Ombres 232 Tissé Venitien Pictorial

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A quick smoky pink and smoked-jade look using the new Les 4 Ombres palette from Chanel. 

The diagrams above are pretty self-explanatory. The only things I used aside from the palette were black liquid liner (Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner) and mascara (Max Factor Wild Mega Volume mascara).

You can use false lashes if you want, but the look is quite soft, so I wouldn’t use falsies as it can hide/obscure the soft pink at the inner lids. 

An Afternoon at Penhaligons

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If you’re ready to stop smelling like everybody else, it’s time to ditch the run-of-the-mill designer fragrances and start exploring niche lines. 

One of the brands you might want to try is venerated British line Penhaligon’s. The first thing that will strike you about the store is their quaint, quirky, old-world classiness.

The entire place is motifed with their signature “bow”/ribbon emblem, from the tiled floor to the cabinet detailing, and even to the gorgeous royal purple wall panel in the top image. (See the Hello Kitty bows?)

Some of the oldest fragrances from the line date back about 140 years, when the line grew from a humble barber shop into one of the premier toiletry brands supplying the English royal household.

During my hour there, I was asked by Store Manager Chris what other scents I’d tried and liked in Penhaligon’s, as well as what other perfumes I liked.That’s a VERY hard question for me, because I own so many and I’ll change and wear scents pretty much any time of the day, even when I’m sitting at home or going to bed. So after he learnt that I already know and like Ellenisia, Gardenia, Artemisia, and Endymion, he took me through about 8 of some of the stronger and more distinctive fragrances in their line, including their latest release Tralala. Here are my faves.

• Peoneve - (Floral) the first scent I tried and the one that instantly made me go “Yesssss”. This is walking through a lush green garden in bloom, and going past over-ripe tangy Bulgarian roses to a huge peony bush with bright sweet pink petals.
• Vaara - (Oriental) this isn’t a heavy chunk-of-spices-and-resins oriental like Shalimar or Opium. This is a soft, well-bred mix of saffron, florals and sandalwood. Very interesting and complex, and it changes a lot on the skin from moment to moment as it warms up and reacts with your chemistry. 
• Eau Sans Pareil (Fruity-resin) Not a typical fruity scent at all. I like raspberry when it’s done well (juicy but not sugary and artificial), and it’s done beautifully here. This scent is fruity-sweet with class and depth. After about 10mins, it warms up and gets fuzzier and becomes a sweet soft skin scent. It was a toss-up between this and Peoneve for me. 
• Other recommendations I sniffed in earlier visits: Ellenisia (delicate ladylike white florals, including tuberose which I love), Lily of the Valley (clean, fresh, old-school soliflore lily), Gardenia (buttery waxy gardenia; this is lovely but I didn’t get it because I already own Gardenia parfum by Chanel, and I have to say that is a firm favorite)

I picked Peoneve in the end, because smelling it just makes me happy. It’s bright, it’s lush, it’s exuberant, and it has a definite presence, whereas the other 2 runner-ups were quite soft and more “discreet”. I also like that you don’t just get a flower. You get an entire living garden, including green leaves, clean earth, and the waxy sharp butteriness of a fresh petal.

If your idea of Peony is Jo Malone’s Peony and Blush Suede, I highly recommend you go sniff Peoneve. The Malone is extremely popular, but it’s overly simplistic and watered down for the price. If you’re paying in that price range, you should definitely explore more interesting scent houses!

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Penhaligon’s boutiques are located at Marina Bay Sands and ION, and counters are accessible at Escentials (Tangs and Paragon). 

Urban Decay Electric Palette Demo, Swatches and Review!

I am a little tardy in giving the Electric Palette a test try. I have to say the colors are incredibly fun. All aside from a couple of the shades (Chaos and Gonzo) were very smooth and easy to apply evenly.

Chaos is an ultramarine pigment, which is a pain in the behind to use in any form because it goes on patchy and uneven and refuses to stick to the lid without primer. Also, remember that a lot of these neon pigments are not meant for use on the lips, so exercise caution if you want to use any of these on your lips.

Pigmentation-wise, the proof is in the pudding. Just click to expand all the images (and right-click to open in a new tab if they don’t open at full size for you). Most of them apply smoothly aside from the 2 I mentioned above.

Aside from a little black kajal and mascara, everything else  I used to create these 2 looks is from the palette, including the brush. I didn’t use any primer.

But honestly, it’s going to be hard for regular people to use the shades here that often. There are zero neutrals in here to mix with the bright shades, so I really think this is more of a pro palette for artists who need a convenient set of bright strong colors for more editorial looks.

If you love super bright rainbow looks and will wear them out however, then by all means go for it. This is great quality. Even the brush is usable, though it’s better for packing on color intensely and not so good for blending out edges. (I had to use my finger to smoke out the wings.)

Favorite Orange/Tangerine Lipcolors!

Here’s a quick list of 10 orange lippies that I posted about on Dayre yesterday. 

I think there’s a lot of confusion about color groupings because tons of magazines and makeup artists call everything “coral” these days. Not everything is coral. If you need some help differentiating here we go:

Nude-orange: apricot

Pink-orange: coral

Red-orange: poppy

Above are 10 shades in varying shades of orange-tones, and if you need more detailed info on each color, visit the dayre post here!

Urban Decay Ammo Palette Tutorial - Blue and Violet Eye

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Here’s one Summery look with cool-toned pastels. If you like the look of colored eyeliner pencils but aren’t sure how to wear it, or worry about it taking definition away from the lash line (it can make your lashes disappear), here’s the way to do it.

Always use a black liquid liner to set a base line at the lashes. 

THEN go on top of it with a colored pencil of your choice, without completely covering the black. Leaving a tiny rim of black near the lashes will help you keep that dark definition so you get the best of both worlds.

I used 3 shades in the Urban Decay Ammo palette. A pale purple (Grifter), a turquoise blue (Shattered), and a magenta violet (Last Call). It’s an almost My Little Pony type color-scheme. I used Sephora’s Smartliner in black, and Shu Uemura’s Drawing Pencil in ME Pink 12. 

For the cheeks, I used a pink Japanese cream blush by Heavy Rotation Creamy Cheeks 02, and I varied the look with 2 lip colors. A soft pearl pink (VDL 504 Jude) and a magenta fuchsia (Bourjois Rouge Edition 07).

Cle de Peau Beaute A/W 2014 Celestial Radiance

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What a feast for the eyes!

Cle de Peau Beaute’s Autumn/Winter 2014 collection is themed around rich, deep, luminous colors around the eyes, and lots of lashes.

I have to admit I didn’t pay too much attention to Cle de Peau makeup before this because I always thought they would be a lot more expensive than other luxe brands. That’s actually not true though. They’re expensive of course. But because they use a refillable system where you pay less for refills, and only pay for a minimal amount of cases, you actually save a lot of space, and a reasonable amount of money overall.

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Eye Color Quads

I received 2 eye color quads, a Perfect Lash mascara and an Extra Rich lipstick for review, but this just makes me want to check out the other quads in the collection! The colors are gorgeous and rich and smooth; not chalky at all. 

On first sight, I was drawn to 308 the violet palette, but to be honest, 305 is more the type of quad that I would use daily. The pigmentation of 305 is also just slightly richer and smoother. 2 shades in the purple 308 palette are duochrome shades, but once applied they both look like monochromes.

The warm 305 palette has no duochromes but the colors are gorgeous and intense.

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Perfect Lash Mascara

This is a curved-wand mascara, and the waterproof formula is smudge-proof and holds curl very well. It’s more a defining and lengthening mascara than a voluminizing or dramatic one in my opinion. 

I don’t usually have problems with smudging mascara usually, but I can say it took quite a bit of effort to remove this with my Bioderma. I couldn’t do it cleanly, which tells me it’s quite long-wearing. An oil-based remover would be better. 

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Extra Rich Lipstick 111

In my top image, I actually had the lipstick inserted wrongly LOL. It’s meant to go in the short gold end-cap, not the long black one. I had some problems inserting it the other day, but I did manage to get it into the black, and it worked ok, so I thought “ok I guess it’s a bit different”. Then the next day, I was told it went in the other side and managed to do it when I tried again.

You will feel a lot of resistance, before a click sounds to tell you it’s locked in place. 

111 is drop-dead gorgeous pink-based nude along the lines of MAC Creme Cup or Chanel Radieuse. Absolute love. This is a definite repurchase once I finish it. 

I do have to say the squared tip is pretty but not the most practical or easy to use. I’m used to a teardrop shape and I feel I need to be more careful with this squared shape. But that’s a minor problem.

Shu Uemura “the lightbulb” oleo-pact review (plus a preview of a couple of Fall 2014 “Brave Beauty” products)!

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Here’s a quick peek at 2 products from the upcoming Brave Beauty collection, which features intensely strong colors and beautiful printed packaging. But this post is really about the lightbulb oleo-pact!

I’ve spoken about Shu Uemura’s the lightbulb foundation and powder foundation before, but I’m not joking when I say the new oleo-pact launching in Sep 2014 is my favorite of the bestselling series so far.

The original Lightbulb foundation is better for dry skins and dry weather; I loved it when I was traveling in Japan. In warmer weather or on oily skins, it can feel slightly heavy cos of the different oils in the formula, doesn’t really set and has a tendency to shift or smear off after a few hours.

The Lightbulb powder foundation I’m afraid I never quite liked as much because I personally don’t like matte full-coverage powder foundations, and I could never get this powder “glow” with the buffer sponge.

The oleo-pact combines the best of both worlds. It isn’t as dewy as the liquid foundation, isn’t as matte as the powder, and comes in a convenient portable compact for touch-ups on the go. 

Texture:

Satin finish (natural-looking glow)

Lightweight feel; not as heavy as the liquid, but not as weightless as the powder of course

Coverage:

This has less coverage than the original liquid foundation, but it’s still buildable to a respectable medium coverage.

Lasting power: 

I tried this on normal/dry skin in humid weather without any powder and it stayed quite fresh for the whole day (about 10 hours) without oxidizing; no oil-control but it didn’t get dry or cakey on my skin either.

Pros:

• Sustained natural glow and good skin-evening coverage without being heavy or unnatural
• Reasonable lasting power for normal-to-dry or combi/dry skins
• Lightweight and non-greasy feel
• Skin-conditioning
• Stays fresh-feeling even after experiencing some humidity and sebum over the day; didn’t bleed, streak, or cake up after sweating even without setting powder
• Good for normal to slightly-dry or even slightly-combi/oily skins

Cons:

• Contains oils so it won’t last extremely well on oily skins, although it would do ok on combi skins if set with some powder
• Won’t be hydrating enough if you are extremely dry
• The dense slightly-domed bouncy sponge is a PAIN to clean, just like the other lightbulb sponges. 
• Not enough coverage to cover more prominent blemishes; a separate concealer would be needed
• Not refillable; I’d like to purchase a refill for a reduced price instead of throwing out the compact and paying full price each time

The Lightbulb Oleo-pact will launch in Singapore on 1 Sep for $75.

I said I wouldn’t buy anymore Chanel Les 4 Ombres cos they contain 2g of product for the price (a little more than a single MAC shadow 😑) but my brain shut down when I saw the Fall 2014 Collection Etats Poetique palette.
Here are my 3 picks.
#Les4Ombres 234 Poésie - gorgeous neutrals to replace my Spices quad; this one goes on as pretty as it looks in the palette.
#JouesContraste 160 Innocence - I recommend it but didn’t buy it; the one in my picture is 99 Rose Pétale, which is very similar. If you own one skip the other.
#Glossimer 119 Wild Rose - pigmented My Lips But Better mauve-pink. There’s a paler pink that’s prettier in the tube but has poor payoff.
Swatches and a full face look on dayre.me/makeupbox today.
#makeup #beautynews #cosmetics #lipgloss #eyeshadows #palette #chanel #foundation #haul #sg

Extreme simplicity.

#Shiseido is launching a silky-light powder foundation version of their color-correcting Sheer and Perfect Liquid Foundation in Sep ‘14. I tried it this morning and I can already say it’s good for setting concealer over spots and marks cos it uses the same color-canceling technology as the liquid.

#Shiseido LacquerRouge PK430 - bright salmon pink launching Sep too; see other Fall products, and details about their new skin-immunity boostimg pre-serum Ultimune on dayre.me/makeupbox Day218.

#LauraMercier Sensual Reflections cheek powder
#Chloe Roses de Chloe

#beautynews #cosmetics #makeup #powder #perfume #rose #lipgloss #blush #bblogger #sg

Quick Look at Dior’s 10 New 5 Couleur Palettes in Singapore (and the limited edition Fall 2014 876 Trafalgar palette)

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I’ve heard from some readers that the palettes available in each country differ, so these may not be exactly the same as what you can find in your country, but if you just want to look at some of the new shades being rolled out, here are some!

(The older collection is slowly being phased out, so if you have any staples you might want to get some backups before they’re gone.)

Out of the 11 palettes, I picked out 4 faves to purchase for obvious reasons… (I’d rather buy a new bag than 11 new Dior palettes at one shot…)

These 4 I’ve swatched above. 

The pigmentation and formulas are the same as they were before; I can’t really detect any difference. But the packaging HAS changed. To see the difference between the older palettes and the newer ones (plus the new applicators etc), just go to my post on Dayre!

http://dayre.me/makeupbox/6lCcRVdW5X

Natural Eyes and Ombre Lips

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A very quick look featuring one of the new Dior 5 Couleur palettes (646 30 Rue Montaigne), soft shimmery peach barely-there cheeks, and a peach and fuchsia ombre lip.

I’d posted the above pic of the products on Instagram and there were requests to show the look on the face, so here it is! (I don’t always have time in the mornings to take a snap of my FOTD on camera under the right lighting - and that’s the only way the colors come out accurately on the face, but since I had time today here it is.)

The textures are quite light and glowy, so it’s mainly the glowy peach and fuchsia lips that are the focus. 

All I did was apply the beige-peach gloss all over, then the fuchsia just around the center, before rolling my lips together lightly so it blends into the peach.

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Products used:

Lancome Teint Miracle foundation all over face

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer under eyes and on dark marks

Guerlain Meteorites in 03 Medium as setting powder

Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 in Seal Brown on brows

Lancome L Base Paupieres Pro 03 to prime lids

Dior 5 Couleurs in 646 30 Rue Montaigne on eyes

Lancome Khol Hypnose 02 Brown to line upper lash line and outer corners of lower lashes

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume Mascara in Black on lashes

MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skin Finish on cheeks

Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Nectar all over lips

Laneige Water Drops Lip Tint in Hot Pink in center of lips for ombre stained effect

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex II: Eye Serum and Gel-Creme Review

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If you’re a fan of the bestselling Advanced Night Repair serums like me (I’ve used them on and off for 10 years), you’ll know what makes the range so effective is the extremely basic concept that good antioxidants and anti-inflammatories neutralizes a lot of environmental aggressors to prevent damage, and allows the skin to repair itself better as well. 

Around this very simple concept, the line has been expanded and updated over the years to include an intensive serum, a whitening serum, as well as an eye cream.

It was the very first high-end serum I’d invested in and probably my longest-used. (I still have a bottle now.) The very first Advanced Night Repair eye cream I tried 8 years ago soon after it launched gave me rashes around my eyes. Something in it just wasn’t agreeing with my skin even though I’d used the serum for quite a while by then. 

So when I was invited to try their latest-generation ANR Eye range, I admit I was more than a little nervous. 

What you should know:

1. There are 2 products; a updated gel-creme with a silky texture similar to the previous versions, and a new lightweight serum that can be worn under other eye creams.
2. The 2 products are NOT MEANT TO BE LAYERED. They are alternatives for people who like different textures. 
3. The gel-creme I find is better for people who have normal to slightly-oily/dry skin around the eyes. It’s got non-greasy hydration (silicones and jojoba etc) and a silky light texture that works fine under makeup, but it won’t give you intense hydration.
4. The serum on the other hand, is good for people who have either extremely dry or extremely oily eye skin. That’s because it’s very light and will not cause any milia on clog-prone skin, and also can be layered under a heavier eye cream so you can top-up the hydration level. 
5. Both products are silicone-based, so if you have known problems with large amounts of silicone, then you might want to avoid these.
6. The product works by including a whole slew of antioxidants like wheatgerm extract, echinacea purpurea, as well as anti-inflammatory ingredients like barley, chamomile, bifidus ferment, Scutellaria baicalensis extract, poria cocos or “fu ling” extract, etc.

My experience:

I’ve used these in turn for almost a month now, and they  definitely feel very fresh and light; no milia or clogs caused at all, and no rashes thank goodness. And I like being able to layer other products over it.

Both have a soothing feel on the skin but the serum has less ingredients and also no caffeine to drain water from the skin, so if you have puffy eyes and bags, you might want to go for the gel-creme instead of the serum. (Unless you are layering it under another eye cream which does.)

I personally prefer the serum because I like the flexibility of using a product that leaves no residue, or layering something over it for more moisturization, especially since I have a lot of other products I’m using or trying.

Do I feel a major difference? To be honest no. That’s not how antioxidants work, and these aren’t caffeine-laden formulations like Origins No Puffery that will drain puffy lids very quickly. I’d recommend this if you need preventive care more than you need a quick fix or corrective care for advanced damage.

USAGE:

The entire ANR range is meant to be used at night, to work with your skin’s natural rhythms and supplement your skin’s natural regeneration while you sleep.

But I’ll just tell you straight-out that I use these in the day as well.

There hasn’t been any independent research to indicate certain products only work better at night, unless it has ingredients that are inhibited or deactivated by sun exposure. And it’s proven that antioxidants are fantastic to have in your skin before exposure to sun and pollutants as they are on-hand to prevent damage, so all-day protection is the best protection.

Also, do take note that many of the ingredients here tend to lose effectiveness quickly so it makes sense to store your containers in a cool, dark, dry place to extend shelf life.

Quick Demo Using Dior 5 Couleur 876 Trafalgar: Red Eyeshadow Tutorial

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Red on the eyes seems to be very “in” for Fall, judging from the fact that 2 of the biggest designer houses, Chanel and Dior, feature red shadows this season.

The trick to wearing the look without everything going too Goth is to pair it with softer (pink, gold, pearl) or more neutral shades (brown, burgundy, grey). If you want it to look goth, you can pair it with nothing but black. Chanel’s look for the season is slightly punk, pairing strong red with bright yellow.

I went for a softer, more wearable option since many people were asking about how they could make a palette like Trafalgar wearable. It’s actually not that dramatic if you don’t wear the red on its own!

P.S. the liquid liner I used here was MAC’s Penultimate Liner in Black.